On April 19, 2013, I attended the Benedum Collaborative Inquiry Celebration at Lakeview Resort. I experienced an interesting perspective about the educational world because I chose to attend the presentations of individuals outside of my content area. The reason I did this is because I believe in a pragmatic approach to education where the teacher is well-rounded and liberally education What I found most interesting about these presentations was two specific inquiries. The first was a presentation about self-efficacy in females in the science classroom. The study included a spatial test given to students several days a week and a survey about how comfortable the students felt with the material and what careers they would intend to pursue in the future. After the spatial skills practice, the females in the class were much more interested in the sciences, which suggested that female self-efficacy improved with these tests. The next presentation I found noteworthy was on the effects of cell phone use in the classroom. While in theory, the idea seems quixotic, the test results concluded that including cellular devices in the classroom during class time was not as effective as the presenter thought. On a personal note, I was concerned that the students without cell phones would feel left out or singled out because they either had to work with another student or were left out completely. Overall, the experience was extremely worthwhile. I enjoyed the time I spent at the Benedum Collaborative Inquiry Celebration and learned a lot about myself as an educator, the educational world, and my future in teaching.

Spring 13 Blog Post 2

The first characteristic of the novice teacher I will be exploring in this post is characteristic number one: the novice teacher is committed to and possesses the skills for life-long learning. Life-long learning is important because being an educator is not an ultimate goal; it is a never-ending process. One does not simply learn to teach. An individual develops a skillset over a period of time that adapts to different educational circumstances. These skills, unique to each educator in different subject and grade levels, are a driving force behind pedagogy. Thus, in order to continually teach, an individual must continually learn. An artifact that I possess that embodies characteristic number two is an education Pinterest board. Pinterest is a website that acts like a virtual cork board where people from all over the world post “pins,” share them, and re-pin them. Each member of Pinterest has “boards” they pin to. Pins are created with many purposes that may range from a simply funny picture, to intellectual information. What is notable about Pinterest is that if an individual clicks on the “pin,” he or she will usually open a link in a new tab about the topic at hand. I have created a Pinterest board that contains articles, lesson plans, tips for classroom management, etc. written by other educators and professionals. I have used this board to learn more about how to expand my horizons as an educator and intend to continue using this artifact to continue being a lifelong learner. The second characteristic of the novice teacher that I will be addressing is characteristic number six. This characteristic states that the novice teacher should have an in-depth knowledge of content. This characteristic seems rather straightforward in that in order to teach something, one must already understand it. Students gain knowledge from educators who are already expected to be familiar with the content in the discipline they teacher. The novice teacher must have a complete understanding of all aspects of the content he or she teaches because they must take that content, apply many different outside influences to it, and pass the information on to students. The artifact I possess that shows my own range of knowledge of the English language arts content is a compilation of various different things I have created myself. First, I have kept almost every paper I have written since high school. More importantly, however, I have kept my notes and study guides to all of the classes I have taken since my junior year of high school. In fact, I taught T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” in my PDS last week and was able to look back at my notes on the poem from when my high school AP English teacher taught it to me. It reminded me what was effective about the lesson and the way the content was presented, as well as the content itself. Furthermore, I have created many study guides in college that have aided in my content knowledge. In fact, I took my Praxis II today and passed with a score of 185. I studied for the Praxis by creating a cumulative study guide from several Praxis information/study books. These study guides have helped me develop a deeper understanding of my content because I create them so that the average person would be able to look at them and understand the material. It is my hope to pass on my Praxis study guide to other individuals in the Benedum who have yet to take the English Praxis II.

Characteristics of the Novice Teacher

The first Characteristic of the Novice Teacher I will explore is number two: the novice teacher should be an effective communicator. The big idea of this characteristic is that in order to teach effectively, one must communicate effectively. Communication comes in many different ways; one may communicate verbally, through written text, through body language, and much more. In order to properly educate, the teacher must communicate with not only his or her students, but parents, peers, and co-workers. An artifact that addresses characteristic number two is a letter addressed to parents about expectations and anticipations for the school year. This type of communication is written communication and addresses this characteristic because the educator talks directly to parents without being present. Therefore, the letter must be succinct and professional without confusing the parents. Furthermore, the student will most likely be reading it as well, and so the letter must show that you are interested in their well-being as learners. The communication that exists within the letter must be effective so that the novice teacher can make a difference in the students’ education. The second Characteristic of the Novice Teacher I will focus on is number four: the novice teacher should be a facilitator of learning for all students. The big idea around this is that all students are different. Students come from various cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and learning abilities. Although all students are different, each student has the right to learn. It is our job, as educators, to optimize the learning experience and environment to facilitate learning for all, no matter what their situation is. In order to be a facilitator, the teacher must recognize student differences and cater to the needs of each individual. One example of the fourth characteristic is creating a lesson plan that offers students choices that cater to individual needs. I have created a tic-tac-toe board lesson/assessment that offers students options like using technology, writing through multimedia, and verbal cues for learning. Furthermore, these activities are designed for student interests. If students can be interested in what they are doing, they will learn. As a future teacher, I anticipate keeping the students’ interests in mind when creating all lessons and creating assessments with choices so that I can facilitate learning for all students.