It seems like just yesterday that i was walking up to the front entrance door of Ocean City Elementary School. I can recall being quite nervous and anxious to find out if my first day of tutoring was going to be similar to what i had envisioned in my mind. I have to say that this experience has taught me more than i thought possible and has placed a great amount of impact on my teacher identity. I have realized that in almost every lesson plan there are students that will completely understand while others have no clue as how to tackle the assignment. Just because it may seem that the class understands the assignment does not neccessarily mean that there is not a student out there who isnt struggling. I want to be the teacher who reaches all students and makes sure that i have tought the lesson so thouroughly and percisely so that no child feels left behind. I remember sitting behind my desk as a grade schooler while the teacher went further on in a lesson that i had been confused on from the start. I wasnt the type of child who would make it a point to speak out and announce that i was having a problem so I therefore would become more and more confused as the lesson went on. Although it may appear that the classroom understands the teacher that is often not the case. As I spent time observing the teacher and walking up and down the aisles I noticed that many students seemed lost, which would then lead to disengagement and a lack of attention. Observing this happen has made me realize that as a teacher i need to be extra attentive towards all students and make sure that everyone is on the same page before i move on.
Being involved in a public providence school has exposed me to students of many different cultures. Just because my background is different than my students does not mean that i cannot understand them and their upbringing. The FNED course and the turtoring has worked together to bring me to the realization that although racism has quited down it still exists in many places including the classroom. At first I didnt realize how i could possibly exclude a minority student unless i purposely made a racist remark or intentionally excluded them. However, i have come to realize that minorities are excluded in the curriculum, in the English language, through teaching styles, the manner in which the teacher speaks, and so on. Now that i am aware of this i can make a deliberate effort to avoid this type of exclusion and make sure that not one student feels like he/she is not a part of the classroom. Theorist Allen Johnson wrote an article titled, "Whos Me?What it means to be involved in Priviledge and Oppression". This article focuses on how certain groups of people for example, whites whose main language is english have priviledges over other groups of people who for example may not have the main language of Enlgish. If spanish speaking people are in a society where English is used then they automatically have a setback towards other people. This article has made me think twice before i label a student as lazy and has encouraged me to instead recognize the cultural barriers that may be delaying this childs learning. While some students may catch on really quickly it may be due to their priviledges and not that they are smarter than some other students in the room.
I've also learned that from the first day I start officially teaching that I must present myself in a manner that doesn't necessarily intimidate the students but that let's them know who is in control. When I first started turtoring I worked with my children on a one on one basis, which allowed me to get to know the child and have an idea of their reading levels. Once I started doing partner activities I realized that I had lost a sense of authority since they no longer listened to what i was instructing them to do. After several failed attempts of trying to get them under control while still being extremely friendly I realized that if I wanted to improve their reading skills then I would have to be stricter and let them know that I was not joking around with them. If I had trouble controlling two kids I wonder how much difficulty I would have with controlling an entire classroom. I think my mistake in this situation was that the students first impression of me was that I was more of a friend to them and lacked any kind of authority. Once a child has made their initial judgement on someone it is hard to change it and hard to win over control once you have been marked as a friend or overly nice. Therefore, I now know that from the second I start teaching I must give off a strong impression of authority so that the students do not end up calling the shots.
This expereince has guided me on the path to deciding what kind of teacher I want to be. I want to be a teacher that challenges the status quo by incorporating different teaching styles into the daily lesson plans. Instead of just having my students take notes I want them to be able to participate and do activities that helps them learn the material. I want my students to have open discussions and learn from one another through intelligent conversations. I believe theorist Ira Shor would agree with this since he strongly supports a type of learning that occurs through participation. Shor and I both agree that the classroom is a place where learning should be enjoyed instead of forced upon. Instead of having students memorize endless facts for the sole purpose of a test a teacher should have the students learn the material through activities and explain its significant value and thats its not just important to know for the exam. Connections should be made so that students can relate their knowledge to the outside world and to various subjects.I know that I am just beginning my journey to becoming a teacher but I feel that I have gained so much knowledge from this tutoring experience and that it has already significantly impacted my vision of the type of teacher i want to be.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Prompt #4 (Question #4)
Every student walks into the classrooom with a history that has preprogramed different kinds of biases into their minds regarding race, sexuality, and what defines "normal" and "acceptable". My personal history has influenced many biases and false beliefs that I had as a child and as an early teen. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood with no friends or classmates of color. I went to small catholic schools all my life with little discussion regarding homosexuality or racism. Not to say that my family was racist but they would quite frequently make remarks that enforce the bias of all african americans being criminals or "no good". Although I never agreed with that bias it was still engraved in my mind that people of color were mainly associated with crime and violence due to the medias portrayal and my families remarks. As I grew older I became surrounded by poeple of different races and made a group of friends that were mainly of hispanic or african descent. It was by the interaction with people of different cultures that worked to diminish my biases and open my eyes to the reality that we should be accepting of all groups of people and that one group is not more important than another.
As a teacher I would have to work towards helping my students biases diminish just like mine did. I would do this by not letting rude comments regarding race, sexual preference, or gender go ignored. If i were to hear a student use a nasty name I would call the student aside and ask why he chose that particular word and then describe why it is not appropriate and how the word came to be. I would also expose my students to people of different cultures and beliefs so that they are accustomed to ways of life outiside of their own. I would strongly encourage that my school invite guest speakers to come and talk to the students about growing up as a homosexual or as an african american and how the biases applied to their situation have effected their lives. I think the more students are exposed to difference then the more likely they are to be accepting of others as they grow older. We as teachers need to provide students with the tools to go out into the real world and be able to realize that the stereotypes that surrounds them are false and based off of ignorance and misunderstandings.
My personal history of growing up as a white female in a white neighborhood may intersect with some of my students who live in predominately black neighborhoods or communities whose primary language is not english. Although my students and I will have many differences it is important to not let those differences become barriers to understanding eachother and the needs they have as students. However, some challenges may arise such as if there are a large group of english language learners in my classroom and i would be unable to explain directions to them in spanish or any other language they may speak if need be. In this case I would need to make accomodations such as providing a translator or arranging special times for them to see me for extra help. An advantage would be that I understand why these biases exist and do not blame the students for having them since it is not their fault but the society as a whole who is responsible for creating them. I would use this knowledge to make my classroom as accepting as possible through teaching techniques that do not put minorities at a disadvantage and through explaining to my students the hurtfulness of stereotyping and the damage it does on certain people.
I am so thankful for this tutoring experience because it truly did prove me wrong about several misconceptions i held towards children of public schools. Since I have always been somewhat sheltered in a catholic all girl school for five years and in other catholic schools for my earlier education i have always had a bias towards public school kids. I always viewed them as out of control, rebellious, and disrepectful towards teachers. However, this experience made me realize that public school students are just as curtious as the classmates that i grew up with. This misconception was destryoed within five minutes after wallking into the school and having little third graders go out of their way to open the doors for me. This just goes to show that if people are not exposed to certain things then they conjure up an image that is incorrect but could be easily fixed if exposure occurs before the person becomes too stuborn to change their thoughts. Providing my students with course material that includeS all groups of people and by exposing them to different cultures and ways of life will be a huge step towards correcting biases and forming a classroom that accepts everyone.
As a teacher I would have to work towards helping my students biases diminish just like mine did. I would do this by not letting rude comments regarding race, sexual preference, or gender go ignored. If i were to hear a student use a nasty name I would call the student aside and ask why he chose that particular word and then describe why it is not appropriate and how the word came to be. I would also expose my students to people of different cultures and beliefs so that they are accustomed to ways of life outiside of their own. I would strongly encourage that my school invite guest speakers to come and talk to the students about growing up as a homosexual or as an african american and how the biases applied to their situation have effected their lives. I think the more students are exposed to difference then the more likely they are to be accepting of others as they grow older. We as teachers need to provide students with the tools to go out into the real world and be able to realize that the stereotypes that surrounds them are false and based off of ignorance and misunderstandings.
My personal history of growing up as a white female in a white neighborhood may intersect with some of my students who live in predominately black neighborhoods or communities whose primary language is not english. Although my students and I will have many differences it is important to not let those differences become barriers to understanding eachother and the needs they have as students. However, some challenges may arise such as if there are a large group of english language learners in my classroom and i would be unable to explain directions to them in spanish or any other language they may speak if need be. In this case I would need to make accomodations such as providing a translator or arranging special times for them to see me for extra help. An advantage would be that I understand why these biases exist and do not blame the students for having them since it is not their fault but the society as a whole who is responsible for creating them. I would use this knowledge to make my classroom as accepting as possible through teaching techniques that do not put minorities at a disadvantage and through explaining to my students the hurtfulness of stereotyping and the damage it does on certain people.
I am so thankful for this tutoring experience because it truly did prove me wrong about several misconceptions i held towards children of public schools. Since I have always been somewhat sheltered in a catholic all girl school for five years and in other catholic schools for my earlier education i have always had a bias towards public school kids. I always viewed them as out of control, rebellious, and disrepectful towards teachers. However, this experience made me realize that public school students are just as curtious as the classmates that i grew up with. This misconception was destryoed within five minutes after wallking into the school and having little third graders go out of their way to open the doors for me. This just goes to show that if people are not exposed to certain things then they conjure up an image that is incorrect but could be easily fixed if exposure occurs before the person becomes too stuborn to change their thoughts. Providing my students with course material that includeS all groups of people and by exposing them to different cultures and ways of life will be a huge step towards correcting biases and forming a classroom that accepts everyone.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Prompt #3 (Question #5)
Throughout my service learning experience i have realized that i am capable of making significant progress within the hour and a half that i spent with my students two days a week. I was delighted to hear that only after one month of working with my two assigned students that their reading test scores have risen dramatically. Although i was happy to hear this news it got me thinking that if i can make this much of a difference in such a short period of time i wonder how much of a difference and influence the chidren's homelives make considering they are only in school 6 hours a day and the rest of the time spent under the guidance of their parents. If a child is surrounded by a poorly structured environment at home then the learning that occurs in the class is likely to be suppressed or undone by issues going on in the household. If a child has parents who are constantly fighting and yelling at eachother then it becomes difficult for a students main concern to be getting good grades when they are faced with greater challenges that distract them from their schoolwork. Some parents may be very busy and work several jobs, which prevents them from being availabe to answer their childs homework questions, make sure their assignments are complete, monitor their exposure to negative media, make sure they get a decent amount of sleep, provide a nutritous breakfast, and/or read to them before they go to bed. Since each family has a different sociocutural background their attitudes towards how to raise children may differ dramatically. While some parents make an effort to make sure their child is on track and become actively involved in the school community other parents may feel as if it is the childs responsibility and allow them more independence than should be given at such a young age. As a teacher it can be frustrating when so much effort is put in during the classroom but that a childs homelife can reverse the progress and supress their education.
As the culturally competent teacher that i strive to be i will try to find ways to address these challenges and create programs that will diminish the negative effect that dysfunctional homelives can play on children. I would work towards making sure that my school has an after-school program that lasts for at least two hours long, which will provide students with peer mentors, tutors, games, sports activities, and snacks. Therefore, students who usually return to empty households are able to spend their after school time productively while still having fun. Another way to address these challenges would be to speak with the parents whose child is struggling or seems to be upset or angry due to issues that may be occuring in the home. This conversation with the parents may be very tricky and i would make sure that i do not accuse the parents of being lazy or careless but rather draw their attention towards the child and try my hardest to reach them and make then genuinely concerned. I am aware that families who financial situation is suffering may not have the time to focus on the children due to job hours or that a family may be enduring so many issues that their son/daughters acedemic performance is the least of their problems in retrospect to other problems. In this situation i would stress the importance of education and the consequences of failing a grade. I would be very sensitive to the concerns and contributions of the parents and take what they have to say into consideration.
A very strong factor that is likely to come into effect while communicating with the parents is the possibility that they do not speak English at all or that they know very little of it. Perhaps a parent is incapable of helping their child with their homework because they themselves do not know how to do the assignment correctly. All these situations must be prepared for. If i knew i were to be teaching in a school where a large percentage of the students main language is spanish then i would try to learn as much spanish as i could so that if a student could not understand something just because it was spoken in English then i could explain it in spanish. I believe that schools with such diversity should have translators availabe or a few teachers availabe who are one-hundred percent proficient in spanish so that after school tutoring sessions can be available so that spanish speaking students do not fall behind just because of a language barrier. I believe that theorist Goldenburg would like these ideas since he symphathizes with students who are english language learners and are disagrees with the fact that ELL's should be making progress at the same rate as all the other kids without any sensitivity in the pedagogy style towards their situation. Goldenburg draws attention to the significantly lower difference of in reading and math scores of engish language learners in comparison to non-english language learners. He believes that ELL's are expected to learn too much and are often not explained the meaning of english words and are overlooked. It is important to remember that as teachers we are not suppressing other languages but supplying students with the English language as a neccessary tool to be successful in society.I must be aware and sensitive to the reality that students whose main language is Engish are more likely to have an easier time in school than students who only speak English in school and are then surrounded by Spanish speakers in the home. This is the same for any student whose main language is not English, whether the language being spoken at home is spanish, portugese,etc. If a parent were to tell me that they did not have time to sit down for thirty minutes a night or that they do not speak English and could therefore not help them with homework then I would make it a point to request that the child stay after school for ten to twenty minutes each day so i could help him start the assignment and make sure he/she understands it and is able to do it own their own later on that evening. It is the little efforts and accomodations like these that can make such a huge difference in an individuals education experience and guide them onto the path of success.
As the culturally competent teacher that i strive to be i will try to find ways to address these challenges and create programs that will diminish the negative effect that dysfunctional homelives can play on children. I would work towards making sure that my school has an after-school program that lasts for at least two hours long, which will provide students with peer mentors, tutors, games, sports activities, and snacks. Therefore, students who usually return to empty households are able to spend their after school time productively while still having fun. Another way to address these challenges would be to speak with the parents whose child is struggling or seems to be upset or angry due to issues that may be occuring in the home. This conversation with the parents may be very tricky and i would make sure that i do not accuse the parents of being lazy or careless but rather draw their attention towards the child and try my hardest to reach them and make then genuinely concerned. I am aware that families who financial situation is suffering may not have the time to focus on the children due to job hours or that a family may be enduring so many issues that their son/daughters acedemic performance is the least of their problems in retrospect to other problems. In this situation i would stress the importance of education and the consequences of failing a grade. I would be very sensitive to the concerns and contributions of the parents and take what they have to say into consideration.
A very strong factor that is likely to come into effect while communicating with the parents is the possibility that they do not speak English at all or that they know very little of it. Perhaps a parent is incapable of helping their child with their homework because they themselves do not know how to do the assignment correctly. All these situations must be prepared for. If i knew i were to be teaching in a school where a large percentage of the students main language is spanish then i would try to learn as much spanish as i could so that if a student could not understand something just because it was spoken in English then i could explain it in spanish. I believe that schools with such diversity should have translators availabe or a few teachers availabe who are one-hundred percent proficient in spanish so that after school tutoring sessions can be available so that spanish speaking students do not fall behind just because of a language barrier. I believe that theorist Goldenburg would like these ideas since he symphathizes with students who are english language learners and are disagrees with the fact that ELL's should be making progress at the same rate as all the other kids without any sensitivity in the pedagogy style towards their situation. Goldenburg draws attention to the significantly lower difference of in reading and math scores of engish language learners in comparison to non-english language learners. He believes that ELL's are expected to learn too much and are often not explained the meaning of english words and are overlooked. It is important to remember that as teachers we are not suppressing other languages but supplying students with the English language as a neccessary tool to be successful in society.I must be aware and sensitive to the reality that students whose main language is Engish are more likely to have an easier time in school than students who only speak English in school and are then surrounded by Spanish speakers in the home. This is the same for any student whose main language is not English, whether the language being spoken at home is spanish, portugese,etc. If a parent were to tell me that they did not have time to sit down for thirty minutes a night or that they do not speak English and could therefore not help them with homework then I would make it a point to request that the child stay after school for ten to twenty minutes each day so i could help him start the assignment and make sure he/she understands it and is able to do it own their own later on that evening. It is the little efforts and accomodations like these that can make such a huge difference in an individuals education experience and guide them onto the path of success.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Prompt #2 (Question #2)
Throughout my service learning experience I have found myself frequently thinking back to my elementary school experience and relating mine to the children in which I have tutored, interacted with, and observed within my sixteen visits. When I was a fourth grader I was always very quiet and would never question or doubt a teachers requests. Whenever I would get yelled at for not doing homework or speaking to a classmate during work time I would always get very upset and be afraid of it happening again. One of the things that have stood out to me in the classroom is the children’s passiveness to a teacher scolding them. As I was tutoring one of my students one afternoon, my attention was abruptly turned to a teacher completely stopping her lesson by raising her voice and yelling at a student for speaking to another classmate. The student being yelled at stopped speaking but seemed somewhat unbothered by the incident and would most likely repeat the behavior at some other point throughout the day. My comparison between myself as a student and some of the chatty students which I have observed, have made me realize that as I teacher I must be aware of the impact of what they say and while I may say the same thing to two separate students, its effect on them individually may be completely different. I think teachers should be aware of children’s sensitivity and should also recognize when to be stricter and sterner for students who are not accustomed to being yelled at.
The info works data for the school in which I tutor at states that the student body consists of 35% whites, 1% Native American, 31% Hispanic, and 4% Asian, and 29% African American. I think that it is great that this school is so diverse and therefore exposes students to people of different backgrounds. Due to the high percentage of African Americans and Hispanics I was shocked to find out that no students were recipients of ESL or bilingual education services. I highly doubt that out of all the students there is not one individual who is having trouble speaking English as a second language or difficulties balancing the use of two separate languages. This makes me wonder if this school offers effective language services or if the students struggles are going unnoticed and being disregarded. Bilingual students have an automatic academic setback due to the fact that they will be forced to speak English during school hours but while at home they are surrounded by the use of a completely different language and are not able to be exposed to as much English as do students whose families only speak English. It is highly important for teachers to be aware of this and to not label a student as being lazy just because they are behind. Teachers must be highly aware of the sociocultural characteristics that distinguish the students, student’s families, and communities from each other.
Another shocking statistic that I noticed was that 65% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. This means that the majority of student’s family’s financial situations are very poor and that parents most likely have to be working two or more jobs. A student’s financial situation reflects the community in which they live in and the amount of violence that they are exposed to. Imagine a child who grows up in a household that has two working parents who may have to work more than one job in order to keep themselves financially stable. This child will most likely take the bus to school, not have a sufficient amount of time having parents help them with homework/read to them, and not be monitored in regards to the type of music they listen to or the type of television they watch. As I was tutoring a fourth grade boy I was stunned to hear him singing a song by Lil Wayne who is a popular rap artists amongst teens. The particular song that he was singing and seemed to know word by word was highly explicit and had a main focus on sex. Also, while I was working with my two students together they began a discussion on who was “hooking up” with who that was far beyond the level that fourth graders should be talking about. This immediately concerned me on what these children were being exposed to so early on in life and whether the parents are ignoring these vital warning signs or are not around there children enough to notice them. Both these students were Hispanic and could most likely have parents who are not around a lot due to their jobs. When a parent comes home from working all day the first thing they are going to do is most likely not help their child with homework or correct them if they swear or say inappropriate things since they may be too tired or worn out to bother. Also, children who are always yelled at by their parents may be more submissive and comfortable with being yelled at by a teacher since it happens to them all the time. While a student whose parents are calmer and have the patience the deal with a child’s misbehavior in a calmer way may be shocked and discomforted when a teacher speaks to them so sternly.
The children bring in a cultural capital that is very diverse yet share similarities as well. Many students are capable of speaking Spanish while learning English while others have English as their primary language. The way they speak of their home lives varies and what they eat for lunch varies from student to student. These students pick up on each other’s differences through discussions that will arise involving culture, traditions, and views. In order to strengthen our society we must allow students of different races to have free time for discussions and to try to expose students to others people of different races as much as possible so that they do not become afraid or resilient towards people who are not like them and will therefore make a step towards decreasing racism in future generations. Teachers must realize that not all students learn the same and that classroom time should consist of various instructions to techniques such as lecturing, group activities, discussions, projects, and activities that require an active mind so that all students can benefit and learn instead of just a group of students who learn best from listening. The article titled, “The Silenced Dialogue” by Lisa Delpit, supports the fact that a group of students may interpret an instruction or correction to be extremely mean and unnecessary while other students need that stern command in order to put them In line. This is why it is so crucial for teachers to be aware of the sociocultural distinctiveness of her classroom while using instruction for his or her students.
The info works data for the school in which I tutor at states that the student body consists of 35% whites, 1% Native American, 31% Hispanic, and 4% Asian, and 29% African American. I think that it is great that this school is so diverse and therefore exposes students to people of different backgrounds. Due to the high percentage of African Americans and Hispanics I was shocked to find out that no students were recipients of ESL or bilingual education services. I highly doubt that out of all the students there is not one individual who is having trouble speaking English as a second language or difficulties balancing the use of two separate languages. This makes me wonder if this school offers effective language services or if the students struggles are going unnoticed and being disregarded. Bilingual students have an automatic academic setback due to the fact that they will be forced to speak English during school hours but while at home they are surrounded by the use of a completely different language and are not able to be exposed to as much English as do students whose families only speak English. It is highly important for teachers to be aware of this and to not label a student as being lazy just because they are behind. Teachers must be highly aware of the sociocultural characteristics that distinguish the students, student’s families, and communities from each other.
Another shocking statistic that I noticed was that 65% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. This means that the majority of student’s family’s financial situations are very poor and that parents most likely have to be working two or more jobs. A student’s financial situation reflects the community in which they live in and the amount of violence that they are exposed to. Imagine a child who grows up in a household that has two working parents who may have to work more than one job in order to keep themselves financially stable. This child will most likely take the bus to school, not have a sufficient amount of time having parents help them with homework/read to them, and not be monitored in regards to the type of music they listen to or the type of television they watch. As I was tutoring a fourth grade boy I was stunned to hear him singing a song by Lil Wayne who is a popular rap artists amongst teens. The particular song that he was singing and seemed to know word by word was highly explicit and had a main focus on sex. Also, while I was working with my two students together they began a discussion on who was “hooking up” with who that was far beyond the level that fourth graders should be talking about. This immediately concerned me on what these children were being exposed to so early on in life and whether the parents are ignoring these vital warning signs or are not around there children enough to notice them. Both these students were Hispanic and could most likely have parents who are not around a lot due to their jobs. When a parent comes home from working all day the first thing they are going to do is most likely not help their child with homework or correct them if they swear or say inappropriate things since they may be too tired or worn out to bother. Also, children who are always yelled at by their parents may be more submissive and comfortable with being yelled at by a teacher since it happens to them all the time. While a student whose parents are calmer and have the patience the deal with a child’s misbehavior in a calmer way may be shocked and discomforted when a teacher speaks to them so sternly.
The children bring in a cultural capital that is very diverse yet share similarities as well. Many students are capable of speaking Spanish while learning English while others have English as their primary language. The way they speak of their home lives varies and what they eat for lunch varies from student to student. These students pick up on each other’s differences through discussions that will arise involving culture, traditions, and views. In order to strengthen our society we must allow students of different races to have free time for discussions and to try to expose students to others people of different races as much as possible so that they do not become afraid or resilient towards people who are not like them and will therefore make a step towards decreasing racism in future generations. Teachers must realize that not all students learn the same and that classroom time should consist of various instructions to techniques such as lecturing, group activities, discussions, projects, and activities that require an active mind so that all students can benefit and learn instead of just a group of students who learn best from listening. The article titled, “The Silenced Dialogue” by Lisa Delpit, supports the fact that a group of students may interpret an instruction or correction to be extremely mean and unnecessary while other students need that stern command in order to put them In line. This is why it is so crucial for teachers to be aware of the sociocultural distinctiveness of her classroom while using instruction for his or her students.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Prompt #1 (Question #1)
I am performing my service at an elementary school where i work with fourth graders. On my first day volunteering I was a little bit nervous but more anxious and excited to begin my first teaching experience. While im walking down the street to the school i can see the big building from a distance away. It is right off of a main road and is located in a very hectic area of town. As I pull up to the school I see dozens of students energetically running around the playground enjoying their brief time at recess. I walk into the building and sign in at the main office then I got a brief lesson by the literacy coach on exactly what activities and learning exercises I would be doing with my very own students. As I walk to the classroom I see lines of students waiting to use the restroom, which reminds me of my childhood days when the teachers would escort me and my fellow classmates to the bathroom. As I walk down the halls i notice that the school is generally very dark and dimly lit. There are posters and banners hung up all over the walls that promote following your dreams, respect, and the value of education. This immediately tells me that the school makes an effort to enforce the importance of learning and the repsect towards others. I was surprised when several young students held the door for me and clearly showed an interest to me being in the school. Once I reached my classroom I took a look around at all the decorations on the wall, piles of textbooks, and closets of backpacks and coats. At first I just observed the teacher and paid special attention to how she would interact and try to relate to the children. I finally got one on one time with my students and was glad to see that they were at the appropriate reading levels and did not seem to be struggling too much. Both of the kids scored 100 percent on their sight word evaluation and could easily read through the poems that we read together. I got to spend time with other children and am concerned on how behind they are and the significant lack of motivation. I realize that if the students who are behind do not get individualized attention early on then they will most likely struggling their whole lives and that I have the opportunity has the ability to change that around within a few months.
Since I have been in catholic private schools my whole life I was a little nervous about the behavior of public school children and had a view of them being slightly rebellious. However, I’ve have come to find out that the children were extremely polite and attentive to everything I had to say and teach them. I got to know a little bit more about them and their interests and have formed somewhat of a bond with them. The teacher keeps them in line and will firmly tell the students if they are misbehaving or going against the rules. At first I was surprised and disapproved of how frequently and sternly the teacher would yell at the students. However, as I spent more time with them I realized that if you do not raise your voice and let them know who’s in charge then they will walk all over you and pay little to no attention to their schoolwork.
The school environment seemed very structured and organized, which gave me a content and safe feeling about my surroundings. Just by spending two hours in the classroom I could already come to the conclusion that respect, hard work, and motivation are extremely valued in the classroom as well as the school. There is no time spent fooling around and every minute is consisted of reading or listening to the teachers lesson. I believe that this classroom needs to be slightly less structured and allow more time for participation and open discussions. Whenever a child raises their hand they are allowed to speak briefly and are then silenced by the teacher. Theorist Ira Shor would challenge the ideals of this classroom and would urge the teacher to allow more time for creativity and participation. Through active learning students are able to truly grasp the meaning of education and students from different backgrounds are more likely to learn at similar levels. The school environment provides structure in a way that creates a safe learning environment but also hinders the students from effectively learning all the materials that are being taught.
Monday, October 12, 2009
My Tutoring Experience So Far
On my first day of tutoring i was a little nervous but more anxious to see what this experience was going to be like. When i walked in i was instructed to go to the literacy coaches office where we discussed the lesson plans and activities that i will be doing with my students throughout the next couple of months. I was then led into the classroom where i met one of my kids that i was assigned. We went over a list of words that he knew perfectly and discussed his interests and outlook on his school life. I was surprised on how polite and mature he was for only being in the fourth grade. The following week i was able to meet the other child who i was assigned who is also very intelligent and seems to need very little help. Although i have bonded and made connections with the children, I feel as though i have reached a dead end since they have both seem to have perfected the highlest level of the actvities that are available by the fluency coach. I am considering speaking with the teacher and asking her if i can spend time with students who are having more difficulty and are more desperate for my assistance. I did get to have a one on one session with another student who had extreme difficulty with pronunciation, expression, and conjoining sounds. We made some progress but i really hope that i will have more time with him in the future even though he is not my assigned student. I look forward to spending more time in the classroom and interacting with the students.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Gettin To Know Me
Hello, my name is Rachel and this is my second year at Rhode Island College. This previous summer i decided that i wanted to switch my major to a secondary education major with a concentration in English. The first year i was undecided but i have finally come to the conclusion that teaching is what i want to do since i have a true passion for children and knowing that i am making an impact on their lives by proving them with an education. I am very excited to see how this class will help shape me into the kind of teacher that engages the students and positively encourages them to strive for success. I am also very excited for the tutoring sessions since i will get to have an idea of what it is really like to have a student and see their progression in learning as the weeks go by.In my free time i like to go running, read, and write. I am a hardworker and will always push myself to accomplish my goals and dreams.
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