First Year Jitters

As I approach my first official year as a teacher there are many questions going through my mind as I prepare for my career. How will I constantly keep my students engaged? What classroom management skills will be the most effective? Will my students comprehend my lessons? Many of these questions have actually been answered in many of my pedagogical classes, but until I actually experience them they will only remain theories. I began to do some research and I came across an article titled “Advice for First-Year Teachers”. The article describes how they asked “sophomore” teachers to reflect on their successes and failures, and to also provide advice to first year teachers.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr152.shtml

 

 

Here are some advice pointers given:

Take charge

Keep students busy and engaged

Get peer support

Get parental support

Organize yourself

Organize your students

Write and reflect

Have fun

 

The article even provided 1^st year teachers an ABCs list

Admit your mistakes — and learn from them.

Be firm but flexible.

Communicate with parents.

Develop a homework policy — and stick to it.

Empower your students; don’t just lecture to them.

Find time to attend after-school events.

Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries.

Have the courage to try something else if what you’re doing isn’t working.

Institute a clear discipline policy — and enforce it consistently.

Just listen — both to what the kids are saying and to what they’re not saying.

Keep a journal.

Learn your school’s policies and procedures.

Model desired attitudes and behavior.

Non carborundum ignorami. (Don’t let the imbeciles wear you down.)

Overplan.

Prepare interesting lessons.

Quit worrying and just do your best.

Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned.

Stay alert.

Take pictures.

Understand that the learning process involves everyone — teachers, students, colleagues, and parents — and get everyone involved.

Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don’t be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you.

Work within your limits.

Xpect the unexpected — and plan for it!

Yell if you need support.

Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember — nobody’s perfect!)

As a teacher…

In my class my professor mentioned the role of the teacher in the classroom all that embodies it. The teacher is he main facilitator in the classroom. Teachers ensure that students are learning knowledgeable material and retaining the information being taught. Teachers are to create an environment in which the student can comfortably learn in a fun and controlled manner. The teacher should also allow the to explore learning for him or herself, in addition to teaching them how to think independently.. Education Elementary Expert Janelle Cox, the author of What is the Role of a Teacher states “The role of a teacher is to help students apply concepts, such as math, English, and science through classroom instruction and presentations. Their role is also to prepare lessons, grade papers, manage the classroom, meet with parents, and work closely with school staff. Being a teacher is much more than just executing lesson plans, they also carry the role of a surrogate parent, disciplinarian, mentor, counselor, book keeper, role model, planner and many more”. The article gives insight to what exactly it means to be a teacher and your role. This article is s great read for every teacher to learn something about their role as a teacher.

Diversity

Diversity is an important factor in any classroom and in any grade. Celebrating different cultures in the classroom allows the student to bring a piece of their home to their learning environment. When students know you genuinely care about them and where they come from they are willing to work for you to be the best student they can be. Recently the holiday Cinco De Mayo passed and I came across a lesson plan that celebrates the heritage and culture. The lesson plan is creative and includes music so the students can have fun while learning. Here http://ow.ly/4nsy64 you can explore the lesson for yourself and teach your students this exciting lesson. Some of the materials that are listed on the lesson plan are plastic eggs, hinge beels, yarn, crayons, construction paper, un popped pop corn,  and so much more ! As a future me educator I must always remember that my classroom will  be full of different cultures and different identities and I must find a way to cater to each and every student individually.

Financial Literacy in High School Classes

I  recently came across an article entitled “Young Adults Want Money Management in High School” and immediately thought that this would be a good read. While in college I struggle on a day to day basis financially. I’m in the “in between ” stages of life when it comes to education, my career, and making money. I’ve often wondered why I did not get taught earlier about managing my money in a strategic way. Nicole Gorman, author of this article mentions that most young adults would like to have the opportunity to learn about money management while in high school. “Financial literacy is a big topic in K-12 education because while many agree it would be beneficial to students’ respective futures, very few states require it be taught in schools” (Gorman,2016). Why aren’t more schools interested in teaching the the future how to effectively mange money? Will the educational system adopt this subject into the curriculum? Many questions began go surface while reading this text.Students should be taught at earlier ages how to save, spend, and conserve their money in a positive manner.Below I have attached a link where the article can be read. What are your opinions on finically literally in high school being taught?

 

I Sure Wish I Had Known

I really wish I had known….

Before I had promised my parents that I would spend four years at a  University and get my bachelors degree. Before I committed to Prairie v\View A&M University. I really wish I would’ve known the work and dedication that it would take to be a teacher. Especially when I changed my major from nursing to education, I thought I was doing myself a favor. I thought it would be so much more easier, just a breeze really. The nerve of some people to call what we go through “glorified babysitters” please. I sure wish there were people who understood the things that we have to deal with in this profession. I wish I had known the long nights I would spend studying, and the long weekends I would spend in the library.

But for all the things that I didn’t know, When I graduate I will know that I will spend the rest of my life in a profession that I love, that I admire, and that I know that I have worked my butt off for.

I sure know now.

Is Common Core… Common Sense?

Since last semester we’ve been hearing the term very loosely around our classrooms, “Common Core”.

It made me think to myself what exactly is coming core, and  what’s the difference in common core and what we’ve been doing for the past few generations in our school districts. During my research I read that common core “proved surprisingly durable 2015”. However most people are skeptical about changing and trying out new standards and curriculum, because of the hassle, and I guess money we will spend in the meantime to to combine the curriculum around the country. I think that Common core is something that can prove to make our country grow stronger in the education field, especially against other countries whom we are losing to on the education ladder. Common core is something that I think that would benefit every students around America. Just think about it, wouldnt it be amazing if you lived in New Jersey, and you moved across the country to Texas, and you would still be on the same curriculum. I think that would be amazing.

“What You Talking Bout”Whitlowe!

“What do you mean we have to be certified before April, its February”

“Are you serious” as I overheard a few of my fellow classmate saying in the background of my CUIN class Monday morning.

They have once again changed a huge requirement and  told us at the last minute what the requirements are.Forgive me if I’m wrong but I do believe my advisor is supposed to notify us of any new changes being made in our degree plan. But that’s not the case when it comes to Whitlowe.R Green College of Education. This department has to be one of the most unorganized departments, and just for the fact that they won’t let the students be great. The reason I say this is because we have been let down time and time again by people that we are supposed to look to for the information regarding our futures, and time and time we are disappointed with the delivery that they choose.

Will they ever get it right? 

My Extracurricular Life

Good evening and welcome back to my blog.

So, A few things that I haven’t mentioned yet are that I’m involved in several different organizations on campus of Prairie View. Although I am a member of many student activities, Chi Epsilon Alpha Organization is the one that is near and dear to my heart. This organization that I am involved in allows students to work on their professional development while also getting them ready for the future students whom they will have to encounter in the field, whether they are going into education, or any other field. Although it is an amazing organization, we don’t have much exposure when it comes to males in the field. Although education is a very high priority profession that is always looking for new faces, but there are not many men that are driven to be future educators of America. It’s a struggle to find quality young men with the drive to want to teach younger children, however we do have about two men to in attendance, and they are doing an amazing job. There’s got to be more quality male teachers in Prairie View A & M, right?

Getting Certified In WRGCOE

So, I have been attending Prairie View A&M University for 5 years now, with hopes of becoming a certified and professional educator for the primary grades.Now although my college career didn’t start with me wanting to be a second grade teacher and it started with me wanting to be a Neonatal Nurse, but I quickly realized that was not my calling. My indescribable journey on the campus of PVAMU has led me to THE Whitlowe. R. Green College of Education here in my last year of my higher institutional learning career, AND I WANT TO SCREAM! There is such a push for us to be certified before we anticipate student teaching which is one of our last and final prerequisite programs before we graduate and I couldn’t be any less ready. I feel that we haven’t been prepared in the way they feel we should be. Especially since they have only put an emphasis on this test in the last two semesters of me being  in here. Frustrations are higher than ever now.