Curriculum should cover all the subjects: Language/reading/writing, science, math, art, music, physical education. Even though there are times when these subjects need to be taught separately, lessons should be interdisciplinary most of the time. Nothing in life, especially jobs, deal with just one subject. By doing projects like the bridge project described in our last reading, children learn many subjects by engaging in something they are interested in, and they learn life skills needed for college and a career. With a curriculum that includes a lot of projects, students learn how to work together. I must say, though, that I hated projects in school. I just wanted to do the busy work and get on with my life. It seemed like projects took too much time and effort. I was a lazy teenager! I remember one project I did in middle school where we made a miniature lighthouse out of household objects. We even had to wire it so that it would shine light. Do I remember any of the busy work I had to do? Not really. This week, I took my preschool class on a field trip to the zoo. One of the dads who came with us said that he was so glad we were going on the field trip because it would be a good memory for his son. He said that the things he remembers most about his early childhood were of fun events like this one.
Not every day can be a memorable day at school. That would be exhausting! But a curriculum needs to incorporate interdisciplinary projects in order to be relevant and practical to students. And it's more fun for a teacher to plan and teach!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
My Bias
Unfortunately, it was not hard for me to come up with a bias that I have. I am a white middle class woman and I am pretty snooty. I grew up in the NE Heights and still live there. There are times when I feel that I am better than other people because of my whiteness. I'm not proud of that at all. I know that my parents would not be proud to hear me say that either, but I believe I learned a lot of it from them. For them, I believe their snootiness is subconscious. My parents both grew up around Detroit, MI and I was born in Michigan. We moved here when I was a baby. The large hispanic population was something new for my parents, but my brothers and I have all grown up with them. We have definitely separated ourselves from "them" initially because our cultures and lifestyles seemed so different, but later because we believed our ways to be better.
I think my feeling of superiority is less about race and more about class. I tend to make judgements about what people wear, how they act, how they speak, where they work, which school they went to, etc. As a teacher, this will hinder my effectiveness especially if I teach in a school outside of the Heights. Now that I am more aware of this bias, I can stop myself from judging a child or their family. I do not want to ignore differences, but I also do not want to place a value on these differences. I hope I can step outside of myself enough to see beyond my biases and be able to teach children of all classes and races with the same passion and caring.
I think my feeling of superiority is less about race and more about class. I tend to make judgements about what people wear, how they act, how they speak, where they work, which school they went to, etc. As a teacher, this will hinder my effectiveness especially if I teach in a school outside of the Heights. Now that I am more aware of this bias, I can stop myself from judging a child or their family. I do not want to ignore differences, but I also do not want to place a value on these differences. I hope I can step outside of myself enough to see beyond my biases and be able to teach children of all classes and races with the same passion and caring.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Albuquerque Teacher is Named National Teacher of the Year!
This week, Esther Cross, a Kindergarten teacher at Mitchell Elementary School here in Albuquerque was selected as the National Teacher of the Year. Her work over the past 4 years with students and their families has been outstanding. According to Amanda Stoddard, the principal at Mitchell, Ms. Cross "truly cares about her students and their families. She is constantly reflecting on her methods and striving to make her classroom a safe and inviting environment where children are free to learn."
Ms. Cross's background in early childhood education helps her understand how her young students learn. She is an advocate for active learning, specifically through play. Not only does she believe this makes learning more enjoyable for her students, but it makes it more real for them. They are able to practice reading, writing, math and science skills through intentional playful activities. One of her students, Caitlyn, said, "I like school! I know it's always going to be fun!" But Caitlyn's mom knows that Caitlyn is learning all day. "Ms. Cross is very good at communicating with us about what is going on in the classroom and how our kids learn through each activity. She also gives us tips on how we can do playful learning at home!"
Ms. Cross is very excited and humbled to receive this award. "It's not just for me," she says, "It's for all the teachers I work with and collaborate with on a daily basis. We share ideas and support each other for issues like curriculum, student behavior, and anything else we may need." Lacey Gassaway, one of Ms. Cross's fellow teachers at Mitchell, believes that Ms. Cross is the perfect person to be the Teacher of the Year. "She fully deserves the recognition for all her hard work she does preparing meaningful lessons for her students. I learn so much from her and am so grateful to be able to work with her on a daily basis."
Esther Cross is New Mexico's first teacher to be named Teacher of the Year, and hopefully she won't be the last. Until then, she will be an inspiration to students and teachers right here in Albuquerque and the rest of the nation.
Ms. Cross's background in early childhood education helps her understand how her young students learn. She is an advocate for active learning, specifically through play. Not only does she believe this makes learning more enjoyable for her students, but it makes it more real for them. They are able to practice reading, writing, math and science skills through intentional playful activities. One of her students, Caitlyn, said, "I like school! I know it's always going to be fun!" But Caitlyn's mom knows that Caitlyn is learning all day. "Ms. Cross is very good at communicating with us about what is going on in the classroom and how our kids learn through each activity. She also gives us tips on how we can do playful learning at home!"
Ms. Cross is very excited and humbled to receive this award. "It's not just for me," she says, "It's for all the teachers I work with and collaborate with on a daily basis. We share ideas and support each other for issues like curriculum, student behavior, and anything else we may need." Lacey Gassaway, one of Ms. Cross's fellow teachers at Mitchell, believes that Ms. Cross is the perfect person to be the Teacher of the Year. "She fully deserves the recognition for all her hard work she does preparing meaningful lessons for her students. I learn so much from her and am so grateful to be able to work with her on a daily basis."
Esther Cross is New Mexico's first teacher to be named Teacher of the Year, and hopefully she won't be the last. Until then, she will be an inspiration to students and teachers right here in Albuquerque and the rest of the nation.
Friday, February 3, 2012
My Purpose as a Teacher
My purpose as a teacher is to make children feel safe and loved. I enjoy teaching content and setting up a structured classroom, but a teacher needs to love. I am a Christian and I love Jesus with all of my heart. In the Bible, He is the ultimate picture of what love is because He died on the cross for all of us. I want to be this love to all of my students and their families. I know that I will not always be able to share this with them, but I can show them Jesus through my actions. I do believe that I need to respect all the religious and philosophical beliefs represented in my classroom. I'm not talking about converting everyone who walks through my door. I just know that there is a lot of hate and hurt in this world and the love of Jesus Christ stands out even without saying a word. My purpose in teaching is to be a servant to the families in my classroom by caring for and teaching their children in a safe and loving environment.
My secondary purpose in teaching is to teach well. I want to work hard and do a good job. To me, this means trying my best to teach every child in his or her own way (I know this is one of the most difficult parts of teaching). I don't want to just sneak by doing the least amount of work required. I want my classroom to be one of quality and high standards.
I know that teaching is a hard job, but I'm ready for the challenge and I'm ready to be great at it!
My secondary purpose in teaching is to teach well. I want to work hard and do a good job. To me, this means trying my best to teach every child in his or her own way (I know this is one of the most difficult parts of teaching). I don't want to just sneak by doing the least amount of work required. I want my classroom to be one of quality and high standards.
I know that teaching is a hard job, but I'm ready for the challenge and I'm ready to be great at it!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Mrs. Cassidy's 1st Grade Blog
Mrs. Cassidy's 1st Grade
This blog is wonderful! Full of good ideas done by a good teacher with willing students. It was amazing to me how Mrs. Cassidy found time to do all these fun activities with her students in light of the testing craze and how she managed to blog all about it, as though she didn't need to plan for the next day. Maybe I'm a little skeptical and a little jealous. Haha. But her school is in Canada where they do not have the same testing regulations as the US. It seems like she has a little more freedom in her curriculum and implementation than the average American teacher. For instance, she did an entire unit on working with materials and objects and the had a "construction day" at the end. The tables were covered with a variety of materials such as egg cartons, styrofoam boxes, paper, glue, beads, etc. Each child had free reign to create whatever they wanted, then they got to explain their creations in front of the class and on the video to be used in the blog. They Skype with other classrooms around the world including one in Brisbane, Australia, who sent them a couple books for Christmas.
As I looked more closely at her pictures and videos, I realized that she usually had about 15 students (the class list on her blog lists 19 students). Of course she's able to do cool projects and can find the time to take videos, pictures and blog! She has a little more than half the number of students that most teachers in America have in 1st grade! When I think about how I have 22 students in my 3 and 4 year old preschool class, I can only imagine how relaxed her classroom must be.
Another issue I would like to point out is the homogeneity in her classroom. I believe I only saw one non-white student in her classroom. I'm sure this is representative of Moose Jaw, Canada, and most likely the neighborhood in which the school is located, but it is in stark contrast to many classrooms in Albuquerque and other cities in the US.
I'm really excited about following Mrs. Cassidy's class through this spring semester. I'm sure she'll tell me many good ideas, but I will have to keep in mind the classroom culture and cushy number of students before I start to directly apply them to my teaching.
This blog is wonderful! Full of good ideas done by a good teacher with willing students. It was amazing to me how Mrs. Cassidy found time to do all these fun activities with her students in light of the testing craze and how she managed to blog all about it, as though she didn't need to plan for the next day. Maybe I'm a little skeptical and a little jealous. Haha. But her school is in Canada where they do not have the same testing regulations as the US. It seems like she has a little more freedom in her curriculum and implementation than the average American teacher. For instance, she did an entire unit on working with materials and objects and the had a "construction day" at the end. The tables were covered with a variety of materials such as egg cartons, styrofoam boxes, paper, glue, beads, etc. Each child had free reign to create whatever they wanted, then they got to explain their creations in front of the class and on the video to be used in the blog. They Skype with other classrooms around the world including one in Brisbane, Australia, who sent them a couple books for Christmas.
As I looked more closely at her pictures and videos, I realized that she usually had about 15 students (the class list on her blog lists 19 students). Of course she's able to do cool projects and can find the time to take videos, pictures and blog! She has a little more than half the number of students that most teachers in America have in 1st grade! When I think about how I have 22 students in my 3 and 4 year old preschool class, I can only imagine how relaxed her classroom must be.
Another issue I would like to point out is the homogeneity in her classroom. I believe I only saw one non-white student in her classroom. I'm sure this is representative of Moose Jaw, Canada, and most likely the neighborhood in which the school is located, but it is in stark contrast to many classrooms in Albuquerque and other cities in the US.
I'm really excited about following Mrs. Cassidy's class through this spring semester. I'm sure she'll tell me many good ideas, but I will have to keep in mind the classroom culture and cushy number of students before I start to directly apply them to my teaching.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Fundamental Purpose in Teaching
Teaching can be a lonely job. We're expected to love kids all the time (especially teachers of young children) and be peppy about it. What happens when you don't feel peppy or don't like all your students all the time? Does it mean you're a bad teacher? I struggle with this issue sometimes in my preschool classroom. It is a difficult job, but we're expected to be happy and energetic all day long. I do love my job and my students, but to be happy all day every day is impossible. Sometimes the children get on my nerves; sometimes the parents get on my nerves; sometimes my co-teachers get on my nerves. When I feel like this, who can I turn to who won't see me as someone who's in the wrong profession. Teaching is my passion, but it isn't sunshine and rainbows all the time.
When I was interviewing for my position, the director of my school asked me why I wanted to teach preschool. I told her that I enjoyed children, but mostly I enjoyed watching them grow and develop in their own ways. She replied that not everyone who loves children can be a good teacher. Teachers cannot just sit there all day and muse over how cute all the kids are. There are elements of discipline and objectivity that are needed in classroom management.
In my last blog, I talked about how teachers are also students. We need to constantly reflect on our practices and methods. Right now, I am reflecting on how I react to and view student's behavior. I see that I need more patience and perspective in dealing with them. I need to take a step back during the day, take a deep breath and realize that neither my students nor myself are perfect. The fundamental purpose in teaching is not to have the best lesson plans and the most well-behaved students. To teach is to be a facilitator of learning through individual student's needs. We do not have to fit the stereotypical peppy kindergarten teacher. We need to be teachers who learn from their mistakes and are honest with themselves. And, yes, we need to be teachers who care deeply about children.
When I was interviewing for my position, the director of my school asked me why I wanted to teach preschool. I told her that I enjoyed children, but mostly I enjoyed watching them grow and develop in their own ways. She replied that not everyone who loves children can be a good teacher. Teachers cannot just sit there all day and muse over how cute all the kids are. There are elements of discipline and objectivity that are needed in classroom management.
In my last blog, I talked about how teachers are also students. We need to constantly reflect on our practices and methods. Right now, I am reflecting on how I react to and view student's behavior. I see that I need more patience and perspective in dealing with them. I need to take a step back during the day, take a deep breath and realize that neither my students nor myself are perfect. The fundamental purpose in teaching is not to have the best lesson plans and the most well-behaved students. To teach is to be a facilitator of learning through individual student's needs. We do not have to fit the stereotypical peppy kindergarten teacher. We need to be teachers who learn from their mistakes and are honest with themselves. And, yes, we need to be teachers who care deeply about children.
Friday, January 13, 2012
My Beliefs about Education
I love teaching, but I only realized it a little over a year ago. Education is for everyone and may be achieved in a variety of ways. But for teachers, education means school and academics. Not everyone enjoys or is good at school, so teachers need to make education accessible to individuals. It is a challenging but rewarding task. To me teaching is opening doors for children. They get to choose which doors to walk through based on their interests and abilities. I'm so excited to have a classroom where I can guide children to reach their highest potential. Yet, education is not only helping children realize their dreams. It is also about teaching them practical lessons in subjects such as math, science, English, etc. Theses day to day lessons give students the knowledge to be well rounded individuals, and it is during this time that teachers and students build the relationships necessary to open doors together.
Teachers need to be in constant evaluation of their methods. Education should not and cannot be the same decade after decade or even year after year. We need to ask ourselves "why?" about everything we do in the classroom. Teachers are also students. If we do not continue to learn, our methods will become stale and ineffective. Education is the process of life long learning. Teaching is the process of developing life long learners. By opening doors of knowledge for children, we give them opportunities to go through them even later in life. Hopefully, they will take advantage of this and be people who want to learn more and more throughout their lifetime.
Teachers need to be in constant evaluation of their methods. Education should not and cannot be the same decade after decade or even year after year. We need to ask ourselves "why?" about everything we do in the classroom. Teachers are also students. If we do not continue to learn, our methods will become stale and ineffective. Education is the process of life long learning. Teaching is the process of developing life long learners. By opening doors of knowledge for children, we give them opportunities to go through them even later in life. Hopefully, they will take advantage of this and be people who want to learn more and more throughout their lifetime.
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