I remember the things I loved about my favorite teachers growing up, but I also have to remember that when I become a teacher I can use what I learned from them. But, I also have to decide what I am passionate about, and create my own strategy for reaching children.
I found the In I tools for passionate teaching (p. 23) to be particularly helpful. The first, "to organize and focus their passionate interest by getting to the heart of the subject and sharing with their students some of what lies there--" I think sometimes teacher can be so caught up with creating interesting and exciting ways of presenting material, they forget that their own love and knowledge of the subject can sometimes be enough to get others interested. And, second, "Passionate teachers convey their passion to novice learners--their students--by acting as a partner in learning." I think this is great, because this way students don't have to feel like knowledge if being handed to them. Teachers and students can learn together.
In Seeing The Whole Through Social Studies, I liked the idea of "hearts-on" learning (p.5). I liked the analogy of Seven Blind Mice, and how each mouse learned something, but the seventh mouse discovered the elephant by examining a whole and not just a piece. "Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole."
The four levels of integration (p. 10-14) make me feel like it will be OK to try integration as a first time teacher and start out slow. I'm sure that I won't be perfect at attempting to combine curriculum right away, but eventually I could make it to level 4, which is making the child the focus and center of the curriculum. Seeing The Whole Through Social Studies has already given me some great ideas for future integration.
4 comments:
I agree with the overall message you took from the Passionate Teacher about there not being one formula to being a passionate and motivating teacher. When i was thinking about my past experiences i not only thought about what teachers i thoughwere passionate but how different their styles were. I too enjoyed the idea of teachers and students moving along the learning path together.
Reading the Seeing the Whole through Social Studies also provided me with some initial ideas of how i would like to integrate social studies learning into my future classroom. As i mentioned in my reflection paper i hadn't really realized how many subject areas fell under the social studies category. This chapter helped me think of ways to incorporate many social studies subjects into a daily classroom learning environment.
Aimee,
I can relate to the past experiences of dramatically different teachers. They all have had their areas of strength (passion) and it those memories that I find most helpful in the creation of my own teaching methods. As Cara added, those times that I remember most are the ones where we were able, as students, to take a leading role in the class and create something of our own. It helped to have it connect to something we already had experience or knowledge about.
I found Lindquist's areas of integration to be somewhat scary when I first read her book and wondered if I would ever move along from one phase to the next. But we do have to remind ourselves that great teaching can really be like a good wine, one that has matured with age, being cared to through the years.
Thanks for all that you bring to our class. We are a powerful group of committed women.
The readings from The Passionate Teacher also caused me to reflect on some of the passionate teachers I had in the past. Their enthusiasm and interest in the subjects they taught rubbed off on us and sparked our interest. I dreaded taking physics in High School. My teacher Mr. Nordeck (If you happen to read this, Mr. Nordeck, I really adored your teaching style and zest) was an amazing instructor. He loved the subject matter and had the ability to teach us in ways that challenged our minds and made us fall in love with the subject as well.
I also enjoyed the analogy of the Seven Blind Mice, and the importance of examining the whole. I also thought about the theory of Multiple Intelligences and that these mice also have varied learning styles. I agree - learning how to integrate subjects and classwork will take time and experience. Integration is essential in so many aspects of school - the integration of curriculum, the integration of ethnic groups and the integration of teachers working together toward one common goal.
I agree with you that hook questions are a wonderful opportunity to motivate and interest all students, no matter what their backgrounds. This is such a key concern that is crucial in teaching all subjects: How do we, as teachers, motivate students to learn about subjects that may not be of particular interest to them? How do we "hook" them? It's a twofold answer in my mind. Impassioned teaching can motivate and inspire students to be curious and interested. Also the subject needs to be connected to the student. The student needs to have a desire to learn and will have greater interest if the subject can be related to their own feelings, lifestyle, hobbies or beliefs. These kinds of connections cause students to seek answers and want to learn further.
Post a Comment