August 31, 2017

{EDUC 410}

   This class is already easing a lot of concerns that I had about being a teacher, which is a blessing.

       

 In class on Tuesday, we talked about standards:

• Standards that we have as teachers: North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
• Standards that we have to teach our kids: NCDPI K-12 Standards
• Standards that we have to make sure that we are integrating technology: NCDPI Digital Teaching and Learning

On Tuesday I learned that it IS possible to tie all 4 subjects (Math, Science, English Language Arts, and History) into one lesson. This is what makes it possible to get through most of the standards for the grades that we teach. Thank goodness, because there are oh so many standards! It is easiest to tie all these subjects together if you start with History and Math or Science, because you can tie Language Arts into just about any lesson. Sometimes you won't be able to tie all the subjects together, but you can always link at least 2 subjects together into one lesson. This aligns with Standard 3c, "Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines."

Today, we had our first seminar. I went into the seminar a little bit nervous and wondering how it would go. I wondered if I would have enough to say in it, but after, I was amazed at how good it went and what our class had accomplished! We all came to the agreement that standards are essential in education. They are essential to education because standards help keep everyone on the same page and "level the playing field." Furthermore, we also decided that it is crucial for the teacher to write the standard and objectives of each lesson on the board every day so that students will know what they are trying to learn and accomplish in each lesson. I also learned the meaning of the word "scaffolding," which is important in education. This is the idea that as children get older, they should become more independent and responsible for their own learning. In order for this to happen, I (as the teacher) should encourage them as they get older to take more responsibility for their own learning-- rather than me helping them so much with their work. This aligns with Standard 4a, "Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students"

So what does this mean for my future classroom??

• I'll stick to the standards! I want my kids to be on a level playing field in their education as other kids their age. I don't want to cause them to lack in any subject or concept because I didn't teach the standards.
• I'll write the standards and objectives of each lesson on the board every day so that my kids know what their goals are and what they need to accomplish for each lesson. This is to benefit them.
• I'll integrate as many subjects as possible into one lesson in order to help my students gain a deeper understanding of concepts and how each concept and subject can be connected.

~Nifty Teaching Tricks I Learned This Week~

• I can go to Lowe's and ask for shower board, which is only $20-$30 per sheet, and there I have my dry-erase board!
• I can also ask them to cut the shower board into individual squares, and each of my students can have their own dry-erase board.
• I can look on Pinterest for cute ways to decorate the boards.