Journal--Week 10

Journal #45
March 6, 2012

“The goal is to elicit good reasoning, not to channel thinking in a ‘right’ direction.”
How you ask questions is very important in establishing a basis for effective communication. Effective questions open the door to knowledge and understanding. It is important to use questions to allow students to think outside of the box—allow them to use other methods of information and reasoning rather than just what is in front of them in the text. When we teach we want to use the questions to guide students to use multiple problem solutions rather than what we feel is right.

Journal #46
March 7, 2012
We took a test today in Dr. Crawford’s class. The test was not exactly what I was expecting it to look like. He gave us information to study which was applicable to the test, but formatting of the test was not what I perceived in my mind. During our review day, he stated we would have 5-6 essay questions, some true or false, some multiple choice, and finally some terminology matching.
There are several reasons I know why I didn’t do well on this test, but I also feel that this test was opposite from what we have been taught to use. The test was “a regurgitate the information that we have learned” type test. What I have learned thus far in the education program is that I want to teach for my students to know, not teach to test and drop the information. Unfortunately, I feel that is what this test was geared towards—test and drop information. It was another reminder that I need to make sure I have my lessons applicable to student usage.

Journal #47
March 8, 2012
I have been learning a lot about reading and listening strategies in this class. I am excited to actually start seeing ones that can be used within my content areas. The one that stood out to me the most this week was the Guided Lecture Procedure. In this students listen with intent of retaining all information, then teacher writes three-four main objectives, teacher lectures for one-half hour, students are asked to recall information quickly, finally students discuss in small groups what they learned and have a chance to write notes.
I like this strategy, because it is necessary sometimes to just have students listen to what is being said. All too often students race to write notes, but miss important facts. This allows them to hear what needs to be said, look on board for key facts, and discuss with classmates to learn more.

Journal #48
March 9, 2012
Today, I went to the Learning Disability Association Conference. I was actually surprised when I go there that it was the LDA, I must have missed that part in class about what type of conference it was. I was under the assumption that it was for educators. Anyways, I learned a lot from the first class I attended. It discussed behavior issues that often arise with LD students and how to handle them. The biggest thing I learned was students are taught how to react to things by the way we react to them. If they want attention and I respond to the m hitting their head on the desk, then they will hit their head on the desk every time to get the attention. It is important to ignore negative behavior and praise positive behavior.

Journal--Week 9

Journal #40 (Philosophy revisal)
February 28, 2012

My philosophy of teaching is rooted from my philosophy of learning. Education is one of the most vital things a person can acquire. Learning is the purpose of life and it comes from experiences we as individuals encounter throughout life. By creating activities, cooperative learning, and interactive lectures within my classroom my students will gain a better understanding of how to work with others, how to learn through different methods, and most importantly they will learn what they are capable of.

Each and every student has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. I will help the students to develop their potential by treating them as capable individuals. I have a vision of a world where people learn to respect, accept, and embrace the differences between us, as the core of what makes life so fascinating. Therefore, I will assist my students in discovering who they are, so they can express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas

Every classroom presents a unique community of learners that varies not only in abilities, but also in learning styles. My role as a teacher is to give my students the tools with which to cultivate their own gardens of knowledge. To accomplish this goal, I will teach to the needs of each student so that all learners can feel capable and successful. I will present curriculum that involves the interests of my students and makes learning relevant to life. I will incorporate themes, integrated units, projects, group work, individual work, and hands-on learning in order to make my students active learners. Finally, I will tie learning into the community to help my students become caring and active members of society.

My classroom will be a caring, safe, and equitable environment where each student can blossom and grow. I will allow my students to become responsible members of our classroom community by using strategies such as class meetings, positive discipline, and democratic principles. By showing my students how to become responsible for themselves as well as their own learning, I am giving them the tools to become successful in life, to believe in themselves, and to love themselves.

Teaching is a lifelong process of learning about new philosophies and new strategies, learning from the parents and community, learning from colleagues, and especially learning from the students. In order to instill my love of learning into my students, I will continue my education and share my experiences with them; and through my example I hope they too will discover how invaluable education truly is.

Journal #41
February 29, 2012

“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will begin teaching Mrs. Tippets class in approximately one week. This thought stirs up many emotions: Will I be prepared? Will I know what I am doing? Will I actually reach the students with the information I have prepared? Will the students respond the way I intend for them to? That is when Mr. Emerson’s quote entered my mind.
Worrying about the possibilities of what is going to happen is not going to make me successful. In fact worrying can only bring more stress and the possibility of failure. As long as I follow the things I have prepared, remember the things I have learned, and treat the students with respect then I will be fine.
So, how does one treat a student with respect? There have been several things stated throughout this semester by each professor that are vital tools to remember. Treating a student with respect is not only important for you to be able to teach that student, but it is also important for that student’s self-worth. We as educators are not going to like or get along with all students, but if you can treat all students with respect and show interest in them you can and will be successful with them.
• Listen to students when speaking to you; don’t let your mind wander to what you need to cover next.
• Thank students for behaving in the manner you like; don’t allow students who are doing as you ask to fall by the wayside.
• Encourage students to keep trying; agreeing with them that they cannot continue will only tell them it is okay to quit.
• Remember small details about your student and use it as a communication tool (e.g. “I saw the school play and you were great!” “That article you wrote for the school newspaper was really nice.”)


Journal #42
March 1, 2012

This week we have been learning a lot about different teaching strategies—how to reach different students using different methods and also how to engage students on different levels of thinking. I never realized how many different ways of asking questions there were.
Each strategy has its own benefits, but there are a few that really stand out to me and I believe would work wonderfully in an English classroom setting.
• QAR: Question-Answer Relationship: this method teaches students that not all answers are right there in front of you. Sometimes you have to read between the lines or even come up with the answers on your own based on what you have experienced in life. Novels are often like this, setting and characters are often right in front of you. However, there are many hidden meanings such as symbols and metaphors that need deeper understanding then the text itself. Using this method would help students to create inferences towards novels, to piece things together, and most importantly to read behind the words and think more complexly.
• Patters: This method would work well with writing papers or even reading novels. Looking for certain patterns helps you to answer questions, make sure you have all content needed in a paper, or even to understand and follow the narrative of a story. Looking for key words or learning what key words to look for would benefit the students greatly.
• Three-Level Reading Guide: I loved this small little activity we did today in class. Students read through a statement, think about ideas and experiences they have had, check statements which are reasonable, and then finally discuss with groups about each statement—making sure to present evidence from the text. Not only is this a great resource to have students look for evidence to support ideas, but it allows students to hear others opinions and learn to accept other’s thoughts.
Journal #43
March 2, 2012

Today’s class was fun! Again, we are still learning different teaching strategies and today’s topic was cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is the use of small groups where students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning. In classrooms where collaboration is practiced, students pursue learning in groups of varying size: negotiating, initiating, planning and evaluating together. Rather than working as individuals in competition with every other individual in the classroom, students are given the responsibility of creating a learning community where all students participate in significant and meaningful ways. Cooperative learning requires that students work together to achieve goals which they could not achieve individually.
Dr. Moulding placed us in groups of three; we then were supposed to come up with a mini lesson that showcased a cooperative learning activity. Each activity was simple, yet I learned so much from each group. I want to write all three activities down to remember them, because they are ones I would incorporate within my own classroom.
• Round-robin writing: a small PowerPoint lesson was given. We discussed the components of a good short story—character, setting, plot, and conflict. Then students each started a short story, they had 1 ½ minutes to write. When time was up they rotated their papers to the right, now they had 1 minute to read what was written and 1 minute to add to the story. This process continued until the paper was back to original author where they had 1 minute to conclude the story. At the end we read the stories which were hilarious!
• Class was in two groups. We were showed how to properly throw a ball over hand, and then we were shown a list of books on the white board. Our assignment was to throw a paper ball at the projector screen which had a map of the continents on it when our number was called. Whatever continent it hit we needed to state what book was written about that continent. Then we discussed the book in more detail and the next person went.
• The last activity was final word. This is like a debate but allows students time to voice their opinions and concerns in a more effective manner. Our topic was one that was discussed during our ethics section in Dr. Gowans class—should teachers who have a concealed weapons permit be allowed to have a gun in their classroom? It was interesting to hear each person’s response and their opinions. We were able to discuss civilly unlike some debate activities.

Journal #44
March 5, 2012

Today was the best day thus far in the teaching experience! I was actually able to co-teach with Mrs. Tippets. Class began with Mrs. Tippets introducing the game plan for today’s lesson. She then turned the time over to me, so I could administer our pre-assessment to the students. Each student seemed engaged today and had a willingness to listen and learn from Mrs. Tippets.
Following the pre-assessment students were given a fitness test to start off the nutrition unit that Mrs. Tippets and I will be teaching. There were several students (mostly girls) who complained about having to do sit-up, push-ups, and the meter dash. However, it was nice to see a few of the other students encourage those that were complaining. One girl in particular said that she didn’t want to get all sweaty. To which another girl replied, “it isn’t that bad, plus you are really good at this.”
These two girls showed me that a little encouragement goes a long way. The girl who was complaining smiled and decided she would just go for it---she ended up with the best score out of all the girls. Afterwards, I asked her how she felt about her scores. She told me that she didn’t believe she was fast enough, but the other girls in the class helped her believe in herself. She also said it was the most sit-ups and push-ups she has done before.
As a teacher, I need to encourage my students when they don’t believe in themselves. I need to motivate them to try their best and show them that sometimes just trying can open up new opportunities (or in this case, new scores)!

Journal--Week 8

Journal #35
February 21, 2012

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." -- Benjamin Franklin
I often think of different quotes I have heard throughout my life. Many of them deal with being a teacher, since I have known what I wanted to be from a very young age. This quote by Benjamin Franklin reminds me of what I learned in class today. If we want our students to learn from what we are saying, then we need to engage them. We cannot just stand and lecture the entire time and expect our students to grasp what we are saying. How does one engage their students?
There are many methods of engaging students—activities, assignments, projects, but the simplest solution is by asking questions. One of our assignments in class was to read a short passage, then look at the questions. We were not supposed to answer the questions, but we needed to state where they fit into Bloom’s taxonomy chart. The different questions we ask can engage our students at different levels. Coming to understand higher level questions and lower level questions is important. Knowing when to ask which type of question is even more important.

Journal #36
February 22, 2012

Throughout Dr. Crawford’s class we have been listening to each person’s equity journey. The student stands in front of the class and shares details about their life. The share personal stories and situations that they feel makes them who they are. I have been contemplating what I wanted to say for quite some time. As I have thought about my own life, I imagined how I could bring this activity within an English class. Having each student throughout the year share with the class why they are who they are. It is simple things that students have shared: where they grew up, what type of friends they hang out with, their perspective on racism and minorities. The more I think of it, I do not necessarily feel this would be appropriate for a junior high setting. However, I do feel that they should be exposed to different cultural backgrounds through the literature that is read within the classroom---then allowing them to share their own personal feelings and slowly integrate their personal equity journey.

Journal #37
February 23, 2012

1. What is transfer?
a. Transfer is to teach knowledge that can be used in other places besides your own classroom. It is applying one concept that you are teaching in English to other classes students have, applying it to use in the community, or to use previous knowledge students have. An example would be showing students a study strategy such as: outlining. Then tell students that outline works best in classes like English, History, and even Science.
2. List three principles of transfer.
a. It is not automatic. We as educators must explain to students that they can use this acquired knowledge elsewhere.
b. Transfer is a deliberate act. You must plan for it to happen and ensure students are aware of what you are doing.
c. You are moving information from short-term memory to long-term memory
3. Why/Why not teach for transfer?
a. Transfer is a great method to include in classes. It is teaching your students larger concepts not just the little pieces and having them try to fit them together. It allows them to apply information in a large range and gives them more opportunities to learn.

Journal #38
February 24, 2012

What is the importance of lecturing? We learned today that it is important to use lecture when information needs to be presented quickly, key points are not obvious to the students, it is a great source of classroom management, and finally it is the easiest way to show the teacher’s enthusiasm towards the subject matter—which can motivate students.
So, how can I make my lectures effective? Making lectures short in durations (2-20 minutes), present new and fresh material, be well organized, make sure to include audio and visual aids, have students take notes, and finally as a teacher engage the students with your voice.
As I have been writing my lesson plans for my teaching experience I have been trying to keep these little tips in the back of my mind. There was one particular day I was planning and the subject matter is quite lengthy. As I started to put my PowerPoint Presentation together, I knew I would need at least 30-35 minutes to go over this with the students. Then I remembered lectures should be short or I am going to lose their attention. I went back to the beginning and decided what was important and what was repetitive. I thought of activities that could break up the monotonous lecture; which took my lecture down to 15 minutes.
Making sure to think about our students and how they will respond to things is definitely a struggle, but it is worth putting in the extra effort to ensure they will learn the material needed.

Journal #39
February 27, 2012

Today was the beginning of co-teaching; I had many ideas of how today was going to go floating through my mind. However, it ended up being very different then I had anticipated. When I got to the school Mrs. Tippets door was still locked, so I stood outside and waited. Soon the bell rang and still no Mrs. Tippets—it ended up being a great time to get to know some of the students. I enjoyed talking with them about some of the things they put on the introduction surveys and also trying to learn their names.
After waiting for a few minutes a young woman came outside to unlock the door—substitute. This girl looked so relieved when she saw me and I had the opposite effect, I began a tad nervous. Mrs. Tippets 6th period is a class that likes to test the waters, which for a substitute is the scariest thing (I subbed for five years). The sub looked at me and said you’re a student teacher you can take control. “Uh! Ok!” is all I could mutter. Come to find out Mrs. Tippets had yet another guest speaker scheduled, so all I had to do was introduce her and tell the students what I expected of them while Merci spoke.
This is the third guest speaker I have seen in this class since we began working with this teacher. Not once has Mrs. Tippets started class with expectations and often the class stops listening and is off doing their own things. However, when I stood in front of the class I asked them to follow three simple rules:
1. Show Merci respect
2. Listen to what Merci has to say
3. Participate in the activities Merci has prepared
The class quieted down at this particular moment and some even turned around in their seats (most students are facing the wrong direction speaking with their friends throughout class). They all participated and raised their hands to answer questions. I even saw some students laughing and enjoying themselves.
Today showed me that I can have control on this class in two weeks. Today showed me that these kids have a desire to learn. Today was my glimmer of hope!