Grinch or Santa?

I believe the practice of celebrating the Christmas Holiday should be allowed inside the classroom because...

1. Part of students' education requires that they learn culture of societies, so the Christmas Holiday is a great educational tool to incorporate culture and traditions.
2. Teachers know the standards they must meet, and they are held to these standards, so if they move at a fast enough pace that allows them the extra day for a Christmas celebration, then they should be allowed to celebrate.
3. The Christmas Holiday has a lot of morals that children need to learn such as selflessness, giving, joy, and celebration of life. A child's education requires that they learn more than merely facts, but also views and understanding of the world around them.

-inspired by this article and this article

American Teacher

Initially, after watching "American Teacher" I felt very depressed and disheartened. It made me have a worse view of the profession because all of the teachers being interviewed had so many obstacles to face day in and day out. The biggest frustration that teachers had was that they didn't get enough pay to afford the supplies they need and support their families adequately. They had to spend so much time outside of class that it often took negative tolls on their family too. However, many times an increase in pay is not an option for districts, so they could improve conditions by merely paying for standard classroom supplies or give teachers an extra conference period.

-this is the website that gives more details about "American Teacher"

Why Do Students Procrastinate?

According to this article, this a reason why students procrastinate:

• Unrealistic Expectations and Perfectionism. You may believe that you MUST read everything ever written on a subject before you can begin to write your paper. You may think that you haven't done the best you possibly could do, so it's not good enough to hand in.

This pertains to me because I often doubt my abilities to finish an essay that satisfies by teacher's expectations. I am not confident in my writing skills, so I feel intimidated to turn papers in. This causes me to spend hours on simple papers to try to make them perfect. I never want to start this arduous task so that is why I delay on starting essays.

The article also suggested how to overcome procrastination:

• Recognize self-defeating problems such as; fear and anxiety, difficulty concentrating, poor time management, indecisiveness and perfectionism.

In order to overcome my problem of procrastination, I will mentally prepare myself before I start my essays. I will think about my previous grades on essays and realize that I can do well in writing. This will give me motivation to start on my papers so I won't procrastinate.

If I Could Change Education, I Would...

If I could change education I would make it less "factory-like" and more specialized to each student and his or her learning style. Since each student has different multiple intelligences, it is destructive to assume that each student should conform to one way of learning. I would also hold each teacher accountable for preparing their students for the next grade level. If students are adequately prepared for consecutive years, then they will continue to be challenged and not fall behind. Also, I would make teachers have higher expectations of their students. If students never have a teacher that expects them to do work outside of school, then they will never form a good work ethic and prosper.

A really informative movie that discusses the problems in education, and offers solutions is Waiting for Superman.

This blog was inspired by this video

Lesson Planning 101

Lesson planning for your class can be a very difficult task. However, there are some important factors to consider that guide your lesson planning. First thing to consider is the TEKS for the grade you are teaching. Here are the TEKS for first grade, which is the grade I am interning for. I have brainstormed and created some rough drafts of lesson plans I could implement in my class based on first grade TEKS.

1. Rhyming is a skill that first graders should learn. Therefore, I can give the students a worksheet with eight turkeys on it with different words on the inside of the turkeys. Each word will have another word that rhymes with it in another turkey, making four pairs. The students will find which words rhyme, and color the two turkeys the same color. This will allow them to practice their rhyming skills, while also building up skills in their hands by coloring inside the lines to build up their handwriting.

2. Alphabetizing is also a skill that first graders should know. Therefore, I can write their spelling words on notecards and put ten cards in ziplock baggies. Then I can divide the class up into groups of four and have them work together to alphabetize their spelling words. This will allow them to see their spelling words and get familiar with them, while also practicing alphabetizing words and working on teamwork skills.

3. Addition and subtraction are also skills that first graders need to know. Therefore, I could make flashcards mixed with addition and subtraction problems that the class has reviewed. I could set up a game called around the world where two students stand up and I hold up a flashcard. The first student to say the correct answer gets to move on to the next person's desk. The loser would sit down and not move on. This would allow a fun little competitive game that the students could play while also practicing their math.

My First Week As A Teacher...

My site school is North Ridge Elementary and my mentor teacher is Mrs. Barnhill in first grade. I am in their class during science time and rotations. When I first walked into class, I was a little nervous, however, soon I felt right in my comfort zone. I helped the kids make metamorphic rocks and did a "Rockin' Sock Hop" dance with them. It was so much fun and the kids were so fun and welcoming. I am looking forward to making a difference in these childrens' lives while also getting great classroom experience!

Responsibility

Responsibility is one of the core values that is stressed in BISD. As you get older, you gain more and more responsibility. Your parents gradually start letting go, and you as an individual have to take responsibility for your own actions. A part of responsibility that is often times overlooked is standing up for others. When you see someone slip in fall or embarrass themselves, it is not right to join in with others and laugh at them. Instead, you should comfort them and stand up against everyone else that will just sit back and laugh. This will make the embarrassed person feel so much more loved, and who knows, it could start a chain reaction of kindness. It is our RESPONSIBILITY to take actions for ourselves and stand up for others.

-inspired by the video on this wiki

Technology in Schools

This info graphic really displays the change in technology over time as it pertains to teaching. It shows the evolution from older technology (overhead projectors, VCR players, tape recorders, etc.) and newer technology (graphing calculators, smart phones, laptops, etc.). Many schools do not have enough funds to replace all the old technology, so classrooms have a mix between the old and the new. This could be a potential problem because new technology like social media and educational apps have proved very effective as opposed to the outdated technology.

-inspired by this infographic

Becoming "Socially Smart"

       During this day and age, social networking has taken over most people's, especially teens', lives. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and many other online communication websites allow millions of people to search, follow, and friend others. While these tools can be very beneficial, they can also cause a lot of problems for the socially uneducated. Particularly, socially uneducated teens are putting comments, photos, and videos on the world wide web that can be detrimental to their reputation. They are not even considering the harmful effects that could happen if the wrong person saw these personal postings. Whether it be a sexual predator or a future employer, anyone can see the information you put online, even from years past. Your sexy dancing video or comments on being wasted the weekend before can be seen by anyone. Most teens are oblivious to this concept, or choose to ignore it, when they should be doing quite the opposite. Teens need to take caution now before it's too late, and sensor what they put on the Internet for everyone to see.

P.S. A person's reputation is what determines their future. Any future employer, friend, or spouse will judge you based on what they have heard about you or what they have researched about you. When someone's reputation is ruined it is extremely difficult to reverse. I knew a girl who sent naked pictures of herself to a guy, and eventually they got around the school. This incident completely ruined her reputation, and although she said she was sorry and never made any more poor choices, everyone always remembered the mishaps and her reputation could not be repaired. Now, this sad situation is only something that others can learn about in order for them to not make the same poor choice.

-inspired by this article