Classroom spaces

I think that the concept of a desk is an interesting one. How much do we really think about the desk when enter a classroom. I have always thought of it as a part of the classroom, but never why it was there. In kindergarten we sat at table with 5 to 6 other people, then as we moved up in grades it went to separate desks with our name on it. It became our place, on could put stickers on your name tag, and arrange your books how you wanted. But then when you moved to junior high and high school it was no longer your place. You may have had an assigned set but you shared it with many others. I find it interesting that they related a messy desk to a messy mind, but these people are more open to new ideas. When watching the video I wanted to write down the ideas that stood out to me about the seven learning spaces 1) secrets spaces- getting off task a good thing? 2) Group spaces- using the groups around us, finding a space where your group can work without competing with other groups. 3) Publishing spaces- showing off learning connects to putting up children work around the classroom as Ayers stated. 4) Performance spaces- the allow people to be something they are not, play can occur in more than just playgrounds. 5) Participation spaces- where theory is made into practice. There are more than one focal point, they are trading ideas, and learning not only from the teacher but from each other. 6) Data space- using the information around us to add to the lesson so children can get a firsthand look at real time data. 7) Watching spaces- having activities in different space ever day (I would want to know how possible is this??) I think that having different types of table is a wonderful idea, and why have we not thought about this before. We know that all children don’t all learn the same way. It is an interesting concept to not assigning seats. I feel that this gives the children the power. to move and interact with many children throughout the day. Having different types of desk is great; one table for children to stand (for those who can’t sit still), one table for those who like to sit on the ground, and a “typical” desk. I am hoping that I can incorporate this idea into my classroom. I feel it allows student to move freely around the classroom, and learn where they feel comfortable. Not every child learns when they are sitting at a desk where they are told not to fidget. Allowing different space for students to learn can be very beneficial.

Meeting the needs of Students

I think is what scares the most about teaching, is failing and not meeting the needs of my students. I am scared that I am going to do what I need to but it would be enough, and I will not have given what my students need to succeed in future grades. From reading the article, I understand that having a connection with your students is going to be very important. But where do we draw the line between having an emotional connection and becoming too attached to the students. I know that many first year teachers’ dreams are to have some sort of lasting impact on all the students one comes in contact with. But I am afraid of being coming overall attached, and making myself emotional overwhelmed. I feel again with this article I am left with many questions; looking forward to being in a classroom, and seeing how the answers will come about. The classroom is going to be a two way street the students are not only going to be learning from us, but we as teacher are going to be learning from the students. We are going to have to learn how to make adjustments all the time. We are going to have to find creative ways in which we engage the students. We can teach, “…through making learning more relevant to their lives and purposes,”(pg. 843). It means showing them what they are learning in the classroom can be applied and found out in the real world. Again in this article it brought up the topic of teachers, “…wanted to provide a safe, secure environment, a caring environment…”(pg. 844). There was one last point that I thought was interesting that Hargreaves brought up about a teacher how was scared that she was not meeting both needs of the students who were exceptional and demanding, but now is worried about the “the average child’. This really got me thinking about anytime we talk about children it is the ones who are coming in behind, or falling behind. It is always talk about what we have to or can do to help these children succeed. There is always talk about putting these children on 504’s or IEP’s because this is the extra support we can give them. Then you have the students who we call “gifted” who come in above grade level, or who “just get” the materials. We can move them in gifted classes with other children like them, or given them extra worksheets, ones that challenge them. But we are forgetting about the students who are where they supposed to be. What are we doing for them? It got me thinking that we kind of push them aside because they are meeting standards are not on either ends of the learning spectrum. What are we doing to push them, challenge them?

Brown Eyes and Blue Eye Experiment

I thought that I would put the video up for those who wanted to see it. It is a really interesting experiment!!

Creating The Right Conditions

This week’s video was really interesting and the speaker Ken Robinson made some points that I agree with. The arts, Ken Robinson talked about how important the arts are to children. I could not agree more. He stated that arts should be a part of the mainstream education. It should be a part of the writing, reading, mathematics, and science. He went on to make a statement that really stuck with me, “We are taking the power of imagination for granted, and we are destroying it in children.” For me this related to what Seth Godin talked about in his book, that we are creating a society that wants instructions instead of creative. Lego recreated their product instead of the all-purpose kits, to predefined kits. What really got to me was the caption that was under the picture. “It failed because it required too much risk on the part of parents and kids-the risk of making something that wasn’t perfect or expected.” (Godin, 77). I don’t understand why this is such a bad thing. I thought that the old approach to Lego’s helped developed the children’s creative side. It allows them to build and create whatever they want. In the all-purpose set can allow them to think outside of the box. They are just limiting them to just one way of thinking, with the pre-set boxes. Like Ken Robinson said, “people do their best when they are doing something they love or when they are in their element.” If we can find ways to make the mandated materials more interesting if we could try and find ways try so it can related to our student lives. I wonder if it would make for a more interesting classroom? Unlike the teacher in stop stealing dreams, I thought did teaching the wrong way, “she intentionally humiliated him, for one clear reason. The message was obvious: I am in charge, and my instruction matter. You will conform and you will meet the quality standards or you will be punished.” This to me is the wrong way to teach, it should not be my way or the high way. There was a line in stop stealing dreams that I liked, “we can rebuild the entire system around passion instead of fear.” I feel that this would make for a great learning environment, where we are not instilling fear into our students. Why put fear about not passing test.Why are we instilling fear into our students and add that extra pressure on them, just so we can show that our test scores are better than different states. School should be a place where plant the seed of growth in our students. Ken made a good point about, “if we create the right conditions growth will happen in our students. It that it is important to find creative way to engage the students, we need to stop putting some much pressure on them, and give them more creative room. Ken also stated that, “we should not be putting them to sleep, but we should be waking them up.” Today we are teaching to the test, which does not allow for creative freedom. We need to allow the students to think outside of the box, give them more room to explore and ask questions that get them more engaged in what they are learning. Get them too ask questions that get them thinking deeply about they are learning in, so they want to learn more.

Creating a safe community can lead to imagination

In the article by Mara Sapon-Shevin, she brought many ideas that I have thought about incorporating into my very own classroom. Every little decision that we (teachers) are going to make “is going to have an impact on how the students will, how they will treat one another, and what the classroom atmosphere will feel like.” (Sapon-Shevin, 99). When I read this a first it was a very scary thought, that everything and any will have an impact on the students. But she talked about many different ways in which we as teachers can create a safe learning community. From my camp experience I have picked up many ideas about how to bring together 10 different children, these campers come from different backgrounds, ages, races, social economic status, family dynamics, and more. On the first day we set up what we call cabin rules. I always give each group the first two rules; 1) have fun, 2) be safe. Then I turn and put the power in their hands. They as a group have to come up with their own rules, and all they have to agree. When then come up with the rule we need to respect each other. I have then have them explain what respect means. When they are done I have each camper sign the paper. This way they are in power of their rules, and don’t feel like I am tell what to do. It gives them power and creating a community of rules. One of my goals as a teacher is to make the classroom feel like a safe place. In my classroom I want to create an environment in which my students can fail. So let me explain this statement, it is not that I want my students to fail, but I want my students to understand that it’s ok to fail. The important part is that they tried something new, they challenged themselves, and even though it did not work ok, it is ok. Today when we tell student they did something wrong or incorrect, it can have very damaging effects. I want to students to understand that when we fail, it when we really learn the most. When we fail we have to go back reflect over or work and see where we went wrong. Failing should not be a big dramatic event, it should be an extra opportunity to learn, and that it’s ok to fail and it happens to everyone. As a teacher it is important to create not only a fun space to learn but a safe space. Where all students feel safe to share ideas, are able to grow, because when the students feel safe, they are more likely to open up, let others in to see all side to the students. After the classroom feels safe, this will hopeful allow for deeper learning to happen. Allowing the children to feel safe can allow their imaginations to grow. There was a quote by Greene on page 36, “Imagination is an important is the lives of teachers as it is in the lives of their students.” We as teachers need to find creative ways to reach our students. As stated by Sapon-Shevin, “imagination can bring severed parts together, can integrate into the right order; can create wholes.” (Page, 38). I feel that imagination is so important for children today. Their play had been replaced with video games and TV. When I was a child I was forced to go outside and create my own play. I used my imagination to create my own worlds. Imagination is so important, it help let children see things in different lights and it can let the creative flow. I feel that it is important to bring imagination back into the classroom.

Educational Autobiography

I want to begin my educational autobiography back when I started first grade, this is when school became very different for me. I really don’t remember much about kindergarten, but I know that school was not easy. I remember always being frustrated that learning did not come as easy for me compared to my classmates. During the first grade I was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF), (type 1), it is a genetic neurological disorder that can, “…affect many parts of the body, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, skin, and other body systems.” (Kids Health). “Children with NF1 may have poor language and visual-spatial skills, and perform less well on academic achievement tests, including those that measure reading, spelling, and math skills.” (Neurofibromatosis fact sheet). After I was diagnosed with NF I learned to find school a place of stress, test, and not feeling accepted. All throughout elementary school, junior high, and High school l never came easy to me, what would take my classmates minutes to learn, it would take me days to understand. My parents were always my biggest supports; they would stay up into the wee hours of the night, going over homework, papers, and projects with me. During my school time I had many different tutors (whether it was one-on-one, or through a company) and, it still did not make school better.

Even though school did not come easy to me, I had a few teachers who made a big impact on me.  What was great about them was that they kept me engaged during their class. They found creative ways that got the whole class involved and excited about learning. I found that the best way for me to learn was by hearing the assignment, then the teacher giving me a visual demonstration. I found that when teachers just got up in front of the class and lectured I would find my mind wandering, and losing interest in what I was being taught. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher because I knew that as a student who struggled, I could pass on my tips and tricks, that I picked up and pass them along to my students. Also showing them that their teacher had trouble in school, but with a lot of work and sticking with it, I was still able to reach my goal of being a teacher.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher after spending time in different classrooms. This had been one of the best ways for me to gain experience as to what teachers are required to do. Being able to get ‘hands on’ experience working with children, and observing many different teachers in action has been wonderful. During my undergrad I was able to be with a classroom of kindergartens. I came in every Friday for about full school year, I worked with the same children and it was rewarding to be able to watch and see the students grow and develop over the past seven months. There was one student who I was able to work one-on-one with who I was able to see improve. He came in behind the rest of his classmates, and with many different learning disabilities. They would have to write a letter to the start of the week saying what they liked about that person. In the beginning the teacher or I would have to write what he wanted to say in highlighter and then he would try his best to trace those letters. It would be difficult to read what he wrote. He would need encouragement at time to keep going, but he always finished his work.  Then before he was pulled out of school, the last letter wrote he did all by himself, no tracing needed, and the best part of it was he asked he could write more than the three sentences they were required to write. This moment is why I wanted to become a teacher, to see students who struggle and help them find the confidence in themselves and have the “light bulb” moment. Seeing that they can succeed it might just take a little more work and effort but if they put their minds to it, they can do anything.   

            My desire to be to a teacher began with my experiences working with children at two summer camps over the last eight years. I started this journey by working at “Camp Coyote” a week-long event organized by Camp Fire USA at Blyth Park in Bothell, Washington. I have spent the last four years working from June to August at another Camp Fire camp, “Camp Sealth” on Vashon Island. Working there has given me the opportunity to work with children of all ages. I have learned how to engage, discipline and work with student from all backgrounds. At camp I was able to teach children marine biology, arts & crafts, nature/outdoor living skills, and more. While I was at camp I was able to take what I learned and applied to when I went into the schools. Working camp I have been thrown into almost every station I can think of.  Here again working with children who come in at the beginning of the week and are shy, don’t talk much, and want to go home. To the end of the week where they are rolling on the floor making weird animal sounds. Knowing that I made an impact (whether it was big or small) on that child’s life, is such a wonderful reward. I know that I help give them confidence, so they were able to be comfortable in their own skin, gives me chills. I hope that they take this confidence, and take that confidence back with them when they go to school. As someone who struggled with learning and self-confidence I want to be able to reach all my students, especially who are the quite kids who get over looked, or mislabel. I want to give them my tips and tricks and the confidence that will help them succeed in the classroom and where ever life my take them.

 

Kids Health- http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/nf.html

Neurofibromatosis Fact Sheet- http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neurofibromatosis/detail_neurofibromatosis.htm