Chapter 7a

            This section of Chapter 7 discusses keeping records on student achievement. This was on the checklist for my midterm evaluation, and it really got me thinking. I admire the way my cooperating teacher keeps records and uses them to prepare for the future. She keeps records on behavior, grades, progress, and more. She has checklists everywhere. Keeping records helps to prepare effective lessons and also helps the teacher to stay organized.

Chapter 6c

            This section of Chapter 6 discussed the elements of a lesson plan. Throughout my time at Bradley, I have completed extensive amounts of work on lesson plans. The authors took a different approach at explaining a few things, which I really enjoyed to read about. For example, they suggested splitting the objectives into three categories, cognitive, affective and psychomotor. I have never done this, but I like that it gives objective writing some direction. I never know where to begin when writing my objectives for a lesson.

            This section of the chapter also talked about putting time increments. I have done this on a few lessons before, but I am noticing how helpful it really is throughout my student teaching experience. It helps to put suggested times on the lesson plans because it creates the lesson plan into a schedule, as well. If something goes over, it is easy to take a look at what can be shortened or taken out that is coming up next in the lesson.

Chapter 6b

            This section discussed more about planning and the importance of it. The section about interdisciplinary thematic units was informational, too. I created a thematic unit in one of my classes at Bradley before, and that was great practice. Connecting themes and ideas throughout many subjects will help the students learn. Creating thematic units based on unique interests that the students may have can be fun and educational for everyone.

Chapter 6a

            I enjoyed reading this part of the chapter, particularly the part about the different learning styles. Not to say younger children in the primary grades all learn the same, but they are learning basic things that only can be taught so many ways. As students get older, the material they are learning becomes more complex, and many people need different accommodations. I have already started doing this in my student teaching, but when I am a teacher, I want to mix up the way I teach. It is important to have different activities and lessons all the time so that one student who cannot learn as well in that specific way is not stuck. It is hard to teach a class full of very different people.

Chapter 5c

I loved the part of this chapter that talked about the use of syllabi. I found this especially interesting because even before I started really taking education courses, I knew I wanted to incorporate a syllabus in my classroom, no matter the grade. I did not start seeing syllabi until late high school, and throughout college. I will use a syllabus, even if I am in an early elementary grade. A syllabus will help to guide and outline the school year, or semester. I think teachers can use one at all levels, so that the students and parents are aware of what is in store for them. As long as it is tentative, it can only benefit!

Chapter 5b

In this section of the chapter, the authors talked more about textbooks, objectives (which can be associated with planning), and controversial topics and how to go about teaching them. I found these main points interesting. Textbooks are such a huge issue in the education field, but I personally think they are beneficial when used correctly. I have always been an old-school kind of person who likes to flip the pages of a real book. I think textbooks can definitely still be used in the classroom as long as there are other forms of instruction present. Relying completely on an outdated textbook would not make for effective learning, but using them as a resource is still a great idea. I also enjoyed the list of words not to use in objectives. At Bradley, we have learned so specifically how to write a good objective, and I feel confident in doing this now. When we are teachers and are not writing extensive lesson plans for each subject, objectives are always something that stay. Before every lesson, it is important to know what you want your students to get out of what you're teaching. Last, I thought the talk of controversial topics was intriguing. There are so many touchy topics out there, and most of them are things that our students definitely need to learn about. I think the best way to go about teaching any topic that may be controversial, is to be completely unbiased. Teach the information as it is stated and do not incorporate any opinions or personal beliefs.

Chapter 4c

This section of the book covered examples of teachers' actions and how they affect the classroom environment both negatively and positively. I thought this section was extremely interesting because I am passionate about this topic. I remember very specific negative experiences I have had in the classroom based on the way the teacher was acting. I truly think that one negative experience can set off the whole environment and relationship. Being a teacher, it is important to know how to treat each student and to know how to word things properly so no one gets hurt. Group punishment is one part of the chapter that I think is a negative component of a classroom. Group punishment should never be utilized unless EVERY student in the class was misbehaving. If a group of students is punished, even though some students were not partaking in any disruptive behavior, it is not fair to them and chances are they will remember that bad experience they were put through for no reason.

Chapter 4b

This portion of the chapter discussed the things that teachers have to do on the first day of school. I agree with the extensive list the authors provided. There will only be one first day of school, and it is important that on that day the teacher establishes authority and puts everything in place for the students to begin learning. The rest of the chapter discussed more on classroom management and different ways to handle or stop it.

Chapter 4a

This portion of the book touched on classroom management and different strategies and procedures to include in the classroom. I think the authors were helpful in this portion of the chapter in giving specific examples. One thing I came across in this chapter that I thought really hard about was when the authors noted to learn names as quickly as possible. I knew for the younger grades that this was important for many reasons. It is hard to control a class of young children without specifically being able to call out names. It also can potentially upset the students if you cannot learn their names quickly. When I started student teaching, I tried to learn their names by the end of the first day. I succeeded with everyone’s by day two. I did not think it would be so important for the older students, but it does make sense now. The teacher can control a classroom much better if he or she can specifically address people. I also enjoyed reading through the portion about procedures and consequences. I have touched on this a lot in my classes here at Bradley, and I know that having a procedure for every little thing will help to manage a classroom.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, the authors elaborate and extend on the previous chapter. The chapter explains more ways for teachers to positively teach and influence adolescents. One aspect of this chapter I found extremely interesting is how the authors said not to call on students unless they are behaving and their hand is raised. I found this interesting because that is something I have always strongly believed in. The students who are acting up and being goofy, want to be called on so the attention is on them. The students who are silently sitting with their hands down do not want to be called on and may even have anxiety about getting attention. The students who are sitting quietly with their hands raised are the ones who deserve to be called on. I always hated when teachers called on students just to see if they are paying attention. Yes, it is a good way to check on students, but it can cause some serious anxiety in the ones who do not want to answer out loud. This chapter also focused a lot on different questioning styles. Questioning my students so that they are encouraged to think more deeply about a topic is something I want to work on this semester as I student teach. I already have gotten positive feedback from my cooperating teacher and my supervisor about how I am doing a great job questioning and challenging the students.   

Chapter 2b

This section of the book touches on different things a competent teacher can be seen doing. There is an extensive list of 22 different examples. The one that stood out to me the most was how competent teachers are also good role models. I think this is so important for teachers that teach any grade, but especially middle school. Teachers serve as a guide and are sometimes the only positive adult figure in a child’s life. In middle school, adolescents are really starting to develop who they truly are and are constantly looking for people that they can admire. To be a good role model, a teacher has to act the way he or she thinks the students should act. If you have a no cell phone policy in the classroom, then you should not be on your cell phone either. Creating a positive, yet comfortable learning environment, in which you, as the teacher, play a big role in, will help the students succeed and direct them into making good decisions.

Chapter 2a

In this section, the authors discuss professional responsibilities that the teachers of young adolescents have. The book describes the planning and pre-active phase, which is the time teachers take to plan and establish the type of things they want to go on in their classroom before they see the students and get started. Next, the teaching or interactive phase is the phase where the teachers have to make sure their class is engaged and intrigued by the lessons. The reflection phase is where the teacher takes time to reflect on the things that worked and did not work, so that they can improve. Lastly, the application phase, which is applying what you have decided based on your planning, teaching, and reflecting. I am noticing myself going through these phases in my student teaching. I am only in second grade, but every teacher goes through these. If I teach a middle school class one day, I think the most important parts of these phases are the interactive phase, and the reflective phase. Adolescents have so much going on in their lives, with peers and hormones, they need lessons that help them to be engaged and excited to learn. It is also important to reflect so that you can improve as a teacher.

Chapter 1

After reviewing Chapter 1 and going through the posters we made as a class, I feel that Chapter 1 is a general introduction of what we will be learning about more in depth as the semester goes on. Chapter 1 explains the different schooling adolescents go through, such as middle schools, junior high schools, magnet schools, etc., the school year calendar, and different committees and acts. The most beneficial part of Chapter 1 to me was toward the end when it explained how adolescents think and perceive the world around them. It is important as future teachers to know where our students are at in their lives. Adolescents go through a lot of changes both physically and mentally and it is important to be aware of that because it could potentially affect their ability to learn. As future teachers, it is important for us to stay in touch with our students and provide them with an environment that they feel comfortable and accepted in. My junior high years were some of the best years of my life and I know it is because I had a great family life, I was surrounded by great peers, and I had a support system at school that I knew I could count on if I ever felt I needed something.