Sorry my blog is so late. We were learning about power in Physics on Friday by calculating our own personal horsepower. I don't know why but I was talked in to running the stairs too with the kids and I have no idea what I did to my back. It was kind of a funny day because on Tuesday in class we were talking about democracy and letting the kids have some say in what they do. I decided to not let the kids decide if they wanted to do it. Right away when I told them what we were doing they started complaining and saying, "Miss I can't run. Miss I don't want to. Miss do we have to?" I told them everyone had to do it and to just go up the stairs as quickly as they could so they could calculate their horsepower. By the end of the class my biggest complainers were asking to re do their run because they could do better. I do try to give them some options as to what we do when possible but sometimes I think kids need to be pushed a little into doing something that's outside of their comfort zone. I think 9 times out of 10 they discover it was more fun or they liked it more than they thought they would.
I looked for teacher/education blogs online and found this blog that I thought was really good at http://teachforus.org/. I liked this blog because these are teachers not specifically talking about their teaching philosophies but just telling it how it is. These teachers share the events that happen in their class and the things their students do. I thought this specific post was kind of charming. http://mirrorsintowindows.teachforus.org/2012/01/29/whack-a-mole/
Hi Cecilia!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I think there is room for “democracy” in the classroom, however, children need guidance, and I feel it is the job of the teacher to help students push further than may might on their own. I really like the blog that you posted. I think that as teachers it is important to not only think and talk about your philosophy of education but also what happens in the daily in the classroom. I agree with what you posted on my blog, especially with regard to kids these days, but I see the benefit as a teacher to blog or at least to read other teacher’s blogs, because it provides another level of communication with peers outside your own school.
Cecilia: I also believe that their is a place for democracy in the classroom, but some things would never happen if the classroom was completely democratic. I think it was important to make everyone participate in the activities, and even yourself although you paid for it later. I'm sure it makes it easier for the students to relate to you. I liked the blog you picked because as you said the teachers tell how it is which can is important to keep things realistic.
ReplyDeleteHi Cecilia - Nice jumpstart with your kids. To think -- it was the biggest complainers who wanted to keep improving. There's a good lesson there for newbie teachers like me who might back down and not push hard enough if the class complains too much. Thanks for sharing your blog find. I really liked teachforus.org a lot. Especially the part about the boy reading so much more into the text than what was actually there.
ReplyDeleteCecilia, I'm sorry about your back but it sounds like your students were engaged and had a good time: I also liked the teachforus.org blog that you shared. The blogs that show kids work and the trial and error of being a classroom teacher are much more interesting. It's kind of like "Chicken Soup for the Teachers Soul"... only in blog form...
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