Being in the classroom as a volunteer, it is easier to see the context of the whole organization. A reoccurring problem within our classroom I think would come from not being able to be prepared as well / as organized as could be. It's safe to say that preparation goes along way in any situation. It is constantly busy at our school, which makes it difficult to prepare weeks in advance for lessons. Lessons are often prepared the same day. It is a system well-adapted to, but I think it would help stress and energy levels immensely if more time was put into preparation. Because the school year is so busy, it seems more reasonable to prepare for each lesson during the summer, sorting out weeks and making sure materials are available. Being so deep into the school year, it isn't practical to expect out-of-class time to be spent on preparing, because most or all of this time is already occupied with other obligations.
*The problem is not at all serious, it is just one I think if tended to, could aid in stress relief and smoother days in the classroom. My mentor teacher is a great teacher, I was just told to focus on something that may help her. It seems impossible to be over-prepared for something, especially lessons.*
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Week 12: Interview
What is the main challenges faced as a teacher?
Balancing everything. Balancing the actual teaching with having a poor budget, with implementing the polices of teaching, with finding time to enjoy it. Implementing all of these into the classroom is hard.
How do they deal with deadline stress, difficult people, and internal politics?
Concentrating on things that I like, and remembering to dwell on those. It’s hard, but the big thing is your attitude. Have a positive attitude makes everything better. That, and not taking things personally.
What do they feel can be done to make work go smoother?
Being extra prepared. Have all materials ready to go, being more organized. Planning ahead, with paperwork especially.
How do they separate the personal from the professional?
Putting on my teacher face when I’m in the classroom. It’s like acting. You can’t bring your personal life into work.
Do they enjoy working on group projects?
In school, they do have group projects as teachers. For instance, the school yearbook on an elementary level is made by a few teachers or the PTA. Johnson’s yearbook was run by Aimee Vining, and it was difficult to get help from the other teachers on the yearbook staff. They are all busy, so being on the staff is quite challenging. She would prefer the extra time for her own use, but sees the value in the yearbook creation.
What is their ideal work environment?
Respectable, nice kids and staff, great resources, and enough funding.
How do their personalities help or hinder their communications with others or their conflict resolution approaches?
If you’re a grumpy person, no one will want to work with you. I have a grumpy teacher at this school that we need to work with, and being grumpy makes not want to talk to them. No one wants to come into a grumpy environment at work- it makes work awful. Everyone who helps me, I want to make sure they see that I appreciate their help. It makes things easier when you have a good attitude and when you don’t let your grumpiness come into work. Also, make the school secretary your best friend.
How has their education and experience prepared them for their current job?
I learned basic skill in college; I learned how to play the instrument and able to do basic musical things needed. Honestly, I didn’t learn anything about teaching until I was in the classroom doing it. They can’t teach you how to connect with students in college. Learning how to connect to student’s individual needs is the most important. I learned the skills I needed to know to be a professional in my field, but as for on the job skills, no. The Mesa School District helps implement skills, hands on, and then you can take in right into your classroom. Orff classes (by Carl Orff) and the Kodaly method are great.
After whom do they model their work behavior? Or who do they most respect?
I model my behavior after my college supervisor, my college saxophone teacher, and my school principal here at Johnson. I use the techniques taught by those two professors in school, and my classroom management skills are inspired by my principal. As a teacher, best thing you show know how to do is beg, borrow, and steal. Ideas from colleges are usually great, and everyone is always eager to help.
Have they reached out to mentors and has the mentorship system worked for them?
All the time. I’m always asking for help or advice. My music supervisors are great for that. My first year of teaching, I was given a mentor teacher who gave me so many ideas. You can’t do this job alone. You won’t succeed without the help of others.
Balancing everything. Balancing the actual teaching with having a poor budget, with implementing the polices of teaching, with finding time to enjoy it. Implementing all of these into the classroom is hard.
How do they deal with deadline stress, difficult people, and internal politics?
Concentrating on things that I like, and remembering to dwell on those. It’s hard, but the big thing is your attitude. Have a positive attitude makes everything better. That, and not taking things personally.
What do they feel can be done to make work go smoother?
Being extra prepared. Have all materials ready to go, being more organized. Planning ahead, with paperwork especially.
How do they separate the personal from the professional?
Putting on my teacher face when I’m in the classroom. It’s like acting. You can’t bring your personal life into work.
Do they enjoy working on group projects?
In school, they do have group projects as teachers. For instance, the school yearbook on an elementary level is made by a few teachers or the PTA. Johnson’s yearbook was run by Aimee Vining, and it was difficult to get help from the other teachers on the yearbook staff. They are all busy, so being on the staff is quite challenging. She would prefer the extra time for her own use, but sees the value in the yearbook creation.
What is their ideal work environment?
Respectable, nice kids and staff, great resources, and enough funding.
How do their personalities help or hinder their communications with others or their conflict resolution approaches?
If you’re a grumpy person, no one will want to work with you. I have a grumpy teacher at this school that we need to work with, and being grumpy makes not want to talk to them. No one wants to come into a grumpy environment at work- it makes work awful. Everyone who helps me, I want to make sure they see that I appreciate their help. It makes things easier when you have a good attitude and when you don’t let your grumpiness come into work. Also, make the school secretary your best friend.
How has their education and experience prepared them for their current job?
I learned basic skill in college; I learned how to play the instrument and able to do basic musical things needed. Honestly, I didn’t learn anything about teaching until I was in the classroom doing it. They can’t teach you how to connect with students in college. Learning how to connect to student’s individual needs is the most important. I learned the skills I needed to know to be a professional in my field, but as for on the job skills, no. The Mesa School District helps implement skills, hands on, and then you can take in right into your classroom. Orff classes (by Carl Orff) and the Kodaly method are great.
After whom do they model their work behavior? Or who do they most respect?
I model my behavior after my college supervisor, my college saxophone teacher, and my school principal here at Johnson. I use the techniques taught by those two professors in school, and my classroom management skills are inspired by my principal. As a teacher, best thing you show know how to do is beg, borrow, and steal. Ideas from colleges are usually great, and everyone is always eager to help.
Have they reached out to mentors and has the mentorship system worked for them?
All the time. I’m always asking for help or advice. My music supervisors are great for that. My first year of teaching, I was given a mentor teacher who gave me so many ideas. You can’t do this job alone. You won’t succeed without the help of others.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Week 11: Shadowing
Shadowing a teacher is a great way to take advantage of the concept of teaching. It's a great way to see what teaching may be like. It is a tough job, because there are so many things to remember. What you say, how you say it, and when you say it greatly effects your success in teaching, especially on the elementary school level in my opinion. By getting comfortable with this concept, and becoming aware of your words and when you use them, you can focus more on individual students.
I have been shadowing Aimee Vining, the music teacher. She has every class in school come to see her at least once a week for 20-40 minutes. She does a good job of remembering names, although sometimes it's easy to get siblings mixed up. She is in her third year of teaching, and it seems like she knows the ropes pretty well. She has told me that class management is one of the first things a new teacher should practice and perfect. Class management has to do with different disciplines, and strategies for gain control of your classroom so that the students are paying attention, listening, and engaging in the lesson. It is one area I know I need to improve, personally. I am a type of person who would love to just hang out with the kids, joke around, etc., but this doesn't allow for a successful teacher. I've found that there is a time for everything- joking around, being serious. Even the best teachers I have had are all very fun to be around, but I remember learning the most from them as well. Finding that balance is key, and enforcing classroom discipline without interrupting your lesson is the goal teachers set for themselves, and I see this everyday in Aimee's classroom.
Because of the different classes Aimee sees each day, and the different grade levels means different lessons for each of them, my mentor teacher has developed an organized system to help her sort through her daily lessons. She keeps bins (One for each grade level, K-6) on a shelf in her room. Each week, she places the lessons for each grade in their respectable bin. She also keeps a copy of her schedule of classes next to the bin, because it is nearly impossible to memorize or keep straight. It seems things are constantly changing, and this system has been a great way to keep up with everything. Before each class, she re-reads over the lesson she is intending to teach, and prepares for it.
In addition to her classes and lessons, she is the head of the Yearbook, teaches private lessons, is an honor band director, and is putting on the school talent show in a couple of weeks. A lot for one teacher, if you ask me! It has been really nice to be here this year with her. She is constantly telling me how glad she is to have my help, and I'm really happy I can. It seems that we came into each others lives at the right moment. I am definitely excited for the talent show. We've been making props during her prep hours these past 2 weeks. It should be very fun!
This past week I started leading the lessons. Aimee taught me how to write out lesson plans according to the Mesa Public School District, and I have written out a few for different grades. I taught a lesson in each of the Kindergarten classes, and it was pretty exciting. It makes me very nervous to think of the students all listening and watching me. I just want to make sure I'm saying the right things, and not forgetting any important points or add-ins. Ms. Vining said I did really well, and gave me some tips or options to implement the next time, and I did. I think I will be teaching more of the lessons I wrote out this coming week. I am excited again, and I feel like I have some footing this time. :)
I have been shadowing Aimee Vining, the music teacher. She has every class in school come to see her at least once a week for 20-40 minutes. She does a good job of remembering names, although sometimes it's easy to get siblings mixed up. She is in her third year of teaching, and it seems like she knows the ropes pretty well. She has told me that class management is one of the first things a new teacher should practice and perfect. Class management has to do with different disciplines, and strategies for gain control of your classroom so that the students are paying attention, listening, and engaging in the lesson. It is one area I know I need to improve, personally. I am a type of person who would love to just hang out with the kids, joke around, etc., but this doesn't allow for a successful teacher. I've found that there is a time for everything- joking around, being serious. Even the best teachers I have had are all very fun to be around, but I remember learning the most from them as well. Finding that balance is key, and enforcing classroom discipline without interrupting your lesson is the goal teachers set for themselves, and I see this everyday in Aimee's classroom.
Because of the different classes Aimee sees each day, and the different grade levels means different lessons for each of them, my mentor teacher has developed an organized system to help her sort through her daily lessons. She keeps bins (One for each grade level, K-6) on a shelf in her room. Each week, she places the lessons for each grade in their respectable bin. She also keeps a copy of her schedule of classes next to the bin, because it is nearly impossible to memorize or keep straight. It seems things are constantly changing, and this system has been a great way to keep up with everything. Before each class, she re-reads over the lesson she is intending to teach, and prepares for it.
In addition to her classes and lessons, she is the head of the Yearbook, teaches private lessons, is an honor band director, and is putting on the school talent show in a couple of weeks. A lot for one teacher, if you ask me! It has been really nice to be here this year with her. She is constantly telling me how glad she is to have my help, and I'm really happy I can. It seems that we came into each others lives at the right moment. I am definitely excited for the talent show. We've been making props during her prep hours these past 2 weeks. It should be very fun!
This past week I started leading the lessons. Aimee taught me how to write out lesson plans according to the Mesa Public School District, and I have written out a few for different grades. I taught a lesson in each of the Kindergarten classes, and it was pretty exciting. It makes me very nervous to think of the students all listening and watching me. I just want to make sure I'm saying the right things, and not forgetting any important points or add-ins. Ms. Vining said I did really well, and gave me some tips or options to implement the next time, and I did. I think I will be teaching more of the lessons I wrote out this coming week. I am excited again, and I feel like I have some footing this time. :)
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