What I hope to add to my resume would be more pedagogical knowledge and skills as well as professional knowledge. I tutored middle-school students, however, I do not have enough experience within a classroom.
I hope that within the next four to five years of my education, I can acquire an adequate amount of time within the classroom that will enable my resume to be fully complete as well as depict my teaching abilities to the standards set by the school. I would love to go through teacher training and achieving the National Board Certification. Action research also is an experience that I'm looking forward to. The innovations and improvements that I hope to see within the education system of my school that I teach in would be the infusion of technology. It is proven that it enhances the child's learning. It is especially important to me that I see and make this change within schools because I feel as if I have no idea how to operate the technology and this can be very frustrating because I know it can help me in numerous ways. Children won't feel lost or confused when they go into college and are bombarded with instructions on how to create a website, or create a power point, etc... To ensure that my students have a wealthy knowledge of technology, I'm planning on learning as much as I can so I am able to teach them myself. I also would incorporate projects and activities in which the student is required to use the technology efficiently. I also would love a great classroom climate where all my students feel welcome, supported, and accommodated. To do this, I just plan on being myself. My classroom will be bright, and engaging. I will respect my students' backgrounds and personalities and incorporate their personalities into my teaching methods and activities within the classroom. While I'm respecting the students, I will also require them to respect others while my classroom.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Chapter 3: Families and Communities
There were many principles in which I believe in. However, the concept of partnerships between teachers and families improving the learning of students stood out most to me. I have a very high regard for this principle and it could not be more true.
If educators communicate with their students' families and parents, then it is more likely that there will be no misunderstanding of how the child is participating and coming along in their process of learning. By keeping parents informed of the child's weaknesses, strengths, class participation, social aspects, conduct, attendance, etc... the parents are able to properly help their children attain a better education. By parents communicating with teachers, they are enabling the educator to further understand the culture, background, and personality of a student. If a student is shy or has difficulty with learning audibly (lecture-based), teachers will be able to adapt to the student's specific needs (drawing out a problem instead of lecturing it), thanks to the parents who took the time to communicate with the school and teachers.
Although there were many principles that I believed in, one principle I could absolutely not agree with, nor believe in. The idea that all students can achieve at high levels regardless of the structures of their families was absolutely absurd. Students who have one parent can often suffer within school. Especially if the child is older, then problems could arise. For example, the child's attendance might be poorer from having to pick up younger siblings, or from poverty, etc... Although the chapter says that problem behavior and lack of academic success are more directly related to poverty, conflict, and instability in families rather than family structures, this is not true. Family instability, conflict, and poverty are direct causes of family structure. I'm not saying that all students who come from different family structures will suffer these problems. I'm simply saying that not all children can achieve at high levels. Family structures affect children differently when varied. Each child is different, so they cannot be expected to deal with the problems the same way.
If educators communicate with their students' families and parents, then it is more likely that there will be no misunderstanding of how the child is participating and coming along in their process of learning. By keeping parents informed of the child's weaknesses, strengths, class participation, social aspects, conduct, attendance, etc... the parents are able to properly help their children attain a better education. By parents communicating with teachers, they are enabling the educator to further understand the culture, background, and personality of a student. If a student is shy or has difficulty with learning audibly (lecture-based), teachers will be able to adapt to the student's specific needs (drawing out a problem instead of lecturing it), thanks to the parents who took the time to communicate with the school and teachers.
Although there were many principles that I believed in, one principle I could absolutely not agree with, nor believe in. The idea that all students can achieve at high levels regardless of the structures of their families was absolutely absurd. Students who have one parent can often suffer within school. Especially if the child is older, then problems could arise. For example, the child's attendance might be poorer from having to pick up younger siblings, or from poverty, etc... Although the chapter says that problem behavior and lack of academic success are more directly related to poverty, conflict, and instability in families rather than family structures, this is not true. Family instability, conflict, and poverty are direct causes of family structure. I'm not saying that all students who come from different family structures will suffer these problems. I'm simply saying that not all children can achieve at high levels. Family structures affect children differently when varied. Each child is different, so they cannot be expected to deal with the problems the same way.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Chapter 2: Today's Students
Religious diversity can be found in every school system. Teachers and educators must be prepared to have students from a number of religious groups such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. Along with recognizing these varying and different religious beliefs, educators must also respect the demanding practices of the students' beliefs. Schools should accommodate the students' religious holidays and rituals. To ensure that a child's civil rights are not violated, school officials should involve parents. Parents in the religious community can provide assistance to educators who are attempting to further understand the student's culture and traditions.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Chapter 5: The History of Schools in the United States
Expectations for education have come a long way since colonial times. It is surprising to discover that during the colonial times, only the elite were able to attain an education. To remedy this unfair advantage, many hard-fought political and legal battles ensued over the past four centuries. People fought for the individual's right to decide for themselves whether to attend school. Other issues debated were what would be the basic requirements necessary for all citizens in a democracy, how much education citizens should attain, and what the states' role should be in determining what a child would learn in the classroom. From practicing an authoritarian role in the classroom to progressivism, there were many changes made within the classroom. There is no longer the philosophy of sitting and repeating, there is now the "project method". Discrimination, religious, political, social, and economic status does not determine whether or not a child should receive an education... we now officially can say that we have a free and universal education system.
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