Monday, February 18, 2008
Effective Teachers in the Classroom
After spending many hours in the classroom as part of Tuesday Experience, I believe it is important to remember that being a teacher requires much passion, creativity, patience, and enthusiasm. One of our main priorities as future educators is to develop effective classroom communities, which consequently entails being an effective teacher. According to Tompkins, effective classroom communities include characteristics such as responsibility, opportunities, engagement, demonstration, risk taking, instruction, response, and choice (p. 21). However, I believe that in order to create effective classroom communities, teachers need to think outside of the box. I agree with Giroux's (1997) statement that challenges "teachers not to accept the status quo, but to be professionals and to take control of their own teaching and consider the impact of what they do in the classroom" (p. 17). Giroux's comment is profound because too many teachers follow the norm, forfeit their own creativity, and limit their individual teaching skills. Teachers need to reclaim their teaching tactics when devising methods of creating effective classroom communities. Just something to keep in mind throughout Tuesday Experience, while student teaching in the fall, and when orchestrating your own classrooms someday!
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3 comments:
Hi Taylor,
I defiantly agree with all of your main points in your blog. I think that students and teachers both, have to have the passion, creativity, patience, and enthusiasm. I never thought of those words to describe teaching, but after I did, I thought that our students should have the same attitude.
It was helpful that you reference different sources and allowed for different opinion. I think that it is imporant for us to keep an open mind about teaching and the techniques.
I feel that some teachers, teach thier students the old text book style. From the classrooms that I have observed in, many of the teachers will give an assignment and have the children work on that until it's time for the next one. When you mentioned that students should think outside the box, this is what came to my mind. I really think that it is benefical to students and the teachers to have discussion of why things happen, or why they think the way they do. In Paley's experience, she allows her children to think and expand on what they think. This technique, I think, allows for more learning and development of ideas.
It seems to me that you have the passion to teach, and after reading your blog I think that you will have a lot to add to your classroom and to your students.
Hi Taylor:
I defiantly agree with the points you set forth in this blog. I believe that it is essential for teachers to have a love and passion for teaching, a creative and open mind and the patience and drive necessary to manage and effectivley teach students.
I also agree that too many teachers are teaching to the "norm" and that it is necessary for teachers to teach what they really know will help reach their students. Maybe a lot of where this approach is coming from is in the stress of teaching for the tests. I think a lot of teachers find it difficult to throw away the "norm" when there is so much pressure to exceed on the tests, especially with no child left behind.
I think you have a drive and passion to teach students and it seems to me that you understand the limitations of just soley teaching to the "norm." It looks like you are on your way to teaching children in a new and inavative way.
Thanks for the feedback!
Tina, I really liked your connection to Paley's classroom based on my original post: "In Paley's experience, she allows her children to think and expand on what they think. This technique, I think, allows for more learning and development of ideas." Your response was exactly what I was hoping for as I wrote the original blog; I was hoping that I would spark some interest and hear everyone's opinion!
Katie, thanks for the positive comments about my passion for teaching. That is exactly the type of image I would like to portray because that is how I truly feel. I really enjoyed reading your response!
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