Day 20: What are your concerns/questions/fears about observing in the elementary schools? Be honest!9/20/2014 My only real concern is that I don't really think I can handle being around first graders for a long period of time and stay completely sane, plus I'm just not used to that age group. I love toddlers and younger kids, but once they're about 6, I don't really have any experience to go off of. I guess I just struggle to understand how to act around elementary kids, so I'll work on that. I was fine with the fourth and fifth graders in previous years, I just don't know how I'll do around first graders. I would also prefer to avoid the common younger-grade incidences like throwing up in class and meltdowns over a paper cut, but I'm sure I'll have to learn to put up with that. After all, I feel like when I'm older I'd be completely fine with it from my own kids when they're 5, 6, 7-ish. I just think a classroom of kids that age is insane. So I'll find out Tuesday...
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I would have to say that the biggest new concepts this week were from the emergency medical and CPR training that we had Monday and Thursday. It was pretty informative, and set straight a lot of facts for me, discounting some common myths I'd heard and, most importantly, discussing the main order of operations during a crisis. I'm glad we were able to have that opportunity, and I actually feel a bit safer having this new knowledge.
A teacher is like a light tower for an airplane at night. It's not always possible for the student to figure everything out on their own; it's always best to let the teacher light the path ahead and mark the important sections.
Day 17: What is the most challenging issue in education today? Respond to at least one other post!9/17/2014 The most challenging aspect of teaching is probably worrying about all of the annoying standards set by the state, and even some national standards (*cough* NCLB *cough*). At the high school level it's not as bad, but teaching to standardized tests while ensuring that students REALLY know what's going on is definitely a struggle for a lot of teachers. In addition, this kind of "equal oppurtunity for all" creates a situation of less focus on the kids who are excelling and have an insane amount of potential. Even with gifted services and advanced courses, I feel that these kids are slightly held back by that wasted month or so every year, where they prepare for OAT's or OAA's or OGT's or Terra Novas or whatever the current name is for these tests. And at the high school level, there may not be as much focus on standardized testing, but teachers still have certain standards for HOW they teach and what materials they can use, or what kinds of methods they must use at certain times. I've had teachers who had teaching pretty much mastered in my opinion, then the class average plummeted for a month as a required "Online" unit started up and less teacher-student communication could occur, or a certain study method was required for a unit that didn't work as well as the rest of the year.
I would probably choose telepathy, because then I could read and understand student's minds and see what they're misunderstanding at at all times. Honestly, that would probably be the most useful superpower as a teacher because then you would always be able to get to the root of a problem right away. Analyzing the way a student thinks would be extremely simple, because I could read how they were thinking
I feel that the main thing I pulled from their discussions is to not be single-minded and always consider the reasons behind an action; always plan ahead, always be prepared. If a student isn't behaving how you would expect, don't immediately write them off as an awful person or a slacker, consider the possibilities behind their attitude, and work around this in order to get through to them. And being prepared is important in everything of course, but I hadn't really thought about how an interview is a chance to show an employer what YOU know about the company... Really important idea, I'm very glad they came and told us these things.
Get married, have kids (preferably in Hilliard)
Work in Hilliard schools and experience this place from the other point of view. Beat a burger challenge at a restaurant anywhere. Visit a white sand beach I expect that teaching will come more and more naturally, and I'll feel more comfortable explaining things to random people. I also think experience through observations will teach me some lessons in working with students and understanding how different people operate; and teaching to that style.
The morning in general. I love my English and Math classes, the teachers are fun and I enjoy the subjects. After that, heading to the ILC is a great way to break up the day, so I enjoy that a lot. It's like Academy EDU is the class I have with all the people who look at life the way I do, and it's really neat.
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