Reflection 4

     Capture:

     This week I want to talk about how we view ourselves as individuals and teachers and the role that our perception plays in deciding the kind of individual and teacher we will be and become. 

     Analysis:

      As we go through life we have all sorts of experiences. Good, bad, ugly, all of these experiences lead us to create beliefs about the world, ourselves, and those around us. Those beliefs become the lenses or paradigms through which we view our current life experiences. As we built up our "belief lense", if we're not careful, we can discolor the world around us through untrue or negative beliefs about ourselves or others. For example, if we believe that we are miserable, we will be most likely be miserable. We will look for ways in which we can justify our belief. Negative beliefs about ourselves and others can be particularly problematic when we apply it to classroom situations. If we as teachers believe that our students don't have potential, and wont succeed, we'll teach to and look for ways to justify those beliefs about our students. Those beliefs are transmitted to students as expectations and they will perform accordingly. The opposite is true if we feel positively about ourselves and our students. Ultimately the way we view others comes down to how we view ourselves.  

    Action:

       I will view myself as a child of God or, in school terms, someone with infinite potential and create an environment where my students can come to have a firm belief that they too have infinite potential as contributors to the world.   

Reflection 3

Capture:

During class we talked about morals in the classroom and the responsibility we will have as teachers to create an atmosphere where those can be taught and applied.

Analysis:

The bottom line is that many of the kids we'll teach won't have the strongest moral backgrounds, the greatest family life or a role model for good values in their lives. That means that some of the kids we teach will need us to be the good examples. They will look to us for the "why" behind morality. We will want to be ready with an answer. Without a strong family, or moral role model to look up to in their lives, kids will easily gravitate to their friends' level of morality, or even use what they see on t.v. as their moral compass. This is why it is so important to know where we as teachers stand with our own personal morals and our commitment to creating a positive morally enriching atmosphere within the classroom. Not only can we make a difference intellectually in the lives of the kids we teach but also morally as we strive to be a good example of the morals that they need in order to be productive and knowledgeable citizens in society.  

Application:

As a teacher I will do all I can to be an example for my students of someone they can look to to model their values from. I will find ways in which to balance course material with underlying moral lessons and be watchful to find moments in the classroom environment where I can present them in a non-invasive way.

Reflection 2

Capture:

After reading Wong Part One I wanted to reflect on the importance of first impressions.

Analysis:

Wong relays the importance of first impressions in the classroom in creating both an efficient and effective classroom. First impressions are apart of our everyday lives. When we first meet someone, that person only knows what they've seen of us in the few seconds they've known us. Yet, those that meet you will hold you to the expectations they create for you when they first meet you. This can be problematic, especially in the classroom. If a teacher comes into their class on the first day of school and announces games and fun activities for the first day of school, students will expect games and fun activities are what class will be each day and their overall productivity during the year will be substantially decreased. Students will live up to the expectations you give them, and convey through your actions and attitude. 

Action:

As a teacher, I will do all I can to create an a  strong positive, hopeful, productive and effective impression and first few days of school so that my students can grow to their greatest potential during their time in my class. I will then continue to reinforce that initial impression throughout the semester by remaining true to the initial impression and set of expectations that I gave to students on the first day of class. 

Reflection 1

     Capture:

     Two key concepts that I've observed in this class so far are: 1) We get what we give. 2) Learn for Life, Not a Grade. 

     Analysis:

     Upon reflecting on these two concepts I've found several key differences in how I was taught growing up and how I would/will teach now and in the future. In high school my biggest frustration was going to classes where the material had hardly any real-world application. I've felt that my high school education, and even my college education to an extent, hasn't really carried over into real-life application. Let me explain. For example, there is no class taught in high school on how to get a job,  basic communication/social skills, how to do basic finances/ budget, or other essential and even foundational life skills. These skills are left to be taught by Boy Scout troops, Church or Religious organizations, and in the home. That said, I feel that these things should be taught in these places, but what about the students who have awful home lives, don't go to church, etc. I guess what I'm getting at is the importance of having real-world application for the information being presented within the classroom being paramount above the information itself. There needs to be more Learning for Life, Not Just Learning for a Grade. With that in mind, even if you do create a class where real-world application is paramount, it ultimately comes down to what each student and teacher gives to the class that determines the final outcome for all involved.  

    Action:

     As I begin my teaching career I will do everything I can to have real-world skills incorporated into whatever lesson material I present. Ideally, and ultimately, I would love to be an educational entrepreneur and create/launch classes/schools that teach real-world skills along with specific core classes that teach and prepare students for their college and real-life/workplace experiences.