Communication:
The communicative level of
this course requires me to pull from the resources of my past experience in the communication field. Communicating with children necessitates my attentiveness, and understanding so that each of my students
feels comfortable communicating not only with myself, but among other students as well.
I try to give the children confidence in their ability to write, and speak among the group so that they feel capable
and accepted. My students are very skilled and contribute if I engage them in
a way that makes learning interesting to them. I often pull ideas and interact
with them based on the nonverbal signals I receive and their level of receptivity. Overall, this course has challenged me
in ways that were unforeseeable when it began. I have gained confidence in communicating
with the students, and have begun to enjoy each week’s interaction more than the last!
Research:
Researching the many different
genres of literature has proved interesting and analytical. I must often sift
through ideas to determine which genre a book best fits into. I have utilized
the course blog in order to receive the answers that I seek, as well as different websites.
As I am not an education major, I have also used the Internet to research lesson plans and ways to engage and interact
with this age group. I place myself in their position, and then research ideas
that are both fun and creative. I have also utilized personal sources to obtain
information such as family members that have taught in the past.
Technology:
The Internet is obviously
an endless resource when it comes to finding information on just about anything. I
have used the Internet to research book genres, create lesson plans, find fun poetry, and look at projects my students would
be interested in engaging in. I have also downloaded books to my Ipod so that
I may listen to them as I go about fulfilling my other tasks throughout the day.
Collaboration:
My students are usually excited
to hear what we will be discussing that day. The poetry circles that Frances
informed us of really helped the students to see how easy writing a poem could be. They
were excited to think up new topics to make poetry about once they realized how talented they all were! It was exciting to hear them chatter amongst themselves about new ideas, similes, and metaphors to include
in their creations. They are awesome kids and generally make an effort. I can see their confidence growing ever time we meet.
Five Dimentions of
Learning:
Confidence
and Independence:
Every class period that passes
I feel a bit more confident. I have never worked with children in an educational
setting before, and was not planning for it to be my vocation. I am actually
very interested in going into the field of Psychology, but have discovered that whether or not I plan to work with children,
it has become extremely rewarding. I feel that my students are slowly gaining
my confidence and that the more I feel that I am in control of their learning, the more they want to learn. The children seek
guidance and have invested their time and interest into me providing for their needs.
We have discussed their likes and dislikes, and why poetry can be fun and engaging.
Our confidence grows as a group as we all get comfortable sharing with each other.
The reading that is required of this course has proven itself to be the biggest challenge, as I continuously must squeeze
in time to read. I enjoy reading, and my confidence in this area has increased
book by book. I know that making time for completion will be my biggest challenge,
but I know that I will get there.
Knowledge
Content:
I have learned so much more
about literature and book genres from taking this course. Reading has been something
that I had to do rather than a recreational activity for many years now. Attending
college has proven a drain on my desire to read. I am so thankful that I took
this course as it enabled me to remember that reading should never been seen as a chore but a way to experience stories and
visit far off places. The genres that we are examining have opened up my mind
to new possibilities and ways to communicate with the students we are teaching at Tibbetts.
I have learned the way to decipher the elements that categorize a book as falling into a particular genre. I have also learned the many issues that surround affectively communicating with students and ways to interact
with them that make them and I happy.
Skills and Strategies:
At the beginning of the semester I was
filled with apprehension, as my teaching skills were very limited. I had no idea
what I was supposed to do with the students and if they would be willing to learn. My
strategies have been to relate to the students while enforcing the lesson plan with creativity and group discussion. The students are full of ideas about what they want to learn and what is interesting
to them. I have drawn from my past experiences with poetry and thought about
how it became interesting to me. I always reinforce an idea before I require
the students to do the activity themselves. I feel that giving them plenty of
examples and reviewing ideas will help build their capability and confidence in creating their own poetry. It can sometimes be frightening to be given a new idea without any information as to how to utilize it. I want the students to feel very comfortable, so when I tell them I want an example
of a simile or metaphor, they know exactly what I am asking for because we went over it.
I feel that my skills are developing a little bit more every time we meet with the students.
Use
of Prior and Emerging Experience:
Before taking this literature
course, I had no prior experience teaching children and was not aware of the specifics in regards to the book genres. I have gained experience simply through observation, research, and luck! Each week I learn something new about what my students expect to learn and what types of coaching encourage
them to write. I have put a lot of effort into doing the best job that I can. I want theses students to feel that their time was well spent learning about poetry. I want them to feel like they have learned a new way in which to be expressive that
is fun and exciting.
Reflectiveness:
At the end of each session with my students,
I ask them their opinions about an activity that we might try out the next session.
This allows me to know what activities are interesting to them and those that are not.
I spend time thinking of lesson plans that would be fun for them and informational at the same time. Throughout the week I make changes to my thoughts about the lesson plan until I have reached what I feel
to be a satisfactory plan for the next session.
Mid-Term Evaluation
I feel that I have put my whole heart into
learning about literature and teaching the students at Tibbetts. I feel that I deserve an A at this time, as I have had the
most to learn from this experience, yet have progressed quickly. For the remainder
of the semester I will strive to continuously engage my students and to learn to become a better teacher each week. I will
explore new forms of literature and learn more about who I am as an individual. The
best way to help others is to be familiar with ones own likes and dislikes. Engaging
in literature and lesson plans will ultimately help me grow alongside my students. The
class structure is conducive to learning in a way that requires us as students to apply our knowledge instead of just knowing
it. I feel that this course has forced me from my comfort zone several times,
and that it is an excellent way to learn. I really enjoy this class and look
forward to the remainder of the semester.
