Going to American Fork Jr. High, home of the cavemen, was awesome this week! First of all I forgot how much of a variety there was in students that age! From the time I was in elementary school to freshmen year of high school I was at least a head shorter than everyone else in my classes, and never thought anything of it. But now I realize just how little those kids are, and at the same time how tall some of those kids are! Mr. Carter, the teacher, told us that one of his students, Who was absent, was 6 foot 3 inches! That's an inch taller than BYU's basketball all-star Jimmer Fredette; and this kid is only in the 7th grade! I'm still not a very tall individual and i'm sure that at least half the students in high school will be taller than me; which I guess is nothing I can change. Also so many kids are trying to figure out where thye fit in. On one hand you have the little boy who wears a tucked button up shirt with his hair neatly combed and on the other his buddy with saggy jeans and a XXXL shirt on. So many of these kids are just figuring out where they belong.
On another note I really enjoyed seeing how Mr. Carter interacted with the kids. Most of them considered him a friend but at the same time they respected him. I can tell that's a hard balance to maintain because some of the kids that were really cool with Mr. Carter respected him but still had to be told a couple of times to do something before thye took him seriously. But when class was in session all the kids were attentive and motivated to finish the assignment, mostly due to the project and the enthusiasm Mr. Carter put into it. As we went around and helped the students I noticed none of the students really talked to me unless initiated the conversation, then I realized that there were no girls in the class and that these adolescent boys were very aware that I was a girl. This might be even more awkward because they didn't know me as well as they would know a regular teacher but I guess thats something I have to take into consideration when teaching these subjects, and I hope I get the opportunity to observe a female teacher.
When kids are in this stage of their life i see now how a teacher can be so influential! Mr. Carter let it slip to his students that he was a "Star Wars" fan, and since these kids look up to him so much now they have adopted the hoppy and have competitions, such as wookie calls, daily. Being a moral teacher is everything because with the right relationship these kids will pick up on even the little things the teachers do.
I look forward to more chances to observe and even practive different teaching styles and I'm mostly grateful for this initial observation because it has made me more confident in my abilities to become a great teacher.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
"We shape our environments, there after they shape us."
- Winston Churchill
As teachers it is our responsibility to provide the right kind of environment for learning and teaching, and hopefully this is applicable to the lives that are in the class room and not just the curriculum taught there. In my high school there were all different types of teachers, sadly a lot of them were not ideal.
I had this history teacher that, on the first day, we sat down at our desks, and he stated that he was handing out a piece of paper with the syllabus, class room rules, and that there was no need for talking in his class. If I turned in all my assignments and did not disrupt the class I would get a good grade. From that day forward he put notes up on the projector for us to copy while he lectured from the notes the whole class period. My impression from the first day was accurate; this class was a waste of time. As blunt as my teenage self could be I was right in this assumption. The most I took away from that class was a grade; no lasting impressions besides boredom, and no life lessons besides how not to teach.
Obviously teaching shouldn't feel like babysitting but it definitely shouldn't feel like prison; for the teacher or the student. I really liked what we discussed in class with the moral dimensions because its such an obvious, but understated thing, that teaching is a moral endeavor. Teachers are the ones that walk the halls with the students and see most of everything that students encounter every day. Also every moral dimension could be applicable to any type of class.
"How do you bring in Faith, without bringing in faith?"
This balance is difficult for some teachers but my most influential teachers were the ones that were solid moral examples in their class rooms. And as we discussed in class, example is the best way to demonstrate faith without talking openly about it. Teaching faith doesn't have to be a discussion on the Bible but any moral dilemma can be solved with standards many Christians would deem acceptable. As Later day saints we are told to live in the world not of the world, and as a LDS teacher this has to be more prevalent in places like high school when kids are just figuring out where they stand on moral issues. I know that teaching is a moral pursuit but as i say it I wonder what percentage of teachers actually realize their position of influence.
- Winston Churchill
As teachers it is our responsibility to provide the right kind of environment for learning and teaching, and hopefully this is applicable to the lives that are in the class room and not just the curriculum taught there. In my high school there were all different types of teachers, sadly a lot of them were not ideal.
I had this history teacher that, on the first day, we sat down at our desks, and he stated that he was handing out a piece of paper with the syllabus, class room rules, and that there was no need for talking in his class. If I turned in all my assignments and did not disrupt the class I would get a good grade. From that day forward he put notes up on the projector for us to copy while he lectured from the notes the whole class period. My impression from the first day was accurate; this class was a waste of time. As blunt as my teenage self could be I was right in this assumption. The most I took away from that class was a grade; no lasting impressions besides boredom, and no life lessons besides how not to teach.
Obviously teaching shouldn't feel like babysitting but it definitely shouldn't feel like prison; for the teacher or the student. I really liked what we discussed in class with the moral dimensions because its such an obvious, but understated thing, that teaching is a moral endeavor. Teachers are the ones that walk the halls with the students and see most of everything that students encounter every day. Also every moral dimension could be applicable to any type of class.
"How do you bring in Faith, without bringing in faith?"
This balance is difficult for some teachers but my most influential teachers were the ones that were solid moral examples in their class rooms. And as we discussed in class, example is the best way to demonstrate faith without talking openly about it. Teaching faith doesn't have to be a discussion on the Bible but any moral dilemma can be solved with standards many Christians would deem acceptable. As Later day saints we are told to live in the world not of the world, and as a LDS teacher this has to be more prevalent in places like high school when kids are just figuring out where they stand on moral issues. I know that teaching is a moral pursuit but as i say it I wonder what percentage of teachers actually realize their position of influence.
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