Blogging : An Outlet for Teachers and Students

Why does the classroom interaction have to stay within the bounds of the classroom walls?

It actually doesn't!

The idea of utilizing a blog as a teacher is an excellent option enhancing classroom learning, communicating with students, offering feedback, encouraging reflection and answering questions.  Student's are so technologically savvy these days, most students would enjoy blogging, even if used for academic use.

As a teacher, I can use a blog daily to address main points from the lesson, review vocabulary, post assignments, and remind students of due dates.  I can also provide feedback to students about what I noticed in the classroom, what the student's are doing well, and what may need to be improved. As a teacher, I can also imbed links into the blog that I feel are helpful or useful for my students.

Student's can utilize blogging in many ways.  They can use the blog to collaborate with other students, reflect on what they liked, disliked, and/or learned from the daily lesson.  Student's who don't feel comfortable contributing in the classroom environment may open up in the blog setting.  If student's are absent from class, they can utilize a blog to see what they missed for the day and what they need to complete.  The blog is an opportunity for students to ask questions and get clarification on something they don't understand.

A blog is definitely something that I will utilize in my classroom.  I an picture students becoming very excited with the prospect of blogging.  Student's are so creative and have so much to offer.  I am sure that sometimes, in the classroom setting, they don't have the opportunity to capitalize on their gifts, as we are bound by limited time, standards that must be taught, and many students.  This is an excellent option to provide another outlet for student learning.

Lesson 7: Think like a Teenager

As a teacher, it is imperative that I keep in mind that adolescents are going to be impulsive and emotional.  Adults, in contrast are typically better able to provide reasoning and organized thoughts to process their feelings.  Adolescents have to be accountable for their negative actions, however, as a teacher, I have to keep a perspective that they are not adults and will act differently. When I am communicating with adolescents, I have to provide gentle guidance and discipline in order to help them develop the reasoning and organized thought processes that my students need to be successful in life.  Modeling reasoning, impulse control, and organized thinking, even when it is difficult, is very important to help guide students.  An example of this is not letting students’ behavior affect me.  As a teacher, I need to remain calm and collected, setting an example to all of my students. As teachers, we need to put ourselves into our student's shoes to understand them.  Thinking like a teenager will go along way!  

Lesson 7 - Music and Math in the Classroom!

The contept of math is often misidentified by students as something that is not important in the "real world".  We need to change this mindset and help students understand that math skills will utilized in so much of what they do as adults. We, as teachers must incorporate math into all content classes, to help students develop an interest in it. When we do this, it will help students understand their need for it in the world.  Some examples of how math is used on a daily basis is balancing a check book, paying bills, measuring ingredients for a recipe, establishing time frames, and so many other ways. With any subject, showing them the importance of knowing certain concepts will help stir a desire within them to learn it.  As a teacher, I want to be excited about all content that I teach.  If I act uninterested in the material being taught, how can I expect them to be excited about it and want to learn it?  

The impact of incorporating musical training into learning is a great tool to enhance learning in every subject!  Music naturally increases joy and mood.  Research shows that “feel good” music even enhances student’s testing ability and raises test scores. 

Even as a health teacher I can incorporate music and instruments into my lessons.  As an assignment, I could give students an option to write songs using lesson content and perform their songs to the class.  Even playing music softly in the classroom may help calm student’s nerves and help them enjoy their learning, as they associate the content with a positive environment. 

Lesson 5: Teachers- Develop Reading and Language Skills in Your Students

Language development starts in Utero, as research shows that babies brains are already responding to voices and other noises.  As babies and children are continuously exposed to greater amounts of vocabulary and language interaction, their brains are building a foundation to support language development.  Reading and speaking to children from birth can help children develop strong reading and language skills.

Some children are not fortunate to have a lot of positive language interaction early on, and may lack the necessary brain structure to support advanced language development and advanced reading skills. The good news is that with some dedication and training, these children can still develop the necessary skills.  As a secondary school teacher, it will be easy to recognize those students who have only developed basic reading and language skills, and who have established compensating mechanisms to "make do" up to this point. By identifying these students, I can get them the necessary help that they need to become advanced in these skills and help them succeed through high school and even college.

There are some simple strategies that teachers of all grades can do to help students who may be struggling. One of these strategies is to give full explanations of instructions and  even taking the time to help students understand vocabulary words that they may not be familiar with.  Reviewing the instructions and vocabulary words through different methods, will help students achieve retention and help students develop understanding.

Another method is by teaching grade appropriate content, at a grade appropriate level, but reinforcing basic skills by simultaneously including these within the teaching.  An example for me, as a health teacher is if I am teaching a lesson on Anti-Bullying. Most people can read that lesson title and understand that this lesson reinforces why bullying is wrong.  What about those students that don't understand what "anti" means?  From the start, these students may be confused, hindering their ability to learn the content.  To prevent this, from the introduction of this lesson, I will review what "anti" means, and reinforce this concept with some quick activities in class.  I can continue to do this whenever there is a word or phrase within the lesson that may be confusing or misconstrued by students.

By incorporating a basic vocabulary lesson, I have helped students be able to comprehend the content material, as well as enhanced their language and reading skills!

Lesson 4: Relational Teachers

Effective teachers must be relational in the classroom.   Sadly, many teachers don't understand the importance of establishing healthy student-teacher relationships with their students. Many teachers create a classroom where clear hierarchy is established from the start, placing themselves above the students in every way. Many teachers make it known that their students are not welcome to question their actions or decisions.   Some teachers use their authority to establish a threatening power, over their students. While establishing guidelines and roles is important, some of these methods are not creating a climate of relationship and trust.
According to an article written by Louise Phipps Senft, an expert in conflict resolution, being relational is defined as "living in relation to others in recognition of an interconnectedness with others. It means in our interactions with others, being engaged, centered, grounded, clear, generous humble, and kind" (2014). These are traits that every teacher should strive for.  Our students need us to be leaders, but not set apart as better than they are.    Teachers need to humble themselves and remember what it was like to be a student.  Students need to feel that understand what they are going through, we need to be compassionate, caring, and empathetic.
In my classroom, I want to create an atmosphere where students are free to be themselves, have fun, laugh, ask questions, attempt new things, learn from their failures, and strive to do better.  I want my students to feel like they can question me if they feel I am wrong and offer their rationale for why they believe they are right. I want to create an atmosphere where students associate learning with a safe place.
 This environment will start from the moment they walk in...with smiles, jokes, high fives, or other interaction that can help break barriers from the start.  This concept will further be established by presenting information in a fun, engaging manner.  All lessons should include some enjoyment for the students, to build their passion for the content.  In every encounter, with every student, I must maintain a mindset of building trusting relationships with students. Being relational, building bonds with students, should be a guiding factor for all student communication, in every lesson I give, and in all homework I assign.  Building these bonds is critical if I am to be an effective teacher!

Reference
Phills Senft, L (2014). Guest Article: What Does "Being Relational" Mean? Wagonheim Law. Retrieved from  http://www.wagonheim.com/what-does-being-relational-mean/

Lesson 3 - Fostering a Learning Environment Despite Obstacles

Teaching can be a difficult job.  There are so many students for every teacher and often times teachers are pulled so many different directions at once.  Despite this, teachers have a huge responsibility to ensure that they are effectively teaching every single student in the classroom.  There are times when students have obstacles that keep them from learning.  We need to recognize these barriers to learning in order to provide proper intervention.

As a teacher, I will make an intentional effort to be conscientious of all students and their behaviors. When students suffer from emotional lows, it effects their ability to learn.  It may be that my interaction with students is the only positive experience they have in their day. I want to make my classroom fun, interaction and safe for all students to encourage learning, even for those students who don't have that experiences at home.  I desire to be the teacher that has intuition to know when something is not right, and approachable to my students for guidance and direction.  I want to pay particular attention to students interaction with each other and with me.  I will smile and laugh often as a teacher and watch for reciprocation from students.

When I am in the front of the classroom providing a lesson,  I will make eye contact with each student to identify who may not be paying attention, and take note of negative patterns among students. When students are struggling academically, I will brainstorm to identify the root of the problem. I will watch for warning signs that may indicate that their may be a bigger problem and I will not let that student fall through the cracks or write them off.  I will push through to help them receive proper intervention, however that needs to happen.

Lesson 2 Response

By the time children reach secondary school, their brains have already develop skills to interpret and process visual and auditory stimulants. Depending on their exposure and environment as young children, by the time they reach my classroom they will developed these areas at a different rate. I may have some children who have vision problems and are not able to see the front of the room clearly.  This disability may affect their ability to do their assignments and thus affect their learning in the classroom.  My students may have hearing deficiencies making it difficult for them to interpret my verbal lectures or instructions in the classroom. It may be that these disabilities have never been recognized and addressed in elementary school. As a teacher, I need to be aware of students who may not be performing well due to visual or hearing disabilities.  I think students who have these problems often get labelled as not motivated, when in may be that no one has ever taken the time to recognize that their is something else going on, something they have no control over.  By recognizing these situations, students can receive intervention to help them get on a path to success!