I have a fascination with cars and I spent the weekend looking at how exotic sports cars are manufactured. One of the most interesting things is that everything is hand-made to factory/customer specs. Each engine is proudly labeled by the person who made it. Imagine the pride and accountability that goes along with signing your work. For this week's post, please describe if and how your teaching would differ if everyone of your students left your classroom with a label that told the world who taught them and where they attended school last? Ponder this, could you clearly describe your interventions for each child and how you differientiated instruction for EACH one of your students? Please post by Friday of this week. Thanks and have a great week!!!
Wow! That is really something to think about; but if that was the case I would like not to have to sign my name 25 times all at once. My instruction would definitely have to be more personalized toward the students depending on their needs. I would have to have a way to keep track each time of how each student was doing in each program and why they were either doing great or having difficulties. This is definitely the way instruction should be, but I think without it being very general about most students it would be very difficult to do with the amount of students we see at one time.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of cars, I once heard that Chevrolet was extending an offer to anyone who bought a new Corvette: you could come to their plant and help construct the engine that would go in your very new 'Vette! Now, I am mechanically inept, so the very thought of attempting to build part of a vehicle strikes fear deep in my heart...going around a mountain pass at 70 miles an hour, knowing that I machined the pistons under the hood myself? Not a good idea...
ReplyDeleteBut a corollary strikes me with my students: I need to teach to the level that I have confidence in them to be my doctor, lawyer, mechanic, even my daughters' own teacher someday. Just like I would want to make sure my car is serviced and built by a professional, I need to be the professional who takes responsibility for individually and effectively educating these kids.
So I need to push and learn and think more and work harder and know the kids better so that I'm proud to put my name on them when they leave this school. Just like in building my own engine, a life may depend on the effectiveness with how I individually reach a student. My teaching would look different if I had to personally sign off on them when they left here, and I would have to make sure that everyone minute I had with them counted, because like Lyndon Johnson said "In education, the time we waste today can mean a lifetime wasted tomorrow."
That depends on the definition of "clearly describe". I can tell you specifics about EACH of my students and I use those specifics to teach EACH of them. What I do may not can be written into a curriculum and sold on the market, but it can surely get you results. Examples, I have a student who has to 'see it' to get it, so I make sure he has pictorial models. Another has to hear it, so audio is primary for him and yet another has problems with retaining information so repetition is helpful. I cna say if I had to sign each student I could and would do it with pride knowing I've done my best and given my all!
ReplyDeletePondering the question could I "clearly describe" interventions for each one of my students. I would have to answer yes to that along with some students who are not identified.It takes time and dedication to know what the student need and how to effectively reach the student academically. Repetition is the key for me, it takes 4x's or more for my students to grasp the concept. Differentiating instruction for each student can be challenging but it has to be done, all of our students learn on different levels and paces. Overall, it's really intriguing to see how different our students learn from each other but come up with the same outcome. If I had to place a signature on each one of my students I would.I give my ALL for my students everyday to retain and see growth in what has been taught to them on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI think in a way I always teach as if my kids will be labeled because they are. We always want to know "whose class were you in last year?" and sadly sometimes we make judgements accordingly. I even find myself expressing this to my students because I know they are a reflection of what I have done and allowed. Now true there are situations and things you can't always control but my goal for my students is to leave better than you came. Do better than you did the day before and you SHOULD reach the goals that have been set.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that I would do anything too different. I have high expectations for all of my students. Each day I strive to make sure that my students have what they need in order to learn new concepts. This includes differentiating the lessons due to their needs. Not every child learns at the same pace and many still struggle after using many strategies. We all work towards a goal and that may vary for each student. If I have done my best and the students have grown I would be proud to label them.
ReplyDeleteMy instruction and expectations would remain the same regardless of being put in the spotlight. I try my best to give my students my all and then some regardless of positive or negative recognition. I only compete with myself as an educator and attempt to instill that into my kids so they never get complacent with just doing okay. The one thing I would like to know is how our students would react or conform if they had to wear labels indicating their grades and behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe main instructional goal in my classroom is to modify instruction until it meets the needs of all my students. My students' progress is closely monitored at each stage of learning to determine the need for further instruction through their IEPs.
ReplyDeleteI offer flexible grouping and individualized supports. At times, whole-class instruction is offered, as appropriate. Other times, students will be working toward a common learning goal in flexibly grouped teams or individually. The groups may be composed of students with similar readiness levels, interests, or learning styles. If students are grouped by readiness level, some groups may have more structure in their work or more time to complete their assignment; others may have more complex problems. If the students are grouped by learning style, some student groups may be writing, some acting out concepts, and some using an oral style.
I also use instructional modeling and provide opportunities for students to practice using individual whiteboards, manipulatives, building blocks, dry erase markers, etc. The crucial goal is to modify instruction so that it meets students' individual needs and nurtures their success.
Everyday I spend time talking to each student, trying to figure out how each one ticks. I have no qualms about any student being known as coming from my class. Am I perfect? If I were I would not be here. Do I strive to do my best each day? Yes. Do I wish that we were these specialized car makers who either make only one part or who put together parts and make sometimes less than 50 cars a year? And who in turn charge the highest prices in the world? Sure, why not. But our children were not made out of the same mold as car parts. They are different and we have to learn to let them use their differences in a positive way. Do we have to be their expert in many subjects and produce results in many students? Yes. Can we have a recall when a mistake is made? No, we can't. Within the parameters that we have, I continue to learn. I may make a mistake but hopefully only once and hopefully good can come from it. I will sign my name on anything that I have a part in the production of and remain proud of my work.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good one and that it has me thinking about what it is that I put into my students. Although some days are easier than others, I know that regardless of the task, reaching out to individual students and offering guidance rather it be art related or not. It's not all peaches and cream but I will sign off on the fact that I do hold high expectations for them and I want the very best for them. The only difference would be to not focus so much on the negative things or when things don’t pan out the way that I would like them to.
ReplyDeleteMy teaching is progessive because we are life-long learners. Therefore, I strive for academic excellence through differiated instuction and utilizing the 5E model daily.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, my focus is to meet the needs of my students and accelerate them to a level of higher achievement to be successful globally.
Yes, I do "Own It" and use a "Whale Done" attitude.
It is always a challenge to get young students to believe in themselves so they can master many tasks. When they become secure or independent they feel that they can do anything. How do I get them to that point? Being consistent is the key. Also making learning fun is the way to be sure that they can and will believe in themselves.
ReplyDeleteI would glady sign off on any child that left my classroom when it comes solely to what I have instructed them in my classroom. While I know that I have areas that need growth, as we all do, I am proud of what I accomplish with the students that come to me. Unfortunately, unlike a car part we are not getting "children" made from scratch with no input from the world. We can only take responsibility for the environment we build here at school. We as educators are not the only one's that should be "signing off". Everyone that has had an impact on a child's life should be held accountable for the child's success or failure.
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ReplyDeleteI had a former parent that found me on facebook. She is the mother of a kindergarten student that I taught when I was in Dallas ISD. She wanted to thank me for setting the foundation for her now 11th grade son and she told me she only wished that I was able to teach her daughter before I left DISD and came to LISD. That was a very proud moment for me because I still have high expectations for all of me students to this day.
ReplyDeleteI want each student to know they can achieve any goal that they set their mind to. If I do not believe in them, then how can they believe in their goals? So I must develop a plan of action that meets the needs of each student weather they are struggling or on track. Each student that leaves my class could be labeled as a Randle's class student and I wuould be proud, but I would rather them be labeled as a student that acheives all of their dreams.
What is the first thing many teachers do at the beginning of the year?...They check their roster to see whose students they are receiving.In other words our students do have labels. My goal as a teacher is to provide my students with the skills they need in order to be successful in the future. The only way to ensure their success is to meet each of their needs by providing differentiated instruction.
ReplyDeleteOne of my "end of the school day" routines is to sharpen the pencils in preparation for the next day. After repeatedly attempting to make the electric sharpener work,I'd had enough, yet refused to accept defeat. Immediately, I began looking for some sort of gadget to make this thing work. The problem was....finding something tiny and sturdy enough to fit the hole where the pencil is inserted. While trying this, and trying that,a new idea emerged in my mind. Grabbing a large paperclip, and straightening it out, I began to probe into this broken sharpener. Digging, twisting, manipulating,and digging again, I finally heard the familiar "whirrr" that signaled that it was back in business. At that moment it dawned on me, this directly correlates with what I do to help my struggling students. If one strategy or tool doesn't work, I grab another one. Can I clearly describe my intervention for each students? Absolutely....I just did!
ReplyDeleteWow! This is one to ponder. I would want my students to leave my classroom with the sign of my teacher met me where I was and pushed me to achieve my potential. She expected and pushed for excellence. She made learning relevant so I could "get it." Now I am challenged to be sure I work harder to achieve more individualized differentiated instruction to better meet the the needs of each of students.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I do not think I would change how I teach. Not only do I think that about myself, but any other teacher on this campus. Right now there is no label on our students, but we still strive for excellence with each of our students. Day in and day out we teach our students to the best of our ability and try to meet their needs. We stay late after school, come to school early in the morning, and even plan on the weekend ways in which we can make our classrooms better. All of this shows that we are trying to come up with different concepts to meet every individual in our class. Teachers know their students and I would say yes, we could all talk about their interventions. Everyday we are probably making differentiated instruction and could share this because of how we interact with our students. As one walks down the school hallway you will see teachers talking to their students and building relationships. Teachers can not do that unless you have worked with them, gained your students trust, or built a foundation. A label does not have to mean something we did wrong, but maybe a mark to share all the hard work you did with that student .If there was a label, I would want it to show how as a teacher I worked with that student and never gave up on them.
ReplyDeleteThat really is an interesting concept; however, I do think that to some degree the majority of teachers do think/act as if their name is somehow connected to their students. I believe that we as educators are charged with the task of differentiating our instruction with our students even though they all come mentally equipped differently. No matter how you look at it; it really should be "No Child Left Behind." It's always difficult to teach to every learning style; however, I believe that we would each do things differently if our student carried our name wherever they went; we would not be concerned with snapshot dates or whether or not was SPED or 504 or dyslexic. We must stop making excuses and begin accepting responsibility for the children that we are charged with and go forth and CONQUER ignorance!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNo matter how many students you teach and how many years you have taught, a teacher has to constantly adapt to each student and grade level to get the results needed. If the teacher isn't differentiating instruction for each student then the teacher isn't doing what is needed to get the job done. Every student is different therefore instruction should be geared toward every style of learning, this way the students walk away proudly saying "My teachers from Rolling Hills Elementary helped me to get to where I am today and I am one of many of their success stories." I hope and pray that our students will be able to quote those words someday. I know that many times I have been guilty of doing the cookie cutter way of teaching but after thinking about this assignment I will from now on think about how each student is an individual that has different needs when learning.
ReplyDeleteLast week I had a conversation with a colleague about a few students in my class that are still struggling with reading in various ways. As I poured out my heart to her about all the different strategies that I’d tried with the students she began to laugh at me. She responded to me by saying “this may be the seed year for a few of those students”. I thought “a seed year?”…..maybe I’m talking to the wrong person. She began to explain to me that I may be the teacher that plants the seed. The teacher next year may have to water and add sunlight. The teacher the following year may be the one that does the maintenance on the flower. Then she said, “Just keep planting those seeds”. As a teacher we do get frustrated when we’ve tried so much and still aren’t getting the results we desire but sometimes we have to make peace with the idea that we gave it our best and pray that the next gardener will love and care for our students enough to continue the growth process.
ReplyDeleteI do my best to make sure that my students get as much as I have to give as their teacher. I’d be proud to pass these seedlings on with a stamp that says, “Planted by Mrs. Alexander- Please continue to water with belief, love and patience and you’ll see the growth you desire.”
In my class differentiation is a must because of the learning styles and disabilities I have to consider. Each lesson must be taught to each student on their level and with their disability in mind, therefore I must live differentiation to its highest. Since I interact with each parent on a daily or weekly basis, I am already teaching as if my good name depends on the results.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we must teach in a manner that shows that we are proud to teach and WANT the students and the world to know who taught them.
After pondering on this question for several days, I'm still struggling with the idea of my name going each student and how that would affect my teaching. I think this has been a tough question for me because I generally strive to do everything in my power to teach and help the best that I can. I already know and see things I would have done differently and I plan to change those things in the future. Because it's my first year, I know many things didn't work out to my expectations no matter how hard I have worked or tried. However, I have peace that I worked to do my best with each student in each class, and I have hope that my best will keep getting better as I learn and grow as a teacher. Just like with the engine, if something isn't quite up to expectations, then a conversation can more easily take place on how to change in order to meet and exceed the expectations.
ReplyDeleteI have pondered your scenario and as always it hits deep. I understand students have different ways of learning but to say I have differentiated instruction for each student that I teach, I will have to say no. I can pin point their strengthens and weaknesses that have occurred but the interventions are the same. Ex. If a child is weak on vocabulary development, they are pulled in small groups and we work on vocabulary development the same-not each student with a lesson that is differentiated like cars.
ReplyDeleteWell (with a smile), As a teacher that has taught for the past 7 years I would say there are always things that I would do different because with each year brings a time of reflection for me as a teacher. However there is one thing that stays consist with me and my students and that would be me expectations.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of an event I was at and a student I taught my first year of teaching (now a junior) screamed out my name as she was speaking to me. Immediately I spoke back as I advice the student of where we where at and to bring it down a little. That student smile at me as she said, "You still the same Ms. Green!" For some that might be an insult but for me it confirmed that clear expectations do go a long way.
In reference to labels, all of our students do leave with a label with them and I strive to provide them with a label that can't be removed. I'm delighted when a teacher tells me that he/she was teaching a concept and one of my students says, "Ms. Green" taught me that last year. Not only does it tell me that my instruction was effective but I impacted that student for life.
I can honestly say that I could clearly describe my intervention for each child and how I differientiated instruction for EACH one of my students. Again, teaching has to be one of the few professions in which what you say and do (postive/negative) will effect a child's tomorrow.
Would I sign my name to each of my students as they leave my class? Yes............but just like cars have changed over the years, so has my teaching abilities. With time, things SHOULD get better. I can say that I am constantly changing the way I teach because each year, the group of students are changing. I get to know my students each year(some more than others)but I try to incorporate different ways of teaching a concept so that each student can learn. Just like everything in the world that we purchase or come in contact with, we are always going to have some pro's and cons about it, so I will be willing to accept responsibility for whatever my students leave me with. I can only hope that my pro's outweigh the cons and when they are adults, I helped make a finished product worth investing in :)
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