A. I've witnessed many accounts of stereotyping and false assumptions in my experience this semester. There are several black and Hispanic males in my classroom that are in and out of ISS for various behavioral issues. However, my cooperating teachers and I have never experienced any trouble from them. After a bit of digging, we found that these students caused problems for teachers that wrote them off as "troublemakers" and therefore just gave up on them. It is amazing how different a student reacts just by being treated like a human. Unfortunately, not many teachers give them this opportunity because they are people of color with a history.
B. I believe that building a rapport with students is the first thing that teachers need to do, especially in high school. If the students do not believe that the teacher will vouch for them, they are less likely to put forth effort, or even behave in class. In one of my classes, there is a student who I will call "J." J has always been very polite, but never really talked or participated much in class. However, through building a relationship with him and offering to help as much as possible, J learned that he could trust us. Therefore, over the past few months, J has participated more in class and has been putting forth more effort. It makes sense, thinking back to my own high school experience. Students are far more willing to work for and approach a teacher they feel cares for them.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Reflection #3
The No Child Left Behind Act was created to ensure that all students were getting a proper education and that no one was "falling through the cracks." Unfortunately, since its implementation, it seems that only problems have arisen instead of results and, more importantly, true education. Because of the system, many if not most districts now only focus on the standardized testing in order to receive more funding.
In my opinion, the only way to fix the education system is to put more time and effort into creating individualized curriculum for all students. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening any time soon. In order for this plan to work, the nation would need tons of people to put in the work required. Hiring more people to do this would require more paychecks, and America in the present isn't willing to give that up just yet.
One way that teachers have been able to include all students is through the practice of Inclusion. This practice ensures that students with special needs are receiving all that they need in regular classes. It is extremely important that future educators be well prepared in handling students of all needs. Aydin and Kuzu state that "...teacher candidates’ attitudes toward mainstreaming varied significantly with the variable of taking or not taking special education and mainstreaming courses, the group who had taken the courses showed more positive attitudes. With these findings, it can be once again stressed that special education and mainstreaming lectures should be included in curriculum of teacher education programs" (2013, p. 477). When teachers are better prepared to handle students with special needs, the students themselves will receive a more fulfilling education.
In my classroom, I have experienced several cases of students with special needs receiving attention. For example, the students who are ELLs are given special curriculum and translations to help them acquire language within the classroom. In another example, my classroom has several students who require small-group testing. There are also students who simply have difficulty reading on white paper, so they are provided with colored overlays or colored copies of the same handouts.
As a student teacher, I believe the practice of Inclusion is a very noble pursuit, but the amount of time and preparation needed is incredible. I would stress, as the article above mentions, that future educators need plenty of training to feel comfortable teaching students of all levels. I try to keep up with all the current pedagogy and strategies, but I must admit, it can all be overwhelming at times.
Aydin, A. & Kuzu, S. (2013). Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion Education and
Comparison of Self-compassion Levels. US-China Education Review, 3(6), 470-479.
In my opinion, the only way to fix the education system is to put more time and effort into creating individualized curriculum for all students. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening any time soon. In order for this plan to work, the nation would need tons of people to put in the work required. Hiring more people to do this would require more paychecks, and America in the present isn't willing to give that up just yet.
One way that teachers have been able to include all students is through the practice of Inclusion. This practice ensures that students with special needs are receiving all that they need in regular classes. It is extremely important that future educators be well prepared in handling students of all needs. Aydin and Kuzu state that "...teacher candidates’ attitudes toward mainstreaming varied significantly with the variable of taking or not taking special education and mainstreaming courses, the group who had taken the courses showed more positive attitudes. With these findings, it can be once again stressed that special education and mainstreaming lectures should be included in curriculum of teacher education programs" (2013, p. 477). When teachers are better prepared to handle students with special needs, the students themselves will receive a more fulfilling education.
In my classroom, I have experienced several cases of students with special needs receiving attention. For example, the students who are ELLs are given special curriculum and translations to help them acquire language within the classroom. In another example, my classroom has several students who require small-group testing. There are also students who simply have difficulty reading on white paper, so they are provided with colored overlays or colored copies of the same handouts.
As a student teacher, I believe the practice of Inclusion is a very noble pursuit, but the amount of time and preparation needed is incredible. I would stress, as the article above mentions, that future educators need plenty of training to feel comfortable teaching students of all levels. I try to keep up with all the current pedagogy and strategies, but I must admit, it can all be overwhelming at times.
Aydin, A. & Kuzu, S. (2013). Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion Education and
Comparison of Self-compassion Levels. US-China Education Review, 3(6), 470-479.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Success Journal Reflection
Looking over my blogs this week, I can see that one of my biggest areas in need of improvement are classroom management and lesson planning. It's been difficult for me to create ideas and use plans that work for me. As this assignment states, it's easy to focus on the negative. But I have had some small successes, such as keeping my confidence up, at least in front of the students, and finding ways to connect with the students so that they feel that I'm approachable. Most of my small successes this week have been personal things that I've always been trying to work on.
However, perhaps my biggest "success" thus far has been perseverance. Because believe me, there have been plenty of times this semester when I've just wanted to give up. Part of it may be due to the many difficulties outside of the classroom that I've had this semester, but it's been tempting just to run away. Being in the classroom, I realize that I love getting to talk with students, to have discussions, both whole-classroom and one-one-one, but the work that surrounds it is more than I realized. Hopefully, I will be able to keep my perseverance going so that I can finish the semester and graduate.
However, perhaps my biggest "success" thus far has been perseverance. Because believe me, there have been plenty of times this semester when I've just wanted to give up. Part of it may be due to the many difficulties outside of the classroom that I've had this semester, but it's been tempting just to run away. Being in the classroom, I realize that I love getting to talk with students, to have discussions, both whole-classroom and one-one-one, but the work that surrounds it is more than I realized. Hopefully, I will be able to keep my perseverance going so that I can finish the semester and graduate.
Success Journal - October 25, 2013
It's been a very long week, and honestly, it was difficult to stay positive throughout the day. However, shortly after lunch, I realized that I needed to loosen up a bit. By the last period, I tried to have more fun with the students and relax. I think it worked, as it was much less stressful letting go a little bit for the end of the week. I can certainly see how stressing myself out will only result in failure, and I need to learn how to relax to be an effective teacher.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Success Journal - October 24, 2013
Today I felt that I was a positive example to my students by donating blood. I know it's not specifically academic, but I felt that I was doing the right thing. It was also a chance to let some students see me outside of the regular class time, which I believe is important, as students begin to see you as a real person, not just someone who stands at the front of the classroom. Afterwards, I felt very woozy, but I took care of myself and stuck with the rest of the day, even though I honestly just wanted to go home. So overall, today was a very long and tiring day, but I persevered.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Success Journal - October 23, 2013
This morning I was running behind and was slightly under-prepared. Therefore, my first period was rather rough in terms of delivery. However, by second period, I was able to pull together a bit better and the rest of the day went more smoothly. I was proud of myself for being able to adjust and persevere and get through the day without falling apart, as I can be a little overly critical of myself and shut down. It makes me feel that I might be getting the hang of this.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Success Journal - October 22, 2013
Today, I was able to keep up with all my paperwork, particularly grading. I know that many teachers (especially us English teachers) tend to get bogged down with the amount we have to read and evaluate. I felt accomplished in getting caught up with the mountain of papers I had to grade. I was also able to enter the grades into the grade-book and computer with relative ease. It's the little details like this that take up so much time, and I feel that being a detail-oriented person, I will continue to succeed in this area.
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