Intelligence is defined as the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations. This definition more or less brings the meaning of intelligence to a more attainable level for more people. I think I may even be considered intelligent, based on the above definition. I always thought intelligent people were just smarter people, but come to find out they are just “normal” people who have the ability to learn and understand and deal with multiple situations. Most days, I can even do that!
Teaching our students to become intelligent individuals seems to be more manageable to me now that I have come to realize the true meaning. Giving students the tools, resources and information they need to learn and to understand material that is covered within the classroom will assist them in their venture to become intelligent individuals. Teaching them, through actions and words, how to deal with new, trying and even at times, uncomfortable situations, will assist them on their trail of becoming intelligent. This includes their learning what is expected of them within the classroom in regards to academics and well as behavior.
Character is defined as one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. Knowing that character can be good or bad, I would like to think that it is part, hopefully not a huge part, of my responsibility to help my students distinguish themselves as individuals with positive attributes. The best form of instilling character, I would imagine, would be to emanate positive characteristics. Praising students for good behaviors as well as identifying those behaviors that are not ideal within or outside the classroom, will assist the students’ growth in this area.
Treating all of my students with respect, being consistent with swift discipline, being active about preventing misbehavior, encouraging appropriate behavior and making classroom rules known in the beginning and reiterating as needed, will play a big role in my emanating the quote by Gloria Steinem “Intelligence plus character – this is the true goal of education.”
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Intelligence without character is a waste!
In class we briefly mentioned teachers as being role models for their students and setting examples for appropriate behavior. While subbing at a high school last week, many of the students in my classes were being called to the office throughout the day because one non-athlete tattled on an athlete for drinking at a party. Managing and controlling the behavior in a classroom is hard enough as a substitute, but when students are being called to the office about a drinking party it is even harder. When the students come back to class they all want to talk about what was said and know if there is any nossip. Being respectful of the students is also difficult when I know that they do not respect me, however I am learning that being stern and unfriendly is a necessity in substitute teaching.
Once all those involved with the drinking party had been called to the office, 25 students, both athletes and non-athletes were disciplined for drinking at the party. Since there was no adult present and no pictures of the students at the party, the school could not prove that the party actually happened, but all of the students received 8 days suspension from sports(even the non-athletes). And since this week was spring break, these days were used as their suspension. To me this does not seem like much of a punishment, especially for the non-athletes that were suspended from sports. I understand that because there was no proof that the party actually occurred, the school couldn’t do a whole lot, but it still seems as if the administration is just reinforcing the student’s behavior in saying that if there isn’t proof- then it didn’t happen.
Many of the students that were suspended from school are intelligent according to other teachers, but the true goal of education is not being met when these intelligent students are getting suspended for using alcohol. Eight out of 10 of the high school coaches teach at the high school or junior high, but on more than one night per week multiple teachers/coaches can be found at the town bar drinking. These teachers are not encouraging appropriate behavior in their students and athletes. (They should at least go to a different town with a population over 1000 if they feel it necessary to get wasted multiple nights a week haha J.K.).
Intelligence without character is like cake without frosting, it’s good but it could be a whole lot better. Cake without frosting is dry and boring, basically a waste, unless of course you are on a diet. Intelligence without character is dull, unexciting and a waste.
Once all those involved with the drinking party had been called to the office, 25 students, both athletes and non-athletes were disciplined for drinking at the party. Since there was no adult present and no pictures of the students at the party, the school could not prove that the party actually happened, but all of the students received 8 days suspension from sports(even the non-athletes). And since this week was spring break, these days were used as their suspension. To me this does not seem like much of a punishment, especially for the non-athletes that were suspended from sports. I understand that because there was no proof that the party actually occurred, the school couldn’t do a whole lot, but it still seems as if the administration is just reinforcing the student’s behavior in saying that if there isn’t proof- then it didn’t happen.
Many of the students that were suspended from school are intelligent according to other teachers, but the true goal of education is not being met when these intelligent students are getting suspended for using alcohol. Eight out of 10 of the high school coaches teach at the high school or junior high, but on more than one night per week multiple teachers/coaches can be found at the town bar drinking. These teachers are not encouraging appropriate behavior in their students and athletes. (They should at least go to a different town with a population over 1000 if they feel it necessary to get wasted multiple nights a week haha J.K.).
Intelligence without character is like cake without frosting, it’s good but it could be a whole lot better. Cake without frosting is dry and boring, basically a waste, unless of course you are on a diet. Intelligence without character is dull, unexciting and a waste.
Don't Smile 'til Christmas!
I have had teachers tell me that thank goodness, they don't follow the Christmas rule anymore but after some of my substitute days...hmmm....
Seriously though, most of my days are just fine with no problems at all. However; I hope I'm not alone in saying that classroom management is one of my biggest concerns. As a substitue teacher, I have used some of the preventative techniques that are discussed in Chapter 9.
I have:
clear expectations
anticipated negative behavior
approached the classroom in a positive manner
used nonverbal communication such as physical bearing, gestures, physical
proximity and withitness
So, my question is, why do these methods work on some days and not others? Taking into account factors such as age of class and such, I do think the time frame plays a part as well. In the days preceding Spring Break, my classes were unusually restless and even disruptive. I finally attributed it all to the anticipation of the upcoming vacation. I was preoccupied with Spring Break so of course the students were as well.
But looking at this chapter I realize other elements are missing from a substitute's classroom behavior portfolio. As a teacher, not a substitue we will have the additional pieces to the proactive puzzle. These pieces are curriculum, not just a one day assignment, motivation and development of the students for the long term and finally, authority. As a teacher we will have authority of a long term nature; ideally the expert and referent type of authority. As our quote tells us this week, "intelligence plus character that is the true goal of education." (Gloria Steinem) We WILL have the character and the tools needed to achieve appropriate behavior which WILL go hand in hand with our positive classroom community.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
There is more to the goal of education than the eye sees.....
After reading chapter 9 and reflecting on our class last week, I came to realize that developing my personal stance on education will help me address everything else pertaining to my classroom and the education I provide to my students in the future. When I decided I wanted to be a teacher, I thought of the obvious as my goal and desire: to be the best possible teacher in teaching students life long skills and subject matter that will beneft them. As this course as unraveled, I have realized that there is much more to this statement than meets the eye. I've noticed that when I tell friends and family that I am going back to school, they look at me with excitement because they think its a great job and good fit for me. What people don't see who aren't in the education systems of our country is that teachers truly are the only profession that have not only the obligation of teaching intelligence, but in my eyes the opportunity to teach character as well. What other proffession can have this impact on our youth? NONE! To some teachers this may be a bigger responsibility than one could possibly imagine, therefore they stick to just the intelligence aspect. These are probably the "good" teachers in our system, but the "great" teachers take the opportunity with open arms to teach intelligence and character as a package deal in their classrooms. Not only do these teachers impact students lives, but they do what most people want to accomplish in their lifetime, leave the world a little bit better than how they found it. As teachers, we truly have the opportunity to perform this wordly task!
The point I am trying to make above is that I don't feel I can lay out my discipline plan right here and now, it is something that is going to grow with me as I continue on in my education and experiences, but I do realize the importance of prepping and thinking about my strategies so I am prepared in my classroom. I woudl like to touch upon a few of the points from our chapter and lecure in the ideas and theories that grabbed my attention as strategies I gravitate towards. I plan on teaching high school students therefore my choices are outlined below and why I would practice them:
Establishing Dignity and Respect
1- Active Listening (I feel this is important for my age group. I want my students to see this about me right away. I want them to feel I'm approachable and that my listening will be consistent at all times.)
2- Model and Teach/ Peer Listening (This will be extremely important in my classroom. High school can be a tough time with students picking on each other etc. I want students to learn the value that each and every student can bring to the table and respect that.)
Responding to Behavior
1- Hints (This will be my way of starting off with slight behavior issues. I feel with direct and confident tones from my voice, students will respond)
2- Strength Refreshers (I really like this tactic. I have never seen it done with older students, but I think it would be beneficial and work well in my classroom. I like that it accentuates positives that the student has done before)
Preventing Behavior
1- Meaningful curriculum (My curriculum will be different than any other class with business type projects. My students are going to have unique projects with freedoms tied to them. They will understand the expectations and if they do misbehave, they won't have the privileges that every other student has)
2- Clear Expectations (This goes hand in hand with the above technique)
3- Positive approach (Praise will be given in my classroom because creativity and freedom will be encouraged in the curriculum)
You can see from above some of my choices that I think I will implement in my classroom. Now, the most important question, how will I view discipline as an opportunity to help students gain character, independence and responsibility? As I have mentioned in previus reflections from my classroom ambience and set up, my classroom will reflect real world business functions and offices! Choices my students make in the classroom through their work and how they move about in the ofifice (classroom), they will see the natural consequences of being in a real world environment. I will build that ambience starting from day one with rules (code of conduct). My students and I will create office (classroom) rules (code of conduct) and a mission statement as well to be displayed at all times. These early acts will set up my opportunities to teach students responsibilit through seeing their actions and how they would play out in the real world. Like the book mentions, my students will see the aftermath of their choices within a safe environment.
As you can see developing my stance and preparing my views for action will allow me to tackle the biggest opporutnity ahead of me as an educator: building intelligence along with character and responsibility in my students!
The point I am trying to make above is that I don't feel I can lay out my discipline plan right here and now, it is something that is going to grow with me as I continue on in my education and experiences, but I do realize the importance of prepping and thinking about my strategies so I am prepared in my classroom. I woudl like to touch upon a few of the points from our chapter and lecure in the ideas and theories that grabbed my attention as strategies I gravitate towards. I plan on teaching high school students therefore my choices are outlined below and why I would practice them:
Establishing Dignity and Respect
1- Active Listening (I feel this is important for my age group. I want my students to see this about me right away. I want them to feel I'm approachable and that my listening will be consistent at all times.)
2- Model and Teach/ Peer Listening (This will be extremely important in my classroom. High school can be a tough time with students picking on each other etc. I want students to learn the value that each and every student can bring to the table and respect that.)
Responding to Behavior
1- Hints (This will be my way of starting off with slight behavior issues. I feel with direct and confident tones from my voice, students will respond)
2- Strength Refreshers (I really like this tactic. I have never seen it done with older students, but I think it would be beneficial and work well in my classroom. I like that it accentuates positives that the student has done before)
Preventing Behavior
1- Meaningful curriculum (My curriculum will be different than any other class with business type projects. My students are going to have unique projects with freedoms tied to them. They will understand the expectations and if they do misbehave, they won't have the privileges that every other student has)
2- Clear Expectations (This goes hand in hand with the above technique)
3- Positive approach (Praise will be given in my classroom because creativity and freedom will be encouraged in the curriculum)
You can see from above some of my choices that I think I will implement in my classroom. Now, the most important question, how will I view discipline as an opportunity to help students gain character, independence and responsibility? As I have mentioned in previus reflections from my classroom ambience and set up, my classroom will reflect real world business functions and offices! Choices my students make in the classroom through their work and how they move about in the ofifice (classroom), they will see the natural consequences of being in a real world environment. I will build that ambience starting from day one with rules (code of conduct). My students and I will create office (classroom) rules (code of conduct) and a mission statement as well to be displayed at all times. These early acts will set up my opportunities to teach students responsibilit through seeing their actions and how they would play out in the real world. Like the book mentions, my students will see the aftermath of their choices within a safe environment.
As you can see developing my stance and preparing my views for action will allow me to tackle the biggest opporutnity ahead of me as an educator: building intelligence along with character and responsibility in my students!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The holes in the paddle gives extra speed
Topic: "Intelligence plus character is the true goal of education"
The Northwest Ordinance is one of the great documents not just of American history but also of human history. The document took care of some simple housekeeping, like spelling out how land would be surveyed and the minimum and maximum number of states that could be carved out of this Northwest Territory, etc. But the real story is how it prohibited the institution of slavery from the states to be formed but also how and why it spelled out the need for public education. ***Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.*** To me this is a part of a great enlightenment or understanding of where knowledge and experience intersect to become intelligence. It also helped to create the national character for the citizens of a new nation. Character is something, which needs to be honed through mentor/mentee relationships with trusted caring adults providing leadership. Character is taught from the elders and entrusted to the young people. Many traditional cultures pass their shared mores and values though stories with the next generations. Teachers reinforce our societies rules of behavior in children who have been taught them at home. Teachers also have to be the sole/lone supplier of the same to children of people who are unfamiliar with these same values. Character development is part of the implicit curriculum taught in schools
An explicit curriculum "book of expected knowledge' could be produced and teachers could focus on memorization by the students of all these certain facts. At the end of the mandatory education period all students should be able to recite the knowledge. But knowledge is not intelligence; students need to learn the skills that allow them to take the knowledge they have learned and apply it to new situations presented to them. I say regularly joke that the smartest people in the world are reference librarians, they don't know everything they just know how to find the answers. That statement assumes that when presented with the definition of "Pi" they would be able to apply the knowledge for appropriate outcomes. Questioning assumptions is another example of intelligence. If you assume you know everything that you need to know, you cannot be properly prepared for life's obstacles.
Classroom management is indeed part of character development of students. Classroom rules should not be used as a function for coercion. Rebellion is also part of our national character as it is how we define ourselves and our form of government. We rebelled against a distant king and instituted self-rule. Push students to obey for the sake of submission and you may find your students subverting your authority out of spite. Classroom rules and rules of conduct should be used to encourage appropriate behavior. A primary goal of a teachers classroom discipline program should be to model character development by helping students to become considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions. Treat others as you would like to be treated is the called the Golden Rule. As a substitute teacher, I will give a disruptive student a privilege such as taking the attendance sheet to the office. But in doing so I take a minute and tell them of the responsibility to be sure the task is done completely and timely. I give the student the opportunity to redeem themselves from past misdeeds and get a positive experience. I treat them with dignity and respect and I then am in possession of a trump card to play, privately, if and when I need it. I am convinced that this type of maneuver allows students to see me as a caring adult. They may therefore consider me trustworthy enough to confide in me when they are going through something personal. Understanding what is going on in a students life may allow me to address a discipline problem in a way that may have a positive outcome when it could go down hill fast otherwise.
Many students from lower income homes and at-risk students in general view kindness as weakness and may try to manipulate your kindness if you are unwilling to actively prevent misbehavior. After all, they are children and children learn from an early age; cry and Mom will pick you up, throw a fit in the store and Mom will buy you a lolly to shut you up, when they don't get their way, they blame others or say things like, " you like sister better than me" or they might tell the parent "I hate you." I related this in a previous Reflection, when children respond to me in a manner as I just described, I say to them, "Unfortunately for you, this never works on Mr. Gates because I am not related to you, therefore I don't love you because I have. I love everyone and want what is best for you whether you want it or not." Students K-12 are children; children need to learn appropriate behaviors so they may make good decisions in life. Good decision-making shows forethought. When students use knowledge, experience and the understanding of consequences of bad outcomes to make a decision they are on the road to maturity. Thinking outcomes through before acting or reacting results in good character and shows development.
The Northwest Ordinance is one of the great documents not just of American history but also of human history. The document took care of some simple housekeeping, like spelling out how land would be surveyed and the minimum and maximum number of states that could be carved out of this Northwest Territory, etc. But the real story is how it prohibited the institution of slavery from the states to be formed but also how and why it spelled out the need for public education. ***Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.*** To me this is a part of a great enlightenment or understanding of where knowledge and experience intersect to become intelligence. It also helped to create the national character for the citizens of a new nation. Character is something, which needs to be honed through mentor/mentee relationships with trusted caring adults providing leadership. Character is taught from the elders and entrusted to the young people. Many traditional cultures pass their shared mores and values though stories with the next generations. Teachers reinforce our societies rules of behavior in children who have been taught them at home. Teachers also have to be the sole/lone supplier of the same to children of people who are unfamiliar with these same values. Character development is part of the implicit curriculum taught in schools
An explicit curriculum "book of expected knowledge' could be produced and teachers could focus on memorization by the students of all these certain facts. At the end of the mandatory education period all students should be able to recite the knowledge. But knowledge is not intelligence; students need to learn the skills that allow them to take the knowledge they have learned and apply it to new situations presented to them. I say regularly joke that the smartest people in the world are reference librarians, they don't know everything they just know how to find the answers. That statement assumes that when presented with the definition of "Pi" they would be able to apply the knowledge for appropriate outcomes. Questioning assumptions is another example of intelligence. If you assume you know everything that you need to know, you cannot be properly prepared for life's obstacles.
Classroom management is indeed part of character development of students. Classroom rules should not be used as a function for coercion. Rebellion is also part of our national character as it is how we define ourselves and our form of government. We rebelled against a distant king and instituted self-rule. Push students to obey for the sake of submission and you may find your students subverting your authority out of spite. Classroom rules and rules of conduct should be used to encourage appropriate behavior. A primary goal of a teachers classroom discipline program should be to model character development by helping students to become considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions. Treat others as you would like to be treated is the called the Golden Rule. As a substitute teacher, I will give a disruptive student a privilege such as taking the attendance sheet to the office. But in doing so I take a minute and tell them of the responsibility to be sure the task is done completely and timely. I give the student the opportunity to redeem themselves from past misdeeds and get a positive experience. I treat them with dignity and respect and I then am in possession of a trump card to play, privately, if and when I need it. I am convinced that this type of maneuver allows students to see me as a caring adult. They may therefore consider me trustworthy enough to confide in me when they are going through something personal. Understanding what is going on in a students life may allow me to address a discipline problem in a way that may have a positive outcome when it could go down hill fast otherwise.
Many students from lower income homes and at-risk students in general view kindness as weakness and may try to manipulate your kindness if you are unwilling to actively prevent misbehavior. After all, they are children and children learn from an early age; cry and Mom will pick you up, throw a fit in the store and Mom will buy you a lolly to shut you up, when they don't get their way, they blame others or say things like, " you like sister better than me" or they might tell the parent "I hate you." I related this in a previous Reflection, when children respond to me in a manner as I just described, I say to them, "Unfortunately for you, this never works on Mr. Gates because I am not related to you, therefore I don't love you because I have. I love everyone and want what is best for you whether you want it or not." Students K-12 are children; children need to learn appropriate behaviors so they may make good decisions in life. Good decision-making shows forethought. When students use knowledge, experience and the understanding of consequences of bad outcomes to make a decision they are on the road to maturity. Thinking outcomes through before acting or reacting results in good character and shows development.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Accentuate the Positive
"Intelligence plus character-
that is the true goal of education." Gloria Steinem
A person is educated not only when they absorb the knowledge the schools and the people around them have to offer, but also when they know how to exhibit themselves in a respectful manner to the outside world. When children come into our classrooms, we are legally their guardians for those hours of the day. We make the decisions about their behavior, we provide the discipline and encouragement, and we comfort them if they are hurt in any way. We have to provide love as well as correction.
We are there to teach them so many things. This is actually a huge responsibility and it kind of scares me. I am trying to persevere though. I suppose it is one step below having my own children. You are responsible for every little thing in this person's life. What they eat, how they act, what they think... When you are a teacher, you get them after they have had a few years with someone else. You have to learn things about them that their parents may have missed. Perhaps they have had almost no parental involvement whatsoever!
Sometimes I get really frazzled in the classroom. I wonder what their regular teacher does differently that I am missing. I hope that I can learn some better techniques when I do my student teaching. I think that I do a good job most of the time though. I take a lot of notes on the class to give to the regular teacher. I hope that they appreciate it. I know that it is hard for them and for the kids to have to deal with a new person. I think that if I choose to have fun and be excited about the day, that it makes a difference in the way that I treat the students and the way the students treat me. When someone knows that you want to be there and that you want to help them, they will react to you in a positive way.
A positive plus a positive has to equal a positive, right?
Classroom Management
The quote for this week is “Intelligence plus character- that is the true goal of education.” This quote is very true because it signifies two important traits that are great assets in education. Education is not just about being intelligent, but having good moral character as well. If a Teacher can help their students gain knowledge and help them to understand how important it is to follow the rules and treat others how you want to be treated, these two qualities will help the students not only succeed in school but also in life.
As a teacher I want to manage my classroom the same way I manage my household "without the yelling". I want the enviornment to be one that is most conducive to maximize the students learning, creativity, and experiences. I want to provide a enviornment the produces motivation, pride, and self esteem. I want to have a relaxing atmosphere to help my students be comfortable with very little distractions. There is a substantial amount of research in support of relaxation being an important ingredient in improving and/or accelerating learning. Such research further supports the idea that instrumental music by such composers as Mozart and Bach are calming and actually help to raise student test scores.
Creating an environment conducive to concentration, study, and learning is more than having attractive, stimulating sights, relaxing sounds, and good ventilation. It is creating a place where all feel comfortable and at ease, a place where the surroundings are neat and orderly. It is a place where there is mutual respect in a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, a place where everyone can bloom and do their best.
As a teacher I want to manage my classroom the same way I manage my household "without the yelling". I want the enviornment to be one that is most conducive to maximize the students learning, creativity, and experiences. I want to provide a enviornment the produces motivation, pride, and self esteem. I want to have a relaxing atmosphere to help my students be comfortable with very little distractions. There is a substantial amount of research in support of relaxation being an important ingredient in improving and/or accelerating learning. Such research further supports the idea that instrumental music by such composers as Mozart and Bach are calming and actually help to raise student test scores.
Creating an environment conducive to concentration, study, and learning is more than having attractive, stimulating sights, relaxing sounds, and good ventilation. It is creating a place where all feel comfortable and at ease, a place where the surroundings are neat and orderly. It is a place where there is mutual respect in a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, a place where everyone can bloom and do their best.
No more rulers.
As proven in many surveys, teachers choose classroom discipline and classroom management as one of the most important aspects in teaching. This chapter offers many tools and examples that help us develop our technique for fostering student self control. As Andrea said in class Chapter 9 makes these examples seem “Easier said then done.” and I completely agree.
As teachers I believe we have two goals, one to teach and educate our students and two to help students become “considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions.” As new teachers I understand this may create a humongous conflict, because of course we are going to want all of our students to like us and be accepted. Because you will respect your students creating a disciplinary plan is very important because it will help them grow toward independence not only academically but CHARACTERISTICLY as well.
As for as my classroom and my rules I would have to keep in mind our quote and our goal as teachers to combine intelligence and character so here is my so called “shopping list” of rules, tools, and laws. I will always treat my students with dignity and respect by active listening, model and teaching, smiling, controlling my emotions (which may be hard to do sometimes) and addressing behavior in the appropriate way. As for misbehavior I feel as the way I would correct a student will be depending on the student and the misbehavior that occurred especially in a special ed. classroom. I will always use positive reinforcement; avoid power struggles, being proactive, and redirection. Always showing I care and respect the students. I feel as if I were to combine bits and pieces of the ways of discipline we learned in class on Monday (from assertive dispicipline, positive discipline, choice theory, congruent communication etc.) and years of experience I believe I will eventually find the way it works. Always remember if I doesn’t work… FIX IT.
As teachers I believe we have two goals, one to teach and educate our students and two to help students become “considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions.” As new teachers I understand this may create a humongous conflict, because of course we are going to want all of our students to like us and be accepted. Because you will respect your students creating a disciplinary plan is very important because it will help them grow toward independence not only academically but CHARACTERISTICLY as well.
As for as my classroom and my rules I would have to keep in mind our quote and our goal as teachers to combine intelligence and character so here is my so called “shopping list” of rules, tools, and laws. I will always treat my students with dignity and respect by active listening, model and teaching, smiling, controlling my emotions (which may be hard to do sometimes) and addressing behavior in the appropriate way. As for misbehavior I feel as the way I would correct a student will be depending on the student and the misbehavior that occurred especially in a special ed. classroom. I will always use positive reinforcement; avoid power struggles, being proactive, and redirection. Always showing I care and respect the students. I feel as if I were to combine bits and pieces of the ways of discipline we learned in class on Monday (from assertive dispicipline, positive discipline, choice theory, congruent communication etc.) and years of experience I believe I will eventually find the way it works. Always remember if I doesn’t work… FIX IT.
classroom management
The quote for this week is “Intelligence plus character- that is the true goal of education.” This quote embodies two main goals of the education system. Kids go to school to learn, but one of the things that they are learning is social skills and even some morals. Many times experiences in schools are what teach kids values and morals and the correct way to act. A child could learn from school how to be a leader, or a good friend to someone, or even simple ways of how to behave in social settings.
This quote could also be interpreted as the content that kids are learning can teach them character. You can learn how to be a good citizen, leader, or friend from a story that they may read in English class. It may not be the main reason of teaching the lesson but it would be the hidden curriculum. Even learning about history can have a hidden curriculum about character, look at the George Washington and cherry tree example. Children start learning right and wrong at a very early age, especially from lessons in school. Even in gym class, children learn how to play on a team and work together, this all builds character.
I have also seen character directly being expressed to children. I have seen in many middle schools posters that say “character is the way that you act when no one is looking”. In younger classrooms teachers may have conversations about why honesty is so important, or why it is good to always help other people. Although there is no character class, it is definitely an important part of school. We all hope that in schools children learn how to interact with each other and do the right thing. It may be in school where children learn how to stick up for each other and engage in the appropriate behavior. They may soon learn that fighting with someone isn’t something not to do because it will cost you a trip to the principal’s office, but instead because it is not the right thing to do.
This quote can also be applied to the chapter we talked about in class on Monday. Classroom management deals with how you control your classroom. Many times it involves a situation when a child is behaving inappropriately. The way a teacher handles the situation can help guide students in the correct way to acting. We talked about different styles of classroom management, and some common themes were posting the rules, consequences and rewards. These can all set boundaries as to how children can act and they see that they will get rewarded for good behavior. Eventually children will know the norms and know what is expected of them at school. This will hopefully build good character. The children will also be able to tell each other’s character by the way the act in class and in the social situations at school. It is important to have classroom management and a good fair discipline procedure. Without classroom management education would not be possible, the kids would go crazy, but at the same time many harsh rules can inhibit learning also. It is important to find a happy medium. A teacher needs to have classroom management and complete control, but the kids need to feel like they are being treated as equals in a sense and that if they speak out they will get sent to the office.
School accounts for most of the waking hours of a child’s life. They are going to have more social encounters at school than anywhere else on the weekdays. It is important that they learn the content and gain intelligence, but it is also important that they learn how to act. A child who has problems socializing and building character has just as hard of a time at school as the child who has problems learning math. Character is in the hidden curriculum, stated directly and also in the classroom management. The goal in an ideal world would be that every child learned skills to succeed with their education and also gain the skills to become a great person. Teachers have a wonderful role of trying to provide the children with tools needed for both.
This quote could also be interpreted as the content that kids are learning can teach them character. You can learn how to be a good citizen, leader, or friend from a story that they may read in English class. It may not be the main reason of teaching the lesson but it would be the hidden curriculum. Even learning about history can have a hidden curriculum about character, look at the George Washington and cherry tree example. Children start learning right and wrong at a very early age, especially from lessons in school. Even in gym class, children learn how to play on a team and work together, this all builds character.
I have also seen character directly being expressed to children. I have seen in many middle schools posters that say “character is the way that you act when no one is looking”. In younger classrooms teachers may have conversations about why honesty is so important, or why it is good to always help other people. Although there is no character class, it is definitely an important part of school. We all hope that in schools children learn how to interact with each other and do the right thing. It may be in school where children learn how to stick up for each other and engage in the appropriate behavior. They may soon learn that fighting with someone isn’t something not to do because it will cost you a trip to the principal’s office, but instead because it is not the right thing to do.
This quote can also be applied to the chapter we talked about in class on Monday. Classroom management deals with how you control your classroom. Many times it involves a situation when a child is behaving inappropriately. The way a teacher handles the situation can help guide students in the correct way to acting. We talked about different styles of classroom management, and some common themes were posting the rules, consequences and rewards. These can all set boundaries as to how children can act and they see that they will get rewarded for good behavior. Eventually children will know the norms and know what is expected of them at school. This will hopefully build good character. The children will also be able to tell each other’s character by the way the act in class and in the social situations at school. It is important to have classroom management and a good fair discipline procedure. Without classroom management education would not be possible, the kids would go crazy, but at the same time many harsh rules can inhibit learning also. It is important to find a happy medium. A teacher needs to have classroom management and complete control, but the kids need to feel like they are being treated as equals in a sense and that if they speak out they will get sent to the office.
School accounts for most of the waking hours of a child’s life. They are going to have more social encounters at school than anywhere else on the weekdays. It is important that they learn the content and gain intelligence, but it is also important that they learn how to act. A child who has problems socializing and building character has just as hard of a time at school as the child who has problems learning math. Character is in the hidden curriculum, stated directly and also in the classroom management. The goal in an ideal world would be that every child learned skills to succeed with their education and also gain the skills to become a great person. Teachers have a wonderful role of trying to provide the children with tools needed for both.
Behavior is the Language of the Child
“Intelligence plus character-that is the true goal of education.” (Gloria Steinem) Reading this quote I realized how many concepts were involved in intelligence and character. Through them I am looking not only at the academic concepts but also how character provides an opportunity to apply such concepts learned at school into the students' lives. After all, I will be preparing children to become confident and active members of our community.
An educator once said to me, “ Behavior is the language of the child.” I believe a teacher's responsibility is to listen to the students not only through words but through their actions as well. When teachers demonstrate respect to the students, address their needs and understand them, we then create a foundation for a positive learning environment.
Our textbook mentions, “Classroom discipline is said to be a series of little victories.” (p. 272) I interpret this as taking classroom management as day-by-day. We need to be prepared to use many tools, choose one of the theories that best fit our own personalities, or maybe create new ways to engage the students and to work not only on rules and discipline but also how we can prevent misbehaviors that will interfere in learning. However, we all know that it will take several attempts before we can establish an effective discipline plan.
Good planning, positive attitude, respect and flexibility can guide us to create a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn and feel independent and responsible for their own actions.
An educator once said to me, “ Behavior is the language of the child.” I believe a teacher's responsibility is to listen to the students not only through words but through their actions as well. When teachers demonstrate respect to the students, address their needs and understand them, we then create a foundation for a positive learning environment.
Our textbook mentions, “Classroom discipline is said to be a series of little victories.” (p. 272) I interpret this as taking classroom management as day-by-day. We need to be prepared to use many tools, choose one of the theories that best fit our own personalities, or maybe create new ways to engage the students and to work not only on rules and discipline but also how we can prevent misbehaviors that will interfere in learning. However, we all know that it will take several attempts before we can establish an effective discipline plan.
Good planning, positive attitude, respect and flexibility can guide us to create a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn and feel independent and responsible for their own actions.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
"Oh, Behaaaaave!" - Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery
This is a picture of me on my first day of substitute teaching. I couldn't believe how smooth the day ran. I guess clothes really do make the man.Having the ability to successfully manage the behavior of two dozen or so students for an entire day, five days a week, is in my mind, a very impressive skill. In fact, the strength of this ability must directly correspond to the length and quality of a teacher’s career. It’s that critical. I’m surprised that entire college semesters aren’t devoted to this topic alone, considering today’s classroom student composition in light of the No Child Left Behind Act.
On a more personal note, I need some immediate behavior management support. Right after spring break, a student from another classroom is being transferred to our classroom because of some considerable behavioral issues. The principal and school psychologist believe that part of the problem is that this male student is not responding to the efforts of his female teachers. They are hoping progress may be made with a male influence. Of course, at best, this will be only a small part of the answer. I have found a website that seems to have just the type of guidance I’m on the lookout for. The site’s address is http://www.behavioradvisor.com/. Here’s an extract that is especially appealing to me:
Traits of a Stage 5 Teacher
Stage 5 teachers are able to hold their emotions during a behavior event. Rather than striking out at a youngster who is being “inappropriate”, they are able to observe the aberrant behavior and say to themselves: “Here’s a kid in crisis. What can a caring professional such as I do to help him/her?” They then respond in an assertive, self-confident, and proficient manner.
Stage 5 teachers are able to find something to like in even the “worst” kid. Rather than focus on the student’s shortcomings, they focus on the imbedded positive aspect in the negative behavior (For example, a kid who beats up another for having insulted his little sister is showing family loyalty. Perhaps a replacement behavior for the pummeling of others is needed, but the protection of a younger sibling was admirable.) These teachers focus on the progress, however small, that is being displayed. They cheer for the student when s/he shows an approximation of the appropriate behavior.
Stage 5 teachers use “symptom estrangement” (a term coined by the behavior management pioneer Fritz Redl). They hate the behavior, but work with the pupil to create change. They realize that kids are a reflection of what they’ve experienced with adults before meeting us. Stage 5 teachers don’t blame the victim. They help him/her.
Now obviously I have a lot more to learn about the subject before I can become truly effective at helping these students but I think by keeping the three main thoughts from the passage; 1.) Hold your emotions, 2.) Focus on the imbedded positive in the negative, and 3.) Hate the behavior, not the child; I can maintain the proper outlook during my exchanges with the new student. I’m hoping this will keep things on a manageable level while I continue to further my education and begin to integrate some more specific strategies into my daily encounters.
In regards to the quote, I think that a strong character education program might have a positive effect on overall classroom behavior as well. By modeling positive character traits and embedding examples of the positive impact of good character in the daily curriculum, we can help to develop these qualities in our students. By teaching our students to employ the classical ethical tests of reversibility (Would you want to be treated this way?) and universalizability (Would you want all persons to act this way in a similar situation?) we would be, in effect, positively influencing their behavior in the classroom. This would happen because we would be specifically using these tests to emphasize how the disruptive nature of negative behavior impedes the learning process of fellow classmates.
Reflection 9 Classroom Management/Discipline
“Intelligence plus character-that is the true goal of education.” In my opinion, Gloria Stevinson is saying that the end result of education in any system is producing capable intelligent students as well as respectable law-abiding citizens. One aspect in the process of producing these individuals is discipline. Discipline can come in many forms and it can be handled in many ways. Students as well as teachers can handle discipline positively or negatively. A student knows when they are misbehaving, a teacher won’t just go off on an unsuspecting student who is quietly paying attention or doing their work. A student is usually warned or given prior opportunities to behave better. Once the teacher decides to discipline the student, the student can react positively, and say “yes, I deserve this discipline.” Or the student can react negatively, and deny any wrongdoing. Teachers can be positive in their discipline and not berate or intentionally embarrass the student. But on the other hand, a teacher can be negative in their discipline when they purposefully embarrass a student in order to make themselves look dominant.
It isn’t just the reactions to discipline that are important but also the discipline itself. Detentions are the norm in most high schools across the country, however they are not always the best option when dealing with a difficult student. In my experiences, a student who is frequently purposefully misbehaving is a student who is seeking attention. Sometimes giving the student a detention is exactly what that student wants, and by giving the detention you are just reinforcing his behavior. Perhaps a better option would be to tell the student to sit outside the classroom and therefore, not be able to disrupt the class any longer. A trip down to the principles office is another option that could be applied, however, if the behavior was nothing more than childish misbehavior, I feel that ignoring the student altogether or just sending the student outside the classroom can be beneficial. The misbehaving student is getting much attention all alone.
There are also different programs of discipline, which we were introduced to and discussed in class on Monday night. Assertive discipline, positive discipline, choice theory, and congruent communication are all different programs of discipline and classroom management. If I were to choose one of these programs to implement in my own classroom it would be a mix between assertive discipline and positive discipline. I like the teacher being in control part of assertive discipline but I also know that I will give students chances and conduct myself in a professional manner. I know that I will be tested but I feel that with my personality I will always try to keep the best interest of the student in mind. I would like to be positive and not embarrass students while at the same time providing the discipline and structure that is required.
Intelligence plus character is the combination that will make students successful during and after they finish school, and it is the responsibility of teachers too!
It isn’t just the reactions to discipline that are important but also the discipline itself. Detentions are the norm in most high schools across the country, however they are not always the best option when dealing with a difficult student. In my experiences, a student who is frequently purposefully misbehaving is a student who is seeking attention. Sometimes giving the student a detention is exactly what that student wants, and by giving the detention you are just reinforcing his behavior. Perhaps a better option would be to tell the student to sit outside the classroom and therefore, not be able to disrupt the class any longer. A trip down to the principles office is another option that could be applied, however, if the behavior was nothing more than childish misbehavior, I feel that ignoring the student altogether or just sending the student outside the classroom can be beneficial. The misbehaving student is getting much attention all alone.
There are also different programs of discipline, which we were introduced to and discussed in class on Monday night. Assertive discipline, positive discipline, choice theory, and congruent communication are all different programs of discipline and classroom management. If I were to choose one of these programs to implement in my own classroom it would be a mix between assertive discipline and positive discipline. I like the teacher being in control part of assertive discipline but I also know that I will give students chances and conduct myself in a professional manner. I know that I will be tested but I feel that with my personality I will always try to keep the best interest of the student in mind. I would like to be positive and not embarrass students while at the same time providing the discipline and structure that is required.
Intelligence plus character is the combination that will make students successful during and after they finish school, and it is the responsibility of teachers too!
Monday, March 17, 2008
practice makes perfect and you will win the game
I know this reflection is a little late, but after listening to the brain speaker and reading the chapter I realized, Learning by doing is the way most folks ultimately learn anything and everything. If we don’t know something we ask someone to show us a coach, teacher, co-worker, friend, parent etc. If we still do not understand it we watch someone else demonstrate it then we practice. “Practice makes perfect” or in other terms by doing something over and over you will learn it. This is where assessments come into play through education. After all the practicing or for examples worksheets, in class discussion, group presentations, center time there will be a time for the students to prove that with all that “practice” they learned it. By providing ways to prove the students accomplishments we use assessments. Assessments can be in any form, grade, quiz, test, role playing, and answering questions out load with the whole class. Dr. Krommer’s lecture the other day explained this theory in a little more detail on what we keep in our memory and what we retrieve all reflects on what we learned and how we learned it. I love hands on things, maybe that’s why I want to teach science. In science I believe I can use this quote in my everyday teaching science experiments are a great example of learning by doing. You don’t just learn to hypothesis, but you build your poster board, you make your guesses, you present to the class and after it is all over with the knowledge you have gain is a great assessment to let the teacher know you have understood what you learned. Keeping up going ideas and engaging students in interesting activities is one of my main goals for my teaching career. It”s stated in the book that standards set our goals for instruction but they way we teach and the way students grow with knowledge is based on our instructional strategies (back to chapter 6) and assessments. Using assessments is a way to gain knowledge about your students LOP and your craft of teaching. Use it usefully and you will see great results in your students and yourself.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Learning Environment - P.A.R.T.
In one sentence, James MacGregor Burns explains what we will provide to our students as teachers. Reflecting on the topic of Monday night’s discussion and resources we found on the websites, MacGregor Burns quote fits nicely within the P.A.R.T. concept.
The physical aspects of a teaching environment can not only enhance the intellectual aspect of learning, but also the social aspect. For example, arranging the students’ desks in a way that allows them to be socially involved with one another in a controlled setting would be advantageous. Allowing them to partake in group assignments and team discussions will work to their advantage both intellectually and socially.
Activities that students’ participate in typically allow them to grow intellectually. Adding the social aspect within planned activities can only be an added benefit to the students. This could be groups of two or more students…working together…interacting for a common purpose.
Resources that can be used with students to help them grow intellectually while encompassing that social mechanism could include technological resources. Searching the web together to gather information on a specific topic or working with a partner to put together a PowerPoint presentation. Even if a student is working on a project by themselves, requiring them to share information with their classmates, would incorporate the social aspect of learning.
Pacing a lesson devotes just enough time to developing concepts and ideas while ensuring that you are maintaining student interest and attention, minimizing opportunities for misbehavior as well as making efficient use of a time within a crowded classroom schedule. Keeping within a strict and consistent time schedule within the classroom will help the students maintain a comfortable, organized learning environment. The students will embrace this schedule and work together with the teacher to maintain it.
The physical aspects of a teaching environment can not only enhance the intellectual aspect of learning, but also the social aspect. For example, arranging the students’ desks in a way that allows them to be socially involved with one another in a controlled setting would be advantageous. Allowing them to partake in group assignments and team discussions will work to their advantage both intellectually and socially.
Activities that students’ participate in typically allow them to grow intellectually. Adding the social aspect within planned activities can only be an added benefit to the students. This could be groups of two or more students…working together…interacting for a common purpose.
Resources that can be used with students to help them grow intellectually while encompassing that social mechanism could include technological resources. Searching the web together to gather information on a specific topic or working with a partner to put together a PowerPoint presentation. Even if a student is working on a project by themselves, requiring them to share information with their classmates, would incorporate the social aspect of learning.
Pacing a lesson devotes just enough time to developing concepts and ideas while ensuring that you are maintaining student interest and attention, minimizing opportunities for misbehavior as well as making efficient use of a time within a crowded classroom schedule. Keeping within a strict and consistent time schedule within the classroom will help the students maintain a comfortable, organized learning environment. The students will embrace this schedule and work together with the teacher to maintain it.
Habitable Atmosphere
Think about the places that you go that are uninviting they have an uninhabitable atmosphere. Uncomfortable settings like a hospital waiting room and the waiting room of the auto repair shop have very little attention spent on them. This proves just one thing to me that those in charge have no interest in providing a habitable atmosphere, a setting that makes people feel at ease (the magazines are the same as last year and for the children the crayons are nubs and the coloring books are full). My school experience was desks in straight rows and columns, seasonal bulletin boards and cursive letter examples above the chalkboard. The uninhabitable settings are rationalized with a statement such as “the students are here to learn.” This is no different than saying the patient or customer is here for us we are not here for them.
If I return to my earlier builder metaphor I expressed that the builder does not build one building out of one building material. The builder blends floor plans and building materials to give the buyer an aesthetically pleasing and as ergonomically soothing building as possible in doing this they are focusing on the end result providing a habitable atmosphere. Car dealers have a bad reputation because they are just interested in making a sale and collecting a commission not on making someone happy. The teacher that puts today’s lesson on the board, takes attendance, monitors silence and collects assignments; gives the school they work in and the other teachers in the building as well as teachers in general, a bad reputation. These teachers are cheating their students out of an education, the taxpayers out money and themselves out of a rewarding experience because their focus in not on the end result.
How you treat others and the examples you put forward as a person is how students, parents, and staff will regard you. Is this your profession or your job? People talk and students know whether you are serious about teaching or just doing it to get a check. Phonies do not fool students. Students know whether they are accepted when in your classroom. They know by your classroom ambiance, by how you manage the physical space, they know that your teacher resources are tattered and dog-eared that you haven't updates in a while, and they know when you are not paying attention to them i.e. how you are using the classroom time.
It is the professional teachers that provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn. Students long into their lives remember the teachers that foster a love of learning through their actions.
Doing a Internet search for classroom ambiance, I netted papers with topics such as, the better use of instructional technologies, rethinking evaluation criteria, or the relevancy of specific curriculum. I believe the first benefit of classroom ambiance is the making of a habitable atmosphere by a relationship between the teacher and the students at the interpersonal level. The face-to-face interaction between teachers and students is at the heart of the pedagogical experience, but a lack thereof is readily denied as a cause of the lack of learning by students. True teachers put their students first and the focus of their classroom is to expedite the learning process for all the students even if it results in more work for themselves.
If I return to my earlier builder metaphor I expressed that the builder does not build one building out of one building material. The builder blends floor plans and building materials to give the buyer an aesthetically pleasing and as ergonomically soothing building as possible in doing this they are focusing on the end result providing a habitable atmosphere. Car dealers have a bad reputation because they are just interested in making a sale and collecting a commission not on making someone happy. The teacher that puts today’s lesson on the board, takes attendance, monitors silence and collects assignments; gives the school they work in and the other teachers in the building as well as teachers in general, a bad reputation. These teachers are cheating their students out of an education, the taxpayers out money and themselves out of a rewarding experience because their focus in not on the end result.
How you treat others and the examples you put forward as a person is how students, parents, and staff will regard you. Is this your profession or your job? People talk and students know whether you are serious about teaching or just doing it to get a check. Phonies do not fool students. Students know whether they are accepted when in your classroom. They know by your classroom ambiance, by how you manage the physical space, they know that your teacher resources are tattered and dog-eared that you haven't updates in a while, and they know when you are not paying attention to them i.e. how you are using the classroom time.
It is the professional teachers that provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn. Students long into their lives remember the teachers that foster a love of learning through their actions.
Doing a Internet search for classroom ambiance, I netted papers with topics such as, the better use of instructional technologies, rethinking evaluation criteria, or the relevancy of specific curriculum. I believe the first benefit of classroom ambiance is the making of a habitable atmosphere by a relationship between the teacher and the students at the interpersonal level. The face-to-face interaction between teachers and students is at the heart of the pedagogical experience, but a lack thereof is readily denied as a cause of the lack of learning by students. True teachers put their students first and the focus of their classroom is to expedite the learning process for all the students even if it results in more work for themselves.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
learning enviroment
The quote for this week was “Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn.” I believe that this quote means that not only do teacher provide the actual physical environment that students come to learn, but they also provide a place where social skills are taking place along with education. As we learned about in class there are many aspects to a learning environment. There is classroom ambience, the physical space, time management, and resources. Every teacher may have a different once that they believe is more important. Even if a teacher believes one is more important, I feel like we learned in class that each have a vital part to making a learning environment productive. They also all connect with each other.
In the physical aspect, there are different things to take into account. A clean and organized room is important for things to not get lost and for children to feel good during the school day. The way the desks are arranged could make a world of difference to how your students are going to perform. During class last Monday we found websites that had teacher blogs that talked about the different ways the classroom can be set up and the pros and cons of each. I plan on having a neat and clean classroom, I want to have decorations and I want it to feel “home-like”.
Time management is also very important. It is important to give yourself enough time to cover what you want to cover and also the way you want to cover it. You shouldn’t have to rush through a lesson just because you are a few days behind, if the students are getting something out of whatever took you off track, or if it is taking them longer to grasp the concept then it is perfectly okay to be a few days behind. One website that I found during class on Monday talked about block scheduling and how that can be a life saver in time management. I had block scheduling in high school and I thought it was amazing. The teachers had 90 minutes to do lessons and usually the kids had time to start if not finish all their homework in class with the teacher there to ask questions. Having a organized room and being able to find everything (physical space) can directly effect time management, which proves what I was saying earlier that you need all the aspects of a learning environment.
The resources that a teacher has are what the book defines as all the teaching “stuff”. This could be the Friday folders that are kept in the room for the kids, or the behavior charts, the whiteboards, the student mailboxes, or even the trays full of papers to grade. This is an important part of the learning environment as well. Teachers need to have this “stuff” in order to have a successful classroom. The classroom needs have enough resources that the children feel satisfied. This too, relates directly with organization and time management. You must have time to do things in the day like pass out the Friday folders, or file the papers into the student mailboxes. Your room must also be neat and organized in order to find everything and keep it where the children can find it.
The ambiance of the classroom is another part of the learning environment. I want the ambiance in my classroom to feel homelike. I want my kids to feel comfortable around me and everyone else in the classroom. I want to be able to joke around and have a good time, but still get our work done and follow the rules. In order to have the classroom ambiance that you desire, you must have other things in order, such as, the time management- you can’t be rushing through the day and always be stressed and still keep a comical side. The physical aspect of the classroom plays a part in the ambiance, if a few kids don’t get along, it is important that they aren’t right next to each other bickering all day long. If a teacher doesn’t have resources for the classroom, it could cause stress for the teacher and the students. All of the aspects of the learning environment are tied in.
I hope that I can provide a place where kids can learn and be social and also have a good time and feel safe. I hope that my room is neat and clean and it is welcoming when you walk by. I feel like learning environments really are important to a successful classroom. There is no right or wrong way for a learning environment and I believe every year things could be a little different because every child is different and every teacher is different, but it is important to figure out what works and make that “social and intellectual environment where students can learn”.
In the physical aspect, there are different things to take into account. A clean and organized room is important for things to not get lost and for children to feel good during the school day. The way the desks are arranged could make a world of difference to how your students are going to perform. During class last Monday we found websites that had teacher blogs that talked about the different ways the classroom can be set up and the pros and cons of each. I plan on having a neat and clean classroom, I want to have decorations and I want it to feel “home-like”.
Time management is also very important. It is important to give yourself enough time to cover what you want to cover and also the way you want to cover it. You shouldn’t have to rush through a lesson just because you are a few days behind, if the students are getting something out of whatever took you off track, or if it is taking them longer to grasp the concept then it is perfectly okay to be a few days behind. One website that I found during class on Monday talked about block scheduling and how that can be a life saver in time management. I had block scheduling in high school and I thought it was amazing. The teachers had 90 minutes to do lessons and usually the kids had time to start if not finish all their homework in class with the teacher there to ask questions. Having a organized room and being able to find everything (physical space) can directly effect time management, which proves what I was saying earlier that you need all the aspects of a learning environment.
The resources that a teacher has are what the book defines as all the teaching “stuff”. This could be the Friday folders that are kept in the room for the kids, or the behavior charts, the whiteboards, the student mailboxes, or even the trays full of papers to grade. This is an important part of the learning environment as well. Teachers need to have this “stuff” in order to have a successful classroom. The classroom needs have enough resources that the children feel satisfied. This too, relates directly with organization and time management. You must have time to do things in the day like pass out the Friday folders, or file the papers into the student mailboxes. Your room must also be neat and organized in order to find everything and keep it where the children can find it.
The ambiance of the classroom is another part of the learning environment. I want the ambiance in my classroom to feel homelike. I want my kids to feel comfortable around me and everyone else in the classroom. I want to be able to joke around and have a good time, but still get our work done and follow the rules. In order to have the classroom ambiance that you desire, you must have other things in order, such as, the time management- you can’t be rushing through the day and always be stressed and still keep a comical side. The physical aspect of the classroom plays a part in the ambiance, if a few kids don’t get along, it is important that they aren’t right next to each other bickering all day long. If a teacher doesn’t have resources for the classroom, it could cause stress for the teacher and the students. All of the aspects of the learning environment are tied in.
I hope that I can provide a place where kids can learn and be social and also have a good time and feel safe. I hope that my room is neat and clean and it is welcoming when you walk by. I feel like learning environments really are important to a successful classroom. There is no right or wrong way for a learning environment and I believe every year things could be a little different because every child is different and every teacher is different, but it is important to figure out what works and make that “social and intellectual environment where students can learn”.
My learning environment!
After reviewing the readings and quote, I realized that I will want to emulate my classroom as a learning environment that is related to my subject matter. Becoming a Business Education teacher, I want my classroom to emulate a business type setting similar to that of a real world business setting (board room, conference room, cubicles, offices etc.) I think it will be key to explain this setting to my students so they understand why. My personal stance on education has not been completely set in stone like a mission or vision statement, but I do know that I want my students to experience as close to real life business experiences as possible. This will include many hands on projects with community businesses etc and I want my classroom to be considered my students office by them when they walk in to my classroom. I want them to not think of it as my classroom, but their office where they will come to get work done, think creatively and experience what a business setting looks like. I will use many resources that are similar to what would be in an office. Filing cabinets with everyone having their own folders, a fax machine, computers, telephones for conference calls etc. Below are some examples of what I am thinking in regards to the different social and intellectual aspects that I will try to foster through my classroom setting:
1) Classroom Ambience- I will explain to my students the business world setting with different examples. I will show them pictures of office building with cubes, private offices and conference rooms and more importantly show them how different people come to work everyday at the same place with different functions (HR, Accounting and Marketing to name a few). I will explain how each function has different needs in order to complete their tasks and job and I will also explain to my students the different learning styles people have, this will in turn remind students that we need to be respectful of each other, each other's learning styles and our surroundings. This will set the tone that we are proffessionals working on important projects and tasks to further our company (our classroom). I believe this will set a positive ambience in my classroom and get the students excited about having their own office and co,pany in a sense!
2) Physical Space- Like I mentioned before, I will want to emulate an office setting, so after I present the pictures and options to my students we will decide together how to best set up our surroudnings. I believe this will engage the students and teach them how to compromise (social) with each other and get them excited about having their own "office". One idea I have is to separate the classroom into two areas. The first would be having the desks be in groups of 4 in which they form a square representing a quad cubicle. Students will be allowed to set up their desk how they would like in regards to personal touches just like an office or cube. The second area will be blocked off with a movable wall on wheels in which this will form our conference area. This area will have a large table with chairs around it for teams to conference with each other, conduct conference calls with community business partners and give presentations as well. These are just my intial thoughts. The students will have to reserve the conference area based on their schedules, projects, community partnerships coming in etc. This also emulates an office setting in that people have to reserve board rooms and conference rooms for meetings and presentations etc.
3) Resource Management- As far as managing resources, this would be similar to an office as well. Bookshelves, filing cabinets etc. I am thinking it would be best to have a mini resource center in the classroom where everything would be located in a neat and efficient manner. Chapter 8 mentioned paper flow being a problem for some teachers and I will utilize the filing cabinet system where every student will have their own folder for personal assignments and lesson tasks and team folders as well for projects etc. This will help keep paper flow organized and I can return graded assignments in each students folder and team folders respectively.
4) Maximize learning time- This will be extremely important in my classroom with all the different settings. I feel by explaining the setting first like I mentioned above will allow for students to have an intial understanding of not wasting time and having the students particpate in the set up of the classroom will provide them with ownership of their office space and materials. They will learn to reserve the conference area, post out of the office signs etc to emulate that business setting I keep referring to. With my curriculm, the students will always have opportunities to be working on something else if they finish early. Both individual and group projects.
How does this all pertain to the quote for this past week? I believe my execution in the classroom setup, partnering with my students on having them understand to be respectful of each other's offices will teach them both social and intellectual skills, they will not only learn to respect each other's offices and workspace (social), but the why behind it after learning the different learning styles and how people need to foster their learning through different styles and environment (intellectual).
1) Classroom Ambience- I will explain to my students the business world setting with different examples. I will show them pictures of office building with cubes, private offices and conference rooms and more importantly show them how different people come to work everyday at the same place with different functions (HR, Accounting and Marketing to name a few). I will explain how each function has different needs in order to complete their tasks and job and I will also explain to my students the different learning styles people have, this will in turn remind students that we need to be respectful of each other, each other's learning styles and our surroundings. This will set the tone that we are proffessionals working on important projects and tasks to further our company (our classroom). I believe this will set a positive ambience in my classroom and get the students excited about having their own office and co,pany in a sense!
2) Physical Space- Like I mentioned before, I will want to emulate an office setting, so after I present the pictures and options to my students we will decide together how to best set up our surroudnings. I believe this will engage the students and teach them how to compromise (social) with each other and get them excited about having their own "office". One idea I have is to separate the classroom into two areas. The first would be having the desks be in groups of 4 in which they form a square representing a quad cubicle. Students will be allowed to set up their desk how they would like in regards to personal touches just like an office or cube. The second area will be blocked off with a movable wall on wheels in which this will form our conference area. This area will have a large table with chairs around it for teams to conference with each other, conduct conference calls with community business partners and give presentations as well. These are just my intial thoughts. The students will have to reserve the conference area based on their schedules, projects, community partnerships coming in etc. This also emulates an office setting in that people have to reserve board rooms and conference rooms for meetings and presentations etc.
3) Resource Management- As far as managing resources, this would be similar to an office as well. Bookshelves, filing cabinets etc. I am thinking it would be best to have a mini resource center in the classroom where everything would be located in a neat and efficient manner. Chapter 8 mentioned paper flow being a problem for some teachers and I will utilize the filing cabinet system where every student will have their own folder for personal assignments and lesson tasks and team folders as well for projects etc. This will help keep paper flow organized and I can return graded assignments in each students folder and team folders respectively.
4) Maximize learning time- This will be extremely important in my classroom with all the different settings. I feel by explaining the setting first like I mentioned above will allow for students to have an intial understanding of not wasting time and having the students particpate in the set up of the classroom will provide them with ownership of their office space and materials. They will learn to reserve the conference area, post out of the office signs etc to emulate that business setting I keep referring to. With my curriculm, the students will always have opportunities to be working on something else if they finish early. Both individual and group projects.
How does this all pertain to the quote for this past week? I believe my execution in the classroom setup, partnering with my students on having them understand to be respectful of each other's offices will teach them both social and intellectual skills, they will not only learn to respect each other's offices and workspace (social), but the why behind it after learning the different learning styles and how people need to foster their learning through different styles and environment (intellectual).
PART in my classroom
The defination of enviornment is that of any external conditions, resources, stimuli etc. with which an organism interacts. My goal as a teacher is to develope a classroom management plan through routines and organization to help shape the community which my students will be encouraged by positive and productive stimuli. Seems nearly impossible right? If you take each category from our chapter P.A.R.T it helps break it down to very simple ways.
In class I chose to put time as my first priority in developing my eviornment as the most important but after re-reading the chapter and researching the websites I changed my mind. Now I feel the first way to shape your community’s enviornment is by showing this group of children from all different cultures, backgrounds, society, etc… that you care. I will pass on Kohn’s central ideas connectedness, value and respect from the first day of school. It is very important to me as the teacher to show (through actions, tone, and words) that I can recognize their feelings and that I am willing to comminicate and listen to all students. Ambience as said in the book refers to the mood or atmosphere of a classroom. My goal to develop an appropriate sense of ambience is to start off being a good role model, listen and commicate appropriately, convey that school is pleasant, and provide intellectual stimulation. Some things that will help me accomplish this task is putting up some inspirational quotes, playing some soft music during quiet time, knowing each childs name when they walk through the door during week 1, letting the students have a say in what the classroom might look like and providing a safe place where they can come and grow intellectually and socially.
Physical arrangement, time schedule, routines and instructional activites help build and communicate my stance on education and what I want to accomplish. I will be sure to take in concideration my goals and use wall space, windows, ceilings, desk arrangement to my advantage. I will set up my classroom physical appearance with some things to keep on my mind. I will want to be able to monitor the classroom, keep a balance of power, and keep it productive and effective. Allowing children to see other children, keep their attention on me as the teacher, being able to get to a child that needs assistance, and that materials are kept as close as possible to make activities run smoother. In my classroom I will have a place to do seat work and whole class instruction but I also want to encourage my students to explore other interests in the centers I will have in my classroom. For example, an art center or music center where when they are done with their class work they can go quietly without interupting the other students and continue to learn something that interests them on their own.
We have all known some pretty messy teachers in our lives. But I can’t blame them. They have all this “stuff” to keep organized but keeping new ideas and lessons coming as well. Well all that stuff is the resources that I will use in my classroom. Resources range from homework papers, computers, books, and even children. Keeping all of these resources organized is my main goal in my classroom. You can do this by having calendars, folders, computer time, and routine for collecting homework, etc.
Finally, Time “Use your classroom time as gold: wasting a single minute costs everyone in the class, and those costs can never be recouped” Time is golden in a classroom. My main goal in my classroom is to maximize the time with my students and minimize the time they spend in inappropriate ways. The division of time in our books explains it perfectly. Give yourself as the teacher time to study or subject (allocated) but also give time to spend on a specific insturction that will address the specific subject (engaged) and finally give time where the students can engage themselves in mastery of the subject (academic learning.) Poor insturuction is at the very least a waste of time. My goal is to have prepared lessons before hand and to help teach my students the importance of time and time management.
All of these basic ways of building an appropriate enviornment may or may not work, but we have to be on our toes and ready to reconstruct our enviornment to apply it to our always changing society.
In class I chose to put time as my first priority in developing my eviornment as the most important but after re-reading the chapter and researching the websites I changed my mind. Now I feel the first way to shape your community’s enviornment is by showing this group of children from all different cultures, backgrounds, society, etc… that you care. I will pass on Kohn’s central ideas connectedness, value and respect from the first day of school. It is very important to me as the teacher to show (through actions, tone, and words) that I can recognize their feelings and that I am willing to comminicate and listen to all students. Ambience as said in the book refers to the mood or atmosphere of a classroom. My goal to develop an appropriate sense of ambience is to start off being a good role model, listen and commicate appropriately, convey that school is pleasant, and provide intellectual stimulation. Some things that will help me accomplish this task is putting up some inspirational quotes, playing some soft music during quiet time, knowing each childs name when they walk through the door during week 1, letting the students have a say in what the classroom might look like and providing a safe place where they can come and grow intellectually and socially.
Physical arrangement, time schedule, routines and instructional activites help build and communicate my stance on education and what I want to accomplish. I will be sure to take in concideration my goals and use wall space, windows, ceilings, desk arrangement to my advantage. I will set up my classroom physical appearance with some things to keep on my mind. I will want to be able to monitor the classroom, keep a balance of power, and keep it productive and effective. Allowing children to see other children, keep their attention on me as the teacher, being able to get to a child that needs assistance, and that materials are kept as close as possible to make activities run smoother. In my classroom I will have a place to do seat work and whole class instruction but I also want to encourage my students to explore other interests in the centers I will have in my classroom. For example, an art center or music center where when they are done with their class work they can go quietly without interupting the other students and continue to learn something that interests them on their own.
We have all known some pretty messy teachers in our lives. But I can’t blame them. They have all this “stuff” to keep organized but keeping new ideas and lessons coming as well. Well all that stuff is the resources that I will use in my classroom. Resources range from homework papers, computers, books, and even children. Keeping all of these resources organized is my main goal in my classroom. You can do this by having calendars, folders, computer time, and routine for collecting homework, etc.
Finally, Time “Use your classroom time as gold: wasting a single minute costs everyone in the class, and those costs can never be recouped” Time is golden in a classroom. My main goal in my classroom is to maximize the time with my students and minimize the time they spend in inappropriate ways. The division of time in our books explains it perfectly. Give yourself as the teacher time to study or subject (allocated) but also give time to spend on a specific insturction that will address the specific subject (engaged) and finally give time where the students can engage themselves in mastery of the subject (academic learning.) Poor insturuction is at the very least a waste of time. My goal is to have prepared lessons before hand and to help teach my students the importance of time and time management.
All of these basic ways of building an appropriate enviornment may or may not work, but we have to be on our toes and ready to reconstruct our enviornment to apply it to our always changing society.
Building a Community of Learners
I visualize my classroom as a community of learners, where everyone has their own interests, opinions, abilities and concerns. A group of individuals come together through education and interact to create an environment where everyone can discover and learn something new.
Communities face adversities as well. Through communication and respect from each of the community members, we can establish rules and procedures that help to prevent future conflicts. I can only be positive and open to new ideas to continue growing in my profession so one day I can apply these concepts in my own classroom.
Furthermore, I believe children are successful when they are engaged in learning, accomplish more when we organize our lessons, plan and evaluate our classroom's ambiance, physical space, resources and time. This creates a foundation to an effective instruction.
My beliefs align with this week's quote, "Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students learn" (James MacGregor Burns). Ambiance and physical space lead to the development of a social environment, some of the attributes to these components are safety, welcoming, organization, and seating charts. On the other hand, resources and time can guide us to an intellectual environment, when we plan and organize them in a productive way.
I also found this quote, "Children grow into the intellectual environment that they are in" (Lev Vygotsky). In my opinion, these two quotes complement each other. Teachers provide and children grow in the best environment. Each component has their own importance with a common goal: Create a positive learning environment.
Communities face adversities as well. Through communication and respect from each of the community members, we can establish rules and procedures that help to prevent future conflicts. I can only be positive and open to new ideas to continue growing in my profession so one day I can apply these concepts in my own classroom.
Furthermore, I believe children are successful when they are engaged in learning, accomplish more when we organize our lessons, plan and evaluate our classroom's ambiance, physical space, resources and time. This creates a foundation to an effective instruction.
My beliefs align with this week's quote, "Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students learn" (James MacGregor Burns). Ambiance and physical space lead to the development of a social environment, some of the attributes to these components are safety, welcoming, organization, and seating charts. On the other hand, resources and time can guide us to an intellectual environment, when we plan and organize them in a productive way.
I also found this quote, "Children grow into the intellectual environment that they are in" (Lev Vygotsky). In my opinion, these two quotes complement each other. Teachers provide and children grow in the best environment. Each component has their own importance with a common goal: Create a positive learning environment.
Live to Learn, Learn to Live
Reflecting upon this week's quote, I've decided to manage my learning environment using the Constructivism learning theory as my guiding principle. First off, the four management components should, of course, reflect the content standards that specifically apply to our classroom's grade level. The room shall be decorated with materials that remind the students of their past successes, more specifically, that they have advanced to this grade due to their commendable mastery of the previous content standards. New benchmark targets will be graphically represented in an exciting manner that challenges them to succeed again. I seek to establish an ambience that says this is a place of learning. This is a place that is only able to function and succeed because of the differences, individuality, and the complexity of its participants. This is a place where a common goal will be felt and shared by every student and teacher in spite of the fact that we all come from a multitude of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We shall recognize and celebrate the richness of experience that this brings to our common undertaking. And we shall know that it is this diversity that greatly increases our ability to succeed. This is a place that will be physically arranged to encourage social interaction. Learning shall be defined as a group process that must rely on peer collaboration. This is a place where distractions that tear us from our common goal will be minimized collectively through a communally rationalized use of time in the classroom. This is a place where we will learn what we must learn because we know that we will all personally benefit from learning 'it'. We want to learn 'it' because this place reminds us that this new knowledge is a link in our continued learning that will ultimately provide us direct and exclusive access to the things we all very much want from life. Pictures of homes, families, societal luxuries, and communal harmony will also be prominent. The things we learn here build directly upon our prior experiences and knowledge. And because we are many, we will need to have the material introduced to us through a multiplicity of perspectives. This is a place that recognizes that we didn't come into this room as empty handed novices, but rather we've all brought our own invaluable, individual and equally important life skills and abilities, thereby instantly giving this room powerful foundational resources that allow for exciting new ideas and concepts to be put into context with, and bound to, all our existing mental frameworks. Physical space, physical resources, and time usage considerations shall collaboratively be designed by teacher and students so as to maximize the effectiveness of, the transmission of, the reception of, and mastery demonstration of the content standards. The overall efficiency of these resource allocations shall be a continually monitored jointly by the teacher and students, both of whom recognize and acknowledge their own personal responsibility in the overall success of this collaborative endeavor.
Friday, March 14, 2008
still lost...but learning...
I’m not quite sure how I plan to provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn, but today I definitely experienced how NOT to do that in a classroom. Today was my very first day as a substitute teacher and I subbed for a special ed teacher. Her classroom was not a social or intellectual environment in which students could learn. It was more like a prison cell. The walls were bare and the desks were in rows facing the wall. At most, there were 30 books in the entire classroom. It was not an environment I would ever want to teach in or force others to learn in. I will use this classroom as one example of what I do not plan to use as a model for my own classroom.
When we ranked the four components in class on Monday, I chose ambience as being the most important. If you think of any uncomfortable social situation you have been in, it probably wasn’t the resources provided, physical environment or the time that has made it uncomfortable. It is the ambience, the mood, in that point in time that has made you uncomfortable. So when I teach I would like to provide a social and intellectual environment with a positive ambience in which students can learn.
I do think the other components are important to education, but without the right ambience the students will most likely have trouble learning. Ambience may be the most important component to me, but all of the components can work together to create the ideal social and intellectual environment.
oh dang! it's 12:02...2 mins late :(
When we ranked the four components in class on Monday, I chose ambience as being the most important. If you think of any uncomfortable social situation you have been in, it probably wasn’t the resources provided, physical environment or the time that has made it uncomfortable. It is the ambience, the mood, in that point in time that has made you uncomfortable. So when I teach I would like to provide a social and intellectual environment with a positive ambience in which students can learn.
I do think the other components are important to education, but without the right ambience the students will most likely have trouble learning. Ambience may be the most important component to me, but all of the components can work together to create the ideal social and intellectual environment.
oh dang! it's 12:02...2 mins late :(
Who Thought of Ambience?
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As we discussed the four components of classroom management are:
*managing classroom ambience
*managing physical space
*managing resources
*managing time
I've been aware of space, resources and time in relation to the classroom but never appreciated the full scope of ambience. Our book tells us that our goal as a teacher-manager is to start with students and blend a group of individuals without common ground or goals into a classroom community. (Kohn) Our textbook further challenges us to inspire our class to "think in the plural." We strive to achieve a class where students feel connected to each other; "they" are part of an "us." With the diverse dynamics involved in today's classroom this ideal is especially paramount to our approach.
As a teacher "trapped in a substitute's body" (Adam) I still don't have a good sense of what my class ambience should be. I want to foster a stimulating environment in which students will interact and take risks but I also must manage the behavior in the classroom. Our quote this week reinforces ambience. It is "teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn." (James MacGregor Burns)
Two positive ambience examples that we reviewed in class were first,to have students write positive comments about each other and compile a list for each student of the comments from their classmates. And second, to encourage "put ups." "Put ups" are letters of thanks to classmates who have helped other classmates during the week. (NEA site, Works 4 Me)
And finally, we must realize that "the ambience of the class communicates your stance toward education without you saying a word." (textbook, pg. 214)
Who has a question?
"Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which
students can learn." -James MacGregor Burns
I still haven't reached the point where I know exactly how I want to do this, but I'm starting to get a general idea. When we ranked the four components in class on Monday in order of importance to us, "Time" was #1 on my list. But now I'm beginning to lean more towards "Ambience." No matter how well you manage your time, if your classroom doesn't make your students feel welcome and open to share their thoughts and ideas, then you aren't doing your job as a teacher. I believe it's extremely important to encourage your students to participate in class ... and make sure they feel comfortable doing so!
As a middle school teaching in-the-making, I realize the importance of making my students feel comfortable being themselves in the classroom. When I look back to my middle school years (ages 11-14) I remember those being some of my most uncomfortable years. Kids at that age are dealing with so many strange feelings/emotions/hormones. Most of them are uncomfortable enough as it is just trying to "fit in" with their fellow peers. As a teacher, role model, guidance counselor (whatever you want to call this profession), I think it's important to help my students feel comfortable being themselves in the classroom. Don't we as teachers play a somewhat significant role in shaping what kind of person they become in high school and the many years to follow? Why not start instilling in their heads that it's ok to be yourself and that there's nothing wrong with sharing your thoughts and ideas with your fellow peers?
I guess I should explain how I plan on allowing my students to feel comfortable and feel the whole "positive ambience" of my classroom. I'd begin on the first day of class, by stressing the fact that I encourage openness, constructive criticism, and questioning of any kind. I'd also take into consideration any suggestions or ideas they may have on how to make my classroom a more positive environment. The book gives a good example of asking students to share music of personal significance to start they day. I believe you can learn a lot about a person from the music that's important to them. Decorating the classroom with student projects and art is another way to add a positive feel. Even putting up photos of students at work (when appropriate and permitted, as the book states). Also, having a "theme" in the classroom adds to the ambience and making sure to update that theme occasionally is important.
So to sum everything up, my feelings on which learning environment component is most important has changed a bit. I believe having an open and welcoming classroom is most important in the entire "feel" of the classroom. And I think that idea fits best under the "Ambience" component of the classroom learning environment.
students can learn." -James MacGregor Burns
I still haven't reached the point where I know exactly how I want to do this, but I'm starting to get a general idea. When we ranked the four components in class on Monday in order of importance to us, "Time" was #1 on my list. But now I'm beginning to lean more towards "Ambience." No matter how well you manage your time, if your classroom doesn't make your students feel welcome and open to share their thoughts and ideas, then you aren't doing your job as a teacher. I believe it's extremely important to encourage your students to participate in class ... and make sure they feel comfortable doing so!
As a middle school teaching in-the-making, I realize the importance of making my students feel comfortable being themselves in the classroom. When I look back to my middle school years (ages 11-14) I remember those being some of my most uncomfortable years. Kids at that age are dealing with so many strange feelings/emotions/hormones. Most of them are uncomfortable enough as it is just trying to "fit in" with their fellow peers. As a teacher, role model, guidance counselor (whatever you want to call this profession), I think it's important to help my students feel comfortable being themselves in the classroom. Don't we as teachers play a somewhat significant role in shaping what kind of person they become in high school and the many years to follow? Why not start instilling in their heads that it's ok to be yourself and that there's nothing wrong with sharing your thoughts and ideas with your fellow peers?
I guess I should explain how I plan on allowing my students to feel comfortable and feel the whole "positive ambience" of my classroom. I'd begin on the first day of class, by stressing the fact that I encourage openness, constructive criticism, and questioning of any kind. I'd also take into consideration any suggestions or ideas they may have on how to make my classroom a more positive environment. The book gives a good example of asking students to share music of personal significance to start they day. I believe you can learn a lot about a person from the music that's important to them. Decorating the classroom with student projects and art is another way to add a positive feel. Even putting up photos of students at work (when appropriate and permitted, as the book states). Also, having a "theme" in the classroom adds to the ambience and making sure to update that theme occasionally is important.
So to sum everything up, my feelings on which learning environment component is most important has changed a bit. I believe having an open and welcoming classroom is most important in the entire "feel" of the classroom. And I think that idea fits best under the "Ambience" component of the classroom learning environment.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Clean up! Clean up! Everybody everywhere!
I want my classroom to feel like a.... coffee shop, where unique people meet with friends or come individually to do interesting things. Coffee shops feel comfortable and relaxed. There are different types of seating areas where you can lean back and read a book, or sit up straight and write, depending on what your situation calls for. Engaging in an activity with friends or solo is your prerogative. People like to be there because no one is going to get kicked out for not buying something, or for not doing what everyone else is doing. There is no pressure.
"Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn."--James MacGregor Burns (presdential biographer/leadership scholar)
In my experience as a substitute teacher, I would have to say that ambience and physical aspects are tied for the most important part of the learning environment. There is one teacher, Mr. R, who is arguably the most unorganized person I have ever seen. He is a regular third grade classroom teacher in the Elyria Schools. I have subbed for him twice and I have vowed to never do it again! I am definitly not the most organized person, but compared to Mr. R, I am a certified member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). His bookshelves look like they've just been sick, there are papers scattered all over and around his desk, and the students! The poor sweet students are learning from his example.
Yes, they are very happy with their teacher.
Yes, they like him better than their teacher from last year.
Yes, their classroom is very laid back.
But at what expense?
As a sub, it is confusing and frustrating to be there. I can never find what I need. Walking from the one end of the class to the other is like a slalom event! I can only imagine what bad habits this encourages. Do their teachers the following school year have to retrain each of them?
I think that time is the second most important aspect in the learning environment Sometimes it is hard to gauge how long you should give students to complete a task or assignment. Sometimes I feel like I am cheating them out of time to take their tests. If they had more time would they remember the correct answer? Or would they expand in their writing just a little more? At other times I think that the students are cheating themselves. They flirt, fight, and find other ways to not be working on the task at hand.
I have heard from many professors and fellow classmates that you can expect to spend at least $100-$200 dollars of your own money on class supplies every year. Since I am going to be an art teacher, I expect this figure to go up substantially. I am not overly concerned that I won't have all of the things that regular classroom teachers have. I guess I'm more disappointed that the government/schools/school districts don't place equal emphasis on all of the subject areas. I think that limiting students in any way will be detrimental to their development.
"Teachers provide a social and intellectual environment in which students can learn."--James MacGregor Burns (presdential biographer/leadership scholar)
In my experience as a substitute teacher, I would have to say that ambience and physical aspects are tied for the most important part of the learning environment. There is one teacher, Mr. R, who is arguably the most unorganized person I have ever seen. He is a regular third grade classroom teacher in the Elyria Schools. I have subbed for him twice and I have vowed to never do it again! I am definitly not the most organized person, but compared to Mr. R, I am a certified member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). His bookshelves look like they've just been sick, there are papers scattered all over and around his desk, and the students! The poor sweet students are learning from his example.
Yes, they are very happy with their teacher.
Yes, they like him better than their teacher from last year.
Yes, their classroom is very laid back.
But at what expense?
As a sub, it is confusing and frustrating to be there. I can never find what I need. Walking from the one end of the class to the other is like a slalom event! I can only imagine what bad habits this encourages. Do their teachers the following school year have to retrain each of them?
I think that time is the second most important aspect in the learning environment Sometimes it is hard to gauge how long you should give students to complete a task or assignment. Sometimes I feel like I am cheating them out of time to take their tests. If they had more time would they remember the correct answer? Or would they expand in their writing just a little more? At other times I think that the students are cheating themselves. They flirt, fight, and find other ways to not be working on the task at hand.
I have heard from many professors and fellow classmates that you can expect to spend at least $100-$200 dollars of your own money on class supplies every year. Since I am going to be an art teacher, I expect this figure to go up substantially. I am not overly concerned that I won't have all of the things that regular classroom teachers have. I guess I'm more disappointed that the government/schools/school districts don't place equal emphasis on all of the subject areas. I think that limiting students in any way will be detrimental to their development.
I gotta do it.
"What we learn to do, we learn by doing." Aristotle
In order to have a cohesive understanding of the information presented to us, the goals, tests, and teaching all have to be in line. We cannot take a test in a way that is totally opposite from the way that we learned. If we wanted to teach our students how to use scissors properly, the test would not involve the paper cutter. If one of our goals was for a student to be able to identify pointillism we would not show them works of abstract expressionism. This quote is actually perfect for me. People can show me a million demonstrations and give me a thousand lectures, but I still will not get most things unless I do them with my own two hands. I have always been like that. In cake decorating class in high school, I would watch the teacher demonstrate, but all I could think about was getting my hands on the materials. I still can't make a rose to save my life. I think if there had been time for her to use more one on one instruction for those of us that weren't getting it, I would make amazing roses. I think that if we think of our favorite teachers and try to emulate them in our own classrooms, we will be better teachers because of it.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Reflection 8 the four components of classroom management burns quote
I believe it is the responsibility of teachers to provide for their students a safe and caring learning environment. Students should feel comfortable and not threatened when they come into a classroom to learn. I feel it is important to make it known to your students that mistreating their peers, verbally, physically, or emotionally will not be tolerated. A good teacher will manage and control the physical space, resources, time, and ambience of their classrooms from the beginning of the year until the end of the year. I don’t know which of the four is the most important, but I do feel that you have to begin with the physical space of the classroom that you teach in. The book says that your choices in arranging the physical space allow you to use it to enact your convictions about how students learn and about good teaching. I agree with that statement because if I had to set up my own classroom, I would arrange it in a way so that students could interact with each other and also feel comfortable in their own space. As an intervention specialist, I would have smaller classes, so I would carefully space the desks out in a semi circle with me in the middle, that way the students don’t have anyone behind them and they are all looking at me, and not at the back of a classmates head. I would also try to limit other distractions in my room, and try to provide helpful, organized bulletin boards in which students could know what is going on before we start or end the day. For example, I would have a class agenda bulletin board and also a homework bulletin board.
The book says that managing a classroom means managing all the stuff, to use a technical term that inevitably goes along with teaching. When I walk into a classroom, one of the first things I notice is the stuff! There are so many technological and other media that are now incorporated into classrooms. As a teacher, I would try to incorporate the resources into my lesson plans whenever I get the opportunity to do so. I would teach with a smart board if I could, and I would teach with PowerPoint, or using the computer in another way. I also would try to get students interested in using the resources themselves, especially with the smart board, which can really get students excited. In addition to technological resources, I would also use other materials that I felt would be beneficial to my students.
The book says that your central task as a teacher is to start with the students and meld a group of individuals without ground or goals into a classroom community. I feel that managing the ambience of the room is another way of saying “setting the tone” for the classroom. My tone would best be described by MacGregor’s quote because the tone for me would be to provide “social and intellectual environment in which students can learn”. My translation is providing an environment in which students feel comfortable and confident to learn. Feeling comfortable and confident means not fearing being hurt physically, emotionally, or verbally by their peers, and expecting to get respect and sensitivity from their teacher.
The book says that using your time as gold means that you need to maximize the time your students spend engaged in learning and minimize the time they spend in other ways in your classroom. In my classroom I would have an agenda bulletin board, in which I would have the day’s plans on it. That way the students know that this is what I expect of them for this class period. I would hold myself accountable also because I would need to schedule the class accordingly.
The book says that managing a classroom means managing all the stuff, to use a technical term that inevitably goes along with teaching. When I walk into a classroom, one of the first things I notice is the stuff! There are so many technological and other media that are now incorporated into classrooms. As a teacher, I would try to incorporate the resources into my lesson plans whenever I get the opportunity to do so. I would teach with a smart board if I could, and I would teach with PowerPoint, or using the computer in another way. I also would try to get students interested in using the resources themselves, especially with the smart board, which can really get students excited. In addition to technological resources, I would also use other materials that I felt would be beneficial to my students.
The book says that your central task as a teacher is to start with the students and meld a group of individuals without ground or goals into a classroom community. I feel that managing the ambience of the room is another way of saying “setting the tone” for the classroom. My tone would best be described by MacGregor’s quote because the tone for me would be to provide “social and intellectual environment in which students can learn”. My translation is providing an environment in which students feel comfortable and confident to learn. Feeling comfortable and confident means not fearing being hurt physically, emotionally, or verbally by their peers, and expecting to get respect and sensitivity from their teacher.
The book says that using your time as gold means that you need to maximize the time your students spend engaged in learning and minimize the time they spend in other ways in your classroom. In my classroom I would have an agenda bulletin board, in which I would have the day’s plans on it. That way the students know that this is what I expect of them for this class period. I would hold myself accountable also because I would need to schedule the class accordingly.
Monday, March 10, 2008
What We Learn To Do, We Learn By Doing
I believe that this quote articulates the value of personal experience when attempting to learn. I also interpret this quote as implying that we are best able to learn through a hands-on-approach. I would like to advance this idea from a coaching perspective, rather than from a classroom teacher’s perspective. As a football coach there is not a truer statement than, “what we learn to do, we learn by doing” when it comes to teaching. First, let me explain our football program’s teaching progression:
1. Verbal Introduction
2. Chalkboard
3. Film
4. Walk Through with Adjustments
5. Individual Drill Work
6. Group
7. Team
8. Scrimmage
9. Game
Due to the effectiveness of this type of instruction I have attempted to implement
this type of progression into my classroom teachings. What I have noticed when it comes to teaching is that you can talk about what you are supposed to do all day, you can watch all the film in the world and draw as many pictures as you want, but players (students) will not truly learn without doing. And doing it through mass repetition. It is steps 4 through 9 that play the biggest role in learning.
Once students have done their assignment, and done it many times, then their processing speed begins to increase. As I have heard many players explain through their own testimonies, the game begins to slow down once they have experienced their assignment again and again. I believe this is true regardless of what environment you are attempting to learn in.
I think Mr. Kommer’s very interesting lecture on the brain also reinforces the idea that we learn by doing. The more stimuli that you present to the mind and the more you emphasize the piece of information that you are trying to learn, the more likely you are to incorporate that fact into short term memory and soon after long term memory.
1. Verbal Introduction
2. Chalkboard
3. Film
4. Walk Through with Adjustments
5. Individual Drill Work
6. Group
7. Team
8. Scrimmage
9. Game
Due to the effectiveness of this type of instruction I have attempted to implement
this type of progression into my classroom teachings. What I have noticed when it comes to teaching is that you can talk about what you are supposed to do all day, you can watch all the film in the world and draw as many pictures as you want, but players (students) will not truly learn without doing. And doing it through mass repetition. It is steps 4 through 9 that play the biggest role in learning.
Once students have done their assignment, and done it many times, then their processing speed begins to increase. As I have heard many players explain through their own testimonies, the game begins to slow down once they have experienced their assignment again and again. I believe this is true regardless of what environment you are attempting to learn in.
I think Mr. Kommer’s very interesting lecture on the brain also reinforces the idea that we learn by doing. The more stimuli that you present to the mind and the more you emphasize the piece of information that you are trying to learn, the more likely you are to incorporate that fact into short term memory and soon after long term memory.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Learning by Doing
"What we learn to do, we learn by doing." - I have heard this quote before and it never ceases to make complete sense. I believe that learning by doing is hands down, the best way to learn. It's the rule that I follow when I want to learn something new. I actually lived by this quote today when I (for the first time in maybe 15 years) went ice skating with my family. I guess I've learned to skate before, but after so long, today was pretty much like learning again. Many people ask for tips, others watch and learn by example, but I, like many, learn by doing.
Another example of how I learn by doing is how I'm currently substitute teaching. Not to steal arock's example, but it just fits my current situation perfectly. I had no previous education classes before I started my Bachelor's Plus program this semester. I have never had any professional training in the classroom. But I feel that after each time I substitute teach, I become better equipped for my next substituting experience. I have learned new techniques and come up with new ideas from each substituting experience, and I hope that continues not only throughout the rest of my substituting "career" but also into my teaching career.
Having the mindset that I can learn new things each and every time I teach is important to me. I'm not saying that every teacher should feel this way, but for me, it's important to have this view each day. Going into each day knowing that I have the opportunity to learn new things gives me the drive to look forward to every new day of work.
Another example of how I learn by doing is how I'm currently substitute teaching. Not to steal arock's example, but it just fits my current situation perfectly. I had no previous education classes before I started my Bachelor's Plus program this semester. I have never had any professional training in the classroom. But I feel that after each time I substitute teach, I become better equipped for my next substituting experience. I have learned new techniques and come up with new ideas from each substituting experience, and I hope that continues not only throughout the rest of my substituting "career" but also into my teaching career.
Having the mindset that I can learn new things each and every time I teach is important to me. I'm not saying that every teacher should feel this way, but for me, it's important to have this view each day. Going into each day knowing that I have the opportunity to learn new things gives me the drive to look forward to every new day of work.
learn by doing
Even though I have spent the last 18 years of my life sitting in a classroom watching other teachers teach, I still have no idea how to be an effective teacher myself. I think this shows much truth in Aristotle’s quote, “what we learn to do, we learn by doing.” I know I am capable of teaching, but will not be completely comfortable doing it until I have had some kind of experience.
I will be starting substitute teaching sometime this week and I am extremely nervous but I know that the only way of becoming more comfortable with my teaching abilities is through having experience and learning by doing. This will be a helpful learning experience for me because I will be able to work with all grade levels. I will learn how to take charge but also gain respect from the students.
I think learning by doing can create confidence in students that might not be gained if they didn't actually "do" something. If a student is confident in their abilities they will be more likely to continue using the skills they have learned.
Using “doing” to assess students not only will give the teacher a better idea of where students are, but it will allow students to become more comfortable with the materials and with their abilities. Being creative with the different types of assessments used would keep students interested instead of being bored with the same type of assessment over and over again.
Assessment for Lesson Plan Presentation
In looking at the lesson presentation as an opportunity to grow from trial and error…can I do a presentable presentation?…sure, I hope I can, I am a business major but, can I present a lesson to a class of 5th graders using all the techniques and knowledge that I’ve learned in class…I hope so…but, I don’t think one time around with a fictitious class will make me great at it.
I’m looking to be assessed, yes but, more so, I am looking for constructive feedback, not only from Dr. Scott but, from my classmates. Should I attempt to include as many teaching techniques as I can to make my lesson more cohesive…yes…should I include all of them…no, that would be ridiculous and obviously forced.
Time management should be looked at…present ability…professionalism…use of course content…effort, yes, effort…creativity should also be included but, for those of us who are not necessarily creative, this may be a challenge until, again, we begin challenging ourselves this way on a regular basis…appropriate standards and benchmarks for the presented lesson should be assessed, as well.
I’m looking to be assessed, yes but, more so, I am looking for constructive feedback, not only from Dr. Scott but, from my classmates. Should I attempt to include as many teaching techniques as I can to make my lesson more cohesive…yes…should I include all of them…no, that would be ridiculous and obviously forced.
Time management should be looked at…present ability…professionalism…use of course content…effort, yes, effort…creativity should also be included but, for those of us who are not necessarily creative, this may be a challenge until, again, we begin challenging ourselves this way on a regular basis…appropriate standards and benchmarks for the presented lesson should be assessed, as well.
Reflection of “What we learn to do, we learn by doing.”…Aristotle
This quote makes me think of all that we are learning in class right now. We are laying the groundwork and enhancing our knowledge base so that we can begin “doing” what we are learning about and, in turn, learn to “do.” We really won’t receive the full benefit of what we learn in this course until we apply it and begin doing it.
We will begin this “doing” process when we present our chosen lesson to the class. This will culminate into a long “doing” process in regards to real life teaching application. Trial…error…evaluate…change…over and over again.
This reflection also makes me think of what I do with 5th & 6th graders to get them to begin thinking about realistic career options. We take a group of students from JVS and we set up a mini career fair within the school building. The 5th and 6th grade students alternate booths every 10 minutes. There is a hands-on activity relating to a specific program area such as, Culinary Arts, Auto Technology, and Web Graphic Design, just to name a few.
The students learn about these programs and the careers that culminate from these programs. The 5th & 6th grade students learn by doing. This opportunity turns on light bulbs for some students, others it sparks interest in an area of two. Some may take the day’s activities and reflect; others will take their excitement home to share with their parents and maybe begin helping their mom or dad with cooking dinner or helping mom or dad to fix the car. They may even begin to think more about the games they play with their Wii or their Playstations in regards to how those games were created and the possibility of them creating a new game someday.
We will begin this “doing” process when we present our chosen lesson to the class. This will culminate into a long “doing” process in regards to real life teaching application. Trial…error…evaluate…change…over and over again.
This reflection also makes me think of what I do with 5th & 6th graders to get them to begin thinking about realistic career options. We take a group of students from JVS and we set up a mini career fair within the school building. The 5th and 6th grade students alternate booths every 10 minutes. There is a hands-on activity relating to a specific program area such as, Culinary Arts, Auto Technology, and Web Graphic Design, just to name a few.
The students learn about these programs and the careers that culminate from these programs. The 5th & 6th grade students learn by doing. This opportunity turns on light bulbs for some students, others it sparks interest in an area of two. Some may take the day’s activities and reflect; others will take their excitement home to share with their parents and maybe begin helping their mom or dad with cooking dinner or helping mom or dad to fix the car. They may even begin to think more about the games they play with their Wii or their Playstations in regards to how those games were created and the possibility of them creating a new game someday.
Lesson Plan Using Technology
In a lesson on writing for my English Language class, grade 5, I would use and allow my students to use technology as a research tool. I would instruct them in regards to proper writing and sentence structure. I would group them in twos and give each group a topic to research. There would not be extensive research needed for this project, just enough for three to four paragraphs of writing.
I would require that they type their papers in Word and I would also require that they access spell check and grammar check. Finally, I would require that they print it out and turn it in for a grade.
Reservations I would have in regards to is having 5th graders surfing the web is the possibility of them happening upon an inappropriate website. With that being said, I believe that school computer networks offer the highest monitoring system available and I would have to rely on that to keep my students safe.
The challenges that would be involved with the use of technology within my writing lesson plan include assisting 10-12 groups of students during a class period. Also, there may end up to be too many computer-related questions from the students so that the lesson that is supposed to be learned is getting lost in the mix.
Things that I would take into consideration when creating a writing lesson around technology is again, not allowing the lesson to get lost in the mix of computer inquiries. Also, I would have to take into consideration the diversity of computer skills among my students. This is not the way I would teach this type of lesson all the time because handwriting skills should be enhanced with this age group.
I would require that they type their papers in Word and I would also require that they access spell check and grammar check. Finally, I would require that they print it out and turn it in for a grade.
Reservations I would have in regards to is having 5th graders surfing the web is the possibility of them happening upon an inappropriate website. With that being said, I believe that school computer networks offer the highest monitoring system available and I would have to rely on that to keep my students safe.
The challenges that would be involved with the use of technology within my writing lesson plan include assisting 10-12 groups of students during a class period. Also, there may end up to be too many computer-related questions from the students so that the lesson that is supposed to be learned is getting lost in the mix.
Things that I would take into consideration when creating a writing lesson around technology is again, not allowing the lesson to get lost in the mix of computer inquiries. Also, I would have to take into consideration the diversity of computer skills among my students. This is not the way I would teach this type of lesson all the time because handwriting skills should be enhanced with this age group.
Learning by Doing (RIGHT NOW!)
Class,
First off, I hope you all enjoyed the seminar this past Monday evening! I was unable to make it because I am at training for a new job so I look forward to hearing about it from you when I return. The quote to reflect on for this week is defintely hitting home from me in the sense that I am doing this exact quote right now. I'm at training for a new job that I haven't even started. I know we are all different learners, but learning by doing is the best way I learn. I do need to know background knowledge first, but then I can't role play or fake it, I need to dive in and do it to learn. It is a sales job in which I am learning our buying/ sales process and different techniques to be successful at it and overcome objections etc. I feel as if I have learned all of these things and my brain is on overload and I just want to get home start my new job and learn as I go and do it! Our students might feel this way sometimes and if we don't offer up the chance for them to learn by doing, some may never actually learn. Some students need the opportunity to learn by doing and it benefits every student to do it.
I thought it would be interesting to share some of the learning techniques that the instructors have used here to compare to what we have learned in our class thus far. First and foremost, the instructors I have here at this training are doing a great job at differentiating the instruction. The first day of my training they did a module with us on explaining the different learning styles and we took an assesment in which we identified what are learning styles are. Throughout the training they have accomodated to all of these learning styles in that they have us role play with others, do independent work, watch videos, listen to lectures, gain hands on computer experience etc. Every morning we have assesments from the day before in which have also been differentiated as well. It was a relief to see that differentiated instruction and assesment was important to these instructors. I can tell when my peers feel comfortable with certain methods and when they don't, but I have realized that students need to be pushed out of their comfort zone at times because this is a true way everyone learns by doing. We gain valuable informaton and experiences when we are pushed outside of our comfort zones and to me this goes hand in hand with learning by doing. Role playing the sales techniques we are learning has been something new to many people here at my training. They have never done it before and you can tell. They get extrememly nervous and it seems they don't know the information, but they do! They just are being pushed outside their comfort level and are learning when they don't even realize it. As teachers we need to do this to our students so they can truy experience learning by doing. This teaches explicit, implicit and null instruction. Think of how many null lessons are taught by pushing students outside of their comfort level and forcing them to learn by doing. They are learning the feeling of being challenged, learning to feel comfortable in their own skin, learning to present themselves and present information on the spot. They are learning to deal with being nervous about the information they know. Pushing students teaches more than just learning by doing. It is an important life lesson!
As I mentioned above, we are having assesments every morning at this training to test our knowledge. Some are written, some are verbal. It is interesting to compare these assesments to the outline of Chpater 7. The Goal--> Teach--> Test cycle is defintely implemented here at my training. The goals are consistently laid out, both at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day at class end. When I leave training every day, I am aware of and understand what will be on the assesment and how it pertains to the goals of the training! I feel good when I leave the class and comfortable that I have the knowledge to succeed on the assesment. Students should never feel like they don't have the appropriate information to do well on the assesment. It should be up to them on whether or not they put the energy and focus into it to do well. My assesments have been inclusive of me (the learner) in the sense that I know what's going to be on the assesments and I even engage in the some assesments with the teacher (role playing, answer questiosn out loud etc.) I have realized that differentiating assesments is also important because students are experienceing different ways to capture the learning in which they are more likely to truly understand the material when it is evaluated in different ways. Sometimes things have hit home when I write it (on a paper assesment) or when I hear a peer say it aloud (on an informal group assesment).
Sorry to keep babbling, but I am truly learning by doing right now when it comes to being a teacher myself someday!
First off, I hope you all enjoyed the seminar this past Monday evening! I was unable to make it because I am at training for a new job so I look forward to hearing about it from you when I return. The quote to reflect on for this week is defintely hitting home from me in the sense that I am doing this exact quote right now. I'm at training for a new job that I haven't even started. I know we are all different learners, but learning by doing is the best way I learn. I do need to know background knowledge first, but then I can't role play or fake it, I need to dive in and do it to learn. It is a sales job in which I am learning our buying/ sales process and different techniques to be successful at it and overcome objections etc. I feel as if I have learned all of these things and my brain is on overload and I just want to get home start my new job and learn as I go and do it! Our students might feel this way sometimes and if we don't offer up the chance for them to learn by doing, some may never actually learn. Some students need the opportunity to learn by doing and it benefits every student to do it.
I thought it would be interesting to share some of the learning techniques that the instructors have used here to compare to what we have learned in our class thus far. First and foremost, the instructors I have here at this training are doing a great job at differentiating the instruction. The first day of my training they did a module with us on explaining the different learning styles and we took an assesment in which we identified what are learning styles are. Throughout the training they have accomodated to all of these learning styles in that they have us role play with others, do independent work, watch videos, listen to lectures, gain hands on computer experience etc. Every morning we have assesments from the day before in which have also been differentiated as well. It was a relief to see that differentiated instruction and assesment was important to these instructors. I can tell when my peers feel comfortable with certain methods and when they don't, but I have realized that students need to be pushed out of their comfort zone at times because this is a true way everyone learns by doing. We gain valuable informaton and experiences when we are pushed outside of our comfort zones and to me this goes hand in hand with learning by doing. Role playing the sales techniques we are learning has been something new to many people here at my training. They have never done it before and you can tell. They get extrememly nervous and it seems they don't know the information, but they do! They just are being pushed outside their comfort level and are learning when they don't even realize it. As teachers we need to do this to our students so they can truy experience learning by doing. This teaches explicit, implicit and null instruction. Think of how many null lessons are taught by pushing students outside of their comfort level and forcing them to learn by doing. They are learning the feeling of being challenged, learning to feel comfortable in their own skin, learning to present themselves and present information on the spot. They are learning to deal with being nervous about the information they know. Pushing students teaches more than just learning by doing. It is an important life lesson!
As I mentioned above, we are having assesments every morning at this training to test our knowledge. Some are written, some are verbal. It is interesting to compare these assesments to the outline of Chpater 7. The Goal--> Teach--> Test cycle is defintely implemented here at my training. The goals are consistently laid out, both at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day at class end. When I leave training every day, I am aware of and understand what will be on the assesment and how it pertains to the goals of the training! I feel good when I leave the class and comfortable that I have the knowledge to succeed on the assesment. Students should never feel like they don't have the appropriate information to do well on the assesment. It should be up to them on whether or not they put the energy and focus into it to do well. My assesments have been inclusive of me (the learner) in the sense that I know what's going to be on the assesments and I even engage in the some assesments with the teacher (role playing, answer questiosn out loud etc.) I have realized that differentiating assesments is also important because students are experienceing different ways to capture the learning in which they are more likely to truly understand the material when it is evaluated in different ways. Sometimes things have hit home when I write it (on a paper assesment) or when I hear a peer say it aloud (on an informal group assesment).
Sorry to keep babbling, but I am truly learning by doing right now when it comes to being a teacher myself someday!
Friday, March 7, 2008
do due
Topic: "What we learn to do, we learn by doing." Aristotle
I have been involved in education, athletics and activies my entire life. There are people with exceptional gifts such as the Savant that just do. There are gifted students who absorb knowledge and there are musicians who simply pick up a guitar or sit down in front of a piano and just play and there are kids who pick up a baseball or football and throw it further than anyone else. These people are exceptions to the rule (our quote). The rule is truly about the student of academics, music or athletics and the professional teacher/coach who instruct them. These people who with a passion or desire apply themselves and learn the rules for participation and activity. Then through hard work and perseverance learn to do the object of their desire and become technically proficient or maybe even subject matter experts. But there is also a whole group of people that don't know what to learn or that learning is advantageous because they have no experiences to guide them. These persons need someone to guide them where they need to go and give them the needed experiences along the way. This is the professional teacher, the mentor and guide whose first duty is to prepare a student for life.
This is where a true teacher can change the landscape for many students. I spoke with a teacher recently, who says Content Standards be damned, she teaches her students some life skills within a unit on Economics. This lesson has been taught for the past 15 years. She teaches her students the hands on of household budgeting, bill paying and balancing a checking account, and along the way also provides a healthy dose of "reality check". She relates going to school with going to work. Every student begins with a job that is part time in that there is no sick leave or vacation pay and raises or bonuses are earned through hard work. In your magical checking account you get paid based on how many days you came to school during the pay period. Students had to decide the kind of car to buy and actually afford it, rent an apartment, check insurance rates and MPG for cars they purchased; they get bills for utilities, phones, car repairs and other items. Students have to grocery shop and bring in a receipt or they pay the same as the teacher's bill at the grocery for the week. Students have to go shopping with a parent. They learn that food doesn't just appear in the refrigerator. They have to buy gas and they are assigned mileage and then pay gasoline based on how many miles they drove/mpg of the vehicle purchased. The teacher listens to her students talk during the week and assigns them recreation bills for going to a movie or buying a new game or going to shopping mall. I could go on and on.
To this teacher these students need to be prepared and they cannot be prepared by being lectured to. If they don't come to school for a day they don't get paid for that day. Students will not walk out of any Senior High school and walk right into a well paying job with a boss who won't care if I stayed up all night playing Halo and didn't make it to work or if they woke up feeling bad and got to school 3 hours later than the start time. She believes this reality check about life needs to be intentionally learned and is only learned by doing. She is firm in that the only way to learn to do is by learning through doing.
Isn't that the most important and truly authentic assessment- That the student can and does use appropriately the information you the educator is trying to impart.
I have been involved in education, athletics and activies my entire life. There are people with exceptional gifts such as the Savant that just do. There are gifted students who absorb knowledge and there are musicians who simply pick up a guitar or sit down in front of a piano and just play and there are kids who pick up a baseball or football and throw it further than anyone else. These people are exceptions to the rule (our quote). The rule is truly about the student of academics, music or athletics and the professional teacher/coach who instruct them. These people who with a passion or desire apply themselves and learn the rules for participation and activity. Then through hard work and perseverance learn to do the object of their desire and become technically proficient or maybe even subject matter experts. But there is also a whole group of people that don't know what to learn or that learning is advantageous because they have no experiences to guide them. These persons need someone to guide them where they need to go and give them the needed experiences along the way. This is the professional teacher, the mentor and guide whose first duty is to prepare a student for life.
This is where a true teacher can change the landscape for many students. I spoke with a teacher recently, who says Content Standards be damned, she teaches her students some life skills within a unit on Economics. This lesson has been taught for the past 15 years. She teaches her students the hands on of household budgeting, bill paying and balancing a checking account, and along the way also provides a healthy dose of "reality check". She relates going to school with going to work. Every student begins with a job that is part time in that there is no sick leave or vacation pay and raises or bonuses are earned through hard work. In your magical checking account you get paid based on how many days you came to school during the pay period. Students had to decide the kind of car to buy and actually afford it, rent an apartment, check insurance rates and MPG for cars they purchased; they get bills for utilities, phones, car repairs and other items. Students have to grocery shop and bring in a receipt or they pay the same as the teacher's bill at the grocery for the week. Students have to go shopping with a parent. They learn that food doesn't just appear in the refrigerator. They have to buy gas and they are assigned mileage and then pay gasoline based on how many miles they drove/mpg of the vehicle purchased. The teacher listens to her students talk during the week and assigns them recreation bills for going to a movie or buying a new game or going to shopping mall. I could go on and on.
To this teacher these students need to be prepared and they cannot be prepared by being lectured to. If they don't come to school for a day they don't get paid for that day. Students will not walk out of any Senior High school and walk right into a well paying job with a boss who won't care if I stayed up all night playing Halo and didn't make it to work or if they woke up feeling bad and got to school 3 hours later than the start time. She believes this reality check about life needs to be intentionally learned and is only learned by doing. She is firm in that the only way to learn to do is by learning through doing.
Isn't that the most important and truly authentic assessment- That the student can and does use appropriately the information you the educator is trying to impart.
Learning+ Doing= Experience
Assessments help teachers to monitor the progress of our students but also give us a feedback about our own instruction. Either we receive a positive response or need to address some possible changes on the process of our lesson.
As I work on my lesson plan ("Calendar", foreign language) , I consider the information that we received on Monday's conference and methods of assessment. Understanding how our brains work and how we can help our students retain information was fascinating. Assessments as applied to my "Calendar" unit will be active participation during instruction time. This will help to engage students on the lesson, it will give me an idea of the student's abilities, and where they are in terms of skills required to effectively participate on the unit.
Also working in small groups, I can use oral methods such as accountable talk where students interact with each other and teacher will be able to evaluate if a lesson is being understood.
Learning a foreign language can be frustrating for many students, small groups will allow me to be attentive to facial expressions and body language. Smaller group allows for more questions to be asked, without fear. And, my lesson can easily be "chunked" because when we work on calendar time, students already were introduced to concepts of numbers, months and days of the week.
Having this calendar time in this structure help students to practice day by day.
This brings me to the quote "What we learn to do we learn by doing" (Aristotle), which I have applied to my lesson plan. When working in small groups Spanish students get more comfortable as we practice the calendar components day by day. This could be a year around activity, where students can master many concepts taught during the school year.
As adults we know that is our nature, we learn by doing. Everyday needs to be a learning experience where we can identify what we did right or wrong and later integrate our experiences, guiding them to a personal and professional growth.
As I work on my lesson plan ("Calendar", foreign language) , I consider the information that we received on Monday's conference and methods of assessment. Understanding how our brains work and how we can help our students retain information was fascinating. Assessments as applied to my "Calendar" unit will be active participation during instruction time. This will help to engage students on the lesson, it will give me an idea of the student's abilities, and where they are in terms of skills required to effectively participate on the unit.
Also working in small groups, I can use oral methods such as accountable talk where students interact with each other and teacher will be able to evaluate if a lesson is being understood.
Learning a foreign language can be frustrating for many students, small groups will allow me to be attentive to facial expressions and body language. Smaller group allows for more questions to be asked, without fear. And, my lesson can easily be "chunked" because when we work on calendar time, students already were introduced to concepts of numbers, months and days of the week.
Having this calendar time in this structure help students to practice day by day.
This brings me to the quote "What we learn to do we learn by doing" (Aristotle), which I have applied to my lesson plan. When working in small groups Spanish students get more comfortable as we practice the calendar components day by day. This could be a year around activity, where students can master many concepts taught during the school year.
As adults we know that is our nature, we learn by doing. Everyday needs to be a learning experience where we can identify what we did right or wrong and later integrate our experiences, guiding them to a personal and professional growth.
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