INTASC Principle 9: Reflective Practice
Reflective Journal
January 1, 2005
I am excited to be in this class and have the opportunity to work at Southside. I must admit I am very nervous because I have never taught an actual class yet. I have peer taught, but I anticipate authentic high school students to be quite different.
January 12, 2005
It was interesting to see what philosophy of education I have. According to the survey, I am mostly progressive. I agree with this interpretation because I do encourage a student-centered classroom. I try to stay flexible and I hope to be the students' guide. I find essentialism old-fashioned. Being aware of different philosophies is helpful for the world. It can give insight into other professors or politicians.
January 13, 2005
Summerhill was unlike anything I can imagine. In general, I do not think it can really work, no do I think it is a good idea. Most kids are not equipped to make those decisions. I think students need some sort of driving force and encouragement in education. I would not run my classroom this freely. Students need choices and a voice, but to an extent.
January 18, 2005
Today we talked about lesson planning. It seems so crucial to always over-plan so you have everything just right. How do teachers find time to do this? Is it a bad habit to use old lesson plans year after year? I am nervous that even with planning I will forget some things in class. I like working in groups to come up with new and different activities for the lesson plans.
January 19, 2005
I am a French teaching major and language learning is very different than learning other subjects. I believe that using differentiated lessons is important in the foreign language classroom. Some students will be at different levels, so it is necessary to be sensitive to that. Differentiated lessons by learning style or readiness are probably the ones I would use. I just don't know how often to use this or not to use it.
January 20, 2005
Deadlines are something we all know about and have to deal with. I just don't know how much to enforce them or stick to them. The world is based on deadlines and everyone has to meet them. I am worried that I have a tendency not to enforce deadlines strictly that I will not be preparing students for the world outside of school. I don't think it is the dealing that is crucial, but learning and trying assignments is the goal. I feel conflicted on this issue. Also I want to leave room for situational things and exceptions. I am thinking about this often and how I want that in my classroom.
January 21, 2005
In class we mentioned swearing in the classroom. This is an issue most people are quick to say it is absolutely not allowed. I think it requires a lot more thought though. Swearing is so prevalent and present in society and the home. How can we expect kids to understand swearing is unacceptable when it surrounds them? I think I will talk to the students about appropriate language for the classroom. I want them to understand the correlation between environment and language. I don't want to just say it is not allowed. I want them to know why it is not allowed.
January 24, 2005
Technology is a growing aspect in education. I had a professor claim that technology is not important because it doesn't prepare students for jobs in the future. I believe our world is increasingly important and present in all parts of society. I believe incorporating it into the classroom and using it to aid in the material and content. I want to make it fair for all SES's though.
January 25, 2005
Today in class we had a heated discussion about rules and classroom discipline/management. I understand everyone has their own view on this issue. I believe there is a need for certain rules. Respect is a rule I believe needs to be in place and enforced. Without rules and guidelines there would be chaos. Students are in school to learn and if there is chaos learning is disrupted. I believe in rules because they regulate the environment so learning can occur. I do not want too many rules, but some are going to be present.
January 31, 2005
Today we watched a movie about foldables. I think they seem like a great idea. I always thought something like that was childish and not helpful for high school students, however I can see that they are a useful organizational tool and study guide. I hope to incorporate these into my classroom even though they might take a long time to create.
February 1, 2005
Laziness is an interesting concept. I do not think people are inherently lazy, but they may have learned helplessness. I want to keep this view in the classroom and help the "lazy" students do better through talking, understanding and getting them the appropriate help. I also need to reject the notion of "dumb" students and accept them as "struggling".
February 5, 2005
On Monday we begin our four week experience at Southside High School. I am excited but also very nervous. I have never taught in a high school setting before. I want to make this a great experience; however I am afraid of making mistakes. I hope that I am able to relate to the students and help them learn. I believe that this experience will truly be valuable, challenging and rewarding. I am looking forward to getting into the classroom and practicing what I have been taught in the university classroom. I am looking forward to the challenge and hope to grow as a teacher and professional in the next four weeks.
February 7, 2005
Today we had our first day at Southside. I was very nervous this morning, but once I arrived in the classroom, the teacher and students made me feel welcome and comfortable. The setting definitely is a bit of a culture shock to me; however I know that I am going to learn a lot from it. This is going to be one of the best experiences in my career this far. I am going to do everything I can do challenge myself and make the most of my short time at Southside. The students seem to need a lot of attention; they have a distinct thirst for attention and interaction. I am looking forward to working more with them individually and as a class.
February 8, 2005
Today my cooperating teacher said something that I do not agree with. She told me that her second hour class is “lazy”. I was shocked to hear her say this; however I could sense she had a negative view of that group of students. I think that they are not lazy, but just are not engaged in the material. She does not relate her lessons to them or have very much patience with them. This group has a very hard time staying on task. I think they would be better handled by doing activities where they can move around the room and activities that are interesting and applicable to their lives.
February 9, 2005
Today I found out that I will be teaching the second year French class. I will be teaching them all next week, five whole class periods in a row. I cannot believe it, I am going to teach a real class. I am very nervous and excited about this. I am looking forward to putting my education to use. I am also surprised that there have not been any discipline problems yet in the classroom. I expected a lot of issues to arise, but I was wrong. My cooperating teacher has a good relationship with the students and an effective classroom management plan. The students really respect her and trust her. I hope to have this kind of rapport with my future students.
February 10, 2005
Today in class most of the students were very quiet and did not want to participate or talk. This is very difficult to deal with in a foreign language class which is intensive in speaking. I have noticed that some days the group has a lot of energy and other days they are very quiet. It seems like the mood of one affects the entire class. It is an interesting phenomenon. I think their behavior and mentality impacts the lesson. It is difficult, almost impossible to predict the students’ mood so teachers must remain flexible to account for days where the students are lethargic. I also learned that every activity that is attempted is not always going to be a success. It is important to always have a backup plan. I will remember this in the future, so that I do not get into a bind and have to stick to an activity that is not working so well.
February 14, 2005
Today I taught my first class. I was nervous, but once I began
teaching I got comfortable and relaxed. I had a lot of fun teaching. It was an
exhilarating experience. I will be teaching all week and I am feeling very
confident in my ability to plan effective and interesting lessons. I had the
students make valentines today in the target language. They really enjoyed this
activity, however I learned that I need to have something else for the students
who finish early to do. I had some students finish early and just sit there. The
lesson portion went well; I realized it is really challenging to speak mostly in
the target language. It is also difficult for the students because they are
beginners and when they do not understand every word they tend to get very
frustrated and want to give up.
February 15, 2005
My goal in teaching today was to use a lot more French in the lesson and to encourage the students to use a lot more French as well. It takes more time and patience to run a lesson this way, however it makes for a richer and more authentic learning experience. Today, I found myself picking on some students more that others unintentionally. I do not want to have favorites, how can I avoid this? I noticed that some teachers randomly call on students from a list or a basket of names. This might be a good way to make sure every students gets called on equally. My lesson went well today and the students had very positive attitudes in class today. They participated a lot, which made my lesson go smoothly.
February 16, 2005
Today the mood of the students was down and rather lethargic. I was disappointed and frustrated by this because it affected how I taught the lesson. However, I realized that these are the situations that I am going to encounter on a daily basis as a teacher. I am going to have to learn to adapt to the class and help them learn regardless of their mood. I was trying to encourage the students to participate, but it did not work. I decided to take a few minutes and talk to them in French about what is going on and how they are feeling and what was bothering them. We had a discussion in the target language and this increased the participation for the rest of the hour. I think they realized that I cared and they responded well to this.
February 17, 2005
I had a breakthrough today. I think that I really reached a my first
student. I have a student who is struggling with the material and is rather
quiet and does not have a lot of confidence. She tends not to participate
because she is shy. All week, I have noticed that she has been volunteering and
respond to questions. She has even come up front to speak and do board work. I
feel as though she is emerging and feeling more comfortable in class. I am
pleased with her progress and feel as though I have started to reach someone.
February 18, 2005
Well, I survived my first whole week of teaching. My teacher even offered me to teach two more days next week. I accepted her offer, because I am thirsty for the experience and I am having a blast with my class. I am proud of my planning this week; I worked really hard to make this a great experience for myself and my students. The hard work has paid off. This was the most powerful week this far in my teaching career. I have really enjoyed this and I am beginning to get attached to my students. I will miss them a lot. I am thrilled to have had the chance to teach them this week.
February 22, 2005
During class we met with Professor Rosenman and she demonstrated dictation to us. This is a new tool for me; I have never used a dictation or done a dictation as a student or teacher. It is an interesting way to assess listening comprehension and writing. I think this is something that I would try in my class in the future. I would not use it all of the time, however I think it would be a good tool for upper level classes especially. I think it would be difficult to use dictations in a first year class, but I am sure it is possible.
February 23, 2005
Today I taught again. The more I teach, the more I am excited about it and love it. I feel as though teaching is a good fit for me. Today, I also had my first discipline issue. A young lady insisted on putting her make-up on in class. I asked her twice to please put it away. She refused to follow directions and it began to become a distraction to other students. I decided to talk to her when the students were working on a worksheet individually. She did not respond well and had quite and attitude. I do not know hot to handle these types of situations. I tried to do my best in handling it because she was causing a disruption to the class. I was nervous the whole time though, I did not want to seem mean or unfair. I also knew that I had to be the teacher and deal with it though.
February 24, 2005
It was my last day teaching the French II class. Overall, I taught seven class periods. It was a challenging and rewarding experience. The challenge was the planning. The reward was seeing my students every day. I can say, I really made a connection with my class. I saw growth and progress in their learning. The most important thing I learned is to always be over-prepared and to always have alternate activities. Some activities went over well, and other were not as successful. I realized that a teacher cannot get up in front of a group of students and “wing it”. I also learned the importance of professionalism.
February 25, 2005
I went to observe the nurse today during second period. Unfortunately, it was a slow day for her, but I still got to see a glimpse of what it is like to be in that part of the school. I do not think I could ever be a nurse. She was such a kind and caring woman. The students seem to trust her and respond well to her advice. She really takes an active interest in the students and tries to get to know them. I admire her work at Southside. I think it is interesting how many students leave class for so many little issues. Unfortunately, they loose a lot of valuable class time when they go to the nurse for every little thing. Next week I am planning on visiting a special education class. I am nervous about this, but I know it will be a valuable experience.
February 28, 2005
Today the class was working on projects. It was really cool to have the students refer to me as “Ms. Merrell” and want to have my help while they were working. I truly felt like a real teacher today. I also watched a social studies class. It was structured so much more differently than a foreign language classroom. It was interesting to see it though. I want to be aware of the different classes that my students will be in, so that I can relate to their experience.
March 1, 2005
Today the class was still working on their projects. They worked really diligently for the entire class period. I am very impressed with the level and quality of their work. I am very excited to see how their final projects turn out. I also worked on my bulletin board today. My bulletin board is about healthy living and the expressions for that in French. The bulletin board was an intense project because it was something I had never done before. They are time consuming because they have to look clean and professional. I think bulletin boards are a great way to put up information in the classroom. They are creative and colorful, yet they communicate valuable information.
March 2, 2005
I observed a learning disabled geometry class today. It was an interesting experience for me because I have never seen a class like this one. They were certainly a unique group of students. Each student seemed to have a special need that they needed attended to. They class seemed to not want to work or have a hard time paying attention. I do not have any experience with learning disabled students. I would like to gain more experience in learning disabled classrooms, because I will potentially have these students in my foreign language classes. I would like to learn how to better instruct them and gear lessons for all types and levels of learners. There is such a wide spectrum of abilities in every classroom that it is crucial for teachers to have experience dealing with all levels.
March 14, 2005
Over spring break I missed the students at Southside. Often I would wonder what
they were learning or how they are doing. I did not think I would get that
attached. Being back at school today also made me think of them. It was a great
experience and I would go back in an instant. I cannot wait to go to Wilson. I
am looking forward to a whole new experience.
It was helpful to look at other
portfolios today. It gave me an appreciation for everyone's hard work and new
ideas. There were many creative and great portfolios.
March 15, 2005
I still really miss being at Southside, it is quite a transition coming back
into the BSU classroom.
My computer crashed last night and it
really got me thinking about technology. As an academic society we really rely
on computers, email and internet. I feel completely out of commission not having
a working computer. I don't know if it is good or bad how much we rely on
technology. Technology is great but it can also introduce new problems into our
lives. There is not one simple answer to this, it is complicated and it is
something with have to deal with now.
March 16, 2005
When we were talking about interdisciplinary lessons today, I realized I have many misconceptions about what one is. Everything that you said was not interdisciplinary is what I thought it was. I am excited to work on this project because it is unlike anything I have every done before. I think it is going to be enriching and hopefully something I can adapt to my future classroom.
March 20, 2005
Recently in my classes I have had to make so many online websites and portfolios. While I think it is valuable to learn the technology skills, I doubt how much I will use the skills in the classroom. It is very frustrating because I do no see the relevance. I wish it were true that all schools had access to great technology, but that isn't the case. I think we should learn about how to use what we have in great ways. I wish all schools had the best of the best, but effective teachers make the best of what they have in my opinion.
March 23, 2005
I am really enjoying working on this interdisciplinary unit. At first I was not sure about what it was, but after working on the project I really am understanding the concept of interdisciplinary instruction.
March 24, 2005
I feel that this interdisciplinary unit is going to be a great artifact for my
portfolio. I am glad we are doing this project.
In another class we are learning
about effective classroom PowerPoint presentations, I think this is helpful
because I have never really worked with it a lot.
March 25, 2005
This weekend I am going to take some time for myself. I have been working a lot at school and have not taken any time for me. I think it is rejuvenating to do this. After I do something fun I usually do better work anyway. I enjoy crocheting, so I think I will start an afghan.
March 27, 2005
I got my student teaching placement. I am going to Anderson. I am so excited because it sounds like a great program. I feel one step closer to becoming a teacher. I emailed my cooperating teacher to get to know her and also talk about spending 2 days with her. I will do this in May after finals. I am excited about next fall.
March 30, 2005
I have been thinking about group projects. I am not sure I will use them a lot in my classroom because they are controversial. By that I mean, it is difficult to manage equal participation and fairness. If I use group projects, I will have peer and self evaluations involved so that each student has input. Self reflection is important I think. I am also not sure if I would assign groups or allow student to choose. I guess this will depend a lot on the situation and the class.
March 31, 2005
I am an SI leader for Music 100. I lead two sessions a week. I have learned so much about planning from this job. I have really enjoyed it and am confident I know how to plan. I have realized it is best to have plans for 1-2 weeks ahead. I feel that being organized is one key to success during student teaching. I am going to focus on planning and adapting lessons to students. I do not want to get caught up in planning so much that I am not flexible.
April 4, 2005
Today was our first day at Wilson. This morning I came with an open mind and positive thoughts. I am very excited about being there. I am a little nervous about being in an English class, but it will be a good challenge for me. I am impressed by the quality of the school. The facility seems to be great. I was also impressed by the principal. Both principals at Southside and Wilson have been women. This is so interesting and wonderful to see women educators, they are very positive role models for me.
April 5, 2005
Today at Wilson we mostly observed. We were also able to walk around and interact with the students a little bit. Their classroom is very rigid and structured. I would not run my classroom with that many rules. It seems that these students are constantly being told to "stop" or "don't". They keep a close eye on them, I just don't understand why. I think the students spend too much time seated and they need to be active and moving. They would be more interested if the teacher realized that they are at an age that needs to be active.
April 6, 2005
My social studies class is going well. It is a learning disabled class. I am so
glad to have this opportunity. With inclusion, I am likely to have these kinds
of students in my classroom. My teacher is very energetic and taps into the
students.
Today there was an issue of smoking
in the bathroom. The students seem too young to be involved in something like
this. I just would not even begin to know how to handle this issue. I am so
confused.
April 7, 2005
I have realized that middle school is an awkward age for all of the students. They are going though so much and school is so restricting it seems that the educational system goes again the developmental stages. Is there anything I can do about this? How can teachers instill a sense of appreciation towards education?
April 8, 2008
The kids had a test today. Most of them finished the test very quickly, almost seemed like they just wanted to get it done. Also some students had to have the test read to them. The test was very traditional pen and paper assessment. Since this is an LD class, it seems that it would be better for them to have a more stimulating and interactive assessment.
April 11, 2005
Over the weekend I reflected upon the Wilson experience thus far. I am nervous about Wilson, but I am committed to making it a positive experience. The kids intimidate me much more than at Southside. I am not comfortable with the middle school age. I feel so out of touch with this age group. I am very excited to start planning lessons for them and work directly with them.
April 13, 2005
Today was my first day teaching English at Wilson. Overall, it was a positive experience. We did a short lecture, but moved right into an activity. The kids were participating for the most part. There were a couple of students who didn't want to participate. This frustrated me because this is a new problem for me. I feel as though I don't have the authority to discipline or talk about behavior with them. Having and interactive game really mad the kids come alive. It was much more interesting than seat work.
April 14, 2005
Today, Lisa and I taught the English lesson. We did a more individual type lesson. It went rather well. They wrote individual short stories. I am surprised at how creative the kids are. I feel as though kids are so often not encouraged to be creative and when they are asked to be creative, they are not quite sure what to do. I hope to be the kind of teacher who nourishes creativity. Some of the kids' stories had interesting or scary plots or ideas. I fear those ideas are often the result of real life experiences.
April 15, 2005
All week my social students class has been doing guided reading worksheets. The teacher is not even lecturing or actually teaching. He seems to just let the students read the information. I do not agree with this. I feel that just reading the information is dry and one-dimensional. The class is not stimulated and so there are several discipline problems each day. I disagree with just being a teacher who dictates from a desk. I will remember this experience because it reminds me that students need activity, interaction and stimulation.
April 19, 2005
Every Monday my English class goes to the library and works silently on spelling. I find this to be a waste of a whole entire class period. I disagree with allowing the students not to be engaged in something. Their time is not guided in the library and most of them waste their time. I would make better use of this time be creating a guided search or activity for them. Also the students work on spelling only one day a week and never work with it again until they have a quiz on Friday. I feel that it would be more beneficial for the students to repeatedly work with the words all week long.
April 20, 2005
Today was my first day teaching the social students class. I was incredible nervous about this because I have never taught anything other than French. I was also not comfortable with the students. Half way through my lesson my supervising teacher walked out and never came back. He never even saw most of my lesson. I was very frustrated by this because it feels like he doesn't care or have interest in helping/evaluating me. He never warned me that he would be leaving either.
April 21, 2005
I taught social studies again today. My supervising teacher didn't watch any of my lesson today either. He didn't even tell me he wasn't going to be there. I felt slightly disrespected. Also, I am not sure how he is going to evaluate me seeing as how he never saw any of my work. I am disappointed because I really wanted some feedback as to what I could improve upon. I have not received any feedback. The class went much better today than it did yesterday. I had a better handle on the students and was much more confident. I am glad I had the chance to work in another subject area.
April 22, 2005
In my English class we had a sub. She immediately said, "U am the meanest sub in Muncie and I love to write referrals." I thought that was totally inappropriate to say. Intimidation is not a way to get respect. I do not believe that respect should be commanded, but rather it should be earned. When I am a teacher, I will work to earn the respect of my students. I want them to know that I appreciate them and really respect them. Unfortunately, often students are forced to respect their teachers. Also, I think teachers think that they automatically deserve respect because they have the title of teacher. Respect is an important issue and there should be communication about respect in the classroom.
April 25, 2005
Today I observed the ISS room. It was a very interesting and valuable experience. My high school didn't have ISS so this was all new to me. Mr. Gudger, the ISS teacher, had really great insights. She said just because students do get in trouble doesn't give anyone the right to disrespect them. Many times students who are in trouble are treated as less than human. Also, I realized there are many reasons and issues why students get in trouble. It is important to investigate other ways/reasons they are doing the things they are doing. There is so much complexity to a student and they most likely have other deeper issues.
April 26, 2005
Today I had a truly valuable experience. I observed a mild to severely special
education classroom. This was a completely new and eye opening experience for
me. I first off, commend all teacher who teach these students every day. I would
not have the patience or understanding to do this job. I used to think that
handicapped people could not learn. But, today I saw these children sitting,
working, thinking and learning.
It was incredible. I was very nervous
around the kids. They were not shy or nervous around me though. They were so
welcoming, I think we could all take a lesson from these students. Being more
friendly, welcoming and less shy might do wonders. Often people are timid or
standoffish. Being a little more relaxed and friendly could change everything
for the better. I will remember this experience for my whole life.
April 27, 2005
As the experience here at Wilson is winding up, I realize many things. At first I was less than excited about the whole experience. I didn't want to be in middle school, or in and English and Social Studies classroom. But, I learned so much about myself here and I made the experience positive. I learned that I can teach. I can do things that are unfamiliar to me. I am a strong person and can rise to the challenge. I discovered that while I do not care for the middle school age, I can do it and be understanding of the students. I learned that these students are young but they do have lives and issues. They are whole people, no matter their age. I feel they are growing up way too fast. I am not sure what teachers can do about this. This is something I wish I could change because they don't need to grow up so fast.