Westview Observations

     During my time at Westview, I got to know several exemplary teachers.  My cooperating teacher and I were the only art teachers in the building, so I observed several 5th and 6th grade classroom teachers, as well as the music teacher.  Although there was very little that I could relate to my own content, it was a worthy experience.  I gained insight on classroom procedures and teacher demeanor.

     I was lucky enough to observe Elizabeth Rogers in the music room for a 5th grade class.  She conducts her room using the Orff model of music education.  She works to incorporate play into music, peaking student interest and making it an incredibly fun time.  Students love music class, and I was excited to see several shy students participating enthusiastically.  Mrs. Rogers is bubbly and energetic in class, constantly wearing a glowing smile.  She is the perfect example of teacher enthusiasm creating student enthusiasm.  On the day that I observed her room, students were excited to show me their production.  They had spent the three previous classes learning a song, creating movements, and learning instrumentals for a story called "The Littlest Pine Tree".  The room was chaotic, but Mrs. Rogers didn't mind.  She knew mistakes were being made, but looked more for expressiveness and how in tune with class activity students were.  And when she said "I need quiet," mallots went down, mouths were shut, and "shhhh" was the only noise I heard, indicating classroom discipline.

     I caught Travis Davis' 6th grade class at a poor time, as they were mid-quiz and about to go to lunch.  However, I was still able to see a great example of student autonomy in the classroom.  Students were getting up to fill water bottles, turn in quizzes, sharpen pencils, and ask questions freely and without asking.  However, there was no mingling, and whispers in the room were minimal.  Students clearly feel ownership of the warmly decorated classroom, but understand the need to be respectful and swift.  When it came time to go to lunch, students retrieved their things, quieting when told and moving quickly.  Mr. Davis has somebody in charge of the lines (male and female) every time the class leaves the room.  They decide which line is straighter, quieter, and gets to go first.  They are responsible for calling out difficult students, and they get to pick the quietest students to go to lunch.  Mr.  Davis said he began doing this when working in an urban school with more behavioral problems.  It helped lessen disciplinary issues in line, as students wanted peer approval and valued the responsibility.  

     Steve Wohler, a 5th grade teacher, is intense and no nonsense.  He holds high expectations for students and pushes them to be correct.  When a student answers a question incorrectly, he conducts a mini review of the topic by asking other students to answer questions.  He then comes back to the student who answers incorrectly and asks them for the correct answer.  He has no tolerance from missing work, and asks students to take time during recess to redo work that they "left at home".  He can be a little gruff at times, raising his voice (without anger) and employing sarcasm in the room.  Despite of this, students like and respect him and are eager for his approval.  His class could be difficult at times, so this intensity pushed them to be stronger and more disciplined students.  

     Sharla Thompson's class was always a joy to have in the art room, and observing her classroom showed me why.  Her room was warm and welcoming, with plants, open windows, and Butterball the hamster.  She works hard to create a strong sense of classroom community, as I observed during a birthday celebration.  The classroom climate was casual, with students talking to Mrs. Thompson without raising their hands.  Despite of this, students politely took turns talking and sharing their art room activities, excited to share their experiences with their curious teacher.  When cupcakes were passed out, Mrs.  Thompson played a game with students: "What's in My Bag?".  She asked questions about the birthday boy based off of a questionnaire from the beginning of the year.  Students answered in unison about the students family, dream job, pets, and favorite subject, amongst other things.  It was clear that students really valued one and other.  The thing that surprised me the most was when the party ended and it was time for silent reading.  Students found spots around the room, gathering pillows and getting comfortable.  Without a word, they began reading quietly, transitioning from chaos to order within an instant.  Mrs.  Thompson helped a student find a new book before talking to me.  I commended how autonomous students were, and how respectful they could be without raising their hand.  She told me that at the beginning of the year, she was much more strict, but loosened up to create a more comfortable environment as the year went on.  

Tutoring

     No two children are alike, and this holds true to the way they think and learn. Some children may learn well through discussion, while others prefer studying text or written notes. As educators, we must acknowledge these differences and use differentiated instruction to create a learning environment that is comfortable and productive for every student.
     I have been able to experience and observe different types of learners through a tutoring program at the local middle school.  However, I must admit, it is difficult to assess the way a child learns best through one two hour session.  Many students have an abundance of things going on out of the classroom that affect their drive and ability to do school work.  I worked with one student who, in the middle of a discussion about governmental branches, told me about how her father was having trouble finding a job after he got out of prison. She compared him to a vicious pitbull, saying "Somebody who has been trained to be bad cannot become good if the world keeps on expecting him to be bad".
     This was obviously not related to the executive branch, but it did help me to see this child's abundance of interpersonal intelligence and verbal skills.  I switched gears some, and stopped having her look up and write definitions to study for her test. Instead, we had a discussion about human disagreements, from personal arguments to moral dilemmas. We discussed how to create a society that treats everyone fairly, which led to a discussion about our own society. These discussions led us to define vocabulary terms from her reading, such as democracy, judicial system, and the constitution. Prior to our discussion she had little to no grasp of these terms.  Her understanding of the topic was deepened by its relation to real life. Using the time for auditory discussion was more meaningful and memorable than her previous attempts to learn through note cards or visual notes. I talked to her about mnemonic devices such as singing words and their definitions, or repeating things in funny voices.
     However, if I had tried this with another student I regularly work with, it would have likely been a disaster. This student works on her own regularly, using notes and textbooks as her guides.  My attempts at in depth discussion of the material was met with awkward short answers that she struggled to elaborate upon. But if she was given written resources, she was able to write correct answers in her own words. I suggested that she use tools like word maps and other visual note taking methods.  She responded, in a know it all manner, that she already does those things.
      Students are likely never going to be excited about doing extra work. However, we, as educators, have the ability to make this work rewarding and manageable.  We must recognize individual student background and needs.  This information is incredibly important, as it helps us understand how to approach assignments and make them relatable and even meaningful.

School Board Meeting

     At the school board meeting last Monday, several topics were addressed.  The meeting opened with a teacher from Chandler.  He discussed the robotics program that he leads over his classes recess hour.  He shared with the board the excitement of the students as they cooperate on this hands on building activity.  He also brought in e few of the robots that the students had built.  He was followed by a research team asking permission to use Latino students for a study.  The study was on how the discrimination that minorities face can lead to depression or anxiety problems. They then did a brief overview on the TAP program, as well as an overview of elementary school ISTEP scores.  When compared with the scores of previous years, many schools are showing improvements. Then they discussed building plans and plans to keep the train quiet during the school day.  Mr. Kissinger tried to gain support for a new score board for the football field.  These topics were all discussed either properly or at length.  When they moved into budgeting, which took most of the rest of the meeting, it was only listing the proposal and then voting to decide whether it would be approved.
     I expected there to be more discussion during the meeting.  I greatly appreciated the teacher from Chandler coming and sharing his experience with robotics.  This gave a look right into the classroom to directly see how a group of students is doing.  However, the rest of the meeting felt out of touch with the everyday happenings of schools.  Sure, they could compare year to year test scores on a chart.  But no discussion was put into why they different schools were doing as they were.  For example, Chamberlain's math scores went down, while almost everyone else's went up.  It would have been nice to see the school board figure out why.  Chamberlain is in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Goshen.  They likely don't have robotics programs as Chandler does.  How does this affect student excitement about learning? How can budgeting be adjusted to help create appealing programs for students? Discussions such as those were what Iexpected from the school board meeting.  What I found was a group of people swiftly voting on proposals that had been sent out and read already.  The purpose of the school board seems to be managing the business side of schools.  However, it seems to me that to properly and successfully manage those things, one must understand the classroom side of schools as well. That's how one discovers where priorities are.

Nine Actions to Becoming an Excellent Teacher

     The task of educating the children of the world is certainly a daunting one.  As a future teacher, it is important that I understand the work of more experienced members in the field of education.  Studying teaching methods, classroom management styles, and general teacher behavior will be important in developing myself as an educator. Educators Grant and Gillette's list of nine actions is one example of a resource I can study.  These include interacting with different types of learners and understanding how their families affect their learning,  being able to critique oneself and constantly improve, taking one's own education seriously, understanding the importance of oneself as a role model, and interacting with a diverse group of people.  Also included are practicing democratic priciples, finding time to relax, studying effective teachers, and finding allies in the school system and beyond.  Understanding and applying these actions will lead to becoming a teacher who can be actively involved in the lives of the many students I will encounter.
    The past few months I have come a long way in understanding the importance of experiencing different learners and the role their family has in their education.  Interestingly enough, this new experience comes not from a student, but a mother with whom I work.  Though I have never met her children, I see the way their mother has shaped her life around them.  Grandaughter of a coal miner and a first generation high school graduate, she works fifteen hours a day and still struggles to pull her family out of the routine of living paycheck to paycheck. During the four hours of daylight that she is not working, she works with her son on homework he struggles to grasp, and cooks dinner.  I am realizing that this is the life of many families in this country, including the families of students that I may teach. Learning to comprehend how out of touch many of these familial lifestyles are with the school structure will continue to shape the way I interact with students. Being able to teach students to make connections in the world and manage their life, regardless of what path it will take them down, will play a large role in my curriculum.
    Another action which I have experience with is acting as a role model.  I have been babysitting and nannying since middle school.  These children have spent time with me for up to eight hours a day, five days a week. Over the years I have come to see how the way that I act influences these children's actions. They hold me, at times, at a higher standard than their own parents.  This makes me incredibly self aware.  What does what I am wearing say about appropriate dress? Do I talk positively about school, or complain? How do I help them interact with their siblings when they encounter conflict? What do my interactions with people at the library, or the park, say about how to treat people different than them? It feels, at times, as if I am being over analytical.  However, I must understand, as an educator, that when I spend seven hours a day with a child, they come to notice things that even I may be unaware of.
    With these strengths come weaknesses, and one of these is understanding the importance of alone time.  I feel I can unwind through art.  In fact, the self reflective and meditative qualities of art are part of what led me to my desire to teach the subject.  However, I am also a very social person.  Sometimes, my desire for social interaction keeps me from enjoying alone time to create art, process everything, and unwind. This gets exhausting, when mixed with school and work. As I will be influencing up to one hundred students on a daily basis, it is important that I come into the classroom ready to give the students my full energy and attention.
    The idea of having an ally in the school setting is one that I had really never thought about before.  Never had I thought of the isolation a teacher may feel in the school setting.  I can only compare it to the loneliness I would sometimes feel while babysitting. An ally in the school is not just important for keeping my own sanity.  If a child in my class is struggling, it is important that I am comfortable going to their other teachers and collaborating on how to help them.

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I look forward to recording my thoughts on teaching on this blog!