It's the Final Countdown

This class has certainly opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to teaching. At first I believed teaching was going to be a piece of cake, however after learning new material in this class, I realized that it will not be as easy as I originally thought. Then again, that may not be a bad thing. This class has made me learn new things about not only teaching and education but also about myself. I attempted to challenge myself with each lesson and assignment, trying to take away lessons and specific things from each thing we learned. Every time there was an assignment I tried to think about how I would approach some of the questions we were asked as if I was to apply them to a classroom of my own. And we were even asked to think as if we were in the future with our classrooms, which really helped me learn a lot because I could apply it to my own life. 

In my mind, I associate education with a Christmas tree. This sounds extremely odd, I know, however I view it as each time you learn something new it's like putting an ornament on the tree. Call me crazy, and maybe it's just because it's around the time of the holidays, but I think that learning new things is like putting ornaments on a tree, because each time you learn something and accomplish it you can check it off and move on, almost like decorating a tree. You move through ornaments, putting each one that you have collected through the years on the tree. For example, when I was younger my parents would let my sister and I put the ornaments on the tree, picking out our favorites and carefully placing them in our selected spots. But in the end, they would always have the last say, and would end up decorating the tree with ornaments, garland and lights themselves. But through the years of observing my parents, I have learned new methods of decorating and now have the responsibility of decorating it myself. So this is how I perceive education, watching and observing methods that the teacher uses, and then doing it yourself and adapting through the years, learning new lessons along the way.

Three things I have learned from this course is that children need their space sometimes and teachers should make sure children are able to learn independently, I have learned that in addition to that, each child is different and some require special attention, and that as a teacher you should always be patient and be willing to fully explain lessons and answer questions without getting mad or reprimanding a student. I think specifically what struck me the most was when I was doing my observations. That experience in itself made me realize how much more I want to be a teacher, and I will take all of those lessons I learned from actual classroom experience with me in the future, while developing my own teaching methods. Finally, what I've learned from my classmates and blogs is that while I have a lot in common with everyone, each person is different and learns differently. But overall I can tell that everyone who is taking this class because they are an education major is excited about being a teacher in the future, which definitely makes me happy!

Good luck to everyone with their future endeavors, and I'm very happy to have met you all and have taken this class!

Friedrich Fröbel

You may be wondering who Friedrich Fröbel is. I know that when I first heard his name, the only thoughts I had about him was that he had kind of a funny name, but I didn't know much about him otherwise. I chose him solely because I didn't know anything about him, so naturally I did some research. Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel was a student of Pestalozzi, who laid the basic foundation and setting for modern education, based mostly on the idea that children have unique needs and capabilities, and should be individually taken care of in school. Fröbel, or Froebel, invented the idea of "kindergarten" which is now a term used in English and German languages. More importantly, he created the idea of educational toys to help students better learn, known as Froebel Gifts.

Froebel believed that humans are able to be creative and productive on their own, and fulfillment comes by developing these things in harmony with not only the world but with God as well. "Froebel sought to encourage the creation of educational environments that involved practical work and the direct use of materials. Through engaging with the world, understanding unfolds." That is why he incorporated the idea of play and "gifts," because it is a creative activity and children are able to be more aware of their role and place in the world. He developed toys or "special materials" used to help teach, such as balls or wooden bricks, which he called gifts. He also developed a series of "occupations" which were recommended activities, and movement activities, which linked a set of theories. Froebel wanted to teach young children lessons by using educational games, and later became associated with a demand from the "provision of special centers for the care and development of children outside the home."

"The purpose of education is to encourage and guide man as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in such a way that he becomes a pure and perfect representation of that divine inner law through his own personal choice; education must show him the ways and meanings of attaining that goal." -Friedrich Fröbel

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-froeb.htm

It's Holiday Time, Kids!

If you think back to when you were a kid, how were you taught about Thanksgiving and Columbus Day? For me, in Elementary school we did fun activities about what we were thankful for on Thanksgiving, learned the basic vocabulary about "Pilgrims, harvests, Native Americans" etc. and learned the general idea about what the holiday was about. We were also taught that Christopher Columbus was the first to land in America and were taught the fun "1492" rhymes as well. However, we were never actually taught about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, or the violent and gruesome details that go along with it. Or how Columbus wasn't actually the first to sail to America and settle. So, is it fair that children are being fed fake information about these holidays?

I did some research and found examples of a good lesson plan for Thanksgiving and a bad lesson plan for Thanksgiving: 

- This lesson plan to me seemed like a good idea because it gets the children to think about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, not just about the "giving thanks" and "food" aspects of the holiday. It may not get into full details about what really happened on Thanksgiving, and the events that led up to it, however it does help them realize that there is a more in-depth explanation of the holiday and what's behind it.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp029.shtml

- This next lesson plan I found to be a bad way of teaching solely due to the fact that it is clearly meant for fun, and does not actually teach children much of anything when it comes to Thanksgiving. It merely brushes the surface of what the holiday is actually about. This is actually quite typical from my experience and from what I've seen of what teachers would give their students to help "teach" them about Thanksgiving. This also incorporates more of an artistic idea, rather than just having the children do actual factual work when it comes to learning. 

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp028.shtml

Columbus Day is another one of those holidays that is falsely taught to children. Again, they learn the basics while doing some fun coloring activity about the Nina, the Pinta or the Santa Maria. And like I've said, teachers only ever brush the surface. But if I really put some thought into it, I don't think that as a teacher I would want to teach my young students about what really happened on Thanksgiving, or tell them the truth about Columbus Day. I believe that by them not knowing the truth, it is only preserving their innocence, and in the long run it isn't really hurting them to not know every single detail, including the awful ones, about the holidays. As a teacher, I am going to give them as much information as possible, without overloading them and without scaring them. As much as I don't think lying is right, in some situations it doesn't seem too bad. I don't see the harm in teaching the children about Thanksgiving or Columbus day with a fun coloring activity, although I do think they could stand to do a little more work on these subjects. If teachers combined both of the lesson plans above, and found a happy middle, then the children would learn much more while still having fun. 

Behaviorism in the Schools

According to "Education, the Practice and Profession of Teaching" by Robert F. McNergney and Joanne M. Mcnergney, behaviorism is the "philosophical orientation based on the belief that human behavior is determined by forces in the environment that are beyond human control rather than by the exercise of free will." Is it a crazy idea for teachers to believe in behaviorism? Better yet, is it a good idea to base your methods of teaching around the idea of behaviorism?

In my opinion, because behaviorism helps students learn efficiently and helps them reach their full potential, behaviorism is not such a bad idea. I believe that we all work and learn to achieve the goals in our lives, whether it be earning money, learning at school, be successful, etc. Behaviorism helps us achieve these goals by providing a strict environment in which people are forced to learn from their mistakes. Students should not be given repercussions and should not be allowed multiple chances. In life when you make a mistake, you often don't get too many chances before there are serious consequences. I believe that same idea should apply in schools too. Students should have to become reliant on themselves and not solely on their teachers. The teachers should also be able to rely on their students that they will get their work done in a timely and proper manner. Behaviorism helps "manipulate the learning environment and present stimuli, using conditioning and social learning to shape student behavior" which in my mind is a good thing because it pushes the students to do their best.

Using the teaching methods listed in the book, things like "programmed instruction that provides feedback on their performance, behavioral contracts, reinforcement, etc" are good ways of helping the students achieve their goals and learn to their best ability. If a teacher helps them along the way, encouraging them and basically doing the work for them, the student will never learn. Having things like a behavioral contract can help give the student the extra boost or push they may need to succeed. When I was in high school, I was a pretty poor student. I never really did my work, goofed off, often missed classes. I believe that my teachers were just a little too caring and empathetic, rather than being a little harsher and strict. If I had had someone who enforced behaviorism, I may have been able to succeed on my own. Instead I relied on the teacher to give me extensions on things, help me and give me answers, etc. which was not beneficial to me. I only saw positive results in the grades I began getting, not because I was actually putting in the effort. I scraped by and was able to pass high school because my teachers let me coast and just basically gave me the grades I needed to pass. Looking back, I am not only extremely disappointed in myself but also in my teachers. I can understand wanting your students to do well and succeed, but I feel as though if they had pushed me and maybe given be a behavioral contract or something similar, I would have taken school more seriously. However, obviously I do not blame my teachers because in the long run it is the students decision whether or not they buckle down and learn in order to succeed.

Inclusion in the School Systems

If I were to think of one topic discussed in the reading this week that is the most controversial, it would definitely be the idea of inclusion. Inclusion is a word that describes the commitment to educate and teach each specific child, no matter what circumstance, in the school or environment that the student attends. Inclusion also involves "bringing the support services to the child, rather than moving the child to the services and requires only that the child will benefit from being in the class, rather than having to keep up with the other students."

I believe that there are many ways in which a student with disabilities can receive the inclusive help that they require. Schools should set up tudor programs in which a student is able to be given the special attention they need in order to keep up with the lessons and learning material in their classes. Another solution could be something like having an aide that would follow the student around to make sure they can focus and stay on task. When I was in middle school there was a student who had a few different learning disabilities. Our school made sure he was set up with a teacher aide who followed him from class to class, helping him understand the lessons we were learning and helping him complete the assignments. It was really good for this student because he was able to stay on task and buckle down with his work. If this student was not given the extra help he needed, he probably would have fallen behind and failed out of his classes.

A lot of people believe that there should just be separate programs for students with disabilities so that they can learn things separately from the other students. While this can be a good method of doing things, so that the students with disabilities don't feel badly about themselves if they can't learn at the same pace as everyone else, it can also be disheartening. Inclusion helps this because by have inclusive programs and setting up ways for the students to be included, they can feel normal and won't feel out of place. It can help boost their confidence as well.

Overall, I believe that inclusive education is a good thing and I am glad that it is offered in schools nation wide. Students should all be treated equally, regardless of their social, emotional, physical and intellectual characteristics or differences. Services should be offered in all schools around the world for students with disabilities, because they shouldn't be held back by any physical or mental issue they may have.

I felt this image was appropriate because it shows that students from different backgrounds and students with disabilities, etc can all be included and should all be treated fairly and equally.

Are the School Systems Really That Diverse?

If you think about it, the diversity of schools varies greatly from place to place. Where I grew up, the population of African-Americans, Latinos, and other ethnicities in my school was very low. The majority of the students that attended my high school were Caucasian. People always talk about how proud they are to be a diverse school or a diverse place to live, but if you think about it, is it really that diverse? There are definitely plenty of schools that pride themselves on diversity and are encouraging students from different ethnicities to attend their school, which is great. I believe schools should learn to be more accepting and diverse. While there are many schools with plenty of different ethnicities, there are still many schools that are mainly Caucasian students. I believe this is a problem because I think it conveys a message that diversity is discouraged, which is very bad. Diversity is an amazing thing and I think it should be encouraged at all times.

Schools should be more proactive about approaching diversity. Ways they can do this are:

-Creating a positive environment where the students and the teachers are very respectful of the different ethnicities of the students and other faculty.

-Hold certain functions or events for students of all different backgrounds to socialize and get to know one another

-Have a no tolerance policy. Students are reprimanded or given consequences if they are caught harassing, bullying or using slander toward or about students of different ethnic backgrounds

-Teachers should give attention to certain lessons, like if they are learning about a certain historical period, and someone is of that specific background in the class, then the student may feel included more and won't feel as alone or out of place

If teachers, faculty and students go out of their way to create an environment where students feel comfortable, special and valued, it will help create a better learning environment. Students will be able to focus and learn more information if they are not distracted by any kind of negative attention due to race or any other factor. Having diversity is a good thing, and schools should be encouraged to expand their student body and make sure everyone feels special and included.

http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/284-cultural-diversity-at-school.gs

Controversy Over Clothes?

When I was growing up, I never had to worry about clothes being too inappropriate for school, and I didn't have to worry too much about being fashionable either. Growing up in the 90's, everyone basically had the same sense of style, and for the most part at my school, nobody really cared about what kind of clothes you wore. Everyone wore similar wind-pants and track suits, jeans, sneakers, the basics. And because of this style of clothing, nobody wore things that were inappropriate or revealing. Once middle school and high school hit, the shorts started getting shorter and the tops started getting more low cut. However, somehow the clothing being worn was still tasteful and appropriate. Was that due to the strict clothes policy we had at my school? Or was it because of the personal decisions the students made to dress nicely and appropriately? I am not sure of the answer, however these days students seem to leave their house wearing practically nothing, with no consequences.

I personally believe that schools should have very strict dress codes and should be enforcing them everyday. I have seen many kids walking out of high schools recently wearing baggy jeans revealing their underwear, short shorts, low cut tops, etc. While the dress code doesn't have to be over the top, I still believe their should be some sort of rules enforced.

Dress codes, or more specifically, uniforms can help reduce the potential for conflict and harm by:

1. Reducing conflict from other students, example: students attacking or poking fun of another student for who is wearing the better clothes, etc.

2. Reducing the way in which a gang can be spotted or ways they can identify themselves, which can cause fear and terror in the other students.

3. If students are not allowed to wear jewelry and have a strict uniform, it can reduce their risk of being robbed or having expensive items stolen.

4. Reduces bullying and other forms of harassment, including sexual harassment.

5. Uniforms can help faculty identify non-students, visitors, trespassers, etc.

6. Uniforms or a strict dress code can help unify a school and make students feel like they are in a more comfortable, judgement free environment.

Overall, uniforms do seem to  be the best option, however if you don't feel like having a set uniform, strict dress codes can work too. I believe that all schools should enforce some rules and make sure that their school environment is a safe and happy place to learn.

These pictures are examples of 2 extremes at schools. On the top is of female students who are inappropriately dressed. On the bottom are students wearing uniforms, which can be done and is a good option, however most students prefer to have a freedom and creativity and dress in their own clothes.

Source: http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2012/08/23/10-most-talked-about-school-dress-code-controversies/#6980-1

What's So Intriguing About Being a Teacher?

Teaching seems like such a daunting task, especially when teaching younger children, so why do people do it? While teaching may be frustrating at times, it definitely has its perks and can be very rewarding. Teachers are able to help make a difference in children's lives by teaching them the necessary tools they need to succeed in life. 

Reasons to become a teacher:

• Experience the Joy of Making a Difference
  Teachers get incredible joy in seeing the difference they make as students gain new insights, become more interested in a subject and learn about themselves. Every day, teachers mold the future through impacting their students’ views and understandings. Teachers foster creativity, develop character, give students lenses with which to view the world and provide students with the skills they need to reach their potential and lead productive lives. Many individuals are attracted to teaching by a sense of service, because they want to make a clear, tangible difference in the lives of others. As a teacher, you see the fruits of your efforts everyday as you use your intelligence and creativity to help students become excited about and learn about the science in their lives.
• Have a Vocation, Not a Job
  For many people, their work is a means to an end. They work for a paycheck in order to live their lives. But those called to teach have a true vocation. To those with whom you interact most during your day of teaching - the students - you are not an employee but a friend, a mentor and a guide to the world. A teacher makes a difference in the world by enabling each of his or her students to fully maximize their talents, imagination, skills and character.
• Enjoy Interpersonal Interaction
  Teaching science provides those people who want to work in science the ability to do so while also enjoying a high level of interpersonal interaction. Teachers interact with their students, other teachers and community members regularly. Many students decide to pursue teaching over other science careers for this personal interaction.
• Benefit From Variety
  Many people cringe at the idea of doing a job that involves repetition of a specific task over and over. Teaching is a job that offers a great deal of variety. Each year, teachers get to work with a new group of students with unique personalities, experiences and ideas. Teachers can introduce new topics into the courses, change the way they teach a particular topic or design new classes to teach to keep things new and exciting each year.
• Be a Lifelong Leaner
  You will never learn a topic better than when you start to teach it. Students always ask the most interesting questions, prompting you to dig deeper and learn more about the aspects of science they are most curious about. Teaching science allows you to be a student of science throughout your career as you incorporate new research findings, technologies and science events into your classroom.
• Laugh Every Day
  Adolescents are both easily amused and very amusing so working with them provides many opportunities for laughter. Sometimes it will be silly jokes you will make up as you teach that will make your students laugh. Sometimes it will be funny statements that your students share with you that make you laugh. A day of teaching when you do not laugh at least a couple times will be quite rare.
• Have a High Level of Autonomy
  While required classes have mandated curricula that teachers are expected to follow, it is the teacher who decide what will happen in the classroom each day. Teachers teach their curriculum in very different ways depending on their knowledge, personality and beliefs. Not many jobs provide an individual with so much room to be creative and autonomous each day.
• Spend More Time With Your Family
  One of the great perks of a teacher’s schedule is that it matches up with a child’s school schedule. While you will likely bring some work home with you, you will be able to be home with your children in the afternoons. If you teach in the same school system that your children attend, you will have the same vacation schedule and will be able to spend your summers home with your children. Speaking of vacation….
• Enjoy Lots of Vacation
  While some schools have moved to a year-round schedule, where teachers’ vacation is divided up throughout the year, most teaching jobs allow you to have a couple of months off in the summer where you can choose to get another job, teach summer school, or just relax and revamp for the next year. In addition to summers off, teachers typically get two weeks off during the winter and one week during the spring.

Being a teacher is a good decision because you are not only teaching kids things each day, but you are learning new things from them as well. I am extremely excited to be a teacher because it is thrilling and it definitely has it's benefits. To me, being a teacher is an ideal job. The reasons listed above are only a few of many reasons someone could think of to why you should be a teacher. Teachers are vital in today's society, and without them students would not learn anything. Teachers are helpful in many ways, and they 

http://www.unc.edu/uncbest/teacher.html

School Bullying Affects Majority Of Elementary Students

This article is about bullying and how much of an issue it is amongst elementary students.

A Little About Me

Hello! I'm Mary Nicholson, I'm 19 years old and I'm from Danvers. I am currently a Sophomore at SSU. I am an Elementary Education major and an Art major. In the future I would love to teach a 2nd grade class, preferably all subjects but if not then I would love to teach an elementary art class. I've worked with kids in the past at previous jobs and have loved it. I am looking forward to being a teacher and I hope you enjoy my blog!

This is me and my friend Meghan posing at one of my favorite parks in Danvers.