Engaging Instruction #weeklywriting

With large amounts of reading assignments in various classes, reflecting on what I read is vital for the understanding of the subject matter. By blogging each week about the various readings, I will be able to think, reflect, and the share with my peers! Hang in there with me as the reading assignments come, just know that I am making it short and concise for you instead of your reading them all! Enjoy!

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Snap Shots of the reading this week

1)      “Teachers decide what they want their students to know and be able to do once the instruction has been provided” (Methods of Teaching Agriculture, pg.91)

Right off the bat this quote caught me off guard. My first question is, HOW can we as teachers hook in those students that we know have the potential for great things? You can show/explain/grade/test students on everything, but how will you know that they fully grasp the concept? By being clear and concise, I feel as a teacher the message will be able to come across easily and the students can grasp the concepts fully.

2)      Being that “fun and exciting” teacher is not a bad thing!

In high school my friends thought that my agriculture classes were all fun and games because hey, in some aspects they were... BUT there was learning that was happening all around. My teacher took the time to develop his interest approach to literally have all of the students ready to learn the next thing. By having experiments, labs, and hands on work, you can grab the attention of students promoting learning throughout the class.

3)      Common ways to keep students interested the entire class period (Burgess):

a.       Fluidity in Transitions

b.      Hooks/ Interest Approaches

c.       BE PREPARED

Dave Burgess, author of “Teach like a PIRATE”, talks about how these 3 things can help any lesson have smooth sailing (no pun intended!) He writes about ways teachers struggle after the teacher has the class at full attention. Myself included have many ways in which I struggle with these aspects as a student teacher because of the way that I prepare my lesson. I need to find the gaps, fill them with different approaches, to get a return of student success.

4)      "A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audiences attention. Then he can teach his lesson"

I strive to be a teacher that is able to reach out to all of my students in different ways. I will never forget my fourth grade teacher that I had. She made sure that she spoke to all of her students every day and remembered details that we mentioned previous days before. It is hard work, but hey, being a teacher is not a career it is a life choice. You are effecting the lives of others who will no doubt effect yours as well.