1. Please Read Chapter 3 in your textbook and click comment on the following statement due Friday September 30:
Do you recall a particular teacher of yours who had a special quality? In your post describe that quality. Recall other teachers, both skilled and less skilled in classroom management techniques and interpersonal skills. Describe what made their techniques effective, or not effective.
2. Project #2 - Go on a scavenger hunt with the camera to find the Elements and Principles in your everyday life. Photograph an example of all 12 and create a visual presentation that you could use in your classroom. Please upload your presentation to the Drop Box in D2L for next Friday September 30. Happy Hunting!
3. Please post your top 5 images on your blog portfolio please label your element or principle and the subject matter. Due Friday September 30.
One of my most memorable teachers I had throughout elementary and high school was my fifth grade teacher. This teacher made school fun and she used a positive behavior system. She would reward students for being good and only punish those with extreme negative behavior. She would also tell us stories and analogies relating to life to help us become better people. This teacher helped us to become better students and individuals in the world. She was creative, always thinking outside of the box when implementing new ideas. Lastly, this teacher was organized and returned work in a timely manner. This allowed her students to focus on their work, rather than asking questions about assignments we were confused on.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I had the opportunity to work with a teacher who did not use a positive behavior system. Rather, this teacher would give the students three tickets at the beginning of the week. If her students did not hand in an assignment when she requested them or misbehaved during class, she would take away a ticket from her students. At the end of the week, any student(s) left with one ticket could participate in "FUNDAY FRIDAY".
I believe this technique was ineffective because most students did not make it to Friday with at least one ticket left. She was continuously yelling at her students and most of them were afraid of her.
I feel it is important to embrace students to succeed in positive ways. We want to create a classroom climate that is inviting for us and our students.
When I think of a past teacher with a special quality, I don’t have in mind a very smart and intelligent teacher that could recite all the chemicals on the periodic table from memory or do an 8 digit division problem in their head, in 30 seconds—the teachers I admire the most and who I would like to emulate in my future career were normal people who were passionate about teaching. They showed special interest in their students’ learning. They were not teachers only because they needed to make a living, but because they wanted to help their students to become successful adults. Passionate teachers have taught me that teaching is not only about creating great lesson plans or having a super-managed and disciplined classroom, but about arousing, in children, an enthusiasm for learning. Enthusiasm is contagious! Generally, good teachers exhibit this quality. They make even the most mundane subject and task to look important and exciting.
ReplyDeleteOn the other side of the spectrum, I have in mind teachers who occupied the position only because they needed to make a living. These were teachers who usually just went through the motions of teaching, and instilled in their students abhorrence for learning. Stating things like: “you need to remember this only until after the test, then you may trash it.” And if they didn’t state this directly, their actions and dull disposition usually expressed it. Teachers who are not passionate about teaching and even less enthusiastic about learning, are probably the biggest problem in America’s declining education system.
Having a passion for teaching, and radiating enthusiasm for learning are the qualities that make good teachers and keep the fire of education burning.
I've had many teachers that had special qualities I liked, but only one really stood out to me. Even though she yelled at students for their dumb comments she was like a coach to me and even though she was very harsh on my artwork it was only to make me better. Granite it was high school, she was the reason I wanted to become an art teacher if I chose to be. She had a great way of showing and pushing students to create the best they could.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things that were effective in class was seeing examples of other artworks from previous years to give your mind a trip and explore options. Working in groups to come up with ideas always was helpful to me because when you share ideas it can create one new idea. I liked assigned seating because it helps you meet new people and sometimes can help you focus more.
Some things that were not as effective was doing the same thing everyday I mean it was nice to know what we do for the day, but it can get boring after a while. There is little things that bothered me like moving to fast or writing things on the board I couldn't make out. Lastly, I didn't like classrooms with nothing on the walls because I would rather have kids look around than fall asleep at least if they look around they could still be getting what the teacher is saying.
Students need positivity to continue working in art and knowing that what they made isn't just some piece of paper or black of clay, but knowing its a work of art.
A teacher that stood out to me during my K-12 education was my first grade teacher. She was/is the reason why I wanted to become a teacher. I believe her special quality was allowing us to be our own person in our school work but being there to guide us through activities so we would be successful. She was never a negative person and always used positive reinforcement in every aspect of the classroom. Our classroom was very organized and structured to what we were learning. This allowed us as students to get a feel of the importance of the lesson/curriculum and be engaged in several different ways throughout the class. She was a type of teacher that always had open arms and I felt very comfortable in her class.
ReplyDeleteI also had a teacher in fifth grade that was not a very positive person. He was the type of person that did not seem interested in the lessons he was teaching and really did not get us involved. During our classes, the teacher spent the whole time lecturing and did not allow us to give feedback or our thoughts on the subject. He often times talked down to us like we were not intelligent because we did not understand material he would go over. The negative comments and boring lessons made us feel belittled and we were not interested in the things we were doing in class.
I believe the lecturing was an ineffective technique, especially at an elementary level, because at that age students need to be engaged in different activities to comprehend the material because every student has their own way of learning. My first grade teacher used effective techniques that kept us interested and excited about the activities and subjects we were working on and the classroom environment was upbeat and friendly.
Students need to feel important and wanted in order for them to be themselves and be successful.
I had teachers that taught in a variety of ways. I had some that were more strict to the point that you were scared to cross them. While theres used different techniques to scare kids into being good.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher that I would have to say that I remember that was most skilled in managing a class was my 5th and 6th grade teacher. She had a system that both punished and rewarded if need be. The technique she used was she had all of the students names on a chart by the board. If you were miss behaving or disrupting the class, she would right you right your name on the board. This was your first warning. Then if it continued until you got up to three. For each stage there was a type of punishment from staying in during one or two recesses to being sent out of the classroom and to the principles office if you reached three check marks. On these days, you would get a check for the day. If you were good and did not cause any disruptions or anything, you go a smilely face. If I remember right, for every 10 smiley faces you receieved, you got to pick a prize. This was very effective. She also did other things in the classroom to make learning fun and engaging at the same time. She was actually the teacher that inspired me to go into teaching.
I also had other teachers that were effective in classroom managament in their own way. My 1st/2nd grade and 3rd/4th grade teachers were kind most of the time, but if you got on their bad side during class you were taken out to the closet area and yelled at. I even saw my one teacher take a student by the ear to the closet because they would not go any other way. Some of my other teachers were also effective but different ways.
I would have to say I had some ineffective teachers as well when I was in a smaller school district. There were teachers that kind of let us do what we wanted. They let us sit where we wanted, do what we wanted, as long as we did our homework and learned the lesson like they wanted. My class was small enough that it didn't really matter, but it still mattered because I could tell that it was not an effective way to manage a classroom.
I remember one time while we were in music practicing for the christmas concert during my eight grade year, my music teacher was working with some of the smaller grades and us older kids were there to help because we were there to help because we were going to be dressed as different christmas characters helping with the elementary part of the concert. Anyway, we were waiting to help with something and the two boys in my class decided to start wrestling around in their santa and snow man costume having fun. The gym was dark because we were practicing as if it was the concert and the teacher was playing the piano and did not even notice because the boys were behind the piano, even though we were laughing. I could tell this was not effective at all.
I believe that you can be a relaxed teacher at times and more strict at others with your students. You just have to set those guidelines early and know which you have to be when. This is what helps manage classroom behavior, being right in the middle of too strict and two leanent. My fifth grade teacher, I would have to say had it right on. She made things fun at times but if the class got to far out of hand, she stopped it before it got to far. She was also not too strict all the time either.
I do have to say though, all my teachers were good for the most part at their interpersonal skills and getting to know my class. But it was easier for them because the most I had in my class from kindergarten to when I transferred after my 9th grade year was 7 students including me. And the least I had was my freshman year with 3 students. So it was real easy for teachers to get to know us and see what we were like and how we worked together.
As I remember one of my elementary teachers, I must say that she did not have outstanding teaching strategies or special management techniques. However, this teacher put a special interest in her students’ learning. She had a way of making students feel special and important by spending extra time with those who were struggling with their assignments. She spent many hours assisting special needs students to help them be successful in school. I do not recall her ever yelling with students or demeaning them when they did not understand simple assignments. In a sense, this teacher had special qualities in keeping her students’ self-esteem high; and students knew and trusted that she will always assist them with patience and understanding.
ReplyDeleteFor my Sophomore Field Experience I had the opportunity to observe a teacher that is currently teaching at our colony school. I was impressed at how well she manages an open-ended classroom. She does not use desks and students have the freedom to learn in an unconstrained atmosphere. It is apparent that her love of teaching and her enthusiastic personality motivates her students to enjoy learning. This teacher also likes to teach reading and inspires her students to do the same. She has students that were once struggling readers but are now reading proficiently. I believe her qualities in management and interpersonal skills that make her teaching effective.
Teachers that show enthusiasm in their teaching and bring fun and excitement into the classroom can bring out the best in every student.
When I was in third grade, my teacher made everything enjoyable. Somehow, she would make everyone excited and pumped up to learn. She made subjects interesting to students who had to desire in that area. Her classroom was very organized and she managed the class very well. The way she managed her class and classroom was very subtle. One way was the way she arranged the desks. Another was the small group activities that she had us do.
ReplyDeleteMy first grade teacher managed the classroom very well too. She did so in a very different technique. She was more serious and stern. The fifth grade teacher was known to be the slackest teacher. His students were usually off task and he never seemed to have a plan of what the day was going to be.
Because my third grade teacher was so excited to be there and made learning fun, the students learned more and enjoyed being in school. She had many excellent qualities that made her teaching effective and easy.
Elissa Reppe
When thinking back to a teacher that inspired me the most and who I believed had that special quality is one of my math teachers in high school. She is the reason that I wanted to become a teacher. When teaching she had such joy and passion in her work. This teacher cared about all her students and wanted each of us to succeed; she would always go that extra mile in order to help us out. Her passion and dedication to teaching made teaching look fun and enjoyable. She always encouraged me to work hard and to never give up. I believe that her special quality was that she believed in all her students, and her students knew that she believed in them so they would try their best.
ReplyDeleteAnother teacher I had in high school was the complete opposite. Every time we went to class he would sit behind his desk until the bell rang. He wouldn’t bother greeting us, and would just jump into the assignments. His class didn’t seem inviting to any of the students. To me his teaching seemed like a chore or just a regular job. A person’s attitude creates that whole setting of the class. This teacher’s teaching techniques were not very effective because the students, like the teacher, didn’t care about the class.
To be a successful teacher, a person needs the passion and dedication. They have to care about their students like my teacher did.
Kelsey Stadtler
Thinking back to my previous teachers growing up, the one I remembered the most was my third grade teacher. She made learning a lot of fun and I always enjoyed coming to school. She also had my two older sisters in her class previously and my third grade teacher had really liked them as well. My third grade teacher helped us learn different lessons by incorporting music, art, and other fun activities. For example, when we had to learn the seven continents she had us remember them by singing a song. For spelling we used shaving cream on our desk and wrote the words in the shaving cream. I also remember learning about science by watching Billy Nye the science guy.
ReplyDeleteIn tenth grade I had a Language Arts teacher who did not have good classroom management. The majority of the class time was spent trying to manage the students. This teacher used discipline methods that was not effective for the students. She was not a positive person and never used fun activities for the lesson. This teacher only last for two years at this school.
To be a successful teacher it is important to have classroom management. It is also important to incorporate different activities that engage the students in the lesson. If you engage the students and make learning fun then it will help with classroom management.
Tonya McComsey