Refelction....last one!

This semester I have been able to expand my understanding and appreciation for the art of being an effective teacher.  even though we haven't had class in a while I have pondered frequently about my future as a teacher and the potential impact I could have on others lives.  Today in class we learned about the reality of teaching.  after what was taught I am excited to not only be a teacher but look forward to opportunities to be in administration.  With the possibility of being able to work administration, I have given more thought about grad school and will research that possibility more.

Reflection

I have been thinking a lot about how to achieve higher learning like we have discussed in class.  Most of the times I teach I notice I only teach towards knowledge instead of trying to teach towards application and experience based learning.  I can accomplish this by having kids do assignments that help them gain a knowledge of the concept, the do an activity that will allow them to apply, and experience what they learn

Refelction 8

I just finished my last observation this week and I have learned some good things.  During the class, I talked with the teacher about grading and he makes half of the students grade based on being on time, participating, and cleaning up.  I thought this was great for tech teaching because if the majority of their grade consists of these aspects, the will have to participate, and when you participate you learn and begin to enjoy learning. So it is a crafty way to help students get envolved in their learning.

Reflection 7

Teaching for knowledge is not what I want to teach for.  I wan t to teach for application and evaluation.  Teaching towards application of principles will help kids grasp the concept and the knowledge will be gained through their own evaluations and experiences with applying learning.  I need to stretch myself to plan lessons this way and innovate new ways to engage students to learn.

Wasatch High Observation

For my first high school observation I went to Wasatch High School in Heber City, UT.  It was a great experience to see the great video and broadcasting program that Jon Moss has established.  His pedagogy was very simple.  He tells each student to treat his class like a job.  He give out projects and assignments that need to be done, and expects the kids to help each other to get it done.  he had a fun atmosphere in his classroom which helped kids learn.  Even though I don't want to teach broadcasting, I learned the value of passion.  Mr. Moss is very passionate about his teaching and told us that in order to teach kids what you want you need passion, and a long term plan of where you want your curriculum and teaching to be.  It is inspiring to see someone start with just 2 cameras and a vcr, go to a class full of computers and high end broadcasting equipment.

Jr. High Experience

Last week we were able to wrap up our observations with the Jr. High Schools.  I had a great time learning from the kids as well as the teachers.  I was able to observe a variety of subjects and ways to teach them.  One thing i noticed is that teaching in the Jr. high's is like organized chaos.  Kids are younger, less mature, but still eager to learn.  from talking with the teachers about what they like and what they would like, it was easy to see that the passion was there for that age group.  I like the Jr. High's because there is a wide array of topics that can be taught to help kids figure out what they want to do in high school.  Helping kids find a passion for something at a young age would be very rewarding.

Teaching Observations

I was able to go and observe Jay Anderson at Vista Heights Jr. High today.  It was so much fun watching and learning how he teaching and how his classroom functions.  It really put some anxiety to rest that i have had about teaching.  I don't know why i had such anxiety, but actually seeing how others teach in a real situation, brought confidence and motivation to me.  I can truly appreciate the effort it takes to capture the attention of middle school kids.  they can't sit still for longer than a minute.  Jay did a very good job of relating to the students while keeping them in line.  once the kids got onto computers to use google sketch up, they were very active in their learning.  from what I gathered the students were taught briefly of some requirements for their project and had to figure out how to do it on their own.  I think that is one of the best ways to learn is by going in head first.  while some students may struggle, teachers can be there to help guide when needed.
I want to be able to get kids motivated to learn by being excited myself, and showing how what I am teaching can help them in their lives.  Teaching and learning with the students is most effective because it lets everyone grow together and when people grow together, exponential learning is achieved.