Monday, October 15, 2007

Student-planned curriculum

I've heard stories from classmates about teachers they had in high school that asked the students, in the first week or so of school, to essentially plan out the year. The teacher would ask the students what topics to cover, what books they wanted to read, and what kind of assignments they thought would show that they understood the assignment. They would work with the teacher cooperatively to plan units and everything.

I really like this idea because it places responsibility on the students. Giving students agency over their education can make the classroom a much more enjoyable place, and it shows the student that I, as the teacher, care about their interests and desires.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

When College Proffessors Need Lessons in Teaching

I feel bad for the professors in the College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern. I really do. Many, if not most, of we students who occupy their classes are going to be teachers and can safely say we know a thing or two about how to successfully teach. So, when our professors are not up to par, we criticize the heck out of them.

I know this is an unfair advantage on the their end, but it irks me when professors don't follow some of the fundamental concepts of education. I wish I could send them to a workshop on assessment or classroom management. However, the professor who inspired me to write this post needs neither. She needs a lesson in etiquette.

She interrupts the students repeatedly, and makes it very obvious if she thinks someone is wasting her time with their opinion. I asked two questions today, and both of them received rude responses. But, instead of letting myself use this as an excuse to not do the work or hate going to class, I will take mental notes on what NOT to do when I'm finally in front of thirty or so students. Here's a list of things I have so far on my "to-remember" list on teacher etiquette:

-Really listen to a student when they speak, instead of waiting for them to either say what I want them to say. Do not interrupt unless necessary. (however, that is up for debate)
-Don't make a joke at one student's expense. You never know what people or subjects may be particularly touchy.
-Don't be upset when a student points out something you didn't notice or think of. Congratulate them.
-Don't get condescending about students not speaking up in class. Be understanding, because their reasons may actually be valid and/or fixable.

Monday, October 01, 2007

New Blog Beginnings

I started this blog last year for a class and proceeded to forget about it. Now that I am in my last year of school before I student teach, I thought I should get some ideas down. I want to use this blog to record my excitement and fear about becoming a teacher, and I want to plan for the kind of classroom I want to one day have. Bear with me; I still don't have it all figured out yet.