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.

Chapter 5b

          This chapter brought up something I never really put much thought into when becoming a teacher. I never realized how my teachers handled controversial topics in the classroom. Now looking back on my experiences, my teachers handled them well and they allowed the class to explore and research a topic before having a debate and when things started to get close to inappropriate my teachers would ask us questions to get us back on track without getting carried away. I really liked how I was able to voice my opinion and take a stance. As a teacher I want to be able to have a controlled debate on topics while allowing my students to try to figure out their own beliefs.
          Another issue brought up that I believe many pre service teachers deal with is aligning assessments with goals and objectives. I know my first lesson plans were not very good because my lesson was not aligned and I was not exactly sure what goals and objectives were. After reading the section I now distinctly know the difference between the two.

Chapter 4c

          I never knew that so many actions from a teacher could lead to a negative environment. I also didn't realize how much control a teacher has over the classroom and one action can make a huge difference. I do not believe that by one action you will lose all respect from the students and that teachers have to repeat bad behaviors in order for students to distrust and dislike the teacher. I would say that after one bad experience depending on how bad the teacher handled it, will just have to earn back the students good behaviors. This makes me nervous for my first year of teaching, but I just have to remember to reflect on myself and how the classroom is run. I think classroom behavior can also improve if a teacher has faith in all of the students. I want to be a teacher who not only creates the most positive classroom, but also a fun class. It is very hard to balance every students behavior, but if a teacher sticks to the rules that were put in place in the beginning of the year, the students will know the consequences. The teacher should make these rules in the beginning of the year with the students, so the students create their own consequences and are aware of the classroom policies.

Chapter 4b

      In this section of chapter 4 there is a strong emphasis on creating classroom rules and behaviors right from the start of the school year. Early on teachers need to have the students understand what is acceptable and what is not. Students should be aware of how to handle different types of situations such as personal matters and if there are visitors in the class. There should not be punishments for bad behavior rather there should be consequences in order to reach students at a different level. There should also be motivation for students who behave well. Students will learn behaviors from watching others and seeing how the teacher reacts. It is very important for a teacher to think about how they will react and the affect it will have on the class as a whole. There are more serious behavior issues than others and so a teacher must know which behavior the teacher should use for each different issue. Many negative behaviors can arise in a classroom if it is not dealt with correctly and the problems will continue to grow if the teacher does not handle it in the right way.

Chapter 4a

       Making a first impression with students is very important. The students attitude can differ from how the teacher handles the classroom. Different teachers manage each classroom differently which can alter students behaviors and learning. Teachers should create positive, pleasant and challenging atmospheres which allows students to behavior to be better and also learn more. Making personal connections and taking the time to get to know students is as important as knowing the content being taught. By making relationships with students, teachers can understand how the student learns better and also to help out when needed. Having conferences with students and families helps teachers connect to students. I am not sure how professional house visits are, since I would not feel completely  comfortable with them. I want to my students to feel comfortable and confide in me if there are problems going on, especially with the students learning. This can only happen if I create a rich environment for the students to strive in and feel accepted.

Chapter 3

Questioning is so important in the field of education. It is important for teachers to know how to ask questions, but it is also important for students to understand how to ask questions. Answers are also very important when questioning. If a teacher asks a student a question, the teacher can then see how the student responds in order to understand how the student is comprehending the lesson. In the reverse situation, if a student asks a teacher a question, the teacher needs to know how to respond. After reading this chapter I now know how important questioning is. I never knew there were different types of questions and different levels that a question falls into. There are so many different factors that go into a question. A question can change completely by switching words around which can change the way the students perceive the question. A teachers attitude also plays a role in how students answer questions. I know that with practice and more experience, I will become a better teacher because of how I question my students, which will lead to my students to higher levels of thinking and succeeding.

Chapter 2b

There are many resources a teacher can use to enhance the education of the students in the classroom.   Each teacher has their own teaching style, but every teacher should be held to the standard of keeping a positive environment and being a good role model. Teachers must not discriminate students and treat each student equally, helping them individually reach full potential. There are many teachers who do not model the best behaviors which affect the students' behavior and attitude. With all of these influences in mind, a teacher must use resources to their fullest potential. There are some resources a teacher can use that will be very simple and easy, and others have a lot of details to work through and need to really be planned out. Teachers use take advantage of the community and the resources the surrounding community offers, from field trips and speakers to supplies and informational materials. Field trips can be very beneficial if planned correctly. Every thing a teacher plans has a lot of thought and planning that goes into it. Teachers have to think of everything that goes a lesson plan and how the students will respond to it. A teacher has to constantly keep learning. Learning new methods to teach students, keep updated on new technologies and also education as a whole.

Chapter 2a

I never really realized all the little things that go into making a classroom safe. From how the teacher reflects on his/her teaching to setting up the room. A teacher needs to be a firm decision maker when instructing students. Some decisions are instinctive where some are made when planning. This decisions can lead to making the classroom safer as well. A teacher must know all of the schools policies on safety and be properly trained on safety protocol. There are a lot of legal, liability and insurance issues that can arise in a school, so a teacher must be educated on the subject. There are many precautions to take, but they are not surprising because one must go above and beyond to ensure students are safe.

Chapter 1

     In chapter one I realized there was a lot of things that have to deal with middle school and adolescents. First there are different types of school and each have different styles of teaching, so as a teacher I need to be aware of the mission statements and what each school is expecting from me as a teacher. Each school is different, so new teachers should ask questions to colleagues or other staff members. Even if a teacher has been there for over 10 years it is always best to ask others questions if there is uncertainty. Different schools have different schedules for example block scheduling or hidden curriculum. It is very important to understand what each is in order to adjust teaching classes.

     Something that really stuck out to me in this chapter was how important it is to get the students involved. Not only within the classroom and the school, but also out in the community. Giving students leadership roles and having them take on responsibilities can have an affect on students learning. I think teachers need to really create good environments for middle school students because middle school is not an easy time in ones life. Students are not only going through physical changes, but mentally are growing as well. Questions arise and other thoughts or ideas come into a students mind. As teachers we need to understand everything that the student is going through in order to help them succeed. This can be by giving them responsibilities, like group leadership roles and treating them as if they were older, but also giving them time to be kids because they are still growing and a teacher cannot put on too much pressure. There is enough pressure going on outside of the classroom.
Teachers, like myself one day have to take a step back sometimes and remember what it was like to be in middle school again and to think of all the changes these students are going through.