Today I observed both classrooms. It's interesting to see how different teachers will approach the same project. For example, before Mr. Cohen's class was working on a book called "Inherit the Wind" and now Ms. Ohle's class is doing the same. The book is based on the scopes trial that took place in 1925 in Tennessee. The differences in the two approaches toward this book are so incredibly different although both include the students reading the play aloud, which really gets some of the rowdier, more theatrical students involved.
In Mr. Cohen's class, they're working on video projects using an online video maker, which is a website that produces videos from tracks of your music with pictures. The website is really remarkable, and a useful tool for getting the students to really be part of the imagery in the literature. I'm gonna get registered so I can make a video from the pictures of the students fingerpainting.
The fingerpainting projects were designed to have the students "make a conversation in the paint." This communication through solely image is intended to strengthen the thought processes behind communication From their work, they will bring poems from image. This translation of media is supposed to enhance their ability to understand the relatability between what's happening in the different forms of communication. It's really deep stuff for eight graders, but very cool.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
november nineteenth
Well--I'm back.
In Mr. Cohen's class, we began with a five minute write (we usually do) only today it was more structured. Usually the kids are allowed to go wherever their pen takes them for five minutes. Today, the kids were asked to write about the story they're working on--as a kind of refresher. More than just the story-- the kids are forced to think about how they want to approach it. This early in life, this classroom they are already thinking about how they want to learn a story. There's something very unique about that.
Also I wanted to document a few teaching techniques I learned today:
1) "I'll start the five minutes when it's quiet" In this case, the student will write for five QUIET minutes. This technique of waiting can be effective. It puts the pressure on the student instead of the teacher--the teacher just waits. The emphasis of "who is learning here" is put.
2) "Hold your questions--write them down." If Mr. Cohen is speaking to the student, there are certain times where he can't afford interruption. Sometimes questions can interrupt and fragment class discussion (especially with the distracted attention and guts to ask pretty much anything of younger people). By telling the students to write them down, the teacher pushes the student's focus to what is being said, rather than the question they want to ask. Holding a question also, nurtures a much needed virtue--patience. Also, sometimes there just isn't time.
Another thing I noticed about this classroom that there is a HUGE use of new technology to enhance the learning;. They are making small videos in which they are creating and editing using new technology.
They're using Media Blender to make their storyboards for the movies. They are also using iMovie for editing their story. The movies are as sophisticated as they need to be to still be about the writing and the kind of action that creates.
Today I learned about professional days--you don't use personal days for conventions, which is kind of a cool thing.
We were talking about specific student today. There is one student he mentioned who gets fidgety in the classroom. Mr. Cohen lets the student get away with it because this classroom is the first time he's engaged in an english class. I forget what parts of your history play into your current place in a classroom. There's a certain record already established for you even before your new instructor hands out the syllabus in September.
I also noticed that in this class, there is a lot of visual thinking in this class which is really in line with the things that I'm interested in. For example, there's this graph, where the x-axis is event, and the y-axis is scale. The graph is used to show how in one of their projects, they will pick a trend to expand on--a transition between events as opposed to a single moment.
Another thing I learned is if a student walks away, you don't let them get away--if you do, you're instantly the pushover.
I am feeling more part of the class. And wondering what kind of lesson plan I will create. Or what I will teach.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
november fifth
I walk into the class--into silence.
Mr. Cohen has the students completely captured in what he's saying. The election was the night before. More than the issue of which candidate stands for what, Mr. Cohen was addressing the social implications of what having a president of African American descent be elected. He read a poem from Langston Hughes:
This poem had them completely held. As he read this, the students were really thinking about what he was saying. The hope is that some of them were even realizing what all of this really means. When I was a student Mr. Cohen was teaching us "so what", which is what he calls how to make your writing matter to someone the way it already should matter to the writer. Even as a teaching assistant, I'm able to see how that same "so what" leaks into everything. To him, the "so what" is what makes art, science, literature--everything matter.
Later today, I sat in on two of Ms. Ohle's classes, which today, are in the computer lab. Middle school has really changed since I was a student in that everything is getting a lot more technological. Discussions, homework, and work can all be posted online. There's a lot more convenience in being exposed to these kinds of things so early. The fact is, the world itself is getting a lot more technological in most things that we do.
The discussions, which feature questions, comments etc., are available online in what is called a wikispace. To ensure safety, last names are not posted and although it is available for public reading, posting is exclusive to the classroom.
http://missohlesclass.wikispaces.com/message/list/home
Today though, the reason the class is in the computer lab is because they are beginning creating their blogs, on which they will post their works (right now they're working on persuasive writing). The assignment is as follows:
Mr. Cohen has the students completely captured in what he's saying. The election was the night before. More than the issue of which candidate stands for what, Mr. Cohen was addressing the social implications of what having a president of African American descent be elected. He read a poem from Langston Hughes:
Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-- And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-- Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream In the Old World while still a serf of kings, Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, That even yet its mighty daring sings In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned That's made America the land it has become. O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas In search of what I meant to be my home-- For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore, And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea, And torn from Black Africa's strand I came To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me? Surely not me? The millions on relief today? The millions shot down when we strike? The millions who have nothing for our pay? For all the dreams we've dreamed And all the songs we've sung And all the hopes we've held And all the flags we've hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay-- Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again-- The land that never has been yet-- And yet must be--the land where every man is free. The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-- Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-- The steel of freedom does not stain. From those who live like leeches on the people's lives, We must take back our land again, America!
O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain-- All, all the stretch of these great green states-- And make America again!
This poem had them completely held. As he read this, the students were really thinking about what he was saying. The hope is that some of them were even realizing what all of this really means. When I was a student Mr. Cohen was teaching us "so what", which is what he calls how to make your writing matter to someone the way it already should matter to the writer. Even as a teaching assistant, I'm able to see how that same "so what" leaks into everything. To him, the "so what" is what makes art, science, literature--everything matter.
Later today, I sat in on two of Ms. Ohle's classes, which today, are in the computer lab. Middle school has really changed since I was a student in that everything is getting a lot more technological. Discussions, homework, and work can all be posted online. There's a lot more convenience in being exposed to these kinds of things so early. The fact is, the world itself is getting a lot more technological in most things that we do.
The discussions, which feature questions, comments etc., are available online in what is called a wikispace. To ensure safety, last names are not posted and although it is available for public reading, posting is exclusive to the classroom.
http://missohlesclass.wikispaces.com/message/list/home
Today though, the reason the class is in the computer lab is because they are beginning creating their blogs, on which they will post their works (right now they're working on persuasive writing). The assignment is as follows:
| Welcome! We will begin a project that will be similar to a writing journal. To begin, each student will be responsible for creating a personal blog. The first entry will be an abstract of your persuasive essay. Your abstract should include your thesis and three main ideas. Remember, your goal is to persuade your readers with compelling arguments. Once every student has posted their first entry, I will pair students to react to the writer's point of view and make constructive comments and counterarguments on the blog. Here are some guidleines:
| ||
This is kind of a cool project because of the creativity it allows a student to exhibit. I don't know if they really feel it, because mostly the teacher is reading, but it is interesting that a student is--published. When a person's work is available online it's a weird feeling. They are published. When that first happened to me, there was a strange feeling that I had finally been recognized. I'm just wondering if they see that. Or maybe they think no one will read it and it's just another project--I'm just thinking.
Just as I'm typing this, the student next to me frequently glancing at my screen trying to read what I'm writing. It's kind of adorable. Then the student turns her screen away from me so she can show something to one of her friends.
Just as I'm typing this, the student next to me frequently glancing at my screen trying to read what I'm writing. It's kind of adorable. Then the student turns her screen away from me so she can show something to one of her friends.
october twenty ninth
A good teacher isn't afraid to push for something higher--when they don't get to where they want to go. I just find it really interesting the kinds of questions kids ask (says a lot about how they think) so I recorded a few from Mr. Cohen's class today:
They have such an unashamed inquisitive nature about them that's really rare in any other age (except maybe senior citizens).
I also sat in Ms. Ohle's class, here are my notes:
The class started with the posing of the question, "what is persuasion?" Each of the students came at the questions so differently--at different angles, carrying what their motives are. Here are some of the responses:
Persuasion should...
With a little guidance, though, they stepped away from that rigid an explanation. I think the most interesting turn came from the last bullet, which illustrates when one girl turned persuasion to something that should be about ideas.
What's interesting about Mr. Cohen's relationship with Ms. Ohle as mentor to mentee is that when he was sitting in her classroom observing, there was a moment when he couldn't resist getting up and teaching something. That's what a teacher is I think--someone who can't resist speaking up about something. He wanted the ideas in her classroom to turn a certain way as well as the student to benefit from that.
"Isn't that a run on sentence?"
"Technically, yes."
"Then why's it in books?"
"Because it's art. You have to know rules--otherwise it's just random."
They have such an unashamed inquisitive nature about them that's really rare in any other age (except maybe senior citizens).
I also sat in Ms. Ohle's class, here are my notes:
The class started with the posing of the question, "what is persuasion?" Each of the students came at the questions so differently--at different angles, carrying what their motives are. Here are some of the responses:
Persuasion should...
- Be an argument
- Get you something
- Be about a world issue
- Be about ideas
With a little guidance, though, they stepped away from that rigid an explanation. I think the most interesting turn came from the last bullet, which illustrates when one girl turned persuasion to something that should be about ideas.
What's interesting about Mr. Cohen's relationship with Ms. Ohle as mentor to mentee is that when he was sitting in her classroom observing, there was a moment when he couldn't resist getting up and teaching something. That's what a teacher is I think--someone who can't resist speaking up about something. He wanted the ideas in her classroom to turn a certain way as well as the student to benefit from that.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
october twenty second
Today I started the day by sitting in on Mr. Cohen's class. There are a couple quotes I want to write about or mention:
"When you think about funerals, the one person who they're for, isn't there."
"The main character is 145th street."
"This isn't Franklin Lakes."
"Mr. Cohen I got a brand new pen."
I'm also visiting another Ms. Ohle class, one that I haven't visited before. I love the confusion that surrounds me. When I'm not introduced formally to the class, they have a "who is she" aura about them. It's peculiar and really amusing. I come in, I write and I draw for the period. It's very interesting being an outside force to a classroom.
They seem to sort of get over the fact that I know the teacher, I'm older and bigger--but not quite old enough to be another teacher, and I only show up at random times. So what am I? Once they have looked at me, and tried to read what I'm writing in my notebook enough, they deem me something they know enough about or something they can let be part of the classroom. That isn't to say that they don't look over and see what I'm writing or drawing every once in a while.
Here's more about the class is run; Ms. Ohle puts up an agenda at the beginning of the class. No matter how free-form a teaching style or classroom is, there's always a need for some sort of structure--possibly only at this age, but more probably at every age, the only difference being the need or desire for learning being mutual (ergo: generally in college and above). At this age most students aren't really interested in learning what you teach them. With a few exceptions most want a good grade, to have fun, and a few other things that are slightly higher on the priority list. The trick of the agenda is to get them to stay on task and sometimes to dangle the things they want in front of them---until you trick them into being interested and learning.
If you don't get to someone isn't that reflective of his or her learning stlye and your teaching style? Shouldn't a teacher do everything a person can do to get to a student? What is failing as a teacher?
"When you think about funerals, the one person who they're for, isn't there."
"The main character is 145th street."
"This isn't Franklin Lakes."
"Mr. Cohen I got a brand new pen."
I'm also visiting another Ms. Ohle class, one that I haven't visited before. I love the confusion that surrounds me. When I'm not introduced formally to the class, they have a "who is she" aura about them. It's peculiar and really amusing. I come in, I write and I draw for the period. It's very interesting being an outside force to a classroom.
They seem to sort of get over the fact that I know the teacher, I'm older and bigger--but not quite old enough to be another teacher, and I only show up at random times. So what am I? Once they have looked at me, and tried to read what I'm writing in my notebook enough, they deem me something they know enough about or something they can let be part of the classroom. That isn't to say that they don't look over and see what I'm writing or drawing every once in a while.
Here's more about the class is run; Ms. Ohle puts up an agenda at the beginning of the class. No matter how free-form a teaching style or classroom is, there's always a need for some sort of structure--possibly only at this age, but more probably at every age, the only difference being the need or desire for learning being mutual (ergo: generally in college and above). At this age most students aren't really interested in learning what you teach them. With a few exceptions most want a good grade, to have fun, and a few other things that are slightly higher on the priority list. The trick of the agenda is to get them to stay on task and sometimes to dangle the things they want in front of them---until you trick them into being interested and learning.
If you don't get to someone isn't that reflective of his or her learning stlye and your teaching style? Shouldn't a teacher do everything a person can do to get to a student? What is failing as a teacher?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
back in the swing of things
it's been a while since i've been at my internship, because school was closed two weeks ago, and then I was sick the week after. So I'm just getting back to internship.
What I really like about internship is that I get to talk to my mentor a lot. He tells me about this artist that he takes a class with. He gave me a sample of the guy's work. It's really amazing. He makes these political comics. The one I have write now is about how america is divided into red and blue and how that affects us negatively. It's really witty, insightful and mostly really inspiring work.
Today I also sat in on Ms. Ohle's class, which was interesting. As a new teacher, she's still finding her rhythym, which is a really big part of the struggle of teaching, but also really fun. I also noticed a lot about how the kids work socially. At this age, it's strange how being interested in learning or in reading is considered uncool, and how students that seem the most tough, are actually really struggling to find the courage to be themselves.
On a lighter note, the kids are also a lot of fun. Kids have less inhibitition, so they tend to "tell it like it is" more often (which is hilarious) and laugh a lot more. I can see why someone would want a job where they coudl be in this company for a large part of their day.
Having sat in on a meeting with both my mentor and his mentee, I'm learning a bit about the grant process and how funding is requested for certain aims in the classroom. There are certain ways of going about requesting funds so that you can create what you think will help education. What I think is cool is the way that people ask is completely different. When a grant is requested, there are certain questions that one must address, but the way in which a person does that is slightly up to personal style as well as comfort. For example, my mentor has been at that school for a few years now, so he's not afraid to free-formly ask for what it is he wants, and state the goals of what he proposes. He's also not afraid to step on some toes for the sake of education, which I've noticed, in really good educators, remains the constant goal. Others, who are possibly not so comfortable, might simply present in a more standard fashion with something like a powerpoint or prepared words. I didn't ask, but I'm wondering what gets the job done.
I'm really enjoying my internship and looking forward to next week, when I can fingerpaint with the students. You might think this is kinda weird, but the classroom is about expression. The activity will consist of fingerpainting with ambient music playing. And then using the paintings to create a literary work, and continually shifting in media choice and playing with the idea of media. The idea is to get the students introduced to the idea that all forms of expression are inter-related.
It was really cool when I did it 4 years ago, so it should be a fun thing to return to.
What I really like about internship is that I get to talk to my mentor a lot. He tells me about this artist that he takes a class with. He gave me a sample of the guy's work. It's really amazing. He makes these political comics. The one I have write now is about how america is divided into red and blue and how that affects us negatively. It's really witty, insightful and mostly really inspiring work.
Today I also sat in on Ms. Ohle's class, which was interesting. As a new teacher, she's still finding her rhythym, which is a really big part of the struggle of teaching, but also really fun. I also noticed a lot about how the kids work socially. At this age, it's strange how being interested in learning or in reading is considered uncool, and how students that seem the most tough, are actually really struggling to find the courage to be themselves.
On a lighter note, the kids are also a lot of fun. Kids have less inhibitition, so they tend to "tell it like it is" more often (which is hilarious) and laugh a lot more. I can see why someone would want a job where they coudl be in this company for a large part of their day.
Having sat in on a meeting with both my mentor and his mentee, I'm learning a bit about the grant process and how funding is requested for certain aims in the classroom. There are certain ways of going about requesting funds so that you can create what you think will help education. What I think is cool is the way that people ask is completely different. When a grant is requested, there are certain questions that one must address, but the way in which a person does that is slightly up to personal style as well as comfort. For example, my mentor has been at that school for a few years now, so he's not afraid to free-formly ask for what it is he wants, and state the goals of what he proposes. He's also not afraid to step on some toes for the sake of education, which I've noticed, in really good educators, remains the constant goal. Others, who are possibly not so comfortable, might simply present in a more standard fashion with something like a powerpoint or prepared words. I didn't ask, but I'm wondering what gets the job done.
I'm really enjoying my internship and looking forward to next week, when I can fingerpaint with the students. You might think this is kinda weird, but the classroom is about expression. The activity will consist of fingerpainting with ambient music playing. And then using the paintings to create a literary work, and continually shifting in media choice and playing with the idea of media. The idea is to get the students introduced to the idea that all forms of expression are inter-related.
It was really cool when I did it 4 years ago, so it should be a fun thing to return to.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
first
The best part of watching the class, is when they share their work. The shyness, the outgoingness, it's really beautiful. The way a class works, it's like a little society, and I get to watch it and learn about how they move, go, and exist.
In some students, there's a real enjoyment of performance, others a passion for the writing. Anyway they operate, there's a real hustle and bustle that they are all involved in. They can't help but be part of and possibly even care about the action of the classroom. That's the teacher's hope at least, and I think in this classroom it really works.
In teaching there are certain phrases that help to take a comment without ignoring the student or making them feel stupid, all the while keeping everyone on task: "hold that thought one second..", "that's different from what i asked, but a very valid point, we'll come back to it", "okay okay that's good," "you're on the right track." It's really tricky to get this many young people involved in a discussion, when they are tired, and maybe not into what you're teaching. It's about presenting the information in a way that interests them. Ultimately, interest is the goal.
Interest comes from showing the students that the literary struggles in the novels are their own. Putting them in the text by showing them that what the characters go through, are what they go through. People love relatability. People love being the main character.
It's also very important that the students understand and are with the teacher as they explain things. You can't lose your students.
There are a lot of things that seem easy enough to do, which, are actually not.
Another thing is that a teacher tends to repeat what the students say, perhaps a little more intellectually, or bringing another aspect into it. That way, the person who said it, and those who are listening, might step it up to how the teacher is talking. It's like learning a new language, and seeing the two side by side might help to learn how to speak that new language; looking for certain things, how you read, how you observe.
There's a poetry activity in the class where they write a poem from three seperate moments (previously written on index cards) called an Index Card poem. Then, the students used the same tools to create a poem from a Mad-Libs-like template. Because the second one is a template of a previously prepared and very profound poem, when they enter their memories into it, it will be much better. Later, the two are juxtaposed. This changes how the students write because of their exposure to their own writing.
There's two posters with grids on them for an exercise they did. Becuase they made the charts themselves, the lines are not even, going up going down. As an artist, that kind of free line is very inspiring to me.
There is also a lot of persuasion involved to try to get what you want as far as cirriculum. And a sort of reputation to be built in order to be brave enough to ask for those things. In my first class, I talked to the teacher about lesson plans (for subs), literature and his own writing. I also got to read some of the stuff he and his classmates wrote. I love to read that stuff, plus it was about teaching, making it conclusive to my learning experience here. What I thought was really cool is one of his classmates (graduate studies) presents his work as a comic book. It was very inspriring and Mr. Cohen forwarded it to mr do I look forward to read the rest of it.
In some students, there's a real enjoyment of performance, others a passion for the writing. Anyway they operate, there's a real hustle and bustle that they are all involved in. They can't help but be part of and possibly even care about the action of the classroom. That's the teacher's hope at least, and I think in this classroom it really works.
In teaching there are certain phrases that help to take a comment without ignoring the student or making them feel stupid, all the while keeping everyone on task: "hold that thought one second..", "that's different from what i asked, but a very valid point, we'll come back to it", "okay okay that's good," "you're on the right track." It's really tricky to get this many young people involved in a discussion, when they are tired, and maybe not into what you're teaching. It's about presenting the information in a way that interests them. Ultimately, interest is the goal.
Interest comes from showing the students that the literary struggles in the novels are their own. Putting them in the text by showing them that what the characters go through, are what they go through. People love relatability. People love being the main character.
It's also very important that the students understand and are with the teacher as they explain things. You can't lose your students.
There are a lot of things that seem easy enough to do, which, are actually not.
Another thing is that a teacher tends to repeat what the students say, perhaps a little more intellectually, or bringing another aspect into it. That way, the person who said it, and those who are listening, might step it up to how the teacher is talking. It's like learning a new language, and seeing the two side by side might help to learn how to speak that new language; looking for certain things, how you read, how you observe.
There's a poetry activity in the class where they write a poem from three seperate moments (previously written on index cards) called an Index Card poem. Then, the students used the same tools to create a poem from a Mad-Libs-like template. Because the second one is a template of a previously prepared and very profound poem, when they enter their memories into it, it will be much better. Later, the two are juxtaposed. This changes how the students write because of their exposure to their own writing.
There's two posters with grids on them for an exercise they did. Becuase they made the charts themselves, the lines are not even, going up going down. As an artist, that kind of free line is very inspiring to me.
There is also a lot of persuasion involved to try to get what you want as far as cirriculum. And a sort of reputation to be built in order to be brave enough to ask for those things. In my first class, I talked to the teacher about lesson plans (for subs), literature and his own writing. I also got to read some of the stuff he and his classmates wrote. I love to read that stuff, plus it was about teaching, making it conclusive to my learning experience here. What I thought was really cool is one of his classmates (graduate studies) presents his work as a comic book. It was very inspriring and Mr. Cohen forwarded it to mr do I look forward to read the rest of it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
balance
There's definitely a balance to be established in every classroom. As much as Mr. Cohen is somewhat free-thinking (understatement of the year) and has a unique classroom (that's more of an understatement), there is still a structure there that I'm not sure I noticed when I was a student. With the classes that are not that cooperative, he reminds me of the how the waste time affects them. In teaching I don't think there's any room for shyness ( a person would get stepped all over). Two things that are hard to describe are the following:
1) The ability to speak in a way that they can understand while still inspiring
2) Striking a balance between structure and keeping interest.
There are a few technique that vary with the style of teaching but a few principles nontheless.
Today I got to sit in on Ms. Ohle's English classes. In another journal, I get to critique and compare the teaching styles of the two teachers, which is really interesting to me because I never thought of there being more than one way of effectively teaching.
So we've begun the journal, which I think should prove somewhat useful. I also got to sit down and listen to discussion between Mr. Cohen and Ms. Ohle about the commonts written in there as well as qualms about starting ina new school (ergo: discussion flowed to a lot of different things).
They read Oranges (which is a poem by Gary Soto) and then illustrated pictures to go with the reading. I'm really intro art and literature so I love activities that use each to enhance each other. It made for new interests and learning about perspectives of these kids. In hearing the mentor/mentee discussion, I saw certain things that might be modified in a lesson to enhance it like reading the whole poem--then in parts later, instead of beginning with reading it in parts--to prevent unwanted behavior (also singling-out or questions to reduce talk-backiness).
1) The ability to speak in a way that they can understand while still inspiring
2) Striking a balance between structure and keeping interest.
There are a few technique that vary with the style of teaching but a few principles nontheless.
Today I got to sit in on Ms. Ohle's English classes. In another journal, I get to critique and compare the teaching styles of the two teachers, which is really interesting to me because I never thought of there being more than one way of effectively teaching.
So we've begun the journal, which I think should prove somewhat useful. I also got to sit down and listen to discussion between Mr. Cohen and Ms. Ohle about the commonts written in there as well as qualms about starting ina new school (ergo: discussion flowed to a lot of different things).
They read Oranges (which is a poem by Gary Soto) and then illustrated pictures to go with the reading. I'm really intro art and literature so I love activities that use each to enhance each other. It made for new interests and learning about perspectives of these kids. In hearing the mentor/mentee discussion, I saw certain things that might be modified in a lesson to enhance it like reading the whole poem--then in parts later, instead of beginning with reading it in parts--to prevent unwanted behavior (also singling-out or questions to reduce talk-backiness).
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
a post
I had trouble deciding what internship I wanted to take. I could have done a somewhat unfullfilling job at another company, but I'm not interested in taking this opportunity to use any artistic talent I may have to touch up celebrity photos. Something about that just isn't my style right now.
When I decided to take the internship at my old middle school, I'm not really sure exactly what I wanted to get out of this. I know that teaching has always been something I may want to do with my life. I k new that Mr. Cohen affected the way I read and essentially think.
Today, I sat in on a few classes and talked to Mr. Cohen about what the general plan for my internship is. As in class, learning in this classroom will be expectedly be unorthodox and unique. One idea that may be really useful is the idea that Mr. Cohen proposed to create a study of the way he teaches and the way his mentee teaches. The plan is to study and self-study thw way a teacher instructs and the way a classroom moves, and to communicate the thoughts that come with that to one another.
I also got to sit in on a meeting with my mentor and a teacher he is currently mentoring. She's new at teaching so she asks about teaching methods and decisions. We are all going to work together. I ddin't realize how muc hidden insecurity there is in a first year or inexperienced teacher.
When I decided to take the internship at my old middle school, I'm not really sure exactly what I wanted to get out of this. I know that teaching has always been something I may want to do with my life. I k new that Mr. Cohen affected the way I read and essentially think.
Today, I sat in on a few classes and talked to Mr. Cohen about what the general plan for my internship is. As in class, learning in this classroom will be expectedly be unorthodox and unique. One idea that may be really useful is the idea that Mr. Cohen proposed to create a study of the way he teaches and the way his mentee teaches. The plan is to study and self-study thw way a teacher instructs and the way a classroom moves, and to communicate the thoughts that come with that to one another.
I also got to sit in on a meeting with my mentor and a teacher he is currently mentoring. She's new at teaching so she asks about teaching methods and decisions. We are all going to work together. I ddin't realize how muc hidden insecurity there is in a first year or inexperienced teacher.
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