Oh the things that can be said about testing… We had a long discussion in class about it on Thursday night and it got me thinking: what really is the purpose of testing and what exactly is being tested?
I found it funny that Ayers said he did not support standardized tests but was excited when his son came home saying he did well on one. It just goes to show how important test results have become. In the book Tested, it seems that the ONLY thing that matters for that elementary school is the test scores. They work all year preparing for one day! I realize that this school has kind of taken test prep to an extreme, but the idea of “teaching to the test” is very real. Even though the WASL was created by teachers and is a collection of things that students should know at each grade level, teaching to the test still seems like it would leave out important topics.
I think there are ways that teaching to the test can done well though. If past test questions are used as a guide, as a reference, to what might be on the test, teachers can make sure they cover those topics in class. I think the key here is not saying, “Now we are going to do some WASL test prep”. The topics on the test should simply be worked in to what is being taught anyway. I think this will also alleviate some of the stress on the students surrounding the test and make them feel more comfortable about it.
On a completely different topic, I had a “you can’t say you can’t play” moment at recess today. One of my little girls, Alexis, came up to me and said, “Ms. Greenberg, I asked if I could play with Ally and she said I could, but I have to be an Owner… I don’t want to be an Owner; I want to be one of the endangered animals…” I ask Alexis why she didn’t want to be an owner. After all, she wasn’t being denied a place in the game. She just said she really wanted to be an endangered animal but Ally wouldn’t let her. I then talked to Ally. She said she didn’t know why Alexis couldn’t be an endangered animal and that she wasn’t going to play that game anymore anyway. I told Ally that next time she should think about how it would feel to be left out of a game. Unfortunately, that was the end of that because recess was over and it was time to go inside. Throughout this whole encounter I kept thinking about the book and about what Vivian Paley would have done. Of course I didn’t have the time do such an extensive exploration as she did, but I at least was able to talk to both girls involved to try to figure out how to solve the problem.
I still question the “you can’t say you can’t play rule”. It sounds good, but what if there is an activity where only a certain number of people can play like soccer or baseball or another activity where teams need to be even? I can legitimately see children telling friends that they can’t play because it would make the teams uneven. Even if this rejected child was told he could play if he found someone else to even out the teams, what happens if there are takers to this offer? This child would still be rejected by those playing the game. I guess this kind of rule comes with some exception perhaps; defining those exceptions, however, is a monumental task! Where would you draw the line? Why would there even be situations in the first place where it would be ok to reject a fellow player? Do allowing exceptions make the rule null and void? There are so many questions! I don’t know if I would use this rule in my classroom or not. Maybe I would create some different form of it. I agree with all the older students from the book who said that it could work in kindergarten, but once you get older, the charm and simplicity of the rule has worn off.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Response to Jane's Question
I didn’t realize the difference between common standards and common curriculum. I think what I meant was that there should be common standards so each student enters the next grade with the same background knowledge. At the school where I work they implement common curriculum, from what I can tell (although it’s not chosen by people outside the school – it’s chosen by the Head of School). Even so, I see the benefits and detriments to this type of teaching.
One problem is actually the parents. They get worried when they hear that one 1st grade class is doing something different than the other 1st grade class. They immediately want to know why and if their son or daughter will be getting to do that too. Another problem (which goes along with the parents) is that the teachers lose some of their ability to go in a slightly different direction that may be more interesting to their students. There are times when I can sense my class wanting to know more about something but they don’t get the chance because we have to stay exactly on the projected path to keep pace with the other class.
On the plus side, having common curriculum gives a teacher a build-in planning partner. The time to actually meet and do the planning has to be found by the teachers, but the opportunity is there and ready to thrive. Another (although slightly selfish) benefit I have seen is that materials are ready to go from the previous year’s study of the topic. The teacher I work with has made folders and files of everything from worksheets to examples of assignments to bulletin boards. She told me today that for one section of our Coral Reef unit, she hopes the students pick a Sea Turtle to be their group leader because she already has one ready to put on the board. I think this is taking the advantages a little far because the students should be able to pick whatever animals they want without being convinced or lead by the teacher to pick a Sea Turtle.
Anyway, I don’t know yet if I fully support having a common curriculum like this, but so far, those are my thoughts on the matter J
One problem is actually the parents. They get worried when they hear that one 1st grade class is doing something different than the other 1st grade class. They immediately want to know why and if their son or daughter will be getting to do that too. Another problem (which goes along with the parents) is that the teachers lose some of their ability to go in a slightly different direction that may be more interesting to their students. There are times when I can sense my class wanting to know more about something but they don’t get the chance because we have to stay exactly on the projected path to keep pace with the other class.
On the plus side, having common curriculum gives a teacher a build-in planning partner. The time to actually meet and do the planning has to be found by the teachers, but the opportunity is there and ready to thrive. Another (although slightly selfish) benefit I have seen is that materials are ready to go from the previous year’s study of the topic. The teacher I work with has made folders and files of everything from worksheets to examples of assignments to bulletin boards. She told me today that for one section of our Coral Reef unit, she hopes the students pick a Sea Turtle to be their group leader because she already has one ready to put on the board. I think this is taking the advantages a little far because the students should be able to pick whatever animals they want without being convinced or lead by the teacher to pick a Sea Turtle.
Anyway, I don’t know yet if I fully support having a common curriculum like this, but so far, those are my thoughts on the matter J
Week 7: Sharing Opinions
On Thursday, the topic came up about expressing your personal views and opinions in the classroom. I think that as a teacher it is our job to keep our opinions to ourselves so we don’t influence our students in the wrong way. To me, “wrong” means in opposition to each student’s family values. Inevitably, some of our opinions will come out in the way we teach and present certain topics, but I think that is ok and normal. Students will come up against those types of conversations and interactions in their lives, but I do not think it’s ok for a teacher to say, “Here is what I think about this issue…” That is not part of our job description.
Putting this in terms of Paolo Friere and his idea of critical pedagogy: it is still not the teacher’s job to express their opinions. From my understanding, the teacher’s (or leader’s) job is to guide the discussion and point out different aspects of the issue to focus on. Nowhere in the description of critical pedagogy does it say for the leader to tell the group their own thoughts on the issue being explored. The purpose is for the group to look at a problem and find the reasons for why that problem exists in their community. This is done through many methods which all focus on the group evaluating their thoughts, opinions, previous experiences, etc. in relationship to the issue. Applying this kind of exploration and learning to the classroom is a great idea, but it doesn’t give the teacher any more freedom to express their opinions.
If I were to apply a critical pedagogy process in my classroom, it would most likely be in response to a problem I see occurring or one the students bring to my attention. In that case, it would be necessary for me to let the students know the school rules in relation to the issue, but I would let them come to an acceptable solution on their own, with my guidance and questioning. It could be argued that asking guiding questions could be a display of opinions, but I would do my best to guide the students in a direction that complied with school rules, not my own opinions on the issue. I have been talking more about an elementary school setting, but even middle and high school teachers should not be sharing their opinions with their classes. True, middle and high school students may be at a more developmentally appropriate place to understand that what a teacher says is their own opinion, but that does not change the fact that a teacher has the power in the classroom. For that reason (and that reason alone) teachers should not be sharing their personal opinions in the classroom.
Even though students may understand what opinion means, that will not stop them from going home and telling their parents exactly what you said to them, claiming it as fact! Teachers have an enormous amount of power and control over how and what students learn. Curriculum topics aside, there also exists the secondary curriculum of morals, values, and generally how to be a functioning member of society. This too is arguable, but I believe it is true. Teachers have a sway in the types of human beings their students grow up to be. Something a 1st grade teacher says to a student may be called upon when making a decision about the best course of action during an argument when they reach 5th grade, for example. Everything we say and do in the classroom is absorbed by the students. This lets out enough of our opinions on its own; why would we want to add to it by directly saying what we think about an issue?
In my 1st grade class we have Fun Friday. This consists of board games in the morning rather than the normal Jump Start work. The rest of the day is usually filled with our own art project, some more free time, longer recesses, and other non-academic endeavors. This is also coupled with Computers and Drama in ½ groups and an hour in Art class. The two things we do on Fridays that I consider to be productive are a spelling test and maybe time to finish any unfinished work that has piled up throughout the week. Without even saying ANYTHING to the students, I feel we are conveying a message that Fridays are just for fun and we don’t ever have to do any work on Fridays. Every week I can’t help thinking to myself what these kids are going to think when the time comes for Fridays to be like any other day. I can imagine the shock, disbelief, and resistance they will feel. I know this is very cliché, but as teachers, our actions really do speak louder than our words.
Putting this in terms of Paolo Friere and his idea of critical pedagogy: it is still not the teacher’s job to express their opinions. From my understanding, the teacher’s (or leader’s) job is to guide the discussion and point out different aspects of the issue to focus on. Nowhere in the description of critical pedagogy does it say for the leader to tell the group their own thoughts on the issue being explored. The purpose is for the group to look at a problem and find the reasons for why that problem exists in their community. This is done through many methods which all focus on the group evaluating their thoughts, opinions, previous experiences, etc. in relationship to the issue. Applying this kind of exploration and learning to the classroom is a great idea, but it doesn’t give the teacher any more freedom to express their opinions.
If I were to apply a critical pedagogy process in my classroom, it would most likely be in response to a problem I see occurring or one the students bring to my attention. In that case, it would be necessary for me to let the students know the school rules in relation to the issue, but I would let them come to an acceptable solution on their own, with my guidance and questioning. It could be argued that asking guiding questions could be a display of opinions, but I would do my best to guide the students in a direction that complied with school rules, not my own opinions on the issue. I have been talking more about an elementary school setting, but even middle and high school teachers should not be sharing their opinions with their classes. True, middle and high school students may be at a more developmentally appropriate place to understand that what a teacher says is their own opinion, but that does not change the fact that a teacher has the power in the classroom. For that reason (and that reason alone) teachers should not be sharing their personal opinions in the classroom.
Even though students may understand what opinion means, that will not stop them from going home and telling their parents exactly what you said to them, claiming it as fact! Teachers have an enormous amount of power and control over how and what students learn. Curriculum topics aside, there also exists the secondary curriculum of morals, values, and generally how to be a functioning member of society. This too is arguable, but I believe it is true. Teachers have a sway in the types of human beings their students grow up to be. Something a 1st grade teacher says to a student may be called upon when making a decision about the best course of action during an argument when they reach 5th grade, for example. Everything we say and do in the classroom is absorbed by the students. This lets out enough of our opinions on its own; why would we want to add to it by directly saying what we think about an issue?
In my 1st grade class we have Fun Friday. This consists of board games in the morning rather than the normal Jump Start work. The rest of the day is usually filled with our own art project, some more free time, longer recesses, and other non-academic endeavors. This is also coupled with Computers and Drama in ½ groups and an hour in Art class. The two things we do on Fridays that I consider to be productive are a spelling test and maybe time to finish any unfinished work that has piled up throughout the week. Without even saying ANYTHING to the students, I feel we are conveying a message that Fridays are just for fun and we don’t ever have to do any work on Fridays. Every week I can’t help thinking to myself what these kids are going to think when the time comes for Fridays to be like any other day. I can imagine the shock, disbelief, and resistance they will feel. I know this is very cliché, but as teachers, our actions really do speak louder than our words.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Week 6: You Can't Say You Can't Play
Since we didn’t have class last week, this will be a short entry.
I am really enjoying You Can’t Say You Can’t Play. I like how it’s a story rather than a more technical book about classroom management and the like. I never would have thought to go into older grades and ask them what they though about a rule I would like to create in my classroom. I thought it was great that she did this and brought the responses back to her class. Kindergarteners can have some good discussions! I loved reading their quotes and the language they use! It made me smile every time J
There were also some things I liked that made me think. Vivian Paley says that, “In general, the approach has been to help the outsiders develop the characteristics that will make them more acceptable to the insiders. I am suggesting something different: The group must change its attitudes and expectations…” (33). This was such an amazing concept! I think that many teachers’ initial response would be to help the outsider fit it. The problem I can see with this is that there are many different situations one child may need to fit it to. By working to change the “attitudes and expectations” of the group, each student will be able to fit in to every situation.
Another idea I found in the book came from the older elementary students. After talking with the 2nd graders, Paley came to the conclusion that they found it better to be rejected by only one person as opposed to a group of people (which is why there are bosses in games who get to decide who gets to play). Does this make rejection any less painful?
I am excited to continue reading this book and hopefully see how this issue gets resolved.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Week 5: Building a Community
Here are some things I would have said in class last Tuesday. I decided to write them all down and include them in my blog, which is a little more comfortable for me at this point in time:
General Discussion
~Maybe we shouldn’t have to defend our professions so vehemently… We should be proud of what we do!
~”Teachable moments” – Use them!
*Students afraid to cross the street so teacher turned it into a unit to get a street light.
~Mandated curriculum can be good because if not, each 2nd grade can be learning COMPLETELY different things and go to the same 3rd grade not be on the same page; they will have different background knowledge.
~It’s not a sacrifice if you want to be a teacher. If you feel like it’s a sacrifice, maybe you shouldn’t be a teacher.
*If you stay for 10 years, maybe things change and your reason for leaving will be
different.
~”Don’t work harder than your students”
~Beginning teachers are idealists. I may be one too, but it’s a fact. You learn to “do what you’re told”. It may not be a good thing to challenge the way things work depending on the situation. “Doing what you’re told” doesn’t mean you are not a good teacher!!!!!! So far I feel like I am hearing you MUST push the envelope to be a good teacher.
Buchmann – Professional Community
~What if you need to deviate from the written curriculum in order to help your students understand the topic better?
*Use a different method than what’s in the curriculum to help them better understand
if the curriculum isn’t working. We shouldn’t be bound to it if it doesn’t work…
*Doing a different and/or extra lesson with my math group because they didn’t
understand when to regroup and borrow in subtraction. They are still learning and just
needed more practice than was given in the curriculum.
*Should I stay on the projected path (like the curriculum says) even if they don’t get it?
~Teacher is a role you play, not who you are.
*Think about what’s best for the students, not for you.
*Even though teacher is a role, it takes a certain type of person to fulfill that role.
~It’s great to use your strengths in conjunction with other teachers’ strengths, but this is more like middle and high school.
*Elementary school teachers need to be strong in all subjects. Sure, they may still have
a strength in one area, but it is their job to teach all subjects.
~Don’t loose your own identity and your strengths! Simply work with other teachers to share each teacher’s strength and give each student the best education you can.
~Holding your teaching up to public scrutiny show your work isn’t private and you’re open to suggestions.
~I feel we are leaning towards the view that curriculum is bad…
*Curriculum helps ensure that all students in each grade are learning the same things
and are all prepared with the same background knowledge to enter the next grade.
~If you run out of time during a lesson, come to a stopping point and pick it up next class!
*Ask questions about what happened last time to bring everyone up to speed and
reconstruct what was discovered in the first lesson. It may “ruin” the curriculum
because you are not carrying it out EXACTLY as written, but the students are still
learning what they need to learn and in a way that is good for them.
On top of all this, I wanted to write a little about creating a community in the classroom (our readings for this week.) I think it is very beneficial to spend some time at the beginning of the school year just learning about each other. Math, reading, science, and social studies can wait a little bit. Or, they can just as easily be incorporated into activities to learn more about each other. In my 1st grade class we followed the Responsive Classroom curriculum to get the year going. We have a morning message with a question to answer everyday – the question usually asks students to voice their opinion about something. We have a morning meeting where we greet each other and share something – a fun activity done over the weekend, what we want to be when we grow up, the opinions expressed in the morning message question. We really focused on this for only about 2 weeks (Responsive Classroom curriculum says you should spend 6 weeks) and I still learned so much about each student! For this to be most effective, it’s something that must be continued throughout the entire year. It has really helped us get to know our students and to check-in with how everyone is feeling every morning. You can usually tell from the way they greet each other whose morning didn’t get off to a good start. Continuing to build this strong community all year will help students to always feel comfortable learning and taking risks in the classroom.
General Discussion
~Maybe we shouldn’t have to defend our professions so vehemently… We should be proud of what we do!
~”Teachable moments” – Use them!
*Students afraid to cross the street so teacher turned it into a unit to get a street light.
~Mandated curriculum can be good because if not, each 2nd grade can be learning COMPLETELY different things and go to the same 3rd grade not be on the same page; they will have different background knowledge.
~It’s not a sacrifice if you want to be a teacher. If you feel like it’s a sacrifice, maybe you shouldn’t be a teacher.
*If you stay for 10 years, maybe things change and your reason for leaving will be
different.
~”Don’t work harder than your students”
~Beginning teachers are idealists. I may be one too, but it’s a fact. You learn to “do what you’re told”. It may not be a good thing to challenge the way things work depending on the situation. “Doing what you’re told” doesn’t mean you are not a good teacher!!!!!! So far I feel like I am hearing you MUST push the envelope to be a good teacher.
Buchmann – Professional Community
~What if you need to deviate from the written curriculum in order to help your students understand the topic better?
*Use a different method than what’s in the curriculum to help them better understand
if the curriculum isn’t working. We shouldn’t be bound to it if it doesn’t work…
*Doing a different and/or extra lesson with my math group because they didn’t
understand when to regroup and borrow in subtraction. They are still learning and just
needed more practice than was given in the curriculum.
*Should I stay on the projected path (like the curriculum says) even if they don’t get it?
~Teacher is a role you play, not who you are.
*Think about what’s best for the students, not for you.
*Even though teacher is a role, it takes a certain type of person to fulfill that role.
~It’s great to use your strengths in conjunction with other teachers’ strengths, but this is more like middle and high school.
*Elementary school teachers need to be strong in all subjects. Sure, they may still have
a strength in one area, but it is their job to teach all subjects.
~Don’t loose your own identity and your strengths! Simply work with other teachers to share each teacher’s strength and give each student the best education you can.
~Holding your teaching up to public scrutiny show your work isn’t private and you’re open to suggestions.
~I feel we are leaning towards the view that curriculum is bad…
*Curriculum helps ensure that all students in each grade are learning the same things
and are all prepared with the same background knowledge to enter the next grade.
~If you run out of time during a lesson, come to a stopping point and pick it up next class!
*Ask questions about what happened last time to bring everyone up to speed and
reconstruct what was discovered in the first lesson. It may “ruin” the curriculum
because you are not carrying it out EXACTLY as written, but the students are still
learning what they need to learn and in a way that is good for them.
On top of all this, I wanted to write a little about creating a community in the classroom (our readings for this week.) I think it is very beneficial to spend some time at the beginning of the school year just learning about each other. Math, reading, science, and social studies can wait a little bit. Or, they can just as easily be incorporated into activities to learn more about each other. In my 1st grade class we followed the Responsive Classroom curriculum to get the year going. We have a morning message with a question to answer everyday – the question usually asks students to voice their opinion about something. We have a morning meeting where we greet each other and share something – a fun activity done over the weekend, what we want to be when we grow up, the opinions expressed in the morning message question. We really focused on this for only about 2 weeks (Responsive Classroom curriculum says you should spend 6 weeks) and I still learned so much about each student! For this to be most effective, it’s something that must be continued throughout the entire year. It has really helped us get to know our students and to check-in with how everyone is feeling every morning. You can usually tell from the way they greet each other whose morning didn’t get off to a good start. Continuing to build this strong community all year will help students to always feel comfortable learning and taking risks in the classroom.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Week 4: Being Professional and "Seeing" Students
I am going to include here my thoughts about the Buchmann article that I also posted on Blackboard:
One thing that really stuck out to me in this article was how Buchmann kept pointing out how teachers' styles and personal choices about what should be taught in the classroom can hinder learning. To me, these seem to be the teachers who close their doors, block their windows, and continue on their merry way. I never really thought about it in that way. I always thought that having a teaching style was a good thing! It keeps learning interesting and keeps it from becoming monotonous. On the other hand, I completely agree with Buchmann that too much of this can result in vast differences from class to class concerning what students are learning.
At the school where I currently work both of the 1st grade classes are doing the EXACT same thing! (Although at slightly different paces and in slightly different orders). This really bothered me at first! There wasn't anything I could do about it and I never thought about it again until now. As it turns out, it is very nice to be doing the same thing as another teacher! You can plan things together and there is someone to turn to for help if it's needed.
I think this is just part of being a member of a professional community. I think another very important part is to keep your personal life out of the classroom specifically and the school in general. In my opinion this includes gossiping. There is a lot of gossip-esque conversations that happen in the lunch/work room. I always do my best to just listen and not contribute to the complaining or talking about students/parents. I understand that it is sometimes necessary to "vent" when you are having a bad day, but I think there is a time and place for that and during the school days is not it!
The last important piece of being a member of a professional community is to use any instructional freedom wisely! Teachers have an obligation to help students learn, so if they are given the gift of freedom with the curriculum, they should use it in a productive way. Buchmann talks about a high school where teachers have this freedom, but some of them use it to be lazy. The students in this situation could potentially go through high school and graduate not having really learned anything.
In a nut shell, I think being part of a professional community means following the rules. Doing whatever you want will not necessarily help students learn what they need to know to prepare them for the next grade level, or for the world. Even if a teacher does not 100% agree with the curriculum, it is their duty to give their 100% effort in teaching it.
Now, for the Ayers reading: Again, I really liked the chapter. I love reading stories about what someone saw or experienced in education – whether in the classroom or not. I really like the idea of allowing students to do a “me” project. It is a great way for teachers to learn more about their students’ cultures, interests, experiences, and so much more!
Ayers also talked about integrating students’ cultures into the classroom. I don’t remember exactly where I read this (we have been reading so much this quarter!) but I agree that when teachers say they only see children no matter what the make-up of their class is, it makes differences become invisible. I think our society has gone from one extreme to another; from extreme racism and segregation to being so “colorblind” that cultural differences are disappearing. How great would be in a classroom to briefly study each student’s culture? Even if they feel they don’t have a different culture, they can share about a certain family tradition they enjoy or something else they think is special about them.
In my 1st grade class we do “Curious Sharing” every Friday. Each student gets a chance to fill a brown paper lunch bag with as much stuff as they can fit! Each item needs to represent something about them: their favorite game, a vacation they went on, a special gift they received, etc. They also have to write about why each item is important. On Friday morning they bring in their bag and share each item with the class. At the end, they can pick 3 people to ask a question. This is just a small way to bring students’ personalities into the classroom. So far I have learned something new about each student!
One thing that really stuck out to me in this article was how Buchmann kept pointing out how teachers' styles and personal choices about what should be taught in the classroom can hinder learning. To me, these seem to be the teachers who close their doors, block their windows, and continue on their merry way. I never really thought about it in that way. I always thought that having a teaching style was a good thing! It keeps learning interesting and keeps it from becoming monotonous. On the other hand, I completely agree with Buchmann that too much of this can result in vast differences from class to class concerning what students are learning.
At the school where I currently work both of the 1st grade classes are doing the EXACT same thing! (Although at slightly different paces and in slightly different orders). This really bothered me at first! There wasn't anything I could do about it and I never thought about it again until now. As it turns out, it is very nice to be doing the same thing as another teacher! You can plan things together and there is someone to turn to for help if it's needed.
I think this is just part of being a member of a professional community. I think another very important part is to keep your personal life out of the classroom specifically and the school in general. In my opinion this includes gossiping. There is a lot of gossip-esque conversations that happen in the lunch/work room. I always do my best to just listen and not contribute to the complaining or talking about students/parents. I understand that it is sometimes necessary to "vent" when you are having a bad day, but I think there is a time and place for that and during the school days is not it!
The last important piece of being a member of a professional community is to use any instructional freedom wisely! Teachers have an obligation to help students learn, so if they are given the gift of freedom with the curriculum, they should use it in a productive way. Buchmann talks about a high school where teachers have this freedom, but some of them use it to be lazy. The students in this situation could potentially go through high school and graduate not having really learned anything.
In a nut shell, I think being part of a professional community means following the rules. Doing whatever you want will not necessarily help students learn what they need to know to prepare them for the next grade level, or for the world. Even if a teacher does not 100% agree with the curriculum, it is their duty to give their 100% effort in teaching it.
Now, for the Ayers reading: Again, I really liked the chapter. I love reading stories about what someone saw or experienced in education – whether in the classroom or not. I really like the idea of allowing students to do a “me” project. It is a great way for teachers to learn more about their students’ cultures, interests, experiences, and so much more!
Ayers also talked about integrating students’ cultures into the classroom. I don’t remember exactly where I read this (we have been reading so much this quarter!) but I agree that when teachers say they only see children no matter what the make-up of their class is, it makes differences become invisible. I think our society has gone from one extreme to another; from extreme racism and segregation to being so “colorblind” that cultural differences are disappearing. How great would be in a classroom to briefly study each student’s culture? Even if they feel they don’t have a different culture, they can share about a certain family tradition they enjoy or something else they think is special about them.
In my 1st grade class we do “Curious Sharing” every Friday. Each student gets a chance to fill a brown paper lunch bag with as much stuff as they can fit! Each item needs to represent something about them: their favorite game, a vacation they went on, a special gift they received, etc. They also have to write about why each item is important. On Friday morning they bring in their bag and share each item with the class. At the end, they can pick 3 people to ask a question. This is just a small way to bring students’ personalities into the classroom. So far I have learned something new about each student!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Week 3: Teaching as a Career and Happy Moments
Last week was wonderful because it really made me think about why I was going into teaching. We had to write a letter to ourselves in 5 years as a reminder of why we decided to be teachers. I ended up needing to think about these reason the next day at work when the 1st grade students were acting a little bonkers! Here is my letter:
Dear Danielle,
You may or may not have forgotten why you wanted to be a teacher. It can be an easy thing to loose track of sometimes. Always remember that it is about the kids, not about you. It's about doing whatever it takes to help them learn and to soar. This can be tough for some of them, so remember to always allow them time to just play and be kids. The work to overcome their personal obstacles cannot be completed by you - the most you can do is to be a guide and inspire them to do their best. The best moments in a classroom are the ones where you can see each child physically change when they "get it" - all those "ah-ha" moments. I know there are days when you feel like giving up... DON'T! Remember these things about why you wanted to teach in the first place. They will help you through the tough times.
After doing writing this letter and thinking about all the good there is in teaching, I was a little put off by the Bilkin article. The way the article was written seemed to cast teaching in such a negative light! I could not believe that many teachers didn’t consider teaching to be a career! As I was reading this article, one of my friends called me, she is also a teacher, and I couldn’t help but rant about how appalling it was that teaching is not considered a career. I do agree that it is DIFFERENT than typical careers, say, in the business world, but that does not mean teaching is not a career! To me, a career is a job, occupation, profession (whatever you want to call it) that a person puts all their effort into and is something they have chosen to do. No, there may not be specific opportunities for advancement, but that is not the reason most people go into teaching. From my experience, teachers want to be there; they want to put 110% effort into helping children learn; they want to devote more than 40 hours each week to making sure everything goes as planned (for the most part); they don’t care about getting paid less than people in traditional careers. Teachers are a special breed of people.
Switching gears completely – I really like the Ayers chapter! I really liked the section about how labeling children as having a learning disability only focuses on what they can’t do, as opposed to what they can do. The way he made this point was humorous and illustrated very well how true this idea is. Schools should be focusing on ways to help children learn things they are “deficient” in by using skills they are good at. If a student is not good at reading or writing but seems to be an imaginative artist, maybe read a story out loud and have the child illustrate it as you go to help them better understand what is happening in the story. For the same student, a teacher could have them draw pictures about what happens in a story then go back and write the sentences that go along with the pictures. There are multitudes of ways to use children’s strengths to help them in the areas that need some work.
Another point Ayers makes that I connect to is that, “When teachers value their children’s opinions and experiences, children begin to think more openly” (42). I actually say this happen in my class today. We started a new reading curriculum called Junior Great Books. Today we read a story and had the students illustrate certain sections using their own interpretations about how the characters were feeling at that moment. After each piece, students were called on to share their work. They were hesitant at first and the usual outgoing students volunteered to share. The teacher praised each student’s efforts and pointed out the fantastic ways in which each interpretation was different. After the next section, EVERYONE raised their hands to share! The quiet, timid students that we usually don’t hear from very often were up on their feet explaining, in loud voices, how they interpreted the story. Not only did more students want to share, but the visual interpretations of the story became more and more creative as we went through the lesson. It was absolutely fantastic! By simply showing that everyone’s opinions are valid and different in good ways more students were willing (and excited) to share their opinions with the rest of the class. This in the type of classroom I will strive for every day!
Dear Danielle,
You may or may not have forgotten why you wanted to be a teacher. It can be an easy thing to loose track of sometimes. Always remember that it is about the kids, not about you. It's about doing whatever it takes to help them learn and to soar. This can be tough for some of them, so remember to always allow them time to just play and be kids. The work to overcome their personal obstacles cannot be completed by you - the most you can do is to be a guide and inspire them to do their best. The best moments in a classroom are the ones where you can see each child physically change when they "get it" - all those "ah-ha" moments. I know there are days when you feel like giving up... DON'T! Remember these things about why you wanted to teach in the first place. They will help you through the tough times.
After doing writing this letter and thinking about all the good there is in teaching, I was a little put off by the Bilkin article. The way the article was written seemed to cast teaching in such a negative light! I could not believe that many teachers didn’t consider teaching to be a career! As I was reading this article, one of my friends called me, she is also a teacher, and I couldn’t help but rant about how appalling it was that teaching is not considered a career. I do agree that it is DIFFERENT than typical careers, say, in the business world, but that does not mean teaching is not a career! To me, a career is a job, occupation, profession (whatever you want to call it) that a person puts all their effort into and is something they have chosen to do. No, there may not be specific opportunities for advancement, but that is not the reason most people go into teaching. From my experience, teachers want to be there; they want to put 110% effort into helping children learn; they want to devote more than 40 hours each week to making sure everything goes as planned (for the most part); they don’t care about getting paid less than people in traditional careers. Teachers are a special breed of people.
Switching gears completely – I really like the Ayers chapter! I really liked the section about how labeling children as having a learning disability only focuses on what they can’t do, as opposed to what they can do. The way he made this point was humorous and illustrated very well how true this idea is. Schools should be focusing on ways to help children learn things they are “deficient” in by using skills they are good at. If a student is not good at reading or writing but seems to be an imaginative artist, maybe read a story out loud and have the child illustrate it as you go to help them better understand what is happening in the story. For the same student, a teacher could have them draw pictures about what happens in a story then go back and write the sentences that go along with the pictures. There are multitudes of ways to use children’s strengths to help them in the areas that need some work.
Another point Ayers makes that I connect to is that, “When teachers value their children’s opinions and experiences, children begin to think more openly” (42). I actually say this happen in my class today. We started a new reading curriculum called Junior Great Books. Today we read a story and had the students illustrate certain sections using their own interpretations about how the characters were feeling at that moment. After each piece, students were called on to share their work. They were hesitant at first and the usual outgoing students volunteered to share. The teacher praised each student’s efforts and pointed out the fantastic ways in which each interpretation was different. After the next section, EVERYONE raised their hands to share! The quiet, timid students that we usually don’t hear from very often were up on their feet explaining, in loud voices, how they interpreted the story. Not only did more students want to share, but the visual interpretations of the story became more and more creative as we went through the lesson. It was absolutely fantastic! By simply showing that everyone’s opinions are valid and different in good ways more students were willing (and excited) to share their opinions with the rest of the class. This in the type of classroom I will strive for every day!
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