On-Line Resources

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/
http://www.lauracandler.com/
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/teach.jsp
http://free.ed.gov/
http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/edu/edu01_0000-eng.htm

My Philosophy of Teaching

My philosophy on teaching begins and ends with respect. I believe that respect is essential in everything a teacher does and there is no replacement for it in the classroom. Respect helps maintain classroom management in that its very essence is based on modeling behavior of the teacher to the students. With respect in the classroom, there will be teaching and learning happening. The environment will be free of fear and will be a healthy place to conduct learning.

I believe that a teacher, just as a parent, cannot do it all on their own. There is a plethora of people helping out both on center stage along with behind the scenes and the teacher (the conductor in this little example) needs to be aware of all of them as well as use these resources whenever necessary.

I believe that students may need to take baby steps when building up their knowledge bank. Sometimes it takes a few shaky steps before you can stride with confidence and a few more confident strides before you can run (and even fly). I believe that the work being done in the classroom must be valid to the outside world. After all, that is where they are being taught to use it. I believe that Gardiner is onto something with his different levels of learning and that Maslow's work is also important in that you cannot freely think if you cannot hear the thoughts in your head over the growling of your stomach. I believe that the past must be taught so that we can learn from the 'mistakes' which caused such harm and yet brought the human race to where it is today. I believe that every culture has something of value and should be introduced, addressed and discussed with respect. I believe that we should NEVER give up on children. We should not tag or label them - especially before they have had a chance to hit their stride. In doing so, we are restricting them and not giving them a chance to show us what they can do; just reminding everyone of what they cannot do.

I believe that I am young and green and that many of my views will change with time and experience but one thing which I do not think will change is the amazement I feel in regards to children, their learning and how they must be the ones leading the way with an adult only along as a guide on their educational trip.

Chapter Thirteen

Testing is a way to asses learning. It is a great way to see what is sinking in and whether the nature of your teaching is effective. Using it in a way that tells you what the students already know as well as what they need to know is a good way to inform you of where to start so that you are not below or above the level which the students are currently sitting. I believe that grading is necessary in the older grades but not in the younger grades. There are so many things which they are being taught and shown and re-taught that they are still at the beginning of learning how to learn. All of the basics are building with practice and guidance and some people just do not pick up on them as quickly as others. To grade a student before they have had a chance to find their legs may just pigeon hole them before they even know what a pigeon hole is. Why begin a prophecy which may one day be self-fulfilled?

The other way to look at grading as a way to communicate with the family at home regarding how a student is doing in the class. There are better ways to do this than to assign a letter (or number) to their name and call it a day. One way is the Triad conferences where the student takes their parent(s) around the class/school and show them what they have been doing and what they have learned. The teacher is also available at this time to talk with the parents regarding any issues or questions that either party has. Notes home in agendas are a quick way to communicate as well and do not have the stigma attached to grades.

As it is expected of the teacher to assign grades, I will. This I have a very hard time doing though for the reason stated above. I would prefer to discuss how a student is increasing in the skills at hand and whether there are any concerns but beyond that, I would prefer to share anecdotes of what is happening in this student's school life. Are they being vocal in their opinions? Are the opinions well thought out or still surface reflex responses. In the older grades, I would also like to include self-assessment and meta-cognition as a part of assessing the students in their learning. having them write a September piece then a December piece and have them compare the two a little later on in the year.

A grading plan for my class (given the choice) would be a co-operative piece. It would have my assessment of how the student is doing in each of the subjects. Whether they are showing an understanding of the concepts at hand or whether they need a little more assistance in the area yet. It would be based on:
- E : Expert - has mastered the mateial at hand and is ready for the next level.
- J : Journeyman - is gaining the knowledge needed but is not yet proficient at this level.
- N : Novice - has the basics but still struggling.
- N/A : Not Applicable
these 'grades' would be accompanied by an explanation/anecdote sharing why this grade was given. The second part of the grading plan would be completed by the student sharing how they think that they are doing in each of the subjects. depending on the grade, it could be as simple as circling the face which they feel is appropriate to answering in question form how they feel they are doing.

Chapter Twelve

Planning is an interesting concept. As many teachers who have been in the field for some time will tell you, there is no time to make lesson plans in the detail which is required during the education process of becoming a teacher. Many of the teaching methods which I admire have little direct pre-planning and more of an exploration style where the lessons follow the route set forth by the student’s interests and what they are currently fascinated by. This cannot be pre planned but the teacher must be open to it and have an iron clad grasp of the curriculum to have both sides meet. Education is more meaningful when it is relevant to one’s life so (as an example) having resources available to the students who love motorcycles will make it more meaningful for them. This in particular could be done for learning to read and write, science in the objects in motion cluster and in math. With all of that being said, a teacher need to have a game plan and an idea of what they could teach for each area to start off with and work with if the students are not leading him/her in a viable direction. My planning would be a combination of the two approaches. I will have a ‘game plan’ but be open to (and looking for) ways to make learning personal for the students and incorporate as many of their interests into the lessons as possible.

Chapter Eleven

Classroom management without a doubt is essential. Without it, there can be no learning or teaching happening. My philosophy is that respect must be an integral part of classroom management and that it cannot be an environment of respect if the teacher walks into the classroom and states “here are the rules… obey”. I believe that classroom management relies on teamwork and co-operation and these are built upon respect as a foundation. I will set the rules with the class, talking with them about how many societies rely on rules to govern behaviour and make it so expectations in regards to behaviours and responsibilities are fair. The first rule I will suggest to the class is to respect themselves, respect others and respect property. With these covered, I do not really see a need to make redundant rules such as “no hitting” as they are covered. Before this rule is in place though, I would discuss what is meant by the term respect and what it sounds like and looks like. A rule cannot be valid or enforced if it is not understood. With allowing (and encouraging) the student to make their own class rules, I hope to instil in them a sense of ownership and hopefully this will lead them to abide by the rules of their own accord.

Chapter Ten

If all of those heart-wrenching motion pictures have taught us nothing but one thing is that the teacher strives to reach and motivate and inspire the hard to reach students to bring them into the educational light. I believe that this (if nothing else from those movies) is correct, just as you must strive to help the students who are flourishing in a class and keep them motivated and challenged you must help the students on the other end of the spectrum. This is done by making the assignments applicable to them and giving them choices. Yes, they must complete the work to show that knowledge has been gained but they need not do it principally in paper form. They might take off and write a song, interpretive dance or video of their own. I think that the think to be specific of here is to be sure that boundaries and expectations are set early and by both parties involved. If the options put forth are not intriguing enough to the student, allow the student(s) or class to come up with some other options which pique their interest. For some students, the pressure of a given time-line may not help matters, in this case, consider having the student set an (acceptable) guideline and see if the self-initiative this provokes helps the assignments along. If, after setting their own goals, their work is not in hold them accountable. That is what will happen in 'real' life and that is what should happen in education as well - for are we not attempting ot teach them how to get along in real life?

Chapter Nine

As a learner, I often find myself agreeing with Piaget in that knowledge is a body of ever changing ideas which are greatly influenced by the world around us. This accounts quite well for the differences in culture and how different people from all over the world know so many different things. I also think that there are steps which one must follow and that a great many of those are universal which agrees with both Skinner and J. Anderson but I am still partial to the fluid knowledge of Piaget. I agree with him too that the teacher is the facilitator and not necessarily the bearer of knowledge, nor should the teacher be. The role of a teacher is to help the student find a way to get by in this world on their own which often means encouragement and an occasional hint in the 'right' direction but not being led by the hand to gain the exact experiences as my neighbor does. With this in mind, the learning is left up to the individual and with them at the reigns it is their seeking of knowledge and will be meaningful to them. I agree with Piaget that learning is learning how to think, question and answer those questions on ones own.

Chapter Eight

In a classroom, especially with early years in mind, I find it challenging to come up with ideas for appropriate learning strategies and tactics. I know that I would be certain to start small / short and work at taking baby steps first and foremost. As an example, I would start by reading a book and having the students look/listen for
- The major idea
o Why is it the major idea?
o What do we already know about the major idea?
o Is it important? Why or why not?
o What are the key points? What do they have to do with the major idea?
o How does it connect to other things which we are learning about?
I would also keep a class web to show how major ideas are related in different subjects and how are they all working together. I would work at keeping a class definition book/wall/poster and use it for key terms as well. Spelling for the subject would be up on the word wall. I would make a point of talking with the students about how these are strategies for learning and studying. I would also talk with them about how in using these tools they are finding the answers out for themselves and that is empowering.

For a different idea, I would ask the students to pick a book and pick out “the most important sentence” in the:
- Book
- page
- Paragraph
And ask them to write down why they think these are the important ones.

Chapter Seven

My theory of learning is indefinable. There is no ‘right’ way to learn and thus no ‘right’ way to teach. Each person needs different things to successfully learn. My personal theory on learning involves movement. Children are not known for sitting still, they are known for movement, actions, questions, “me do” (the hands on technique) with mouths and hands and feet all going a mile-a-minute and during all of this they do not miss a thing! I believe in learning centers, learning through play/movement/games and I believe in exploration time. I think that Gardiner’s theories of multiple intelligences need to be taken into account and in that the classroom needs to represent as many of them as possible. I believe that learning is diverse and flexible and teachers should work to be the same.

Chapter Six

Extrinsic reinforcement and punishment is never ideal. In general, intrinsic motives are more stable and longer lasting. Beyond that, extrinsic motivation and punishment are sometimes necessary as a means to an end. Behaviors, reactions and actions need to be learned somehow and this technique has worked in the past. Even though I believe that extrinsic reinforcement and punishments sometimes need to be used, I believe that they need to be used sparingly. Expectations need to be set clearly, early on and they need to be consistent. In regards to the response(s) to the behaviors – both negative and positive – there must some form of reaction which is either a negative response to reduce the occurrence of the action or a positive one to increase the action prominence. In addition, these responses need to be timely, consistent and expected; ones out of left field may be lost in translation.

Chapter Five

I believe that multi-cultural education is a good thing. Culture is formed by histories and history has formed our present day lives. By teaching and valuing different cultures and doing it with consideration and respect, we are teaching our students to value and respect cultures, including our own.

Tracking is a different matter. By tracking students, the system is telling them that a) they are destined for a glorious future full of success or b) they are destined for failure. Both options have their own added pressures and neither is true but can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. People need to be supported and given the same rights and opportunities. Students already know where they are strong and where they need help, they do not need reminders.

Chapter Four

Ideas for developing student’s language
- Find out what the student is interested in and bring in books/magazines/pictures on that subject
o Be sure that the material is within or just above their reading level so that they are not bored or frustrated
o Lots of explanatory pictures for those who are struggling to read
- Let them share with you, a small group, the class what they know about the subject
o Help them find out what questions they still have and encourage them to find these answers too
- Lead by example
o Ask questions which are appropriate and valid
o Wait for student to (finish) respond(ing)
- Encourage, encourage, encourage

Gardiner’s Intelligences – Lesson Plan

Plants
Engagement Phase:
- Have plants growing in classroom which the students have planted
- Have posters of pictures and vocabulary relating to plants all over the classroom
- Have books/magazines available in a ‘special’ plant corner for the student to read
Exploration Phase:
- Have students draw/paint plants
- Have students mould/sculpt plants
- Measure the progress of the plants and keep a chart to show the changes
- Write stories/poems about what they see
- Take a walk in a quiet park and ask the students what they
o Hear – what could we use to make those sounds in our classroom?
o Find pre-determined plants in small groups (4 or 5)
o Play a game of N/S/E/W with plant parts to get them running
Explanation Phase:
- Journal the experience
o What have I learned about plants?
o What have I found valuable about this knowledge?
o What new questions do I have about plants?
o How can I use this knowledge?

Table 4.13 (pg 143)

Making a Referral
1. Contact the student’s parents. It is very important that you discuss the student’s problems with the parents before you refer.
2. Before making a referral, check all the student’s school records. Has the student ever
o Had a psychological evaluation?
o Qualified for special services?
o Been included in other special programs (e.g. for disadvantaged children; speech or language therapy)?
o Scored far below average on standardized tests?
o Been retained?
Do the records indicate
o Good progress in some areas but poor progress in others?
o Any physical or medical problem?
o That the student is taking medication?
3. Talk to the student’s other teachers and professional support personnel about your concern for the student. Have other teachers also had difficulty with the student? Have they found ways of dealing successfully with the student? Document the strategies you have used in your class to meet the student’s educational needs. Your documentation will provide evidence that will be helpful to or required by the team of professionals who evaluate the student. Demonstrate your concern by keeping written records. Your notes should include items such as
o Exactly what you are concerned about;
o Why you are concerned about it;
o Dates, places, and times you have observed the problem;
o Precisely what you have done to try to resolve the problem;
o Who, if anyone, helped you devise the plans or strategies you have used;
o Evidence that the strategies have been successful or unsuccessful

Remember that you should refer to a student only if you can make a convincing case that the student may have a handicapping condition and probably cannot be served appropriately without special education

Referral for special education begins a time-consuming, costly, and stressful process that is potentially damaging to the student and has many legal ramifications.

Chapter Three

Values and moral behavior are not only an asset but a must and teaching these skills/behaviors falls along the same lines. It is a parent’s job to ‘parent’ their child(ren) but as role models to that child teachers must also lead by example. The ‘do as I say, not as I do’ guideline leads to internalizing in hypocrisy and shows that the golden rules are mere guidelines.

In my classroom, I will work towards making it an environment which is safe, consistent and fair. I am working towards gaining insight into my own biases and preconceived notions to be aware of them and with this awareness work toward ridding myself of them. I will work toward teaching students that they have choices and along with these choices come responsibilities. As well, with every action there is a reaction which follows and must be accepted and thought of when making the choices that we make. Beyond that, I will look at how each individual has something valuable to contribute and that everyone is worth while - not just the 'popular' kids.

Chapter Two

Matching teaching to the student’s current level of development is essential. If the lessons are taught over or below their level(s), they will get nothing from the lesson. There needs to be a solid basis of information to build upon otherwise it will have no meaning. Beyond that, if the student is constantly frustrated or bored then they will be turned off of learning anything at all and give up on schooling in general.
Piaget’s ideas are related to “readiness to learn” in that his theories are building blocks where individuals learn using hands on techniques which mould and alter their knowledge of how the world works as they come into contact with it. When someone learns this way, they are more likely to learn what they are ready to learn. In addition to that, they are building onto the knowledge they already have and are less often left in the dust not knowing something since they are building as they learn.

Piaget’s ideas are related to “readiness to learn” in that schemas need to be developed before they can be adjusted. If there is no basis to build upon then, in Piaget’s line of thinking, the building cannot yet happen.

The role of direct teaching should be saved and used for fact based learning. It is also useful when learning some defined skills but in general, discovery allows students to learn at their own pace. Piaget is an influence for me in that he advocated for allowing experience and the environment to change schemas and how people learn. Vygotsky’s ideas are based much more on the influence of other people and not on the learning between the individual and the environment.

Reading to children and allowing them both the time and the freedom to experiment and learn in/from the world around them are two ways which parents can be and are encouraged to be a part of the student’s learning.