Learning Environment

A classroom should not be a rigid or standard environment.  I picture my classroom being comfortable and flexible.  I do not want my students to feel out of place or scared while in my classroom.  Classrooms that are set up one way and have no room for changes can be intimidating to some students.  I can remember feeling less comfortable in small classrooms where the teacher was very demanding and did not respect the students' need to move around.  I intend to make my classroom interactive.  Models, pictures, books, etc. will be throughout the classroom in order to entice the students' desire to learn.  I want my classroom to be open in a manner that will allow for desk rearrangement.   The website I pulled up off a Google search, brings up different ideas that I had not thought about previously.  This seems to be a site that a teacher created, i.e. I am not sure that there is research to prove some of the statements that are made.  However, I believe that we can learn a lot from someone who "has been there done that".http://www.teacher-support-force.com/effective-learning-environment.html.  I also liked how different subjects were related to each other.  Math teachers may not be able to see the importance of words, but we all should realize that math language is a key part of the basics of math.  The use of a "word wall" could be useful in all classrooms and pairs nicely with my idea of an interactive classroom.  Overall, I think that a classroom should be fluid, flexible, orderly, and interactive so to create an environment conducive to learning.

The high school case study is one of the more difficult situations to manage.  I can remember being that senior in histroy class only awaiting graduation.  As a teacher, this situation can be frustrating.  The first thing I would do is remind the class of the rules that are in place by me and the school.  Once the issue continued I would separate the cliques in hopes that the disruption would dissipate.  If the problem of texting and note passing continued, I would ask indviduals to discuss the topic that I was covering to the class.  In the case that the students had no clue what was going on, I would talk to them about respecting me and their classmates.  I would continue the lecture by talking about the importance and relevance of the material to life after high school.  Many of my students would presumably be headed to college and I would talk about the transfer of knowledge from high shcool to college life.  If all of these methods failed I would inevitably have to send individuals to the principal or whatever protocol was in place at the shcool.  I would hope that I could manage my class better than having to send a senior to the office, but you have to do what is necessary to preserve the validity of your classroom.

Motivation

I wanted to add the video above because Herm Edwards is one of the most motivational speakers I have ever heard.

This video also plays into how I view motivation in the context of education.  I am very goal oriented and set short-term goals that will allow me to reach the long-term success.  These goals drive my motivation and help me to continue.  As a teacher I can use goals to help keep my students involved and engaged in the learning process.  I feel like that if the students only see a long-term goal of passing the end of course tests or getting a good grade in the course, they will not learn the material.  Everyone can attest to the fact that some subjects only entice the student to simply memorize and regurgitate information.  The goal theory approach provides constant motivation that can be intertwined with the other theories.  For instance, self-efficacy is a very important part of being able to succeed and stay motivated.  If the student can have a set of goals to reach, he/she can continuously improve their self-efficacy.  In the case that the student cannot reach their goals, it would be job to help the student review the information and help them concentrate on the necessary topic.  I feel that this process will help me to monitor my students closely and continuously.  The challenge will be to help the students that care nothing about the goals or cannot actually obtain them. I look forward to learning more about facing this challenge and helping my students overcome the various obstacles.

The first day of class can either be overwhelming or totally boring.  ED PYSCH 401 was definitely not boring.  We touched on a lot of different topics that will be covered in more detail throughout this semester.  Some of the areas we touched on included: CSEL, INTASC Standards, and the various theories that will be discussed.  The most interesting topic was the chance to co-teach a lesson with a fellow classmate.  I think this will be a great opportunity to meet someone new in class and learn how to work with someone that may not have the same point of view or methods of teaching.  I hope to get a better understanding of different classroom techniques, ways to improve the learning environment that I provide as a teacher, and I hope to get a deeper understanding of the theories.  I do not expect to remember every theory and the exact details but I do think that I will be able to relate the theories to a classroom situation after this course.  Overall, I think this course will be challenging but very intriguing.