Gesu Visit 5

During my fifth visit at Gesu, I went to the book fair with the children. They were able to create wish lists if they didn't have money today. These were books that they wanted to buy and they took the list home to show their parents what books they were interested in. They were all very excited and read their lists to their friends.They were very cooperative and it was interesting to see what kind of books caught their eyes. All the students had different taste in books. One of the girls was interested in dinosaur books and her classmates told her that she  liked "boy" books. This caught my eye because at such a young age, children form these ideas of what girls should like and what boys should like. This did not bother the little girl at all which I was surprised but was also very proud of. If at such a young age she learns to not let those kind of things bother her, it will make things a lot easier as she gets older. Too often, kids are made to feel like the things they are interested are wrong because of things such as gender norms and what our society views as acceptable and not acceptable. I can say for certain in my future classroom that I would never tell one of my students that what they like is "too girly" or "that's what boys like, you can't like that." They'll learn that they are free to be whoever they choose and society may not always be accepting, but you learn to deal with it. 

Gesu Visit 4

During my fourth visit at Gesu, I observed music class again because that's what class they have every Tuesday at the time that I visit. The class was different this week because the teacher was sick so the children watched a movie during class. It wasn't a video to just kill time and keep them occupied, it really incorporated music. During the movie, there were parts where it got the children involved and they had to sing along. They really enjoyed this. They payed attention the whole time and didn't get side tracked. The teacher appreciated their cooperation. When they got back to their classroom, they were allowed to play games if they were finished with the worksheet the teacher had assigned. I joined in with them and liked that I was able to get involved with them. Each day I spend at the school strengthens my passion for children and wanting to help them in any way possible. It's great seeing how much they look up to their teachers and what an influence they have on them. It inspires me to want to have just as much of a positive influence on my students someday. Being a teacher is such a rewarding job and I really look forward to becoming one. 

Gesu VIsit 3

During my third visit at Gesu, I was able to observe a Spanish class. I was really surprised that they were learning a different language at such a young age. I was unsure of how that would go and if that children would actually understand what their teacher was saying. Surprisingly, they knew a lot more than I expected. They were able to count to 5 in Spanish and even knew a few verbs. The teacher had a worksheet for them where they cut pictures out and put them next to the correct Spanish word. Most of the students did this correctly. It was often times hard for the teacher to get the students attention they didn't always know what she was saying. When they got back to their classroom, the teacher let them make paper airplanes because they were learning a lesson about air. The children were very excited to make them but most of them came to be for help when constructing them. They were allowed to color them and put pictures on them. One of the girls, Mari, drew a picture of me and said it was so she would always remember me. I was so touched by this because it was only my third day in the classroom and I could already tell what an impact I had on her. It made me very eager to teach and have my own classroom. 

Gesu Visit 2

During my second visit to Gesu, I was able to observe the children's library class. The librarian read them three Halloween books. The students really enjoyed the books she picked out for them and thought they were funny. She also informed them on the book fair they would be having the following week and hey were very excited about that. After library, the teacher had a lesson planned for them that involved the alphabet. They were learning sounds and had to find words that applied to those sounds. Some of the children found this very difficult and struggled. I tried to explain it to them and help them but found it was difficult to explain it because it was something I already knew. Sometimes when trying to teach a lesson on a topic you already know, it's hard to find the words to explain what you're trying to say and I found that to be my problem. I also observed that the teacher didn't always have patience with the students. I understood that it would definitely be a challenge working with children that young but it is something you have to have a passion for and be committed to doing. That is around the age that teachers have a huge impact on their students so I believe it is important that they are effecting them in a positive way and care for their students. Overall, I thought Mrs. Parisi was a very nice teacher and worked well with her students. 

Gesu Visit 1

I was assigned to do my field work at Gesu in one of the kindergarten classes. During my first visit, I met the teacher, Mrs. Parisi, and her aid. The children had music class that day so I was able to observe that. They were very well behaved and enjoyed singing with their teacher. They were assigned their own spaces on the carpet to sit at and that was where they sat when they sang and played classroom games. Their classroom teacher and music teacher got the children's attention by telling them they wouldn't explain the activities until all the students were quiet. It would only take a minute or two before they became quiet and listened to the teacher's instructions. They were very excited to have a new face in the classroom. I was able to work with the students and help them when needed. I noticed that when I would help one student, 5 more would approach me and say they needed help as well even though I could tell they had an idea of what to do. They were well mannered and respectful to their teacher and classmates. I really enjoyed working with the children and it reassured me that I have chosen the right profession. It also showed me that I wouldn't necessarily want to work with children as young as 5 years old but I still enjoy the early childhood setting. It was beneficial to be able to go in a early childhood classroom during my first semester of freshman year so I was able to see what it is like and if this was the major I wanted to pursue. It shows you what the teachers go through on a daily basis and that the job will not always be easy, but it is very rewarding knowing you're helping students grow and that is what is most important to me.

BlogPost 8

A lesson I would teach would be on the concept that standardized tests do not display a students intelligence. Yes, it is still important to try and do your best on these tests but they should not be used to measure how smart a student is or isn't. Some children aren't good test takers and should not be penalized because of it. I would explain to them that these tests do not define them. This is not to say that they shouldn't try their best to get a good score but if they don't receive one, it will not be shown against them. Instead of punishing students for receiving bad test scores, we should be figuring out what they aren't understanding and what needs to be taught better. Students should be given a chance to understand information instead of taking a test, receiving a bad grade, and that's it. This is teaching students that test scores define their intelligence and this often leads to them feeling bad about themselves and their accomplishments.
In Bill Ayers reading, he describes the metaphor building bridges. What this means is that the teacher builds off of knowledge and information the students already know, allowing them to learn deeper ways of knowing and understanding. The bridge pattern is understanding how to get from point A to point B. It allows the children to form questions and work together to find a perfect balance. In my lesson I would teach above, I would use the building bridges method to show my students that it is important to get good grades on tests but it does not define them. They could form questions on why standardized testing wouldn't be the most beneficial way of defining a students intelligence. I would explain that there are many factors that come into play when understanding how smart a student is but schools solely rely on testing that is not always the most accurate. Some students get very nervous when taking this types of tests and do bad because of that. Another way I would teach this lesson is to show them that often times when taking a test, students focus only on memorizing the information instead of really understanding the lesson. They may get a 100% on the test but does that know whether or not they understood what they were taught? 
Things I would need to take into consideration when teaching a lesson like this is that my students might not understand why I'm telling them the opposite of what they have been taught all throughout their school years. It is difficult for young students to understand a concept like this because this is what they have been use to. Students are conforming to ways they are not even aware of. Freire explains this is his reading when he states, "The more completely they accept the passive role imposed on them, the more they tend simply to adapt to the world as it is and to the fragmented view of reality deposited on them." I would explain this by telling the students to not feel unaccomplished when they receive a low score on a standardized test. Teachers don't stress this enough to their students and I think it is a topic that needs to be taught and thoroughly explained. Ohanian described it in his reading perfectly, "Different children require different methods, different materials." DiGiulo also expressed a very important point in his reading that I think relates to this topic of standardized testing. Teachers are being assigned tasks that take away from the issues they should really be covering in their classes. This is not to say that standardized testing is completely wrong but students knowledge shouldn't be based off of it. The teacher should be working with her students to understand what they know and still need help on. They shouldn't be giving out these tests that sometimes do not even relate to what is being taught in class.

BlogPostIt

I believe it is important for teachers to realize they can also learn from their students. This allows students to want to share information they know with their teachers and sometimes this can be new to the teachers and something they did not know. This is a concept I never really thought of until reading this chapter. In school, students are always the ones being taught and feel like they can't voice their opinion or share information with the teacher in fear that they won't be listened to. It's not that it is always this way but I can say I have felt like this in a lot of my classes throughout my educational career. When students feel comfortable and know their teacher and classmates will hear out their opinion when speaking in class, they are more open to contributing to conversations. School should not be focused entirely on the teachers but more on the students. Making sure the students feel important creates a stronger teacher-student relationship. The student looks to the teacher for guidance but the teacher also looks to the student for guidance as well. It creates an open classroom environment. Speaking from a student perspective, I would enjoy and benefit from the type of classroom setting.

BlogPost 5

In schools I have attended, I have noticed how students who identified as a different gender were treated differently. People looked at them as if they weren't even human. I feel bad now for doing so but I kind of looked past these issues because they never affected me personally but now looking back, these students deserved to be stood up for. Why is being heterosexual OK and "normal" but being homosexual is not? Society creates these views as Rofes talked about in his reading. We often times don't even know how these students are affected by the negativity they receive on a daily basis. People look at those who are gay as being rebellious because they are gender-nonconforming. Rofes discusses childhood as sometimes being a sad time. We often blame certain people for making our childhood a negative experience because of the way they treated us and the hardships we went through. There are not enough institutions out there to help children who are in desperate need of someone to go to for guidance to get them through personal issues. I believe gender issues are never going to end unless they be seriously addressed. Too many times these students are being ignored and looked at as if their problem is insignificant. School officials want to deny that this type of behavior goes on in their schools in fear it will give the school a bad name. Is this fair to the students who are bullied everyday and no one will put an end to it? This itself is a reason why students are rebelling. They are not being heard. My vision for the school I hope to be teaching at in the next four years is that they will not ignore these problems. They will do something about them and will be there for their students. The students should be able to go to teachers and other officials at their school and know they are there for them and that they will help them. By not addressing the problem, bigger problems are created. The stereotypes need to be stopped. School should always be seen as a safe place where students can be who they truly are. They shouldn't have to hide that person in fear of not being accepted. I hope to create an environment in my school where everyone is treated equally no matter what race, gender, or ethnicity they are.

FieldBlogPost-Mayfield Middle School

During my visit at Mayfield Middle School, I observed a lot for the short time I was there. The school was really big compared to my K-8 grade school. It had a very open floor plan and was kept exceptionally clean. When my classmates and I walked in, the staff was friendly and welcoming to us. They helped us find what type of classroom we would be interested in and let us sit in on that class during our visit. First, I was able to walk into a Digital Communications class where the children were working on an I AM poem. They were all working independently and helped one another out if they were having a problem on their computer. The teachers were very involved in their classrooms. They were always walking around the room, making sure there students stayed on track and understood the assignment. I also noticed there was a mutual respect between the teacher and most of the students which is very important. The school offered a variety of classes. The classrooms I was able to observe were colorful and well decorated but not to the point where it would be distracting to the students and their learning. The second class I was able to sit in on was an eighth grade language arts class. The class I saw for the first five minutes I was there was quiet and well behaved. When the students switched classes and another eighth grade class entered the room, I noticed they were going to be much louder just by the way they approached the classroom. They were assigned to read for the first fifteen minutes of class. Many of them were unable to concentrate and did little to no reading. They were allowed to read a book of their choice. I observed that even when respect from the teacher is given to their students, there will still be children who give you a hard time. I also noticed how having new visitors in the classroom can change how the students act.