In this section you want to highlight the competencies that youâve been developing, especially those that matter the most to you. Here are some 21st century competencies to consider that are highly valued by employers:
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
- Intercultural Awareness
- Social Justice
- Information & Digital Literacy
- Numeric & Scientific Literacy
- Collaboration & Teamwork
- Civic, Ethical & Professional Responsibility
- Creativity/Innovation
Communication
March 24th, 2021Â
If there is one thing Iâm good at, its talking. Being able to effectively communicate my understanding or how I am feeling has never been difficult for me to do. In fact, I sometimes fall victim to talking too much or sharing too much about myself to those not interested to listen. I feel like my ability to communicate openly will help me develop strong relationships with my students. Students will only open up to you if they trust you and find you approachable. A teacher doesn’t need to talk to their students and make them feel âlesser thanâ. That goes for all instructors, not just elementary educators.Â
Communication is a key part of being an educator. Teachers need to communicate the learning intentions in a way the students understand best. The language you use to describe things matters. Kids donât care about the fancy words you learned in university. They simply want to know what it is they need to learn and the best way they can do it. A huge thing I learned during my experiential practicum was that you cannot assume students will understand what you mean, ever. When you ask students to get up and move to their groups, you cannot say it like that. You need to ask your students to âwhen I say go, please get up quietly, push your chair in, and move to your groups with voices offâ. You need to assume that you need to communicate every single expectation and detail to your students in order for them to do what you would like them to do. Youâre better off over explaining than under explaining.Â
It is also important to have strong communication skills amongst your colleagues and superiors. I most likely wouldn’t have had such a positive experience in my experiential practicum if I had not built a good relationship with my CT. Her and I set aside time every day to discuss how the day went and what would be planned out next. I was able to comfortably communicate with her about my worries, concerns, and any questions I had. I was able to tell her what I thought went well, and what I thought I could do better next time. Learning how to communicate with your colleagues will make the workplace both more enjoyable and constructive.
