Field Journal #3

Name: Mackenna Papst      Section: Mrs. Hall, Noble Elementary: Tuesdays 8:30-10:30

(Theory, Practice, Reflection)

Practice (What did you see in the classroom or surrounding environment?)

Today was an average day. Mrs. Hall had me sit the entire 2 hours with one single kid, and make sure he was on task. He would get off task very easily by laying his head on his desk, drawing or playing with items inside of his desk. Whenever I would tell him to get back on task or to write down what Mrs. Hall was saying, he would make a huffy breath and roll his eyes at me. The interesting part was, when I made him do his math homework, or reading selection, he seemed eager to learn when I would tell him. He would get frustrated easily whenever he would get a problem wrong and have to erase it. Eventually he would get the problem correct and immediately he would raise his hand to volunteer to write it on the white board. He would come back to his seat proud of what he accomplished, but then put his head right back on his desk whenever she would switch to a different topic of discussion.

Reflection (What do you think about what you saw in Practice?)

I believe this boy doesn't pay attention in class because he learns at a much slower pace than most of the class. He figures that he won't understand what Mrs. Hall is saying, so he doesn't even bother to try. This student should have an I.E.P where he can do things at his own pace, instead of being frustrated and never learning anything at all. There are about 3 others in the classroom in which need I.E.P's as well, and should have an aid helping them with their work, maybe in a separate classroom whenever they struggle and need extra explanation and help. Mrs. Hall does the best she can with these students by sitting them in the front of the classroom, and constantly telling them to pay attention, but she had a class of 25 students, she can't spend all her time focusing on them.

Heritage Festival

Heritage Festival Tug-of-War!

Field Journal #2

Name:Mackenna Papst      Section: Mrs. Hall, Noble Elementary: Tuesdays 8:30-10:30

(Theory, Practice, Reflection)

Practice (What did you see in the classroom or surrounding environment?)

Today I graded papers for the first half of my session, and I helped kids individually on comparing decimal numbers. Mrs. Hall showed me how to be positive while grading papers, but putting a +8, instead of putting 8/10. While reading papers I noticed that most of the students were making the same mistakes. This made me wonder if Mrs. Hall had not taught the material well enough. I hope that when she looks threw the papers, she realizes that she needs to explain the concept better. The second part of the day was very memorable for me. I got to help kids who needed help with comparing decimal numbers. There were 4 or 5 students who struggled grasping the concept and steps, so Mrs. Hall had be sit down individually and teach them at a slower pace. One thing that still bothers me about Mrs. Hall is that she still has the one student sitting in the back of the classroom all by himself, and hardly ever acknowledges his presence.

Reflection (What do you think about what you saw in Practice?)

It might seem strange, but I actually enjoyed grading papers. It was a way of getting to know the childrens train of thought and how they learn. It was a lot of repetition but I didn’t mind. I liked how Mrs. Hall had me write the grade as a positive, with a + sign. I will definitely remember this when I grade my own students papers. I really had a great experience working with the students individually today. I was able to watch the kids go from frustration and anger, to smiles and excitement. Whenever they would finally understand, they would run up to Mrs. Hall with a huge smile on their face and show them how they learned. It really made me feel good about myself, knowing I was able to make these few kids feel good about themselves. Today was much more satisfying than last week and look forward to going back to help more students!

Field Journal #1

Name:Mackenna Papst      Section: Mrs. Hall, Noble Elementary: Tuesdays 8:30-10:30

(Theory, Practice, Reflection)

Practice (What did you see in the classroom or surrounding environment?)

I was in a 5th grade classroom at Noble Elementary School. The teacher, Mrs. Hall was very nice and accepting of my help. She had me sit with a child who needed a little extra help staying focused, and make sure he was on track and doing his work. He was a really nice kid but was shy and didn’t like when I made him pay attention or stop messing with things in his desk. I noticed Mrs. Hall wasn’t very supportive and helpful to the kids who needed a little extra help. She even sat one of the children who was “annoying” in the back of the classroom. I also noticed Mrs. Hall was scrambling around the entire class trying to find things that she had lost, she seemed very disorganized and unprepared. She also had many songs in order to help the kids remember things such as mean, median and mode.

Reflection (What do you think about what you saw in Practice?)

I felt bad for those 4 or 5 students who needed the extra help getting threw class. I feel like they will never survive the school year if they don’t get some extra help. I hope they can get an aid in the classroom with Mrs. Hall in order to keep these kids on track. I also feel like Mrs. Hall needs to become more organized, and plan her lessons a little better. This would make the class move more smoothly. I really liked the songs she taught the students because I feel like they are more likely to remember the songs that just the simple definition. Overall I had a successful first day and look forward to going back next week!

STUDY GUIDE—CHAPTER 3: WHO ARE TODAY’S STUDENTS IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY?

STUDY GUIDE—CHAPTER 3: WHO ARE TODAY’S STUDENTS IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY?

Name: Mackenna Papst          Date: 9-7-14

Completing this study guide will help you prepare for the major topic areas on an exam; however, it does not cover every piece of information found in the chapter or the test questions.

Copy and paste the appropriate Study Guide to your own document. Complete at least 4 questions.

All written work will be evaluated for both content and mechanics.  Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be assessed and points deducted for less than professional work. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.  Post to your Blog.

1.      List at least four different categories of student diversity in the classroom.

Student diversity includes, racial and ethnic backgrounds, language other than English, academic abilities, achievements and learning styles, and diverse needs.

2.      Define cultural pluralism.

An understanding and appreciation of the cultural differences and languages among     U.S. citizens.

3.      According to Glasser’s choice theory, what are an individual’s basic needs?

Love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.

4.      What are the eight areas in Gardner’s multiple intelligences?

Verbal-linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, interpersonal intelligence and naturalistic intelligence.

5.     List and give a one-sentence description of each of the four basic learning styles.

6.     Describe PL94-142 and IDEA, and their major provisions.

7.     Distinguish between the practices of inclusion and mainstreaming.

8.     Why is adjusting instruction for culturally and economically diverse students a special challenge for most teachers?

9.     List some considerations related to gender that classroom teachers should be aware of. What classroom interventions might be useful to eliminate some of the ongoing examples of gender bias in classrooms?

10.   What are some things that teachers can do to make the classroom safer for all students, especially gay and lesbian students?

STUDY GUIDE—CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS A SCHOOL AND WHAT IS IT FOR?

STUDY GUIDE—CHAPTER 2:  WHAT IS A SCHOOL AND WHAT IS IT  FOR?

Name: Mackenna Papst Date: 9-7-14

Completing this study guide will help you prepare for the major topic areas on an exam; however, it does not cover every piece of information found in the chapter or the test questions.

Copy and paste the appropriate Study Guide to your own document. Complete at least 4 questions.

All written work will be evaluated for both content and mechanics.  Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be assessed and points deducted for less than professional work. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.  Post to your Blog.

1.     Define and contrast these terms:

a.     Education: a process of human growth by which one gains greater understanding and control over oneself and one’s world. Education has continuous development and change. Education is open-minded and has few boundaries. Education may take us by surprise whereas schooling follows a routine and is predictable.

b.     Schooling: a specific, formalized process, usually focused on the young. Schools are created for the purpose of following the curriculum.

2.     Give an example of schools functioning as

a.      Re-creators of culture

b.     Transmitters of culture

3.     Describe four of the managerial functions of the teacher’s role.

        The intellectual purposes, political & civic purposes, economic purposes, and social purposes.

4.     List and describe some of the common experiences of elementary students.

        Students interact with one another, they read and yawn, they look out the window, they raise their hands, and line up, they stand up and sit down.

5.     Describe the characteristics that vary in the structure of middle schools.

        The different characteristics include biological changes, cognitive changes, changes in self-concept, self-esteem, and identity development, and changes in achievement motivation. Biological changes are due to puberty. Students become more sophisticated during their cognitive changes. Students become confused with themselves where they struggle with self-awareness.

6.     Name and describe the common characteristics of high schools.

7.     Describe the characteristics of effective schools presented in either the academic outcomes or holistic point of view in the chapter.

STUDY GUIDE — CHAPTER 1: WHY TEACH?

STUDY GUIDE — CHAPTER 1: WHY TEACH?

Name: Mackenna Papst

Date: 9-6-14

Completing this study guide will help you prepare for the major topic areas on an exam; however, it does not cover every piece of information found in the chapter or the test questions.

Copy and paste the appropriate Study Guide to your own document. Complete at least 4 questions.

All written work will be evaluated for both content and mechanics.  Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be assessed and points deducted for less than professional work. All papers must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.  Post to your Blog.

1.      Name several of the most common motives for becoming a teacher.

Some of the most common motives for becoming a teacher include, the desire to work with young people, interest in subject, influence of family and value or significance of education to society.

2.      List some of the extrinsic rewards of a career in teaching.

Extrinsic rewards of being a teacher include the salaries, status, power and work schedule. 

3.      List some of the possible intrinsic rewards of a teaching career.

Intrinsic rewards of being a teacher include the students, performance of a significant social service, support from co-workers, and the job of teaching in itself.

4.     List and describe three alternative kinds of sources of information on a career in teaching.

5.     Describe the drawbacks of using media representations as sources of vicarious experiences.

6.     Identify public perceptions of teachers and teaching.

        The public relies on the teachers to guide, inspire, motivate and teach their children. The public puts all their trust into teachers. Surprisingly, students have much respect for teachers as well.