English Logic and Writing

English Logic and Writing Week 12 – 5 Paragraph Essays

Portfolio Part 2 • Due June 5th(week 14) in class or via email (if you have practicum) • Choose two writings to edit and revise (at least one has to be from weeks 9-12) • Edit = fix any spelling, grammar or mechanics issues • Revision = clarify your thesis, work on the cohesion, and organization of your paragraph • I expect you to add some additional information (1-2 sentences) to your paragraph in order to revise it

Revision Questions • will my purpose be clear to readers? Have I achieved it? • What are my readers’ expectations for this kind of writing? Have I met them? • What is my thesis? Have I supported it for readers? • Is my writing unified? Can readers see how all parts relate to the thesis? • Have I developed my points well? Have I supplied enough details, examples, and other specifics so that my readers can understand me and follow my reasoning? • Is the writing coherent? Can readers see how the parts relate? • Is the organization clear? Can readers follow it?

5 Paragraph Essay • Due June 5th (Week 14) or June 12th (week 15 but we’ll have to make special arrangements so you can pick it up) • At least 3-4 pages in length • Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced • Name, student number, class and date at top • APA Citation (if necessary) • Topic = Your Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Statement of Teaching Philosophy • Also called… • Philosophy Statement of Education • Teaching Statement • Philosophy of Education • Teachers in English speaking countries have to write and update over the years • Sometimes required for Colleges of Education • Sometimes required for job interviews • Generally 1-3 pages in length • Explains what you as a teacher think about teaching, learning, student goals, professional development, etc. • Changes over time

Chism’s Five Components of a Teaching Statement • In other words… • How do people learn? • How do I facilitate that learning? • What goals do I have for my students? • Why do I teach the way that I do? • What do I do to implement these ideas about teaching and learning in the classroom? • Are these things working? Do my student meet the goals? • How do I know they are working? • What are my future goals for growth as a teacher? • Your conceptualization of learning • Your conceptualization of teaching • Your goals for students • How you plan to Implement your philosophy • Your professional growth plan

Essay Rubric • Content (30 points) • Clearly states your Philosophy of Teaching, issues about teaching that are important to you, etc. • Format and Length (20 points) • Intro, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion, over 2 pages long • Paragraph variety (10 points) • Uses different methods of paragraph organization • Paragraph Cohesiveness (20 points) • Strong topic sentence + relevant supporting sentences + paragraphs flow together • English (20 points) • Word choice, variety of sentence structures/grammar, correctness = Total of 100 points

Content (pick 3) • Learning • How do people learn? • How do I facilitate that learning? • Goals • What goals do I have for my students? • How do I ensure students will meet their personal/class goals? • Teaching • What makes a good teacher? • Why do I teach the way that I do? What has shaped me as a teacher? • Implementation • What do I plan to do to implement my ideas into the classroom? • Professional Development • What are my future goals for growth as a teacher? (further training, visiting foreign countries, PhD, add. certification, conferences, etc.)

Introduction • 3-5 sentences • Mention the three topics that you will address in your essay. (Thesis sentence) Teaching is an art, perfected by years of practice working with children. Through careful consideration of _______, ______, and ______, teachers of all ages and at all levels within the profession will be better able to…

3 Body Paragraphs • 5-7 sentences each • I recommend using at least two paragraph patterns

Paragraph • Topic sentence • Supporting idea • Supporting idea • Supporting idea, etc. • Conclusion

Classification (How many types?) • Scientists sort electric fishes into three categories. The first comprises the strongly electric species like the marine electric rays or the freshwater African electric catfish and the south American electric eel. In recent years, biologist have focused on a second category: weakly electric fish in the South American and African rivers that use tiny voltages for communication and navigation. The third group contains sharks, nonelectric rays and catfish, which do not emit a field but possess sensors that enable them to detect electricity.

Three kinds of students • At my practicum school there were three types of kids: the pleasers, the teasers, and the trouble makers. As the first category connotes, the pleasers loved their teachers. These students were in 6th grade, and some of them still hadn’t grown out of “loving school,” much to my relief. The teasers like to pick on me, to push the boundaries and see what they could get away with. Once they figured me out, and I figured out them we got along pretty well. The “trouble makers”, however, were a different bunch altogether. It took a lot of work to help them appreciate the work we were doing in class, and even if progress was made one day, it might be forgotten the next.

Classification • Think of your teaching experience or school life: • How can you classify your: • Students? • Fellow teachers? • Principals? • Professors? • Parents?

Division (What all makes up one thing) • Like the game itself, a baseball is composed of many layers. One of the delicious joys of childhood is to take apart a baseball and examine the wonders within. You begin by removing the red cotton thread and peeling off the leather cover – which comes from the hide of a Holstein cow. Beneath the cover is a thick layer of cotton string, follow by several hundred yards of woolen yarn, which makes up the bulk of the ball. Finally, in the middle is a rubber ball, or “pill,” which is a little smaller than a golf ball. Slice into the rubber and you’ll find the ball’s heart – a cork core.

Division – International Center • The International Center at the University of Missouri, from the outside, looks like an integrated whole, but upon studying its functions further, several distinct areas emerge. First, occupying the most space and resources is the International Students and Scholars division, which takes care of the 2,000+ internationals on campus, giving advice, helping with visa paperwork, and immigration issues. Next is the study abroad team, who helps send over 1,000 students to over 50 countries each year on exchange, fee paying, and faculty led programs. The office wouldn’t be complete without the administrative team, who takes care of the offices fiscal, managerial, and IT needs, as well as representing the university abroad.

Howwell do you know your paragraphs?

Though I am still in the early stages of my teaching career, there are three things I realize that I can do to make my classroom a positive place for goal setting, and well attuned to my students needs. First of all, on the first day of class my students and I will set classroom rules and goals for the year. Later on we will make positive posters about goal setting, good citizenship, and other issues that need to be addressed. Next, I will…

Ideally, teachers would love for students to have their own intrinsic goals for learning, but sadly… which is why it is so important for teachers to make goals and instill confidence in their students. One day, when I was substitute teaching, I met Corey, a 160 pound (72 kilo) 4th grader. He was twice as big as the other boys and had terrible discipline problems in the past, which was why he had a paraprofessional. Meeting Corey though, I would have never guessed he was a problem student. He was polite, obedient, received fairly good grades, and had even lost a few pounds since the start of the school year. Thanks to his paraprofessional, who set goals for him at the beginning of the school year, Corey was on track.

Successfully implementing teaching ideas into the classroom can sometimes feel like trying to complete a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, frustrating at times, but in the end, very rewarding. Time is your biggest enemy as a teacher, limiting how much time you have to make new materials, research effective teaching techniques, and spend on decorating your classroom. However it is so important… and it is my desire to be able to dedicate enough time to implement the best practices into my classroom.

Through my experience teaching in middle schools and high schools in the US and abroad I have come to believe that students learn best when they are taught using Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. Students have a variety of predispositions that cause them to learn better when taught using different techniques…Switching between the Multiple Intelligences techniques can help all students become more proficient at attaining knowledge through different skills. For instance…

A super teacher is prepared for anything, balancing her professional and personal life, her students’ needs and learning objectives like a juggler at a circus. At school she is a quarterback, cheerleader and coach all in one; whenever a problem arises…she can quickly find a way to address the problem, helping students reflect on what happened turning a bad situation into a life lesson. Her classroom looks like a rainbow exploded, splattering life and color onto all of the walls, and always feels warm and inviting. It even has a smell... It is my goal to be a teacher like this…

Learning is the process by which new information is acquired. Learning can occur at all stages of life, within a classroom, at a conference, informally among friends, on the streets, and online. As teachers then we must be aware that students can and will learn more in our classroom than the content we are teaching… they are learning the importance of school, cooperating with others… I believe it is therefore, important that teachers approach English in a positive manner, don’t overcorrect student errors, and be a good role model…

My goals for students in English class include fostering interest in English as a foreign language, helping students learn strategies for learning English outside of the classroom, and gaining appreciation of foreign cultures… When these goals are realized students will be global citizens, able to speak English, find ways to learn any English they do not know on their own, and be able to use English to speak with people from around the world.

The issue of professional development brings back memories of two teachers I met during my practicum experience who exemplified why professional develop is so important for the teaching profession. One math teacher I met was recently named “teacher of the year” in our city. She was a leader at her school, active in the community, and a member of the National Math Teacher’s Association. Not only did she... One science teacher I met, however, was anything but this… From meeting these two teachers I saw the importance of professional development...

English teachers can be divided into three categories: passionate teachers, so-so teachers, and unmotivated teachers. Passionate teachers have strong ideas and goals concerning their students being able to learn English. Throughout the lesson these teachers not only teach English in a clear and precise manner, but also open their students eyes to other countries and cultures that use English as a language of communication. So-so teachers… Unmotivated teachers… As a teacher who is highly passionate, I hope I can…

Homework • Write a 5-7 sentence classification or division paper on any topic you like. • If you can write about teaching, education, students, etc. you may be able to use it in your 5 paragraph essay

English Logic and Writing