Fulfilling the Promise Chp. 3 &4

These chapters really spoke to my heart.  As I was reading, especially chapter 3, I really related to what was being said.  It inspired me to be the teacher who cares and sees the possibilities.  I want to live what I believe and not get disillusioned.  

On page 26, it says that these teachers "see the possibilities more clearly than the impossibilities."  This statement is so important to being a good teacher.  Attitude is such a big factor in the classroom.  If I think positively I can, and so can my students, accomplish more.  If I am negative and think that the students are unable to complete the work, they probably won't.  Possibilities are endless if I allow them to be!  

Sometimes this thought of being the greatest teacher is overwhelming.  I loved the statement on page 26 that says, "such teachers are not perfect."  Such a simple sentence allows me to be human.  As long as I continue to try and grow,  I will be fine.  I won't always make the right decision but if I keep learning and evaluating how I am doing, I will be fine and so will my students.  

I really needed to read the different bullets in the different section.  As I was reading them,  I felt good.  For example, "You are unique and valuable."  We all need to hear that, even as adults.  All the bullets had such a good message.  As I thought back on classes I have loved, these feelings expressed in the bullet points were evident of what occurred in the classroom.  Students will be more motivated if they know they are important and can learn no matter what disabilities or differences they may have.  

I loved the statement, "Opportunity requires hard work."  How often do I think life should be easier.  However, if everything in life was easy, I would never learn anything.  It is nice to know that someone is there to help you through it.  That is my job as a teacher, to be there for the students.  We can be partners and grow together.  We can help each other out.  As I do this with the students, I will learn their individual needs and how to address them.  As we become partners, the trust will build and the students will want to work hard.  

There is so much I want to say, before the sake of space I will move on to Chapter 4.  I loved the ideas presented in this chapter!  

The first idea that struck me, was the statement, "I need you to join me in making our class work for each of us."  By allowing the students to become a part of the planning and letting them know their ideas are important, will make the students feel comfortable and welcome.  Also, one thing I noticed was most of chapter 4 is what we are talking about in classroom management.  Isn't it amazing how many of our classes overlap!  It just shows how important these topics are!!

I will just discuss some of the sections.  I liked the one on celebrating success.  All too often we focus on the negatives. All this does is bring us and our students down.  If we just have an attitude change and think of the positives, than so will our students.  Not only will more learning go on, but there will be less disciplinary problems.  

I LOVED the idea of dialogue journals.  Sometimes I think about how will I ever get to talk with my students all the time and still discuss the curriculum.  This allows the students and the teacher to communicate about topics that are important to them while practicing their writing.  It is nice that it can be on whatever is important to the student at that time.  Students can learn to trust the teacher in this manner. 

I loved the idea of already having some groups in place so that students can move from one activity to another without much delay.  Also, it allows for flexible grouping and students can work with more of their classmates.  As this happens, students get to know each other and learn that everyone has something to offer.  

There is so much more I could say, but this post is getting rather long.  These two chapters were so wonderful.  The first one invoked emotion in a positive way.  I want to feel those same things that it says students need to know and feel.  In the second chapter, it gave so many ideas on how to make this happen in the classroom.  This class teaches us how to be good teachers and how to reach out to all students.  

Inventories/Pre-Assessments

This weeks reading was beneficial to me.  I have been thinking a lot about what kinds of questions I would like to have answers to about my students at the beginning of the year and than possibly doing it again in the middle of the year.  I started thinking about it when I watched my cooperating teacher with her Kindergarten students.  She had sent it home and had the parents write the answers the students gave them.  When they came for Kindergarten testing, she than talked about their answers with the students to get to know them even better.  

I really liked the inventories in the Fulfilling the Promise book, however, I could not use them in the Kindergarten class.  The first one (where it asks the students to place the phrases into the two categories) I might be able to incorporate some of the same ideas but make it simpler for the younger students.  However, it would be good for first and older grades.  You might have to read some of the questions for the students in first grade, but they could do it.  

On Blackboard Vista, I liked the variety of pre-assessment activities that were provided.  Seeing the one on Rome, made me begin to think of how that same idea could be taken into other areas of study.  For example, before starting a unit on the  solar system, you could ask questions about what they already know, what they want to know, and than at the end they can discuss what they learned.  Even though I liked looking at the different options, the only ones that came close to me being able to use them in the Kindergarten classroom were the first three in the "large variety of pre-assessment" folder.  These are more simplified in that they use smiley faces and ask students to draw instead of write.  Most of the questions could be answered by the students if the questions are read to them and if I explain what the smiley faces mean.  

During my student teaching, I probably will have to write or adapt a questionnaire for the students.  Being in Kindergarten, the students aren't able to write their thoughts as clearly.  I will use one where the students mark their answers by coloring in or circling a happy or sad face.  I will read the questions to the students, since they will probably not be able to read the questions yet.  I am not exactly sure what questions I would ask yet, but I will base it on what I am going to be teaching them and what I decide will be important to know about each student.  I might even include a game or activity where we do a thumbs up/thumbs down activity where I ask questions.  (I would explain that there are no right or wrong answers).  I would use this second approach when I just need a general idea of how the students feel and not individual.  For example, if I am planning different center ideas, I might see how many are interested in different activities, so I can plan activities that the students can relate to and I can make sure there is at least one activity that each student will like or will be able to do.  

If I need to know what they already know about a topic, I will probably do small group activities where we discuss a KWL chart.  Sometimes students know something but don't know they know it.  If they hear others ideas, it might register with them.  

There are so many options.  Since I am in Kindergarten, I know I will need something simpler that can be done by circling or coloring an answer instead of expecting them to write.  Pre-assessment is definitely a good tool that I will be using in my classroom.  So much information can be gained.  Also, I can add or even write my own, if I can't find one that asks the questions I want asked.  

Fulfilling the Promise Chp. 1 &2

In this reading, I really liked how the text started out by addressing who might need differentiation.  The list it gave could encompass every student in the class.  I liked how it even covered students who are fast learners or who have given up on school.  I think sometimes these two areas are overlooked when teachers plan and either their needs are not thought about or they are ignored.  I think that they need differentiated curriculum as much as all other students.  I was a fast learner in school and always got the extra busy work when I finished early.  I did it because I liked school, as did my sisters.  On the other hand, both my brothers were even better than all of us girls, but they had problems being given the busy work.  My brother just younger than me had to be put in anger management classes when he was in elementary school because he would get angry about the situation.  My youngest brother just acted out.  He would refuse to do work, especially if it was repetitive.  For example, if there are 25 math problems on a worksheet and they have already done 10 in class, he would refuse to do the worksheet because his thought was, "Why do I have to practice something I already know."I think in these cases if the classroom curriculum had been more differentiated, they would have been able to get more out of school and it would have lessoned the discipline problems they added to the class.  Going along with this idea, the book on page 5 states, "Learning environment is the 'weather' that affects virtually everything that transpires in the classroom."  If the learning environment takes into consideration everyone, the students will feel comfortable and learn more.  Also, in return there will be less discipline problems.  

I really liked the metaphor from The Little Prince.  It is true about how we have to "tame" our students.  The more we get to know our students, the easier and more effectively we can teach them.  I thought that it was interesting that it said that taming the fox (or the student) is a risk  but it is well worth it.  I think it is a risk worth taking.  As we get to know the students, we can better relate to them and it makes both teacher and student enjoy the day more.  Reading the excerpt, I now want to read the book.  (I bought it but haven't had time to read it yet.)  

  

I liked the comic strip on the bottom of pg. 15.  Students, especially younger students do think they are the center of the universe.  That is why we need to take care of their needs.  If they don't feel safe or important, how are they going to learn?  I think differentiation falls into this category of needs.  With differentiation, we can meet some of their most important needs. One of them being that the student needs to feel that they are important, as are how they learn.  They need to be listened to and respected.  Differentiation can help this happen.  We ARE respecting the student and their needs when we include differentiation as part of our curriculum.  

Morning Meeting Packet!

The Morning Meeting Packet had many good ideas in it.  I am only going to focus on a few.  

I liked how the packet went into a little more detail about each part of the morning meeting and discussed a little why each part is important.  I also, liked seeing what skills were able to be developed.  For example, "Sharing is designed to simulate face-to-face conversation."  This part really made me think about how important this skill is in every day life.  As I was thinking, I realized that some adults still have not been able to grasp this seemingly simple task.  Along with this, the student's gain skills in listening, public speaking, asking relevant questions, being respectful, and many more.  Some of the skills are purely social while others (like asking relevant questions) are used in other areas of study.  The more I read about the different skills and abilities that are developed, the more I realized how vital they are to the student's current and later successes.  How could someone think morning meetings are a waste of time!  

I enjoyed reading the thoughts of the students.  They really seemed to connect with each other and build that ever important community as a result of the morning meetings.  The students themselves recognized that they got along better with their peers and were more ready to start the day after the morning meeting.  The difference was so much that they were willing to fight for it.  This is a good sign that the students are learning and gaining much from the experiences they have in morning meetings.  

One last thing,  in the Questions and Comments section of the reading.  I really liked Mike Anderson's response to the question.  I think it is a great idea to invite the skeptical parents or maybe even administration into the classroom to watch what goes on.  However, I would wait a couple weeks after the beginning of the semester so the students know the routine.  Also, informing the parents in the newsletter is such a wonderful idea!  This way some parents will reinforce the ideas being taught during these meetings.  Further more, the more connections that are made to the curriculum and social goals (that may or may not be in the state core) the less opposition will arise.  

From the reading my understanding is growing in respect to morning meetings.  I can see how it does build community in a classroom and how it can reinforce concepts that are needing to be learned or are being taught already.  I want to use morning meetings in my classroom.  

Differentiation in Practice pgs. 1-14

Hello Dr. Peterson!

As I was reading this assignment, I realized that we have already begun to learn how to differentiate.  For example, we learned how to integrate the arts into our curriculum and how to do use different models of teaching.  The reading took this to the next level by addressing how important it is to look at everything about the individual student.  For example, how the student's background mixes with their interests and is than compounded by their varying levels of knowledge.  It makes sense why it is so important to look at all aspects of the student.  

I liked how the reading made a point to point out how there is always exceptions to every stereotype.  For example, just because a student isn't a good reader, does not mean they don't like to read.  Also, even though a student might be of a certain ethnic group, it does not mean that is the particular group the student relates with.  Therefore, we can not assume that all students of the same ethnic group are the same.  I just think about how I am Caucasian, but I am not just like my husband or even my siblings and we are all Caucasian.  Why do we assume that other ethnic groups are all the same?! 

I also liked how the reading pointed out that the teacher needs to plan differentiated activities, but still be flexible.  Also, the more aware I am as a teacher, the easier it will be to know what the students' needs are.  I will need to look for regular opportunities to add to the curriculum to enrich the students' experiences with school.  

The reading helped me realize that what we have been learning all along in the education program agrees and has helped prepare me to be a teacher that differentiates the curriculum.  The more I am learning, the more I realize how important it is to add and to adapt my curriculum to meet as many of my students' needs as possible.  I know I won't be able to help every student, but it is important for me to try!