Chapter 11 focuses on the physical and cognitive development of adolescences. On the physical side, adolescence go through a transition into adulthood, including hormonal changing, body growth, motor and physical activity development, sexual maturation and brain development. One major topic in the physical section talks about reaction to pubertal changes, pages 288-289. If boys and girls are not expecting a change, or they don't get the proper information from parents, this can affect adolescents' self-image and their relationship with his/her parents. This chapter really relates to my inquiry question because I profiled a typical middle school child, dealing with physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Making the chart, I listed what a middle school child will be going through physically, puberty being one of them. It is interesting to know that some students don't get the proper information they need. As my observations go on, this is something I could ask the teacher I observe.
2. Cognitive
The cognitive sections in chapters 9 and 11 talk about a child's way of learning. One part that really stuck out to me was on page 242, the chart of Gardner's Multiple Intelligence. It lists the different processing operations underlying intelligent behavior. Some of these processing operations are linguistic (sensitive to sounds, rhythms and meaning of words), musical (ability to produce and appreciate pitch, and rhythm), and naturalist (recognize and classify all varieties of animals, minerals and plants). This really connects to my inquiry question because I feel that in middle school your really start to find out what you are good at and what you have a passion for. Although I only observed a math class, I could tell which students were really good at math and which students struggled. In my past, I have observed science classes and I could tell then which students really grasped the concepts they were learning. My questions deals with a teachers style of learning and if that affects a students learning, and I found that it does! If a teacher makes the learning fun in the classroom and is excited about what he/she is teaching, then the students will want to learn from him/her.
3. Emotional
Chapter 12 of, Exploring Lifespan Development, it talks about the emotional and social development in adolescence. Specifically on 314-315, it talks about changes in self-concept and self-esteem. Through adolescence, a young adult's vision of their self becomes more complex and organized. They start to revise their views to include beliefs and plans. Students also start having a high self-esteem. This is caused by authoritative parenting and encouragement from teachers. This relates to my question because I want to see if a teachers pedagogy style of teaching has an impact on a students learning. If a teacher gives a lot of encouragement, or makes an effort to help you succeed, does a student get better grades, and have a better vision of their self?
4. Social
On the social aspect, chapter 12 focuses on the family and peer relationships. This section of the chapter does a good job of explaining how a young adults' relationships change with their family and peers. This will be useful to know going into observing and seeing how the students behave socially. The social development relates to how the 8th grade teacher I am observing, arranges the classroom. She assigns desks into groups of four. This allows for students to interact other students they may not really know or socialize with on a daily basis. I will want to know if this pedagogical move affects the students social development as well as their learning.
Sacred Heart School is a private school in Fairfield, Ohio. This is where I went to grade school, and it is where I had a big influence on my education. Sacred Heart is a predominantly white, Catholic grade school, with about 450 students total from grades K-8. I wanted to come back and observe here because I had a very influential 8th grade math teacher who really put all her time into her students making sure we understood each concept. She not only helped her students succeed, but she cared about each one. She knew most of her students families, which made you feel like she really cared about you, your family and your success.
Because of how influential she was for me, I will be observing her teaching style and how that impacts a students learning. Since she puts a lot of effort into her students doing well, does this make the students want to try harder, get involved more, trust her more, and just make them more well-rounded students? Throughout the day, I will watch the things she does, and what she says and how that impacts a typical profile of an 8th grader.
C. Describe what you did at the site (free-write/journal formatting)
1st visit:
During this first day, I arrived at the beginning of the school day and just sat and watched how the students interacted in the classroom and how the teacher interacted with her students. I observed the way she spoke to them, how she explained certain concepts in math and how she made math fun and come to life. She had word problems that dealt with real life situations, or a situation where they would actually use math (showing that math is used everyday). This first day was mainly to just sit and watch, I didn't take any notes during this day.
2nd visit:
The second day, I was observing the students physical, social, emotional, and cognitive developments to see if what the book was saying was actually true. Coming into the day, I had already made a chart consisting of physical, emotional, social, and cognitive developments of a typical middle school student. I wasn't all that surprised to see that everything was exactly what the book said. I noticed that girls create cliques and stand around in their group of friends before class started. Girls are starting to take more time looking their best and having the best things. The boys, I noticed, are still into the rough and tumble play. The only part I didn't get was a students emotional development, that was because the teacher didn't have free time where I could interview some students.
During her math class, she would get very excited when a student got an answer right or asked a good question. If a student caught her making a mistake, before she caught it, she would give them starburst or smartie. I noticed that majority of her class were eager to learn or participate, she rarely had to pull out name cards and choose a random student to answer the question.
It was a good experience to see what middle school kids are like and to ask myself if I was like that (wanting to participate, the way I looked or dressed or acted), or have times changed?
3rd visit:
I interviewed the teacher asking pedagogical type questions. My questions and her answers were:
1. What is your educational philosophy?
I believe the purpose of a Catholic education is to produce responsible citizens infused with Christian values who have the tools to make moral choices about themselves, their environment, and their communities. I believe ALL students can learn! It is important to build links connecting children, teacher, and parents through prayer, work, and play. While parents are the primary educators of their children, my job is to facilitate student learning through effective teaching strategies (including 21st century skills) and by using varied and authentic assessment. I believe it is my job to assist parents in helping their children develop into responsible, moral adults capable of functioning in today’s society.
2. Do you think this philosophy works? Why/Why not
I know my philosophy works. I have lived by it for over 20 years. Students frequently return to speak with me about how I have affected their future careers, whether it be in the field of mathematics or just my ever-positive reinforcement that everyone can learn and be successful.
3. What is your ideal relationship between a teacher and a student?
My ideal relationship with students would be as collaborators in a project called (Student Name). I do realize, however, that this relationship frequently does not happen by the 7th or 8th grade. It takes a great deal of maturity in order for this to happen. I think it is important, however, for me to show the students that I value them and their ideas. We are on this journey together. If I can facilitate their learning, then I’ve done my job.
4. Describe your discipline plan
Our school has a very effective discipline plan that students, parents, and teachers have ‘bought into.’ In my classroom, I rarely, if ever, have discipline problems. If discipline issues do arise, I always give students a warning (verbal or nonverbal depending on the situation) before I begin any disciplinary action. If an action requires a consequence, it is done in a fair and respectful way.
5. How do you engage parents in their child’s education?
Our new management system, Ascend, does a wonderful job of keeping parents posted with regard to their children. I post HW and class notes every day, and frequently send notes to parents. I’ve actually had parents attend my Wednesday Help Night sessions so they can better help their children. In the religion classroom, students study their Church history note cards with parents every night: parents have mentioned that they are also learning Church history along with their children.
6. Describe your use of auditory, visual, and hands-on teaching techniques
We are known as a technology school. All 5th – 8th graders have individual iPads that are used daily and are an integral tool for learning. Students watch videos on their iPads, they take notes on them, and two textbooks (math & social studies) are on the iPads. In addition, I use manipulatives in math class, especially when we are learning new algebraic concepts. Of course, I also use the SmartBoard, so students get to ‘listen’ to me as well.
7. How do you give students recognition?
I am always positive in class. I will frequently say, “Good question!” or something similar. I encourage everyone to answer questions, and I frequently use cards with names on them, to randomly call on students. In addition, I have a rule that if a student catches me making a mistake in math and they point it out to me, I give them a smartie or Starburst. It has been a great way to have the students pay attention. With the lower-level students, I make sure they can answer the question before I ask them to. I never want to embarrass a student in front of his/her peers.
8. Do you think getting to know a student (hobbies, family, etc..) affects their learning?
Absolutely, it affects their learning! The students need to believe that I am interested in them, not only as a student, but as a person. I try to go to one sporting event for each sport a year. It’s important for the students AND their parents to believe I am interested. If a student feels respected and valued, that student will be more open to learning new things from me. And, honestly, I AM interested in them and what they do outside of school.
9. What do you do to help a student who is struggling with your class?
There are many things I do. Every Wednesday I hold a Math Help Night for any student who is having difficulty in math. During that time, I can work one-on-one with that student and help clarify any difficult issues. I frequently have students work with me during their study hall time. In addition, I allow students, at times, to have a ‘homework buddy’ to help clarify directions on homework. We also have an in-house tutor who is available to tutor students who are struggling.
10. How would you describe middle school students?
Middle school students are WONDERFUL! They are full of life! They are extremely interesting as well, and there is never a dull moment. They are also impressionable and seem to flourish with the right amount of guidance. I firmly believe that middle school students WANT to please adults. We just have to show them, at times, how to do that!
4th visit
My fourth visit I still just observed my teacher and what she said and did. I noticed a student who got in trouble and how she handled this. A student was disrupting the class and the teacher did give this student a warning. The student still was being disrespectful, so the teacher asked politely to see the student after class. She explained to the student that what the student was doing was wrong and explained why it was wrong. She did this in a thoughtful and polite manner.
I really liked that I got a chance to see this because it showed me how a teacher should handle a discipline problem in class. Even though the discipline problem may be frustrating, you should handle it in a polite and calm manner. As a student, I know some of my former teachers who would get so angry at the student and it made not only that student, but the other students in the classroom fear that teacher. And a student shouldn't fear a teacher. A teacher should be someone you can go to for help and not be afraid of them.
5th visit
My last visit I finished up my observations by finishing up my notes on the students development, from the book and what I was noticing in the classroom. This last day was a test day, so I really didn't do much observing of the students, except walking around watching them take the test.
While the students were taking the test though, I noticed how she would walk around the classroom in case a student needed help, or to check to see if students were cheating. Many students asked for help and she did a good job of assisting them without giving away answers. This was interesting to see because I find it hard to answer someones question, like in a review day, without giving away an answer. I did get a chance to talk with the teacher about education as a whole. Some of the questions I had asked her was why she choose education and why math? What is the hardest part of being a teacher? And what is the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher? She really gave me a lot to think about but I am so happy for choosing education!
D. Summarize and describe your experience in relation to the concepts in our textbook
Physical
During middle school, preadolescences are starting to physically develop. This physical development is known as puberty-a flood of biological events leading to an adult sized body and sexual maturity(pg 283). A teacher should be aware of this and what they say or do could affect them because the student may feel awkward about the way they look or how fast/slow they are developing(pg 284). The book mentions that it is a difficult time for students because this development is new and scary if they haven't had the proper information(pg 325), this can be because the changes of adolescence triggers conflicting expectations in child-parent relationships. During middle school, kids could be developing health issues such as obesity, proper nutrition, or illnesses(225-228). A teachers pedagogical moves, especially what he/she says, about puberty, or health issues could make the student feel like an outsider. So, what a teacher says is very important as to not make fun of a students physical development.
This relates to my observation experience because the teacher I observed had very kind pedagogical moves. I noticed a couple student who really didn't talk or interact with their peers much in class, this could have been because they felt like an outsider if they weren't developing physically fast enough like their peers or if it was simply just a bad day. Seeing these students and how the teacher interacted with them showed me how I should interact with my future students who feel like outsiders.
Cognitive
Students are beginning information processing which is simply different aspects of thinking.(pg 234). This includes attention, and memory strategies. Attention becomes more selective, adaptable, and planful. Students will become better at paying attention to just that is relevant to their goals. Three common memory strategies are rehearsal-repeating the information back to yourself, organization-grouping related items together, and elaboration-creating a relationship, or shared meaning, between two or more pieces of information that do not belong to the same category(pgs 235 and 237). On pg 238, the process of continuously monitoring progress toward a goal, checking outcomes and redirecting unsuccessful efforts is known as cognitive self-regulation. This is useful for all teachers because through tests, exams, homework, and projects, this is a way teachers monitor a students progress toward a goal, which is passing the grade. Students are also beginning to develop their language, use of grammar and vocabulary(pg 246). Children are learning to use words more precisely.
I noticed all of these things when observing my 8th grade class. The day where the students were taking the test I would notice some of them using a strategy to remember certain math steps. Also, when speaking in the class, if their grammar was incorrect, the teacher would correct it. Some of the students even had very proper grammar and had a big vocabulary!
Emotional
Teens in middle school are experiencing an identity crisis- temporary period of distress as they experiment with alternatives before settling on goals and values(pg 314). This is a time where they go through a process of inner-soul searching. They then begin to mold these traits and characteristics into an identity. Erikson had called this period identity versus role confusion. On pg 315-316, young people are beginning to take this mold of identity and refine it into a well-organized and differentiated sense of self-esteem identity. There are four different identity statuses: identity achievement, identity moratorium, identity foreclosure, and identity diffusion. Most young people will move from a lower level status to a higher one. This is because of sexual orientation, religious beliefs, vocation and political beliefs. During adolescence, young people would normally describe themselves as smart or talented, but they begin to develop these traits into more abstract descriptors like intelligent(pg 314). The self-esteem will begin to change, and for most young people, their self-esteem will rise. This level of rising in self-esteem is due to authoritative parenting and encouragement from teachers(pg 315).
This was a big development section I could really notice while observing, except forming an identity. I did notice students looking and acting unsure of themselves or feeling very confident in the classroom. This is an example of self-esteem. The way the teacher spoke to the students made them try in class and speak up in class. She would distribute candy for the students that caught mistakes in math problems and she would say good try do you want to try again? She would also say way to go! I could really tell this made the students feel special because it was how she said it. She was very happy and enthusiastic and was always positive.
Social
When students are in middle school this is when they really start to compare themselves with their peers. Young people want their friends to be loyal, sticking up for them and not to leave them for somebody else(pg 326). Students will select their friends based on age, SES, sex, race, personality, and ethnicity(pg 265). Young people that are better accepted tend to have more friends and more positive relationships with them. Their are four different categories of peer acceptance: popular children, rejected children, controversial children, and neglected children. Two-thirds of students fall into one of these categories and the other one-third are average in peer acceptance(pg 266). Cliques and crowds begin to form through preadolescence youths. Being in a clique predicts academic and social competence. Being in a crowd is based on reputation and stereotype(pg 328). During this time of social development can cause a lot of problems too. Many youths move through school with little disturbance, but for some there are many. Depression, suicide and delinquency are three disturbances. These can occur because of biological, psychological, peers, families, schools, communities and culture can attribute to those disturbances(pg 330-332).
This was also a big development section I was able to observe. I was able to see how cliquey the students were. Most of the girls would play with their hair or clothes to get it just right. The girls would have the brightest pencil bags, or the cutest headbands. This was demonstrating trying to be the popular one in the class. I also noticed in the cliques, the outgoing girls/boys would group together before class and talk. The teachers pedagogical moves were to mix up the class and put students who were talkative with students who were not. This was to interact students who normally don't hang out together, to have a chance to get to know each other.
Revisiting Your Curiosities
W: What you want to know (curiosities)
1. How does a teachers pedagogical moves affect a student?
In doing my project at Sacred Heart School, I really learned about pedagogy and how a teachers pedagogical moves affect a students behavior and learning. First let me define pedagogy. Pedagogy is defined as the art and science of teaching. So basically, its is how to teach. A teachers pedagogical moves are something the teacher says or does in the classroom, and there are reasons behind the actions or the words spoken in class. The teacher I observed had been saying and doing what she did since I was in her class. She would say things like "Way to go!!" or "Oh, so close!" She never once had a frown on her face and she was always encouraging her students to put forth effort. I noticed that everything that was said was always positive, and I noticed even if a student got an answer wrong they still raised their hand for the next one; the students never wanted to quit because the teacher never quit on them. The way she arranged her classroom was more of a constructivist classroom (page 248 in our textbook). A constructivist classroom is centered around small groups, and encourages students to construct their own knowledge. Giving out smarties or starbursts for detail motivated the students to pay attention to all the steps in an algebra problem. All of these put together, I saw the students engaging in the material, smiling, helping their classmates and just seemed to be really happy. Each of these pedagogical moves, what she said, arrangement of classroom, and candy for motivation, showed me that being positive and encouraging your students, whether it be with candy or using words, can have a big impact on a students behavior and improve their learning. Overall the teaching style that seemed most preferred in the class I was observing in and throughout the whole school was student center approach. I find this, in my own opinion, to be the best way to teach. Although this isn't the only option, it seemed to get the students to pay attention in class and interact with their friends while still learning the subject material. So overall, I found that what a teacher says, acts, and sometimes the way the classroom is arranged can affect a student.
4. What new questions emerge for you as a future teacher?
As a future teacher, I want to know how to use the other approaches to teaching, teacher centered, to get students engaged in the material being taught?
Article 1
Gningue, S. M., Peach, R., & Schroder, B. (2013). Developing Effective Mathematics Teaching: Assessing Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, Student-Centered Teaching, and Student Engagement. Montana Mathematics Enthusiast, 10(3), 621-645.
This article talks about the pedagogy of a teacher, specifically a math teacher, and how the teachers style of teaching affects a students engagement in the classroom. Since the early 1980s, the United States of America has been trying to improve students education in mathematics. The Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institute (MTTI) program trains teachers to be more effective teachers. The teachers have began to use a more student-center approach in their classroom. For this program there were several observations from retired math educators. They observed the students engagement in the classroom from high, medium, and low, and the instructional activities of class discussion, group discussion, hands-on activities, cooperative learning, learning station and group presentation. These observers determined if these activities were student-centered, or teacher-centered. Overall, the range of teacher-centered activities was about 30%, student-centered activities was about 30% and undetermined was about 40%. This program discovered that teachers student-centered approach to teaching is more effective for higher levels of student engagement in the lesson being taught.
This relates to my inquiry question because I want to know if the teachers pedagogical moves affects a students learning. This study shows that with a student-center approach, students will be highly engaged in your lesson. This is good to know because moving through college and my studies, I will want to know the best approach to get my students engaged in my lessons. This article was also very useful because it dealt with mathematics, which is what I want to teach.
Article 2
Mouza, C. (2011). Promoting Urban Teachers' Understanding of Technology, Content, and Pedagogy in the Context of Case Development. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education,44(1), 1-29.
This article talks about how effective technology is in teaching, and that all teachers should have experience with it because it can help their students understand a lesson if it seems confusing to them. It would help students because they would have access to websites or games from home. This study took 12 teachers into a Professional Development (PD) program. During this program, they were to complete a technology course, but only 8 completed it. The programs first finding was how teachers implemented technology into their lessons and activities. Two teachers cases were described in the study and both had implemented technology into their activities, and the students were more creative using the technology. Both of the teachers had student-centered activities while several of the other teachers used a teacher-center approach. Overall, this study showed that with training in technology, teachers can and should incorporate technology into their lessons because it will increase student creativity and participation.
This relates to my question because my question deals pedagogy and pedagogical moves of a teacher and if it affects a students learning. This specific article I really liked. I think all teachers should be using technology. With our world constantly updating technology, teachers should be familiar with it. Because technology is always new, our kids now have access to it early on in life, so our students will already know how to work an iPad or SMARTboard. If we use technology in our classroom, students learning will expand because they have the resources to look up facts on a president, or a country; collaborate on a project using google docs with their group members; use pictures and videos in a project. The students in school today will not be limited to what they can and can't do, with technology their learning is endless.
Article 3
Long, J. (2011). Changing Teachers' Practice through Critical Reflection on Pedagogy. International Journal Of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(4), 145-159.
Pedagogy is a teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and values about how students learn. Changing Teachers' Practice through Critical Reflection on Pedagogy is about a Quality Teaching Model (QTM), which is a teacher pedagogical renewal; development of teachers. QTM is an opportunity for teachers to work closely with colleagues in a community of learners to grow and adopt a new way of "doing". A teachers' understanding of a teachers' beliefs and pedagogy is an important concept for a teachers' learning, pedagogy and a students learning. Teachers need the ability to learn from their colleagues to develop a the understanding of pedagogy and gain a higher level of expertise. This learning and developing a deeper knowledge should be done through small groups of community networks.
This article really resonates with me because the article shows that a teacher should always be changing the way they teach according to the way their students learn. Teachers should be deepening their pedagogical knowledge. Although this article doesn't say the relationship between pedagogical moves and students learning, it does show how a teacher should always be learning new things, developing a higher level of expertise to benefit their students. As I have done observations, I noticed the teachers would changing their teaching style according to how their students were learning. That was very important because a student shouldn't change their way of learning according to how a teacher teaches.
Article 4
Laronde, G., & MacLeod, K. (2012). Modeling Various Teaching Methods In A Faculty Of Education In Science Education: Chalk And Talk, Virtual Labs Or Hovercrafts. Journal Of College Teaching & Learning, 9(2), 107-114.
This Modeling Various Teaching Methods article explains three different lessons that revolved around three different teaching styles including different forms of constructivism. The first lesson, The Chalk or Talk lesson, was centered around teacher-directed with very little constructivism. The students sat, listened, took notes and asked questions. The second lesson, The Virtual Lab lesson, was called a transactional approach, with a great interaction of teacher with some constructivism. The students would go online and interact through a web-based application. The third lesson, The Hovercraft lesson, was centered on a transformational approach, with a high level of interaction and greater constructivism element. The students in this lesson were placed in small groups. These students would learn the curriculum and interact through different mediums. This lesson was more "hands-on". The researchers thought one approach would be better than the others but each lesson had their own strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the teachers that were surveyed, 67% would teach the hovercraft lesson, and 62% would learn from the hovercraft, although, the hovercraft did take more time and preparation.
I really liked this article and it really helps me with my question because it shows three different types of teaching styles and which is most preferred by teachers. This helps with my research knowing that with all the articles I have been finding, majority say a student-centered with small student groups, where the students are taking over their own learning, is highly used and preferred. While many of these articles do say this, I truly believe a teacher should be teaching according to what they believe is the best choice for their class and content area.
Name of Student: Megan Carroll
Pre-Adolescence
W: What you want to know (curiosities)
How does a teachers pedagogical moves affect a student?Developing Effective Mathematics Teaching: Assessing Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, Student‐Centered Teaching, and Student Engagement
L: What you learned
1. Physical
Chapter 11 focuses on the physical and cognitive development of adolescences. On the physical side, adolescence go through a transition into adulthood, including hormonal changing, body growth, motor and physical activity development, sexual maturation and brain development. One major topic in the physical section talks about reaction to pubertal changes, pages 288-289. If boys and girls are not expecting a change, or they don't get the proper information from parents, this can affect adolescents' self-image and their relationship with his/her parents. This chapter really relates to my inquiry question because I profiled a typical middle school child, dealing with physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Making the chart, I listed what a middle school child will be going through physically, puberty being one of them. It is interesting to know that some students don't get the proper information they need. As my observations go on, this is something I could ask the teacher I observe.2. Cognitive
The cognitive sections in chapters 9 and 11 talk about a child's way of learning. One part that really stuck out to me was on page 242, the chart of Gardner's Multiple Intelligence. It lists the different processing operations underlying intelligent behavior. Some of these processing operations are linguistic (sensitive to sounds, rhythms and meaning of words), musical (ability to produce and appreciate pitch, and rhythm), and naturalist (recognize and classify all varieties of animals, minerals and plants). This really connects to my inquiry question because I feel that in middle school your really start to find out what you are good at and what you have a passion for. Although I only observed a math class, I could tell which students were really good at math and which students struggled. In my past, I have observed science classes and I could tell then which students really grasped the concepts they were learning. My questions deals with a teachers style of learning and if that affects a students learning, and I found that it does! If a teacher makes the learning fun in the classroom and is excited about what he/she is teaching, then the students will want to learn from him/her.3. Emotional
Chapter 12 of, Exploring Lifespan Development, it talks about the emotional and social development in adolescence. Specifically on 314-315, it talks about changes in self-concept and self-esteem. Through adolescence, a young adult's vision of their self becomes more complex and organized. They start to revise their views to include beliefs and plans. Students also start having a high self-esteem. This is caused by authoritative parenting and encouragement from teachers. This relates to my question because I want to see if a teachers pedagogy style of teaching has an impact on a students learning. If a teacher gives a lot of encouragement, or makes an effort to help you succeed, does a student get better grades, and have a better vision of their self?4. Social
On the social aspect, chapter 12 focuses on the family and peer relationships. This section of the chapter does a good job of explaining how a young adults' relationships change with their family and peers. This will be useful to know going into observing and seeing how the students behave socially. The social development relates to how the 8th grade teacher I am observing, arranges the classroom. She assigns desks into groups of four. This allows for students to interact other students they may not really know or socialize with on a daily basis. I will want to know if this pedagogical move affects the students social development as well as their learning.Observation Site Information
A. Site details:
B. Describe your setting
Sacred Heart School is a private school in Fairfield, Ohio. This is where I went to grade school, and it is where I had a big influence on my education. Sacred Heart is a predominantly white, Catholic grade school, with about 450 students total from grades K-8. I wanted to come back and observe here because I had a very influential 8th grade math teacher who really put all her time into her students making sure we understood each concept. She not only helped her students succeed, but she cared about each one. She knew most of her students families, which made you feel like she really cared about you, your family and your success.Because of how influential she was for me, I will be observing her teaching style and how that impacts a students learning. Since she puts a lot of effort into her students doing well, does this make the students want to try harder, get involved more, trust her more, and just make them more well-rounded students? Throughout the day, I will watch the things she does, and what she says and how that impacts a typical profile of an 8th grader.
C. Describe what you did at the site (free-write/journal formatting)
1st visit:During this first day, I arrived at the beginning of the school day and just sat and watched how the students interacted in the classroom and how the teacher interacted with her students. I observed the way she spoke to them, how she explained certain concepts in math and how she made math fun and come to life. She had word problems that dealt with real life situations, or a situation where they would actually use math (showing that math is used everyday). This first day was mainly to just sit and watch, I didn't take any notes during this day.
2nd visit:
The second day, I was observing the students physical, social, emotional, and cognitive developments to see if what the book was saying was actually true. Coming into the day, I had already made a chart consisting of physical, emotional, social, and cognitive developments of a typical middle school student. I wasn't all that surprised to see that everything was exactly what the book said. I noticed that girls create cliques and stand around in their group of friends before class started. Girls are starting to take more time looking their best and having the best things. The boys, I noticed, are still into the rough and tumble play. The only part I didn't get was a students emotional development, that was because the teacher didn't have free time where I could interview some students.
During her math class, she would get very excited when a student got an answer right or asked a good question. If a student caught her making a mistake, before she caught it, she would give them starburst or smartie. I noticed that majority of her class were eager to learn or participate, she rarely had to pull out name cards and choose a random student to answer the question.
It was a good experience to see what middle school kids are like and to ask myself if I was like that (wanting to participate, the way I looked or dressed or acted), or have times changed?
3rd visit:
I interviewed the teacher asking pedagogical type questions. My questions and her answers were:
1. What is your educational philosophy?
I believe the purpose of a Catholic education is to produce responsible citizens infused with Christian values who have the tools to make moral choices about themselves, their environment, and their communities. I believe ALL students can learn! It is important to build links connecting children, teacher, and parents through prayer, work, and play. While parents are the primary educators of their children, my job is to facilitate student learning through effective teaching strategies (including 21st century skills) and by using varied and authentic assessment. I believe it is my job to assist parents in helping their children develop into responsible, moral adults capable of functioning in today’s society.
2. Do you think this philosophy works? Why/Why not
I know my philosophy works. I have lived by it for over 20 years. Students frequently return to speak with me about how I have affected their future careers, whether it be in the field of mathematics or just my ever-positive reinforcement that everyone can learn and be successful.
3. What is your ideal relationship between a teacher and a student?
My ideal relationship with students would be as collaborators in a project called (Student Name). I do realize, however, that this relationship frequently does not happen by the 7th or 8th grade. It takes a great deal of maturity in order for this to happen. I think it is important, however, for me to show the students that I value them and their ideas. We are on this journey together. If I can facilitate their learning, then I’ve done my job.
4. Describe your discipline plan
Our school has a very effective discipline plan that students, parents, and teachers have ‘bought into.’ In my classroom, I rarely, if ever, have discipline problems. If discipline issues do arise, I always give students a warning (verbal or nonverbal depending on the situation) before I begin any disciplinary action. If an action requires a consequence, it is done in a fair and respectful way.
5. How do you engage parents in their child’s education?
Our new management system, Ascend, does a wonderful job of keeping parents posted with regard to their children. I post HW and class notes every day, and frequently send notes to parents. I’ve actually had parents attend my Wednesday Help Night sessions so they can better help their children. In the religion classroom, students study their Church history note cards with parents every night: parents have mentioned that they are also learning Church history along with their children.
6. Describe your use of auditory, visual, and hands-on teaching techniques
We are known as a technology school. All 5th – 8th graders have individual iPads that are used daily and are an integral tool for learning. Students watch videos on their iPads, they take notes on them, and two textbooks (math & social studies) are on the iPads. In addition, I use manipulatives in math class, especially when we are learning new algebraic concepts. Of course, I also use the SmartBoard, so students get to ‘listen’ to me as well.
7. How do you give students recognition?
I am always positive in class. I will frequently say, “Good question!” or something similar. I encourage everyone to answer questions, and I frequently use cards with names on them, to randomly call on students. In addition, I have a rule that if a student catches me making a mistake in math and they point it out to me, I give them a smartie or Starburst. It has been a great way to have the students pay attention. With the lower-level students, I make sure they can answer the question before I ask them to. I never want to embarrass a student in front of his/her peers.
8. Do you think getting to know a student (hobbies, family, etc..) affects their learning?
Absolutely, it affects their learning! The students need to believe that I am interested in them, not only as a student, but as a person. I try to go to one sporting event for each sport a year. It’s important for the students AND their parents to believe I am interested. If a student feels respected and valued, that student will be more open to learning new things from me. And, honestly, I AM interested in them and what they do outside of school.
9. What do you do to help a student who is struggling with your class?
There are many things I do. Every Wednesday I hold a Math Help Night for any student who is having difficulty in math. During that time, I can work one-on-one with that student and help clarify any difficult issues. I frequently have students work with me during their study hall time. In addition, I allow students, at times, to have a ‘homework buddy’ to help clarify directions on homework. We also have an in-house tutor who is available to tutor students who are struggling.
10. How would you describe middle school students?
Middle school students are WONDERFUL! They are full of life! They are extremely interesting as well, and there is never a dull moment. They are also impressionable and seem to flourish with the right amount of guidance. I firmly believe that middle school students WANT to please adults. We just have to show them, at times, how to do that!
4th visit
My fourth visit I still just observed my teacher and what she said and did. I noticed a student who got in trouble and how she handled this. A student was disrupting the class and the teacher did give this student a warning. The student still was being disrespectful, so the teacher asked politely to see the student after class. She explained to the student that what the student was doing was wrong and explained why it was wrong. She did this in a thoughtful and polite manner.
I really liked that I got a chance to see this because it showed me how a teacher should handle a discipline problem in class. Even though the discipline problem may be frustrating, you should handle it in a polite and calm manner. As a student, I know some of my former teachers who would get so angry at the student and it made not only that student, but the other students in the classroom fear that teacher. And a student shouldn't fear a teacher. A teacher should be someone you can go to for help and not be afraid of them.
5th visit
My last visit I finished up my observations by finishing up my notes on the students development, from the book and what I was noticing in the classroom. This last day was a test day, so I really didn't do much observing of the students, except walking around watching them take the test.
While the students were taking the test though, I noticed how she would walk around the classroom in case a student needed help, or to check to see if students were cheating. Many students asked for help and she did a good job of assisting them without giving away answers. This was interesting to see because I find it hard to answer someones question, like in a review day, without giving away an answer.
I did get a chance to talk with the teacher about education as a whole. Some of the questions I had asked her was why she choose education and why math? What is the hardest part of being a teacher? And what is the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher? She really gave me a lot to think about but I am so happy for choosing education!
D. Summarize and describe your experience in relation to the concepts in our textbook
Physical
During middle school, preadolescences are starting to physically develop. This physical development is known as puberty-a flood of biological events leading to an adult sized body and sexual maturity(pg 283). A teacher should be aware of this and what they say or do could affect them because the student may feel awkward about the way they look or how fast/slow they are developing(pg 284). The book mentions that it is a difficult time for students because this development is new and scary if they haven't had the proper information(pg 325), this can be because the changes of adolescence triggers conflicting expectations in child-parent relationships. During middle school, kids could be developing health issues such as obesity, proper nutrition, or illnesses(225-228). A teachers pedagogical moves, especially what he/she says, about puberty, or health issues could make the student feel like an outsider. So, what a teacher says is very important as to not make fun of a students physical development.
This relates to my observation experience because the teacher I observed had very kind pedagogical moves. I noticed a couple student who really didn't talk or interact with their peers much in class, this could have been because they felt like an outsider if they weren't developing physically fast enough like their peers or if it was simply just a bad day. Seeing these students and how the teacher interacted with them showed me how I should interact with my future students who feel like outsiders.
Cognitive
Students are beginning information processing which is simply different aspects of thinking.(pg 234). This includes attention, and memory strategies. Attention becomes more selective, adaptable, and planful. Students will become better at paying attention to just that is relevant to their goals. Three common memory strategies are rehearsal-repeating the information back to yourself, organization-grouping related items together, and elaboration-creating a relationship, or shared meaning, between two or more pieces of information that do not belong to the same category(pgs 235 and 237). On pg 238, the process of continuously monitoring progress toward a goal, checking outcomes and redirecting unsuccessful efforts is known as cognitive self-regulation. This is useful for all teachers because through tests, exams, homework, and projects, this is a way teachers monitor a students progress toward a goal, which is passing the grade. Students are also beginning to develop their language, use of grammar and vocabulary(pg 246). Children are learning to use words more precisely.
I noticed all of these things when observing my 8th grade class. The day where the students were taking the test I would notice some of them using a strategy to remember certain math steps. Also, when speaking in the class, if their grammar was incorrect, the teacher would correct it. Some of the students even had very proper grammar and had a big vocabulary!
Emotional
Teens in middle school are experiencing an identity crisis- temporary period of distress as they experiment with alternatives before settling on goals and values(pg 314). This is a time where they go through a process of inner-soul searching. They then begin to mold these traits and characteristics into an identity. Erikson had called this period identity versus role confusion. On pg 315-316, young people are beginning to take this mold of identity and refine it into a well-organized and differentiated sense of self-esteem identity. There are four different identity statuses: identity achievement, identity moratorium, identity foreclosure, and identity diffusion. Most young people will move from a lower level status to a higher one. This is because of sexual orientation, religious beliefs, vocation and political beliefs. During adolescence, young people would normally describe themselves as smart or talented, but they begin to develop these traits into more abstract descriptors like intelligent(pg 314). The self-esteem will begin to change, and for most young people, their self-esteem will rise. This level of rising in self-esteem is due to authoritative parenting and encouragement from teachers(pg 315).
This was a big development section I could really notice while observing, except forming an identity. I did notice students looking and acting unsure of themselves or feeling very confident in the classroom. This is an example of self-esteem. The way the teacher spoke to the students made them try in class and speak up in class. She would distribute candy for the students that caught mistakes in math problems and she would say good try do you want to try again? She would also say way to go! I could really tell this made the students feel special because it was how she said it. She was very happy and enthusiastic and was always positive.
Social
When students are in middle school this is when they really start to compare themselves with their peers. Young people want their friends to be loyal, sticking up for them and not to leave them for somebody else(pg 326). Students will select their friends based on age, SES, sex, race, personality, and ethnicity(pg 265). Young people that are better accepted tend to have more friends and more positive relationships with them. Their are four different categories of peer acceptance: popular children, rejected children, controversial children, and neglected children. Two-thirds of students fall into one of these categories and the other one-third are average in peer acceptance(pg 266). Cliques and crowds begin to form through preadolescence youths. Being in a clique predicts academic and social competence. Being in a crowd is based on reputation and stereotype(pg 328). During this time of social development can cause a lot of problems too. Many youths move through school with little disturbance, but for some there are many. Depression, suicide and delinquency are three disturbances. These can occur because of biological, psychological, peers, families, schools, communities and culture can attribute to those disturbances(pg 330-332).
This was also a big development section I was able to observe. I was able to see how cliquey the students were. Most of the girls would play with their hair or clothes to get it just right. The girls would have the brightest pencil bags, or the cutest headbands. This was demonstrating trying to be the popular one in the class. I also noticed in the cliques, the outgoing girls/boys would group together before class and talk. The teachers pedagogical moves were to mix up the class and put students who were talkative with students who were not. This was to interact students who normally don't hang out together, to have a chance to get to know each other.
Revisiting Your Curiosities
W: What you want to know (curiosities)1. How does a teachers pedagogical moves affect a student?
In doing my project at Sacred Heart School, I really learned about pedagogy and how a teachers pedagogical moves affect a students behavior and learning. First let me define pedagogy. Pedagogy is defined as the art and science of teaching. So basically, its is how to teach. A teachers pedagogical moves are something the teacher says or does in the classroom, and there are reasons behind the actions or the words spoken in class. The teacher I observed had been saying and doing what she did since I was in her class. She would say things like "Way to go!!" or "Oh, so close!" She never once had a frown on her face and she was always encouraging her students to put forth effort. I noticed that everything that was said was always positive, and I noticed even if a student got an answer wrong they still raised their hand for the next one; the students never wanted to quit because the teacher never quit on them. The way she arranged her classroom was more of a constructivist classroom (page 248 in our textbook). A constructivist classroom is centered around small groups, and encourages students to construct their own knowledge. Giving out smarties or starbursts for detail motivated the students to pay attention to all the steps in an algebra problem. All of these put together, I saw the students engaging in the material, smiling, helping their classmates and just seemed to be really happy. Each of these pedagogical moves, what she said, arrangement of classroom, and candy for motivation, showed me that being positive and encouraging your students, whether it be with candy or using words, can have a big impact on a students behavior and improve their learning. Overall the teaching style that seemed most preferred in the class I was observing in and throughout the whole school was student center approach. I find this, in my own opinion, to be the best way to teach. Although this isn't the only option, it seemed to get the students to pay attention in class and interact with their friends while still learning the subject material. So overall, I found that what a teacher says, acts, and sometimes the way the classroom is arranged can affect a student.
4. What new questions emerge for you as a future teacher?
As a future teacher, I want to know how to use the other approaches to teaching, teacher centered, to get students engaged in the material being taught?
Article 1
Gningue, S. M., Peach, R., & Schroder, B. (2013). Developing Effective Mathematics Teaching: Assessing Content and Pedagogical Knowledge, Student-Centered Teaching, and Student Engagement. Montana Mathematics Enthusiast, 10(3), 621-645.This article talks about the pedagogy of a teacher, specifically a math teacher, and how the teachers style of teaching affects a students engagement in the classroom. Since the early 1980s, the United States of America has been trying to improve students education in mathematics. The Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institute (MTTI) program trains teachers to be more effective teachers. The teachers have began to use a more student-center approach in their classroom. For this program there were several observations from retired math educators. They observed the students engagement in the classroom from high, medium, and low, and the instructional activities of class discussion, group discussion, hands-on activities, cooperative learning, learning station and group presentation. These observers determined if these activities were student-centered, or teacher-centered. Overall, the range of teacher-centered activities was about 30%, student-centered activities was about 30% and undetermined was about 40%. This program discovered that teachers student-centered approach to teaching is more effective for higher levels of student engagement in the lesson being taught.
This relates to my inquiry question because I want to know if the teachers pedagogical moves affects a students learning. This study shows that with a student-center approach, students will be highly engaged in your lesson. This is good to know because moving through college and my studies, I will want to know the best approach to get my students engaged in my lessons. This article was also very useful because it dealt with mathematics, which is what I want to teach.
Article 2
Mouza, C. (2011). Promoting Urban Teachers' Understanding of Technology, Content, and Pedagogy in the Context of Case Development. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education,44(1), 1-29.This article talks about how effective technology is in teaching, and that all teachers should have experience with it because it can help their students understand a lesson if it seems confusing to them. It would help students because they would have access to websites or games from home. This study took 12 teachers into a Professional Development (PD) program. During this program, they were to complete a technology course, but only 8 completed it. The programs first finding was how teachers implemented technology into their lessons and activities. Two teachers cases were described in the study and both had implemented technology into their activities, and the students were more creative using the technology. Both of the teachers had student-centered activities while several of the other teachers used a teacher-center approach. Overall, this study showed that with training in technology, teachers can and should incorporate technology into their lessons because it will increase student creativity and participation.
This relates to my question because my question deals pedagogy and pedagogical moves of a teacher and if it affects a students learning. This specific article I really liked. I think all teachers should be using technology. With our world constantly updating technology, teachers should be familiar with it. Because technology is always new, our kids now have access to it early on in life, so our students will already know how to work an iPad or SMARTboard. If we use technology in our classroom, students learning will expand because they have the resources to look up facts on a president, or a country; collaborate on a project using google docs with their group members; use pictures and videos in a project. The students in school today will not be limited to what they can and can't do, with technology their learning is endless.
Article 3
Long, J. (2011). Changing Teachers' Practice through Critical Reflection on Pedagogy. International Journal Of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(4), 145-159.Pedagogy is a teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and values about how students learn. Changing Teachers' Practice through Critical Reflection on Pedagogy is about a Quality Teaching Model (QTM), which is a teacher pedagogical renewal; development of teachers. QTM is an opportunity for teachers to work closely with colleagues in a community of learners to grow and adopt a new way of "doing". A teachers' understanding of a teachers' beliefs and pedagogy is an important concept for a teachers' learning, pedagogy and a students learning. Teachers need the ability to learn from their colleagues to develop a the understanding of pedagogy and gain a higher level of expertise. This learning and developing a deeper knowledge should be done through small groups of community networks.
This article really resonates with me because the article shows that a teacher should always be changing the way they teach according to the way their students learn. Teachers should be deepening their pedagogical knowledge. Although this article doesn't say the relationship between pedagogical moves and students learning, it does show how a teacher should always be learning new things, developing a higher level of expertise to benefit their students. As I have done observations, I noticed the teachers would changing their teaching style according to how their students were learning. That was very important because a student shouldn't change their way of learning according to how a teacher teaches.
Article 4
Laronde, G., & MacLeod, K. (2012). Modeling Various Teaching Methods In A Faculty Of Education In Science Education: Chalk And Talk, Virtual Labs Or Hovercrafts. Journal Of College Teaching & Learning, 9(2), 107-114.
This Modeling Various Teaching Methods article explains three different lessons that revolved around three different teaching styles including different forms of constructivism. The first lesson, The Chalk or Talk lesson, was centered around teacher-directed with very little constructivism. The students sat, listened, took notes and asked questions. The second lesson, The Virtual Lab lesson, was called a transactional approach, with a great interaction of teacher with some constructivism. The students would go online and interact through a web-based application. The third lesson, The Hovercraft lesson, was centered on a transformational approach, with a high level of interaction and greater constructivism element. The students in this lesson were placed in small groups. These students would learn the curriculum and interact through different mediums. This lesson was more "hands-on". The researchers thought one approach would be better than the others but each lesson had their own strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the teachers that were surveyed, 67% would teach the hovercraft lesson, and 62% would learn from the hovercraft, although, the hovercraft did take more time and preparation.
I really liked this article and it really helps me with my question because it shows three different types of teaching styles and which is most preferred by teachers. This helps with my research knowing that with all the articles I have been finding, majority say a student-centered with small student groups, where the students are taking over their own learning, is highly used and preferred. While many of these articles do say this, I truly believe a teacher should be teaching according to what they believe is the best choice for their class and content area.