How do I start thinking like a teacher?

Take everything as a learning experience. Map out how I would do things and see what could be done differently to make it more productive. Some times I think that I think like a teacher but many times I wonder if I’ll ever get that skill. Often I’m worried I won’t be able to teach and reach everyone and get them to reach their goals. In the summer I teach swimming lessons and only have to worry about getting them to improve in small increments. Usually there are no more then 10 in a group and it’s very easy to see who’s not getting it and will need more help. In a school environment where kids are learning facts and knowledge how do you know if everyone is getting it especially if the student themselves doesn’t know they aren’t getting it and do not ask for help. I’m hoping the more experience I have and the more knowledge I gain will help me become more comfortable in changing my way of thinking from looking at things just from a perspective as a student into one of both a student and a teacher.

Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

This varies from person to person depending on what their own theory of education is. In our SED class we wrote our beginning philosophies of education which will evolve with the more we learn, and learning about theories and historical influences can help strengthen them. In the research we did on educational shifts not only did we get to learn about educational shifts that interested us and most likely mimicked part of our beginning philosophies but by review others we were able to learn more about other shifts and their influences. Though I did not do this I think it would be interesting to look at theories and influences that are against our philosophies. Sometimes finding out what you believe is helped by learning about what you don’t.

How can I use knowledge of the learner to be a better teacher?

Every time we step into a classroom we see a different teaching style that we either like and want to mimic or one we disagree with. Also in this class on the first day we discussed room arrangement, I had never really thought about how much the way a room is set up influences a student. By being a learner ourselves we can see what works and what doesn’t. When we become teachers we can put our selves in our students shoes and understand what will work better for their learning styles.

How can I be successful at UMF?

In order to become successful at UMF you need to know what tools are available to every student and who to talk to in order to get what you need. In class we used schedule builder and had to find out how to contact our advisors, who are some ways our life line and first link to the rest of the UMF community. Other tools were brought to light and such as Everyone’s Resource Depot, and an important one the Media Lab. Until this semester I hadn’t realized the different programs available down in the basement of Robert, because of the blog we wrote on Symposium Day I was able to see ways to make projects look more organized and professional. Also using resources such as a wikispace or a blog for projects or class organization are helpful tools that I have never used that make it easy to collaborate on work at both UMF and to use in a teaching career.

How do I become a teacher?

First, have the want to become a teacher, if you don’t want to do it what’s the point. Second, graduate from UMF, or any other accredited college. In order to do this one must learn how to be successful at UMF and use resources to our advantage. Next follow the steps to get certification in the state you want to teach in. Just because you have a degree doesn’t mean that you qualify to teach in every state. You still must apply, pay, and then spend the next few years proving that you deserve this job. The assignment on how do you become certified to teach brought to light so many things I did not know about becoming certified. I hadn’t realized how hard it was, how much paperwork their was, how much money was involved, how many tests I would have to take, and how much work and learning I would have to do in order to stay a teacher.

Campuswide Interventions That Improve Student Achievement

Setting up goals and benchmarks that all teachers on campus must have the students reach is key. In order for students to reach their full potential they need to be able to have clear guidelines and goals that do not change drastically from class to class. While everyone’s teaching style is different teachers must talk to one another to make sure they are striving towards the same goal. In the article it gave a plan of attack on fragmented sentences and what they want to achieve and when. Each teacher would have to follow this but how they went about teaching it would be up to them as long as the reached the ultimate goal. Communication between teachers is key to student success whether it be from grade to grade or subject to subject.

Working With Students From Poverty: Discipline

Kids learn earlier on that the every game has different rules they must follow in order to win. “Likewise, they need to learn to use different rules to be successful in the setting they are in.” All students, not just those from poverty, must learn that there are different rules and ways to act depending on if you are in a classroom, out on the playground, or at home. While something might be appropriate in one of the settings it might not be in the other. Students must learn to judge what behavior is appropriate and to do so without being told. Much of going to school is not just about learning the facts but also learning how to socialize and become a productive and valued part of society.