In the article, The Power of Preparation by the George Lucas staff (http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_789&key=039) it was commented that research on teacher preparation programs "indicates that teacher quality is one of the most powerful influences on student achievement -- more powerful than almost any other school resource and as influential as student background factors like poverty, language, or family status."
I agree with this statement completely! I've had the unfortunate experience of having at least one bad teacher, and because of them, I almost didn't come to college. Imagine if I hadn't. I wouldn't be in this education program, and I would never get to teach. It is one of my desires (wishes) to rid the world of teachers like this, but what with the lack of teachers in the world, schools may have to take those people who are only teaching because they have nothing better to do.
I intend to be one of these teachers of quality, and I believe my practicum experiences here at William & Mary will help. Going to my elementary school is one of the greatest joys (highlights) of my week! I can't wait until I have my own class. I know to expect a lot of work, but I also know to expect a lot of joy!
I agree with this statement completely! I've had the unfortunate experience of having at least one bad teacher, and because of them, I almost didn't come to college. Imagine if I hadn't. I wouldn't be in this education program, and I would never get to teach. It is one of my desires (wishes) to rid the world of teachers like this, but what with the lack of teachers in the world, schools may have to take those people who are only teaching because they have nothing better to do.
I intend to be one of these teachers of quality, and I believe my practicum experiences here at William & Mary will help. Going to my elementary school is one of the greatest joys (highlights) of my week! I can't wait until I have my own class. I know to expect a lot of work, but I also know to expect a lot of joy!
In all due respect, after reading some of your entries, I feel as if teaching isn't really what you want to do in life. I am not you, so of course, I can't say how you feel about anything. I agree with some of your beliefs, such as "kids can rise to your expectations", and according to my educational psychology book so do other people. You commented on "needing to find a happy place", but yet your posts (at least what I've read) are mostly negative or commenting on how someone is wrong and you are right. That may be the case, but if you want to find a happy place, maybe you should post on some of the positive things that occur in your educational life. I completely understand though how soothing it is to vent your frustrations in a journal (or blog will you), so I am not condemning you for doing so; just giving you some suggestion.
This past Friday William & Mary had its last day of classes ("Blowout" to many) for the academic year. This year however there was more police presence and the FBI as well! This led me to reflect on the security of today's elementary schools.
When I was in school, I don't believe I ever perceived it as a place where violence could occur, but obviously, what with the Columbine bombing and other incidents, it can be. I was reading on tapped in one day about a William & Mary student who was in a class where a student brought a knife to school. What do you do in a situation like this? Should we as preservice teachers be trained in this before hand, or is it much like dealing with parents - something you just have to learn with experience.
This also led me to question once again why athletes and performers get paid a lot more money than teachers. The government and everyone else places so much emphasis on education, but yet they don't pay their educators nearly what people who merely play a game get. These new-age teachers are in some cases risking their lives to teach (though I'm sure violence is not that big an issue in most cases). Not only do teachers help raise people's kids, but they protect them as well. And this is not a reason to compensate them more?
When I was in school, I don't believe I ever perceived it as a place where violence could occur, but obviously, what with the Columbine bombing and other incidents, it can be. I was reading on tapped in one day about a William & Mary student who was in a class where a student brought a knife to school. What do you do in a situation like this? Should we as preservice teachers be trained in this before hand, or is it much like dealing with parents - something you just have to learn with experience.
This also led me to question once again why athletes and performers get paid a lot more money than teachers. The government and everyone else places so much emphasis on education, but yet they don't pay their educators nearly what people who merely play a game get. These new-age teachers are in some cases risking their lives to teach (though I'm sure violence is not that big an issue in most cases). Not only do teachers help raise people's kids, but they protect them as well. And this is not a reason to compensate them more?
As this semester comes to a close and I'm finishing up my finals, it's caused me to stop and reflect on my experience the past few months. It was by far the most challenging semester I've had yet; and at the same time, it was also the most fulfilling and rewarding. I began the education program here at William and Mary with great anticipation and excitement. I was pretty sure I wanted to be a teacher, and I was looking forward to classes that I actually wanted to take.
In one education class in particular, we read a book titled, "The Courage to Teach", by Parker J. Palmer. This book really put into words what I have been feeling in my heart, as well as what I witnessed in some of my professors, whom I consider "good" teachers. Palmer explains,
"Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher." He continues in saying, "The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts- meaning heart in its ancient sense, as the place where intellect and emotion and spirit and will converge in the human self."
I began my classes this semester expecting to learn how to become a good teacher... learning the theories, techniques and the inside scoop on what it takes. And I did learn some of these things. (I still have quite a bit to learn!) But I also learned something even more valuable that wasn't listed in the syllabus or course objectives. The more I studied teaching and education, and the more I observed and talked with teachers, the more I felt I was in the right place. I gained a tremendous sense of belonging, as if this is exactly what I was meant to do with my life. It's an incredible feeling!
I firmly believe that the true meaning of a teacher implies something much greater and more substantial than one who merely executes a job or pursues a profession; it is a vocation. I know I want to pursue teaching, because all the different aspects of my life and my identity seem to fit together for this purpose. My "intellect and emotion and spirit and will" all converge into a passion that comes from the significant meaning I truly find in this profession. I've learned so much this semester, but the greatest lesson has been the continuing discernment of who I am and where my heart is. I've discovered it's in teaching.
In one education class in particular, we read a book titled, "The Courage to Teach", by Parker J. Palmer. This book really put into words what I have been feeling in my heart, as well as what I witnessed in some of my professors, whom I consider "good" teachers. Palmer explains,
"Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher." He continues in saying, "The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts- meaning heart in its ancient sense, as the place where intellect and emotion and spirit and will converge in the human self."
I began my classes this semester expecting to learn how to become a good teacher... learning the theories, techniques and the inside scoop on what it takes. And I did learn some of these things. (I still have quite a bit to learn!) But I also learned something even more valuable that wasn't listed in the syllabus or course objectives. The more I studied teaching and education, and the more I observed and talked with teachers, the more I felt I was in the right place. I gained a tremendous sense of belonging, as if this is exactly what I was meant to do with my life. It's an incredible feeling!
I firmly believe that the true meaning of a teacher implies something much greater and more substantial than one who merely executes a job or pursues a profession; it is a vocation. I know I want to pursue teaching, because all the different aspects of my life and my identity seem to fit together for this purpose. My "intellect and emotion and spirit and will" all converge into a passion that comes from the significant meaning I truly find in this profession. I've learned so much this semester, but the greatest lesson has been the continuing discernment of who I am and where my heart is. I've discovered it's in teaching.
I can't even count the number of times I've been told to "remember" something in school. I've had teachers tell me, "Remember this, it is on the SOL!" Or, "Remember that, because it's on the final exam!" Suddenly, the word "remember" has seemingly become a synonym for "memorize-and-spit-back-out-when-commanded." As a future educator, having this realization was frustrating to me!
Last night I had a 20 page research paper due in my Hispanic Studies senior seminar. It was a synthesis paper on any aspect of the course, which was entitled Local and Global Issues. The course related poetry with resistance, activism, voice, and identity. We read poems by Martín Espada, Pablo Neruda, Julia Alvarez, Marcus Villatoro, and many more. We read essays by John Berger, Ariel Dorfman, and Octavio Paz. The course culminated with a study of the XVI Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín. I decided to focus my essay on memory, and how people "remember." Don't worry...I'm getting to my point :)
In Spanish, the word for remember is recordar. It comes from the Latin word, re-cordis, which means "to pass back through one's heart." I learned this from Eduard Galeano's The Book of Embraces, something I read in my History of Human Rights and Repression class. This was the basis for my research paper. It also got me thinking about my role as a teacher, as well...
In addition to the goals I listed in my previous blog, I think this one may take first place. I want to go beyond memorizing in my classroom, beyond simply information, facts, data, and names. I want these things to be remembered, in the true sense of the word. I never want to be that teacher that tells my students to remember something for the SOLs or the upcoming test. I want children to remember what I teach because not only will I make it memorable, but I will teach it in a way that is meaningful to my students. Knowledge should be useful to them and applicable to their life experiences. I want them to be able to apply things from the classroom to situations outside of school. I want the knowledge they gain in my class to be more than numbers and letters to regurgitate. I want these things to pass back through their hearts...
Challenge: As a teacher, return the significance of remember back to its true definition.
First of all, I would like to start my post by saying how thrilled I am to be included in a network of brilliant educators and technology enthusiasts. I have been receiving emails from Terry Freedman, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and Shawn Wheeler. Through these people, I have been introduced to many more edubloggers. In an exchange with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, I mentioned one of the most comforting days in my student-teaching classroom. My peers and I had just been through a week of very disconcerting material. We were being presented with the realities of standardized testing and NCLB, creating IEPs for students, and attending child abuse and neglect seminars. It was slightly disheartening, even a bit discouraging! As a preservice teacher, I entered the program with a bit of naivete. It was easy to me to decide to be a teacher. I love kids, I love interaction, and I love creativity. I couldn't picture myself in a more suitable professional environment than in an elementary school classroom! I wanted to mold and shape students and be the teacher that inspired them in their lives. I wanted to be the role model for them when they continued their education. I wanted to be the teacher that had high school students returning to their elementary classroom to thank me for what I had done for them.
It would not have been fair for the School of Education here at William and Mary to let me enter the classroom with that kind of naivete and completely blind optimism. And don't get me wrong...my goals haven't changed one bit! I still want to be that teacher. But I now am able to enter my school with a greater understanding and appreciation for all the things that will be required of me. My responsibility to the student extends beyond just my personality attributes...my responsibility is to give all children the most opportunities available to them. One of my professors, Professor Popp, said it best. Most people believe "fair" means giving everyone the same opportunity. In reality, it means giving everyone as many opportunities available so they can reach their maximum potential. This seems a little intimidating...like my role as a teacher is to be everything to everyone!! That was exactly how I felt when I was talking to my mentor.
I expressed to her that I felt overwhelmed with the pressures that teaching seemed to have in store for me. I told her I thought teaching was making a warm classroom environment, being creative, being encouraging, and making everyone feel good about themselves. I had my eyes opened to REAL teaching, and that I preferred to just close them again. She said something that I will always remember when I'm teaching and starting to feel that panic again...
"Lauren, you are not in a vacuum! Everyone is feeling the same way you do. There are always resources available to you, and people that want to help. As a teacher, you are never alone."
I believed her, and I can't even express how much I needed to hear those words. Receiving emails and comments from people like Terry Freedman, Shawn Wheeler, and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach have driven the point home for me. I am not alone...I am already becoming a part of a huge network! I couldn't be more thankful!
Which brings me to my next point...So often we talk about how technology is important in our classrooms to really connect with students and get them involved and enthusiastic with their education. Blogging for students is wonderful, wikis to collaborate for students are invaluable. The internet is a great way to connect teachers with parents. However, made even more clear to me in the past few days through emails with other professional educators, it is important to remember that technology and the internet are wonderful ways to connect educators to other educators to collaborate on ideas, solve problems, and share solutions.
I am not in a vacuum.
It would not have been fair for the School of Education here at William and Mary to let me enter the classroom with that kind of naivete and completely blind optimism. And don't get me wrong...my goals haven't changed one bit! I still want to be that teacher. But I now am able to enter my school with a greater understanding and appreciation for all the things that will be required of me. My responsibility to the student extends beyond just my personality attributes...my responsibility is to give all children the most opportunities available to them. One of my professors, Professor Popp, said it best. Most people believe "fair" means giving everyone the same opportunity. In reality, it means giving everyone as many opportunities available so they can reach their maximum potential. This seems a little intimidating...like my role as a teacher is to be everything to everyone!! That was exactly how I felt when I was talking to my mentor.
I expressed to her that I felt overwhelmed with the pressures that teaching seemed to have in store for me. I told her I thought teaching was making a warm classroom environment, being creative, being encouraging, and making everyone feel good about themselves. I had my eyes opened to REAL teaching, and that I preferred to just close them again. She said something that I will always remember when I'm teaching and starting to feel that panic again...
"Lauren, you are not in a vacuum! Everyone is feeling the same way you do. There are always resources available to you, and people that want to help. As a teacher, you are never alone."
I believed her, and I can't even express how much I needed to hear those words. Receiving emails and comments from people like Terry Freedman, Shawn Wheeler, and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach have driven the point home for me. I am not alone...I am already becoming a part of a huge network! I couldn't be more thankful!
Which brings me to my next point...So often we talk about how technology is important in our classrooms to really connect with students and get them involved and enthusiastic with their education. Blogging for students is wonderful, wikis to collaborate for students are invaluable. The internet is a great way to connect teachers with parents. However, made even more clear to me in the past few days through emails with other professional educators, it is important to remember that technology and the internet are wonderful ways to connect educators to other educators to collaborate on ideas, solve problems, and share solutions.
I am not in a vacuum.
These are the blogs of preservice teachers.
archives
sources
- Be all that you can be. Find your future--as a teacher.
- Beginning at 50
- From Student to Teacher
- I Want to Stay in Kindergarten Forever
- Nobody need wait a single moment...
- Precious Moments
- prof a l'avenir
- success is a journey not a destination.
- Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach
- Technology Teaches
- the First Year
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