The Wonkey Donkey, By Craig Smith: The Wonkey Donkey is a great book to teach in younger classrooms. It could be taught in a class by the class pretending to be the donkey and repeating everything the donkey says. Then the class can do an assignment were they count how many times they donkey speaks. They could also come up with a new animal they would want to use in a story and write a similar story to this one as well. I really enjoyed this story because Mrs. Jackson did a great job evolving the entire class and it was a great thing to open the class with.
ISBN: 0545261244
Teaching Hope, By the Freedom Writer: Mrs. Jackson is one of the writers of this story, and it shares the stories of the experiences teachers have had in their own classrooms. I think this book could be great to teach in classes of students who want to become future teachers like our cadet program or college classes. The students could read the story and write notes of moments in the story they felt inspired or shocked. They then could write a paper of what they believe they’re classroom experience would be like and what techniques they would use to make sure they’re classroom is successful.
ISBN: 978-0767931724
Learning Experience:
One thing we focused on during the past couple of weeks was the “Seven Gifts” of teachers. Some of these included having respect for students, teaching them responsibility, and pushing them to be their best. I believed these were very important characteristics that every teacher should want to gain. Our class then started reflecting on teachers we believed best showed these gifts and wrote them a thank you note. After learning about these gifts, I was able to have a better understanding of what makes a great teacher and I will use these in my future if I decide to pursue teaching.
Current Events:
In recent years it has become more difficult for the government to keep track with the number of low-income families in the schools. This has become a growing problem because of the increase in illegal immigrants. The government use to be able keep track with the number of low income families because of those who qualified for the school lunch programs, but less families are applying for this because they are illegal. This problem could continue to increase if Trump proposes a “public charge” adoption.
“Positive expectations are the mark of the superior personality.” ― Brian Tracy
This is an important quote to me because I feel that it relates to the values of the “Seven Gifts” of a great teacher. I feel like having positive expectations is important because it pushes students to work their hardest and respect you as a superior figure to them as well.
Observation:
During the past couple of weeks, I have noticed the high stress levels in students because of finals and all the assignments due at the end of the quarter. I feel that most teachers don’t realize how much pressure this time of year puts on students and how unhealthy it is for them to constantly be working and studying on assignments. If I become a teacher in my future, I will aim to talk to my students and make sure that I am not giving an unnecessary amount of work for them to do.
Reflection:
After reflection back on the past couple of weeks, I feel that I have gained a better understanding of what it means to be a great teacher. We have focused on discussing ways to better teach students depending on the lesson that is planned for that day. We have also focused on values of a great teacher such as the “Seven Gifts” that have helped me gain a deeper understanding of how to be a great teacher if I choose to pursue this field in my future. These past couple of weeks have not only shown me ways to be a better teacher, but I feel I have gained a better understanding of why teachers use certain techniques and their purposes to helping us learn.
During the past couple of weeks we have learned about the disabilities. We spent time researching and getting to know more about what disabilities are most common and how it feels to personally have the disability. This learning experience was strengthened through the Walk in My Shoes Activity were we got to personally experience the struggles of disabilities such as Blindness, Deafness, Autism, and physical disabilities.
Current Event:
During Obama’s presidency, there was an establish era for lunch guidelines that set standards for what schools could give to students during lunch. This was to help increase the nutrition that was provided in the schools so students could have healthier meals. Trump has since then rolled back this set of guidelines and schools can once again provide meals that contain mostly refined grains like noodles.
“Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.” ― Jiddu Krishnamurti
This quote is important to me because I feel it is what should be an important motivation for teachers. When teachers only care about getting good grades and students are always focused on being a better student than the others in their class, this takes away from students passion to learn. It is important for students to have passion because this inspires them to do great things and be successful.
Observations
One thing I observed the past couple of weeks was how our entire class came together and showed a community with the families helping families assignment. I observed how each student was so generous to give a large portion of money to help a family in need and make their holidays better. This is important because it shows the importance of building a community and the benefits that can be offered.
Reflections
After reflecting back on the past couple of weeks in teacher cadets, I think all the students have become better people through the knowledge we have gained. Not only have we worked on gaining a deeper understanding of what people with disabilities struggle with, but we have also been interested in helping families that are in need. This is important because it helps to grow the teacher heart in all of us and help us to become more caring people.
The Monster at the End of this Book, By Jon Stone: This book is about a how there is a monster at the end of the book and its supposed to be very scary but the reader finds out the monster isn’t scary at all. This is a good book to teach children the importance of not jumping to conclusions. It can be used for a English lesson were the students write of when they jumped to conclusions and judged something without any knowledge. It can also be used for a math lesson were the kids count the amount of times the word “monster” is used or as a history lesson were the kids research times people panics and battles occurred because of false knowledge.
ISBN:9781480661707
Officer Buckle and Gloria, By Peggy Rathmann: This story is about an officer who teaches safety tips. This could be a good story to read to kids because it teaches them of what to do so they don’t create an hazardous problems. It could be used as a science lesson where the kids come up with their own safety tips to use in a lab. It can also be used as a math lesson were the students count the amount of tips he states or it could be used as a English lesson were the kids write about a time they didn’t follow one of the tips and the lesson they learned from that.
ISBN: 9780605011458
Learning Experiences
During the past couple of weeks, our class has focused on the importance of education and the struggles of how different people learn and the obstacles some must go through. Our class recently had a guest speaker that came to talk to us about how hard it can be for immigrant to come to America and be successful in school. This is because a lot of people struggle with English and being able to understand what their American teachers are saying. After hearing her talk to us about these struggles, I felt that I had grown as a person. This is because its important for us all to learn about the struggles of what others are facing because this will help us to find ways to fix certain problems.
Current Event
There has been a debate as to weather smaller classroom sizes would be helpful or harmful to students education. Many parents believe that the fewer the kids in one classroom, the more personal teachers can be with he students and therefore help those individual students achieve better success. There was a study done that showed that even with smaller classrooms, the over scores for a math class dropped slightly. Some believe that this shows that small classrooms are no more beneficial to students than large classrooms because with smaller class rooms this means there must be more teachers hired. When more teachers are hired, it is hard to make sure each teacher is teaching the same quality as the others and putting in the same amount of effort to help the students learn. Therefore some believe that this idea is a waste of money and would not help students improve.
“No one should teach who is not in love with teaching”-Margaret E. Sangster
This quote is important to me because its important for teachers to enjoy their jobs. Those who enjoy teacher will spend more time devoting their skills to kids and helping find ways for others to learn the material better. These types of teachers give a passion that enables others to go far and do great things as well.
Observations
During the past few weeks I have observed that many students are very stressed with all the assignments and tasks to get done. The holidays are always very stressful times for many students and this can be observed when I talk to my fellow peers. I think this is an important time for teachers to make sure they are providing assistance to their students so that the kids don’t become to overwhelmed.
Reflection
After reflecting on the past couple of weeks, I believe I have grown into a better person who has a better understanding of what other students might be going through and that some of us might have it harder to get an education than others. I think gaining this knowledge will help me in my future if I want to become a teacher because its important for teachers to not only have knowledge of the material they are supposed to teach, but also their students so they can build relationships with them.
The Halloween House, by Eric Silverman: This story tells about all the spooky things in the “Halloween House” and could be a great book to read to a class during the Halloween season. It could be used for a history lesson were the kids research the history of Halloween and how it began, or it can be used for a art lesson were the kids draw their own Halloween house. It can also be used for a theater lesson were the kids dress up in their Halloween outfits and play the characters they are dressed up as or it can be used for a English lesson were the class write their own story of what is in their Halloween house.
ISBN-9780374428716
You’re Here for a Reason, by Nancy Tillman: This story shares about how everyone is here for a reason and the world would be incomplete without you. This story would be great for a classroom because it shares a good message for kids to hear and understand. It could be used for a science lesson were the kids look up all the animals illustrated in the book, or a history lesson were the students research their ethnicity and get a better understanding of where they come from and who they are. It can also be used as a English lesson were the class writes a poem of what they believe the their purpose on this world, or it can be used for a art lesson were the class draws a picture collage of all the things that they believe make up who they are and what they hope their future to look like.
ISBN: 9781250083944
Learning Experiences
During these past couple of weeks I have learned important things about students and what impacts their education. Our class watched a show called the Super Nanny and read part of a book about students under stress. I’ve learned that students home life can greatly impact their education and success. Students need to feel comfort at home and parents need to learn how the correctly manage their children help them whenever they are struggling. Students who do not have comfort at their own home can sometimes have anxiety or start depending on certain drugs to take away the stress. If parents learn how to help their children at a young age, their IQ levels can increase and help them be successful as they grow in their education.
Current Event
In the current event article, it discusses a topic the class has been learning about recently: Multiple Intelligence. This idea has been something many teachers try to reach for as their goal and it is the idea that students all have different ways of learning, such as visually or audibly. But researchers have done recent studies which prove this theory to be false. The article then begins to explain other ways teachers can help improve their students learning. Some of these ideas include giving students multiple ways to access information so it keeps them engaged and they can learn the material in different ways. Also the article mentions of encouraging teachers to individualize their lessons. This helps students have clearer understanding of which lesson is which and allows teachers to avoid the one style fits all type of lessons.
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward
I find this quote very important to remember if I want to become a teacher one day. Everyone has to go to school and get a education and for most students, school isn’t something they look forward to. I feel like this is because not enough teachers work hard enough to make sure their lessons have meaning, but rather, they spend time making sure the student understands the material so they can pass test. The best teachers know how to do this and also make sure the lessons provide meaning for the students and inspire them in some kind of way. If we had more teachers like this, school wouldn’t be as stressful and students would be reaching higher success. Therefore, I feel this quote is important for any person who wants to pursue teaching to have as a goal, because if they can inspire students, they will be helping to mold the future of society.
Observations
During these past couple of weeks, I had observed how stressful many of the students are right now. Most students I’ve talked to seemed to all have the same worries about all the test and assignments they have due in each of their classes, and how they also have to complete other important task such as college applications. I feel this time of year is stressful for many students and I think after observing this, and keep track of all of assignments and make sure i’m supporting my friends who are also stressed. I think its important for a person to know how to work through stress in a healthy way and I feel that many students need to work on this idea during this time of the year.
Reflection
After reflecting back on these past couple of weeks I feel like I have gained a better understanding of what it means to be a great teacher. Those who want to be more than just teachers, but be influences on their students, must not just provide the information to students and make sure they past test. Teachers should spend time finding creative lessons and getting to know each of their students individually. Students might not often share with their teachers personal information, but this is important because a students home life can greatly affect their school life as well. When teachers gain a better understanding of their students, this can allow them to focus more on helping each student grow, and therefore, helping inspire them to reach their fullest potential.
Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson: This book is about a boy who has to spend the entire day with his enemy and becomes friends with him at the end. I believe this book sends a great message to kids because it teaches them how to work through conflicts or problems in their life and to always have a positive attitude. This book also teaches kids how to not judge someone they do not know. It could be used in a classroom as a gym lesson and the kids could learn about all the different sports mentioned including baseball and basketball. It could also be used for an art lesson were the kids draw pictures of their own pies, and a math lesson were the kids use slices of pie a lesson on learning fractions. And finally it can be used in a English lesson were the kids write about their best friends and a history lesson were the kids learn about different countries in history that were enemy’s and now are allies.
ISBN-9781452178929
Once Upon an Ordinary School Day, By Colin McNaughton: This story is about a boy who felt extraordinary because of the influence of a teacher he met. It could be used for a English lesson were the kids write about someone who has influenced them or a history lesson were the kids learn about someone who influenced society in the past. It can also be used for a art lesson were the kids draw pictures of someone who means a lot to them or a music lesson were the kids practice playing instruments as the teacher did in the story.
ISBN-9781842703090
Is There Really a Human Race, By Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell: This book is about human race and if it is important. It would be great for a classroom full of kids as a history lesson were the kids learn about their ethnic background, or a science lesson were the kids learn about how the human race evolved. It can also be used for a English lesson were the kids write a story that rhymes like this story did or a math lesson were the kids count the amount of times there was a question in the story.
ISBN-9780060753481
Learning Experiences
These past couple of weeks we have been working in groups on a project. For the project, we had to come up with a lesson that incorporated the different learning styles we have be learning and teach the rest of the class about the different stages of development. I thought this project was very creative and interesting because it not only allowed us to spend time analyzing different techniques of teaching that I had not known before and learn more about what our group was teaching, which was psycho social development.
Current Event
There has been a recent lawsuit against Harvard University on behalf on Asian-American students. They believe that Harvard is discriminating against these students by holding them to higher standards and using an illegal racial quota system. Harvard has denied this saying that they have accepted a wide diversity of students in the past recent years that would not prove this debate to be true. Harvard University is one of the first schools to experience a discrimination lawsuit on Asian-Americans and the lawsuit is still happening right now to see if they can find any proof of an illegal racial quota system.
“Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climb their own mountains, as high as possible. No one can do more.” -Loris Malaguzzi
I feel that this quote is very important in describing what goals a teacher should have. Teachers are important figures that children look up to from a young age and their thought and actions matter. Therefore, teachers who motivate children to be their best instead of just teaching them the material they are given, are some of the post influential people one can have in their life.
Observations
During these past couple of weeks, I have observed how important a community is. Our class has formed a community just in the first quarter of the school year that is so special. This can be shown in our pot notes that we write to each other every morning were we tell others something nice about them. I can also tell how much we have formed a community just in how hard the groups work in preparing food Fridays for the other classmates to enjoy. Community is very important for people to feel they have as we learned in Maslows hierarchy of needs, when it discusses that its important for one to feel like they belong.
Reflections
After reflecting back on these past couple of weeks, one way that I feel like I have grown in is friendship. Not only in this class have I gained new friends, but I’ve also learned how important it is to have genuine people in your life who bring about positive light. We have been studying different developments of humans and I think I can definitely relate to many of these topics when it says how important friendship and family are. These topics made me reflect that the people I’ve surrounded myself with are truly genuine and only helping me grow into a better person which is important in helping me grown into a better teacher cadet as well.
Courage, By Bernard Waber: This story is drawn to a younger audience and explains the different types of ways one can be courageous. This book would be a great book for a lesson with younger kids because you could create a English lesson in which the students write about how they feel they have courage. There could also be a math lesson where the students count how many times it says courage in the book, and a art lesson where they students trying drawing a picture of them showing courage. Finally one can do a lesson on bullying where the students write positive things to each other and ways they’ve seen their classmates show courage.
ISBN: 9780547740584
Giraffes Can’t Dance, By Giles Andreae: This short story is about a giraffe named who was self conscious he could dance when all the other animals could. When he finally had the courage to believe in himself, he realized he could dance like the rest of the dances. This story illustrates the great idea of courage and can be used in a classroom for an English lesson where the kids write about times they overcame their fears with courage. It can also be used as a science lesson were the kids research interesting facts about a giraffes or a art lesson were all the kids draw their favorite animal. It can also be used as dance lesson were the kids come up with a dance that they will preform in front of others.
ISBN: 9780545392556
The Koala who Could, By Rachel Bright: This short story is about a koala named Kevin who was frightened to leave his tree until his tree was cut down and he feel. He realized the ground was not that frightening at all felt that he could anything. This story could be used as an English lesson were the students write about their goals they wish to achieve, and a science lesson on research of koalas. This story could also be used for an English lesson were the kids write a short story that rhythms just as this one did. Finally it can be used in a gym classroom were the kids practice going through obstacles that are tough to show that they can get over any obstacles they are facing.
ISBN: 9781443155472
Mr. Tiger goes Wild, By Peter Brown: This short story is based on a tiger who was tired of always being so proper and wanted to be wild. When Mr. Tiger went wild his friends didn’t agree with him at first and he left, but when he came back, everyone was going crazy and he was happy. This story sends a great message of how important it is to be yourself and let loose. There can be a lesson for this story on English were the kids write about a time they did something wild, a science lesson on tigers, or a history lesson about the a time period were people seemed to be going wild, such as war. This story can also be used as a math lesson were the kids count the amount of times it says wild in the story or a an art lesson were the kids draw a tiger doing something they think is wild.
ISBN: 9781447253280
Learning Experiences
For the past two weeks we have been learning many new things. One exciting thing we did was go on a field trip to USC where we got to meet students from other schools who also participate in the teacher cadet program. We also learned about student loans and scholarships. During our other days of class, we watched a movie called “Thank You Mr Clark” in which it told about a teacher and how he changed the lives of young children who people had no hope in. This movie taught us about how important it is for a teacher to engage with his or her students. Some of the different types of ways students could learn included Global and Analytic. We did practices to find out about ourselves and what what types of ways we learn best to. These past two weeks have been very beneficial in learning more about how be a better student and teacher cadet.
Current Event
There has been a study one the substances found in school supplies and results have been concerning. There were asbestos found in crayons, in which this substance can lead to cancer. There were also Benzene and related compounds found in dry erase markers. These results have left parents concerned about which products they should be buying their children for school and there is still being additional research done to find out how to stop these substances from spreading and who is in charge.
“No one should teach who is not in love with teaching”- Margaret E. Sangster
This quote is very important to me because I believe every teacher should believe this. Its important to have teachers who love teaching, because they are willing to go the extra steps needed to ensure the students understand the information. These types of teachers will find fun learning activities and try getting to know their students so they can find the most efficient way to teaching. If there is a teacher who does not enjoy teaching, then it is very obvious. These teacher will not find ways of making the information more interesting for the students or spending time building relationship bonds. Therefore, I believe this quote should be the message that all teachers believe.
Observations
Over the past couple of weeks I have observed many things occurring around the school. Our school recently had a football game against another school that that create large tension between both schools. It was the Chapin vs Dutch Fork game and the two schools hadn’t played each other in over eight years. Both schools were posted things on social media and around the school that were offensive. At first everyone thought it was funny but it soon became a problem. After thinking about it, I realized that this was just create unneeded tension between both schools and it was best to stop. I’ve always been told that its better show your right through actions instead of words and that exactly what our team did with a great win.
Reflections
These past two weeks have helped me grow into a stronger student. I have enjoyed bonding with other students and helping my school out by volunteering for the lunch lady bulletin board and helping with interim pickup. I have also enjoyed being able to meet students from other schools that are also participating in the teacher cadet program. I enjoy this class because it is not only about learning how to be a great teacher, but it also teaches you the importance of helping the community around you.
Chrysanthemum, By Kevin Henkes: This story is about a girl who is made fun of her name by her classmates because its too long and named by a flower. Her parents try to remind her just how beautiful her name is and her teacher tells the students that she is named after a flower too and Chrysanthemum finally believes her name is beautiful. This story could be used in many ways in a classroom including a lesson of bullying and how just the littlest things can affect a persons confidence, and an English lesson in which the students write their favorite thing about their name and research the origin behind it. There could also be a science lesson in which the students research their favorite flower or an art lesson were the kids draw a flower that they think describes them best.
9780545776615
I’m Gonna Like Me, By Jamie Lee Curtis: This story describes of a kid who will like himself no matter what he does, either accomplishing a goal or making a mistake. This story is good for students because it helps build their confidence in themselves. This story could be used for an English lesson in which the kids write their favorite things about themselves and a math lesson in which the kids count the amount of times the author said “I’m gonna like me…”. This story could also be used for music in which the students make a song based on all the things they like about themselves as well as an art lesson where they draw a picture that describes their favorite characteristics about themselves.
9780060741167
How Rocket Learned to Read, By Tad Hills: This story is based on a dog named Rocket who learns how to read. This story could be used for young students that are learning how to read and a teacher could come up with many lessons. An English teacher could do a lesson on spelling words that are used in the story such as “sun” and “Wag”. This story could also be used for a science lesson because it talks about the migration of birth to the north, and a art lesson were the kids try drawing dogs and birds. This story could also be used for another English lesson were the kids practice saying the alphabet and the sounds for each of the letters.
9780864619693
Learning Experiences
Since we were out almost a week because of Hurricane Florence, we are still learning about self-esteem. Our most recent project we had been working on was our puppet show. This was group based project in which many of us came up with a script and created puppets to present to the class. Our shows had to include examples of global and earned self-esteem, as well as a comparison in self-esteem and self-concept. Not only did we focus on this subject this week, our class also had a special visitor come see us from the University of South Carolina. He helped us learn more about about the University and how we must apply to show we have participated in the teacher cadet course. He also shared with us deeper meaning into what it means to be a great teacher. The class also continued to share read-alouds that showed examples of self-esteem in them. This week was a great learning week that taught me not just only about self-esteem, but other important aspects of college I will need to know in my future!
Current Event
Recently there has been a major study of the advantages wealthy kids have compared to poor kids in school. The study has shown that students in more affluent schools get good grades more easily than students unless affluent schools. This is because affluent schools have started to decrease how rigorous they grade their students which has caused the GPA gap to widened. Many researchers believe the reasoning behind this is caused by the parents and students of affluent schools. Researches say that these parents and students to confront teachers because they come from well-off backgrounds and higher social capitals which boost their confidence. By causing this education gap between the kids of better income to those of less, this also effects their future depending of which colleges and universities they will be accepted in and the scholarships the students will earn. Many researches are still trying to study which schools are more prone to grade inflation to help find a solution to this rising problem nationwide.
“Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.”
This quote is very meaningful, because as a student I feel like I can relate to it. I have had some amazing teachers, and some not so amazing teachers in my 12 years of education. The one thing I have always realized later on, is that the teachers who truly enjoy educating students, work hard to build relationships and make lesson plans interesting and engaging. These teachers have been this most memorable to me because they make class fun which therefore makes it fun to learn! If we had more teachers like this, who truly spent the time finding ways to help students understand material in a way that keeps them engaged, then everyone would love learning and this world would be a better place!
Observations
We recently had a statewide emergency that caused our entire school district to cancel school for the entire week, as well as many other school districts. There was a category 4 hurricane, hurricane Florence, that was rapidly approaching North and South Carolina. Although this storm later turned out to be just a tropical storm, it frightened many people and still caused great damage due to flooding in certain places. While this was all happening, many citizens were coming together to make sure those that were in need would be taken care of. We saw over the news, people bringing supplies necessary for flooding and injuries. Throughout the entire week, I could see how our state and people from outside of South Carolina, were coming together to help one another as a community, despite not knowing each other and possibly having many differences between one another. This idea of community is something I would want to teach my kids if I became a teacher. I would want my students to know that despite differences between each other, it is important to help each other out when a student is in need and to build relationships with one another. If more classrooms focused on this idea, then going to school would not be such a burden to certain children because they know they are leaving their biological family for the day to go to their school family.
Reflections
Throughout the past week, I think one way I have grown is through building friendships. We worked this past week on our puppet shows with our assigned groups and I really enjoyed getting to know my group members better. We came up with a very entertaining, yet educational puppet show that wouldn’t have been possible if we had not gotten along together as well as we did. I also learned more about applications for University of South Carolina which will help give me an advantage later on! Just in one week, I feel that this class has already brought a greater impact on me as a person and student.
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, By Patty Lovell: This story was based on a young girl who learned how to have great self-esteem in herself. I thought this book was great for kids to read because it teaches children to be happy with who they are and to accept others as well. I would love to use this book in a class in hopes of building the children’s self-esteem. You could have a lesson of bullying and how its important to treat everyone equally despite our differences, you could have a science lesson on the different types of animals that were expressed in the story. Another interesting lesson would be an English lesson, were everyone writes a response to the book and describes the things they are most proud of about themselves; as well as a history lesson of geography since it was mentioned in the story that molly had moved.
9781413177138
#JustAChicken, By Langston Moore and Preston Thorne: This story is about a chicken who has no confidence in himself but learns all the great qualities he has. I liked this book because it teaches everyone that we are all just like the chicken and we must find what makes us special so that we can gain confidence. You could use this book for lessons such as an art lesson on drawing animals, a science lesson on what makes all the animals different, and English lesson were the kids write about how they are more than #justachicken. Another great lesson could be a math lesson were all the kids add up the number of different animals there were. This story provides endless ideas and lessons that would make it a great story to share to young kids.
9781620868119
Through the Cracks, By Barbara Emmons, Carolyn Sollman, and Judith Paolini: This story illustrated the school system today and how kids are slowly started to lose interest in their education and are slipping further away into depression, anxiety and other mental problems. I enjoyed this book because it had great meaning behind it and would be a great book to read to a class and have a lesson with. This book could be used in a classroom as an English lesson were the kids write about how they hope to never fall through the cracks and what their goals are. It can also be used as a lesson on peer pressure, to help kids understand not to follow the wrong trends their friends might pressure them into so that they do not fall into the cracks as well. You can also come up with an interesting math lesson that the kids could engage with through games, since it describes Christopher feeling bored during his math class; there can also be a music lesson in which the kids make a song about their favorite things to learn and favorite subjects in school. This book is not only great for kids, but it also emphasizes to future teachers the importance of keeping students engaged in school and creating relations with their children.
9780871922939
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss: This story shares of the journey of a child and all the places she experiences. I enjoyed this book because it symbolizes life and how we will come across obstacles. I would use this book in a classroom for many lessons including a gym lesson in which the kids have to complete an obstacle course full of challenges and a history lesson in which the kids take time to find out all the places their relatives have traveled to and how that has brought them to where they are today. This book could also be used as a music lesson because it can help children get an understanding of rhythm in songs and it can be used for an art lesson were the students draw there favorite places they have traveled to.
9781569562925
Learning Experiences
During the first few weeks of the teacher cadets class, we have begun learning how the class will manage throughout the year and what our main goals are to accomplish. Our class started by getting to know each other with our quilt square presentations, were we all decorated our quilts and shared interesting facts about ourselves to one another. This activity was a fun way for us all to learn about each other and be able to express ourselves in a creative way. We have also started on our first lesson about self-esteem. Our class has been focusing on this lesson by doing activities such as readings and discussions and group project and we have been learning how these lessons relate to ourselves and our peers. By learning more in-depth about self esteem, we have found ways to relate it back to stories we have been reading and how to build our peers confidence as well. Pot notes have become a good way for us to show our peers we care about them and boost their self esteem in their selves. We still have many things to learn that will help us learn how to become a strong teacher cadet and better person.
Current Event
Because of the growing problem in school shootings, Iowa school districts have made many changes to how their schools will be functioning for the safety of their students. Teachers are required to take a training course of suicide prevention and post prevention. They are also asking the schools to have emergency plans already practiced, not just for school shootings, but for any other emergencies that might take place. Legislation has passed saying that districts can base their funding on local needs not just statewide since certain schools might need more emergency resources depending on where they are located, for example schools in metropolitan areas who are close to first responders, might not need as much funding as small schools located farther away from town.
“A teachers’ purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image.”-Srinivasan Sriram
This quote I found has great meaning to me because this is what I believe a good teacher should be. As students must learn how to think deeper to create a better understanding of this world and how we can bring something important to it. Our teachers are important aspects to developing us into young adults who can think for ourselves, and only the best teachers can go out of their way to not just teach us the content they are supposed to teach, but to help us learn to create our own image as well. I feel that this quote is a great goal for me to achieve understanding of in this teacher cadet course so that if I decide to become a teacher I could help other kids gain an understanding of their image.
Observations
During first couple weeks of school, I have noticed that as kids are getting back into the groove of things, they are starting to become stressed again over school work. I have also observed that friend groups are forming, and certain kids are feeling left out, especially new kids who do not know anyone. When school begins it is always a stressful transition for many students, and my observations from these past couple weeks have given me realization of how I would want to work with young children if I choose this as a career in the future. I would want my classroom to be an environment children feel at home in and look forward to coming to everyday. I would form assignments that are group based so that the students can get to know one another and make friends. I would also give my students plenty of time to get their work done so that they do not feel overwhelmed. These aspects of a classroom are very important to me because high school can be difficult for certain students and it is important to reach out to those you see struggling. If students look forward to coming to class then they will want to learn and be able to escape from whatever problems they are facing.
Reflections
During the first few weeks of the Teacher Cadet Course, I have already felt that I have grown personally and started to understand why this course is so special. I was concerned at first with this class because I wasn’t quite sure what we would be learning, and what the environment of the class would be like. But, I have been reassured that this class will be something I look forward to going to everyday because it feels like a community when we are together. I feel like I have already started understanding what can make a great teacher just by our first lesson on self-esteem. I would like to learn more about field experience and how that will engage with the students because I still do not have a full understanding on that part of the course yet. But besides that, I do not have too many questions or concerns about this class but am excited to continue getting to know classmates see what else this course has to offer!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Welcome to my blog! I will be taking a Teacher Cadet course this year and will be sharing my experience with you along the way! I am most excited for this year because I get to learn characteristics that make a good teacher! My goal is to grow as a person this year and to learn how teachers connect with students! I hope this course will help me grow into a strong Teacher Cadet!
Lyndsey's Teacher Cadets Blog 