“Do you have what it takes to succeed when working with children of poverty?”
This is TCOP Standard 1: Life in poverty.
STANDARD 1: Life in Poverty: Teacher candidates exemplify their understanding of students’ behavior and learning differences that may occur as a result of a life in poverty. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create learning environments that value, engage and support children of poverty as capable learners.
Following is one of the elements that we work on in our class.
SC-FMU-TCOD-P-2009.1.1
ELEMENT: The candidate will apply current research to interpret the effects of a life in poverty as it impacts learning.
I just wanted to point out to you how important research is to our studies of children in poverty and health. Have you noticed how much empirical research Jensen provides in his writing? And that at the beginning of most chapters he cites a list of supporting research for us to use to continue our work and to validate his.This is very important. Teachers must use research to keep current in their field. It is critical toward becoming and remaining a quality teacher.
In chapter 5 he states, “the more you examine the research, the greater the perspectives offered.”
Let’s pretend that you are already teachers. You are teaching in a school that performs well on standardized tests, has a skilled staff, and 80% of the students are children of poverty. What can you do to improve your classroom for children of poverty? Dr. Jensen considered the research, and what he knew about the effects of poverty and he came up with a plan to use the instructional strategies that he believed would matter most. I want you to do that.
He shares the classroom level SHARE factors with us (Chapter 4; pages 66-69):
• Standards-based curriculum and instruction
• Hope building
• Arts, athletics, and advanced placement
• Retooling of the operating system
• Engaging instruction
For this comment imagine and describe your future classroom and the strategies that you believe will matter most to help all of your students succeed. Include the SHARE factors, make connections to health, and tell me what grade you are teaching. Remember everything must be developmentally appropriate for early childhood students.
I look forward to reading about your classrooms.
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21 comments:
I’m teaching first grade at Willow Elementary School and I enjoy teaching there. We have a staff that is skilled and that cares for the students. Our students do their best to perform well on the standardized tests. Willow Elementary School tries their very best to help each child succeed. Majority of our students aren’t upper class; they are considered children of poverty. The strategies that I use most in my classroom are songs or poems. When I teach addition and subtraction, we use songs for the children to remember. So when they are tested, you will see them humming the tune! I also like to incorporate physical activity because that helps them to stay active and not get bored in the class. It’s very important that my students stay active! When we eat snack, I don’t give them junk food instead fruit is a better choice for them. Nutrition is another key for me to remember when it comes to my students. According to Dr. Jensen, the SHARE factors are vital factors for the classroom. Support of the whole child, Hard Data, Accountability, Relationship Building, and Enrichment Mind-set are the SHARE factors. As a school, supporting the child is our responsibility. My students know that I’m behind them with any decision or challenge in front of them. With high expectations from teachers, we need to give our students 100% support! Willow Elementary School tries not to focus on the scores to pass standardized test and hound our students and make them nervous before the test. We just encourage the students to do their best and rests assure that all the material we taught them over the year; the students will remember. We, as a school, have to remember these tests don’t determine a child’s future. In my classroom and as a teacher, I’ am accountable for my actions not my students or my superiors. In my classroom, I try to have a relationship with each of my students so they can learn to trust and respect me. Also, relationship building with peers is important for my students so they can learn in unity. Enrichment Mind- Set is an important factor for the teacher because how we view our students can affect their experience. In my classroom, I incorporate arts, physical activity, nutrition, and also give my students high expectations. To see my students succeed is all the motivation that a teacher needs!
I teach Second Grade at Forest Brook Elementary School and absolutely love the environment I teach in. At Forest Brook Elementary we have a skilled staff along with a great school board that cares for each individual child. Our students are the best! Each student does their best to perform on the standardized test that they are required to take during the year. Our most discussed topic at staff meetings is how we as teachers can help our students succeed. At forest Brook we house students that are mostly children of poverty and few middle class students. After discussing strategies that we can use in the classroom we came up with several that we thought might enhance the students learning. Some of the ideas that we came up with were to use song and dance, and to incorporate physical activity. By adding song and dance to learning things such as History or parts of the body, it helped them to remember the facts. My favorite thing about this strategy is to see the kids on test days singing the song or doing the motions to answer the questions! This is evidence of that particular strategy working. Physical activity was the next thing that we wanted to make sure that we incorporated more into learning because it helps to stimulate brain cells and helps the child to stay alert during other lessons. Physical activity could range from a 5 minute break outside if time was available (They like this the most) or just stretching in the classroom for 2 minutes to allow the mind to rest and refocus. Also in my classroom I choose to do snack a little differently. I choose to stay with the more healthy foods such as fruits or granola bars (BEWARE of allergies) instead of cookies or candy. Because the majority of my kids are children of poverty, they might not get nutritious food from their homes, so why not allow them the opportunity in the classroom. Support of the whole child, hard data, accountability, relationship building, and enrichment mind-set are the share factors. Dr. Jensen says that these factors are vital factors for the classroom. When a child enters our classroom, it is then our responsibility to support that child. I stand behind each child in my classroom and support them with any challenge or decisions that they have to face. When the child knows that you stand behind them they feel supported and love which can benefit them in their learning. At Forest Brook we try to evaluate each child not based just on test scores but the improvement on his learning from the beginning to the end of each school year. It isn’t fair to base their outcome on standardized testing. We as a staff know that these tests do not determine a child’s future. I also try to create unity in my classroom because building a relationship with peers is vital in learning. Enrichment mind-set is also important. How we view our students can affect their experience inside and outside the classroom. I give my students high expectations and support and encourage them to be able to follow through with them. Seeing my students thrive and succeed is all the motivation and reward I as a teacher need.
In my 2nd grade classroom all of the SHARE factors will matter. These strategies are designed to build success with students of all income levels. I believe that the quality of my teaching, support and respect in my classroom will affect the way my students succeed. Standard-based curriculum and instruction should be one of the most important things to significant improvement. The quality of my teaching should match up to what I teach and how I teach it to all of my students. I have to make sure everyone is getting an equal amount and that no one is behind on anything. I will make clear instructions and elaborate them so that everyone understands. While teaching my lessons I will make sure I get feedback from my students such as having discussion during that lesson, putting them into class groups so everyone can socially interact with each other, and get them to demonstrate what they are thinking. I will never make my children feel like their answer is wrong but to guide them using their own cognitive thinking. Incorporating my quality of teaching to the first factor will enhance learning, thinking, interaction and success in my classroom. Support is another instructional strategy of mine. When I say support I mean afterschool support, encouraging support and support any way I can. Each child is the same to me in my eyes but they all have their different way of learning in the class. Providing tutoring, empowering students, forming study groups and other things all can help to support my student academically, emotionally, physically and mentally. Everyone needs a helping hand here and there. I will teach my students as well as my colleagues how to show support. Teaching them to use their manners to each other, help those who need help and how to be a good leader. There will be no negativity in my classroom; I will not tolerate anything that does not help the next individual. Last but not least respect is another strategy in my class because all of my students have different backgrounds and may not have the skill to show it. By me showing it and enforcing it in my class it can help to strengthen their emotional and social skills. I can discipline through positivity in the classroom. The Hope Building and Engaging Instruction all fall into my strategies. Also these strategies help to make a strong mind, less stress and a good healthy body. Success in the Key in the World, it is what you make it.
Part 1
To improve my classroom for children of poverty I may want to make sure that the overall standards are broken down into daily objectives so that I will not be placing so much information on students at one time in such a short period of time. I could also create pre and post test questions so that I am able to get a better understanding as to what my students know, what they need clarification on, and where I need to begin my lesson. I don’t want to be too far ahead of my students and expect them to somehow learn material that I feel they should already know or what I think they should be able to grasp quickly. I also think that I should prepare myself to make adjustments to the lesson because not all students will understand it and I may have to take time to review for those who don’t. I would want to have engaging instruction that would create student participation emotionally, cognitively, or behaviorally. Ways to start engagement would be through the usage of games, intellectual challenges, social interaction or my motivation.
In my future first grade classroom, I plan on using warm and welcoming colors, such as blue and green. I will have plants, soft chairs, rugs, and colorful pillows which will create a comfortable classroom setting. I want it to feel welcoming and safe to my students. On the walls will be pictures relating to the theme of my classroom and things that my students can relate to. At the beginning of the year, we will have classroom rules that we as a class will make. I want to make my students feel that our classroom is theirs and that if that don’t have anything else or any place to go their classroom is theirs and that they are more than welcome to be there. Throughout the year I’ll add student’s work that they feel should be shared with the class.
Part 2
Some strategies that I feel will matter most to my students and are factors of the SHARE model, are support of the whole child, relationship building, and enrichment mind-set. Supporting the whole child includes setting high expectations which require your students to sit quietly, remain attentive, show motivation and stay out of trouble. If we can incorporate these behaviors in the classroom we can insure some type of improvement in the child’s overall academic success. I think that if the students know I have goals and expectations of them that they will try and meet the standards that I have set for them. Relationship building is another factor that I feel is important when teaching children of poverty. Secure attachments and stable environments are things that they students need but rarely receive. Relationships that matter at the school are, the students relationship with peers, caregivers, and the teacher, as well as the relationship between staff members and each other. Many students who don’t have a secure attachment often have an, I don’t need anyone’s help, type of attitude which is displayed in the classroom. This type of behavior allows the student to stay distance. One way to begin building a strong relationship between students and the teacher is through, “looping.” This strategy consists of keeping the student with the same teacher for more than one grade level. This is beneficial to the student because you are building a family atmosphere and academically the student will not be starting from scratch. The teacher will know exactly where they left off at the end of the school year and are able to pick up where they left off. This is allowing the student to have a consistent relationship and curricular continuity. This can improve the students reading and math skills, attendance, and emotional stability. The enrichment mind-set means encouraging intellectual curiosity, emotional engagement and social bonding. By offering challenging and complex curriculum students with highly qualified teachers, minimizes stressors, while increasing participation. Enrichment programs prepare students to succeed in life, whether they choose to go to college or not. Ways to implement an enrichment mind-set could be, creating a strong environmental message, allowing fresh air into the classroom, or encouraging teachers to have some of their lessons outdoors. You could also conduct a staff wide enrichment mind-set by encouraging staff members to talk with students about careers, and encourage other ways to teach the students, such as, engaging the students in the lesson, instead of drilling the information at them.
All of the strategies from the SHARE are important, but these were the ones that I felt I should really try and focus on. I feel that once these things are meet the rest of the components from the SHARE model will fall into place. I think that if my classroom is a place where my students enjoy coming to then the learning part with come naturally and the students will want to be in a place of learning.
PART 2
Some strategies that I feel will matter most to my students and are factors of the SHARE model, are support of the whole child, relationship building, and enrichment mind-set. Supporting the whole child includes setting high expectations which require your students to sit quietly, remain attentive, show motivation and stay out of trouble. If we can incorporate these behaviors in the classroom we can insure some type of improvement in the child’s overall academic success. I think that if the students know I have goals and expectations of them that they will try and meet the standards that I have set for them. Relationship building is another factor that I feel is important when teaching children of poverty. Secure attachments and stable environments are things that they students need but rarely receive. Relationships that matter at the school are, the students relationship with peers, caregivers, and the teacher, as well as the relationship between staff members and each other. Many students who don’t have a secure attachment often have an, I don’t need anyone’s help, type of attitude which is displayed in the classroom. This type of behavior allows the student to stay distance. One way to begin building a strong relationship between students and the teacher is through, “looping.” This strategy consists of keeping the student with the same teacher for more than one grade level. This is beneficial to the student because you are building a family atmosphere and academically the student will not be starting from scratch. The teacher will know exactly where they left off at the end of the school year and are able to pick up where they left off. This is allowing the student to have a consistent relationship and curricular continuity. This can improve the students reading and math skills, attendance, and emotional stability. The enrichment mind-set means encouraging intellectual curiosity, emotional engagement and social bonding. By offering challenging and complex curriculum students with highly qualified teachers, minimizes stressors, while increasing participation. Enrichment programs prepare students to succeed in life, whether they choose to go to college or not. Ways to implement an enrichment mind-set could be, creating a strong environmental message, allowing fresh air into the classroom, or encouraging teachers to have some of their lessons outdoors. You could also conduct a staff wide enrichment mind-set by encouraging staff members to talk with students about careers, and encourage other ways to teach the students, such as, engaging the students in the lesson, instead of drilling the information at them.
In my second grade classroom we believe that failure is not an option. For all of my students I will play two roles: aggravator to push them to reach new goals and cheerleader when they reach those goals. Whenever possible I will add athletics and hand held manipulatives to make learning more approachable. I will also use aspects of art and theater to brighten dull subjects. For my projects I will give the students options so they might choose a project that most suits their interests. (For example, for our unit on wild animals the students could choose from doing a poster, doing a “zoo tour guide” where they found a video of a wild animal and explained the animals habits to the class like the class was on a tour at the zoo, or they could dress up and give a first hand account of being an animal.) This covers my content and curriculum but is also fresh and new so more interesting to the students.
I am a first grade teacher, and have twenty students in my class. Twelve of the students in the class are males, and eight are females. Over half of the students in my classroom are children of poverty, though they often do well on standardized tests. My classroom is set up as a cozy area, with lamps instead of the overhead lightning. Studies have shown that when this type of classroom lightening is not used, students remain focused longer. I want my students to sit in groups, so I have the desks in sets of four. I chose to place the students in certain seats, so everyone has the opportunity to learn from and with each other. They are placed according to the grades and struggles. I have two higher achieving students paired with two who struggle more or need an extra push when it comes to school work. There are many books in my classroom, because there are students in my classroom who probably have no access to books at home. I made sure to put many learning opportunities in the classroom where students can use arts and crafts to express themselves. I have an area with markers, paper, scissors, etc. Simple materials like these are things my students have probably never had. I want to have a classroom where every student is not labeled. While they are at school, they will have every opportunity possible to do as much as their neighbor.
Standards based curriculum can be defined as the theories and research. Dr. Jenson made a comparison that trying to help the students in poverty meet standards is like trying to nail jello-o to a tree. This shows how hard it is to help students of poverty succeed in a classroom. When students meet the standards, they are obtaining more opportunities, and feeling like they can accomplish something. Standards are important in my classroom because everyone is learning the same thing. The teaching strategies I use may be different, but the content each student learns in the same. It basically puts each child on the same level. I plan to break down each standard or unit into smaller parts, so the students take more from it than just the content. I will teach them how to understand what they are learning, and how they can apply it to their real world. Chances are that the students will take at least some of the material they learn and help teach someone else in their community such as a family member or friend. Hope building is important in my classroom, because I want for all of my students to know I expect as much as possible out of them. Because more than half of my students are in poverty, it would be easy just to concentrate on the students who want to exceed. The role of a teacher though is to make sure students know they should give their best 100% of the time. They need to know this not only while they are in school, but for the rest of their life as well. If the students are not shown care by a teaching, they will have no desire to push themselves. As a classroom teacher, I look at none of my students by their standardized test grades. Instead, I look at them as a class of similar students, who all need to be pushed. I want them to feel like they are smart. They need to believe it themselves first. One thing I have in my classroom is a student’s Work Center, where high performance work is hung on the wall. When putting a child’s paper on the board, I do not put their grades. Instead, I put just the work. Even if a student does poorly on something, but sees that they made the wall, they will be excited to have more work put up there. Arts, athletics, and advanced placement are important in any school, because this is where students can express themselves in what they do best. Students can use art to tell how they are feeling, what they want or do not want, and their likes or dislikes. Because many students do not have access to arts or athletics in their home environment, it is important to allow them to have all the opportunities possibly at school. Exercise is important because it allows the students to have a break from classroom instruction. It also important because exercise stimulates the brain, which is important for memory, cognitive thinking, and connections to learn. In my classroom, I treat all of my students like they are advanced placement students. It challenges them, which makes them want to do better. Even though they are only in first grade, it is important to challenge them so they will want to excel when they are older as well.
Retooling of the operating system is important because it teaches students how to think and develop their critical thinking. They need to be taught that there is more than one way to learn things. Even though the school may be low performing, it is still the teacher’s responsibility to help improve the student’s performance ability. It is so important, especially for students who live in poverty, to have opportunities to be engaged in learning. They need to be able to develop the social skills and want to participate in classroom discussion. That is why I chose to put them in groups which include all types of learners and learning levels. They will have the opportunity to work with students who may know more or have better social skills than them. Students will feel better about themselves when they are treated normal. They will be more confident, and not worry about what all they do not have. When students are in school, they each should be on the same level, when it comes to expectations.
I am teaching first grade at a school where 80% of the students are children of poverty. I want to use Jensen’s SHARE factors to help the students in my classroom succeed. I will start with standards-based curriculum and instruction. In my classroom, I am going to focus on the standards to improve the quality of my teaching. I will start this by developing all my lessons around my standards. I can break the information down into small steps and tasks for my students and use similar ideas together to make them easier to understand. My test questions will all be developed using objectives that have been written based on the appropriate standards and indicators for my units. I will also try to develop a sense of hope in my students. By hope, I mean to instill goals in all of my students which will provoke them to want to believe in themselves and work hard to learn. This can also help with the SHARE factor incorporating retooling of the operating system. I want my students to have positive attitudes and to do this I will always focus on the talents each of my students possesses. I need to make sure to praise my students for good work and try not to focus on things they may mess up on. This can also help with my students’ mental and emotional health because it may be able to raise self-esteem and self-worth.
Another thing I will incorporate in my classroom includes arts, athletics, and advanced placement. We previously learned from Jensen that music and exercise can help with a child’s fluent intelligence and working memory. I will make an attempt to use music quite often in my classroom. I will use songs as a means of remembering specific things from our units. Music may also help my students to relax which can improve the health of my students. I will use short exercises to give my students short breaks each day. This will help my students to get out a little energy which will help them stay on task while working. My students will also be learning ways to improve their own physical health. Lastly, I can use higher level thinking questions for my students at advanced placement. At the end of tests, I can give my students bonus questions. This will get my students excited to earn some extra points while also striving towards a higher thinking level.
I can also use engaging instruction, the final SHARE factor to help my students succeed. I want to be able to hold my students attention in the classroom, therefore ensuring that they learn more. I will need to get to know each one of my students and maybe even a little bit about their background to be able to know what types of things they are interested in. For instance, if one student loves to play soccer, I can try to incorporate some sort of word problem dealing with soccer. I believe all the things I have listed above tie in to help with this. I will be giving my students breaks periodically which will help them if they are beginning to get bored and using proper encouragement will help my students to actually want to succeed.
As a Kindergarten teacher I have strived to make my classroom the best learning environment for my students. I have found that the most important part of teaching young children is to be excited about learning and be positive towards it and if you are the students will be too. Many of my students come from low SES background and for many of them this is their first experience in a school setting. I started the year by making our class a family and teaching the rules and expectations of our class. Earning the trust of my students is a key element to my teaching and I want my students to feel safe to learn or share whatever they may want or need to share with me. Our classroom is very diverse and I encourage my students to respect each other and to learn about each other. I feel as a teacher that it is my responsibility to instill hope in every child and push them to be all that they can be.
Instruction should be fun and interesting for the students. I feel that it is very important to align my instruction to the standards so that the students will be able to achieve higher on the standardized testing that is required of them to take. I try to make every situation a learning experience for the students even if it is not a test question. Learning happens everywhere and not just in a desk.
Being a teacher does not ends at 2:00. It is important for you to stay up on the latest research related to your area. As a teacher you have to constantly observe and critique your teaching and see what is working and what is not. Flexibility is important because many times things do not go as planned or you see a better way of teaching something after you have planned it a different way.
Students need physical activity throughout the day and I feel that it is critical to allow them time for movement and play to expend some of their energy. I encourage them to eat healthy foods, to get enough rest, and to have good hygiene. Many of my students do not learn at home how to take proper care of themselves, so it important for me to teach them this.
This is not the first time that I have thought about how my 1st grade classroom will be. I want for my classroom to be full of color. When I say full of color, I mean extremely bright colors like yellow, pink, baby blue, and lime green. The color of the room is what sets the mood. When in a room of bright colors it is much easier to let one’s imagination roam and for fun learning to be possible. The walls will be covered with positive sayings and quotes for the children to read. Although my classroom sounds as if it will be very busy, it will be kept as clean as possible. I think it is important for me to provide my students with an environment that is presentable without any distractions. The desks will be in groups of 4 with 2 boys and 2 girls in each group. Every 3 weeks the groups will change so that the children will be able to get to know everyone in the class. I believe that a child is motivated most by their peers, so I will have the students work together as much as possible. I will encourage them to help each other when needed also.
Jensen’s SHARE factors can come in handy when trying to give my students the best learning experience possible. I will stick to a standards based curriculum but will first try to find out about each student’s background. I can do this by finding out about their home life and attempting to make up for what they are lacking in the classroom instead. My lessons will revolve around what each child needs the most. My lessons will be based on hope building because without hope, students will have no drive to learn. I will do this by having the student’s see what happens when one does not have hope. I will bring in arts and athletics in many ways. I will have them paint or draw ways that they can stay healthy and have activities so they can exercise and see the importance of staying fit.
I will encourage my students to talk to me about what they feel they get out of each lesson. By doing this I can see if my lessons are getting across the purpose that I am wanting. I will also be able to see how the lessons are affecting them individually. Every week there will be a no fear Friday where each student will have the opportunity to come speak with me individually or to a classmate about anything that has been bothering them. I believe it is so important that children do not keep anything bottled in and speak to someone about any problems. They will know that I love each of them the same and want the best for them not matter what it takes.
In my classroom I hope to first of all have a relaxing and happy classroom environment. This classroom would be for a first grade class. I want my students to sit in grouped desks or at tables so they can socialize and work together when it is needed. I want to have a reading area where the students can sit and read and have quiet time. I also want my class to have a writing center where the letter or the alphabet will be clearly displayed so they can practice writing them or so they can just refresh their memory if they need it. They can write their own stories or just draw pictures to express themselves. I also want a housekeeping center where the students can practice taking care of their own homes. I would like a music center, computers for the students to use, and a game area where the students can work together and play board games. I also would like to have a healthy habits chart hung in the room so my students will be knowledgeable about ways to practice activities that will enhance their health. I want all of my students to know how important it is to eat healthy and exercise everyday. I feel like teachers do not stress that enough to their students. Students spend the most important parts of their day with their teachers and teachers have a huge influence on their students. If students see their teachers practicing good habits and being healthy, they will want to follow that example.
Most teachers have their days planned out for instructional time, center time, recess, and specials time. I want to somehow incorporate a time for students to be active in the classroom instead of just sitting in their desks all day and only getting to move around during recess or P.E. I want to incorporate a lot of psychomotor activities into my lessons to keep the kids moving. The more the kids are up and actively engaged in their learning the more they will comprehend and retain I feel like. I feel like this strategy will really help students. When I go into classrooms to observe and all the students are allowed to do is sit and listen they seem really bored and the teacher has to continue calling out to certain students to pay attention. In the classrooms where the students are allowed to move around and participate in their learning, they seem to grasp more of the information being taught.
I also want to be very positive with my students. A lot of the teachers I have observed that seem to have students who are succeeding well are the teachers who offer the most praise to their students. Praising students for doing well or even just an effort of trying to do well will really boost their confidence. Some children of poverty do not get praise and support at home when it comes to doing well in school. Without praise and support from the teacher for effort in the classroom a student will not have the confidence to try or to feel the need to succeed in school. As teachers we have to give our students the feeling that they can succeed to matter what environment they come from.
I would do a number of different things in my class that could be used in the SHARE factors. Support of the Whole Child will be easy for me I think. Like I talked about earlier I want to praise all of my students for even an attempt of a task. Even though I will praise my students regularly I will not accept anything less than what they are capable of. As their teacher, I will know what they are capable of the expect them to do their best at all times. If some of my students are below grade level and need extra help I will take my own personal time to help them get to where they should be for their grade level. I will also make sure they are provided with the services they need if they have a disability or are a special needs student. Also for the “S” part of share teachers have to teach to a standard based curriculum. Teachers have to make sure they cover the curriculum mandated by their state. The states have done research to decide which standards should be taught at what grade level and teachers have to find the best way and most effective way to teach those standards. Not all of the standards are easy to learn so I think teachers should find fun and interactive ways to teach their students. In my classroom I want to use the most active ways I can to teach students to keep them up and moving instead of in their desks all day.
We also have to remember that the data collected from standardized testing has its flaws. I agree with the idea that states should change how they score students. They should start basing the tests on achievement. If schools are able to collect data on how students learn and the speed at which they can process certain information, teachers can start conforming their teaching styles and lessons to meet the needs of the majority of their students. Teachers cannot possible teach a lesson to each student a different way so if school could collect data that let the teachers know the best methods to reach their students, success rate of students would undoubtedly increase. Also for the “H” component of the SHARE we have to build hope in our students. We have to let them not that we believe they can succeed even if they are from poverty. Teachers should make sure students know that it does not matter where they come from or go home to each day, they still can be great students and achieve whatever they want.
A ton of schools have unqualified teachers trying to teach our students. Because of budget cuts many schools have part time workers or substitutes teaching class everyday because they do not have the money to hire a real teacher. In some high schools, gym teachers who do not have anything close to a teaching degree are teaching things like history, science, and social studies classes to save the school from hiring another teacher. Schools need to provide a quality education for their students. These people that the states are placing in schools have no training on how to teach children or teenagers. We cannot expect students to have a successful academic experience when they are not provided with the people who can help them achieve it. The last blog we completed talked about how to make children of poverty’s minds improved. These unqualified teachers will not have any training on how to help these students reach their full potential. For the arts, athletics, and advanced placement, I fully believe in allowing children to express themselves through art to show their creativity. Athletics are also very important. First of all it is healthy to stay active and exercise so athletics are great for children. Also, most athletics involve team sports, which teach children how to work together with each other and build their social and communication skills. I really like the idea of advanced placement and not lower our standards of what we expect just because some of the students in our room are from poverty. They can still achieve everything that other students that are not from poverty can achieve. If we lower our standards for them, that could first of all offend our students because we are basically saying that we think they cannot do it and secondly that they do not have to try as hard because they are from poverty. I will expect the same effort from every one of my students.
I really like the next factor of SHARE. Children need stability and we as teachers I feel like need to make stable relationships with our students. We have to respect our students and make them feel comfortable enough around us to be able to ask questions and learn. In regards to health, young children from poverty have trouble developing their social and emotional skills. Teachers can help these students overcome that by allowing students to work and bond with their classmates. Also, by giving students one on one time with their teacher they can have a healthy relationship with an adult outside of their family or household. For retooling of the operating system, teachers need to begin to make our students minds better. Again, we learned in the last blog that we can help our students mind conform to make them better students. I really like the idea that the COACH program gives us. We as teachers have the ability to choose how our students’ lives turn out. We can believe in them and support them and help their minds grow into something great or we can give up on them and let them fail. No good teacher would let this happen.
Teachers also need to have the right mind set to help their students succeed. If teachers look at their students as a burden and failures before they even give them a chance, then of course their students will not succeed. I think every child has potential to do well in school as long as they have a teacher willing to help them and one that believes in them. We as teachers also have to provide engaging instruction for our students. Teachers have to provide instruction that children of poverty can understand and relate to. Teachers must give real life scenarios and use examples that children of poverty see in their everyday life. I think teachers should continue working together to make their classrooms more engaging and continue asking students how they could make their class more interesting and beneficial to the students.
I want to teach kindergarten. My classroom will be a centered based classroom. I like the idea of using centers because this way the students can rotate through the centers they are interested in learning about. Also I am the one in control about what would be in each center. I can take some centers out and add new centers based on what we were are working on as a class. There are some centers that would remain permanent in the classroom. The permanent centers I would have would be dramatic play, math, writing, art, science, reading, and blocks. Some centers that could come and go in the classroom are sand/water table, computer table, and certain toys for outdoor play. Each center would incorporate the SHARE factors and would all tie into health with one way or another.
The centers that I would have would contain items that would promote health to the students. Dramatic play center would be a large center to incorporate this because all can relate to a kitchen set in the classroom and at home. One thing I would do is make sure all the food in this center is healthy food. That way the students can see what healthy food is and can ask to have it at home. I also would want to have dress up clothes that represent community members so the students can appreciate other people and their jobs. Something that could be added to this center when we work on personal hygiene is a set of large teeth and a toothbrush so the students can practice brushing teeth. The next center would be the math center and I would like to add things into the math center like measuring cups. By adding these the students can measure out proportions of certain things and maybe this will help them eat healthy when they get home and measure their food with the help of a parent. In the writing center I would have prompts for the students to write about. An example would be A healthy food is ________. In the art center I would like to have materials that my students could find around their home so that children of poverty can know that they don’t need the best materials to create art. In the science center I would have things about nature and the body system so the students can see what a healthy body looks like. In the reading center I would books about healthy food and exercise.
I definitely want to make sure I include the five SHARE factors in my classroom. I think it is very important to have these in order to have a well-rounded classroom. I want my classroom to run smoothly as possible and I want it to be a fun and loving environment. Everyone in my classroom will be accepted and accept others. Standards based curriculum will be majorly included in my classroom. Everything will be based on the standards and I will have the standards displayed on the board according to what we are working on. Hope building will be something I try to work on with class on a regular basis. I want all of my students to believe in themselves and know that they can do anything they set their mind to. Arts, athletics, and advanced placement will play a role as well. I want to incorporate the arts so my students can feel free to express their emotions. Athletics will be a major part in my classroom. I want to keep my students active because I want to prevent childhood obesity. Advanced placement would be necessary for the students who are above average so they don’t get bored in the classroom. Retooling of the operating system would be important because it is needed to make sure everything runs smoothly. For the final part of SHARE engaging instruction would be one of the most important to me. I want to make sure that my children are learning what I am teaching. I want to make sure they are all tuned in on the subject at hand.
In my classroom, I think it will be very important to emphasize learning is fun. There are several aspects of learning that seems redundant and uninteresting such as rote memory activities. In my classroom, activities will be more so hands on, allowing the students to not only learn first hand how to perform a task but also how to handle the possibility of things going wrong/ improvising. My first grade classroom will consist of different stations for each subject i.e. writing, reading, science, social studies. In each station there will be a new weekly activity that will go with the lesson of the week. At different stations, there will be emphasis on some cognitive as well as psychomotor enhancement. By doing this I will make sure to align with the SC Standards and incorporate the NHES standards in the different subject areas as well. IN each station, I would hope to have activities that will promote both individual work and group work both dealing with hands on activities. There will be some times where the activity may be a little blander than others but the idea of my classroom will be the emphasis on learning while having fun. The strategies that will matter most are the ones to where connecting the dots are key. It’s okay to have several experiments for the children to engage in but if they do not realize the connection between the activity and the lesson, did they learn anything at all? Promoting classroom instruction as well as self experiences will be a constant theme in my classroom as well. By self experiencing I mean the ability to allow the children to share with us real life scenarios that they experience as it pertains to the topic of the week. In my classroom, building character will be very important, in the class we will chose a word a week that promotes the health literacy component of being a responsible citizen and promoting critical thinking and self directed learning. By this we will have share/story time were students will be able to express themselves or provide personal examples of they relate to the character word of the week. This not only engages students in classroom activities but also allows open discussion and promotes communication skills, which is an area that children of poverty often lack. By providing engaging centers/ stations throughout the classroom to give hands on experience and self experience of the character word of the week, I believe that my classroom will promote a positive learning environment that will not only showcase learning is fun but also that real life situation helps to build positive decision making skills.
Once I obtain my degree in Early Childhood Education I want to be a Kindergarten teacher. I want to give each of my students the best education they can receive. Children are the future leaders of America and we don’t want unintelligent students to run our country. Jensen’s SHARE factors can help me inside my classroom. SHARE stands for Standard-Based Curriculum and Instruction, Hope Building, Arts, Athletics, and Advanced Placement, Retooling of the Operating System, and Engaging Instruction.
Once I start teaching I want to make sure all of my kids are learning the same standards even if they have to learn on different levels. What may be easy for some students may not be easy for others. In Kindergarten, you can’t really test students to see what they already know because most of them are just beginning. In my classroom, I will have the alphabet going around the wall like wallpaper to help students identify the letters and know how to accurately draw them as well. Also I will have a number line from 1-100 around the classroom. Before I begin teaching, I will know what each student has trouble with and what they excel in. I will group students based on their knowledge of a subject and I will engage each student actively in each lesson I teach. All of my students will be able to learn the same standard even if I have to use less or more challenging projects.
As a teacher, I must encourage my students to do their best at everything I do. I will help them by nurturing, supporting, and aiding them with school work. This will help build hope in each of my students. I will compliment my children on their work instead of criticize their efforts. I will suggest ways to make their work better. Praising and rewarding a child also builds hope and makes the child want to accomplish more. My classroom will have inspirational quotes to remind children to do their best. One quote I will post is, “If it is to be, it is up to me!” Another example is, “Always do your best!” My classroom will be fully equipped with materials needed for students to have the best education they can get.
Health is also an important aspect to look at when teaching children. Every morning, I will provide a healthy and nutritious snack for each of the students. The snacks will provide energy to the brain and the students will be alert and ready to learn and engage in activities. In addition to providing snacks, I will encourage physical education and inform my students on keeping their bodies healthy. As a teacher, I will give my students of good exercises they can do to help build strong muscle, keep a healthy heart, and maintain an energetic state. My class will go out for recess every day. I will not punish a child by taking away their recess privileges. Children need to be able to move around and play after sitting inside a classroom most of the day. My lesson will also incorporate arts. My classroom will do worksheets that involve coloring, drawing, and writing. Also we will build learning tools using art. For example for a music lesson, my class can decorate toilet tissue rolls and cover the tops with wax paper and rubber bands to make something like a maraca. Art helps to build the student brain’s academic operating system. Art will be incorporated into all of the subject areas I teach.
As a teacher I will use the CHAMPS technique to retool the operating system of my students. Students must first have the champion mind set. I will accomplish this task by supporting my students and building confidence in each one of them. If they have trouble writing for example, I will first ask them a few questions about what they like to do, what they did over the summer, do they have any friends and ask them to write about one of the topics they are interested in. I will also inform my students of successful people who they may be aware of to install optimism. I will also encourage students’ hopes and dreams and listen to them. I will inform my students of what goals are and how it is important to follow your dreams. Attention skills are important for students to have. As a teacher I need to build attention skills in my students early because Kindergarten is one of the first levels that students develop attention skills. I must make sure each of my students’ have acquired good attention skills for future classes. I can build attention skills in my students by engaging in discussions with the students, asking them for feedback, and using project-based learning. I will also build memory, processing skills, and sequencing skills through activities such as music, projects, critical thinking, visual arts, and in-depth projects.
The last thing in the SHARE factor is Engaging Instruction. I will put my students together to do group projects such as coloring and reading activities. This gives the students time to learn about each other and discuss things they learn in their groups to me. I will incorporate movement through learning stations and break the class up to do different activities such as puzzles, reading activities, listening activities, and activities that involve movement. During story time I will ask my students questions as I read to them. This engages the students and let me know what they learned or what they already know. Jensen’s SHARE factor can make students and teachers better off. It builds smart children and teachers accomplish their jobs and duties.
In my classroom I will base all my lesson on my schools curriculum based standards. I must do this to ensure that my students get a good foundation in kindergarten. I will give my students positive feedback when do they do things right and answer questions correctly. This will give them good self-esteem and the will to learn and answer questions. Being positive will give my students hope and the believe that they can succeed. I will make sure my children go to recess engage in some physical activity in the classroom. I can incorporate physical activity into my lesson. This activity will help my young students release some of there endless energy. It will teach them that being physically active is important for you health. I will make sure I incorporate music and art and technology in my classroom to allow my students to express themselves in different ways and enhance their motor skills. Hope building and arts/athletics in my class will help improve their operating systems. I will also give my students mental exercises which will help their IQ. Activities such as brainstorming, maps, organizational charts. I will make sure that I have fun lessons and activities that my students can that will not only make them learn but also keep them interested. Young children are interested in sports, toys, children’s movies, animals, dolls.
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