Classroom Management

I am a growing educator

As you study this sculpture and think about the form you may wonder, what it is or what it represents. While sculpting this I found it to be a relaxing way to manipulate the clay, however it was afterwards that I found the sculpture to be a self-portrait. 

Fluid movement is illustrated with solid, rigid clay and creates an unusual dichotomy. Points pull from the body and seem stretched outwards as if to reach toward desired goals. I feel that if I want to create curriculum for my future students I need to have a strong structure, while maintaining a fluid ability to adjust to our evolving community. I want to create relevant and meaningful lessons that encourage my student’s participation. Embracing technology and understanding all of its benefits and disadvantages is part of being a modern educator. I believe that technology is a tool that should be used in ways that enhance our student’s learning, and put away when it can hinder their development.

Each day that I enter the Quakertown High School, I find myself reaching out to connect with my students. Whether I ask them how their Thursday is going or what their plans are for the evening, I want them to know that I’m here for them. I am not only their teacher, but I am a resource for them to benefit from. As I continue my studies, not only at Kutztown University, but also as a global citizen, I keep my future students in mind. I know that as our society changes my students will need different kinds of tools to be successful in our evolving society.

Motivation is the essence of dreams.

Lectures suck the life out of students and Power Point presentations put students to sleep. Students thrive when they can participate in their learning. Unfortunately, students do not take responsibility to actively learn, but instead it is our job, as educators, to encourage this behavior.

How do you motivate students? Maybe, the better question is how do you present your content so that students are interested? I found today during classes students would very quickly “zone out” because they were unengaged. I tried to pull them back in by asking questions, but I found some of my questions were lacking. In order to gain the student’s attention I feel like I needed to present them with questions that involve a higher thought process that requires them to be involved with their learning. Today’s lesson reinforced how important planning is. In order for a lesson to be successful every detail must be thought through, even when things do not go as planned. When I plan out lessons I lay out why the students need to or would want to learn the content, as well as multiple ways to present the material. When you problem solve like this you create options, and back up plans. Teachers should always have two or three back up plans, just in case students finish early or the original teaching method does not work out. I learned today that to plan ahead is to be prepared to succeed.

Attention Grabbers?

While instructing at Phoenix Village Art Center the past four summers, I worked with a variety of students ages 3- 13. Throughout instruction I never had a problem maintaining the student’s attention. It seems I have met my match at the high school level. I found it difficult to wait for their attention, as I did not want to waste the other student’s learning time. However, it was necessary to stop side chatter. Mrs. Migliore suggested that I stop and hold onto something, count down from 20, and brace myself because sometimes it can feel like a long time until the students quiet. I practiced this throughout the afternoon classes and found that it worked. However when this did not work I found it helpful to ask the students to stop their side chatter. Telling students what you expect of them and reinforcing these expectations consistently makes all the difference when it comes to classroom management.