Two Imaginary Letters from My Future Students

Dear Ms. Jeon,

Hi. How have you been doing so far? You always supported me. When I first immigrated to Canada, I felt very frustrated because everything was new to me. However, my favourite class was math subject because you were my teacher. There was one time I couldn’t finish all the exam problems because I couldn’t understand word problems. However, you explained them step by step through drawings, so I was able to understand better and get better grades on my next test. I knew you had extra time with not only me but other students like me who were behind in class. Still, I felt very special. Moreover, I liked how you taught in class because you were loud enough for me to hear even from the back of the class. Also, I really liked your math problems, because I found them beneficial! Indeed, values from the graphs you have shown us in class were very helpful in understanding facts about social issues. Thank you. Bye.

Reflection: I hope to speak clearly and loudly enough so that every student in my class can hear me from anywhere. I believe that as a teacher, it's important to make sure that the messages are clearly delivered to students. In addition, I hope to take extra care of the students struggling with math, so I can prove that mathematics is actually fun, not boring!

Dear Ms. Jeon,

Hi. How have you been these days? Although I was a top student in your math class, I didn’t like math much. Most of the time, you seemed to be in a hurry when you taught us, because you spoke fast. That made me feel like I was in a hurry as well, and I wished that I had more time to finish my activities. Sometimes, you hurt my feelings because you did not seem to treat everyone in the class equally. Even when you asked us to put our hands up to answer your questions, you let other students answer, but not me. I don’t know if you still remember, but there was one time I did not do my homework, and I told you I was sick. However, I could still do my homework, but I didn’t do it, because I just wanted to get your attention. After all, I was able to catch up with the class soon because I realized how much you loved me. Thank you. Bye. 

Reflection: I will always try to treat everyone in my class equally, but I am worried if some high achieving students feel differently, because they might think I help struggling students only or give them less chances to answer in the class. I will always make sure to give all the students in my class equal attention.