Keeping Your Cool

One thing I love about going to my education class is watching people get so heated that they start to yell. It humors me so much because one, sometimes they are actually arguing the same point. The other thing is that they cannot see that Professor Langholz is usually playing devil's advocate. The thing that really takes me back is that these people are going to be educators and cannot maintain self control and remain calm. I think that is a strength that we all need to possess. I know that we are all going to have to deal with parents that really don't know what they are talking about and children that think they know everything. And through everything we have to keep our cool and calm to collect our thoughts to move forward.

Rise To Meet The Challege

Where do we set the bar in today's schools. Do we let children slide by while stepping over the proverbial bar? I believe so. I see no reason why we cannot expect greatness from all our students. Now, don't get me wrong, perhaps not all students can get there, on their own. That's where we come in! It is our jobs to push students. The days of expecting mediocrity have to end soon. I think kids are able to rise to expectations. I know as a adolescent, I was always concerned of what my superiors thought of me. We have to set standards higher so that the level of output increases. We have to aid the process of meeting those challenges we set.

A New Stereotype

I'm sick of hearing about boring math teachers. I think every time I hear that, a little part of me cringes. I don't think that math teachers are boring. In fact every math teacher I have ever known has been a very down to earth approachable figure. I think as a teacher, I for one, need to clarify that. Early on in my classes I need to give students the feeling that I am a great resource and should always be considered for help. I think that so often, people struggle in math and because they struggle they lose interest. That does not mean that the teacher was boring or the subject was. But rather, the student did not commit themselves. So, I want to keep all my students in line. Secondly, I would hate to have a dull class. I want to design my class around interesting activities and find ways that both keep students interested in the subject, while also active learning. There are so many ways that I can do that, I just can't wait to rid our society of this awful stereotype.

Some Other Helpful Blogs

http://docereestdiscere.wordpress.com/
http://www.sciencefix.com/
http://regurgitatedalphabits.blogspot.com/

Learning Through Role Play

This weeks lecture brought to me a new idea on teaching. We had a role playing activity on the No Child Left Behind topic, where everybody in the lecture was in a group that had a certain perspective on the discussion. I was in the group of the "high achieving students parents." And it definitely made me realize how real this all was and how passionate people can get. It was hard for me because I knew it was a role playing activity, and had an easy time not getting to wound up in the matter. But seeing how heated the room got only after a short amount of time was fun to watch. I learned a lot through the discussion and kind of came to a conclusion on NCLB. The fact is, I think it is a great idea and that in maybe ideal and a little less than ideal situations, the plan would succeed. But right now, I think that it is a little too drastic and too sudden to really make an impact, and is causing such a stir that is counterproductive to society. With that being said, I am really looking forward to using some sort of role playing activity while in my profession.

Math Above All

In class was probably the most intense I have ever gotten in a debate. I refuse to believe that anything is more important than math. Yes, of course I am biased. Yes, of course I believe that every subject, whether it be English, music, or social studies is important for every child to learn. But, I truly believe that the number one problem in the US is our level to problem solve. And you learn that from either mistakes in life, or mathematics. I believe that knowledge involves all subjects of learning and we should force all students to be savvy in all sects of knowledge, but an emphasis needs to be put on math!

Not Too Much Trust

I had a problem with our discussion in class on friday. For the majority of the class we talked about trust, and how do you earn a student's trust, and how can you show them that you as a teacher are trustworthy. But, I wasn't really buying it. We briefly discussed it, but I think that respect is more important than trust. First of all, I am an idealist, so I would like to think that not only does the majority of people don't lie, but also that if or when they do, it does not impact entire lives. Now with that being said, I agree that people do lie, and I am no exception, in fact maybe a more average fibber. But I, in my present condition, cannot see any reason why a teacher should ever lie! It seems contradictory to your profession. As a student, I never trusted my teachers, nothing against my teachers. And as a student I had no problem knowing that I couldn't be trusted, in fact hardly ever felt trusted.
Which is why I turn towards the notion that respect is far more important. Making sure that respect is reflexive and that neither teacher or student gives reason to be disrespected will lead to satisfactory trust. But, in my opionion, never should there be too much trust either way.