C4T Continous

Post #1

My teacher has not blogged in while, but I am going to work backwards until he blogs again (hopefully soon!) 

I have been assigned to follow the blog "The Intrepid Teacher".  I must admit that the first post I read was -- well, inspiring. I would never have thought that 7th graders would go sit in the grass and discuss their experiences. I have taught 7th graders and I know that Jabiz Raisdana  has created this learning environment. His students must feel extraordinarily comfortable with him and trust him. My comment on his blog said as much. 

I feel that I could use his post and apply it to my classroom. Encouraging students to express themselves by changing their environment is something I have not thought of - yet! I hope to incorporate this into my classroom journal experience soon! 

Post #2

I went back into Jabiz's blog a bit and found this gem! This week I read his blog about parent teacher conferences. I do not like these conferences. Although I have only had to experience one - it wasn't pleasant. I think I am going to look at things a little differently now. Instead of this meeting being one of either gushing about how great the student is or how much the student needs to improve - I am going to look at it as a way of studying the student and his interactions with his parents.
It is really difficult to get a student to respect you if they do not respect their parents. It is also difficult to know if the student really doesn't have any respect for authority or if they just want to act like they don't care. Jabiz says in his blog, " I like to see my students with their parents to get a sense of what kinds of relationships they have with each other. Are they nervous, or timid, or funny, or courageous around their parents? A teacher can learn a lot about a kid by how they act around their parents. I like to watch moms and dads and the banter and tensions they bring to the table."He has a point. Watching your students interact with their parental figure and even in a social situation can give a teacher insights on why the student behaves the way he does. 

Post # 3

I am so excited! My teacher has started posting again. I love reading his blog. This week it was more than a little interesting. Jabiz Raisdana was discussing how he has never felt comfortable with his views, or the expression of his views. He states, "I was driven by an obstinate defiance. I was always pushing back against existing hypocrisies, instead of standing for anything on its own merits. There was little wisdom to my beliefs. Even less understanding."  I found myself being sad. Wondering how many of my students feel the same. Are my students so defiant because they are unsure of how they will be perceived? Have I started to disrespect my students individually? I took a moment to reflect. The answer is that I have become overwhelmed with teaching and underwhelmed with listening. Ahh -- but that is complete digression from Jabiz's post. But it was a bit of an "Ah Ha" moment for me. 

The post continues with a description of how his school began an honest discussion of religion/culture. The school gave a wide variety of religions and had the students discuss what they knew/learned. I really wish we could do something similar to this in our schools. Religion is a touchy subject with many, but if looked at in the context of culture instead of just religion - I think it would assist young people in becoming more tolerant of others and their cultural beliefs. 

I am so "into" my blogs that I am following. I find myself "whisked away" with ideas that flood into my brain while I read others experiences. I did not have this type of experience in EDM 310. So it is very pleasant. 

Post #4

Jabiz has really outdone himself this week. Once again he touches on a topic that I have been struggling with. I would encourage ALL of you to read it. He talks about being a "reading snob". A lot of times we "educators" become snobbish about what we read. In doing this we neglect to read what our students are reading. I am adamant that I will listen to their music (ARGH!) and watch their shows (PAIN!) and endure it with a smile just so I can have something to discuss with them on a daily basis. What I have neglected to do is read books that they enjoy reading. I guess I feel that reading such dribble is beneath me... I am not sure. But all that will change as of NOW! I am going to become well versed in YAL. I am going to read what they are reading. This is going to give me - yet another - way to connect with my students. 

Yet again, I have been motivated to push myself and demand more of myself.