Recap

I wanted to take a minute to list some topics discussed this semester in Examining Yourself as a Teacher. I know there will always be a lot of issues around teaching, but I feel its important to be able to take a step back and look at the issues from another angle. Or I will be sure to go nuts thinking about all the doom and gloom! We've asked ourselves if we're sure we want to teach for sure and why in our Education Journey papers. That led to a good discussion about your rights as a teacher and whether or not you can just blog about any old crap just because you feel like it. (I still say NO since you are in a powerful position to children and their parents, you need to have a "teacher filter" at all times.) I sometimes feel like everyone thinks they have their own talk show and everyone wants to hear their opinions. We don't. We also discussed gay/lesbian issues on schools and how to treat that issue since gays are not in a protected class. Well, they are people and that means they should be treated like any other person. I was shocked at how high the suicide and depression rates are for gay kids. I think we need to focus more on treating people like people and stop jamming them into these little pegholes where we think they belong. Let's mix it up people! We talked about different learning environments like home schooling, elearning, communal learning, children-driven learning just to name a few. It was surprising to learn home schools and private schools really have no regulations. Just have class 180 days a year. That led us to ask if school curriculums should be decided by politics. No, but that's just my opinion. IEP's or Individualized Learning Plans were discussed and seem like an excellent idea for involving parents in their child's education and setting goals for the school year. Our class gave their ideas about the environment in the classroom. We designed the perfect "robo" teacher and incorporated all the features an awesome teacher would have to remind us that none of us are going to be perfect, so be ready to make adjustments all the time! One excercise I think that will be extremely beneficial for younger students is drawing what they know. What does a "teacher" look like to you? Draw it for me. That is such a great alternative to writing when the children are in early grades. I also like the idea of using pictures at the beginning and the end of a lesson. Another idea I have enjoyed discovering in class is the concept map, or learning map. You put one idea in a circle and list words from that to see how they all come together. Like drawing, it puts ideas from your mind out in a visual format.
This week I teach my lesson on my passion. 5-10 minutes, and I think it is going to be great!