Blog 8

A: In chapter 7, Carol acknowledged that it is hard to care. She gives several reasons. Which reason is most validating to you, and why? If you don't really connect to any of Carol's reasons, explain what you believe your "reason" is.

I agree with the statement by Carol where she says the tone of the classroom can be destroyed in an instant. I have had similar experiences when I was a scoutmaster. I had an "Alpha Kid" as Sylvia called them. He would take all of the energy out of the room. I need to learn to deal with all types of kids and love them for what they are and can be, rather than what they are not.


B: Carol offers two final metaphors, what I call the "McNulty Metaphor" and the "London Metaphor." Which one do you connect with most, and why?

I connected with the metaphor about the tomato sauce. I have had great rice pudding and I have tried to duplicate it. I made it the first time and I just went through the directions, and it was good, but it wasn't great. When I started to think about it and "sing" to it, I finally got the recipe close to great. I still have to perfect it. The same goes with teaching, I probably will just follow the directions in my lesson plan, and do my checklist. I know that I wont get it right the first time, but I have to start somewhere. I just need to begin, and then the singing will come.



C: Read one or two blog responses from two or three of your classmates. Then, please give a brief message of encouragement to one of your classmates based on your reaction to their response that you read. Leave your message of encouragement on their blog as a comment (at the end of the particular blog your are responding to). Copy your message of encouragement and paste it into YOUR blog, telling me who you are responding to. Heather Hutchinson

Thanks Heather for being a good friend. I have really enjoyed your sense of humor and encouragement throughout the semesters. I can tell that you will do the same for your students. They are lucky to have you as their teacher.
Jordan

blog 7

1. I like how he pre-assessed his students by asking them about what makes people sink or float. He described something within their understanding, and also found a lot about the students in the process. I am a big fan of this idea of a metaphor, to explain a concept.
2. I liked the approach he used to tier his students with the letter from a company that needed their help. Both options were respectful and achieved the objectives that were defined. I believe that teaching is all about how you present an idea. To each student, their assignment was respectful. I would like my classroom to be respectful to each student. I would like to think that.
3. Take a No excuses stance really stood out to me, because it is a weakness I have to give in to a good excuse. I AM TRYING to not bend when it comes to an assignment, but I am a softy, I need to improve my stance on assignments. I think that this can be done by setting clear achievable goals for each student.

I have been given the task of teaching weather for the 4th grade. I hope I can do it well. I can see where pre-assessment could be invaluable to my instruction and assessment. I would pass out a 4 square assessment and decide on my tiering from that. I would then start on my backwards design to get a better idea of what to teach.

4.1) At the beginning of chapter 4, Carol includes a discussion between Charlie and his teacher, from a book called The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I’ve read the book, and it’s gut wrenching, edgy, and sometimes over the top – definitely meant for mature audiences who are not especially sensitive to harsh language and difficult lifestyles. But… this discussion moves me every time I read it. Have you ever had this type of a discussion with a teacher? Please tell me about it. My senior year I was heavily involved in woodshop. I had decided to build a grandfather clock, and my teacher helped me get all of the necessary clock parts to get started at the end of my Junior year. I struggled my entire senior year building my clock and my teacher expected a lot out of me because of the project that I had chosen. Every year BYU holds a vocational fair in May. I missed the fair because my project was not finished. Instead of giving up on the year, I was able to work in the shop until midnight on the last night of shop to get the clock done. When my high school held their own craft fair, my clock was finished and shown at the entrance. I will never forget my teacher coming up to me and my dad and saying, "I wish I had gotten your clock in the BYU fair it would have taken first place, you have a gift". I was beaming, and I think that a great deal of my confidence with woodworking comes from my teacher.

5.2) Tell me, in your own words, what Carol teaches us in the right-hand column of page 58, about curriculum that is important. Have you ever had to endure curriculum that was not “important” in the way she describes? Explain the circumstances and how you felt (without names, please). Again in my senior year, I had a business class, and the only thing I remember about that class was the worksheets. Worksheet after worksheet I worked as hard as I needed to and turned my brain off. The teacher was nice and got along with the class, but worksheets were all she did. I cant remember a single thing in that classroom, except I got to talk a lot to my friends, and I almost didn't graduate because I got a "D". I was nowhere near invested in that class.One day I got so fed up with all of those worksheets, and I wrote on one of them, that I was tired of all of the busywork. I turned chicken and erased it, but I always wish I would have just left in on. The only end in sight for that class was the end of the school year. I have no recollection of the use of that class I think that is why I can't stand using worksheets just to use them. You cover the core on paper but what have you taught? I also liked the author's phrase on page 60 "A mile wide and an inch deep".

Blog 5: ch 2,3 what speaks to me

On page 18 under Purpose where it talks about a student saying "How come we have to do this?" I loved this section because I DO NOT want to have just mindless worksheets that teach them little to nothing and take up time. I realize that I will have worksheets, and other stuff I have to do, but as often as I can I want to incorporate the "so what" into my lesson. Kids should know why they have to do a task.

On Page 28 in the quotation on the bottom. "I have to get to know each child because I can accord each young person dignity only as I know and value the background, hopes, dreams, and fears of that particular individual." How could you get a student to listen to you and trust you if you don't care enough to get to know him on some level? A teacher will never be able to craft a lesson for a child if they have no background about the child. Not taking the time to get to know your class and individual students would be like being a substitute teacher for 180 days.

blog 4

Choice B
I was not sold on the Morning Meeting idea before I listened to Sylvia Allan. She changed my mind. I love the idea of creating a sense of community within the classroom. Why would you not want that sense of belonging? I believe her format of morning meetings was really well thought out. There are several things that I want in my classroom, like building a strong community, having kids share, and activities and songs. I was trying to find a way to introduce them into my classroom, but I didn’t know how. I went and bought the book at the bookstore because I want to look at putting this in my classroom as soon as my school will let me.

Blog #3

5-12-2011
Blog #3
Of all of the assignments we have to do for this class, I can see the final project as being the most differentiated. There are choices for each of us to consider individually, and not just one option. There are some of us that will be using morning meetings (me) and others who will not. Some of the class will use Words their way (me) and some who can’t. I like that each intern gets to work on what they are ready for, and what interests them. Just like in Chapter 1 fulfilling the promise you have to consider the students readiness, and interest. I liked the analogy about the fox by the way.

Blog #2

1. Sharon Keets was in the article Like being at the breakfast table The Power of Classroom Morning Meetings. The Iowa state test had her math scores higher than everyone else in the third grade. I would trust at 12 year veteran in saying it was the morning meeting that changed the outcome. Some of her reasoning for claiming this is how she said it created a community in the classroom, and it got kids ready for the days learning activities. Almost like an interactive agenda of the day.

2. Affect was added because students come to the classroom with different circumstances. If a student is told he is dumb at home, chances are that he will start to believe it. Differentiating Readiness, Interest, or Learning profiles is like leading a horse to water but making him drink is the "affect", and that is up to the student. The teacher has the role of making the student believe that they are worth it.

3. In the first 6 weeks of school it states that all three important. If you do not have a friendly relationship with your kids a the start why would they want to listen to your rules or help you out. Most kids respond to positive and friendly feedback. The book refers to friendly, predictable and orderly as the building blocks to a great classroom.