After reading this section of the text and pondering my thoughts, this is what I come up with:
Questions- How do you address paraprofessionals that help too much?
- How do you get student's to retain information that has been taught (over and over and over)?
- What skills are truely functional (where do I start, what will they actually use and be of benefit to them?)
- How do I document progress in an applicable way (usefull but not time consuming)?
- How can I work with parents to understand their child with special needs?
- What techniques/ tools are out there to modify/ change behavior of a student with autism?
Personal life- Why our 4 year old boy doesn't show interest in school related stuff at home (won't count, work on his ABC's, etc) (is it normal? should we be concerned?)
- How do you determine if he is ready for Kindergarten (should be starting next school year but has a July birthday- will he be ready? how do you know? how does a parent make that decision?)
Exitement- - Seeing the progress a student has made academically in the last month (reading, money, numbers, days of the week, independence, etc).
- Seeing the exitement on student's faces when they talk about graduating (even though I am sad on the inside knowing that they are leaving).
- Watching the student's develop into young adults that are entering the workforce.
- Assisting a student with finding a job in the community and seeing the joy on his face- watching him progress into a young man knowing all that he has had to deal with.
- Establishing new relationships with students/ parents and gaining their trust.
Puzzlements/ wonderings- Why people stress over things that they have no control over?
- How can one person have so much control over what a school does (parent)?
- How does the mind work (observing students and how they interact/ choices they make)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
"Six Thinking Hats" Reflection
After reading the two sections in the "Six Thinking Hats", I was able to understand better the two hats.
First the 'white' hat. This hat is the factual hat. I think that this hat is beneficial as everybody in a group needs to be aware of the facts. I think if some people in a group have the wrong facts or miscued facts, it could put their thinking at a different level. To lay the facts out on the table so they are clear, will help everybody involved. I also liked how this section talked about the difference between a 'checked' fact and an 'unchecked' fact (belief). I feel that this is important as not all meetings will have 'checked' facts and may be more belief based facts. I also liked how they discussed how different cultures handle disagreement. I again feel that it is important to understand this as not all group members may be of the same culture.
The next hat that was discussed was the red hat. This is the emotion hat. One point that I really liked that was made in this section, was that everybody in the group had to state how they were feeling. It is not to take 'sides' or to form an opinion. It is more about stating how you feel. You don't need to justify your feelings just state them. I think it is important that everybody feels like they are heard and that their feelings are also heard. I think it is also important that this hat can be constantly changing. I felt the book did a nice job with making this clear. People are always adjusting how they feel on topics based on information provided. I think checking in with your red hats through out a meeting is very important for that reason.
These two sections gave me ideas to use when communicating. In my position, it seems that I am always involved with meetings or some kind of group work. I think there are some great ideas behind this book. My struggle will be implementing the ideas with others. I am not the type of person to step out side of my comfort zone and this would be something that I would have to do in order to get co-workers to use these techniques. I also can see some of my co-workers (ones that I would really like to use this with) blowing it off and not wanting to try it.
First the 'white' hat. This hat is the factual hat. I think that this hat is beneficial as everybody in a group needs to be aware of the facts. I think if some people in a group have the wrong facts or miscued facts, it could put their thinking at a different level. To lay the facts out on the table so they are clear, will help everybody involved. I also liked how this section talked about the difference between a 'checked' fact and an 'unchecked' fact (belief). I feel that this is important as not all meetings will have 'checked' facts and may be more belief based facts. I also liked how they discussed how different cultures handle disagreement. I again feel that it is important to understand this as not all group members may be of the same culture.
The next hat that was discussed was the red hat. This is the emotion hat. One point that I really liked that was made in this section, was that everybody in the group had to state how they were feeling. It is not to take 'sides' or to form an opinion. It is more about stating how you feel. You don't need to justify your feelings just state them. I think it is important that everybody feels like they are heard and that their feelings are also heard. I think it is also important that this hat can be constantly changing. I felt the book did a nice job with making this clear. People are always adjusting how they feel on topics based on information provided. I think checking in with your red hats through out a meeting is very important for that reason.
These two sections gave me ideas to use when communicating. In my position, it seems that I am always involved with meetings or some kind of group work. I think there are some great ideas behind this book. My struggle will be implementing the ideas with others. I am not the type of person to step out side of my comfort zone and this would be something that I would have to do in order to get co-workers to use these techniques. I also can see some of my co-workers (ones that I would really like to use this with) blowing it off and not wanting to try it.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Reflection
"Reflection is at the Heart of Practice"- How will reflection help you to become a master teacher? What gets in your way of reflecting? What will you do to clear the barriers or get around them?
How will reflection help you to become a master teacher?
I feel that reflection will help me become a master teacher in several ways. One way that it will help me is by having me analyze my teaching. I think that by taking the time to analyze, not only what I am teaching but how I am teaching, will only make me more confident and aware of what I am doing. By taking a step back to reflect on my teaching, I will hopefully be able to recognize areas where growth is needed. I will also be able to see where my strengths are.
What gets in your way of reflecting?'
There are several things that can get in the way of my reflecting. One of the bigger things is time. This can be a big issue as it seems like there is never enough time in day. Reflection is something that can take time. Another thing that could get in the way of my reflecting is not being bias. I think it is very critical to have an open mind and to be honest with yourself. I think at times this could be difficult. That last thing that could get in my way of reflecting would be having a process to follow. I am kind of a concrete person, so having a guideling to assist me with my reflection would be helpful.
What will you do to clear the barries or get aroung them?
In order to get around the issues that could get in my way of reflecting would be to make reflection a priority and to include it into my schedule. I think if I set aside time and incorporate it into my schedule, it will be easier to complete. I think just knowing that reflection will help you grow as a teacher, it will take the biassness out of the equation. A reflection isn't a 'judgement', it is a tool to help you improve. After reading this article, it gave a foundation of a process you can use to implement reflection. I liked the layout, so having a guideline will help.
I think that reflection can be a strong tool to help a person continue to grow. I think that by incorporating this into your practice, you will learn about yourself and have growth.
How will reflection help you to become a master teacher?
I feel that reflection will help me become a master teacher in several ways. One way that it will help me is by having me analyze my teaching. I think that by taking the time to analyze, not only what I am teaching but how I am teaching, will only make me more confident and aware of what I am doing. By taking a step back to reflect on my teaching, I will hopefully be able to recognize areas where growth is needed. I will also be able to see where my strengths are.
What gets in your way of reflecting?'
There are several things that can get in the way of my reflecting. One of the bigger things is time. This can be a big issue as it seems like there is never enough time in day. Reflection is something that can take time. Another thing that could get in the way of my reflecting is not being bias. I think it is very critical to have an open mind and to be honest with yourself. I think at times this could be difficult. That last thing that could get in my way of reflecting would be having a process to follow. I am kind of a concrete person, so having a guideling to assist me with my reflection would be helpful.
What will you do to clear the barries or get aroung them?
In order to get around the issues that could get in my way of reflecting would be to make reflection a priority and to include it into my schedule. I think if I set aside time and incorporate it into my schedule, it will be easier to complete. I think just knowing that reflection will help you grow as a teacher, it will take the biassness out of the equation. A reflection isn't a 'judgement', it is a tool to help you improve. After reading this article, it gave a foundation of a process you can use to implement reflection. I liked the layout, so having a guideline will help.
I think that reflection can be a strong tool to help a person continue to grow. I think that by incorporating this into your practice, you will learn about yourself and have growth.
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