There is a huge difference between being a student and a teacher. Yet there are some similarities as well. These past weeks have shown me many aspects of teaching that being a student could not prepare you for. As a student your focus is on learning the subject matter. As a teacher you are focused on ensuring the students learn and classroom management. One of the biggest things I realized during this experience is the importance of balancing. This incorporates getting prep-work finished on time and also how to remain professional. The teach I observed made it clear that they way teachers act outside of school or with each other is not necessarily how one should act around students. Every teacher must strive to find to professional in the school environment and not allow personal issues or feelings to effect how one interacts with the students.
I still feel I am more suited to teach high school than middle school. The students I saw in the high school classes were more mature and focused than the middle school students. The younger students were still trying to find out what cliques they will join and who is more popular. In contrast, most of the high school students were more settled. Even though they all have drama, the older students seemed to handle it better. I also still intend to teach history. I loved seeing the different techniques used to teach various historical time period and event. There were several activities I saw in which the students paying more attention than in others, so I know that the activities I choose will have to be chosen carefully to keep their attention and ensure they actually learn. There are many things I enjoyed during this observational period and very little I would change. The best part of this experience, aside from the knowledge I gained, was the interaction with the students. On the first day of my middle school observation one of the girls in the class came up to me. She was so excited to have someone new in the classroom. We were able to speak a few more times during the weeks I saw her class. Getting to help a student understand her class work is so rewarding. By far this is the most memorable moment of this experience. In contrast the one thing I would change seems insignificant. I would have preferred to have had more responsibility in the class. I was only asked to assist the teacher n few instances and would have liked to have done a bit more support work such as grading. However, I did get to see how his daily schedule went and valuable advice on how to manage a daily workload without trying to finish everything at the last minute. There are so many little things I have learned and incorporated into my future teaching plans. I have pages of does and don’t I have written interspersed with little notes on various subjects relating to classroom management. Each of these little bits of knowledge has helped shape and change my perspectives on what I will be like as a teacher. I am so glad I was able to be in a classroom before I got further into my degree. Now I have some practical experience which I can relate the subject I will learn to. I can ‘see’ how specific actions, such as time allotted for an in-class assignment, could realistically affect a class. I am still committed to becoming a teacher, and I can hardly wait to learn more about my chosen field.
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Without communication our species could not more forward. We would not have created the wide variety of societies seen across the world and throughout time. This interaction is not limited to strictly verbal communication. After all, even a small child knows that a phrase could have its entire meaning changed by a hand motion or facial expression. So a teacher must not only know his or her subject but also be able to communicate it effectively to the students.
Overall, the teacher I have observed these past few weeks has maintained a steady set of verbal and non-verbal ‘messages’ throughout his classes. For example, there is no apparent difference is how he speaks to each student based on gender, ethnicity, or background. However, it is evident that in one of his classes, which he described as ‘more academic’, he speaks at a higher level. I have noticed he asks more questions require elaboration and connecting of ideas in this ‘academic’ class rather than his mixed level class. Although, at times I have doubted whether the second class mentioned is more academic as both he and I had to prevent ourselves from laughing, although the class made no such attempt, when during a current event presentation meant top connect a modern event to a historic one a student made an interesting comparison. She compared the fame and power or Alexander the Great to Justin Bieber. The sheer fact that, even as the other students laughed, he was able to remain calm and kept the comments he had about her choice of topic to himself until after the class was dismissed is just one example of how he can control his verbal communication with great skill. The non-verbal messages he send are just as important as the verbal ones. For example, he always appears relaxed in his classes which show how comfortable he is with his topics. In contrast, a nervous teacher sends a message of uncertainty and lack of knowledge. Physically, this teacher presents a sense of professionalism. Every day I have attended his classes he has been dressed in slacks and a sweater or button-up shirt. He also has a short haircut and is clean-shaven. This sends the message that he is educated and takes care in his appearance, thus showing a level of respect toward the school and students. A daily routine is essential to an orderly classroom and the assessments that accompany that are just as important. Within this structure are several forms of informal assessments. Among them are the do-nows the class completes each day. These are typically a worksheet or set of questions from the text that are gone over as a class after completion. Likewise, the homework comes from the textbook and occasionally a handout. When I questioned the teacher about the importance of homework in the grading school he attempted to deflect the question. I do know that he checks and records who has their homework and how complete it is. From what I can determine, homework forms the smallest portion of their grading scale but is emphasized by the teachers so they can continually check the students’ understanding of the lessons they are learning each day.
I have seen three examples of summative assessments during my observation period. Within classes I saw both quizzes and tests. Each of these were done after a review of the material and the students were given ample time to complete the exam. In the case of a test, the class is given nearly the whole eighty minute block to complete it, including a few bonus questions given verbally at the end. Another day I was with my assigned teach as he proctored a HSPA exam for those with special modifications such as time extensions and use of a computer to complete the exam. Aside from the HSPA exam I saw, there were little other adjustments made to assessments I have seen. However, I was told that the reason for such a long time or each classroom exam was to ensure the students that needed additional time could have it. |