Reflections

Reflections

5/25/10 I am happy to be having another class with Ms. Chapman and can only hope that I will work with such an enthusiastic person when I go "out there!" This class interests me as I am working VERY part time at a place that is letting me do whatever I want. The library is almost in order and next year I would like to be teaching some classes. There are some extreme disabilities, so I curious how I can work this in. Sometimes the preferred method of teaching, doesn't seem to work. I know that attendance is taken first thing as they wish to find which students are either not there, cutting classes, etc. Administration wouldn't like the halfway through the class method! My mind is a sieve, but I think the holes are getting bigger!

5/30/10 I feel that the Point to Text procedure was very helpful to learning the stanards better. I read them my self, but going over them with others, does help to get a deeper level of undertanding. I am amazed that somethings I thought were important enough to outline, others didn't. It is like a book club, we all read the book, but once discussing it, other things come up and points of view that create a better understanding o the book. On a selfish level, I am always pleased to see that Byram Hills often does wht it recomended for the schools!

6/5/10 Love, Love Love, the Marzano book! I like the practical way they talk about HOW to teach. I am very overwhelmed by the lesson plan idea and think that is one of the most dauting things about teaching. Like to be very organized, but I can't imagine how a teacher can get these plans written in time for use.

6/9/10 I would like to have an internship where all these great things are happening, as I don't really see it in "the real world" yet, especially at the middle school and high school level. I am hoping this isn't like nutrition, where my internship experiences didn't match my jobs practiaclities...

6/13/10 I am glad to see that others were having dificulty with MH plans as I KNOW I was. I am still amazed that teachers have to do all these plans. Guess it would get easier the second year where refinements came be made and minor tweaks. I find I waste too much time, getting sidetracked on the topic and reading things for my own interest.

6/16/10 This MH plan I am still not comfortable with and I am not sure why. I am a very organized person and this certainly is an organizational tool! I am curious if we learn another method for camparisons sake. If this isn't used as much, I resent having to learn it for the LMS test. Also the old Bloom taxonomy, while it is great to be familiar with were it came from, I don't want to spend time studying it for that test. Seems like it needs to be modernized a bit.

___ 6/19/10 I am embarressed to think that I have been using these reflections in the wrong way. I am thinking it was about my thoughts, etc. but now I realize it is a tool to reflect on my LEARNING and the readings that I have been doing. It never occurred to me till we mentioned it in class. I am really happy that almost everything that is done in this classs can be used in some way or another. Even focusing on an emergency lesson plan is something that can bail me out in the future. Even when Ms. Chapman goes off topic, it is to point out real life scenarios. I admire the candiness in describing both positive and negative teaching experiences, as they both can be used in our futures. I used to teach health classes to cardiac and renal patients, and now I find myself wondering how effective was I really? I knew NOTHING about the theories of teaching....

6/20 Cooper's Assessment chapter is probably above what I would be exposed to as an LMS. It is nice information to know, but I doubt that I will have to write tests often. Self assessment is pertinent to evaluating a lesson, however. It got me wondering how come the teachers in my kids schools don't ask for feedback from the students about their teaching? Maybe it is too threatening or the information could be seen by a principal? But I think they don't want to know....if 90% of the kids disagreed with a comment of teacher availability, the teacher would have to look into that. Maybe if tenure was less binding, they would find this evaluation information more pertinent so they could work on improving their skills. Why do we do it for the professors in the LMS program....

6/23 I liked the chapter on classroom management. I thought that it gave some good advice, but of course I wont know unless I am in the classroom more. I have heard from teachers that the worst thing they contend with now is classroom behavior and many have retired because of it. It is a sad commentary on our society that basic respect and social rules are going out the door. The kids are 90% black where I have been working and I find that basic human kindness is the best way to interact with these guys. Just asking them about their favorite sports teams or another interest and I can see their face light up and then they want to pursue the conversation the next day on what the yankees did. I am not a particular baseball fan, but I keep up with it enough for a minor conversation now!