Chapter #7

Testing has become such a popular topic to discuss I was glad to see that the textbook focused on it so much.  It is important that teachers make sure that students understand the material that they are going to see on standardized tests, but I also feel that teachers need to make sure that when they have the opportunity to have a moment with one student or even the whole class that they make sure to jump at it.  We as teachers came into this profession because it is one that gives back in the sense that it gives us the feeling of doing something meaningful with the knowledge that we have obtained throughout our years of schooling.  What also is important to know as well is how to write an effective test.  I’ve heard that tests should be written by the teacher themselves and I believe that to be true.  It allows the teacher to ensure that the test is covering the information that they have been using.  I also believe that there should be multiple test items on each test, not just multiple choice or short answer.  A balance of these questions will create a test that will allow the students to show their mastery of the material to the best of their abilities.  All of the different types of learning styles will be benefitted and you can really see if the students truly mastered the material that has been presented to them.

Chapter #6

After reading Chapter 6 I became focused on the information pertaining to writing lesson plans.  As an up and coming teacher I do have worries about how well I’ll be able to write a lesson plan, and if I’ll be able to use all of the allotted time in the classroom.  I thought the part of not making the lesson plan a “daily” lesson plan was helpful.  It helps with my fear of not having enough information for the class period by allowing it to be carried over to other days.  The most effective way that I have personally witnessed to help students during down time was also discussed in this section.  Having an anchor assignment I believe is essential to maintaining focus in the classroom at all times.  This will allow students to always have something to do even if you run out of material to discuss with them.  Reading this just solidified in my mind that it is important to have a creative and meaningful anchor assignment to help make the class run more effectively at all times.

Chapter #5

Chapter 5 focuses on different types of hierarchies that have been used to explain and organize the different steps students go through to learn material.  The chapter discuss 3 different hierarchies; Cognitive, Affective Domain, and Psychomotor Domain.  From what I have learned in other classes prior to this one cognitive domain, created by Bloom, is the most well known domain hierarchy.  Blooms taxonomy consists of six stages ranging from Knowledge being the lowest where students recognize and recall information to Evaluation where students offer opinions and make judgments based on values.  The other categories are Comprehension, Application, Analysis, and Synthesis.  The reason I feel so strongly that cognitive domain is the most effective taxonomy is the range of knowledge the students obtain.  Being a future social studies teacher I want students to use past knowledge and information that they learn throughout the year to start forming their own ideas and opinions to topics that are discussed.  By using Bloom’s Taxonomy I will be able to have guideline for ways to make sure that students start using more complex ways of learning.

Chapter #4

Classroom management is easily the most important aspect in the success of any teacher.  If a teacher is unable to successfully manage their classroom then they have no hope of successfully getting through to their students and getting the most out of them.  Almost all education courses will preach in some form or another just how important effectively managing your classroom is.  There are ways to help improve young teachers’ abilities at doing this, and it begins with setting boundaries for your students and making them feel comfortable.  Students like teachers are nervous on the first day of school.  They are not sure if they are in the right classes at first, there is a new work load coming their way, and they will most likely be having new teachers and they want to know what is going to be expected of them.  It is important that teachers are at their doors to welcome the students in to make them feel comfortable knowing they are in the right place, but it may also be helpful to write your name and class on the bored.  Have assigned seating for the students so the important guess work of where to sit is taken out of the equation.  Make sure that your classroom procedures are prominent showcased in the classroom and that you go over them with the students so that they know what is expected of them.  Chapter four really emphasized the importance of that first day of school, and it is true that the first day really does set the tone for the rest of the school year.  As a teacher I will really focus on making sure that the students feel welcome into my classroom, and that they know was is expected of them and what will happen if they break those expectations.  I also will carefully plan out my days so that the maximum amount of time to learn is achieved.  Most importantly, however, I will make sure to be fair and caring towards my students.  If a student breaks a procedure it is imperative not to immediately overreact on them, but to remind them of what the procedure is.  This also depends on the severity of the procedure being broken, but you will get the most respect out of your students I believe if you show them that you truly care about them and are not just there to be a tyrant in the classroom.

Chapter #3

How do you ask a question? Sounds simple right? Just get a thought in your head and ask it.  But how do you ask a question that gets 25 young adolescents to think critically and to start forming their own ideas on subject matters? Now that’s difficult.  Now not all of the information from chapter three was new material to me, but that didn’t make any of it less important and meaningful.  Looking back at my own education it was interesting to recall teachers who answer their own questions because no one else would.  I can also remember the teachers who would as the easiest narrow minded questions that required no critical thinking whatsoever.  It’s reflection like this that makes me understand just how valuable the art of questioning really is.  There are multiple types of questions such as convergent, divergent, cueing, evaluative, and more that can be used to get the most information possible out of your students.  Learning to construct these different types of questions is one step, but being able to deliver them well is another.  I felt that the most important part to this section was the part where the textbook discussed giving the students think-time and to call on a diverse number of students.  Everyone has the stories of the teacher’s pet student who answered every question and would have their hand up before the teacher even completed the question.  The teacher would always call on that person and then no one else would be able to even think or participate in the class.  It is essential that new teachers quickly learn to allow students time to formulate their thoughts and answers first, and then to also not just blurt them out but respectfully raise their hands.  Once this becomes common occurrence it is then the teachers’ responsibility to call on all the students equally to give every student an equal opportunity to participate in the learning environment of the classroom.

Chapter #2

Chapter twos focus was similar to a lot of information that we are daily given in other classes in the education department.  It is plain as day to education majors that there are a numerous teaching styles at our disposal. What is most important is to implement many of them into our classrooms to give the students the best opportunity to succeed.  It is imperative to make sure that the classroom environment feels safe and welcoming for the students as well.  If students to do not feel comfortable or safe in the classroom how can they be expected to learn?  A teachers competency in their subject matter is probably one of the most, if no the most vital area in making a student feel safe in the classroom.  Students want to know that the teacher they are learning from knows their information, or where to get it.  They want to be treated fairly, and they want the teacher to be a reliable person because they sometimes see them as much if not more than some of their parents throughout the day.  As a teacher it will be important to realize just how many the students are really depending on me, and that it will take careful planning, and the continuance of my education to give all of them the best education I can possibly give them.

Chapter #1

It seems as though people tend to forget just how time consuming the job of a teacher really is.  After reading chapter one a person can really get a good bit of insight into just how complicated the life of a middle school teacher really can be.  The chapter begins by comparing different types of middle schools together from charter to magnet schools, but the main point that came across to me was the importance of the development of the students at such a fragile age.  After reading chapter one a person can really get a good bit of insight into just how complicated the life of a middle school teacher really can be.  The chapter begins by comparing different types of middle schools together from charter to magnet schools, but the main point that came across to me was the importance of the development of the students at such a fragile age.  People may seem to forget after becoming an adult the trials of trying to make an image of yourself that you go through during this years.  The textbook makes great points telling teachers that it is important to focus on caring for the students and realize that they are going through a rapidly changing period in their life.  It is the understanding of this that I feel makes a great and successful middle school teacher.  One who can implement the multiple learning styles of different students, but not get overly frustrated by the students who are trying to find themselves.  It is seeing these students start to grow into adults that really make being a middle school teacher rewarding.