Introduction
Being involved in the school system as a student is much different than being involved as a teacher. When you go to school every day, either as a student or as a teacher, you get stuck in a routine and things that happen daily are expected. During my observation time, I was more of someone who was on the outside looking in. I got to see and understand both sides of the school system from the students and from the faculty. This was my first time observing a classroom as someone other than a student, and it was quite exhilarating. I would like to share all the fun experiences I had during my short time of observation. I want to tell you how different age groups of students behave differently with one another and the teacher. I also want to share with you how different personalities in the teachers, can determine their effectiveness as a teacher. During my observation, I also had the opportunity to observe a special kind of classroom, one that surprised me that it even existed.
Field Experience Site: Jasper Middle School
The school at which I completed my twenty observation hours was Jasper Middle School, located in Pickens county, Georgia. This was a small, Title 1 Distinguished, middle school located in the heart of a small town called Jasper. The setting of the school demographically, is tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains and visible by most citizens of Jasper on their daily travel routines. Everyone knows everyone within the school walls. The teachers
During the months of September and October this semester I spent time at two different schools in four different classrooms. Being able to observe different classes and teachers at Westside Junior High and South Live Oak Elementary was a very new and exciting experience for me since I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My experiences at these schools gave me a better insight into the differences between schools, classrooms, and teachers. The purpose of this field experience was to get 10 observation or tutoring hours in an elementary or junior high setting. I chose to observe a
Administrators should enter a teacher’s classroom with the idea that the teacher is a terrific teacher. Preconceived optimistic feelings are essential because the administrator wants to build on the positive aspects of their teaching ability. Nonetheless, it is also important to keep in mind that every teacher can improve in some area. The administrator’s goal for observations should be to build a relationship with each member of the faculty so that offers of advice and ideas on how to improve in areas where refinement is needed can be given in a way that is comfortable for both parties.
Not only does this article confront the dilemma of classroom management, it incorporates many other challenges teachers experience. The Marzanos’ rubric focuses on specific behaviors that are crucial to creating positive student-teacher relationships. It is also clear that modality, diversity, and student life, three qualities that are unique to each student, were all taken into consideration, making this journal a flawless guideline to successful classroom management.
It was 1:00 pm when I arrived at Wanamaker Elementary School. Patiently I waited outside the door. When I was finally let inside the classroom, I was welcomed by a mixture of bright smiles and blank stares. Mrs. Stark then introduced me to the class of twenty third graders. After she introduced me to the whole class, I quietly made my way to the back of the room. As I looked around the classroom, I saw twenty occupied desks. Mrs. Stark decorated her classroom with many motivational posters and some of the student’s artwork. During my observation of the classroom, I was able to see how the teacher interacted with the students, how gender roles were apparent between students, and lastly see the how the students interacted with each other.
As in every profession, roles, responsibilities and boundaries are set in order to define the line indicating the acceptable limits.
Article: Goddard, Y., Goddard, R., Tschannen-Moran, M. (2007). Theoretical and empirical investigation of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement in public elementary schools. Teachers College Record, 109.4, 877-896.
Although I have had many different types of teachers, there are two that stick out more than any others. The first was my third and sixth grade teacher. She was the best teacher I ever had. The second was my seventh grade teacher. She was the worst I think a student could have had. Both, these teachers had very different teaching styles and very different out looks on teaching. To be an effective teacher the teacher must respect the student and be willing to go the extra mile to help the students learn all they can. In this paper, I will discuss the effectiveness of these two teachers and how their teaching styles differed.
Throughout my observations I saw many differences in both the behavior level of the students, as well as the intellectual abilities of students. During my time I also observed many successful teaching methods and only one unsuccessful one. Along with my observations of the student’s behavior and their intelligence levels, I also saw many of the consistencies associated with what has been presented in our class. The behavior of the students is what I saw the most difference in. The behavior of the students varied between all of the classes I observed, but the freshmen class had significantly worse behavior than all the rest. The cognitive abilities of the students I witnesses also varied by class, but not nearly as much as the behavior levels did. To no surprise, the senior level class was by far the best behaved and the most intelligent; however, the extent of their good behavior still astounded me. Throughout my observations I got to see firsthand many of the ideas we discussed in class play out. I saw signs of increased likeliness to engage in risky behavior, with the freshman class being the most likely to engage; however, one of the 8th grade classes also showed signs of their increased likeliness to engage in risky behavior. I also got to see some of the seniors show themselves socially transitioning from middle adolescence into more adult and late adolescent roles.
A student’s transition into elementary school marks a unique gateway into formal schooling that is encumbered with new demands and susceptible to new influences. Within the past few decades, researchers have used students’ school transitions as a context to examine the influence of student-teacher relationships (e.g., Birch & Ladd, 1997; Ewing & Taylor, 2009; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). The quality of these dyadic relationships is an important platform through which teachers instruct students and students acquire multifaceted knowledge from their teachers (Pianta, 1999). Researchers suggest that certain aspects of student-teacher relationships support and regulate students’ development, particularly during the early years (Pianta, 1999). Although these aspects include teachers’ instruction (e.g., explicit, systematic, etc.), they also include features of the classroom environment, such as teachers’ sensitivity and warmth, responsiveness, and verbal engagement (Downer, Sabol, & Hamre, 2010). When combinations of high quality and supportive instruction are embedded within students’ learning, students are able to interact constructively with their teachers and peers (Gallagher, Kainz, Vernon-Feagans, & White, 2013). More importantly, aspects of instructional and classroom environment encourage students to capitalize on available learning opportunities and to adjust to the expectations of formal schooling (Howes, Phillipsen, & Peisner-Feinberg, 2000). Components of
I believe education is one of the most important tools a person can have in life. Every child deserves to receive the best education possible. It has always been my passion to help each child discover their individual God given gifts and talents and to reach their full potential.
I’m Amanda Beauchamp from New London, Iowa. I’ve been married to my husband Nate Beauchamp since September 1, 2007. We have four children together; our oldest boy is 10 years old. Then we have two girls, Nayla, who is 7 and Raeleigh who is 6. Our youngest boy is Aven, and he is 4. My oldest three children attend Harlan School in Mount Pleasant. My youngest is attending his first year of preschool at Little Bees in Mount Pleasant. I currently work in the Mount Pleasant Community School District as a one on one Para educator. This is my second year at Mount Pleasant High School. I work in the level 2 resource room and the student I follow has a behavior disorder.
Throughout my observation hours that I completed at South Forsyth Middle School, I learned many things that I can apply to my classroom when I become a teacher. I was cultured inside of the classroom to many new techniques and teaching styles that will be beneficial for my career that is to come. I experienced the classroom in a wide variety due to the different environments I witnessed during my time observing. Taking my experiences from the broad array of students, I now feel more prepared for what lies ahead in my teaching career.
Teaching is a profession that is considered to be a rewarding challenging and complex role. An effective teacher does not simply teach knowledge their students and instead aims to arm students with the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes that will prepare students for life-long learning. The constructivist theories developed by Piaget and Vygotsky have impacted on the way that teachers teach and this has changed the approach of teaching to place a greater importance on the teacher instead to act as a facilitator of learning in an open, constructivist environment and providing students with the tools to challenge themselves to develop both academically and personally. The education of students within classrooms of today is
Classroom dynamics is a notorious topic in education.The concept was created to investigate the classroom community. Understanding classroom dynamics is advantageous to teachers, as it enables them to run a class successfully. This helps them learn how to set up a positive classroom atmosphere. Deborah Tannen, author of How Male and Female Students Use Language Differently, Mark Edmundson, author of On the Use of a Liberal Education, and Michael Wesch, who gave a TED talk on From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able provided theories about some of the shortcomings of contemporary education. From these three education specialists, it can be gathered that students need diverse
Why am I a teacher? When I was a child I always had to pretend play school with my friends and I always had to be the teacher. My mom was a preschool teacher at the local day care center and I grew up seeing her cut bulletin boards and plan lessons. My best friend in middle school 's mom was also a teacher. I never wanted to be anything else and didn 't really have a back up plan if this teaching thing didn 't work out. In this paper I will take you on a journey through my educational years in elementary school and middle school, my time high school, delve into my time in college and then into my career as a teacher.