Field Blog 3

GESU

On Tuesday April 28, I went on a visit to GESU, to make up for one of the observation. Since I was sick on the day ED100 went to the middle school, I chose GESU to be my makeup visit! 

During my visit, I observed Mrs. Clemmons 5th grade English class. The first observation was noticing how pristine the school environment was. All the students were respectful of not only myself but their teacher as well and that shows a lot about the environment of the school community. The first thing Mrs. Clemmon's students did was say a prayer before the beginning of class. She then introduced me to the class and they were all excited to see a "student teacher"...even though I was just watching for the period lol.

In Mrs. Clemmon's classroom the first thing I noticed was that each desk was set up so that a boy sat next to a girl. I noticed that the students tended more to not talk to the person next to them. I also admired all of the christian quotes that were decorated throughout the room for inspiration. 

After the prayer, class began. Mrs. Clemmons began to discuss what negatives and double negatives were. Every student was attentive and well behaved throughout the entire period. She drew a diagram on the board and began giving examples of what each were. Students were raising their hands and answering throughout the period. She made her class fun and periodically threw in jokes and acted silly with the students. None of the students talked during the lesson and listened when Mrs.  Clemmons gave instruction on an assignment.

When the teacher instructed to work on a worksheet, she told the students it was a group activity and she was picking partners. The students were complaining at first but when she warned them to cut it out, they didn't make another sound. Each student was acceptable of the partner they got, and worked well with one another. Every student finished this worksheet before the end of class and none had to take it home to finish for homework.

Throughout the class, I realized that the teacher had an amazing class because she made the class fun to be in. She was passionate about what she was teaching and expelling to students in a calm and patient manner. Resulting from this, an entire class of students were eager to learn and answered her questions throughout the entire class. When a student got an answer wrong, she smiled and told them that it wasn't wrong and that the answer would lead to a better answer. This encouraged the students to ask and answer more questions!

My trip to GESU was another example of a behaved and amazing class, that is centered around a teacher who loves her job. I realized throughout every visit that a good class comes from a teacher who is helpful and eager to be at work. The entire school was centered around morals and faith and apply both in every classroom. This class was similar to others that I have attended throughout the semester. It was another example of a successful classroom because of a successful teacher. The more passion and love a teacher is able to put into the class, the better the class will be. Mrs. Clemmon's class was by far the best class I attended on any field trip this semester. The way she runs her classroom is the way I plan on running mine. She lets the students know what is going on and the rules but applies passion and fun into her work! That is my ideal type of teaching because when you apply energy and creativity to learning more students will want to learn and be in the class. The students also came from good families and were all respectful and I believe it is because GESU is a private institution that demands discipline and respect for authority and the overall community. Everyone was very accommodating and respectful of my visitation and welcomed me back anytime. I couldn't have imagined a better visit to a school because there was no disrespect or misbehaved students and the class ran very smoothly. I am overall very glad that I attended GESU for my middle school visit because it gave me ideas of how I want to run my class one day.

Blog 10: The Final Blog

Throughout the corse of the semester, I learned about what goes on inside of a school through personal experience, how to recognize the students and their potential, and the qualities it takes to make a well respected and qualified teacher. Not many understand what its like to be a teacher and understand the struggles that the job entails. Teachers not only deal with the struggles of creating lesson plans, but they also deal with the struggles that their students have to live with on a daily basis. These struggles can include bullying, understanding the needs and life of each individual student, students in the inner-city schools, ideas of what makes a good school and the structures of education and how to teach it. In the beginning of the semester, the class went through reasons as to why each one of us wanted to be a teacher. Reflecting on this question, I remember that the reason I wanted to be a teacher, is to give back and encourage kids to do well in life and reach their potential. There are too many kids throughout the United States and world, that don't have a good life at home, with supporting guardians to encourage them in their life. There are so many students, who don't know what guidance is, and don't know how to push themselves to success. That is one of the most important jobs and roles of a teacher. I remember one morning, I woke up just wanting to be a teacher. At the time, I wanted to be a nurse and bio major at JCU and had been thinking about teaching a little bit here and there but didn't want to teach because of the low income. So I continued my life wanting to be a nurse until one morning I just woke up and wanted to be a teacher. Reflecting back on that morning, I realize that it was a calling. Not everyone just wakes up knowing what they want to do with the rest of their life, I however was blessed for that opportunity. I hope to bring my students more knowledge than I was given throughout the years. I not only plan on teaching by the lesson plans and books, but from the experiences I have had throughout the years as well. Personal experiences always helped me fit the picture the point of what my teacher was trying to talk about and kept my attention in class. Teachers on a daily basis, have to level with the students and understand how each student works and learns. Its a give and take experience. In chapter 6, it specifically discusses how each student and teacher learn from one another. It discusses how some students with disabilities such as reading comprehension, test anxiety and other learning impediments, need special attention from teachers. I myself, am a student with severe reading comprehension and I know over the years, constant help and attention from the teachers was always helpful in the sense of how it improves my learning. With the constant help from Special Ed teachers and my teachers in the classroom, I was able to learn from them and it was extraordinarily helpful for the teachers as well. My story is an example of how the teachers and I had a give and take experience. One of the struggles that goes on in inner-city school systems is the fact that students grow up without people that care about them. Building bridges is a keen factor to have when being an educator. Building bridges is a form of building a connection between the teacher and student, and the teacher and family/guardians of the student. Learning how each work and understanding the life of the students is one of the most important parts in the teaching career. The involvement of parents in the lives of the students, is able to bring about the potential of the student. This is because the right influences and guidance can bring success and encouragement to whatever the student sets their mind too. It was discussed in chapter 18 of "Educational Foundations" that there are students who don't have the luxury of caring guardians and parents, and the effects of it is shown in the classroom, from the defiance in their behavior to low grades on homework and tests. Teachers that blame the students are defended as teachers who haven't built a strong enough bridge with the students and their families. These teachers jump right to conclusions without intaking any empathy in the situation. It is teachers of my generation and the next, that will help shape young students into well educated adults to enter the working field one day. The more a teacher is able to understand and level with the student, the better off the student will be one day and it is the connection between the students and teachers, that is able to aid the student into reaching success. Another problem that occurs in the inner city school systems, is the lack of funding it brings within the education system. In inner-city schools, the students education quality is far from good verses a school in a good district or private school. As a result, it leaves unequal educational opportunities for the students. The worst feeling for a student or teacher is a feeling of hopelessness. There have been schools with lacks of funding for man-years now but it is getting worse and becoming a bigger problem as the years go on. It's hard for a student to reach a higher level of success if they were not given the same educational opportunities as other students. The inner-city schools should merge with schools in the same or near-by districts to refrain this problem and find a reasonable solution for this. This is another example of struggles the teachers have to deal with and other people throughout the community as well. The things that make up a good school in my eyes are the teachers, the books, the staff and administration, students, communication, peace, respect and understanding. The teachers alone have the ability to make a school good or bad. What a teacher brings to the table can make a class interesting or boring, keeping the attention of the students of losing it. The forms of learning and books to learn with also make up a good school. If a school has bad books or if the teacher never comes up with new ideas to teach a class, the lack of attention the student will bring. During my field observations over Spring Break, I first-hand saw that some teachers made class very entertaining and fun to be in while others were straight lectures, leaving kids to sleep in class, text or tweet on their phones, work on other homework assignments or talk amongst one another while a teacher was talking. This list includes everything but paying attention, and if I were a student in that class I would have done the same thing because no one wants to pay attention in a boring classroom. The field trips that were taken during the course of the semester was an eye-opener for me. They gave me examples of different schools and how each teacher taught. When we went to Cleveland Heights High School, it was a good experience because the teacher I observed was a math teacher who made the class super fun and light hearted to be in. The kindergarden and third grade class at Boulevard Elementary School had the ability to learn with one another and kern with the teachers. The fifth grade class at Boulevard Elementary School had a more stern teacher who laid down the law when the students were misbehaving. It didn't take long for the students to behave in class and have respect for the teacher. The field trips only reemphasized the ideas of teaching and being stern with the students and making it fun for my class to learn one day. This semester I went through a lot of personal experiences that made me grow and mature as a person. I learned to be a harder thinker and think out solutions in the field of education. From the field trips, individual field observations, class readings and discussions, I learned some of the many qualities it takes to be a good teacher one day. The most important job of a teacher is to reach a mutual understanding between the students and teachers and teachers and parents. Communication is key when being a teacher, and understanding the personal life of students and how each student works, is one of the most important qualities to obtain within the field of teaching. When I first came into the class, I thought I would just lean about techniques to be a good teacher and learn how to format a lesson plan. I left this class learning a far more deeper meaning behind the career. The experiences I over came only helped broaden my knowledge of becoming a teacher and prepared for me for what will lie ahead next year and the years to come.

Blog Post 8: School Design

Field Blog 2 Week 7

I was placed with Mr. Flynn, an advanced math teacher for freshman students. Mr. Flynn was a newer teacher in his early twenties and newly graduated. His class contained no more than 10 or 12 students. Mr. Flynn greeted the students as they walked in and class began.

The class was learning about parallel lines and transversals as well as the different types of triangles. They were learning the measurements of each angle and different theorems. The students during the class were all attentive and well behaved. They all participated with analytical guesses and answers. All of the students were intelligent and attempted each problem individually and consulted in groups. The group work they did was a very successful method for the students. None of the students had side talk and only discussed the problems that Mr. Flynn gave them.

Overall, the students behavior during the class was well behaved. A few times here and there the students would joke around with each other and the teacher but they overall behaved during class and joked at the appropriate times. The teacher was very good at encouraging the students to participate in class. He was also very accommodating when it came to explaining the problems in class and how all of the theorems worked.

The teacher was also accommodating of me and Catelyn observing the classroom. He gave us a paper with all of the problems that the students were going over throughout the class. He also encouraged us to ask any questions throughout the classroom.

The experience at Cleveland Heights High School was an enlightening one. It gave me different ways I could teach a classroom one day. I am currently an Early Childhood major but am contemplating high school students as of recently. I liked how accommodating the teacher was of me as well as the students who were walking me and Catelyn around the school to look for the classes. The students were all well behaved that I came in contact with and respected me during observations. Overall, I liked how the teacher had the attention of an entire classroom of teenagers. He was good at explaining, commanded respect throughout the class and was able to joke around and have a fun class throughout the entire classroom. That is how I wish to be as a teacher. I want to command respect, have fun and be able to teach a classroom of respectful kids.

Blog Post 6

Going into Freire's description of what the banking method was, I remembered learning about the process from a previous class last semester. When I reread about the banking method, it only reemphasized how strongly I felt against it. Banking is a form of dehumanization. It allows control over the student making the student oppressed. In my honest opinion though, I feel that after having read the entire book of Pedagogy of the Oppressed earlier this year, I learned that both the oppressed and the oppressors are oppressed and neither one can be liberated until there is a mutual understanding between each of the parties. Thus speaking, unless the oppressors (in this case the teachers) are aware that they are oppressing the students through the banking method (students are the oppressed) nothing can be addressed to fix the communication between the two. It is crucial and the job of the oppressed to aware the oppressors that what they are doing is wrong. Unless the students let teachers or someone of higher power, that the method is not a beneficial method, nothing can be fixed and handled. The more society is aware of how the banking method dehumanizes students, the less that banking will be allowed to be used in school systems. It is all about control and those who have the power to do something, have the responsibility to do something.

Blog Post 5

Homophobia is a term that describes an unsettled/uncomfortable feeling, that a heterosexual has against a homosexual or the presence of a homosexual. All throughout my years of grade school, I never came across an individual who was homosexual. However in high school I became close friends with two gay gentleman who were afraid to come out about the true identity of their sexuality was gay and Alex had done a very good job hiding it. Jake was more open and acted more feminine which led to him being bullied a lot in high school. And at a private school, it was sad to see people bully this kid. Jake always had high expectations for himself and for a kid as young as he was, he knew what his future had in store for him and it was enough to have him get through high school with all of the jerks surrounding him. I always stuck up for him and even to this day continue too. Alex however is one of my best friends from home to this day. Alex always hid his sexuality but he unlike Jake was popular and had a lot of friends. I always stayed away from people in high school and only hung out with Alex and a few other of our best friends. Alex eventually came out on twitter that he was gay and no one made fun of him. Alex is the least flamboyant person and homosexual guy I have ever met and I respect him for it. Alex never showed any public display of affection in society unless it was to our friends in our friend group giving one of us a hug. He always kept it private which is why no one knew he was gay for a while. 

In my honest opinion, I feel as if everyone needs to accept everyone that is gay. There will always be gay people in this world, or people who live their lives differently than the typical civilian. I always was a bystander in bullying situations, and tried to stick up as much as I can. Teachers don't realize the psychological damage the cruel words of kids can do to someone. Gay people have feelings too, and kids in high school and grade school treat them like dogs from my own experience. I feel that it is a serious lack of maturity. The words queer, fag, flamer are all negative discriminations against homosexual people even if it is said in a joking manner. Teachers need to find disciplinary standards to hold upon, in situations where kids bully homosexual students. 

Children who are girls, are raised to play with baby dolls and children who are boys are raised to play and watch sports. Well what if a girl wants to play and watch football and a boy wants to watch a Disney princess movie? Families all over America raise their children in their own eye and don't always realize the importance of children expressing their own self. If a parent let their son go to school in a dress or allow their daughter to wear guy clothes to school, the parent would go against the sociological norms of society. In the eyes of some and most individuals it is considered unethical to do so. The end result is when the child gets teased and made fun of for going outside the box. I believe that Rofes article is written for the acceptance of all individuals. The more bullying and gay harassment ends, the more patience it brings amongst the acceptance of homosexuality.

Within the years to come, I plan on attending a school to teach that ensures discipline to all students. Regardless of age, if a student in my classroom makes fun of a gay student or makes a joke, they will be punished. Bullying is not only morally wrong, but psychologically damaging and I refuse to tolerate it. 

Blog Post 3

The Quote "We do no really see with our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs" could be defined in a few ways one being that understanding one another comes from understanding where they came from. In schools today, there are some students who are from different countries or places whose language and culture differ than the average American citizen and child. American schools teach languages such as Spanish, French, Chinese and others. For students whose primary language isn't taught in schools, it becomes more difficult for them to learn. The most important thing a teacher can do in a situation with a student who does not speak English, is to nurture them and help them learn English without deculturizing the student and telling the student their language is wrong. Helping the student learn another language on top of their primary language is not an easy task but telling the student that their language is wrong only puts the student in an unsettled state. If a teacher were to do this the student feels as if his/her own life was wrong and that everything growing up was wrong. The end of the quote that says "through our beliefs" means that true seeing is through culture and where we all came from. Everyone has a different story and has a different family with different beliefs. It is what makes everyone unique. Taking a part of someone away to be ordinary isn't ethical and teachers today need to continue to help students without taking away parts of where they came from. Through understanding and patience this can be achieved but without either of these helping the students can't be done.