Reflections on Classroom Obervations

                                                

                 

The teachers always had the day’s lesson plan either pre-written on the board, write it as students file in, or wrote it after class has started. All the teachers always reviewed what they have covered the previous days before starting the new lesson to keep everyone on the same page. Teachers also break down the lessons into parts so that the students can comprehend and start engaging on the topics. The more organized the teachers were, the more effective the teaching was, thus organization was a strategy that facilitated student learning. They also controlled the way class time was used, this was a key factor. The teachers split the daily lesson plans into viable layers so students would better comprehend the lesson.

                    

The topics were captivating and engaging for the students. By this, the students were more focused and the topics in which they were learning appealed to them. The teachers mixed up the lesson plans, which caused the students gears to slowly turn and brought them to a higher level of thinking. One of the teachers confided in me, that a former student-who is studying to become a teacher himself, has contacted her years ago. He told her that her specific way of teaching and her choices in reading materials has inspired him to become a teacher himself.  Hearing stories of former students contacting their teachers, and knowing that these teachers are helping shape the students lives and future, simply by their methods of teaching specific topics and lesson plans was very powerful!

                

The teacher’s instructional approaches were student centered. Teachers would talk about a topic; the students would comprehend and start engaging in class discussions. These class discussions lasted for almost the whole hour! That is how much the students focused and engaged on the topic. The teachers would split the students into groups, most of the groups would hit it off and would start talking to one another, and other groups needed a little encouragement to initiate or continue their discussions.

                   

When it came time to assess the students, one English teacher would bring the students to the front of the class, if they agree on a question (Roger Chillingworth was WORSE than Reverend Arthur  Dimmsdale) they would go the left of the classroom and if they disagreed they would go the right of the classroom.  If they were indecisive they would stay in the middle. Once the arrangement was finished, the teacher would ask the student why they chose their position to the topic. One by one, the students gave their clear and honest opinions, and other would add onto opinion/ideas. That is how much the students felt comfortable engaging with one another. When the students did not understand a specific topic, they would quickly raise their hand and ask questions, they were neither afraid nor shy. However, before the teacher answered the student’s questions, she would ask the class to try to answer that specific question. This caused the students to engaged in conversation with one another and start a very healthy classroom discussion.  From this experience, I have learned that student engagement is the key to teaching and student learning.

Why Curriculum Design and Classroom Assessment Matter?

                          

            The hardest thing to do in this world is to teacher another human being a subject which he/she knows very little of, and to that respect teachers have the hardest job in the world in my opinion.  Teachers not only shoulder the responsibility to nurture the student mentally by providing beneficial knowledge, but they also instill strong moral values in their students.  A teacher may think he/she are going to great lengths to try and teach their students curriculums but a student may refuse to do their homework, participate in classroom discussions, or just stare out the window whenever a teacher instructs them to do her their work.  The teacher/student relationship might even deteriorate to the point where both teacher and student are frustrated with one another.  Students come from different backgrounds (i.e. culture, religion, organizations, country, etc…) and they do not all learn at the same pace.  

     All students come to the classroom with a variety of attitudes, morals, and values due to their various backgrounds.  Teachers need to use those differences to the student’s advantage.  It is also important that teachers also evaluate their teaching styles to ensure that their expectations/goals do not overburden their students.  In other words, teachers need to structure the contents and teaching methods in a way that polishes the students’ strengths and at the same time lays the foundation for new strengths to be formed.  Students learn best when they are intrigued by the curriculum being taught and they cannot be attentive if they do not understand or lose interest in what is being taught.  The element which bonds teachers’ effectiveness and the students’ productive output in class is the genuine affection portrayed by the teacher towards the betterment of that student.   

     In addition, teachers must also communicate to students that there are different solutions to a problem and that students are not a one size fits all individuals.  Having multiple series of solutions to an equation will enable a student to solve the problem faster that a student who may have one solution or none at all.  An important lesson for teachers is to avoid letting the text become the teacher.  To elaborate further, teachers must analyze the information with the textbook and then translate that information into class activities in a manner that peaks the students interest, thus helping them retain the objectives of the lesson and do well on their assessments. 

     When teachers combine all these factors in the classroom, it helps them get an idea of whether or not the objective of the curriculum is being grasped by the students and their classroom assessment is effective.  In addition, it helps teachers to modify and custom tailor their curriculum, daily activities, and lessons so that every students benefits in a positive and meaningful way.  These insights are valuable resources and benchmarks that warrant further reflection for teachers or future teachers. The attached video further elaborates on the importance of designing an effective curriculum.

Who I Am as a Teacher...

I learned very early in my academic career the importance of teachers building a relationship with their students. As a teacher, I hope to strive to build a classroom community that facilitates support and respect. Teachers should put a great deal of effort into connecting well with students. I want my students to know how much I care about them and their success. It is vital that all students' reach their full potential academically. Building trust and a positive relationship is the first step in that process.

There are many challenges in teaching. Many if not all of my future students will face life's adversities. They face many hardships such as; poverty, stress, and comprehension that hinders their learning. In addition, most of my students will be language learners trying to be successful in their second language. I think the biggest way to foster learning is to hold them to realistic expectations. It is important for students to have high exceptions for themselves and learn ways to work towards those goals.

I want to be an example of resiliency to my students, primarily through my work ethic. Students can see on a daily basis that I set goals for myself and work through stressful or busy times. I am attending college while working full time, without the support of my parents, which sets an example of personal as well as academic resiliency.

As a teacher, I will always attempt to be aware of the difficult and stressful situations/pasts my students may be dealing with in their lives, while at the same time not dwelling on the negative aspects of those realities too much. In the classroom, this looks like: choosing stories and themes for curriculum that reflect resilient and hopeful young people; using a “language of resiliency.” Constantly reminding students that they make their own realities as far as the choices they make. I hope that this unconditional positive regard will help my students learn and reduce any fear and inhibitions they might have about learning language arts.