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.