Blog #3 Metaphors

What do these metaphors tell you about differentiation?

Metaphor 1:
"We teach in our classrooms like hamsters in a wheel. There is more infromation in our disciplines to "cover" every year. We move as fast as we can, but we can never finish. The faster we move, it seems, the greater the expanse of information- the greater the expectation that we should be able to make the wheel turn faster yet." (pg. 58)

This metaphor, as stressful as it sounds, is very true of the educational system in which we teach. It seems like no matter what you do there will never be enough tim to cover all that is asked of you. If you ARE covering all you are supposed to then your students probablly aren't reataining 90% of the knowledge you are conveying to them. Either because you have gone over it too quickly, or because you have not had time to give life and meaning to the materials at hand. If either of these are the case then you definitely had not had time to get know the students as individuals and therefore there is no way that you are differentiation. That is what we signed up for as teachers, and the only way to even try to obtain the ambitious goal that we have set for ourselves is to differentiate. We must attempt to meet our student's needs as individuals. Eve the best teachers are going to leave some students behind if they are not taking the time in their "hamster wheel run" to differentiate.

Metaphor 2:

"Just as the teacher is primary architect of the physical attributes of the classroom, so he or she initiates the affective climate of the classroom." (pg. 38)

I love this metaphor because it is so tangible. I can see myself putting up the posters, pictures, and bulletin boards that will decorate my classroom. I see decorated name tags securely taped to each desk with every individual child's name neatly written. I will be the architect of such a physical atmosphere. I will be the sole creator and designer. Just as this metaphor suggests, I will aslo be the independent variable in the architecture of my classroom climate. If I choose not to know my students they will know, and any other person who walks into my classroom will also feel that void. The void of unity, of understanding, of friendship, and of fulfilled needs. At the same time if I choose to empower my students then it will be evident through the climat that I structure in my class. They may not know the word for it, but they will feel whether I have differentiated in my classroom. I think that some of our biggest problems in the world today comes frm individuals not realizing their impact upon those around them. I believe that I don't fully comprehend my personal impact. I think much damage is done when individuals resolve, "What does it really matter... Who cares what I say?...or think?... or the way I act?" The list goes on of things that people say or do because they are carelessly hurtful, damaging, or just negligent, becaue of their ignorance to realize their impact on the world. At the same time, much good can come from those that resolve to make a difference in the world despite obstacles that stand in their way. Some may face economical challenges. Others may be fighting their own personal weaknesses and fears. No one makes it through life unscathed. We do make a difference. From smiling at the person next to you in the check our line, to the climate you set in your class for 24 elementary aged students. If we are willing to step up to the possibilities that lie within each of us, then we can do great things.

Blog #2

Emotions trump learning... What does mean?

- From the book specifically it means... "If a child feels unsafe, threatened, or insecure, the brain blocks off the pathways to learning and attends to the more basic human needs instead. If a teacher connects learning to a child's emotions, she is more likely to learn thatn if what is being taught remains remote to her emotions."

Humans are amazing creatures. We don't just learn and grow, BUT we feel, and we connect. We connect with what we see, we connect with what we hear, and with people we encounter. In fact our strongest learning experiences, for good or bad, come from learning that connects with us more than just mentally, but emotionally. Because this connection is so powerful we will naturally protect ourselves from having these connecti0ns until we have proven it to be a safe environment around safe people. If we determine that the environment is unsafe then not only will we refuse ourselves those fulfilling connections but we will shut ourselves off from learning completely.

My Father is an extremely smart man. He could help me with any homework that I needed guidance on. Most of the time this was a good thing, but occasionally the teaching came with frustration and impatience. If that was the case, if I was already confused and then he started getting irritated, or began to yell at me there was no hope at all in the homework area, I would just shut down completely. On the other hand I know that I have done the best learning in classrooms where I felt safe in voicing my opinion and asking for help.

Other quotes that I connected with...

"Much of growing up has to do with increasing the dominion one has over one's world."

As I reflect over my life I find this to be very true personally. The more you grow and begin to find the real you the more you desire to take control of your life. Being the youngest of five kids it seems like gaining that power over my world has been harder for me to claim then most of my siblings because they will always view me as the little girl of the family. I have noticed that I am drawn to things and people who help me to feel empowered. Sometimes this occurs in a classroom, sometimes this occurs with a close friend who believes in me, and sometimes it occurs through venturing to a different country;) I want my students to always feel empowered. I want them to know that i believe in their abilities to do hard things. To fulfill what they thought they couldn't do, or what they have always wanted to do.

"There is something transforming about taking a risk to attain a goal that seems out of reach and discovering that we can extend our reach to grasp what seemed elusive."

I feel bad for continuing to talk about China so much but it really was one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) learning experience for me. Going abroad to teach children just seemed like something that other people could do, but not me. Taking the steps to get there were really hard, but not because of the actual process. Simply because I had to transform into someone who took challenges and succeeded in the face of people telling me I couldn't do it. I am still learning that I can do hard things, but those challenging things that require us to reach inside of us and take strength from where we didn't know we had it are often the most poignant and dear.

"Classrooms are places designed to forge democracy, dignity, and diversity... schools exist to prepare young people to contribute to their world as informed thinkers, thoughtful citizens and decent human beings- that we are entering a moral contract between ourselves, our students, and our society to contribute in every way to those outcomes."\

Wow! I have a such a huge responsibility as a future teacher! If you look at the world that we live in today it is easy to see that we really do have our work cut out for us. Students keep coming to school with less and less already being learned and less and less support from home for what they learn at school. This can't thwart our striving to give the students the kind of education we would want for our own child. I think so many problems in the world come from not realizing the power and influence that we have as individuals. If we only understood the ways that we could make a difference for the better we would live very different lives. We must realize this as we enter our own classrooms because we can be the difference in these children's lives.

#1 About me...

1. What is your favorite book for kids… something you would like to use in your future classroom? Why do you like it?

A: "I like Myself!"- I think that one thing that children are struggling to find is where they fit and why they matter. I want the kids in my class to know that no matter what they look like or what their home life is like, they fit. They matter, and they have something to offer our classroom.

2. Name your three favorite T.V. shows, even if you don’t have time to watch them! What can you (or what are you willing to) tell me about your T.V. viewing habits? I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours!

A: This is a really hard one because I literally never watch T.V.... but, I think if i did I would watch

1. So you think you can dance! I love that show! They are amazing dancers and it makes me miss dancing so much. To me dance is so much more than movement it is a way to express yourself through movement. Ahh it fulfills a part of me

2. Psyc.... that show is funny, and clean. You gotta love good clean humor.

3. Any silly little Disney Channel show. They amuse me. I can watch it for a half hour with no guilt and no need to watch more. I am not stuck wondering what the next episode is going to entail... I just mindlessly veg while eating a snack and then I am done... it's nice.

3. Do you collect anything? Tell about your collections:

A: Well I used to have a small collection of porcelain dolls... they freak my husband out ha ha. When we first got married I told him that I wanted to put them up in our room (I am so mean). You should have seen the horror on his face! I also used to collect bells... I should start doing that again. I collect quotes. I love writing down things that inspire me and I am highly disappointed when i forget my journal.

4. Do you keep any kind of a journal (or blog?) besides this one? Tell me about it, and what you like to write about:

A: I kind of keep a journal. As stated above I mostly just write down things that I like and want to remember. I am trying to write in it as a journal more often because I find that these are some of the most valuable entries... but alas... this is still a work in progress.

5. If you had to be the sponsor of an after-school group, select your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices:
_X_ contemporary moral issues __peer relationships
__national security __world peace
__career opportunities & choices _X_art or music appreciation
__gender issues __ethnicity issues
__death & dying __sports
_X_book club __writers group
__ecology __tutoring

( I have a hard time choosing a 1,2,3)

6. Have you ever taken art lessons or attended art classes outside of school? Tell about your artistic talent and/or interests:

A: I love to dance although opportunities for that are few and far between right now. I have danced my whole life, but I don't think my passion for dance was really lit until I was on the Dance Company at my high school. My coach showed me a whole new way to experience it, and that has helped me in lots of different aspects of my life.

- My other artistic experience was in college when I decided to take a water color class. I wasn't too bad at it either. I really enjoyed it and would love to get back into it.

- Other than that sometimes my husband likes to take me to the Art Museum at BYU because we like to interpret the art pieces there.

7. Have you ever taken music lessons or belonged to musical groups outside of school? Tell about your musical talent and/or interests:

A: I used to sing when I was younger but haven't had much involvement in it lately.

8. Have you ever taken dance lessons or belonged to dance groups? Tell about your dance talent and/or interests:

A: I guess I already talked about this in the Art area, but I love to dance. I have been dancing since I was a little girl. I have done Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Hip hop, Ballroom, Country, etc... Modern dance in high school is where I found great appreciation for dance, and movement. I find myself hearing a song and beginning to make up movement to express my emotions... It's a wonderful thing.

9. Have you ever taken drama classes or performed in a theater production? Tell about your theater talents and/or interests:

A: I have never done much drama although I did take a Elementary Ed Theater class here at UVU. It was highly enjoyable and I will definitely use what I learned there in my own classroom.

10. What have I not asked you, that you would like me to know about you?

A: That is a toughy... Well I guess just a general synopsis of me... I am originally from Utah and have gone to UVU my whole college experience. I love to camp. I love playing outside. I am not very good at many sports but I enjoy doing them with friends anyways. I am a little obsessed with the color code test and I love to try to figure out the way that people work and why they do the things they do.

I went to China in February of 2009 and taught English there for 5 months. I learned SO much! I loved the culture. I loved the adventure, and the kids stole my heart. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I just got married about a month and a half ago. My husbands name is Brian and he is the guy that I never thought I would find. We are planning on going to Mexico next summer to teach English in Mexico and are very very excited for that!

I am really excited for your class and I think it will be fun to learn such about how to differentiate the classroom because I think it is so important. The kids in our classrooms are so different and they deserve to have a teacher who wants to meet their needs, not just meet the curriculum.