Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Individual Field Requirement Hathaway-Brown High School 1

Mr. Mose’s Art History Class
October 24, 2014

My first observation in Mr. Mose's art history class happened to fall on a day when they were reviewing for their upcoming test. He started the class by saying "When I review, I review" which I found funny that he felt the need to say yet at the same time, I felt it was important because there are teachers who believe that even the information they don't go over in class could be on the test. Review should be REVIEW if a teacher wants to take class time to go over material for the test, if they don't cover it I don't believe it should be on the test. 

When I walked into the classroom I immediately noticed that there weren't any desks, just a giant table surrounded by chairs. It was actually rather odd because the room looked a lot like a living room. There was a fireplace, and a cupboard with china plates in it. To me it was relaxing but distracting at the same time because nothing in it screamed or even whispered classroom besides the smart board Mr. Morse used to show pictures of the different pieces of artwork they were talking about. 

On the other side, the large table instead of individual desks seems like a more relaxed environment which leads to "discussion based learning" and more of an open communication in the classroom itself. I was also informed by him that they had no text book. This was really innovative to me because it created an environment where they could create their own curriculum based on what they wanted to focus on. Each girl took notes on her laptop and added pictures the create an individual text book. Theses girls were all seniors which could have been a part of the comfortable atmosphere I was observing, but I believe it's also due to Mr. Morse's technique as a teacher. He praised the girls for their good work and answers instead of pointing out the moments when they struggled or were confused. He never talked down to students. He even made a point to say this to me personally after class. He says that one of the biggest "pet peeves" of his when he was in high school was that he felt his teachers talked down to him and didn't show him the respect he felt he needed to feel that it was worthwhile to care about the teacher's class if the teacher didn't care about his or her students. He sees students as people and respects their opinions as such. Everyone remember both the good teachers and what they did to make the class memorable, and the bad and why we hated every moment. It's how we move forward and become teachers ourselves that determines whether we took anything away from the experience. Mr. Morse remembered this about his high school experience and as an observer, I could see the importance he put in making sure his students felt that their opinions were being heard and respected. The students felt comfortable and because they were in an environment where they felt safe; they were able to thrive and learn to their full potential.



FieldBlog 2 Cleveland Heights High School

Cleveland Heights High School
Ms. Washington -- AVID Classroom

When I first walked into Ms. Washington's classroom, I was slightly concerned because I couldn't tell if it was controlled chaos or just plain chaos. She was laughing and goofing off with the students but seemed a little flustered. It probably didn't help that she hadn't been aware that I was going to be observing so that might have had something to do with that. I was also confused because I really had no idea what AVID really was since there hadn't been anything like that at my public high school.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in and complete a degree at four-year colleges, focusing on students in the academic middle. The formula is to raise expectations of students. Students are given the resources to help them apply for scholarships and grants and to colleges and universities of their interest. AVID is not a "remedial education" program; instead it is a program designed to provide whatever support may be lacking for at-risk students who possess academic potential, but who may not be working to the best of their abilities. This is a phenomenal opportunity offered at this high school that I wish would have been offered at mine. As I was observing these students, I could see that they were personally driven which is key to educational success. If the student is not driven at an individual level then they often lack the motivation to reach their full potential. 

The class itself has a pattern they follow depending on the day. Monday and Wednesday they have the traditional classroom environment where they practice different forms of SAT and ACT prep. Tuesday and Thursday tutors come in to tutor the students if needed, others have time to go to their classes and make up tests or work on either hw or other study material. Fridays are dedicated to character building which is highly important for adolescents because if they don't believe in themselves it really doesn't matter how much everyone around them believes. At Heights, this class is offered to both freshmen and seniors; as a freshmen students take this class if they want to take classes at a college, like John Carroll, and as a senior they take this class to prepare them for college and take AP classes instead of going to a college campus during parts of the school day. I observed one of the senior classes.

I really liked the core concept of this class because it gave students the opportunity to talk to their teachers about tests or material they are struggling with and even get help during the school day from a tutor or a fellow classmate. I also really appreciated the student-teacher dynamic I observed. The Teacher went around to see how the students were doing and what they were working on. This gave her an idea of whether or not they were actually taking advantage of this time or not, but she never talked down to the students, you could tell that the students felt comfortable to be themselves and that this was an open environment. She got students to help one another with work so that those who understand can help those confused by their similar classes. She also made a point to talk to her students about their classes. As an observer you could see that she knew the students as individuals; the students feel comfortable enough that they are able to open up to their teacher and it helped them reach goals that students who feel that everyone around them is constantly competing with them.

One event stuck out to me over everything else I experienced while observing this high school. One student was working on her government hw. She asked Ms. Washington and since she was in the midst of helping another student with his physics homework she gave me the opportunity to help her find the answer. I was surprised that she was giving me this opportunity since so far all I've done is observe. It put me, even for just a moment, in the role of teacher. It's harder than one thinks to help someone find the correct answer without just giving them the answer right away. But it made me realize how much I want to do this. It's something a lot of people think they want to do, but not everyone is really supposed to be a teacher. It's a lot like why I'm not supposed to be a doctor, I'm not cut out for it and I wouldn't be happy in that environment. Thanks to this AVID class, I had a taste of what I would do as a teacher and left knowing I wanted to do. This AVID environment creates a different type of student relationship and learning environment than most schools. It prepares students for college in advance and gives them the opportunity to reach a possibly higher potential than those not given this opportunity and I wish this could have been offered at my high school. The student-teacher relationship that I observed is one where both the student and the teacher are learning and growing from one another.


Monday, October 27, 2014

BlogPost 8

Important ideas when forming lesson plans

COMMUNITY
making changes through yourself/ others ideas— finding a common goal to increase the end result
this can include study habits, conversation, student involvement

FORMING ALLIES
its important for teachers to form connections with the students parents and other teachers/colleagues

ASKING A COLLEAGUE
if you have the support from former teachers it gives you resources otherwise unavailable and people that will be there for support and you can trust
can help you expand your lesson ideas to find a whole new level of learning within your classroom

COMMON INTEREST
every student has an individual relationship with the teacher
it lets the teacher also learn about what has shaped each individual student
what is that appropriate student teacher relationship?

GROWING
as your experiencing different things you grow and learn whether you’re a student or a teacher
you learn from one another
learning adventure/quest

NO MAN LEFT BEHIND
each student learns differently
a student will learn at their own pace but you need to be there to help them achieve the same level of learning before moving on

These are some of the topics we touched in class that I felt were important in forming BlogPost 7.
Bill Ayers wasn't actually talking about creating a true lesson plan but what is important to keep in mind about the students and classroom environment. In a class the students are being taught much more than just math or grammar, they are being taught how to communicate with others and how to grow from children into young adults. Their peers in a classroom are the same types of people they will be surrounded by their entire lives and school helps kids learn to develop techniques outside of the typical classroom lessons. As a teacher it is impossible to really reach your students and help them reach their full potential if you don't understand this core idea.


Monday, October 13, 2014

FieldBlog 1 Beachwood Middle School

Beachwood Middle School
Language Arts and Math Classrooms


When I walked in, I immediately saw the schedule on the board and that the desks were arranged in rows. As the students filed into the room they all picked seats but it looked like they were able to sit wherever they wanted as long as they were able to pay attention to the class. The teacher walked in and let the students calm down and finish their train of thought before bringing the class to session by asking a question about the story they had read yesterday. The teacher gave us a copy of the War of the Wall and Hearts of Hands so that we could understand the points the students were making. They had been asked yesterday to pick five people that they would put on their own wall. The teacher made a point to ask several of them who they chose and why. This helped the students feel that their choices were important. 

The teacher transitioned into talking about the story Hearts of Hands and the vocabulary they needed to know from the book. Instead of writing the answers she had one of the students who had had more trouble with the homework do it in order to make sure that she had the right answers and she has other students give the answers they though were correct and why in order for the class to understand why the answer was what it was. I could tell that as a teacher she really understood the importance of student involvement and student participation in a classroom and for students to learn. For each vocabulary word they had, besides the definition, the teacher gave a funny short story the students could reference to remind them of the word. 

I was very interested as a visual learner myself by what was on the walls and around of the classroom. Teachers need to understand that students learn in different ways and from someone who is a visual learner if there is to much clutter on the walls I cannot pay attention as much but if there is nothing on the walls I have the same problem for the opposite reason. Teachers need to find a balance. Desks can also effect the feel of the room. For a language arts classroom maybe having the desks in rows isn’t the best option. The teacher countered this by letting the students sit wherever they wanted but maybe the desks could have been set up in a U-shaped instead so that everyone can see everyone at all times and no one is in the front or back of the room. 

Since we were in a language arts classroom the teacher had created a comprehension check list for the students which discussed main characters, setting and important dates from the story. She would ask a question but never called on a student if they hadn’t raised their hand. If no one raised their hand she’d add some information from the story to peak their memory and then let them finish the thought. By not putting any of her students on the spot she took away that sense of fear some students can get when they know there’s the possibility of them having to answer a question even if they have no idea how to answer it. By pushing them towards the right answer by adding information she let the students come to the conclusion without any added pressure. She also made sure to praise students for their different ideas that they brought up. This is key to their learning because if a student doesn't feel they will have the “correct” answer they will be less likely to suggest answers or solutions in the future. You learn from your mistakes but that includes how you are responded to with your answers that are always completely on point. 

There was a section of the class dedicated to something the teacher called, “Paired Response” which was a magazine comparison, book, and or a short video combination. While I was observing they read an article titled “Call of Duty” and they watched a video on Dogs in the Military. It created a comparison for the students that they could relate to. The majority of the students had a dog or some other pet so they could relate to the soldiers creating connections with these animals and forming bonds that lasted forever. 

The teacher Finished the class by giving them time to go online to their root-word games. The school “rents” laptops to the students for the school year in order to create activities that interact technology with learning. Each grade has a website set up for the entire “team” for the seventh grade they are split into 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D. These teacher then include all their contact information on the website as well as the homework and any helpful activities the students can use to practice or study for the class. In this class the teacher gave specific time at the end of class in order to end on a relaxed note, and to let them study for their root-test in a fun way. 


I could immediately tell the difference between math and a language arts classroom. They completely different classes which you have to take into account. But even though the structure of the classes are different, these are still middle school aged students so some of the ideas can be transferred from one class to another. 

One thing i picked up right away on was that the teacher felt the need to repeat herself five times and then continue to say the same thing again and again as if the more she said it the faster it would sink into the students brains. She also struggled with finding a happy medium between keeping a fun but at the same time focused atmosphere. She would make a silly face or say something that would make the kids laugh but if they started to giggle about something five minutes later she would get mad because they weren't paying attention. She even told two girls that if they weren't going to pay attention they could just leave and it was almost immediately after she had made a joke so they were still laughing at it. As a teacher you need to make a decision on what the atmosphere of your room is going to be and you need to understand that your students aren’t robots so they can’t turn off their reactions and emotions at the drop of a hat.

In this math class they were reviewing for a test next week. Thy had learned GCF, LCM, Square Numbers, Equivalent Fractions, and Prime Factors. The students were expected to be quiet and take notes, which was a little confusing because the teacher was trying to create a comfortable environment but she was struggling with how to create it. The desks were actually long tables that were shaped in a giant upside-down ‘’U’’ facing the whiteboard and then a smaller square inside that. The students had assigned seats which made it easier for the teacher to take role quickly and begin the review. 

As the class progressed the teacher kept emphasizing the importance of good notes and how this was their guide to the test next week. She would walk around the classroom and ask student for the definition of each topic. This made sure that the students were actively involved in the lesson and each important topic was defined in a way that they could easily understand. She also went through at least three examples and let the students find the solutions. If the student didn't get the correct answer she wouldn't embarrass them, but she would patiently guide them toward the right answer. 

She also created clues for each topic. She would present all the possible ways the students could get the answer and never moved on if someone was still struggling. She also only called on those who were confident enough in themselves that they would raise their hand to solve the problem and expected everyone else to do it in their notes so that if they were struggling she was there to help them find the answer. 

I know I sometimes struggled with understanding how solving some math applied to real life and therefore wasn't motivated to really put the effort in. The teacher seemed to understand this and made an effort to give “real-life” examples of why a math problem was the answer it was and why it was important to learn and understand. I know personally if I understand the importance of something I’m more likely to put solid time and effort into it. 
As a teacher you need to understand that each student is an individual and everyone learns in their own way. I’m happy that she seemed to understand this because she made sure that the students knew that there were many ways to do the same equation. As a teacher it is so important to know that students are unique. If you look at students as objects or as a whole and not individually then you take away a huge part of what makes each student unique. Each person brings themselves to the table. This means they’re bringing all of their past experience, their thoughts, their ideas, and their creativity to the situation if you take away what makes them an individual you take away the possibility for them to reach their full potential and thrive to their fullest. At the basis of all teaching, it is fundamental that teachers see each student individually and not as a whole. 

This was a wonderful experience, even though neither times was I in a classroom in the subject of my focus, social studies. I knew I wasn't equipped to be a middle school teacher because I don’t have the patience and I commend these men and women who have taken on this difficult stage of child development. I got to observe two very different teachers who, by observing them say that, at their core understood the importance of the individuality of a student. 

Sunday, October 12, 2014

BlogPost 6

"Because banking education begins with a false understanding of men and women as objects, it cannot promote the development of what Fromm calls "biophily," but instead produces its
 opposite "necrophily"(Educational Foundations, 108)

This quote meant a lot to me because it came back to the topic in class we’d discussed early on about seeing each student as an individual. If you view students as objects how can they reach there full potential. I had to look up the definitions of biophily and necrophily to fully understand this quote. Biophily means life and necrophily means death. Fromm is literally stating that if you view students as objects you are creating an atmosphere in which there creative ideas will die. Every student is different and unique. If we refuse to see the differences in a person as special and important we erase what makes them really them. 

An object is a form of labeling. The more you label something, the less it can be used in a creative way. An example of this is a chair. The definition of a chair is a separate seat for one person, typically with a back and four legs. From this definition we can determine that it’s something we use to sit in. So what if I decide to sit on the ground and want to use a chair as a table? I can do this but according to the definition it’s not the proper use of a chair. We live in a world that loves to put labels on everything. If we step back and refrain from labeling even a little bit, maybe someone or something will find purpose in a completely abstract and new way. If we view students as nothing other than objects, they loose some of their potential to become a unique individual with ideas no one except them could have come up with. 



Sunday, October 5, 2014

BlogPost5

Rofes (2005) makes clear distinctions between liberal and radical conceptualizations of addressing homophobia and heterosexism in k-12 schools. Discuss these distinctions with examples from schools you attended. How does Rofes (2005) discuss childhood? What do the liberal and radical distinctions of addressing homophobia and heterosexism have to do with contemporary understandings of childhood? What do you believe and what is your vision for the school where you hope to be teaching in the next four years?

At my public high school the idea of bullying was one of the worst crimes you could commit. As students we were required to attend several anti-bullying assemblies and were advised to report any signs of bullying we saw. Even though it was looked down upon, doesn't  mean it never happened. Everyone had their group of friends, if you stuck with them it was less likely you would end up in a situation where you could be bullied. There were not many openly gay students at my school, but off the top of my head I can think of three openly gay boys and possibly three lesbian girls. The boys were all in choir in an environment where they felt welcome and safe. They stayed with their niche because they knew that it was a safe place. I do have a friend who came out this summer after he graduated. He confided in me that he’d known he was gay for a while, his family had known, but he hadn't wanted to share it with his peers for fear of being shunned. He felt that even though Fox Chapel was a friendly environment he still had that nagging fear of rejection in the back of his mind. Fox Chapel had a room dedicated to LGBT students. It was right near the offices and everyone knew where it was, the teaching faculty always emphasized being there if anyone needed someone to talk to but I feel that that was one of those things that for the students kind of ‘went in one ear and out the other’ and that was the extent of the school showing LGBT pride. I believe if the administration faculty had been more outspoken about supporting the LGBT students those who were to afraid to come out until after they had graduated might have felt safe and more willing to be open in their school community. 

Rofes states, “Suppose that we were to guarantee all children over the age of, say, ten years not only shelter, schooling, and proper nutrition but the right to determine where and with whom they lived, the freedom of self-expression and self-determination, and the right to full participation in the institutions of our democracy. If we were to do so, we might find that we had created the circumstances that would deliver to our culture an adult populace more capable of managing their day-to-day lives, less likely to engage in abusive power relations with others, and ultimately more capable of participating responsibly in the processes of democratic citizenship”(Rofes 5). I think he brings up a great point. Children are taught that they have no voice. They have to listen to their parents and other adults because these people are older and therefore wiser than them but is that really true? I often find myself in awe of some of the stuff I hear children say. They have no filter so they say whatever comes to their minds. It’s refreshing. Too many people are concerned with what everyone around them is doing so they follow the status quo instead of being themselves. I’m not saying that we don’t need authority, in order for something to function properly their has to be someone in position as the authority. I would only like to point out that maybe children may begin to feel more open and willing to achieve their full potential if they are in an environment where everything about them as an individual is celebrated.