Learning Log Reflection # 1

What do you notice?

The format of my learning log has morphed significantly in the month that I have been student teaching.  In the beginning, my log was a time stamped play by play of what the teacher is doing, how the on task students are responding to the teacher, and what the off task, disruptive students are doing.  After about a week and a half, my log became more specific, I began watching specific students, or watching for specific behaviors (only off task students, discipline measures, teacher conduct, etc).  In the last week or so, my log has become more of a journal with thoughts and questions appearing more often then specific log entries. 

I tend to have preoccupations with two specific areas in teaching that do not relate directly to my content area.  Group work: no matter how much information and feedback I get from my cooperating teachers and other teachers I come into contact with, the idea of group work still scares me.  Discipline: I have trouble being effective in disciplining my students when they act out.  Due to these preoccupations, I notice that I tend to focus on the negative aspects of what goes on in the classroom when I am observing.  I believe that this happens because it is the bad behavior, the lack of homework being completed, and the general lack of interest that will affect the way I teach, and ultimately reach my students.  I need to know how veteran teachers deal with this type of behavior in order to be able to deal with it in my own classroom.

I gain the most useful knowledge about teaching when I am actively participating in the classroom – learning through experience – rather than being a passive observer.  I am very attentive to how teachers run their classrooms.  Routines are super important.  I have noticed that each one of the teachers I have observed, as well as my cooperating teachers has a daily routine in place for every class they teach.  I repeatedly note that this is something I should defiantly implement in my own teaching.  It is also very interesting to see how different teaching styles can be equally effective.  I would like to be able to have a relaxed teaching style with my students without loosing their attention and their respect

I tend to pay attention to how my cooperating teachers word content questions and disciplinary actions.   Although I have no issues speaking to teenagers, wording can clearly make a difference for how they understand what is being asked of the as well as hoe they respond to what you are demanding or them.  My cooperating teacher made a good point about not letting student know when they have successfully pushed your buttons.

What do you wonder?

Group work:  Are my students really getting all the information they need to acquire when they work in groups?  Can I really effectively teach my students when they are in groups?

I spend a good amount of time wondering about and reflecting upon what makes the best learning environment for every student in my classroom.  I worry about the tightrope of democracy that is walked in the classroom.  How much autonomy can I give my students to be in charge of their learning before the classroom becomes a free for all of unproductive, off task children? And, at the same time, how much authority can I put forth before the students lose interest in the lesson?  I wonder about how to truly make my students engage with their in class and out of class work, their reading assignments, and their peers to create the perfect learning environment.  How can we as teachers reach our ESL students who still need English language instruction but have been exited from their ESL classes? And how effective can competition between classes be?  Could a prize for accumulating points from completing class work or homework create incentive for actually doing the reading homework?

Where would you like to be?

I am hopeful that in the coming weeks I will really be able to fully understand the kind of teacher I want to be.  I would like to be able to feel more comfortable disciplining students who are talking out of turn or being disruptive to the learning environment.  I need to work on being the authority figure in the classroom, I tend to acquiesce to my cooperating teachers when the students will not listen to the requests I have made of them.  I am hopeful that one day in the future I will get over my fear of losing control in small group settings.