Where to Go From Here: Reflection on EDU 6134 Professional Issues in Education

New teachers: Keep a sense of humor at all times. 

Program standard 8.2 aims to prepare new teachers so they "exemplify an understanding of professional responsibilities and policies" as they grow and develop in their field. Aspiring educators come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from young people who have wanted to teach since childhood to working adults who pursue a career change after years in another field. They do share common ground in one primary area, however: facing the steep learning curve of actually teaching for the very first time, and learning how to act professional as they face these challenges. 

I find myself in the second camp, career-changers, and as I reflect on the professional issues presented in our course, I appreciate the information provided regarding appropriate behavior, abuse prevention, the value of parent partnerships, and the important (albeit illusive) task of teacher collaboration, among other topics. But most of all, I continue to think about the common struggles new teachers face, wondering which areas will feel most difficult for me when I begin next fall, and how I might seek solutions so I don’t burn out too quickly. 

Dan Brown says, "Part of persevering in this profession involves carrying a high threshold for bureaucratic blunders, miscarriages of justice, untimely copy machine malfunctions, misguided policies, betrayals of trust, and other epic travesties—as well as one’s own mistakes" (2012, p. 27). I loved this wisdom when I read it two months ago, and it continues to be my favorite treasure from this quarter. Adjusting our expectations and the image we have of ourselves (bleeding-heart superheroes) makes space for the realities of teaching: We will have some hard days. We will have some terrible days. This is not the end of the world, this needn’t take us by surprise, and this doesn’t mean our students cannot learn from us.

What separates a flailing new teacher from a professional is the understanding that our teaching will not be perfect no matter how hard we work. By soulfully expecting perfection, new teachers are inevitably crushed by the weight of dismissive parents, unhelpful colleagues, and disinterested students. The opportunity lies in applying the tools gained in a course such as this one: Find a better way to communicate with difficult parents (Is a language barrier making emails less effective, perhaps?). Reach out to the colleagues who can be supportive (and avoid the negative naysayers). Maintain healthy boundaries with students. Seek the advice of a teaching coach to make boring curriculum come to life for kids, and keep trying when the disillusionment hits hard come Christmas break (Moir, 2011).

Although I have not yet faced the first-year teacher blues, I am trying to translate some of the pressure I feel as a parent of two children (one preschooler, one newborn), with a spouse also in graduate school, living in a foreign country, into coping strategies that will be useful when I finally start to teach. I am seeking support from current teachers by asking questions about early learning and the importance of play. I have sought training on phonological awareness and grapho-motor development so as to build partnerships with teachers in the community ahead of time. I'm trying to peel back the cultural onion of families in Hong Kong through play ground chats, so I can relate to parents in my future school better. 

I am also working hard to laugh about the things that simply do not go perfectly—letting go of the ideal of homemade baby food may be perfect preparation for disappointing bulletin boards. I know the season of my imperfect but best-I-can studenthood will ultimately benefit my future kindergarten students. They will see a human being who works hard to maintain professional standards as an educator, imparting a love of reading, writing, and all kinds of learning, calling any perfectly trimmed bulletin boards icing on the cake.

References

Brown, D. (2012). Now that I know. Educational Leadership, May 2012, 24-48.
Moir, E. (2011). Phases of first year teaching. Retrieved     from: file:///Users/holizhar/Downloads/Moir%202011.pdf

Where to Go From Here: Reflection on EDU 6134 Professional Issues in Education

New teachers: Keep a sense of humor at all times. 

Program standard 8.2 aims to prepare new teachers so they "exemplify an understanding of professional responsibilities and policies" as they grow and develop in their field. Aspiring educators come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from young people who have wanted to teach since childhood to working adults who pursue a career change after years in another field. They do share common ground in one primary area, however: facing the steep learning curve of actually teaching for the very first time, and learning how to act professional as they face these challenges. 

I find myself in the second camp, career-changers, and as I reflect on the professional issues presented in our course, I appreciate the information provided regarding appropriate behavior, abuse prevention, the value of parent partnerships, and the important (albeit illusive) task of teacher collaboration, among other topics. But most of all, I continue to think about the common struggles new teachers face, wondering which areas will feel most difficult for me when I begin next fall, and how I might seek solutions so I don’t burn out too quickly. 

Dan Brown says, "Part of persevering in this profession involves carrying a high threshold for bureaucratic blunders, miscarriages of justice, untimely copy machine malfunctions, misguided policies, betrayals of trust, and other epic travesties—as well as one’s own mistakes" (2012, p. 27). I loved this wisdom when I read it two months ago, and it continues to be my favorite treasure from this quarter. Adjusting our expectations and the image we have of ourselves (bleeding-heart superheroes) makes space for the realities of teaching: We will have some hard days. We will have some terrible days. This is not the end of the world, this needn’t take us by surprise, and this doesn’t mean our students cannot learn from us.

What separates a flailing new teacher from a professional is the understanding that our teaching will not be perfect no matter how hard we work. By soulfully expecting perfection, new teachers are inevitably crushed by the weight of dismissive parents, unhelpful colleagues, and disinterested students. The opportunity lies in applying the tools gained in a course such as this one: Find a better way to communicate with difficult parents (Is a language barrier making emails less effective, perhaps?). Reach out to the colleagues who can be supportive (and avoid the negative naysayers). Maintain healthy boundaries with students. Seek the advice of a teaching coach to make boring curriculum come to life for kids, and keep trying when the disillusionment hits hard come Christmas break (Moir, 2011).

Although I have not yet faced the first-year teacher blues, I am trying to translate some of the pressure I feel as a parent of two children (one preschooler, one newborn), with a spouse also in graduate school, living in a foreign country, into coping strategies that will be useful when I finally start to teach. I am seeking support from current teachers by asking questions about early learning and the importance of play. I have sought training on phonological awareness and grapho-motor development so as to build partnerships with teachers in the community ahead of time. I'm trying to peel back the cultural onion of families in Hong Kong through play ground chats, so I can relate to parents in my future school better. 

I am also working hard to laugh about the things that simply do not go perfectly—letting go of the ideal of homemade baby food may be perfect preparation for disappointing bulletin boards. I know the season of my imperfect but best-I-can studenthood will ultimately benefit my future kindergarten students. They will see a human being who works hard to maintain professional standards as an educator, imparting a love of reading, writing, and all kinds of learning, calling any perfectly trimmed bulletin boards icing on the cake.

References

Brown, D. (2012). Now that I know. Educational Leadership, May 2012, 24-48.
Moir, E. (2011). Phases of first year teaching. Retrieved     from: file:///Users/holizhar/Downloads/Moir%202011.pdf

Learners in Context: Midway Reflection

One month of intensive study on child development has led me to one important conclusion: I will likely spend the rest of my life as a teacher catching relatively small glimpses of our complex human nature, and still never fully understand it. It's a web so intricate, it frankly makes me stand in wonder at such marvelous creation. What beauty! I can imagine many chances to naturally engage in conversations exploring these issues throughout my career (just as Program Standard #8 requires). It's overwhelming, in a good way. 

As I have learned more about the various developmental theories, and the consequential educational practices stemming from each--hello, constructivism!--it is also clear to me that there are kernels of truth in all of these ideas. The biological nature of a child is absolutely hard-wired, but his intelligence, for example, may only be fully manifest when raised in the context of a loving, supportive home. The same child, born with incredible intellect but in a refugee camp, will likely never show the same kind of growth, or academic achievement as a child born to a healthy, safe family that sends him to school every day without event. Many of my peers' experience teaching ELL high school students highlights this same reality, and the inverse is true of my current posting at a high-octane international school. Children with much less natural "talent" will become CEOs, attorneys, and doctors because their environments (and their privilege) make it possible. 

The achievement gap, and the ways our system exacerbates it, has been on my mind a lot through this course of study, but Dr. Medina's vision for brain-friendly classrooms keep me hopeful. From a restructured teaching schedule that recycles content repeatedly throughout the day, to a school day that respects the body's natural need to nap (amen!), there are ways to improve the system that will greatly benefit young people (Medina, 53, 157). Learning would increase as information becomes rock solid through purposeful repetition, and a chance for the brain to process it during sleep. 

I am beginning to consider ways I can implement Medina's findings, as well as the big theories outlined Pressley and McCormick, in my own class, and I will begin with lots of "small bite" repetition. I think of this method as drip-drip-drip, hoping to fill each child's bucket with plenty of learning by the end of a school year. One veteran teacher advised to me pick one small slice of my teaching to master each year, and by doing so I will build an expert skill set over time. I look forward to trying "small bites" in my first "small slice"--there's a lifetime of learning to do, and I'm just getting started. 

Resources

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Pressley, M. & McCormick, C.B. (2007). Child and adolescent development for educators. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Learners in Context: First Reflections

A quick pre-assessment of my background knowledge for Learners in Context tells me I will be doing a lot of learning this summer! All of the names and catch phrases in our short quiz--Vygotsky, Piaget, cognitive development, etc.--seem familiar, but the truth is that I haven't thought of most of them since I took a basic undergraduate psychology course thirteen years past.

So what do I know about child development? Becoming a mother four and a half years ago has been the greatest practice in understanding how little people develop and grow, from the wide-eyed, serious infant stare (Are you in there, smiles and laughter?) to three-year-old tantrums to potty training and learning how to adjust to life as a sibling (which is the latest news at our house--I delivered a baby boy on June 3). 

When my first child was born, learning to read his cues and meet his needs felt intuitive in many ways, but it seemed I could never be quick enough to respond before a full-fledged infant protest began. Now that I have another baby, the comparing of children, despite all efforts to halt it, has begun! Our new baby is incredibly docile, patient, and it's only with his arrival that I can see just how distinct my children's personalities are from birth. It is definitely increasing my conviction of nature in the nature vs. nurture debate. 

Medina's findings on the importance of sleep are obviously no surprise to me in my current season of life. In fact, they come as welcome relief to me when I feel like I can hardly get a coherent sentence out after a wakeful night of feedings and rocking the baby to sleep! 

Also, the sleep data would be a useful tool for families at the international school where I have worked the past two years. Many students, some as young as four, are constantly scheduled with music lessons, swimming playdates, phonics, math, or foreign language tutoring (really), and exhibit definite signs of exhaustion at school. These are tiny children who are "working 60 hour weeks," as the teachers have come to say, and they are stressed out, distracted, and agitated. If parents better understood that our brains need sleep to essentially finish the work--the learning--they start during the day, perhaps they would place rest and a decent bedtime higher on the priority list (Medina, 40). I know our students would surely appreciate the chance to play and rest more, and work less.

References

Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules. Seattle, WA: Pear Press. 

You Answe

Learning with Technology: Trying it out!

The culminating project for Learning with Technology (EDTC 6431) is a highly developed lesson plan designed for second grade readers. Check out the process by which I brainstormed, researched, planned, and revised this experience over the course of the quarter. Many thanks to my classmates and professor, Dr. Wicks, for great suggestions and guidance along the way!

Check out the entire project right here. 

ISTE Standard #5: Teaching Digital Citizenship

A question to prompt my research: What are some best practice guidelines for teachers of young students when it comes to introducing internet safety?

Private schools, especially schools outside the United States, are not subject to the same legal requirements from the Department of Education on digital citizenship, so although many of these schools have technology resources, the training and policies vary greatly from school to school (more than in public schools, from what I understand from my public school-teaching peers). It may fall to the teacher to develop her own strategy for keeping students safe if these policies aren't fully developed.

In my search for basic tools for early elementary teachers, I found some great starting resources for the youngest learners. PBS Kids actually has a cute online game that teaches basic internet safety and citizenship called Webonauts, which could work well as a primer. It's got fun music and little avatars that will keep kids engaged as they cover Internet 101. For pre-readers, I can picture working through the program with a small group, or perhaps even via projector as an entire class. (Note: The site requires Flash, which makes sense since the copyright says 2010, but at least the content is still relevant.)

From the footer of the site: The Webonauts Internet Academy empowers kids to make responsible and respectful decisions in their online internactions. Taking on the role of a Webonaut, kids explore a series of missions that teach key issues of web safety and digital citizenship. 

The game's motto is Observe, Respect, Contribute, and the design is space-inspired:

As players continue through the game, they begin to learn the importance of their own careful decisions as they develop their earliest digital footprints. Paying attention to the content they encounter (is this appropriate or does it make me feel unsafe?), choosing kindness (say no to online cruelty), and sharing one's own perspective thoughtfully (give, don't just take)--these ideals are all woven into the Webonauts experience.

For schools still working toward longterm policies and practices, the state of Virginia's Department of Education seems to be a pioneer in establishing these rules from the ground up. Look no further than their website, which contains one especially scrupulous document, for every possible digital citizenship scenario (from the mild to most horrifying). 

I think parents and teachers alike will face an uphill battle in raising a new generation of children in the "Wild Wild West" of the internet, but I know the gifts our children receive from a connected world will outweigh the dangers. As long as we do not become complacent in our commitment to keeping them safe, students will benefit in immeasurable ways from the treasure trove of information at our fingertips. It's a massive privilege and responsibility, no doubt.

Survey of Instructional Strategies: What I'll Carry With Me

I've really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about educational philosophies this quarter in our class, Survey of Instructional Strategies. In many ways, it feels like the "greatest hits" of education, and it has whet my appetite to dive deeper into some big ideas I want to understand more. 

As I reflect on the figureheads we studied and the writings I found most compelling, I'm seeing a trend: The ideas that pull on the heartstrings are my favorite. I look forward to implementing inquiry-based learning and advance organizers in my classroom, absolutely. I am going to get down to nitty gritty teaching techniques! Yes!

Except...I am still chipping away at prerequisite courses and the realities of life (a new baby is due in June, which means my student teaching is still a long way off). And the practical applications feel far away. So the spirit of teaching, and the heart of education? Those warm and fuzzy elements keep me dreaming in the mean time. 

Citizenship in the classroom is especially important to me. Perhaps watching the American election season from a long distance across the ocean has made this feel even more essential, but if we do not prioritize civility and respect in the classroom, we are going to have more and more candidates (and voters!) who act like homegrown terrorists. 

Cultural literacy goes hand in hand with citizenship, but goes a step further to explicitly require students to respectfully acknowledge that the entire nation will not always eat the same food, enjoy the same sports, play the same music, or worship the same god. 

Learner-centered approaches touched a nerve for me as well, knowing how many students suffer the effects of a system designed for one kind of learning mind. Although I am not pursuing a special education endorsement, the message of equality and respect for uniquely gifted children resonated greatly and will certainly shape my personal educational philosophy. 

Our final reading this week by Mortimer Adler also inspired me, especially this bold statement: "We have two fundamental goals in view. One is equipping all the children of this country to earn a good living for themselves. The other is enabling them to lead good human lives" (Adler, n.d.).

It will be a real challenge to distill all this brilliant vision into my personal "takeaways" as a final reflection for the course. But at the very least, it will be an inspirational project (if still a little overwhelming)!

...How I hope kids will feel in my classroom!

References

Adler, M. (n.d.) The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto. Retrieved via R. Scheuermann's EDU 6526 Session 9 course readings: https://bbweb03.spu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1129501-dt-content-rid-2467020_1/courses/EDU6526_27922_201562/SIS%20Session%209%20Reading%20%28Adler%29.pdf

Scheuerman, R. (2016). Session 6 Transcript: Citizenship and Moral Education. Retrieved from: https://bbweb03.spu.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_1129490_1&course_id=_89800_1

Scheuerman, R. (2016). Session 7: Learner Centered Approaches. Retrieved from: https://bbweb03.spu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1129492-dt-content-rid-2467014_1/courses/EDU6526_27922_201562/SIS.%20Session%207%20Outline%20%28Learner-Centered.pdf