11/19 Blog

Read Alouds:

Big Book of Families by Catherine and Laurence Anholt     ISBN: 0763622109
This book would be great in a geography class or paired with an activity about each students family. This book could be used for any age because it talks about families from all over the world and how they differ. It could be analyzed in a cultures lesson or used to make a family tree in a 3rd grade class.

The Halloween Class by Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas     ISBN: 0439395194
I loved this book and thought it was perfect for Halloween. If it wasn't read on Halloween it could be read to start the season but to show how well teachers should know their students.  The teacher in this book could tell the students in their costumes apart because of their personalities and I think successful teachers have to know their students/students' needs. Lots of activities could obviously be done with this story because of the holiday and in younger classes should be done!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky     ISBN: 1451696191
The part that we read would fit well with a freshman success class or any freshman class. We read the part where a student has a talk with his favorite teacher so it could also be used in a teacher cadet class to show how much of an impact a teacher can make on students.

Just be Nice to Your Little Friends by Caroline Kenneth     ISBN: 0307101002
This would probably be best if used in a younger classroom. It could be incorporated with a science lesson of different animals and how they interact with each other. The students could even write a story from the perspective of Poo and tell how they would treat the butterflies and other animals. It was very cute and it could also be used to teach the golden rule of how they should treat each other.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher     ISBN: 159514188X
This whole book would be awesome for a freshman success class in college to read, or even a psychology class on any level. It is pretty mature so I would only suggest it for a high school and older audience but it gives an inside look on some hard issues that need to be addressed. This book is great for suicide awareness and can be taken in a creative project aspect by using tapes instead of writing to portray a story.

Learning Experiences:

I've learned a lot about teaching styles lately in Teacher Cadets and I can't wait to share them when I get to be in a classroom. Instead of just getting us to read the material or standing up there to teach, there are so many inventive ways that the material is covered and I retain it so much better that way. I also see that being used in the AP Lit class which I think is awesome and I know they are getting the maximum learning experience.

Current Event:

http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/553#home
This article was about how Americans just don't like to talk about the topic of race therefore they think it is not an issue. The author was a racial literacy teacher and expressed how learning about race is just like learning about war or the branches of government; it is a topic that should be covered. He said that high school students especially need to learn about race before entering the real world, specifially how it influnences our everyday decisions, the history, and how race differs from "color" or "culture".

Quote of the Week:

"Self-esteem is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud." -Alex Osborn

I think this quote is important, especially for teachers, to understand their influence on students. Self-esteem is very fragile and a teacher-someone who judges one's intelligence- can make or break it for students.  Also, praise is much easier and enjoyable to give our than criticism so Osborn is expressing how important positivity is for self-esteem.

Observations:

I have been observing the maturity level of my friends and the people around me lately. I have been categorizing them based on the stages of growth and development which has been kind of cool to see different stages all coexisting. Also thinking about how I would have responded to situations differently than I respond to them now (through different stages of my life) has been a learning experience.

Reflections:

I am definitely busy/stressed as ever, but its a good busy/stressed. Extremely excited to announce I got accepted into my dream school, UGA, and a lot of things have been falling into place for me lately. God won't give me more than I can handle and I can tell exactly what He has been blessing me with lately. I am actually excited to apply for scholarships and anxious about my rooming situations but I know that will all work out too. It's crazy to think I am this old where I have to be worrying about all of these things...scary but I like it. I'm at a good place in my life.