Aiding Experience
Evidence of Personal Growth
Aiding Journals
Below are excerpts from my aiding journals this semester. In red I have highlighted evidence of growth in my commitment to equality, valuing multiculturalism, relevance of the subject matter, commitment to each individual learner and their needs, as well as my growth in several other professional areas.
Sept 18th - After observing the school I feel that the students who attend here, being so culturally diverse, have a strength in interacting with culture groups different than their own and in accepting other people whose ideas and beliefs might be different than theirs. Also, while observing, a teacher and a parent came up and talked to my group about what we were doing and the school. They were both very nice and helpful. It is obvious that the students have good role models in their life. Therefore, another strength I feel the students have is walking out their faith and showing love and helpfulness to others, with these people as their role models.
These positive features also come with challenges. Since, the school population is extremely multicultural, it can be difficult for teachers to fully and enthusiastically reach out to every culture, make every student feel welcome, and create a classroom community where each culture becomes a part of the whole. Another challenge I could see, is that once the children leave the school environment, where their faith is supported and encouraged, it may be difficult for them to fit in with a world that directly opposes their faith. From what I can experience, this is a wonderful school, with a great mission. I just hope that their mission and guidance of the students fully prepares them for living out their Christian life in a world that is made up of non-Christian individuals.
My own elementary school was almost entirely white. It was also a public school in a rural part of the city. At my school, students were taken to school by bus, while at this school student's parents, who often go in and check in with the teacher, drop off students daily. Also, my school was not near any industry or service providing part of town. There was only one corner grocery store next to my school, and to get to any other business took about 15 minutes. Students at the school, however, experience a street busy with business and a large residential population.
While thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of the school, I found myself always thinking about race and ethnicity. The cultural diversity found at the school is a blessing, and is even more exciting coming from an area where there is little if any diversity found. My view on the importance of teachers and school staff is also affected by my previous schooling. Coming from a public school, I remember having teachers who would strongly voice their atheist viewpoint in the classroom. This view was also shown strongly through their actions. Being at a Christian school, where the staff members I encountered were friendly and inviting, was refreshing. My negative background with some of my public school teachers has influenced me to believe that these highly skills and godly teachers are of great importance in forming and molding these children.
These positive features also come with challenges. Since, the school population is extremely multicultural, it can be difficult for teachers to fully and enthusiastically reach out to every culture, make every student feel welcome, and create a classroom community where each culture becomes a part of the whole. Another challenge I could see, is that once the children leave the school environment, where their faith is supported and encouraged, it may be difficult for them to fit in with a world that directly opposes their faith. From what I can experience, this is a wonderful school, with a great mission. I just hope that their mission and guidance of the students fully prepares them for living out their Christian life in a world that is made up of non-Christian individuals.
My own elementary school was almost entirely white. It was also a public school in a rural part of the city. At my school, students were taken to school by bus, while at this school student's parents, who often go in and check in with the teacher, drop off students daily. Also, my school was not near any industry or service providing part of town. There was only one corner grocery store next to my school, and to get to any other business took about 15 minutes. Students at the school, however, experience a street busy with business and a large residential population.
While thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of the school, I found myself always thinking about race and ethnicity. The cultural diversity found at the school is a blessing, and is even more exciting coming from an area where there is little if any diversity found. My view on the importance of teachers and school staff is also affected by my previous schooling. Coming from a public school, I remember having teachers who would strongly voice their atheist viewpoint in the classroom. This view was also shown strongly through their actions. Being at a Christian school, where the staff members I encountered were friendly and inviting, was refreshing. My negative background with some of my public school teachers has influenced me to believe that these highly skills and godly teachers are of great importance in forming and molding these children.
Sept 27th - ...I also learned this week that the teacher is going to have me start leading a reading group for four "gifted" children within her classroom. We will be reading "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." I met with these children once this week and was amazed at how smart and dedicated they are! This has made me think about my own perspective on teaching. I want to reach out to every students ability level, however I am wondering what is the best way to do this. I wouldn't have even known these students abilities if I hadn't talked with them personally out of the regular classroom! How will I know what the students’ abilities or unique talents are in my future classroom? I am realizing how challenging it will be to discover and tailor curriculum to each individual student. I hope to learn more about this during the upcoming semester. Working with this teacher's class has also helped me reaffirm other commitments in my perspective on teaching. The class teacher teaches in a way that truly reflects God's love and glory. God's love shines through her interacts with each individual child. I can tell that she truly cares for them. I want my own faith to shine as strongly as hers does while I work within my future classroom.
I will also show my devotion to God in my future classroom by teaching in a way that reflects the creation, fall, and redemption model. I feel that the teacher does a great job showing the students wonder in God's creation. However, from what I have seen this week the fall and redemption aspects need to be discussed more. I think that these students have the skills to discuss and impact our fallen world if given the seed to do so. This reaffirms my commitment to teaching these two aspects of my faith.
I am also inspired by how multicultural this classroom is. There are Native American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American students. Seeing this multicultural environment reaffirms my commitment to teaching in a way that celebrates students' culture and backgrounds. I hope to implement the students' backgrounds and ethnicities into my own teaching within her classroom, as well as commit to do this within my future classroom. One way the teacher celebrates diversity has been through a Hispanic painting on the wall, and by having "multicultural" crayon bags, that have several skin color options within them. I am excited to see more ways the teacher works within a multicultural classroom, using the traditional approach, within the upcoming weeks.
I will also show my devotion to God in my future classroom by teaching in a way that reflects the creation, fall, and redemption model. I feel that the teacher does a great job showing the students wonder in God's creation. However, from what I have seen this week the fall and redemption aspects need to be discussed more. I think that these students have the skills to discuss and impact our fallen world if given the seed to do so. This reaffirms my commitment to teaching these two aspects of my faith.
I am also inspired by how multicultural this classroom is. There are Native American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American students. Seeing this multicultural environment reaffirms my commitment to teaching in a way that celebrates students' culture and backgrounds. I hope to implement the students' backgrounds and ethnicities into my own teaching within her classroom, as well as commit to do this within my future classroom. One way the teacher celebrates diversity has been through a Hispanic painting on the wall, and by having "multicultural" crayon bags, that have several skin color options within them. I am excited to see more ways the teacher works within a multicultural classroom, using the traditional approach, within the upcoming weeks.
Sept 27th - ...I also learned this week that the teacher is going to have me start leading a reading group for four "gifted" children within her classroom. We will be reading "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." I met with these children once this week and was amazed at how smart and dedicated they are! This has made me think about my own perspective on teaching. I want to reach out to every students ability level, however I am wondering what is the best way to do this. I wouldn't have even known these students abilities if I hadn't talked with them personally out of the regular classroom! How will I know what the students’ abilities or unique talents are in my future classroom? I am realizing how challenging it will be to discover and tailor curriculum to each individual student. I hope to learn more about this during the upcoming semester. Working with this teacher's class has also helped me reaffirm other commitments in my perspective on teaching. The class teacher teaches in a way that truly reflects God's love and glory. God's love shines through her interacts with each individual child. I can tell that she truly cares for them. I want my own faith to shine as strongly as hers does while I work within my future classroom.
I will also show my devotion to God in my future classroom by teaching in a way that reflects the creation, fall, and redemption model. I feel that the teacher does a great job showing the students wonder in God's creation. However, from what I have seen this week the fall and redemption aspects need to be discussed more. I think that these students have the skills to discuss and impact our fallen world if given the seed to do so. This reaffirms my commitment to teaching these two aspects of my faith.
I am also inspired by how multicultural this classroom is. There are Native American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American students. Seeing this multicultural environment reaffirms my commitment to teaching in a way that celebrates students' culture and backgrounds. I hope to implement the students' backgrounds and ethnicities into my own teaching within her classroom, as well as commit to do this within my future classroom. One way the teacher celebrates diversity has been through a Hispanic painting on the wall, and by having "multicultural" crayon bags, that have several skin color options within them. I am excited to see more ways the teacher works within a multicultural classroom, using the traditional approach, within the upcoming weeks.
Oct 1 - For this week's bible test students were asked to memorize Ephesians 4:29-32 and recite it in front of the teacher, or the class. The grade given was based on a four-point scale; with four being perfect and a two meaning help and prompts from the teacher were necessary. According to Oakes, Lipton, and Anderson (2012) traditional assessment uses recall or recognition, as opposed to alternative assessments that use the construction or application of the skill or task. While observing the students memorizing I was extremely surprised by their enthusiasm. The teacher explained how she used to have "due dates" for reciting the verses. Instead, she now lets the students encourage each other. Once one student got it and practiced in front of me, the rest of them were inspired to memorize it and soon followed. When the students were "tested" and asked to come to me and recite their verse, I couldn't help but feel like one of the "schoolmasters" described in Oakes, Lipton, and Anderson (2012) from the nineteenth century. Students were called over to me individually and asked to recite what they knew. Observing this type of assessment has led me to wonder whether this type of testing is the best form for English Language Learners in the classroom as well as the student who has ADHD. I am also wondering how the increased technology that is coming into schools, that was recently examined in "Issues In Education," could affect future testing, both traditional and alternative methods. I am also wondering, as a future teacher, how to examine both the effort the student put into the subject as well as whether or not they can apply what they have memorized….
After observing the teacher's forms of assessment this week, I have examined a few things about my own perspective on teaching and how it relates to assessment. As a future teacher, I want to present lessons to students in a way that gives them the knowledge, as well as the tools, to work within God's creation, both its beautiful and fallen aspects. I feel that by applying forms of alternative assessment I can help students better relate their work in the classroom to the real world. The goal would not be to "remember" the exact answer but to use what they know in a real context. I still need to further study and consider how exactly this type of assessment could be implemented, and in what subjects it works best. However, I am committed to doing this in order to find a way to assess my students well and fairly, while also recognizing the importance of how the knowledge they are gaining connects to the world.
Observing this week also confirmed another commitment I have towards teaching: providing opportunities for all learning styles. I feel that learning styles and interests should be addressed not only in the curriculum but how testing should occur. I think that there is value in considering which learning styles might thrive in certain assessment types. I also feel it is important to provide students with choices as to how they will be assessed. This will give students confidence and ownership, while also accommodating the various learning styles and cultures within every classroom community. I am eager to learn more about assessment types and methods during the rest of my time teacher aiding.
I will also show my devotion to God in my future classroom by teaching in a way that reflects the creation, fall, and redemption model. I feel that the teacher does a great job showing the students wonder in God's creation. However, from what I have seen this week the fall and redemption aspects need to be discussed more. I think that these students have the skills to discuss and impact our fallen world if given the seed to do so. This reaffirms my commitment to teaching these two aspects of my faith.
I am also inspired by how multicultural this classroom is. There are Native American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American students. Seeing this multicultural environment reaffirms my commitment to teaching in a way that celebrates students' culture and backgrounds. I hope to implement the students' backgrounds and ethnicities into my own teaching within her classroom, as well as commit to do this within my future classroom. One way the teacher celebrates diversity has been through a Hispanic painting on the wall, and by having "multicultural" crayon bags, that have several skin color options within them. I am excited to see more ways the teacher works within a multicultural classroom, using the traditional approach, within the upcoming weeks.
Oct 1 - For this week's bible test students were asked to memorize Ephesians 4:29-32 and recite it in front of the teacher, or the class. The grade given was based on a four-point scale; with four being perfect and a two meaning help and prompts from the teacher were necessary. According to Oakes, Lipton, and Anderson (2012) traditional assessment uses recall or recognition, as opposed to alternative assessments that use the construction or application of the skill or task. While observing the students memorizing I was extremely surprised by their enthusiasm. The teacher explained how she used to have "due dates" for reciting the verses. Instead, she now lets the students encourage each other. Once one student got it and practiced in front of me, the rest of them were inspired to memorize it and soon followed. When the students were "tested" and asked to come to me and recite their verse, I couldn't help but feel like one of the "schoolmasters" described in Oakes, Lipton, and Anderson (2012) from the nineteenth century. Students were called over to me individually and asked to recite what they knew. Observing this type of assessment has led me to wonder whether this type of testing is the best form for English Language Learners in the classroom as well as the student who has ADHD. I am also wondering how the increased technology that is coming into schools, that was recently examined in "Issues In Education," could affect future testing, both traditional and alternative methods. I am also wondering, as a future teacher, how to examine both the effort the student put into the subject as well as whether or not they can apply what they have memorized….
After observing the teacher's forms of assessment this week, I have examined a few things about my own perspective on teaching and how it relates to assessment. As a future teacher, I want to present lessons to students in a way that gives them the knowledge, as well as the tools, to work within God's creation, both its beautiful and fallen aspects. I feel that by applying forms of alternative assessment I can help students better relate their work in the classroom to the real world. The goal would not be to "remember" the exact answer but to use what they know in a real context. I still need to further study and consider how exactly this type of assessment could be implemented, and in what subjects it works best. However, I am committed to doing this in order to find a way to assess my students well and fairly, while also recognizing the importance of how the knowledge they are gaining connects to the world.
Observing this week also confirmed another commitment I have towards teaching: providing opportunities for all learning styles. I feel that learning styles and interests should be addressed not only in the curriculum but how testing should occur. I think that there is value in considering which learning styles might thrive in certain assessment types. I also feel it is important to provide students with choices as to how they will be assessed. This will give students confidence and ownership, while also accommodating the various learning styles and cultures within every classroom community. I am eager to learn more about assessment types and methods during the rest of my time teacher aiding.
Oct 18 - ...After reading more about technology in education I am still wondering how impactful it is at advancing student learning and developing community. However, after reading this article and experiencing technology use firsthand in my classroom, I now feel more equip to evaluate technology and whether or not I should use it within my own lessons or future classroom. I feel that technology and social networking will become extremely important areas to have knowledge in, and a perspective on, as an educator. I am committed to using technology in the classroom that improves student engagement in the material, and makes the process of learning and lesson planning easier. I am also further considering using social networking, when appropriate, to communicate with parents and students while they are at home. Overall, I am committed to learning more about technologies that assist in education, and evaluating them appropriately to decide whether or not they should be included in the classroom learning space. I am also dedicated to giving students concrete interactions with technologies in order to better prepare them for life in a technology driven, interactive society...
Nov 8 - Within my aiding classroom routines, structure, and rules are extremely well developed. In this class the students spent the first month studying Ephesians 4: 25-32. They talked about what each individual part of the verses meant, and how it should change their actions within the classroom. They also memorized the whole verse, and present it to any visitors who come to their classroom. Introducing these verses, and what they mean, at the beginning of the school year was done for a reason. This verse passage is used as the classroom's "covenant." What is says guides how the classroom should run and how the students should act toward each other. Froyen suggests that educators stir away from using a list of "rules" and instead form a "code of conduct that defines how members of a community are expected to interact with each other" (1999, p. 62). This passage was introduced by the teacher as a "code of conduct" for how they ought to live with each other in the classroom.
The teacher also used this verse passage to teach effective group work rules and guidelines. Students brainstormed in groups what the characteristics of an effective team are, based off what the verse explained to them. The students did this in their assigned "collaborative groups" that they would be using most of the year. This helped introduce students to group work and helped implement guidelines for how they ought to work together. Introducing this verse passage within the first few weeks as a "code of conduct" and using it to make guidelines for collaborative group work was extremely effective. The verse is referenced during classroom interactions and students work well together as partners.
I have never thought about using a bible passage to guide classroom behavioral management. I believe this idea puts a greater purpose or calling behind why students should act in a particular way. The students feel that the rules are not just "teacher" guided but instead guided by their faith and belief in God. If I work in a Christian school I could defiantly see myself using this system to create a "classroom covenant." This makes the focus less on what the teacher wants the students to do and instead focuses on what God wants the students to do. If I worked in a public school I would not be able to use this system, of course. I would make sure, however, to have the students come up with a covenant together, instead of just having my own prepared set of rules to guide the classroom...
The teacher also used this verse passage to teach effective group work rules and guidelines. Students brainstormed in groups what the characteristics of an effective team are, based off what the verse explained to them. The students did this in their assigned "collaborative groups" that they would be using most of the year. This helped introduce students to group work and helped implement guidelines for how they ought to work together. Introducing this verse passage within the first few weeks as a "code of conduct" and using it to make guidelines for collaborative group work was extremely effective. The verse is referenced during classroom interactions and students work well together as partners.
I have never thought about using a bible passage to guide classroom behavioral management. I believe this idea puts a greater purpose or calling behind why students should act in a particular way. The students feel that the rules are not just "teacher" guided but instead guided by their faith and belief in God. If I work in a Christian school I could defiantly see myself using this system to create a "classroom covenant." This makes the focus less on what the teacher wants the students to do and instead focuses on what God wants the students to do. If I worked in a public school I would not be able to use this system, of course. I would make sure, however, to have the students come up with a covenant together, instead of just having my own prepared set of rules to guide the classroom...
Nov 15 - Reading about behavior management this week has reminded me how complex discipline and positive reinforcement are within a classroom environment. Working at a summer day camp the past three years, with children who have a reputation for misbehaving, I myself have implemented portions of many of the behavioral theories and systems we read about. Most of these interventions worked initially, but didn't last over a long period of time. The main thing I have learned through these readings is the need for behavioral intervention among all students, even those who do not regularly misbehave. This provides lower level students a model for correct behavior and helps teach and encourage good behavior among well-behaved students...
After reading chapter eight from Oakes, Lipton, Anderson, and Stillman (2012) I feel that the teacher in this classroom implements something similar to assertive discipline through her "card pulling" system...
After reading about these behavioral systems, and thinking about how they play out in my aiding classroom I feel further challenged to re-think how I will discipline children within my future classroom in order to give students grace in how they have been affected by the fall, but also help encourage them toward redemption of past mistakes and right relationships. While implementing behavioral management systems I want to make sure I consider why the student is misbehaving, by both talking with the children directly and by reflecting on the student's misbehavior on my own. I also want to make sure that the behavioral system I create is implemented for every student within my classroom, even those who do not misbehave often. Lastly, after reading the PBIS implementation guide from Dunlap, Goodman, McEvoy and Paris (2010) I am also committed to better increasing my communication with parents in the ways that they suggest. This includes communicating with parents on the behavior system used within my classroom, how well their child is behaving on a regular basis, and how they can implement portions of the behavior system I use within their own homes. Overall, I still feel I have a lot to learn about behavioral management in the classroom and I'm interested to learn what works best through my classroom experiences.
After reading chapter eight from Oakes, Lipton, Anderson, and Stillman (2012) I feel that the teacher in this classroom implements something similar to assertive discipline through her "card pulling" system...
After reading about these behavioral systems, and thinking about how they play out in my aiding classroom I feel further challenged to re-think how I will discipline children within my future classroom in order to give students grace in how they have been affected by the fall, but also help encourage them toward redemption of past mistakes and right relationships. While implementing behavioral management systems I want to make sure I consider why the student is misbehaving, by both talking with the children directly and by reflecting on the student's misbehavior on my own. I also want to make sure that the behavioral system I create is implemented for every student within my classroom, even those who do not misbehave often. Lastly, after reading the PBIS implementation guide from Dunlap, Goodman, McEvoy and Paris (2010) I am also committed to better increasing my communication with parents in the ways that they suggest. This includes communicating with parents on the behavior system used within my classroom, how well their child is behaving on a regular basis, and how they can implement portions of the behavior system I use within their own homes. Overall, I still feel I have a lot to learn about behavioral management in the classroom and I'm interested to learn what works best through my classroom experiences.