Reflection on Past Week

I enjoyed the marker board "talk" that we participated in last week during class. I thought that it was an excellent way to get everyone in the class involved on a thoughtful discussion. Often times, in an informal class discussion, especially in middle and high school, there are always a few outgoing students in the class that raise their hand or often don't raise their hand to speak several times throughout the seminar; this makes others feel outshined and unable to fit in anything to say that they haven't already said. It also leads to a less thoughtful discussion because students are apt to blurt out answers and ideas without really thinking about how valid their idea is to the discussion. I think marker board "talk" is so great because it is still a form of talking, it is just talking through the medium of writing. Students have time to come up with thoughful contributions to the discussion, everyone can participate, and its a fun and different approach to regular seminars. I feel like it takes a lot of the pressure off, too, for studnets who are shy because they are able to write their answer and review it before making it public to the whole classroom.

On a different note, I enjoyed the clip that we watched of Freedom Writers in class so much that I rented the movie this weekend and watched it. The whole movie was really interesting and inspiring for future teachers. The degree to which her students misbehaved terrified me, but the way that she was able to refocus their energies and find a way to relate to them on a new level impressed me and put me at ease.

Listening

Teachers definitely take listening for granted in the classroom. When you think about it, it really is kind of ridiculous to assume that first and second graders know how to listen simply because they have ears. They may know that with their ears they can listen if they want, but they probably don't know that there are times when they should listen especially hard, such as anytime the teacher is talking, and times when they should tune out other things they hear, such as their classmates goofing off in the back of the room during a lesson. Our lesson on listening really opened my eyes to this concept--I will definitely make it a top priority to teach my students first thing how to listen, since its doubtful they know how to appropriately.

Furthermore, I feel like it is really important as a teacher to ensure that whatever you are teaching is listen-able. In other words, make it interesting, that way you will have no doubts whether the faces looking at you are in a different world or if they are actually paying attention to what you're saying. You can't expect students, especially in elementary school, to pay attention to you if you're not being interesting. Period. Ways to keep things interesting are to make them short and concise, design the lessons so that they are engaging and thought-provoking, and ideally a teacher should make them interactive. Kids love to move so creating an active lesson would be effective for most learners.

I enjoyed the propaganda activity because it helped refresh me on the different types and to also relate them to commercials that we see every day we watch tv. It was a great reminder of what not to believe when enticed by a catchy ad. I think a lot of Americans are far too gullible, though, because anytime I see a diet ad on tv I laugh because it is so unrealistic. The diet pill companies make millions, however, so someone must be buying their antics.

Field Experiences

I have enjoyed working with my mentor teacher this semester. It's fun watching her class grow throughout the year- I remember first coming to her in September and now looking at her students you would think they were a little family and they all have grown so much academically. I can't wait to be responsible for that process that students make throughout a school year.

Probably my favorite thing that her class does is "Compliments and Appreciation" at the end of the day each Friday. They gather in a circle on the carpet and take turns either "getting" or "giving" a compliment. I think this is a great way to create a positive atmosphere in Mrs. Renigar's class and I'd love to use this in my own classroom one day. The children seem to enjoy giving compliments even more than they do getting them which I have found interesting.

Overall, my field experiences have been a very positive experience for me since being able to observe and assist Mrs. Renigar has helped me gather ideas and techniques to use in my future classroom.