Thursday, January 25, 2007

So Much

I would read this book to a class because it shows that people of different color can care for each other just as much as anybody else. It will show the students that all people have families, just like they do. The children will get a positive view on other races and will help them decide that people can get along, no matter what they look like. It can also be used to put a positive spin on tolerance.
This book could be used in a social studies lesson because it will help represent people that possibly are not in the same class or school that the students are in. The book will shed light on a diverse world that the children are probably not completely aware of yet. After reading the book to the class, asking the students individually what they thought about it will give me the opportunity to explain how skin color doesn't make them any different than anyone else.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Education Philosophy

The first thing for one to realize is that you are not going to go into the teaching profession to earn an enormous amount of money, well not at the start anyway. I believe people going into a profession such as this need to be there because they enjoy being around children, and are not doing it to just collect a paycheck while looking for somehting else.
Teaching is a job that will definetly require a lot of patience and enthusiasm on a daily basis. When you walk into the class room, the kids can immedietly pick up on whether or not your going to be helping or hurting the learning experience that day. If your not on your A game, then you could possibly hand over control of the daily activities to the students.
A really important piece that needs to be taught early on is that having respect for each other is a very good thing to do. Especially at a young age, the need for children to realize that when you give repect, you will recieve it is monumental. I believe that when you have established respect for each other early on, you will be able to introduce the basics of reading, writing and mathmatics with a positive response.
Going into elementary education will definetly require an enormous amount of flexibility and adaptability on my part. Being able to identify how different students learn early on in the academic year will be a tremendous help to me. I know this wil take time, and plenty of guidence from my fellow teachers.
The biggest asset that I believe will help me deal with children on a daily basis is patience. What has helped me develop this trait has been by working at summer youth camps. There, you are with the kids 24/7, so it is like getting a crash course in the art of being patient. I believe all aspiring teachers should at one point work with kids in a challenging environment, such as a camp, so that they may be able to develop a much needed characteristic. I know there is still a lot more patience that can be gained, and it is a goal to continue to work on this very important factor when it comes to helping children learn.
I have realized now that not a lot of men are going into education, even more so on the elementary level. I believe by bringing a different point of view on approaches to learning just because I am a male can be beneficial, not only to my female peers, but to the children as well.