ED 227: My Learning in Process

1. ED 227: My Learning in Process Lewis Sheridan ED 227 – Johnson 4/24/13

2. Overview • Reading Assignments • Instructional Patterns and Philosophies for Student-focused Schools • Needs Based Environment • Lens of Observation • Role of Power • Reflections on Service

3. Reading Assignment 1 Motivation • Teachers cannot force students to learn but at the same time without state standards, how else would they motivate students to succeed? Traditional vs. Progressive Style Teaching • Taught me that the styles of teaching gradually taking over schools are much more student-focused

4. Reading Assignment 2 Body Image and Self-Esteem • I was able to relate to this being a late bloomer in middle school. However, it was a moment of discovery for me that there are tactics teachers use to help students deal with social problems. Power With vs. Power Over • Discussed the two different approaches to teaching; one being a democratic form and the other being authoritarian • This completely changed my plan on how I am going to teach as I had never heard of a “power with” style of teaching

5. Reading Assignment 3 Positive Teaching • Vatterott stated that positive beliefs and attitudes by the teacher are essential to a student’s success. • I definitely noticed this at Shortridge with Ms. Wilder’s classroom • This is a theory I plan to carry on with my own teaching style as I think it will be more effective than teaching harshly Understanding the Students • A teacher should know that every student comes from a different background • This was something I had never really noticed until stepping foot into Shortridge

6. Instructional Patterns for Student-focused Schools Teacher-Student Relationships • I noticed that in some of the classrooms the teachers had great relationships with their students, while in others the students were constantly talking back to the teacher. • This made me question: How does a teacher develop a good relationship with his students? Learning Environments • I noticed that the learning environments set the moods for all of the classrooms. • Dan Findley’s “The Beach” • Kevin Sandorf’s multimedia room

7. Needs Based Environment Positive Social Interaction with Adults and Peers • A moment of awesomeness I noticed at Shortridge was when I saw the pictures of students playing sports above their lockers. • This changed my thinking about how I am going to teach because I had previously had the feeling that I was just going to be a teacher to these kids, not a mentor or even a confidant. Competence and Achievement • This was a need that I do not necessarily give a high importance to because it is a behaviorist approach to learning. • Students should not have to be forced into learning because they will either be rewarded for doing good or punished for doing bad.

8. Lens of Observation Differing Relationships between Students and Teachers • Once at Shortridge I noticed how different each and every classroom was. The classrooms where the students seemed to legitimately like the teacher functioned much better than the ones where the teacher seemed alienated from the students. • This taught me how necessary it will be for me to get to know and care about my students in a more personalized way. Student Segregation • Only students of the same race or gender seemed to flock together. • This was a moment of confusion for me because I thought America had gotten past that age. Either way I believe that the teacher should try to help students of different ethnicities understand each other’s culture.

9. Role of Power Classroom Management • I experienced confusion about the best way to manage a classroom. • In some instances I saw where the teacher had the students calm and taking notes but they did not seem to be processing what they were writing down. • In another scenario, the classroom was like a jungle with students talking out loud and out of turn for the entire time I was in there, but it also seemed as though they were following her lesson and thinking for themselves when they did choose to answer her questions.

10. Service Reflection Power With or Power Over? • After performing the service at Shortridge I am still undecided on which style of teaching I should use. • On the one hand, power with seems like the obvious choice for the betterment of the students but it also seems like the most stressful style of teaching there is. Lack of Service • A frustrating moment for me was the lack of actual service that we actually did. I figured we would be working with kids at some point in every session. • I believe that would have definitely helped me in learning the best ways to teach and handle students.

11. Most Significant Thing I Learned • The most significant thing that I learned this semester is that every teacher has a different way of getting their students to learn. • I personally believe that I value an environment where the students are not afraid to speak up and ask questions but at the same time respect me as the authority of the classroom.