Friday, May 6, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
My First Podcast...Civil Rights Intro.
This is my first podcast ever, so take a listen and let me know what you think!
Monday, February 21, 2011
You gotta watch this video!!!
First of all, just WATCH this video...
Pretty cool, huh? I found this video about a year ago, and I find myself watching it at least once a week. Obviously RSAnimate is pretty amazing, but I love the overall tone and message of the clip.
I think every educator in America should watch this video, but maybe not for the reasons you may think I do. I don't think the clip has all the answers, or that every claim in the video is necessarily accurate.
However, I think this clip challenges us to question and really think about some of the inherent questions about education. Questions like:
1. Why do we do basic things we do? (group kids by age, etc.)
2. What is the overall goal of our educational system?
3. What are we really producing, and is that what we WANT to produce?
4. Do we have a duty to find a "new way", or is the current way effective with just some tweaks?
I think the questions brought up are ones that really can get teachers thinking and talking. And THAT should be the overall goal.
Pretty cool, huh? I found this video about a year ago, and I find myself watching it at least once a week. Obviously RSAnimate is pretty amazing, but I love the overall tone and message of the clip.
I think every educator in America should watch this video, but maybe not for the reasons you may think I do. I don't think the clip has all the answers, or that every claim in the video is necessarily accurate.
However, I think this clip challenges us to question and really think about some of the inherent questions about education. Questions like:
1. Why do we do basic things we do? (group kids by age, etc.)
2. What is the overall goal of our educational system?
3. What are we really producing, and is that what we WANT to produce?
4. Do we have a duty to find a "new way", or is the current way effective with just some tweaks?
I think the questions brought up are ones that really can get teachers thinking and talking. And THAT should be the overall goal.
Friday, February 18, 2011
How to teach a Student Teacher?
This semester, I've been the cooperating teacher for a student teacher from ISU. This is the 2nd student teacher I've had in my career, and it got me to thinking....what do you REALLY want to teach your student teacher?
I think the answer to this question really depends on what kind of teacher, and/or person you are. I remember hearing tales of ultra-controlling cooperating teachers that basically insisted the student teacher teach pre-made lessons. I also have heard about cooperating teachers that offered little to no guidance/support and were out the door as quickly as possible. With those as the extremes, the right approach has to be somewhere in the middle. As for me, these are the main things I'm trying to get my student teacher to think about:
1. Be Organized: Be organized, but don't be so organized that you miss out on teachable moments. If sticking to the timeline of your lesson is so important that you don't stop and "smell the roses" during good discussions and topics of interest, you're missing the whole point.
2. Be Open-Minded: I tell my student teachers that when I came out of college, I thought I was hot stuff with all the answers...my way of teaching was the best and that was that. Over many years of experience, I've learned that there's about a billion ways to be an effective teacher, and that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Keeping your mind open will only help your students.
3. Be Active: If you see something in your class that you don't like, or something that you do like, be active and make what you want a reality. Don't expect the kids to know what you want (or don't want), but be quick and proactive about crafting a class to your standards. And don't be worried about "messing up the vibe" of your classroom by addressing your concerns...if you have concerns, the vibe isn't right anyway...so change it!
4. Be Reflective: Think about your lessons before, after, and during the lesson. Jot down notes to yourself about how to improve, or note if something really worked or flopped. Do it ASAP, because you won't remember it the year after, and you might miss out on the opportunity to improve something for your students.
5. Be Yourself: Great teachers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are loud, some are quiet, some are funny, some are not...some lecture amazingly, some cannot, some are technology driven, and some are highly experiential. Be true to who you are and figure out what works for you. Don't be afraid to think outside the box, but stay true to who you are as a person, and your teaching will work better.
These are the main things I try to show my student teachers. In addition, I tell them student teaching is a time to "live the job", not just to get through the experience....they need to immerse themselves fully in the experience and see if this is what they want to be doing for 30+ years.
Thoughts? Opinions? What do you want your student teachers to know?
I think the answer to this question really depends on what kind of teacher, and/or person you are. I remember hearing tales of ultra-controlling cooperating teachers that basically insisted the student teacher teach pre-made lessons. I also have heard about cooperating teachers that offered little to no guidance/support and were out the door as quickly as possible. With those as the extremes, the right approach has to be somewhere in the middle. As for me, these are the main things I'm trying to get my student teacher to think about:
1. Be Organized: Be organized, but don't be so organized that you miss out on teachable moments. If sticking to the timeline of your lesson is so important that you don't stop and "smell the roses" during good discussions and topics of interest, you're missing the whole point.
2. Be Open-Minded: I tell my student teachers that when I came out of college, I thought I was hot stuff with all the answers...my way of teaching was the best and that was that. Over many years of experience, I've learned that there's about a billion ways to be an effective teacher, and that there's more than one way to skin a cat. Keeping your mind open will only help your students.
3. Be Active: If you see something in your class that you don't like, or something that you do like, be active and make what you want a reality. Don't expect the kids to know what you want (or don't want), but be quick and proactive about crafting a class to your standards. And don't be worried about "messing up the vibe" of your classroom by addressing your concerns...if you have concerns, the vibe isn't right anyway...so change it!
4. Be Reflective: Think about your lessons before, after, and during the lesson. Jot down notes to yourself about how to improve, or note if something really worked or flopped. Do it ASAP, because you won't remember it the year after, and you might miss out on the opportunity to improve something for your students.
5. Be Yourself: Great teachers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are loud, some are quiet, some are funny, some are not...some lecture amazingly, some cannot, some are technology driven, and some are highly experiential. Be true to who you are and figure out what works for you. Don't be afraid to think outside the box, but stay true to who you are as a person, and your teaching will work better.
These are the main things I try to show my student teachers. In addition, I tell them student teaching is a time to "live the job", not just to get through the experience....they need to immerse themselves fully in the experience and see if this is what they want to be doing for 30+ years.
Thoughts? Opinions? What do you want your student teachers to know?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)