Blog Prompt: How can we learn from what we do/teach? How can we continue to better ourselves as teachers? What are some ways we can become “reflective practitioners”?
I think student’s work can and will reflect how the teacher teaches. But, sometimes, okay most of the time, students come into class with bad habits and faulty opinions that color their work in a way that could reflect poorly on the teacher. With that being said, I think it would be prudent of the teacher to be aware of this when they teach and ask for feedback, whether it be verbal or written.
It just ocurred to me that in all of my blogs I touch on the need to be hands-on in the classroom. I guess it is the pragmatist coming out in me, but I know it is applicable. In my experience as a student, asking questions and talking with the teacher was very benefitial to my work. In FYC, I think it is crucial that teachers try to create an atmosphere within the classroom that fosters discussion and questions because the students will eventually figure out that everyone else is more or less in the same boat as they are. Group work and discussion becomes an integral part of the class and offers a great springboard for progress and discussion if moderated by the teacher in a way that didn’t digress from the topic at hand: compostion and it’s components.
Today’s class was a great example of “reflective practitioning”, I think. I was able to take myself out of my viewpoint and work with another in order to try and see the advantages/disadvantages of different types of grading. I think peer reviews are helpful, but need to be moderated by the teacher so that the student does not take one extreme or another when critiquing.
sobrien1 said,
October 29, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I agree that creating an environment within the classroom that is comfortable and encourages students to ask questions and participate in discussions is crucial. As you discussed, I think students often feel as though they are the only ones struggling or not understanding concepts. When they are encouraged to collaborate with each other through group work, it can be a useful tool in increasing their comprehension and personal growth.
Leigh said,
October 29, 2009 at 4:39 pm
You are absolutely correct in your belief that you need to be “hands-on” in the classroom. As I mentioned in my blog on this topic, I learned to teach by teaching. In my experience, teaching is a practice of “trial and error.” Having the theoretical foundation will certainly enable you to make informed decisions about how you will approach teaching a particular topic, but until you actually have the opportunity to implement the approach, it is difficult to determine whether or not it is effective. Throughout your teaching career, you will continually adapt, revise, and trash lesson plans, activities, assignments, etc., for what works for one class, doesn’t work for another; and just when you think you have it down, you’ll have a new generation of students sitting before you and you’ll have to reassess your practices all over again. Rather than finding this a drudgery, I find it exciting, for I know that I’ll never get bogged down by the “same ol’, same ol’.”
Kathleen Hudgins said,
November 2, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I think your practicality is refreshing and absolutely necessary. All the theories in the world won’t help you to communicate well with 18-year-olds. And sometimes you have to teach the students how to communicate with you. I had a freshmen class in which one of the requirements for a major paper was to discuss it with the professor during his office hours. It forced us to learn how to communicate with the professor and how to discuss our work critically. While this may be impractical with five or six sections of FYC, it might be something you could incorporate with one or two. You could also do something similar in a workshop setting. I’ve found, as you have, that nothing is more helpful than getting an instructor’s input.
Khouloud said,
November 3, 2009 at 5:26 am
I do agree with you guys about what you mentioned. It is important for a student to be ready and attentive in class the same way a teacher has to be there for the students and be a “hands-on”. I am not sure to what extent a teacher has to “control” to be negative and “guide” to be positive, but I do believe that as much as needed. It all depends on the class and the students.
interesting to see, maybe in one of those TV commedies.
Definitely, there is no magic recipe to give to any teacher. Teaching is the one job that is so important to every nation. I mentioned in my blog that teachers have the nation’s future in their hands and there hides the importantce of their task. That is why a teacher needs to evolve with research and opening up to changes. Imagine an anal pen-and-paper perfectionist dealing with Internet and/or video-games kids.
croesfaen said,
November 5, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I, too, believe that the “hands-on” approach is beneficial to learning from how and what we teach. In periods of self-reflection, it is best to have something tangible to aid in this process. I self-reflect on my own methods of grading and how I taught, and what I can do differently next time around. Although I do not actively keep up with a teaching journal per se, I do jot things down in my notebook periodically. What works and what doesn’t, and how I can change things up to make my approach to a text or assignment better for me and others.
I find periods of self-reflection very helpful because it allows me the opportunity to see what I do in FYC, and gives me room to improve.
Becky said,
November 23, 2009 at 5:54 pm
If it’s true that “you learn by doing”, then a writing class should be about writing!
However, as you note, it’s important to engage the brain, to think beyond your comfort level. I’m really interested in how you think we can get students to do that, and just as importantly, how we get TEACHERS to do that (since teachers like being the one who “knows”, who’s in control).