I really appreciated how this chapter included ALL the many different ways of assessing students. I also agree with a lot of what the author says about the reasoning and methodology of assessment. For example, on page 270, Kellough says "To be an effective teacher, you must be informed about what the student knows, feels, and can do so that you can help the student build on her or his skills, knowledge, and attitudes." How true! We teachers can easily get caught up in all of the unit building and testing, but this definition has great truth to what we are here for: to build upon what they already have and know, and to allow them the possibilities of growth by your guidance and support!
One way that I can make sure that I can give my guidance and support is to meet with students for individual assessments. This could just be a midterm thing, but I want to make goals with the students that they may have made at the beginning of the year (haven't thought about how it would be used in my classroom), and I would review the goals they made and give them some encouragement and some practical ways that I can work with them to meet (or exceed) their goal!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Chapter 6
I really think that this is a chapter that I will be coming back to lots during my student teaching. I unfortunately found out the hard way that I need to make DETAILED lesson plans. I am a pretty good public speaker, and I at first thought I could improve my way through the day, just having a list of what we are going to do. Probably after the first 10 minutes of that first lesson I realized that if I go blank at any moment (which has happened) I have nowhere to pick up from. There was one point in the chapter that not much attention was drawn to, but the author commented that writing detailed lesson plans shows that you care about your students. Wow! I do care about my students already, so I want to prove it to them by working hard and writing lesson plans that will help them achieve success in the classroom and in life!
This chapter encouraged me because I am not a lecture-type teacher, and on page 229 the author commented that middle school teachers should barely use the lecture method in teaching lessons. There are so many different ways that students learn, and it was interesting to me that the learning styles of "at-risk" students are how I think I learn best! I want to make sure I incorporate the many learning styles throughout every week of teaching!
This chapter encouraged me because I am not a lecture-type teacher, and on page 229 the author commented that middle school teachers should barely use the lecture method in teaching lessons. There are so many different ways that students learn, and it was interesting to me that the learning styles of "at-risk" students are how I think I learn best! I want to make sure I incorporate the many learning styles throughout every week of teaching!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Chapter 5
When it comes to talking about standards and curriculum, I get even more excited for my student teaching. Since I will be in a private school, I am looking forward to being able to incorporate all of these domains without the pressure of standardized testing. Even though the school does keep track of the standards, the school still does tests every few years to make sure they are up to date with the instruction, but without the pressure.
This chapter was overwhelmingly helpful and long! But, I learned a lot. In the classroom I will be student teaching at, there is a big focus on interdisciplinary teaching and thematic units. The big project I will be planning and teaching will be a multi-genre research project in collaboration with science instruction where the students will choose an animal to write and research about in 3 different genres. This is a wonderful idea and I am excited to be a part of it!
The most interesting and surprising part of this chapter was when the author explained the controversial issues that may come up in teaching. I found this very helpful because I really did not think about thinking about controversial issues. I really appreciated their suggestion that we need to give an open-end and all sides to the issue. Process and content are both important to teaching controversial issues- the process of discovering what each student believes to be true, and content and true facts found by credible, un-biased sources.
On page 192, I found a great statement on teaching to middle school students. I think as a college student, I am already in a critical-thinking mindset, but middle school students may not be ready for someone to come and challenge everything they believe- that's what college is for!
"The primary difference is that the students with whom you will be working are not yet adults; because they are juveniles they must be protected from dogma and allowed the freedom to learn and to develop their values and opinions, free of coercion from those who have power and control over their learning" (Kellough 192).
Basically, if I am to be an outstanding middle school teacher, this needs to be daily on my heart and mind as I teach these students. I want my classroom to be a SAFE place where kids can learn freely and by the end, realize they enjoyed it almost every step of the way.
This chapter was overwhelmingly helpful and long! But, I learned a lot. In the classroom I will be student teaching at, there is a big focus on interdisciplinary teaching and thematic units. The big project I will be planning and teaching will be a multi-genre research project in collaboration with science instruction where the students will choose an animal to write and research about in 3 different genres. This is a wonderful idea and I am excited to be a part of it!
The most interesting and surprising part of this chapter was when the author explained the controversial issues that may come up in teaching. I found this very helpful because I really did not think about thinking about controversial issues. I really appreciated their suggestion that we need to give an open-end and all sides to the issue. Process and content are both important to teaching controversial issues- the process of discovering what each student believes to be true, and content and true facts found by credible, un-biased sources.
On page 192, I found a great statement on teaching to middle school students. I think as a college student, I am already in a critical-thinking mindset, but middle school students may not be ready for someone to come and challenge everything they believe- that's what college is for!
"The primary difference is that the students with whom you will be working are not yet adults; because they are juveniles they must be protected from dogma and allowed the freedom to learn and to develop their values and opinions, free of coercion from those who have power and control over their learning" (Kellough 192).
Basically, if I am to be an outstanding middle school teacher, this needs to be daily on my heart and mind as I teach these students. I want my classroom to be a SAFE place where kids can learn freely and by the end, realize they enjoyed it almost every step of the way.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Chapter 4
"Preventing a ship from sinking is much easier than saving a sinking one." -p142
This chapter summarized all of the main things that all novice/student teachers need to think about before they have their own classroom. One major reason for their questions and principals is because as teachers we are to control the class, not be controlled! This is an issue that I am very nervous about, but after reading the chapter, I felt like I was better prepared because they gave such a great list of things to think about and mistakes to avoid. A few common mistakes that I want to be aware of are:
1. Using color meaninglessly- In my future classroom, we can color-code different activities- group, single, and class. We can also do it by "subject" within English- Red for Writing, Yellow for Grammar, and Blue for reading, Green for listening, and Purple for speaking.
2. Interacting with only a "chosen few" students rather than spreading interactions around to all- I had a problem with this in novice teaching, and when I walk around the classroom I find it hard to keep track of a cup of Popsicle sticks. One thing that my cooperating teacher told me was to just put the stick back into the cup, so then it truly is RANDOM as to whom the question is for, because some students may think that because their name has already been drawn they are "off the hook" for the next question.
3. Trying to talk over student noise: it is best to raise your hand, or do the "one two three- eyes on me" or sometimes with middle school kids I do "clap once if you can hear me" sort of soft so that the ones who are listening will get it, then "clap twice if you can hear me" and by then most of the students have participated, then I do a "clap THREE TIMES if you can hear me!" and then everyone has let out a little energy and we are ready to be back on task.
Lastly, the focus of implementing these procedures is consistency and fairness. I tend to exaggerate certain interruptions that can be cured if I talk to the student after class and giving him/her a choice as to what he/she wants to do the next time in that situation. Or, to gently reprimand the student and remind him/her of the proper procedure. I have unfortunately had the mindset that I need to call out the student in public about minor infractions of procedures, when that really isn't necessary.
Needless to say, I learned a lot from this chapter!
This chapter summarized all of the main things that all novice/student teachers need to think about before they have their own classroom. One major reason for their questions and principals is because as teachers we are to control the class, not be controlled! This is an issue that I am very nervous about, but after reading the chapter, I felt like I was better prepared because they gave such a great list of things to think about and mistakes to avoid. A few common mistakes that I want to be aware of are:
1. Using color meaninglessly- In my future classroom, we can color-code different activities- group, single, and class. We can also do it by "subject" within English- Red for Writing, Yellow for Grammar, and Blue for reading, Green for listening, and Purple for speaking.
2. Interacting with only a "chosen few" students rather than spreading interactions around to all- I had a problem with this in novice teaching, and when I walk around the classroom I find it hard to keep track of a cup of Popsicle sticks. One thing that my cooperating teacher told me was to just put the stick back into the cup, so then it truly is RANDOM as to whom the question is for, because some students may think that because their name has already been drawn they are "off the hook" for the next question.
3. Trying to talk over student noise: it is best to raise your hand, or do the "one two three- eyes on me" or sometimes with middle school kids I do "clap once if you can hear me" sort of soft so that the ones who are listening will get it, then "clap twice if you can hear me" and by then most of the students have participated, then I do a "clap THREE TIMES if you can hear me!" and then everyone has let out a little energy and we are ready to be back on task.
Lastly, the focus of implementing these procedures is consistency and fairness. I tend to exaggerate certain interruptions that can be cured if I talk to the student after class and giving him/her a choice as to what he/she wants to do the next time in that situation. Or, to gently reprimand the student and remind him/her of the proper procedure. I have unfortunately had the mindset that I need to call out the student in public about minor infractions of procedures, when that really isn't necessary.
Needless to say, I learned a lot from this chapter!
Chapter 3
If there is one thing I love about teaching, it is the freedom to ask questions! I found this chapter very helpful because it really outlines the different types of questions and the appropriate way to use them! One "rule" the author gave was that we should avoid harassing or pointing out student failure- such as asking a student a question that we know they cannot answer (whether because they were not in class yesterday, or they were sleeping). Do not judge me, but I thought that was a way of helping students to be motivated to pay attention in class! However, this is just the opposite AND it even harms the student in a deeper way by lowering their self esteem.
These strategies for implementing questions are so valuable, I want to re-list them here:
1. Ask your well-worded question before calling on a student for a response.
2. Avoid bombarding students with too much teacher talk.
3. After asking a question, provide students with adequate time to think.
4. Practice gender equality.
5. Practice calling on all students.
6. Give the same minimum amount of wait time to all students.
7. Require students to raise their hands and be called on.
8. Actively involve as may students as possible in the questioning-answering discussion session.
9. Carefully gauge your responses to students' responses to your questions.
10. In gauging your responses to students' responses to your questions you must be cognizant of cultural characteristics and differences of your students.
11. Use praise sparingly.
I also want to make a border of the Intelligent Behaviors in my future classroom! I found those very encouraging because I think that many students (even I as a middle schooler) believe intelligence to be an IQ or a set in stone idea, but it is much more!
These strategies for implementing questions are so valuable, I want to re-list them here:
1. Ask your well-worded question before calling on a student for a response.
2. Avoid bombarding students with too much teacher talk.
3. After asking a question, provide students with adequate time to think.
4. Practice gender equality.
5. Practice calling on all students.
6. Give the same minimum amount of wait time to all students.
7. Require students to raise their hands and be called on.
8. Actively involve as may students as possible in the questioning-answering discussion session.
9. Carefully gauge your responses to students' responses to your questions.
10. In gauging your responses to students' responses to your questions you must be cognizant of cultural characteristics and differences of your students.
11. Use praise sparingly.
I also want to make a border of the Intelligent Behaviors in my future classroom! I found those very encouraging because I think that many students (even I as a middle schooler) believe intelligence to be an IQ or a set in stone idea, but it is much more!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Chapter 2
The question that arises as I am quickly approaching student teaching in a middle school is, "do I know enough about my content area?" I feel like I have barely scraped the surface of the iceberg on all there is to know about English. The professional responsibilities are daunting in this chapter, but coupled with the non-instructional responsibilities I feel that I can excel on both sides of the spectrum. One thing that I learned in this chapter is the idea of a "locus of control" which happens when we reflect on our lessons. When we see that some things went wrong, will we always blame it on outside forces? Or will we take full responsibility and look at it with an "I can do it" attitude for the next time we teach it?
Another thing I found interesting about this chapter was the "three basic rules for becoming a competent teacher of young adolescents."
1. Why did you use that strategy? Are you using hands-on strategies to promote minds-on learning?
2. What is the environment like? A working learning environment?
3. Are students even learning?
These are three challenges I hope to learn how to meet in my classroom.
As I work at this class, I saw one comment the writers made about our own work ethic and what we expect of the students. If I want students to work hard, I need to work just as hard and to put in just as much time (and more) that the students will. That's a tough one!!
My teaching style leans toward the cognitive-experimentalism position. I do believe the teacher should be an authority, but I think it is more of a guide and facilitator rather than an absolute authority. Because I want to give my students many hands-on experiences, I want to let the students experience lessons so that they can personally learn the content and to solidify or change their theoretical positions on certain things.
Another thing I found interesting about this chapter was the "three basic rules for becoming a competent teacher of young adolescents."
1. Why did you use that strategy? Are you using hands-on strategies to promote minds-on learning?
2. What is the environment like? A working learning environment?
3. Are students even learning?
These are three challenges I hope to learn how to meet in my classroom.
As I work at this class, I saw one comment the writers made about our own work ethic and what we expect of the students. If I want students to work hard, I need to work just as hard and to put in just as much time (and more) that the students will. That's a tough one!!
My teaching style leans toward the cognitive-experimentalism position. I do believe the teacher should be an authority, but I think it is more of a guide and facilitator rather than an absolute authority. Because I want to give my students many hands-on experiences, I want to let the students experience lessons so that they can personally learn the content and to solidify or change their theoretical positions on certain things.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Chapter 1
In this chapter, I learned how the dynamic of a school can affect the students. I take it for granted that we as committed teachers are the most important part of a quality middle school. Committed teachers are enthusiastic and proactive about creating positive learning environments, and embrace the influential role they have. Middle School students are mold-able and need a stable environment to come to every day. This is why the newest trends in developing cohort groups and interdisciplinary lessons are marks of an exemplary middle school. Another trend in Middle School education is the integration of multicultural education. I thought it was a great idea for students to speak their native language in some scenarios and projects, to show other students how unique and wonderful it is that each student has different strengths. One of the most challenging parts of this chapter was when it was talking about recognizing and providing for student differences- multiple learning centers, clear communication, maintain high expectations (not identical), activities to bridge learning, student-centered instruction, structured learning environments, interactive instruction with media, and collaboration between students. There is so much that we need to do throughout the course of one day! I hope that I can apply all of these principals to my teaching.
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