Exit Slip - Praise

Praises should be used as a method to replace punishment, as a superior way of provoking students to work harder. However, priases can be really dangerous in the sense that they can make students become dependent on external approval and acknowledgement. I believe praises should be done in regard to the work students do and not the students themselves. Ultimately, it should stimulate and promote a sense of self-acknowledgement that may eventually boost self-confidence and encourage self-encouragement. The strongest individuals are those who are independent of others physically and mentally. I wish to show my students how to value progression in their learning rather than the end-goal.

Entrance Slip - Tact in teaching

"However, while interacting with their students and while presenting their lessons, teachers usually do not have the time or inclination to truly reflect on any of such questions."

- One of the theme from last week was that teachers are humans too, and there's only so much a teacher can do. I think it is totally understandable if a teacher, regardless of experience, becomes overwelmed to engage in those deeper thinking and reflective processes. That being said, however, it should still be every teacher's goal to push themselves further and actively think and reflect on the students as well as themselves.

"What makes true reflection in action difficult is that life in classrooms is contingent, dynamic, everchanging: every moment, every second is situation-specific. Moments of teaching are ongoing incidents that require instant actions."

- If the first quote describes or relates more to the personal/emotional state of the teacher as a person, then the this quote relates more to the techniqual or physical challenges, in terms of teaching in a classroom, that a teacher faces on a daily basis. I think in this case, every teacher will become more skilled at making those "in-a-flash" decisions, as Manen describes, with more experience in teaching.

"On the one hand, our actions are sedimented into habituations, routines, kinesthetic memories. We do things in response to the rituals of the situation in which we find ourselves. On the other hand, our actions are sensitive to the contingencies, novelties, and expectancies of our world."

- This phrase applies to much more than just teaching. I really love this comment because it applies to almost every profession in any circumstance. There's so much one can talk about with regard to what he mentions here, but the takehome point for me is that one must acknowledge the fact that our actions and responses are the result of a very complex network of forces, for the lack of a better word. Therefore, it is totally normal when we feel at times we don't know how to make the "right" decision, because perhaps there is never a "right" response. In the case of teaching, I guess it's OK if one doesn't know how to approach something, since so many other factors play a role and are interferring with one's thought process in various aspects.

Exit Slip - Flip Classroom

Flip classroom seems like a wonderful idea at first glance. It allows more potential and time for interaction and engagements among students and teachers. The pre-class lecture or video allows the students to prime and prepare their mind for the class. However, there are still many underlying problems with this approach. For instance, technological struggles are bound to be there regardless the region. More importantly, the biggest problem for me is the fact that students are lazy and unmotivated in nature, and they will most likley not to participate in the pre-class self-study. It is a very important issue that must be address in some manner so that kids will actually do the study ahead of time. Ultimately, there is no doubt that the current education system needs to improve and adjust along with the fast-changing society and world. Technologies are bound to be part of this change, and one way or another, a balance of integration will be achieved.

Entrance Slip - Reflective Teacher

I can relate to the part where the article says you will be bombarded in courses and practicums with suggestions and advice regarding the numerous techniques and strategies that we can potentially use in education. It is already happening and can be seen from personal past teachers. It goes back to the idea that all teachers have their own way of teaching, and there is no perfect teaching technique. Teachers teach who they are, and since there are endless combinations of teacher and students, there will also be many combinatons of teaching methods.

It is really interesting how Phillip Jackson estimated teachers engae in approximately 1000 interpersonal interactions on any given day. It is a number far greater than what I expected. As mentioned in the article, human actions are defined as reflective and routine in nature by John Dewey. Hence, Jackson suggested that just because classrooms are fast-paced and complex envrionments doesn't mean reflective teaching cannot be used. However, due to the difficulties of actually using such technique, some may argue that reflective teaching is not really necessary, as stated in Scheffler's view. 

Exit Slip

Education goes two-ways. The teacher can learn from the students just as how students can learn from the teacher. The understanding process goes both ways. A teacher needs to make sure he or she is understood by the students, whether it's pronounciation, content, or concepts. At the same time, the teacher needs to understand the students too. Rather than trying to forcefully steer the direction of study, going with the flow of the students can be also very benefitial. However, there has to be a balance between how much teachers stick to their ideas and how much they follow's the students. Hence, preparation, back-up plans, and multiple methods are important in teaching. 

How much should we adapt to the students? To what extend should we make them feel that we are close to them? There are underlying dangers and risks when talking about yourself and your story to students. One must consider not only the need of the students but also the parents, because of the related laws in that aspect. 

Entrance Slip - Inquiry Topic Possibility

Three areas of education that I am interested in are the people you study with, the space you study in, and how emotion may affect learning. First, I am interested in how group study differs from individual study. Some students prefer to study with others while others prefer to study alone. The outcome, or efficiency, can differ significantly between the two study methods. More specifically, the type of people students study with may also affect the studying process. Second, I am interested to investigate if and how the location, not necessarily the space orientation, will affect students' learning. Some people perfer a quiet space, such as the library, while other prefer loud music and a more comfortable space, such as one's own home. It would be interesting to investigate the reason behind such differences. Lastly, I am interested in learning about how the emotion or mood the person has during learning can affect the efficiency or outcome. I think having a calm and relaxed mood makes a huge difference in comparison to someone who is anxious and under pressure. And depending on the person and situation, it can be hard to tell which emotion helps for a more efficient learning. To go further, how can we, as teachers, learn and teach how to get into the "mood" or the "zone" to promote better learning efficiency.

Sept 7 Exit Blog

There are always multiple ways to approach any one topic in education. Things will always change with different people, place, or time. When it comes to the importance of teaching mathematical theories, teachers must find the right balance of freedom. It is the responsibility of teachers to help students realize their potential. And most of the fun about mathematics is in the proofs themselves! However, at the same time, teachers must respect that fact that everyone has limited time and energy to absorb new information. For example, with an art student who wish to spend every possible spare minute on drawing, is it OK for teachers to give "extra" work that ultimately takes away the time that student has in subject(s) he or she enjoys? Another analogy is the idea of a remote, as someone mentioned in class. Math is like a remote control, a tool, used to make people's lives easier, if not possible. Although there must be those who are skilled and dedicated to manufacture and perfect this tool, the majority of us who use it don't necessarily need to understand how it works. In the end, there is no real solution or answer, as there will always be. Every situation is different, which is exactly why as teachers we need to be observant and vigilant to inquire new information in order to perfect our teaching methods.

Test test... first published post.

Ohayo