Field Blog Post 9/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring:  Ayers asserts that life should be lived in the present tense and life in school should be life itself (45). Here, Ayers diminishes the commonly held notion that school life is distinct and seperate from reality. Do teachers sucessfully link lessons to current society and culture? If so, how is this accomplished?

 
       When I observed Mrs. Kirchner on Wednesday, I realized that the entire class was designed to show students that Hamlet is relevant today. Mrs. Kirchner began the class by informing the students that many current works allude to Hamlet. First, she showed the students the Reduced Shakespeare Company's abridged and comedic version of Hamlet. This film took up a majority of the class. After the film, she asked the students if they had seen any other references to Hamlet since beginning the play. One student described the associations between Hamlet and Sons of Anarchy. He described which characters from Sons of Anarchy were linked to which characters from Hamlet. After, Mr. Connell gave a similar example. He described how much of the plot of the television show Bonanza was derived from Shakespeare's King Lear.

     Mrs. Kirchner's class that I observed today had a similar purpose, so I have decided to blog about them together. Today, she had the students create a poster that connected Hamlet to our society. First, she had students come up with universal themes in Hamlet. Next she had students list specific examples of this theme that occurred in the play. Finally, she had students list examples of the universal theme in current society.

      I believe that it is very important to link lessons to current society because it makes the material less abstract for the students. It also demonstrates to the students why we still study historic works today. Through her lesson plans, Mrs. Kirchner changed the students’ view of Hamlet. What was once an antiquated and irrelevant work in the students’ mind became a living and relevant text. I think lessons in all subject areas should be linked to current society. This link helps peak students’ interest. For example, in my Women Scientist and Radioactivity course, we always talk about the current applications of previous scientific discoveries. Discussing current applications makes the material more pertinent to my life and thus attracts my attention. This linking lessons to culture has also been used in our education course. For example, Dr. Shutkin linked Pink Floyd’s The Wall to our lesson about banking education.

                            Field Blog Post 8/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring:  To what extent does standardized testing prompt teachers to use the banking concept of education?

     Standardized testing presents a particular problem for educators. Educators understand that known, specific material will be used on the standardized tests. They are responsible for teaching their students this information. Often, it seems that the easiest and fastest way to teach children this information is through the banking concept. Many teachers believe that they can simply "deposit"  information to their  students who  then receive it, memorize it, and regurgitate it. Admittedly, many tested concepts, such as vocabulary, seem to lend themselves to this method. The teacher gives the students the definition and the students unthinkingly memorize it. This method, however, stifles critical thinking. I believe that many teachers fall into this trap. They use the banking concept to teach children the huge amount of material that will be tested upon.

     My observation today, however, demonstrated that other methods can be used even when preparing for standardized tests. As mentioned earlier, vocabulary is usually taught through the banking method.  Mrs. Klampe, however, used a method that opposed the banking concept to teach her students their OGT vocabulary. Instead of having students memorize definitions, she pushed them to truly understand the word  by having them actively apply it in context. The students made vocabulary webs. The vocab word was in the center. They then had to list the definition, synonyms, and antonyms and create a sentence and picture that correctly represented the word. The sentence and the picture, specifically, help the students to think critically and apply the word in context. After creating a sentence and picture, the students have a fuller understanding of the word. This method can even cause the children to do better on the OGT., because by truly understanding the word, they will be better able to remember its meaning. So even though standardized testing leads many teachers to use the banking concept, it does not force them to do so.

                            Field Blog Post 7/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring: In his essay, Herbet Kohl claims many young teachers fail to see themselves as adults and feel very much like the children. Therefore, they often struggle to discipline students. They feel criticism and limits on behavior will cause the students to dislike them (20). To what extent do new teachers struggle to discipline students? Is this issue something I will need to beware of when I begin my career as a teacher? How will I discipline my students? What will I allow and not allow?

     Today, when I observed Mrs. Kirchner's class, I decided to focus on how she disciplines
her students. Her being a student teacher provided me with a unique opportunity to see how new teachers discipline and control their classrooms. Overall, Mrs. Kirchner created a very relaxed atmosphere. She rarely reprimanded her students and they accordingly did whatever they pleased. I observed at least three students texting. Furthermore, students had many side conversations that were unrelated to the literature they were supposed to be discussing. One group spoke about different iphone models and how easily they get scratched. Another group began talking about television commercials and fashion. The children were generally very loud and off topic. In addition to allowing the students to have side conversations, she also let students return to their locker anytime they forgot needed material. I also observed many children listening to ipods and eating snacks.

     Overall, Mrs. Kirchner did not discipline her students very much. Throughout the entire class, I only heard her make three requests for the students to stay focused. These requests were lightly spoken and not very demanding. My observation has led me to believe that new teachers, generally, do struggle with discipline. Therefore, this issue is one that I need to be cognizant of when I begin teaching.

     I believe that classrooms should have an inviting and fairly relaxed atmosphere. I also believe, however, that rules need to be enforced to help maintain focus and ensure that the students receive the best learning experience possible. When I begin to teach, I think I will allow students to eat in my room. As long as the snacking doesn't interfere with the lesson, it should be permitted. Not allowing children to eat in the classroom has always seemed to be a trivial rule. I will not however, always allow students to return to their lockers to retrieve forgotten materials. This sends the message that students do not need to be adequately prepared for class. I will also not allow students to listen to their ipod whenever they chose. I do believe, however, that music can be useful in education. Music can be inspiring and certain genres can even increase attention. I will use music in my classroom occasionally. Music is a passion of mine. Ayers suggests, and I agree, that teachers should examine their interests and look for possible connections to student interests and integrate these shared interests into the classroom (7). Using music in the classroom would be a great way of accomplishing this task. Finally, I will not refrain from reminding my students to stay on task as often as is necessary.

                           Field Blog Post 6/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring: Ayers makes the following claim: "Teachers often work in difficult situations under impossible circumstances,... with heartless bureaucrats peering through the door"(9). Here, Ayers describes a severe pressure on teachers from state officials. Also in chapter 2, Ayers presents the state officials as disconnected from the classroom environment and unable to offer constructive  advice. To what extent do teachers feel pressure from the state and its officials? Also, do these officials aid teachers in any way?




       Before I observed Mrs. Sessler's 1st period English class, I had a very interesting conversation with her. This conversation actually ended up being more informative than the general observation itself. I only mentioned state standards, and she was immediatelly prompted to carry out an extensive rant. She expressed how much she hated the new standards. She described how she (and all other teachers) has to be observed twice per year by state officials. When Ayers said that teachers have "heartless bureaucrats peering through the door," I thought he was being a bit hyperbolic. After my conversation with Mrs. Sessler, I realized how present and intrusive state officials truly are.
   
       Mrs. Sessler also complained about her observation experiences. After her first observation, the only advice the officials gave her was to refer to her standards (the state standards) more often. This advice was useless because she already had the standards clearly posted on her board. Mrs. Sessler had hoped for constructive advice concerning strategies and how she could better help her students, but received  none. Furthermore, feedback from the observations is untimely. Mrs. Sessler had been observed for the second time almost a month ago, and still had received no formal feedback. These examples prove that state officials do not truly help teachers.

     Near the end of the conversation, Mrs. Sessler also complained about the questionnaires all teachers must complete. These questionnaires often take upwards of six hours to complete and have redundant questions.

     Overall, this conversation showed me that teachers face great pressure from the state. Also, the standards and officials fail to help teachers.  Finally, it proved that the system is very inefficient.

                              Field Blog Post 5/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring: Ayers claims that the idea that teachers are always aware and perfectly in control of what takes place in their classroom is a myth (4). To what extent does my observation confirm this assertion?

       When I originally read that teachers don't always have complete awareness and control over their classroom I was a bit skeptical. Of course, any teacher can have an off day. In my educational experience, however, the teachers always seemed to have perfectly orchestrated lesson plans and complete control. Though, my observation today showed me that I was mistaken. Teachers, like anyone else, make mistakes and adapt their behavior according to the new knowledge they gain.

      Today in class, Mrs. Kirchner had the students play a game called "Stump the Chump." Students broke into two teams, read passages, and tried to "stump" the other team with challenging comprehension questions. If a team failed to answer a question, they received a strike. Although the game itself was a great idea, Mrs. Kirchner struggled with its execution. During this period, she described the rules vaguely and often wavered in consistently enforcing the rules. For example, if a student got the question only sort of right, she would give the team a "half strike."  Such vague enforcement of the rules led the students to argue about points and decisions. The class became more focused on the game and the rules instead of on the literature. The students shouted, spoke over one another, and argued with the teacher.

      Having learned from her initial mistakes, Mrs. Kirchner adapted the rules for her later fifth period class. She decided not to issue "half strikes." She also made it so that teams could discuss potential answers instead of a team member being forced to answer independently. These new rules led to a deeper discussion and understanding of the material. The class had less side conversations and was over all more focused. With the game running smoother, Mrs. Kirchner was also able to integrate critical thinking questions into the game. For instance, one student asked what play Shakespeare adapted Hamlet from. Mrs. Kirchner then built upon his question. She asked if the fact that
 Shakespeare drew from earlier works changes our opinion of his brilliance.

     This experience proved that teachers don't always have perfect control/awareness in their classrooms. Similarly it also proved Ayer's point that teachers, like students, are always learning and growing (5).

                              Field Blog Post 4/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring: How does the teacher make learning an active process? What strategies does she use?

     Throughout his book, Ayers rejects the common lecture approach to education. Instead, he stresses the importance of encouraging students to participate and discuss course material. While I was observing at West Geauga today, one of my goals was to discover how the teacher encouraged active learning and student participation.
    
     Mrs. Kirchner used a game called "Stump the Chump" to get students involved. The class broke into two large teams. Each team would read a paragraph of the Hamlet Critical Essay they were studying.  A member of one team would then ask the other team a comprehension question. Whichever team "stumped" the other team more times would win. Mrs. Kirchner encouraged participation further through the rules. For example, each team member was required to create or answer at least one question. Also, the same person was not allowed to answer a question until everyone on the team answered at least once. This prevented a small group of students from dominating the game. Mrs. Kirchner also called on students randomly, encouraging them to focus and participate at all times. Finally, by asking the students to take notes and mark the text, Mrs. Kirchner ensured that students were participating even when they were not asking or answering questions.

This strategy seemed fairly successful. All students participated. If Mrs. Kirchner had used a simple class discussion, the students would likely have been less motivated to respond to questions. Bringing in a sense of competition and lightheartedness helped motivate the students. This observation demonstrated that properly constructed games can be a useful educational tool.

* I made another interesting observation during this time. The observation, however, is not directly related to my question. After class, the teacher asked a student about a Shakespeare play he is involved with outside of school. She asked him what part he plays and if he enjoys it. The teacher ended the conversation by saying that she would love to see the show. I thought this was a striking example of a teacher recognizing the individual student apart from the class as a whole. I thought it was impressive that she took an interest in this student's life and encouraged him.

                       Field Blog Post 3/ Orange High School

Question I will be exploring:                                                                                           
How does the teacher expand students' knowledge to a deeper, more critical level? What specific strrategies does he use?

When we visited Orange High School, I observed an 11th grade honors English class taught by Mr. Polster. The class was discussing Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Throughout the discussion, Mr. Polster used many techniques that reminded me of Ayer's concept of "building bridges." For example, Mr. Polster employed the use of connections to increase understanding and "deepen [his students] way of knowing" (47). He asked students if they could relate the ideals of Henry David Thoreau to those of Holden Caulfield. By drawing on the characteristics of Thoreau, whom the students were already familiar with, Mr. Polster helped the students shape a more complete understanding of the main character. The students, themselves, were able to explain that like Thoreau, Holden is sickened by the materialistic and profane nature of society and thus wishes to live "off the grid." Mr. Polster gave the students the idea that two had similarities, yet he did not lecture about these similarities. Instead, he let the students discover them. Using an Ayers analogy, he laid the "first plank of the bridge" to deeper knowledge, but let the students take it from there (57).  Similarly, he related Holden's desire to preserve youth to that of Peter Pan. After such connections were made, the students' participation increased, implying that the connections engaged them and increased their comprehension.

Mr. Polster also used a bridge building technique to help increase the students' ability to detect symbolism and other rhetoric strategies. For example, he asked the students to closely examine the initials of a character, James Castle. One student responded that his initials were J.C. When Mr. Polster asked who else had those initials, another student responded, "Jesus Christ." Mr. Polster then asked his students if they thought this similarity was coincidental or purposeful. A third student responded that like Christ, the character of James Castle could be seen as a martyr (a vocab word). This then led to a deeper discussion of the text. Again, Mr. Polster led the students in the right direction, but then let them discover the deeper knowledge themselves. Through this strategy he also taught the students to examine the significance of names in other novels. This skill is important because almost every character's name will hold some significant, symbolic meaning.