Week 11: Review

The three websites that I chose to tweet this week and why:
http://corestandards.org-- This is a website where you can click on the state you are teaching in and see what the standards are. My friend who is a teacher in Mississippi says she uses this on a weekly basis to get their weekly standards for common core.

http://educationnorthwest.org/traits-- Useful for writing assignments. Offers an overview with research to support the 6+1 trade writing program, lesson plans, writing prompts, and rubrics. Also includes writing samples to practice scoring and see how other teachers scored the work.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/resources-for-teachers/-- Offers many different teacher tools such as student activities, lesson plan ideas, and bell work. Also includes information on scholastic books and an area where teachers can blog and get ideas from each other.

Brighton-- I enjoyed learning about the different types of parenting and the pros and cons of each kind
Parks-- I learned that the easiest way to make a parent an ally is to send something positive about their child before they have to come to me.
Parent Involvement Research Summary-- The ten recommendations for increasing parent involvement were helpful for me to learn.

Week 9: Reflection

Notice how Ms. Hall takes 10 seconds to review her expectations for participation:
I think by her only taking up that much time she is able to keep the student's attention. She doesn't harp on and on about what she expects. She just gets their attention and explains exactly what she expects briefly. Keeping it concise makes it easier for students to remember.

What is meant by the narrator's statement of "always show you mean business"?
I think that if you continually let things slide, students begin to lose respect for you and you slowly lose control in the classroom. If you always mean business, students will respect you as the teacher and will be more likely to follow rules and comply with what they are asked to do.

How does Ms Hall's positive approach encourage participation?
By continually verbally affirming the students she encourages them to participate. Like she said, for some students raising their hand and speaking in front of all of those people is a huge step so she wants to encourage them to continue to voice their thoughts. When she hands out stickers and cards, it is a physical positive response to students who are giving good answers. This is on top of the verbal praise she already gives.

How do you think this will or will not inform your practice as a teacher?
I am the type of person who learns by being positively affirmed so I will teach in this way, as well. Seeing Ms. Hall positively affirm her students verbally and through visible rewards gave me the idea of coming up with multiple ways to encourage students. For some students it might be the verbal praise that keeps them working hard but for others it could be a tangible reward. I think that by having multiple forms of encouragement I will be more likely to reach the entire class.

Week 8: Closure

The Kohn article for this week really opened my eyes. Although I had already decided that in my future classroom I would want my students to be a part in making the classroom rules, this article made it clear why this is so important. Not only is it important for students to feel like they are a part of the rule making, it also helps them to understand why certain things are acceptable and others are not. It helps them begin to develop a way of thinking that is not so black and white. Up until the point of reading this article, I thought involving the students was just a way of encouraging a student teacher relationship or getting the students to participate from the first day. I now see the bigger picture. Like the author said, "the process is the point". Helping the students to understand why certain things will help the classroom run smoother and helping them process why these expectations are important is opening a door to bigger discussions and a broader way of thinking for students.

Week 7: Field Observation 4

In the video we watched this week I like the classroom's organization and vibrant colors. I think they make the classroom an inviting place and I also think all of the fun colors would be a reflection of me and my desired style of teaching. When they showed the classroom at the beginning that was "calming" I did not like it at all. I thought it looked boring and cold. Most of the ideas in the main classroom I liked though. A couple of things that I think would not be appropriate for a middle level classroom would be the carpet for circle time and the different insects as labels for each group of desks. I think that there needs to be space for group reading time or other kinds of group work but the carpet idea seems to be a bit elementary. For instance, it could be awkward for growing bodies to have to sit in such a small space and so close to one another. The different labels are creative but a bit child-centered as well. I think that just giving different groups a color or letting them name their group could be a better alternative.
The idea of form following function means that things in your classroom should serve a purpose. When I think of this I particularly think of displays on the wall in the classroom, whether that be a bulletin board or something else. I think that wall displays need to be creative and fun but they also need to have a reason behind them, preferably one that encourages learning.

Week 5 Closure: Adolescent Development

This week, learning about teaming was interesting for me. This is a new concept to me but I find it intriguing. I think teaming can be very beneficial for young adolescents. I think that teaming can address young adolescent development by providing a sense of consistancy. This is a crucial part in young adolescents lives and having teachers who are all on the same page would be very beneficial. I also think they will benefit from having teachers who have bounced ideas off of each other and discussed what the best way is to deal with students. Between the team working through ideas, hopefully the students will end up being the ones with the largest benefit.
I think that there are a few methods to create a good classroom climate. I think first of all teachers need to make a point to put their students as their priority. With that in mind, I think teachers will be able to provide students with a positive and enjoyable classroom climate. Teachers also need to be able to make the material interesting to students. I think a good way to do that is to introduce group work or creative ways of learning the material. Getting students to work in a hands on manner can make it seem more relevant to them. I also agree with Parks in regards to rewarding students. Parks writes, "Stickers, homework passes, treats, awards, etc., really will motivate middle schoolers and are tools you can and should use in your classroom." (Parks 2010, page 18) These little things will make students want to work with the teacher to make the classroom a pleasant place for all.

Field Observation 3

This week I went and observed seventh and eighth grade students at lunch. There were roughly 200 students in the lunchroom when I was there. The first thing that I found interesting was that before students got in line to get their food they all went and claimed a seat at a table. I later found out that each group sits in the same area of the cafeteria everyday but the seats at the table change up. Then the students who were buying lunch went with friends to get in line to get food. I noticed that no student liked to be left alone at any point during the lunch period. I also noticed that students did not venture to other tables. Some students sat at tables with both boys and girls while other sat in groups of the same sex. After they had finished lunch some students got out notes or homework that they frantically finished. I could tell that the homework they were working on was most likely due in the class after lunch.

What I began to put together was that when Brighton said “most middle school students are more concerned with their social status than they are with their academic standing,” (Brighton 2007) he hit the nail on the head. Obviously, if they were more worried about their school work it would have been finished the night before when it was assigned. Instead, they would rather socialize with their friends during lunch and then at the last minute cram in homework and read over their notes. I also think that if spending time with friends is so important, Brighton was also correct when he wrote about student’s friends having an effect on what they believe. It was obvious sitting by certain people was important so I’m sure having common beliefs with these same people is important to these students as well.

I think it is vitally important for teachers to be aware of this strong need students have for interaction with their peers. It is important not only for social reasons but for their intellectual development as well. These students require this type of interaction for their development because for the first time they are beginning to form their own opinions instead of strictly adopting their parent’s beliefs. This is a major part in their journey to adulthood.

Field Observation 2

For this week's observation, I went and observed a middle school church service at Pinelake church. The beginning of the service took place in the large gymnasium and included singing and a speaker. The "big group", as they call it, included both boys and girls in grades 6-8. What I noticed first of all was the short attention span of the young teens. The room is filled with adults whose job is to make sure they stay quiet and attentive during the service and still the students tried to socialize with one another. It was clear that, just as Brighton had mentioned in the book, friends were the focal point. They are then split up into "community groups" where they go to different rooms divided up by age and gender. I chose to observe the 6th grade girls group.  It was just as the book had discussed in chapter four, the students who spoke up the most and answered the most questions seemed to be more confident in themselves than the girls who sat on the back row and seemed timid. The girls who were answering the questions were a group of six and I quickly found out they went to school together and were best friends outside of school and church. I could tell that the girls in the back, even when called on, did not want to try to steal the spotlight from these other girls. It was almost as if they were the popular girls at school and that the way others reacted to them was the same at school and outside of school. When the teaching concluded they were free to socialize until their ride came to pick them up. At that point I observed more male and female interaction. Some flirting was going on and I heard multiple times "I will text you later tonight". It was clear that they were very infatuated with the opposite sex.
The book laid out a pretty clear guideline and was almost exact in its description and what I actually observed. I did  have one major thought however, although the book suggests encouraging students to participate  in "groups that encourage positive values such as community service groups, sports teams, scouts, and religious organizations" (Brighton 25) I think it is difficult, if not impossible, for students to escape peer pressure and cliques whenever they are in a big group like they were that night. Middle school is such a difficult time for young adolescents to try to fit in and find themselves at the same time. Without proper encouragement and guidance from teachers and other adults around them, it would be easy for some of these students to slip through the cracks because they are the quieter type. This observation made me much more aware of the types of situations I will be dealing with in the classroom.

Week 3: Closure Continued

Diversity and socioeconomic status is something that each teacher needs to understand and be prepared to face. It seems hard sometimes to relate to people who are different or come from a different background than you. The chart laid out a pretty clear difference between the social classes and for the most part I agree with what is listed. However, I think the problem comes when you have students who fall in between two of theses "clear cut" groups. I do agree with the suggestions given for managing behaviors of those with generational poverty. I think it can be hard to treat each student fairly when they all come from such different backgrounds but I think it is so important! Not only should teachers encourage their students and make the classroom a great place but they should also remember that each student brings something different to the table that could be beneficial for someone else. Also, teachers need to be sensitive to the fact that many of the problems they face with students are not just the student acting out but that they could be a result of the environment in which they have been raised.

Week 3: Closure, Social/Emotional Development

I found this weeks reading in Coming of Age to be particularly interesting. Although I knew that students viewed friendships and being accepted as very important since, after all, we all were in middle school at some point, I had no idea that the majority of students say that is the most important reason they come to school. I also found it very interesting that students who feel accepted are more likely to do better in school. With those two things noted, I realized just how important it is to be aware of students in the classroom and how they seem to be fitting in and adjusting to middle school. I have often wondered how I would respond to students who seem to cause disruptions in the classroom. I still remember how frustrating it was to have students in my class in elementary and middle school who constantly hindered the learning process with their behavior so I can only imagine that kind of frustration would only be multiplied as the teacher. All of that to say, it was very helpful for me to learn about the difference in neglected and rejected students. I now understand that it is more of a need for attention than anything else. As someone who was once a girl in middle school, I cannot imagine going through middle school in this day and time. From online bullying to an unrealistic standard for young women to live up to, the pressures and day to day life for these students seem to be so challenging. I think it is very important for teachers to educate their students on bullying and to make a point to make their classrooms a positive, encouraging environment. Finally, it is important for teachers to reflect back on their time in middle school and realize that we, too, faced some of these same struggles students today do and use that as a motivation to do what they can to help solve these problems.

Field Observation 1

This week I went and observed three different 8th grade boy basketball games. The first game was a primarily African American team and the other two games were between Caucasian teams. The young adolescents I observed were between 13 and 15 years old. In the first game it seemed that they were already very physically developed as one of the players, a 7th grader, dunked the basketball on numerous occasions. They all seemed very coordinated and although you could tell they would still need to put on more muscle, they had definitely hit their growth spurt. One of the boys on the team was 6'4"! However, in the other two games it seemed they were exactly as the book had described young adolescent boys. Some were tall, some were short, some had body hair, some of their voices had changed- altogether there were quite a few stages of physical development displayed. Just as the book had described, some of them seemed out of proportion. One particular student had really big feet but was not very tall. I could tell that he had not fully developed to his physical potential.
All of these observations made me realize that teaching these young adolescents is going to involve treating them as individuals and not like a big group. After seeing students the same age at so many different stages it makes me realize that this age group is not at all at the same place in their physical development. It must be very confusing to look to either side of you and see that while you are standing at 5'6" the person to your right is 6'2"! I think that by realizing that each student is an individual and going though all sorts of changes, it has made me more aware and I think I will be able to be more of a help to my students because of it.

Week 2: Closure

"Beautiful Brains" Article:

In this article the author reflects on what makes teenagers act the way that they do. He references philosophers that have written about the teenagers mind many years ago. The interesting thing is- Aristotle described teenagers the same way we do today in 2013. They tend to not make the safest, most mature decisions and one philosopher explains this by writing that they value the reward over the risk. I found this article to be very informative. I had never actually thought more about the teenagers mind past the idea of “what were they thinking?”. This article made me realize that there is a lot more involved in the brain of these young people than meets the eye. The fact that the brain is reorganizing itself is very interesting to me. I think that understanding the development of their brain will help me be more understanding in a classroom setting to the way they may respond to a situation.

"The Oversexualization of Young Adolescent Girls: Implications for Middle Grades Educators"  Article:

This article is all about how the media and today’s world portrays the “ideal” woman. Whether that is in advertisements, television shows, movies, or even songs, the young woman today would have an impossible task of avoiding this oversexualization of women. Even in last weeks national championship football game the star of the show was Katherine Webb, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend and the reigning Miss Alabama USA. The commentators even had to release an apology the next day because commented continuously throughout the game on her good looks. Middle school is a difficult growing time for both boys and girls but with this type of hype surrounding women it is even more challenging for girls. This oversexualization leads to girls feeling insecure and constantly worried about their appearance. The problem in the classroom is that if that is the only thing their mind thinks about all day every day there is no room for school work. Another problem is that this lack of self confidence can also flow into their work at school. I think teachers can combat this by being encouraging to their students and being available to talk to them if they want to open up about what they are going through.

Week 1: Closure

1. The main thing that I learned from the reading this week was the idea of having your attitude as the tone that sets the atmosphere for the whole classroom. Today while we were in orientation, the quote about "middle schoolers being like sharks when there is blood in the water" made me think back to this. Although the quote was in reference to a teacher being nervous, I think it is also true if a teacher's attitude is poor even if it is for a short time. These young adolescents can pick up on this and it can rub off on them or worse instigate them to add to your reason for having a bad attitude in the first place. On the other hand, having a positive and encouraging attitude can be just as contagious and this is the type of attitude I think we should all strive for in our classes here and our future classrooms.
2. My question for the week and it goes along with the topic of attitude: What happens if you, as a teacher, always bring a positive attitude into the classroom but there is a student whose negative attitude seems to affect the class? What is the best way to handle that?
3. I am very excited to get to understand the growing mind of a young adolescent. This time can be so hard for that age group and I want to learn as much as I can to be able to teach them to the best of my ability.

1: Introduction and Course/Program Goals

My name is Elizabeth Ann Miskelly. I graduated in May from Mississippi State with a degree in Business Administration. My family has a furniture business so I think I spent my four years of college convincing myself that I wanted to pursue a career in the business world. I spent all of the spring and summer traveling and interviewing for different positions only to realize that this was not at all what I wanted to spend my life doing. At the end of the summer I began to look into the different routes I could take to becoming a teacher. When I found out about the MAT-M program through Mississippi State it was exactly the type of program I was interested in. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you as we start this new chapter of our lives together.

Since we haven't met yet here are a few things I enjoy: traveling (not necessarily to different countries but anytime a road trip opportunity arises, I am the first one to agree to go), riding hunter jumper horses, training riders, and going to horse shows, and finally, tutoring and babysitting some of the cutest kids on Earth.

Some goals I have set for myself include learning as much as I can about becoming a future educator. I have a business background so I feel as if I am totally clueless when it comes to all of this right now. I want to learn how to understand middle school students today and their way of thinking in order to be able to teach them to the best of my ability. Finally, I want to set a goal of having a 4.0.
My general expectations for this class include learning how to manage a classroom of middle schoold students as well as how to teach a diverse classroom.

Three things middle school teachers do that are beneficial to the overall learning experience of middle school students-
1. They teach the students how to be independent in their studies and thought process
2. They expect the students to be responsible with their work and due dates
3. They let the students take responsibility for their actions instead of "baby-ing" them through middle school

Three things middle school teachers do that are detrimental to the overall learning experience of middle school students-
1. They treat students as a group instead of as individuals
2. They expect students to be independent without first teaching them ways to stay organized and on top of assignments
3. They do not cater to the ever-increasing diversity in the classroom

I think that I can offer the class community with feedback and hopefully some notes from in-class experience. I am on several substitute lists for schools in my area and if there is anyone in the class like me who has no in-class experience I hope that I will be able to share with you all what I observe and that we can learn together from it.