After reading the chapter, and discovering various comprehension strategies, we noted that as teachers we had only employed a few within our classrooms. We did not realize that there were so many strategies, and as a result came to the conclusion that we might have failed our students unconsciously.
We could only defend the fact that we only remembered tapping into students’ prior knowledge because we somehow felt it necessary to do so for specific topics, as well as allow them to make predictions and ask questions. We were unaware of these practices, and to top off the cake with icing we were never really given directives as to how to perform certain tasks.
We allowed them to visualize, ask questions and make connections by asking them to draw or dramatize a particular aspect of a play or novel we were studying and they would mot frequently transpose it into their everyday situations. We always provided opportunities for practice and gave demonstrations although at times we were scolded for it.
Furthermore, we believe that although we tried, we did not try hard enough. We have considered the fact that we all need to employ new teaching strategies and attempt to incorporate all the cognitive processes to enable our students to be better strategic readers and writers. As much as we suppose we have failed the students, we think that other teachers have done the same in this regard, and that new measures should be implemented in an effort to aid the students in developing the foundation for acquiring knowledge.
Friday, March 20, 2009
REFLECTION #2
Am I a strategic teacher? The question, if you were to rephrase it, seeks to ask me, was I an effective teacher? After much denial, I can admit that I was NOT and probably NEVER HAVE BEEN a strategic teacher. Although at times I suppose that unconsciously, I experimented with a few minuscule strategies, most which I probably did correctly were always by way of accidents.
I FEEL BURDENED WITH THIS THOUGHT. I was never aware of ¼ of the strategies that we are currently examining, and it leaves me to ponder on a very disturbing issue:
v Have I really failed my students?
v Are they aware that I failed them?
v Do they blame me?
Because I blame myself and I can tell you I feel guilty and as a result have been bearing such a burden and this was one of the main reasons I decided to attend Teachers’ Training College.
At times I have been guilty of becoming frustrated when students did not understand a concept, however I now realize that probably I did not try hard enough. Although there were times that I had sat in other senior teachers’ classrooms to observe their practices, I must admit that none of them practiced any of these strategies although they had all been to Teachers’ Training College.
Moreover, in my frustration, I believe that I had neglected some members of the class and cast them off as lazy, and they in turn would have disturbed the class. I then realized, that it was not that they were incapable of learning, they had a mental block towards the subject, and I had to find ways which would engage them in the subject. I had to find a way and still have to find other ways to do more.
I know I was a good teacher but I never really analyzed the idea of strategic. The concepts I taught and the ways in which I did it were purposeful, but now as I reflect, they were hardly strategic. I know that I have a long journey to tread but I am persistent and confident that at one point in my teaching, I will stumble upon a great epiphany which will enlighten me and aid me in facilitating more engaging and authentic learning experiences for the diverse students who enter my classroom, which are purposeful as well as strategic.
I can imagine that every child has the potential to learn therefore we should make the concerted effort in getting them there. I do not think it should rest solely on me but it should be a collaborative effort, among teachers and teacher, teachers and parents, teachers and students and parents and students. Everyone has a part to play. In addition, there are foundations which students should have learnt in the earlier stages as supported by Chall’s in the stages of reading development. If students have not acquired a skill, why should they be sent up and allowed to continue? Teachers as well as parents need to make the initial effort. Take a stand and help them get there before they can actually get there. (If you know what I mean?)
I am truly sorry for the mixed perceptions but this idea of “strategic” is a little new to me. I’m trying and I hope I get there soon.
I FEEL BURDENED WITH THIS THOUGHT. I was never aware of ¼ of the strategies that we are currently examining, and it leaves me to ponder on a very disturbing issue:
v Have I really failed my students?
v Are they aware that I failed them?
v Do they blame me?
Because I blame myself and I can tell you I feel guilty and as a result have been bearing such a burden and this was one of the main reasons I decided to attend Teachers’ Training College.
At times I have been guilty of becoming frustrated when students did not understand a concept, however I now realize that probably I did not try hard enough. Although there were times that I had sat in other senior teachers’ classrooms to observe their practices, I must admit that none of them practiced any of these strategies although they had all been to Teachers’ Training College.
Moreover, in my frustration, I believe that I had neglected some members of the class and cast them off as lazy, and they in turn would have disturbed the class. I then realized, that it was not that they were incapable of learning, they had a mental block towards the subject, and I had to find ways which would engage them in the subject. I had to find a way and still have to find other ways to do more.
I know I was a good teacher but I never really analyzed the idea of strategic. The concepts I taught and the ways in which I did it were purposeful, but now as I reflect, they were hardly strategic. I know that I have a long journey to tread but I am persistent and confident that at one point in my teaching, I will stumble upon a great epiphany which will enlighten me and aid me in facilitating more engaging and authentic learning experiences for the diverse students who enter my classroom, which are purposeful as well as strategic.
I can imagine that every child has the potential to learn therefore we should make the concerted effort in getting them there. I do not think it should rest solely on me but it should be a collaborative effort, among teachers and teacher, teachers and parents, teachers and students and parents and students. Everyone has a part to play. In addition, there are foundations which students should have learnt in the earlier stages as supported by Chall’s in the stages of reading development. If students have not acquired a skill, why should they be sent up and allowed to continue? Teachers as well as parents need to make the initial effort. Take a stand and help them get there before they can actually get there. (If you know what I mean?)
I am truly sorry for the mixed perceptions but this idea of “strategic” is a little new to me. I’m trying and I hope I get there soon.
Friday, February 13, 2009
REFLECTION #1
I have been involved in the whole concept of teaching for most of my life but I never realized that I was actually teaching until I got a position at the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School. It was as if a prophecy had been fulfilled. I remember vividly sitting in Mr. Felicien’s form five English language class a few weeks before CXC, when he decided to give us some advice on life. He started by categorizing students into particular fields in the world of work. Many students were destined to be doctors, and lawyers, and artists. Even authors and prime ministers, and jokingly he commented even baggers at J Q’s Supermarket. At that moment, he turned to me and said, “Not you! Walcott I have a strong feeling you are going to be a teacher!” I denied it and continued to do so all through A’ Level until 2006 when I was granted an interview and become a staff member of the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School.
On my first day, I think I was more excited than the students because through my naïveté, I deemed that all students wanted to learn and I had a lot of information to impart. I was given the task of teaching Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and English Literature to form fours, and integrated English to the form ones. I must admit, I saw this as a new, stimulating prospect, and believed that there was not much work to it.
When I started teaching I had no idea what I was up for. I did not know what to teach or how to go about teaching it, and it made me question my purpose and value at this job. In the first term, it was sort of trial and error for me, as no workshops or guidelines were put in place for new teachers. There was no help from senior teachers or heads of the department. Everyone was too busy so I did the only thing I knew, teach as I was taught and learn from my mistakes. I even tried to observe other teachers to get a feel of what I should do, but some of them seemed more clueless than me although they were in the system for many years. In addition, I never knew how to write a lesson plan and as a result, I believe I set higher standards for the students, clearly ones that most of them were unable to reach as they had not acquired the necessary foundations such as reading.
I do not suppose I ever fully understood the theory of content area reading and writing, and if I had any clue, I am convinced that I was unconscious of it. I encountered many problems in all my classes, especially English. The prevalent one was the fact that the students did not like to read, therefore they performed poorly on assignments and during exam time. As a result of this, I employed the notion of role playing techniques where I would dress up as particular characters to get the students interested in the various topics we were about to explore, or allow them to dramatize certain chapters in groups. I found this method to be very effective, as I noted increase participation and eagerness in many students.
Also, they found it difficult to work on their own and many of them did not have their own textbook. Therefore I structured many lessons to take into account the presence of group work, and the students felt more comfortable and confident about reading and actually began to share their ideas as they were able to grasp certain concepts thus showing their level of understanding through discussion. The most memorable activity was one called “Hot from the press” whereby each group was responsible for producing a newspaper based on specific chapters, themes or characters from the novels we were studying. This approach appeared to have helped a lot as the students were able to discuss and analyze various concepts and create remarkable pieces.
Although I found teaching integrated English very challenging, and tried to make it as exciting as possible for the students, many of the teachers who refused to help in the beginning frowned upon those techniques and remarked that the students could not possibly learn in such a manner. I sometimes had arguments with teachers who believed learning should only take place in the classroom, and as a result I was forced to partake in the “old fashioned” methods of chalk and talk.
Furthermore, many teachers believed that only the English teacher was supposed to correct spelling and subject verb agreement, and as a result, classified the students as lazy, dumb and unwilling to work. Many of these teachers fail to realize that we are all products of our environments, and consequently, the students react to the stimuli furnished by the teacher. If we amend their errors they learn, however if we do not they continue to perform in the same manner, and are nonetheless distinguished as hollow. I imagine that many teachers in other schools had many of the same problems as me. There were no workshops put in place to aid in the professional development of novice teachers, lack of training and suitable resources, we all went through the trial and error method and no support was given to us from senior staff. I suppose I was unlike many of them because I tried to find solutions to many of my problems which would aid my teaching as well as students. I found innovative ways to utilize the limited resources, learnt new things in order to have a more informed and exciting class, as well as enrolled in many workshops outside of the school community, in an effort to acquire new skills.
Equally important is the fact that many teachers view the task of content area reading and writing as tedious, time consuming and frustrating, so they just do not bother with teaching it. They constantly complain about the students but hardly ever make an effort to actually help them.
Furthermore, in my first year of teaching, I found that I was constantly reevaluating myself and trying hard to discover original ways to help students understand and equip them with the tools they need. I found it necessary to empower myself by relentlessly learning in order to teach accurate content and provide authentic learning experiences. In addition, I tried to cater to the needs of all my students although at times it seemed impossible. I recognized in my second year of teaching, I was able to devise strategies which enabled me to be more organized and in the end aid students even though at times many persons were not very open to change. I observed that every set of students is different. They keep evolving and so must you if you want them to take charge of their own education and learn. Even now I am still unsure of how to write a lesson plan, yet I find myself fervent about new lessons and strategies in an effort to continue to make a difference.
On my first day, I think I was more excited than the students because through my naïveté, I deemed that all students wanted to learn and I had a lot of information to impart. I was given the task of teaching Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and English Literature to form fours, and integrated English to the form ones. I must admit, I saw this as a new, stimulating prospect, and believed that there was not much work to it.
When I started teaching I had no idea what I was up for. I did not know what to teach or how to go about teaching it, and it made me question my purpose and value at this job. In the first term, it was sort of trial and error for me, as no workshops or guidelines were put in place for new teachers. There was no help from senior teachers or heads of the department. Everyone was too busy so I did the only thing I knew, teach as I was taught and learn from my mistakes. I even tried to observe other teachers to get a feel of what I should do, but some of them seemed more clueless than me although they were in the system for many years. In addition, I never knew how to write a lesson plan and as a result, I believe I set higher standards for the students, clearly ones that most of them were unable to reach as they had not acquired the necessary foundations such as reading.
I do not suppose I ever fully understood the theory of content area reading and writing, and if I had any clue, I am convinced that I was unconscious of it. I encountered many problems in all my classes, especially English. The prevalent one was the fact that the students did not like to read, therefore they performed poorly on assignments and during exam time. As a result of this, I employed the notion of role playing techniques where I would dress up as particular characters to get the students interested in the various topics we were about to explore, or allow them to dramatize certain chapters in groups. I found this method to be very effective, as I noted increase participation and eagerness in many students.
Also, they found it difficult to work on their own and many of them did not have their own textbook. Therefore I structured many lessons to take into account the presence of group work, and the students felt more comfortable and confident about reading and actually began to share their ideas as they were able to grasp certain concepts thus showing their level of understanding through discussion. The most memorable activity was one called “Hot from the press” whereby each group was responsible for producing a newspaper based on specific chapters, themes or characters from the novels we were studying. This approach appeared to have helped a lot as the students were able to discuss and analyze various concepts and create remarkable pieces.
Although I found teaching integrated English very challenging, and tried to make it as exciting as possible for the students, many of the teachers who refused to help in the beginning frowned upon those techniques and remarked that the students could not possibly learn in such a manner. I sometimes had arguments with teachers who believed learning should only take place in the classroom, and as a result I was forced to partake in the “old fashioned” methods of chalk and talk.
Furthermore, many teachers believed that only the English teacher was supposed to correct spelling and subject verb agreement, and as a result, classified the students as lazy, dumb and unwilling to work. Many of these teachers fail to realize that we are all products of our environments, and consequently, the students react to the stimuli furnished by the teacher. If we amend their errors they learn, however if we do not they continue to perform in the same manner, and are nonetheless distinguished as hollow. I imagine that many teachers in other schools had many of the same problems as me. There were no workshops put in place to aid in the professional development of novice teachers, lack of training and suitable resources, we all went through the trial and error method and no support was given to us from senior staff. I suppose I was unlike many of them because I tried to find solutions to many of my problems which would aid my teaching as well as students. I found innovative ways to utilize the limited resources, learnt new things in order to have a more informed and exciting class, as well as enrolled in many workshops outside of the school community, in an effort to acquire new skills.
Equally important is the fact that many teachers view the task of content area reading and writing as tedious, time consuming and frustrating, so they just do not bother with teaching it. They constantly complain about the students but hardly ever make an effort to actually help them.
Furthermore, in my first year of teaching, I found that I was constantly reevaluating myself and trying hard to discover original ways to help students understand and equip them with the tools they need. I found it necessary to empower myself by relentlessly learning in order to teach accurate content and provide authentic learning experiences. In addition, I tried to cater to the needs of all my students although at times it seemed impossible. I recognized in my second year of teaching, I was able to devise strategies which enabled me to be more organized and in the end aid students even though at times many persons were not very open to change. I observed that every set of students is different. They keep evolving and so must you if you want them to take charge of their own education and learn. Even now I am still unsure of how to write a lesson plan, yet I find myself fervent about new lessons and strategies in an effort to continue to make a difference.
Hey Hey Hey
Hey guys
Welcome to Desiree's niche!
I hope you have a fun and educational learning experience throughout your journey in my blog as well as our other colleagues.I know it is probabvly a little late to be giving a welcome but I think it is necessary.
Here, we will be able to discuss issues and interests which are funny,and serious and maybe many other things which will aid us in all aspects of our lives.
Feel free to explore and comment as all criticism despite whether it is bad or good is constructive criticism.
Enjoy yourself and ponder on the following quote:
"Education is a passport for the future, and tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today!" Malcolm X
Gentle Breezes,
Desiree
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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