Entering my last semester as an undergrad, I find myself scared but eager for next year and the years to come. I hope that TE 402 will prepare me for next year. My goals for this course is mainly to acquire the knowledge I need to teach and begin to practice my teaching skills. I would like to gain more ideas to take with me into teaching. In preparation for my placement in an urban setting, I am trying to gain as much knowledge as I can about including every student in my classroom and making sure that my students feel comfortable in sharing their ideas and beliefs with the class. I feel that in all settings, each student brings a variety of different ideas and experiences and the classroom would be a much more engaging atmosphere if the students were able to share these ideas with everyone. I know this is easier said then done. I myself am very shy and it takes me time to open up. I think I am unique in that aspect because I will know how to relate to those shyer students and try to bring them out of their shell. I think all of these skills are important in an urban setting. Currently in my placement I am at a Lansing School. I have already come across students that share experiences with me that I would never have thought they went through. I learn so much from my students now that I am very excited to learn from even more next year.
I hope this course will help me in this preparation by giving me more ideas of how to use my students experiences and how to relate to my students on a better level. I think that to help me bloom as a teacher I need more time in the field working with students. I also think more teaching opportunities will help me bloom. Also, I love small group discussions in class because I always get to hear from people I never hear from and I feel more comfortable sharing my own ideas. I think that getting a variety of perspectives will help me in my teaching and also open my mind. which are very important to consider in any teaching including urban.
My main goal for this last semester is to continue to work with children and learn from those around me. I want to feed my eagerness to teach with as much knowledge as I can in this last semester to prepare me as much as possible for next year.
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Janie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great goal to continuously learn from those around you. The best teachers I've known realize what valuable resources they have in their colleagues and in their students. And I think it's interesting that you've recognized something about yourself as far as your tendency to be a bit shy and understood how that aspect of your personality might help you interact with students who are the same way. I think it will make you very conscious of making sure that you are including all students in the conversations you have in your classroom - even the shy ones. And you'll also be able to pick up some strategies that will help bring in those quieter learners - like the "turn and talk" when you have your students turn and talk to a neighbor and then report on what their neighbor said - it's less of a risk for the shyer students, but it still allows their voice to be heard.
And I'm the same way - I think I said in class that I'm a slow, internal processor and that it takes me a while to think through what I want to say vs. those who process externally through dialogue. I had to challenge myself to speak up more and almost train myself to speak up more in situations that required it - especially staff meetings at my school where decisions were being made that I did not agree with. You'll find that when you become the voice for someone else (i.e. your students) you tend to become a bit louder. So I encourage you to take some risks in your classes this semester and share your great ideas with everyone so that when you're in situations as a teacher, you'll have the experience of voicing your opinion in a large group.
Great entry Janie!
Sarah :)