So I graduated.

What have I graduated unto? For a little while I was thinking 6 months to a full year off would be something great to graduate to. These thoughts were of course intermingled with disdain for writing papers and completing seemingly pointless assignments (as all assignments seem pointless when approaching the end). After attending the Teaching Fellows' Senior banquette, I was reminded of my fervor for becoming an educator. No, teaching cannot wait. I cannot wait to teach, because those children need me as soon as I am ready.

I hope...

wow. Freedom Writers. Intense.

I hope that someday I will have the guts to stand up in front of people whom I know are judging me from my core to my outward appearance and passionately say what I believe while asking them to push themselves to consider a judgment or opinion outside of their first.

I hope that someday I will be able to have such a climate of respect in my classroom that students will be truly free to speak their minds.

I hope that someday I will be able to stand up to individuals who use their authority in ways that diminish the lives of my students.

I hope that someday I will be able to take on the role of a teacher in a classroom where every student depends on me, but in which no student recognizes his need for learning. This is where progress is made.

I hope that someday I will be able to facilitate a discussion that, at the very least, lends students new ideas and ways to view the world so that they may be able to learn to think in terms of other perspectives.

I have a lot of hope....

Propaganda and Some...

I liked the propaganda activity because it was engaging. I think students would learn a lot from the same activity because they are so impressionable and don't realize it. It's sad that some of those forms of propaganda are allowed to exist, but it is important to remember that society lets them exist because it falls for each technique. To me, bashing an opponent, be it political or business, immediately reveals the basher's inferiority. Resorting to putting other people / products down only shows that you can't think of enough positive things to say about yourself/your product for 30 seconds; that is sad. However, millions of Americans tune into those types of commercials and listen, but do not evaluate what they have heard. Thus dishonest forms of propaganda continue.

On the business side of things, propaganda is necessary for success. My dad owns his own business, and even as a child I observed his salesmanship and critiqued his overly abundant honesty about his products. I coached him not to lie, but not to be the first to point out the negatives either. Focus on the positive. As you take in different forms of propaganda, it is necessary to assess what you are being told versus what is being sold in order to come to a balanced evaluation of what is really going on...

As far as listening in general, there is a reason friends who are "good listeners" derive such acclaim. It's hard to listen without anticipating speaking. We are all the center of our own universe and therefore selfish - which bleeds into our listening skills. It's okay, it's human, but we can't expect much in the form of listening from students unless we coach them and serve as a role model for good listening.

Grammar

Being that I submitted my final observation results only seconds ago... it's all fresh on my mind.

I think the most significant thing that I took from the observation experience is looking at my cooperating teacher in her role as teacher for a second time - this time, after I've been in her shoes. I must say, I still think she is amazing! I also recognize that even amazing teachers have flaws. Or...rather, differing opinions.

I will be leaving Edu 300 with the question: How will I develop my grammar instruction? This was a significant thread in my reflections after observations and I think I am a little more decided, but I can't stop thinking that there has to be a downfall. I mean, why else would so many great teachers resort to such grueling methods of teaching grammar?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

I have mentioned my thesis a few times, but I think I failed to mention that I am doing my Honors research project on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Well, actually, I am focusing more on the 1939 film adaptation...but, for many, that is the only adaptation that exists.

Yes, there was a book. L. Frank Baum wrote it and it was published in 1900. I am utterly fascinated by the popularity and longevity of the film/story. The story, to me, is beautiful in its simplicity.

I intended to research the book so that I would have a knowledge base that would enable me to create a meaningful unit on it for my classes. Presently, I could talk about it all day, so I am glad that I chose the topic with that end in mind. I have coincidentally collected numerous artifacts that will be beneficial in the creation of a unit.

Because I want to be a positive adult in students' lives, I think The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a great way to start off the 6th grade year (crossing my fingers for a 6th grade position): it is a story everyone (yes, everyone) already knows; it's an easy read, but offers many insights; the theme is one that would most certainly set the tone for success, work ethic, and optimism in my classroom. Because middle school is a time when students often begin asking "Who am I?" the quest of Dorothy and her friends is all-the-more relevant.

I recently purchased a three disk DVD set that includes various adaptations of the story on film (before 1939), lengthy radio broadcasts advertising the debut of the 1939 film, documentaries, short (3 minute) segments about each actor in the 1939 film, and much more! There is so much that I can do with this resource!

There was even an oooolllld scholastic magazine replica included with the set outlining various teaching ideas for The Wizard of Oz.

As I was reading the book, the literary element that stood out most to me was irony. The Scarecrow believes he has no brain...but he is always the first to offer an intelligible solution for the problems that he and his friends face. Students could be asked to locate such instances for themselves and provide alternate outcomes that would not be ironic.

Okay. Out for now.

Progress

Well, my last post got me moving.

Sunday was a day well spent on the research of schools around the area that I intend to live. I found one school that appealed to me more than the other 20 that I researched, but I found it hard to judge the schools by their incomplete websites. Maybe it is a good judge? We are, after all, in an era of technology...

On Friday I sent that thank you note to the Henderson County Personnel Director. I feel like my motive shines through as a antic to get my foot in the door, when, really, I was thankful that he showed up at the fair and felt that he should be encouraged to continue doing so. So I had TWO motives; one more genuine than the other.

Also, I started filling out my general application for employment as an NC teacher. Thankfully, it is a handful of redundant questions. Progress! I'm making progress!

Teacher Freeze. Rant. Stress. Rant. Breathe.

I'm getting nervous.

I know I should have so many forms filled out, and so many cover letters hot off the press, in sealed envelopes, ready to mail. But I don't. Threats of teacher-freezes (who even knew that they could throw that term out there like it's a bi-yearly problem?) are leaving me with sweaty palms and an uncertain view of my next few years. I'm frantically trying to begin writing my Honors thesis, a whopping 30 pages, while the stress of getting a job is knawing at me. I feel like the end of my student teaching was a pause on my teaching career, at least until I tie up the loose ends of my English major. At the job fair, a few weeks ago, a nice man from Hendersonville told me that I needent worry, that counties didn't even know what was going on yet. It was assuring, momentarily. He was the personell director, and he shook my hand three times and told me to be sure to call. Does he really care if I call? What would I say? "Hi, you shook my hand three times and told me to call. Can I have a job? I'm a Teaching Fellow. Surely that should get my foot in the door? At least that's what they say when you sign your life away to them..."

I had a great teacher in High School who mentored me through my successful attempts to be an over achiever (that began to display itself physically through various symptoms of stress); she used to say: "Breathe."

Breathe.

Mini-lesson

Taylor and I are due to present our mini-lesson today! I am excited, as I always am when presenting a lesson. We are focusing on the revision process through an descriptive writing activity. We are setting up a table that looks like a restaurant's. We are giving our peers pictures of food that they will have to write a description for so that they may "sell" it to the class. We are going to allow time for revision after the first draft of the feature description. I think that it is going to be fun, and I hope that it is a good example for our peers.

I like you, Blog.

Initially, I thought that this blog would be annoying. Honestly, what college student has time for an educational blog? We only have time to peruse facebook and myspace mindlessly. I thought it would be another thing on my "to do" list. It is another thing on my "to do" list, but it is something that I look forward to. It's like the first few weeks of an exercise plan: it's painful at first, but once you see the results, you can't wait to get to the gym to tone your muscles! I like writing this blog. I haven't shown it to my mother yet, but I think it is one that I could, which is more than many college students can say about their blogs. I think I would like for her to see what I'm writing about education.

I am additionally taking a Professional Writing course, which has been a great supplement for my writing ventures in Edu 300. Overall, I am beginning to see that all the writing I have been doing for my English Major has truly been garbage because it was nearly all on topics that I did not feel one way or the other about. The most important thing that I have learned between Edu 300 and Professional Writing is that writing is best when you give a damn. Therefore, I believe I will make all possible efforts to allow my students to write about things that matter to them. It sounds like common sense, but somehow I've gone through 16 years of school without the majority of my teachers coming to this conclusion.

I want to write my book on something that matters to me... I was thinking of making it a story about my relationship with my boyfriend of six crazy years, but it seems too cliche. I was thinking of incorporating poetry, photos, drawings, dialogue, and narrative to tell my story. I'm not sure though.... It feels like a big decision, because I'll be walking away with a product that I may be able to use in my classroom, or even give as a special gift...It has to be good.

The Human Experience

Writing is communicating and reading is learning about what others wish to communicate. Communication is the base of all social networking. The most basic communication is non-verbal, but as we grow and mature we learn to use various means of communication. Often, when we refrain from communicating effectively with others, relationships are severed. In general, individuals who are more apt to "say what they mean, and mean what they say" are envied for their ability to put their thoughts and feelings out in the open, while others are more more timid and more protective with their words. Whether or not being more straigh-forward, or being more reserved in a given social situation is more beneficial, depends on the situation, but I often hear people saying they wish they could express themselves better.

If this is still an issue in the adult world, we must look back to our younger years and think about where we were in our progress in the communication struggle. Teenagers and effective communication do not mix; teenagers are sure that they have figured themselves out and are on high defense because adults are always telling them they have no idea what life is really like. Middle school aged students are worse off because adults are still telling them that they have no idea, and, they are old enough to recognize that they should try to defend themselves, but young enough not to know now to.

The more you communicate, the easier it is to handle these issues. Writing is an outlet for many students who are searching for themselves. Writing allows us to get ourself out of our head; reading our own writing gives us the ability to look ourself in the eyes and assess ourself from the outside, looking in.

As we read, we learn how others express themselves and find connections between our own experiences and the rest of humanities experiences. This link, at times, has kept many of us from going off the deep end, including myself. It is sad to think that many children are moving towards seclusion as time goes by without their learning to read.

As a teacher, I think it is important to read to your students so that they may have insight into the human experience, even if they are unable to read themselves. Secondly, I think that making sure you have heard each of your students read, in some form, so that you may assess their reading ability, before the end of the first three weeks of classes is important. The sooner you recognize a student that has a problem, the sooner you can help. I also think that it is important for teachers to remember that it is not solely your responsibility to mend the cracks in individual students' education; there is help out there - use it!

Hooked on Foniks...Shoulda' Tried It!

I was reading at a young age because my mother was devoted to ensuring that my older brother and I received plenty of love, care, and attention. We made a weekly trip to the library, where I would hide myself in a corner and read the books I had chosen because I could not wait to get home. My favorite children's book series was The Bernstein Bears. I owned (and still do own) nearly every book in the series. When I was up for a treat from my dad, it was either The Berstein Bears, or Barbie; they won my favor equally.
I remember the first chapter book that I ever read was Little House on the Prairie. I was so excited because it was over 300 pages long; I felt accomplished because I tackled such a big book on my first try. Now, I see that the print is huge and that it was all a trick, but more important memories are attached to that moment of victory. I was lying in my mom and dad's bed, next to my mom, our regular reading spot, when it happened. My mom used to read to us, and when my brother and I got old enough, we read to her. It was almost a daily ritual.
My mom isn't a school teacher, so she didn't focus on teaching us Phonics. I think I remember having a Phonics work book at some point during elementary school, but I do not distinctly remember it being an essential element to my learning how to read. Actually, I do not remember anything about learning how to read other than practicing all the time with my mom.
Somewhere along the way, I missed something though, because I am a terrible speller. My father is much worse, so maybe it's genetic! I was interested to learn in my Language Arts course, that Phonics has much to do with how children spell. It's frustrating to be a bad speller. For example, I dominate at the game Scrabble, but I am always having to ask my opponents how to spell things; I would be much better if I could spell. Also, as a teacher and an English major, I am expected to be a good speller. I feel that I am victim to much more ridicule than others because of my shortcomings in the spelling arena.

All I can say, is thank God for Microsoft Word's spell check. I would be a goner without it.

Ready, set, READ!

Reading for enjoyment, versus reading to learn: I prefer to read literature that is a mixture of aesthetic and efferent reading; aesthetic being reading for enjoyment, and efferent being reading that informs or teaches in some way. I think that as an English major, aesthetic reading is a pleasure that I am rarely at liberty to take part in. For example, Shakespeare is seemingly an aesthetic read, but to an English major it is just another opportunity to evaluate, study patterns, and analyze...wait...I'm not sure anyone but an English major would find Shakespeare a leisure read... Ok, Sahara Special would be considered an aesthetic read, but I never get to read books like that. What I DO get to read is a lot of classic literature that has been tossed between critics for so long that my English professor, whomever she may be, is more knowledgeable on the piece than the author himself. And then I analyze it. Because literature that is taught is usually taught because it has redeeming qualities that include, but exceed the realm of aesthetics, I must say my reading library contains no Stephen King, Danielle Steel, or Dean Koontz. However, the informational articles varying from topics such as school systems to "How to lift fingerprints" do enter my mind when I think of relaxing on the couch and reading. Like I said...it's a mixture. _________________________________________________________ The Reading Process: DO try this at home! Pre-reading: Background information, introducing the text, etc. ex: Introduce the author, or a major theme in the text. Pre-reading is so important, especially in middle school and high school. If the teacher does not "sell" the book to the kids, it is unlikely that they will work to get through the first chapter. Pre-reading activities can be, and should be, exciting, interdisciplinary, and FUN. Reading: reading aloud, with others, or silently ex: The teacher reads to the class. Whatever the reading method, I think that it should be varied. Students can read in pairs, to the class, alone, in small groups, or be read to by the teacher. One thing I took away from Edu 255, Reading in the Content Areas, is that "Round Robin" is the anti-Christ of reading. I found it very hard to completely steer clear of it though...any ideas, anyone? Responding: what did you think about what you read? ex: What was the author's purpose? How is the theme reflected throughout the text? As an English major, I revel in the enjoyment that I take away from responding to literature that I have read. Whether it be an opportunity in class to reflect orally or through a writing assignment, I am always excited to find missing pieces brought together through reflection and response. I hope to provide my students with the same opportunity. Exploring: why? ex: Think about this theme, how can you relate? Once I have responded to literature, looking into my own life and connecting to literature to my own experiences brings a whole new meaning to the text. Literature encapsulates the human experience; it lets us know that we are not alone in our pains and joys. I think that exploring beyond the text to make these connections is a vital step in the reading process; the most important, I might say. Applying: how does this apply to your life? Create something that connects your life to the text. ex: Free write about a time when you felt the same way the main character felt. Applying what you have learned through exploration makes the entire process worthy of your time and energy. If you read a tragedy, and learn nothing from it, catharsis was not achieved, and you have therefore wasted your time. Read to learn, and learn in order to better live. Capable Readers? In order to develop capable readers, you have to read. Read with them, read to them, have them present what they read, have them write about what they read, and ask questions about what they read. Model the reading steps... In response and in accordance with what Becky Forbes said regarding developing capable middle school aged readers, I do believe that the teachers biggest concern should be to choose texts that will captivate students. The more time and effort you put into making sure the text is one they will enjoy, the more respect you will earn from the students. I say this because no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to please ALL students, simultaneously with a text, but if you work towards a variety that attempts to meet the needs of many, students will work through the pieces they do not enjoy - for you, which is, in turn, for their own benefit. Where and how does reading take place? Reading does not always mean English class. Reading can happen in any classroom, and it should. By reading students are able to learn and attach our own bias and opinions before they are fed to them. Lecture often leaves students with a hint of the lecturer's attitude toward the subject being taught. I was taken aback by the presentations given by some of Meredith College's art and music education students. One student incorporated an entire Harriet Tubman novel during a unit about music sang around the time of the Underground Railroad. What an awesome use of integration! Reading can be a short article in the newspaper, a magazine ad, a telephone book, a series of checks (have you seen that piece of literature?), even posters on your classroom wall that students look to during "zone-out/daydream moments" (God-forbid you should allow time for these moments!).

A Beginning Note on Language Arts

I wasn't surprised to find viewing and visually representing on the list of the 6 language arts. I am a visual learner and therefore appreciate the inclusion of either into any of my classes. During my student teaching I worked to include both on a regular basis. For example, the students watched two film clips to learn about allusions. For me, seeing these two clips made the concept so much easier to understand; for some of my students, they needed a more textual explanation. Everyone learns differently.

I think adding these two new types of language arts show that not only have we made technological progress in the past 50 years, but we have also made progress in our education system. I do not fear that by adding visual and viewing language arts to the list that books will somehow flutter away and our children will only be left with video games representing time old tales (in gruesome and twisted ways). I think that by adding these we have simply broadened children's scope, and allowed for more differentiation. I think the more types of learning that are brought to educators' attention, the better chance we have of catching the children who might have previously fallen between the cracks.

In other news, I am excited to be reading Sahara Special! I was wondering about her mother though; her mother made some derogatory comments to her daughter concerning her intelligence. Sahara seems to think their relationship is fine, but I am wondering if her mother is 100% on her side... I am looking to find out more about that in the next chapter. Other than that, I think the story is smooth and easy to get lost in; teachers always like to here inspirational accounts that leave them feeling that they too can change the world for one little girl or boy : )