"We had to play dodge ball in science to learn about mass and motion" ~ Veronica (page 176)
The main concept of this chapter is for teachers to get students engaged in their learning and to take the learning outside of the classroom. The quote from Veronica sums up this chapter pretty well. By her teacher getting the students engaged in playing dodge ball (outside of the classroom) helped them understand the concepts that they were learning about in the classroom. If teachers can get students excited about what they are learning and link the material to the student’s lives, teaching is far more successful than the standard form of teaching.
To sum up all of this chapter in my own words, "get students interested in material through their interests and have them use/learn their knowledge though the real world." This was never the case when I was in high school. It was always, sit in class, get lectured, write essays, read books, do busy work. Using the methods described in this book, I think teaching can become way more effective and even enjoyable for students in the classroom.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong
"He was passing, and they never called home" ~ Mahogany (page 165)
This quote comes from the chapter in the section about skipping school and dropping out. One factor pertaining to if students skip or drop out of school is if they feel noticed. Students who do not feel noticed feel the temptation to cut school, since in their minds they will not be missed in school. This quote describes what students observe in the classroom with other students who are often absent. The other part of this chapter I found to be important was when it discussed how teenagers just want to learn. They also discussed that the best way for a teacher to make a connection with the students is to just do the job of teaching and the rest will work itself out. If students see their teacher's passion and will to teach and work with students it will cause the students to at least respect the teacher and put forth suitable effort.
I thought this chapter was brought up good topics and related to my high school experience. I was one of those students that cut class a lot and did not worry about not being there. I knew I could handle the workload and it took a long time before someone said anything to me because I always had good grades. During my senior year my principal tried to revoke my "open campus" rights, for missing so many days. I told him that my grades did not suffer so why should I be punished? To this day I am not sure how I got away with this, but I certainly could relate to the students' experiences from this chapter. I think that students should have to attend school no matter what, because at the least it can keep them off the streets and potentially in a good environment.
This quote comes from the chapter in the section about skipping school and dropping out. One factor pertaining to if students skip or drop out of school is if they feel noticed. Students who do not feel noticed feel the temptation to cut school, since in their minds they will not be missed in school. This quote describes what students observe in the classroom with other students who are often absent. The other part of this chapter I found to be important was when it discussed how teenagers just want to learn. They also discussed that the best way for a teacher to make a connection with the students is to just do the job of teaching and the rest will work itself out. If students see their teacher's passion and will to teach and work with students it will cause the students to at least respect the teacher and put forth suitable effort.
I thought this chapter was brought up good topics and related to my high school experience. I was one of those students that cut class a lot and did not worry about not being there. I knew I could handle the workload and it took a long time before someone said anything to me because I always had good grades. During my senior year my principal tried to revoke my "open campus" rights, for missing so many days. I told him that my grades did not suffer so why should I be punished? To this day I am not sure how I got away with this, but I certainly could relate to the students' experiences from this chapter. I think that students should have to attend school no matter what, because at the least it can keep them off the streets and potentially in a good environment.
Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English
"I think you can't do this test because you don't speak English, but anyway I will give you a B if you come every day" ~ Elaine's Teacher (page 151)
This chapter was all about immigrant high school students who do not speak English fluently. The common theme for all these students is having a language barrier in the classroom. This is a huge problem with schools in America since, 1 in 6 high school students do not come from a family where English is not their main language (page 146). The student co-authors from this chapter all shared the same belief, wanting to succeed in school rather than just get by or not be able to move on. This is why it is important for teachers to find ways to accommodate these students to help them succeed. This is why I chose to use the quote from Elaine's teacher, he just wanted the immigrant students to not misbehave and attend class rather than have them learn.
I think this chapter is very important to read for any teacher new or old. If a teacher is not aware of their students needs, especially when it is a language barrier, than it can cause a lot of problems for those students. Also I agreed with this chapter when it talked about reasons immigrant students act up and misbehave. I agreed that if a student cannot follow or understand what is being discussed in the classroom then they will become very bored and probably act out to get attention and show frustration. In all I thought this chapter offered good ideas in ways to help these students as well as notice signs that they are not having their needs met. A few of the reasons ways they can act out are when they cut class, put their heads down to sleep or even biting their nails (list on page 156).
This chapter was all about immigrant high school students who do not speak English fluently. The common theme for all these students is having a language barrier in the classroom. This is a huge problem with schools in America since, 1 in 6 high school students do not come from a family where English is not their main language (page 146). The student co-authors from this chapter all shared the same belief, wanting to succeed in school rather than just get by or not be able to move on. This is why it is important for teachers to find ways to accommodate these students to help them succeed. This is why I chose to use the quote from Elaine's teacher, he just wanted the immigrant students to not misbehave and attend class rather than have them learn.
I think this chapter is very important to read for any teacher new or old. If a teacher is not aware of their students needs, especially when it is a language barrier, than it can cause a lot of problems for those students. Also I agreed with this chapter when it talked about reasons immigrant students act up and misbehave. I agreed that if a student cannot follow or understand what is being discussed in the classroom then they will become very bored and probably act out to get attention and show frustration. In all I thought this chapter offered good ideas in ways to help these students as well as notice signs that they are not having their needs met. A few of the reasons ways they can act out are when they cut class, put their heads down to sleep or even biting their nails (list on page 156).
Friday, February 8, 2008
Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material
"Science and math are so conceptual that at times it's hard to comprehend, so students need concrete analogies or examples" ~ Latia (page 134)
This quote is in the part of the chapter where the author discusses different ways to convey ideas to students in any subject. The main idea is for a teacher to be able to get all students to learn the material and that comes through offering multiple examples and points of view. The main idea is that for students to learn and want to learn they want to be given all the necessary tools to master the material. Students want the material to relate to their lives and to be guided by the teacher. Difficult material can be tough for all students to understand but they all want a chance to learn about it and they each have their own way.
I think this chapter was interesting but not overly groundbreaking. I thought they offered up ideas and concepts that reassured my beliefs in how to teach students. I chose the quote from Latia because it dealt directly with my field of study. I know it is important for students when learning math to be offered multiple view and examples of what is being taught. I do know that not all teachers understand this about students, and they teach everyone the way they were taught the material. The moral to this book so far seems to be that in order to succeed at teaching students, the teachers and students need to be on the same page and be able to understand each other. Especially teachers must be able to understand and know their students inside and out.
This quote is in the part of the chapter where the author discusses different ways to convey ideas to students in any subject. The main idea is for a teacher to be able to get all students to learn the material and that comes through offering multiple examples and points of view. The main idea is that for students to learn and want to learn they want to be given all the necessary tools to master the material. Students want the material to relate to their lives and to be guided by the teacher. Difficult material can be tough for all students to understand but they all want a chance to learn about it and they each have their own way.
I think this chapter was interesting but not overly groundbreaking. I thought they offered up ideas and concepts that reassured my beliefs in how to teach students. I chose the quote from Latia because it dealt directly with my field of study. I know it is important for students when learning math to be offered multiple view and examples of what is being taught. I do know that not all teachers understand this about students, and they teach everyone the way they were taught the material. The moral to this book so far seems to be that in order to succeed at teaching students, the teachers and students need to be on the same page and be able to understand each other. Especially teachers must be able to understand and know their students inside and out.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Chapter 6: Motivation and Boredom
"Right before a vacation is definitely not a good time for a test. You're so close to vacation, and you don't feel like trying; you rationalize it that it's okay, and really you're going to feel bad about it later." ~ Bosung (page 110)
This chapter discussed the ins and outs to keeping students motivated in the classroom. There were four key components to what motivates students, the first is for the teach to be passionate about the subject AND teaching students, second is to cover and discuss issues that the students care about which leads into the third aspect which is connecting material to the real world. The fourth, and last aspect, is allowing the students to have choices in what they are learning or have to do for assignments. Then the chapter discusses how to keep students motivated. The general idea is to tailor the curriculum to the students and support them in their education. Being able to keep students interested will in turn help keep them motivated. Teachers who can help students stay on top of their work will also help motivate and keep students headed in the right direction. The final part I found important to this chapter was the timing aspect of giving assignments. Students are much more receptive and motivated if they have a say in when tests are, or how extensive projects and assignments will be. The authors of the book listed four good questions teachers can ask before planning and activity on page 111.
I chose to use the quote from Bosung because he stated exactly how I have felt in classes over my years in school. When a teacher wants to give a test on the last class right before break it is always hard to stay focused. I often thought if the teacher gave the test the week before vacation then my test score would probably be higher. I understand though why a teacher would want to give a test right before break; it is a way for them to go into break with a new topic to start when the students come back. The material is much harder to retain if you learn about something new right before a vacation and then are expected to still have it understood upon returning from vacation. I thought the timing aspect of the chapter was one of the most important sections. I think the list provided on page 112 is a very useful template for a classroom. I agreed with a lot of what was on the template for ideas teachers could use, but having the student input is what makes it such a valuable tool for a classroom.
Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group
"..I practiced all night to say this --And so I just put my head back down on the desk" ~ Vance (page 88)
This chapter is all about how teachers need to evaluate their students individually and how to put them in successful groups. The section of the chapter the quote is taken from is about participation of students and why they do or do not participate. In this section Vance offered up a perspective in his physics class, and the teacher shut him down, and Vance just proceeded to not interact and put his head down on a desk. The beginning of this chapter started with a list of different personality types in the classroom and defines them. The group working aspect of this chapter was very in depth. It discussed how teachers need to evaluate the students to put them in the best groups possible. The key idea is to find the students strengths and let them use what they are good at in group work assignments. One key to this was to have the class make a list of important roles a group would have and define them to find the best fit student for that role.
I thought that this chapter was the most interesting so far in this book. It is still very interesting for me to hear student opinion's on what goes on in school/classrooms. I felt very bad when I read the quote from Vance about his science class. If teachers are really like that out there and disrespect their students ideas and opinions then I am not surprised students do not want to participate. Also, I found it interesting when the teacher/student relationship was compared to parent/child. I think if teachers treat their students with the respect they would their own children, then students would be much more receptive to their teachers. All students in my mind deserve an equal oppurtunity whether their instructor thinks so or not. If school is not fun or interacting for the students then why would they want to do their best at it. It seems we still have a long way to go to get the best out of our students in our society.
This chapter is all about how teachers need to evaluate their students individually and how to put them in successful groups. The section of the chapter the quote is taken from is about participation of students and why they do or do not participate. In this section Vance offered up a perspective in his physics class, and the teacher shut him down, and Vance just proceeded to not interact and put his head down on a desk. The beginning of this chapter started with a list of different personality types in the classroom and defines them. The group working aspect of this chapter was very in depth. It discussed how teachers need to evaluate the students to put them in the best groups possible. The key idea is to find the students strengths and let them use what they are good at in group work assignments. One key to this was to have the class make a list of important roles a group would have and define them to find the best fit student for that role.
I thought that this chapter was the most interesting so far in this book. It is still very interesting for me to hear student opinion's on what goes on in school/classrooms. I felt very bad when I read the quote from Vance about his science class. If teachers are really like that out there and disrespect their students ideas and opinions then I am not surprised students do not want to participate. Also, I found it interesting when the teacher/student relationship was compared to parent/child. I think if teachers treat their students with the respect they would their own children, then students would be much more receptive to their teachers. All students in my mind deserve an equal oppurtunity whether their instructor thinks so or not. If school is not fun or interacting for the students then why would they want to do their best at it. It seems we still have a long way to go to get the best out of our students in our society.
Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success
“Most students do not want to be singled out, praise and criticism feel almost the same” ~ Bosung (page 67)
This chapter was all about how to create a successful culture in the classroom. Teachers walk a fine line between helping and not helping students and being overly friendly with students of not friendly enough. This chapter discusses a lot of how to create good relationships with students. Teachers need to encourage their students to do good work, but as the quote I chose from Bosung, a teacher shouldn’t always single out a student whether it is good or bad, students just want support for their efforts. Another aspect to this chapter was to teach students how to take risks in the classroom. This means that teachers need to get students to not be afraid to speak up in class, whether its that they have a question, comment or concern with what is going on in the classroom/lesson. The students surveyed in this book also feel that teachers will pick favorite students and not favorite students and treat them differently. The students teacher like will often get more support and higher expectations from the teacher. The other students get less attention and less support to do quality work.
I chose this quote from this chapter because I think it is important for any future teacher to know. When I was a student I did not have a problem being singled out for the good or the bad, so I never thought it was a problem (for good praise at least). I think it does make sense though, since as this book noted previously teenagers like to blend in and go with the flow of everything. That cannot happen if a student is being singled out in a class. I also think something should be done in efforts to make doing well in school appealing to more students. If students are turned off from learning from a “popularity” standpoint then they will have no luck succeeding in the classroom. In short I think doing well in school should be more of an accomplishment for students rather than being negative to them in their “social circles”.
This chapter was all about how to create a successful culture in the classroom. Teachers walk a fine line between helping and not helping students and being overly friendly with students of not friendly enough. This chapter discusses a lot of how to create good relationships with students. Teachers need to encourage their students to do good work, but as the quote I chose from Bosung, a teacher shouldn’t always single out a student whether it is good or bad, students just want support for their efforts. Another aspect to this chapter was to teach students how to take risks in the classroom. This means that teachers need to get students to not be afraid to speak up in class, whether its that they have a question, comment or concern with what is going on in the classroom/lesson. The students surveyed in this book also feel that teachers will pick favorite students and not favorite students and treat them differently. The students teacher like will often get more support and higher expectations from the teacher. The other students get less attention and less support to do quality work.
I chose this quote from this chapter because I think it is important for any future teacher to know. When I was a student I did not have a problem being singled out for the good or the bad, so I never thought it was a problem (for good praise at least). I think it does make sense though, since as this book noted previously teenagers like to blend in and go with the flow of everything. That cannot happen if a student is being singled out in a class. I also think something should be done in efforts to make doing well in school appealing to more students. If students are turned off from learning from a “popularity” standpoint then they will have no luck succeeding in the classroom. In short I think doing well in school should be more of an accomplishment for students rather than being negative to them in their “social circles”.
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