Blog Post 4

     In the classroom, each and every student has had different past experiences and influences on their life. The way that a child speaks is a huge part of their life because it suggests a possible ethnic or geographical background that has helped shape them. Rather than criticize or correct the various ways that children can pronounce words, the education field needs to consider the value that each dialect can bring. Instead of correcting the way that a student says a word, teachers can incorporate learning. The students can review their background and influences and discover why students speak differently. Then is the teacher not only encouraging the diversity that all classrooms possess, the students are able to feel comfortable and learn about one another. 

      The job of the teacher is not only to teach the students the material in a textbook. They need to make students feel welcome and comfortable in the classroom, with each other, and with themselves. In embracing each culture and the way that each culture speaks, each student will be able to openly communicate without feeling self-conscious about the way that they speak.
     Especially when considering speech, teachers must be sensitive. Children typically adopt their way of speaking from their family. If a teacher were to insult or degrade the child's way of talking, they could indirectly be insulting the family of the student. In an environment where they are made to feel excluded, a child will not succeed or find happiness. To avoid these problems, teachers need to approach language and speech as a form of learning about students and accepting different cultures. Rather than insulting the students, the diversity that language brings to the classroom can be integrated into the lesson.    

Blog Post 3

     In class this week we talked a lot about making the classroom inviting and comfortable, both in the layout of the room itself and how the teacher can encourage learning in the setting. Ayers describes and shows the way that he has his classroom set up, but when I read it, I had a hard time with it. While he was able to use his desk as a learning tool rather than for himself, this is an example of something that might not always be an option for every teacher. If the school regulates or prefers a certain classroom model, the teacher has to work with what is given to them. 

     This made me wonder if it is possible for a classroom to look traditional but still create a fun and comfortable environment. In my opinion, it can and it does. The classrooms that I experienced in grade school were all set up in a similar manner, with rows and columns of desks. While the room looked like any other, I had one teacher who allowed us to make it our own. We had our own cubby areas, our lockers, and our mail boxes. She allowed any resources in the classroom to be open and accessible for anyone. If we wanted to use the stapler, she told us that we could go into her desk and get it without having to ask. So while the desk was still hers and had her belongings in it, we were allowed access to them without question. 

     I think that it is less about the classroom and how it is set up and more about the teacher and how open they are. While I think that, for example, a specific place in the classroom set aside that has a more relaxing space for reading and quiet time would be ideal, I am accepting of the fact that it is not always an option. I think that every new teacher should go into whatever space they are given and make it their own. I believe they can do this without moving any furniture at all.

Blog Post 2

My friend and I went to a park to watch people and describe and interpret perception. We wrote down the descriptions and actual real things that were occurring and interpretations of what was happening. While most of the things that we wrote had strong similarities, there were interesting differences that came up.

Example 1:

Description:

Me:

• Two people holding hands, a man wearing blue shirt and black shorts, woman wearing hoodie and pants
• Smiling and talking to each other
• Walking on the pathway in the park

Friend:

• Man in blue shirt, late 20's, bright socks and shoes. Woman late 20's, yoga pants, gray long-sleeved shirt and black North Face vest
• Walking and holding hands, appear to be dating

Interpretation:

Me:

• They seem to be happy together
• Seem to be fit and getting their regular exercise in

Friend:

• Seem to be happy

Parking lot:

Friend:

• While they seem happy, they do not seem married or engaged based on the way that they were only casually walking

Example 2:

Description:

Me:

• Two younger girls, probably around 8 years old, playing soccer
• They are smiling and running around
• One girl is wearing a green shirt and black pants and has lighter hair and one is in a white tank top and jeans with dark hair
• Running and playing well with each other

Friend:

• Two young females playing soccer
• One wearing a white shirt and black pants, the other an olive shirt with black pants

Interpretation:

Me:

• They seem to be friends, maybe family members
• Active and healthy kids, maybe playing sports on a regular basis

Friend:

• They do not appear to be keeping score or be athletic
• They are happy and having fun

Parking lot:

Me:

• If they are family, they appear to be cousins
• The parents seem to be very engaged in what they are doing and should pay more attention to the girls

Example 3:

Description:

Me:

• A man, woman, and a dog
• He is wearing khakis, a striped shirt, and a dark blue jacket. She is in jeans and a blue jacket
• They are maybe mid to late 50's and are casually walking

Friend:

• Man and woman around 40 years old
• They are walking slowly
• They have a dog with them
• Man is in khakis and a nice jacket, woman in jean jacket and black pants

Interpretation:

Me:

• They appear to be a couple, maybe married
• Appear to come to the park often and are familiar with the area

Friend:

• Walking slowly, as if they don't know where they are going or they don't walk at the park very often
• Their clothes look nice and they seem to be upper-middle class

Parking lot:

Me:

• Walking slowly and are not talking much, which makes it seem as though they have been married or in a relationship for awhile

Friend:

• Married and happy together
• Trying to be healthier 

In general, my friend and I have similar backgrounds, making our impressions of things alike in a lot of ways. I discovered that when I am noticing things, I pay a lot of attention to the things that people wear. Because I have a religion and certain values, that also influences the way that I see people. While I try to let my personal beliefs affect me in only positive ways, I should try to not let them affect me at all. My first impression is often tainted by my past experiences and I should work on allowing my first impression to have no influence on how I view people.

  

Class Survey

Me (left) and my friend (right)

Personal Information:

1. I prefer either Kaitlin or Katie.

2. My hometown is Euclid, Ohio.

3. I would like to go into Middle Childhood Education: Math and Science.

4. I played four years of tennis in high school, I do not like chocolate, and I love to go to and watch football games.

Learning Style and More:

5. For me to feel comfortable in the classroom, I would like to know that everyone is open to hearing new ideas, including myself. I would also like to know that the professor will answer any questions that I have, from activities in the classroom to tips about teaching. 

6. As a student, I like to have many options available. I like to listen, take notes, and read the information. When I cannot understand something, I try to first look at the question or problem and try to work through it myself. If I cannot figure it out on my own, I tend to proceed to ask the professor because rather than not understanding, I like to have a good grasp on everything I am learning.

Education Past and Present:

7. One memory that I have is the dedication that my Calculus teacher had with all of her students. I missed a couple of classes with sickness and sports and fell a bit behind with the assignments. She stayed after with me for a couple hours one Friday and made sure that I understood each and every example. In caring about her students more than her own weekend, I learned what being teaching really is. 

8. One major issue that I believe faces the field of education is dealing with each child individually while teaching the class as a whole. Using different methods with each student may be time consuming but it could also be necessary. For some students, using technology might be how they comprehend and organize information. Learning how to adjust your teaching style in small ways could ultimately change the effectiveness of the classroom.  



9. Do we have specific schools that we will be visiting in class?
When we do our ten hours, do we have a list of schools we should go to?