At my practicum site, I will be teaching in the afternoon class. The class has a block schedule of writing, reading, and social studies. For the past few weeks I’ve been getting to know these students in particular and have found them to be really fun and at times extremely entertaining. As a class, they are fairly laid back, but, of course, have their moments of being too noisy and allow themselves to get off task.
Out of 27 students, there are 18 girls and only 9 boys. The class as a whole is marginally diverse. There are 21 students labeled as White, 3 students labeled as Hispanic and 2 students are labeled as Asian/Pacific Island. Much like the demographics of the middle school as a whole, the majority of the classes are primarily of a Caucasian background. Although I have my own assumptions as to why the school is primarily White, I would prefer to not make those generalizations here without the proper information.
This class is unique in that 11 of the students are considered TAG. This middle school has what are known as classes with “TAG clusters.” These students were put into the same class for a reason. This way the teacher can tailor his class to more advanced students and still keep the “lower level“ students engaged in what they are learning. Personally, I think this class works great together as a whole and if I didn’t have the information in front of me I wouldn’t be able to tell you who the TAG students were and which students are not.
There is only one student with an IEP in this class. She was placed in this classroom only four weeks ago. Previously she was in the ’special needs’ classroom because she is labeled as student with aspergers syndrome. It’s unfortunate that this student came into the classroom half way through the first quarter because it appears to have made it more difficult for her to fit in with the other students. The other students have not been informed of her condition which can be helpful and difficult at times.
This class has taught me a lot and it has nothing to do with their ethnic diversity. I think the biggest learning experience any teacher can have is to work with a classroom that is heavily dominated by TAG students. These students keep you on your toes and force you to be prepared for any question because they are more likely to ask you questions that broaden the subject you are teaching. It has also been helpful having an IEP student in this class because it has taught me to be prepared for anything.
I think as teachers we need to be prepared for anything to happen because in the long run something unexpected is going to happen. We are going to have to learn to work with a diverse group of students, dealing with ethnicity and learning styles. Having the opportunity to work with these students has been very helpful to me.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Classroom Description
The way my practicum supervising teacher has his room set up is similar to the way many of the teachers in the school have set up their rooms. The room itself is very large with one wall of the room devoted to cabinet space and a counter. The cabinets are stocked with books and classroom materials such as textbooks used in reading and social studies. There are also drawers devoted to writing supplies such as markers, pens, and pencils. There is also a drawer for paper, scissors, and glue sticks. Everything on this side of the classroom is typical supplies one would hope to find in any middle school.
On the north wall of the classroom is the white board used for instruction as well as a white board for assigning homework. Everyday the students can come into the room and look at the "assignment board" to see what needs to be done before they come to class the next day. At the beginning of class their teacher will remind them to write these assignments in their planners so that the information is now located in multiple areas.
Beside the white board for instruction is another board which is for the students’ use. Every month my supervising teacher will have one of his student aids cut out paper letters and form a question on the board. The students are then allowed to answer the question on separate piece of paper and place it on the board. This month the question is: "what can you draw?" I like how there is a single place where the students can display their talents that may not necessarily be considered "academic." This board allows them to have opinions and be creative which gives them the sense that the classroom is really there for them.
The east wall primarily consists of windows. It is on this side that a person will find the teachers desk and the student teachers desk. There are also boxes, on top of unused student desks, where the students turn in their homework and keep their "in-progress" folders. This is a central place where the students pick up necessary materials they will need to do their work in class.
The final wall, the south wall, is my favorite wall because it is covered with student work and a board that displays the students goals for the school year. At the beginning of the year the teacher asked his students to write one goal that they wanted to achieve by the end of the school year and could be as simple as "improve my hand-writing." As long as the student felt it was important, it was considered a worthy goal. These goals were typed out and made big enough for everyone to read. This wall gives visitors the sense of what the teacher wants students to walk away with at the end of the school year. The goal is to have the students work on themselves, as well as school work, in a positive and safe atmosphere.
The final aspect of the room that I would like to describe is the way the desks are set up. The room consists of four tables and each table has four or five students at them. There are also two groups which are made up of four or five individual desks. The students are allowed to pick where they want to sit everyday with the warning that at any time their teacher can move them if they are not being productive in their group. This basically means that if there is too much talking going on at one group one or two people may be moved if they cannot quiet down. They get a few warnings before this actually occurs.
To me, this whole room gives of a very welcoming atmosphere. The walls are not too distracting, but when you do look at the walls you get the feeling that the students have been learning a lot. Their work is displayed to be admired and for them to feel proud of at the same time. The room is organized so that if a substitute was to walk in, it wouldn’t take them very long to figure out where everything is and belongs at the end of class.
The way the desks are set up allows the students easy access to discussion. They are able to discuss topics proposed to them by their teacher or about certain assignments they are working on at the time. The groups allow them to do this quietly and they don’t have to disrupt other students when they have a simple question they need answered.
I think it is important that students have the opportunity to discuss topics with each other. In my classroom, discussion will be a main component and the easier it is for students to group quickly and get started on the activity, the less time I will have to take to group them myself. These groups will allow the students to bounce ideas off each other and get others opinions. They can use the discussions to expand their understanding of a certain topic or to get help on a writing assignment. I think it is important that students try to figure out problems amongst themselves before they ask the teacher. I want a classroom environment that fosters "active learners."
I like the way this room is set up because there is a good balance between the focus on students and academics. I think it is important to set up a room that will be inviting to not only students, but their parents or other adults as well. The room should give off the feeling that learning is being done, but in a fun and engaging way. This is why I love the "goal board" so much because this is a cross between student fun and academic progress. The students were the ones who made their goals and now they will use what they learn in the classroom to accomplish their goals.
On the north wall of the classroom is the white board used for instruction as well as a white board for assigning homework. Everyday the students can come into the room and look at the "assignment board" to see what needs to be done before they come to class the next day. At the beginning of class their teacher will remind them to write these assignments in their planners so that the information is now located in multiple areas.
Beside the white board for instruction is another board which is for the students’ use. Every month my supervising teacher will have one of his student aids cut out paper letters and form a question on the board. The students are then allowed to answer the question on separate piece of paper and place it on the board. This month the question is: "what can you draw?" I like how there is a single place where the students can display their talents that may not necessarily be considered "academic." This board allows them to have opinions and be creative which gives them the sense that the classroom is really there for them.
The east wall primarily consists of windows. It is on this side that a person will find the teachers desk and the student teachers desk. There are also boxes, on top of unused student desks, where the students turn in their homework and keep their "in-progress" folders. This is a central place where the students pick up necessary materials they will need to do their work in class.
The final wall, the south wall, is my favorite wall because it is covered with student work and a board that displays the students goals for the school year. At the beginning of the year the teacher asked his students to write one goal that they wanted to achieve by the end of the school year and could be as simple as "improve my hand-writing." As long as the student felt it was important, it was considered a worthy goal. These goals were typed out and made big enough for everyone to read. This wall gives visitors the sense of what the teacher wants students to walk away with at the end of the school year. The goal is to have the students work on themselves, as well as school work, in a positive and safe atmosphere.
The final aspect of the room that I would like to describe is the way the desks are set up. The room consists of four tables and each table has four or five students at them. There are also two groups which are made up of four or five individual desks. The students are allowed to pick where they want to sit everyday with the warning that at any time their teacher can move them if they are not being productive in their group. This basically means that if there is too much talking going on at one group one or two people may be moved if they cannot quiet down. They get a few warnings before this actually occurs.
To me, this whole room gives of a very welcoming atmosphere. The walls are not too distracting, but when you do look at the walls you get the feeling that the students have been learning a lot. Their work is displayed to be admired and for them to feel proud of at the same time. The room is organized so that if a substitute was to walk in, it wouldn’t take them very long to figure out where everything is and belongs at the end of class.
The way the desks are set up allows the students easy access to discussion. They are able to discuss topics proposed to them by their teacher or about certain assignments they are working on at the time. The groups allow them to do this quietly and they don’t have to disrupt other students when they have a simple question they need answered.
I think it is important that students have the opportunity to discuss topics with each other. In my classroom, discussion will be a main component and the easier it is for students to group quickly and get started on the activity, the less time I will have to take to group them myself. These groups will allow the students to bounce ideas off each other and get others opinions. They can use the discussions to expand their understanding of a certain topic or to get help on a writing assignment. I think it is important that students try to figure out problems amongst themselves before they ask the teacher. I want a classroom environment that fosters "active learners."
I like the way this room is set up because there is a good balance between the focus on students and academics. I think it is important to set up a room that will be inviting to not only students, but their parents or other adults as well. The room should give off the feeling that learning is being done, but in a fun and engaging way. This is why I love the "goal board" so much because this is a cross between student fun and academic progress. The students were the ones who made their goals and now they will use what they learn in the classroom to accomplish their goals.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Equity: Description of School
Compared to my pervious school site, my practicum school sight is less diverse and less populated. At Walker Middle School there is just over 1,000 students. According to the 2008-2009 demographic information there were 1,075 students enrolled. Of that number 68 percent of the students are labeled as White, 14 percent are labeled as Hispanic, 5 percent are labeled as Asian/Pacific Islander, 6 percent are labeled as multi-racial, 2 percent are labeled as American Indian, 1 percent are labeled as African American and 5 percent of the student body decided not to respond about their ethnic background. Looking at the classroom I have been observing, it is definitely noticeable that the White population dominates the schools population. The majority of my classroom is white with only a few Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic students.
The school itself is actually bigger than what it’s population calls for in my opinion. Classrooms have on average 30 students per class and the rooms are almost twice the size of the classroom at my high school site where the average class size is 35 to 40 students. The schools offers its students many facilities. There is a reasonably sized library with computers, a split cafetiria and a large gym area. The school also has a pool, though I’m not sure how often the student body uses that facility.
The school staff is a large population of the school. The school has two administrators, one principle and one assistant principle. There are 58 teachers, 13 members of the office/support staff, 17 instructional assistants, 4 custodians, one liaison officer, and two itinerant staff members. From personal experience, every member of the Walker staff has been extremely helpful and encouraging. The support staff in the office is amazing and always willing to help out in any way they can.
The overall feel of the school is extremely inviting. When I first started my practicum experience I was blown away by how different it was from my high school experience. The teachers have been very encouraging and inviting. I’ve never had a teacher tell me not to come into their classroom, in fact most of the time they are asking me to come in and see their class. The overall feel of the school is inviting and very comfortable. I get the feeling that the school as a whole works very hard to make their students and their parents feel comfortable while they are there.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I don’t want to leave my practicum site. I think it is important that as a teacher you feel comfortable in the school where you are teaching. You should know the support staff and any other staff that works there on a daily basis that you come into contact with. Knowing that the teachers are welcoming and encouraging goes a long way with many students who may feel uncomfortable with their new surroundings. They want to feel safe and wanted when they are in school and I think Walker Middle School takes those extra steps to make that possible for their students.
I think when I’m looking for a teaching job, the qualities that I’ve observed in Walker Middle School are going to be the qualities that I look for in other schools. I want to work in a school where teachers work together and strive to make their rooms and overall building inviting.
The school itself is actually bigger than what it’s population calls for in my opinion. Classrooms have on average 30 students per class and the rooms are almost twice the size of the classroom at my high school site where the average class size is 35 to 40 students. The schools offers its students many facilities. There is a reasonably sized library with computers, a split cafetiria and a large gym area. The school also has a pool, though I’m not sure how often the student body uses that facility.
The school staff is a large population of the school. The school has two administrators, one principle and one assistant principle. There are 58 teachers, 13 members of the office/support staff, 17 instructional assistants, 4 custodians, one liaison officer, and two itinerant staff members. From personal experience, every member of the Walker staff has been extremely helpful and encouraging. The support staff in the office is amazing and always willing to help out in any way they can.
The overall feel of the school is extremely inviting. When I first started my practicum experience I was blown away by how different it was from my high school experience. The teachers have been very encouraging and inviting. I’ve never had a teacher tell me not to come into their classroom, in fact most of the time they are asking me to come in and see their class. The overall feel of the school is inviting and very comfortable. I get the feeling that the school as a whole works very hard to make their students and their parents feel comfortable while they are there.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I don’t want to leave my practicum site. I think it is important that as a teacher you feel comfortable in the school where you are teaching. You should know the support staff and any other staff that works there on a daily basis that you come into contact with. Knowing that the teachers are welcoming and encouraging goes a long way with many students who may feel uncomfortable with their new surroundings. They want to feel safe and wanted when they are in school and I think Walker Middle School takes those extra steps to make that possible for their students.
I think when I’m looking for a teaching job, the qualities that I’ve observed in Walker Middle School are going to be the qualities that I look for in other schools. I want to work in a school where teachers work together and strive to make their rooms and overall building inviting.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Community around Practicum School
The community around Walker Middle School is really quite interesting to me. The immediate community next to the school is primarily low and middle class families, which I found surprising because I’d always been told that West Salem was an “upper class” area. The area outside this small community of low and middle class families is surrounded by shopping centers such as Walgreens, Safeway, and fast food restaurants.
Although these areas are important to the “school community,” these areas aren’t generally where the students who attend Walker Middle School live. The students generally come from the wealthier families and live farther outside the immediate school community. If you’ve ever driven around West Salem you’ll notice that the farther out you get the bigger the houses get and there are better communities. The area also offers townhouses and apartments, but compared to other areas in Salem, these communities are much more expensive for smaller amounts of living space.
The ethnicity of the surrounding area of the school is not as diverse as other areas of Salem. For the most part the majority of the families are White, but there is also a large population of Hispanic families, but not as large a population as you would find in North Salem. There are also populations of Asian/Pacific Islanders, African American, Native American, and mixed race, but these populations are much smaller than the White population in the area.
Although these areas are important to the “school community,” these areas aren’t generally where the students who attend Walker Middle School live. The students generally come from the wealthier families and live farther outside the immediate school community. If you’ve ever driven around West Salem you’ll notice that the farther out you get the bigger the houses get and there are better communities. The area also offers townhouses and apartments, but compared to other areas in Salem, these communities are much more expensive for smaller amounts of living space.
The ethnicity of the surrounding area of the school is not as diverse as other areas of Salem. For the most part the majority of the families are White, but there is also a large population of Hispanic families, but not as large a population as you would find in North Salem. There are also populations of Asian/Pacific Islanders, African American, Native American, and mixed race, but these populations are much smaller than the White population in the area.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Reflection Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Reflection
Jot down brief descriptions of the kinds of kids who provoke the following feelings in you:
1) Kids you find it easy to like:
I find it easy to like the kids who are self-motivated, but I’m also partial to the kids who are funny slackers. These are the kids who will get their work done in class, but they have to crack a few jokes with the teacher before they get it done.
2) Kids you find it hard to like:
The kids I find it hard to like are the ones who are smart enough to do the work, but don’t do anything in class. I’ve watched in my mentor teacher’s classroom where there are a handful of kids who are smarter than they are letting on and don’t do anything in class. They goof off and spend the in-class time they have talking to their neighbors.
3) Kids you are sorry for:
I feel sorry for the kids who are total outcasts in the class. The kids who may or may not have friends outside of class, but most definitely don’t have friends in class. I hate to see those kids who don’t get picked for partners and have to rely on the teacher to set them up with a group.
4) Kids you feel threatened by:
I feel threatened by students who challenge me both mentally and physically.
5) Kids you identify with:
I identify with the comedic slackers and the sarcastic individuals.
6) Kids you gravitate toward:
I gravitate towards a variety different students. I like the students who are quiet and funny and those who are sarcastic and a little bit moody.
7) Kids you feel inadequate around:
I feel inadequate around kids who have more knowledge in an area than I do. I want to have the information for my students, but eventually I’m going to come across a student who has more knowledge on a certain book than I do.
8) Kids you probably don’t even notice:
I don’t notice the kids who never come to class or if they do come to class sometimes and tend to sit in the back and never talk.
Jot down brief descriptions of the kinds of kids who provoke the following feelings in you:
1) Kids you find it easy to like:
I find it easy to like the kids who are self-motivated, but I’m also partial to the kids who are funny slackers. These are the kids who will get their work done in class, but they have to crack a few jokes with the teacher before they get it done.
2) Kids you find it hard to like:
The kids I find it hard to like are the ones who are smart enough to do the work, but don’t do anything in class. I’ve watched in my mentor teacher’s classroom where there are a handful of kids who are smarter than they are letting on and don’t do anything in class. They goof off and spend the in-class time they have talking to their neighbors.
3) Kids you are sorry for:
I feel sorry for the kids who are total outcasts in the class. The kids who may or may not have friends outside of class, but most definitely don’t have friends in class. I hate to see those kids who don’t get picked for partners and have to rely on the teacher to set them up with a group.
4) Kids you feel threatened by:
I feel threatened by students who challenge me both mentally and physically.
5) Kids you identify with:
I identify with the comedic slackers and the sarcastic individuals.
6) Kids you gravitate toward:
I gravitate towards a variety different students. I like the students who are quiet and funny and those who are sarcastic and a little bit moody.
7) Kids you feel inadequate around:
I feel inadequate around kids who have more knowledge in an area than I do. I want to have the information for my students, but eventually I’m going to come across a student who has more knowledge on a certain book than I do.
8) Kids you probably don’t even notice:
I don’t notice the kids who never come to class or if they do come to class sometimes and tend to sit in the back and never talk.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Chapter 3 Reflection
Response to Reflection 3.10
The first time I met Christine she had come into the classroom of my mentor teacher asking for ideas for the schools newspaper. Moments earlier my mentor teacher and I had been discussing my assignment for Classroom Management to follow a student around the school for one day. When my mentor teacher saw Christine it was as though a light bulb when on over his head. He immediately asked Christine if I could follow her around for the day and she responded with the typical high school attitude of “who is this person and why does she have to follow me around?” Needless to say, I didn’t think she was up for it and figured I would be following another student, but I was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the classroom the next week ready and willing to show me around.
The impression I got of Christine is that she is a very bright student with goals and very self-confident. Of the four classes I observed with her only one of the classes wasn’t an advanced class. When I asked Christine what she planned on doing after high school the answer was one I expected. She wants to go to college, but isn’t sure for what yet. I understood, she is only a sophomore and when I was a sophomore I was still unsure of what I wanted to study in college.
I know that I was suppose to ask one of her teachers what they thought Christine would do after high school, but I didn’t feel I needed to after introducing myself. When I introduced myself I would tell them my name and who I was following. As soon as I said Christine’s name every single one of them made some comment as to how great a student she is and how motivated she is in class. Every single teacher would tell me I got a great student to follow around for the day and I think that speaks volumes about their opinion of her and where she is going in life. I’m confident that every single one of Christine’s teachers would tell me that after high school she would be going to college.
Now that I really have a chance to think about it I wish I had been set up with what some of the teacher may have seen as an “average” student. I think the reactions I would have gotten from the teachers would have been really interesting. It would have been interesting to see what subjects that student was strong in and which classes they were weak in and how that might have changed any given teacher’s response to the question. Do teachers base their opinions on where a student will go after high school based on that student performance in their class? I think a number of teachers would base their evaluation of the student on how they performed in their class and maybe wouldn’t know how they were doing in other classes.
The first time I met Christine she had come into the classroom of my mentor teacher asking for ideas for the schools newspaper. Moments earlier my mentor teacher and I had been discussing my assignment for Classroom Management to follow a student around the school for one day. When my mentor teacher saw Christine it was as though a light bulb when on over his head. He immediately asked Christine if I could follow her around for the day and she responded with the typical high school attitude of “who is this person and why does she have to follow me around?” Needless to say, I didn’t think she was up for it and figured I would be following another student, but I was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the classroom the next week ready and willing to show me around.
The impression I got of Christine is that she is a very bright student with goals and very self-confident. Of the four classes I observed with her only one of the classes wasn’t an advanced class. When I asked Christine what she planned on doing after high school the answer was one I expected. She wants to go to college, but isn’t sure for what yet. I understood, she is only a sophomore and when I was a sophomore I was still unsure of what I wanted to study in college.
I know that I was suppose to ask one of her teachers what they thought Christine would do after high school, but I didn’t feel I needed to after introducing myself. When I introduced myself I would tell them my name and who I was following. As soon as I said Christine’s name every single one of them made some comment as to how great a student she is and how motivated she is in class. Every single teacher would tell me I got a great student to follow around for the day and I think that speaks volumes about their opinion of her and where she is going in life. I’m confident that every single one of Christine’s teachers would tell me that after high school she would be going to college.
Now that I really have a chance to think about it I wish I had been set up with what some of the teacher may have seen as an “average” student. I think the reactions I would have gotten from the teachers would have been really interesting. It would have been interesting to see what subjects that student was strong in and which classes they were weak in and how that might have changed any given teacher’s response to the question. Do teachers base their opinions on where a student will go after high school based on that student performance in their class? I think a number of teachers would base their evaluation of the student on how they performed in their class and maybe wouldn’t know how they were doing in other classes.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Reflections Chapter 2
2.2 - Interviews about achievement
When I conducted my interviews I tried to pick a variety of different people. I interviewed two people who are roughly the same age, but have come from different backgrounds and family situations. My third interview was of someone of an older generation (trying to be nice here) who has lived long enough to see many of the achievements we all hope to have in our lives at one point or another. What I found interesting about all of the interviews was the importance of education. All of my interviewees have had varing amounts of education; two graduated from college and one from high school, but it didn't matter how much or little they had they all found it to be achievements in their lives. They also found long lasting relationships to be high achievements. Two talked of marriage being major accomplishments and all discussed the importance of having friendships from high school.
When it came to the skills they used to accomplish life achievements all agreed that communication has been a useful tool. They also mentioned education as a skill as well as personal skills. Their educational skills and communication have all been useful in their accomplishments of finding jobs that they love and enjoy doing. One talked of using personal skills to overcome her shyness and gaining more confidence which has been extremely helpful since she became a teacher.
What I found most interesting about these interviews was their reactions to the last question. Once again, everyone agreed that they admired people who could maintain long term relationships, whether it was marriage or friendship. One person said they admired people who could support a family and not in just the traditional sense, but people who could support a family mentally, physically and especially emotionally. I whole heartedly agree with this statement. I admire people who see family as much more than just another check on their life-list.
Even though all of these people have come from different backgrounds and families, they all seemed similiar in a way after this interview. No matter where people come from life achievements are all the same when it comes to family, education, and relationships. For the most part, I agreed with everything these people said. They only things I couldn't agree with were things I personally have never experienced.
2.6 - Teaching and Students Socializing Forces
This was the most difficult part of this reflection because not only did I have a hard time figuring out what it was asking me to do, but I also had to figure out a way to explain it to the kid I was interviewing. When it was all said and done I simply asked the kid to tell me about a typical day he has and how his family and school are linked. The kid I was interviewing said that he felt that most of the time he had teachers who cared about him and encouraged him, which I think is pretty lucky because not every kid would have said that. He felt as though he had support both at school and in his home life. We both didn't see how the media played a role in his life other than it perhaps influenced what he read or what a teacher might have on their classroom walls.
2.8 - What a Student Says
I interview a 13 year old boy named Brenden who lives in Eugene, Oregon.
1) Situation that gave you a sense of power: Brended believes that the one place he feels he has power is in sports. He participates in wrestling and feels when he is with people his own age he has more power than when he is surrounded by people who are older and inheritently have more power.
2) Situation that gives you freedom: After school, Brenden is allowed to use the public transportation in Eugene to either go to the library or back to his own house. The freedom in this situation is being viewed as old enough to take care of himself after school. He gets to decide where he goes and has the opportunity to move around.
3) Activities outside of school and in: Brenden loves to read and this is one of his favorite activities, but he also enjoys wrestling, band and playing board games.
4) Where or when do you feel like you have a sense of belonging: When I asked Brenden this question I though because he is a more sensitive boy he would say that he feels a sense of belonging when he is with his family, but of course I was wrong. He feels like he belongs when he is with his friends or with people who have common interests with him.
5) If I were your teacher...Fantastic teacher: Brenden told me that in order to be a fantastic teacher I should teach either history or science, but because I don't, he suggested that I show educational videos in class. He also said it is really important to him that his teachers have a sense of humor. He thinks the best teachers are ones who can joke with their students and who don't take themselves too seriously. This is one thing I really believe to be true. The teachers I enjoyed in middle school and high school were the ones who had a joke or two to start class.
2.9 - Applying what you learned to a classroom
I think the one thing I can do to allow my students to feel they have a little power and freedom in their classroom is to invite them into the decision making process. I had a few teachers who would put a list of books on the board and it would be the classes decision to pick two or three of the books that we would be reading thoughout the year. We got the opportunity to discuss what each book was about and whether or not that sounded like something we would be interested in reading or learning about. To make my classroom more fun I think it is important to, again, let your students have a say in it. I want to have posters on my walls that the students want to see everyday not just me. This could be something as simple as having the students write autobiographies and having a picture of themselves on the wall next to their writing. This is their classroom as much as it is mine and this allows not only me, but all of them to get to know eachother.
I think the hardest part about a classroom is making every student feel like they have a place where they belong. Most of the time they want to be with friends or family, not a classroom. At this time, I don't really know how I would make all of my students feel like they belong. The only thing I can do is make sure that each one of them knows that they are welcome in my classroom and that I want them to be there, even if they don't.
When I conducted my interviews I tried to pick a variety of different people. I interviewed two people who are roughly the same age, but have come from different backgrounds and family situations. My third interview was of someone of an older generation (trying to be nice here) who has lived long enough to see many of the achievements we all hope to have in our lives at one point or another. What I found interesting about all of the interviews was the importance of education. All of my interviewees have had varing amounts of education; two graduated from college and one from high school, but it didn't matter how much or little they had they all found it to be achievements in their lives. They also found long lasting relationships to be high achievements. Two talked of marriage being major accomplishments and all discussed the importance of having friendships from high school.
When it came to the skills they used to accomplish life achievements all agreed that communication has been a useful tool. They also mentioned education as a skill as well as personal skills. Their educational skills and communication have all been useful in their accomplishments of finding jobs that they love and enjoy doing. One talked of using personal skills to overcome her shyness and gaining more confidence which has been extremely helpful since she became a teacher.
What I found most interesting about these interviews was their reactions to the last question. Once again, everyone agreed that they admired people who could maintain long term relationships, whether it was marriage or friendship. One person said they admired people who could support a family and not in just the traditional sense, but people who could support a family mentally, physically and especially emotionally. I whole heartedly agree with this statement. I admire people who see family as much more than just another check on their life-list.
Even though all of these people have come from different backgrounds and families, they all seemed similiar in a way after this interview. No matter where people come from life achievements are all the same when it comes to family, education, and relationships. For the most part, I agreed with everything these people said. They only things I couldn't agree with were things I personally have never experienced.
2.6 - Teaching and Students Socializing Forces
This was the most difficult part of this reflection because not only did I have a hard time figuring out what it was asking me to do, but I also had to figure out a way to explain it to the kid I was interviewing. When it was all said and done I simply asked the kid to tell me about a typical day he has and how his family and school are linked. The kid I was interviewing said that he felt that most of the time he had teachers who cared about him and encouraged him, which I think is pretty lucky because not every kid would have said that. He felt as though he had support both at school and in his home life. We both didn't see how the media played a role in his life other than it perhaps influenced what he read or what a teacher might have on their classroom walls.
2.8 - What a Student Says
I interview a 13 year old boy named Brenden who lives in Eugene, Oregon.
1) Situation that gave you a sense of power: Brended believes that the one place he feels he has power is in sports. He participates in wrestling and feels when he is with people his own age he has more power than when he is surrounded by people who are older and inheritently have more power.
2) Situation that gives you freedom: After school, Brenden is allowed to use the public transportation in Eugene to either go to the library or back to his own house. The freedom in this situation is being viewed as old enough to take care of himself after school. He gets to decide where he goes and has the opportunity to move around.
3) Activities outside of school and in: Brenden loves to read and this is one of his favorite activities, but he also enjoys wrestling, band and playing board games.
4) Where or when do you feel like you have a sense of belonging: When I asked Brenden this question I though because he is a more sensitive boy he would say that he feels a sense of belonging when he is with his family, but of course I was wrong. He feels like he belongs when he is with his friends or with people who have common interests with him.
5) If I were your teacher...Fantastic teacher: Brenden told me that in order to be a fantastic teacher I should teach either history or science, but because I don't, he suggested that I show educational videos in class. He also said it is really important to him that his teachers have a sense of humor. He thinks the best teachers are ones who can joke with their students and who don't take themselves too seriously. This is one thing I really believe to be true. The teachers I enjoyed in middle school and high school were the ones who had a joke or two to start class.
2.9 - Applying what you learned to a classroom
I think the one thing I can do to allow my students to feel they have a little power and freedom in their classroom is to invite them into the decision making process. I had a few teachers who would put a list of books on the board and it would be the classes decision to pick two or three of the books that we would be reading thoughout the year. We got the opportunity to discuss what each book was about and whether or not that sounded like something we would be interested in reading or learning about. To make my classroom more fun I think it is important to, again, let your students have a say in it. I want to have posters on my walls that the students want to see everyday not just me. This could be something as simple as having the students write autobiographies and having a picture of themselves on the wall next to their writing. This is their classroom as much as it is mine and this allows not only me, but all of them to get to know eachother.
I think the hardest part about a classroom is making every student feel like they have a place where they belong. Most of the time they want to be with friends or family, not a classroom. At this time, I don't really know how I would make all of my students feel like they belong. The only thing I can do is make sure that each one of them knows that they are welcome in my classroom and that I want them to be there, even if they don't.
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