We had some great discussions in class today. I didn’t participate that much because I realized I like to observe and listen and then collect my thoughts and make sense of it all later. This journal is like a food bank for me. I collect information, thoughts, and opinions and then distribute it out to anyone that wants it!
We had a conversation in class today about curriculum. This has worried me since the beginning of the quarter. We talk so much about testing and teaching students what’s on the tests, I really didn’t think we will have a chance to be creative and essentially bring more to the curriculum to be a good teacher. So much is learned from lessons that are not related to WASL or other state tests. I understand now that we are to teach what is required by schools, districts, states, federal governments, etc., but it’s up to the teachers to enhance the program, which is making the best curriculum we see fit for our students. This makes me feel better, because I don’t want to be stuck teaching the boring test essentials. There’s so many ways we can engage our students, which is presented in many of our readings, it would be a shame to not utilize those suggestions to create interest and imagination and ultimately learning.
Reading Raywid’s, A teacher’s Awesome Power, I kept thinking I already know this. I do appreciate reading about what I feel about teaching and it’s all on paper, right in front of me. Basically Raywid writes that we have the influence to make or break our students. We have the power to create the atmosphere of the classroom, to determine the fate of a child, to shape the intellect or the child, among other things. We have the moral obligation to use our powers to best benefit our students. Well, who in the world doesn’t know this? After reading this, I just thought that anyone that goes into teaching or is teaching right now should already know that teachers can make a difference in children’s lives and it’s our responsibility to ensure that we are giving the students the best opportunities we can possibly give to them. What I got from this reading is a reminder that we need to be aware of our actions and what we say as teachers because we can unintentionally do or say things that can have a negative effect on the student. Tiffany shared a story in class today about a teacher who told a student that he needed more friends. Kristen also brought up the point that it was possible that the teacher didn’t say that, but that’s the student got from what she had said. That’s the point that Raywid is making. Even if the teacher didn’t say the student needed to make more friends, that’s what the child got from it. That’s what Raywid is cautioning us about- be aware of our actions because we have more influence than we are aware of. Sometimes I think teaching like my current job. It’s basically customer service. Anyone that’s worked in customer service knows that we deal with difficult people. That’s especially true working in a casino and taking money away from people for a living. Even the most innocent comments can be construed as rude- and believe me, our customers flip out over the smallest comments. I understand that teaching is similar to customer service because we really need to watch what we say to children and watch our actions because sometimes the most innocent of actions or words can easily get misinterpreted.
Reading Chapter 5 of Ayers made me excited and wished that I was teaching right now. The examples he gives of himself and other teachers making their curriculum interactive was inspiring. Ayers mentions that it’s best to be flexible, like when a plan to study immigration turned into a lesson on the Hudson River. Although it was a totally different lesson, the students were still learning and getting skills that they can take with them through life- unlike remembering what’s on a state test and forgetting it the next day after taking the test.
I did highlight most of this chapter. I thought it was fascinating when Ayers said, “While my quest undoubtedly had a positive impact on my teaching, as soon as I began to think that I had figured it out. That my search was done, I would begin to slip back, to die as a teacher.” I think this is true to my life. I know I never have everything figured out. There’s always so much more to learn and observe. If I can take that attitude with me in teaching, I know I can become a great teacher. I felt what Ayers is saying is that we learn as much about the subject through the process of learning. It may take us on new discoveries and unearth more than what we originally set out to learn. I will definitely need to remember that for myself and my students as well.
That’s it for this week. I have to work on my final paper for the other class!!!
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- rosiew
- I am currently pursuing my K-8 certification at the University of Washington Bothell. I love to learn, which is good, because there's so much to learn!
For whatever reason, I couldn't comment on last week's post....! Yes, you can interrupt these adults! And every time you have, I've been able to better understand things from your perspective and learn from you. So keep talking!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's what children hear that matters to them, not what we think we said. The teacher that Tiffany talked about certainly could have seen the reaction, and could have clarified or even apologized. But teachers do have to take ownership for what they say and do in classrooms.
It's a common problem- - highlighting entire chapters in Ayers! He describes such rich and wonderful classrooms, it's hard to sort out just single elements of what he writes. I think that this book is a nice example of not taking teachers step by step through some scripted way to learn to teach. Instead, he's raising big questions and showing how things are all connected and asking all of us to push ourselves further than we thought we'd have to push.
That's good teaching, isn't it?