Chapter 10

Alex's Statements:
“Only when everyone in your intended audience can access your message is your job of being a good communicator complete.” Pg. 183

            This is a very important concept to understand because making sure everyone knows what is going on is key to a successful classroom. I will have multiple kinds of audiences in my future class and I need to make sure all the information is accessible to them. If I leave a particular group out then I am not being an effective teacher. I want all of my students and parents to be fully aware of what is going on in my classroom at all times.

“Collaborating includes knowing that more than one perspective is a good thing.” Pg. 183

            Listening to other people’s opinion is key to have a collaborative classroom. Sometimes it can be hard to understand that your opinion is not always the best one. Working with co-workers and peers will help you create more effective lessons and a better environment for your students.

“Families are the experts in the students they send to school.” Pg. 185

            This is super important because I have seen multiple families get pushed to the back burner in their child’s education. They are often seen as logical enough or not helpful enough, especially for low-income students. I need to understand and realize that the parents know the students much better than I do and they can be very helpful if I allow them to be.

Jenna's Statements

• "Both ways have value and we have to value the organization and creativity we each bring to our shared lesson."
• For me this is very important to remember! Earlier in the paragraph is it talking about how the teachers bring their ideas to the table, and I know personally I like to have things very organized. I can't stand being unorganized when working on various things. I can handle some disorganization and just roll with the pushes for a bit, but if I start seeing things go wrong I prefer organization to fix it. However, I have to remember not every one is like this. It is okay for others to not be organized but creative. As long as others are prepared I must keep an open mind.
• "While you shouldn't adopt every new idea you hear wholeheartedly without careful analysis of the possible benefit, neither should you reject something new simply because it is new."
• This falls back into having an open mind but not a careless mind that just does whatever. Keeping a good balance between the two, I think, will lead to good collaboration.
• "Taking risks might also include following your instincts when your administration asks something of you that does not feel right, or acts in ways that do not support what you believe is good practice."
• As a teacher, sometimes I will be the only advocate for my student. I have to remember sometimes that even when no one is backing me, I need to do what I believe is right. I want to be a teacher because I believe it is an awesome platform to share the love of Christ so if I am working for His Glory, I must believe that he will back me when I am the only one standing. I realize many situations I will not go against administration, but in the example given in the book I admire the teacher's courage. I hope to have the courage to stand up for my students when no one else is, regardless of the cost.

Tori's Statements

• "To work well with others, it is important to first know yourself."
• I think this is something that I forget a lot of the time. To be the best team worker I can be, I have to define myself: know my strengths, and deal with my weaknesses. This is super important because when you know yourself, you know what you can best contribute to the group you are working with, and what your limits are.
• "Receiving information with an open mind is one of the single biggest keys to collaboration."
• This is huge! Not only in the real world, but also in the world of the school you will be working for, you must have an open mind. One of the biggest crippling factors one could have is thinking that their way is always the best way. I want to be intentional in my classroom and school to always have an open mind with others.
• "The secret to good teaching is knowing that there is always more to learn, and there is always something new to try."
• This relates a lot with my view on the last quote. I think that one of the reasons many teachers are ruffled up about common core is simply because they have closed their minds to learning themselves. It is so important to remember that there is never an end to knowledge. To be a good teacher, means to take risks and be flexible!

Tyler's Statements

Chapter 10 Statements

“Sometimes teachers fall into the mistake of thinking that not knowing all the answers and they're not good teachers. This is not true. Good teachers are always learning new things and know that is not only okay to need help sometimes, it is an important skill to know when to ask for help when it is needed.”

 1. Teachers need to be able ask for help in the same way that their student need to be able to ask for help when they need help. If you do not ask for help you do not grow or get better.

“The secret to good teaching is knowing that there's always more to learn, and there's always something new to try. Trying something new, or something that you're not sure will work, is risky, but the best way to learn is to be open to new methods and ideas.”

 2. There is no better way to learn then through experience. Our job as teachers is to do the best by the children. Taking risks and trying new things is the best way to do this.

“Teachers have a long history working by themselves. Some teachers want to teach so that they can be the queen or king of their own kingdom.”

3. Teachers are secluded in their classrooms so often that they start the seclude themselves from the other teachers. Teachers need to consider themselves a team and work together.

Courtney's Statements

• "take opportunities to connect with your colleagues when you are a new teacher, and continue to do so once you are a veteran. You will continue to learn throughout your career. Having colleagues to share with and learn from will support your professional growth and help you be the best teacher you can be. 
• This is a great reminder to use your fellow teacher's knowledge. Ask for their advice because they have great experiences to share. 
• ". . . be supportive and aware of your teaching assistant's strengths and preferences.
• If I have a teaching assistant I need to keep in mind that he or she has needs in the classroom and I need to learn from her experiences as well.
• "Staying open minded might include coteaching, learning a course to teach to teach in your content area, or implementing a different way to teach with your content.
• As a teacher I need to be open to trying new things. I have to learn to adapt to different situations.