Week Seven - Waiting and Reflecting

Dear Sang,

I would like to share my reflection on the past five weeks, and, specifically yesterday.I should start by saying that my eyes are very swollen even now after hours of tears pouring out of my eyes yesterday and this morning.

Deep inside, I am very grateful for this experience. It has helped me see that I really have a passion for teaching and being around the students. I am extremely committed to finishing my certification program and becoming a teacher. I have experienced a “failure” in some respect, but I have “succeeded” in overcoming my biggest personal weakness – the “running away” and the “avoid a challenging situation and start something new” attitude that I used to have.

You may remember many occasions that I have allowed my weakness to control my life. 

• Do you remember when we were students at U of M? I didn’t know how to overcome the academic challenge of college life and I wanted to run away. I wanted to vanish from this world than to face the challenge openly. That’s why I didn’t grow. That’s why my life took a different turn and my family had to suffer.
• Do you remember when I was at Bank One? I didn’t know how to cope with the challenging world of sales and competition and I wanted to run away. I did run away – twice. That’s why I didn’t grow. That’s why my family had to suffer.
• Do you remember when I was in Korea several years ago? I didn’t know how to cope with the loneliness and I wanted to run away. I convinced everyone that I should return to the U.S. That’s why I am in this financial situation.
• Even earlier, do you remember tennis in El Paso? Well, I quit during one season because I couldn’t handle the conditioning training. I eventually came back, but I quit for a while. Since then, I didn’t want to be in a competitive tennis environment because I didn’t want to challenge myself.
• There are countless other examples that I can think of…This time, I’m not running away.

I’m not blaming anyone for the challenges that I am facing. I’m not even really blaming myself. All I know for sure is that I have found something that I can openly take personal ownership in (the whole journey). It has taken a long time for this transformation, but I am committed to myself.

As for the other teacher, I do thank her and sincerely wish her the best. She’s 30 years old with kids who are 2 and 4. She’s been teaching 5th and 6th graders since she was 21 years old. I believe her strong “authoritative” style may be her profession related. She, herself, has said that she is a perfectionist who thinks sequentially and logically. Because of her style, maybe she has become an effective classroom teacher. You know, I was a big intrusion in her classroom. She has never had a student teacher before, so she doesn’t understand what to expect from the relationship. I think all these factors plus my inadequacies may have caused her to react to the situation as she did. I am almost confident in letting you know that I tried my best to follow her every instruction. I knew her style so I tried to be very submissive. I really wanted to please her. I knew she was valuable to me in my journey to become a great teacher. Unfortunately, I could never become her (in knowledge, in experience, and in style). I tried, but I couldn’t. That was my biggest inadequacy!

I thank her for at least allowing me to be in her classroom. I thank her for showing me her strengths which as classroom discipline and orderly teaching style. I have gained an appreciation for discipline part of the classroom teaching. I know I have the empathy and enthusiasm for teaching and for students, but I lacked the discipline know-how’s. Definitely, I have learned the know-how’s. If she would have allowed me to stay longer, I know I would have learned more. I’m grateful for the skills that I have gained so far.

As a fellow woman and teacher, I really want her to do well personally and professionally. I hold no grudge against her (not yet~). As she gets older and find raising her own children a challenge, she will look back to our relationship. Let me tell you another story. When I worked at Foster Bank (I was 31 at the time), I remember telling my supervisor (she was 40 at the time) that she has two faces. I told her that she shouldn’t be talking behind other people’s back and then smiling in front of them. That it’s not right. I was so sure of myself then. I met the supervisor some years ago, and I apologized to her for my righteousness style back then. I told her that I was still too young then. Graciously, she accepted my apology and we continued to be friends.Am I being arrogant by hoping a similar resolution may develop between the other teacher and me? Maybe…

In conclusion, I just want to share this. I really enjoyed being in the classroom with the students. I got excited preparing for each class as I reviewed the subject content, what I knew, how I knew, how I can learn what I didn’t know for certain, and how I can help students learn. It felt great reflecting on what went well and what went bad after each day. This is what I enjoy doing – being around kids, learning, and reflecting. I have finally found the courage to follow my passion.

Week Six - Good News & Bad News

I have good news and bad news.
Good news - I had my first observation today. It went great! My supervisor gave me a good mark on the evaluation sheet.

Bad news - My cooperating teacher didn't agree. She asked that my student teaching at Gilberts stop today or tomorrow. I was very surprised, but I thought it would be best if I left today.

Reflection - I don't hate the teacher. Actually, I have learned a lot from this experience (and in such a short time!). I'm really proud of myself for doing the best that I could and never giving up. I didn't "quit", I was "fired". That's a big thing for me because I am the one who usually quits.

I have realized that I really love being with students. I love teaching. I love preparing for the lessons. It allows me to reflect on what I already know, what I need to learn, and how I need to teach. I love interacting with students. Aren't kids adorable with their curious eyes and with their desire to be accepted? I love the challenge I face every day in the learning environment. My passion for teaching has been re-affirmed through this struggling experience.

Now, I just need to pray that God will have a new placement for me soon. I can't afford (financially) to not get my certificate by the end of this semester.

_______________


The lesson I was observed this week was on 2 x 2-digit multiplication. I spent last week teaching 2-digit, 3-digit, 4-digit by 1-digit multiplication steps and has spent this week teaching 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication.

It was interesting watching the students vary in their levels of understanding as well as their procedural knowledge. It's understandable considering that some students have not mastered their multiplication facts yet while other students have been working on more advanced math skills (2 by 2 or 3 by 2) at home already.

In my lesson, I modeled the traditional steps to solving the 2 x 2 multiplication (per my classroom teacher). Then, I introduced a dance called Multiplication Mambo. We spent a short time using our hands and then our feet to the "steps" of multiplication. I wanted to use musical and tactile approaches to reinforce the traditional steps. I got the class engaged and energized about math. It felt great!

Some other accommodations I incorporated in the lesson were:

• I spent the last fifteen minutes taking 3 struggling students in the back to give them additional guidance.
• Once the assignment was completed, I allowed advanced students to create problems for each other. But, they must have solved the problems first before giving them to the others.
• I gave the multiplication charts to students who did not memorize all their facts yet. Why? I thought the lesson was about learning the steps to 2 x 2 multiplication. If they are unsure of the facts, then learning the steps will be frustrating for them.
• For visual learners, I used color markers to show the different steps in the process.
• For students who needed personal anecdote, I told the class about how a task/problem may look difficult and challenging sometimes. I told them when I was their age, I didn't know how to do the monkey bars. I wanted to just give up. But learning small steps and practicing those steps, I was able to go over one bar at a time. The difficult task became manageable and I successfully enjoyed doing the monkey bars. After my story, I asked some students to share their stories where something looked really hard, but after practice it became easier. I was pleasantly surprised that many students wanted to share their stories.

I felt great about being observed for this lesson. The feedback from the supervisor was positive, too. Most importantly, I saw that most students were really engaged and responsive to the activities.

Week 5

What a week! I am learning through this journey much about teaching, teachers, students, and myself during the week.

Teaching - Writing up creative lesson plans in the real elementary school setting is very different from what I did during the methods course. I've been in charge of Spelling for the past three weeks and Math this week. I tried to incorporate technology and hands-on activities. However, it was very hard to articulate all the steps in the lesson plan and even harder to excute in the classroom. Some feedbacks from my cooperating teacher... 1) can't believe that I don't know how to write a lesson plan coming into student teaching, 2) that Trinity didn't prepare me well in writing a solid lesson plan, 3) I am not meeting her expectations of where a student teacher should be after 4 weeks of observation, etc. etc. etc. Slowly, I am changing my lesson planning, classroom teaching, and classroom management styles to be more like my cooperating teacher.

Teachers - Dr. Matthias is correct in telling us that there are different styles of teachers and of classroom management. My cooperating teacher has her style (Ruler/Designer and APC, respectively) and I am learning to work with that. She is very effective in getting results (student learning and student management). She sets very high expectations of her students (academically and discipline), and most students meet them. For example, our 4th grade students learned to multiply 2-digit by 1-digit, 3-digit by 1-digit, and 4-digit by 1-digit in one week. Next week, I am expected to teach 2-digit by 2-digit and multi-digit by 2-digit. Other 4th grade classrooms are still learning to do 1-digit by 1-digit...

Students - I love them all~ I don't know how the teachers can handle saying goodbye to these wonderful people at the end of the year. I think about them even at home. I've been watching closely at 4-5 students (1 because she lacks self-confidence with school work, 1 because he's the only African-American student in class and who thinks I'm his buddy, 1 because she goes to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes, 1 because he gets physically ill when he gets frustrated, and 1 because he's good at all subjects except Math. Everyday, I learn something new about each student (eg. can't see the board but refuses to get glasses, has problem spelling because maybe dyslexic, thinks can't do well in school but is very smart and creative, etc). I know that even though my relationship with my cooperating teacher isn't ideal, she has given me an opportunity to work with these amazing students.

Myself - I am determined to finish student teaching and become a successful teacher. I cry alot after some harsh feedbacks from my cooperating teacher, but I laugh alot because of the students. My mantra - tomorrow is another day. I wanted to learn alot about teaching and myself, and I am getting that everyday. Throughout my lifetime, I have done many various things, have met different people, and traveled different places. Whenever I encountered anything that causes negative energy within me, I ran away. I didn't think there was anything that was worth living with negative energy. I am proud to say that there is something that is worth being steadfast and patient. I really want to be a teacher. I am willing to learn from anything/anyone to become a great teacher. I have never been so determined to finish something that I started. NEVER! Tomorrow will be another day, and it will take me one day closer to my calling.

Week Four

It's only the end of three weeks into the school year, and I have seen real learning in students' social and academic behaviors. The students have learned and internalized the classroom routine which makes learning easier for everyone. Maybe that's why so much energy was spent the first two weeks on classroom management and teacher's expectation.My husband started teaching at a community college this semester. He found that when he lost control of his classroom (like disruptions), his students didn't learn effectively - no matter how well prepared his lessons were. He understands the importance of setting clear and consistent expectations early on. Otherwise, he spends a lot of learning time trying to manage the class. That's not an effective use of class time.My cooperating teacher said that if I lose control of the class, then I lose learning. Classroom management, therefore, is essential to learning.>>>>

What else did I do this week?
Well, I was involved in the schools AIMSweb benchmark testing. In two days, we tested all the students K-5 in their reading fluency. It was really fun sitting down with students to perform the test. It was also interesting watching the different levels of fluency level for students.

I also bombed my spelling lessons this week. I tried to be creative with my lessons by integrating technology and diverse instructional methods. Creativity is good if I can stay focused. But, I lost focus and the learning opportunity. I now understand my cooperating teacher's advice about making things "simple" in the beginning. Because I don't have the experience in content delivery and classroom management, I should make my lessons simple. After I am comfortable and more confident, I can try to be more creative. Bombing this week's spelling lessons was a great learning experience! You know what? I felt really good about the experience.

Parker Palmer's Courage to Teach

Chapter 3 – A Hidden Wholeness: Paradox in Teaching and Learning

I found comfort during my engagement with this chapter. It has allowed me to search for my hidden wholeness in my identity and integrity.

As I think about teaching and as I communicate with my students, I did experience some paradoxes. Even before Trinity, I have had many opportunities to be in front of learners and teach specific contents. Outwardly, I looked confident about the contents and being in front of the learners. However, I was terrified inside. I wasn’t sure if my strategy was working for all learners. I wasn’t sure if my background knowledge was sufficient to deliver the contents. For even the simplest contents, I spent hours preparing for the class. My family didn’t understand why I took such time and effort in teaching basic skills. They didn’t understand that inwardly I was suffering. I was suffering because I took big responsibility for the content learning.

During student teaching, I reflected on the first paradox written by Palmer. 1 – “The space should be bounded and open.” How can I create a learning space that is focused and disciplined but also that allows creativity and diversity? The balance between the two (discipline and creativity) is the art of teaching. I will take heart what Palmer says on p. 77, “Space without boundaries is not space, it is a chaotic void, and in such a place no learning is likely to occur.” We want the learners to go from point A to point B. We want to create the learning space to be focused on that task. However, we also want the learners to be free to ask questions and seek opportunities to explore various means to go from points A and B. By collaborating with the teacher, other learners, and themselves, learners should accomplish the task in their unique ways.

The “conflicting” relationship between my cooperating teacher and me may be best described through this paradox. I think she and I, together, may create a hidden wholeness. My teacher is effective in creating a classroom that is structured. She prepares and teaches one efficient method for all the learners to follow. She knows that the majority of the class will benefit most effectively through her structured instruction. In the current age of high stakes testing and results, I can see why her method may be praise-worthy. Conversely, I like to create a space where multiple methods are introduced. I don’t know which one of the methods may help those struggling students (the minority of the class). By collaborating with their peers, maybe they will discover a method that I haven’t even thought of. For example, I learned a new multiplication method from one of students. It’s called Lattice Multiplication. He taught this method to another struggling student who found it helpful. I was really excited about learned something new while teaching a skill!

I don’t think structured (bounded space) and unstructured (open space) teaching styles should be viewed as opposites. They should not be divided or pitted against each other. Like Yin and Yen in Chinese philosophy, they can work together harmoniously. There is a symbol of yin and yen (combination of blue sky and red land) in the Korean flag. It symbolizes how heaven and earth (seemingly opposite tensions) work to create a great nation. Similarly, I agree with Palmer in his assertion that tension is good, that paradox is good, that opposites are good, and that struggle is good. For example, teaching and learning can be seen as opposites. Science and art can be seen as opposites. I have personally experienced during student teaching that they are not opposites but are partners that make education great. Initially, the tension of opposites creates uncomfortable feeling. Then, it can create competition. Afterwards, a long suffering occurs. It may be bearable and may be unbearable. Finally, a resolution occurs – embrace the difference or reject it.

I can humbly say that I have personally embraced a tension that occurred during student teaching. I have suffered, but I have accepted what it has revealed to me – I still have much to learn about the skills of teaching. I will patiently wait and learn. Experience will be my teacher.

갈등 잦은 Week Three

Personality Styles and Classroom Management


The first two weeks of student teaching for me were interesting. It was a time of observation and reflection. It forced me to be a reflective practitioner...Through the pre-clinical observation activities and through the interactions with the students, cooperating teacher, and myself, I exhaustingly looked at the external and internal environments I was plunging into. I was scared of the unexpected. I was excited about finally being in the classroom. I was exhausted from all the assignments from TIU and lack of sleep. I was happy to be around loving children. I was unhappy to be away from my own family. So on and so forth. The inner landscape and the outer landscape that Palmer refer to in his book hit right at me. Why? I guess he was articulating something I couldn't explain about my life. I have spent all my life exploring my inner landscape with no avail. I feel like new experiences (situation, relationships) cause me to look at my identity as if for the first time. That part is easy. The hard part is if I'm living with integrity. Am I carrying out and being true to who I think I am? I find myself in conflict sometimes because the picture I have of my inner landscape gets shaken up as the outer landscape changes. My foundation is not strong enough to withstand the storms. Student Teaching. Here's a new situation with new relationships. I felt so vulnerable as I try to negotiate my identity and expose myself to me, to my cooperating teacher, to the students, and to TIU. Throughout the MAT courses and field experiences, I've painted a picture of who I am and how I will be in my classrooms. I've had positive experiences during our field observations that convinced me that I can be an effective teacher. However, I'm not as confident.I have so many strengths, but I have as many weaknesses. I must learn to be steadfast (mature), articulate, and persistant. These strong qualities can be found in my cooperating teacher. Because she has these qualities that I lack, I respect her and I'm uncomfortable around her. I get intimidated sometimes. I guess it's the fear of "otherness". I've got to pass beyond that. I've got to grow to embrace my strengths and my weaknesses. I've got to openly accept my cooperating teacher's assets and learn from them. Then, I will truly become an effective teacher. I know that in my head. I hope my heart (inner landscape) will embrace that. I hope my actions will support that. I want to live a life with integrity.

학생들과의 첫주: Week Two

It has been an exhausting week for me.

Classroom Management

첫주 - Week One

8/26 Clinical Practice Orientation
Dr. Don Ring is my supervisor. I am blessed that in this time of chaotic scheduling and adjustments, I have a mentor who knows me and who is genuine. I can’t believe he volunteered to be my supervisor! That meant so much to me. I know this semester is the last one before becoming an official teacher, but I’m nervous about the huge responsibility. Will I be able to pull it off? Please, Lord, give me strength. Thank you for sending me an angel as my supervisor.
When I see such great teachers (in the movies, during observations, and in my pre-education), I lose confidence. Will I be as good as them? How could the mainstream society criticize their abilities as educators when they are so competent and effective already?

8/27 First Day at School – Teacher’s Institute Day
I’ve always wondered what that meant: Teacher’s Institute Day. Well, it means a day of teachers’ meetings, training, and conferences.
At G. Elementary, I witnessed a great principal – Mr. K. He is dynamic and charismatic. In a large cafeteria filled with almost all women (elementary school staff), he stood there humbly and confidently. I admired his style. He would clearly and genuinely explain the technological difficulties with the school/district website. I liked what he said… “for those of you who wants to know... this is how to perform this task… for those of you who doesn’t get this stuff, don’t worry about it. We’ll get someone out to you to help you individually.” Wow! What a respectful way to address a crowd of different types of teachers! The staff was productive, cordial, and cooperative. I think the leadership (namely Mr. K) is the driving force behind this impressive staff.
I wouldn’t even mind working there. The administrative staff genuinely wants to help the teachers with their work. The teachers genuinely want to help the students. The para-professionals really want to help the staff, teachers, and students. Mr. K loves new technology, and his passion affects the whole school. His committees (literacy, enrichment, intervention, etc) want to find ways to improve the curriculum and help students learn. For example, they are in the process of implementing a new writing curriculum that will consolidate the disenfranchised writing instructions. All the teachers are excited about the upcoming changes. The school is in the process of getting more SMART boards. All the teachers are excited about integrating technology in their everyday instruction. This is an efficient, effective, and cooperative school!

8/28 Second Day at School – Teacher’s Institute Day
My cooperating teacher, Ms. L, shared her classroom, her materials, and her methods with me. Her classroom is very cozy. I love the little teddy bears here and there. She has a checkered pattern table cloth over her table. She has a little fence in the corner for reading. Her room is very organized as well. The tables are lined in rows with students’ names in magnets in front of the desk – away from the student writing area. She also has the G.O.L.D. character rules on the sides of the students’ desks. Her books, her activity bags, and utensils are all neatly placed. This bubbly Ms. L is energetic, orderly, and cozy – very much like her classroom.
I will be taking over her first lesson in week three. I want to do well and confirm my desire to be a teacher. Please, Lord, show me strength, courage, and wisdom.

Reading Across the Curriculum

Analysis Paper: Personal Literacy Experience
My experience with English literacy is somewhat unique and extensive. As an immigrant and a lifelong English language learner, I am conscientious of my own literacy in reading, writing, listening, and speaking as well as of those I encounter. This paper has allowed me to reflect on my personal literacy experience.
My family immigrated to the U.S. when I was eight. Because I was already exposed to reading and writing in Korea, learning the rules of a new language in America was not difficult. I remember spending three to six months in an ESL class. There, a bilingual Korean American teacher helped me translate English vocabulary into Korean. It consisted of memorization activities of isolated words and phrases. After six months, I was forced to return to Korea. The story is personal and complex, but I came back to the States in third grade. In all the moves back and forth from Korea, I spent most of the elementary years catching up to content areas – mostly content vocabularies and concepts.
All the catching up during the years has helped me gain essential study skills to be successful at school. I knew how to study for spelling, vocabulary, and grammar to succeed in the language arts. I knew how to work with numbers and materials to succeed in math and sciences. I knew how to take effective classroom notes for all the content classes. Most importantly, I knew how to use the textbooks. I would skip through the reading in search for the key information needed for the assignments. I knew how to use the appendix, glossary, table of contents, and the pictures to get the information needed to quickly find answers. It was never called plagiarism in my days, but I copied answers – in verbatim – from the textbooks or from my notes. I didn't produce my own writing with my own thoughts. I found this to be the most effective and efficient way to succeed in the school. My teachers never taught me or expected me to learn in any other way.
I became comfortable in the assign and tell format of my teachers. Actually, I was really good at it because it allowed me to remain a passive student without a mastery of critical literacy skills. In fact, I was never challenged to become a good reader or make reading really matter.
Because I was an A student at school, nobody realized that I struggled with the English language. At home, getting good grades was what mattered. Reading did not. They saw textbooks as the best source of information, and pleasure reading (trade books) was not encouraged at home. My parents barely finished grade schools in Korea, so they did not understand how to foster an environment for literacy.
Lack of authentic literacy experience at school and at home did not affect me academically until I went to college. My deficiencies in reading and writing skills made my learning experience frustrating. Textbook contents and additional research books were overwhelming. That’s when I finally realized that I lacked literacy mastery. My level of comprehension was at the lowest level (literal), but the college level work required me to be at the higher levels (interpretive and applied).
After college, I have taught English to Korean students – students as young as five years old and as old as seventy years old. Because of my struggles, I am conscientious of assessing my students’ strengths and weakness in English literacy. Like me, many Korean students are good at traditional works (e.g. worksheets, multiple choice questions and short answer questions), but they are weak at authentic works (e.g. analytic reading and writing). So, I desperately wanted to teach the language well – in scope and depth. But how? How do I use teaching strategies which I have not been exposed to personally?
This has my literacy experience so far. I have a burning desire to master my own literacy – reading, writing, analyzing, and communicating. I have a genuine passion to help other English language learners overcome their struggles with literacy and empower them to invest in authentic literacy experiences. I know that this reflective paper will help me get closer to my burning desire and my genuine passion.

Methods in Math

Math Philosophy
My experience with math instruction has been extensive. It spans from Korea to America for over two decades. Yet, the experience has been very similar in both countries – dry and uninteresting. As a future educator, I would like to explore the way I used to view math instruction and the way I view it now after being exposed to effective math instructions that can promote deep understanding and student engagement. This paper attempts to outline the change in my math philosophy before and after the mathematics methods course.
My first encounter with math began in Korea. There, I was forced to master many rote skills such as the multiplication tables and quick mental math. The teachers used physical and emotional pressure to ensure my mastery. With the solid background in math algorithm, my family brought me to America when I was eight. The math classes in the American schools were very simple compared to what I was used to in Korea. It followed the traditional method of instruction: check homework, review the past lesson, introduce the new lesson, do the book problems, and assign homework. As an English language learner, I found working with numbers and algorithm to be easy. I was in honors math since middle school, and I passed my AP Calculus before entering college.
Being unchallenged and bored in high school math made me lazy. Maybe that’s why I struggled through college advanced math classes. I didn’t realize that math required additional skills besides learning the rules and applying them to find the right answer. I didn’t have the deep understanding of mathematical concepts to appreciate the advanced calculus. I didn’t know how to apply higher thinking skills (such as evaluations, investigation, analysis, and synthesis) that were required in college math. Even now, I spend a lot of time using paper and pencil to do the most basic, everyday calculations because I don’t understand the basic numbers sense and estimation.
I do not want my students to take the misguided journey that I did. I want my students to find math to be meaningful in their everyday lives, to learn to comprehend math concepts concurrently with the many skills, to explore different tools such as computers and graphs in mathematics, and to take ownership in their own learning.
Before taking a mathematics methods course at Trinity, I never really criticized the traditional role of math instructions. I thought that math was a discipline that required teachers to be the masters of information. After the direct instruction, math teachers would ask students, rhetorically, if they understood a certain algorithm or problem. If the student answered the problems correctly, then the teacher would go on. They would call on another student if the answer was incorrect. Some teachers may ask students to work out a problem on the board or tell the class answer.
In the traditional math classroom, students didn’t need to understand as much as need to know what appropriate skills to use to arrive at a designated answer. Similarly, the homework assignments and tests were very algorithm-oriented. Even the problem-solving questions were just solving for the problem (not really investigative with multiple approaches to diverse solutions). In addition, independent work was emphasized in the traditional classrooms.
Conversely, the new methods introduced to me at Trinity are different from the traditional math instructions. In an effective math class, teachers should create and maintain a classroom norm that fosters student understanding, reflection, articulation, ownership, and critical thinking. This type of classroom norm mandates teachers to be engaging, hands-on, masters of questioning, and reflective.
Instead of emphasizing the algorithms, math instruction should foster higher-level thinking skills. Instead of providing one single, correct answer to a problem, students should learn to compare different strategies and approaches to problem solving. Instead of textbook problems, students should learn to solve real, meaningful, and relevant problems. It should provide the understanding of how mathematical thinking affects our everyday lives.
Math instruction should be about student understanding. In order to foster that, teachers must provide authentic learning and promote the ownership of learning. That means, embedding math instruction across the curriculum. Math should be integrated with art, sports, literature, social sciences, and other sciences. This is a natural way to engage with the students.
Another engaging instructional method is through the art of asking questions. The way teachers ask and the questions they ask are powerful in creating an effective classroom. For example, teachers can use a “fist to five” questioning method to check for individual understanding. Then, they could ask a student who has mastered the concept to explain it to the student who doesn’t understand. Furthermore, another student can be asked to explain the concept another way.
Just as in our everyday lives, students should collaborate and help each other. Ninety percent of learning is retained when students teach another student. Instead of busy work, the math instruction should promote active participation of all students. By working together with others, students can articulate their understanding and learn from others.
The real learning and understanding occur when teachers encourage the why’s and how’s of math concepts instead of the what’s. If the why’s and how's are genuinely explored with the students, then they will take ownership of their own learning. Along with understanding and ownership, students should work with hands-on tools, such as educational games, and integrate technology (eg. internet and graphing calculator). They cater to different learning styles and can engage all students.
Math is an understanding of relationships. It’s not only about numbers but about all relationships in our everyday lives, including numbers and time. By understanding relationships, we can make wise decisions in our everyday lives such as the amount of tip after a meal and balancing the checkbook. This is my philosophy of math. As a future teacher, I will try to create and maintain a classroom norm that fosters student understanding, reflection, articulation, ownership, and critical thinking. I will do that by being engaging, hands-on, master of questioning, and reflective.

Integrated Methods

FEP

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

FEP reflection
Day 1 -It was a great first day. Walking into this elementary school felt so right. It felt comfortable walking into the office and meeting all the teachers and staff. The classroom felt like home. As soon as the students walked in with their curious eyes, I knew that I was on the right path to my calling.I watched Ms. A with her 3rd grade class. She is an experienced teacher who knew her contents and different instructional strategies. She taught all the curriculum with ease. I loved watching the students struggle with learning and celebrate their small achievements. I thought, I can do this. I can't wait to get know these students throughout the week.Ms. A used technology (ELMO) such as powerpoint, internet, CD readings, CD songs, and ELMO to reach different learners. She likes to keep her students in their seats doing independent work. She is very strict. Her class management strategies are mostly negative (verbal warning, names on the board, keeping students in for recess) with some positive strategies (verbal compliments and "good bee" stickers). She struggles to keep her students "disciplined". She has high expectations for her students.

Day 2 -I am impressed with the integration of technology of this school. Ms. A can effectively utilize the powerpoint, internet, and ELMO (newest transparency tool) to reach different learners. She uses the CD player to reach auditory learners (story on CD, music), visual learners (online pictures), etc. It can help teachers organize better - saves time and saves space.Another classroom instructional resource I found useful is the teacher's manual. The textbook manual for teachers list the relevant standards for each lesson and different instructional strategies (ELL, accelerated, visual) to reach all learners. Ms. A has taught 3rd grade for almost 10 years, and her experience shows in her lesson plans. She understands the learning standards well and what 3rd grade curriculum should look like. I think her knowledge and experience are helpful in her lesson planning.

Day 3 -Today, I want to reflect on class management and student behavior. The third graders in Ms. A's class were very active. Ms. A used the good bee incentives to try to promote positive behavior, but they did not work with everyone.Students spend too much time sharpening pencils, going to the bathroom and drinking fountain, and opening their desks.If given a class of Ms. A's students, how could I manage their behavior and affect productive work? Children are active in nature, but they are contained in such unnatural academic setting. How can I motivate the children to behave and perform?These kids are so adorable. Individually, I want to hug and cuddle them. As a class, I want contain them. They want to spend time socializing and not on task. Ms. A has many lessons in one day, so much to accomplish with such active students. How can I do this every day? I am as active as the kids.

Day 4 -TIU supervisor came to observe me and my lesson at the school. I was really nervous because I didn't know how I'd be evaluated and how the lesson would go with the students. This would be my first formal lesson this week. Due to my anxiety, I couldn't sleep well the night before.Fortunately, everything went well! The supervisor came early so we had an opportunity to talk about what she expected and how my FEP was going so far. Then, I began the math lesson on Dividing by Using the Multiplication Table. The students were engaged and receptive to the lesson. I used ELMO in the beginning activity. Then, I used the board to introduce the lesson. Finally, we worked on the lesson problems. The mentoring teacher and my supervisor complimented on my job which made me feel really good. I thank the students for cooperating well and making the lesson meaningful for all of us.

Day 5 -Per Ms. A's request, I taught a lesson in Korean. We talked about the difference between Korean schools and American schools. I taught them to count from 1-10 and different body parts. Finally, I left a small gift for each of them - a name card with their names in Korean. They absolutely loved it. Ms. A and the students were engaged and involved throughout the lesson. I was impressed how quickly everyone learned the new foreign words (over 20 terms) in a 30-minute lesson. This was an example where self-insterest leads to self-motivation which affects learning.However, it was a sad day. I couldn't believe that today would be my last day with the class, Ms. A, and the school. I got to know all the students individually, and I became acquainted with other teachers and staff. The students came up to me throughout the day for hugs and say that they'll miss me. I know I will miss them greatly. So, I promised to stop by either in April or May with cupcakes and they promised to be good.General Reflection -Initially, I dreaded this week. My developmental e-portfolio was due on Wednesday, we had a class on Thursday with a ton of homework, and my FEP placement required me to drive almost 3 hours everyday for commute. I had issues at home because of FEP, too. So, I couldn't see a positive end to this week when it started on Monday.Being in the school with practicing teachers and real students, I forgot about all the problems. Everything felt right. I loved seeing all the wonderful students socializing enthusiastically, all the books and helpful technologies ready to be utilized for the learning environment, and all the teachers and staff busily working to provide for the students. The direct interactions with the teachers, students, and the school itself seemed real and meaningful. It validated my purpose for this educational journey that I'm on. I couldn't wait to have my own school, classroom, and students to help making a difference.The small group interactions and the two formal lessons I taught gave me confidence about the future. I genuinely love working with people - especially children. Even though I am not the most knowledgeable teacher, I know I can become an effective teacher. I have the passion and the dedication. My organizational skills and hard-working ethics are my strengths. I used to think that I wanted to teach either K-2 or 6-8, but I'm wrong. I love 3rd graders! They have the reading and math foundations for me to engage them in higher ordered thinking. We could explore interdisciplinary topics such as world geography and scientific experiments.

Research Methods I & II

석사 학위이기에 논문을 써야 한다.

Action Research and Research Practitioner 이란... 직접 현장에서 research 를 하는 것이다. 무엇 보다도 내 학생들을 위하여 내 teaching 을 위하여 systematic 하게 연구를 하고 발표를 하는것이다. 많은 미국 선생님들이 action research 를 한다.

내 관심은... 절널링이 수학 성적을 올리수 있다 (Journaling in Middle School Math will Increase Student Performance).

Multicultural Classroom 수업

Special Education 수업

Foundations of Educational Psychology

Educational Technology 수업

힘든 입학 과정과 non 교육학 수업들을 들고 나서는 드디어 교육학과 관련된 educational technology 를 들게 됐다. 그리고 참 긴장 했다. 이젠 드디어 본격적인 교육학 - teaching methods and techniques - 과 어떤 방법들이 좋은 결과를 줄거라는 수업을 들줄 알았다. 21새게의 technology.

하지만, 무순 technology 를 써야 하는지 보다는 왜 써야하며 어떻게 써야 한다는 discussion 을 많이 했다. 나는 과연 technology 를 반기는지 아님 무서워 하는지 검토하고. 요즘 학생들은 technology 를 어떻게 사용하고 있는지를 봤다.

그것보다 더 중요한걸 배웠다. Constructivism. 아이들은 배움을 스스로 construct 해 나가야 한다. technology 를 잘 사용하면, higher ordered thinking 을 가르칠수 있다. 그리고 내가 걸어온 교육을 본다면, 난 LOTs 교육을 받았고 또 그런 교육을 준비 하고 있었다. 내가 왜 내 스스로를 항상 믿지 못한지를 드디어 깨닳았다.

교육학으로 정식 입학

이학교에서는 한 학기를 공부한후 그 결과와 interview 를 통해서 정식으로 교육학으로 입학을 할수 있었다. 그 날을 위해서 한 달동안 portfolio 도 만들기 시작하고 application 도 submit 하고 인터뷰도 준비했다. 스트래스를 참 많이 받았다.

하지만, 이런 스트래스를 통해서 내가 과연 이 길을 계속 걸어갈건지늘 확인 하게 됐다. 자신감도 얻고. 인터부를 통해서 내가 선생님의 (teaching) 대한 진정한 열정 (passion) 이 있다는걸 확인했다. 그리고 그 열정을 school of education 교수들과 관련 분들께 전달 까지도 했다.

이때 얻은 확인과 자신감이 날 밀어 줬다.

철학 수업들...

그다음 두 수업들은 교육학이 아닌 철학과 문화 수업 들이였다.

프로그램 반장이 됐다

학교 측에서 반장이 필요하다는 조건으로 우리들은 반장을 뽑았다.

다행인지 불행인지 내가 반장으로 뽑혔다. 학생들을 위해서 학교측에 연통하는 역활이다. 내가 여기에서 열심히 공부하고 활동할 이유가 생겼구나. 미국에선 leadership 이 중요한데, 이런 기회가 생겼구나.

내가 고등학생때 학교 student government 에 뽑힌적이 있었다. 그땐 그저 follow 하는 역만 했는데. 다는 아이들이 leadership 할수 있는 공간을 주고 난 그저 조용히 얌전히 순정만 했다. 미국 사람들 사이 에서는 특별히 나서지 않았다. 충돌없이. 그저 모든 아이들에게 좋은 관계로 남고 싶었다. 사랑을 받고 싶었으니. 내 주장이 없었지. 내가 미국 회사에서도 시키는 일 열심히 하고 다른 사람들을 도와 주기는 했어도 나서서 비판 할줄 모르는 편이였다.

그렇지만, 한인 사회에서는 (교회나 일) 잘 난체도 했고. 나서서 내 주장도 뚜렷히 알렸다. 그러다 보니 내 사람도 만들고 다른 사람들의 미움도 받았다. 그렇지만, 난 자신있게 나서서 aggressive 하게 아님 leadership 있게 행동도 했다.

이번에는 어떤 반장이 될까?

첫 수업 - Foundations of Education

첫 수업에 들어 갈때 마음이 무겁기도 했고 흥분하기도 했다. 주변에 들어오는 젊은 학생들과 내가 과연 학업을 잘 마무리 할까 가 두려웠다. 영어의 대한 자신의 확신도 미약했고. 그렇지만 드디여 내 갈길을 찾았고 드리어 내가 원하는 공부를 한다는 생각에 흥분했다. 떨리는 내 마음이 이 두가지의 느낌으로 가득찻다.

이 기초 수업 - 나의 첫 수업은 Foundations of Education 이다. 여기에서 teaching 에 관한 overview 를 접하게 됐다. Historical, philosophical, and cultural 배경. 교수님의 내가 선택한 석사 과정의 Advisor 이자 미국 교육에 관한 열정이 많으신 분이셨다.

나의 Odyssey

Teaching 을 준비 하면서 그리고 학업으로 공부 하면서 느끼는 점이 많았다. 내가 이렇게 보람 있는 분야를 접하면서 나를 바라 보게 되었고 내가 걸어 왔던 길들을 다시 검토 하게 되었고 그리고 내 사회를 다양하게 판단 하게 됐다.

이런 경험을 이렇게 늦게 하는 내 자신을 생각 해 봤다.

여태 까지 어디를 돌아 다녔길래 내게 꼭 맞은 teaching 을 하게 됐을까? 내가 더 읽찍 이 길을 시작 했으면 더 좋았을까? 이런 생각을 하면서도 난 안다. 내가 다른 길들을 걸아 보았기 때문에 지금 내가 선택 한 이 방향이 맞다는걸. 그래서 더 소중함을 안다. 그래서 이 길이 내가 소심있게 소명을 갖고 갈수 있다는걸.

근데, 아직 선생이란 자격증도 받지 못했고 아직 실습도 나가지 않은 내가 어찌 이런 생각들을 하게 됐을까? 그건 일년동안 내 teacher's education 을 받으면서 느껴온 생각들이다. 난 그 생각들이 소중하기 때문에 여기 불러깅을 하기로 마음을 먹었다. 그리고 불러깅을 통해서 내가 걸어온 많은 길들과 내가 가는 길을 정리 해 주고 싶은 마음이다.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Philosophies of Curriculum and Instruction