Cleveland Heights is a public high school in the greater Cleveland area. I went in with the question, "how does the teacher involve the students in their learning?" This question guided my observations and also my interpretations.
My observations were in a chemistry class room and the first thing I noticed was teachers positioning in the classroom. Her desk was in the back of the class opposite of the whiteboard and projector. This seemed odd to me because the teacher had to keep walking back and fourth in order to teach her lesson. The teacher also did a fair amount of group work. Taking a look at her lesson plan for the next couple days, it all was various group activities. The kids were quite active and loud in their learning and some never stopped talking until the teacher asked them a question.
When it came to interpretations, my thoughts were that the teacher had her desk at the back to keep an eye on the class, and for group work, maybe the kids learn better in groups because the kids who understand can help the kids who do not understand. As for the kids who were being loud and did not stop talking, I figured that they were not that excited about learning and the teacher was trying to get them to at least mention the topic and that is why she called on them.
There was only one thought that I had dismissed and it was that the students who did not stop talking were disrespectful kids. I thought this at first, but there are many factors that go into a classroom dynamic, and maybe they are the best students in another class. I do not know them so I gave them the benefit of the doubt about this. Everything else about the class and school didn't warren these types of thoughts, so I am getting better at not judging people when I first see them which is a problem of mine.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
What it takes to become a good teacher
Teaching is commonly viewed as an instrument that passes on knowledge to students, and then students will be tested on the information. Once the test is passed, then the students will most likely forget part of their learning and go on to the next subject to take the next test. It is up to the teacher to build bridges, which means to connect things that happen in the outside world to the students learning. These can be as simple as showing a student who has problems at home stories about other kids who have those problems, or something on a worldwide topic like learning about the middle east while we were at war with terrorists. However, there are different ways of approaching teaching so that the teacher does not lecture the students and the students do not regurgitate information.
The teaching style described above is called the "banking method" because the teacher stores knowledge only to ask on it later. This method is common among a multitude of teachers at all levels, but that doesn't make a teacher a "good teacher" to all kids. To be a good teacher, the teacher has to be able to make learning enjoyable for the students and has to make all students feel like they are part of the learning. This can be done by having them critically think about the problems that are brought up by the teacher or having them do group projects to come up with a solution, but not all kids would like that either. It is up to the teacher to find a way for each student to be able to learn effectively. This is what makes a teacher good, the ability to have each student learn in the best way for them. Albert Einstein once said "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." This follows the same policies discussed above, and if Einstein thinks this will helps education, there probably is some truth behind it.
The teaching style described above is called the "banking method" because the teacher stores knowledge only to ask on it later. This method is common among a multitude of teachers at all levels, but that doesn't make a teacher a "good teacher" to all kids. To be a good teacher, the teacher has to be able to make learning enjoyable for the students and has to make all students feel like they are part of the learning. This can be done by having them critically think about the problems that are brought up by the teacher or having them do group projects to come up with a solution, but not all kids would like that either. It is up to the teacher to find a way for each student to be able to learn effectively. This is what makes a teacher good, the ability to have each student learn in the best way for them. Albert Einstein once said "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." This follows the same policies discussed above, and if Einstein thinks this will helps education, there probably is some truth behind it.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Post It Up
The annotation I chose to develop was the phrase that teachers see the world as a "reality in process." This phrase has a very in depth meaning to it and there are a lot of factors that go into this style of thinking. In this blog I will attempt to provide an explanation to this saying and what it means for the teachers in the future.
This saying reality in motion, deals with the situations that are outside the classroom. A student has school as only a small part of his or her life and the teacher has to take this into consideration. If a plan is never changed to fit the situation of the students than a system where the teacher will give information to every student the same way and the students only store that information, or a banking system. Paulo Freier stated in his essay that "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves." This is vital concept moving forward as it helps students learn not only the material, but about themselves.
A lot of people are now moving towards a proactive learning style And it shows from the thoughts of a Northeastern University student, Sage Witham, "The role of a teacher and a student will always remain; however, it is the distance between the roles and authority of the two which should change." This quote sums up the essay because the teacher is not only responsible for giving out information but learning from the students that are present as well.
This saying reality in motion, deals with the situations that are outside the classroom. A student has school as only a small part of his or her life and the teacher has to take this into consideration. If a plan is never changed to fit the situation of the students than a system where the teacher will give information to every student the same way and the students only store that information, or a banking system. Paulo Freier stated in his essay that "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves." This is vital concept moving forward as it helps students learn not only the material, but about themselves.
A lot of people are now moving towards a proactive learning style And it shows from the thoughts of a Northeastern University student, Sage Witham, "The role of a teacher and a student will always remain; however, it is the distance between the roles and authority of the two which should change." This quote sums up the essay because the teacher is not only responsible for giving out information but learning from the students that are present as well.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Sexuality in school
Race, gender, religion, sexuality, and personal appearance; all of these things are categories that people are judged upon. The categories are things that an individual has little to no control over without major changes to a lifestyle. So, is it fair to judge or cast an opinion on a person who is different than you? In this blog post, I will discuss the openness of sexuality and why it is important to respect those who are different than you.
In Rofues's A Radical Rethinking of Sexuality and Schooling, he says that "that we deserve pleasure and happiness, the enjoyment of picking our noses, the thrill of hugging our security blankets, the excitement we find in fondling our genitals, the satisfaction we get from stealing cookies from the cookie jar." He says that the radical thinking about sexuality is about changing the school system to make it safer and a better experience for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT), but what do liberals think about this? In the article Liberal Sex Ed and Rational Opposition by Chad Felix Greene, he states that kids should have a safe place to practice whatever sexual desire they have because liberals believe that the people should be nurtured more than a system. He says "As long as children are nurtured through this time and taught to cherish their sexuality without flaunting or exposing it indiscriminately, it can be a healthy experience for the child." Neither side is wrong in this discrepancy, but I have my own opinion on this topic. I believe that both sides should be combined into one idea.
I like that the radicals want a system that will help LGBTs be safer and have a better school experience, but I also like the liberals ideas of embracing an individual. I want a school where there are programs made for LGBTs so they have a safe gathering place, and a place for others to come and learn about them as individuals and not as a group in general. I also want to help them embrace their sexuality to make them more comfortable in their own skin. It will not be an easy thing to do, but change is hard. If people are willing to help make a difference when it comes to acceptance, then it will get done.
In Rofues's A Radical Rethinking of Sexuality and Schooling, he says that "that we deserve pleasure and happiness, the enjoyment of picking our noses, the thrill of hugging our security blankets, the excitement we find in fondling our genitals, the satisfaction we get from stealing cookies from the cookie jar." He says that the radical thinking about sexuality is about changing the school system to make it safer and a better experience for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT), but what do liberals think about this? In the article Liberal Sex Ed and Rational Opposition by Chad Felix Greene, he states that kids should have a safe place to practice whatever sexual desire they have because liberals believe that the people should be nurtured more than a system. He says "As long as children are nurtured through this time and taught to cherish their sexuality without flaunting or exposing it indiscriminately, it can be a healthy experience for the child." Neither side is wrong in this discrepancy, but I have my own opinion on this topic. I believe that both sides should be combined into one idea.
I like that the radicals want a system that will help LGBTs be safer and have a better school experience, but I also like the liberals ideas of embracing an individual. I want a school where there are programs made for LGBTs so they have a safe gathering place, and a place for others to come and learn about them as individuals and not as a group in general. I also want to help them embrace their sexuality to make them more comfortable in their own skin. It will not be an easy thing to do, but change is hard. If people are willing to help make a difference when it comes to acceptance, then it will get done.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Language
Teachers hold a lot of influence on their students. Many of these influences are for the betterment of the student, but there are some things that a teacher can do that will make a student question himself. As a teacher, it is your job to not only teach material, but teach the child as a whole. If you question any part of a child, that child may become self-conscious. One of the biggest things, and the topic that will be discussed in this blog, is the importance of the language that a student speaks at home, and has to speak in the classroom.
The language that a person grows up speaking is often called the mother tongue, and is the language that the child associates with love the strongest. It is important to embrace this language in order for the child to be confident in himself. Also, if the teacher questions the language spoken at home of a child there are two natural responses for the child. The first is to question the home life of the family and try to change to try to fit into the customs of society. The other is that the student may disregard everything that the teacher says at that point because the teacher questioned the love that they grew up with. Neither of these things are good scenarios for anyone to deal with. It is important as a teacher to embrace a students unique qualities and show that they are in the right, no matter what they grew up with.
The language that a person grows up speaking is often called the mother tongue, and is the language that the child associates with love the strongest. It is important to embrace this language in order for the child to be confident in himself. Also, if the teacher questions the language spoken at home of a child there are two natural responses for the child. The first is to question the home life of the family and try to change to try to fit into the customs of society. The other is that the student may disregard everything that the teacher says at that point because the teacher questioned the love that they grew up with. Neither of these things are good scenarios for anyone to deal with. It is important as a teacher to embrace a students unique qualities and show that they are in the right, no matter what they grew up with.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Field Blog Boulevard Elementary
At the elementary school, I saw that every classroom was very colorful, kids were excited to be there, the teachers were all very positive and active, and almost every classroom we visited had some sort of group activity. All of these things go into what can make a classroom lively and a hood place to learn.
These observations are just broad categories of what I saw while at the school. My best experience in getting to know what the kids felt like was reading the story of the snowman with them and playing a game on symbiosis with them. The kids all were very eager to get things done and learn form them, and I was surprised by this. After living in a house with two brothers for so long, the feeling of excitement has gone through each one of us. We all focused on grades in high school instead of the content and this was nice to see the kids having fun. I also noticed a lot of group work. I am a huge fan of group work and that social interaction that goes with it.
There were some things that I thought while we were there that made me second guess myself. While observing the fifth graders, they were really obnoxious and I thought at the time that they were just rude kids. After a while, I remembered how I was back in elementary school and I was the same way. This was my only real judgement of the kids, because I admire how much they want to learn. In a way, it sparked my own interests in learning new things as well.
Nothing during the observation at the school would go into a "parking lot" category. I went in there looking for certain things and knew it would be a different world than what I remember school being as. I was pleasantly surprised at the kids eagerness to learn and the teachers willingness to teach. I really liked the group work of the classes, because group work focuses on teamwork; that is essential for future jobs. It was a very colorful school with enthusiastic kids and teachers; every kid there wants to be there and that enhances their experience more than they know.
These observations are just broad categories of what I saw while at the school. My best experience in getting to know what the kids felt like was reading the story of the snowman with them and playing a game on symbiosis with them. The kids all were very eager to get things done and learn form them, and I was surprised by this. After living in a house with two brothers for so long, the feeling of excitement has gone through each one of us. We all focused on grades in high school instead of the content and this was nice to see the kids having fun. I also noticed a lot of group work. I am a huge fan of group work and that social interaction that goes with it.
There were some things that I thought while we were there that made me second guess myself. While observing the fifth graders, they were really obnoxious and I thought at the time that they were just rude kids. After a while, I remembered how I was back in elementary school and I was the same way. This was my only real judgement of the kids, because I admire how much they want to learn. In a way, it sparked my own interests in learning new things as well.
Nothing during the observation at the school would go into a "parking lot" category. I went in there looking for certain things and knew it would be a different world than what I remember school being as. I was pleasantly surprised at the kids eagerness to learn and the teachers willingness to teach. I really liked the group work of the classes, because group work focuses on teamwork; that is essential for future jobs. It was a very colorful school with enthusiastic kids and teachers; every kid there wants to be there and that enhances their experience more than they know.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Delpit Quote
The quote that Lisa Delpit "We do not see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs." is relevant to more things than you would first think. Say a women walks down the street and she has no hair. The first thing that may pop into your head is that there is something wrong with her, whether it be a sickness, such as cancer, or a mental disorder. However, she may also have donated her hair for a good cause. There are two ways to see this situation right off the bat, and many more if you stop and think about it.
For me, this happens almost every time I go into a public place with my family. I have a bad habit of passing a judgement on people before I get to know them. One guy in specific lives in my dorm. I first met him on move in day and immediately said that he was just odd and I couldn't relate to him. After some time and me getting to know him, he slowly became my best friend, so he went from an outcast to me to being my best friend, and this was almost stopped because of my bias. Bias is a real concern if it gets in the way of getting to know someone, because you do not know what a person is like until you actually get to know him.
For me, this happens almost every time I go into a public place with my family. I have a bad habit of passing a judgement on people before I get to know them. One guy in specific lives in my dorm. I first met him on move in day and immediately said that he was just odd and I couldn't relate to him. After some time and me getting to know him, he slowly became my best friend, so he went from an outcast to me to being my best friend, and this was almost stopped because of my bias. Bias is a real concern if it gets in the way of getting to know someone, because you do not know what a person is like until you actually get to know him.
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