Curriculum should be...

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!

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.

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.

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!