I have learned a lot from the first class meeting and am glad to be taking it this summer. Turns out, I actually have encountered a lot of this material before, but had received it in different ways; it's nice to see somewhat familiar concepts being framed from the viewpoint of applied educational psychology. I like the ideology of having a cohesive class existing as a community of learners. I believe that many classrooms are changing, becoming more interactive and thoughtful in their instructions versus the old-fashioned way of doing things. I still believe that the old ways of teaching still have value in them, but I do not believe they hold as much relevance today.
I was glad to hear about different ways to avoid going into the "bad" teacher zone. I think that professionalism and reflective practice are good ways to combat that. With professionalism, I think it just helps you remain objective and keep a good head on your shoulders. Not only are you expected to behave professionally as an educator (although quite a few teachers have broken that rule) it's also unfair to behave unprofessionally towards your students. They don't need to receive the brunt of your stress. As for reflective practice, I hope that I don't ever lose sight of that. This is probably one of my biggest fears as a prospective teacher. People have commented that I am open-minded. I don't want to encounter the day when I stop being open-minded. I am aware that reflective practice requires much intentionality, so I hope to continue exercising that muscle for the overall benefit of everyone involved in my teaching career.
A little tidbit on research: I love it, I think it's great. I don't always have enough time to catch up on the recent trends or findings in research, but I will need to in order to identify the best teaching practices. I am all for action research and would love to execute that in my own future teaching environment.
Touching on what we discussed about instructional strategies in class, I still resonate with Discovery and Inquiry the most, but I also recognize the necessity of all three working together. Personally, I am a thinker; I am good at and enjoy pondering things deeply and perhaps that ties into this approach well. Realistically though, I feel that I should include more interaction and collaboration in my teaching. I am good at facilitating class discussions, but also feel that I am a bit more weak when it comes to collaboration.
I was glad to hear about different ways to avoid going into the "bad" teacher zone. I think that professionalism and reflective practice are good ways to combat that. With professionalism, I think it just helps you remain objective and keep a good head on your shoulders. Not only are you expected to behave professionally as an educator (although quite a few teachers have broken that rule) it's also unfair to behave unprofessionally towards your students. They don't need to receive the brunt of your stress. As for reflective practice, I hope that I don't ever lose sight of that. This is probably one of my biggest fears as a prospective teacher. People have commented that I am open-minded. I don't want to encounter the day when I stop being open-minded. I am aware that reflective practice requires much intentionality, so I hope to continue exercising that muscle for the overall benefit of everyone involved in my teaching career.
A little tidbit on research: I love it, I think it's great. I don't always have enough time to catch up on the recent trends or findings in research, but I will need to in order to identify the best teaching practices. I am all for action research and would love to execute that in my own future teaching environment.
Touching on what we discussed about instructional strategies in class, I still resonate with Discovery and Inquiry the most, but I also recognize the necessity of all three working together. Personally, I am a thinker; I am good at and enjoy pondering things deeply and perhaps that ties into this approach well. Realistically though, I feel that I should include more interaction and collaboration in my teaching. I am good at facilitating class discussions, but also feel that I am a bit more weak when it comes to collaboration.
Great post, Shekaina! I like that you recognize that some of the old ways of teaching still have value. I hope that I haven't given the impression that all traditional ways are bad. Education is in a state of evolution with the good sticking around and (hopefully) the bad going away. For example, quizzes have been around for years. I think they can be a great tool for quick assessment that helps the teachers get a glimpse of how their students are doing in the unit, and it helps keep the students on their toes and focused on learning. What are some other "traditional" tools that you think are worth holding on to?
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