Chapter 13 Improving Teachers...

I hope that before I graduate, I can say I had some great Practicum experiences that have greatly influenced the way I plan to teach. Practicum is definitely something I would add to my resume. I also hope to add any other interesting summer jobs or clubs I have participated in that have influenced and boosted my knowledge of teaching.
I also hope that during my first five years of teaching, I will see a significant change in my confidence in the classroom. I hope that I will be able to successively say that I will have learned how to apply all the tricks and knowledge I am learning now to the classroom. I also hope that my resume will show not only how much I enjoy teaching, but how much the students enjoy my teaching.

Eventually I hope to get a masters is creative writing. I also hope that I can proudly say that I have published my own children’s books, as well as some young adult books. I know that right now this is just a goal I may or may not achieve, but I think that getting my master and getting my own books published will not only benefit me money wise but also help me to teach even better.

Things I need to Know

I read about three important things that UMF Secondary Education majors should know.

• I will be taking PraxisI in November, I know I need to pass this test before I can do anything else next year. I did well on the SAT's so I hope this won't be too hard for me. I was intrested on the Fee waver but I am not sure how much my partents income is and it is on a first come first serve basis so I bet I missed that oppertunity sinceI have waited so long beofer finding out. But I may still try, it would not hurt any!
• The Practicum info was very helpful. The Wiki really seems to emphise talking one or no classes during that time period, which is a good thing. I like how this page lays out the steps I will need to go through when the time comes for getting ready, for example, who to go and talk to ( Kristen Hickey). I am still curious why so many people sayPracticum is so challenging, also do we get to choos what schools we help in or is that choosen for us?
• Even though I hope I never need the information about transfering my major, I am glad I have that information avaliable to me as well as that choice. This page was helpful for thoes who need to know the basic steps on how to transfer in to a Secondary education major, since I am already there and do not plan on switching majors I did not feel this information applied to me, but again it is nice know it is there to read any time I want.

"How do I start thinking like a teacher?"

I think I am moving closer towards think like a teacher. It is mostly when I am not in school though. For example, my work study job is tutoring at Mallet Elementary in a third grade classroom. When there I am focused on the class, I notice if someone is not paying attention or is distracted and I try to “pull” their focus back. The other day they were all reading a skit out loud. I noticed that two students (who happened to be sitting near each other) kept losing their place. I decided that I would be more help in between them then I would be sitting somewhere else and listening. Also when I gave riding lessons, I felt that I was completely thinking like an instructor. I constantly brainstormed new ideas and exercises I could use to entertain the rider while I was teaching them the proper way to sit, turn smoothly, and how to transition form a walk to a trot. The reason I could think like a teacher instead of a student in that case was because I knew so much about how to ride that it was easy for me to teach it.
Now I don’t feel that I think like a teacher when I am in the class room. I wait for instructions and think about what I should be focused on. I also don’t feel I have learned how to analyze a situation like a teacher yet. For example, I was in the lunch line the other day. It was difficult for me to get past the crowd at the snack table to get to the main dinner table. I was just focused on getting through the line and not bumping into anyone instead of asking myself “where might be a better pace to put the snack bar instead of in front of the Dinner line?” I hope that over time I will being to think even more as a teacher. I know my skills as a class room teacher will develop more as I learn more too!

Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

The biggest thing I love to see in schools is the equality of students. I hate to see students being put down, especially if it deals with their race, color, or “special needs”. My high school was really good about not making fun or hurting any students feeling because of their background. They were good about not making fun or hurting a special student to their face, but I hated it when I over heard a group sitting and gossiping about someone, calling them a “sped” just because they were in a lower class and did not learn as fast. I also feel education is very important. Therefore I hope to work in a school environment that enforces the No Child Left Behind program, and also mixes races and students with special needs together in the same school system. I feel this doesn’t only benefit one person, but the whole school.
I feel that the “shifts” project really covered this general topic of historical influences.

How can I use my knowledge as a learner to be a better teacher?

During our class projects when we addressed each of the ten standards. One standard was discussing how as a teacher we need to focus on the ‘level’ our student(s) are at and teach them at that level instead of jumping too far ahead. This really shows how we are learning our students and becoming a better teacher. We have also been given some tips from Dr. Theresa on how to adapt from our mistakes. Like when we were passing around the portfolios. By sending the portfolios opposite way than the presenters we don’t “jam” things up. Also we learned that it is a good idea to scan the whole class room and figure out our ‘weak’ spot, where we tend not to pay attention. These are tricks that I feel I will keep learning as I progress as an educator and I hope it will help my future students. Since I have worked a lot with ‘students’ already at the day care and when I gave riding lessons, I can see how learning is important. I learned fast that when getting more than one person on more than one horse, you should help the more experienced person fist so then they can start warming up while you focus more of your attention on the younger student.I am still curious if there are ways that will help us, as teachers, learn faster from the students. Meaning, how can we learn best from the questions they ask? Or how is the best way to handle certain situations?

How can I be successful at UMF?

To be successful at anything you have to make a continuous effort. I am making sure I thoroughly complete all my assignments on time, I go to all of my classes every day and I get eight or more hours of sleep each night. Even though I have always done these patterns in the past, I feel it is extremely important for any student to follow them in college. By staying on top of classes, school work doesn’t weigh me down, or get me stressed on getting an assignment done on time.
I also feel that a big part of succeeding at UMF is asking questions and making friends. Everyone needs to feel like they have a support line for when they need it. I learned early in high school that it is a lot easier to ask questions before something is due then it is to take a retest. Supporting and helping friends out lets me practice being in a social surrounding while having fun. So by the time I am a teacher, I will have interacted and worked with many types of people and I can then apply that knowledge to the class room and my students.
Another key way to becoming successful at UMF is to take advantage of the resources on campus. There is a writing center, math center, computer center, clubs, financial aid office and a great library. All of which has great staff that helps me if I have any questions. By having such a friendly and helpful campus, I have found it a lot easier to get any problems I have fixed quickly and any questions answered.
I hope that we may get a few hints/ tips on what will help us succeed next year when we take Practicum. I keep hearing that Practicum is very challenging, why is it so hard?

How do I become a teacher?

I have wanted to become a teacher for a vey long time. I have also known for a while that I will not be the richest person in the world. I think that is actually a good thing. I do not desire money and I am content with what I have. Still, some of the EDU101 assignments have drawn my attention to what it will take to become a teacher, and what it will cost.
When I searched for Maine's teaching requirements, I discovered that between the two Praxis examines and the fees, register fees, and the Certification fees I will have to pay about 1,000 dollars in order to become a teacher. That is on top of loans, car payments, house payments, electricity bill and so on. Again, I know I am never going to be wealthy, but I was glad to learn approximately how much it will cost me to 'become' a teacher so that I can plan ahead.
I also learned more on becoming a teacher when our class presented the 10 standards we need to master. This assignment introduced my class to all 10 standards (which we are going to hear a lot about in the up coming years). Since the class presented a standard to the class in unique ways, I found it easier to pay attention and learned each one more than I would have if I had just been told all the facts. These standards are so important because they defined how a really good teacher teaches. By doing these projects, we can begin to become really good teacher as we apply these standards and practice them over and over again, until we know them all by heart.
I hope that we keep discussing how we will need to act in the classroom. How do we react when certain situations come up, or how we act overall. Considering we are making an impression on many young adults, I feel we need to make sure we are saying the right things to get a point across.

Chapter 5: The History of schools in the United States

How curriculum has developed over 300 years.....
The First school(s) and curriculum were built in 1642 so that all children could learn to read and understand religion and the law. It was still another 60 years or more before there was a general agreement that everyone needed a basic education. Around this time, the schools were primarily teaching the students to read and how to become a good citizen. During the early 19th century the curriculum was greatly influenced again when Noah Webster’s speller and text books started to be used in the schools. These books were later replaced by McGuffey Readers, during second part of century. In 1821 Boston built the first high school which was called the English Classic School (later renamed the English High School) which was an alternative for children not attending boarding schools. This school curriculum began by teaching English, geography, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, history, navigation, and surveying; but eventually most high schools ended up ‘reverting’ to a traditional ‘old grammar school’ method which taught math, English, history, and political economy. Another big change occurred around 1960-70 which said that school Curriculums needed to incorporate, teachings about other ethnic groups in history lessons.

Debates
Back in the colonial period it was debated whether academies in Europe should expand education beyond the study of Latin and Greek. Dissenters believed the schools were limiting the freedom of ideas by teaching students to obey the church and/ or the government. Today arguments still take place concerning the bible and whether it is alright to bring one to school, let alone teach about it in school. In the 1800’s there was also a debate about how much school Americans really needed and whether building high schools was really necessary. Today we know high schools are necessary but the government still argues over how many we need ( more or fewer schools) and what needs to be taught in them. One other huge debate that has haunted America for a long time was whether there should be segregation within schools or not; only since the 1960’s has this issue slowly been worked out, yet it is still not completely accepted in some places down south.

Chapter 3: Do Familys Affect Their Child's Education?

Although a student's family may be having difficulties, such as poverty, the student still has the potential to achieve high acedimic standing. I will admit that if a child and thier family are suffering from poverty, then there is a likly chance that the student is not getting enough food, health care, or sleep due to housing conditions. The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (2004) also noted, "one of three children now lives in communities with poor environment conditions such as poor air quality." I understand that a student doesn't comprehend school work or focus as well when they sick or hungry, but this doesn't mean they can't achieve high grades. (Joys of Teaching pg.99) Yet, there are students who ache to learn everything they can so that they eventually do not end up in a circumstance similar to which they grew up in. If the student(s) are motivated enough they can still reach high school standards, which is where the teacher comes into play. It is the teacher's responsiblity to notice thoes students who are in poverty and teach them Accordingly. One article explains that students tend to "downshift" when they get discourged or upset in school. (The Effects of Poverty on teaching and Learning 2008) "Students under these conditions can only learn in concrete ways, not abstract ways." Again, the teacher needs to reconize this affect and teach the student in a way that the imformation will sink in.


References:
1) The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved Sep. 24, 2008, from http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/7/

2) Gollnick, D., Hall, G., & Quinn, L. (2008). The Joy of Teaching: Making a Difference in Student Learning (MyLabSchool Series). Boston, MA: Dragin, Stephen D. p 99

Chapter 1: The Joys of Teaching-joyfull and not so joyfull facts!

Joyful facts


*I enjoyed reading about strategies Michelle Clarke and another teacher used to help fourth graders with and without disabilities work together. I feel that this is a very good lesson that more children should learn when they are young. That way when they get older, they will not treat disabled students as harshly.

*I am happy that traditional undergraduate programs (like UMF) offer students so much time in the class room. I get really nervous when I think of myself teaching a class alone. I do not feel that I have anywhere near enough knowledge to successively teach high school students. My hope is that working under supervision in the class room will gradually bring my confidence level up.

*The book suggests keeping a ‘portfolio’ of all my best work during the next few years. I find this to be very exciting and joyous. I love to take work that I feel proud of and put it all together in one safe place. This also helps me look back on key points (major concepts) and perhaps relearn that information again.


Not so joyful facts

*Teaching jobs can be difficult to find, I may have to travel to another part of the U.S. to find a school where I can start teaching English. I know that I want to stay and teach in Maine very badly, especially in a small town. I find it disappointing that it may be difficult for me to get a teaching position, if I find a certain neighborhood where I really want to live.

*I find it not so joyful that some teachers get paid so little. I know I will never be rich, I never want to be, but there are certain things that I want to do in life like buy horses and own land around my house. I know that it will be challenging for me to accomplish these goals with a small pay check and assuming I have a family.

*I do not like how this first chapter talks about so many tests. I am not very good at tests, especially timed tests. The Licensure test sounds very difficult to pass and I hate to think of what will happen if I do not pass it, or any other important tests.