I Just Realized...

Ever since I've wanted to become a teacher, it's seemed so far away.  But tonight, I realized that it's within arm's reach, and that scares and excites me all at the same time.

What prompted this realization?  I went to an event the Middle and Secondary Education Club (I'm the secretary of the club) was holding with the principal from the Charter School of Excellence Maritime Center in downtown Erie.  She was phenomenal!  She was incredibly unconventional and I instantly respected her, and I could tell her students did, too. 

She talked about how the school was formed and all that good stuff.  But then she got to the bones of her discussion: the students.  I was on the verge of tears the entire time because I couldn't fathom how so many students in one school could come from such poor socioeconomic conditions with less than ideal home lives.  Since the Maritime Center is a public school, they have to accept all students who elect to go there.  But she doesn't just leave it at that.  She brings in each student and their parents and has a formal interview with them, where she sets up expectations and guidlines, and makes it known that the parents will be held accountable.  She said that not everyone showed up, so she went to their home and had the meeting there with them; she is so incredibly dedicated to her students, and she tries to take an active role in their education, a far cry from what my principal did when I was in school.  I was impressed with how much she genuinely cared.

She talked about keeping control of the classroom and how to handle bad situations--working in an inner city school yields a lot of those situations.  This was the first time when it registered in my brain that I should pay attention to these tips because I will need them in less than two years.  As an Edinboro student, being placed in an inner Erie school for your junior field or student teaching is inevitable.  It finally clicked that my freshman year is over, and I'm on my way to becoming a real teacher, something that excites and terrifies me.

Being a teacher isn't about standing behind a lectern and summers off--it's about "planting a seed," the prinipal said.  She reassured us that, as a teacher, you might not immediately see the growth of that seed, but eventually it will take root and sprout.  I think that's important to remember as I continue this process.  I'm sure it'll be easy to get bogged down and discouraged, but out of the millions of things you say as a teacher, at least one will stick and change a student's life.

This is the first time I've realized what it ACTUALLY means to be a teacher.  While I am intimidated, I am also excited because I know I have the skills and smarts to succeed in this profession.  This whole event reminded me of a discussion in my SEDU183 class; our professor asked if we thought "teaching was a noble profession."  Honestly, I think it's one of the hardest and most beneficial professions.  Obviously it's different than brain surgery, but brain surgeons don't have to deal with dangerous teenagers and crack dealer parents.  Every day will be a struggle, but I know it will be worth it.

OER

No, I didn't spell "oar" wrong.  OER stands for Open Educational Resource, and it is a topic we explored recently by utilizing the "flipped classroom" technique in my SEDU183 class.  Basically, an OER is something on the Internet that has eduational value to a teacher or to a learner, and is usually free, or close to it.


For our OER assignment, we read an article. This short article explains the whole concept for using OER and the benefits, as well as the downfalls. 


One point in particular that I felt was important was that "electronic content can certainly be used in face-to-face environments as well." While I like the whole idea of OER, I don't like the idea of learning solely on the internet. The fact that the resources can also be translated into a classroom is helpful to know. I like the idea of using OER for supplemental resources and not for the main sources of education; not all of the resources are going to be current or accurate, so each resource must be scrutinized carefully.


I putzed around by google-ing "open educational resource German" and was surprised by what I found!  There were tons of fun games and resources!  Not only could I use this in my classroom as a potential German teacher, but I could also currently use this to brush up on my German before taking German 101 in the fall semester!

This is a screenshot from one of the German games on the website linked above!

I then googled "open educational resource Madame Bovary" because, well, we all know how I feel about "Madame Bovary."  I was once again surprised by what a simple google search discovered!  The first listing went to a website with an ENTIRE lesson plan on the novel!  It focuses the three-hundred page novel into one specific idea, and provides activities and assessment.  I don't think I would use this solely as my lesson plan, but I would use this as a guideline to focus the novel, and to bring in new ideas I might not have come up with on my own.

I don't know if you noticed, but I really love Flaubert.
(also, I'm clearly really good at using MS Paint :) )

When I googled "open educational resource grammar," a website full of grammar quizzes came up!  I could see myself using this in the classroom.  For example, if I took my class to the computer lab during a week-long lesson on grammar, they could go on this website and choose which topics they need extra help in.  This website also includes “pretests” which would be a good way to gauge where my students are and what they need extra focus on before doing the actual lesson.  I could also use this to practice my own grammar skills so my writing could improve.  (I'm also taking "Traditional Grammar" next semester, so this could be a great practice tool!)


My exploration of OER proved to be pretty beneficial.  I managed to find resources I could currently use as a student, as well as resources I could use as a teacher.  I like the idea of OER because they allow teachers to provide supplemental resources for their students, and students can also use OER to further their knowledge.

Visual Essay

In addition to the written essay for our "This I Believe" project, we were prompted to create a visual representation.  It wasn't as painful as I was expecting it to be!

I enjoyed trying to think of creative (and sometimes cheesy) ways to transfer my words into pictures.

This wasn't my first time making a video, but it was my first time making a visual essay.  I've always used iMovie, so Windows Movie Maker was kind of difficult to grasp at first.  Once I learned the basics, I was creating like a pro! :)

I could see myself using video projects in my classroom.  For example, if we did a unit on "Romeo and Juliet," a fun way to end it would be to create a "movie trailer" highlighting the important aspects of the play.  Or it could be applied to an excerpt in a novel; each group is assigned a different chapter and they have to make a video.  It would interesting to see how each group portrays the characters because it would be different from group to group.  Or I would have my students creating a "moving poem."  I did that in my video class in eleventh grade and it was really cool!  I selected a poem and used video images I captured to create a story.  I wish I still had it because this poem lent itself to this type of project because each line has a zillion different possible images.

Overall, I enjoyed this project!

This I Believe

For my SEDU183 class, we were challenged to make up five statements that encompassed our beliefs about education/teaching.  This activity was inspired by the NPR "This I Believe" series, and could potentially be an assignment I use in my future teaching (it could be a prompt for an introductory speech at the beginning of the school year, for example).


From these five statements, we had to pick one and write an essay about it, focusing on why we believe what we believe.


Here is my essay:


We all have that one moment in our lives when something just clicks. Maybe you just figured out a difficult math problem. Or you finally understand how to properly use a semicolon. Or you realized that what you want to spend your life doing has been in front of you your entire life. All three of those examples happened to me; most notably, the last one. 


In elementary school, I wanted to be a zoologist so I could work with cute, cuddly animals.  Looking back on it, I’m glad I didn’t pursue that career path because I’m not particularly good at math or science. But, the idea of romping through the zoo with koalas and lions fascinated me, and I didn’t give up on my dream…until sixth grade.

It happened so fast. I walked into English class one day, and when I walked out, I knew I wanted to be an English teacher. Mr. Mastalski, my all-time favorite English teacher, taught us the different tenses—not just past, present, and future, but also the participles and more in depth concepts. I loved it.

I didn’t necessarily understand it, however. It was confusing and a lot to memorize, but I was challenged. I believe that students should be challenged in order for them to become better educated, but they shouldn’t be challenged to the point of failure. In this case, I was challenged to a point where my interest was piqued, and I wanted to learn more. I wrote silly short stories and the beginnings of great works of fiction in order to practice my new-found talent.


However, that was not the case in my eleventh grade math class. Long story short, due to the fact that all my AP classes were offered only one period a day, the only available math was either honors pre-calc or remedial algebra 3. I stressed about it for a few days, knowing that my ideal placement would be in general pre-calc. I decided to once again challenge myself.



It didn’t end well. Within the first three weeks I had a D and there was no way I would be able to recover. I was lost. I challenged myself to the point of failure. I requested to be put in the remedial class, where I then brought my D up to an A. Obviously, I wasn’t challenged in the remedial class, but failing because I decided to go out on a limb and challenge myself seemed pointless.     

As an educator, I plan to challenge my students; what is the point of learning without pushing your own limits? I do not, however, want my students to fail. I will have high expectations for my students, but I will also guide and assist them in order for them to be successful.
My experience in sixth grade was my “ah-ha” moment. I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing what was in front of me my entire life: teaching.