In the comment
section below, share at least one "aha" moment (evidence) and "why." Read
comments by other group members and respond to posts by at least two other
teachers.
My aha moment occurred on page 144 when Ms. Adel said "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage. As teachers we constantly ask students to take big risks...If I wanted to be a teacher who taught students to truly engage, I had better model courage, continue to be open and honest about myself, and take the same risks that I am asking them to take." Asking kids to practice speech sounds that are hard for them to make, to generate sentences that are on topic and grammatically correct, to learn and retain vocabulary and definitions, and on and on...these are all difficult tasks that require risk of failure and trust that I'll help them through! It was great to be reminded that I'm asking kids to take risks and that I need to continue to take risks, too. This year I joined the district's Assistive Technology Team. Quite a risk for this low tech girl! But I need to learn about how to use technology to engage and support our learners with communication impairments, so I risked showing that I don't know everything about communication devices by joining and learning, thanks to my inspirational students!
Stacey ~ your reference to page 144 "Ms. Adel said "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage. As teachers we constantly ask students to take big risks...". Taking new risks and stepping outside of the box is HARD for many people.
Stacey totally my aha moment. as a first year teacher you always wonder what you are going to be strong at. Im strong with relationship building and Im strong in reading. Math is my struggle right now. Funny thing is, I was never great at math lol. But taking risks and having courage has opened my eyes to the importance of reaching out to others to help me learn to be strong in that area.
That's a really great point. I can relate with my kiddos learning how to read. For many, it doesn't seem like a huge risk, but for some of them it really is a risk they take each day. I don't know that I have ever looked at it like that until now...
Stacey~ I love your aha moment and had a similar experience. At the beginning of the school year, during one of our first professional development days, the staff was given stones. On these stones, we were given the opportunity to write something for us to think about as we begin this year. I wrote the words "Be Brave" on mine. It was for that very reason you noted - I wanted this school year (and quite honestly personally, too), to be a year of no regrets and no holding back because of fear. I have the stone on my desk, and I look at those words everytime I'm forced to step out of my comfort zone to try new things.
stacey, I couldn't agree with you more. We ask or expect so much from our students, sometimes forgetting what an actual risk it may be for them. They are revealing fear, feelings of imperfection, and possibily being judged. We hope these kids will grow working with us and will overcome these challenges in themselves. Congrats on join the assiss. tech team. That is very brave of you. It only shows you are willing to go above and beyond for the kids!
my aha moment would be off of page 144: "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage.......If I wanted to be a teacher who taught students to truly engage, I had better model courage, continue to be open and honest about myself, and take the same risks that I am asking them to take." This goes back to my experience as a first year teacher. Im truly learning the areas that I am strong in and the areas that I need pushed in. Meeting about my classroom with others and seeing where my class is struggling showed me that its an area I am struggling in. I had to have courage to accept that and seek the support to better myself. I love Melisa who has been teach teaching math with me and just opening my eyes to different ways to teach math to my kids. Plus Im learning along the way too.
You make a great point about modeling courage, being honest about yourself, and taking risks. That's awesome that you are able to see those areas of strength and weakness and have the courage to find the support you need. Being a first year teacher myself, I think sometimes it's hard to point those things out and seek help like we should. Good for you! :)
Trista, you never cease to amaze me. I appreciate your willingness to share your struggles - now that's courage. :) I, too agree that I have discovered that I am much stronger at teaching reading than I am math. I have also had to get the courage to ask for assistance - plus it's all part of that self-reflection.
Trista, I agree with Jenn G. You are always looking inward to make your students learning experiences terrific ones. I think, in our own personal conversations we both have found we excel at teaching reading-and often want to be better at teaching math. But it is that 'wanting to be better' that our students will benefit from. Self-reflection, while often is a tough act to carry out, it is also rewarding when you are able to reflect in a way that will not only better yourself but those around you!
I really had a connection with Melinda on page 130 as she talks about life experiences molding her into the teacher and person she has become. I have learned SO much in my first year of teaching about myself, the profession, the kids, etc. It’s truly amazing how much you learn each day in the classroom. Honestly, I can’t put it into words. It amazes me how much personal growth and understanding I have gained in my first year of teaching. It’s exciting to me that I have learned so much, but even more that I have so much more knowledge and experiences to gain in the years ahead! It just goes to show that we truly are lifelong learners.
Regina, I agree. I too have learned SO much this first year. I remember being scared and overwhelmed with all I had to learn and figure out. But I knew I had to put one foot in front of the other for my kids. In the end, I am expecting them to have the courage to discuss their lives with me. I want to learn everything I can to help them as much as I can. I do believe we are life long learners. Each day holds something new to learn about something.
I can definitely relate... even though I am in my third year of teaching I still feel like it is my first at times but each year I learn and grow and become a better teacher each and every day.
I had a connection to Yahaira on page 138 where she talks spending extra time with students who desire and need extra help. That she pictures them in her mind as they are now and then 5-10 years down the road. She went on to say that using that image, she tries to help them in the area she feels she would have the greatest impact on their success in the future. I do the same thing with my own students. Especially, this year. I have a very special young boy that I've been working with. Everyday, I wonder where he will be in five years, and I just hope that I am making enough of an impact on his life.
I like the last sentence on pg. 155, "what I do believe is that, as a teacher, I can affect the future, one child at a time." In the social work field, progress can be hard to measure. I can't expect to change everyone I work with or that I can "save" each child from the hell they may be experiencing. But why I do what I do, is because it only takes one to make a difference. I may only truly reach one child, or make an impact on another, but each child counts. If that child doesn't have anyone to support them or listen to them, I hope I can be that person for them. I hope to them I can be that one adult that they will remember as time goes by. "To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world."
I found all of chapter 13 by Kristen French to be eye-opening for me. She uses a word I often shy away from using as a teacher: “empowering”. That is a powerful word. It holds positive as well as negative aspects to it. I want my students to feel empowered, yes, in our classroom as well as in seeing their future educational experiences and choices. But the word also implies that the teacher, me, myself, I hold the power that is supplied to them. I want to be the agent of empowerment; I want to facilitate my students finding their own ‘power’ in learning. In teaching Kindergarten, I think the best way I can provide my students with a sense of ‘empowerment’ is just to provide them with numerous learning opportunities that open their eyes to other opportunities, other aspects of life, and other talents they possess.
I agree with you Jan. Because it is impossible to always know the depth in which we affect students, it is important that we do as you described, "provide them with numerous learning opportunities that open their eyes to other opportunities."
I had never thought about that word being a negative until now. I see what you mean Jan when you say that you don't want to be the only person giving them the power and that you want them to find their own 'power'. Very motivating!
Hi All! I discovered that I had somehow over looked the January blog. I just wanted to share a few thoughts on those chapters in section IV. I felt the most compelling ideas, were expressed by Seth Peterson in his letter to his class. In his letter he expresses to his students his aspirations for them for the next four years. This really sets the stage for building a deeply bonded classroom community. I have these same thoughts for each of my classes but don’t feel I make as deep of a connection as Seth does. I think some of this is due how young my students are. His work is inspiring!
Right there with you, Karen! I didn't blog either! I can relate to the sentence on page 139 by Yahaira Marquez. "It's frustrating to think that, as the teacher, sometimes I care more about the students' education and future than they do." I sooooo feel this way and I just hope that one day they will make the connection of the importance of education.
For me, I enjoyed Chaper 13 in which Kristen French describes her journey as an educator. I highlighted the sentence from page 118: "Empowerment encompasses most of what I hold dear in my teaching philosophy-It is the process of collective collaboration where multiple voices of students and teachers are shared, heard, and acted upon." I have always approached what I do in terms of how I can help others to do something. It is my hope that I actually 'empowered' students although it is difficult to know. As educators we do not always have the privilege of seeing long term results. This means we must be vigilent in being a part of collaborative efforts in which students are the center of the decisions we make. In doing so, it is likely that we will do a better job of empowering our students to do as the author explains, "will share their gifts with others like themselves so future generations will continue..." This is the reason I teach...to contribute to the success of generations to come. P.S. I loved reading about the "I am from" poems! I first learned about them at a CPSI conference several years ago and although I do not define my self as a writer, this kind of poem allowed me to reveal much more about myself than I would have in other written formats. Many of my students felt the same way when they wrote their own "I am from" poems. It is amazing to me what significance small strategies, such as this, can have on individuals.
I really enjoyed reading Yahaira D. Marquez story on her first year teaching and I felt I made some connections with her. I definitely felt a connection when she mentioned of her students needing a positive role model. Working in a military school we get students for all different backgrounds and for some school is their safe haven. I feel the constant need to make connections to students and be a positive role model. My aha moment was when she stated that "teaching is career in which you constantly try to improve". We are all definitely life long learners and have to adapt all the time to new curriculums or changes to our lessons to become better. It is a never ending experience.
My aha moment occurred on page 144 when Ms. Adel said "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage. As teachers we constantly ask students to take big risks...If I wanted to be a teacher who taught students to truly engage, I had better model courage, continue to be open and honest about myself, and take the same risks that I am asking them to take." Asking kids to practice speech sounds that are hard for them to make, to generate sentences that are on topic and grammatically correct, to learn and retain vocabulary and definitions, and on and on...these are all difficult tasks that require risk of failure and trust that I'll help them through! It was great to be reminded that I'm asking kids to take risks and that I need to continue to take risks, too. This year I joined the district's Assistive Technology Team. Quite a risk for this low tech girl! But I need to learn about how to use technology to engage and support our learners with communication impairments, so I risked showing that I don't know everything about communication devices by joining and learning, thanks to my inspirational students!
ReplyDeleteStacey ~ your reference to page 144 "Ms. Adel said "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage. As teachers we constantly ask students to take big risks...". Taking new risks and stepping outside of the box is HARD for many people.
DeleteStacey totally my aha moment. as a first year teacher you always wonder what you are going to be strong at. Im strong with relationship building and Im strong in reading. Math is my struggle right now. Funny thing is, I was never great at math lol. But taking risks and having courage has opened my eyes to the importance of reaching out to others to help me learn to be strong in that area.
DeleteThat's a really great point. I can relate with my kiddos learning how to read. For many, it doesn't seem like a huge risk, but for some of them it really is a risk they take each day. I don't know that I have ever looked at it like that until now...
DeleteStacey~ I love your aha moment and had a similar experience. At the beginning of the school year, during one of our first professional development days, the staff was given stones. On these stones, we were given the opportunity to write something for us to think about as we begin this year. I wrote the words "Be Brave" on mine. It was for that very reason you noted - I wanted this school year (and quite honestly personally, too), to be a year of no regrets and no holding back because of fear. I have the stone on my desk, and I look at those words everytime I'm forced to step out of my comfort zone to try new things.
Deletestacey,
DeleteI couldn't agree with you more. We ask or expect so much from our students, sometimes forgetting what an actual risk it may be for them. They are revealing fear, feelings of imperfection, and possibily being judged. We hope these kids will grow working with us and will overcome these challenges in themselves. Congrats on join the assiss. tech team. That is very brave of you. It only shows you are willing to go above and beyond for the kids!
my aha moment would be off of page 144: "Real teaching and real learning both require great acts of courage.......If I wanted to be a teacher who taught students to truly engage, I had better model courage, continue to be open and honest about myself, and take the same risks that I am asking them to take."
ReplyDeleteThis goes back to my experience as a first year teacher. Im truly learning the areas that I am strong in and the areas that I need pushed in. Meeting about my classroom with others and seeing where my class is struggling showed me that its an area I am struggling in. I had to have courage to accept that and seek the support to better myself. I love Melisa who has been teach teaching math with me and just opening my eyes to different ways to teach math to my kids. Plus Im learning along the way too.
You make a great point about modeling courage, being honest about yourself, and taking risks. That's awesome that you are able to see those areas of strength and weakness and have the courage to find the support you need. Being a first year teacher myself, I think sometimes it's hard to point those things out and seek help like we should. Good for you! :)
DeleteTrista, you never cease to amaze me. I appreciate your willingness to share your struggles - now that's courage. :) I, too agree that I have discovered that I am much stronger at teaching reading than I am math. I have also had to get the courage to ask for assistance - plus it's all part of that self-reflection.
DeleteTrista, I agree with Jenn G. You are always looking inward to make your students learning experiences terrific ones. I think, in our own personal conversations we both have found we excel at teaching reading-and often want to be better at teaching math. But it is that 'wanting to be better' that our students will benefit from. Self-reflection, while often is a tough act to carry out, it is also rewarding when you are able to reflect in a way that will not only better yourself but those around you!
DeleteI really had a connection with Melinda on page 130 as she talks about life experiences molding her into the teacher and person she has become. I have learned SO much in my first year of teaching about myself, the profession, the kids, etc. It’s truly amazing how much you learn each day in the classroom. Honestly, I can’t put it into words. It amazes me how much personal growth and understanding I have gained in my first year of teaching. It’s exciting to me that I have learned so much, but even more that I have so much more knowledge and experiences to gain in the years ahead! It just goes to show that we truly are lifelong learners.
ReplyDeleteRegina, I agree. I too have learned SO much this first year. I remember being scared and overwhelmed with all I had to learn and figure out. But I knew I had to put one foot in front of the other for my kids. In the end, I am expecting them to have the courage to discuss their lives with me. I want to learn everything I can to help them as much as I can. I do believe we are life long learners. Each day holds something new to learn about something.
DeleteI can definitely relate... even though I am in my third year of teaching I still feel like it is my first at times but each year I learn and grow and become a better teacher each and every day.
DeleteI had a connection to Yahaira on page 138 where she talks spending extra time with students who desire and need extra help. That she pictures them in her mind as they are now and then 5-10 years down the road. She went on to say that using that image, she tries to help them in the area she feels she would have the greatest impact on their success in the future. I do the same thing with my own students. Especially, this year. I have a very special young boy that I've been working with. Everyday, I wonder where he will be in five years, and I just hope that I am making enough of an impact on his life.
ReplyDeleteI like the last sentence on pg. 155, "what I do believe is that, as a teacher, I can affect the future, one child at a time." In the social work field, progress can be hard to measure. I can't expect to change everyone I work with or that I can "save" each child from the hell they may be experiencing. But why I do what I do, is because it only takes one to make a difference. I may only truly reach one child, or make an impact on another, but each child counts. If that child doesn't have anyone to support them or listen to them, I hope I can be that person for them. I hope to them I can be that one adult that they will remember as time goes by. "To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world."
ReplyDeleteI found all of chapter 13 by Kristen French to be eye-opening for me. She uses a word I often shy away from using as a teacher: “empowering”. That is a powerful word. It holds positive as well as negative aspects to it. I want my students to feel empowered, yes, in our classroom as well as in seeing their future educational experiences and choices. But the word also implies that the teacher, me, myself, I hold the power that is supplied to them. I want to be the agent of empowerment; I want to facilitate my students finding their own ‘power’ in learning. In teaching Kindergarten, I think the best way I can provide my students with a sense of ‘empowerment’ is just to provide them with numerous learning opportunities that open their eyes to other opportunities, other aspects of life, and other talents they possess.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Jan. Because it is impossible to always know the depth in which we affect students, it is important that we do as you described, "provide them with numerous learning opportunities that open their eyes to other opportunities."
DeleteI had never thought about that word being a negative until now. I see what you mean Jan when you say that you don't want to be the only person giving them the power and that you want them to find their own 'power'. Very motivating!
DeleteHi All! I discovered that I had somehow over looked the January blog. I just wanted to share a few thoughts on those chapters in section IV. I felt the most compelling ideas, were expressed by Seth Peterson in his letter to his class. In his letter he expresses to his students his aspirations for them for the next four years. This really sets the stage for building a deeply bonded classroom community. I have these same thoughts for each of my classes but don’t feel I make as deep of a connection as Seth does. I think some of this is due how young my students are. His work is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteRight there with you, Karen! I didn't blog either!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the sentence on page 139 by Yahaira Marquez. "It's frustrating to think that, as the teacher, sometimes I care more about the students' education and future than they do." I sooooo feel this way and I just hope that one day they will make the connection of the importance of education.
For me, I enjoyed Chaper 13 in which Kristen French describes her journey as an educator. I highlighted the sentence from page 118: "Empowerment encompasses most of what I hold dear in my teaching philosophy-It is the process of collective collaboration where multiple voices of students and teachers are shared, heard, and acted upon." I have always approached what I do in terms of how I can help others to do something. It is my hope that I actually 'empowered' students although it is difficult to know. As educators we do not always have the privilege of seeing long term results. This means we must be vigilent in being a part of collaborative efforts in which students are the center of the decisions we make. In doing so, it is likely that we will do a better job of empowering our students to do as the author explains, "will share their gifts with others like themselves so future generations will continue..." This is the reason I teach...to contribute to the success of generations to come.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I loved reading about the "I am from" poems! I first learned about them at a CPSI conference several years ago and although I do not define my self as a writer, this kind of poem allowed me to reveal much more about myself than I would have in other written formats. Many of my students felt the same way when they wrote their own "I am from" poems. It is amazing to me what significance small strategies, such as this, can have on individuals.
I really enjoyed reading Yahaira D. Marquez story on her first year teaching and I felt I made some connections with her. I definitely felt a connection when she mentioned of her students needing a positive role model. Working in a military school we get students for all different backgrounds and for some school is their safe haven. I feel the constant need to make connections to students and be a positive role model. My aha moment was when she stated that "teaching is career in which you constantly try to improve". We are all definitely life long learners and have to adapt all the time to new curriculums or changes to our lessons to become better. It is a never ending experience.
ReplyDelete