The 5 E's, for Inquiring Minds!

This semester has been a tremendous learning experience from start till now, and I'm sure till the finish. I learned things that I didn't even learn growing up, and the emphasis on inquiry-based learning is so important. This semester I had the ability to witness it time and time again in developing our lesson plans, teaching the After-School Programs, and in watching the student's faces light up with each new topic. Teaching children the steps and allowing them to not only search for answers but also giving them the ability to create open-ended questions allows learning to become limitless.
Students can work independently or in groups, allowing them to be part of a team effort. There are so many great tools we can use for teaching to engage students, and not only are we providing them with subject-content but we are providing them with the ability to problem-solve and to develop critical thinking they will use throughout their lives. The more we allow students to teach and direct their learning, the more productive adults they will become!

Making a Difference, Emotional Wellness!

During Tuesday evening's class, we participated in a lecture on Emotional Wellness provided by Sigma Tau 451's. I believe to be a great teacher; we need to remember that in everyday life we are people first. By that I mean, we have to bear in mind that our students are individuals with their own lives and everyday circumstances inside of school as well as in the outside world. Before reprimanding a student for not having their homework or finishing their reading assignment, or punishing students, or assigning detention, we should take a look at the bigger picture. We as teachers are their home away from home. The school is supposed to be a safe place to which parents can send their children knowing that they will be okay. A student should feel safe at school, even when home may not be safe, and know that someone is there to listen to them. Not just assume they are a problem child!

I believe this presentation had beautiful meaning behind it and is certainly something that should be expanded upon by the Education Department because it's important! It's important to remember that these little people have feelings too and don't always know how to deal with the world they aren't quite prepared to live in yet. Sometimes children don't even understand how they feel, why they feel that way, or what they feel! Sometimes it could be as simple as they didn't remember how to do their homework, or their parents couldn't help them. Sometimes it could be the death of a loved one or a close friend moving far away. Maybe it's just been a bad day, we all have them! Above all, I think we have to remember that they too are people and we need to be empathetic to what they are going through before making judgments on their character.

I know the issue of poverty was addressed specifically with the idea of those children who live in high-poverty areas, what wasn't discussed were the children who live in the middle to high-income districts in poverty. Some of these children as I see in my District, tend to "fly under the radar," because people don't expect to see it here. It's just something I would hope teachers think of no matter where Poverty does exist in different forms at different levels, everywhere! Overall, it was an asset to have attended, and I'm glad as a class we were able to participate.

The World is Our Classroom...

The last week of fieldwork is complete, and although I feel it was a great accomplishment, there is so much more to learn and experience. I have to admit the idea of fieldwork was scary as the time approached, however, I will certainly be able to use this experience to build on in the future. There are several things I learned throughout this time helping to develop my pedagogical knowledge, while reinforcing much content along the way.

                             

For one, planning and preparedness are essential!!! It is not enough to know what the plans consist of but having expert knowledge in the different subjects is crucial. Being able to teach in a way that students can understand and be engaged is what every teacher hopes to accomplish. Having the ability to answer their questions, or at least acknowledge that you don't have the answer but will get back to them is important. Classroom management - without it, you have nothing. It is important to establish your class rules from the beginning whether they are posted in the classroom or at the start of your assignments. Developing standard practices will create fewer headaches in the future, and the students will know what your expectations are from the outset. I liked the point system group 4 used during their fieldwork. Another thing I learned was that it's important to stop what you are doing and wait until you regain the student's attention, rather than continuing with them talking over you.

                                            

I learned it's important to relax and have fun. And to write your lessons like a story the students can follow leading into each new day. It's important to remember that while the lessons may not go as planned every day, as a teacher, we can improvise and remain on task. If you are enjoying what you do, are knowledgeable in the material, and having fun chances are your students will too. I learned it is important to give students the opportunity to think for a few minutes before providing them with an answer, for me to question them or involve their classmates in whether or not they agree with the answer. Students learn more when they are engaged in the process. Anyone can give them the answers!

                               

I knew this already, but fieldwork definitely reinforced just how different each student is and as a teacher how we must adapt to that in order for each student to have the same experience and opportunity to learn, equity-based learning. And in becoming a great teacher it is important to know your students, how they learn, what motivates them, what worries them, what they are good at, what areas they need assistance in, and so forth. This is where a "get-to-know" you type project at the beginning of each school year helpful to teachers. While some are classic "textbook" learners, others learn best through inquiry. And yet, there are others who have a hard time reading or writing for that matter. It's important to get to know your students at the beginning of each year to assess their strengths and weaknesses and to re-evaluate them throughout the year. The students you start with, will not be the same students intellectually as the year progresses. Being able to adapt to all of these situations will make me a better teacher.

                                           

And one last thing I'll touch on. I learned it's important to cover the material in a manageable fashion, with awareness of both time and sensory overload. While I think all of my colleagues including my group, made significant attempts with a valiant effort, I believe that we need to find a happy medium in the materials taught. Some lessons were shorter, and some were so extensive in detail they made me feel like my head was going to explode. So, I think there has to be a balance in our creativity of required subject material.I grew up in a house where education was paramount in life; I instill that in my children, and I hope to teach that in at least some of my students along the way. Without the ability to question, we learn nothing. I truly believe that teaching is a privilege!

Be Part of the Solution, Not the Pollution with Group 4!

Excellent job, group 4! I thought the lesson was very well taught overall with relevant information and an engaging presentation for the students. My colleagues covered a lot of pertinent information concerning our environment and Earth today. The students, overall, were well mannered with a few reminders in place. I liked the use of my colleague's point system as a form of competition between the students and the teachers to guide/reinforce student behavior in a positive manner. The students were receptive to it.

The inquiry lesson allowed the students a hands-on approach to the visual results of pollution. It was an excellent idea because the students appeared to be concerned with what might happen to Fred, the Fish as a result of contamination.

I believe this was an important topic for the children to learn and understand. We all live on Earth, and teaching them the importance of being responsible citizens of the planet in which we live is crucial. My hope is that they walked away from the lesson, having learned something new, and they way in which we live, and choices we make have an impact on the world around us. So, even though we are one tiny piece of the puzzle, we play a much bigger role in the universe.

And Just What is Precipitation, Group Three?

Great job Group Three! Being that this is my first class in the graduate program, it's been a great experience watching my colleagues teach their lessons and how they each present information. They have all certainly seemed a lot calmer than I felt in giving ours. There was so much great information provided in regards to different forms of precipitation. 

Unfortunately, they ran out of time. I really would have liked to have seen the activities they had planned and for the students to have more time to rotate throughout the different experiments in the Inquiry. I can easily see how time can be an issue and something to take into account in planning my future lessons.