Confidence

         It has taken me some time trying to decide what question I would like to research. I have noticed that many of the questions tend to overlap or interrelate with other questions. I have chosen a question that I find ties in many aspects of other questions. I decided to research the question of "How do we become confident in teaching?" There are many things that are involved in helping a teacher develop confidence within themselves. I have decided to break up my research into different sections including knowledge base, differentiation, application, presence, and morals. I feel that each of these topics have grave importance in helping a teacher become confident in his/her teaching.
         A teacher must possess the right knowledge and be versatile with what they can teach. Having a thorough understanding of the subject you teach and being able to have the knowledge in order to answer the questions asked in class will make you a confident teacher. Having the necessary tools and knowledge to differentiate is another powerful tool to have as a teacher. You will become more confident in yourself if you are readily available to address each and every students needs in your classroom. Next, it is crucial to be able to help your students apply the knowledge they have absorbed in the real world. A teacher must have ways in which they can help students access things they have learned and be able to use them in a constructive and productive way. Assisting your students in accessing their learned knowledge will give you the confidence as a teacher that you can help students achieve the goals they have for themselves outside of the classroom. The way you present yourself to your class is an another important tool that has potential in boosting your confidence in teaching. Presenting yourself in a positive manner will help your students respect you on a higher level. Lastly, taking your morals into consideration when building upon your confidence can be very beneficial. Bias is a word that a teacher should never have in their vocabulary regarding their students. A bias teacher can never teach effectively because in the back of their mind they have a perception that is skewing the way they should be teaching or treating someone. To be a confident teacher, it is important to learn how to be unbiased and treat everyone equally.
        After laying out the foundation for my research question, I have decided to begin my research on how we can become knowledgeable about the subject we are going to be teaching. I began my research on google. I sifted through many different websites but I stumbled upon one in particular that I really liked. The title of the site is The National Science Resources Center.

(http://www.nsrconline.org/curriculum_resources/teacher_resources.html)

This site provides curriculum, publications, professional development, and other services that lead to the improvement of a teacher's knowledge of science. This site has many links that direct you in the right direction with whatever you are wanting to learn about whether it be about the rainforest or an educational blog you may want to follow. Overall this website is extremely useful for obtaining necessary knowledge that you need to have while teaching.