Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Chapter 6 Statements

Jenna's Statements:
 “You are the model for your students in every interaction: how you speak to other teachers, to other adults, to your own students, and to students from other classes.” Pg. 107


            This statement really stood out to me because it opened my eyes to how big of an influence I will have on not only my students, but also others around me. Students will be watching how I talk and interact with others. If I show frustration towards another teacher, the students will pick up on that. I want my students to be able to look to me and see that I treat everyone with respect. This will let a good example for my students and help them to see how they should treat others.


“When planning activities to complete with the class, be sue to consider what students might feel comfortable with early in the year and what information may make some of them feel excluded.”
            This is such an important concept. It is so easy to design lessons that apply to the dominant middle class. For example, we could talk about how many toys he or she may have and some of my students might only have a few. They would feel left out or not good enough or not rich enough. I need to design lessons throughout the year where every student can feel included or relate to I do not want my students feeling insignificant because of the lessons that I have planned.


“When you consider your strategies and plans for classroom management, you must remember that you are responsible for the well-being of every child in your class; both the child who is bullied and the bully.” Pg. 115
            I really liked this point because when I am dealing with a student who is being bullied, I have a hard time thinking about the well-being of the bully. I have a lot of compassion for the student getting picked on, but not the student doing the picking. After reading about this I realized that every student needs to be dealt with in a fair way. I cannot let myself get in the way of that.



Tyler's Statements:


Chapter 6 Statements

“Before beginning, please understand that no matter how much you plan, unexpected things will happen-probably every day!”

 1. Children are full of the unexpected. As teachers we need to be able to roll with the punches so to speak.

“You are the model for your students in every interaction: how you speak to other teachers, to other adults, to your own students, and to students from other classes. Your students watch and learn from what you say and how you act.”

 2. Students learn by watching their role models. I would show respect to everyone to set a good example for the children.

“Knowing how to give and receive help is another skill the students need in the classroom. Some students consistently fall into the role of one being helped, while other students are identified as the helpers. This does not benefit either student.”

 3 there is nothing wrong with allowing the students to work together, however, once students start taking advantage of the "helpers" it starts to harm both students.

 


Tori's Statements:

  1. "Many factors influence the development of the brain throughout childhood. Genetics, nutrition, responsiveness of caregivers, daily experiences, physical activity, and love all play a part in a growing and developing brain."
    • This quote is a reminder of how much goes into a growing and developing child that I will come in contact with throughout my time in the classroom. I love that the quote mentions that not only genetics and nutrition play into the development, but love, daily experiences, and other social aspects play into it as well. I want to make sure that I am only help my students grow, not harming by lacking love and responsiveness.
  2. "Belonging to a group is extremely important at this point..."
    • This quote is huge to me. It seems like just yesterday I was that girl that had my own "group". Now that I am older and realize how silly the cliques are, I also realize how hurtful those little groups in school can be for students that do not belong. I will remember this as I become a teacher. I will create a classroom that every students becomes a part of the "group", more like a tightly bonded community. 
  3. "During middle school, the social aspect, at least in the minds of tweens, is far more important than academics."
    • I want to remember that although it seems silly to me, social aspects of school are going to be important to my middle school students. I want to, instead, help guide my students the right way and be a person they can talk to instead of talking down to them about how ridiculous it is to be so swayed by social aspects.



Courtney's Statements:
1. Creating a comfortable classroom where students are expected and encouraged to take risks and make mistakes is an essential skill for teachers, and by building a classroom community you will do just that.

    • I am looking forward to making my classroom into an environment where all children can learn. It is really important that as a teacher i help the students blossom and fulfill their fullest potential by being able to share in the classroom without feeling threatened. 
2. Supportive feedback is specific, detailed, and informative. ... Do not give general praise; give praise that tells the student exactly what they did that you noticed. 
    • This is a fantastic reminder to me that I need to give constructive criticism and supportive feedback rather than just simply praising the child. Last semester I would find myself giving empty praises rather than telling the children what exactly they did right. I need to remember to tell the students exactly they are doing right or wrong because they will not instinctively know what it is. 
3. The FBA process is started when a student does not meet behavioral expectations even when clear routines and expectations, high-quality, engaging instruction, and supportive feedback are being provided, and teacher proximity, individual schedules, picture prompts or repeated directions have been employed. 
    • This statement just showed how a functional behavior assessment begins. It is a process used to gather information about a students's behavior. 



Alex's Statements:

“One way to help everyone know about the strengths that each student has to offer is to make a resource book for the classroom.” Pg. 111
            This is such a great idea because it gives the students a chance to share what they are good at and this can help them help each other. The students can go to the resource book when they are needing help with a certain topic and see what student can help them. This creates trust within the classroom and peer mentoring as well. It also helps each student to feel significant because each of them get to contribute in some way.






“Individual routines support a single student and meet his or her needs.” Pg. 118
            This idea was really interesting to me because it really focused on the needs of the student. In teaching, it is so easy to get caught up in routine and forget about the individual needs of the student. Simple things such as adding 5 minutes in between transitions can really help a student. By focusing on individual needs their academic achievement can improve as well as their behavior. Another idea mentioned was giving a specific student study hall first to help them focus and get prepared for the day.

“With students who are not able to communicate in traditional ways, teachers need to do the detective work to determine what they are trying to say.” Pg. 121
            The more I read, the more I realized how much extra effort goes into being a teacher. It is not just about creating a lesson plan and teaching a standard. There are so many needs that have to be met daily. This statement really stood out to me because I have never thought about how I would communicate to my students, especially if they were not good communicators. I will have to be very observant and make sure I am meeting everyone’s needs. 




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