Week 6: Chapter Seven

1. Choose 4 bullets from the list on pages 88 & 89 of chapter 7 (repeat them in your posting), and explain why you believe these 4 traits, or beliefs, or mantras are true for you?
Oh gosh, I like all of them really! They are all SO true! But here are my top four...
“Students consistently want teachers who respect them, listen to them, show empathy toward them, help them work out their problems, and become human by sharing their own lives and ideas with their students.”
Teachers are supposed to be very warm and welcoming to their students in order to create an inviting environment where the students can feel comfortable learning and growing. A kind voice should always be used, even when being stern (it doesn't have to be AS kind as usual during scolding...) and the teacher should treat all students equally. I remember my fifth grade teacher... He never left his seat and favored the boys. It was almost like he teamed up with the class clown and they teased each other. I'm sorry, but a student teasing a teacher is just as bad as a teacher teasing a student... THEY ARE BOTH UNACCEPTABLE! My fifth grade teacher is the OPPOSITE of what this trait says!
“Effective teachers clearly identify learning goals and link them with activities designed to ensure student mastery of the goals.”
This sort of goes with classroom management... well, and everything else. It is so important to give clear instructions and expectations to the class. In my field experience this past semester, my cooperating teacher told me that she always tells the students, "Soon, you will be experts at _________!" It gets them excited about learning, AND it states the objective. That way, the students know what is expected of them as far as learning goes. The cooperating teacher also said that sometimes the principal would make rounds to the classrooms and visit with the students, and sometimes he would ask what they are learning about. That way, they were able to say, "I am going to be an expert at __________!"
"Teachers' enthusiasm for learning and for their subject matter is an important factor in student motivation that, in turn, is closely linked with student achievement."
Would you think I'm crazy if I said that Ms. Frizzle was who inspired me to be a teacher??? SHE DID! I loved watching Magic School Bus because Ms. Frizzle was always so excited about everything she taught, and because of her creativity and enthusiasm, her students got into it as well! (Well, when you're traveling through the human blood stream, how can you NOT be excited!?) Anyways, by showing enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn, the students will reflect the same feelings about learning. If you're up there and acting like, "Blahhhhhh, what we're learning about today is so boring, just thought I'd give you guys a heads up...", then your students will be bored even before any material is presented.
“Effective teachers emphasize hands-on learning, conceptual understanding, and links with the world beyond the classroom.”
This ties into the question of "When will we ever use this stuff?" I teach College Algebra and all I hear from my COLLEGE students (yes, it goes beyond grade school) is "Why do I need to know this? When will I use it?" However, if I automatically start off by applying the material to their lives and not just numbers on a whiteboard, the students get into learning and can apply it to real life situations. I really saw this when we were dealing with combinations and permutations (like, if I had 8 markers, how many ways could I select 5 of them? ...instead of just being like, ok, 8 taken 5 at a time is... what?) So, when you make learning hands-on and applicable, it gets more exciting.
2. Comment on one of the metaphors in this chapter. Explain why it makes sense to you, or why you don’t agree with it.
I really liked the metaphor about the bread maker and how he was meant to make bread. It got me thinking about teaching... I am meant to be a "bread maker" as well! My loaves of bread (students) will start out all bumpy and lumpy and doughy (before learning new material), but once I mix all the ingredients (give knowledge) and bake it (make it applicable and exciting), I will be left with wonderful yummy bread (a learned student). However, not all loaves will turn out or bake alike, so I will need to adapt my baking styles to cater to their individual needs (I don't think I need to explain this one..). The baker loves the process of baking and "evolving" the bread, and I, too, will love the process of teaching and watching my students "evolve" as well.