Schwanke Genre Reflection #1 - 6 o'clock Education Report

Jane: Thanks for tuning in and welcome to the six o’clock education report. Let’s go out to the scene and check in with Bob McHistory. Bob.

Bob: Good evening Jane. Good evening folks. Let’s get a recap of what went on here today. We were on the scene of Mr. G’s 7th grade social studies classroom and wow were we impressed. Mr. G was clearly excited to be in the classroom today, he couldn’t keep a smile off his face.

Jane: How did Mr. G start off his class?

Bob: Glad you asked Jane; Mr. G starts every class with a bell work activity such as asking the students what their favorite continent is and why. He likes to get their minds working early and have his students practice writing as well. Let me tell you Jane, these kids had to stay on their game; Mr. G keeps his class ticking like a well oiled machine.

Jane: What were the kids studying while you were in the classroom Bob?

Bob: Climate Jane, the students were shown a short video that showed real life examples of the earth’s climate zones. 

Jane: You mean to tell me Mr. G actually used a videotape? 

Bob: No quite the opposite Jane, Mr. G regularly uses a smart board, which is an interactive, touch screen, teaching tool. Like a big computer screen that can be drawn on with special non-marking markers that also allows Mr. G to input HD quality video straight from the internet. 

Jane: Really Bob, HD quality?

Bob: Really Jane, really. It is all done online which creates convenience for Mr. G while he comes up with lesson plans, he can upload pictures, videos or anything else that is relevant to his lesson. Plus the students really respond to the added fun it brings to each lesson. 

Jane: Bob what else did you see that grabbed your attention while in Mr. G’s classroom?

Bob: Well I tell you Jane, Mr. G was all over the place moving in and out of tables interacting with students and at one point he was even standing on a table to demonstrate his point about how elevation affects climate. You should have seen the look on the student’s faces Jane; they were mesmerized while looking up at Mr. G on that table, but it worked the students got his point.

Jane: With Mr. G moving around so much is he able to keep his class under control?

Bob: Most definitely Jane and his movement about the classroom is what helped him do it. Now I must say that Mr. G’s appearance may help him as well; as he is a stout guy with a shaved head and a strong voice. But you know Jane he never did raise his voice in anger, excitement yes but never in anger. That was really impressive to witness Jane as you may or may not know 7^th graders can really test ones patience but Mr. G never lost his cool. Also I was impressed at how he talked to his students as young adults and not children, the students seemed almost shocked to be treated so fairly, Jane. 

Jane: We’ve got just about a minute left Bob tell us what you’re going to take away from the day spent with Mr. G.

Bob: Well Jane, I would have to say it was Mr. G’s overall enthusiasm and excitement to be in the classroom. His excitement was passed on to his students and it made for a great class period, I was really glad that I could witness Mr. G in his element, every student deserves a teacher like Mr. G, Jane.

Jane: Alright, thank you very much Bob. That was our very own Bob McHistory on assignment, great job. We’ll be right back stay tuned.

Online Reflection #2- Third eye blind for now, but not for long

I am really enjoying my placement this semester for pre-student teaching, my CTs are great and I feel I have so much to learn from them. Perhaps more importantly I feel that I CAN learn from them because they fill me in on what they are planning and how they make their decisions. I certainly feel more comfortable in the classroom this semester than last due to my CTs efforts and my having more experience this time around. I definitely see the benefits of being in the classroom every day from gaining a better rapport with students and CT to actually having a glimpse of what being a teacher is actually going to be like. I think it would be of great benefit to COE students to get an earlier start on classroom experience while in the COE program.

As much as this semester is vastly improved over last semester, I still can’t help but worry about the intangibles that are just impossible to learn or experience until I have my own classroom. I guess I would describe the intangibles of teaching as the ‘inner workings’ of being a teacher; creating your own teaching philosophy, classroom management style, grading system, lessons and so forth. But as I sit writing this and contemplate on my time spent at my middle school, with my CTs, I realize that that is why I go every day to learn things and to get ideas to make up my own ‘intangibles’.

Furthermore I must tell myself and reassure myself that it is ok to be blind to the ‘inner workings’ right now. But what is not ok is to remain blind. I must actively engage my CTs and ask them questions and draw out their ideas and philosophies that way I am better prepared to make my own way as a teacher. There are times when I reflect on the day and the class time spent with my CT that I lose track of ‘the method behind the madness’ and think teaching is mostly about keeping a relatively quiet classroom and keeping students on task as much as humanly possible. NOT SO. When I start to break down the day and look past the surface, I start to see things my CT is doing such as modeling, audio/visual lesson planning, tweaking points of a lesson to fit certain students as well as keeping an eye on dress code and making sure students are wearing their ID badge.

I guess what I am really trying to say is that it is really hard to learn all the things a teacher does within a day, week and school year that makes their classroom function well and helps their students learn. In a way I think that is what I may be more concerned about than the actual lesson planning, which majorly concerns me too, or curriculum or test scores. I am confident I will be able to figure out successful lesson planning and how to improve scores but how do I get Tommy to stop bullying Frankie when I turn my back and how do I instill in Mariah that school is a safe place to be and she can stop worrying so much. Such things drive me crazy! How do you reach every kid? I hate that the answer is probably overwhelmingly you can’t, just help the ones who can help themselves better than the others. I think that just might be the hardest thing about being a teacher. But that’s why I’m here, to learn and get better.

Blind for now, but not for long.