Field Blog Post 2

Cleveland Heights High School


        As a class, we went to Cleveland Heights High School to have our second class experience. While I plan on going into the middle school level, I am always interested to see different teaching styles and methods. We learned about how the school was split up into five smaller schools and how the R.E.A.L. school was run. The classes are accelerated and the students can finish their four years in two. I think that they look at teaching and school much like some of the authors of the texts that we have been reading. They strive for the student to succeed and it seemed to be a very cool way to operate, especially at the high school level.
        We went into a freshman level math class taught by Mr. Flynn. The seats were arranged in rows facing the front of the room. They were reviewing for an upcoming test and discussing different problems and what they should know for the test. Because it was review, it was less about problem posing teaching and he had to form that discussion in order to make sure they knew what they were doing. He had the students involved and answering questions about the review. Not everyone was paying attention, but he got their attention back to the work in a respect way that got them to pay attention. The students seemed to respect him and were aware that he was in charge while also knowing that they had rights in the classroom.
        Overall, I liked how the classroom was run and the student-teacher interactions. The school seems to emphasize this interaction and hold it to a high level of concern. I think that the classroom and the scores and the format of what students learn need to come sightly behind in priority to the respect between student and teacher. If both parties get along and have a common sense of respect, everything that is desired of a classroom can fit into the equation. I hope that, when I have my own classroom and am a teacher, I also encapsulate the essence of respect and the dignity of each and every single one of my students.

Blog Post 8

        The ideas presented by Robert DiGiulio are centered around the idea that teaching is not about testing and the qualifications that you have from former education, but the heart that you put into the classroom. Much like the previous blog based on Ayers's ideas, the focus that DiGiulio stresses seem to negate some practices that are current in the field of education. When he states the overall qualities of a teacher, he says, "In short, the memorable teachers were skillful, enthusiastic, caring, and perhaps even idiosyncratic."
When I read this, I was struck by the idea that teachers do not always need to be what everyone claims that teachers should be. They need to look to the students to find their source of teaching and the way that the classroom should be run.
        In the guide that I wrote from Ayers's To Teach, I feel that DiGiulio restates some points and introduces some new things to consider. In regards to the Self-Criticism that Ayers discusses, I think that DiGiulio expands that to also include the students. The way that you can reflect on how you are doing things or the skill that you have as a teacher can be traced back to the students and their success in your classroom. It is less about the test scores that are standardized by the states and more on the creativity level and how well they are able to comprehend the concepts that are taught in class. 
        New ideas that DiGiulio presents include paths that reveal how the teacher can help the student to succeed. The paths of producing, empowering, and connecting are key themes to consider. Teaching is not just about giving the students the answers and knowing how well they can copy the processes of the teacher, but about truly understanding what is being taught. Producing original ideas and knowing that the students were able to achieve without being directly guided is very fulfilling. Empowering the students in a way that they know that they can achieve anything they set out to achieve is something that I strive to do as a teacher. The third point, connecting, should be done in every classroom. The teachers should really get to know the students as people and as bright young minds. When the teacher connects to the student, they know the way that the child learns best, the ideal setting for the student, and some background about why a student may do something differently. The overall message that I took away from the reading was to make sure to cover what Ayers suggested, but to also take it a step further and to know that my students are achieving in the way that I see best. While I may not be able to rid my classroom of the standardized tests, I will not look to the scores to determine how I am teaching. I will look to each student as an individual person to uncover the true impact of my teaching. 

Blog Post 7

        The pattern that can be found in the process of bridge building is not a detailed, structured pattern, but rather, more of the reasoning behind making the bridges. I believe it is about starting at one point of knowledge on a topic. From there, the bridge is built through observation, technique, learning from the knowledge of others, and interests. The final destination that the bridge hopes to seek is a deeper and more meaningful understanding and appreciation of the topic that was initially questioned. I was inspired to believe this by reading the first page of chapter 4 in Ayers's book that stated "Teaching is often bridge-building. Beginning on one shore with the knowledge, experience, know-how, and interests of the student, the teacher moves toward broader horizons and deeper ways of knowing." I believe that this really sums up the ideas regarding bridge building. Rather than the premise of it being a process from question to an answer or a problem to a solution, it is much more abstract and the answer might not be tangible. Much like the title of To Teach: A Journey, in Comics, both bridge building and teaching is all about the journey and less focused on the end result. Two examples could include the transition from high school to college or a teenager to young adult, and going from just the teacher to being someone that the students respect and enjoy as a mentor in the classroom.
        As a teacher, I want to do math and science. In science class, if I have the option to do this at the school I am at, I would like to incorporate a number of lessons into a garden project. We could plant flowers and vegetables and see how they react to, for example, pH levels, climate or temperature, the sun, plants around it, or the way that you place the plant. I feel that this could get the kids excited about being able to go outside and play a little while also teaching them in a way that will not feel like learning for them. 
       In chapter 7 (pages 98-99) of To Teach, he lists eight specific things to keep in mind as a teacher, and I think they are very useful. I will expand on these points that he gives us to develop my guide.

1. Creative Insubordination- By this, I believe Ayers is saying that sometimes in order to accomplish what you want to accomplish, as a teacher you need to take some liberties. You might not follow the rules to a tee, but the kids are able to learn in creative and interactive ways. I think this was highlighted in the skits that we did earlier in the semester. 
2. Finding Allies- Teaching not only involves connecting with the students but also the parents, other teachers, and the administration of the school. If you are trying to learn why a student might not be doing well in the class, having a good relationship with the parents could help in constructively speaking about solutions. In this example, the student would quickly get support on all ends, making it much easier to pinpoint the problem that is preventing their success. Both with the other teachers and also the administration, if you run into a problem, talking to other people that might have already dealt with that circumstance could quickly guide you to a way to fix it.
3. Criticism- Always being open to what others say and believe is a very positive way to teach. The field of education is always shifting and evolving and being aware that others may know better than you could help the transition into new curriculum or ways of teaching to be much more smooth. Much like the importance of making allies, accepting what those allies have to say is a key piece of the puzzle.
4. Self-Criticism- This particular topic really gave me incite into teaching. It states, "The mystery of teaching keeps me on my toes." "If teachers are never self-critical, they will become dogmatic, losing their capacity for renewal and growth." "If they're too self-critical, they become powerless and timid. Balance and clarity is key." I thought that these were such powerful points to make. As a teacher, I will keep these in my mind everyday and understand that I need to be confident in my ability to teach each bright mind that enters my classroom, but also realize that I cannot expect epiphanies to occur every class period.
5. Learning From Your Own Experience- It is important to always remember the history that you have had with teachers. If there are any specific things that I have not liked or certain teaching styles that did not work for me as a student, I will try to use those to better myself. Along with that, if a certain teacher acted in a way that helped me excel one year, I will try to use those same techniques to reach my own students.
6. Authentic Friendship- While I really want to be able to connect with my students, I am aware that there is a level of authority that the teacher needs to hold in the classroom. While in an ideal world, the teacher would be able to be a title that does not deal with discipline or dealing with classroom management, teachers need to be able to occasionally let the students know that they have the authority in the classroom. Students can act out and cause disruptions and it is not fair to allow one child to take away from the learning experience of the other 20+ children in the room. 
7. Linking Consciousness to  Conduct- As Ayers states, "Teaching toward something better requires involvement in families, communities, neighborhoods, society." By this, he is saying that instead of avoiding and ignoring the problems that exist in the real world, inviting the problems to live in the classroom can help the kids find ways to fix them. If they can creatively discuss how the issues in society could be changed, the classroom becomes a way to see how the world could be a better place.
8. Balance and Clarity- As a teacher, there are so many tragedies and suggestions that are constantly surrounding you. I hope to be able to see what values I want my classroom to reflect and teach and work with the students to incorporate them. Using the previous points, I hope to uncover the best way that I see to benefit the learning environment that I create. 

Field Blog Post 1

Beachwood Middle School



        As a class, we visited Beachwood Middle School and individually went to two different classrooms. Both classrooms were intended to reflect what subject we were interested in and to show us how that type of classroom works. Since I want to go into Middle Childhood Education with a focus on Math and Science, these classrooms were the exact level and study that I want. I was able to observe an eighth grade Algebra 1 class taught by Mrs. Karim and an honors Science class taught by Mrs. King. I enjoyed being in both classrooms and being able to see how the teachers interacted with the students, especially. 
        The Algebra class was taking a test, but instead of taking away from the observation, it was very interesting and helpful. They were taking it as a group test and Mrs. Karim was able to talk about the subject and the changes that are happening to the way that they teach. She showed us the new textbook and some sample questions and we were able to see how much reading has been integrated into it. She said that she has noticed huge improvements in the performances of the students with reading comprehension and with critical thinking. Even though it is a math class, the new textbook allows the students to work on multiple skills in one class. 
        The classroom was set up with groups of four students and had projects and posters on the walls. While it was more of a simple set up, I think it was very effective and allowed the students to focus on what they were doing. Mrs. Karim seemed like she really wanted the students to grasp the concepts and know how to apply the problems. She also appeared to be a teacher that would want to use problem posing instead of the banking technique of teaching. She was interested in how the students responded not only to the tests and the textbook, but also to each other and the questions that arose within the groups. 
        The second classroom I went to was the honors Science class with Mrs. King. The room looked like a lab room and had lab tables and rows of desks that faced the front, toward the teacher. In a science class, I think this is a good way to have to room because students need to work in a variety of ways. Since all of the students at Beachwood Middle School are given laptops, Mrs. King was able to discuss a power point while the students had it open on their computers. She was answering questions and they were reviewing the lab that they had done during the previous class period. 
         Mrs. King showed us the websites that she uses and how easy it is to assign and review the lessons and homework from the students. She seemed to incorporate online work more than paper work, which I think is relating more to the kids. With their laptops, they were able to use the resources that the teacher made available to them. The students were answering the questions and engaged in the lesson and also appeared to have a good grasp on what was going on in the classroom. 
        Overall, I really enjoyed both classrooms and felt that I got a lot out of the experience. I saw two different teaching styles, but I think that the styles reflect the subject or information that is being covered. I think that this was a very valuable observation and I will keep these in mind when I am learning about my own teaching style. I loved being able to be in the classroom and I think that if the teacher enjoys having observers, the experience works much better for both sides.

Blog Post 6

        In Freire's text, he repetitively states that when teachers use the banking system, they are not teaching the students to their full capability. As I reflected on this idea, I thought about my experience as a student. I believe that it is more common to see teachers who prefer to use the banking system and do not try to connect on an intellectual level with the children. They see themselves as the authority and that creativity and communication should be put behind getting the information into the minds of the students. This problem makes me wonder why exactly this is happening. With the amount of positions and teaching candidates, you would think that the only teachers that would be hired would be the ones that are really interested in the achievement of their students. Then I wondered what the administration of a school is looking for when they hire a teacher. They seek an educator that will help the children get higher test grades that reflect the status of the school. 
        Beyond the teachers, one area that needs to be reconfigured is the administrators of the school. They need to seek out the teachers that will not resort to the banking system and deny the children the right to a creative and hands-on learning experience. There needs to be a spark in the school as a whole, much like the spark that most students enter the building with. Kids seem to have a natural desire to learn and to see the world in different ways. This needs to be reflected in the goals of a school community. If the administration makes that a mission, they will hire the teachers that will strive towards working in a problem posing way. 
        This movement requires the cooperation of the education community. There needs to be less emphasis on how children test, or what disorder they have, or why they want to draw a picture during class. All of the little things that make up the child can help the teachers discover something about them and can be incorporated into the lesson for that child. Instead of looking at school as a textbook, we need to start looking at it from the child's point of view, like a coloring book. They need to figure out what colors to make it and how they want it to look in the end. If the students know that there is not a wrong answer, they may be willing to take more chances and to participate more fully. I sincerely hope that I will be able to be an educator that looks to the child and their experience as a guide to my classroom instead of a textbook and the curriculum as the only correct answer.

Blog Post-It

        While reading through the text written by Freire, I noticed a great number of similarities between the ideas of Freire and of Ayers, the author of To Teach. I had a Post-It note near Freire's quote "Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students." My note said that I get the image of the front cover of To Teach. I think that this idea and this image work together to try to create the standard way of looking at teaching. The job of the teacher is not just to teach, but also to be able to learn from students. I believe that if you give kids the opportunity to learn in different ways, they will better retain the information that was covered. 
        The style of problem-posing teaching was the style that I think that Ayers preferred in his book. He often discusses situations that would seem foreign to a teacher that taught in the bank deposit format. He talks about using his desk as a work space for the students and making it an area to play and be creative in. He also tried to incorporate a variety of ways for students to learn that allowed them to become problem solvers and think through a real life situation. 
        The only downside I see to both Ayers and Freire is that they seem to believe that this type of teaching is possible all of the time and in every situation. It is not always logical for a teacher to use their desk as a working space. It is not possible for every lesson to be taught in a creative way and with the type of style that Freire discusses. Some things, like memorizing the multiplication table or learning a new language need to be done over time and need to be developed by the child themselves. Since I want to be a math teacher, I know that I will probably have to go over these types of lessons. I will make sure to try and stay interactive with the students, but sometimes they need to have their own time to think it over. I will try to use my experience as a student to know what types of teaching styles to avoid. I think that overall, the thing that both Freire and Ayers want is teachers that want the kids to succeed by thinking with the teacher and discovering the truth behind what they are learning. I intend to work side by side with my students and learn with them and to teach them in the way that is best suited for that particular class of children. 

Blog Post 5

        While I could understand the ideas that Rofes was trying to make clear, I could not always see how I have been affected by these topics. I went to a high school that only had one student that came out openly and he was accepted, but the topic was not discussed that often. Religion class was the only time that anything that could be considered uncomfortable was talked about. When we talked, the teacher had to teach us what the Church believes. We looked at that stand point and then we would talk about our own individual views on the topic. Most everyone agreed that they supported the freedom for people to live and to love as they want.
       As a student, I have not witnessed anything that Rofes discussed about homophobia and heterosexism. I have gone to Catholic schools for my entire life and have been taught to treat others as I would like to be treated. We were taught to be nice to people that we come in contact with, but we also never really seemed to talk about the specific things that make us different. When people have expressed differences, I have never recalled anyone being ridiculed for it. At the same time, it seems as though there was a bigger emphasis on seeing what we all have in common.
        Rofes discusses childhood as a structured upbringing that makes the children completely dependent on what the parent desires for them. Rofes believes that childhood should be more about what the child needs and wants. He believes that he was denied the ability to be himself as a child and had to conform to what people wanted. The way that people judge others for differences and wanting to be different is something that really bothers Rofes.  I want to be teaching middle school children and I think that age is a very crucial time in the children's lives. They need to be able to express their feelings and who they want to be. I want my school to allow me to assist the children in finding their identity and realizing that they can achieve anything and be anything that they want to be.