Sprucing up the Classroom!

Today, I went to Bottle and Bottega for the very first time! It's a really neat art shop where local artists come and share their talent by teaching individuals how to replicate or create their own masterpiece. For my first art class, I'm really happy with what I made! The instructor broke the painting up into quadrants, and then went through a step by step process on how to sketch, mix colors, and outline. While I looked around the room, I saw a variety of interpretations of the piece we were creating. I think that's one of the aspects of teaching I'm so excited about. I can't wait to see what my future students create; to see life through their eyes, through their interpretation. This is my mini Chicago Skyline masterpiece, I'll be putting it up in my classroom to add some color and flare!

My neat apron! 

Chicago Skyline

Paper Clips

Yesterday, in my middle level education course we watched the a portion of the movie Paper Clips. I was so moved by the schools faculty, staff, and students. They undertook a project to collect 6 million paperclips in memory of the 6 million people who perished in the Holocaust. What started as a seemingly simple idea, turned into creating an everlasting memorial site in honor of those who were lost and those who survived.  It was absolutely touching.

I was overcome with tears when I heard the Holocaust survivors speak and share their unimaginable stories. I tried to put myself in their shoes, and it made me realize how insignificant my worries or fears are today. I don't think our schools really dive into the depths of what the Holocaust truly was. As a future teacher, I hope someday my class will complete a project that impacts the world, no matter how great or small.

Check out the trailer, or better yet the actual video!

MLE 502: Characteristics, Views & Challenges

MLE 502 Blog Response

A teacher characteristic I would like to develop/strengthen is organization!

What…Create a highly effective organization system for my classroom, and lesson plans.

Why…Being organized will help me feel less stressed. Having a “home” or place for each item in the classroom will help keep things clean and tidy. Additionally, students will learn the importance of putting things back where they found them. 

How…I will start with having a binder for each unit, color coded with lesson plans, handouts, assignments, and rubrics. I will research different blogs to see how other teachers organize their lesson plans and classrooms to help me piece together a system that will work best for me.

A teacher characteristic I would like to develop/strengthen is patience!

What…Patience with faculty, students, parents, and myself 

Why…At times teaching may feel overwhelming whether it's dealing with frustrated parents, a principal that doesn't approve of non-traditional teaching styles, or a defiant student. In all of these situations, patience is needed. Patience will help me handle these situations rationally and logically. 

How…I will research and read different articles in health journals and books about why patience is important and how to master the skill. The 5 second breathing exercise that Dr. Mee shared with us, is a great start to re-focusing and being patient. 

A teacher characteristic I would like to develop/strengthen is spontaneity!

What…Spontaneity

Why…Especially for middle school students, the classroom needs to be a fun and exciting place to thrive in. I believe adding some impromptu spontaneity in the classroom when appropriate will help foster a better learning environment and will promote more "pondering". 

How…When I see my students getting tired, or loosing focus we'll to a 10 minute spontaneous activity! I will have a jar of different 10 minutes activities and pick one randomly. Some could include charades, jumping jacks, going for a quick walk outside, making a card for soldiers, etc. I would also like to have my students fill out a slip of a spontaneous activity they would like to do in the classroom. 

Views

My views of teaching and learning include:

Meaningful connections and experiences in learning happen when…students are engaged and homework doesn’t feel like work. Students learn when they feel supported and encouraged. I also believe, that a teacher’s relationship with the student also influences how they learn. From my past experience, I felt if a teacher really cared about my learning experience, I tried harder. As a student, I wanted to show my teachers I cared about my work, and knew the reflection of my progress was a reflection of their teaching. Check out Rita Pierson’s Ted Talk for a more elaborate explanation on why human connection in education is important. Also, I think learning happens when we can show students how this applicable in their day-to-day life.

A constructive learning environment occurs when…both teacher and student are respected and well understood. A learning environment needs to be bright, colorful, and enticing. Boring white walls with no décor does not foster creativity. It makes school feel more like a prison than an educational building. Students should feel comfortable asking questions and proposing ideas to make the curriculum more applicable.  

Media stereotypes impact MS curriculum through…a variety of channels. What students are exposed to on TV, the Internet, and stores may alter their views of what is important. For example, many young girls play with dolls during their childhood years. Figures like Barbie, encourage unrealistic body shapes and in turn cause young female adults to body obsessed and self conscious. Also, some TV shows do not portray middle school correctly on TV, it is fabricated and heavily revolved around drama. It is without a doubt, that the media of today is negatively impacting our young adolescents thoughts, views, and perceptions on life. 

Obstacles

The top 5 obstacles facing middle level teachers…

1.    Unmotivated students who just don’t want to participate or try in school  

2.   Limited creativity and time to ponder in the classroom

3.   Classroom management, unruly students who distract other students 

4.   Job security: if they meet state standards/if their students are progressing

5.    Understanding their students and how today’s culture is influencing them (We should never say….well when I was your age….)

The top 5 obstacles facing young adolescent students...

1.    Bullying: Classmates can be extremely hurtful in middle school. Insecurities are high, and often times students pick on each other to make themselves feel better or popular.

2.   Worry: Young adolescents worry about many things, but school is definitely one of them. Are they fitting in? Have they made a good group of friends? Are their teachers going to be nice or mean? Are they going to get good grades? All of these questions, if not more run through a middle schoolers mind.

3.   Dealing with parents: Young adolescents are at an awkward age in their life, where they are trying to find their independence and learn about who they are. Sometimes they feel like their parents just don’t understand them.  

4.   Puberty: Going through body changes can be uncomfortable; clothes fit funny, acne starts up, and they are constantly checking to see how they look.

5.    Failure (safe): Middle Schoolers will experience some of their first failures. Not doing well on a test, getting dumped by a middle school crush, not making the volleyball or basketball team. These failures to them will seem like life defining moments.

The top 5 things that you think young adolescent students need to know...

1.    Their teachers care about them and want them to succeed

2.   The information and curriculum we are teaching you is important and will help you build life skills

3.   No question is a stupid question, teachers will always listen and help you

4.   Part of learning is making mistakes, don't be so hard on yourselves! 

5.    Teachers like hearing what ideas you have to make the classroom and curriculum more fun and exciting—don’t be shy! 

MLE 500: Worlds Apart Response

A response to "Worlds apart just like earth just like the sun"

A Broadway and musical lover myself, I had never heard “Worlds Apart” from Big River The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1985).  The lyrics themselves contain so much meaning, heart, and truth in them. When I watched the video production I felt as though the lyrics were intensified. Seeing the actor’s expression and emotions brought the lyrics to life in a different way than just hearing them.

I interpreted “Worlds Apart” as a dialogue between a student and a teacher. While we may see the same things that our students do: the sun, the moon, the news, we interpret them differently. We all come from different generations, and those generations can be worlds apart both figuratively and literally. The experiences from our childhood that help mold and shape us, may be very different than the experiences our students have.  But, at a high level we too went to a school, played on a playground, etc. We share many similar experiences, but the journey to which we reach them is completely different.

I also interpreted “worlds apart” as a way to say you don’t understand me. Often times, children, especially middle schoolers say “But you just don’t understand!” And we probably don’t because we aren’t living life in their shoes, with their obstacles, with their hardships. These lyrics really remind us teachers, to stop and try and walk through life from our students’ perspective. It awakens us to learn about the things that are important to them, and the struggles they are facing. The more we know about our students (their home life, their interests & passions), the better teachers we will be. 

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, Teaching Wholeheartedly! As I prepare for the rewarding, yet obstacle bound career of teaching I'm utterly excited for everything that is to come. After working in advertising, I decided to change career paths and follow my true passion in life: to teach, to inspire, and to make a difference.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the Dali Lama,

"When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts."

As teachers, we must put our whole heart, our whole soul into teaching. Students can tell when teachers love what they do, or if it is just another job. I was blessed to have teachers who loved teaching, which was exuded through their enthusiasm and classroom practices. While we as teachers' know what is in our hearts, we must educate the hearts of our students. We must help them feel supported, cared for, and unveil what they want to achieve in life.

I am very much looking forward to journey that lies ahead.