Agnon Field Visit

Going to Agnon was very interesting for me. Driving up to the school, I was very surprised from the outside of the building. It was very stone-like and did not look like a normal school. I was first placed in a first-grade classroom that was teaching a spelling activity. The classroom was very small and the class only consisted of ten children. Each child was expected to categorize words into familiar categories based on how they sounded or their meaning. Many kids had a difficulty with this. After, they were working on the concept of subtraction. The teacher had them pull out their math books and place their pencil in the book as they looked up at the board. She had the higher-level children go out in the hallway and work with the other co-teacher. She then tried to describe the concept of subtraction with coins. She first had the kids try to answer a question in which Sam had eight coins and Mia had six. She asked the students how much more did Sam have than Mia. Many of the kids had a really difficult time trying to figure this out. She told Justina and I that it would take several months if not a year for her students to grasp the concept of subtraction.
After we went to a 2nd grade english classroom. The teacher was very nice and outgoing. The kids were expected to complete a grammar packet that consisted of pronouns and other grammar mistakes that the teacher had found that they were having difficulty with in the past week. Many of the kids were very silly and enjoyed coming up to the teacher, Brooke. After they were done they were asked to take out a book and read or give their folder to the teacher so she could clean it out for break. As Brooke had talked to Justina and I, she told us that she use to teach 8th grade in California and Florida but her husband had got a job at the Cleveland Clinic causing them to move. Despite the great change, she says she loves her job. You could see the way she smiled when she talked and spoke to her kids. She had a playful personality that would joke around with the kids when they had asked her questions. She had told us that you have to get use to them asking you a question about something that you have already said four times. I thoughroughly enjoyed being in her class and could tell that they had a class in which discipline was a major priority but having fun was as well very important.

Mrs.Elliott Math and Reading lesson

When I walked into Mrs.Elliott's classroom when she was teaching a reading lesson, I again saw that the agenda was up on the board and the students were silently reading. There was even a christmas tree in the corner and a reef on a side table in the back of the classroom. I thought it gave the classroom a very homey and cozy touch. They were given twenty minuets to read the rest of the chapter and if they did not get done they had to finish it for homework. She had each pod of tables go and take a bathroom break one at a time before she started their math lesson. I was very impressed how she was constantly at all times able to keep a calm and soothing voice even when the kids became loud when leaving for the bathroom. I could not help but write down in my notebook that I loved the atmosphere of the class and that I thought all the kids were beautiful. Every time I have observed in Mrs.Elliott's class I have found that I have loved it more and more.
The first problem that she wrote down on the board was "National elections in the United States are always held in November. The date of the election is the first Tuesday that follows the first Monday in November. What are the possible elections?" She first had a student read the question out loud and then another student read it again. I thought this was a very clever strategy to make sure that all the students were able to listen and comprehend what the question was asking. Mrs. Elliott then asked a student to come up to the board that had gotten the question done. The student came up and answered and explained how he had gotten the numbers:2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. I was very impressed once again by how much these students knew and how they were able to articulate how they had gotten the answer at hand.
The next part of the lesson consisted of students learning how to multiply numbers. She explained to them that 25x20 is the same as 25 x (2 x 10) because 10 is a multiple of 20. She had them think of multiples as groups that could fit into a different number so many times. In addition, she handed out a sheet with long multiplication questions. They were expected to get to number 12 and then had students volunteer to come up to the board and explain how they got their answers. During this lesson, I was very surprised with how she was easily able to break down such a hard concept such as multiplying double digits. I was also very shocked how comfortable they were in getting up in front of the class. This behavior definitely represents what a strong and comfortable community Mrs.Elliott  has created within the classroom. Lastly, she had the students close their eyes and hold up a thumbs up or a thumb down to show her wether they were getting the information. I though this was a very clever way to cultivate their feelings on the material. After walking out from this class, I was very proud of the students for their hard work and dedication to learn.

Science at Gesu/ Mrs.Elliott

The science lesson that I observed at Gesu consisted of students learning about owls. I was told that the following week the students were going to be dissecting owl pellets. I thought this was very exciting and do not remember dissecting anything ever in elementary school. The students were expected to be completing a research paper about owls and a specific one that they have chosen to learn about. She had the students take out iPads from a cart to use in order to complete their assignment. I was very surprised that the school had two carts of iPads that any teacher could use. This really made me realize how much technology has effected our classrooms today. I think allowing students to use such technology allows them to fulfill their curiosity and to learn about the things that they are the most interested about. In addition, I was very surprised how all the kids knew how to work the iPads and only needed help knowing what to write down. Their sheet had five bullets in which they had to write down five general facts about the owl population and then two facts on an owl that they had chosen to focus on. Mrs. Elliott had told first told them the directions, waited a few minuets and told them what she had expected of them again. As an elementary teacher, I think it very crucial to understand that it may take many times for children to listen and comprehend what you are saying. Personally, I think this is very easy to forget as an adult sometimes because it has been so long since we have been that age.

Social Studies with Mrs.Elliott/ Field Experience

When I went to Gesu to observe a Social Studies class I was very surprised at how much the students knew. They were learning about how we vote and why we do. She had a powerpoint slide up on the board that went along with each topic that the kids had to answer questions on. The students were taught the requirements for a president and fun facts about each one in our nation's history. It was very evident that they were very excited once they were told that there was going to be a student election held. Each fourth grader had to come up with a slogan that rhymed with their name or was catchy that would make their students vote for them. If a student had a problem with coming up with their own slogan, they would ask the class as a whole to help them. I thought this was a very good way to build community within the classroom and to show the importance of teamwork. When a student needed help they raised their hand and everyone else shared an answer that they had. They then had to write five qualities that they had as a person that would make them a good president. While they were writing their qualities down, I was able to walk around and observe what they were writing. I saw many papers that said they were friendly, honest, smart, and fair. I thought this was a great lesson to tie in the morals that all kids should know. At the end of the lesson she had them chose two other people that they would form a political party group with. Each student was either the president, vice president, or treasurer within their group. She highly emphasized the importance of letting anyone that wanted to be in their group to allow them to, and to treat everyone equally. Lastly, she told them that no one will be left out and if they are she will chose their groups.
In addition, I thought the kids again were very well behaved. Whenever she would ask the class a question so many kids would raise their hands and whenever the room got too loud she would say "I don't answer anyone who calls out." This seemed to remind the kids the importance of listening to others who are talking and waiting their turn.

First Field visit to Mrs. Elliot's

The first time I walked into Gesu, I got very excited due to the school reminding me of my own childhood. There were many little kids in uniforms of skirts and navy blue dress pants roaming the halls. I was very curious about what Mrs. Elliott’s class would be like and what children I would get to learn about.

Mrs. Elliott is a very sweet and calm teacher who never raises her voice or yells at her students. As I walked in, she had the whole entire agenda on the board that was color coated to each subject. The class felt bright and inviting. Throughout each area of the room, there was a place for everything. There was a math section where many math posters hung, an area where books about God laid, and even an area with stuffed giraffes. I was very surprised how much was in the room without it feeling cluttered or unorganized.
The lesson that she was teaching was a reading lesson. She calmly had each group of students to get a bathroom break before they went over what they had read the night before. The desks were arranged in small sections and rows in which each student had a small group of two to three to talk to. The reading was about a Japanese boy who came to live in America with another family. As the students talked about what they read, Mrs.Elliott put critical reading questions up on the smart board for all students to see. Whenever the students had the wrong answer she never denied their answers or said they were wrong. Instead, she would say "not quite" or "okay we are getting closer". At the end of the reading she asked students what the overall message the author was trying to tell his readers. I was very surprised how many kids had gotten this question right. The main message is that it is always important to treat others how you want to be treated, and the importance of being a good friend to someone. Many of the kids went around and shared the qualities that would make up a good friend such as being honest, kind, and giving. I could not believe how smart these fourth graders were!
As a whole, I found that I really do enjoy being in the presence of an elementary school, and think all the kids are amazing.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography/ ED 101

Brittany Jacobs visits teachers’ classrooms and gives them advice on how they can improve their teaching methods. She believes that “what you see from the students can give you even more information about the teaching in the room than the teacher’s actions do”.

The first question she asks herself is, is everyone in the class focused on a clear learning goal? For example, do the students know what they’re doing? The next one is, is there full participation in which all students are participating? In addition, she asks are the students on task and thinking with care, such as thinking critically throughout the lesson (“are they being engaged to do so”). Lastly, she asks is nearly all of the class time used for learning activities, and is there a positive energy within the room?

I believe that these are great questions and hope to ask myself them in the future while I am teaching to further evaluate myself. I think that evaluation and constant feedback for a teacher is very important in order to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be done within the classroom.

"What Does Great Teaching Look Like?" TNTP. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Dannae Earwood the author of Effective Teaching: What Does it Look Like believes that as a teacher, their job is to learn as well. She states quote from Yount “The day I stop learning is the day I stop teaching”. She also believes that a teacher that is effective is human, meaning they are willing and determined to develop positive relationships with their kids and want to get to know them. By also showing interest in their non-academic lives they can discover the strengths and weaknesses and it will develop their self-concept as a learner. She also believes that they must be “human with the parents” and must be familiar with the student’s family background and the parents’ concerns. Moreover, she believes that they must be mature professionally, academically, and spiritually. Young believes that for a teacher to be mature academically they must be mature in their particular academic field as well as supplementary subjects such as literature, painting, and music in order to relate to a variety of students.

She believes that these aspects are very important

-Accommodates the needs of all learners

-Practices good classroom management

-Discipline of behavior

-Routines and Procedures

-Uses appropriate Instructional strategies and Methods

-Questioning students

-Motivation in students

-Variety

One of the most important aspects that I took out of this article was that a teacher’s job is to not only teach, but to learn as well. As a teacher you must be constantly learning in order to grow along with your students while getting to know them.

I also strongly agree with this article in the terms of building strong relationships with your students. The impact of a close positive relationship can last a lifetime. Due to a teacher I had my freshman year of highschool, until now has constantly been there for me and has always made an effort to ask me how my life is in and out of the classroom. Knowing that she genuinely cares about me not only motivated me as a student but has inspired me to become the teacher that I want to be.

Earwood, By E. Dennae, T "Effective Teaching: What Does It Look Like." (n.d.): n. pag. Aacs.org. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

In the article “To Teach Facts, Start With Feelings” it talks about the importance of tying emotion into what you are teaching in order to make the information more memorable. It emphasizes that making basic connections from lesson to lesson is not enough and that storytelling is an effective tool. It explains that the reason why students don’t need flashcards to remember the plot of their favorite movie or most embarrassing moment because it consists of a balance of context and emotional.

I believe in this immensely because the classes where I could relate to the majority of content I did the best in. Teachers, in addition that make the information more memorable or exciting are definitely easier to remember or recite. As a teacher I hope to present all information in a memorable and exciting way, as well as adding an emotional aspect.

"To Teach Facts, Start With Feelings." Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

In the last article it stressed the importance of these 5 benchmarks in order for class participation.

1. Level of Academic Challenge
2. Student Interactions with Faculty Members
3. Active and Collaborative Learning
4. Enriching Educational Experiences
5. Supportive Campus Environment

This article had reminded me of the discussion that we had had in class about the rate of students speaking up and taking intellectual risks. I think it is crucial for kids to have a safe, supportive environment in which they feel comfortable among their peers and teacher. Without a supportive campus environment, students are censored and learn to be passive and may lead them to think that their thoughts are not important.

"Five Benchmarks For Student Engagement." Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Blog post 10

           Over the past few weeks, many of my thoughts and opinions on certain issues within the educational field have grown and are still developing. The most important thing that I have learned is that being a teacher will never be easy but it will always be worth it and rewarding day by day. This class has truly motivated me to stop and think about the specifics of how I want my classroom to be like one day.

           I have learned that every kid is different and therefore it is important that the subject at hand is taught in many forms. For example, if I am teaching a high school English class and am focusing on vocabulary, I could have the kids read the words out loud, write the words on the chalkboard, use white boards or technology, or lastly play an interactive game. It is very important that I change my lesson plan up daily instead of just teaching it how I would learn best. Although this is a fairly simple concept I think it is an issue that many teachers still today overlook.

          Another important strategy that I have found useful is knowing that students will learn better if you incorporate something they are interested in within the lesson. As a student in high school, I have no doubt that I would be even more excited to learn if my teachers really put in the time to make the information connect to us in a more realistic way. For years I was always use to my teachers answering with the same answer to the why are we learning this question by replying "because you have to or it is on the test". Regardless, of what my kids are interested in and no matter how creative I will have to be, I look forward to tying in their interests with the criteria.

         Lastly, I really agreed with the idea that in order to be the best teacher one possibly can, they must know their students. I found this topic to be something that I can greatly relate to. I have had numerous teachers in high school that had taken the time to get to know me and it made a tremendous impact not only on my grade, but on my life. When teachers have a strong and supportive relationship with their students, students are more likely to reach out and take intellectual risks. Due to a teacher forming an incredible bond with me, she is the reason why I want to become a teacher, and thus be just like her one day. Getting to know each and every student should be a priority for every teacher.