Creating the classroom!

                After graduating from Dutchess Community College, I became a substitute teacher first in Poughkeepsie City School District, then recently in Newburgh Enlarged City School District. The first thing, I noticed upon entering the classroom is how the classroom is arranged. I find some classrooms to  be cluttered unfortunately those classes are chaotic. The classroom with the students in groups is chatty. The classroom with the rows are the most common. How I would arrange my classroom is something, I often think about! So I truly enjoyed using http://classroom.4teachers.org to create my classroom. I created my classroom based on the teaching method used. 


                 

                                                                                                            

Using the teaching strategy picture, I have a solid understanding of how the specific teaching methods look  in the classroom. So based on this information, I have designed these arrangements for my classroom.













Design #1: Direct instruction Arrangement

In the classroom, direct instruction is lectures, guided reading and explicit teaching. During this style of teaching, straight rows all the way to the back of the classroom, keeps the attention of the classroom on the front of the classroom.  Since the front of the class is where I will be using the smart board to display the materiel.

Cognitively, I believe, this arrangement will appeal to students: Perception, Attention Memory and Language thinking.  I will use visuals to appeal to the students visual perception. Since I will be teaching new material, I am hoping students will learn by means of drill and practice if necessary.  The rows give me an opportunity to work one on one with students without distracting other students. I can walk around the classroom and give back the necessary feedback in a positive manner, hopefully in an effective manner.

For the most part, students will work independently which eliminates competition and feelings of anxiety. When students are learning new material, it's important that they have a sense of privacy. By the desk not being in groups, when I pass back quizzes or discuss skill level, students aren't overwhelmed feeling embarrassed because others know the areas that need improvement.  The emotional security of students is crucial to how they responded to learning. The rows create healthy isolation for each student.

Although, students are not clustered together in groups, this arrangement still enable students to be close enough to socialize. If there is a period in the learning that demands students to collaborate and socialize, then they can put their chairs together and work as partners.

Physically, students as well as myself are able to move around the classroom.

Design #2: Indirect/ Experimental Learning
This will most likely be how the class is setup for review or to conclude a union. Students will probably engage in games and/or debates to review material. This is also the set-up for partner presentations/ research assignments. There is no way to have each and every student present so they will probably be in pairs.They can choose however to take a stance with each other or against each other. Debates are greatly welcomed because students need to know arguing and disagreeing are ways of life but there are guidelines to effective formal arguing.  Here students can stay in their role as typical teens who want to argue with a friend or against a friend about a topic. Students will get to choose their partners and where they want to sit, for the most part.  This gives them a level of comfortably especially since they are in control.

Design #3: Collaborative Learning

During collaborative learning, students are presented with a puzzling situation and have to rely on one another to work through it. So with that students are put into groups, generally speaking, I will pick the groups because as the teacher, I have knowledge and insight beyond teens who will most likely pick their friends. The groups will be based on grouping the strong ones; moderate one and improvement groups depending on the subject. Collaborative work should be all about still maintaining independent excellence. The stronger group (Grou 1)will have to decide who is best suited for the role at the time given the topic; all the leaders will have to work out how are they going to decide who will lead, who will speak, so on and so forth.  The moderate group (Group 2)challenges maybe distributing tasks based on skill-level but not with the topic. While the improvement group (Group 3) may struggle with the topic as well as skill-level, I will already know this is the group, I will have to guide the most.

The intent of my collaborative learning is to enable students to move from level to level academically/cognitvely. This means group one students maybe 8/10 academically but because of this assignment collectively they move to a 9/10 and so on and so forth. Unfortunately, the struggling students are least likely to learn from group work because it is easy to hide. Students easily feel like collaborative learning is academic camouflage. Not in my class!

This way of implementing collaborative learning socially impacts students by seeing the strengths and/or weakness of peers who may struggle just like them or excel just like them. It's important for teens to see they're not the only ones because at this point of development they are working so hard to fit in. Although, they know they dress like their peers, act like their peers, have facebook pages like their peers in the classroom there isn't that level of confidence knowing there's a peer in the classroom like me academically. I think that is crucial not just socially but emotionally as well.

A student's level of confidence greatly impacts their performance in the classroom. The way to generate confidence is by comfortable. Students are comfortable with each other outside of the classroom but in the classroom, it's like they tighten up, out anxiety. I believe group work help them see each others skill-level and breaks the ice to open up, share and improve.

   In the classroom, observed the desk are typically in rows like design #1. For discussions, students put the desk in a circle so they can see each other. Looking at a person, while they are speaking, shows a sign of respect. In this specific classroom, despite the changes in the set-up of the chairs/desk, every opportunity is seized to emphasize respect; Respect for self and respect for others. The classroom motto is: "There is no, if, ands or buts about RESPECT!" This is recited every class period before the lesson.One student put it like this: "Respect is like Nike "Just do it!"At that point the teacher and I both knew that learning took place by the agreements of the other students who were nodding and answering in the affirmative.

Stereotypes

              On Bet, every Tuesday night a show called, "The Game" airs with a character named Kira who is a child-star with the famous lines, "And why wasn't I invited?" All throughout the show, she's asked to recite the lines of her childhood that made her famous. As people look at her on the show, many assumptions are made.

1. She's rich! She has money from her childhood role.
2. She likes to recite that famous line. 
3. Blue and her are an item.

The downfall to assumptions is they are not always TRUE.

         As teachers, it is necessary get to know the students in an attempt to limit the number of assumptions. Most assumptions come from the culture which is the "values, behaviors and traditions that guide behaviors" of the students.  It is crucial to address the boundaries of each culture, refrain from adapting prejudices and producing stereotypes based on the diversity of students. Unfortunately, students come in the classroom, appearing to fit the assumptions, which create stereotypes.
        Stereotypes can be the greatest assassin to kill a multicultural atmosphere in the classroom.  Stereotypes are general views about certain groups of people. The school district, I am completing my observation hours in is stereotyped as being VIOLENT, not only are students fighting but the teachers too. During my observation, this week, the teacher kept emphasizing the prescence of the stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is an emotional burden that a person's actions will confirm the negative stereotype. As the students read the passage for the day, an expert about immigrants coming to Ellis Islands, the teacher pointed out the characters anxiety about fitting the stereotypes by his appearance; his speech and his actions. The students were given a chnace to reflect on some stereotypes they know and how it impacts them as individuals.
      It is easy to assume that the 8th grades of 2013 are conscious of such  impacts but the vital role of teachers is to create a classroom fitting for multicural education. Multicultural education is learning that is made equal for students across the board. Published are Banks's Five Dimensions of Multicutural Education which are:

1. Content integration: various material that includes all cultures to define key concepts;
• In the classroom, I have witnessed this as using materials from Hispanic, African, Jamaican and  American cultures to teach the key concept of immigration, language and the idea of home.

2.  The Knowledge of  Construction Process: how culture assumptions in certain areas influence our personal  "knowledge" of the culture
3. Prejudice Reduction: finding what the prejudices in the class and using teaching to dispell them

• While reading the text, the teacher would ask the students what they "knew" about immigrants which is knowledge construction. While the students spoke, the teacher put the "knowledge" on the board. Some students replied: they marry for green cards; if they don't know English they refuse to learn it out of fear of being turned American; Immigrant parents rather leave their children in their homelands out of fear of their children not having the culture embedded in them. The teacher asked them to also think about what influenced this "knowledge"? The teacher held a respectful 10 minute discussion during which she fill out a chart that looked similar to this:

4. An Empowering School Culture and Social Structure: examination the interaction of the school as a whole with culture and ethnic and creating a school atmosphere that the various cultures of students and staff.

• During spirit week, there is now a culture day, in which students can wear school appropriate attire that represents and embodies their cultures. Many students who may not participate in "twin day" or "hat day" wore a scarf with the flag of their homeland or something. The building principle at the end of the day announcements admitted to being surprise at the turnout and applauded the students for being unashamed to boldly show "what culture they are?" 

5. An Ethnic Pedagogy: using teaching styles that are preferred by students so it doesn't appear one spefic learning style is used to help a certain group/ethnicity

• The teacher is constantly using a variety of graphics, pictures, bringing in souvenirs from travels to different places, food that is appropriate to make the connection stronger, different text. This teacher is displays various teaching styles to keep all learners engaged in the learning processes which supports my personal teaching style philosophy.

Confirmati

   It is easy to assume, my enrollment in Mount Saint Mary's College in pursuit of my third college degree to become a high school English teacher is proof of my preference grade level.  Unfortunately, there are a number of individuals who pursue certain careers without identifying whether or not it is at least interesting. So I look for signs of confirmation to reassure me that I am indeed embarking on a journey that is realistic for me to travel. In the Psychology of Learning, I was given the opportunity to explore my interest in the various grade levels by taking an inventory of which development skills of various ages appealed to me.  This survey enabled me to articulate why and how I know I prefer to teach secondary education and it provided me evidence that there are normal adolescent behaviors based solely on their stage of development.

    During and even before, I became an adolescent I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My mom says all my life, I've always pretended to be a teacher. As a freshmen  in Nyack College, I was pursuing a degree in early education but I had no passion instead I was afraid that it would be too much responsibility. Fearful of the demand to do more parenting in the sense of laying foundations oppose to working with students as a mentor, strictly a teacher who may have to erase what has been taught already or break up the foundation that is laid. So in the following years, I changed my major to English in the pursuit of obtaining certification 

to teach at the secondary level.

    When I think about adolescences, there is such a passion that overtakes me and pushes me to be concerned about a variety of the developmental milestones.  The Age Preference Inventory has the develpmental capablities of three age groups (5-6, 7-8 and 9-14) in the four types of development which are: social, cognitive, physical and emotional. By each statment of what the child should be able to do, if I was inteerested in it, I put an (+) but if it did not matter to me I put (-). Then I found out the percentage of the plus signs. I believe the reason for scoring a 57.14% for the age 5-6 group is because I am a mother of a soon to be six year old oppose to a 39.53% for ages 7-8. As a soon to be teacher for the ages 13-18 scoring a 74.42% is appropriate because it proves this age group peeps my interest.  After completing the inventory, I created the following concept map, which includes each area of interest for the ages 9-14.   

     No matter, what I do in life, I look for confirmation to validate that I am on the right path, even with my emloyment. This summer, I started a new job in which I handle very sensitive issues. Prior to this class, I told a parent the behavior the teen is displaying is normal adolescent behavior based on the stage of development experienced. The parent was adamant that it had to do with what the child was exposed to. I witnessed the 15 year old, disrespect the parent verbally because they were told to get off the computer (facebook) at 10pm and go to bed in front of a group of new people. Dispite the new living conditions and life misfortunes, the teen most likely would ahve reacted the same way because at this point of development, teens are:

•  more concerned with being popular;
• sulking and ticking time bombs sometimes; 
• want indepence from adult control;
• show-offs.

Unfortunately, from this experience, I noticed the parenting style of this parent. From what I collected about the parent-child's relationship in the past and I've seen in the present, the parent has a dismissing parenting approach. Especially in the realm of only trying to make the child happy and dismissing the fact that the child has other feelings and when those feelings are expressed the response is either avoidance or let's get over them together, which is still not dealing with them. Unfortunately, there are some feelings like anger which will only escalate into stronger feelings and eventually violent behaviors to some degree.   Although, I knew what I was saying was correct from a psychology standpoint, this inventory gave me the evidence to affirm me. The best way to be affirmed is through confirmation, which I have experienced by taking the Age-Prefernece Inventory and creating a concept map.

     Not only do I use this inventory as confirmation but the reading on parenting styles in which I learned, there is defiantly room for improvement in that area. As I mentioned before, I'm the mother of a 5 year old and I sway between being a Laissize-faire and coaching parent. Sometimes I am struggle with calming down when I'm emotional but i am very compassionate. I, also, identify with Laissez-Faire parenting styles I tend to be afraid of limiting his behavior because it may show my affection is a result of good behavior when it is really unconditional. As a coach parent, I am guilty of ask my son, "how is he feeling?" I cherish what his response. As my son gets older, I truly learn there is no handbook to parenting but there are simple guides like psychology, which confirms where I am on my journey of not only parenting but teaching.  

Three-legged Race:Nature vs. nurture

      Upon attending a number of outside gatherings and outings, there are a number of games played and one in particular is the three-legged race. The goal of the race is to win but the difficulty is using three legs. The two people have the middle legs tied together which causes great dependency on one another. This is the same when it comes to nature and nurture in terms of reaching development. Nature is the biological make-up of an individual and nurture is the environment one is in which impacts behaviors. The investigation for years is: which one impacts an individuals behaviors, choices, etc. the most? The verdict is not definite but the jury (psychologist) prove both run "hand and hand." However, my view is nurture as a robust man who is running a three-legged race with a petite shaped woman with little to no athleticism (nature), as the whistle is blown to start the race which symbolizes the time in an individuals life to start making critical choices nurture is strong enough to win the race with or without nature.    

            Before determining a winner of any race, there has to be a clear understanding of where is the finish line. So let's define development (the finish line) as an orderly process in which one changes through adaptation from the time of birth to death.  There are four types of developmenmt: social; personal; cognitive and physical. The development that relies on nature is phyiscal because that is directly impacted by ones genes. As stated before nature is the biological make-up of a person. The DNA a person inherits from his or her parents is crucial to the physical make-up. For instance ones' facial features are hereditary. Siblings resemble each other when the parents are shared because of DNA. Me, personally, my mother is 4'11 and I'm 5'0, while my father is about 5'9 and my sister is 5'6. The notion of nature having the greater influence is  supported by renowned philosophers like Plato and Descartes.  However with the other types, it is easy to win the race to development by nurture.

       The remaining developmental stages are personality, social and cognitive are significantly impacted by the environment one is in. One of the greatest psychologist, Sigmund Freud's developed the psycho-sexual development theory which is based on the belief that an individual's persoanlity developes as a result of the enviornment one is constantly in.  The five stages of developmenmt are: 

• Oral Stage:  a period from birth to the age of one when an individual is satisfied through the mouth but the conflict comes when it is time to esxperiecne a seperation from the primary caregivers; 
• Anal Stage: the time from 1 to 3 in which a child is conscious and in control of the needs of the physical body
• Phallic Stage: when children are able to process the difference between a girl and a boy
• Latent period: from the age of 6 until puberty when an individual is full of the desire to explore
• The Genital stage is the stage from puberty to death when an individual desires companionship

How each of these stages are completed can be significantly influenced by those around the individual like parents, guardians, older siblings, any and all caregivers.  Those around impact how one acts
(personality-wise). Let's take, for instance, the time in the oral stage if a child becomes significantly dependent on the caregiver prior to being weaned than this causes the child to be aggressive and dependent.  Social development is how a person relates with others, which in the phallic stage maybe a direct correlation to dicphering the difference between male and female which happens between the ages of three and six. The greatest development is cognitive which is the way one thinks. The mastermind behind famous cognitive development theories is Jean Piaget which is

MY interpretation of Piaget's Cognitive Development theory are: it is apparent a child can only observe what's in their surroundings; a teen can only think concretely about the future under the influence of those around and in order for a child to act out what is seen they have to see what is in their environment. 

      Development is such a crucial process in a human's life. It is essential the make-up of an individual. I have to agree significantly with John Locke's idea of tabula rusa- which is the belief that one is born with a blank slate mentally and experience writes the knowledge on slate of the mind. Genes and DNA which is essentially nature does play a vital role in the physical development but as far as the other types of development are concerned nurture is most impacting. When the finish line a race is development and nurture  is the source of the victory it's easy to conclude that development may be a three-legged race but nurture reigns as the true means of winning.

   

Warden

 

                     Ironically, my desire for the ages of 24-50 are to be a teacher but by the age of  55/60 I want to be a warden of a prison. Both teaching and being a warden are true passions of mine. Earlier today, I spoke to my mom about how I want to be a teacher because I want to impact the lives of individuals but I want to be a warden because my goal is to impact the system. Never would I think of school, itself, being a type of prison that needs to be torn down and rebuild. I always think of the educational system needing renovations but I have little to no interest to attempting to stand against that giant. Now after reading, "School is a prison- and damaging ourkids," I better understand the structure of the typical classroom is not the most effective means of getting students to learn.

                    This year, my mom's daycare, where I am employed as assistant director, is attempting to advance in its program and be recognized by the state of New York as almost equivalent to pre-school through a program called Quality Stars." During evaluation, the representative comes in and observes the daily routing. In the routine, we have circle-time, arts and crafts and academics. Academics is the time the children sit at the table and we do a lesson with them.  The report summed up advised the daycare to permit the children to learn via free-play because that is how children learn more effectively. After reading this article, I understand having students sit in a desk/table and learn may not be the most desirable or effective way of teaching.

                        I learned the way school is structured is from a period when the powers that be desired to make an impression upon the minds of the generations to learn about the Bible and about God. Since the purpose was to instill in children the principles without fear of being challenged. Now students are not just taking teachings at face value, which means students of this day and age are rebuttal because inquiring minds want to know. When students or those from another generation ask questions, that does not mean acts of rebellion. Often times, because students ask questions it is misinterpreted as being noncompliance. knowing students have questions finding creative ways to address them  is a skill necessary for teaching.

                  From conversing with a teacher from Newburgh Free Academy, one of her effective teaching principles to reach every student in the class is creating a "judgement free zone" classroom.  Those are not her exact words but that is how I interpret what she meant when she said, "anything goes." Students are not hanging from the ceiling or climbing on the desk but she allows students to discuss, include in assignments, read about the events, people, situations and problems they face as individuals without feeling restricted.  She creates this type of atmosphere in her class by her engaging students to read for meaning through role playing and playing games, as well as elaborate discussion, homework, essays and reports.  By researching more effective ways of teaching, she is noticing that students learn more effectively when they are in “control.”

              In the typical classroom, students are not in control. Generally speaking, the atmosphere of the classroom is already established so when the students enter in they follow suite.  Last year, she allowed her senior class to vote on the book the students would read after reading a summary of about six books for their final project.  Most teachers find giving students this type of control difficult because it demands flexibility. When the curriculum is flexible, students feel a sense of empowerment. What is taken into consideration in the current studies of the psychology of learning is the connection between students feeling empowered and self-motivated.

            Students who are self-motivated are more likely to succeed academically. From the article, it’s apparent top students do not necessarily love school but deal with the rigid scheduling because of the expectation that school is an imitation of real life which is not true. In the article, the author points out how often times the justification of keeping school the way it is, is it closely emulates the way life is. However, the truth is life lived right is nowhere near identical to the confinements of prison life. If school is liken unto prison than it is by all means damaging our kids. 

See a need, Fill a need!

I view the psychology of learning as a handbook to effectively teaching. From the first class, I have identified the first rule of learning: Teachers meet the needs of learners. Since teachers play a crucial role in how learners understand it's important to identify the role and key qualities of teachers. For without the one who has the knowledge, the learner will not gain or benefit from the encounter. 

Sitting in the class, Psychology of Learning, for the first time, I did not know what to expect. I thought it would be a tough class with an hour and a half of lecturing. However, to my surprise the opening statement of the professor is, "together we are going to form how this course is taught." With that statement, there was such an empowerment because I feel like I'm needed and valuable to this course. Then to add to my feelings of entitlement,  the professor allowed us to reflect and share the most exciting learning experience.

My most exciting learning experience was this past summer. For over a year, I wanted to volunteer at a women's shelter. While I was in training, a supervisor came to me and said "Would you be interested in working instead of volunteering because I could see you being a tremendous asset." Of course, my reply was yes. Her response was "I'm going to vouch for you to get a job."   This response impacted me in such a great way to know that someone sees me diligently living my purpose driven life.

In August, I started training. I was so excited to learn about my new job. As the night staff/ supervisor was training me, I had a blank stare on my face. I could tell she genuinely had an interest in making sure I understood what she was teaching me. So she addressed her concerned and changed the training from lecturing to a conversation and visualizing lesson. She encouraged me to ask questions and we went a tour around the location, so I could see what she was saying verses only hearing what she's saying.  

From this experienced, I am for certain that I am visual learner regardless of what I am learning. I assumed being a visual learner who needs to participate is just within school but now I know that I have to learn in that matter whenever I am learning. I understand I won't always have the learning experience that best suites me as a learner but I can participate/visualize in other ways such as taking notes. It keeps me engaged. 

ANother key element to how a learner remains engaged is the teacher. By the supervisor  being intuitive, she was able to make adjustments to make sure I stayed engaged and understood what she was teaching. In the psychology of learning, the teacher plays a vital role in students retaining the information needed to accomplish task of the present and future. 

I started this blog by speaking on the professor empowering me by letting the class know, we are going to  form this course together followed by the chance to give feedback on the course requirements, description, etc.  I believe the first step to understanding the psychology of learning is identifying the role of the teacher. Without a teacher or one with the substance/ knowledge to give, the learners needs cannot be meet.