Thursday, March 28, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Blog Post #9
Mr. McClung's World: What I Learned This Year Volume 4 (2011-12)
"You Gotta Dance With Who You Came To The Dance With"
Mr. McClung begins his fourth year blog post by stating that he has always cared about what his students and superiors thought about his teaching, but never his peers; until this year. McClung says that beginning to worry about the opinions of his peers took a toll on his mood and his anxiety. He comes to realization that making sure his students are having fun and learning the proper material has gotten him through four years already, so why should he begin worrying about his peers opinions now?
I believe that he should not begin worrying about what his peers think about him or his teaching methods because his superiors have obviously allowed him to keep a job this far. Also, being a teacher is not about pleasing other teachers; it's about your students one hundred percent. Your students are your biggest judges when it comes to being a teacher because of coarse, they always want to have fun and because their grades reflect your teaching overall. I do believe that teachers should always keep a friendly attitude and relationship with other teachers though. You can't have teachers getting in arguments or being ugly to one another when you are trying to teach children the opposite.
"Challenge Yourself"
After being at the same school in Arkansas for three years straight, teaching Social Studies and Arkansas History, Mr. McClung caught himself in routine with old lesson plans and no new creativity. He had gotten too comfortable and was not teaching well his in opinion. Mr. McClung then had the opportunity to teach a different subject and grade level next year. He took up on this offer, even though it was very challenging to learn the material and create lesson plans. McClung says that he learned a very valuable lesson: don't get too comfortable as a teacher because then you get bored with what you are teaching and that can begin to cause students to lose interest, which can lead to not enjoying school at all for some students. We have all known our share of friends that did not enjoy school at all growing up....Was this because of the teachers they had in elementary school?
This is so true! I find myself all the time getting comfortable with something and before long it's just flat out boring. As a teacher, I am going to have to realize that it will be my responsibility to challenge myself every year in a different way. Teachers can not allow themselves to be bored with what they are teaching because attitudes are contagious sometimes and no one wants that attitude to rub off on their students. Opportunities like Mr. McClung had may not come around every 3-4 years, so I am going to have to create ways of my own to keep teaching interesting and exciting for both me and my future students.
At The Teacher's Desk: What I Learned This Year (2008-09)
"How To Read The Crowd"
Student comprehension is the most important thing when delivering a lesson in the classroom. Most teachers worry about how they are going to deliver it because they want it to seem like a good lesson, but it is not a good lesson unless your students comprehend it and get something out of it. The students have to drive the instructions. The way a teacher should teach is by learning how their students comprehend the best and the easiest.
"Be Flexible"
Have you ever had to tell someone something very important but didn't know how to, and when you finally put all the words together and rehearsed it, plans didn't fall through because that person said something different in the middle of it or did something else to change your mind? Annoying, right? Well, as a teacher this kind of situation is going to happen an awful lot. Teachers may create this long wonderful lesson plan and when they begin to present it to their students, it may all fall apart. This is perfectly normal. McClung states, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT." I am going to try to make sure I always know the lessons material front and back because I won't ever know when my students will flip and my whole lesson plan will change. Mr. McClung suggest to always do it with a smile on your face!
"Communicate"
No matter where you work or what you do at your job, there is always going to be a little drama between the employees. Mr. McClung says that communication is the best way to resolve any issue in the workplace. Just talk it out!
"Be Reasonable"
Mr. McClung explains that teachers should never build their expectations for their students so high that when they do not reach them, the teacher is dissapointed. I agree with this because everyone is human and humans make mistakes. I believe that it is okay for students to have leisure goals throughout the year, but teachers can't set them up to get dissapointed all the time. I like what Mr.McClung said when he stated, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." That is a very true statement.
"Don't Be Afraid Of Technology"
Mr. McClung reassures that technology is not horrible; it is like everything else, practice practice practice! I believe that technology can be scary at times because it is complicated and hard to figure out at first. Practicing on a computer can really build skill and before long you know more than you realize.
"Listen To Your Students"
In some situations a student may not have anyone in their life that listens to them except their teacher. As a future teacher, I want to give my students "all ears" when it comes to their opinions and questions. I believe it's true, in order for teachers to truly have a connection and relationship with their students they need to know a little about their lives. I believe showing your students trust will allow them to open up to you in situations that they wouldn't with anyone else. Show your students that you are ALWAYS their to listen...they will take advantage of that.
"Lastly...Never Stop Learning"
Teachers expect and force their students to learn new information everyday, but are educators doing the same thing? Are they taking time out to learn new things and expand their knowledge? Mr. McClung states, "We owe it to our students." I believe this section was very helpful for me. I have never thought of it that way...if teachers require students to learn everyday, then why aren't the teachers striving to learn something new everyday? As a future teacher, I will strive to learn something new everyday. I know some things come naturally and students teach their teachers something all the time, but I will work hard, even when there is a struggle.
"You Gotta Dance With Who You Came To The Dance With"
Mr. McClung begins his fourth year blog post by stating that he has always cared about what his students and superiors thought about his teaching, but never his peers; until this year. McClung says that beginning to worry about the opinions of his peers took a toll on his mood and his anxiety. He comes to realization that making sure his students are having fun and learning the proper material has gotten him through four years already, so why should he begin worrying about his peers opinions now?
I believe that he should not begin worrying about what his peers think about him or his teaching methods because his superiors have obviously allowed him to keep a job this far. Also, being a teacher is not about pleasing other teachers; it's about your students one hundred percent. Your students are your biggest judges when it comes to being a teacher because of coarse, they always want to have fun and because their grades reflect your teaching overall. I do believe that teachers should always keep a friendly attitude and relationship with other teachers though. You can't have teachers getting in arguments or being ugly to one another when you are trying to teach children the opposite.
"Challenge Yourself"
After being at the same school in Arkansas for three years straight, teaching Social Studies and Arkansas History, Mr. McClung caught himself in routine with old lesson plans and no new creativity. He had gotten too comfortable and was not teaching well his in opinion. Mr. McClung then had the opportunity to teach a different subject and grade level next year. He took up on this offer, even though it was very challenging to learn the material and create lesson plans. McClung says that he learned a very valuable lesson: don't get too comfortable as a teacher because then you get bored with what you are teaching and that can begin to cause students to lose interest, which can lead to not enjoying school at all for some students. We have all known our share of friends that did not enjoy school at all growing up....Was this because of the teachers they had in elementary school?
This is so true! I find myself all the time getting comfortable with something and before long it's just flat out boring. As a teacher, I am going to have to realize that it will be my responsibility to challenge myself every year in a different way. Teachers can not allow themselves to be bored with what they are teaching because attitudes are contagious sometimes and no one wants that attitude to rub off on their students. Opportunities like Mr. McClung had may not come around every 3-4 years, so I am going to have to create ways of my own to keep teaching interesting and exciting for both me and my future students.
At The Teacher's Desk: What I Learned This Year (2008-09)
"How To Read The Crowd"
Student comprehension is the most important thing when delivering a lesson in the classroom. Most teachers worry about how they are going to deliver it because they want it to seem like a good lesson, but it is not a good lesson unless your students comprehend it and get something out of it. The students have to drive the instructions. The way a teacher should teach is by learning how their students comprehend the best and the easiest.
"Be Flexible"
Have you ever had to tell someone something very important but didn't know how to, and when you finally put all the words together and rehearsed it, plans didn't fall through because that person said something different in the middle of it or did something else to change your mind? Annoying, right? Well, as a teacher this kind of situation is going to happen an awful lot. Teachers may create this long wonderful lesson plan and when they begin to present it to their students, it may all fall apart. This is perfectly normal. McClung states, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT." I am going to try to make sure I always know the lessons material front and back because I won't ever know when my students will flip and my whole lesson plan will change. Mr. McClung suggest to always do it with a smile on your face!
"Communicate"
No matter where you work or what you do at your job, there is always going to be a little drama between the employees. Mr. McClung says that communication is the best way to resolve any issue in the workplace. Just talk it out!
"Be Reasonable"
Mr. McClung explains that teachers should never build their expectations for their students so high that when they do not reach them, the teacher is dissapointed. I agree with this because everyone is human and humans make mistakes. I believe that it is okay for students to have leisure goals throughout the year, but teachers can't set them up to get dissapointed all the time. I like what Mr.McClung said when he stated, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." That is a very true statement.
"Don't Be Afraid Of Technology"
Mr. McClung reassures that technology is not horrible; it is like everything else, practice practice practice! I believe that technology can be scary at times because it is complicated and hard to figure out at first. Practicing on a computer can really build skill and before long you know more than you realize.
"Listen To Your Students"
In some situations a student may not have anyone in their life that listens to them except their teacher. As a future teacher, I want to give my students "all ears" when it comes to their opinions and questions. I believe it's true, in order for teachers to truly have a connection and relationship with their students they need to know a little about their lives. I believe showing your students trust will allow them to open up to you in situations that they wouldn't with anyone else. Show your students that you are ALWAYS their to listen...they will take advantage of that.
"Lastly...Never Stop Learning"
Teachers expect and force their students to learn new information everyday, but are educators doing the same thing? Are they taking time out to learn new things and expand their knowledge? Mr. McClung states, "We owe it to our students." I believe this section was very helpful for me. I have never thought of it that way...if teachers require students to learn everyday, then why aren't the teachers striving to learn something new everyday? As a future teacher, I will strive to learn something new everyday. I know some things come naturally and students teach their teachers something all the time, but I will work hard, even when there is a struggle.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
C4T #2
#1: "Kids Don't Care About School"
John Spencer explains how kids do not care about school anymore in the 21st century. His reason for believing kids don't care anymore is because they aren't being challenged enough. They are bored with the easy work that they have already learned. In my opinion, in this day and time, children are able to learn much quicker and more advanced than ever; pen and paper just aren't going to cut it anymore. We have to move with the times and engage the children more and challenge their brains.
#2: "School Makes Me? School Allows Me?"
In this post, John Spencer compares the things that schools allow and the things that schools make. His post shows a picture of a google search that says "school allows me to" and below it, the suggestions read, "to do, to accel, to grow, and to express myself." This is true...school does allow students to do these things and to have the opportunity to excel in more. What about the "school makes me" part? Spencer explains that some students would say that school makes them sad or angry. Well, I believe Spencer is right when he says "that is just because of the broken and beautiful world we live in." The students are in a public environment so they are going to feel things that don't always make them happy and excited. That's just the world we live in. I do believe trying to make school fun and interesting for younger students can take away some of the sadness or boredom they may face. Also, handling certain situations in the right manner can prepare students for the beautiful, yet broken world we live in.
John Spencer explains how kids do not care about school anymore in the 21st century. His reason for believing kids don't care anymore is because they aren't being challenged enough. They are bored with the easy work that they have already learned. In my opinion, in this day and time, children are able to learn much quicker and more advanced than ever; pen and paper just aren't going to cut it anymore. We have to move with the times and engage the children more and challenge their brains.
#2: "School Makes Me? School Allows Me?"
In this post, John Spencer compares the things that schools allow and the things that schools make. His post shows a picture of a google search that says "school allows me to" and below it, the suggestions read, "to do, to accel, to grow, and to express myself." This is true...school does allow students to do these things and to have the opportunity to excel in more. What about the "school makes me" part? Spencer explains that some students would say that school makes them sad or angry. Well, I believe Spencer is right when he says "that is just because of the broken and beautiful world we live in." The students are in a public environment so they are going to feel things that don't always make them happy and excited. That's just the world we live in. I do believe trying to make school fun and interesting for younger students can take away some of the sadness or boredom they may face. Also, handling certain situations in the right manner can prepare students for the beautiful, yet broken world we live in.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
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