Reflection 5

High School:

I had the opportunity to go to Wasatch High School and attend Mr Moss. I was surprised the level of professionalism that he and his students are currently working at.

The Students:

Each student is currently working at a level of professionalism that sets other High School film programs that I've seen to shame. Mr. Moss gives each student a specific job for a month at a time and it is up to them to accomplish everything for that task in preparation for morning announcements. Some have more tasks according to their position like in the real industry but each is expected to become proficient in their assigned area. If they aren't, then they can ask Mr. Moss or research it on their own.

One of the most impressive part about these students is that they are self-motivated. They WANT to become proficient. And if they have a job that they are already proficient at then they can work on their other class assignments that are due at the end of the year.

The Instructor:

Mr Moss has an excellent system of trusting his students. That's just it, he trusts them to do what needs to be done. If they have questions, he is always ready to answer in person or through a series of informative videos on the class server.

He has been continually pushing the envelope for his teaching ever since he started teaching. His instruction and assignments have never been the same from one year to the next.

The accomplishments:

Mr. Moss's classes have permission to use Sports center's filming in their personal broadcasts. They have a station that is continually running on channel 8 showing current happenings in the school and events from the past several years. Once a year top students are selected and flown to New York to visit the sets of Sports center, Good Morning America and the Today Show in an interactive behind the scenes experience.

Reflection 4

The Students:

I have now had the opportunity to visit two middle schools. I know it must sound cliche' but I don't ever remember being so young. It amazes me how these kids, these youth are the same age I was when I came to so many realizations about life. It further amazes me that they too are more than likely going through the same things that I was at that age.

They have so many trials and adventures ahead of them, and yet here they all are at this moment in a classroom learning about how to work shop equipment. As they look to their instructors you can see the wheels turning as they excitedly grasp the concepts that are taught. They run to try the next task that is presented to them. Was I really this eager to learn and experiment at that age? Their minds are so pliable to the world around them. They pick up difficult tasks without a second thought. What are we teaching them? And should they be the ones teaching us?

The Professors:

I was also amazed that both of the instructors that I got to view had about 40 kids in each period. They all look to these instructors with trust, and neither teacher would disappoint. They both managed to keep the kids attention and respect the entire time. Although their methods were very different, they both seemed to be effective teachers and instructors. One was very militaristic, the other was sensitive yet commanding. The one common element seemed to be love and respect. And both teachers indicated the fact that you cannot be the student's buddy right off the bat. Perhaps in time they MIGHT see you as a pal second, but always as a teacher first.

High School Expectations:

I'm excited to see what happens in the High Schools now. It seems that unless I want to become a keyboarding/technology teacher who spends half his time teaching in a shop, I will be teaching High School. There is very little demand for middle school Video Production Teachers, and since I'm not really that into woodworking... Looks like I'm High School Bound.

Reflection 3

Mindtools and Teaching

What person among us when they had to teach just popped in a video when they ran out of ideas? I know I've had my fair share of the classic "movie-filler" but what does that really help a student?

Our mindtools reading brought up some interesting points of conflict with what I've always felt were effective teaching techniques. Even step by step instructional videos and powerpoint presentations seem to be less effective teaching techniques.

My mindtool example revolved around an old instructional CD that came with my old Windows 95 computer. It was a simple enough program; you had two colored circles on your screen, the Earth and the moon. The learner could then adjust the moons' trajectory and momentum. It was difficult to get the moon into an orbit around the Earth without either crashing it into the planet or sending it hurdling off into the depths of space.

This game really helped me to understand gravity, inertia and trajectory. Though it was a simple game, it was able to put the knowledge in my hands so that I too could understand a very difficult concept.

Tomorrow we're going to visit our first Middle School. I have no idea what the instructor will expect of us, or if he/she will even acknowledge our presence. Will we all spend the entire time sitting in the back of the classroom? Will we be asked to pass out papers? Or will the teacher put us on the spot to do something that we weren't expecting?

Reflection 2

Teaching

Now that we've actually gotten a taste of teaching, I'm wondering how it will compare to the "real world". Thus far our teaching has been for just 5 minute segments in front of a classroom of our peers... While each time has made me somewhat nervous, it makes me wonder about teaching in front of a classroom full of students that we will be responsible for for an hour to three hours at a time.

Is my message getting across to my peers? Is my message sticking with them? Can I say at the end of the day that their messages have stuck with me? We're all here to learn, but what about students that don't want to be there? Where is the line between entertaining, teaching and learning?

I think back to something that John Bytheway once said at a live BYU Education Week class. He was up on the podium teaching us in a much more bland manner than he had been all week. He usually left us with some of his personal "music" but realized that his time was running out. He informed us that he didn't have time to sing that day and was received with a wave of disappointment. He then proceeded to chasten us for missing the point of his lesson. We weren't supposed to be there to be entertained, we were supposed to be there to grow a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to get closer to our Savior by doing so. I left thinking about how I would return to my classes at school. I wouldn't go back with the thought of "Entertain me" but with the intent of "I'm here to learn, please aid me in doing so."

Now I'm preparing to be on the other side of that pulpit, and now I find myself asking the same question that John Bytheway asked himself that night; where is the line of Entertaining vs Learning?

Reflection 1

The First Day:
I am extremely surprised at how much emphasis is placed on the first few days of your teaching experience. It seems that every page of the textbook refers to the first few days and how they will make or break the students as well as the teacher.

Be Organized:
Make a good first impression through how you look, speak and hold yourself. Also, have a well organized plan of attack for the semester or school year. Students crave organization and order, if you set out what is expected of them in the first few days then they will know to what standard they must live up to. They will also know what you expect of them as well as what to expect of you. How they view you, your appearance and your attitude in these first few rendezvous seems to determine their basic respect level for you as a teacher. However, that level of respect can easily fall if the instructor is not consistent with their teaching.

Be Consistent:
Along with being organized comes being consistent. Give your students something to respect and trust with their education and stick to it. Don't deviate or shy away from what you have and are portraying. Students expect and trust you to be a teacher. If you loose that trust it seems that you loose your students.

Ask for Help:
You as a teacher will feel very alone your first few days of school, maybe even the first few weeks. It is important to use the resources that are at your disposal.
-The District: A good district should have a new teachers' program for success.
-Other Teachers: It is not bad to ask seasoned veterins for aid in similar situations.
-College Professors: Just because you are graduated doesn't mean that YOUR teaching and instruction is over.

Be Positive and DON'T be afraid:
You owe it to yourself and your students to be positive and unafraid. They need to learn to trust you and believe that you are teaching them correct principles. If you are negative, you will hurt yourself and your teaching will be just another job. If you are afraid, your students will not be able to trust you to instruct them.

These are just some of my reflections on the instruction we've received in class, but primarily this has come from the reading. The most surprising of which to me is how important the first day of school is and how that fact is reiterated over and over again. Every one of these principles listed mentioned "from the first day" or some variation of that phrase. You must set the standard early and continually reinforce it to be an effective teacher in your student's lives.

My first post

I have originally created this blog as an assignment for my Secondary Teaching course at BYU to publish my own feelings and reflections... I'm not entirely sure if these are reflections of the reading assignments or of the individual classes, but I'm sure that will be explained in time.

For today, creating this blog is all that was asked of me.