Classroom rules and Discipline Procedures

Watson, Angela. How to Create Class Rules. Retrieved from http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/free-resources/behavior-management/class-rules

Rader, Martha. Establishing Classroom Rules and Consequences. http://www.education.ne.gov/BMIT/pdf/EstablishingClassroomRulesandConsequences.pdf

The first article was interesting because it differentiates rules from procedures. The rule is the speed limit is 55 miles an hour, the procedure is to watch the speedometer and stay focused on the road in front of you. Procedures help you be successful at following the rule. Along with that, Angela Watson suggests to create goals instead of rules. Goals such as respect yourself and respect others. It frames rules in a positive light, and helps students reach them successfully. By creating a set of classroom goals together as a class, students are more invested in following those guidelines. Along with that, you must also choose logical consequences. Your district or school may have their own set of rules and consequences that they will expect you to use.

The second article points out the importance of using positive rules verses negative rules, and staying consistent with discipline and routines. She also includes 50 tips to motivating students and keeping them focused in the classroom. These tips help with classroom management, and hopefully helps avoid any misbehavior.

My classroom is very interesting because classroom rules are not posted any where. The students respect my cooperating teacher, and they also respect me. However, my teacher doesn't seem to have an issue with things like cell phones. I have been in classrooms where we have created the goals/rules together, and it seemed to help us be more involved and no doubt understanding what was expected of us.

As a teacher, any way that you can get students to invest a little bit more in their learning is a good thing. Instead of just reading a list of goals/rules on the first day of class, students are able to take time to think about what is in their best interest. Students care about the environment they are in, whether it's positive or negative, so if they have a say about classroom expectations, they can hope that others are just as invested in the learning as they are.

Flipped Classroom

Tucker, Bill. The Flipped Classroom. Winter 2012. Retrieved from http://educationnext.org/files/ednext_20121_BTucker.pdf 

7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7081.pdf

This relatively "new" idea of a flipped classroom is a surprising and beneficial way to teach students. The idea is that students learn the lessons on their own time, outside of the classroom, typically via online work. They then bring their questions, homework and work collaboratively in the classroom. The concept for a flipped classroom started with chemistry teachers Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams in Colorado. They were having a hard time finding time to teach students who were absent, so they started recording and annotating lessons and posting them online. Students who were absent appreciated the ability to catch up, however, students who were present also liked the ability to re-watch the lessons.

I have never seen a flipped classroom in person, but from what I have read it seems to be an incredibly beneficial way to really work closely with students and their learning. I think by requiring students to come to class with a question or two, and checking their notes that they complete at home, you can encourage them to take a proactive role in their education. 

As a teacher, it may depend on the district that you are teaching in and how far you can implement this concept, but I truly believe flipped classrooms can totally change the system. However, we must make sure that flipping our classrooms does not make us lazy.  Students are able to benefit with more one on one time, and they have the ability to revisit the lessons that they are stuck on. 

Job Availability in Washington State

Research:
Ryan Weldon, Career Advisor: Arts, Letters, and Education
Career Services, EWU/EagleAxis
Find a Teaching Job! (Facebook page)
Spokaneschools.org

On my EagleAxis account, I have signed up for a "job email blast"and I receive emails when there are teaching opportunities posted. Although I haven't applied for any yet, it's reassuring to know that there are openings out there. There are not only jobs posted from all over the state, but also a few for teaching English abroad (South Korea and Japan). It's also really great for finding career/recruitment fairs and interviews.  The only unfortunate thing about it is that I receive emails for elementary jobs and teaching jobs outside my content area.

It's nice to know that there is hope for all of us. That we are not wasting our time attempting to get a degree that will not be used once we graduate. I've heard that teaching openings are rare to find, especially in certain areas. From what I could find, there aren't any full time teaching jobs currently open in District 81. So as long as you're willing to relocate, you can find something.

Depending on where we end up, we will be teaching a diverse set of students. The geographical and economic background of the area will determine what kind of students come through our classroom. It's important for us to consider that as we are looking for jobs.

WEST-E and NES Focus

PREP AND STUDYING

RESEARCH:

Pearson Education, INC. Washington Educator Skills Tests. http://www.west.nesinc.com/

According to the Washington Educator Skills Tests website, the English Language Arts WEST-E consists of approximately 110 multiple choice questions, and teacher candidates are given 2.5 hours to complete it. 25% of the test is reading process and comprehension, 30% is literature and language, 30% is writing process and applications and 15% is oral and visual communication. The website has a great .PDF break down of explaining what each section might consist of and how to best prepare. There are sample questions on the website for each endorsement area, and it is suggested that students try to work through each question carefully before referring to the answer key. There are 50 sample questions, each with a corresponding answer on the key. Though there are no explanations for answers that you get stuck on, there is at least a letter answer to view and compare.

National Evaluation Series http://www.nestest.com/Home.aspx

The NES is a computer-based test that consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. You are given three hours to complete it. The percentage breakdown is: 23% vocabulary and reading comprehension, 23% analyzing and interpreting literature, 19% conventions, composition, writing process and research, 23% modes of writing, and 12% oral and visual communication. The NES website has a full-length practice test that can be taken online, for $17.50. They have interactive study guides also, for $22.50. There is an eight-minute video that provides a general overview of test prep and strategies that you can watch for free.

EXPERIENCE:

I clearly have not had any experience with either of these tests, but I know many people who have taken the WEST-E. I’ve taken the WEST-B, but I’m nervous about both of these “final exams”. The NES seems very new and much more intense than the WEST-E, so I’m kind of concerned with the switch. By the time I need to take either one, the NES will be newly implemented which doesn’t give much time to develop test preparation, or see if it is even effective. Unfortunately, all of the test prep materials offered on the NES website come at a price.

APPLICATION:

I’m not sure how I would use this information in my personal classroom, but we are obviously able to benefit from it as teacher candidates. Passing either one of these tests will make us better teachers, which in turn helps us better our students. Students will clearly benefit from certified and well-trained teachers.

Learning Letter

First of all, I just need to state that this quarter has been the single most demanding quarters at Eastern. Nay, the most demanding quarter in my entire five collegiate years. With that being said, I don’t think I have ever learned as much, or grown as much as I have in the last few months. Between this course, English 193, Dr. Beth’s English 408, my social studies capstone, and my first quarter in the classroom, I had A LOT on my plate. There were points where I was seriously doing some inner exploration asking myself “can I actually do this?” I discovered that the answer is always yes.

I think my favorite part about this class was the book talks. I never really thought about being well versed in young adult books for the purpose of suggesting them to my future students. I discovered so many books that I want to read myself (apparently this John Green fellow is life-changing), and so many books that will touch reluctant readers. This will be extremely beneficial in my own classroom, and I hope to take our list with me.

The mini lessons were fun. Though it was difficult to create something that could be effective in 25 minutes, it helped me realize that sometimes that’s the only time frame you have. As a teacher, every minute counts, even if it’s just a short 25 minute lesson.

I don’t think I’m far enough removed from the end of the quarter to discuss the 3-week unit plan without wincing, but I’ll give it a shot. I had never written any TPA longer than a single lesson before, so this was terrifying. However, once it was completed, I realized that it’s possible for me to become a teacher. I was having doubts, and questioning my ability, but completing that unit plan was one of the most gratifying experiences I have had lately. It helped me realize that this whole “being a teacher” thing isn’t impossible, and even with the crazy unit writing and creating curriculum, it’s something I want to do. I don’t LOVE writing unit plans, but I now know that I CAN write a unit plan and that is a big deal.

The pedagogy text aspect of this class was the least amount of fun, but it was definitely beneficial. We were able to learn a lot about implementing discussion effectively in our classroom, social justice, and successful reading strategies. Some of the texts were extremely dense and hard to read, but even then they were teaching us SOMETHING.

            Like I said before, after this particular course, and this quarter as a whole, I don’t think I’ve ever been more confident in my ability to become a teacher. It’s still scary, and I know it will be difficult, but I know that I can do it. Thank you, Dr. Agriss, for pushing us. If I can make it through this quarter, two unit plans, a final book and my first quarter in the classroom, I can make it through anything. I am superwoman.

Cheers,

J

Elie Wiesel's Night

I have never read Night before, and I'm honestly shocked I've gone 23 years of my life without reading it. It was beautiful, heart wrenching, emotional, and hard to swallow. Never will I ever read any Holocaust text without being shocked to my very core. The fact that this is a true story, written by the man who survived the horrific events we have only read about, is so crazy to me. I absolutely loved it and completely despised it at the same time. It's not a story that was made up, in the creative mind of an author. It was a completely true, real life nightmare that millions of people didn't wake up from. I think it's a great text to use either instead of, or as an alternative to, The Diary of Anne Frank. Students could have the option to chose between the two texts. I honestly don't know how I would teach either of these texts because it is such a difficult subject, but I do know that it's possible. I went to the Holocaust workshop this weekend in Pullman, and learned some great things about how to effectively teach sensitive subjects like this one in the classroom. We just need to make sure that, as teachers, we are appropriately addressing a subject like the Holocaust, and supporting our students. It's a heavy topic that many will be struggling to grasp. Even outside of the classroom, this book could be suggested to students because, although it is incredibly sad and difficult to read, it is a powerful story about overcoming the odds and surviving one of the most atrocious acts of human evil in history. I cannot say it is one of my favorite books I have ever read, but it is definitely a great book. I'd like to think that I will try and incorporate it in my classroom at some point.  

READICIDE

I....I don't even know where to start when it comes to this book. In a little less than 150 pages, Kelly Gallagher had so many incredible things to say and points to make.

He defines "readicide" as "the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools" (2). He argues that reading practices of today's classrooms are contributing to the death of reading. By teaching too much to the test, over/under teaching books, and limiting authentic reading experience are all contributing to this idea. On the surface, this idea is sort of appalling. Teachers and schools are failing to support reading? Isn't that like...one of their main jobs? But as the book continues, there's absolutely no doubt that this new word/idea is a very real thing and it has to stop.

It was shocking to me when Mr. Gallagher mentioned the students who didn't know "who" al Qaeda is/was, or the students who couldn't identify presidential candidates. When I was a senior in high school, my government/CWP teacher had nearly every friday set aside to do the same thing. We would walk into class, pick up a news paper, and spend the entire period summarizing 3-5 articles of our choosing. One had to be from the "world news" section, and the others could be our choice but from different sections. We didn't have a choice but to have at least SOME idea of what was going on in the world around us. Similarly, I really liked the idea of the Article-of-the-Week. It's a very simple, yet crucial activity that can help with battling readicide.

It's crazy to know that schools are so desperate for test scores, that they are willing to cheat their students out of a FULL, WELL ROUNDED education just to fib a little on their test scores. Bruce Fuller, professor of education and public policy at UC Berkley, found that schools "lower the bar and design tests that are highly sensitive to slight gains for low achieving students. Progress may be occurring, he notes, but not anywhere near the rate claimed in this report" (111). Emphasis needs to be on helping students achieve individually, not "making sure we aren't penalized for low test scores."

Finally, I loved the "101 books my reluctant readers love to read" list on page 119. I'd love to read some of them myself, even though I consider my self a very eager reader :)

Differentiated Instruction: Success for All Learners?

I found an article on EBSCOhost titled Differentiated Instruction: Can Differentiated Instruction Provide Success for All Learners? by Olga N. De Jesus.

Olga N. De Jesus attempts to answer the following questions in her article using Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All by Gregory and Chapman:What is Differentiated Instruction? What is the research background for this method? How does it work? what are the recommended instructional strategies?

The concept of differentiated instruction began with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997. Providing the least restrictive environment for students could now apply to ALL students, regardless of if they have a disability or not. An interesting note that De Jesus makes is that a study done in 2004 (Noble) states that "both the special education and gifted education literature call for a differentiated curriculum to cater for the wide range of student differences in any classroom"(6). They define differentiated as "the practice of modifying and adapting materials, content, student projects and products, and assessment to meet the learning needs of students" (6). I think as teachers, the one thing we have the most control over is the WAY we teach our curriculum. We can absolutely use differentiated instruction and cater to those students who might need a little variation to enhance their learning experience. It's important to focus on each student's particular skills to learn material, they have a better shot at being successful.

De Jesus also gives us various instructional strategies that can be used to differentiate instruction: cooperative learning, project based learning and multiple intelligences and utilizing different learning styles. I like how she points out that teaching to all learning styles is possible, even though it may seem daunting at first. Of course she also uses a large section of this article to focus on the importance of discussion. It always comes back to that concept, doesn't it?

When it comes down to it, being able to differentiate instruction effectively requires us to understand both our students and subject matter intimately. We must not be afraid of change and modify, and be flexible every year with every class. It's also important to distinguish between "different" and "differentiated." De Jesus states "using the principles of differentiation, teachers design work that is based on students' needs - assembling choices, without attention to their suitability for particular learners, offers options that may be interesting but are grounded neither in the principles of differential education nor representative of purposeful approaches to learning"(10).

I think this article not only showed ways to differentiate instruction, but also the importance of it in the most simple terms.

I Read It, But I Don't Get It.

The phrase "I read it, but I don't get it" was heard all too often while I was in school. There is a major disconnect when we teach children how to read, and it doesn't always translate into them UNDERSTANDING what the words on the page mean. Comprehension isn't an ability that every child is born with, and Cris Tovani does an amazing job sharing her insight to how to better reach those kids who struggle.

Personally, I love reading and I always have. I was shocked by how many students Tovani mentions that were able to "fake reading" up until they entered her classroom. Surely, that doesn't happen. But apparently it does. Her strategies are awesome. When I was in middle and high school, writing in the text was frowned upon. Sometimes it was okay, but a lot of the times they were shared books and we had to keep them in pristine conditions. Tovani teaches her students early to mark up and highlight their readings to keep them engaged. Students are able to look back and use their coding to help them remember what they read. Even in college (since I spend hundreds of dollars on my text books, I'll be dammed if I don't make good use of them) I find that writing or highlighting helps me better understand my reading.

Something else I really enjoyed was the section titled "How Do I Know I'm Stuck?" starting on page 37. A lot of readers don't recognize that they aren't fully engaged in their text because they are reading the words and think that's enough. I think these steps that Tovani teaches her students are incredibly useful so students can really KNOW when they are confused.

I liked that she included the "access tools" in the appendices. It'll be helpful as teachers to use these when we are trying to encourage students to really get engaged in their reading and improve their comprehension skills.

Unfortunately, by the time children get to middle and high school, there's a good portion of them who have been able to fake comprehension up until that point. It's important, even as secondary teachers, that "teaching reading" is not just something for elementary teachers to master and assume that all kids are equipped with the ability to read and comprehend text by the time they reach our classroom. Tovani's book is useful because it gives many strategies to help those kids that need a little extra focus.

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

Right away, I liked the section on "horizon of possibilities" I think it's very important for students and teachers to understand that dissecting and responding to different literary texts doesn't always yield one solid answer. I liked that it said "a literary orientation is one of exploring horizons - where uncertainty is a normal part of response and new-found understandings provoke still other possibilities." Students need to know that when they read Shakespeare or Homer, it's okay to not know immediately what is being said, but that conversation and questions open up understanding.

I understand the hesitance that this author encountered from teachers about being able to shift their instruction based on what students were saying, but it think it's an important aspect of being able to really teach students something instead of just talking at them. Listening to students and how they're responding to the text can better form your instruction because you are teaching to what they don't understand, or what they want to know more of. If we are too focused on "teaching to the test, we aren't REALLY HEARING what our students are saying. If we can respond accordingly to what students are asking and saying, we can better prepare them for what they need to know instead of just reading bullet points and flipping through a powerpoint. It's a better way to not only engage them in what they're learning, but it better engages you as a teacher.

Social Justice Starting With Teachers

The article I read was titled Promoting Social Justice in an Urban Secondary Teacher Education Program written by Monica Medina, Anastasia Morrone and Jeffery Anderson. It was published in The Clearing House and I think it's important because in order to...incorporate social justice into our classrooms when working with students, we have to first address it as pre-service teachers.

The definition of social justice that this article uses is "social justice involves 'inspiring, working with and organizing others to accomplish together a work of justice...that primarily involves the good of others'" (pg. 208). The argument that these authors make is a strong one for university education programs to make transformations to address social justice as part of training.They worked with Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (yes this is the name of the school. IUPUI) and how their four semester block Learing to Teach/Teaching to Learn program delves into topics of diversity and culture. They do an activity where they are assigned either a dominant or minority group (primo or segundan). The dominant group is attempting to gain a grant from a fictitious foundation and has "the power to determine the development of a minority school and community, but they must collaborate with each other in order to receive the grant money." It helps them identify how their personal frame of reference negatively impacts others.

Another activity they complete is called the Kozol Project. They begin by reading Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol and identify five passages that they found meaningful and write a reflection of them, and they share with their peers. Then they are grouped into small teams and are asked to research the "community's assets." They develop presentations on various aspects of the community in attempt to "discourage a deficit perspective of the school and surrounding community."

Projects like these are what the authors suggest help pre-service teachers understand the diversity in future classrooms. Many of these pre-service teachers had the opportunity to critically reflect on their own views of teaching and social justice (209). If future teachers get the chance to develop their understanding of race, class, and ethnicity early in education programs, they will be able to actively engage their own students in the classroom in discussions of social justice (pg 209).

Critical Pedagogy and Pop Culture in an Urban Secondary English Classroom

Have you ever seen the movie Freedom Writers? It's a true story based on a teacher who gets her first teaching job at a high school in Long Beach. The school was once high achieving, but when they put an integration plan in place, it became more "urban" and "rundown". There is a scene in the movie where Hilary Swank (this new and excited teacher) attempts to teach poetry to this very segregated classroom using Tupac lyrics. It's awkward and funny, but it's what this reading reminded me of. (If you haven't seen Freedom Writers, drop whatever you are doing right now and watch it. Now.)

Anyway, I liked this reading. It was interesting to read about the implementations Duncan-Andrade and Morrell made in their urban classrooms. Personally, I went to a 4a high school in Tri-Cities. We weren't necessarily the richest school in the area, but we never really wanted for anything. 1700 students, and we all had the books and supplies we needed to be successful. When I envision myself in my own classroom, I think about the classrooms like the ones at Kamiakin. This made me think about what my classroom would be like if I was in a more urban setting. I really liked their unit using Savage Inequalities and Stand and Deliver. Although I haven't read Savage Inequalities, I have seen Stand and Deliver and it was interesting how they got their students to realize that things can be done. They were shown that there are so many other students that face the same issues they do and its possible to overcome these issues. At the end of the unit, change happened: "everyone on campus, from the principal to the teachers, was on notice that if something was not right, the students would get to the bottom of it" (pg 191).

I think it's incredibly important to empower students in this way. That they can change their circumstances, that it doesn't HAVE to be this way or another way. I really enjoyed the situations these gentlemen put their students in, and the way they taught difficult topics such as race and justice.

This, compared to our last couple readings, was my favorite.

Peter McLaren's Critical Pedagogy

Well. This was another long and dry piece of writing, but there were a lot of interesting parts. 

Something that really intrigued me was the "hidden curriculum". It seemed like it was very secretive and we were being shown a sneak peak of things that they don't teach you in school. The study done by Psychology Today showed that in classrooms, boys are accepted as being "academically aggressive" while girls are expected to be more "composed and passive." I would hope that, now in 2014, this doesn't happen anymore. Whether it be consciously or subconsciously, teachers need to not discriminate based on sex. It's crazy because I look at the people I know, and they generally show the exact opposite characteristics (the women are more dedicated and academically eager, while the men are less aggressive). 

I hadn't really thought about the different types of knowledge before reading this article. Knowledge has always just been....knowledge. Technical and practical knowledge make sense, but the connection between these two is considered "emancipatory knowledge". That was a new concept for me. 

And of course there was a section on discourse, which is a definite reoccurring theme in education. 

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Okay. I have no idea where to even begin with this...

Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed was...interesting. It was incredibly difficult to read, and I feel like I need to read it a hundred more times before I can completely understand it. Although I understand where he's coming from as far as treating students as humans and not "alienate them like the slave in the Hegelian dialectic" goes, I think this piece as a whole was really negative. It was hard to follow and at every page turn I was like..."well that bums me out."He wrote about this insane epidemic that is teachers being awful and treating their students as empty receptacles to only be filled by information the teacher chooses to fill them with. He seems every..."TEACHERS NEED TO BE STOPPED, THIS IS A CRIME!" I get it. I understand that this happens and it's not great teaching form, but I do not appreciate how Mr. Freire makes it sound like EVERY teacher in EVERY classroom has these sort of dehumanizing underpinnings to their teaching. 

{Footnote #3: for example, some professors specify in their reading lists that a book should be read from pages 10 to 15 -- and do this to 'help' their students!} (pg. 4) 

What is this actually about? What is with the sarcastic quotes around the word help? I don't know any scheming teacher or professor that would be like "Oh let's give them reading requirements because they must be oppressed and held back! Those fools! ha ha!" It just doesn't make sense to me. So maybe I'm not understanding his point.

"Oppression -- overwhelming control -- is necrophilic; it is nourished by love of death, not life" (pg.4)

Okay, this statement is absolutely true, but it's a little dramatic to apply it to teaching, isn't it? 

I understand that he's calling for change. I agree that suppressing the creative minds of future generations is NOT the way to teach. I just didn't really like the way he went about discussing it. It was quite the interesting read. 

Common Core

I think the most important thing about common core state standards is that they provide a strong guidance to teachers and their curriculum. Especially new teachers, they will be able to access these standards and build relevant and specific lesson plans that ensure students learning what they need to learn. As a teacher candidate, I think these standards will be incredibly beneficial for me to make sure I'm addressing the crucial parts of a young persons education. Especially in the secondary field, they help prepare students for college and the workforce. Each content area has these common core standards and each grade level addresses different aspects in those core areas. Something I thought was interesting were the ELA appendices. They show research showing the support of the state standards and they show some examples of student work in different ELA classrooms.

Discussion as a Way of Teaching

I've always enjoyed classroom discussions in my educational experience, so I've always had this vision that my future classroom will utilize discussion. This article really helped cement that idea. Right off the bat, the author discusses a situation that Steve Preskill experienced while he was teaching a course on educational ethics. He opened his classroom to a discussion on an article he found on a schools refusal to honor a DNR order. What he experienced was eye opening. I think it's important to remember that discussion, like Mr. Preskill's example, opens up minds and gives way for healthy debate. I've learned a lot more through my peers and listening to their points of view than I could from a textbook or professor alone. It was interesting to consider the differences between the words conversation, dialogue and discussion. Those words had always been pretty synonymous with me, but this piece helped distinguish them a little more. Conversation being more informal and relaxed, while discussion is more structured and has an end goal.

I also really liked the fifteen benefits of discussion in chapter 2. With changing views and so much information out there, students are able to experience it all through talking with each other. Even if they can't agree, it's incredibly beneficial for them to understand there's much more outside of their individual box. Discussion will not always be nice and pretty, but I consider that the best part about it. I think the authors laid it all out really well and encourages me to use discussion in my classroom.

Introductory Letter

My name is Jaime Mahoney and I am a secondary social studies major with an english minor. This is my third year at Eastern, and I transferred from Columbia Basin College with my AA degree. I just recently got placed at Lewis and Clark High School observing freshman world history and junior AP U.S. history. My english class coursework is pretty limited so far: the basic 101 and 201, intro to poetry, intro to fiction and am currently taking English 408 (the composition process). I really do enjoy English and reading, which is partially why I want to each English. My weaknesses are typically centered around poetry. I don't mind reading it, but sometimes I find it difficult to analyze and write it. That's something I'm very nervous about teaching. The three week unit plan we have to create for this course is giving me a sense of impending doom. So far in my educational career, I have yet to write a lesson plan thats longer than a few days. I know I will be a better teacher and teacher candidate because of it but it's definitely something I'm nervous about. I want to be able to write effective lesson plans that are interesting and fun but still adhere to common core standards. I haven't written a lesson plan for english yet, I've stuck to history in my past lesson plans because that's what I'm most comfortable with. I'm nervous and excited and anxious for this class and this quarter. I know all of it will be worth it and make me a better teacher. I look forward to it :)