Stock Market

This monday @ Kingsley I had a lot of fun in my classroom. I have to hand it to the teacher; she can be pretty creative when she wants to. She really seems to know how to reach those 8th graders (now all she has to do is remmeber how to interact with adults =P). Anyways, the students were learning about the 1920s. In order for them to understand the crazy decade, each student was given $500 to invest in the stock market. There were several stock brokers around the room with various stocks. The students were given a description of each stock and were told they could buy as much or as little as they wanted. No further info was given. They had 2 mins to do what they wanted with their money. The students were walking around the room figuring out what to invest in; they seemed intrigued. After two mins. the teacher would read a news bulletin, updating the class on changes in the country and in the stock market; prices would rise and fall. The students would then have another two mins @ the stock market. In the end, the stock market crashed. The students had to respond about how much money they gained/loss and what their experiences were during the activity.


I could tell the students were having a great time while learning about history. She used this activity as an introduction to the unit, which I thought was a great idea. They got a taste of whats going to be taught all while having fun! Way to go teach.

One thing that was kind of strange....While the students were doing daily geography, the teacher gave me a stack of pick slips that were "Cav Cash" students get them for doing good things. While she was talking to the students, she handed me this stack. No explination or anything. I havent even been introduced to that class yet and she wanted me to do what? I was too confused. After D.G. she took them back and didnt say anything. I realized during the next class that she wanted me to pass them out i guess to students that answered questions, but how was I supposed to know that? Some explination, PLEASE! I mean, we get there early enough to discuss lesson plans and whatnot...but she wont aknowledge me and jordan before the students get there. We should talk to her; ill bring it up to Jordan (shes been sick this week).

Overall, Monday was the best day yet. I hope things do start to pick up and I can interact more with the students!

More Observing

Wednesday's observations were not very eventful. The students are preparing for their IL constitution test that they were taking on Thursday. We saw some action while they were reviewing. The teacher passed out chalk boards to every student. She would read a question and the students would write their responses on the board. If they didnt know the answer, they had a blank sheet of paper next to them to write down what they needed to review. I thought this was a good way to review. My teachers in the past have used this review method, but with wipe-off boards, not chalk boards. For a school that seems to be advanced with technologies and such, I was surprised that they didnt have wipe-off boards.

Anyways, there are still a few things that need to be worked out. The classes should get more interesting once the lessons begin again. It is also hard to sit there for the same lesson two hours in a row. =\ I feel like me and Jordan cant exactly walk around yet because 1) we have a good view of the room from where we sit 2) theres nothing we can really do with the students yet 3) the first hour class still does not know who we are.
I feel like we dont have enough contact with our teacher. In the past, I have usually met before each day of class with my observing teacher to talk about the lessons for the day. This teacher, however, sees me and Jordan in the halls in the morning, turns around and doesnt even greet us. Nice. This we the goal is to establish a better relationship with our teacher and our students. I really want to be more involved with them; like i said, once the lessons pick up we will be better able to work with the students....

Goals for Observations

As I was reflecting on my first day of observing, I decided that I should set some goals that I would like to achieve. This being my first class in education, I need to set realistic goals for myself.

My first goal is to observe as much as possible! I want to take in everything I can (after all that is the point of this experience). Classroom setting, teaching strategies, lessons, student interactions, I want to see everything!

My second goal is to interact and form relationships with the students. I know we need to pick one student to focus on, but I would like to get to know everyone in both classes. It will be fun to concentrate on one student and learn much about him or her. Over the summer I was able to focus on one 3rd grader and he was a blast! So hopefully my focal student this semester will be just as much fun.

My third goal is to hopefully teach a lessons or two. I was able to teach over the summer for a portion of the day and I LOVED it! I was able to teach 3rd grade reading, and although I want to teach high school English, I greatly enjoyed teaching Language arts to these 3rd graders. I am hoping that towards the end of the semester my Cooperating teacher will allow me to teach a lesson to the class.

2nd day of snooze

Monday was my second day observing, and so far its been a bore =) Observing the teacher, class, and classroom isnt boring, it just happened that Wednesday the stuedents were working online, so there wasnt much to observe. Monday the local high school conselors came to describe EACH and EVERY class offered to the freshman. I also was mistaken for an 8th grader not once, but twice. O yeah. So we sat and listened to them talk for an hour. Not too much fun, but I did notice a few things. I noticed the difference between high schools here and near the city. The HS offered many classes dealing with agriculture. Because of the location, this seems like an obvious part of the cirriculum, but I had never thought about it before. I doubt there are high schools in Chicago that offer agriculture classes. Someone from the city probably wouldnt take an agriculture class until college. I also noticed that the students had 3 different options for their cirriculum. They can have a normal schedule with 50 min. classes, a block schedule, or a combo schedule. It surprised me that the students had a choice. Another difference I noticed was at Kingsley. The students there work in teams; the teachers also cooperate and discuss tests etc. so that the students arent overwhelmed with too many things at once. Im not sure if I have ever heard of that. I am trying to find more info about it from my cooperating teacher.

We were also BRIEFLY introduced to the students right before we left. I was unsure of how much information to give away right off the bat so I just kept it simple. They probably wont remember our names on wednesday. Once we get to interact with them more, things will pick up. They have the IL constitution test on Thursday, so Wednesday will most likely be a lot of review =\ My coop teacher was a little snippy with me and Jordan on Monday. She seems to get along with the students very well, but she seems somewhat immature? Hopefully I just get to know her better.

Bouncy Ball

Thursdays class wasnt as interesting as Tuesdays was. It just seemed like our entire discussion was all over the place, kind of like a bouncy ball going off the walls. It seemed to lack any general direction. Yes, we were talking about the readings and people opinions/ reactions to them, but it didnt feel like we accomplished anything.

I agree that classrooms should not be a place where the teacher knows everything and the students know nothing. The teacher needs to communicate and work WITH the students. (im not sure this really happened in our class thursday). Friere makes many good points, and I think most of our class would agree with them. I think methods comes into play with Friere's statements because the way a teacher presents him/herself and the material is his/her style of teaching. The methods the teacher uses to communicate and work with the students sets the tone of the classroom. If the methods cause the teacher to act superior to the students, then the teacher needs to reevaluate his/her methods and find a way to cooperatively teach the students.


Hopefully our next class discussion goes a lot better....

Classroom Arrangement

While observing my 8th grade class, I took notice of the classroom layout. One of the first things I noticed the desk arrangements. The desks are arranged in a "U" facing the front of the class. There are only about 2-3 seats in each "row" which spreads the desks over the room. The formation leaves a great open space in the middle of the room, which allows the teacher to walk all around. There is a rug in the middle of this space where students can sit and work in groups on the floor. This set up creates a friendly, welcoming environment for the students to learn and interact.

The teacher's desk is at the front of the room in a corner. This placement shows authority since it is in the front of the class, but it is very approacable. The wipe-off board is located at the front of the class and is utilized constantly. All around the room there are posters with historic people, maps, class rules, and a huge calandar of class, school, and community events. The side board also has a weekly agenda that is visible at all times. There are also many encouraging and motivating posters and pictures. All these teaching decoartions make the classroom lively and positive.

The only aspect of the classroom that may have a negative effect on students is that there are no windows in the room! They do have 4 skylights that let in some sunlight, but I find it strange that there are no actual windows. Also, the class is SO COLD! It might keep the students awake, but the climate of the room is somewhat dreary. All the posters and fun pictures have to make up for it!

1st Day of Observations

So today was my first day of observations @ Kingsley JHS. Getting up @ 7 wasnt as bad as I anticipated, but it still took a toll =) Walking into the school I felt kind of strange because i was thinking about all the student teachers and observers i remembered watching while I was in school. Did i really look like an adult? Weird. If those kids only knew ha ha im still a kid myself!

We got to class early. They were meeting in the library for their final day of online work. The library was very nice. The whole school reminds me of a hs. The classes and schedules are just like a hs's. Anyways, the class isn't too big. It is an 8th grade geography class. The kids seem pretty interested in the work and I know it is because of the teacher. She is such a nice person. She explains everything very nicely and helps out the kids without giving the answers away. I can tell that they are really learning from her. She is very outgoing and lively! Her energy is great & the kids respond so well to it.

Jordan & I just observed for the morning. I walked around to see what the students were working on. They knew they had a deadline and were working independently to get it done. One thing I noticed were 2 ESL students in the class. They were working with picture flashcards of the United States. They would hold up a state and try to guess which state it was. While watching them, I realized how we all take that for granted. If someone shows you a picture of Texas, you assume everyone knows what Texas looks like. It was interesting to see these girls learning the states.

Overall it was an uneventful first day, which is kind of nice. I was able to get a feel for the classes and the students. Next week we will introduce ourselves and try to be more interactice with the students.

Yay we got the desks in a circle

Today we had a class discussion on Dewey. We were asked before the discussion to write down a few questions we had about the reading. Once of my questions was about students that may not have a positive home environment and how teachers would approach teaching those students. I was happy to see that I wasnt the only person who had similar thoughts. Much of our class time was spent talking about how teachers should influence students by using school as a social institution. Dewey also beleives that "school life should grow gradually out of the home life" But what happens if certain children are not nurtured at home? How does a teacher deal with this? How does a teacher (or anyone) determine what a child has learned is right or wrong, moral or immoral?

Another topic brought up was the subject material that Dewey believes should be taught in class. One girl, Kristin, interpreted that Dewey thought that subjects such as math and science are not very important in education. I think that Dewey realizes that some things are necessary in education; he may not agree that all subjects are meant for everyone, but I think he would agree that learning science and math can help advance a society and create many benefits.

I liked our class discussion today. I think people are still feeling each other out. I think that Thursday more people will want to speak up. I just wish we would have talked a little more about observations. I start tomorrow!!! Wish me luck =P Hopefully I dont fall in front of the class ha ha

Woohoo Dewey

After reading Dewey, I feel like I have a new perspective on my philosophy of education. Reading Dewey was fairly easy; his points are very clearly stated. He explains, for the most part, exactly what he means (which is very nice). I feel like I might have previously read some of Dewey before, but I cannot exactly remember.

Dewey makes several points that stood out to me. First, his statement that school is a social institution is something that I haven't really heard before. Growing up, viewing school as a social institution was me getting to hang out with my friends all day =) Now that I am studying to be an educator, I completely agree with his statement. What a student learns in school will not only benefit him/her, but also the community & society. It will also benefit the student in the present as well as the future. The student should be learning tools to help him/her survive and improve life. Dewey doesn't necessary agree that education is preparation for the future, but I believe that what the students learn and apply to their lives at present will stay with them throughout the rest of their lives; thus preparing them for their future.

Secondly, Dewey states that "the home is the form of social ife in which the child has been nurtured and in connection with which he has had his moral training." I think this statement is half true, but it brings up the question, what about those students that do not have a stable or nurturing homelife? I think this is just a challenge for teachers. Children who do not have such a great home environment need encouragement and nurturing while at school. Whatever place the student is at his life is where the teacher needs to begin. The teacher may have to adapt and adjust to the student's sense of values. I also agree with Dewey's statement that "The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences." I think sometimes teachers tend to impose their own believes on students, but like Dewey, I believe that teachers should present students with positive material that can benefit them, while allowing them to reach their own conclusions.

One final quote from Dewey that I noticed was concerning literature. Since I am an English majoy, I definitely noticed this one: "Literature is the reflex expression and interpretaion of social experience; that hence it must follow upon and not precede such experience." I half agree with this statement. I believe that in order to interpret literature or analyze it, one has to somehow relate to the author. One can understand a work by comparing/contrasting their own personal experiences with the piece of literature. However, one can also read literature just for merely a good read. Because some people do not share similar experiences as characters in literature does not mean those people should not enjoy or learn about literature. Learning literature is in itself a life experience =)

Overall, I like Dewey's theory on education. It will be interesting to compare and contrast it to other views.

Happy Friday the 13th

Today I emailed my teacher to finalize the starting date for observations. I will be starting next Wednesday @ 8:30 AM (YIKES!). My teacher seems really coopererative. She sent me a document of things to expect in her classroom. It included my duties, times and schedules of the students, and her expectations of me. I thought it was impressive and very professional of her to also include what I can expect of her. I can tell that my experience in her classroom will be very beneficial. Already I can see the level of respect that she expects from her collegues and students. I love her professionalism!!


Over the summer my cooperating teacher was, lets just say less than cooperative. She was not professional at all; from the way she handled her students, to the way she dressed. Her main way of disciplining the students was to yell at them, and she openly encouraged me to do the same. I learned much from this experience because it taught me what NOT to do in a classroom.


I love that I can already tell that this teacher is way more professional than my last. It keeps me optimisitc. I am also looking forward to teaching and observing older students. Over the summer I was working with 3rd graders in summer school. It will be an interesting twist to work with 7th and 8th graders during a normal school year. Hopefully we all get out to a good start. I just have to remember: BE CONFIDENT!!!

2nd Day of Class

Thursday was our second day of class and I feel completely overwhelmed. Im not sure if I have the write books, what Im supposed to be reading by when, or what Im not supposed to read at all! I seriously need to sit down and organize. There is just so much being thrown at us and I know its only going to get harder.

I am excited to start observations. I will begin next Wednesday. The only thing that worries me is that I have to be up around 7:30 AM. I cannot remember the last time I was up that early. I guess thats part of being an adult =)

We have so many rules and regulations and paper work to follow and read through. Like I said, I just have to stay organized. I think it will be interesting though to do our literature circles. The book im reading, School Girls, seems like it discusses fascinating topics.

Another thing that appeals to me about the class is that I have many friends also enrolled in the class. Its nice to know you have people going through the same things you are. I feel like we will have a great support group in our classroom.

Why I want to teach

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
-Henry Adams

My inspirations for teaching have come from influential people in my life and the experiences that I’ve had. My main source of inspiration is my mom. She is a Chicago public school teacher and has been working with under-privileged students for over thirteen years. Because of her courage and positive influence on her students, I want to teach so that I can motivate and positively influence students’ lives. I know that sharing my passions with students will affect them and inspire them to find their own strengths because my teachers have had that affect on me. Throughout my high school career, I have had incredible English teachers who were thought- provoking and motivational. Through them I developed my love of English. I know what a great impact a teacher can have on a student because of the impact that my teachers have had on me. I want to teach so that I can inspire students in the same way that I was inspired.

Unlike my mom, however, I want to teach high school. I enjoy discussing English and Psychology on a higher level, which I am more able to do with high school students. I want to share my passions for English and Psychology with students through teaching. Unfortunately, many children do not get the opportunity to really appreciate literature or psychology. I want students to realize how much there is to explore and learn in this world, and I want to help open the doors of learning for them. I want to teach because I am passionate about learning. In the words of Golden Apple, "All Children Deserve Excellent Teachers."

First Day of Class

The first day of class was interesting. Dr. Winters seems very entertaining, and I hope to learn much from her. I have to say, though, that I have qualms about EDU225. I know there is SO MUCH that we have to get done; it's overwhelming. I just hope that I can keep everything together and ORGANIZED so that I don't go crazy.

Everyone in class seems very nice. It's nice to see math, science, and spanish teachers. I know I'm not original with the whole English teacher, but I hope to take what I learn at IWU and from my experiences at Golden Apple to take a different approach to English. I am still nervous about starting observations. I just have to remember to go in there with confidence. It shouldn't be too hard, especially since I observed over the summer. I just hope I actually get along with this teacher.

I think this class is going to be a great experience, but full of hard work! However, I am really excited to start my education classes. Yep, pretty sure that's it for now... Oh I think it's awesome that Dr. Winters is from the SOUTH SIDE of CHICAGO!!

PS: GO BEARS!!! If you're not a Bears Fan....Get outta town!