English Language Learners

If I were to have an ELL in my classroom, I would definitely have to adjust. This student would need to be able to have some kind of a translating devise depending on their level of skills, but they will need to be able to use this without being a problem with other students. I know some students would complain because ELL students would be able to have this translator on their desks while they are not allowed to have anything on their desk, so this will cause some issues. Also, I will have to label things around the room clearly. For example, if I do a homework board, instead of just having the days of the week on the board with the homework next to it, I would have a sign above the board saying homework. I would make sure the student gets extra help when needed throughout a lesson, but also make sure that the other students are getting help as well. I would strategically put a student next to this student who is smart and patient and would be willing to help out. Of course, I would make sure the student I have helping is okay with doing this. These are good things to start out with, but until I actually have a student like this in my classroom and see their skill level, I won't know what else needs to be done.

Writing Across the Curriculum

It is important for students in all subject areas to write and have knowledge on what they are writing about. No matter what subject you may be teaching, it is important to have writing in the classroom. Especially in the middle school level, students need to work on their writing skills because it will help them in the future with language in general, but also it will help the students better understand what they are doing in the class if they have to put it down on paper. I also think it is important to do in class writing because technology is over powering writing and so many students have lost the ability to write an educated paper without the help of spellcheck. In every class, teachers can find some way to incorporate writing even if it is summarizing an article about the subject matter. Writing needs to be put higher in teacher's lists because the students in the long run need to be able to write for the tests to graduate, and it is an important skill to have.

What does an ethic of excellence mean to me?

An ethic of excellence to me means making sure every child understands everything going on in class. No matter the material or student, each class needs to be adapted to match the needs of the students. Each class is different even if it is one class right after another because they consist of other students and each learn in different ways. It is important for teachers to understand this because if you teach a topic the same way year after year with the same lesson plan, without changing it at all, you will not be successful in teaching your students properly. Especially now, times have changed dramatically and it is our job to stay on top of the student's likes and dislikes in order to understand where they are coming from and how to grab their attention. It is our job to keep the students as involved and attentive as possible. Overall my view of ethic of excellence is understanding the way your students learn and interact with their surroundings. It also means that we need to adapt to them and make sure they can learn in a comfortable setting and stay effective.

Why do I have to read or write?

If a student ever asked me the question of why they needed to read or write in my class, I would answer it on a case by case basis. If it was a science class, I would answer the question by saying that reading is one of the only ways to actually understand science and keep up to date on all the changes in the science world. Also, we need to know how to write correctly for data purposes because if there is data that is written wrong in the beginning of an experiment, the whole experiment could be wrong.

If the student were in a math class with me, the reason they need to read is to understand the different proofs and theorems that make up the math world. The students also need to write because math is all about writing down your findings and your thoughts about why you got your answer.

Every class has a purpose for reading and writing. Frankly, you can't learn anything without reading about it or being able to write it down on a piece of paper to remember it. Students have a hard time looking at the big picture when they are learning because a lot of students just don't have the motivation to do so. It is our jobs as teachers to make them excited about learning and express these reasons to them.

Ohio Core: Not Your Parent's Curriculum

I think this is a great article because people don't realize that education needs to change with society. We are living in a very technology savvy era, and without the proper education, students can get lost in it, or not be able to utilize the technology to the best of their ability. Also, education needs to adapt because with all the technology out there, distractions are more common and are becoming more of an issue, so it is our job as teachers to interact our students more in order to give them the education they deserve. ADHD is being diagnosed more and more every day and I do not believe it is being diagnosed correctly. I think it is an excuse for people to use for why children do not do well in a classroom. It is partially boredom and can be fixed with interaction. Once the education programs are revamped, the students will learn better and more effectively.

Last post for the course

At the conclusion of this course, I realize how much I truly learned. For the final project we had to create a web page that we could use in the future once we get a classroom. I think I will keep this one up because I can add to it little by little as I move on in this career. Never did I imagine having twitter, a blog, nor a website, but I am so glad I did. My technology knowledge has grown in just one semester and it will be helpful for the rest of my career. I will always need to know how to use technology such as the Smart Board, but also I need to be able to inform my students and parents what is going on in their student’s lives.
One thing I have been thinking about is when I have to be absent from a class for some reason, I will be able to make a screen cast a head of time and put it on my site and have the substitute teacher play it for them. It is a great way to make sure the kids are still taught properly and effectively. What I learned in this class will give me ideas for the future much like this idea. I really have gotten a lot from this course and I am glad I had the opportunity to take it.

Give them something to think about.

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." -- Edith Ann, [Lily Tomlin] I love this quotes because I think it is so true. I was always more apt to do homework if during the class I wanted to find out more about what I was learning. I had a teacher who always gave us something to think about at the end of class. We would all sit for a minute and talk about what he said and also go to other classes and talk about what was said. It always made going to class the next day more exciting and you never wanted to be late because you would miss the discussion. I want to leave me students with something to ponder or wonder if what they learned will affect them in real life. The worst thing a teacher can do is to never relate what they teach to the students. If there is no connection, there is no want to learn more about the subject.

Another thing to think about is how often you want to be relating your subject matter to the student’s lives. You don’t want to “over kill” with how it relates. Some students will get sick of hearing about it and will start to mock your lessons. There needs to be a medium ground.