For each week's post, you can answer the question below. Each week we will focus on a different disposition or element of the Conceptual Framework. Feel free to post your own questions for your classmates as well.
Insight:
How did your supervising teacher express insight in and out of the classroom? Provide concrete and behavioral examples to that relate back to the characteristics of the dispositions.
Think about the following aspects of insight in your answer:
- thinks outside the box
- understands child development
- considers motivational factors to behavior
- focuses on the positive in each student
- reflects for self-improvement
The teacher I observe is great at thinking out of the box. Almost every time I go, there is some sort of exciting activity going on, which I like, since usually once students get to high school, the classes are more like lectures instead of activities. The teacher also understands what her students are motivated by. She gives out stickers to students who ask a phenomenal question or offer insightful comments or answers in class. She does not think it is "immature," and I can see how her students really enjoy it. The teacher also is constanstly working on herself to improve. For instance, she is taking an online teaching class right now, and she has asked me what I've thought of certain things she has done in the classroom. She's always willing to hear feedback, positive or negative.
ReplyDeleteOne of the teacher's I observe regularly seems particularly insightful; a different teacher I observe regularly seems pretty un-insightful to me. It's interesting to see how two teachers both feel the same passion and love for their subjects and jobs as teachers, yet, stylistically, are so very different. The teacher who is insightful works to make sure that her students relate to the subject matter and have the best possible opportunity to do so. She recently moved classrooms because she felt that it would be a better learning environment as the previous classroom had distracting science-lab equipment. She also focuses a lot on discussion and encourages the students to present real life situations and examples.
ReplyDeleteThe second teacher, while masterful in many ways, doesn't seem too interested in hearing what the girls think and incorporating that into her class lessons. I believe she feels that she is teaching so-and-so sefer and that is all that matters. In what I perceive to be her mission for truth and integrity to the subject matter, I feel that sometimes she is too quick to cut off a student who comments or asks a question that is headed in the wrong direction. It's a delicate balance to keep a class from getting sidetracked but I don't think the answer is to cut girls off. As a very traditional, old-world style teacher, I think it leaves something to be desired when it comes to sensitivity and insight.
The teacher that I observed was very insightful. She had a raffle at the end of the week and whoever would behave extra good would get a raffle ticket. This motivated the students to pay attention since everyone wanted to be apart of this raffle. Another thing the teacher did, was she had various different methods of how to teach each part of her lesson plan. She started out with journal than spelling than she had an activity to go with spelling; she had a range of different things happening in order to keep the student involved and to keep them going.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers that I observe do a lot of hands on activities, which I love. There are art projects to go along with science lessons, interactive white board math problems where the students can come up to the board, practicing vocab words by typing out sentences on the computer and adding clip art to enhance each word/sentence, fun math rap songs and rhymes found on YouTube for students to sing along with while practicing their addition and subtraction... the list just goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteI also really like how there are special sticker charts at each desk, and each period, depending on how they behaved and worked the students get stickers. When they have ten stickers on their chart, the students get to choose a prize from a box filled with toys and treats. I really like that, as it is such a great incentive for the students! I also like what I've seen another teacher do, which it to give a giant bag of Goldfish crackers in the classroom. When the students have been working particularly well, she will ask if anyone would like a few Goldfish. The students are thrilled when they earn them, and are always hoping to earn them, thereby trying their best that much more.
The teacher I observe is very insightful. She recognizes that students can get bored sometimes, and therefore makes fun activities for them. For example, they are all doing reports on different states, and she makes it fun by giving them different cool resources so that they can enjoy the project. Also, she has workshop days, in which they all get together in six different groups and do various activities that make learning really fun. From the smiles on their faces on workshop days, I gather that they really like them. She also knows how to praise a student so they will feel good, but not to do so excessively, lest it sound fake. She is not always so understanding, but she is improving, which shows that she really tries to be better.
ReplyDeleteShoshana, your comment about workshop days reminds me about my teacher in grade five. I loved her class, because we had "workshop" time every single day. We had all sorts of different projects to do, either alone or in groups, and we learned so much. Once we had a project about Antarctica, once about a species of birds, once we had to make a menu for a desert restaurant...the list goes on. I remember loving it, and I think it's a great way to really get students involved in what they're learning, and it also gives them such a variey of ways to be creative and focus on what they are interested in.
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the reasons I don't particularly enjoy my placement is the lack of this characteristic. Maybe they do all the insightful activities and discussions at every time except Tuesday afternoons, but when I am there, I feel that everything is really standard. Math is the same, always from the workbook, literature is always discussion on the rug. Prize tickets, library, homework... Of course routine is important, but I'm kind of getting the feeling that the students are also not so stimulated; some are confused, and others are bored, but not many look excited. I would love to see the teacher try some new ideas (which goes back to enthusiasm), new methods of discipline, and maybe include personal tasks,for different students, both weak and strong, who could benefit from it (not just assign smart kids to "help" the slower ones in the book).
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea that Alex commented on, of just having a miniature "celebration" for the whole class, at any little time that calls for it. I like how it's simple, doesn't make students' expectations really high, but exciting anyway (food always is...) and the students have immediate, tangible feedback.
The teacher is insightful. She has different projects for the kids to do. Since Halloween passed, they made these black cats and decorated them, and they made scarecrows out of popsicle sticks, and glued on a dress or shirt and paints made out of felt. These projects were put on a shelf in the classroom, so when one walks in, they are noticeable. The kids also created a spider web out of glue, and sprinkled glitter on it, so it sticks, and these are on the wall of the classroom. She has coloring pages, that are also educational and she has letter sheets, for them to trace each letter of the alphabet.
ReplyDeletemy teachers in my class are definitely insightful. they understand that each child has different needs and that they sometimes have to think out of the box to accommodate him. they also motivate the children with cheering, clapping, and helpful words as much as they can because the children need a lot of motivation. they probably have training more often than regular ed teachers do
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to express how my supervising teacher express insight. Although i am sure she does more than i notice there are only a few things I did notice. For every season or holiday the students make some sort of project that connects to what they are learning. Today the students made Thanksgiving necklaces for Thanksgiving. Another thing i noticed is one girl from Jordan is still learning English, whenever she answers a question correctly the whole class claps for her. I think this is so the girl can become excited and confident but also for the rest of the class to learn to be understanding and helpful.
ReplyDeleteI would like to speak about a teacher who I really think is very insightful even though she is not the teacher I am observing now. This teacher knows how to respond to each child. I have never heard her raise her voice or become impatient. One day a child was using language that was inappropriate. She did not give him a mussar speech on proper language, instead she told him to go to the bathroom and talk in there in a calm and non-condemning manner. Another time I saw her filling out a chart by her desk with a child who was having a difficult time behaving. She really knows what each child needs and how to give this to them.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Danielle's teachers- I think that in classes where the teacher was not very insightful we got through alot of information, but when I think about what has an impact on me now, I remember the most from classes where teachers understood us and taught accordingly.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher whom I observed was very insightful. She went over to me during a break to explain what she does. She started explaining how it may seem like she calls on one child more often than the others. She does this because this child was having problems, and after discussing the situation anonymously with other teachers at a teacher class, someone suggested that she do this. She does it and she says it has been working well. I think that the fact that she collaborates with other teachers helps her be more insightful. She seems to be an insightful person on her own, but with collaboration she learns about even more interventions that work in her classroom.
ReplyDeletethe teacher i have been observing is very good at what she does. she brings in household items and turns them into art projects that teach. they made skelotons out of q-tips. she only does activities that are appropriate for their ages and if teh activity is above or below a certain childs ability she ensures they get the help they need. she has a sticker chart for when they do their homework if they fill up their whole row in a certain amount of time they get prizes. she encourages them when they are doing well. she tries to improve her classroom by coming up with new ways to teach.
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