Chapter 7c

          This section goes into depth about the different types of assessments teachers can give. This can be very tricky for some teachers. Being able to find understanding of learning can be very difficult with some forms of assessments such as true and false or multiple choice answers. When reading this chapter I saw pros and cons to each assessment mentioned. I know that some teachers rely heavily on test assessments, but I do not want to be one of those teachers. A teacher needs to assess students in multiple ways and look for understanding. If students are performing poorly on the tests does not mean that they have no idea what they are doing. Some students do not test well. A report of a grade should not just be based on what the student write on a paper.
          This section also brings up the topic of parents. As a teacher I want to establish a good relationship with the parents of my classroom. This can have a huge impact on the students education and can also improve parent involvement. No parent wants to hear only bad things about their students and parents should not dread a phone call from a teacher. As a teacher I want to update the parents on their student good or bad.

Chapter 7b

         This section really gets into why teachers need to assess students. Assessment is a vital part in education and learning. An assessment should be informative of the students learning and understanding. I think it is very important for a teacher to be diverse in the types of assessments given. I also think it is a responsibility of a teacher to know when to you an authentic assessment and know when another form of assessment should be used because it is not giving the students full potential and showing understanding. I am a true believer in having diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. Not only can a teacher look for understand and growth of a student, but the student and parents as well can see the progress the student is making and also see which areas need improvement.

Chapter 7a

          Giving students tests can be very tricky. There are so many different forms of testing students and each subject can change what type of test should be given. It also depends on what the teacher is testing the student on. Teachers should not be giving students tests just to put a letter grade on the students learning. A test should be used to asses student understanding of the material. There is a lot that goes into administering a test and cheating plays a huge factor. This idea in the chapter section really caught my eye because so many teachers feel that testing is the only way to assess students. Assessments should be so much more than a piece of paper with written answers. In the future I plan on assessing my students in multiple ways in order to look for understanding. I do not believe that one letter grade can determine how much a student has learned. The tests I administer will have beneficial outcomes and not only be an assessment, but also a learning device.

Chapter 6c

          This chapter went into depth about everything that is included in a lesson plan and also every other little detail that goes into a lesson. I found this very helpful in order to organize my thoughts when writing  a lesson plan. The section about common error was very relatable. Over spring break I observed in a school for the day and saw many teachers make this error. They did not even realize their lesson had an issue and was not benefiting the students. I also found the section of the rationale very helpful because this tends to be my most challenging section when writing lesson plans even though it may seem like one of the simplest sections in a lesson plan.

Chapter 6b

            An interdisciplinary thematic unit can be very beneficial in the classroom if planned correctly. There is a lot of factors a teacher has to plan in order to teach an ITU effectively. I have learned about ITU before, but never in the detail the book went into. There were lot of helpful breakdowns given in the chapter. It really helped me think throughly of everything that goes into planning. As a teacher, I want to have many ITU in my classroom. I think it really helps gain the attention and interest of students. In the middle school, teachers need to see what topics their students are interested in and integrate those themes or maybe one lesson specifically to the students preference in order to encourage them to work hard. In this section, it talked about how to incorporate field trips. Most students see field trips as a day out of school, but the field trip can be very educational if the teacher plans for it the correct way. As a teacher, I want to be able to take several field trips with my students. They could be small field trips around the community, but getting students up and moving around really help students learning. One thing this section talked about was time and planning, I know that in the beginning of my teaching career, I will not have a good perception of how long lessons will take, but I have confidence that with a matter of time and teaching, I will learn how to plan with appropriate timing.

Chapter 6a

        This chapter was an overview of things I've already learned about in my education classes, but the chapter goes more in depth and gives me more details. There are new things about an instructional unit I never really thought much about. Many things in the section of the reading starts getting me to think about new ideas of teaching. For example, I never knew the difference of developmental activities or culminating activities. The topic of indirect and direct modes can have different effects on students.
        Another topic I have grown up knowing is about the different learning styles. My teachers have continuously made me take learning style tests and questionnaires. I never knew much about middle school students and how they learn. I just remember little bits and pieces of how I was taught through my years. When I become a teacher, I want to be able to accommodate most if not all my students in the different ways they learn. I know that it is hard to teach to everyone for their learning style, but that is why it is so important to switch up teaching strategies and teach differently for different subjects or topics. In the book it states middle school students learn better by hands on activities and I want to really incorporate those types of teaching strategies. Along with other teaching strategies so my students are well rounded.

Chapter 5c

         This section covers many different topics. The topic that stood out the most was the section on curriculum integration. I have never realized how the different levels intertwine with one another and how in depth each level gets. I understood that the different parts of curriculum are placed for different areas that need to be covered, but I did not understand the amount of student/ teacher collaboration took place in order to make it successful. In my own classroom, I plan on really trying to have students give me as much feedback as possible in order to help better each lesson. I also think the more a teacher asks for students opinions and tries to really help the students learn, leads to better relationships in the classroom. Better relationships will increase positive behaviors and help create a positive classroom and better classroom management.