There are two important roles that I think teachers play in their students life. Both of them help students become productive members of society, when they become adults, and thus make the world a better place. One, is to encourage students to believe in themselves and the other is to teach the standards and make sure the students understand them.
This is why history was so important to Mrs. Call. She would use her history lessons to teach her 5th Graders how to be better citizens and people. She also always had high expectations for them and expected them to reach them. She trusted the students to their best. Because she trusted them, even when they messed up, they learned to trust and believe in themselves.
I wasn't her student but she did the same thing for me. This might be a bit too personal for this class but when I started as Mrs. Call's TA I didn't believe in myself or trust myself at all. I had let myself down in a colossal way and I wasn't sure if I would ever recover. I had let go of my dreams or any ambitions for myself because I didn't believe I could accomplish them. But Mrs. Call expected my best, even just as her assistant, even when I messed up. Because she trusted me, because she had high expectations for me, I learned to trust myself and believe in myself again.
This is what a good teacher can do for you. And this is a good example of how Mrs. Call was with her students as well. Good teachers can give hope to the hopeless.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Blog Entry 4
One of the things that I helped my teacher with as far as assessments go was I graded her spelling assessments. Most tests she handled grading herself as she preferred essay and short answer assessments but I always graded spelling.
Spelling went like this: on Mondays she would give them a homework sheet with all of the spelling words for that week. Each sheet would have the word and then space to write it out by syllables and to write it out three times. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays she would introduce 10 words. Students were expected to guess on how the word was spelled (pre-assessment) and then write it down when she had written it on the board. Then at the end of the spelling lesson the students would stand up and repeat the words back to her using syllable and reading pronunciation. On Thursdays the students would play games and review the words they had learned throughout the week. On Fridays they would turn in their homework and take the spelling assessments.
Spelling went like this: on Mondays she would give them a homework sheet with all of the spelling words for that week. Each sheet would have the word and then space to write it out by syllables and to write it out three times. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays she would introduce 10 words. Students were expected to guess on how the word was spelled (pre-assessment) and then write it down when she had written it on the board. Then at the end of the spelling lesson the students would stand up and repeat the words back to her using syllable and reading pronunciation. On Thursdays the students would play games and review the words they had learned throughout the week. On Fridays they would turn in their homework and take the spelling assessments.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Blog Entry 3
Mrs. Call was always very willing to work with the students who had learning disabilities and needed other accommodations. For instance, students that were a bit more fidgety were placed in the back so they could stand up and move around without disrupting the class. One student, in particular, was one of the most intelligent students in the classroom but would never sit down. He only got in trouble if he was causing problems with other students or could cause classroom damage.
Another student struggled with spelling tests and would get very stressed out while doing them. Mrs. Call contacted the parents of the child and asked them what they would like to do. She ended up only grading a few of the students spelling words every week. She would do oral tests for students who struggled with writing.
When Mrs. Call taught, she would always teach to the top of the class and have high expectations. But, she was always willing to work with the students. She treated every student differently according to their needs.
Another student struggled with spelling tests and would get very stressed out while doing them. Mrs. Call contacted the parents of the child and asked them what they would like to do. She ended up only grading a few of the students spelling words every week. She would do oral tests for students who struggled with writing.
When Mrs. Call taught, she would always teach to the top of the class and have high expectations. But, she was always willing to work with the students. She treated every student differently according to their needs.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Blog Entry 2
One of my favorite opportunities that I had was when I was able to work with a student one-on-one. The rest of the students were taking a test that this student did not have to take so I was able to work with her in the back. We worked on cutting and gluing papers for her history notebook. This student is one of the quietest girls in the class and unless you work with her one-on-one chances are you're not going to get to know her very well.
So, we were just cutting and gluing and it was going well because it's not a task that requires a lot of thought we were able to talk quietly. I asked her about some of the things that she had been learning and some of the activities that had been done in the classroom. I ended up learning that this girl, despite her quiet nature, actually has quite a good sense of humor. I could also tell that she enjoyed getting positive attention. Being able to work one-on-one with this student was good for her and for me.
But another confirmation of the importance of getting to know students individually actually came from watching the teacher work with the students individually. While the students were in music class she would pull them one by one and test their reading skills. She didn't really have conversations with them for more than maybe ten seconds because she was short on time. But still, even just checking their reading they were able to get to know her better and she was able to get to them better. It was a positive experience for both people. And it's a good way to know what type of learning style that student is. In addition, working one-on-one with students makes it so that you can help each student individually even if that student has disabilities.
So, we were just cutting and gluing and it was going well because it's not a task that requires a lot of thought we were able to talk quietly. I asked her about some of the things that she had been learning and some of the activities that had been done in the classroom. I ended up learning that this girl, despite her quiet nature, actually has quite a good sense of humor. I could also tell that she enjoyed getting positive attention. Being able to work one-on-one with this student was good for her and for me.
But another confirmation of the importance of getting to know students individually actually came from watching the teacher work with the students individually. While the students were in music class she would pull them one by one and test their reading skills. She didn't really have conversations with them for more than maybe ten seconds because she was short on time. But still, even just checking their reading they were able to get to know her better and she was able to get to them better. It was a positive experience for both people. And it's a good way to know what type of learning style that student is. In addition, working one-on-one with students makes it so that you can help each student individually even if that student has disabilities.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Blog Entry 1
For my service placement, I've decided to volunteer in Audra Call's classroom. Since it is the end of the year Mrs. Call has mostly been teaching history which is good since my plan is to be a history teacher. Mrs. Call introduces the topics, teaches them a little, has them watch some videos, organizes activities for them to do, and then reviews what they've learned with them. It seems to me that she acts as their teacher but also, sometimes, just as their facilitator.
Each student connects to different elements of the lesson. Some students prefer videos and that's how they learn, other students learn better from reading and writing, and some students learn best from what the teacher says. Mrs. Call is good at using different learning styles to make sure different students understand the concepts. But even with all the different learning techniques, there are still different levels of student retention and understanding.
Each student connects to different elements of the lesson. Some students prefer videos and that's how they learn, other students learn better from reading and writing, and some students learn best from what the teacher says. Mrs. Call is good at using different learning styles to make sure different students understand the concepts. But even with all the different learning techniques, there are still different levels of student retention and understanding.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)