Like a lot of our other classmates I am majoring in Language Arts and minoring in TESOL so this class is really something that I hope to gain a lot from. Especially for my TESOL minor, having a lot of language and literacy knowledge is extremely important. From this class I hope to further my knowledge on effective ways of teaching literacy. I am also becoming a more hands on teacher and student and I would like to learn more ways of teaching literacy through fun and engaging activities. While I think this class will definitely help me learn more about teaching literacy effectively, my field placement is also really beneficial. I am working in a kindergarten classroom and my CT is awesome! She focuses on literacy and keeps me very involved with everything she does in her class. I have seen a ton of various literacy activities that keep the young ones engaged. Something else that is really cool is that she is letting me test them for their mid year report cards and I am getting to see their progress first hand. Overall, I would have to see that one of my biggest goals for this class is to continue learning in our classroom and then using that knowledge and applying it to my field placement so I can see what really works and what doesn't.
As for my future teaching, it would be ideal to teach in lower elementary grades in a suburban community. However, I wouldn't mind teaching in an urban area because I think it would be a great experience and it would make me a better teacher. My CT has taught in very poor urban areas before and she said while it was tough at first she eventually got the hang of it and it taught her so much about herself and the type of teacher that she wanted to be. She says that once you teach in an area outside of your comfort zone teaching becomes more natural. In these type of communities I think literacy is the most important subject to teach students. Some may be very far behind and I would love to be the difference between them learning to read and them not learning. That is why I feel like this literacy class in particular will help me a lot to become the best teacher I can be.
I have a lot in common with Chelsea in regards to my goals for this course. I am also a Language Arts major/ TESOL minor and am absolutely enthralled with the study of language, reading, and writing. I can't believe how much I have already learned about this subject prior to taking the course most focused on this subject. Thus, I can only imagine how much I will continue to learn, especially in regards to the actual practice of teaching language arts. Like Chelsea, I am currently in a Kindergarten placement with a wonderful CT who keeps me very involved. I love the balance of freedom and instruction she provides me, allowing me to work with ideas and practices I learn in 402 while also witnessing and gaining experience with her own practices.
ReplyDeleteI am also most comfortable with a suburban teaching context, however, as I progress through the teaching program at MSU I find myself less and less hesitant toward an urban context. I feel I have learned so much about how to make a difference in such contexts that the notion of teaching in an urban area may be a possibility in my future.
In regards to teaching level, I vary tremendously. As a gymnastics coach I consistently work with children ranging from the ages of 3 to 14. I love every class I teach, and honestly feel I could be happy teaching any grade K-8 as each age group provides a unique set of positive attributes as well as their own set of challenges.
In general, literacy instruction is something I cannot wait to engage with further. I am truly interested in learning as much as possible about literacy instruction.
Unlike Chelsey and Jessie, I am not a language arts or TESOL major. I actually started off with a language arts specialization but decided to switch to social studies after entering the college of education. I was very interested and successful in language arts-related classes all throughout my K-12 experience, and reading and writing have always been very enjoyable for me. I'm extremely interested in learning more strategies for incorporating literacy into the classroom, especially because of the many negative reactions to reading that I've seen in my placements over the last few years. My current CT places a lot of value on reading and attempts to use many different strategies to get the students to both enjoy and improve their literacy skills. Every week I am able to see and learn from the new activities she implements.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I would also feel most comfortable teaching in a suburban setting, but in an upper elementary classroom. I definitely would not be opposed to working in an urban area- the TE program has prepared us well to teach in any setting. When I start teaching on my own I plan to be very open to any opportunities that I come across to find what age group and area are the best fit for me.