Artistry, Equanimity, & Power

After-school program

2008-07-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a short video showing part of the field experience for the Introduction to Urban Education course during the May, 2008 semester.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbkaVs92KKw
As part of this experience the TCNJ pre-service teachers developed four curriculum components. These components were dance, cooking, and arts and crafts. Students were divided into four groups and participated in a different activity each day. It was decided to have two distinct art groups instead of just one because funding for the school's art program had recently been cut and the students do not have the opportunity to engage with artistic projects. The first arts group created scrapbooks using pictures of their peers. The second art group created paper mache pinatas. The dance group learned three types of routines -- Latin, Chinese, and Middle Eastern. Finally, the cooking group made homemade salsa, desserts, smoothies and pizza.

Did I Miss Anything

2008-04-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Did I Miss Anything

Tom Wayman

Originally from: The Astonishing Weight of the Dead.
Vancouver: Polestar, 1994.

Did I Miss Anything

Question frequently asked by
students after missing a class

Nothing. When we realized you weren't here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 per cent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I'm about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 per cent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring this good news to all people
on earth

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
gathered

but it was one place

And you weren't here

Advice for new teachers (from veteran teachers)

2007-07-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

All of our graduate students conduct an oral history with a veteran teacher. Below are short excerpts from those interviews.

"...a first year teacher should make friends with grade level colleagues and if they offer their help, always take their advice and smile, despite if you agree with them or not. He advises a beginning teacher to get familiar with the school as well as the district as a whole. He encourages organization and to ask other teachers for advice to get classroom supplies. Most importantly, Anthony feels that whatever happens during the day, ends that day. If you have a bad day with a class, the worst thing to say to them the next day is, “We are not going to have a day like yesterday!” He advises a beginning teacher to go on from that point and don’t look back. Finally, Anthony emphasized the use of a mentor. He feels that a mentor should be one of the most important people in a beginning teacher’s career."

"...go into the classroom with a positive attitude and an open mind. The classroom can be a scary place at first. Most first time teachers are overconfident. The classroom takes a few years to get used to and it gets very frustrating at times. I remember when I first started teaching I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have much of a plan. I heard in college that if you try to be your students’ friend they will eat you alive. I became too strict as a result. I gave too much homework and I wasn’t lenient enough.”

"I asked Mrs. Smith to describe what I can expect from my first few years of teaching based on her experience. The first word that jumped out of her mouth was insecurity. She remembers questioning herself every day if her lessons were getting through to her students and at times, feeling helpless when there was a lack of progress. “I learned to increase my knowledge of the school’s curriculum and plan lessons that engaged students by incorporating their interests.” Mrs. Smith also described how it was initially difficult to discipline her students. She explained that she learned two things rather quickly; first, positive reinforcement will give students confidence and help their behavior and second, perhaps most important, is to remain consistent. “If you say that there will be no “fun time” if someone misbehaves, then you always have to follow through on that,” she described. “Also, if you promise that a student will be rewarded for doing something, then you must always provide that reward.” Mrs. Smith reinforced that after a short time, I will learn how rewarding it feels when I see that a struggling student starts to “get it”. “It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” she exclaimed."

"Not only are you a teacher, you are a social worker, counselor, disciplinarian. You have to provide resources to your students. You can do this by changing gears. You are constantly learning as a teacher.”

Perspective on the "American Dream"

2007-06-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

by Anna Larkin

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth" ~ Dan Rather.

Dictionary.com provides two conflicting characterizations for the meaning of truth: conformity with fact or reality or agreement with a standard; a verified fact of honesty, integrity, truthfulness. Truth is a central component in understanding and advocating for urban school children, curriculums and overcoming the archaic structure of American education. Unfortunately, the truth is that most urban youth are not reaching their full potential because urban school infrastructures for various reasons provide only the basic necessities of education for this majority of minorities.
My exposure to research data, miscellaneous text and personal interaction/discussion regarding poverty and oppression in my sociology classes at TCNJ facilitated personal internalization of certain truths and social inequalities. Further theoretical data and practical experience in this urban teaching seminar placed a face on that oppressed minority: students at Gregory School and a system of equal public education that is anything but equal. What I observed through tutoring in the after school program was primarily school work defined mainly as rote and drill assignments. Students lacked most school supplies down to the simplest items like paper and pencils and I do not recall ever seeing a journal or textbook of any kind.
“Schools have radically transformed over the past century” (Howard, 2003). Tyrone Howard charges colleges with the responsibility of dispelling stereotypes of urban deficit. It is absolutely clear the current problems in education are varied and complex. There is no absolute problem or solution however, it seems fairly obvious that the problems are easily identifiable and solutions plausible. Other scholarly data presented in this class (Kozol, Berliner) points out effectively how multiple elements of run-down urban communities, gang presence and street socialization, overall teaching profession, school district funding, curriculums, segregation, socioeconomic disparities, discrimination, stereotypes, and manipulated social oppression of the poor by powerful decision makers (wealthy and government officials) all contribute to failing schools, neighborhoods and student neglect. Martin Haberman exposes the deliberate practices of direct authoritarian instruction of most urban teachers with the sole purpose and presumption that urban minority students are capable of learning only basic skills. Jean Anyon likewise presents data on five diverse curriculums from authoritative direct instruction in what she labels as working class urban schools to student directed curriculum in affluent suburban schools. The former limits students in a “hidden curriculum” of learned obedience with the projected target of labor.
In the past two years, I evolved from total ignorance that racial prejudice, discrimination and white privilege even existed to acceptance and finally to the frightening reality of what seems like a covert operation to contain social classes and status quo in America. I always knew my compassion and hard work could make a difference in other children’s lives as a teacher and advocate but I question whether I can overcome the multiple obstacles urban schools currently face and still maintain effective quality teaching? Spending three weeks in an urban school setting as we have done is a mere introduction to the reality of teaching in urban schools and student needs. I will continue my teacher preparation during student teaching this fall in the Trenton Public School District.
I believe that all children deserve the challenge of reaching their full potential and education should provide that human right with every citizen sharing responsibility. A successful system of pedagogy needs to be supported by a continuing comprehensive system of reform and unification in all public schools. I cannot predict whether my abilities are sufficient to be an effective urban teacher but I know my desire and will are. Until the dream of equality becomes a reality, dedicated teachers will continue to push students to reach their full potential, fight conformity of stereotypes and promote the truth of integrity and honesty opposed to the standard of cultural majorities that proves to be the bane of urban education. It is a social tragedy educating a majority population to conceivably be “unemployable, unable to think and make moral choices” (Haberman).

Portraits and Beliefs

2007-05-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

"I want my classroom to be a place of discovery and exploration."

"Facts are important, but students also need to be able use their knowledge in everyday life."

"When a student is happy about learning, a teacher is equally joyful."

"Understanding the diversity of learning styles and student experiences is vital in giving every student the opportunity to succeed in the classroom and become a lifelong learner."

"I like to see smiles on student’s faces because I know that they are enjoying and have fun with their work."

"I’m sure I do not remember all of the content taught to me in grade school, but I do remember teachers who have affected my life and made me always want to become more; Now that is what I want to do."

"I strongly believe that all students need a safe and secure learning environment where they can feel comfortable to express their opinions and inquire about the world around them."

"Children learn so quickly and I think it is absolutely amazing to watch them learn and make connections."

"My classroom will be a safe place where students can share ideas and become a family of learners."

"I am looking forward to meeting my future students, and I am looking fondly towards the many years I will be in the classroom."

"Loving what you do day in and day out is essential in the teaching profession. "

"Everyone makes mistakes, but I want my students to see every mistake for what it is: the chance to do better."

Classroom Management in Middle School

2007-05-03T06:05:00.001-07:00

by Jenny Sabbagh

Before teaching at Lawrence Intermediate School, I was always afraid to teach middle school. I thought that middle school students were impossible, filled with attitude and drama. Although a lot of this is true, my biggest success at Lawrence Intermediate School has been learning how to manage a middle school classroom. When I first started at LIS, I spent a good portion of the class time just trying to organize the students and get everyone focused so that they could pay attention to me. I spent so much time on this that learning almost took a back seat. As I got to learn the students and feel more comfortable, I found different ways to implement routines into our classroom. It was important to take into consideration individual children’s behavioral style. For example, some students that talk constantly had to be given three warnings and had to be dealt with more aggressively. Seating arrangement plays a big role in this as well. When arranging my seats for my unit, I strategically placed my students. Obviously, students that will talk were not put next to each other. Although there are obvious reasons for placing students in a certain way, I had no idea how complicated something like seating arrangements can be for a teacher! Surprisingly, where the students are seating greatly contributes to the overall atmosphere and success of the classroom. One particular student that I had constantly wanted to know EVERYTHING that was going on. It could have been the color of my hair tie that day, he had to know everything. This student needed to be in the front so that he paid attention, but I also made sure that he was not by my partner and me or our cooperating teacher. Although seating arrangements helped me with classroom management, I found routines to be the biggest help. When the students entered the classroom, they had to go to their seats and work on their vocabulary. If they didn’t have their vocabulary, they automatically start to talk and move around the classroom. Students were also told that they should not go to the bathroom if I am in front of the classroom teaching (unless it is an emergency, of course). These, along with many other routines, really help to make the class time run a lot smoother. If these routines were not put into place, a lot less learning would occur and so much more time would be spent on organizing and punishing the students.

ACB Reflection

2007-05-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

The night before our first ACB class I got no sleep, I was nervous, anxious, and totally scared. That morning I looked and felt like a train wreck, my stomach hurt so badly, that my professor actually asked me if I was going to be alright, needless to say I do not handle stress well. I found out that my placement was going to be in a sixth grade social studies classroom in Lawrence. I was so excited when I was told my placement and who my partner was. I love history, and I plan on taking the Praxis test for grade 6-8 certifications for middle school Social Studies and Language Arts endorsement.

This semester had its highs and lows. There were days when my cooperating teacher frustrated me (and I’m sure I did the same to him), times were my students were not prepared with this homework, but defiantly remembered to bring their attitudes, and days when I just felt that I did not have what it took to be a teacher. Despite the lows, there were definite highs that outweigh any negative experience I may have had. My students surprised me more than once with this eagerness to learn new units, and their questions/connections lead to so many insightful class discussions. My cooperating teacher was extremely patient with both my partner and I, and he would “debrief” after each lesson we taught while giving us lists of things to work on. He answered every question we asked him not only about teaching in the classroom but also things like “how do you deal with the administration, what type of organization do you use, and how do you handle a problem student?”

When it all comes down to it, ACB was an amazing preparation for student teaching. I struggled a lot this semester, and doubted myself more than necessary. I would not have been as successful as I was if it were not for my professor’s constant support, my AMAZING partner Val, my insightful coop, and of course my wonderful students. Never in my life has a semester made such an impact on me before as this one has.

Home/School Connections and Boundaries

2007-05-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

by Jenny Sabbagh

For my culminating activity, I am having the students write a newspaper article and then present the article in a news report fashion. We will be videotaping them, bringing in refreshments, the students are dressing up, etc. My partner and I sent home a letter to the parents inviting them to come at the beginning of our full time. We only heard from one parent. Although I realize that some of the students may have completely neglected to give these notices to their parents, and some parents probably have to work, but I was really disappointed with this count. I think that a home/school connection is so important and parents should be more involved with their students learning. Depending on where one works, I’m sure that the parent’s involvement varies. Even being with these students for the short time that I was, I have realized that the students that share the knowledge that they learn at school with their personal lives seem to gain much more out of the experience. This has inspired me to work very hard on this when I have my own classroom. I want to be sure that as many parents as possible are involved. As I have been thinking about ways to implement this into my teaching style, I came up with some conflicts. When is the teacher allowed to get involved and not step on the parent’s boundaries? How do you motivate parents to want to be involved in their child’s schoolwork? I think it is first and foremost important for the teacher and the parent to sit down and realize that they probably have similar goals for the child. The problem is how to achieve these goals. It would be beneficial for the parent and teacher to sit down together and discuss this in great detail so that they are on the same page. The teacher could also offer some more assistance than what is required on parent/teacher conference night. Many teachers call home when a child is misbehaving and/or failing, but it may be helpful for teachers to contact the house even when a child is right on track or did something great! The main goal is to form a relationship! I know this must be really hard, but I find this to be extremely important and I hope to be able to accomplish this when I have a classroom of my own.

Teacher/Mentor/Friend/Therapist…

2007-05-01T04:47:00.001-07:00

by Laura Brady

I think teachers do not get enough credit. I know, what student teacher/teacher wouldn’t say that? But in all seriousness, teachers have a lot more responsibility than many other professions. Teachers are supposed to be guides, mentors, friends, experts at subject areas, and even psychologists at times. This occurred to me the other day after we had taught one of our lessons. During the lesson, one of our students who usually participates a lot in class and is very outgoing, was sitting quietly and withdrawn at his desk. Even after going over and trying to help him with the assignments, he just sat there with a blank look on his face. When I tried to ask him what was wrong, he wouldn’t answer but looked like he was about to cry. Our cooperating teacher told us that he sometimes gets like that and to leave him alone for the time being and she would talk to him after the lesson was over – otherwise he would break down. After the lesson, she pulled the student aside and talked to him. The student was having very difficult issues at home and started to cry uncontrollably once the teacher started talking to him. She gave him a box of tissues, sat next to him and tried to soothe him as she gently prodded him to answer her questions to figure out what was wrong. After talking with him for about twenty or thirty minutes the student became a little calmer and the teacher called his home to try and work things out for him. While she may not have been able to solve his problems, she was able to calm him down and he returned to class after gym in his normal outgoing mood. The student once again felt safe and happy in the classroom and was able to put his full attention on the lessons he was to learn. It surprised me a lot that day to see our cooperating teacher deal with these issues with the student. She is a great teacher and mentor and I’m glad that I was able to learn from her the kind of teacher I want to be. I think I expected her to ignore the issue or send the student to the guidance office or nurse’s office to figure things out. Instead, she knew that the student respected her and trusted her and she took the initiative to do what she could to help the student. She had his best interest at heart and was able to help him move past his issues at least for the time being. Many people do not realize that teachers deal with more than just getting students to learn basic math facts or writing techniques. In order for students to learn, they have to have their basic needs met and need to feel safe and secure in the classroom. Teachers need to provide the students with safety, security, and trust in order to be effective teachers and that adds one more thing that we as student teachers need to remember when we prepare ourselves for student teaching again next year.

Goodbye, ACB

2007-04-30T04:49:00.001-07:00

by Elizabeth Abken

Wow, I can’t believe that this semester is over. ACB has been an experience. It’s been a good experience, a bad experience, a horrifying experience, and a satisfying experience – all at the same time. These past few months have most of all been a learning experience. And boy, have I learned a lot. Hopefully, my students have learned a lot too.
I have gotten to experience first hand the stresses and rewards of teaching. I have toiled over lesson plans with my partner, trying to make them interesting and exciting for the students. I have gotten satisfaction when on Friday as I left, students told me that they would miss me and asked why I wasn’t coming back anymore.
It’s been a challenge and while I have enjoyed my time at the school, I’m still relieved that it’s over! However, I am thankful for this experience. I know that it will prepare me for this time next spring when I am student teaching, and this time in two years when I will (hopefully) be closing out my first year as a classroom teacher.

Absences

2007-04-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

by Laura Brady

When we first started teaching our unit during full time, I was a little nervous and a little excited. I wasn’t sure how the students in our 6th grade special education class were going to react to having social studies lessons on Ancient Egypt every day. There are only six students in our class and our final culminating project was to have them write and publish a book with facts they learned from each of our lessons. They would keep an “Egypt Journal” and write at least three or four facts in it for each lesson we did. We thought this would be a relatively easy thing for the students to do with our help if they were able to attend and participate in most of the lessons. However, we seemed to have a problem with attendance during the two weeks. The first day of full time, there was a major rain/snow storm and three of the students were unable to make it to school. We had already scheduled to teach two lessons that day so that we would be able to fit everything in that we had to get completed. Our first two lessons were taught to only half the class. The second day was a little better but by the middle of the week, one of the students was sick and not doing much work in class, one student had been suspended and another had a breakdown in class and didn’t get much work done either. At the end of the week, only one student had been in class for all the lessons we had taught so far. Between our cooperating teacher having to get through what she needed to teach the students, and us trying to get through the rest of our lessons for the unit, there wasn’t much time to catch up the other students. We ended up taking time during the last two days to catch everyone up as much as we could, but some of them still did not finish their books by the final day. I was a little upset and disappointed that we couldn’t get more accomplished with the students. They were able to learn and retain a lot of information, which was so exciting. But it was hard not having all the students available for every lesson. Our cooperating teacher was helpful, but it makes me nervous about teaching my own class of 20 or more students. If you’re trying to teach an important unit, or prepare students for a test, how do you catch them up if they miss a lesson or two? You can’t take time away from teaching new lessons to the whole class just to review for a few students. But you don’t want to go ahead too far where the ones that were absent won’t be able to catch up. I guess it’s another one of those things that we’ll just have to learn with practice…

Facing the consequences

2007-04-28T14:16:00.001-07:00

by the artist formerly known as "L.Y."

As I am writing this, I am experiencing my first hosting of “Detention” for my fifth grade class. Upon starting a two week unit, the class was told that there would be an incentive for handing in completed work on time. Several students had already been having difficulties getting work completed (50% of the class handed in the last assignment late). Therefore, we wanted to challenge them and see who was able to meet the demands and alter their past performance.
The rules were set out in the beginning of the unit; out of two weeks, only four homework assignments could be handed in late, and even this was discouraged. However, if they had more than four late homework assignments they would not be able to participate in our incentive. The incentive, which was a movie and snacks on the last day of the unit, was not revealed to the students for fear that they might say it was not a great incentive and not complete their work anyway.
Well, since I have said I am hosting “detention” now, you can imagine somewhat how it turned out! Six students failed to meet the demands of the challenge, regardless of countless warnings they were reaching the borderline. Their response; crying from one, bribing to do extra credit from another, blank and upset faces, and my favorite, “well guys, we deserve it, we need to face the consequences of our actions!”
On the other side of the fence, participating in an incentive now are about nineteen students, several of whom had difficulty getting their work done previously and they pulled through! Many of these students made sure to ask questions about the homework to make sure they knew exactly what was expected and they went the extra mile to make sure to get it done. One student who had previous difficulty getting work completed had a perfect attendance when it came to getting the work completed!
Overall, I feel that the incentive was beneficial. It reduced the late homework by about 50%! However, having this particular incentive may not be the most practical or cost effective type that can be used during an entire year of teaching. Alternative incentives will have to be created.

Last day

2007-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

by Leeann Perry
When I started the practicum at the beginning of the semester, I was more than a little bit hesitant about being in a 6th grade classroom. I had zero experience at this level. How would the students act? Could I talk to them like adults or should I still give my lessons as if they were children? How in the world can lessons last a full 90 minutes? Is it true that the Middle School years are the hardest to teach? These were just some of the questions running through my head when I was given the placement.
The first few weeks ended up being rough on me, especially since I know that our first attempts at lessons were rather pathetic. I just kept dealing with it and working to get through the experience with the sole goal of surviving until my real student teaching next year. After several weeks of being in the school just on Thursday s and Fridays I finally came to the realization that I was allowing my mixed feelings about the grade level to affect my teaching ability. Irregardless of whether or not I wanted to be in that class, these students deserved the best junior year student teacher they could get!
This determination brought me up to the point in the semester where we were responsible for creating a two week unit that would be taught in our last two weeks at the school. Although it involved an extreme amount of planning, effort, and time the unit was actually exciting to create. We were making our lessons our way and not merely following the directions of the co-operating teacher. Also, the lessons were being taught back to back, and not once a week.
Building on the excitement and pride in my own lesson plans and my new found determination to thrive in my placement, I started the last two weeks with what could be described as a passionate desire to teach these students about poetry. It was great and my teaching ability greatly improved, just by changing myself on the inside.
The first few days of the unit were stressful and tiring. It did not seem as though the students were learning anything at all. They were unable to complete the writing assignments. Resolved to not let circumstances block my path to success, I kept at the lessons, hoping that somehow the information would suddenly make sense for the students. Each day got a little bit easier.
Yesterday was our last day in the school, which meant the students were presenting their original poetry to the class and any interested parents. Listening to the students read their poems allowed me to see just how much each and everyone understood from all our lessons. Strangely, reading the student work and grading their writing was not nearly as meaningful to me as hearing them be read. Our efforts were not in vain. During the second class, they had a few minutes left at the end of the class period when they were given a few minutes of free time. This meant that all the students went up to the board and started doodling. As a class they decided to write “We heart Ms. Perry and Ms. Hatrak” and signed their names underneath. That alone made my all my effort this semester worth it. The students kept asking if we could come back because they really enjoyed having us. To totally blow my mind away, we were each given a thank-you card signed by all the students. Teaching may have a lot of stress and work connected to it, but everything will be validated by the impact one has on one’s students.

The importance of home-school connection

2007-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

by Krista Going

Home-school connection does just that in connecting the school life to the home life and is an important aspect of teaching. This connection is more than just letters home to parents or guardians and the once or twice a year conferences, rather it is about regular phone calls home, parent or guardian signatures on any and all work that is less than satisfactory, and continually keeping the home updated on what is going on with the student both academically and socially.
In all my teaching classes and throughout my in-school observing and teaching, I have rarely been taught the importance of the home-school connection until this semester. Home-school connection was one of the sections that was a requirement for our unit in which we had to describe how we would achieve a home-school connection while teaching our two week unit. Even while writing this section, my partner and I took it to mean a letter home in encouraging parents or guardians to practice origami, which was one of our tools in teaching and reinforcing the concepts of geometry. It was not until our two weeks of full time, as we taught our unit, that I really realized what home-school connection meant.
Our cooperating teacher is very big on the home-school connection in keeping parents up to date. If a grade is received on a test that is less than a 70 then it requires a parent signature. If a homework assignment is missed then the student either pulls his/her name from the card box and a parent is called during the class to notify of the missed assignment or a ‘missed homework pass’ is sent home with the student to be returned the next day signed by a parent. I think getting a parent’s signature on poor grades and missed homework is a great way to keep parents notified on how students are progressing and the work they are doing as a signature ensures the parents are aware.
My cooperating teacher will also call home to talk to the parents about a student’s behavior, whether good or bad. This particular aspect of home-school connection was what really helped me to realize that importance of a good relation between the teacher and the home of a student as it was demonstrated during our two week unit. One particular student has disruptive behaviors in calling out, being talkative, and/or rudeness and the teacher called home after a particularly bad day with this student. The next day we saw a complete 180° in the student’s behavior and after two days of good behavior and participation during the lesson our cooperating teacher called home again to compliment on the student’s good behavior.
I think calling home for good and bad behavior is a great way to not only keep the parents notified but it is also a very effective way to create a change. When the punishment for bad behavior and the acknowledgement of good behavior comes from both home and school and the two work together, the effect is much greater. Also, calling home for both good and bad reasons allows parents to be more willing to listen and help rather than scared to take a call or ignore one because all calls from the school are negative. Calling for positive and negative reasons keeps the lines of communication open and is a major aspect of home-school connection.

Surviving ACB

2007-04-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

by Christy Corbally

The weeks leading up to my ACB semester were filled with nervousness and a sense of doubt. I had heard plenty of horror stories about the trials and tribulations of the ACB experience and I was not overly confident that I could handle a 20 credit semester. Thankfully, during the first week of class, some of my worries were eased when all of our assignments were laid out for us on four month wall chart. It was a relief to see that there was a definite end and that the work may not be completely impossible.
In the weeks that followed, the work started to increase little by little; it was very gradual. Having five days of class took a while to get used to, but the early alarm clock simply became part of my daily routine. We also started to develop a relationship with our 6th grade cooperating teacher and the 77 students in our three language arts classes. Soon we learned that our unit would revolve around a novel, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I was excited to learn about our unit topic at such an early date, but I was also a little on edge about the responsibilities surrounding the teaching of a novel.
After spring break, the work really started to pile up. Not only were our units due, but we were also responsible for keeping the students on track with the novel on a week to week basis. It was a never ending cycle of class, homework, lesson planning, and a minimal amount of sleep. Again, once I found a rhythm, the workload seemed much more manageable.
Next came full time with our 6th graders. We had planned it so that the students finished the novel before our 2 weeks of full time began. This gave us a chance to do some lessons that our cooperating teacher needed us to accomplish, as well as lessons for our various professors. We did several lessons on prepositional phrases, vocabulary, and the interview process. The main part of our two weeks of teaching surrounded a newspaper group project. Almost everyday, students were given a portion of the 90 minute period to work on these group projects. As of now, we have seen about ten presentations and all of them represent hard work and good amount of group effort. Overall, I feel our project and our experience in ACB was a success and I feel as though, I received more from this experience than the students.

A Preposition Poem for you

2007-04-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

by Christy Corbally

After teaching far too many lessons on prepositions, I feel as though I should share my feelings from an artistic perspective. The following is a poem depicting my experience as an ACB student through the use of prepositional phrases.

Up very early we go
To the school each day
Along with Miss McCormick
With two cups of Dunkin Donut’s iced coffee
Toward the classroom we walk
Down the halls children gather
In the room we prepare our lessons
Around the room students are seated
In front of the room we teach lessons
About prepositional phrases
Along with adjective and adverb phrases
Between periods we prep
Despite our lack of sleep
Outside, I want to run away
But on we go again!

Interview delight

2007-04-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a success in the classroom! My partner and I planned to have a guest speaker come into our sixth grade social studies classroom to be interviewed by our students. The interviewee was a professor from our college who teaches courses only on ancient and modern day Greece. He has been a professor for fifty years, and is well versed with all the ins and outs of Greek culture. We prepared our students for today by telling them they were special because they were the only block to have the opportunity to speak to an expert on Greek culture. We told each of them to think of at lest 5 good questions to ask the professor.
The students came into class excited. They all shared their ideas with my partner and I before our guest came in. We went over some basic rules for an interview such as, a formal greeting (good morning, and welcome), no calling out or speaking over the guest, and a formal good bye/thank you. The students were instructed to take notes during the interview process, because any information they gathered may be used in their final project. I could tell that they were excited, but I was personally a bit nervous. In fact my partner and I were both nervous because the professor had not responded to our last three emails, and we were not sure if he changed his mind about coming.
However, he arrived at the school for the scheduled time, and our students greeted him with hardy hellos, and big smiles. At first I think the students were a bit intimidated. He had the appearance of a typical professor: tweed jacket and thick glasses; he used long detailed explanations to answer their questions, and a few times threw in words that were above their vocabulary level. However, he got the students laughing, sparked their imaginations about Greek mythology, and answered all of their questions with enthusiasm. Some students got into the interview process more than others, but almost every group (there were five) asked the professor questions.
Their questions ranged from topics such as: what advances did Pericles make before the Peloponnesian War, what achievements were made during Athen’s golden age, and what is the difference between a professor and a teacher? I was impressed with my students today; their questions and listening skills were excellent. I feel as though each student gained knowledge and information this morning, and I believe the professor was impressed with how much they already knew about ancient Greece. Hopefully this interview process not only inspired my students to want to learn more about the ancient Greek culture, but also showed the professor that young students are equally as inquisitive and bright as college students.

Looking ahead to student teaching

2007-04-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

by Dan Wolthoff

I am currently student teaching for two weeks in a 6th grade classroom in order to prepare me for full time student teaching next semester. I think that this experience is priceless in preparing future teachers for student teaching and ultimately a career in teaching. Getting up and ready for school everyday is something that I was not looking forward to, but now at the end of the second week I have been waking up an hour before my alarm clock and going to sleep at times when I was 10 years old. I thought that this routine was going to be hard to get into after living the college life for the semester, but I found it was not and I think that this will help me next semester when I student teach.
Along with getting into the routine of being in a school everyday, the time spent in the school with the students and teaching is priceless. I remember being so nervous having to prepare and teach a lesson, but now I do not have to think about it twice. I have talked to friends in education departments from other schools and they do not have the education curriculum we have. And I am thankful for The College of New Jersey’s education curriculum because I could not feel more prepared or confident for student teaching and my teaching career.

Origami craze!

2007-04-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

by Jackie Festa

My partner and I are in a 6th grade math classroom, and the unit we are in the middle of teaching to two of the classes is on the basic concepts of geometry. We had decided to incorporate the art of origami while teaching these concepts because we felt this would engage the students and make it a little more interesting for them. We have so much to cover in this unit that we had to start two days earlier than the official two weeks of full-time. I was nervous before the unit began that the students would not like our idea of Origami, and it would not capture the students’ attention because they might find it to be too hard. However I found that I had absolutely nothing to be worried about; the students were so excited about folding Origami and learning geometry. I could not believe it. My partner and I found students folding whenever there was spare time; the other 6th grade teachers were also telling us that they were catching students folding all the time. I just hope that these teachers do not get mad at us because it is distracting the students from their other school work. Furthermore it was so encouraging because our coop teacher liked the idea so much and she gave us such positive feedback.
Seeing the students so excited about learning and folding makes me feel so good. It really gives me the determination to make sure I make learning fun for all my students now and in the future. I realize that students can even have fun and be excited about math, a subject that many students find hard and discouraging. So far the reaction from this unit has given me the confidence that I am actually more ready for student teaching next semester than I thought I was in the past. I hope this unit continues to be a success, and the students truly learn and understand all the concepts in geometry while having fun folding Origami!

A discouraging experience

2007-04-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

We have been teaching our units for three days now and after all the work we put into them, it would feel good to get feedback on our lessons. While my partner and I teach, our cooperating teacher sits at her desk and writes emails and has no idea what is going on in the lessons. It would be nice if she told us that it was a really great lesson or even provided us with constructive criticism. The students seem to be enjoying the unit, and that is what keeps me motivated to put a lot of effort into teaching the lessons.

The students will learn the content of the unit solely through the lessons that my partner and I created, and the cooperating teacher does not listen to hear if the correct information is being given. She does not seem to care if the students understand the information, nor does she look over any of the work that the students complete.

It seems as though she wants student teachers in her room so that we can do the work for her. We stay with the class for the whole day, but we do not learn anything from her teaching. We maybe saw one or two actual lessons taught to the class throughout our whole experience. It is really discouraging to see teaching like this, and from this semester I have learned the type of teacher I do not want to become.

Discussing controversial issues with elementary school students

2007-04-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

by Ariel Donohue

As most people know by now, the Virginia Tech community and people across the country are in the wake of a terrible tragedy. It is difficult for many of us to cope with this type of incident or to imagine the same thing possibly touching our own school. I cannot help but think of how I felt when hearing about violent acts as a child, particularly when they occurred in school settings. It always made me fear the idea of someone entering my school and harming my peers. At a time like this, I begin to wonder what is appropriate to bring up in an elementary classroom and how a teacher should handle fragile situations like this one.
This semester, I have witnessed students asking the classroom teacher questions about current controversial issues, but I have not been satisfied with her reactions so far. Is it acceptable to try to explain these issues to 5th or 6th graders? I think that this might upset some students' parents and there is also the chance of providing them with inaccurate information. However, the idea of ignoring their questions or refusing to satisfy their curiosity is just not an option for me. Students need to be exposed to what is going on in the world around them. They should be constantly encouraged to ask questions about their surroundings and the discourse surrounding current events. It gives students such a different view of their place in society and also gives them an advantage in terms of their understanding of their own lives.
As a teacher, how should situations like these be handled?
Skills like these are not normally part of our curriculums in TCNJ classes. Important social and political issues like come up quite often and I definitely think that it is something worth discussing. I assume that judging how to appropriately deal with these situations will become easier with time. The more time I have spent in the classroom with my students, the better I have already become with answering their random questions. Hopefully, the same will happen with discussing controversial, and often scary, topics with my classes.

Not "Acting Black"

2007-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

by Jennifer Slavin

There is a gap between Black and White students’ academic success. It is a big problem and schools are trying to close the gap. One of the main problems is that if a Black student works hard in school, they are made fun of and said to be “acting White.” Many Black students purposely slack off on their schoolwork because they want connect with other Black students. One of my good friends in high school was Black, and he was one of the only Black students in the honors classes. He worked really hard and wanted to get ahead in life and become a lawyer. He was friends with all different groups of people, both Black and White. In my senior year, a girl wrote an article about him in the newspaper saying that he was not a “real Black” because he did well in school and he spoke proper English. This article not only really upset him, but it started a lot of controversy in my high school. No one should be singled out and made fun of for doing well in school. Teachers should be aware that this problem is occurring in many areas and should try to break the stereotypes of who does well in school starting at a young age.

Any grade will do

2007-04-16T06:35:00.001-07:00

I can not believe it is already time to teach full time for the next two weeks. At first I was not looking forward to teaching six graders because I always had my mind set on kindergarten but now I do not mind teaching an older grade. I did not think I would be able to do a good job with six graders but being in a six grade classroom now and seeing the students come in and seeing how excited they look when we are there makes me think that I am doing a good job. I realized that if I set my mind to something I can achieve it and I believe that is what I am doing now by teaching to these wonderful six graders. At times it can be hard trying to make them settle down and focus on what is going on but I think that I have been doing a good job.
I have already learned so much from this experience and I can not wait to teach the full two weeks because I know I will be learning more about my students and myself. Now, when someone asks me what grade I want to teach I do not think a particular grade matters anymore because I proved to myself that I could teach older grades. I have learned so much from myself this semester and it is sad to see it come to an end but now I know that I can do anything I put my mind too thanks to my teachers. I hope everyone will have a great experience the next two weeks!!!

Excitement, Rewards and What keeps it fun!

2007-04-15T03:54:00.000-07:00

I am getting really excited about the next two weeks! Friday was a long day, but also a very rewarding day. It was great to see the students so excited about what they were learning and what they were about to learn! I thought it was awesome that the students were so excited about the Origami. A simple thing like this had students really interested in the material and also they were learning! Good job ladies!! Larissa and I were making our decorations for the room in the hallway yesterday and the students were coming up to us asking questions and were genuinely interested and excited about what we were making. We were making the ionic Greek columns to put outside the doorway (they actually came out good. Stop by and come see them). We also made a sign that said welcome in Greek lettering. The students were all talking about what the sign said and they were excited that their room was going to be decorated like this. We also started hanging up the pictures of the Greek gods and goddesses on the bulletin board in our room and the students were all gathered around it talking about the gods and goddesses. This made me feel really great! It made all of the work that we put into it worth it. It is hard to explain, but I am sure you all know what I am talking about. It just made me so much more excited about teaching my unit knowing that the students were already interested and excited about it. I just really hope that I can keep them excited like this throughout the unit. I am hoping that what Larissa and I planned keeps them excited and wanting to know more. I know both of us really want to accomplish this and we both put a lot of time into deciding on our activities and assignments. We tried to include a variety so I am hoping that through all of the different lessons that we can spark the interest and excitement of every student at least once. I am excited for all of us! I just wish I could come see some of everyone’s units; I am sure there is going to be lots of talk about our lessons outside of class! Good luck everyone and see you on Monday!!!

Spare time to care

2007-04-13T03:50:00.000-07:00

Throughout my years as a student, I have had four educators that have changed my life in more ways than I thought possible:
In third grade I had a teacher that absolutely loved every student he had and showed it in the manliest way possible. He would be known to roll his wheelchair down the hallways, high-fiving former students, joking around with them, and inquiring about their progress in school since they left his class. Since then he has retired and moved across the country, yet he was still there for every major event of my life, such as my bat mitzvah and my graduation. To this day he still has students that reminisce about his class, and he even still calls some of us, we call him, and occasionally he has visitors that would spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation to visit one of their favorite teachers (I personally went this summer with both of my brothers, who also had him as a teacher).
In tenth grade I had a teacher that was so worried about my stress level that the amount of homework she assigned every night was inversely proportional to the size of the bags under my eyes that day in class. She was there for me through everything: she helped me through my first major break-up, she was my shoulder to cry on when my ex-boyfriend threatened to kill himself if I didn’t get back together with him, she was there holding my hand when the class bully got suspended when my mom found some of the bruises he left on my shoulder, she was there to protect me when he came back from suspension furious that he had to miss the class trip on which his group won a decent monetary prize that he couldn’t receive a portion of because he wasn’t there, she was my source of sound advice when I was faced with life changing decisions, and most of all she was my support group when I felt like the whole world was against me.
In eleventh grade I had a teacher that took pride in finding all of my strange little quirks that “make me who I am,” making fun of me for them but “loving me anyway,” mostly because she thought she was the only who noticed these quirks and it made her feel special, but…she loved me anyway. I still talk to her today, telling her everything going on in my life and going to her for advice on any major issues going on as well as with questions and suggestions for teaching (especially science) and she is still finding new quirks that I have all of the time. In fact, last year she even invited me to her wedding, despite my strange quirks.
And now, in college, I have this one professor who has also changed my life. After three years of college I have gotten quite used to professors that really just do not care about their students at all. They just go to class, present the material (present, not teach), assign homework, and leave, not caring whether or not the students understood the concept or if the assignments were really feasible. They especially do not care if there are outside factors affecting their schoolwork. Not this professor. In my most desperate time of need I was amazed that I could confide in her things that I could not even admit to myself. Not only that, but she made me feel like everything was okay, maybe even good.
The one thing that they all have in common is that they cared…or at least made me think that they did. They cared about me as a person, in ways that went beyond the classroom, and in turn I cared about everything they had to tell me, both in and out of the classroom. In fact, and I can’t say this for many teachers, if asked I could name at least five academic and five life lessons that I learned from each one of them. Never have I had a teacher that taught me more than these teachers did, both academically and personally. I can never thank them enough, if for nothing else, for showing me the kind of teacher I want to be.

Full-time

2007-04-13T03:47:00.000-07:00

by Ariel Donohue

Now that I am all prepared for my two weeks of full-time teaching, at least on paper, my concept of teaching has changed.  Today, my cooperating teacher asked me to fill out a chart for the next two weeks, specifying the topic, objectives, standards, materials needed, activities, and assessments for each lesson.  As I wrote my plans in a calendar form, I immediately began to feel that pressure that all teachers feel to get everything finished on time-to not fall behind!
Before this experience, I had only taught isolated lessons where the classroom teacher was fairly generous with giving me time to complete all of the activities.  On the occasion that I did run out of time, it was never a problem because the lesson was not part of the teacher's plans.
This time, my cooperating teacher has left me in charge of the next two weeks in terms of planning and carrying out the lessons.  If we do not get through a lesson, it is my responsibility to find time to make up that work with the students.  If the students are not understanding the material or performing well enough, I take the blame.  Everything feels like it is in my hands, but I like it so much better.  Rather than being an observer in the room or a sort of "guest teacher," the students see me as one of the teachers in the room.  Of course, I do not yet have all of the pressures of a full-time elementary teacher, but I am already getting a little taste of what that is like.  These next couple of weeks will be a new adventure and hopefully all of our hard work will pay off!
Even if it is more responsibility, I think that we are all ready for it  because this is why we are really doing what we do.

Are we ready?

2007-04-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

by Amanda Gramcko

There are less than 3 weeks until the end of our ACB experience. For many of us, student teaching is just around the corner and in about a year and a half, some of us will have teaching positions at an elementary school. To think that we are almost done and that we will soon be ready to start our careers is unbelievable. This begs the question “Are we ready?”
It takes about four years to obtain a bachelors degree. I was under the impression upon entering college that this was enough time to become an “expert” in a particular area. I have worked very hard and have taken challenging courses that will prepare me well for teaching. However, I have come to realize that there is so much to learn in order to become a successful teacher. There is no way, in four years, that one can learn everything or even close to everything about how to teach effectively and/or the content we are to teach. Due to this fact, many student teachers are experiencing anxiety about whether or not they are ready. I argue that this anxiety is normal, but unnecessary.
I think we are. We are not going to know everything and we are going to make mistakes. However, we have had an excellent education that, in my opinion, has prepared us for the best and worse case scenarios in teaching. I’ve been told multiple times that The College of New Jersey prides itself on the qualified and innovative teachers it sends out into the work force. In addition, both qualified and unqualified people have been teaching throughout history. Our teachers did not know everything and they started somewhere too. Yet, as students, we often thought they were the smartest people in the world.
There is most definitely a lot that we have yet to learn about teaching strategies and content. However, we will learn a lot in these next three weeks and in student teaching. What is not known now will be learned throughout our years of teaching. As teachers, we should be developing and reflecting upon the success of our classrooms each year. I think we are lucky that we have chosen a career that will challenge us to be constantly improving. Year by year, we can, if we so choose, push ourselves to become better teachers.

Three letters from Teddy

2007-04-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Although few will admit, there are students within your class that you like better than others for reasons you cannot exactly say why. Just as there are those students you like more than the rest of the class, there are also those students you like less. These likes and dislikes are usually felt for no apparent reasons nor do they follow a specific event, the feeling just exists and can be a factor in ones teaching behavior and mannerisms. Even as a student teacher I can see/feel this favoritism happening, as unprofessional as it is, and I am only with the students two days a week. It is very similar to being a camp counselor as each counselor has those campers he/she favors and those that are just on their bad side. The difference between having students you like and dislike as a teacher and having campers you like and dislike as a counselor is that a camp counselor, unlike the teacher, is responsible for little to none of a child’s educational learning or academic growth and favorites do little to affect a child’s educational progress.
Of course it is great to teach students you particularly enjoy interacting with and giving them attention and praise, but what about those students you particularly dislike interacting with? All students deserve and are entitled to the amount of attention they require to succeed. Not all students need the same amount of attention as some are much more independent, others need a quick five additional minutes of helps, while others are dependent upon one on one teaching. Giving the students the attention they deserve, require, and/or request is not a problem until one of the students you dislike is the one who requires the additional one on one teaching. Then it becomes a chore and you deprive your student of the valuable help you have the potential to give and leave him without the care and concern that as a student he is deserved.
In reading the story Three Letters from Teddy, I realized just how important it is to give each and every student the attention, help, and support they deserve. This teacher disliked her student Teddy for no apparent reason, however once she realized she was depriving him of care, her attitude towards him changed immediately. This young boy succeeded under the care, attention, and support he received from this teacher in the last half of the school year, and 15 years later he still has not forgotten her concern and care for him and his learning. Although I never thought I would be one to deprive a student of help, I can relate to and understand what it feels like to have a student/camper that I just dislike and I realize how easy it can be to just let that feeling prevail. After reading this story I will make every effort to give all students the attention and help they deserve as all students need, each and every year, a loving, caring, and concerned teacher. As Professor Johnson said, “Be on the lookout for Teddys, they’re out there,” a statement that all teachers, new and old, need to be reminded so as no student ever has to experience the lack of attention and care that Teddy had to for the first months of fifth grade.

How do I Solve 26 x 31?

2007-04-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here at The College of New Jersey, Elementary Education majors are responsible for taking a methods course which teaches mathematics for grades k-5. One of the most important topics of study is multiplication and knowing the best ways to teach this topic to students. The oldest way to solve multiplication problems is through algorithms. Newer methods such as partial product and the lattice method are becoming more and more popular. So which method is best?
After viewing a video on U-Tube titled, “Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth” I decided all ways are appropriate methods for a teacher to be fluent in for teaching multiplication. The reason being, not all students learn the same way. The traditional algorithm method applies to students who prefer to solve through formulas and repetition. The set up is the same, line up the number, if necessary carry the one over to then next place value, and then add up the results to obtain the product. This method focuses on place value and works addition and subtraction skills in a repetitive form.
The partial product method focuses on breaking up the numbers into small numbers, still focusing on the place value, but also working with mental math. This method works best for students who prefer to solve problems mentally, or do not like writing tedious applications.
The final method is the lattice method, which separates the numbers in a diamond divided square. This method works best for students who can not multiple large numbers mentally, and allows a break down of the problem into tiny, simplistic multiplication problems.
Personally, I was taught and enjoy using the traditional algorithm method, but the other methods are just as necessary and useful. Some students are going to relate to mathematical problems differently and want to solve them in numerous ways. A teacher must be prepared to alter lessons and methods so that they can conform to the needs of the students. Therefore, it does not matter which method is popular or easier, because in the long run every teacher should be familiar with as many varieties of methods as possible. Similar to the famous Forest Gump quote, “A class is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get, or who you are going to teach.”

Think before you speak

2007-04-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

How do you feel when you have a teacher that you can not go to or talk to? As you are reading this I want you to think; what you would do to make your classroom a stress-free/comfortable environment?
I have had many teachers that I could not go up to or talk because of the vibe that I was getting from them. I am feeling this now and have felt this multiple times in my life. I have had the courage to go up to many of these teachers and I always felt really awful after talking to them. I felt like I was receiving all of this negative energy and feedback and nothing positive was added to all the negativity.
How can you become a teacher when all you never heard of when growing up in the school environment was negative feedback? How can you give students both negative and positive feedback when you never really heard positive feedback in the school environment?
Most of my life I have always had negative feedback in school and I feel like I can not do anything positive. I believe this stops me sometimes from succeeding because I am always thinking negatively about something before I even start it.
As I sit in class, I am afraid to raise my hand and answer questions or give an opinion about something. I believe this is all from the negative experiences that I have had in the school environment. How do you know you can be a teacher when other teachers are telling you that you have a lot of work to do? How can I fix the mistakes that I have been doing when teachers never corrected my mistakes in the past and just said it was wrong? How do I know that I can be a teacher?
I think teachers should make sure they tell their students that they can feel free to speak up, say things even if they are wrong, and not to feel embarrassed. I hope to become a teacher one day and help students out and not put them down like a lot of teachers have done to me. I want the students to have a positive look on school as they think of their past experience in the school environment. I want you to all know what you say to your students is very important because it will stick with them for a long time.

Block Scheduling

2007-03-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Abken

After class discussions and casual one on one discussion with some of my peers, I have been thinking about the arrangement of our practicum site. This summer, the set-up, the 6th grade was completely changed. Instead of having one classroom teacher for all subjects, 6th grade teachers now needed subject specializations and were going to have departmentalized subjects. The change came because the school was not meeting some terms of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Another influence of NCLB seems to be in the decision to make Science and Social Studies taught to students every other day instead of daily. I assume this is due to the great emphasis placed on standardized tests, and the test’s emphasis on only reading, writing and math. What kind of message does this send to the students? That science and social studies are not important enough to be taught everyday? It is not only in this school, but many others that science and social studies get ignored or downplayed in the classroom. These subjects are just as important and also have many, many interdisciplinary connections with math and reading that can expand and enhance students understanding and skills in all subjects.

Another issue I see is with the “Activity Period” that is during the first 45-minutes of the day. There are some students who during this time have orchestra or chorus, but for at least half of the homeroom, students are sitting around eating snacks and goofing off with their friends. This does not seem like a good way to maximize the time that is spent in school. As we discussed in class – it seems like there are many hours in a school year for teaching, but when it comes down to it, there are not as many as you may first think. By incorporating a meaningful use of this time each day (for all students), it adds over 100 hours of teaching time to each school year.

Maybe I am biased because I prefer the regular 8-period schedule I had myself in middle school and high school. Math, reading, language arts, science, and social studies were taught every day along with gym, a special and a lunch period. I believe that reading and writing skills can and will blossom with science and social studies in the classroom everyday rather than every other day. Teachers can make connections between content areas and will greatly enhance a child’s learning in all areas. I am waiting for the day that test scores are not the end-all, be-all…but I’m not holding my breath.

Middle School – The Awkward Years

2007-03-29T13:23:00.001-07:00

by Elizabeth Abken

I consider my years spent in middle school to be some of the most awkward years of my life. I think that this is probably the same for many others as well. Most boys and girls are going through puberty and at the same time beginning to notice each other and develop crushes and short-lived romances. Academics are over-shadowed by who you sit near at the lunch table, what Jimmy said to Jane on the bus, and that new song on MTV. All of these outside distractions make it hard for a middle school teacher to get through to students.

The recent article in the New York Times (http://tinyurl.com/ypyygc) profiling middle school teachers confirmed my own generalizations about middle school teachers. First, there aren’t many of them and second, the teachers that do teach middle school generally are not there as their first choice. I think it takes a certain kind of person to deal with kids in those grades. You have to develop a balance between treating the students like the young adults they are and still maintain an appropriate level of authority. This is something that I personally do not find to be a particularly easy balance to strike.

Being in a middle school classroom this semester was definitely something that I was not thrilled about. I was frustrated with my placement, not only was I in sixth grade, but it was a science class. I am not much of a science person and to be honest, the science classes I have taken at TCNJ have not been very worthwhile.

With all of that being said, it actually has not been as bad as I thought it might have been. There have been good points and bad points, just as there are with everything else in life. While some students occasionally cop an attitude and talk back, there are more students who are interested and enthusiastic about the material. With that being said, I think I would still rather teach younger elementary grades rather than middle school, but I am glad that I have had this experience and it can only benefit me in the end.

Teaching how to teach is teaching too...don’t crush our confidence!

2007-03-28T05:36:00.001-07:00

Although many people take them for granted, confidence and self-esteem are vital elements in the development of a human being, and they affect every part of life. I know this because I do not have any. Although I have two incredibly loving parents and the two best brothers a girl could ask for, I sit quietly at the dinner table, feeling far too intellectually inferior to join into the conversation. Although I graduated at the top of my high school class, I very rarely felt smart enough to participate in class discussions. Even when it comes to relationships, I never felt worthy of the friends I have had, even the ones who I was told I was “above.” I have been told many times by many different people that I am the most insecure, self conscious person they have ever met, and anyone who knows me on a personal level will agree. I have had many teachers, professors, friends, and family members throughout the years who have made it their personal goals to try to boost my confidence level, and although it helps to know that others have more faith in me than I do, none of this can repair the damage that has been done.
As an aspiring teacher, it is almost sickening for me to think back to where and when all of these insecurities began. I was always a rather timid child, mostly because I never felt I had anything to say, but on the rare occasion that I did have something to share, I usually had no problem doing so. In fact, I remember enjoying sharing my ideas because it made me feel smart. All of this changed, however, in my middle school years when I was exposed to the worst teacher I could ever imagine. On the first day of classes, she told us that she used to be a lawyer and the only reason she quit that job to become a teacher was that she could not keep her temper in the courtroom and was constantly having to pay fines for her angry outbursts. That was my first clue that she did not belong in a classroom. The second clue was that by the time the class period was over, at least half of the class, including me, had cried at one point in time during the period. Despite the fact that I received the second highest grade in the class three out of four marking periods and never received a grade less than a 98 in that class, the woman still felt the need to take me out into the hallway to yell at me at least once a week. Throughout the year, other teachers noticed me trying not to cry or even hyperventilating before class and would try to convince me to go to the nurse or guidance counselor, but I refused, for I knew that if I arrived late for her class, even with a valid reason, I would just get it worse. I was also afraid to tell anyone…they just kept asking why I was crying all of the time and I would refuse to answer or make up some kind of excuse. She was the most verbally abusive person I have ever met in my life and no one has ever made me realize exactly how worthless I am as much as she did. In fact, I felt so worthless that I went to bed every night wishing I would not wake up in the morning, and I woke up every morning in hysterics because that wish did not come true. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think that is what school is all about. To me, school is to help students learn and grow in every way, molding them to be successful and responsible adults, and I do not believe that you can truly be successful in this world without the self respect and confidence of which this woman has robbed me and many others. Having her showed me exactly who I did not want to be when I became a teacher.
Since that experience, I have made great strides towards becoming more confident, and although many would not believe it, I have made great improvements. Recently, however, I had an experience that has made me digress back to where I was before: someone who I consider to be one of my mentors, who knows absolutely nothing about me on a personal level, told me that she “was not as generous” about my intellectual abilities as I was and that I was too generous. Throughout my life I have always been my own worst critic. I have always thought so low of myself that it never occurred to me that someone might think lower of me than I do. I understand that she probably did not mean it to sound this way and she was just trying to help me become a better teacher, but as an educator mentoring other educators, for she is aware that I see her as a mentor, I feel that she should understand that sometimes wording is everything and it could affect a student more than one would think. What’s worse is that after she tore me apart and eliminated what little confidence I had, she told me that if she were to grade this project it would be a B….yes, a B!!!!! Now I would understand a little more, though I never feel that it is ok to trample a student’s confidence as she did mine, if it was work that would merit a D or an F, but a B?!?!? How am I supposed to listen to those telling me to “stop the madness with your insecurity” if others are telling me that I give myself too much credit? How am I ever supposed to overcome my inferiority conflicts and make the student to teacher transition, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, if my confidence is being trampled?
As future teachers I feel that it is important for all of us to realize that, although constructive criticism is vital to academic growth, it must be dealt with in an extremely careful manner because confidence is also vital to growth, both academic and otherwise. It is also important to know your students in order to figure out the best way to help them correct their mistakes without damaging their self esteem. Perhaps if this mentor knew me as a person and how little self esteem I have, she would have been more careful to phrase her comments in a less condescending manner.

Reflection to “For Teachers, Middle School is Test of Wills”

2007-03-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

by Lauren White

Recently our professor emailed the class an article posted in The New York Times about the lack of credentials and numbers of well prepared middle school teachers, as well as the loss of middle school teachers. I must admit that before this semester, I was one of those students who planned on only working in a middle school if that was the only job that opened up after graduating. Even after observing different science and math classes in grade 7, I remained standoffish, convinced middle school was not for me.
This semester I am in a program at my school were student-teachers are teaching two days out of the week. Of course the most exciting aspect of the program in the beginning is what school are you in and what grade will you be teaching? When I found out at first I was going to be in a sixth grade class I was a little disappointed, then I found out it was a science class with blocked scheduling, including 6 classes total with 2 gifted classes. I was a little more challenged and somewhat excited. I had always worked with students between the grades of kindergarten and third, and now I was going to be teaching this new era of students and a specific topic I major in.

“Middle school is like Scotch,” she reflected in the teachers’ lounge one afternoon. “At first you try to get it down. Then you get used to it. Then it’s all you order.”

It has been almost two months since I have been with these sixth graders, and I must admit I have had a change of heart. Like the above quote from the article, middle school is all I seem to want to do now. The students are working on a level were they are starting to take risks and think beyond the expected. Students are also finding themselves and becoming independent, responsible for their own books, work, and projects, allowing the lessons to be more students directed. The students know what they need to accomplish in order to pass, and they take responsible for their actions, whether they are right or wrong. For example, some students forgot material to participate in an in class project, so they understood they would lose points, but brought in their own project the next day. A sense of self is developing, and the students are not afraid to express autonomy, but they also know they have teachers, family, and friends to fall back on.
After I graduate I will be certified to teach math and science from grades k-8, and I am looking forward to landing a middle school science class. I have been inspired by these students to take the risk and go where so many new teachers dare not go. I know many people teach in middle school because they can, but I want to teach in middle school because I should and I belong there. I feel I have learned how to relate with middle school students, as well as elementary and I am curious to see what I can accomplish with it.

Classroom set-up and it's affect on learning

2007-03-26T04:02:00.001-07:00

by Kate Castranova

The classroom environment that I am currently student teaching in is complete chaos. Things are falling off of the bulletin boards, jackets are thrown on the floor, and projects are thrown on a random desk in the corner of the classroom. The desks are randomly placed throughout the room, somewhat representing rows that may have been moved throughout the year by janitors and students in the class. Coincidentally, the class is extremely misbehaved and continually gets in trouble for losing focus. For myself, I think it is extremely distracting to spend the day in the classroom, so I can’t imagine how the students must feel. I’ve also noticed that most of the students lose handouts and worksheets that they are given, which may correspond to the disorganization of the room as well. My time in the classroom has stressed to me the importance of setting up a classroom in an effective manner. Classroom set-up truly affects student learning, so as future educators it is our responsibility to use classroom space as wisely as possible.

How can we do it all?

2007-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

by Kate Castranova

As a student teacher, I have already spent countless hours on a social studies unit that will last for only two weeks. The unit is filled with fun activities, in-depth research, questioning from every level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and detailed lesson plans. As I was preparing my unit, I couldn’t fathom doing this for every lesson that I will have to teach when I am an educator. During my three semesters of being in a classroom, I have seen many teachers that read out of the book for a lesson and now I understand why. There isn’t possibly enough time in the day to make every lesson interactive and exciting for the students. As a future teacher I am still optimistic that I will be able to find a sense of balance between doing an intense unit for every lesson and reading out of the textbook. I don’t think that teachers can do it all, but I think they can try their best to create lessons that promote higher thinking than reading out of a textbook.

Getting past first impressions

2007-03-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

by Laura Brady

As I’ve read about everyone else’s practicum experiences this past semester, I realize how different my experience is this year and how it is not what I expected it to be at all. When I first heard that I was going to be in a 6^th grade special education class I was a little disappointed. After all, 6^th grade is much older than my ideal grade level that I hope to teach someday and I’ll never really be certified to teach a special education class since I am not a special education major. The fact that the class only has six students was also a concern for me because I feel as though one of my weaknesses is classroom management. I was a little worried that with only six students and five adults in the room, I would not get a chance to try out different management strategies and learn how to effectively gain control over a class. With student teaching only a semester away and the real world after that, these issues made me worry that I would not be prepared to be an effective teacher. However, I decided to go into the class with an open mind and hope that I could learn things that I would be able to use in the future. So far, I must say things have really been great. I can’t say that I’m completely confident in my ability to manage a classroom or even to be a great teacher just yet. I have learned, however, many things that I know I will use in every class that I teach in the future. The students in my practicum class this year are great kids and have such an amazing level of respect for the teachers and each other. They also still have a desire to learn things despite the different obstacles that each of them has to overcome. I have learned how to differentiate lessons and be prepared with more information and different ways of explaining so that each student can understand the lesson and content. We will all at some point probably have a student or students in our classrooms that have IEP’s or students that have trouble learning material in the way that we are used to teaching it. Through this class I have learned to be more aware of how the students are doing and if any of them are having difficulty. I have also learned that only having six students does not mean that there will not be opportunities to use classroom management strategies. I still worry about how I will handle a classroom of 30 students, but I definitely feel more comfortable that when the time comes, I will be able to handle it. I still hope to work with younger students some day but I also found out that I like working with older students as well. I think going into this semester I was not in the frame of mind that I’m actually going to be a teacher soon. I felt that there were a lot of things that I was not prepared for and did not know how to do. Being an actual teaching that had a big impact on students was so far off in the distant. I realize now that it is a lot closer than I thought, and I’ve also realized that I am being prepared for it. It’s not quite as scary anymore. Although it may not be in the ways I expected, I feel that this semester is preparing me for student teaching and for my future classrooms.

High School Sports

2007-03-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

by Dan Wolthoff

The debate over high school sports is a new one to my ears. However, there has been a rising argument that high schools should do away with their sports programs because they are taking away from the academics of the school. Some of the arguments against high school sports include; lost classroom time because of pep rallies and sporting events, year-round schooling is denied because it will disrupt sports seasons, and coaches spend more time on their sport rather then their lessons.
I could not disagree with these arguments, or any arguments against high school sports more. I would definitely not be where I am right now without high school sports in my life. Throughout high school I played football in the fall and wrestled in the winter. These sports taught me discipline and kept me on schedule. I kept to a strict schedule during sports seasons because I would not be able to get through school any other way. I would wake up, go to school, go to practice, go home, do homework, and then go to bed. I am sure that if I looked back on my grades throughout high school, there is a drop every spring when I did not participate in sports.
High school sports also kept me on a straight path and kept my goals of college in sight. During the fall and winter, I had a game or match just about every weekend. This kept me away from the parties on the weekend and any drugs that could have been offered to me. I had to make sure that I was fresh for my football games and that I was the right weight for the wrestling matches. Without these responsibilities in my life, I am sure that I would have made different choices in my life. While, this might not be the same experience for every athlete in high school, I am sure that it is the experience of enough student athletes to keep high school sports around.

Child to Adult and Student to Teacher Transitions

2007-03-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Through years of growing up we all learn that the transition between childhood and adulthood is a very unclear and complicated process. As we are all now witnessing first hand, the transition between student and teacher is a complicated process as well. What I am just starting to realize for the first time, however, is that these two transitions go hand in hand: It is impossible to see yourself as a teacher and act as such if you still perceive yourself to be a child. Although this may sound like an extremely elementary realization, it may just be the cause of a majority of our uncertainties and fears that we may be fostering about becoming a teacher. This lack of clarity about when the transition from childhood to adulthood is complete is most likely the root of any and all inferiority conflicts that are holding us back and prevents us from changing roles from student to teacher. Although I love to act like and picture myself as a careless three year old, and this may sound depressing, we are no longer the children of the world; we are making that transition into adulthood, into the real world, into life. We are no longer the future; we are part of the now. This realization has been occurring for me little by little throughout this entire semester, and now is the first time I was ever aware of it enough to put it into words.
When I was two years old, I informed my mother for the first time that I was planning on becoming a teacher when I “grew up.” As I grew up I spent a great deal of time daydreaming of my future: starting a family and more importantly, (for this blog, anyway) becoming a teacher. This semester, however, I was faced with the fear that these dreams may be coming true all too soon and I am not going to be ready. It is funny how you spend your whole life dreaming of the day when your whole life falls into place and all your dreams come true, but as the time draws nearer you are scared to death. Seeing friends that have already made the transition after graduation blew my mind and brought me to the realization that I would soon have to make the transition as well, but I never could have imagined how much progress could be made so rapidly.
Although this sounds like an insignificant incident, the first noticeable occurrence that sparked my journey to realizing this concept and taking strides towards making the transition was our first day of practicum this semester when a student asked me for my name. I stuttered a bit as my mind fumbled through the different names I have been called through the years: (nickname) for the kids I baby-sit, Miss (first name) for the kids I teach at the daycare I work at as well as the kids in the kindergarten class where I spent my first semester of practicum, Ms. (last initial) for the fourth graders I taught in my second semester of practicum, to finally Ms. (last name) as stated on my name tag. Along with being called “ma’am” or “lady,” nothing makes you feel more adult than being called by a title followed by your last name. Coincidentally, is that not the first thing that makes you feel like a teacher?
Having practicum as often as we do this semester as well as the number of lessons we teach in practicum this semester definitely jump-starts the transition to becoming a teacher, but I am now starting to realize that experiences outside of the classroom play a great role as well. I realized this one day when I ran into one of my high school teachers and she looked at me and said “wow, you are all grown up now…You’re an adult,” and proceeded to ask me if I was teaching yet and how my studies were advancing. Although most of the time I feel as though I am the same person I was in high school and I have not changed at all, that is not true; I have grown up and matured a great deal. Realizing that others see you differently than when you were a child, they see you as an adult, really pushes you toward seeing yourself as an adult and acting as such. The funny thing is, though, that the next time I was teaching in practicum her words kept running through my mind and my attitude toward teaching was completely altered. I was much more comfortable, though I was still very nervous but I was much better than I have been, and it felt a little more natural.
After every bit of progress that was significant enough for me to notice my advances in this journey, I also noticed a change in my mentality as a teacher and an increase in my teaching abilities, and every time in class when we were told that we need to make that transition from student to teacher I felt that I was getting closer and closer to making that transition. It is interesting to think about this whole transition, however, because it starts out as a very internal process that slowly externalizes itself. Although I feel that I have made an incredible amount of progress in this area this semester, it is interesting to think that there is a chance that no one else even noticed what I feel to be one of the biggest strides towards accepting the fact that I am almost an adult now and almost a teacher, a thought that often scares me half to death.
This semester, both in and out of class, my whole life changed. I was faced with a challenge that finally forced me into the realization that I must make that transition from childhood to adulthood. The more it was drilled into our heads in class that we must make that transition from student to teacher, the more I realized that making the transition from child to adult is vital to my success as a teacher as well as a human being. These events and this semester in general have pushed me much farther along in the journey between childhood and adulthood than I have ever been pushed before in a 3 or 4 month period, which pushed me more toward the transition from student to teacher more than ever before. Although both of these are long, hard transitions to make, I am sure that as the semester continues I will only progress even farther.

Closing education gaps: Teach for America!

2007-03-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

by Kerrie McCormick

After having a discussion with some of my peers about the topic of Teach for America, which was mentioned in the New York Times article “For Teachers, Middle School Is Test of Wills,” I became very interested in finding out more. I really would love to spend some time teaching in an inner city because I think it would be a great and rewarding experience. I know it would be a huge challenge, but I would really like to take it on at some point after college. I would be able to work in the city through the program called Teach for America. With Teach for America, graduating teachers are placed in a low socio-economic community for two years. The schools will pay the new teachers the same salary and TFA will cover existing college loans, additional credited courses, or after the two years they will pay to further the teacher’s education. In return the teachers are meant to help close the education gap present in America. Poor communities are not given the same opportunities as wealthy districts and often the quality of the teacher may be lacking in poorer districts. With TFA, extremely qualified teachers are selected to work in these struggling school districts, in hopes of seeing a change. I think that graduating teachers need to become involved in failing districts so a turn-around can be made. It is not fair for poor students to receive a disadvantaged education because their families are experiencing financial difficulties. I feel that this opportunity to teach for America will offer students better opportunities to succeed in education and the challenges presented to teachers will also allow educators to see success in unexpected forms. I am really glad that I found out about TFA because I am highly interested in participating with the organization after I graduate. I think it would be an amazing opportunity with several benefits.

It's our future after all

2007-03-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

by Leeann Perry

While perusing the Education Week website, I came across the article “Beyond Pre-K” which really struck a cord with me. The main idea of the article is that more attention needs to be given to disadvantaged children throughout all of their school years. The author describes the results of a recent survey regarding the impact of pilot programs in which various methods for engaging the potentially troubled student are tested. This was of particular interest to me because one of my biggest dreams about my future classroom is that I would be able to reach such students and teach them more than enough reading and math to run a cash register. From what I have seen and heard from within my experience, it is all to easy to give up on the more troublesome students and to almost enable them to slip through the cracks. I have had a plethora of exposure to the economically disadvantaged in a wide variety of situations. I am far from being convinced that such situations are inevitable. With just a little bit of effort, a huge change can occur. Absolutely no one is destined for failure. It is through mistakes and poor choices that one lead oneself down that road.
The article mentions, and I wholeheartedly agree, how any action or program aimed at enabling the disadvantaged must be consistent. This is one arena of particular concern for me, yet I am concerned that others do not maintain equivalent desires for social activism within the classroom. Seeing the effects of the disadvantaged from my hometown to the international level has given me a great deal of passion about this particular problem. Others with different life experiences may not comprehend the severity of the bind that the disadvantaged faces. Because I know I have the capacity to pour out my heart for what I belief, especially concerning children, and others do not share the same feelings I wonder at the effectiveness of such an approach. If I strive toward the goal of helping all my students succeed and not just the favored few and I actually make significant progress with my disadvantaged students what is going to happen when their teacher the next year is rather apathetic? The statistics say that my work alone would not make a significant impact, but statistics are not everything. Besides, maybe there are more people who care than I think.

Here’s the link to the article.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/19/28heckman.h26.html

Where's the motivation?

2007-03-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

by Dan Wolthoff

Where is the motivation to becoming the absolute best teacher you can be? It certainly does not come with the paychecks, so I ask again, where is the motivation? It also does not come with the possibility of promotions, unless you want to go back to school again, and then again, and again.
Educators are a different breed in this country. They go through just as much, if not more school than many other people go through in college, but that is not reflected in their salaries. A business major can graduate in four years, and with the right connections, be making six digits right out of college. It does not matter how many education connections you have, you will never be making six digits coming out of college, let alone your entire teaching career. So, where is the motivation to become a teacher?
For everyone, I think the motivation is different. For some of us, we enjoy the luxury of knowing we will never have to work on Christmas or during many of the other holidays. For some of us, it is the stability of not having to worry about whether or not we have a job tomorrow when tenure is reached. And for some of us, it is the fact that you will be molding the minds of America’s youth. No matter what the motivation is, one thing is for sure, everyone has the motivation to become a great teacher or else they would not be going through everything it takes to become one.

Private schools vs. Public schools

2007-03-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

by Jenny Sabbagh

Attending public school my whole life, I have always pictured myself teaching at a public school because that is all I’ve ever really known. Whenever I thought of private schools, stereotypes would come to my head of a school with a homogeneous population that has no connection to the “real world”.  Lately, I’ve been rethinking the possibility of teaching at a private school and the advantages/disadvantages that may come along with this decision. 
In matters of instruction, a teacher has a lot more independence at a private school.  In public schools, the emphasis on standardized testing shapes the curriculum.  Teachers in public schools are under enormous pressures to get their students to score well on tests, sometimes at the expense of innovative and creative teaching methods.  I want to have the ability to teach to my students in a way that is not limited by state testing requirements.  Teachers in private schools generally have smaller class sizes and have more control over establishing the curriculum and setting standards for performance. Because private schools can be selective in their admissions processes, students at private schools also tend to be more motivated.
After doing some research, I have found that it appears most private schools see a lot more parent involvement as opposed to public schools.  Although I’m sure this depends on the particular school, it makes sense that parents who value education enough to pay for it when they do not need to would be very involved. With all of these reasons, I have a feeling that I may be happier teaching a private school.  Although there are disadvantages to teaching in a private school, lower salary being one, I am now considering teaching at a private school an option.

A Spring Break reflection

2007-03-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

by Christy Corbally

I have had a couple days now to sit back, relax, and catch up on some much needed sleep. The spare time has not only got me thinking about the work I have to do in the second half of this semester, but also what the work will mean for my teaching career. My junior year has so far proved to be a challenging one in terms of work for my elementary education major. With every passing class, I am one step closer to having my own classroom and that reality is starting to sink in for me. I am finally starting to feel that the assignments in my various courses are not just means by which to grade my ability to do work well, but rather to truly help me become a valuable educator. This reality is both exciting and nerve racking and I still have about a billion questions before I move on to student teaching in my senior year.
Will I ever get the hang of writing a lesson plan in less than 2 hours? Will I be able to successfully differentiate for all of my students? How will I know if I am truly making a difference in my students’ lives? These are just some of the MANY questions that have been building up in my mind since I started my college career. I know that any job can be intimidating, but being responsible for others’ education just seems extremely overwhelming. Like anything else, I know that it takes practice to get good at something, but when it comes to the minds of children, I feel like that isn’t a great excuse in my early years as a teacher. I suppose I’ll have to live in the moment and let things fall into place in their own time, which is definitely easier said than done!

Controversial material in children's books

2007-03-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

by Lindsay Y.

A recent controversy over using the word “scrotum” in the children’s book The Higher Power of Lucky” by Susan Patron made me think about book censorship, and as a new teacher, about how to select appropriate materials that everyone (parents, children, school, etc.) will find to be both amusing and acceptable. What is the process of publishing a book? How does this “objectionable” material go unnoticed for so long that is only noticed by the parent of a child who has learned a new word that “doesn’t come up in polite conversation” (Bosman), or possibly by the school librarian or administrator that is appalled by the site of the word and fears a parent suing the school over supplying the material. On another note, is it a problem to have words like this in children’s books?
First and foremost is the question of how it takes so long for the books' words to go unnoticed by the publishers. It is obvious that censorship is a controversy, so the opinion to decide whether the book is appropriate or not may not be the responsibility of the publisher, but, possibly in the hands of the purchaser and the reader, and at this point, it may be too late. Everyone has gotten themselves all worked up.
The other question I want to raise is: Is there a problem with having words such as this in a children’s (young adolescent book), if they are being used in context? Are we too naïve to think that the students are not using their own ‘special’ words they pull out of their back pocket, or from the mouths of their friends! How does having words, such as this one, effect the child who reads it? Will they use the word just because it was presented? Or, will they be less likely to use the word, because it is being allowed in the book and is not so taboo? You would think that since this book has received so much controversy all the children who know about it will want to get their hands on it. I have a personal experience just like this: I had an older sister (two years older) and all her friends were reading a book called, “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret” (Blume), however this was a controversial book as well because it talked in some detail about the things that happen to “young ladies” as they grow up. All of us wanted to read it because we wanted to see what was going on in it. Was it really a bad book? Did it teach some younger girls or boys what they weren’t going to hear or learn eventually? Did it do any harm? In all honesty, all it did was make everyone laugh and be a little more comfortable with the unknown.
Just a thought to leave everyone with: Is censoring really wrong, if what is being censored is real life?

Check out the site for the article:
http://tinyurl.com/255kog

Classroom Management

2007-03-17T04:30:00.001-07:00

by Amanda Gramcko

When I realized that I had a passion to become a teacher, the aspect of teaching that I was most looking forward to was developing a relationship with my students. In my mind I had a picture of a classroom of students that couldn’t wait to come to school day after day to learn. These students respected and adored me and I had utmost control of my classroom. Clearly, I was unrealistic in assuming that this was just a natural process.
I don’t understand why my students won’t stop talking when I am beginning a lesson or in front of the classroom. I have asked them nicely and most likely more than once to listen to me. I suppose it is foolish to think that this approach would work well on a group of 5th graders, but let’s remember the picture I had of what my classroom should look like.
Classroom management is hard. I am daily torn between being a friend to my students and being an authoritative figure. As time progresses, I know that these two things might occur simultaneously, but for now, I must choose. I need to constantly remind myself that I am first their teacher, and that I have a responsibility to give each student the opportunity to learn in the best possible learning environment. That learning environment is not chaotic and it is controlled.
I’ve heard time again from other teachers that you have to start strong and be tough with your students. I was even advised not to smile for the first couple of months. While I stored this advice and nodded in agreement when being told this, I thought my classroom would be different. I didn’t think I would need to be tough with my students. Instead, I assumed that they would simply listen because they were eager to hear what I had to tell them.
I am learning a lot to say the least. I need to learn how to raise my voice sometimes and gain control of my classroom. My students are not going to just give me respect and serenity, I have to earn it. I do not ask them to stop talking; I expect them to stop talking. I do not excuse bad behavior; I address it and don’t let it happen again.
I think that simply learning to adapt stricter classroom management is a big step for me. I have a lot to learn in terms of how to go about constructing my classroom in a way that students feel safe in contributing, but also have a healthy fear of consequences.
I am not going to sacrifice my desire to develop a positive and effective relationship with each of my students. I am very aware that students may not feel love and acceptance at home, and that school might be their only chance to experience it. I will value this part of education for my entire career. I simply need to learn how to balance this with a productive learning environment.

Standardized testing

2007-03-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

by Jackie Festa

It is that time of the year when so many teachers are freaking out over the standardized tests their students have to take in the coming weeks. Not only do I see the effects it has on my cooperating teacher, but I see how it affects someone much closer to me, my mom. She is an eighth grade teacher, and I know the amount of time, effort, and stress she puts into getting her students ready for GEPA, the grade eight proficiency test. Through talking with her over the past couple of weeks, I know she feels so much pressure for her students to do well because she does not want to let her school district down. I know she has been very stressed, and I believe this can be avoided if there was not as much pressure surrounding these tests. I truly feel that these standardized tests put too much unnecessary pressure and cause too much anxiety for teachers around the country.
I do understand the reasoning behind why these standardized tests were put into place, but I do not feel that they truly show the abilities of all students in the school. I know many students are not good test takers and freeze under pressure. I feel that putting all the emphasis on these tests is not an accurate indicator as to how well schools are doing. Another aspect of having these standardized tests is that many teachers teach to the test, and therefore they do not teach interesting subjects or plan exciting activities to captivate their students’ imaginations. Some teachers only care about how well there students can answer the “fill in the bubble” questions on these tests because of the immense amount of pressure these teachers feel in wanting their students to perform well.
In conclusion, I feel that students should have to take standardized tests, but the tests should not be the only indicator as to how well a school is doing, which I feel would relieve some pressure on the teachers. All aspects of the school should be taken into consideration, so teachers and students alike do not freak out when the middle of March rolls around.

School progress is still at odds with NCLB

2007-03-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

by Ariel Donohue

I read an article from the Star Ledger about the struggles of Eighteenth Avenue Elementary School in Newark.  This school has fostered some incredible improvements in student attitudes, standardized test scores, and overall knowledge base.  The school's enrollment increases each year, drawing in primarily students with learning disabilities and/or behavioral issues.  The principal has worked to make Eighteenth Avenue School a comfortable home for its children and their families.  However, as a result of No Child Left Behind, Eighteenth Avenue is at risk of being closed or otherwise negatively impacted due to the fact that their test scores remain below the national requirement.
Reading this article, I first felt the anger that I have often experienced after learning more about NCLB.  I was also struck by the fact that schools are being assessed strictly by their test scores.  On a national level, there is a complete disregard for the degree of improvement, student involvement, and potential.  Although these are certainly difficult factors to assess, it is unfair and ineffective to look at only one piece of the students' achievement.  The more I read
about NCLB, the more enraged I become at the stupidity of such a law. How could something like that ever work?  If anything, I feel that it is damaging the educational institution.
Fifty years ago, my dad was going through the Newark school system as a child.  Today, he is one of the brightest people I have ever met.  After reading this article, I asked him about the quality of his own education.  He told me stories of both notable and uneducated teachers of his past, gaps in his education (he never took any art or music classes throughout his educational career), and how his Newark education gave him the tools to become who he is presently.  The main point that resonated with me was that, despite the quality of his school district or his standardized test scores, he acquired an incredible love for learning that has made him a highly intelligent man.  What if his elementary school had been rated under the current laws or affected by NCLB?  Would he and his classmates have received a better education?

Comforting Cooperating Teachers

2007-03-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

by Kerrie McCormick

While I disagree with some of my cooperating teachers methods of teaching, I am really glad that I was assigned to her classroom for the main reason that she makes me feel very comfortable. Before this experience I did not realize the significance of having a good cooperating teacher, one who allows you to test out unknown territory without making major judgments. It is great that my teacher not only allows my partner and me to teach lessons that we design on our own, but she also encourages us to try various methods of teaching. The support she gives us is very gratifying to me and I appreciate her positive attitude in allowing us to experiment. Her personality really puts me at ease and I am not nervous to teach in front of her, which is really nice.
Growing up, I was always a very nervous child and I would literally get sick before having to perform on a stage. I am not sure why I would get so worked up about being in front of an audience, but I am learning that I need to get over my fear, especially if I am going into a profession of public speaking. I think that I have greatly improved over the past few years and feel that I am becoming a lot more comfortable being in front of a group of people. Still, I think that my teacher’s demeanor in the classroom really helps me to find my own place as a teacher. Because of her easy-going personality, I am not scared to be myself or to make a mistake. Just as my students react to the vibes that I give them, I too react to the way my teacher behaves. If my cooperating teacher had been uptight or extremely rigid in her mannerisms, I would probably be a lot more nervous teaching with her in the room. Therefore, I feel that this experience is very genuine.
I think it is important for all of us to recognize how much the people around us affect the ways in which we behave. It is important to notice the types of people that make you comfortable and uncomfortable and ask yourself why this is the case. Maybe if we observe the people around us, and pay attention to how their behavior is interpreted by others, we can take a hint. I know that when I become a teacher, I want my students to feel comfortable around me. I want to have an authoritative role in the classroom, but I do not want to be feared. I think it is so important for students to feel safe and relaxed in their learning space. As teachers, it is our job to be aware of the presence that we have in the classroom and to make sure that our students feel at ease when they are in our rooms.

Vagina Monologues in School...

2007-03-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

by Jen Hatrak
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37058
Vagina Monologues in School: Inappropriate or Empowerment for Young Women?

I found this news article online. This is a very interesting controversial issue. What do you think?

We are our own worst critic

2007-03-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

by Krista Going

We are our own worst critic. I think there is a lot of truth in this statement, at least for me there is. If it is something I am passionate about or have a desire to succeed in I am always pushing myself harder, analyzing what I can do better, and criticizing everything I feel is wrong or not good enough. I have always done it with school, I did it with track and cross country, and now I do it with teaching. I analyze everything from what I could have studied more or studied differently to how was my start was or if I need to finish harder to I need to give better directions and how does this lesson need to be changed. I am my own worst critic.
Being my own worst critic is both good and bad. Good in that I will continue to strive to do better as I rarely feel as though I studied perfectly, ran the race of my life, or taught the best lesson. Nothing is ever ‘perfect’ and there is always room for analysis, constructive criticism, and improvement. Striving to do better as a teacher will motivate me to be more creative, take a third, fourth, or fifth look at a lesson plan, think outside the box, and learn from each and every lesson I teach.
Being my own worst critic can also be a bad thing because at times I can be too hard on myself. After my 1st few lessons at LIS I was disappointed in myself and had an endless list of criticisms (I am criticizing myself so I often forget to make the criticism constructive). I felt I needed to work on this, do that differently, change this, and stop doing that. I was driving myself nuts.
After a good venting session with my mom and a deep breath or two, I realized how to take the bad of being my own critic and turn it into good. I think it is a good thing to have areas to work on but bad to have too many. I need to only work on a couple of aspects at a time because to put on myself the pressure of solving every single criticism would just lead to all new wrongs. I need limit what I focus on solving so I do not overwhelm myself with every possible critique. We are just students learning to be teachers so mistakes are not only expected, they are necessary for learning.
For me, being my own critic is both good and bad but if I can learn to take a breather with the bad, my own critic will help me a whole lot more.

Sixth Grade

2007-03-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

by Kerrie McCormick

When I first was assigned to a sixth grade classroom, like many of my peers, I had mixed feelings about my placement. I was somewhat worried about teaching preteens, but at the same time I was looking forward to a change. While some people may already know what grade they want to teach, I am still unsure of what age I like best. I felt that this experience, whether good or bad, would give me some sort of confirmation.
Looking back on my own schooling, first and sixth grade stand out as being my favorite years. I enjoyed these two very different grades so much, but for various reasons, which only adds to my confusion as to what grade I really want to teach. I truly love being around young children and working with second graders last semester was a really memorable experience. However, as I teach older children, I realize how much I am interested in teaching subjects with a heavy content matter, where students need developed critical thinking skills. Because I like aspects of teaching in both elementary schools and middle schools, I cannot decide where I want to teach.
At first I saw my indecisiveness as something negative, but I am starting to see my flexibility as a good thing. Because I can see the perquisites of teaching in both elementary and middle school classrooms, I will probably end up happy no matter where I am placed in the future. Teaching a sixth grade and a second grade class has taught me that I am comfortable working across grade levels. When I get a job, I may not be given a choice as to what grade I want to teach, so if I am placed in an eighth grade or a first grade, I will probably be able to readily adjust. In this case, my uncertainty may work to my advantage.

Changing my ways

2007-03-02T03:02:00.000-08:00

As I continue this junior practicum experience, my attitude about the experience is slowly changing. In the very beginning, I walked into the classroom with somewhat of a negative attitude. I hadn’t had much experience with sixth grade before, and I was intimidated and annoyed that I was placed in a sixth grade classroom. Furthermore, I found the classroom to be an uncomfortable environment. It’s cold, not very colorful, crowded, and always seems to be in a state of dysfunction. However, as I progress through this semester, my attitude is changing. This experience is testing my patience, my control, and my passion for teaching.

I had many preconceived notions about sixth grade students, and while at times it may be tough, it is not as difficult as I imagined. Many of the teachers expressed a negative attitude about one block of students in particular. Truth be told, the students are more difficult to handle in this class than in the other classes that we’ve taught. While it is tempting to walk into the classroom with the same negative attitude about the students, it is much harder to view the class with an open mind. I’ve already found myself thinking of ways to use positive reinforcement and to help make this difficult situation better. The students, for the most part, really do want to learn, and have great ideas. While it may still be challenging to come up with a great hook to draw the students into the lesson, that process teaches the teacher more about his/her students. It may be easier to pull up a Sponge Bob activity or poster as a hook in early elementary school grades; but searching for a hook for middle school students requires more thought. This teaches you to really think about what your students like, and to get to know your students better. While I may never teach upper elementary or middle school grades, I am finally realizing the positive impact this experience will have on my future teaching endeavors.

My voice

2007-02-28T11:51:00.001-08:00

So, I have to write a Blog- correction 3 blogs. The whole idea is foreign to me, why would I post my inner feelings on the internet, a space that is neither private nor safe? I cannot say I feel comfortable or naturally writing a “blog” I can’t even take the word b-l-o-g seriously, it reminds me of space creature with 8 octopus arms, and murky skin. With that said, I just need to get over my insecurities and just open my mind to write freely on an open forum.
I need to find my voice. By that I mean, my teaching style, approaches, and techniques. The first lesson I taught was a bit bumpy, not smooth, and it didn’t deliver the way I imaged it would. I was convinced it was because the students preferred the style that my co-op uses. They respond well to their teacher’s questions, and they all seem to follow along with the class discussion. So, last week I observed my co-op closely, I took down notes on what was said, how the information was presented, and the manner in which the students participated. I thought to myself “Well if I do it this way, my students will respond better because this is what they like”. I was wrong, dead wrong. I mimicked my co-op, and the students barely participated, it was like pulling teeth to gain information from them. I didn’t get it. I used the exact questions my teacher used the previous day and I even added some visuals to hook the students in, but their responses were minimal. I had ever seen so many blank stares and uninterested faces before. But why, why were they not engaged? I thought about it all weekend, and I came up with the conclusion that my students are not dumb, they knew I was copying their teacher, and they were probably disappointed with me. I took the easy way out, I wasn’t being myself, I was just a bad impression of what they see everyday. They probably expected something different, because the pervious week I had them doing group work and a creative project—something they rarely do.
I do not want to disappoint my students again, and I don’t want to disappoint myself. Hopefully my lesson this week will reflect my personality better— hopefully my students will hear my voice

Blog frustration

2007-02-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about the blog I was not sure what it really was because I have never seen or written one. Then, we were told that we had to write at least three blog entries and I did not know what to expect because I have never done one before. We were told that we could write about anything that we want but that made it even harder for me. I am not the type of person that likes to sit down and write stories or write in a journal because I am not good at expressing my feelings. Now, I was extremely nervous because I have to write down what I may be feeling. I have read many of my classmate’s blogs and it seemed to come very natural for people to talk about how they feel. Every time I sit down and try to write something for the blog I draw a blank.
I can get very frustrated when I write and I think that is why things do not come natural to me as they may for others. I think that it is hard for me to write something on this blog because many questions come to mind such as, What are people going to say about my topic? What type of comments are people going to leave? Are people going to look at me differently now? Are people going to judge the way I feel about things? Are they going to comment my writing skills? Or are they going to make fun of me? So many questions are running through my mind right now, which makes it harder for me to just sit and write about something.
This is the most frustrating thing that I have ever done but now I just have to think I only have two more. I wish I could just sit here and write about my days at LIS but it is hard for me to write it down in words. I rather sit with someone and talk to them in person because I do not always get everything that I want to say written down on paper. I hope that I can get over my frustration with writing and be able to write about anything and not worry about what others might think.

Thoughts on having a bad day

2007-02-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

I am sure each of us has heard the saying that every cloud has a silver lining. Well, it’s another thing entirely, to actually look and find the silver lining of a difficult situation. This past week I taught part of the lesson in each of the three language arts classes. The first class is pretty much any teacher’s dream, at least in regards to classroom management. The second is average, but the last class is generally of the sort that constantly tests your patience.
That is my silver lining. You might think that I am completely crazy, but just allow me a minute to explain myself. For whatever reason, one of my personal shortcomings is that I don’t pay attention to how I use my voice. I have the habit of talking loudly and quickly when it’s not the best circumstances for being vocal. And when I should project my voice more to command the attention of my audience, I tend to let it trail off into obscurity.

What I came to realize while I was up in front of the class, trying to convince the students they should care about direct objects, was that a disengaged class really needs a strong voice to lead them. This fact is even truer when you consider that the students are nearly middle school aged. If your voice does not focus their attention on the content, nothing will. Paying attention to the content is the only way students can master the content.
So, having a potentially difficult class is good because it absolutely forces me to come to terms with my own inadequacies and shortcomings. I thought I had been working on this skill for a while, but it is extremely hard to self-assess personality flaws and quirks. After all, you aren’t going to tell yourself that you’re failing at a particular goal. Being thrown into a set of circumstances that stretch you completely beyond the safety of your comfort zone is the only way that one can truly grow. Just remember that next time you have a bad day. After all, it is not like we can avoid bad days.

Are teachers given the credit they deserve?

2007-02-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

by Lindsay Y.

I have always known that it takes a special person to want to teach at the elementary level; dealing with teaching students how to work together, be a part of a community, learn to be organized. As well, you are working with students that have not been exposed to anything but what they have learned before entering kindergarten, or in the higher grades, what the previous teachers have had time to teach them. What I am trying to say is many people feel that being an elementary school teacher is somewhat like being a babysitter, or parenting students, all while teaching them the basics of math, science, U.S. history, etc.
This and many other comments I have heard cannot be further from the truth! In the past few weeks that I have been working on and teaching only ONE lesson a week, I have realized the demand and pressure of being an elementary school teacher. Given about eight periods in the day (leaving out lunch, a special or two), there are about five to six lessons that you need to come up with for that day. That is about twenty-five to thirty lessons per week, one-hundred and twenty a month….you probably get the picture!! On top of that, if you are teaching the way we are learning here at the wonderful TCNJ, you are coming up with a Big Idea, a really good hook, identifying the standards you want to teach, deciding on objectives, and creating an interesting activity to go along with the lesson. Oh, and did I mention not forgetting to come to closure and assign homework, that you will no doubt be spending quality time correcting while relaxing at home when you really want to watch your favorite television program. In no way am I complaining, it’s more like going crazy wondering if I can handle it, will I be able to get the Big Idea across in the lessons all while worrying that the students will be knowledgeable enough when it comes down to taking standardized test that will ultimately reflect the way I teach and whether I or the school system is doing enough to help All Students Succeed!!
What I am saying is, there is so much more involved than some people know when it comes to teaching elementary school students. I wish that anyone who feels as though they may have some suggestion, or problem with how the teachers teach, just try to put themselves in the shoes of the teacher and realize how much hard work, dedication, and thought goes into teaching these students. It is not easy, it is time consuming and in the end it will always have to be reflected on and modified. However, is being a teacher worth it? PROBABLY! (And, I don’t mean in a monetary way! For me it is about the children, as it may be for most teachers.)
I will leave all the student teachers and current teachers with this thought that has no doubt been addressed:
DO WE (OR WILL WE) GET PAID NEARLY AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO?

Doubts

2007-02-19T17:40:00.001-08:00

Before my ACB experience, I never doubted my desire to teach.  Though I know that I will learn so much throughout this semester, it has been discouraging for me thus far.  My placement was not ideal in that it did not match my specialization, however I saw it as an opportunity to grow as an educator and to learn about various learning environments.
Already it has broadened my horizons, as I have been observing and participating in a class unlike any I have seen before.  The time I spend in the classroom reassures me that I can handle the great task of being a successful teacher.  When I am actually in the classroom, I am comfortable and fairly secure about my teaching abilities.
I find myself getting frustrated with my college classes, the work that they require, and the idealistic information that I feel obliged to accept.  Whether it is out of pure fatigue or it comes from my actual thoughts, I have been thinking that this is not the right career path for me.  This is not because I feel that I CAN'T be an effective teacher; it is more a fear that it is not what I WANT.  For someone who has always been set on changing the world one child at a time, this is a harsh blow to my life plans.  I still imagine myself in my own classroom and I know that I may be there in a few short years, but I now question myself more.
Am I feeling this simply because my cooperating teacher has a teaching style that differs from my own?  How much of my college education will carry over into my own classroom?  Why do I care so much?  Am I the only one feeling this way?  I know that I am not the only one who has been feeling overwhelmed.  What I am looking for is not the comfort of knowing that other people are struggling right along with me.  Now it's about my life and what I actually want to do with it!
Despite the doubts, I remind myself that I still have to get as much as I can out of this semester because there is so much to learn. Hopefully, I'll come out on the other side as someone who is certain about her career choice.  After all, you have to challenge your beliefs before you can stand behind them.

Always room for improvement

2007-02-17T04:25:00.001-08:00

by Valaree Henderson

I wanted to talk a little about the lesson on Thursday. I don’t know if anyone else was feeling this way, but I know my partner and I definitely were. Our subject was teaching the Indus River Valley to sixth graders. We were unbelievably stumped; we found it so hard to come up with any sort of creative idea. I am usually a creative person; it may take me some time, but I will usually come up with something. We went through hours of frustration trying to come up with something creative for the students to do that would not just be a useless activity. During the process there was a few times I wanted to give up and not include any kind of activity. I felt that I had used all of the resources available and had racked my brain as much as I could. I am writing this because I can now see how teachers can fall into the rut of just lecturing to students. It took me and my partner a few tries brainstorming to finally come up with something. If I had to create this lesson in one or two nights, I would not have come up with something creative. Through this experience I saw how the option of lecturing to the students can be much easier and much less time consuming. I do still also think that students do not get as much out of this method as they would through some kind of activity or working cooperatively.
My partner and I chose to have the students, as a class, create a pamphlet for the Indus River Valley; this included origin, location, farming, climate, and characteristics of the river. Although the group work and activity did not go exactly as we planned in the first group I think that it really still benefited the students. Also before we taught it to the second group we tweaked a few things and the groups worked much better and the lesson went smoother. This could have also been due to the dynamics of the class, but we cannot discount our changes that we made. I just realized through this experience that it is important to one try to include something creative or cooperative no matter how dull the topic and two to always improve on what you already created and change it when necessary; what works with one group will not always work with another group. I am really looking forward to getting to know our students and the class dynamics to see how this influences our planning in the future.

Love and Confidence

2007-02-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

by Valaree Henderson

A couple of weeks ago the class discussion was a touchy subject for me. We were discussing parents who are not around and children that do not have enough. I got the impression that in the class some people, for lack off better vocabulary, felt that this was wrong and disagreed with these parents decisions. This is a hard one for me, because I believe that if I did not come from the background I did with the experiences I did, then I would feel this way too. I guess part of me does feel this way because I know that a parent’s involvement in a child’s life is very important. When I was younger, my mother was a single mom (I still saw and see my father), but a lot of the times even when I was five or six I was home alone. Growing up I always saw us as working as a team to make the family work and it gave me skills in life at a very young age that are unbelievably important. I question now going into teaching is this an isolated experience? Can all children gain from an experience like this or are some children truly damaged by being alone and having to take responsibility for themselves? I always new that I was loved more than anything and I guess no matter what that was the most important part. I think that we all want to be loved, children especially. Even as teachers, I think that this is the best we can do for a child who lives in a home environment that we do not particularly agree with or one that we would not want for our own children, or for any child. I think that there are parents who should not be parents, but that they are rare. I think that most parents have a reason for doing what they do and that they have a right to make mistakes. It is only human to make mistakes. I think that what is most important for children to be given is love and the confidence in themselves to know that they can do anything if they really work at it.

Teaching higher grade levels

2007-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

by Jen Hatrak

Although I have only been at my practicum site for a few days, teaching 6th grade Language Arts I feel will be my biggest challenge thus far. I am beginning to have mixed feelings about teaching throughout these past few weeks. Previously, although at times it’s been frustrating, I have enjoyed my practicum experiences. I have had lower grades (first through third) up until now, in diverse districts. Writing lesson plans and creating hooks for them has been relatively fun and easy for the most part, and I feel as though students are responsive and eager to learn. That is not the case with older students. My partner and I have received our topic for next week’s lesson, and it is beginning to become a rather daunting task. The construction of the lesson is the most difficult part. Luckily, our co-ops (both special education and general education) are very helpful. They have great classroom management skills and the students respect them. However, most of the lessons taught are very mundane. As I plan for future lessons, I am concerned with the motivational aspect of the lesson. One lesson that I observed yesterday was very mind-numbing. During one block, one of the teachers taught a lesson on the Holistic Scoring Rubric and scoring. There were two special education teachers in the room, as well as the general education teacher (my co-op), myself, and my partner. The lesson consisted of requiring students to assess sample students’ work by using the rubric. The students were broken up into groups or pairs and asked to analyze the writing samples. The teachers walked around to help students if needed. I was working with a student who chose to work by himself. Previously, as the teacher was giving directions and going over the assignment, this student was coloring and barely paying attention. Another teacher in the room had to come and sit next to him in order for him to pay attention. As soon as she did that, the student was paying attention and answering questions. As I worked with him, he didn’t act up or ignore me, and I feel as though he was working diligently. I think it was a matter of attention. For whatever reason, the child did not feel a part of the class and felt he could get away with not paying attention. As I helped the student, another teacher in the room asked me several times from across the room, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
While my co-op wasn’t to blame, I feel as though possibly some of the other teachers in the room have a generally negative attitude about teaching. This could be the reason why some of the students in the room weren’t paying attention. The content of the lesson was boring as ever, but if the teachers had possibly taken the time to make it more interesting, or done another activity for five minutes to get the students to focus, it may not have been that difficult. Reflecting on the day’s experience brings me back to my planning for future lessons. Is there a way to make lessons interesting so that every student will want to pay attention? Or is the material just too dull that even the best teacher in the world will not be able to make it interesting??

Lacking diversity

2007-02-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

by Amanda Gramcko

When I heard that there was a criticism with one of the bulletin boards, my first thought was that ‘someone probably had a problem with one of the questions on the Black History Month controversy bulletin board.’ Having a Black History Month is being debated right now, I figured that one of the questions on the bulletin board offended someone. Therefore, I was incredibly surprised to hear that there was a problem with the women’s history bulletin board.
To be honest, when we were choosing women to put on the board, we thought critically about representing women that are rarely recognized and women that are activists in many arenas (drama, art, education, politics). While we did include two African-American women on our bulletin board, including an ethnically diverse group of women was only briefly talked about.
In hindsight, I think it was a grave mistake to not include more ethnically diverse women. Clearly many incredible women of all ethnicities have fought for our rights. It has to be mentioned though, that women of different ethnicities often had more trouble than White women in their fights because in society’s eye they had two things “working against them.”
A teacher that I had at the College of New Jersey last year mentioned how limited our school was in terms of racial diversity. She said that it probably never bothered us that there might be one or no African-American students in the class, but for that one African-American student, it was probably incredibly difficult to be the "token" student. This is an example of one of the privileges that come along with being White that are rarely thought about by those who have the privilege.
Luckily I have been educated about “White privilege” and I thought my eyes were a little more open than most. However, I totally overlooked not including an adequate variety of diverse women. I think I and the other creators of the bulletin board are at fault because our objective was to inform the public about women who might not normally be talked about in women’s history. Women are often not represented in textbooks and in historical accounts, but without a doubt, women of different ethnicities are even less represented. It would have been incredibly positive to include more races on our bulletin board.
I think the hardest part of creating this bulletin board was realizing that there were so many unrecognized women. In deciding what women to put on the board, there was a big list as to who to include, many of whom I didn’t recognize. While it is unfortunate that more ethnically diverse women weren’t included in our bulletin board, I think the greater tragedy remains that this is an incredible amount of women of every race and ethnicity that aren’t ever talked about or researched.
Looking back, I don’t regret using the women we did on the bulletin board. There is not one woman up there that doesn’t deserve to be there. However I can think of a lot of women that deserved to be up there as much as those who were chosen. Even if we had access to all the bulletin boards in Forcina Hall, we wouldn’t do a justice to the contributions of women and the fight for our rights.

Negative first impressions: Can it get better?

2007-02-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

I was shocked as soon as I walked into the classroom that I will be in for my junior professional experience. As the students came into the classroom they were loud and they threw their jackets and backpacks onto the floor of the closet. The students were able to do whatever they wanted for the first 45 minutes of the school day. They were supposed to turn in their homework at the front table. Even though that seems like a simple task for a fifth grader, there was no organization and only a few students did what they were supposed to do. Some students were doing the homework at their desks, while other students were asking the teacher questions. Several students were running around the classroom and one student was standing on a chair. The teacher did not seem to care or even notice the chaos that was going on in the classroom. She said that her policy is that she wants her students to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom and that is why there is no discipline. Finally when all the students got settled in their desks and they started to go over the homework, the teacher did not provide positive feedback on the students’ answers. She simply told them that they were wrong and gave the answer that they should have had. The students had side conversations while they were going over the homework and did not respect their classmates while they were giving their answers. The teacher did not even give her full attention to the student who was talking, but rather read other students’ responses while someone spoke. Even though my cooperating teacher is very caring person, I did not get a good first impression of her teaching skills or classroom management strategies. Hopefully as the semester progresses, I will see some good lessons and teaching strategies

How are you defined?

2007-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

by Lauren White

Black or White, male, or female, up ,or down, right or left, right or wrong... Are these opposites, differences, or controversies. When we set out to complete the designs for the bulletin boards, we had a simple goal in mind, "decorate the bulletin boards with Black History Month and Women's History Month themes" or so I thought. After hearing the task I immediately thought this was going to be an exciting activity with the class. We were going to learn, discuss, maybe debate issues and get our hands dirty with cutting and pasting. But that was not the case. As we split up into groups I was thrown into a topic that I was not particularly interested in, granted my job was to worry about the graphic designs aspect so I figured I'd be fine. As I sat and listened to my group discuss different themes and ideas I felt extremely out of the loop. Interesting enough we had just been discussing classes and cliques and how if people ever felt left out of a group and hear I was experiencing it in my own class.

Eventually, I just sat back and did what I was told with no questions asked. Never did I feel like the group was all on the same page. I felt then the group became divided, comfort and discomfort. Maybe part of it had to do with the topic at hand, or maybe there were to many leaders? I just found it interesting that we discussed how we want our students to feel comfortable in classrooms, and we want them to all raise their hands and have confidence speaking aloud, but do we as class model this behavior? Some say TCNJ students are "smart," dedicated," and "stuck-up," and I agree with the first two, but struggle with the last. How are you defined and how do you want to be defined?

First impressions of my classroom

2007-02-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

As I came into the classroom I found that my teacher seemed very positive and enthusiastic. She talked about how she wanted her students to be environmentally aware and to develop life skills. However, her ideas did not translate well when her students actually arrived in the classroom. The students came in, threw their coats, and proceeded to talk for the next 45 minutes. Students were eating in the middle of the lessons, and getting up to use the computer. She also gave the students a “Friday Free Time”, but this also consisted of yelling and running around the room. I am continually torn with my teacher’s philosophy of wanting her students to fell like they are in a “safe” space. The students definitely feel comfortable in their class, but can effective learning really ever exist without structure and discipline? I am eager to continue at [the school] to see if my question is answered.

When have you gone too far?

2007-02-07T12:18:00.001-08:00

by Jackie Festa

I would say that in all school districts there are students that come from low-income families where the parents/guardians are working multiple jobs to get by. This may cause the parents to not really be involved in the student’s education because they are too busy. There are also students who have a very bad home life or have difficult personal issues which may distract them and hinder their ability to concentrate while in school. I believe that many people decide to become teachers because they have a strong love for children and they want to make a difference in the student’s life. But how far should a teacher go to make a difference?
I know from experience that some teachers will do absolutely anything to help out a student in need. It may be a good thing, or it could just be taken too far. When a student comes into the classroom wearing the same clothes for consecutive days, and this student may smell or look dirty, do you think it is the teacher’s place to go out and buy him/her new clothing? Even though I know many teachers would have a strong urge to help this student, I do not think any teacher has the right to do this. I know that I would want to buy this student new clothes because I always want to help my students in any way possible, but I feel that it would be crossing the line and that there are other solutions to the problem. You can call up the parents and explain the situation and you concerns about their child, and also tell them about financial assistance the school might offer to students. I think parents would be offended if their child came home one day from school with new clothes, and I think they would appreciate it more if you talked to them. Doing something, like buying new clothes for a student, may make them feel like inadequate parents, which is not a good thing. Sometime parents cannot help their inability to be there for the child because they are trying to support their family.
My main reason in why I wanted to become a teacher was because I want to make a difference in my students. However, there is a line that should not be crossed. I will always be there for my students if they ever do have a problem, and I will always try to come up with the best possible solution. I will also always be conscious of their problems and issues while teaching, but I feel that when your actions become extremely personal the students and parents may get the wrong idea.

Women's History Bulletin Board

2007-02-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to provide feedback about this bulletin board at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=85843261753

Black History Month Bulletin Board

2007-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to provide feedback about this bulletin board at

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=85843261753

Abolish the "N" Word

2007-02-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

by Jen Hatrak

The video, “Abolish the N Word” shows lynchings and other cruel treatment that Whites did to Blacks. The intent of the video is to show the meaning behind the ‘n word’. I think this video should be shown as a commercial on television so that everyone in American will (hopefully) receive the message. When questioned about their use of the word, I’ve heard people say, “It means ignorant.” My response is, if you mean ‘ignorant’, why not just call them ignorant? Using the word ‘ignorant’ is a much more mature response than name-calling anyway.
I don’t necessarily feel that abolishing the word will make people stop using it. However, I think that showing the video will cause people to think about what they say. It may cause people to change their thinking. If more people were to understand the true meaning behind the word, I think that would make a difference. Some people are not going to change no matter what, but hopefully this will send the message.
As for educating students, I would bring up the issue as it occurs. Students who are very young (kindergarten and first grade) may have never heard the word before, and to introduce it may give them a reason to use it. Students may not understand or even listen to what the word means, but they may turn around and use it again anyway, since they learned a new word. As someone was saying in class today, it may cause major problems in a school system if a class is introduced to the new words. However, especially in older grades, students can be shown this video and begin to understand how people feel when they called this word. Maybe it will change students’ thinking and raise awareness as to what the word truly means.

What do teachers make?

2007-02-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

contributed by Jen Hatrak

The following is an excerpt from an email I received entitled, “What Do Teachers Make?”:

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He
argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his
best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie.
Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You
want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make
a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through
40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5
without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental... You want to know what I
make?"
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.
"Then, when people try
to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no
attention because they are ignorant...You want to know what I make? I
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THIS STATEMENT: "Teachers make every other
profession "

What are your thoughts about this story?

Tough Tucci

2007-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

by Amanda Gramcko

Ms. Virginia Tucci was my 1st grade and my 3rd grade teacher. Her reputation preceded her and she was known by both present and former students as “tough Tucci.” She was the cause of the groan that many students experience when they find out they have a difficult teacher. In fact, I can remember desperately not wanting to be in her class. Despite begging to my mom to be switched to another teacher, I walked into her 1st grade classroom.
For the first three months, I don’t think I saw Ms. Tucci smile. She was incredibly strict and enforced a no tolerance policy for disrespect and bad behavior. To be honest, I was very extremely afraid of her. However, at some point over the course of the year, she began to get nicer and I even saw her smile a couple of times. As time progressed, I saw how brilliantly she taught and how clear it was that she truly cared about her students. Without being strict, she would not have such good control over her classroom and I would not have learned as much as I did.
I will never remember Ms. Tucci for being the nicest teacher, but I still remember her as the best teacher I ever had. She expected a lot and demanded much from her students, but it was because she knew what we were capable of. Ms. Tucci inspired me to become a teacher; and I learned a lot from her on how to become a good teacher. While my personality is very different from hers as will be my teaching style, I will model many things in my own classroom after hers.

by Jennifer Hatrak

2007-01-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

One of the best teachers I have ever had was one of my private piano and voice instructors. He was an elementary school music teacher and private voice, piano, and acting coach as well. I began studying piano with him, and later took up voice lessons. This teacher transformed the way that I play the piano as well as my confidence level in general. I looked forward to my weekly lessons and practiced harder than I ever had before.
Lessons were always challenging, but I rarely became frustrated or upset. He felt that praises must be earned, and therefore, when a compliment was given, it was not to be taken lightly. Although this may have previously frustrated me, as I was used to teachers praising me a lot, I learned much more through this methodology. His teaching style encouraged me to become a more active learner.
Every lesson was filled with silly exercises that would make me laugh, and humorous jokes. This kept each lesson light and fun, most especially during stressful times as I prepared for an audition or upcoming concert. Throughout my years studying with him, my confidence soared. I was very shy and quiet when I began studying with him at eleven years old. I had previously been so scared of playing a wrong note or rhythm that my playing was barely audible. This new teacher changed that. I can still hear him say, “If you are going to make a mistake, make it big!” I began to learn more effectively as my confidence rose. I played pieces of advanced difficulty that I didn’t think I could ever play. He raised the bar and challenged me to new levels. I played in more concerts and recitals. I eventually auditioned to become a music major, and was offered a piano scholarship as well as a student accompanying job. I eventually changed my major to elementary education, however, the experience I’ve had musically will stay with me forever. I hope that one day I will be as influential as my former music teacher.

by Valaree Henderson

2007-01-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

I think that children are absolutely amazing and I really believe that as much as children can learn from adults that adults can learn a lot from children as well. I have four younger siblings; the oldest is now fourteen and the youngest is almost eight. I spent a lot of time watching and teaching my younger siblings. Through this I feel that I came to really enjoy teaching children and being a role model for them to look up to. I have a lot of patience and understanding when it comes to children. I decided to become a teacher because I think that it is a gift to be able to work with children and like every skill not everyone can do it. Teaching is a very important profession and I do not feel that it should be taken lightly. There are not many things more important than teaching our youth. I think that there is a need for good teachers; by good I mean teachers that really care about their students and teachers that will take their time to know their students and their individual needs. Teaching is not just a job and it should not be approached in that way; it is a lifestyle and it is important to keep an open mind and to keep learning yourself. I think that I would make a really great teacher and I do not think I should waste that. I know that I will not be able to effect or make an impression on every child, but I will try my hardest and if I can make an impression on one child or have made at least one child more confident then I have done my job right. In closing, I am really looking forward to the experience I will gain through this semester. I am really excited to be working with students on a more regular basis and I hope to gain a lot of confidence and skills through this experience.

Great Teacher?!

2007-01-01T17:40:00.001-08:00

by Lauren White

During my years throughout high school, when the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” repeatedly popped up in conversation, I could always remember thinking teaching looks fun and easy. Then I began teaching dance at a local studio where I grew up, and decided teaching was where I saw myself. I enrolled as an elementary education major at The College of New Jersey; the reality began to set in. I found myself involved in education classes, clubs, and honor societies and lesson plans slowly started approaching. One of the biggest aspects about the involvement was working with teachers and students who all wanted similar goals and titles. I began working with some of the best teachers and educators around and this led me to ask what makes a “great teacher?”
Throughout my education classes it seemed to me, the best teachers were those willing to go the extra mile to see their students succeed. For example, I had a professor who came in on her day off to meet with me about an extra credit project, and over the break we continued to exchange emails regarding my progress. Another example, when my high school geometry teacher met with me three times after school (this past semester) to work on a major research paper for one of my college courses. These teachers were “great teachers” because they simply cared and wanted to make a difference. But what of the teachers who are not so “great,” what characteristics do they possess, so I may not?
This past semester I had two professors that if I had known about them earlier I would have never taken their course, whether it had been a requirement or not. These two professors taught two different subjects, and in different ways represented teachers I wish never to become. The first emailed slide shows to the class, then when in class read the same slide show, never giving practice problems, or other relevant information about the subject. When it came time for lab, which the students read and answered questions prior to the meeting, she would begin the first forty minutes reading the lab to herself, and then to the class. How can a professor be a “great teacher” when they do not prepare lesson plans, assignments, or research the topic they wish to teach before hand? I feel a “great teacher” may not know all the known answers, but should feel comfortable and familiar about the topic, and not simply read off information.
The next “disappointing” teaching example involves a professor who depended on her students to teach and research all the knowledge while she only graded. She simply emailed numerous notes out of order, skimmed the notes in class out of order, then criticized students who found confusion, and demand they seek extra help outside of class from someone else other then herself. This teacher did not want to help her students further their knowledge, but overload them independently. A “great teacher” should be willing to work with her students, especially if they are struggling, and revise her information if it was not comprehendible. As future teachers we are taught that many students learn in different ways, some are visual learners, others are hands on. In order to be a “great teacher” one must be willing to adapt to change for the sake of one’s students.
If I were to define a “great teacher” the last two examples would fall short tremendously. A “great teacher” is caring, passionate about the subject, organized, and prepared to work and therefore teaches well. I want to be a “great teacher.” I know teachers are humans too and they are not perfect, but if anything I hope none of my students ever feel about me the way I feel about these two professors. I want my students to remember me, and want them to come back and feel they can always look to me for an extra lesson or two.