Blog #4

A1: I was not there for the the guest speaker but from what I've learned about morning meetings so far I think that they are a really good idea and would be very beneficial in the classroom. I will definitely try to implement morning meetings into my own classroom. The students will be able to feel a stronger sense of community among their classmates and I think it will help those that are normally shy to feel comfortable speaking up. Once they feel comfortable speaking in morning meetings, hopefully they will feel comfortable sharing their ideas in class as well.

B1: 5 specific ways a teachers can respond to students needs:
1) The Response of Invitation
2) The Response of Opportunity
3) The Response of Investment
4) The Response of Persistence
5) The Response of Reflection

I like how it talks about making the student feel like he/she is important and valuable to the classroom. Showing interest in the child and wanting to get to know them helps them to feel like they are important and that you want them in the classroom and they have something valuable to contribute. I think this is really important because so many kids feel like teachers look right past them for whatever reason. They feel like it doesn't make a difference whether they are there or not. I have had teachers like this and it didn't make me want to come to school or to try to do well in the class. By making a child feel welcome in class they know that they will be missed when they don't show up and their attendance is important to the teacher, not just because of grades, but because they are a person the teacher cares about.

Blog #3: Inventories and Pre-assessment Ideas

1) Thinking About my Reading: This has different questions about the books they've read and the books they like/dislike, etc. I really like it and would use it in my classroom because I think it would help me as the teacher to get to know my students better. I would know what things they did and didn't like reading so I would be able to differentiate my curriculum based on the interests of individual students. I could use this form in other areas as well if I changed the questions. For example, in Social Studies I could find out what each of my students liked or disliked the most, what things they already knew a lot about, etc.

2) 6-Trait Guide to Revision: This paper has a checklist for students to go through as they are revising something. I think a lot of students have a hard time revising a piece of writing because they don't know what they should change. This checklist would give them a good place to start. It asks them if they have a beginning, middle, and end, if their main idea was clear, etc. This would help students at any readiness level because everyone can do something to improve a piece of writing. Based on their understanding of the items on the checklist, they can improve their own piece of writing and make it better. This checklist could be used for any type of writing piece - fiction, non-fiction, etc.

3) Picture of Art Pallet: This asks students to draw a picture of something they liked in the story and write a couple of sentences about it. I really like this because we learned last semester that pictures are a child's first writing. I would use this in my classroom to help get kids thinking and visualizing what they read. Some students learn better by drawing a picture first and then writing about it. By using this I would be differentiating for my students based on the students readiness to write. I could also use this in other subjects such as Social Studies. The students could draw a picture of something we learned that they thought was interesting and then write a sentence or two describing what is happening in their picture.

Blog #2: Readings-Ch.1 and 2

One of the quotes that I liked from the book comes from Ch. 2 towards the bottom of page 19: "...because students...differ so greatly, the premise of differentiation is that while students have the same basic needs, those needs will manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the student's gender, culture, general life experiences, talents, interests, learning preferences, affective development, cognitive development, and support systems".

I agree with this because even though all students need to be challenged, have purpose, be affirmed, etc., they will need to have these needs met in different ways. For example, challenging for one student might be too challenging for another or not challenging enough or not even a kind of challenge that the student will respond too. When I was in elementary school, I did like any kind of challenges that put me on the spot or that were competitive, but for other students, making things a competition will encourage them to do better. For a shy student, something challenging might be more individual, like a competition against them self. So, although all students need challenge, as a teacher I'll have to figure out what kind of challenge motivates each of my students and what makes them shut down and not want to try.

Blog #1

1. What are your favorite things to do when you aren't in school or doing homework?

I really like reading, spending time with my family and friends, crocheting, scrapbooking, camping, and just being at home.

2. When have you been really proud of yourself? Please explain why you felt that way.

I'm really proud of how well I've done in college. I never did that great in high school and I was the only one of my siblings to actually graduate high school. Going to college was a big deal for me and I was scared I wouldn't be able to do it, but now I just have a year left.

3. What are you really good at in school? How do you know?

I'm really good at keeping track of whats going on, when things are due, etc. I always finish my assignments on time. I am also good at working in groups and on my own.

4. What background, talent, skill and interest do you have in each of these:
a) music: I really love listening to music, but I don't have any talent in it. I can't play any instruments and I can't sing.
b) visual arts: I'm not very artistic, but I do like scrapbooking. I'm not good at drawing or painting or anything like that.
c) dance: I took a social dance class in high school and I really like dancing, though I'm not very good at it.
d) theater: No experience. I like watching plays.

5. What is hard for you? What makes it hard?

Math and biology are really hard for me. It's hard for me to understand things when I can't visualize them.

6. What is your favorite children's book, and why is it your favorite?

There are so many children's books that I love, I don't know if I could just pick one. One that I really like is the Diary of a Worm because I think it's really cute how they told the story from the worm's perspective.


7. What is your favorite TV show, when you can spare the time to watch?

I really don't like to watch much TV, but I do like watching the Office.

8. What movie could you watch again and again?

Never Been Kissed. I really like chick flicks and comedies.

9. What are some things you really care about?

I care a lot about my family. I care a lot about what happens to those around me.

10. What will set you apart as a teacher?

I feel like I have a lot of empathy for kids who struggle and don't understand and kids who don't fit in well at school because I was one of those kids myself. I feel like a have a lot patience and that I would be able to help students who need the extra help.

11. What else should I know about you as a person and a student that could help me be a better teacher? What would you like me to know about you that I haven't asked about?

I learn better when the class isn't straight lecture from a powerpoint, when the teacher switches things up a little bit.