This blog project has encouraged me to think critically about the importance of teaching and why it is important to be an effective teacher. That being said, what does an effective teacher do? The answer to that question is always changing. The rest of this blog post will attempt to uncover why teaching is important, what types of teaching techniques and lesson plans teachers can use to be effective, and what teaching actually looks like from a professional perspective.
Unfair Education: Why teaching is important
In my Week 5 Free Post, I talked about charter schools and whether or not they are effective as well as why so many people want to send their children to charter schools. The reason basically boils down to public schools being unfair and experiencing a large achievement gap between black students and white students. In urban areas, income tends to be very low, students have single parents that work multiple jobs, and less emphasis is placed on education. These factors, combined with several others, contribute to lower achievement in urban schools which, in turn, leads to less funding from the state as test scores are a major factor of distribution of funds. Parents want the best for their children so they enter them into the lottery and are hopeful that their child will be picked to attend the charter school that is supposed to be better than public schools (this is certainly not always the case though). That being said, it should not be the case that a child is entered into a lottery system to be given a reasonable education.
Teaching is important because every student needs to be given a fair education opportunity so they can have a chance at succeeding in life. There are currently so many dropout factories in the United States (a school that has less than 40% of it's students graduating on time). The people that don't graduate from high school have a higher tendency to end up in jail for various crimes, where citizens then pay taxes to house these dropouts in jail. So, for the sake of humanity and the future of America, good teachers are important.
I believe teaching is important because I believe education has the ability to impact humanity on a large scale. The more educated people are, the better equipped they will be to make good decisions and support themselves. This will hopefully alleviate poverty, the number of people in jail, some of the global sustainability problems, and a surplus of other issues. In my opinion and reflection, education and understanding is the first step to solving any problem.
Teaching ideas: Recognizing modern teaching as more than blackboard lectures
Throughout my blog, I have provided several resources/ideas for modern teaching techniques. This post discusses overall teaching techniques such as individualized learning, repetition, and engagement and explains why each of these techniques helps students learn better. I really like the idea of individualized learning because allowing students the freedom to learn about things that interest them will keep them interested in learning. Additionally, this individualized education allows students to move at their own pace, so students that need more of a challenge won't be bored and students that need a little more time on certain subjects will be allowed to learn the material fully before moving on so that they don't feel behind.
There is also an article about video games and how teachers have incorporated the use of video games such as Minecraft into their classroom. I had never thought about learning from this angle before, but as soon as I started tutoring a 2nd grade student, I realized that Minecraft is what he lives for. This experience inspired me to figure out a way to relate to him and the video games post discusses potential ways to use video games in a classroom setting, as well as discussing why video games can be considered educational.
Furthermore, I recognize that online education is becoming increasingly popular, not only for college students, but also for high school students that want a specific class that their high school might not offer. In my week 7 post, I discuss the pros and cons of online education. I don't have a strong opinion on online education one way or another. I believe that it might work for some students and might not work for others because everyone learns differently.
Finally, I had the opportunity to attend a professional development event this semester that provided insight on a new method of teaching called a process drama. I am very excited to try this type of learning at some point in my career because I was excited and engaged when I had the opportunity to be the "student" at the event. I am also excited about this strategy because it allows for so much flexibility. I know teachers that use process drama in their college classes, but I know that it can also be adapted to work for elementary school classrooms. A process drama covers multiple disciplines such as writing, social studies, science, and math. It really provides the students with a real life example that will help them connect with concepts they are learning in the classroom. Additionally, this activity can take anywhere from one hour to several weeks to complete. It can correspond with several units in the elementary classroom if the teacher is creative. I am really excited to continue researching this idea and potentially using it in my own classroom someday.
Teaching as a profession: What it's really like to be a teacher
Everyone has their own perspective of what teaching is, but what does it really mean to be a teacher? What is it like? I had the opportunity to interview a professional, experience a classroom, and attend some club meetings where teachers were present. Each of these experiences provided me with a new outlook on what teachers really do. An incoming teacher might not have report cards, parent teacher conferences, and weekly parent newsletters on their radar. They might not be concerned about making a website. However, these are all critical components of the teaching profession. They are things that you aren't taught in college classes.
Final Reflections
Looking back through all my blog posts, I realize that I have learned quite a bit about different teaching methods and philosophies. I know this will really help me develop my future teaching because I will be able to better understand the students needs and will already have some ideas about how to incorporate some of the new techniques. I have also learned about some of the other aspects that come with the job of teaching, and will be able to prepare myself for those tasks, as college doesn't necessarily do that.
In conclusion, there is a lot to the teaching field. It is a major that I feel is often not taken seriously enough. Teaching isn't for everyone, just like engineering isn't for everyone. It is important to me, and to future generations that good teachers are being placed in schools that need them. These teachers will recognize and feel passionately that every individual child deserves a chance and they will do what they can to make students succeed. This blog has made me more excited to become a teacher and it has made me realize the seriousness of the profession.
Citations
Waiting for "superman". Dir. David Guggenheim . Perf. Anthony. Paramount Home Video, 2011. Film.
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