Read-Alouds:
we didn’t have any read-alouds this week
Learning Experiences:
During the past two weeks our class has started to focus on the different assessments teachers might use to teach a lesson to their class. We discussed the difference between formative and summative assessments and when its best to use these in class. We also had Mrs. Aplin come into our class to show us different types of resources we could use to teach our class when we go into field experience. Mrs. Aplin showed us different games and websites that we the class got to experiment with. Along with Mrs. Aplin we also had another guest come into our class, Mr. Maxey. Mr. Maxey is the South Carolina State Teacher of the Year and we had the privileged to hear his story of how he first decided to become a teacher and his journey to where he is now. He shared of how he went to Africa for some time to teach the students there and he had to learn Arabic for 6 months to be able to communicate with them. While he was in Africa he helped to build new school restrooms for the different villages which helped more students attend school.
Current Event:
A rural community in Virginia is suing the state for allowing educators to carry guns with them in school for potential school shooters. The states former Republican attorney, Ken Cuccinelli, is supportive of the NRA and believes it is important for teachers to therefore have guns on them for protection. But, the Democrat attorney, Mark Herring, says that the state has no legal ground to put guns in schools. Certain people think this idea is dangerous while others believe if educators get the training they need, it would help decrease the amount of school shooting across the country.
Quote of the Week:
“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”
―
This quote is important to me because it shows how important it is for a teacher to build relationships with their students and inspire them to do their best. Students might not always tell the teacher, but teachers can have very strong impacts on their students and change the way the student thinks or works. But the only way this can happen is for the teacher to not give up on their students and remind them of their potential if they work hard.
Observations:
This week I had a hard test in anatomy that many students were saying was extremely difficult and there was no hope. One of my friends told me that she had studied for many hours and did well on the test so I decided I would take a couple hours each night and review. On the day of the test, I felt that I had studied all I could and I felt confident after taking it that I did good. If I were to become a teacher I would want to stress to the students the importance of studying and helping them find ways to study best and manage their time wisely because this can help them either do well in the class or not.
Reflection:
After reflecting back on the past couple of weeks, I feel that I have learned how important teaching really is. Mr. Maxey had us each choose one word that defined teaching to us, and many were words such as “inspire”, “influence”, etc. None of the words our class choose were simply “math” or “English” because our class has begun to understand how teachers have the ability to impact students much more than just teaching them the requirements needed to pass the class. I feel that this value in teaching can be something I take with me in my future if I decide to become a teacher, but it can also be applied to many other situations in life as well.
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