Reasons to Teach

While in school, one can wonder, why am I putting in all of these hours with what seems like meaningless papers and assignments? It is easy to forget about the reason, we as college students, volunteered for this.... here are a few websites that may be helpful in reminding yourself why you decided to teach in the first place. 

 50 Reasons to Teach

9 Reasons to Quit Teaching - (10 Reasons to Stay)

Why Teachers Teach



For myself, it is always the intrinsic rewards that continue to drive me to teach. It is the chance to impact lives in a positive manner on a daily basis. There are very few jobs that hold the same responsibility and power as a teacher. It is the fact that no two days of teaching are ever the same. It is the chance to share knowledge of something that I am passionate with others everyday (even if they aren't). It is not being confined to a desk or chair each day that drives me. The chance to be creative, have fun and enjoy teaching others. Being a teacher is tough and demanding, with long hours and not enough pay (as so I've seen and heard). However, most careers that are tough and demanding come with positive rewards if done right, and teaching is one of those careers. Most people can recall one or two, some people even all of their teachers, even after decades of being in their classroom. When was the last time you remembered the person handing you the fries at the drive-thru? The opportunity to teach can be scary, rewarding, painful, but it can also be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Critical Nature of Knowing Technology

As a pre-service teacher looking to get into the profession, I have realized the importance of knowing how to use modern technology in the classroom. In short, being comfortable using and aware of up to date technology can be the difference between getting a teaching job or not. There are many veteran teachers who do not feel comfortable using technology in the classroom. I have heard stories of teachers not even attempting to learn new technology.  For some teachers using email or google docs is sufficient enough. In their defense, why change success? They have taught for so long and not had to use it and their students have still learned the necessary material. However, administrators will be looking for teachers who can teach with 21st century tools. This means using mobile electronic devices, Smartboards, Elmo's, tablets, online videos, apps, etc. Your students will have experience using these electronics, so as teachers we must be able to tap into this resource. If we use a medium that all or most students are comfortable with it lessens the amount of scaffolding needing to be accomplished at the beginning of a lesson. Schools will need teachers that can teach using 21st century tools, as our students will be required more and more to use these tools in their future professions. As teachers, incorporating electronics devices can be the difference in motivating a student to accomplish their work. Who wants to use paper and pencil when they can use their touch screen tablet? Not today's youth. Looking back, I wish my teachers would have used up to date technology and now as I approach student teaching, I do not want to make the same mistake.

Technology I Would Like to Get Better at Using in the Classroom

1. SmartBoard
2. Excel
3. Any clicker or polling technology
4. Using an Elmo
5. Glogster
6. Using digital pictures with lesson plans
7. Incorporating online videos with lesson plans
8. Using online discussion or live-chat with instruction
9. Prezi
10. Animoto
11. Windows Movie Maker
12. Podcasts with lesson plans

Field Tips from Fall 2012 Semester

As the fall semester winds down, here are some tips that I have learned from field placement at New Albany Middle School.

1. Get to Know Your Students ASAP - The quicker you get to know the students in your classroom, the quicker they know you. This makes that awkward transition from stranger guy in the classroom to student teacher easier. You earn the respect from your students and it makes teaching lessons less worrisome.

2. Good Communication with your Cooperating Teacher - This only helps your co-op as they need to know your schedule, your requirements and what they can do for you. Always get at least their email. Always contact them if you are going to miss a day.

3. Jump Right In - Once you feel comfortable, jump right in and ask what you can do in the classroom. Start small, with passing out papers or walking around and helping students. Show you are interested! Once your co-op feels comfortable with giving you tasks they will be more willing to give you more control of the classroom.

4. Know Your Surroundings - Get to know the layout and structure of the building. Specifically, know where the copier is, staff lounge, staff resources room, bathrooms, office, nurse's room, library, computer lab, it only makes things easier when students ask you a question to go somewhere.

5. Know the Secretary and Other Staff - Get to know the office secretary, it makes things smoother when you do not know where a place is or a protocol for doing something. Plus it will make signing in and out for the day less of a pain if you know the secretary. Also, greet anyone who looks like a teacher or administrator even if you have no clue who you are. It makes you seem confident and comfortable.

6. Be Yourself - This last and most important. Be yourself each day because this how you develop your own teaching style. Students and staff will get to know you for you. This can be tricky when trying to follow you Co-op's rules, never go against their classroom policies. Be as confident as you can and make it the best experience possible.

Smartboard Tips & Tricks

Here are few Smartboard tips and tricks. Also, there are links to helpful youtube videos in executing these tricks with a smart board.

1. Turning Writing to Text - The smart board can turn any writing into text in the smartbook notebook program

2. Making a powerpoint smartboard compatible - by sending the powerpoint to the smartboard document writer it transforms the powerpoint into something that is touch screen compatible

3. Interactive games - Using games are one of the bonuses of using a powerpoint. There are several websites with games specifically for smartboards.

• http://smartboard.someschoolgames.com/
• http://www.smartboardteamgames.com/

4. Miscellaneous Tricks - Turning shape drawings into shapes, incorporating angles of shapes, changing the color of the text, circle the text and tap to erase text

5. Smartboard Tips & Tricks Videos  - See other tips and tricks through these videos

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7brpM41H3xQ
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWNCHG-xB9o
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOs0qf1ymn4

ELA Lesson with Technology

This semester I have been fortunate to complete my field hours at New Albany Middle School. As a part of methods placement, I am required to teach multiple lessons. One of the lessons I developed was having the students create an Ipod playlist. The sixth graders had just completed Crash a young adult novel by Jerry Spinelli. The students were asked to choose a character from the book and then create a playlist of either 5 songs, movies, podcasts, etc. Their selections had to describe their character and then they had to defend their choices on paper. Additionally, the students were asked to design there character's Ipod. Using an outline of an Ipod on a sheet of paper students could draw their character's wallpaper, apps, home screen, etc. Probably 60% of all of the students in my cooperating teacher's classes have ipods or mp3 players. This language was very familiar to them. The students enjoyed the choice and creativity this project provided. Several students were relieved that they were not asked to write a paper. Students were able to use songs, movies, apps on their devices in a way that incorporated literature. Students were also permitted to share what they had on their devices with other students that did not have a device. The familiarity and comfort the New Albany students had with this technology made for less scaffolding to be done However, this lesson could accomplished at any school because the end project is in paper form. Students do not need to have ipods to do this project, they need a background knowledge of songs or movies to draw off of. This project received positive feedback from the students. Students enjoyed the choice this project offered and the chance to be creative. I will undoubtedly use this lesson in my future teaching.

Pre-Assessment Strategies

One part of teaching that is being stressed in methods classes is pre/post assessments. It is critical to have this as a part of every lesson. It allows the teacher to see what each student learned that day. There are many different types of assessment strategies other than the traditional KWL chart.

Here are a few websites that feature pre-assessment strategies:

• http://kendrik2.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/pre-assessment-strategies/
• http://www.stemresources.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid
• http://nees.wikispaces.com/file/view/Pre-assessment%2Bstrategies.pdf

More resources will be added later.

Instructional Tools for Teachers

Project #4 - Instructional Tools

Instructional Teacher Tools – Any resource, digital or print, that benefits classroom instruction. These resources can used content enhancement, research, sample lesson plans, etc. The medium of instructional tools can be through documents, videos, worksheets, textbooks, anything that supplements classroom instruction.

13 Instructional Tools

1. NCTE.org – National Council Teachers of English, this association provides new teaching methods, lesson plans, books, and online discussions for teachers of any level.
2. NCSS.org – National Council for the Social Studies, this resource provides the same services as NCTE, however it is dedicated strictly to social studies teachers.  
3. AMLE.org – Association of Middle Level Education, offers lesson plans, connections to the common core standards, and the newest methods in middle level education.
4. Pbslearningmedia.org– This is one of my favorite resources, as it has videos, lesson plans, images for all subjects and grade levels. Best of all it is free!
5. Lessonplanet.com – The best site for finding lesson plans, hands down! There are lesson plans that connect to the common core standards. Additionally, there are worksheets, articles, and videos for every subject and level. It is free and simple to use as well.
6. Free.ed.gov – This website, funded by the federal agencies, provides resources for all subjects. There are tons of topics, including the arts and phys ed.
7. Atozteacherstuff.com – Classroom themes and lessons are available through this website. This website has lesson plans for the traditional subjects, but also has lesson plans for using technology and cooperative learning.
8. Hippocampus.org – This individual tutoring tool uses videos from the Khan Academy to teach subjects at the middle school and high school level. This is a tremendous learning supplement for students. Another free website for all to utilize.  
9. Teachervision.fen.com – Ideas not only for lesson plans, but whiteboard activities, parent-teacher communication, graphic organizers, and printable worksheets. However, it does come at the cost of a membership.
10. Lessonplanspage.com – Here is a community for teachers to post lesson plans to share with other teachers. There are over 3,500 free lesson plans and resources for teachers to browse.
11. Differentiatedinstructionresources.org – This website offers articles and resources to help teachers with differentiated instruction within the classroom.
12. Rosettastone.com – (ESL Students) – Seen used in my field placement with ESL students. Student can go through the program to learn English at the developmental level. This is a great tool for students who are having trouble learning English.
13. Todaymeet.org – This resource is great for students to do real time chats. Teachers can use this in class have students discuss topics. Fantastic free and simple resource.

PBS Learning Media Prezi

 Below is a link to the Prezi I recently did for Project #4. PBS Learning Media.org is a fantastic teacher instructional tool. So many great resources and very simple to use. Works for all subjects and levels!

 http://prezi.com/uc8jpafdyu5z/instructional-tool-pbs-learning-media/

Feelings on Flipping Out

I feel that if I knew all students had access to watch the lessons, either online at home, school or the library, I would give it a try. I would probably start with a video from the Khan academy or YouTube. Then I would gauge the students interest, motivation (who actually went home and watched it) and plan an in class activity (assessment) around the video. If students were really into it, I would pursue making my own videos, or glogster posters even. No matter how well it worked I would not turn this into an everyday routine. If teachers did this everyday, I think students would eventually become bored. The newness of watching a video or investigating something online would become what a worksheet is today. I feel that, with my limited experience, flipping the classroom is best used in balance with other homework activities. I am still not completely "all in" with flipping the classroom, I would probably need to try it for myself before I committed to it. Like anything, it has its detractors, what to do if not everyone has access?... what if students do not watch the video, does this put them further behind than a traditional classroom? ...Will students be motivated to sit and watch a video?... Will they truly comprehend what they are watching?

During my field experience, and overall experience with students, I find myself doing more one on one coaching/instruction. Maybe being a coach has something to do with that. Nevertheless,  I always have got more satisfaction working with students individually, rather than whole class instruction. Performing in front of the class is something that is a work in progress. Also, I believe it is too early to tell if planning lessons is a strength or a weakness. I have not had enough experience planning whole-class lessons to know. So a "IP" grade for the performing and a "N/A" grade on planning.

New Symbaloo Tiles

Check out my updated symbaloo with a bunch of new tiles. Some of the tiles are of resources we have used in class while others are not. Included are useful sites such as voicethread, tagul, capzles, edupics and readwritethink. If you are bored or have a few minutes check them out at the bottom of the blog. Thanks!

A Few Teacher Tools

Here are a few teacher tools, some I presented today in class.

1. Glogster.com - Online posters for students.Teachers can create lesson plans and have their own glogster classroom. No more posterboard projects for students. 
2. TeacherTube.com - Valuable resource with videos, lesson ideas for any subject. Make sure you can access the website in your building first. 
3. Classroom20.com - a forum for teachers to discuss issues, lessons, projects, etc. 
4. Discoveryeducation.com - great resources provided by discovery channel
5. Easytestmaker.com - does just what it says

 Ryan

Roles of a Teacher

As a teacher, teaching is only one "hat" you wear and some days it may not feel like you wear that hat at all. Teachers are care-takers,  acting in a parenting role at times, providing that consequence to  positive or negative actions in the classroom or on the playground. Teachers are counselors, trying to get that moody girl or obnoxious boy to pay attention in class or get along with peers. Teachers are their own public relations person, sending notes/emails home to parents, and creating classroom newsletters. Teachers are role models, for students and others in the community. Teachers are public figures, they represent their school, colleagues, school district and teachers all across the United States. Teachers are artists, creating their own lessons, projects, display boards and making it all flow together within the classroom walls. Teachers are policemen/policewomen, keeping students safe within the classroom and providing them the tools to live safely in the future. Teachers are coaches, on and off the field, helping students learn life lessons through sport.  Teachers are critical to the future of this nation and have one of the most important careers within society. I'm sure there are 100 more roles teachers wear, and the amount of roles a teacher plays can change from minute to minute within the day.

Teaching and Learning

Some of the important aspects I have learned from my favorite teachers about teaching is that they all built rapport with students, they were enthusiastic about the subject and supportive. As a student you knew every day in their classroom there was something hands-on that you were doing, that engaged your brain. The teachers that I had that exemplified these three characteristics created a community sense in the classroom. You knew that they really cared if you learned or not.  These teachers with their enthusiasm about the subject drew you into the topic, because if they cared about it you felt that maybe you should too..at least while you were in their class. In my opinion, it is much easier to not care about a class when you feel that the teacher has no investment in you. This is when behavior becomes a problem, when there is a disconnect between teacher and student. In college, the classes I remember the most are the ones where the teacher knew your name and created a positive learning environment. Relationships, energy and caring are three important qualities that allow teachers to stand out from the rest.