Reflection 11

Now that the end of the semester has arrived, I would like to reflect on my experience in this class as a whole.

1.  I had never really taught a lesson (except in church, or class presentations) before this class.  When I started teaching for the first time I was really nervous.  By the end I wasn't as nervous.

2.  I'm so glad that when I taught I was video recorded so I could watch it afterward and critique myself.  This was one of my favorite parts of the class.  I really enjoyed seeing the mistakes I made as well as the things I did well.

3.  As funny as it sounds, one of the lessons that really sticks out in my mind was the lesson on writing tests.  I found that fascinating.  I always wanted to know what made a good exam, and what made a good exam question.

4.  After Jeff LeBaron came and talked to us, it made me really thankful for my college professors, especially my TEE major professors, because Jeff taught me that teaching in middle school or high school can be really really rewarding.  It made me realize what my professors are giving up to teach us, so that we can teach in the schools and have those rewarding experience.

5.  I enjoyed watching all of my peers teach.  I liked learning from them.

6.  I loved teaching 6th grade.  It was so fun to teach real students and to see real reactions from students.

Overall it was a really enjoyable class, and I really did learn a lot.

Reflection 10

This week Jeff LeBaron came and spoke to our class. He is such an enthusiastic person who I can tell is very passionate about teaching. He told us about the different units he has been able to teach and about some of his students. He gave us advice and encouragement.

It was motivating. It was motivating to me because I hope I can be a good teacher like him. I hope I can be a positive influence in the lives of everyone around me.

I think the reason why he is a good teacher is because he is passionate. He has had a few careers previously to teaching so he knows that this is fun for him. He knows that the pay isn't as much as in other fields but that is a sacrifice he is willing to make.

Reflection 9

Jared taught a great lesson this week.  It was well planned out, the material was presented through a brief powerpoint, there was a great activity demonstrating the subject and we had a worksheet to fill out that checked for understanding.  In relation to this specific lesson, one thing I have learned is that it is so hard, almost impossible, to give a good lesson on a very broad subject (hard, almost impossible for me).  It is much easier to give a great lesson on a specific principle or topic, so you can really delve into it.  This is something I should apply to my teaching that I think will help me be a better teacher.  Jared's lesson was about manufacturing technology but he taught specifically about the 5s's of Lean Manufacturing - very specific.

Today in class we talked about Marzano.  Marzano says that there are a few things that influence student learning, they are: socioeconomic factors, aptitude, home-life, school, but most importantly the teacher. Of course this is the most important factor, the teacher is the one in charge of the learning!  If the teacher isn't teaching, I can almost guarantee that the student isn't learning.  This is why being a teacher is such a noble calling in life.  Teachers have the ability to help the students overcome socioeconomic factors, DNA, and their home-life situation!  This is powerful.  This helps me to see that teachers can help students achieve their full potential.  Achieving potential has to do more with the spirit of the person than their situation in life.

I have such high hopes for my future students, almost as high as my hopes for my future children.  How will I motivate, love, and teach them?

Refection 8

On Tuesday I went back to Maple Mountain High School, but this time to observe Tyler Lewis.  He was teaching a Photography class and they were preparing for a test.  He showed them a simple powerpoint presentation to review the information they had been learning this semester.  It seemed like most of the students were able to recall the information.  He also went over some new information.

I don't know Tyler very well but it doesn't seem like he is an overly outgoing person.  He seems a little reserved but he was still able to control the classroom, I think the students respected him and therefore gave him their attention.  After the presentation he handed out the review sheet and they had some time to work on it.  He walked around the room answering questions.

In a basic photo class like his, and with his budget, not many of the students were able to use DSLRs.  He taught mostly about composition with Point-and-Shoot cameras.

Today in class we taught again.  During one of the lessons I started thinking about stage presence.  I know I mentioned this in a previous reflection but there are certain people who get up and teach and from the second they start, I am rooting for them.  I want them to do their best.  I like their style and I can't get enough of their lesson.  What makes me like a lesson from the beginning or hate a lesson from the beginning?  I think it has to do with presence and how I think they feel about me.  I can tell they want me to understand what they're teaching, they have high expectations for me as their student.  How can I apply this to my teaching?  This ties back to the moral dimensions of learning.  It particularly has to do with this one: Practicing a nurturing pedagogy (the art and science of teaching); Develop educators who nurture the learning and well-being of every student.  Whenever I read this I just think that it ultimately has to do with love, be a loving caring teacher.  Be an educator who nurtures.  Be invested in their learning.  Be invested in their education.  It is your responsibility that they learn and become good people.

I just hope (after my nerves calm down) that I can be a nurturing teacher, care for the student's well being.  

Reflection 7

The past few classes we have spend time teaching.  We have been teaching about different STLs. I enjoy watching these mini lessons and seeing everyone's different teaching styles.  I am only taking TEE classes this semester so I only have 3 teachers, for 6 classes, so I don't have very many chances to observe different teaching styles this semester.

Some "teachers" in my class are superb.  They have this teaching thing down.  They are good at planning their lessons, they are good at delivering the material, they are confident, etc.  But others have much room for improvement.  Teaching is hard because there are so many different methods, and so many right answers.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed, even teaching these mini (20 minute) lessons.  How am I going to teach all day long?  Many different classes, many different students, many different topics....YIKES! 

This is when I need to remember that I am still learning, I'm not supposed to be a great teacher yet.  This is why I am taking the classes I am taking, so I can get better.  I need to be more confident.  

I hope I can be a motivating and uplifting teacher.

"Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of the nation." -- John F. Kennedy

Photos for TEE 125

Blown-out
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: 4.0


Blown-out
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/500 sec
Aperture: 5.6


Blown-out
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/500 sec
Aperture: 4.0


Close-up
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/160 sec
Aperture: 2.8



Close-up/Blown-out
ISO: 160
Exposure: 1/125 sec
Aperture: 2.5


Close-up
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/160 sec
Aperture: 3.5


Close-up
ISO: 500
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 2.8


Landscape
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/160 sec
Aperture: 4.0


Landscape
ISO: 640
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 5.0


Landscape
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 2.8


Motion
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: 8.0


Motion/
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 2.8

Portrait
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: 4.5

Reflection 6

I just taught about STL 6.

I like hearing all of the feedback that is given, not just to me, but to everyone.  There's so much room for improvement.

I have been thinking that I need to start a teaching notebook, of suggestions and helpful hints, that I can pull out occasionally during my first years to make sure that I am being a good teacher.

Today we had a quiz about the Moral Dimensions of learning.  I want to reflect on those a little bit.

Here they are:


1.  Enculturating the young in a social and political democracy
Foster in the nation’s young the skills, dispositions, and knowledge necessary for effective participation in a social and political democracy

2.  Providing access to knowledge for all children and youth
Ensure that the young have access to those understandings and skills required for satisfying and responsible lives

3.  Practicing a nurturing pedagogy (the art and science of teaching)
Develop educators who nurture the learning and well-being of every student

4.  Ensuring responsible stewardship of schools
Ensure educators’ competence in and commitment to serving as stewards of schools

And now a bit of reflection on numbers 1 and 4:
1.  I think that this could possibly be my favorite moral dimension.  I love it because it encourages people to be contributing members of society.  Not only is it important for us to make sure that we are informed about laws and different things happening in our community but it is our responsibility to be law abiding citizens.  It reminds me of something we talked about in Relief Society the other day.  It was about the commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth.  The commandment isn't just to multiply, but it is to multiply AND REPLENISH the Earth.  We talked about how it is our responsibility to make sure that we are bringing children into this world who are of substance, who are of value.  People who can contribute to society.  I heard Sister Beck say once that she wanted to make sure that she was raising children who could talk, she wanted to be able to have children who she enjoyed talking to and having conversations with.

4.  This is also an important thing to remember.  My husband had a professor here at BYU who said that we need to make sure that we are getting the most out of our BYU experience because part of our tuition is paid by tithing from members of our church.  He said make this experience worth while for that widow in Chili who has 6 kids who is scrimping and barely making it, but who is 100% faithful in paying her tithing.  Learn all you can!  If not for you, for her!

This is how we should feel when we are teaching.  It is our responsibility to keep out schools clean, to keep our students clean, and to teach them as much as we can.

Reflection 5

This week I visited Maple Mountain to observe Amber Lewis.  I was able to see her teach two periods of video.  The first period was a more advanced class, they produced the daily announcements.  The second class was a beginner video class.

The first period was madness!  There were kids everywhere, running around, the classroom was loud....but everything that needed to get accomplished was.  The announcements were finished on time and it all turned out great.  I think one strength that Amber has is that she is able to preform well under pressure.  She was still able to manage her classroom even though to me it looked like chaos.  The students also seemed to know their stuff.  They were making 30 second films, editing them, exporting them, and getting them to the switcher in less than an hour.  It would take our video class, IN COLLEGE days to do this!  (I know we were expected to produce a much higher quality...but still!)

I was really glad that I was able to see her teach her second class because it was much different than the first.  During the second class she was lecturing.  She had prepared a powerpoint, and an activity to teach the students about the different types of shots in cinematography.  I could tell that she had spent time preparing the lecture and thought about what would be a good way to present the material.  I was disappointed about the outcome though because I felt like the students weren't paying attention as much as they should have been.

I'm not sure what I can take from this, except that I need to make sure to have a good behavior management system, and to not get discouraged if lessons don't go as well as planned and to use everything as feedback for next time.  Amber didn't get discouraged that the students were being a little talkative, she would just ask them to stop.

Reflection 4

This last week I went to American Fork Junior High School to observe Jess Carter.  The first class he taught was Manufacturing Metals.  The students were working on completing a sheet metal tool box.  The second class he taught was Principles of Engineering.

Jess's teaching style was so different from David Myer's, who I observed last week.  Jess was much more laid back, where as David was, as I mentioned militaristic.

One thing that I thought was interesting was that Jess told us that because he teaches as AFJHS instead of any other junior high in the Alpine School District, he makes $10,000 more a year, which as a starting teacher is a big deal.  This is because AFJHS is a larger school so he has more classes and students than the other junior highs.  The interesting part though is that David Myer's classes had more students than Jess's classes.  But Jess did say that he does have one less planning period than most teachers in the district.

Even though Jess seemed more laid back, his class actually seemed more in control.  This was so interesting to me.  After thinking about it for a while I decided that it could be because his lab was much cleaner.  The table tops were all empty, each tool had a place (and they were in their place).  It made it easier to scan the entire class.  It also could be because, like I said there were fewer students, or it could be because the students had been taught more thoroughly.

Jess's first class was 9th graders who were very much under controlled, whereas his 8th grade class was off the walls.  That was also interesting to me.  It was interesting to see Jess in a situation were he could be laid back because his students were calm, and then compare it to him disciplining his 8th grade students.  I'm glad I was able to observe two different classroom management styles, from the same teacher.

Reflection 3

This week we went to the schools.  It was almost comical how excited I was.  It was as if I had never been to a school before but I guess I was just excited to see what I have been learning in action.  I'm glad that I was excited to observe, I think this means that I am in the right major.

I went to Pleasant Grove Junior High and observed a Woods class. The class was HUGE.  There were so many kids.  It was a bit over whelming at first because there were around 45 kids working on the router, table saw, chop saw...etc and I was so nervous.  I was imagining myself in charge of and responsible for these children and their limbs; imagining that it is my responsibility to make sure that no one cuts of an arm or a finger.

There were only 2 girls in the class that I observed and I thought that was interesting.  Woodshop in particular is primarily a masculine class.  I'm interested in knowing whether or not there will be more girls in other Tech classes.  It would be interesting to teach classes all day with my students mostly being boys.

I was told that the teacher I would be observing was militaristic and I was a little bit nervous to see what he was like however I liked how he ran his classroom, especially with so many kids working with dangerous equipment you almost have to be militaristic to maintain the safety.  He as straightforward with his rules and procedures and good about enforcing them.

Reflection 2

This week in class we have been discussing various psychologists and the moral dimensions of learning.  It left me feeling like a very small part of something much greater.  It reminds me of Sister Samuelson's devotional talk last week.  I am crossing a bridge that I did not build.  The teaching program we have in place has been built and changed over the years and continues to change and improve.  The classes I am taking have been created and improved upon over and over and I feel privileged to be a part of them and to have the opportunity to learn and grow.  Especially since some of the people who have built these bridges did not live to see their completion (many psychologists).

In all of the strictly teaching classes I have taken, not content classes, but teaching classes, or classes that teach teaching methods I always leave so rejuvenated.  I always leave thinking about how much of an influence I can have on my students as a teacher.  This Summer I took Classroom Management, Multicultural Education, and Adolescent Development.  All three of those classes made me so excited to be a teacher.  My professors would tell me the most motivating stories about their students, about them progressing and learning, growing, getting involved in their classes.  I am learning to truly appreciate that there really is "no greater call" than to be a teacher.

I hope that I will always remember how excited I am right now to be a teacher.  And even if I am only a teacher in a school for a few years, I hope I will always remember to be a good teacher to my future kids.  Being a parent is very similar to being a teacher. 

I think everyone in the world could benefit from teacher training.  Being a teacher is about effective communication.  It would benefit everyone to learn how to communicate more effectively.  Being a teacher is about providing support.  Everyone could benefit from learning how to be more supportive.  Being a teacher is about being inclusive.  Everyone can be a little bit more inclusive.  As I try to be a better person and learn how to be a teacher and I need to try to be like the Savior, The Master Teacher. 

Reflection 1 - My personal teaching and learning philosophy

My personal beliefs about teaching and learning, are always transforming, as I believe they should be for everyone.  Every person interacts differently, learns differently, and explains concepts uniquely.  While this may be the case, I do know that learning best occurs when a person is challenged, and when they are in an environment conducive to learning.  

An environment conducive to learning would be a place where the student knows they are safe and loved.  Where they knew they needed to work hard and that a lot was expected of them, but that they would be able to obtain genuine help if needed.  I think it is vitally important for the teacher to be there when the student needs help.  I also think it is important that if the student isn't understanding, to perhaps try another method of explanation.

A few semesters ago I took Linear Algebra.  Besides this being a very challenging class with a very confusing subject matter, I felt like I wasn't learning from my teacher's lectures.  I would go to his office hours and ask for help on specific topics that I didn't understand. This only made things worse.  I would leave his office feeling like I understood less than when I first got there.  He had a way of making me feel stupid and I hated going and asking for help.  Soon I stopped going and asking for help.  I started to do very poorly on the exams and ultimately I got a D in the class - the worst grade I have ever received.  I only mention this story because I think that it is something I can learn from.

Now, I'm going to give that teacher the benefit of the doubt and assume that he wasn't trying to make me feel dumb, but I hope at least he could tell that I would leave his office frustrated.  I would hope that he could tell that the way he was explaining things wasn't working for me.  I re-took the class 2 semesters later and I got a B+.  I understood the material better, the teacher was more friendly, and I did great on all of the tests.  

What was the difference?  I'm sure there are lots of things that factor into this, but I think that it has a lot to do with the professor's teaching style.  The first time I took the class I felt like I was in it alone.  I felt like I was trying to teach myself these complex principles and it wasn't working.  The second time, I wasn't alone.  My teacher was there supporting me and helping me, answering questions I had, explaining things in a new way if I didn't understand the first time...It made all the difference.  This is how teaching should occur.  

Learning for some people is hard.  I think that at some point or another learning for everyone is probably a challenge.    Some topics may be easier than others, but I think that you can learn best through hard work and effort.  If you are trying hard and have a desire to learn, you will learn.