By bringing in experts about a certain topic from the community, students can see successful people in the field that you are teaching. The expert can be from any field and can have many talents that can be shared with many different classes.
Being a chemistry teacher, I know I will be asked "why do we need to know this?". By bringing in chemists from around the area, I can show that chemistry is important in our world other than just a grade. There are chemists who work for medical research, chemical engineering and crime labs all around the country. There are a lot of really interesting professions out there for those who want to use chemistry. This will hopefully show to my students that they can make something of the selves after conversing with a live professional.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong
Students are able to sniff out any teacher who is nervous or fearful. This causes the reaction for students to attack that teacher and cause them grief. One of the best ways to prevent this is to remain confident in what you are doing and what you are saying.
One of the biggest problems that I worry about is whether the students will attempt to walk all over me. i know that I will not simply lie their and allow that, but having some strategies to help me prevent this certainly doesn't hurt. Remaining confident is one thing that I need to work in so that my students can feel immediately that teaching them chemistry is something that is comfortable me. I know a lot about chemistry and I know how I need to explain it, so I need to show that I'm prepared and confident in my abilities as a teacher.
One of the biggest problems that I worry about is whether the students will attempt to walk all over me. i know that I will not simply lie their and allow that, but having some strategies to help me prevent this certainly doesn't hurt. Remaining confident is one thing that I need to work in so that my students can feel immediately that teaching them chemistry is something that is comfortable me. I know a lot about chemistry and I know how I need to explain it, so I need to show that I'm prepared and confident in my abilities as a teacher.
Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English
Always asking kids if they understand is important because if students do not understand and they feel that a teacher is not concerned about checking whether or not the students understand, the students will rebel.
I have noticed that students who do not understand in my classes act out because they do not understand and they assume they'll never figure it out. I have seen students go from the trouble making, sleeping and uncaring student to an attentive and well behaved student after a teacher has taken the time to ask whether a student is understanding and then helping them through the process of understanding. I feel like it can be really important for teachers to understand why students act out in certain ways. If I didn't understand something in my classes, I would have fought to figure it out or simply given up.
I have noticed that students who do not understand in my classes act out because they do not understand and they assume they'll never figure it out. I have seen students go from the trouble making, sleeping and uncaring student to an attentive and well behaved student after a teacher has taken the time to ask whether a student is understanding and then helping them through the process of understanding. I feel like it can be really important for teachers to understand why students act out in certain ways. If I didn't understand something in my classes, I would have fought to figure it out or simply given up.
Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material
Textbooks have become one of the primary sources for students supplementation on the material covered in class. In the book, Fires in the Bathroom, students explain that teaching by the text book can be dry and may not present all of the information on the topic. Sometimes the text books may even have incorrect material, or the authors/editors personnel opinions.
I have mixed feelings about this idea because I have had teachers who have ventured away from the book and had a great lesson and some who had a terrible lesson. The students in the book gave good examples about sticking straight to the text book. Some history books (and I'm sure this applies to any subject) have content inaccuracy and nearly all books have different views on the events or principles focused on. I'm worried that I may end up following directly from the text book. I will attempt to use as many different types of sources for the students with each lesson.
I have mixed feelings about this idea because I have had teachers who have ventured away from the book and had a great lesson and some who had a terrible lesson. The students in the book gave good examples about sticking straight to the text book. Some history books (and I'm sure this applies to any subject) have content inaccuracy and nearly all books have different views on the events or principles focused on. I'm worried that I may end up following directly from the text book. I will attempt to use as many different types of sources for the students with each lesson.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Chapter 6: Motivation and Boredom
Allowing students to choose their own reading can help students to become better readers. Students have their own interests with reading, and by allowing those students to choose the stories that they want to read, you can help foster that wish to read.
This may be a difficult thing to add into my chemistry class, but I may be able to have the students pick a newspaper or magazine of their choice (as long as it applies) and have them search for new technologies in science. These articles do not have to be about chemistry per say, but it would be good if the article was about science. I can remember being allowed to read in some of my English classes and also in one of my history classes. We had to find current events in a newspaper and bring them in to talk about. By the end of the year I was searching for one of the most exclusive articles because I didn't want anyone to have the same one as I did. By giving the students the freedom to read what they want it may create a positive environment for students to read and write.
This may be a difficult thing to add into my chemistry class, but I may be able to have the students pick a newspaper or magazine of their choice (as long as it applies) and have them search for new technologies in science. These articles do not have to be about chemistry per say, but it would be good if the article was about science. I can remember being allowed to read in some of my English classes and also in one of my history classes. We had to find current events in a newspaper and bring them in to talk about. By the end of the year I was searching for one of the most exclusive articles because I didn't want anyone to have the same one as I did. By giving the students the freedom to read what they want it may create a positive environment for students to read and write.
Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working With the Group
What really stuck out to me was the fact that students do not like to be called out in class. Allowing for students to answer for themselves at their own time is very important. The author said that if a teacher sees a student raise his hand who is normally quite, the teacher should call him as soon as possible.
This is difficult because sometimes students do not want to be singled out, but if the teacher does not call on different students, only one or two students may raise their hand for the question. So there has to be an in-between point for each class. I understand that students do not like being called on because they may not quite understand the material and once they are called on, they feel ridiculed by the class. Peer image is such an important quality for them that this type of embarrassment may completely turn the student away from the topic you are teaching.
This is difficult because sometimes students do not want to be singled out, but if the teacher does not call on different students, only one or two students may raise their hand for the question. So there has to be an in-between point for each class. I understand that students do not like being called on because they may not quite understand the material and once they are called on, they feel ridiculed by the class. Peer image is such an important quality for them that this type of embarrassment may completely turn the student away from the topic you are teaching.
Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success
Calling on all students and not just the ones that know the answers immediately was something that really jumped out to me. By bringing everyone into the conversation, the teacher is communicating that it is alright if you don't the answer, but to try anyway. This can be important for some students in order for them to attempt at giving the correct answer.
I can remember being the student who knew all of the answers and the one who wished that the teacher would never call on me. When I knew the correct answer, I loved to be called on. However, when I didn't know the answer and the teacher called on me for the answer, I would either guess or say I had no idea. This forced me to pay attention in class and I also realized that I will not always understand what the answer is.
I can remember being the student who knew all of the answers and the one who wished that the teacher would never call on me. When I knew the correct answer, I loved to be called on. However, when I didn't know the answer and the teacher called on me for the answer, I would either guess or say I had no idea. This forced me to pay attention in class and I also realized that I will not always understand what the answer is.
Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior
What really jumped out to me was the section on calling parents. The section talked about the importance of when and how to call to a students parents.
This is an interesting section for me because I'm not sure how I'm going to do this. How am I suppose to know whether I should get a parent involved if I think that student has a problem that is holding them back. Should I simply talk to the student, or take it upon myself to talk with someone who should be a larger part of their life? This helped a little in my perception of what I should do in certain circumstances.
This is an interesting section for me because I'm not sure how I'm going to do this. How am I suppose to know whether I should get a parent involved if I think that student has a problem that is holding them back. Should I simply talk to the student, or take it upon myself to talk with someone who should be a larger part of their life? This helped a little in my perception of what I should do in certain circumstances.
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