Observing for Observations sake

This last observation was probably my favorite by far. I got to go to Springville High School and observe someone who was fresh out of his student teaching, fresh out of the same program I am in and starting a new program at the school he is now teaching at. Braden knew all the things we wanted to know and knew how we were feeling as he had just been there. Yet somehow, in the short 2 months that he has been teaching it seems that he has acquired so much knowledge. While he is fresh out of the program, he already had a great class atmosphere and the students already respected him and behaved for him. And he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. I hope when I am in my first year I display as much confidence as Braden.

I think when I teach I want to have a lot of group projects and maybe even a few group tests, as that is how things are once you get into the industry. Also I think it is good to have an initial due date, but then let the kids go back and change things as that is also how things work on real life. Journalists have their articles edited and designers go through several iterations before the final product. I want to bring that into the classroom so the students get a feel for that, espeically if I teach high school.

I have noticed that A) we have only gone to observe male teachers, and B) they all make fun of their students. I want to see a female teacher teaching and see how the dynamic changes, or if it even does, with a womans presence. Also, I do not want to be one of those teachers that makes fun of their students, even if it is in a joking manner. Hopefully that won't be a problem seeing as how I do have a very sarcastic personality and I am prone to making comments poking fun at others at times. Guess I better start working on that now!

Learning to teach

I feel like learning to teach is a very odd process. One I believe to be beneficial, but very weird at the same time. We have talked a lot about different types of learners and different approaches to teaching. Those are the lectures that make me step back and wonder if I am in the right major. I feel so inadequate so much of the time. Am I going to know enough to teach these kids? Am I going to be manage my classroom? How am I going to deal with behavior problems? I think 276 is helping to build my confidence but I am excited to get into the other teaching classes as well, to hopefully develop my skills further.

Educational Theorists, and such

Learning about the educational theorists was very interesting. I just wish we had more time to spend on each theorist and their ideas. I feel like so many things we learn in this major are just barely touched on and then we quickly move onto new ground before we actually delve too deep. Which is something that frustrates me. I want to be proficient at all of the different skills but I feel that we never explore them enough in class for me to become as good as I wish to be. I realize that a lot of that is up to me just messing around with stuff and figuring things out for myself, but at the same time I need the time to mess around, which is not given as we rush on to new topics to only become mediocre at those as well. I could offer a solution to this but I don't really have one. I just wanted to share this problem that I am sure people have complained about before and is nothing new to the major.

Motivation

Motivation. This is what I have been thinking about for the past few days. As I observed in the second Jr. High class I began thinking about what I can do as a teacher in the future to motivate my students to WANT to do well in class. What gives someone that drive, the determination to succeed? I am not entirely sure what makes individual people tick, but I feel that a large part of wanting to be successful, and feeling like you can be, is having solid encouragement. Encouragement from family, encouragement from peers, and encouragement from different authority figures, such as teachers. I never want to feel like if I had just supported or encouraged someone more, they would have done better, they would have believed in themselves enough to try harder and do more. I have also noticed that within my major there are those who are super competitive who won't always help others and seem to want to get ahead and do better than everyone, and then there are those who are always willing to help those who are struggling or confused and wish to see everyone succeed. I want to be in the later group and I am starting now to learn how to encourage everyone and help EVERYONE succeed.