Why I Want to Be a Teacher...

Hi Bloggers..

Today, I was thinking about why I want to be a teacher. Of course I love children, the schedule of a teacher and having summers off. But my number one reason is that I want to make a difference in as many lives as I possibly can. This includes fellow co-workers, parents and most importantly the students. Every child deserves to be appreciated, praised and listened too. Some children will not receive this from home but I want to provide a place where they can feel safe and comfortable enough to share their feelings and emotions. I found this quote online that sums up what being a teacher really means..

"Teaching is not for the faint of heart because a teacher can literally go through the whole spectrum of emotions in an entire day. Kids do not just drop their personal lives at the classroom door and become consumers of knowledge. Even with their own emotions and those of 25+ students, a teacher has to put the needs of the students first. I may need more support in my classroom, or be upset that I cannot attend a particular technology conference, or dealing with personal relationship issues, but that all needs to be put aside for the good of those precious students."

http://timothyscholze.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/for-the-love-of-teaching-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-teacher/

This little excerpt that I found is very powerful. Putting students first is the most important thing that you can do for a child. Children don't know how to deal with emotions like adults do, they express themselves differently and as a teacher I need to be ready everyday to put all their needs before mine. I want every single student to feel successful, loved, confident, and happiness every single day at school.

I wanted to pick one quote to finish this blog but there were so many that stood out to me... These are just a few that I loved. 

This is why I want to be a teacher. I know I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! 

Till next time.. :) 

Differentiating in Math Class

Hi Blogger Friends, 

In my last post I talked about how you could differentiate in science class, but today we are going to talk about how you can differentiate in math class. I found an article online that gave some really good strategies to remember when differentiating in math. A few of those ideas are.. 

• At the beginning of the year, review student records, examining standardized test scores and previous mathematics grades to help you understand the level of each student.
• Before beginning, give students a learning style inventory to determine which strategies will work best for each student.
• Throughout the year, give students interest inventories to determine real-world situations that interest them. For example, are students more interested in sports statistics or architecture? Use these topics to help you design assignments and projects.
• Before you begin a topic, chapter, or unit, give the students a pre-test to assess their knowledge and skill level for the content. To write the pre-test, make a list of the objectives you want your students to accomplish and write items to measure each objective.
• Keep a file folder for each student with pertinent information you have compiled.
• Have computers and/or a variety of resource books available to facilitate student-directed research.
• For projects or activities, group students according to ability or interest. For example, during a unit on percent, several students may be interested in population growth.
• Ask the special education department about resources that are available. For example, will an aide be provided to assist you with these students? Are one-on-one tutors available?
• Have older students act as aides or tutors during class to help students with special needs if your school allows.
• Group ESL students with students who may have some knowledge of their language. In small mixed language groups, have ESL students share basic terms in their language with English-speaking students.
• Don't forget the gifted student. Find projects or activities that will challenge these students

I want my students to love math and be able to do it and be confident while completing the task. These are a few ways that I can help my students with their learning process. 

Till next time.. 

Differentiation in Science Class

Hi Bloggers, 

It is important to know how to differentiate in all settings of the classroom. I found a really great article online about how to differentiate in the science classroom. There are many things that you can differentiate in science. Some things that I feel could be especially applicable to science are..

1. Develop learning stations. Create areas in the classroom for independent or small-group investigation of a scientific principle or process. Provide necessary materials and resources at each location. The topic at each station should relate to a major theme of study. Tasks should emphasize thinking skills and should force students to actively solve problems. Move among students as they work, asking questions and cementing understanding.

2.Utilize complex instruction. Design an open-ended task related to a current topic of study. Have students work in small groups to complete the assignment. As students are working, move among groups asking questions that extend thinking and stimulate concept development. Design groups based on ability, interest, learning preference, or other factors.

These are just a few options that you can use when differentiating for science. With proper planning, science teachers can provide multiple options for students to acquire information, comprehend concepts, and demonstrate what they have learned.

Till next time...

Creating Community Through Morning Meetings

Hey Bloggers, 

Creating a classroom community is one thing that I feel very strongly about so I made the decision to write 

yet another blog post about community. A few posts ago I talked about music and how it can create a 

positive classroom environment. Today, I want to focus on Morning Meetings and how it can create a 

positive impact in the classroom. 

Morning meetings are an excellent tool for building a community. I believe that students are more likely to share if they feel safe and welcome in any given environment. Morning meetings can provide a way for those students to gain a sense of courage to speak to the rest of the class. In morning meetings there is no negativity, judgment or mean words said to one another. This is the only time of the day where students are required to speak kindly and positively about themselves and others. I truly believe that if you instill these qualities in children that it will start to become a habit and students will eventually forget the negative or mean thoughts that they once had about themselves and other and replace them with uplifting positive thoughts. Another reason that I feel morning meeting is a wonderful tool to build community is because each morning every single student will be greeted with a smile. I believe that this can make or break a student’s attitude for the upcoming day. Moring meetings provide a place a support, encouragement and comfort throughout the entire day for every student.

Check out this video to see more about how classroom community can be established through morning meetings!

Till Next Time! 

Differentiation in Action!!

Hi Friends,

So for this post I wanted to catch you all up on my awesome field experience. I had the best time in 2nd grade and I was able to actually see a few things that were very interesting. First, was that I was able to go into another classroom and participate in a Morning Meeting with some 5th graders. It was so cool!! I loved it. I am so glad that I was able to see a Morning Meeting in real life. It was so nice to actually see it and not just hear about it and watch various YouTube videos. I loved it! The top three reasons why I loved it were because every single student was involved and you could tell that they all felt successful. Next, is that the 5th grade teacher had fun saying for everyday of the week. For example, on Friday it was "Funny Friday" and the students were able to turn in little slips of paper with funny videos that they found online. On Friday she would show one of the videos and all the kids loved it. They thought it was so great. Lastly, you could feel the community in this classroom. It was fantastic. I am going to do Morning Meeting in my classroom and I couldn't be more excited!

My cooperating teacher had a really strong grasp on differentiation. She was able to differentiate most of her lessons for all of her learners. I saw it most in math, guided reading, and re-teach/enrich. I know, you are probably thinking what is re-teach/enrich? Well it is probably the greatest thing that a school can do! Every student is placed in a group and for 30 minutes they go to another classroom where the lessons are designed specifically for their group. For re-teach, they cover things in math that the students may have not grasped onto the concept yet. For enrich, students are provided with activities that extend and expand their learning. This is how the whole school differentiates for students specific needs. I was very impressed with this program. I feel that every school needs to do something like this to help all students to be more successful. This program helped to differentiate for readiness and interest. It was a wonderful program!

Overall, my experience in field was full of learning experiences that I needed to have in order to be more prepared for my internship next year! My favorite part was watching differentiation in action!

I found this picture that pretty much sums up what differentiation means to me! 

Till next time, 

Creating a Community through Music

Hey Blogger World!

Today, I have been thinking a lot about how to build a classroom community and what ways I can incorporate the things that I love into my teaching. One thing that I am very passionate about is music. I love music, every part of music fascinates me. I have been playing the piano since I was about 8, singing in a choir since about 9 and I picked up the guitar when I was a teenager. Music is my passion and I want to create a community that revolves around it.

 Music is timeless. It can connect people from different countries, ethnicities, and even break language barriers that you may be having in your classroom with English Language Learners. Music makes everyone feel better and almost everyone can connect to a piece of music in some way. Sometimes it can be the beat, tone, pace, or melodious notes of music that we connect to or it can simply be the words just make us feel happy. In my classroom I would use a choir as a metaphor for success and support because in a choir every single person’s voice is heard to create something fantastic and a classroom can be seen in the same way. Every student is important and loved by their fellow peers, teachers, staff and parents and they need to know that. Overall, music can build a community because every single student has a part in making the song sound beautiful. The parts can be as simple as boys and girls, or I could even split the class into the four parts of soprano, alto, tenor and base. Anyway that I decide to do it for my classroom it still means that every child has a part that they have to know in order to create something wonderful. I would tell the students that everyone’s voice counts equally. I think this would help build community because by sharing music together I can help foster connections between students that may have not been there otherwise. Each child needs to know that their voice can be heard! 

Check out these YouTube video about how music can create a community! 

PS 22 Choir's Story

PS 22 Choir ROAR

Till next time, 

Simple Hard Truths about Teaching

Hey Bloggers! 

There is no one size fits all when it comes to the classroom. According to James Stronge he defines effectiveness as creating a positive effect on student achievement as well as other important outcomes that have positive and lasting effects on the lives of students. There are a few things that Stronge's research tells us about differentiation. 

First I want to talk about what the students want. They consistently want teachers who respect them, listen to them, show empathy toward them, help them work out their problems, and become humans by sharing their own ideas and lives with them. Students also want teachers who create a warm and supportive classroom environment. 

Second is to be an effective teacher you have to develop awareness of students's cultures out side of schools, spend a great deal of time working and interacting with students and have high levels of motivation. There are also so many other ways to be an effective teacher and differentiate so that all students can succeed. 

So why do teachers think that it is so hard to differentiate? Well one of the keys is that effective differentiated teaching is just RESPONSIVE TEACHING!! There is no formula for excellent teaching, we cannot buy a book about it or take a course that shows us the answers. Although, there are ideas that help teachers to become a responsive teacher. It takes time, knowledge, and dedication to become a differentiated and responsive teacher! 

Till next time...