terça-feira, 25 de maio de 2010
Due: June 10th
Write an essay in which you reflect on your educational memories as a student and preservice teacher. What events stand out to you from your middle or high school education of from field experiences you have had teaching in classrooms? Narrate these events, and then consider why you might remember them. Are they good memories? Bad memories? How do you think they have affected your beliefs about teaching and the qualities of a good teacher? Last, identify any conflicts you can notice between these beliefs and the content of you teacher education program, including information you have learned in field experiences. Consider how you might address these conflicts as you continue your teacher education.
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School time brings me good and also bad memories related to the experiences I have had studying. When I was at high school I had many good teachers and my bad experiences are more related to subjects that I hated to study to teachers' treatment or attitudes at class. I have a few memories of extra activities, games, technologies or something not strictly connected to the scholar book or grammar topics. Specifically in the English classes, what I remember that was attractive and rewarding for my learning - and I believe, the class revenue - were the songs, the movies or documentaries and also, dynamic activities. The schools I studied also showed me a standard of behavior, solidarity, and citizenship, as well as the teachers and the environment of learning, and this impression is not felt in all the contexts I've been teaching since I started my career and also during internship. Generally, in observed classes, teachers are used to follow strictly the scholar book and pen drive TV and audio materials are the only input material at class. What really reinforces the importance of learning the language and what makes the class good, it is the teacher. But what is realized when a teacher in formation is studying or observing classes, is that their responsibility related to classroom is not to become repetitive and abuse of input at class, making fun with the students and also supporting them, as if it was the main goal. Practicing these tips is very difficult and it does not guarantee that the class is going to learn and love you. Teaching nowadays is something complex and teachers must be up-to-date and bet on technology support to achieve their students’ respect, attention and even good behavior. Reflecting the profession considering my experiences as a student, I can connect them to what I am going to offer to my students. On the other hand, I can affirm that in my time – not a long time ago – a song or a game to perform in pairs was a very nice and worthy way to learn, what has become very different. During my formation and in internship studies it is a topic that we teachers must discuss. Our beliefs come to class of our past experiences at school and when we are shaping them up to teach, it changes them all. We now are facing the other side: the teacher’s side. Based on real experiences, the teacher formation program role is helping us in our career. But there is a lack of attitudes versus a lot of advice and theory. Instead of reading and discussing about what kind of activities are nice to perform at class, it would be very important using our experience and creating some methods to deal with bad behavior, students’ level difference at class, teaching kids or something that with a great and very interesting prepared class or with a scholar book unit to work with we all are supposed to deal with anyway, in a teaching practicum class our at our job.
ResponderExcluirSchool time is something which makes me think about lots of very good memories, and some bad ones, as well. We had those lazy teachers who did nothing to really help us in our learning, or just do their work as teachers, but we had lots of good ones, too, those who despite of having very few resources, could teach a good lesson with what they had in hands.
ResponderExcluirI did not have a very technological time when I was a student, because the school where I studied was very small and also poor. They had a lab and an IT room, but the computers did not work and they did not have access to internet, and we did not have appropriate material to work in the lab. The only resource teachers had was the didactic book and the black board (TVs were also a problem), but many of them could do a very good job with that. I always remember our head master saying to us to take care of the few things we had in our school, when some students tried to break something. As we did not have many resources, when a teacher tried to bring something different for us, we used to get very happy and enthusiastic.
About the teachers’ practice, what I can say is that most of them inspired me to choose the profession I have chosen. I always used to observe the teachers practices in classroom and we were always discussing about that (by this I think we cannot deny that students notice if you do or not your job, and the way you do it).
These experiences were what influenced me to choose to be what I am, and also to reflect about my practice and the education program in which I am inserted as a student – teacher.
The times changed, and regular school is not the same as it was when I was there, and students are not the same either. We also have to remember that the concept of teacher is not the same as it was before. I have noticed many conflicts between what I study at university and what I do in my practice. Sometimes practice does not reflect theory.
We often say, “that teacher says this because he/she has never been at school”, and I partly agree with this, but not totally, because I think that many things we learn at university are totally useful, although some are not. Even if theory is far away from practice, what I think is that there is always room for improvement, and to try something new. The only thing I consider more important than lots of theory in classroom is practice. The first precedes the second, but I admit that a teacher education program which focus mostly on theory fails on the real need teacher-students have to learn in a real situation.
During our high school, many events leave traces in our lives, whether good or bad. They can be words of discourage that we heard of a teacher or of our classmates, embarrassing situations, difficulties to get a point and many others kinds of things that can be experienced in a classroom. As a teacher, these experiences can influence or not our way of teaching.
ResponderExcluirI don’t remember many things from my high school time, but there are two situations there are still clear in mind. One of them was a day when a woman (she was not a teacher, but someone who helped to care of the children during the recreation time) let me behind the door of my class as punishment because I was writing on the board. It was a situation of shame in front of all my classmates. I just remember that, instead of teaching me something, that attitude just made me feel totally embarrassed, ashamed.
Another situation was with a teacher of Portuguese. I was about 14 or 15 years and I remember that we had a special day for presenting many kinds of things related to our culture, and this specific teacher just praised one presentation the whole time. It was like the other presentations had no value and it was terrible to the students. All of them were, after the day of this presentation, complaining about it, but I was the only one who had enough courage to tell the teacher that. And what did she do? She humiliated me in front of the whole class treating me as a stupid girl.
These situations, even had been horrible for me at that time, didn’t have influence on my approach while teaching today because during these 4 years in our graduation I shaped a different way to my teaching approach. I realized that those people were not completely prepared to deal with students because they weren’t able to look beyond them that right moment that things were happening. That events taught me to be more flexible with my students and try to understand them better and reflect how I can do something that will reach their interest in learning what I’ll teach and also understand that sometimes nor all of them will be interested in what I have to teach, and it’s not a motive for me to give up or to treat them roughly.
I feel happy every time I realize that even though that Portuguese teacher had treated me harshly, that situation couldn’t take from me my love for Portuguese language. So, I learnt to not allow that any kind of bad situation come to take from me what is precious for me, my dreams and my goals. As I learnt it from that situation, I always try to teach my students the same and encourage them to go on and never give up of their dreams for more stupid or simple they seem to be.
When I think back to my school days, I find powerful memories, and like many people, they are not related to the teachers I had, but the relationships with the other students. I can remember my first day at a new school when I was eleven. Although my mother was my teacher, I wanted to show her I could handle being in a different place with new people. But, it was not as good as I expected. Instead, I spent the whole afternoon alone. As a teacher, I occasionally have to deal with similar situations. When you enter a new classroom, it is hard to know what to expect. As I was saying, this was not a good experience, but it makes me relax when I come to think of it. Before facing a new group of students, I just realize it is only the first day and that time will adjust things.
ResponderExcluirAlthough I do not have plenty of memories with my previous teachers, I believe that teachers have an impact on the children and adolescents in their classrooms. This influence is often seen when teachers help those students with difficulties, have an extra attention, or just sit by the side of the student and explain what is being taught. Mind you, my math teacher once sat by my side during a whole class to teach me the subject. After that, I could not forget how his attention had an impact on me. The same happens when we teach. Students need an extra attention, and want to feel that someone cares. I think that you can show attention to your students not only explaining, but also preparing the classes (which some do not), going to class prepared and concerned of what you will teach, and what you want from them, and not only throw things for them to do without a purpose. What I see that happens in my teaching practicum and what I also experienced are teachers who kill time in the class. I really hope not to get to a point in which I see myself doing these things. All in all though, if I do not do my job, how can I expect a positive feedback from my students?
School time remembers me how good was to be a student!! hahaha, you did not have to prepare classes, eveything was prepared for you..and many times you usually did not value it!
ResponderExcluirThis helped me a lot to improve my capacity of tolerance, pacience, and wishes to work hard.
I liked one, or two friends, the other were not so kind, but I didn't care about it, the only think I really wanted was to study, and that's all! People are different and you have to respect them..ths was something I learned from high school, and I'm still in the process of learning.
Many things helped me, when I "chose" to be a teacher, firstly.I see back to my good times at school, and this makes me understand many things I couldn't before, like, how to get attention from the students, how to be nice but at the same time ask for students to do the activities you told to..
That's it, basically!
Marcella :)
When I think of my English classes at regular school, I feel all the knowledge I could acquire (through good or bad events) was useful - mainly now that I am in the position of an English teacher.
ResponderExcluirTo start with, my language teachers were very strict. In a way, many people may think they used to be boring and "a pain in the neck", BUT for me, that worked really well, and a proof of this is that I still remember how I was taught.
Some of them were natives of had some experience in a foreign country, and taught us (students) a little bit of the culture, too. Considering we had just one or two classes a week, their rigor helped us to improve a lot (mainly during Elementary School). Of course I have to admit that during my High School our learning was directed to “vestibular”.
Concerning the material we used, some of them were used in UEL, and that really surprised me, because it showed we had at least a regular level of comprehension of a Foreign Language.
I think their practice in the classroom influenced me in my decision to study Languages, and now, during my internship, it is always helpful to reflect about those days and try to manage some difficulties we have in classroom (different levels of proficiency; big number of students per class; etc.).