Blog 10: Summative Post

I have had a very positive experience with my field work over the course of the semester. Observing Mrs. Schetter's classroom made me realize without a doubt that I wanted to be a teacher, and it made me change from wanting to teach preschool or kindergarten to wanting to be a third grade teacher. Mrs. Schetter is the kind of teacher I hope to someday be like: one who respects and is respected by her students, who comes up with creative and new ways of learning, and one who is patient and does not stick to a rigid schedule, but rather goes with what works best for her students. These experiences have made me so excited for when I have my own classroom someday. I am so grateful I was able to observe in so many classrooms so early on in my education. Especially visiting Shaker High School and Mayfield Middle School, because I got to see what other levels of education I may be interested in, but they also led me even more to wanting to become an early childhood educator.  At all of the schools I saw at least one teacher who was passionate about what they were doing, and that demonstrates to me that teaching is the most rewarding career I could go into. Through my experiences I learned that sometimes you have to think outside the norm and come up with creative ways to help your students learn, because the more fun the activity the more likely the students will be to fully engage in it and learn the material. I could not have asked to have better field experiences this semester.

This I Believe Proposal

This I Believe Proposal

            I believe that one of the most essential things in life is being able to communicate with others, including those who do not speak one’s native language. In order to do this, language needs to be taught to students in school, and that process of learning should not be started when the student reaches high school. By the time a student reaches high school it is very difficult for them to learn and grasp a completely new language, and to be able to speak it fluently. If students are taught a second language starting at young age, then they will be easily able to pick up the language and speak it as easily as they do their first language. There are many benefits of learning language at a young age compared to at the high school level.

            Many research studies have shown that it is easier for a young child to pick up on and repeat new sounds; when learning a second language, young students are easily able to repeat the sounds they hear, and tend to not overthink everything they are saying. Students who are multilingual have been shown to do better on all aspects of standardized testing. Not only is learning a second language beneficial in an academic sense, but also out in the real world. Especially in the field of business, it is important to be able to communicate with partners around the world.

            My experiences with trying to learn a second language made me believe that it is important to learn a foreign language as early in a child’s education as possible. I was not taught Spanish in grade school, but I took it in high school and found it difficult to pick up on it and memorize all the rules that came along with it. If I had learned it at a younger age I would have been fluent, and to this day I wish I knew Spanish fluently because it would help me get much further in my career after college. There is a great amount of research that has been done to show that learning a language is more beneficial than learning it later, that it helps a person in all aspects of their life, and that it provides many academic benefits. I want connect the benefits of learning a second language, and learning it early, with being more successful in all areas of life, and at every age. It has neurological and academic benefits, it creates a more culturally diverse environment, necessary for economic development and national security, because interaction amongst different cultures is an essential component for both. If foreign language is encouraged and enforced at young age in school systems, then not only will students be more educated, but the world will also learn how to communicate better with each other, and in turn there will be less misunderstandings and miscommunications. Some may consider learning a language at such a young age a waste of time because the time could be better spent learning things that specifically help improve standardized test scores. I am proposing that schools focus on something much more important than test scores: learning how to communicate with those who are different from what the norm is.

Field Blog Post 9

For my last day in Mrs. Schetter's class at Gesu I got to sit in on a science and social studies class. In social studies, the kids presented their Native American projects. After each child spoke, Mrs. Schetter had the other students raise their hands to see what they learned from the presentation. I thought this was a very good idea because it ensured the kids would pay attention to the student presenting, rather than having their minds be elsewhere while the presentations were happening. Next, I switched with those students and went to a science class where they were observing rocks that they brought in. They answered questions about their own individual rock, and were asked to describe it. Then, they got in random groups and put all their rocks in the middle of the desks. Each student read their description of their rock, while the other students tried to figure out which rock was being described to them. I thought this was a good idea because it engaged the students in a fun way while also forcing them to use scientific terms they had already learned in order to describe their rock. After that, I went with the kids to hear them sing Christmas songs for their upcoming Christmas concert in December. It was fun to see them all getting excited and into the songs. I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to observe in Mrs. Schetter's classroom over the past few weeks. It was an amazing experience and really reinforced my desire to someday become a teacher.

Field Blog: Gearity School

My experience at Gearity School was overall pretty good. I observed in a kindergarten classroom. The main teacher was very good with the students and was patient and kind; the aid, on the other hand, constantly had something to yell at the children about. She did not offer them praise or encouragement, but really tore them down for little mistakes that they made. This made me not enjoy the experience very much, she had a very negative impact on the room.  This trip also reinforced my thought that I would prefer to teach 2nd or 3rd grade; although the kids were adorable, I think they might be too dependent on me for help. I think this was a good experience in the sense that it helped direct me to what I really want to teach. I think I probably would have enjoyed the class better if I had not been so distracted by the constant yelling from the aid. I thought the school in general was very good, it seemed like there were a lot of different programs for all different kinds of students in order to meet each student's needs. The school had lots of colorful decorations to make it seem like a happier place to be, as did the kindergarten classroom that I observed in. I think that colorful posters and drawings can make any place seem more welcoming and happy, and that it definitely provides a more positive learning environment.

Field Blog 8

Monday morning I went to observe Mrs. Schetter's reading class again.  Today, the kids were yet again reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Today, they read together as a class for a little bit and made predictions as they went along. After a little while, Mrs. Schetter split the kids up into pairs and had them read to each other, and then write down a "why" question and answer after they had finished. I thought breaking them up into pairs was a good idea because it made the practice their articulation and really forced them to be involved with the story. Writing a question after they finished reading helped them to better understand what they just read. They were also working a little bit on their tornado projects; each group focused on a different aspect of tornados, and all of their research will be put together in a booklet. Mrs. Schetter had me type up a list with all sorts of different fonts that the kids could type their papers with, and then she let them vote to see which one they liked the best. I thought this was a smart idea because it involved them more in the project and let them feel that they had a say in what they were working on, and it is important for the students to feel that their opinions are valued. When the students feel more empowered, they will be more confident and willing to actively participate in their learning. This is something I will be sure to implement in my own classroom someday.

Blog 9: School design link

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rD1IHR5Fi8wqKzgBNO5KhMaOpzioNMnRuNW41mdWAuM/edit?usp=sharing

Field Blog 7

I went to Gesu again on Wednesday morning and observed Mrs. Schetter's reading class. Mrs. Schetter wanted the students to work on their tornado projects in class, and they were supposed to have finished most of it for homework the night before. What she soon realized was that most of the students did not complete it. Instead of losing her temper and yelling at the children, she told them that they needed to make sure they completed it for the next day, and that there were other things they needed to get done anyway. She was firm when she told them they needed to finish it for the next day, but she did not yell at them, which I think shows that she respects her students, and in return they respect her back. Next, the students read out of their book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Mrs. Schetter let the students take turns reading aloud, and helped them with hard vocabulary as they went along. She had them make predictions on what they thought would happen next in the novel. I thought this was a smart idea for them to do because it helped them be more engaged and interested in the story. This makes them more excited to read more into the novel and see if they are right or not. Since going to Gesu I have been considering teaching in a private school more than before, because I really like the atmosphere and structure of Mrs. Schetter's classroom compared to public schools that I have observed in. Mrs. Schetter is an amazing teacher and I have already learned so much from her and what is important for a classroom to be successful.

Field Blog Post 6

Today at Gesu I observed during the morning, instead of my usual time on Thursday afternoon. I sat in Mrs. Schetter's reading class with her third graders, where they were reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I was again impressed with how Mrs. Schetter ran her classroom. The students were supposed to be reading chapter four of the novel, and instead of having them read silently to themselves, Mrs. Schetter allowed each child to have a turn reading out loud to the rest of the class while standing in the front of the room, if they so desired. I thought this was a good way to have the students read because it kept them more interested than if they would have had to read it all alone. Mrs. Schetter would also periodically ask them questions on the passage they just read to ensure all the kids understood. Not only did this activity keep the kids interested, it helped them to work on their pronunciation and speaking skills. I was also impressed with the fact that Mrs. Schetter did not force each child to read if they did not want to; she recognized and respected the fact that not all children are comfortable with reading/speaking in a large group setting. I, myself, do not like presenting in front of large audiences, and always wished my teachers had recognized that. I would like to run my classroom similarly someday, allowing my students to feel comfortable in the room and not have to do anything they are truly uncomfortable with.

Field Blog Post 5

Today I was at Gesu in Mrs. Schetter's third grade class again. Today the kids were working on editing their reports on Native American tribes. Mrs. Schetter gave them each their own "editing checklist" worksheet and walked them through it step by step. I thought this was a good idea because it helped the kids practice their grammar and be more independent while doing so. I was also able to help some of the kids practice their cursive letters as they were working on the reports; one girl was struggling to make a capital 'S', and so I walked her through it step by step until she got it, and she was very proud of herself when she could finally make it. One new thing I got to see in the classroom today was a "bridge." Mrs. Schetter put a long board between two desks with a puppet on one end of it, and whenever the kids were quiet and well behaved the puppet got moved down the bridge a little bit. I thought this was a very smart idea on her part because the kids wanted to see the puppet move, and so they were motivated to stay quiet and listen. I got to see some Halloween poems that the kids wrote on ghost paper; I think that this was a fun activity for the kids to do since they are excited for Halloween, and it also forced them to use their brains and be creative. I think that festive projects like this help the kids a lot because it takes something that they are excited about and interested in and helps them to learn at the same time. I will definitely use the holidays to make school work more exciting for my students someday, and thanks to Mrs. Schetter I will have plenty of good ideas on how to motivate my students to learn and listen.

Field Blog Post 4

For our second field trip as a class, we went to Shaker High School. For me, it was a very different experience than the one I had at Mayfield Middle School. At Shaker, I first observed an English teacher, and then sat in on an engineering class. The English class stood out to me because the teacher seemed to get annoyed with the students if they asked too many questions or didn't understand something right away. She often gave short answers and then moved on to the next order of business. I also noticed that the room was very dull and did not have a lot of color, which made the room feel very dismal. The second classroom I went to had a completely different feel than the first. The teacher was very supportive of his students, and it seemed like he had developed a friendship with the students. They were working on group projects, and he went to each group to see how they were doing and if they needed any help. This classroom was also very dull and not decorated, and almost looked as though it was under construction, but I think the teacher's attitude made an impact and the room did not seem as depressing as the first one I went in. I think that the attitude and teaching style make a huge difference in the atmosphere of a classroom. The second classroom I went in, the engineering class, is the type of positive environment that I hope my classroom someday can be like.

Blog Post 8

I will be teaching about the food pyramid. For my lesson I will have a model of a pyramid with shelves on it, and have the food scrambled up and on the wrong shelves, and then I will have students try and rearrange the food so that the correct groups are together.
In his book, Bill Ayers discusses the concept of "building bridges" for students. By building bridges, he means connecting ideas for students so that they can better understand a new concept or topic. When building bridges for students, the teacher should start with familiar concepts that the students already understand, and from there should move on to new ideas and concepts. For example, if I wanted to teach students about the food pyramid I could build bridges for them by asking what some of the their favorite foods were, and then I could start explaining what food group it belonged to. This would be a good way to build bridges because it would help them to learn about something they liked. Another way I could build bridges with my students when teaching them about the food pyramid is to bring in different types of food, let the students eat the food, and discuss what groups they belonged too. This builds bridges because it would be fun and exciting for the students to eat the food, and it would be a good visual learning aid for them to physically put different food groups together.
When planning my lessons for my students someday I will need to consider the age, background, and what learning style best works for them. The authors of the books we read in class are good guides to use when thinking about teaching. Freire wants students to be able to express themselves freely; when I am a teacher I will make sure I create the kind of classroom environment where my students feel they can truly be themselves. Ohanian says that effort and attitude matter the most in education; I will use this in the future because I will always make sure I encourage my students to always try their hardest, and will always have a positive attitude so that they will in return also have a positive attitude, which will only benefit their education. Ayers says that learning is something we are all involved in together; I will incorporate this into my classroom because I will let my students work together and brainstorm ideas. DiGiulio says that teachers should help students to help themselves; I think this it is important for students to be independent and not rely on others all the time. I will tie all of these ideas together in my lesson about the food pyramid to make the lesson as beneficial as possible for my students.

Field Blog Post 3

For my second trip to Gesu, I was equally as impressed with the class and teacher as the first time I visited. When I first got there, the third graders were working on their Native American research reports, and the teacher, once again, walked them through step by step what they were supposed to be doing as patiently answered their questions. I was also able to help some of the students find information about their tribes, and they were very excited to tell me what they had learned so far. After that, we went to a science experiment fair in the gym. The students got to go around to different stations in the gym and got to learn and see different things such as finger nails under the microscope, and seeing how much fat was in one can of pop, and many other fun and educational activities. I thought that this was a very good program for the children to because it got them interested and excited to learn, but was still very educational. This ties in with one of the concepts we discussed in class, about how it was important to consider your students and engage them more in learning. This is the type of thing I want to do in my classroom someday; I want learning to be exciting for my students and something that they look forward to, and not something that they dread. I think it is important that students have a fun and creative learning environment, because then they will be more likely to continue their education and will be as successful as they can possibly be in life.

Field Blog Post 2

For this field observation, I went by myself to a third grade social studies classroom at Gesu. As soon as I walked in the room I was overcome by colorful posters and pictures, and stuffed animals and puppets around the room. It was a very welcoming and positive environment, not an intimidating or boring place to have class. The teacher, Mrs. Schetter, is a very friendly and positive teacher who encourages her students and rewards them for their hard work. She demonstrated the concept of mutual respect, because she listened to what her students were saying, and if they gave the wrong answer she walked them through it and praised them when they got the correct answer. She also showed the kids a Brain Pop video that explained to the kids what Columbus Day was. The video was educational, but also aimed for children so that it was easier and more interesting for them to watch. I thought this was a very good idea for her to show the kids this video because it engaged them and it made them excited to learn and find out even more information on Columbus Day. The students were also working on a Native American research project, so Mrs. Schetter put up little teepees around the room, which excited the students and made it seem more fun than like a regular, boring project. Seeing how Mrs. Schetter ran her classroom made me realize the kind of teacher I want to be- one who makes her students excited to learn.

Blog Post 6

The post it reading helped me to think more critically about the field of education. One part that caught my attention was a line that said "The students, alienated like the slave in the Hegelian dialectic, accept their ignorance as justifying the teacher's existence- but unlike the slave, they never discover that they educate the teacher." I think often it is thought that the teachers are the only ones who teach, and the fact that the students can actually teach the teacher things as well is totally forgotten about. Though students may not teach the teacher things about whatever subject they are learning, I think that students can demonstrate life lessons that influence the teacher. Another part of this chapter I found interesting was the sentence that says: "The teacher cannot think for her students, nor can she impose her thoughts on them." I think this is significant because if a the students and teacher do not show each other respect, nothing the teacher teaches will stick with the students because they don't want to listen. However, if the students and teacher mutually respect each other, the students will be more willing to listen to what the teacher is saying, and as a result will receive a better education.

Blog Post 5

Rofes discusses that the difference between liberal and radical conceptualizations addressing homophobia and heterosexism in k-12 schools is: liberal conceptualizations address victimhood, while radical conceptualizations are an act of resistance to societal pressure. An example of a liberal conceptualization from my high school was how the administration intervened whenever there was a bullying issue it was taken care of immediately and resolved with all who were involved. An example of a radical conceptualization from my high school is that same-sex couples openly held hands, even though it was a Catholic school. Rofes believes children should be able to be free and able to openly explore their sexuality. Liberal and radical distinctions addressing homophobia and heterosexism help understand childhood because we as a society have to be aware of children an all the confusion of their sexuality as they mature. Childhood, particularly during puberty, is a time that children need support and to be able to explore their sexuality without any judgment from society. I believe that children should be free to be themselves without judgment. I hope that the school I teach at in the future is accepting of all children, regardless of their sexual preferences, and is a very open and comfortable environment. I think as more and more time goes on more schools will be more open to and comfortable with children who have different sexualities. In my own classroom I will make sure that all of my students feel comfortable an safe enough to truly express themselves.

Field Blog Post 1

My first field observation was in a 7th grade social studies classroom at Mayfield Middle School. It was a very positive experience and further reinforced my decision to become a teacher. Some things I noticed that made the classroom a positive learning environment were: many colorful posters and flags covering up the bare walls, the teacher desk was pushed aside and the teacher stood at the front of the class in order to be able to interact with the students to the fullest extent. The teacher also came up with a creative way to review with the students for an upcoming test. He split the students up into teams and created a game of jeopardy, which made them all very excited to answer questions and participate in the review. The teacher spoke with the students in a way that they could understand, he joked around with them but was also able to control the room; he showed them respect and in return they showed him respect. This idea of mutual respect is something we read about and discussed in class and it was good to see it actually occurring in the classroom setting. It was a very positive learning environment and definitely gave me ideas of how I could someday run my classroom.

Blog Post 4

"[Teachers] should recognize that the linguistic form a student brings to school is intimately connected with loved one’s community, and personal identity. To suggest that this form is “wrong” or, even worse, ignorant, is to suggest that something is wrong with the student and his or her family." I think this quote from Lisa Delpit is correct in saying that you cannot judge a student or their family based on their linguistics. Every individual has their own way of speaking and communicating with one another, and that communication might not make sense to anyone outside of that particular family. The family may speak a whole other language all together, or they may have phrases or expressions that have a special meaning to their family. If the language is not "proper" that does not mean that they are wrong or ignorant; it should be respected by the teacher of the student. If a teacher has a student who's family has their own type of language, the teacher should take it as an opportunity to get to know the student and their background better. When a teacher understands where their students are coming from it will help the classroom to flow better. If a teacher respects the students, the students will be more willing to learn from and cooperate with the teacher, which will lead to a better education for the student. Accepting and understanding the way a family talks can seem like a small thing, but in the long run it can have many benefits.

Description                                                           Interpretation
-little girl following mom                                   -going to get ice cream
-2 people going in to get ice cream                    -could be on a date
-teen girl eating with dad                                    -college student catching up with parent
-guy walking out of ice cream shop empty-       -could have dropped off a job application
handed
-sweaty guy walking with earphones                 -just getting done with a run
-dad and son walking                                         -dad rewarding good behavior with ice cream
-two people carrying coffee and walking          -on a date
together
-two old ladies walking together                       -two old friends catching up
-mixture of old and young people coming        -family dinner  
out of restaurant together
-lady walking dog                                             -cares about her dog's and her own health
-girl cam out of ice cream place in a                - got ice cream after a game
sports uniform

While doing this activity, I discovered that often when I see a certain type of person or group of people, I make assumptions about who they are and what they're doing without even thinking about it or considering that I could be wrong. I realize that these assumptions are very ignorant on my part, because I really don't know anything about that person or their life. I think I make these assumptions based on my own experiences and what I am used to. For example, when I saw a parent and child together I assumed they were out for a treat, because that's something me and my parent's did together when I was younger. However, it's impossible to recognize someone's whole life story by observing them for thirty seconds as they pass by. When I am a teacher someday I will make sure that I do not make automatic assumptions about  my students based on obvious factors. You need to really know and understand somebody before you can even start to judge them or their lifestyle. Not only can I apply this to the classroom, but to all areas of my life. Each student will come from a different kind of home life and will have their own personal struggles that will affect how they act in the classroom.  After doing this activity, I hope to keep a more open mind when I see certain types of people in public, and to not make automatic assumptions as I did during this experiment.

Blog Post 2

“We do not really see with our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.” (Curtis and Carter, 2000, p. 9). I think this is a very accurate statement. Often times, we are blind to what is actually happening around us because we are so caught up in what we already believe that we don't want to see anything different. It is important, especially in the field of education, to keep an open mind in order to work well with your students and to understand where they are coming from. In teaching, pushing aside what you already think will force you to think in new and creative ways, which will be good for you as well as set a great example for your students. When you push aside what you already know and believe in, you open yourself up to more knowledge and understanding. In my experience, when I have pushed aside my opinions and beliefs when I am experiencing something new, I am able to fully experience and enjoy whatever it is I am doing to the fullest, because I have let go of what I already thought. In the field of education it is especially important not to hold on to preconceived ideas about students based on their backgrounds or behavior, because if you already believe something to be true about them then students will never have a chance to improve. Beliefs are an important part of who a person is, but they should not be so powerful that they blind us from seeing anything else.                                                                                                                                  

1. I prefer to be called Allison
2.  Hometown: Lakewood, OH
3. I want to work with children between Pre-K- 3rd grade, preferably preschool.
4. I want to try and get involved in some of the many service activities the school offers. I like to workout so I want to get involved with the exercise classes offered, and possibly and intramural team. I want to have as many new experiences as possible.
5. I like working with children and helping others and think it is important to do so as much as possible. I also want to travel as much as I can since I haven't done much of it yet. This article talks about going across the country and working with children in and out of school. This ties my interests together and would be a great opportunity to see the world with a new perspective, I would definitely consider doing this at some point in my life.
http://matadornetwork.com/change/to-be-a-kid-again-my-first-volunteer-experience-abroad/
6. In order for me to feel comfortable in the classroom, I need to have a supportive and understanding professor, as well as classmates, so that I can feel comfortable participating and asking questions in class.
7. A formative memory I have from high school is my junior year biology class. My teacher was so enthusiastic about the subject it made me excited to learn. She engaged the class so much every class period and made it way more interesting than if she would have just lectured the whole time. She would sometimes have groups of us teach the class a section of the chapter, and had us do fun projects and labs to make the subject more interesting, and to give us real life examples. Her enthusiasm further inspired me to pursue a career in teaching so that I could make a difference in kids' lives.
8. Some concerns I have in facing the field of education are being able to find a job with so few positions available, and finding a job in the type of school that I want.
9. What made you want to become a professor?