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.