Chapter 7: Thinking about Teaching and Learning

Chapter 7 has many things that are good tips for when you enter the teaching field and some of them I greatly agree with.

1. Essentialism is a good way of dealing with teaching because its about being a functional member of society and working hands on in the class room.
2. Values as a teacher making am impact on what kids you are going to teacher strikes me funny because you can be a fine teacher with different outlooks on things then the parents of the students that you teach. You shouldn't be sharing you opinions and values with the students, you need to be able to teach and explain both sides of an issue.
3. Keeping a journal of stories and events that have happened to you in your teaching career so you can better your teaching philosophy, this is a great idea.

http://socialcontextofschools.wikispaces.com/

I created this activity to make opportunities for all students to talk with each other so we all understand what is the underlying reason for our actions are and either our looks or things that we can’t control that get picked on by others.

How do I start thinking like a teacher?

This one is hard for me because after going to school for 13 years its hard to switch gears... and in every other class but this i'm still the student that is learning. I know that it's going to take time but I need to start looking at the material that is given to me and see how I looked at it and think about the other ways that people could look at it and remember that... I need to work in groups to see other learning styles and pick up tips on how different people "get" things that are different then me.

(This is going to be the hardest for me)

Questions: 1 How many times can I take the Praxis? Do I pay each time?

2 If i'm not getting through to a student does it mean i'm not teaching the right way, and not being sucessful?

3 I know what I like, but how do I not bore other students that I'm teaching?

4 I know it will only take expierence, but when I first start teaching i'm nervous that students will spill their guts becuase i'm young and I want to be there for students but I want them to know i'm not their "friend"... this is a concern of mine.. still being the teacher but being there for them to.

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

By doing out group project when we had to build our own school and how we wanted it run really opened my eyes and showed me that not every school is the same... they all don't have to be the cookie cutter school that we think. I personally agree with the theories of a diverse school with many types of students and a wide spread amount of classes offered so that students have the opportunity to learn what they love and be around other students that might not be just like themselves. The historical inflences that I hope to over come are race issues, religion issues, and gender issues... I want my school to be a safe place where everyone is equal and there for the same reason to learn new things and enjoy doing it.

How can I use knowledge of the learner to be a better teacher?

By being a student I know how I want to be a teacher. Not only will I look at the teachers I loved, but I will look at the teachers that bored me to tears. This way I can use them as the example of "what not to do". I know what seemed to work in class..... and what I loved in class ( most of the time I loved it if it was easy and I could talk to my friends lol) but I also loved it when it was a class discussion and everyone was involved. Knowing what my friends and I liked to do in class is going to help me out SO MUCH, this way I know that I won't just be talking at the students but teaching and learning from them at the same time. I know what classes I liked, and sometimes it wasn't the material that was I was given, but the teacher that was teaching it that made me enjoy the class so much.

How do I become a successful teacher?

There is a major difference between a teacher and a successful teacher. I feel after what I have read in the Joy of Teaching that I need to be compassionate, prepared, thoughtful, caring and firm person. I can't take anything to heart if it doesn't go my way, and it is going to put my behind if I let my feelings get hurt. I need to understand that not every child has the same background and that sometimes it's a lot harder for one student then another. In class we talked about the differences in females and males brains, and i'm glad that I understand that but I'm not going to rely on that... once again not every student is like another. I'm going to have an open door at all times, I think that if students can trust me then they will grasp what I'm showing them more willingly. Also like we learned in class, i'm not going to teach only one way to learn things, people learn in very different ways... some read and learn, hear and learn, see and learn and some talk in learn. I will do my best in doing all of these in hopes that more students will understand the task at hand.

How do I become a teacher?

I want to become a teacher there are many things that I have to do before this can happen. Each state has test that that me as the taker have to pay for, and they are not always cheap. But before even getting to the test part I have to complete education as coarse study in college, taking all the required classes that will help me pass the test to move me into a job. In class we looked up all the costs and tests that we needed to do and how many years this will last, I chose Maine and I will have a licence for 5 years, and then will have to be retested. This is a great idea because this way you know that our teachers in ME are continuiously learning and gaining skills as well as knowledge.