Learning Letter

Hey Everyone,


This quarter has just flown by, but after reflecting on these past few months, I realize that I have accomplished a lot of things and have had a lot of experiences in this course that will make me a better teacher.  I found this course to be incredibly meaningful and worthwhile.  I had numerous opportunities to reflect and develop my own pedagogical skills and philosophies.  I particularly liked the progression of the course from theoretical discussion to practical work.  I found it appropriate for us to discuss and explore pedagogical concepts so we had a solid framework that we could build upon and utilize in our assignments.  Overall, I feel like taking this course has enabled me to take that next step towards becoming the teacher I want to be, and I feel so much more prepared to teach literature.

I completed a lot of work in this course.  The book talk, mini-lesson, and unit plan assignments I completed gave me multiple opportunities to work towards becoming a better teacher.  I really loved the book talk assignment.  I don't think I've been free to read whatever book I wanted for a class since 6th grade.  This assignment reminded me of something I discussed with my classmates in my composition course over the summer: at some point in our educational system, writing stops becoming fun and becomes a chore.  I feel like this happens with reading as well.  Many kids are excited about reading in early grades, but that enthusiasm slowly wanes.  For this reason, I would love to find a way to incorporate an assignment in my own classrooms that is similar to this book talk assignment.  Learning is so much more effective when it is personalized and meaningful, so if I could incorporate an assignment where students study a book of their own choice, I think my students would really benefit from it.  For me, the book talk assignment gave me an opportunity to read a book that I have been wanting to read for a long time, Fahrenheit 451.  This book is commonly taught in high schools, so I also had an opportunity to read a book that I will very likely end up teaching.  I love reading, so it was so fun for me to be able to read a book of my own choosing, and I also loved being able to hear about the books that my classmates chose to read.  I got to hear about a lot of books that I am interested in reading, and I plan to read some of them very soon.

The mini-lesson I taught is another assignment that I learned a lot from.  It is so rare to be able to teach a lesson and get immediate feedback that is as extensive and specific as the feedback that I was able to get after I taught my mini-lesson.  I found the feedback session very beneficial, so I am very grateful for the experience and would like to thank my peers for their contributions.  Teaching my mini-lesson was also a great experience for me.  I'm still developing as a teacher, so I love being able to get as many opportunities to practice as I can get.  By completing the mini-lesson, I was able to determine some areas of my teaching that I need to improve on.  Namely, I need to continue to work on my enthusiasm, mentally rehearse my lessons better, and draw out higher-level responses from my students.

The unit plan project was one of the most extensive assignments I've ever completed.  It was an exhaustive process but well worth the effort.  This project was also very practical for me.  In a little over a week from now,  I will actually begin teaching the unit I designed.  So even though I completed my unit plan for this course, I am still making improvements to it, which emphasizes one important concept I learned during this quarter.  In my eyes, unit plans are never really "done."  I think it's important to always look at unit plans as a work-in-progress.  I first noticed this concept in my placement classroom.  My mentor teachers use the same unit plans from year to year, but they modify it every time.  Even while my mentor teachers are teaching a unit, they will make notes for next year.  When I made my unit plan, I made a unit that is applicable, well-researched, and effective.  However, it can still be improved on in many ways.  I am already taking what I have learned from designing my Odyssey unit plan to make an even better version of it, and I'm excited to have an opportunity to utilize what I have learned.

The process of making a unit plan for this course was overwhelming.  It took a lot of effort, and it required me to spend a lot of time thinking about what I wanted students to learn from my unit and how I was going to get them to learn it.  Based on my experience and what I heard from my classmates, it seems like starting with your objectives is the best way to go.  Since your unit's objectives influence all aspects of your unit, it would make sense to start there.  I also found it useful to sit down with a calendar and make what is essentially a rough draft of your unit.  This allows you to plan out lessons that build off of each other and work towards reaching your objective.  Making my unit plan was definitely a challenge, but I am really glad I did.it.  I feel like it will be so much easier for me the next time I have to design a unit from scratch.

We discussed a lot of pedagogical theories and concepts in this class.  I like how we started out by reading about discussion in a democratic society.  In many ways, discussion is the foundation for effective learning and instruction, so I thought it was appropriate for us to start there.  Having meaningful discussions in my classroom is something I really strive for, so I liked being able to read and discuss how discussions can and should be used in the classroom.  One concept that really influenced my teaching philosophy was the concept of utilizing problem-posing education instead of the oppressive banking form of education.  It is important that teachers look at their students as more than just minds waiting to be filled with our knowledge.  We cannot directly transmit what we have learned.  We teachers know what we know because we worked it out for ourselves and did the mental processes that allowed us to reach the understandings that we have.  If we attempt to directly transmit what we know, then our students will miss out on opportunities to make personalized connections and actually have a meaningful education.  Social justice is another concept I want to be sure to remember.  Specifically, I want to be sure that my pedagogical practices are socially  just.  That is, I want to be sure that I teach in such a way that I am respectful towards all students and their dignity, and I give all my students equal opportunities to succeed in their own way.

My participation in this course has influenced my thinking of myself as a teacher primarily by giving me opportunities to think about what kind of teacher I want to be and what kind of classroom environment I want to create.  I want my classroom to be a place that students want to be.  I want my classroom to be a place where students can create meanings for themselves and learn in their own ways.  And I want my classroom to be a place where students are comfortable, enthusiastic, and willing to take risks so they can improve.  To create such an environment requires a lot of effort and skill on my part, but after completing this course, I feel like I have a much better idea of how I can create the classroom I desire.  If I continue to reflect upon my own development as a teacher, keep working on creating effective unit and lesson plans, and effectively execute my lesson plans with enthusiasm, then I can become the respectful, inviting teacher that I wish to be.

-Brad