Chapter 13: Improving Teachers and Schools, and School Reform

Upon graduating from UMF, I hope to have added mentoring, Practicum, and Student Teaching to my resume. All three of these experiences will make my resume stronger because they will give me experience in the classroom, working with various students of different backgrounds.  I would also like to be able to substitute teach, which will also build my resume by giving me experience in the classroom, but I think it will give me confidence in ways that the other opportunities might not, especially in areas such as classroom management.

Within the first five years of my teaching career, I hope to be working toward obtaining a Master's Degree and National Board Certification. Both accomplishments would demonstrate my qualifications as a teacher and my professional standing.  I would also like to attend as many professional development workshops and conferences that will continue to improve my abilities as a teacher.  I would also like to assist in implementing more technology into my school, because I believe that technology will be a powerful force in the realm of education and in society in years to come.

Chapter 6: Social Context of Schools

This is a list of the rules that will be enforced during the Boys versus Girls activity that I want to do to create awareness of the gender inequality that occurs day after day in schools.


http://kimenglishorganizations.wikispaces.com/Chapter+6

Chapter 7: Thinking About Teaching and Learning

Gene Hall, Linda Quinn, and Donna Gollnick, authors of The Joy of Teaching, discuss different ways of thinking about teaching and learning, from philosophy to the focus of the classroom.  One idea that they describe that I would like to include in or somehow incorporate into my teaching philosophy is different aspects of the various philosophies mentioned.  Although there was only a brief description of each of several of the philosophies, I think that parts of each of them could be used in conjunction with one another to ensure creating the most learning opportunities possible.  Armed with a balance of multiple philosophies and theories, I believe a teacher has the ability to engage all students in ways that they will benefit and learn from.

The student-focused classrooms discussed in this chapter (286), seem to be a beneficial format for teaching.  Certainly there are scenarios in which this structure is not possible to maintain, but I think that for the most part, using this as a focus for teaching can lead to increases in engagement, productivity, and overall learning.  I hope to use this method for instruction as much as possible in my classroom, and only resort to the teacher-focused classroom (284), when absolutely necessary.

Hall, Quinn, and Gollnick examine the positive role that good ideas play in the classroom.  I strongly believe that constantly reflecting on one's teaching skills and strategies leads to improvements.  As Hall, Quinn, and Gollnick suggests, "Constant thinking about teaching can lead to new ideas that will improve education for teachers and learners alike" (264).  For the most part, new ideas only surface when someone realizes that an old idea has either become outdated, is inefficient, or is not beneficial; therefore, it is important to critically reflect on the practices and strategies used in the classroom and determine which work and which should be replaced.  I think that the ability for a teacher to do this is important in order to be a successful teacher, and I hope to be able to demonstrate this ability as I begin teaching.

Chapter 5: The History of Schools in the United States

In The Joy of Teaching, authors Gene E. Hall, Linda F. Quinn, and Donna M. Gollnick discuss how curriculum has developed over the last three centuries.  In colonial times, the curriculum consisted mostly of reading, writing, and arithmetic, with strong religious influences.  Industrialization created a need to educate the immigrants so that they would become beneficial workers and members of society.  Following Industrialization came the Progressive era which focused on trying to reform society through reforming the schools and the education students were provided with.  In the 1950s, the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik I, and the following arms race between America and Russia initiated a shift in the focus of education "to improve the teaching of science, mathematics, and foreign language" (190).  Now, "efforts to increase student understanding and achievement in all areas of the curriculum" are a leading factor in "curriculum development and implementation throughout public schooling in the United States" (190).  The various cultures that immigrated to the United States throughout the last three centuries spent great efforts fighting to have their cultures included in the curriculum, but it was not until the federal government had national standards developed in the 1980s that included many of the ethnic and racial groups fighting for inclusion, that the "cultural wars" peaked and continue to this day.

Along with the changes in curriculum that have been taking place for centuries, debates within education have been equally prevalent.  One such debate is the question of which cultures to include in the curriculum; immigrant cultures want their histories included, while others do not feel they should be included.  This debate remains present in today's education, yet it is not seen as such an important factor as it was twenty or thirty years ago.  Another important debate in the education world is deciding who has the right to an education and whether everyone deserves an equal education or not.  This was primarily seen when women were not allowed to go to school and when blacks were segregated in the schools, and although women and blacks now have the right to an equal education as Caucasian males, there are still parties who oppose these ideas.  The debate between teaching evolution and teaching creationism still holds strong in today's society, just as it did years ago; schools are meant to separate religion from the curriculum, but this is also meant with great controversy.

Chapter 4: Schools as the Workplace for Students and Teachers

The school that my group created is the Quentin Tarantino College Preparatory School, geared toward the academically gifted and talented students.  Using the boarding school design, our school administration is comprised of a Headmaster, who fills the role similar to a principal, a Deputy Headmistress, whose role is similar to that of an assistant principal. Their duties include enforcing discipline, hiring staff, ensuring the quality of education, and maintaining the school budget, among others. The high level of education taught at QTPS requires that all staff members obtain the highest degrees available to them, with the preferred degree being a Doctoral degree.  We require our staff members to be experts in their fields of study, not only in their content area, but in their teaching.  They should be able to demonstrate proficient knowledge of various effective teaching strategies that fully engage the students in order to ensure the best education for the students.  Team teaching will be highly encouraged and any additional opportunities that might arise from such a configuration will be specially funded with money donated from our school's sponsor, Quentin Tarantino.

Because our school is a private, individual school, it does not belong to a school district, so there is no superintendent, nor any kind of relationship between the school and the state.  The school receives private funding, develops its own curriculum, and holds its students to higher standards than any government requires.  The governing system for the school is a school board, which is made up of staff members, students, parents, and the trustees to the Quentin Tarantino College Preparatory School Education Fund.  Together, the school board makes all of the final decisions, such as which professors to hire, how much money to allot to each program, and whether the students are meeting the education expectations required of them.

The federal government should have no role in our school because we chose to create an individual, private, school community.  The only instance in which the federal government may get involved is if someone decides to file a lawsuit against the school for whatever reason, which we hope will never happen because we take pride in the excellence of our school.  Federal funding will not be accepted because we do not want to be tied to the government and required to follow whatever latest policies the government has decided to enact.  Instead, all funding will come from the Quentin Tarantino College Preparatory School Education Fund and the annual tuition each student is expected to pay.  The tuition for each student is $5,000.00 annually, with limited financial aid available.  Grants that do not receive federal funding and can be connected to an academic area in our school will be sought out to assist our students in furthering their education through personal research and academic field trips.

QTPS differs from the typical school in the United States in many ways.  The first of which is that it is an individual school, separate from any district and the state.  It also requires each of its professors to have a much higher degree than most schools, because we accept only the highest qualified teachers.  The source of funding is also atypical, although charter schools do use similar sources.  The most important difference, and one of the main goals of QTPS, is that it is an individual, separate school, with a community in itself, whereas most schools belong to a community.

How Do I Start Thinking Like a Teacher?

Thinking like a teacher is not something that I am entirely sure I would realize if I were to do it.  I know in my past experiences as a Teacher's Aide and an intern I have been in situations where I have needed to think like a teacher, but finding the line that divides thinking like a student from thinking like a teacher seems rather difficult to me.  I also think it would be easier if I were given more assignments that required me to think like a teacher instead of a student.  The lesson plan that I worked on in a group in my SED 101 class helped me to begin thinking like a teacher, but I know that a lot of my thinking during that project came from a student's perspective.  I know that thinking like a teacher requires focusing on your students and making sure that they will benefit from your lesson, lecture, project, or assignment.  I think that the experience of being a student makes thinking like a teacher easier, because you are able to place yourself back as a student and wonder how you would have felt about a project or assignment.  The other important thing to remember is that most students who become teachers are not the typical student, so using your thoughts about school as a basis for creating lesson plans often leaves out a majority of your students.  Thinking like a teacher means thinking about each and every one of your students as individual learners who all learn differently and enjoy different things.

I would really like to discuss this topic in class and maybe even simulate some activities that might enable us to think like teachers.

Which Theories and Historical Influences Should Most Impact the Schools We'd Like to Have?

I do not know much about the theories and historical influences that impact schools, but I should hope that the ones that do impact schools are the most successful and/or beneficial ones. Theories change constantly throughout history, and the most effective theories should be the ones that remain in place in schools.  We do not want theories that have negatively impacted schools to remain in effect, but we can use these theories to better understand what works and what does not work in the schools.  The same goes for the historical influences:  we do not want bad influences having an effect on the schools because the school would in turn perform badly.  Instead, I would like to see only the truly beneficial historical influences impacting schools.  I hope to soon learn what theories seem to be effective in schools and what historical influences positively impact schools.

What theories and historical influences do impact schools? This is an entirely new topic to me!

How Can Diversity in the Classroom Help Me Be a Better Teacher?

Diversity is such an important aspect of teaching.  In most schools, classes are full of diverse students, and the teacher is responsible for keeping the class functioning as one unit instead of many individual pieces.  Being able to understand the different parts of diversity and knowing how to work with every diverse learner enables the teacher to serve as a peace-keeper among the students and teach them how to interact with one another.  I have learned that teachers have a great influence over their students, and a teacher that accepts diversity can positively impact the students' ideas of diversity.   Working with students from multiple backgrounds requires understanding the students' perspectives, morals, and knowing how to address individual need of students.  By effectively utilizing diversity in the classroom, teachers work to combat all of the negative stereotypes that diversity creates.  Fostering diversity improves a teacher's relationship with his or her students and makes him or her a better teacher by showing more compassion, consideration, and care for the students. I feel as though my SED 101 class did an excellent job stressing the importance of diversity in the classroom through a number of activities that got everyone involved and helped us to experience what being a diverse student might be like in some cases.

 I would like to know what the most common types of diverse students one might find in a classroom in Maine and the greater New England region.

How Can I Be Successful at UMF?

Being successful at UMF means first defining what success is.  Success is finally achieving something you have been striving for.  I think being successful here at UMF means not only earning a degree, but also becoming a teacher.  In order to achieve both of those results, doing well in classes and developing a network of friends, family, and colleagues to support you in your endeavors.  Doing well in classes means knowing when you need help and being able to ask for it.  I know that I have a hard time admitting that I need help, but when I was struggling with a paper for one of my classes, I made the decision to ask for help.  Effort is also required to be successful.  One cannot expect results without any effort, so it is important to put as much effort into all aspects of your life in order to reap the most rewards.  I feel as though most of this is stuff I have known already, and that I'm just realizing how important it is through my different classes at UMF.  My professors and my advisor definitely help put an emphasis on being successful here so that I can be successful in my career.

I would like to know what options, resources, and opportunities are available around campus and beyond that will help me to be even more successful.

How Do I Become a Teacher?

The process to become a teacher is an in-depth, complex process.  It involves passing two standardized tests, the Praxis I and Praxis II, taking many rigorous education courses, including Practicum Block and Student Teaching, and receiving certification to teach.  Along with taking classes and passing tests, one must become skilled and knowledgeable in his or her content area (primarily for Secondary/Middle Education majors), and continue to be lifelong learners.  Teaching is more than just memorizing and regurgitating facts to students, it requires working with students and making sure that they understand what they are learning.  Most of this I have learned from my advisor and peer advisor, along with my EDU 101 class.  Just talking about the different requirements with everyone helps to ease a lot of the anxiety that is created by not knowing.  Having lived in the Farmington area and being familiar with the Education program for years has helped a lot, too!

My question about becoming a teacher is in which states will my Maine license transfer to and in which states will I need to take another test or exam?