Kathryn Laurentius

Basic computer skills are so important for our students. A lot of them are use to their chromebooks so when they come in my classroom, which is a computer lab with desktops, I take the time to teach them the basics of how to log out, save files, etc. 

Being a lifelong learner is so important. I think students need examples of that in the real world. I love it when I have a guest speaker in marketing or business classes who references the professional development or continuing education they do. It is so important for our students. 

Teamwork is built into all the business and marketing classes I teach. In particular, teaching presentation skills is one of my favorite things to do in marketing. It helps students build their confidence and overall professionalism. 

Writing is an important skill in the business and marketing courses I teach. It is a crucial part of communication and in particular a piece that I find very important in written communication is e-mail. Students must know how to properly communicate professionally but also when it is appropriate to do so and when in person communication is best. 

Teaching professional skills is just as important as technical skills. The soft skills are what employers are looking for our students to have in the workforce. 

A few things from this lesson I benefited from is, gratitude, taking a moment to write down or think about what you have to be grateful for. I often try to think of, the things I have now that I once worked really hard to achieve and how positive an impact that has on my mindset. Burnout is real and teachers often push it to the side because we are constantly adding more to our todo list. 

It is important to recognize that challenges and preferences are very different and should be approached by educators as such. 

It is important to see and respect each student for who they are. Culture and race are two different things that are equally important. 

Treating students as individuals and respecting their differences is crucial for being an effective educator. It is important to do a self-examination of your own bias so you can learn and grow and be more aware of how you can improve for yourself and your students. 

Connecting with students is an essential step. They have to know that you care about them and are doing this because you want to help them. That is the biggest takeaway from this lesson and teaching as a whole.