Today we went to Crest High School, and lets just say it was interesting. I was in a 9th grade math class and the students definitely still acted like they were in middle school. There was one girl in particular that kept talking back to the teacher and giving attitude, but the teacher was also giving it right back to her. The students in 9th grade are at an awkward stage in their life. They do not need to be babied but they also do not act like adults. There were some students who were completely fine but then some who were acting up.
One thing I noticed that was on the board was for each day of the week the teacher had goals set out for each lesson. It said I CAN.... then whatever they were supposed to learn for that day and if they could do whatever the teacher had on the board, that means they understood the lesson. I thought that was really cool so the students knew what the goal of each lesson was. This is definitely something that I am going to do when I am a teacher because I think it is helpful for both the teacher and the students. The teacher writes out what they want the students to understand and then they will know if each student understands the lesson if they are able to do what is on the board. It also shows the students what they need to get out of each lesson, which is very helpful.
This teacher taught the lesson and they did practice problems as a class in the beginning. She had different students answering each question and telling how they did each problem. Once they spent some time on the lesson, the teacher gave them the last thirty minutes of class to do an in-class assignment that was going to be turned in and graded. I think this is a great way to see if the students understand the lesson because they just had practice then they had about 10 problems to do individually and hand in. I am also going to use this method because I think it is an effective way of both teaching and learning. It gives the students an opportunity to first learn and review the lesson, then to show what they know individually. It is also beneficial for the teacher because they get a chance to evaluate how each student is doing personally.
One thing that I did not like that the teacher did was when she was teaching the lesson she was sitting in the back of the room at her desk writing out the problems that they projected to the front of the classroom. I did not like that the teacher was in the back of the classroom because from personal experience I learn better when the teacher is up front so I can watch exactly what she is doing and it keeps me more focused. Students were dozing off and closing their eyes but the teacher couldn't tell because she was in the back of the classroom. When I am a teacher I will definitely be teaching from the front of the classroom.
I am glad that we got to experience all three levels of education. This last trip has definitely reassured me that I do not want to teach high school. I think K-6 will be the best fit for me because I love working with younger kids!
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you highlighted the positive aspects of this classroom observation. Being in such a negative environment made it hard to recognize when things went well. You did a really great job of balancing honesty about what occurred and appreciation for the experience!
ReplyDeleteLindsey,
It's really interesting to see how important the trips into schools were for you and your future.
Good job analyzing what things you're going to imitate and what things you won't do when you teach.
I think high school is more difficult definitely. In Spain we have primary education (from 6 to 12 years old) and secondary education (from 12 to 16) and the "majors" are different. I'm studying to be a primary teacher, I love to work with kids from 6 to 12, but I always knew that I don't like to teach secondary education. This moment in the life of everybody, teenage time, it's a really difficult process and it's possible to smell the hormones and the confusion when you come inside a teenagers class. For me could be interesting to work like a psychologist for these kids, and help them to know what they want to be in life or which way to take. Working with them individually always takes my attention, and maybe I'll do a master on psychology in that field. But be with all of them at the same time in a limited space?? No, please!
So, I'm glad that you found your favorite age to teach after the trips.
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteGreat job of noticing the "I can" statement at the high school level! Typically, those are used more at the elementary schools but I think it is great the HS teacher was also utilizing this strategy! What connections were you able to make to the NCTCS?
I am very glad that you pointed out the goals that teacher posted. I think that this method is very useful for students because they know what the end goal is of what they are supposed to learn. I wish that every teacher practiced this. I will definitely do this for my future classes.
ReplyDeleteThat’s great that you were able to pull some positive aspects from the class that had a less effective teacher. Math has, most of the time, been stereotyped as one of the most boring classes. That being said do you think the students negative reactions (this is what I’ve heard from other people that were in that class) were caused solely by the teacher’s ineffective way of presenting the info or the class as a whole? If it is the latter how, in your opinion, could this be changed into an effective learning experience?
ReplyDeleteOh Lindsey, that girl had me going crazy too. But I enjoyed the class and how she had everything set up. I'm glad you were observing and noticing things around the classroom. You can take some good pointers from her. I do agree on the sitting in the back, I wish she would've been teaching from the white board but you know she gotta use some technology.
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