NYT Middle School Article

This article raised the debate about what should happen to Middle school students who are currently being lost in the confusing times between elementary school and high school. During this difficult time in adolesence, it is hard for teachers and students to find common ground. The New York Times article delt with examples stemming from inner city schools where middle schoolers are caught in a detrimental cross road. Both sides of this issue have their pros and cons. For one, some argue that middle school is a neccissary step for children before they enter high school, however the flip side is that some students still need coddeling while others will work better when given more concrete goals like playing varsity sports or other such activities. My opinion is that middle school should remain where it is in our society, however, there needs to be more teachers and student aids available to help these student cope with the changes that are occuring during this time in their lives. Middle school is a difficult age for students, and they can't help that, but to say that this is a black or white issue of whether middle school should be apart of our educational system is not right. We as future educators can use our knowledge of what it was like to be a kid at that age and try harder to help them transition to the high school level.

How do I start thinking like a teacher?

Honestly, I do not feel as if I have truely started thinking like a teacher. I believe that in some aspects I am thinking more like a teacher but all in all I still have a way to go. I have had experiance as a coach, camp counselor and mentor to high school and elementary aged youths so I have some insight as to how one thinks like a teacher. However, I still need to get into the classroom and see what it is like to formally teach a class and direct lesson plans. Thinking like a teacher is going to be a lot of work, but I am passionate about this proffession and will get to that point when the time is right.

What theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

This question could recieve a multitude of answers as we all examined a different historical event in education and created a comprehensive wiki for each. Some of the most important influences that we looked at in this class would be such events as the Winnetka Plan, and the impacts made during the Progressive era and the civil rights movement. For example, the Winnetka Plan was a particularly important peice of educational history because it put a stress on the arts as well as the core subjects. This would be great in our schools today as we see musical and art programs being focused on less with the NCLB act in place. The Progressive era reforms were important for today's schools because they focused on making students productive citizens as well as boosting literacy. This would be great today because there seems to be a lack of character building in schools, and the reforms in the Progressive era were targeted to do this exact task. Finally, the reforms made in schools during the civil rights movement, ie Brown v. Board of Education, are too important to keep out of the school's we'd like to have. Integrating races in our schools has been one of the most important peices in educational history in this country and it can do a lot to teach values of tolerance and appreciation. We have learned about many different events in educational history that have made profound impacts on our schools, but in some cases we have lost some of these important values. That is why as a perspective teacher I appreciate having learned about these different historical events and how they can be applied to our schools today.

How can I use the knowledge of the learner to be a better teacher?

When we covered different learning styles in this class we also looked at how these learning styles affect us and our students. After looking at these perspectives, it is clear to see how one can use the knowledge of the learner to become a better teacher. I know that I must understand different learning styles and try to adjust my lessons to be condusive to how my students learn, because I know what it was like to be in class unable to learn because the way I learn wasn't accomadated. I also need to keep in mind that students need to be challenged and pushed, for I can remember having this not happen and falling behind. This class has taught me the value of using this knowledge of the learner to my advantage in giving my students the best possible education in my future classes.

How can I be successful at UMF?

In this class we looked at our four year plans which seem to give me a good idea of how I could be successful at UMF. I know that first off I will have to work hard in my classes. Secondly I will need to be sure to pass my Praxis I and II exams as they allow me to move on a take classes like my practicum. Making sure to keep in touch with my proffessors and advisors will do a lot to help me be successful as well seeing as these people understand what it takes to become proffesionals in the field of education. The final component that I have learned about in this class in terms of how to be succussful at UMF would deffinately be to look to my peers for sharing ideas and support as we all look to achieve our goals.

How do I become a teacher?

During the time spent in this class one of the topics we covered is how we go about becoming a teacher. One of the ways we learned to go about trying to become a teacher was the certification process. For example, I looked up how to become certified as a teacher in Massachusettes wheras others looked elsewhere for different certification rules. Part of the certification process is the college experiance. During my years in college I will not only take classes that will be beneficial to becoming a teacher but I will also engage in student teaching. The second part of the college experiance that will be beneficial to my becoming a teacher will be taking and passing both the Praxis I and II tests. These tests are crucial to my becoming certified as they determine whether or not I am fit to teach. Therefore, when I look back at what I have learned in this class as to how I become a teacher, I must remember that it will be imperative to do my absolute best in my classes at UMF as well as pass my Praxis I and II exams. I will have to also do well in my student teaching and once I graduate, go for my certification in Massachusettes. After I become certified I can then look at where I want to teach and hopefully acquire a job.

Formative Assesments.

Essential Questions:
How do I become I teacher?
-If I pass my praxis exams, and do well during my student teaching then I will have an opportunity to get certified and look for a job either in Maine or out of state.
How can I be successful at UMF?
-I will need to focus on my classes and work hard to retain the information that my professors are passing on and put it to good use. I will have to stay on top of my homework and put all of my effort towards doing well in my concentration area.
How can I use the knowledge of the learner to be a better teacher?
-I will have to keep in mind that every student has different learning styles and abilities. I will need to try and formulate my lessons to best suite all the students. Also, I will have to be able to make my lessons pertinant to what is going on in the world and allow for my students to make connections beyond the classroom.
Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?
-I would like to see more schools and classes being run in light of the Winnetka Plan that was implimented in the early 1900's. I feel that this kind of teaching allows for the most growth in students.
How do I start thinking like a teacher instead of a student?
-I feel that I will need to experiance teaching, and get a feel for what it is like behind the big chair.

Local Teacher Panel

I felt that this panel was very helpful in giving us an idea of how these teachers feel about their jobs. I enjoyed hearing about the different paths that these teachers took to their current positions and what has motivated them to keep going. I appreciated having these teachers come in to talk because it is always helpful to engage in a dialogue with other proffesionals in your field so you can see how they got to where they are today.

Maine Issue Personal Impact

By asking how this consolidation would effect me is difficult. I support that statement by asking you to read the last few sentences of my previous blogging. I have not read enough about the impact on kids in these larger schools. I am sure there are plenty of examples supporting the pros and cons of this issue. I am not entirely sure how this will be for me. I could technically write down that the consolidation would be great for kids, but I am not sure of that, and vice versa. I don't know if this will be good, it could open up more opportunities for kids to take AP courses, but on the other hand it could leave a lot of kids behind. Therefore I will simply restate that I cannot make a decision as to how this will affect me. I can only say that I hope this issue works out for the best interest of the kids, because the education system is built for them.

Maine Issue Reaction

Im my educated opinion, I am currently torn between how I feel about the consolidation of school districts. On one hand, I really like the idea of regional cooperation and saving money on school renovations. However I am concerned that children will not be getting enough individualized attention in these new schools. Teachers may not be prepared to take on large class rooms where they might have extra behavioral issues or learning disabilities. Special Education programs may also be stretched too thin in larger schools. The real issue we have to look at when evaluating the consolidation of school districts is how it will effect the children, because we as teachers are working to serve them, they are priority number one. Money or funding cannot be put ahead of the needs of children. I currently have no stance on the issue because I have not heard enough on how this effects kids. All I read about is money we can save, or how many less schools we will need to renovate, what I want to know is, what about the kids?

Maine Issue Summary

This article discusses the positive facts of consolodating school districts. The proposed plan is said to be able to save Maine $250 million over the next 3 years. Other statistics which support this idea are as follows. Larger schools provide more opportunities for advanced placement and more specialized classes. Also, it will be difficult for Maine to afford the neccissary renovations that are needed in most of its schools. Combining schools would make things easier in terms of spending money on renovations. Another benefit of combining districts would be regional cooperation which would allow for a combining of resources and ideas from neighboring regions. In terms of this article, the general opinion seems to be that combining school districts would be something positive for Maine.

Sweet Action!

A Simp is a goon.
Class is really super cool.
I hope this thing works.
-A haiku by Jason Aceto.