Malcolm Forbes, former publisher of Forbes magazine declared, “the purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” I could not agree more. In my classroom to best facilitate this ideal I plan to have open, thoughtful dialogue with my student’s, provide a positive and safe environment, and invest fully in relationships with my students to allow for them to become open, active, and informed citizens.
Establishing relationships with my students will supply the foundation of my classroom climate. Humans are innately social animals as Cozolino (2013) stresses: “our ability to learn is interwoven with the quality of our relationships.” Before any academic learning can be conducted there has to be established trust and rapport between teacher and student. Relationship building happens through all facets of teaching, but without it a student is unlikely to engage and invest in their education. Students are likely to spend as much or more time with their teachers than their own parents, therefore, I think, these relationships come naturally.
I have a student who has been labeled as a “trouble-maker” by his new first grade teacher. After he was sent to the principal’s office, I had a
…show more content…
A neighborhood sets the stage for a child’s life and presents them with what is real and normal. "The implication is where you start in life is where you end up in life" (Alexander, 2014). A child needs support to change their circumstances. A child is working to meet family expectations as well as community expectations. These factors are all at work pushing and pulling a student in multiple directions. I think one of the most difficult results of living in a low-income or an inner city neighborhood is often the loss of role models (Parry, 2012). If a child does not have any role models to follow, a teacher’s responsibility is to become such a role
However, Dr. Mubenga’s research does not take account of how neighborhood plays its role on education, and specifically, how poorer neighborhoods lead towards poorer, unsuccessful schools. An Editorial from the New York Times points out how African American neighborhoods became poor in the first place, and it draws a connection between that and its effect on education.
The poem “Students,” by Tom Wayman and the story, “Crow Lake,” by Mary Lawson presents two teachers who cope with the same difficulties of teaching. Although the teachers are faced with identical circumstances, their resolutions for the problem vary. Wayman, in the poem, and the narrator in the story both fails to make connection with their students, however, Wayman understands his students’ behavior while the narrator refuses to communicate and simply gives up on teaching.
The relationship that a teacher creates with their students can affect the environment or atmosphere of the classroom. In an article, by Hamre & Pianta (2001), it states that, “supportive relationships help maintain students’ interests in academic and social pursuits, which in turn lead to better grades and more positive peer relationships” (p. 49). Most students will work harder for teachers if they build a good connection with the student. Teachers will also look more “human” to a student and remind them that the teacher does care very much about them. The article also states that, “Talking with students about their lives outside of school is one way teachers can show an interest in and appreciation for students” (Hamre & Pianta, 2001, p. 54). Students love talking about their lives outside of school and their interests. It also allows them to show their personalities and lets the student know that their teacher wants to know about
We can all agree, educators and future educators alike, that teaching students is so much more than just presenting information to them. There is more to learning than only speaking. We’ve all had those teachers who were brilliant in their subject area, but not brilliant in making the students know the information. These are not true teachers; they are only smart. They teach in one way only, and doesn’t believe in individualized instruction, even though we all know that “low-income students and students of color tend to feel less “connected” to their schools than affluent and Anglo students, and that older students feel less connected than younger ones” (Schaps). As a future educator, sometimes I fear that I will become like one of these teachers, and I want to make sure that each of my students enjoy coming in class to learn, and is able to apply what they’ve learned to their unique lives. So for this inquiry project, I’ve decided to focus on classroom community. I believe that every great teacher establishes this concept in his/her classroom; without this concept, learning cannot happen. In this paper, I will define classroom community, discuss different ways to implement it in every classroom, and show the results of making an effort to keep it in your classroom.
Teachers help us expand and open our mind by giving us skills throughout students’ early life to help students when they are older. By learning information from teachers, students become better people, in a couple of ways. Besides inquiring knowledge from their teachers, students learn to work with one another, open their mind to other peoples’ thoughts and ideas, respect one another, and learn different techniques for life’s issues.
Education serves as the foundation to a lifetime of learning. Since every child is unique, I believe that it is important for them to learn in an environment that is both secure and stimulating. By creating this type of atmosphere, the students will be able to realize their intelligence and use it constructively. As a future educator, it will be my goal to establish a classroom that is, 1) non-authoritarian, 2) student-centered, and 3) focused around student experience. These three elements are part of Progressivism, the educational philosophy I plan to incorporate in my classroom.
Education is a very important aspect of our lives. It is our education that makes us who we are and determines what we become. Therefore, education is not something to be taken lightly. As a teacher, my goal will be to provide the best possible education for my students. Every student is unique. I must see students for who they are individually and respect their ideas and opinions. Each student has a different learning style. I must take this into consideration because I want to provide a constructive learning opportunity for every student. I believe that every student has the potential to learn.
If a child is raised in a good neighborhood they are likely to be raised well. Children in a good environment are likely to have a better attitude and behavior. Especially when it comes to schooling. They will do well in school and those school systems are likely to have a higher rate of graduating children and children who actually take their education seriously. Better neighborhoods are known to lead to higher test scores. Making sure that a child has a safe, clean, peaceful and comforting environment is necessary and important for your child’s development. Growing up in a bad neighborhood where children aren’t putting school as a main priority and concerned about getting a good education may rub off on a child as they follow one another not put there education first. If a child is raised in a bad neighborhood where there area has a lot of criminal activity and gangs it may influence the child towards joining ...
Jaime Escalante, a great educator, once said, “The teacher gives us the desire to learn, the desire to be Somebody.” As a teacher, my goal will be to show students that each of them can be whatever they want to be, and not only are they capable of being good at what they do, they can be the best. To reach this goal, I must be an effective teacher, which I believe can best be accomplished by teaching in a way that is comfortable for me. Therefore, I will not base my classroom around one single philosophy; I am going to seek comfort by utilizing certain aspects of different educational philosophies, namely essentialism, existentialism, progressivism, and social reconstructionism.
The classroom should be a democratic environment where students choose what they want to learn. The teacher and stud...
As educators we wish to have the students gain knowledge, through our efforts, and continue to expand their minds using the basics we have taught them. In an era when so many outside interests often cloud the minds of our impressionable youth, we often wonder how we can accomplish this task.
It is very important to me that my students, their parents, other teachers, administrators, and people in the community can depend on me. I want them to know that I am someone they can easily approach, someone who cares, someone who is knowledgeable, and someone who will help them. I will create a classroom that is a safe learning environment for all. During my internship, my mentor used the acronym “THINK” to remind students to think if their statement is true, helpful, important, necessary, and kind. I absolutely love this because it encourages students to be accountable for their actions. I believe that it is necessary for students to know what is and isn’t appropriate. In order to foster a sense of belonging with the families and community, I will encourage families to be very active in their students’ learning. I plan on having many experts from the community come in and share with the students whenever possible. I will also work one-on-one with my colleagues in order to be a stronger teacher. My future classroom, will be one that is open, inviting, resourceful, and most of all safe! The environment is such a vital aspect of having a flourishing learning
Learning initially begins with one's attitude toward themselves, others, and the world we live in. It is our attitudes that play a major role in shaping our experiences, which in turn affects the way in which we learn. We must first be able to interpret the world using information we already know, in order to understand something entirely new. As a teacher, I could only hope that I can provide children with a positive educational experience, one that will broaden the scope in which they view themselves, others, and the world on a larger scale. Children already acquire a desire to learn, however, it is up to us to sti...
Many individuals believe that the neighborhood defines who they are, shapes them as a person and has an impact on their life. Throughout my childhood I would hear the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” Society feels a child has the best ability to become a healthy adult if the entire community takes an active role in contributing to the rearing of the child. I do agree based on the neighborhood environment a child is raised; it does have an impact on their life. For example, society classifies each neighborhood differently such as low-income neighborhood, middle-income neighborhood and high-income neighborhood. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics(BJS2008-2012), persons in poor households at or below the Federal Poverty Level
Each relationship is different and each teacher has his or her own way with students. I have seen from a distance that for the most part students have great respect for teachers and therefore get respect in return. A couple of teachers expect respect, and since it is not earned, students do not always give it. I live by the thoughts that I have to earn the respect of the student body and model behaviors for them. The relationship I build with them is up to me, but in order for great things to happen, I need to foster individual relationships and show that I care.