Reflection #4

a) I think that teachers may tend to overlook this sort of distance between different students. A student who doesn't speak English as well as the others may, in some cases, be spoken to less often. In the classrooms I have seen this year, spanish speaking students tend to sit and work together, helping each other and therefore getting less help from the teacher. Also, I think that students are stereotyped by the class they are in. A student in a Pre-AP class would never be expected to have family/home issues they may be distracting them from their studies, so when a pre-ap student doesn't turn in thier homework, the consequences are less flexible than had he or she been in a regular class.These are minor examples, and luckily the teachers I have worked with have shown me that it is possible to treat the students as equally as possible. In the classes I work in, each student is presented with the same high expectations and is given the same amount of help.

 

 

B) Well first off, we can ask them their names and give them the chance to show us who they are. We can attempt to learn about each individual student and let them identify themselves to us. I have done this this semester by meeting one on one with my seniors and discussing their plans after high school. I had some more ambitious answers than others from students I wouldn't have guessed had I not given them the chance to answer the questions for themselves.  

Reflection 3

As a student teacher, I feel that it is important to try and practice inclusion and address the needs of all students. While it does seem like a difficult goal to reach, and puts some extra weight on the shoulders of teachers, it also encourages teachers to try and focus on each individual student, even those with special needs, and help them see their own potential.  I believe each student has something to offer a classroom and that each student can learn from each other and experience the diversity. In the real world, people are mixed in society and not separated by capability. While I disagree that standardized tests are not something teachers should "teach to," I do believe they serve as a checkpoint for student progress. Teachers should teach to each individual need to the best of their ability and the skills necessary to pass the STAAR should be gained at the same time. In the remainder of my semester as a student teacher, I hope to avoid any student bias by really focusing on the differences in students. I hope I can create lessons that reach many different specific student needs and learning styles. While I won't teach to the standardized test, I will need to cover the basic test taking skills necessary beforehand. This will better prepare the students and help avoid "blanking out".  In the article I read, " Closing the Gap of No Child  Left Behind: The Assessment Debate for Essential Schools" Lisa Hirsch supports my claim that standardized tests do not perfectly represent student ability in her statement that research has shown that "no single decision should be made using test scores alone." While this is true, it is also true that a standardized test should be the bare minimum, what is considered just standard to pass. As teachers, we should help our students find themselves and do that using an appropriate assessment method in class. In my experiences so far, I have learned that if you follow the TEks when creating classroom lesson plans and questions, the skills needed for the test will come naturally. This way it is up to the teacher how it will be taught (hopefully with various learning styles taken into consideration).  It is stressful at times to think that one test can make or break so many children. But without standards, everyone would be on different pages and not at teachers would continue teaching as effectively as possible.

Hirsch,  Lisa. Closing the Gap of No Child  Left Behind: The Assessment Debate for Essential Schools.  Horace Winter 2007, Vol. 23 No.1

Success Journal

This past week was filled with lots of small successes. Every day presents its own set of challenges. It feels good to reflect on some of the positive things I encountered throughout the week. I have taken on more and more each day. I feel myself developing as an educator and finding my footing. By Friday, I felt proud. I was proud of myself for reaching certain students, for improvising when necessary, for creating lessons that had much higher-level thinking questions that aligned with specific TEKS, and for making another week of progress.

 I would like to focus on improving my classroom management skills especially in the classes that have to most off-task behavior and reluctant readers. I also want to improve my sense of enthusiasm in front of the classes about the material. My cooperating teacher is helping me learn how being loud and enthusiastic about my lessons and about the book will influence the students to feel the same. I would also like to improve my ability to create innovative lessons that engage students to their fullest potential. I want to be able to get them to see the relevance the material is to their future. Classroom management and motivation are key at this point.

My tweets this past week:

“This morning, I engaged some usually reluctant students in reading To Kill a Mockingbird”

“yesterday, plans changed and I was able to think quick and improvise”

“Improved my ability to create higher-level thinking questions with the help of my co-operating teacher”

“Witnessed an a-ha moment in a student today”

“Took over two more class periods and made a six-weeks calendar”

Reflection #2

Part one:

By offering only multiple choice and chapter tests, teachers limit their students’ learning in many ways. The most apparent is the lack of authenticity in this sort of assessment. If a student is preparing to test for a chapter in a multiple choice format, they will simply memorize as many facts and details as they can before the test. As soon as they take the test, they will more than likely just forget the material. If a teacher pushes his or her students to think more critically by assigning activities such as the one represented in the “Chapter 14” poem, the students will have to study the material more deeply in order to develop and complete the project. In order to respond in this sort of poetic format, students must really study the material in an authentic way, truly beginning to learn the fundamental aspects and key points. This sort of learning is more of a life-long type learning, rather than memorizing facts and details just to forget them after the test.

Part two:

Some of the formative assessments that I currently use in my classroom include in-class reading activities (story maps), in-class reading questions (written), grammar and vocabulary homework, class participation, class discussions, group work, and reading quizzes. The summative assessments include weekly vocabulary tests, essays, and group projects (creating satiric newscasts). It is important to have a combination of both formative and summative assessments because without formative, the teacher may not be able to monitor the gradual, daily learning, and without summative assessment, the teacher will not know the individual student’s abilities. Formative assessments somewhat serve as checkpoints before the summative assessment. The teacher will be able to monitor student learning and accommodate students and modify lessons if there seems to be a lag in learning. Three kinds of assessments that I would like to implement in my future classroom include the use of writing portfolios, individual projects that allow for some student choice, and (I got this one from the slideshow) interviews. Writing portfolios give students the ability to take charge of their learning and feel pride in their written pieces. They will see each entry as a component of their own grand work and edit it to be the best it can be. Individual projects where students can choose from a list of suggested activities also allows for student choice and therefore student ownership in their learning. Interviews would be a personal way to get to know each student and really understand where they stand on their own in the learning and it will also help them to speak to authority figures in a way the represents themselves well, helping them acquire necessary speaking skills.

I am teaching junior and senior level English at Lake View High School. My plans are not clear as far as where I want to teach after graduation. I am considering attending graduate school. We'll just see how this unfolds.

I believe that the top three roles of a teacher are: mentor, encourager, and leader. A good teacher teaches more than just the academic content. They also serve as mentors in many different aspects of their students’ lives. Especially at the secondary level, students are going through many changes and making many choices that will affect them for the rest of their lives. A teacher should serve as a mentor and advise them to make the right choices. These better choices will guide them to success and happiness in life. With teachers serving the role of a mentor, student fears that come with the feeling of being alone and unsupported will begin to disappear. A mentor will prove that they always have the students best interest in mind as they guide, advise, and teach students how to succeed both academically and personally.

Teachers should also be encouragers/motivators/cheerleaders. This role is vital to the self-esteem and self-worth that students have. A higher self-esteem will encourage more ambition. Students need this extra support and motivation to see their potential and the options ahead of them. Also, by encouraging and cheering on their students, teachers exhibit a sense of enthusiasm that will rub off on the students. Teachers can show their love of the content and learning through this enthusiasm and, in turn, help students find importance in education, and maybe even a love for the subject themselves.

A teacher should also be a leader. A good leader is a good role model. Students need someone they can follow and look up to. Also, assuming the role of a leader will help to establish a sense of purpose in a classroom. Leaders will treat all students fairly and keep a cool head and demeanor at all times. A good leader will demonstrate and encourage respect. They will commit to a job or goal and exceed expectations.  A teacher who is a good leader has great class management skills. Better management in a classroom leads to more effective lessons and teaching, and therefore, more student learning.

                                                           Anyway, this is my family as of 2 years ago...

 

This is my weenie dog back when she was just a pup...

adorbs, I know.

 

This is my boyfriend petting a random cat...

                                                         And this is my cat studying for finals last semester...