Thursday, July 1, 2010

Blog Post 8

Young male reading a book upside down entitled Guys Read
What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

In Mr. McClung’s post, he shares his experience as a first-year teacher. Mr. McClung writes about his classroom instruction transitioned from being teacher-centered to more student-centered. McClung initially thought that he had to impress his “superiors” and as a result, he was unable to connect with his students. McClung soon realized that he was making a huge mistake and found that if he wanted to make a difference in the lives of his students, his instruction would have to become more student-centered.

McClung later writes that it is extremely important to communicate with students and faculty in order to build strong relationships. I completely agree with McClung, without communication people are left to make their own assumptions which in turn becomes their reality. Communication is definitely important.

I did find one statement to be disturbing; McClung writes that “we build our expectations too high for students.” I believe that we should have high expectations for our students while providing the tools and the information necessary for their achievement. Society has already set expectations for our children, some good and some not so good; we are doing a disservice to our students if we expect nothing more than excellence. I have opted out of teaching a watered-down curriculum.

Lastly, McClung leaves valuable advice for current and future teachers:

1. Listen to your students, this shows that you truly care
2. Don’t be afraid of technology, technology has unlimited benefits
3. As professional educators, never stop learning; we owe it to our students

3 comments:

  1. Dr. Strange and I had a discussion about using the word "expect". Prior to the discussion I was completely against it because I feel that we should set goals that students work towards but not "expect" because that can lead to failure. It all came down to semantics. I am still not a fan of "expect" and feel that it is a word that needs to be used carefully. I do agree with you that we do not need to teach a watered-down curriculum. Wonderful job!

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  2. "I have opted out of teaching watered-down curriculum." ME TOO! Now we just have to keep generating and practicing creative ideas. You along with many others in my PLN are such good base resources for this kind of thing. Thanks for you consistent, positive contributions.

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  3. Gina,

    The idea that Mr. McClung put forward ... Don’t be afraid of technology, technology has unlimited benefits ... is the foundation of this course. I have noticed that you have a done a great job of embracing technology and your enthusiasm will carry over to your future classroom.

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