1. I found this week's readings very interesting. I particularly found Chapter 3 of Brighton to be very helpful. I liked that it gave details of what middle age students are going through and how we as teachers can help them. I found it interesting that at this age students have an abundance of energy because of hormone fluctuations and that it is hard for students to sit on hard surfaces for any length of time due to ossification. According to this chapter these are things that we should just ignore, teens are going to be fidgety and not want to sit still, but it is not something they can control. The issue of privacy concerning having to change clothes in front of students is one I myself personally remember. When it came time to change for gym there was always a line to get into one of the two stalls that were located in the locker rooms and this often caused students to be tardy for class. I think respecting a teen's privacy is a very important thing that is often forgotten. In addition, I enjoyed learning about in loco parentis from Parks Chapter 1. In loco parentis means that you are in the position of the parent. This was very important for me. As a teacher I must always remember that I am responsible for every single student and every action and word I say in front of them and I must always remember this.
2. One interesting thing I learned was about the lesson from the cow. I was wondering do other teachers mind people borrowing their ideas and methods? Do they find it insulting or flattering that we would like to take their ideas and change them?
3. I am interested in learning many things about working with middle school students.One thing that I would like to know is how to best connect with middle school students. I want to know what middle school students most expect from their teachers.
Borrowing and tweaking teaching ideas I think is the norm for the profession. However, you may find some people find it insulting for you to change their work. You will have to figure this out in the school context. However, much of what we "borrow" now comes from the Internet which can be freely changed. I worked collaboratively with another teacher a lot. We worked very well together and were able to make suggestions to each others' ideas. This was a mutually beneficial relationship that made us both teachers. Also, I believe that often we have to make adjustments to lessons etc. to better meet the needs of our students and to match our own teaching styles.
ReplyDeleteI have a document that I will get and scan in for the class. It was compiled from middle school students at a local school about things middle school teachers do that show they care.