August 30, 2007

Self-Assessment 1.1

The Best and Worst Characteristics of My Teachers

Five Characteristics of the Best Teachers I Have Had

Characteristics                       Examples of Situations That Reflect the Characteristic

1. Motivating                          I can remember one particular occasion that I thought about

                                                quitting school. I was at my wits end with everything that                                                   was going on in my life. I had just moved to a whole                                                            different universe (Farmington), I have three children                                                    that were trying to adjust to a new school, and a husband                                                           that was working overtime to get a business off of the                                                          ground. I felt that my going back to school had become                                                       a selfish adventure. I shared these feelings with my                                                                 professor. He listened intently as I spoke. Then he told me                                                   that all of my reasons for quitting school were good                                                    reasons.  He also gave me an alternative reason to not quit.                                                   He told me that the most important thing that I should think                                                            about is my children. If I dropped out of school, I would be                                                            sending the message that dropping out of school when                                                    things got rough was okay. He said that the best thing that                                                       I could do was to stay in school and show my children that                                                 I could make it through the tough times and still succeed.                                                    Needless to say I’m still going to school!

2.  Humorous                          I have had many teachers that I have dreaded going to their                                                            class. They were as dry as a prune. I was nervous the first                                                    day of college. I had decided to take just a few classes to                                                    keep myself busy. I had no idea what to expect, as the only                                                     experience that I had at a University level were teachers                                                             held themselves on such a high pedestal, that they were                                                       unapproachable. This professor was different. He started                                                     his class by making fun of himself and the place that he                                                  was from. Later on in the class, he played an Old Navy                                                   commercial that featured a college student standing up                                                        and proclaiming her love of History. After the clip, he                                                          started laughing, and stated that he would play this clip                                                       at the start of every class. It is important for a teacher to                                                     be able to laugh with their class, but also to laugh at                                                       themselves.     

3.  Organized                          I had a third grade teacher that ran an organized classroom.                                     She was always ready and prepared for every subject. I                                       knew exactly what to expect and what would come next in                                           her class. Each book had its place, each toy bend was                                                 organized, and where our next lesson would lead. I think                                         that this appealed to me because I could really learn in her                                       class without being distracted by my surroundings. Another                                thing that I liked is that it always seemed that her class ran                                         so smoothly. I felt comfortable and a part of her class.

4.  Fair                                     My first grade teacher was a very fair teacher. She had a                                          bucket that she kept some popsicle sticks with our names                                         on them. When it was time to call on helpers or to call on                                              a student to answer questions, instead of asking the same                                               students to participate, she would pull out one stick at a                                           time until every student had a turn. She would talk to all                                          of her students lovingly and I do not ever remember her                                               having a “teacher’s pet”. I respect that.

5.  Caring                                When I was in the ninth grade, I flipped a four wheeler and                                                 cut my leg really bad. The doctor told my parents that I                                           would have to miss a number of days of school. I was in                                      danger of repeating the ninth grade. One of my teachers                                               went to the superintendent of the school and got permission                                    to home school me at my home and have it count as credits                                      for my classes. She took her free time to talk to my teachers                                    and tutor me in my home after hours. To this day when she                                       sees my mom she enquires about me and my family.

Five Characteristics of the Worst Teachers I Have Had

Characteristics                       Examples of Situations That Reflect the Characteristic

1.  Favoritism                          When I was in the 8^th grade, I had a teacher who was                                               African American. I had always had friends of all color.                                          When we went into her class the first day, she had assigned                          our seats, she had segregated the class room. She proceeded                               teach to one side of the room, and even made every effort                                       to put down half of her class. When one of her students                                           questioned her methods, they were called predjudice. If                                           an African American student questioned her methods, they                                           were made fun of. I think enough students, teachers,  and                                        parents complained, that she was eventually let go, but not                                      without first causing damage.

2.  Lack of Control                 My 7^th grade teacher was an interesting man. He never did                                       have control over his class. It was hard to learn in his class                                       as there were many distractions. He had this music box,                                       that when played, was suppose to make everyone pay                                          attention to him. Instead of paying attention to him, we all                                      laughed at the fact that a grown man would think that a                                           music box would make a bunch of pre-teens be quite.

3.  Lack of Respect                 In college there was a professor that I had that would talk                                       down to his students. We never really felt a part of the                                             class, and those that did not need the class quickly dropped                                       the class. Those of us however, that needed the class                                              reluctantly attended, but never really felt apart of the class.                                     It made it hard to show up for class. It made it even harder                                      to learn the subject that was being taught.

4.  Not Clear                           I had an Art teacher once who could not make up her mind                                     how she wanted assignments done differently every time.                                                One week she would tell us to do things one way, and when                            we would do them that way, she would say that that is not                                           what she meant. Even though the whole class had heard the                                                same instructions she insisted that we were all wrong. It                                           became difficult to determine how to do an assignment                                             based off of the mood that she was in.

5.  Monotone                           At the University that I attended after High School I had a                                                 Math teacher that spoke in a very monotone voice. It was                                        so bad that the majority of the class would fall asleep (me                                         included). I finally dropped the class.

 Chapter 1- Independent Reflection

August 30, 2007

Personal Statement

     I would like to be a teacher that encumbers fairness, honesty, humor, organization, and

reliability. I would hope that my students would love each and every day, to go to school

and be ready to learn. I would like them to be excited about the subjects being taught. I

would also hope that they feel important, and useful. I want my students to feel as if they

are in a structured safe environment. I would hope they grow not only academically, but

also, I would like them to grow into a wonderful well rounded adults.   

Quotes

• Teaching is the molding of the minds of tomorrow.
• To learn today is to succeed tomorrow.
• Successful teachers equal successful students.

August 30, 2007

The Challenges of Teaching Kindergarten

            I chose to write about Kindergarten because it is the grade level that I am now teaching. The challenges that I face teaching Kindergarten are the lack of capabilities that most Kindergarteners have. Because Kindergartners are constantly learning new things, mostly basic things, the teacher is busy all of the time. Using scissors, pencils, and even crayons for the first time can be challenging. Papers have to have names put on them, where as in higher grades, students are able to write their own names.

            Discipline can also be a problem. Many times children coming into Kindergarteners have never had any type of structure. Simple things like sitting still or following directions, can take time to learn. This is a challenge when a student is disrupting others, or their actions affect others.

            Another problem that I have seen in the Kindergarten classroom is not so much with the students, but rather, their parents. Many times the parents put high expectations on their children. They want them to come home from school and automatically read, write, and do math…all perfectly. Our society has become educationally competitive for children at younger and younger ages. When you push a child at such a young age, they tend to shut off. School becomes a place that they dread going to.