I started my Exceptional Child class last night and left with a massive headache. This professor is not playing around! I can’t believe how much there is due within 8 weeks! My initial reaction was an overwhelming sense of fear, but I realized later that the fear comes mainly from the need to find a place to get forty hours of observation in a 5 week period, during the summer, around my work schedule, using my vacation time. Once that is taken care of, I’ll be ok.
I feel awkward about approaching a school for this. He didn’t give much direction in that respect. My plan is to write a nice email to the principal and see what happens. I am assuming that most schools are familiar with this process by now.
Last week I had my initial meeting with my advisor at my transfer school. I really love the campus! It’s small and close to home. I thought I died and went to heaven when they told me that I have access now to their education library, which has this little room, tucked way in the back corner full of curriculum books and teacher edition text books. Why this is so cool to me, I have no idea but it was! Maybe it’s because it’s like crossing over to the other side finally!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Contagious Enthusiasm
Yesterday, while sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, I overheard some very excited young readers, four girls, two who I estimate were in second or third grade and two who looked to be first graders. The two older girls were reading a book with one of the younger girls. The older girls were reading loud and with confidence, and the younger girl was yelling, “I want to read it! Let me....”
The other first grader was reading a book to her mom. She was literally on the edge of her seat as she read and sounded out the words. Her voice got louder with each word as she approached the end of the sentence. I could feel the tension of excitement build as she worked her way through the text. I don’t remember a time when I have seen kids so excited and proud of their reading, their voices so competitive to be heard.
I sat there smiling to myself. I felt giddy at the sound of children showing excitement about reading. All I could think about was what a wonderful day they must have had that generated such enthusiasm, what an engaging lesson plan they must have been involved in, what an exciting literacy program must be in place at their school! What school is it that they are attending? I am torn between feeling like a complete geek and feeling like a real teacher. It was pretty cool and inspiring to be witness to that!
The other first grader was reading a book to her mom. She was literally on the edge of her seat as she read and sounded out the words. Her voice got louder with each word as she approached the end of the sentence. I could feel the tension of excitement build as she worked her way through the text. I don’t remember a time when I have seen kids so excited and proud of their reading, their voices so competitive to be heard.
I sat there smiling to myself. I felt giddy at the sound of children showing excitement about reading. All I could think about was what a wonderful day they must have had that generated such enthusiasm, what an engaging lesson plan they must have been involved in, what an exciting literacy program must be in place at their school! What school is it that they are attending? I am torn between feeling like a complete geek and feeling like a real teacher. It was pretty cool and inspiring to be witness to that!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
An "Ahhaa!" Moment
I just started reading Donna Walker Tileston’s book on classroom management. The foundation of her method is that behavioral problems can be avoided if children are adequately engaged with the learning process, nothing new that I haven’t heard before. When she started elaborating on the neurological process of learning, I knew this book was right up my alley!
For the first time, I feel like I am reading something that is speaking my language, something I can actually put into practice effectively. While I understand that “in theory” and “in practice” are two totally different things, I feel immensely inspired by her method. While reading, my thoughts went beyond just concerns over classroom management, I actually could visualize myself implementing the methods in a lesson plan and it felt natural and comfortable to me.
Some points that thus far I am taking from the text that I want to remember for the future:
1. Engage students immediately by beginning the lesson with an activity that appeals to one of their senses. For instance, I could start a history lesson with a visualization exercise, helping to place them in a period of history using guided visualization and period music. This can help personalize the learning experience (“intrinsic motivation”.) Another sensory exercise that can be used to learn examples of geometrical shapes in the real world is to put common place objects that, for example, are cones into a pillow case or bag . Students could work in groups to feel the objects through the bag to identify what the objects are. Or, using that same tecnique, put several different geometrical shaped objects in the bag and have students use their knowledge of shape properties to identify what the shape is.
2. Have students teach each other. For example, to help build vocabulary, each week, students can be assigned to pick a word from the dictionary that they don’t know and present it to the class. The presentation would consist of teaching the class the definition, spelling, type and how to use it in a sentence. Students would be allowed to present the concepts in any creative way they choose. Each student will keep a vocab list of the words their peers teach and an writing assignment involving the use of the words would be due each weak. The writing assignments could built upon one another so that by the end of the year, all the words learned would have to appear in the story, helping memorization of new words and building of vocabulary. Guidelines can also be put in place like 5 letter words, words that start with “s” or adjectives only or use the words to write a story about a particular topic; to challenge and provide variety.
3. Connecting the material to something children can relate to. Giving lessons a proper introduction that tells students, before you get into the subject matter, how they can apply it to their lives, immediately, develops a purpose for the student to become involved in the lesson and listen/ participate (“self-system”.)
For the first time, I feel like I am reading something that is speaking my language, something I can actually put into practice effectively. While I understand that “in theory” and “in practice” are two totally different things, I feel immensely inspired by her method. While reading, my thoughts went beyond just concerns over classroom management, I actually could visualize myself implementing the methods in a lesson plan and it felt natural and comfortable to me.
Some points that thus far I am taking from the text that I want to remember for the future:
1. Engage students immediately by beginning the lesson with an activity that appeals to one of their senses. For instance, I could start a history lesson with a visualization exercise, helping to place them in a period of history using guided visualization and period music. This can help personalize the learning experience (“intrinsic motivation”.) Another sensory exercise that can be used to learn examples of geometrical shapes in the real world is to put common place objects that, for example, are cones into a pillow case or bag . Students could work in groups to feel the objects through the bag to identify what the objects are. Or, using that same tecnique, put several different geometrical shaped objects in the bag and have students use their knowledge of shape properties to identify what the shape is.
2. Have students teach each other. For example, to help build vocabulary, each week, students can be assigned to pick a word from the dictionary that they don’t know and present it to the class. The presentation would consist of teaching the class the definition, spelling, type and how to use it in a sentence. Students would be allowed to present the concepts in any creative way they choose. Each student will keep a vocab list of the words their peers teach and an writing assignment involving the use of the words would be due each weak. The writing assignments could built upon one another so that by the end of the year, all the words learned would have to appear in the story, helping memorization of new words and building of vocabulary. Guidelines can also be put in place like 5 letter words, words that start with “s” or adjectives only or use the words to write a story about a particular topic; to challenge and provide variety.
3. Connecting the material to something children can relate to. Giving lessons a proper introduction that tells students, before you get into the subject matter, how they can apply it to their lives, immediately, develops a purpose for the student to become involved in the lesson and listen/ participate (“self-system”.)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Parental Issues
Parents are on my mind today. During my reading last night, I learned that from the mid 1800’s until about 1950, parents were considered a source of antagonism by the educational system. That it wasn’t until after 1950 when parents even had much of a say in the educational process, let alone collaborate with teachers. The information threw me off completely. I can't imagine a time when parents could have been an afterthought in the educational process.
This began an entire train of thought on the relationship of teachers to parents. It must be a challenge for teachers to step back and separate themselves from the parent/child relationship. What I mean is, sometimes we all naturally disagree with parenting methods, and teachers, who spend much time with the children in their class, undoubtedly must observe things in their students that they know have a direct relationship to the child’s home life. What happens when you observe, as a teacher, something that is negatively affecting a child’s educational, social, emotional, or psychological development that comes from the home? Do you have a right as a teacher to address these concerns with a parent, or is that completely overstepping boundaries? If the issue has to do with abuse and neglect, then the answer is clear- a child is in danger and you report it to the appropriate authorities. But what happens when the line is not so clear? What happens if you observe that a parent is pushing a child too hard and it’s causing the child to withdraw or rebel? What happens if a parent is contradicting everything you are teaching, causing the child confusion and educational lethargy? There are much more discreet challenges to a child’s development that might be easy for a teacher to observe from an outside perspective, but how do you address these issues in the best interest of the child, while still respecting their parent’s choices on how to raise their children? These are challenging questions for me.
This began an entire train of thought on the relationship of teachers to parents. It must be a challenge for teachers to step back and separate themselves from the parent/child relationship. What I mean is, sometimes we all naturally disagree with parenting methods, and teachers, who spend much time with the children in their class, undoubtedly must observe things in their students that they know have a direct relationship to the child’s home life. What happens when you observe, as a teacher, something that is negatively affecting a child’s educational, social, emotional, or psychological development that comes from the home? Do you have a right as a teacher to address these concerns with a parent, or is that completely overstepping boundaries? If the issue has to do with abuse and neglect, then the answer is clear- a child is in danger and you report it to the appropriate authorities. But what happens when the line is not so clear? What happens if you observe that a parent is pushing a child too hard and it’s causing the child to withdraw or rebel? What happens if a parent is contradicting everything you are teaching, causing the child confusion and educational lethargy? There are much more discreet challenges to a child’s development that might be easy for a teacher to observe from an outside perspective, but how do you address these issues in the best interest of the child, while still respecting their parent’s choices on how to raise their children? These are challenging questions for me.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Keep it Simple
I read a post by a student teacher in which he discussed how he is handling the old chair tipping problem in his class. I admire the simplicity of his technique- tip your chair once, get a warning, tip your chair again, and lose your chair for the day. His post made it sound like this was his most basic and natural reaction to this problem. It reminded me that when faced with behavioral problems, sometimes simplicity is key.
In my pre-mature anxiety about classroom management I tend to think in terms of what kind of fancy reward systems and classroom policies I can implement that will prevent bad behavior from ever happening. But truth be told, kids will be kids, even the best of them, and from my own experiences with children, I do understand that behavioral problems usually are well developed outside of the classroom and there is not much I can do to stop it from entering my classroom completely. What I can do is respond with simple logic. I like that approach!
In my pre-mature anxiety about classroom management I tend to think in terms of what kind of fancy reward systems and classroom policies I can implement that will prevent bad behavior from ever happening. But truth be told, kids will be kids, even the best of them, and from my own experiences with children, I do understand that behavioral problems usually are well developed outside of the classroom and there is not much I can do to stop it from entering my classroom completely. What I can do is respond with simple logic. I like that approach!
Mixed Feelings and Adaptability
In my current course we are learning about exceptionality in education, IDEA, assessments, IEPs, ect. This is an interesting course for me and is raising many questions in my mind about special education. I have not received my observation assignments yet, so at this point, my thoughts are solely intellectual, based on reading, which as I have come to learn is not always an accurate foundation for developing ideas and opinions, but for the sake of the learning process, I am going to throw these thoughts out there.
A statement made in the textbook that really got me thinking about this. I can’t remember the specific wording but basically it said that with respects to special education, the focus is often on students’ weaknesses rather than their strengths. This complaint comes from the teacher perspective about state requirements and assessments, which don’t allow them the freedom to bring the best out of the children. I stopped to think about this a bit. Earlier in the chapter, some of the common pre-factors to exceptionality were discussed. Although each case is different, I notice that a pattern emerged where many of the children that fit under the umbrella of IDEA were limited by external factors that can be overcome.
What further caught my attention was the vast amounts of public money that goes into these programs, often putting children through a curriculum that doesn’t meet their needs at all. If states have funding for special education at their disposal, why wouldn’t they be spending it in effective ways? Stupid question to ask of government, I know, but it never gets any easier to understand.
I know very little about this topic so I can’t intelligently say too much, however it has an established place of consideration in my mind as I progress with my education. I read often about how the education system in America has changed a lot over the years and almost consistently this is posed as a negative change by the teachers who have lived through it. What I can gather from observation and research is that teachers feel like students suffer from a one size fits all curriculum that doesn’t meet their needs or challenge them in appropriate ways, regardless of exceptionality. Good teachers seem to be experienced at finding loopholes, where they satisfy their state responsibilities while still finding ways to give students what they need individually. Since I want to be a good teacher, I want to learn with that same idea in mind. The old adage applies that if you can’t change something, change yourself. I expect that I will have to live by that saying more often than I think!
A statement made in the textbook that really got me thinking about this. I can’t remember the specific wording but basically it said that with respects to special education, the focus is often on students’ weaknesses rather than their strengths. This complaint comes from the teacher perspective about state requirements and assessments, which don’t allow them the freedom to bring the best out of the children. I stopped to think about this a bit. Earlier in the chapter, some of the common pre-factors to exceptionality were discussed. Although each case is different, I notice that a pattern emerged where many of the children that fit under the umbrella of IDEA were limited by external factors that can be overcome.
What further caught my attention was the vast amounts of public money that goes into these programs, often putting children through a curriculum that doesn’t meet their needs at all. If states have funding for special education at their disposal, why wouldn’t they be spending it in effective ways? Stupid question to ask of government, I know, but it never gets any easier to understand.
I know very little about this topic so I can’t intelligently say too much, however it has an established place of consideration in my mind as I progress with my education. I read often about how the education system in America has changed a lot over the years and almost consistently this is posed as a negative change by the teachers who have lived through it. What I can gather from observation and research is that teachers feel like students suffer from a one size fits all curriculum that doesn’t meet their needs or challenge them in appropriate ways, regardless of exceptionality. Good teachers seem to be experienced at finding loopholes, where they satisfy their state responsibilities while still finding ways to give students what they need individually. Since I want to be a good teacher, I want to learn with that same idea in mind. The old adage applies that if you can’t change something, change yourself. I expect that I will have to live by that saying more often than I think!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Weakness Brought to Light
College has both built my confidence and brought to light my many weaknesses. My last class favored the latter. The class was a children’s literature course. I took a deep interest in this course because 1) children’s literature is a significant part of the career I have chosen and 2) my concentration area is English. This course was really good because it pointed out all my weaknesses with respect to my concentration area.
English, grammar, writing, reading comprehension all have been my strong suits through out my education, even when I was in elementary school. I recall my third grade free choice time, I took it upon myself to start a class newspaper using the arts and crafts corner. The teacher left a box of paper, scissors, crayons and markers. I would hear random things on the news when my parents were watching and re-write stories on it complete with custom drawings (since I didn’t have photography capabilities), except in my young and innocent mind, the facts were a bit skewed. Now, as an adult, I can imagine how entertaining this must have been to my teacher and parents! Entertaining as it was, I remember receiving praise for my creativity, initiative and writing, but I digress. . . For a long time I have received positive feedback for my strong English skills and had forgotten what it was like to be put under the microscope. The instructor for my children’s literature course did just that!
I now realize that I have to go back to the basics and work on some grammar skills and technical details of my writing. I also need to practice my literary analyses, which means identifying the basic elements of a story every time I read fiction, perhaps keeping a journal to document it in.
In addition to refreshing my memory on basic skills, I need to start focusing on how I can make someone else understand. Although I will be happy teaching any grade I am qualified for, I am most drawn to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade. Part of what attracts me to these grades is the reading and writing level the children are entering. I look forward to having meaningful conversations about the books we read and working on writing using fun prompts. I am excited to read what students will write about. I believe some of the most creative and interesting writing comes out of this level, where the children are old enough to formulate cohesive writing but young enough to run free with the exercise and be natural and creative.
English, grammar, writing, reading comprehension all have been my strong suits through out my education, even when I was in elementary school. I recall my third grade free choice time, I took it upon myself to start a class newspaper using the arts and crafts corner. The teacher left a box of paper, scissors, crayons and markers. I would hear random things on the news when my parents were watching and re-write stories on it complete with custom drawings (since I didn’t have photography capabilities), except in my young and innocent mind, the facts were a bit skewed. Now, as an adult, I can imagine how entertaining this must have been to my teacher and parents! Entertaining as it was, I remember receiving praise for my creativity, initiative and writing, but I digress. . . For a long time I have received positive feedback for my strong English skills and had forgotten what it was like to be put under the microscope. The instructor for my children’s literature course did just that!
I now realize that I have to go back to the basics and work on some grammar skills and technical details of my writing. I also need to practice my literary analyses, which means identifying the basic elements of a story every time I read fiction, perhaps keeping a journal to document it in.
In addition to refreshing my memory on basic skills, I need to start focusing on how I can make someone else understand. Although I will be happy teaching any grade I am qualified for, I am most drawn to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade. Part of what attracts me to these grades is the reading and writing level the children are entering. I look forward to having meaningful conversations about the books we read and working on writing using fun prompts. I am excited to read what students will write about. I believe some of the most creative and interesting writing comes out of this level, where the children are old enough to formulate cohesive writing but young enough to run free with the exercise and be natural and creative.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
An Honest Account
I just finished a book of essays written by veteran teachers about their first year of teaching. Although there were a few essays which painted a vague picture of what to expect, I don’t think that most gave me what I am seeking.
A lot of the authors focused on the personal life experiences that led them to teaching, or one specific incident they remember; something embarrassing or disheartening that doesn’t really necessarily lend itself to the fact that it was a first year teacher experience, but rather something that could happen anytime. I suppose if the focus would have been on how they handled it rather than a narrative about the incident itself, it would have been more interesting to me.
Lately I’ve felt the need to devour anything I can get my hands on which will transport me into the world of teaching, help me to visualize a day in the classroom, understand the sequence of events and all this with a specific focus on elementary teaching. It’s not to say that I don’t learn something reading about secondary education teaching, but it is a different boat completely. I may not be able to speak from teaching experience, but I remember the distinctive differences from the student perspective.
I tend to read blogs, lots of education blogs, in order to get a clear perspective of what I am getting myself into, so to speak. Many feed my brain, but a some of them are written for informational purposes for parents, administrators and colleagues to read, so they are restricted to some degree. Or maybe I’m wrong and many teachers are really that happy and positive all the time! But somehow, I don’t think its humanly possible for that to be the case. I know that teaching is not a happy, perfect world where everything is wonderful all the time. I don’t expect to feel, each and every day, as if I have improved a life, made a difference and can sleep well knowing that my day has been perfect, full of the molding of young minds. I know that it’s hard and sometimes thankless and stressful. I know that there will probably be several hard days and many bad days, but that one good day is all it takes to make it seem worth it. It is honest and emotional essays and stories by teachers that I long to read. Something that will tell it like it is, without sugar coating, without focusing only on the positive, without picking the one moment that was wonderful to write about. I need to get a sense of the nitty gritty, of the hard times and terrible days. That is the stuff that will prepare me and make me feel confident. Maybe it’s my approach to challenging things, but I always believe that if I am prepared for the worst and feel capable of handling that, then everything else will be much easier to handle, as the worst doesn’t happen 99% of the time, so if I know I am capable of handling it, I am definitely capable of handling anything else.
Where do I find this honesty? I will continue to read and search. I really want to identify where my weaknesses are now so that I can have time to work on myself. Maybe someday, when I reach veteran teacher status, I will write this type of book.
A lot of the authors focused on the personal life experiences that led them to teaching, or one specific incident they remember; something embarrassing or disheartening that doesn’t really necessarily lend itself to the fact that it was a first year teacher experience, but rather something that could happen anytime. I suppose if the focus would have been on how they handled it rather than a narrative about the incident itself, it would have been more interesting to me.
Lately I’ve felt the need to devour anything I can get my hands on which will transport me into the world of teaching, help me to visualize a day in the classroom, understand the sequence of events and all this with a specific focus on elementary teaching. It’s not to say that I don’t learn something reading about secondary education teaching, but it is a different boat completely. I may not be able to speak from teaching experience, but I remember the distinctive differences from the student perspective.
I tend to read blogs, lots of education blogs, in order to get a clear perspective of what I am getting myself into, so to speak. Many feed my brain, but a some of them are written for informational purposes for parents, administrators and colleagues to read, so they are restricted to some degree. Or maybe I’m wrong and many teachers are really that happy and positive all the time! But somehow, I don’t think its humanly possible for that to be the case. I know that teaching is not a happy, perfect world where everything is wonderful all the time. I don’t expect to feel, each and every day, as if I have improved a life, made a difference and can sleep well knowing that my day has been perfect, full of the molding of young minds. I know that it’s hard and sometimes thankless and stressful. I know that there will probably be several hard days and many bad days, but that one good day is all it takes to make it seem worth it. It is honest and emotional essays and stories by teachers that I long to read. Something that will tell it like it is, without sugar coating, without focusing only on the positive, without picking the one moment that was wonderful to write about. I need to get a sense of the nitty gritty, of the hard times and terrible days. That is the stuff that will prepare me and make me feel confident. Maybe it’s my approach to challenging things, but I always believe that if I am prepared for the worst and feel capable of handling that, then everything else will be much easier to handle, as the worst doesn’t happen 99% of the time, so if I know I am capable of handling it, I am definitely capable of handling anything else.
Where do I find this honesty? I will continue to read and search. I really want to identify where my weaknesses are now so that I can have time to work on myself. Maybe someday, when I reach veteran teacher status, I will write this type of book.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Excitement and Nerves
As I read several blogs by veteran teachers and observe the wonderful ideas for projects, lesson plans, work stations, ect. I start to feel both excited and nervous.
I feel excited because I’ve always loved creative endeavors and craft projects, and when I read about the time teachers put into preparing the learning tools, their own time, I realize that I will really enjoy that part of my career because those are things I enjoy doing in my spare time, particularly when I have a well defined purpose. These are the moments when I feel like I am going to love my career, own it and that I will be really good at it!
Then the nerves hit, when I start to wonder how I will merge creativity and purpose. I begin to feel as if I am wading in water, searching for ground. I sometimes let this overwhelm me. I have to remind myself that I will learn my purpose. I am so early in my education that I am just now entering introductory courses to teaching method. I am still building the foundation by learning about educational psychology, theory and law. There will come a time when I will know how to formulate a lesson plan, meet state requirements and develop goals and objectives for students of various ages. When I know all those things, it will be time to use my creativity to find engaging ways of helping students learn. I have to remember that I am in a learning process myself.
My combination of excitement and nerves tells me that I am definitely on the right path and despite taking a bit longer to choose my career, that I’ve chosen something that will be rewarding and make me happy for years.
I feel excited because I’ve always loved creative endeavors and craft projects, and when I read about the time teachers put into preparing the learning tools, their own time, I realize that I will really enjoy that part of my career because those are things I enjoy doing in my spare time, particularly when I have a well defined purpose. These are the moments when I feel like I am going to love my career, own it and that I will be really good at it!
Then the nerves hit, when I start to wonder how I will merge creativity and purpose. I begin to feel as if I am wading in water, searching for ground. I sometimes let this overwhelm me. I have to remind myself that I will learn my purpose. I am so early in my education that I am just now entering introductory courses to teaching method. I am still building the foundation by learning about educational psychology, theory and law. There will come a time when I will know how to formulate a lesson plan, meet state requirements and develop goals and objectives for students of various ages. When I know all those things, it will be time to use my creativity to find engaging ways of helping students learn. I have to remember that I am in a learning process myself.
My combination of excitement and nerves tells me that I am definitely on the right path and despite taking a bit longer to choose my career, that I’ve chosen something that will be rewarding and make me happy for years.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Retention
Last night I was up late attempting to get ahead with the reading for my Survey of Exceptional Children class that starts in a few weeks. The textbook is 720 pages of small print in an oversized book. The class is only 6 weeks long, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get started right away! I have been working on the first chapter for 2 days now. It’s incredibly dry. In my experience, the first chapter is always the worst in a textbook because it has nothing specific, is full of references to research studies and attempts to justify the rest of the book. Once I get through the first chapter, the rest should be much more interesting (I hope! This book did not get the greatest of reviews from other students.) I literally struggled to keep my eyes open and at one point attempted osmosis, although not intentionally.
This isn’t the first textbook that has put me to sleep. I often wonder why professors would choose such un-motivating text. With the plethora of information available on just about any topic, isn’t it more effective to find material that generates excitement and interest in students? Sometimes it feels as if I am reading nothing more than regurgitated research on a topic. I would learn so much more to read about real experiences, people who put ideas into action and what they observe and what about the students, what do they think of these methods, how about the parents of students? I would like to know how this stuff translates into the real world.
I wonder if sometimes we look at education in a backwards way. Do we want to be filling young minds with as much information as possible regardless of how it can be used? Or, should we spend time developing concepts, putting them to purposeful use and teaching students how to manipulate that knowledge in several ways? My opinion is that quality should take priority.
An elementary age child is no different from a college student when it comes to learning. We both need to be engaged in the process, we both need to develop a deep understanding to retain information and use it consistently throughout our experience.
This is something I need to remember as I enter my career, that the process is just as important as the outcome.
This isn’t the first textbook that has put me to sleep. I often wonder why professors would choose such un-motivating text. With the plethora of information available on just about any topic, isn’t it more effective to find material that generates excitement and interest in students? Sometimes it feels as if I am reading nothing more than regurgitated research on a topic. I would learn so much more to read about real experiences, people who put ideas into action and what they observe and what about the students, what do they think of these methods, how about the parents of students? I would like to know how this stuff translates into the real world.
I wonder if sometimes we look at education in a backwards way. Do we want to be filling young minds with as much information as possible regardless of how it can be used? Or, should we spend time developing concepts, putting them to purposeful use and teaching students how to manipulate that knowledge in several ways? My opinion is that quality should take priority.
An elementary age child is no different from a college student when it comes to learning. We both need to be engaged in the process, we both need to develop a deep understanding to retain information and use it consistently throughout our experience.
This is something I need to remember as I enter my career, that the process is just as important as the outcome.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Identifying Myself as an Authority Figure
Classroom management is probably the area of elementary ed that I feel the most anxiety about at this point. I know it’s a topic that will be thoroughly addressed as I get further along in my coursework, however I research online extensively to prepare myself. Maybe my anxiety comes from the fact that I don’t have children of my own yet, so I wonder how I will manage a large group of children effectively.
Thoughts about this topic make me reminisce about my own school days. I remember distinctively the teachers that I loved; in fact I remember that I liked these teachers so much that I wanted to show them respect.
All the teachers I loved the most shared a similar quality: They were very kind and positive people. I think children rely on their senses and impressions far more than adults. If we want a positive response from children, we have to radiate a positive energy that they will be drawn to. This is something I really want to keep in mind as I am trying to establish myself as an authority figure when I do start teaching. I think a challenge will be to find a healthy balance. I have no desire to be considered “scary” but I also don’t want to be viewed as weak or passive either.
I have read about some great proactive techniques for classroom management via the reward system. I really like the idea of the community based reward system because I think that it encourages kids set an example for their classmates and work as a team. Another idea I really like that I have locked away in my mental storage vault is one that I read on a website, which I can’t remember (reason why I needed to make this blog!) that had several tips from veteran teachers for new teachers. This particular teacher used a class VIP method. Each day a student would be named VIP based on the previous day’s accomplishments and for the day they would get special benefits basically amounting to getting to be teacher’s pet for the day. I can remember how honored I felt as a child if the teacher chose me to run an errand or let me stand at the front of the lunch line. Little things can be huge rewards for a child and make them feel special.
I can really see myself using something like that in my own classroom.
Thoughts about this topic make me reminisce about my own school days. I remember distinctively the teachers that I loved; in fact I remember that I liked these teachers so much that I wanted to show them respect.
All the teachers I loved the most shared a similar quality: They were very kind and positive people. I think children rely on their senses and impressions far more than adults. If we want a positive response from children, we have to radiate a positive energy that they will be drawn to. This is something I really want to keep in mind as I am trying to establish myself as an authority figure when I do start teaching. I think a challenge will be to find a healthy balance. I have no desire to be considered “scary” but I also don’t want to be viewed as weak or passive either.
I have read about some great proactive techniques for classroom management via the reward system. I really like the idea of the community based reward system because I think that it encourages kids set an example for their classmates and work as a team. Another idea I really like that I have locked away in my mental storage vault is one that I read on a website, which I can’t remember (reason why I needed to make this blog!) that had several tips from veteran teachers for new teachers. This particular teacher used a class VIP method. Each day a student would be named VIP based on the previous day’s accomplishments and for the day they would get special benefits basically amounting to getting to be teacher’s pet for the day. I can remember how honored I felt as a child if the teacher chose me to run an errand or let me stand at the front of the lunch line. Little things can be huge rewards for a child and make them feel special.
I can really see myself using something like that in my own classroom.
A Place to Get Organized
With so much information being absorbed by my brain on a daily basis, I need a place devoted to my education and growth where I can sort out my thoughts and document the things I am learning. Rather than putting information I want to remember in random locations, I decided to organize it in a blog devoted to my career, accessible from anywhere. I can store links I want to keep for the future and analyze the things I learn.
Even though I am early in my education, I have been delving into any form of information I can find that will help prepare me for the future. My favorite places to peruse are the blogs of the teachers who are sharing their daily experiences. From those, I have already learned so much and gotten some great ideas that I will use when my time in the classroom comes.
In the next month, I have my first classroom observation experiences, the first of many observation sessions to come. I am excited to finally get this fresh perspective. The class is an introductory course for special education. Although special education is not my major, I think it’s an excellent place to start as the most challenging learners probably have quite a bit to teach me!
Even though I am early in my education, I have been delving into any form of information I can find that will help prepare me for the future. My favorite places to peruse are the blogs of the teachers who are sharing their daily experiences. From those, I have already learned so much and gotten some great ideas that I will use when my time in the classroom comes.
In the next month, I have my first classroom observation experiences, the first of many observation sessions to come. I am excited to finally get this fresh perspective. The class is an introductory course for special education. Although special education is not my major, I think it’s an excellent place to start as the most challenging learners probably have quite a bit to teach me!
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