Confidence and Independence

            ~ This class and this semester have made a huge impact on my confidence and independence.  When we were sitting in the Apache rec room, after our performances, I realized that I have grown more confident in my opinions and ability to express myself.  I understand that being able to express myself while generating valid thoughts that represent what we are learning is important today, but will be more important in the future when I am expressing my goals for students and their individual education. My expectations for my students will be parallel to how I can evaluate myself during my first year teaching.  Although I am nervous, I feel my confidence to assess myself and my confidence in the strategies and activities we have learn will be a asset to me in my first classroom. Being able to express confidence in all my students will be the final.

 

Skills and Strategies

            ~ Communication is so important in every relationship.  Student to student as well as student to teacher can be a struggle if the environment is not nurturing.  Because there is such linguistically diverse population of students, we must practice setting high and consistent goals for every ethnicity and race.  Students should feel equal and successful together.  When presenting a new concept to students, we can use many methods to reach all learning styles and communication barriers.  Story telling and student show-n-tell can embrace different cultures and celebrate every student.  When learning, children must feel safe and free to express themselves in the learning environment.  Activities that encourage students to communicate with one another will be so helpful, in that students will become educated in the difference and lessen bias or prejudice thoughts.  As a classroom teacher, I hope that I will role model the celebration of individuality and strategic goals for all my students.

 

Knowledge Content

            ~ Diverse learners are why we are able to become characters from our imagination, paint beautiful paintings, tell wonderful stories, and write fantastic journeys.  Children are diverse learners for a number of reasons, and as teachers we should be aware of these diversities. Ethnicity, race, socioeconomics, and family can contribute a vast number of differences in one classroom.  To nurture all of them, teachers need to be educated in cultures around that community.  Our area is so fantastic and I feel we are lucky to have an opportunity to be in such a culturally rich place.  As a future teacher, I look forward to all the different children I will learn from.  By being aware of the issues that can arise, we can participate in community classroom projects and activities to become more of a collaboration of children, than a collaboration of differences.

 

Use of Prior and Emerging Experience

            ~ We are all shaped from prior life experiences.  In my educational experience, I have been shaped reassess anything that I have had the opportunity to participate in.  During classroom observations and practicum experience, I have previously found that I have certain dimensions of communication that I get intimated by when I am trying to talk to a child who is bilingual.  I feel unable to be myself and express myself because I feel that they, the child, may be wishing that I was able to speak in Spanish or Navajo, when I simply can not.  What I can do is, smile and laugh at myself and in general.  Friendliness is a universal language and children can pick up friendliness easier than adults.  I have learned to take advantage of this when having difficulty communicating.

 

Critical Reflection

            ~ I am very proud that I have become a life long learner.  I am a life long learner because during the course of my education, I have learned to mostly evaluate one.  By doing this, I don’t lose confidence or strength, I simply seek out more tools to better my communication with different people, understanding of all areas of content, interests and passions others, interest in current events, and reading for the love of reading!  When seeking out tools to learn about something new or exciting, I find I find more new or exciting things I want to know about.  This is so helpful as a future teacher, because I feel I will be learning along side my students.  They will teach me new technology, old traditions, experiments, and stories.  During lessons, such as the Chautauqua and creating my crest, I have found that I can assess myself and my abilities.  If I am presented with situations in a classroom, I feel these self reflecting skills can benefit all of my students.  I have found that I have small biases, which are quickly defused when I learn more about that issue.  I feel I am sensitive to individual needs and can find away to reach every child.

 

Four Major Strands of Work:

·         Communication: This strand is so important because the basis of human relationships is based on communication.  I feel that in regards to education, communication can be both the pivotal and damaging.  Communicating with students new concepts and comprehending new ideas are the foundation of education.  Communicating socially, inadvertently, nonverbally and equally with all students is so important in establishing student/teacher relationships as well as teacher/peer relationships. Students may not communicate effectively because of family and home life, confidence, cultural differences.  We, as teachers can soften communication lines and help create a safe environment in our classrooms by communicating with our students.

·         Research: Educational research is actively progressing and changing daily.  Research new reading strategies, new children’s authors, and new educational games.  As future teachers, I think “research” is embodied in LIFE LONG LEARNING!!!  We must always be reading, learning, and researching ourselves to help children.

·         Technology: The key to the future, the key to finances, the key to students.  We all know that kids know more about technology than we do.  What a great opportunity to more about something and research new technology and be able to connect and communicate with students through the language of technology.  Although there are consequences, such as lack of human conversations face to face, we must embrace technology because it is taking over.  The web pages we create are a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom. 

·         Collaboration:  This can be an intimidating term.  Helping peers and collaborating to build better educational opportunities for students.  In other professions, collaboration is encouraged.  It is a benefit using more brains and heart to build a foundation.  I feel so blessed that I have had the opportunity to grow and learn with such wonderful professors as well as other students.  We have really established a collaboration of people with positive goals and much strength.

 

 

My Grade~ I attend classes with an open mind and passionate heart for learning about students and participating in activities.  I have grown as an individual and I feel that my effort in evaluating myself has paid off. My interest in learning about all types of students and embracing their difference and strengths has provided me with strong beliefs in equality and preserving what we can from our students.  I think I need an A+!!!

 

My Own Development:  After reflection of the first part of the semester, I realize that I can be more proactive as a community member and future teacher to teach all people about embracing our own strengths and preserving our areas variety of cultures.

 

To Better Support Learning: I feel we spend a lot of time figuring things out.  I didn’t get emails :~)…that might have helped me feel less confused. It’s all good!  I enjoy our class discussions greatly.  Maybe allowing or scheduling individual time for conferences.  Due to the hectic lives of us all, I realize this might be hard, but reassurance and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

FINAL COURSE REFLECTIONS:

 

Confidence and Independence: This semester has opened my eyes to many new aspects and oppurtunities that are at educators fingertips.  My relational confidence has improved from the beginning of the Education Program, with much credit to the opportunity to have been able to spend one -on-one time with the students in Mrs. Bradshaws 4th grade class.  Allowing us to have freedom to build individual relationships in a short amount of time with our students has allowed me to see that they ARE unique and have different strenghts.  I feel that my ability to connect with my students allowed us to have more fun.  The course has given me confidence to embrace kids and their cultural differences and they're individualities.

 

Skills and Strategies: I have developed skills and put into practice of strategies learned in this course and over the course of my education.  I am able tp practice these skills and find weaknesses that need improved.  I find that I do not always remember exact strategies when "in the moment" and I need to work on practicing my speaking skills in front of students as well as providing an activity or lesson that reaches out to ALL learning styles.  I sometimes forget one in practicum lessons.  As a future professional, I promise to always practice reflection in myself in hopes to find better ways to reach all types of learners and personalities. 

 

Knowledge Content:  Nurturing diverse learners is challenging and rewarding.  I think learning about individuals and their strenghts allows me to address their weaknesses in a much more positive state.  Diverse learners in a classroom make it more INTERESTING!!!  I can't imagine just doing the sme 'ol thing everyday.  We are blessed to live in this area and have the opportunity to learn alongside children culturally and intellectually.  I think the main idea about nurturing diverse learners is to have VARIETY and CHOICES.

 

Use of prior and emerging experience: My prior experiences with other classrooms have all been very heavy diverse and also very realistic in terms of different learning styles and personalities.  This all has allowed me to practice being open minded and creative when making lesson plans, choosing read-a-loud books and building relationships.

 

Critical Reflection: This class has influences me in numerous ways.  I have really tried to embrace all children differently and learn along with them, using myself as a vessel or tool instead of a motor mouth ruler of a lesson.  I have tried to critically think about the value of diversity and I want to depict that in my own classroom.  I am student teaching in Blanco, Fall 2008, and I feel my experience, the classroom discussions, the guest speakers, and spending time with the Apache students has contributed to my confidence.  I will be able to embark on my student teaching with fresh ideas and value of diversity, which can only help me.

 

COURSE STRANDS:

        ~ Communication: Sometimes it is hard to find the window to open communication with children.  I have observed students who are less willing to share personal life information and are too shy to speak in front of others.  Listening may be their most valuable communication tool.  I try hard to use listening as my most valuable tool.  Today, things get so misconstructed and it can be distructive.

 

        ~ Research/Content:   The content of this course has been very interesting.  Becuase we live in such a culturally rich community, it is a connection to our students, and can be used in the classroom every day.

 

       ~ Technology: I enjoy using technology as a tool in my personal lofe as well as in the classroom. Kids LOVE it!!!  We can really elaborate this very website and help students.  I think as another option to a family history project or performance. Students could build their own family website as a project.

 

       ~ Collaboration: I feel like most people in this program are here to learn and grow along others, as well as help each other out.  I really fear that when I begin to work, that I will be reminded everyday that some teachers are not here for the children.  I hope that I can be a positive team player in any school that I have the privilage to be at.

 

 

MY GRADE:    I have taken alot away from this class and I am using things we have discussed and practiced not only in the classroom, but in my everyday life.  Because of the things I have learned and that I have been reminded to embrace diversity, I feel I am a better person.  For that...I would give myself an A+.

 

DEVELOPMENT: A developing teacher is one whom continues developing over a course of a lifetime.  I am a lifelong learner and my content knowledge, patience, listening skills, creativity, and hope has developed ten fold from the beginning to the end.

 

To BETTER SUPPORT LEARNING: I feel that reflection is the most valueble tool a teacher and future teacher can do to support ones learning.  It would have been nice to have seen or heard ideas, such as stars and wishes about performance, to help us really detail our strenghts and weaknesses.  I like feedback just like any child student does.  Its nice to hear when you do something good, and sometimes we need to hear what we need to work on.