Panel Presentation

The panel presentation was semi-helpful in answering my questions about what its like to actually be a teacher; it was a very good reality check. The panel presentation, however, could have been set up in a more learning-conducive way. It was very difficult for everyone to get their answers in, as well as the teachers being very uncomfortable in the setting. It was apparent that they felt under pressure, which could have been the reason they didn’t answer every question completely. On the other hand, there were many pros to the panel presentation as it gave insight into what its really like to teach. The teachers talked about how they work together within the school, and sometimes plan units together, in order to intertwine different subject areas into their own. Doing so, is very beneficial to students, as it helps them develop skills in thinking outside the box, so to speak. Also, they discussed the low teacher salary, and how we may have to work a second job in the summer, which doesn’t bother me, because teaching high school students math is worth it. Lastly, it was interesting to hear how the different teachers entered the world of teaching. One of them switched careers from an engineer, two were always teachers, and one was a teacher, left for a year, then came back to teaching. It was a good look into how life’s course can change at anytime, but as long as you work hard, you can always succeed at what you truly want in life. Overall it was a very informative and helpful look into the real teaching experience.

How do I start thinking like a teacher (instead of a student)?

I feel that I am already beginning to think like a teacher. Over the last year, I have had many opportunities to take on the role of teaching others. I know I still have a lot to learn, and thus accept the fact that I will think, at least partially, like a student for quite some time, but still hold firm that I am well on my way. During my senior year of high school, I started my school’s first public forum debate team, and was able to learn along with those I was teaching. I was able to evoke inspiration into my fellow public forum debaters, and help them in the public speaking skills, having done lincoln douglas debate for three years. However, at the same time, we were both learning the finite details of this new activity that none of us had ever participated in before. Also, during my senior year, my debate coach placed me into the seat of presidency of my high school’s first program for debate development of middle school students. The club was enacted in order to find students interested in debate at a younger age, and help them learn more about lincoln douglas debate, as we have always had a problem recruiting new debaters. There, I was able to take a first hand role at passing on my knowledge of the various realms of the National Forensics League to younger students. The most fulfilling part of the experience is going back to my old high school to help out with upcoming tournaments and seeing all those I’ve helped along the way shining in their rounds. And of course, getting the opportunity to withhold modesty as they thank me for my dedication to the team even after I’ve graduated is always a plus. But I can’t help it, I will always be a debate junkie. During the summer, I volunteer as a Camp Counselor for a day camp called Foothills that takes place in nearby Wilton. There, it’s a slightly different experience, as I am working with much younger kids. Last summer, I spent a lot of the time cutting cardboard for elementary school kids, and was often on lunch duty. This showed me the other side to teaching, the part where I must uphold the rules, and apply the proper punishment for misbehavior. Before I was a counselor there, I had attended the camp every summer for almost 8 years. I love being able to give back to a place that gave me so much growing up. And though I enjoy working with younger kids every summer, I still choose a preference for wanting to teach in a high school setting, but I will continue to volunteer my efforts each summer to the arts camp, as it really does arouse many talents within younger children, and is also tons of fun! It is for all these reasons, that I believe that I am well on my way to thinking like teacher.

I don’t really have any questions or concerns in this subject area. I know I am still thinking like a student somewhat, and will for some time, but I know it will come to me in time. I don’t believe there is anything in class we could really do to improve our mindsets, as the best way is to actually do it. Experience is the best teacher, after all.

Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know very much at all in this subject field. EDU 101 helped a lot with wiki projects to introduce us to the idea that educational changes do happen. Also, the in-class project where we created our own schools opened us up to the fact that everyone is looking for something different. Schools are constantly changing as new ideas come into play. Right now, there is a debate over the consolidation of school districts. This seems like a pretty good idea, however, with Maine’s many rural communities, it may be a challenge to do so effectively. This may have an effect on schooling, it may not. One topic that will/is effecting our schools is the No Child Left Behind Act, and though that is happening right now, I know surprisingly little about it. I do know that it will supposedly help more children to pass though our school systems by "teaching to the test." I am strongly opposed to this act, though, the fact that I know little about it, does leave me open for new interpretations of the issue.

My question for this subject area is to learn more about NCLB. Also, are there any other acts being put into place currently that I should be aware of? What are they and what are they about?

How can i use the knowledge of the learner to be a better teacher?

I never considered this before I came to EDU 101, but is indeed a very important question in the life of a teacher. Every student learns a little differently. Every summer I go on to leadership conferences that discuss different learning styles as well as different ways to cope in given situations, such as choosing a positive attitude, etc. Children are either visual, auditory, or hands-on, or any combination of the three. Personally, I am hands-on. I have to do it, to learn it. However, my best friend, who I do a great deal of studying with, is not. She needs to keep hearing it over and over, so she reads each section aloud, or tells me for practice. Knowing this, I will try to come up with ways to incorporate different learning styles into my lectures. One way to incorporate hands-on skills, is to have students occasionally come up to the board to work out problems on their own, or with input from the class as a group. My lectures themselves will benefit auditory learners, as they will hear it over and over, and my visual learners will be able to see my explanations through diagrams on the board. A large part of trigonometry and calculus is diagrams and formulas so I don’t think incorporating different learning styles will be too difficult. However, finding activities to go along with the subject to break from the norm on occasion, may prove to be more difficult. But I have plenty of time to think of that.

Which brings me to my concern in this subject field. I am concerned that it may prove very difficult to find activities to break from the monotonous class work. EDU 101 has given me a few suggestions, such as stop and swap, however, I personally don’t see that applying to higher level math effectively, though I must admit, it is very clever technique indeed, and may prove useful. I am open to new suggestions, or ideas that could help me spark some neat math related activities.

How can I be successful at UMF?

I ask myself this question often. As my senior year came to a close, my brother Joey, 10 years my senior, and long out of college, tried to warn me of how college would be. I was a small town girl who thought I knew it all, and certainly did not heed any of his advice. As my first semester at UMF came to a close, I learned many things. I guess I just had to live it for myself, first. What I have learned thus far, mostly due to making my own stubborn mistakes, is, most importantly, to not put things off. If you let yourself put it off for one day, you’ll put it off for a week. I know this to be true, yet old habits die hard. Second of all, there is no shame in seeking help. One of my greatest downfalls is that I never look to others for strength. I have been going through a rough patch in my life, and could use help, but my skewed view of reality tells me that asking for help is a sign of weakness, thus I hold my tongue. I know that I have extreme time management problems which I have recently sought help to realign, as well as several emotional issues that need to be straightened out in time. Thirdly, meet with your professors early. This I learned very well. I was having a lot of difficulty at my first semester of UMF. Maybe it was being pulled out of my small republican pocket, and thrust into a world of democratic ideals, maybe it was the fact that I was no longer in a safe haven of only 200 people, either way, college was giving me a lot of trouble. I was definitely at the breaking point. However, after much debate amongst myself I came back. And this time I am trying to work hard, to enact the above ideals. The emotional baggage is still there to way me down, my mind still leads me down the road to procrastination, though less soften, and I still am just as stubborn as ever. But I am trying. I have sought out my professors to let them know that I am having difficulty, and to ask how I am doing in the class, and what I need in order to improve, and I am getting better at getting things in on time. Real life still gets in the way, but its better. My life experiences have taught me a lot, and though I may have messed up my first semester I feel it was definitely worth it because I did indeed learn from my mistakes and am trying to correct them. No ever said this would be easy, and I will improve, and I will become a high school math teacher someday. Anythings possible, you just have to want it, and I want success at UMF.

My greatest concern in this field of course, is that I will have to take an extra semester, because of my less than perfect first semester. I have talked to my advisor about this, but I still am a little uneasy. I guess my question is what is "better"? My advisor mentioned taking several may term classes to boost my GPA, and help take care of the class I failed first semester, which is what I will most likely end up doing. However, I am wondering if there are other options, or, rather, what will happen if I don’t take any may terms. Can I still become a teacher, and how long will that take? Will I have to do just one extra semester, or a full year?

How do I become a teacher?

So far, I have a learned quite a bit about becoming a teacher. Most of what I know, I have learned through my brother Danny, who graduated from UMF in 2001, and is currently a Math Teacher at Leavitt High School. When I expressed my interest to follow in his footsteps, so to speak, he was more than willing to fill me in on his path to success. I am already on my way to becoming a teacher. I took the Praxis 1 in November and did amazingly well, and I will take the Praxis 2 as a junior, I believe. To gain professional standing as a teacher, a 2.5 GPA is also needed. Without a 2.5 GPA, a student can not move on to take Practicum as a Sophomore. Then, as I mentioned, Praxis 2 is taken as a Junior, and Student Teaching is done as a Senior.

I don’t have any questions or concerns in this topic area because as soon as a question arises, I simply ask my brother Danny, or his wife, Jessica, an Ed. Tech at Peru Elementary, and my question is thoroughly answered.

NYT MIddle School Article

NYT Middle School Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/education/22middle.html?ex=
1170133200&en=159c7163d84e8cf7&ei=5070&emc=eta1

This article discusses both side of a recent debate concerning the extermination of middle schools. Is it up to question whether middle school students should be "coddled" for a few more years of be "rushed into adulthood". On the one side, it is argued that middle schoolers have too many other things to deal with than to be forced to switch schools. “At a time when children are undergoing emotional, physical, social changes, and when they need stability and consistency, suddenly they’re thrust into this alien environment.” Therefore, it is believed that middle schoolers do need those added years of stability before being thrown into the adult world. On the other hand, it may also be perceived as beneficial to have a 6-12 school. Many people believe that a 6-12 school is far more beneficial than a k-8 school because it helps students to focus on college at an earler age. Middle school students are behind academically and pushing them into the adult world gives them a head start on focusing on academics, helping to prepare for the adult world, and securing their occupational future. Therefore, it is believed that in order to accurately prepare for college, children need to start at an earlier age.


Both arguments do bring up a few valid points to each side, however, I completely disagree with both points of veiw. Middle school should absolutley remain seperate from high school AND elementary school. Small children are eager and need to move forward, need change. Transitional to middle school at age 10 provides them with this change. It seperates them from the "babies" of elementary school and sets them on their way to being preteens. Middle school needs to remain seperate from elementary school so that the children feel as though they are actually gaining some ground in life and not staying in the monotonous world of k-8. However, Middle school also must remain seperated from High School. Middle schoolers are fragile and thus should not be completely thrust into adult world to quickly. It is very important for children to experience their childhood, to have a carefree era within their lives. If children are constrained into remaining in a k-8 school, they will become over dependent on childhood fiqures. They may become to attached to that part of their life, thus, when they are forced finally into the adult world, they will be definitely unprepared and unable to cope, wanting always to return back to the same relics form their childhood. In this scenario it would be even harder for them to let go of the past, and move on to a world of priorities and adulthood. If middle schoolers, on the other hand, are forced into a 6-12 school, many backlashes will still occur. They will miss a valuable part of their childhood. With no other option than to mature at a young age, these children lose the carefree days of their life. Children to not want to grow up. They want to play and hang out with their friends and gossip, like preteens are supposed to. But phased into the adult world at age 12, this time of their life severed early. They must now conform to all the priorities of the adult world and look to college. Not something your average 12 year old does. Middle Schoolers NEED a transition period of their own. They need that balance. They cannot be coddled in childhood forever, nor shoved into the adultworld too soon. Thus, middle school exists. It is a time for weening away from elementary school in the beginning, and a transition to a slightly more involved work load in the end. It is the necessary block between a childhood and an adulthood; the preteen years. Middle school should not be taken away from students.

As, for teaching on one of those schools, the experience would be vastly different in comparison. In a k-8 school, the students would have dependency issues to childhood relics. They would simply run back to elementary wing at the first sign of danger, back to the have they graduated from. It would be quite difficult for them to grow a strong sense of self. thus teaching would be awkward. A teacher their would have to cope with the fragile emotional structure, thus not being able to be as strict as necessary or as in depth; this would only perpetuate the fragile emotional structure of preteens. However, working in a 6-12 school would be an experience of its own as well. Students would have a hard time coping with the new level of intensity not before seen. Teachers would be expecting much more of these students than in average middle school, and group them with the young adults. Children are not ready for this, and it could cause emotional breakdowns in young students. Teachers in these school I think would find it diffcult to cope because, a much as you want to sympathize with these should be carefree preteens, you must stick to school, strive toward a college education, and secure occupational future. Neither of those situations seem appealing to me in anyway. I would like to stick with your average school building and let it be.