Week 3 Reflection of Class

I felt like I had not been in class for a long time even though we only missed one class period due to M.L.K. day it felt like and eternity.

Class began with Brian giving his presentation on Teacher Development and I really liked some of the ideas and points Brian brought up for example, "How can we expect our students to grow if we do not grow as teachers?" I think that was a very valid point and it emphasized the point that the H.D.B. and M.C.M. readings were trying to make. We worked individually during Brian's presentation to self evaluate our teaching. Some of the questions I could honestly answer and evaluate myself but many of the questions were moot because I am not yet a teacher. I found myself thinking that I want to aspire to be just what the evaluation described and perhaps I can use the evaluation as a guide to set my goals as a future teacher.

We then broke into groups and discussed questions we had about the proposal and possible questions we could ask our supervising teacher. I liked the questions that JoAnn and Chao brought up and now I am curious about the same things, especially needs assessment which brings me to the next thing we did in class.

In the G.L.L. we discussed our proposals. I switched groups as it seems my group was pretty enthusiastic about technology in the classroom and the sight of a computer makes me cringe. I joined Charlie and Nate's group and although Charlie and I butt heads I look forward to working with him. Nate is new to the class but I think he already has some great ideas that he can contribute. We will be studying needs assessment and I am SOOO excited about that! I have been wondering how teachers actually narrow down what the students need and want. A chapter last semester briefly skimmed the surface of this topic and now I am looking forward of digging deeper into the subject. Needs assessment appears to be the foundation of a classroom environment because without it the students may lose interest and not benefit from the class.

Overall, I was glad to be back in class and find out more information on what is expected of me in the coming semester.

Week 3 Readings

Chapter 25 in the H.D.B. book is all about teacher development and it had some really great suggestions. It is a great reminder that while students are learning and developing so is the teacher. I think it is important to note that teachers can learn from a variety of sources such as other teachers, journals, research, themselves and their students.

H.D.B. broke down the different types of teacher learner their are:
Skill Learning- these are basic skills such as making lesson plans, maintaining control of the classroom and assessment.
Cognitive Process- this type of learning comes from background knowledge and experience which forms teachers' beliefs about education.
Personal construction- this type of knowledge is "actively constructed". In other words teachers do not simply acquire it they actively pursue this type of knowledge.
Reflective Practice- This is an internal process by the teacher. This is knowledge through a teacher's own awareness of their teaching style and techniques.

I liked the idea of personal construction because that is something that I can actually have control of. H.D.B. gives ideas of how to actively construct knowledge. I found a few ideas which I thought would actually work in a teacher's busy schedule and I foresee myself in the future practicing these learning techniques. One of them is journaling and I think even for a busy teacher if h/she made an effort they could really see results. Also, to read scholarly journals if only during the school breaks is a good idea. As a student when I am not reading some book or other material I feel as though I am getting a "lazy brain" so this practice of teacher development could really work for me.

H.D.B. illustrated the characteristics of a peak performer:
Believe in yourself
Set realistic goals
Set priorities
Take risks
Reduce and manage stress factors
This chapter illustrated the importance of balance in a teacher's life. It is no myth that a teacher's life is stressful but can have some of the best rewards. With suggestions like the ones listed above a teacher can find that happy balance and develop as a peak performer.

Another point in the chapter was that teachers can construct their own research. I thought (as the book stated) that research was better left to the experts but there is a persuading argument for how teacher conducted research can benefit a classroom. If one views it as simply a small experiment it seems less intimidating.

Also, I liked the idea of peer coaching and team teaching. Many novice teachers simply do not have the experience that other more experienced teachers have and that can be a very valuable resource in teacher development.

Overall, I think it is very important for me as a future teacher to keep in mind that I need to grow with my students and continue to develop and learn. I need to set goals for myself and my students and strive to be the best teacher that I can be.