Sometimes Kids Just Need A Friend

‎"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
— Albert Einstein

As a teacher, I will always remember that every one of my students has a gift. If they have not found it, or believe it isn't there, I will help them find it or find it for them. 

Being A Teacher Means...

I have been in school for about 21 years now(counting preschool). I have witnessed what I consider to be a fantastic teacher and what I consider to be a crap teacher. I intend to share with you what my classroom will be like and what I will expect of my students.

What my High School English classroom will be like:

The Homework:
- I will have a weekly homework guide that I give out to students every Monday. They will be expected to hand in the homework the following Monday. My goal is they will have no more than 30 minutes of homework a day(M-F)

-The only homework they will have on the weekends is reading.

-They have to post on their blog every week. I will give them a blog prompt that will be on their weekly assignment schedule. I will read a journal entry a day to the class.

Projects:
-I will  always give my students the option to do their classroom projects individually or collaboratively.

Quizzes and Tests:
-They will have a quiz every week which will replace any need for a major exam or test throughout the year. (Ideally, depending on the school district and the political administration, I will not be giving out any tests, just one quiz a week)

The Classroom Environment:
-There will always be a full fruit basket in class everyday. Anyone can help themselves. (May cost a little on my part, but is SO WORTH IT!)

-There will always be a reading corner with fluffy pillows and books.

-Every student signs up to lead a five minute exercise routine at the beginning of class(may sound idealistic but one of my professors does it, and it's wonderful)

-My class will have a "Safe Zone" flag,

- My class will have a facebook page.

- If someone in the class is dyslexic or struggles looking at their paper, then at the board, then writing, and then has to listen to me at the same time, they will not have to write notes. I will photocopy one of their peer-buddy's notes, so they can just listen. All disabilities will have practical considerations.

I definitely have more, and my list grows as my education grows but I like writing my ideas down so that I never lose sight of the educator I hope to be. I will continue to add to this list. Also, please give me some of your ideas, it will make me a better teacher.

Montessori Essay

  The following essay is a rough draft of a paper I have due in a week. Obviously, I had to pick a side so my paper is very bias towards Montessori. I agree with everything I wrote, I just ommitted the bits and pieces of Montessori that I am not fond of. I am sharing this with you, because it's one of my opinions. 

      Mike Rose, author of “In Search of a Fresh Language of Schooling” expresses his distaste of the cookie-cutter model that public education in the United States has morphed into. According to Rose, the flame of “curiosity, reflectiveness, uncertainty, a willingness to take a chance, to blunder,” has been extinguished by the flood of economically motivated decisions, and “large-scale assessment”. His hope of education being based on the inquisitiveness of the individual student rather than being driven by the educator's desire to have students pass standardized testing is answered by the Montessori method. The Montessori method is a “fresh language of schooling” and should be more available as an alternative form of public education.

         The Montessori School prides itself in its unique curriculum. The Montessori philosophy is clearly summarized by Maria Montessori, “Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, where study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants – doing nothing but living and walking about – came to know all things, to carry in their minds the whole of learning; would you not think I was romancing? Well, just this, which seems so fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child's way of learning.” Montessori schools use a tactile, hands on approach to learning. Many Montessori middle schools and high schools consist of a residential living component allowing students to cook meals for the entire school, cultivate and tend to a community farm, and to learn practical life skills. Students are expected to naturally gravitate towards areas of the classroom that interest them, creating a self-created curriculum.

      The element of collaboration amongst students that Mike Rose seeks is dead in the current public schooling system. Montessori, however, emphasizes multi-age classes in order to promote communication and peer based teaching. Multi-age classrooms are formed to set a realistic representation of the real world for students. Maria Montessori, an Italian woman who funded Montessori, believed that in society individuals are not grouped based on their age, so classrooms should not be either. One key factor of the Montessori philosophy is that students will co-function and assist each other in projects and assignments. A Montessori teacher in the classroom acts as an “observer whose ultimate goal is to intervene less and less as the child develops.” Without the Montessori educators solely guiding and directing them, Montessori students depend on themselves and their peers to find projects that interest and inspire them which leads to the creativity and ingenuity that is missing in public schools. Montessori secondary schools advocate field trips based on the interests of the students. One Montessori educator describes her Listening Project as a "10-day, 2-week immersion course to give students various opportunities to develop better listening skills and to help them understand more about the enlivening quality and healing potential of listening to others". At the end of the 10 days of their project the students sit down and share their experiences of interviewing people around the city, which was one of the requirements of the project. The students were allowed to interview anyone who interested them and just listen to their stories, which led the students to be engaged and engrossed in their assignment. This unique form of education as a wholesome, enjoyable, subject is ideal when compared to the stressful, test-based, current education system in place.

              Rose describes the relationship between education and students as a “cognitive horserace.” This idea of the “horserace” ties into his beliefs of education being economically motivated. Politics and big corporations or, our profit-driven society, follow the same race to the top model. Who will prosper in this model of schooling? According to Rose, “the wealthiest public schools spend two to three times more on their students than the poorest.” An economically-driven education system unfortunately maintains the discrepancies of the social class system. Unfortunately, Montessori for children ages twelve to eighteen is costly. The Michael Olaf Montessori Company states that the average annual tuition for students from age twelve to eighteen is $8,170. Montessori materials, however, are specifically purchased to fit the needs of every student instead of everyone being expected to follow the same form of learning. If Montessori could become a state-funded form of public education instead of being private, the cost would be the same as going to a Laramie public school, free, well, at least paid for with taxes. Montessori is not copyrighted therefore any institution can say that they use the Montessori method. In order to be a licensed Montessori school, however, the training that Montessori educators go through is tailored to the Montessori philosophy.

       “The two major organizations offering Montessori training in the United States are the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI, with a U.S. branch office called AMI-USA) and the American Montessori Society (AMS). Most training centers require a bachelor's degree for admission. Training ranges from 200 to 600 pre-service contact hours and covers principles of child development and Montessori philosophy as well as specific uses of the Montessori classroom materials.” In addition to the formal training required to be a Montessori teacher, Montessori teachers also require workplace basic skills. “Thinking critically and acting logically to solve problems and make decisions” as well as “willingness and ability to learn for life” are two components of workplace literacy and are standards that must be upheld by Montessori teachers. When this work ethic is upheld by the teachers, it also resonates within the students. The role of a student also requires workplace basic skills. The importance of teamwork is emphasized in employability and basic skills and is also a crucial module to the aforementioned collaboration aspect of Montessori.

             Montessori is the answer to our profit-driven education system. The educators adhere to the core skills suggested for workplace efficiency as well as strive to get kids thinking out of the competitive box that is pushed in other schooling structures. Montessori is a “fresh language of schooling” and should be offered as a state-funded alternative to public education.

I love education

I am working towards an Secondary Education degree focusing on English. The problem with this is, I am not good at grammar. I am sure you will notice this flaw as you read and notice all the excess commas, and all the improper grammar usage I am bound to use. What can I say? I love commas. But, alas, I am not embarrassed to say that regardless of my grammar muck-ups, I am passionate about teaching and being an educator. This blog will be about is my opinions about schooling, and the politics of schooling. I have been studying the Montessori Method for a year now, and I have been quite intrigued. But like all things, there are also some things I could argue about. I am also inspired by many educators worldwide and I intend to post videos and my opinions on them. Not only will this blog help my audience learn a little more about me, but it will also be a way for me to watch myself change over time. I am sure my opinions will change, and it will be wonderful to witness it in the end. Since I have entered the education department, I have been introduced to a plethora of knowledge, opinions, and facts regarding the American public schooling system; some have been frightening, others comforting. Let's get going on some of my opinions :-)