Last Blog Entry

After reflection back upon what I wrote, I have learned some skills that will help me. The first question asked what I hoped to learn in this introduction to education class. I stated that I wanted to learn how to become an effective teacher. After going to student mentoring a few times at Mt. Blue Middle School I have developed some skills that I think have helped me learn how to be an effective teacher. I have found that if a student isn't understanding what you're trying to say to them, have them try to walk you through it step by step with some helpful hints along the way. 

The other question asked what is my greatest fear/concern/worry about this class. I really didn't have many fears coming into the class, and I'm glad I didn't. The class itself was not too difficult; there was quite a bit of homework, however. The homework that we were assigned was not just busy work, and there was a clear purpose in doing it. That made the homework bearable and easier to do. This EDU class was definitely helpful and made me want to continue striving and working hard to become a teacher.

Chapter 14: Succeeding in Your Teacher Education Program--and Beyond

I first decided I would like to be a teacher my Junior year of high school. I was nervous because I didn't know what it took to be a teacher, and I was not sure of the qualifications. I started watching what my teachers did in class very early on and began to feel more reassured that I could do that profession. Now that I am in college, taking classes to become a teacher, I have few worries about becoming a teacher. I know the UMF will prepare me very well for being a successful and effective teacher. Many teachers that I had in high school said that the education UMF gave them was impeccable and made them feel confident about joining the profession. I do not have very many concerns about being a teacher. If anything, I would say I am slightly concerned with the fact that I will look like I am still in high school when I teach, and my students won't take me seriously. I am also slightly concerned that students will preform badly on exams, and I will be questioning myself about my teaching abilities. 

1. The area of concern, or areas, would likely be Unconcerned and Impact. I am not worrying about becoming a teacher a whole lot, because I know that every student is going through the same thing I am, and I know that with hard work and perseverance I can achieve what I want to. I said I was concerned in the area of Impact because I want to make sure my students are learning all that I teach them, and I want to assure that they will preform well on exams. I feel like I will take it personally when a student does not do well on a test. I did not address Self or Task for the stages of concern. One of my concerns was about teaching, and the other was a personal concern. My concerns were basically centered around my ability to succeed in teaching. I want my students to do well, and I want them to be able to learn from me.

2. I am the Personal and Refocusing stages of concern. In the personal concern, I am concerned with the fact that I might look like a student while I am teaching, and I am a little concerned that I will not be the most effective teacher to some students. For the Refocusing stage of concern, I am will take it personally if a student doesn't do well, or I will always be thinking about new ways to change my teaching to be better and more effective. That, however, isn't a bad thing. 

Chapter 13: Improving Teachers and Schools, and School Reform

I have never made a resume before; however, in high school I had an activity tracker that was very similar to a resume. The activity tracker did not have personal information such as my address, contact information, job histories, etc... It was more along the lines of high school activities, clubs, organizations, sports teams, awards, and community service. It was a very lengthy list of various achievements, and I would like to continue that into college.

Before I graduate college I would like to accomplish many things that would better my resume. Some things such as student mentoring, practicum, and student teaching will be required in my schooling, but I would like things that are outside the box. Some things that I have already started that would look good on my resume would be president of the Indoor Track Club Team, Secretary of Purington Residence Hall, member of CRC (Campus Residence Council), member of the volleyball and kickball intramural sports teams, and baseball varsity athlete. Other things include possible job opportunities on campus, community service through APO, and other intramural sports.

When I get my teaching certificate and start teaching, I still need to remember that there are things I can do to enhance my resume in case there are other job opportunities. I would like to become a coach of at least one sports team, be the adviser of at least one club, and bring good fundraising ideas to the school that I could be the head of. I would also like to go back to school part time while teaching in order to receive my masters degree in either mathematics or education, and I would like to achieve certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). There are many different things that can be brought to the table to better a resume, and it just depends on how hard you would like to try, and how much time you are willing to give.

Chapter 6: Social Context of Schools

Bullying has always been something that has upset me. At times in my life I think it is safe to say I was mildly bullied; however, I was not bullied to the extent that most victims are. When I become a teacher I, like most teachers, will be dedicated to keeping a keen eye open to bullying. I have received a lot of bullying education  starting in middle school and progressing through high school. It amazes me that bullying is still an issue inside and out of school. While I will not have much authority outside of the classroom, I will do everything I can inside the classroom to create a bully free environment. One way to do this is to put the students who I believe are being bullies in the front of the classroom, and the other students in the back of the classroom. This will ensure that the bullies are always facing forward and if they turn around it will be easier to detect. If I am lucky enough to catch a student bullying, I will give them a very strict warning to never do it again or else there will be major consequences. I will also give them a detention and make them write "Bullying is bad" several hundred times on the board. I think this is a good strategy that was once used, and still should be. On the second offence, they will be sent directly to the principle/headmaster to be punished more severely. I will then talk to the student who was bullied and hear it from their perspective. I will try to sympathize with them and make them feel better about what happened. If the student ever needs to talk to someone about it again, I will make sure to tell them I am always available for something of that matter. I believe bullying can be stopped in the schools, and it takes every teacher and administrator to make it happen.

This brochure is original and unique to signify bullying is a very serious threat to students, and it shows how students and faculty can work together to eliminate it.
Anti-bullying programs for teachers and students.

TINK

I read about four important things that UMF Secondary Education majors should know.

• I will need to take Praxis I my freshman year. I am a little concerned about the reading and writing portion of it, because I didn't do too well on my SATs. I will need to pay a large fee to take the tests because I do not qualify for the financial help. 
• I did not change my major to secondary education. I did have to write an essay on the same topic for admittance into UMF, however.
• I will have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for sure. In order to take practicum I would have needed to pass all three Praxis I exams which I will do. For ENG 101 I brought a high school credit to skip out of it. I still must do my fingerprinting and criminal background test, although I have plenty of time to do that. I will likely take one more class along with practicum because I would like to double major and double minor. If I don't take extra classes when I can I might have to stay longer than four years at UMF. I must apply for practicum when the time comes!
• I have a Sony Vaio that meets all the requirements specified. 

Chapter 7: Thinking about Teaching and Learning

"...they [educators] don't know exactly what skills a 5-year-old of today will need 30 years down the line in order to be successful and to contribute to the will-being of society. The constant generation of ideas about teaching and learning is one way of educators attempt to imagine and prepare for the future."

While I will not be a kindergarten teacher, I will give high school students the tools they need in order to be successful when they are older. I will incorporate it into my teaching so students will get the best of math and skills for the future.

"In Plato's discussion of epistemology, he argued that in order to grasp reality or know, individuals use understanding, reason, perception, and imagination."

Educators need to have the skills of understanding, reason, perception, and imagination to work with students effectively. This will be part of my personal philosophy because teachers that don't have these skills are the ones that are ineffective and do not make the classroom environment interesting.

"Teachers must negotiate the omnipresent conflict between societal values and individual values in the classroom. A well-informed teacher understands and respects the diversity of cultural and ethnic thought in any community and uses this knowledge to help all students learn."

This will be in my personal teaching philosophy because every student must be integrated into the the activities regardless of their ethnicity or cultural background. I will assure that will happen in my classroom so every student feels comfortable.

Chapter 4: Schools as the Workplace for Students and Teachers

Theoretically creating a school takes a lot of consideration when it comes to the little details. Schools in the United States are very complicated and have many positions crucial to the proper functioning of the school. In the build a school project, Homer Academy was created to give students interested in an outdoor career an opportunity to get prepared for what they will encounter. While this is far fetched from any school in the U.S. today, it resembled some of the key characteristics that are necessary in a healthy functioning school.

The staff for Homer Academy would consist of regular teachers who are qualified in math, science, social studies, etc... as well as professionals. Game wardens and Forest Rangers, for example, would be present at times to teach the students about their job and responsibilities. This is similar to that of U.S. schools because teachers must be specially qualified to teacher their concentrations. On occasion, some schools have professionals come in and give a presentation to the class, or some schools may give to opportunity to shadow a worker. In contrast, Homer Academy is more specialized in the outdoors, so more teachers will be needed to teach recreational courses such as rafting, hiking, biking, etc... while most American schools do not have that ability.

Our group did not discuss the relationship of the school district to the state because there was no school district. Homer Academy was a private school with a small number of board members who made decisions for the school. However, in the U.S. public schools are mandated by the state because the funding is a huge part of the state's budget.

Even though Homer Academy is a private school, the federal government still has jurisdiction over it. Every school in America must abide by the constitution and its laws. The U.S. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Each year there are multiple education bills and statues initiated and approved by both the house and the senate (the president must then sign it into effect). Both Homer Academy and U.S. schools are influenced by these laws.

Homer Academy is a private school, so tuition for students of surrounding towns is payed for by tax payers. If students are not in the surrounding towns, they will need to pay for tuition and room and board. This is the same for private schools in the U.S. as well because at Erskine Academy (my high school) there were seven surrounding towns that payed for the tuition of the students from those towns; however, students who did not reside in those towns needed to pay tuition. In contrast, public schools in America are state and federally funded by all tax payers of the state.

How do I start thinking like a teacher?

I think I have started converting to teacher thought and not student thought. Obviously I still need a lot of student thought so I can be successful in classes, but thinking like the teacher can make learning easier. For example reading a chapter in a textbook can be easier if you think like a teacher. First skimming and looking for things that you believe the teacher would deem important to be on the exam. Now that I've started student mentoring at the Mt. Blue Middle School, it is imperative to start thinking like a teacher. This is great practice in explaining less complicated material so younger children can understand it. Once I get more into my teaching program, I will likely begin thinking more like a teacher and less like a student. It is important, however, to keep the ability to think like a student when I am teaching so I can more easily understand what students need when they are stumped.

How can I keep the mindset of a student and a teacher when I begin teaching?

Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

I do not feel like I have learned this to the extent of being able to write a summary about it.

What kind of schools would we like to have?

How can diversity in the classroom help me be a better teacher?

Diversity means being different and unlike. This is the hardest thing a teacher has to encounter in his profession. Diversity in my classroom will affect my teaching in that I will put a strong effort into understanding the learning capabilities of both academically gifted students and students who have a harder time grasping concepts. All students learn at different paces; some are far better with visual than auditory and vice versa. Furthermore it is crucial to incorporate different learning techniques into the lessons. For instance, if I was to do my lesson via speech, the visual learners might not glean as much information from it as would the auditory learners. For the students to prosper as much as possible in my class, I would need to fulfill the needs of all students. As far as racial diversity is concerned, I will work to ensure equality for all students. Diversity of this sort might bring challenges at times. I will need to closely watch both my students and myself for offensive word choices in my classroom. Inappropriate comments by anyone could make the students feel uncomfortable and upset. While I do not foresee this happening in my classroom, it is always something that will need to be taken seriously.

What is the best way to keep every student, regardless of their learning style, interested in the class?

How can I be successful at UMF?

Being successful at UMF is dependent on how much you put in. As the old adage says: You get out what you put in. UMF gives every student the tools they need to be successful and students need to take advantage of that. Being successful does not just mean grades; it also means the clubs, sports, organizations, jobs, etc. that you participate in during your time at UMF. Everything you do might be something that you could put on your resume that future employers might want to see. Grades, however, are a crucial part of that resume. Showing up to class and getting work done in a timely fashion is essential in being successful here. I believe that hard work will pay off in the long run, and that is what many people should be thinking about right now at this stage in their lives.

When will I start making my resume, and what should I be looking for to put on it?

How do I become a teacher?

To become a teacher, first college students must accept that they will have a very stressful yet very rewarding job. At the University of Maine at Farmington, students jump into a rigorous education department right off the bat. Within their first four weeks in college, they will be assigned a specific job at the local middle school to work with children and get a feel for what they will be doing for the rest of their lives. Along with that, students will be in the classroom working individually and with peers to learn to become a successful teacher. At UMF, that is the goal of the professors: to make each and every future teacher a successful and confident professional in their field. There are many obstacles in the the path to becoming a teacher, and they are obstacles that can be overcome with hard work and perseverance. Each student must pass Praxis I before they can begin practicum in their Sophomore year. Praxis I tests on the basics of three categories: math, reading, and writing. Once completed, students will dive into practicum which will surely push them to the edge. Practicum is a very time consuming and mentally and emotionally draining program. Students will go to a local school and work with students as well as make lesson plans in the meantime. Following practicum, students will take Praxis II which tests them on their intelligence in their concentration subject. While the years are passing and students are completing these difficult tasks, they must also be keeping a journal of all their work in a neat and tidy portfolio. This portfolio will be presented at the end of their four years in order to get certified as a teacher. Becoming a teacher is not for the weak at heart; however, the dedication and perseverance will pay off in the end.

What do you need to do at the state level to become a teacher?

Chapter 5: The History of Schools in the United States

How has the curriculum developed over the past 300 years?

In chapter five of "The Joy of Teaching," the authors display the timeline of education in the United States. During the Puritan era, higher education was primarily for the "well-to-do" individuals, while other students of the middle class would only learn how to read and write for the purpose of knowing the laws of the community. Children who were poor did not attend any type of schooling. As time went on, more laws were established such as compulsory attendance, a nine month schooling period, etc... Many different types of schools were being invented such as elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and later on early childhood schools. Now was the question of what was supposed to be taught in the schools that had so many students in them. Students were to be educated no only on subjects, but on being good citizens in the community. Clearly now-a-days, it is expected that students excel in their schoolwork as well as be model citizens to represent their families, their school, and their communities.

Psychologists started weighing their thoughts in on the newly founded schools and their effectiveness. One of the big issues was the junior high schools that many believed were just mini high schools that wasted the time of the youth. In today's day and age, it is expected that students attend pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school, and some on to college. When these schools were being established many people were confused on what exactly should be taught in them and what purpose they actually served. Of course students of wealth were the only ones who could attend regular schooling in the Puritan times; however, as the schooling has evolved, a free and universal education is expected by Americans. This is a topic that is difficult to come to a conclusion on in this era because of the two polar opposite political parties in America that believe in different ways to pay for education.

Chapter 3: Families and Communities

Resolved: All students can achieve at high levels regardless of the structure of their families.

Every student is given an equal opportunity to excel in the classroom. Teachers have special skills to work with students regardless of their race, religion, family, or home. A majority of students come from families of two married parents (68%), while other students come from families of one mother (23%), one father (5%), or neither, where the child is raised by a different guardian (4%). Some students in tradition households (two married parents) still experience hardships such as abuse, fighting, or neglectful parents. Students that live in the non traditional household (32% from above) may be in a better or worse situation than those in the traditional. Children with one mom, one dad, or a different guardian may be put into a bad school experience because they don't have anyone to help or drive them at home. In the household I grew up in my mother would always "nag" me to do my very best at all times and get my work done on time. In other structured families, children might not experience that person in their life that will drive them or make them a better student. Nevertheless, students who are in traditional, nontraditional, or poor family structures still receive the same opportunities in the classroom. It is the teachers job to work with the students and do everything it takes to help them succeed.

Chapter 2. Today's Students (Summary)

How does Gender Influence Students?

In the section, “How does Gender Influence Students?” Gene Hall put the idea of gender and education into perspective. She displayed how each of the sexes is generally better at some subjects rather than others. This theory ties back to the biology of the gender’s brains. However, a lot of the time, students don’t drive themselves in certain classes because of the fear of being ridiculed by peers. The fact that boys and girls are naturally better in some subjects than others is not regularly thought of. Nevertheless, it is important in taking into consideration for educators teaching those “gender specific” classes.

Chapter 2: Today's Students (In depth response)

How does gender influence students?

Gender plays a role in the way some students preform in school. In fact, some students actually do worse in classes because they believe they will be viewed differently by their peers. For example in art class, boys may be hesitant to try and excel because they believe it will make their appearance of masculinity diminish to their friends. This situation is based from one of the sexes being hesitant in trying their hardest; however, some studies have reported actual differences in testing scores in certain classes for boys and girls. In math and science, boys have historically preformed better than girls. For girls; however, studies have shown that they preform better in speaking, reading, and writing than boys. While this is certainly not a cardinal rule, some differences have been detected. This is an interesting concept to think about because each sex should be given the same opportunity in every subject. This concept is attributed to biological differences between the way boys' and girls' brains work. Girls tent to favor the left hemisphere of the brain which is responsible for sequential skills, speaking, reading, and writing. The right hemisphere is responsible for spatial relations which leads to better scores in math and science. Teachers should keep these studies in mind when they teach their "gender specific" courses.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Teacher

Pros:

• Most teachers say they want to teach because they care about children and youth and believe they can make a difference in the lives of their students.
• I truly believe that I will be able to impact student's lives by becoming a teachers. I am very excited to help them become better at math and share my life experiences with them.
• Excellent teachers hardly ever stop thinking about the subjects they teach.
• I love math so much that I think about it all day. I try to connect some sort of situation to math or physics so I can understand it better. As a teacher I believe I will be able to help students make connections between the real world and the math they are learning.
• By 2012 around 700,000 teachers—almost one of four current teachers—are projected to retire.
• Because math is an under covered subject area for many schools across the country, I am not worried about finding a job. However, I would like to teach in Maine because I love it here and I received the Educators for Maine scholarship loan. That requires I teach in Maine for the next four years after I graduate so my loan is forgiven in full.

Cons:

• Teaching, at first, does not pay well.
• This is troubling to me. I am extremely excited to become a teacher; however, I am disappointed in the pay. I know I will be doing what I love for the rest of my life, and that in and of itself is pay enough. 
• Some students seem to resist learning.
• It will seem difficult at first to get students to stay on task, but I hope with more experience I will be able to use many "tricks" to solve the problem.
• The assessments that need to be passed include standardized paper and pencil tests, portfolios, case studies, student teaching or internship, comprehensive examinations at the end of the program and projects.
• There are a very large number of exams and requirements that future teachers need to pass in order to become a teacher. I am a bit overwhelmed and apprehensive about it. I know; however, that I will be able to work hard and pass the requirements no matter what.