Why We Teach

            Both of my parents are teachers, so you think I am in a family of teachers. For some reason though, I don’t really see myself that way. During high school as I was starting to look down the road at career jobs and nothing stood out. When I realized this I was disappointed, because I so desperately wanted to be one of those people who knew exactly what they wanted to be since they were little. When I first started college they want you to pick a major, so sort of on family ties I choose teaching thinking I might switch eventually. Turns out, I never did.

Once I started taking my classes for the education program I started finding more clues about what I wanted to do in life. I have always loved kids, but I didn’t realize this until I was in college. I never realized until college as well how much I like to teach. As I look back on my childhood I can remember plenty of times playing teacher with myself, friends and little brother. During my college years I have realized that I have also enjoyed teaching, it really makes me feel important and happy. During college I also reflected on what had led me down the path I am now. Sure some of it was choice, but my parents had a big influence on my decisions, whether they wanted to or not. I think both of my parents are very caring, influential and determined individuals as well as teachers. With that in mind it gave me even a bigger want to be a teacher, like them.

             My beliefs about effective teachers are that it takes some hard work at times, but it can be accomplished. I believe effective teachers have lessons and activities that are fun, interesting and engaging. I think they teach to every kind of learner and not just one type, and I believe they do it with a smile (as silly as that sounds). I think effective teachers are excited about what they teach and have lots of energy (something I know I need to work on!). I think that students need to be challenged and feel self-worth about their life in the classroom. But most importantly I believe that teachers should care about their students and try to do everything to make their children learn.

One of my closer goals, as I am getting closer to the college finish line is graduating with my Bachelorette this December. I would also like to pursue a Masters Degree. For my goals when I become a teacher are more than I can count. I want to become a caring teacher for all of my students. I want to have a personal relationship with each child and be open to different problems and issues with each child. I want to have a differentiate classroom where all students can learn at their pace in a comfortable environment. I want my students to succeed and feel successful. I am not just saying these goals because I have been taught these for the past few years but, because I really want them. These goals seem so possible when I am in the UNM classes but when I go out into the public schools it seems nearly impossible. But then I am given hope by teachers who are successful in today’s world, and that’s all I need to know to try.

2 Week Unit That I taught:

The Westward Expansion

Standards & Benchmarks

Strand I-History

Standard: Students are able to identify important people and events in order to analyze significant patterns, relationships, themes, ideas, beliefs, and turning points in New Mexico, United States, and world history in order to understand the complexity of the human experience

5-8 Benchmarks:

B. United States: Analyze and interpret major eras, events, and individuals from the periods of exploration and colonization through the Civil War and Reconstruction in United States history.

Specific Objectives:                                                                                                                            1. Describe and explain the reasons for colonization, to include: -religious freedom,-desire for land, -economic opportunity, -a new way of life, including the role and views of key individuals who founded colonies (e.g., John Smith, William Penn, Lord Baltimore).

D. Skills: Research historical events and people from a variety of perspectives.

1. Differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources (e.g., computer software, interviews, biographies, oral histories, print, visual material, artifacts) to acquire information.                                                                                                                     2. Gather, organize, and interpret information using a variety of media and technology.                                                                                          3. Show the relationship between social contexts and events.                                                                                                        4. Use effective communication skills and strategies to share research findings.

Strand I-Language Arts

Standard: READING AND LISTENING FOR COMPREHENSION: Students will apply strategies and skills to comprehend information that is read, heard, and viewed.

5-8 Benchmarks:                                                                                                                  A. Listen to, read, react to, and interpret information

Specific Objectives:                                                                                                                       1. Listen actively and critically by: -asking questions, -delving deeper into the topic, -elaborating on the information and the ideas presented, -evaluating information and ideas, -making inferences and drawing conclusions, -making judgments.                                                              2. Make connections between texts by recognizing similarities and differences based on a common theme, lesson, or message.                                                                                                       3. Follow oral instructions that provide information about a task or assignment

B. Gather and use information for research and other purposes

1. Understand concept of primary source.                                                                                                        2. Research multiple sources to deepen understanding and integrate information and ideas across varied sources and content areas by: -evaluating the usefulness and quality of information and ideas based on purpose, experiences, text(s) and graphics

Monday 4/13:

Objectives:

Students will brainstorm and discuss with peers the question, “What are some of the reasons pioneers decided to move west?”

Students will also create a class KWL chart on their understanding of pioneers moving west.

Procedure: Discuss first the “Brainstorming Activity” and then discuss what brainstorming is.                                                                                                          

Students will then go into their pre-assigned groups where they will discuss Question A and write down each of the students opinions on the question. Answers will be based on student’s specific trail.                                                                                                      Class will then get together as a whole and discuss what each team thought.

Following this activity the class will do a KWL chart about the Westward Expansion. This gives a good assessment of what they know and misconceptions, also gives good ideas of what the students would like to know more about and incorporate that into the unit.

Materials: Butcher paper, pencils, marker and Brainstorming Activity Papers.

Wrap Up: Summarizing of the KWL chart. Also talk about where the class will be doing tomorrow have the students start thinking or brainstorming items for their trunk.

Assessment: Participation with small groups as well as large group, also by the students answers from the Brainstorming Activity.

Tuesday 4/14:

Procedure: Hook-Class will start off by showing them the example of what we will be working on for the next few days.

See pgs.14-16 on guidelines for making the trunk. Students will be given directions on how to make their own trunk to put in the wagon to head west. The class will be packing their own trunk with 3-5 important items for three compartments each. The class will brainstorm items and compartments before starting.

Students will also need to research historical items on the internet to put in their trunk.

Materials: construction paper, glue, markers, scissors, computers and pencils.

Wednesday 4/15:

Procedure: Students will continue creating and researching trunks.

If students finish trunk early they have a Literature Center that contains book on the Westward Expansion. They also have a Windmill center and a Fan Tan Center. All centers are of choice.

Thursday 4/16:

Procedure: Students will be finishing their trunks. 

Assessment: Students will be assessed by their trunk with the authentic items, explanations for each item, neatness and following directions.

Wrap Up: Students will be able to present their trunks to the class as a choice.

Friday 4/17:                              

Procedure: Students will continue to work on research papers that were assigned in the previous week. Students have specific questions to research and need to research 17 interesting facts. Discuss with students how to organize paper and what needs to be included in a good paper. Discuss with students what expectations should be with their paper. Students will work on computers for research.

Questions for Research:

1.      Length of Trail

2.      Purpose of the trail

3.      Where the trail began and ended

4.      Famous people who traveled your trail

5.      Famous land marks

6.      Other Facts

7.      Hardships of the trail

Materials: Computers, paper and pencils.

Monday 4/20

Procedure: Students will continue to research on the computers.                                     Will also revisit and hang up KWL chart.

Tuesday 4/21

Procedure:  Will model and discuss writing paper.                                                       Talk about and opening sentence and what it should include. Also mention to skip lines in draft so they can edit.                                                                                                       Will revisit expectations chart that was created on Friday.                                              Students will start organizing facts and information found into paragraphs. I will help individual students look into facts and help organize.                                                                Students will start writing draft paper.

Materials: Expectations chart, paper and pencil.

Wednesday 4/22

Procedure: Students will work on writing the rough draft.

Assessment: Students will be assessed by observation. Is the student staying on task and is the student trying.

Thursday 4/23

Procedure: Students will peer edit a partner’s paper. Students will read aloud their paper to their partner. Partner will then silently read the paper.                                                      Have students think about capitals, periods, spelling, punctuation, and does the sentence or paragraph make sense.

Friday 4/24

Procedure: Students will work on the Final Draft.                                                         Will also revisit the KWL chart and discuss what the students have learned since we last looked at it.

Wrap Up: Students will present their final papers to the class.

I differentiated throughout this unit by:                                                                                                                1. We grouped the kids into four different trails.  Students did not get to choose their groups or trails.  The way we did this was to put academically capable students with less academically capable students in each group.  We also looked at behaviors and separated them as not a whole lot of learning would go on if certain students were grouped together.                                                                                                                                    2. Also tried to reach students learning styles in different ways by the research, working as a group, working individually, discussing topics as a whole, the trunks, written research paper, working with assigned peer for editing, and presenting the paper. Also worked with individuals who needed more assistance.