Going to a public school through VIPs’ was a very delightful experience. I never had any problems with the teacher or the students.
I had payed a lot of attention to what the teacher was doing as well as what the students were doing. I have a lot of respect for this teacher as she always had her class under control and had everyone on topic. When she asked questions hands went up and students answered. The teacher wasn’t so strict but at the same time the students knew she was in charge.
It takes a lot of time to go through all the material that is necessary. Over the time that I was there students went through a few stories a weeks that were only about two to three pages long.
By going to this class I showed myself that I do have the patience to work with younger students. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to spend a lot of time with kids, because of the past summer I babysat five kids everyday and it was extremely hard as they were often out of control.
Mrs. Gagnon was a fine example of the teacher I want to be. Having the students under control is such a big deal because if they are all over the place they really aren’t leaning anything. If they are there sitting down quietly and paying attention you know they are learning something.
When Mrs. Gagnon wasn’t there and there was a sub, the class was completely out of control. Kids were walking all over the place, no one was doing what they were supposed to be doing, kids were yelling out loud, going in and out of the class and being very disrespectful. I was so amazed with the difference when the teacher wasn’t there.
I want to be a teacher who will spend time to get to know her students and not push them through the grade like many teachers do. I want them to come out of my class knowing as much as they possibly can. I want all my students to have a voice and not feel like they have to be left out. I want my students to want to come to class and not feel as if they are being tortured. Learning can be a fun experience, but it all depends how it is presented. I want to be that teacher who a student can look back on and say that I was a good teacher and made learning a fun experience.
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Thinking back on our days as elementary school students, I'm sure we can all admit to behaving differently when a substitute teacher was running the class. My post to prompt 7 is similar to yours regarding the type of teacher we want to be. Teaching is a profession that not only takes on a role of responsibility, but challenge, reward, and joy as well. From what you described, it is evident that my classroom teacher greatly differed from the teacher of the class in which you did your service learning for. This just goes to show that an ideal teacher, one who spends time to personally know and accept the students while creating an active learning environment free of isolation, is not as common as many expect. Service learning in Providence schools is a great experience that prepares aspiring teachers for their future. Our classmates, who were fortunate enough to be placed in a class with a positive teacher such as you, were able to observe the techniques and methods used that fit the description of a culturally competent teacher. On the other hand, for the students in the same situation as myself, who happened to tutor for a teacher that was not a good role model, can plan our teacher identities based on the critiques we made while observing the identities of our classroom teacher. In either case we were able to construct an idea of the type of teacher we wish to be, or not to be. Like yourself, I also want to be a teacher that constructs a fun learning environment out of the classroom, because as former elementary students we know that it is easier to learn and maintain concepts and abilities when we have fun while learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to address your assumption that if students are orderly and seeming to pay attention, then they are learning. Sometimes learning is a messy affair; sometimes order and silence indicates nothing more than fear. This is not to say, of course, that classroom management is not important, for nothing could be further from the truth--just don't automatically conflate order with learning.
I applaud the latter part of your post. You mention that you each of your students to participate. That is the key.
Keep thinking on these things,
Dr. August