I am currently taking several education courses right now, and with each class I learn something new. However, one thing that remains the topic in every single class is this: everyone does not learn the same way. Therefore, I can't expect one child to learn the same way that someone else does. I want to teach my students to be proactive, and to always be on top of learning. Whether it be from self-regulated learning, to just keeping a daily schedule at hand. This does not mean that there can never be changes, this just simply means keeping everyone on task, and making sure nobody develops laziness. Laziness will cripple learning, and how can one teach another when one has no desire to learn! Whatever the learning style may be, I want to learn each of my student's individually and incorporate different learning techniques in the classroom to benefit everyone.
Perhaps I will have each student make a set of goals at the beginning of the year of things that they want to learn. These goals will be more than just making good grades (although this is a key to success in school), but I want them to be individualistic, and I want them to be challenging, so that it takes work to get there. If it incorporates technology, then in whatever way, I want to incorporate that tool in the classroom to help the child reach its goal. Having goals that students can work towards, in my opinion, will help a child stay positive, and stay focused on learning new things, and in doing so, teaching the world around them!
About Me...
I am a Senior at the University of South Alabama majoring in Secondary Education with a double major in Social Science. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2011. After graduation, my goal is to be a high school history/psychology/sociology teacher locally here in Mobile, Alabama. I would like to come back to South Alabama to attend graduate school and obtain my Master's degree in Education.
Parent-Teacher Connection
As a child, I had some teachers that were very committed to communication with my parents, and then I had some that dreaded the annual PTO meeting. I want to have a continuous streamline of communication with my student's parents. I do not want to wait until the end of the semester, or until a child is in jeopardy of failing. And I certainly do not want to just be a negative voice in the parent's ear. I believe that the teacher should believe in the student, and do everything they can to work with the child and the parent to bring forth success. I think there is a lack of parental involvement in the classrooms today, and that is a bridge I want to build in my classroom.
In doing this, parents could become more involved in helping their children learn rather than just letting someone else do the work!
Newsletters, class blogs, weekly emails, phone calls, and perhaps even Skyping parents from the classroom are all ways of communicating daily with the parent!
In doing this, parents could become more involved in helping their children learn rather than just letting someone else do the work!
Newsletters, class blogs, weekly emails, phone calls, and perhaps even Skyping parents from the classroom are all ways of communicating daily with the parent!
Attitude REALLY is Everything!
I remember when I was in grade school, my teachers would have "attitude is everything" posted on the bulletin boards in our classrooms. I never really grapsed that idea until I got older and more mature! However, I think the measure of your attitude will dictate how much you learn and how well you teach. Having a positive attitude will keep you moving over negative obstacles. Learning attitudes will always keep your head in the game. An "I can do this" attitude will get you through the hard days. But negative attitudes will keep you in the same place you have always been.
In my classroom, I want to display positive attitudes in every thing that I do. I want my students to realize that no matter what, there is always a lesson to be learned, and there is always a way to figure out the puzzle besides settling with "I can't."
Do you have "attitude is everything" in your classroom? Is it a mere expression of wanting your students to behave properly everyday, or does it really mean what it says?
What does it mean to YOU?
In my classroom, I want to display positive attitudes in every thing that I do. I want my students to realize that no matter what, there is always a lesson to be learned, and there is always a way to figure out the puzzle besides settling with "I can't."
Do you have "attitude is everything" in your classroom? Is it a mere expression of wanting your students to behave properly everyday, or does it really mean what it says?
What does it mean to YOU?
Why I have Chosen to be a Teacher
Teaching has been a childhood dream of mine. I grew up "playing" school when I came home from school. I loved to help my teachers, and I loved being a pretend "teacher" when I came home.
Now that I am in college, learning the "real" tools it takes to be a teacher, it makes me have great anticipation to apply these tools in the classroom with my students. I want to make an impact on every single child that comes through the doors of my classroom and give them the tools to believe in themselves to be successful when they enter their career. So many times teenagers want to give up because a lack of not "knowing" things, so I as a teacher want to teach them to dive for the tools of success.
I enjoy a challenge, I enjoy change, and I enjoy learning. Putting these three things in a classroom with a door revolving with students, and my job will never have a dull moment!
Now that I am in college, learning the "real" tools it takes to be a teacher, it makes me have great anticipation to apply these tools in the classroom with my students. I want to make an impact on every single child that comes through the doors of my classroom and give them the tools to believe in themselves to be successful when they enter their career. So many times teenagers want to give up because a lack of not "knowing" things, so I as a teacher want to teach them to dive for the tools of success.
I enjoy a challenge, I enjoy change, and I enjoy learning. Putting these three things in a classroom with a door revolving with students, and my job will never have a dull moment!
Learning NEVER Ceases
If there is one thing that I have learned is that to be an effective teacher, learning never ever ceases. Technology is always changing. It changes faster than our minds can think. So, to be a teacher who uses technology, I can't wait for the information to come to me. Resources are everywhere, and it is important for me to dive in and find it. This will require time, but it will be well worth it for my students.
As a student, it is easy to have a mindset that while you are in the classroom, you are learning. But when the school day ends, and it is time to go home - it's like the brain turns off from learning new things. As a teacher, I want to do my best to embed a new way of thinking in my students. I want to send learning outside of the classroom. I want to send it in to their homes. I want to send it to their community, to their playgrounds, to the supermarkets, to everywhere that the student goes. Because learning should never be confounded into four walls, but it should spark an interest to keep going. There is so much more!
As a teacher, I want to practice these things myself. I want to take what the students teach me outside of the walls of the classroom and expand on it and bring it back to teach them, and to teach the ones around me. Every day should be filled with learning, new knowledge, new ideas, and excitement!
So as a teacher, and to my students, LET'S DIVE IN!
As a student, it is easy to have a mindset that while you are in the classroom, you are learning. But when the school day ends, and it is time to go home - it's like the brain turns off from learning new things. As a teacher, I want to do my best to embed a new way of thinking in my students. I want to send learning outside of the classroom. I want to send it in to their homes. I want to send it to their community, to their playgrounds, to the supermarkets, to everywhere that the student goes. Because learning should never be confounded into four walls, but it should spark an interest to keep going. There is so much more!
As a teacher, I want to practice these things myself. I want to take what the students teach me outside of the walls of the classroom and expand on it and bring it back to teach them, and to teach the ones around me. Every day should be filled with learning, new knowledge, new ideas, and excitement!
So as a teacher, and to my students, LET'S DIVE IN!
Class Blogs
While I was in EDM 310, one thing that my professor did was create a class blog to publish information and updates to. I loved this. It was better than a piece of paper that could get crushed in my binder, or if I had a locker, to get lost in. This gave me access to my assignments no matter where I was at.
This is something that I am going to incorporate into my classroom. I think this will be a very valuable tool and a very easy way for parents as well as students to access information. Whether it be the latest newsletter, or an adjustment to an assignment - it can be viewed in an instant by anyone who wishes to access it.
I am really excited about doing this, and I can't wait to introduce it to my other colleagues.
This is something that I am going to incorporate into my classroom. I think this will be a very valuable tool and a very easy way for parents as well as students to access information. Whether it be the latest newsletter, or an adjustment to an assignment - it can be viewed in an instant by anyone who wishes to access it.
I am really excited about doing this, and I can't wait to introduce it to my other colleagues.
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