Teaching is Like A Lighthouse

With summer fast approaching, I think it is safe to say that most people have relaxation, swimming, and just laying on the beach in our heads. I am one of those people, but this time, it was beneficial and helped me think of an educational metaphor: teaching is like a lighthouse. It is important that we guide students through the learning process, just as a lighthouse helps sailors, but we do not do the work for them. Teachers lead their students in the right direction towards the pathway to success. We still allow them to go their own ways and do their own things as well. Sometimes, the children's paths might be rough and tough, just like those of a sailor, but the end result, whether it be learning a new concept or reaching land, is worth it. Sometimes, students look for us when they are struggling, and again, this is similar to the lighthouse's job when a sailor is on a quest to find land.

This course taught me so much that I will be able to take with me when I finally become a teacher after dreaming about it for years. First of all, I never knew how many different types of schooling there was, and always thought it was simply your child either a) learns in a classroom or b) is homeschooled. To my surprise, there are a variety of schools, including unschooling like Summerhill, outdoor schools, like the Cloud Forest School and the outdoor kindergarten, and so many more. EDU100 had also taught me how important multicultural education is, and how necessary it is to make your class culturally-responsive. Both of these are things I will now focus on as a teacher in the future, but might not have before. It is crucial to understand your students, as for that is the only way you will be successful with them, and this can be done with understanding their backgrounds, families, etc. There are so many interesting and creative ways to learn about multicultural education in the classroom, and one that I think I might use in the future will be having a parent or someone come in and share about their culture (granted they are accurate). A third thing I will take with me is the importance of place-based and environmental education. Understanding the world around you will make you care for it, and it is necessary that students can do this. After all, like I have mentioned in a prior post, why would someone "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!" or "Go Green!" if they have no idea why they are doing it? The only way we are going to survive is if we are informed about the environment, connected to the world around us and that we embrace it.

Hopefully, the faces in my class in the future are similar to these someday :)

Aside from just doing the readings and assignments, I have learned a lot from the online discussions with my classmates as well. I have seen so many different opinions, some that match mine, and others that don't, but both sides have opened my eyes. Being able to "talk" about educational topics with others allowed me to think about things that I would have never thought about on my own. It was also interesting to hear people's stories, whether they be about their own experiences or someone else's that they have seen through observations, etc., and a lot of them really opened my eyes.

Well, for now it is farewell. It's wild to think that another crazy semester has come and gone, but is  exciting because it means I am one step closer in reaching my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher!

Gender Inequality within Schools

Gender equality is a problem that we have faced for decades. Women used to not have the same rights, such as the right to vote, and they were simply regarded as the person who stays home to cooks, clean, have children, and care-give, while the men went to work and were the breadwinners. Another example of gender inequality is that men are considered "wusses" if they aren't braver and stronger than women.  Today, it is important to promote gender equality, just as it is to promote all other aspects of equality, like racial equality, and it starts in the classroom.

You may be thinking that this is the 21st century and that gender equality is prevalent in many classrooms, and while that might be true, not all classes are gender neutral. According to Deanna Sellnow's study titled Teaching Strategies for a Gender Equitable Classroom,  it is important that we realize that "classrooms teaching styles are not the cause of gender discrimination; however, they may be perpetuating the problem." She also states that "Many negative gender stereotypes continue to shape adolscents' beliefs and behaviors." In Gender Equality in the Classroom, writer Aparna Rapol states that "the first thing that teachers need to consciously understand is that sex is a biological fact and gender is a social construct. Boys and girls do not have any natural psychological or social differences, but it is society that makes them learn gender roles."

There are many ways to make gender neutral classrooms. Some of these ways are sitting boys with girls, not segregating them, as well as telling both genders that they can be as successful as the other, whether it be in regards to any aspects of life, including extracurriculars, career choices, etc.  Sellnow also states that "the most important thing teachers can do to foster gender equity in the classroom is to include all students in the discussion." Not involving a student because they are shy is a bias and can easily be prevented. Another thing that teachers can do to have a gender equal classroom is not using masculine pronouns (ever feminine pronouns) in their examples, because neither are gender neutral. If they do this, they need to make sure that they alternate between male and female examples.  Teachers must also acknowledge statements made by student that disregard the other gender, and explain to them why it is wrong/hurtful. An interesting thing that Rapol wrote was that teachers shouldn't just call mom when a child is in trouble or they need something, they should actively involve dad too, and I totally agree with this.

Overall, it is extremely important that classrooms are gender neutral, and that teachers make a conscious effort to do so. It might be difficult, but it is worth it.

The Importance of Environmental Education

A critical part of education that is often overlooked in schools and their curriculums is environmental education. It is truly imperative that students and people of society understand the world around them, and one they are able to do that, they will begin to embrace the world around them. After all, you can't tell a student to "Go Green!" or to "Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!" if the person has NO idea why they are doing it, except because you told them to.

Today's children are completely different from generations of the past, and they are considered to be "disconnected" from nature and their environment. Everything they do, whether it be at home, at school, at a store, etc., revolves around technology, which is slowly but surely taking over our world today. It is harder and harder to get kids to go outside and play catch, take a walk, or even ride their bikes, all of which are things that past generations did continuously. What is sad about the technological takeover is that kids are learning less and less about their environment and the Earth.

Environmental education is extremely important, and without it, our future generations will fail due to our untamed planet and environments. Learning about life cycles, soils, plants, animals, and natural resources are all as essential as learning math, reading, and social studies. Another important part of environmental education is learning about pollution and what we as a society are doing to destroy the Earth, whether or not we are aware of it or trying to. With this, a valid point is that our consumerism, which is twice as high as it was when today's grandparents were children, is ruining and polluting our planet with toxins. We have also used up a great amount of our natural resources. Do people know this? No, because they did not have environmental education!

The simplest activities can enrich children's minds about their environment. Taking them outside, granted the outdoors are safe, planting seeds in pots and watching them grow, or even going to a park, garden, beach or nature sanctuary, all can increase their knowledge. Environmental education is a necessity for students (and everyone) so that they can understand and embrace the world around them, so that people can "Go Green!" and "Reduce, Reuse Recycle!" while understanding why they are doing it, and so that the Earth to be able to survive in the future.

For more information on why environmental education is so important, check out these links!
Forest Foundation           Project Learning Tree  

Learning Theories

There are many types of learning theories out their, some that are better than others. Schools across the world use a variety of learning theories. Two learning theories that are completely opposite of each other are the Banking Concept of Education, and the Montessori Theory.

The Banking Concept of Education, created by Paulo Freire, is one that I personally do not agree with.  Why is it called this when it has to do with students learning? The answer is simple. Through this theory, students are referred to as depositories, and the teacher is the depositor. The teacher gives the information, and the students are simply expected to retain it. Students might learn random multiplication facts or other things, but might not know what it means, because there is little to no communication with the teacher. Students simply must accept the information they are deposited. The teacher presents themselves as knowledgeable, and the students considers themselves ignorant, making them accept, memorize, and retain the info.  In this concept, a teacher is considered successful based upon the number of students (s)he fills with knowledge.

On the other hand, a learning theory that I agree with is the Montessori Theory, created by Maria Montessori, and it is extremely different than the Banking Concept. A main theory that the Montessori curriculum follows was a quote said by Montessori herself, "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed," which really focuses on the how students need to learn to be independent. The school focuses on independence, observation, following the child, correcting the child, a prepared environment, and the absorbent mind. Independence is important because a child needs to be able to do things themselves, and can do this through provided opportunities in the classroom. Following a child helps a teacher identify their personal needs. With this concept, teachers are non-directive, aren't over protective, and let the student do what they need to do. When a child is corrected, voices are not raised, but instead are solved in a calm manner that is practical. A prepared environment is a safe place that allows students to move freely where they want from activity to activity. Montessori described this not as students "playing," but as "creating themselves." Lastly, the absorbent mind focuses on the language of the teachers, since children pick up everything people say. (For more information on Montessori, click here.)

Maria Montessori

As I said before, I agree with the Montessori Theory a lot more than the Banking Concept of Education. Students need interaction with their teachers, it is imperative. They need to know why they are learning things, what the things they are learning mean, etc. While they might be able to memorize and retain the knowledge given to them in the Banking Concept, it won't do them any good in the long run if they don't truly understand it. I feel as if the Montessori Theory puts all focus on the students, what is best for them, their individual needs, and their growth, which is what the Banking Concept lacks.

Educational Philosophy

      Everyone has their own beliefs, values, methods and goals in regards to teaching within their own classrooms, which helps to make up their educational philosophy. There are many different educational philosophies out there. Some teachers are focused on behavior and how that influences education, while others are progressivists, which means they believe the child should be the focus, not the subject matter. Recently, I took a quiz, titled Educational Philosophies Self-Assessment, to see what type of educational philosophy I had, and the results said that my philosophy is humanism.
      The humanistic philosophy focuses on children becoming the best they can be, as well as the student's potential for growth. The results of this quiz said that some of the beliefs of within the humanistic philosophy are "human beings can control their own destiny, people are inherently good and will strive for a better world, people are free to act but must be responsible; behavior is the consequence of human choice; and people possess unlimited potential for growth and development." Although I don't believe all of these, I agree with most of them. Most of the time, I like to think that people are inherently good, although that is not always the case. I also agree with the fact that people are free to act, but must be responsible. I am a huge believer in students taking responsibility for their own actions, rather than blaming someone else or trying the change the story, simply to avoid the consequence.

      I think out of all the beliefs the quiz results listed, I believe that "the people possess unlimited potential for growth and development" the most. I think that this relies heavily on their environment, who they are around, who they are influenced by, and whether people take the time to listen, care, and understand them. People, especially children, can and only will soar when they are in the proper environment with proper guidance. One of the self-assessment statements was "if encouraging and nourishing environments are provided, learning will flourish naturally because all people have an inherent tendency to learn," and I believe this wholeheartedly. I have seen students thrive in the classroom settings throughout my times of observations. With the right role models, educators, etc., students will have a motivation to learn. Another statement on the self-assessment was "the role of the teacher is to help create a nurturing atmosphere for students and promote the growth of the whole person," and I think that it is extremely important, and I hope I can do this for all of my students in the future.

      The results of this quiz were extremely accurate, and I see many of these characteristics in myself already during observations, and as a babysitter. I am a very nurturing, loving and understanding person, and I think that I will continue to possess these qualities as a teacher in the future as well. I like to see the good in everyone, although it is difficult in this day and age, rather than the bad. I think everyone has the potential to do anything their heart desires, as long as they are guided, positively influenced, and that they are in the proper environment. I suggest that every teacher, current or future, takes the Educational Philosophies Self-Assessment and learns about themselves and their philosophies within the classroom setting.

Inclusion and UDL

In this day and age, it is extremely important to include all students and make sure they are learning properly, which can often be a struggle for teachers. There are hundreds of ways to include students, some of them being more simple than others.

Changing the time of day that something is taught or even the seating arrangement or space a student works in can make a big difference. A huge difference for many learners also regard the methods and materials used. Sitting on the rug versus sitting at their desks, using props and charts, and standing in a different part of the class are all examples of these, and although they may seem minor, changing how the lesson is delivered can make a big impact on some kids. Another change that I read about and found interesting was changing the teacher, and having another staff member or parent teach it. It might be a little more complicated to arrange than the other examples previously listed, but it could be fun and would be interesting to see.

Another HUGE thing that can be used so that a teacher can assure that all students are learning properly, regardless of disability or not, is through UDL. Before we get into that, I want to first mention IDEA, since they are closely related.

IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendment of 1997. Before this, students with disabilities could be discriminated against, and could be denied a public education. After this act was passed, all students, regardless of disabilities have the right to an equal education. After this was all said and done, students were still being discriminated against because of the curriculum, causing UDL to be created.

You might be thinking, what the heck is UDL? UDL stands for Universal Diverse Learning. The goal of the program is to include all diverse learners in the classroom, since after all, one learning style does not meet the needs of all students. Some students are visual learners, while other are kinesthetic or auditory learners. Some students also have disabilities that affect the way they learn. However, UDL provides many flexible approaches and methods to meet the needs of all students. Through UDL, all students work together.  When teachers are using UDL, they must be open to adapting their approaches so that all students can learn properly, which might seem difficult, but will be best for the students in the end.

The Goals of UDL according the the UDL Website

In conclusion, it is extremely important that all students receive an equal education, thanks to the IDEA Act of 1997, and this can be done through inclusion and the UDL curricula. To read more about UDL and its benefits, visit the the National Center On Universal Design for Learning.

Multicultural Education

Today's classrooms are becoming more and more diverse by the second, and it is important that this is recognized by educators, both current ones and those of the future. Wanting to be a teacher in the near future myself, multicultural education makes me wonder one thing: What can I do to make my classroom a culturally responsive classroom?

There are hundreds of things that I should -- and should not -- do to make this classroom successful. One of the most important things that I will to first do is understand all of my students and the different perspectives they might have. By different perspectives, I mean that they might be immigrants, non-English speaking, have different sexual orientations, or might have exceptionality. Regardless of how different each student is, in my opinion, a teacher is only successful when they understand their students. Students should be taught that one culture is not superior to each other -- they are all just as important and equal to one another. If they are taught this young enough, it might eliminate further stereotyping and bullying as they get older.

There are five approaches in multicultural education, but I believe that the human relations approach is the most important. This approach tries to help students from different backgrounds accept, understand and relate to each other. With this, I think it is important that emphasis is put on cultural similarities students (and I) have with each other, rather than focusing on the differences, which is what typically happens. Another approach that I feel I will use in my own classroom in the future is the multicultural approach because it really promotes the importance of family and languages, and it makes students think from other people's point of views, rather than just their own.

Something else that I will do to run a culturally diverse classroom is potentially have some parents or guest speakers in the classroom to speak about different cultures. To me, this would definitely be interesting and it would be different than me just telling the students my knowledge because the parents would have first hand, accurate knowledge.

Another thing that will make myself successful is being informed about a multitude of cultures, rather than just my own. In order for this to happen, I will have to read and research about other cultures, and maybe even incorporate materials that will engage the students and expand their knowledge. I think that engaging projects about foreign countries could be eye-opening and fun for future students, and I say this because of experience. In middle school, my 7th grade world geography teacher assigned partners a country and together the students did a project about the country's values, history, culture, etc. Although it was a little different than how I might do it in the future, I think it was a good project and I took a lot away from it.

Like I stated before, it's not just about what I should to do to make my classroom culturally responsive; it's also what I should not do. RaceBridges For Schools provides an excellent list of things that should be avoided, including focusing only on one culture, and providing students with things that are stereotypical or wrong about certain cultures.

Overall, it is extremely important to assure that your classroom is culturally responsive for students. It will benefit them not only for that school year, but for their entire life ahead.