Language Diversity Plan
The two classes being assessed are seventh grade Utah Studies, and eighth grade United States History at Glendale Middle School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of these classes have an even distribution (or close to) of genders, one class has at least 50% special education students as the philosophy at Glendale is to have a para-educator following the group of special education kids throughout the day to provide extra support to the teacher. Glendale is an English language learning rich environment, anywhere from 50% – 90% of each class has a first language other than English which is usually Spanish. There are several Polynesian students that speak either Tongan or Samoan also, but these students are usually very strong in their English skills as well.
With language diversity being a major strength of Glendale, it also has serious complications for teaching classes. With the help of administration, English language teachers, and any other staff research and data will be collected before the start of the school year, or quarter of each year to assess the needs, strengths, and areas of improvement needed for these students. For students that speak little to no English there will be cognates, or translations to help students have something to juxtapose against their classwork. Explicit vocabulary descriptions and practice saying the words (with the entire class) will be part of the daily class routine. With these being Social Studies courses lessons that are culturally relevant, or at least examples of areas of interest related to the many cultures of the class will be cited. For example the Iosepa development in Utah will be noted for Polynesian student’s interests, and many example like the Spanish Escalante expedition and the country of Mexico once owning what is now Utah will be covered.
The teacher will constantly check in with English language learners during individual desk work time, and scaffolding will be implemented to give these students opportunities to build on what they have learned, and make connections by being active learners with an instructor challenging them and supporting them in their learning. Spanish speaking students that have sufficient to fluent English skills will be seated next to, and partnered with Spanish speaking students that do not speak English well or at an academic level to give them a partner/group dynamic to discuss things with and learn from. Once vocabulary and other basic concepts are taught they will be brought into larger activities like writing an essay, or creating a brochure to present on a specific topic in both group and individual activities. Other than essays and brochures (and other presentations) students will be assessed with their daily class work, home work, and summative assessments at the end of a unit (or if needed at the mid-point of a unit also). Students will also be given formative assessments through regular class activities like being called upon to give short answers, even with extra help and coaching from the teacher and/or their partner in class.
Technology, especially with free time or when English learners need extra practice will be utilized to let these students play games to practice language. Duolingo and other types of applications can be used to help students build English skills with the user interface being the teacher. Google translate can be utilized to translate assignments quickly and accurately, the teacher has intermediate Spanish skills so those will be utilized and more importantly will be used to show the students that the instructor is also learning a language and it is a difficult task that takes daily practice.
Outside educational language support, or any resources available will be utilized to help any students learning English. The teacher will work with their English language class to tailor assignments and coordinate homework so the focus of any extra work the student is doing is focused on helping them learn the language (homework for language learners needs to assist in them mastering their new language before anything else is done). The most successful students that are fluent in Spanish and English will be utilized as much as possible to create a peer to peer network and strong classroom culture and dynamic so that English language learners feel comfortable and part of the class and school community.
Classroom Management Plan
Utah Studies at Glendale Middle School is a required class for all 7th grade students and is offered throughout the school year. Of the three Utah Studies classes I have been involved with up to this point at least half of the students are in some early stages of English language acquisition. Interestingly enough the average 7th grader at Glendale reads at a 4th grade level not because of a high number of learning disabilities, but simply due to how many students are learning English. The three Utah Studies classes I have worked have balanced numbers based on gender, is extremely culturally diverse (like Glendale in general), and only one class has a high number of special education students. Glendale tries to keep Special Education students together, so in that class there is a special education employee to lend extra assistance. All the classes are well behaved, but the class with more special education students does tend to have more disruptions along with the teacher needing to give more instruction which typically leads to scaled down lesson plans.
My classroom management plan is to leverage students with fluency in English and Spanish to sit next to students that speak Spanish only for the first semester (or first half of the year). Students and classes that stay on task with lessons will be able to earn free time in the last 5-10 minutes of class, as well as a class party at the end of each semester. I plan to continually remind students that are not staying on task (both in class and with homework) that they will be required to work on assignments in the library during the class party so they are not caught by surprise when they aren’t allowed to take part (I will give students plenty of chances to make up for missed work or show improvement with staying on task to earn free time & the privilege of attending the class party. There will be days where we work in groups, pairs, and with individual assignments, I will gauge if the students seated next to a student that doesn’t speak English is hindering their learning and will give those non-English speaking students lists of key words or even full translations to their native language so they aren’t so reliant on the person they are seated next to. This classroom has two desks grouped together and I will move seat assignments often, but also immediately if a certain duo is obviously a bad combination. I will start each class with a short breathing or mindfulness exercise to get them focused on the present task at hand.
Gifted students will be given opportunities to help other students, but also will be challenged with other questions and assignments so they are not bored and waiting for their classmates to finish an assignment. Classroom basics like raising one’s hand, and always asking if they are confused will be repeated often with reminders when those things are not happening. These students are young, but they are also mature enough to express themselves so there will be plenty of class discussions where I will try to cultivate a collegiate like atmosphere. Homework will be to the point, for example a short reading or assigned writing assignment that will be used in the next lesson so students understand that it will be obvious if their homework is being done. I also want to work on a writing project where the students will work on one task and page at a time so no student is caught in the situation of needing to write a paper the night before it is due.
Videos and games will be utilized often, and I will try to give many points of view so diversity in the classroom is also taught and celebrated. If my plans are not working I will work with teachers that have been in the field for a while to analyze what is going wrong and where adjustments can be made. If the collegiate like atmosphere isn’t working then I will be more apt to utilizing more worksheet/textbook work, and scaling down class discussion time. Students will be given respect from the beginning and that respect is expected to be reciprocal not only back to the teacher, but towards their fellow students (this is the foundation of my class).
Mortgage Project
Math 1050 Mortgage Project
Name: Brad Bleak (Due date: 3/7/2017)
In this project we will examine a home loan or mortgage. Assume that you have found a home for sale and have agreed to a purchase price of $198,500.
Down Payment: Assume that you are going to make a 10% down payment on the house. Determine the amount of your down payment and the balance to finance.
Down Payment: $19,850.00 Mortgage Amount: $178,650.00
Part I: 30 year Mortgage
Monthly Payment: Calculate the monthly payment for a 30 year loan (rounding up to the nearest cent) by using the following formula. Show your work. [PMT is the monthly loan payment, P is the mortgage amount, r is the annual percent rate for the loan in decimal, and Y is the number of years to pay off the loan. For the 30 year loan use an annual interest rate of 4.975%.
(178,650)(.04975/12)
1-(1+.04975/12)^-12(30)
740.65
-.0004145833^-360 = $956.30
Monthly Payment for a 30 year mortgage = $956.30
Note that this monthly payment covers only the interest and the principal on the loan. It does not cover any insurance or taxes on the property.
Amortization Schedule: In order to summarize all the information regarding the amortization of a loan, construct a schedule that keeps track of the payment number, the principal paid, the interest, and the unpaid balance. A spreadsheet program is an excellent tool to develop an amortization schedule. We can use a free amortization spreadsheet on the web.
The web address is: http://www.bretwhissel.net/amortization/amortize.html. Enter the amount of the loan, i.e. the selling price minus the down payment, the interest rate, and the appropriate number of years. Check the box to show the schedule. If you are making extra payments towards the principal, include it in the monthly payment and leave the number of payments box blank.
Amortization Schedule monthly payment for a 30 year mortgage = $956.30 (Note: if this is more than 2 or 3 cents different from your calculation, check your numbers!)
Total interest paid over 30 years = $165,618.00
Total amount repaid = $344,268.00
Notice that the amount of the payment that goes towards the principal and the amount that goes towards the interest are not constant. What do you observe about each of these values?
It’s staggering how much money goes towards interest and not principle, and even more so for how long it takes to actually have the bulk of the payment going towards the principle.
Find the number of the first payment when more of the payment goes toward principal than interest.
The 194th payment, that’s 16 years into payments until any money goes towards principal on this mortgage!
As already mentioned, these payments are for principal and interest only. You will also have monthly payments for home insurance and property taxes. In addition, it is helpful to have money left over for those little luxuries like electricity, running water, and food. As a wise home owner, you decide that your monthly principal and interest payment should not exceed 35% of your monthly take-home pay. What minimum monthly take-home pay should you have in order to meet this goal? Show your work for making this calculation.
.35x = $956.30 Solve for x & the minimum monthly payment will equal:
Minimum monthly take home pay = $2,732.29
It is also important to note that your net or take-home pay (after taxes) is less than your gross pay (before taxes). Assuming that your net pay is 73% of your gross pay, what minimum gross annual salary will you need to make to have the monthly net salary stated above? Show your work for making this calculation.
$2,732.29*12 months = $32,787.48
$32,787.48 = .73x & by solving for x we find the minimum gross pay needed is:
Minimum gross annual salary = $44,914.36
Part II: Selling the House
Let’s suppose that after living in the house for 10 years, you want to sell. The economy experiences ups and downs, but in general the value of real estate increases over time. To calculate the value of an investment such as real estate, we use continuously compounded interest.
Find the value of the home 10 years after purchase assuming a continuous interest rate of 4%. Use the full purchase price as the principal. Show your work.
The answer to this part is as follows:
So, the value is $296,127.20
Assuming that you can sell the house for this amount, use the following information to calculate your gains or losses:
Selling price of your house: $296,127.20
Original down payment: $19,850.00
Mortgage paid over the ten years: $114,756.00
The principal balance on your loan after ten years: $229,512.00
Do you gain or lose money over the 10 years? How much? Show your amounts and summarize your results:
The house cost $198,500 but with all the interest involved (which makes the total cost of the house in a 30 year mortgage $344,268 which doesn’t count the down payment) the gain from selling after 10 years (with the market value of the home increasing) is $66,615.20. This is a modest gain but a lot more money would be if the homeowner could make a 15 year mortgage work, but what we see sometimes (e.g. in 2008) is the real estate value going down during a certain time so under those circumstances this is why we had the home market in such disarray as people owed more than their homes were worth, and couldn’t make a profit when trying to sell their homes.
Part III: 15 year Mortgage
Using the same purchase price and down payment, we will investigate a 15 year mortgage.
Monthly Payment: Calculate the monthly payment for a 15 year loan (rounding up to the nearest cent) by using the following formula . Show your work. [ PMT is the monthly loan payment, P is the mortgage amount, r is the annual percent rate for the loan in decimal, and Y is the number of years to pay off the loan. For the 15 year loan use an annual interest rate of 4.735%.
*
*Same formula as before w/ different numbers
Monthly Payment for a 15 year mortgage = $1,388.21
Use the amortization spreadsheet on the web again, this time entering the interest rate and number of payments for a 15 year loan.
Amortization Schedule monthly payment for a 15 year mortgage = $1,388.21 (Note: if this is more than 2 or 3 cents different from your calculation, check your numbers!)
Total interest paid over 15 years = $71,227.80
Total amount repaid = $249,877.80
Find the number of the first payment when more of the payment goes toward principal than interest.
On the 5th payment.
Suppose you paid an additional $100 towards the principal each month.
How long would it take to pay off the loan with this additional payment?
163 months
What is the total amount of interest paid over the life of the loan?
$63,908.67
Compare this total amount repaid to the total amount repaid without any extra payments. How much more or less would you spend if you made the extra principal payments?
Repaid $242,558.00, and would spend $7,319.00 less
Part III: Reflection
Did this project change the way you think about buying a home? Write one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why. If this project did not change the way you think, write how this project gave further evidence to support your existing opinion about buying a home. Be specific.
This was a great project for seeing the difference running on a tight budget can make, just an extra $100 a month towards the principle makes a huge difference. One definitely needs to make sure that their house payment isn’t higher than 30% of one’s net income, even with a second person (e.g. a spouse) paying into it the payment still can’t exceed that 30% or you’re running a lot of risk.
Getting a 15 year loan is clearly much better than a 30 year loan, this sounds obvious but when you look at the numbers the difference in interest is staggering, about $90,000 in interest saved while the monthly payment was only increased by $431.91 a month. Not only that but one begins paying off the principle on the 5th payment vs. the 194th payment on a 30 year mortgage.
If someone has to do a 30 year mortgage they should really look long and hard if they are being realistic about the home they are buying, if there is good reason to believe the value of the home will increase and the market is healthy and a 30 year is the only way to make it work it may be a good option.
But especially after this project and seeing the numbers, 15-20 years seems to be the highest one should go when buying a home as it’s probably a better option to look at a cheaper home if one is looking at signing onto a 30 year mortgage. 15-20 years is a big enough commitment, and another facet one should look at is if they can pay more than the monthly payment; if the person thinks they can put in an extra $100 – $1,000 (or even more) a month then they have a lot more in their favor when getting into the stressful world of home ownership.
Greed is dangerous, the subprime mortgage crises was due to banks making unwise and risky loans, and potential homeowners getting greedy and thinking they could afford more home than they can. If the market goes down and one’s house is worth less than what they are paying that can just be unfortunate circumstances/timing, but if one cannot absorb market forces and is locked into something for 30 years one really needs to look at things more honestly; how ‘bout a nice condo?! All joking aside a mortgage of 10 years for a condo may be a great option for someone that doesn’t want to get too deep into a home, yes there are other costs, but there are also tons of unforeseen costs for a home (landscaping, maintenance, needing a new furnace for example, roof/infrastructure issues etc.).
Height of a Zero Gravity Parabolic Flight
Height of a Zero Gravity Parabolic Flight
Math 1010 Intermediate Algebra Group Project
Your Name: Brad Bleak, Mindy Brown, & Jason Munk
Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to float weightless in space? One way to try it out is to fly on a special aircraft that astronauts use to train for their trips to space. Both NASA and the Russian Space Agency have been flying these for years. The way this is accomplished is to fly to a high altitude, drop down to gain speed, and then start a large parabolic path up in the sky. For a time ranging from 10 to 20 seconds, along the top part of the parabolic flight, an environment simulating zero gravity is created within the plane. This effect can cause some nausea in the participants, giving rise to the name “Vomit Comet”, the plane used by NASA for zero-G parabolic training flights. Currently there is a private company that will sell you a zero-G ride, though it is a bit expensive, around $5000.
This lab will have you take a look at the parabolic path to try to determine the maximum altitude the plane reaches. First, you will work with data given about the parabola to come up with a quadratic model for the flight. Then you will work to find the maximum value of the model. Now for the data:
| Height of a Zero-G Flight t Seconds After Starting a Parabolic Flight Path | |||
| Time t in seconds | 2 | 10 | 20 |
| Height h in feet | 30,506 | 31,250 | 29,300 |
To find the quadratic model, you will be plugging the data into the model . The data points given are just like x and y values, where the x value is the time t in seconds and the y value is the altitude h in feet. Plug these into the model and you will get equations with a, b and c.
Part 1: Write your 3 by 3 system of equations for a, b, and c.
h: (2) = a(2)² + b(2) + c = 4a + 2b + c = 30,506
h: (10) = a(10)² + b(10) + c = 100a + 10b + c = 31,250
h: (20) = a(20)² + b(20) + c = 400a + 20b + c = 29,300
Systems of equations:
(1) 4a + 2b + c = 30,506
(2) 100a + 10b + c = 31,250
(3) 400a + 20b + c = 29,300
Part 2: Solve this system. Make sure to show your work.
Solve Eq. (1) for c:
c = 30,506 – 4a – 2b
Substitute for c in Eq. (2) and solve for b:
100a + 10b + (30,506 – 4a – 2b) = 31,250
100a – 4a + 10b – 2b = 31,250 – 30,506
96a + 8b = 744
Divide this last equation by 8 to simplify:
12a + b = 93
b = 93 – 12a
Substitute for b and c in Eq. (3)
400a + 20(93 – 12a) + (30,506 – 4a – 2b) = 29,300
400a – 240a – 4a – 2b = 29,300 – 30,506 -1,860
156a – 2b = -3,066
Substitute for b again in the last equation
156a – 2(93 – 12a) = -3,066
156a + 24a = -3,066 + 186
180a = -2,880
a = -16
Back substitute to find b and c:
b = 93 – 12(-16) = 285
c = 30,506 – 4(-16) – 2(285) = 22315
System solution:
a = -16
b = 285
c = 30,000
Part 3: Using your solutions to the system from part 2 to form your quadratic model of the data.
h(t) = -16t² + 285t + 30,000
Part 4: Find the maximum value of the quadratic function. Make sure to show your work.
Vertex of parabola located at t = – b/2a = -(285)/2(-16) = 8.9 seconds
Maximum value = -16(8.9)² + 285(8.9) + 30,000 = 31,269 feet
Max value double check: (c-b²/4a) = 30,000 – 285²/4(-16) = 30,000 -81,225/-64 = 31,269 feet
Part 5: Sketch the parabola. Label the given data plus the maximum point. A good way to start labeling your axes is to have the lower left point be (0, 25000)
Part 6: Reflective Writing.
Did this project change the way you think about how math can be applied to the real world? Write one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why. If this project did not change the way you think, write how this project gave further evidence to support your existing opinion about applying math. Be specific.
This project did not change my mind about how math is applied to the real world, as it’s always been painfully obvious math is everywhere. This project was worthwhile however, and definitely reinforced math’s applications & importance to just about every facet of the, “real world”.
For example, even creative pursuits like math are based on math as the structure of sheet music (musical scales & numerical ratios) is set up logically, and many music theorists use math to better understand music; not only that but mathematics has been called, “the basis of sound” & nature itself is very mathematical (something that our professor points out often).
The best example of math’s real world application empirically speaking is the Cartesian coordinate graph. Whether it be plotting the path of a zero gravity flight, a tsunami (or any force of nature), and all accounting/business profit & loss charts (or any numerically tracked chart) the Cartesian coordinate graph is in use. Many don’t consider a bar graph part of this graph, but quadrant 1 of this graph (+,+) is what is being shown.
The thing that fascinates me more than the realization that math is everywhere & tied to everything (especially when humans try to figure things out & need a uniform way to show their findings), is how many people think math is pointless and something, “I’ll never need to use in my life”! That statement could only be true because mathematicians have created so many tools so the person who would say such a thing doesn’t realize that a calculator, computer, and every machine in the world uses mathematical principles; whether it be algorithms on a digitized machine, or precise functioning of a mechanical machine (e.g. a non-digital watch).
I’ve always wondered how much math knowledge and history was lost in the great fire of Alexandria, Egypt; the library that was there stored so many secrets, would we know how the pyramids were built for example? Certainly it would be amazing to have that knowledge, but the undeniable fact is that math was involved in all of these creations as the ancients couldn’t be that precise without it (same goes for solstice markers & other amazing historical phenomena).
Portfolio Reflection
Field work is extremely significant, especially for teachers. Although one cannot deny the need for in class instruction, within minutes of starting field work one realizes how much one needs to learn pedagogically speaking. In fact the college classroom is similar to talking about doing something, for this example we’ll say skiing. One can attend hundreds of classes on skiing, taking thousands of hours of in class instruction; but does one know how to ski? One still needs to get up on the mountain and start skiing, this is the same for teaching. Without field work potential teachers don’t get a taste of what the classroom will be like, and don’t get the experience of trying to teach a lesson, or help a student who is struggling. More importantly they get to experience dealing with a student who misbehaves and gets to see if they have the mettle to actually do it professionally. Field work is the all-important doing that is critical to being able to teach.
While I don’t fault any that become teachers via alternative licensure I fear that those instructors will not have the pedagogical skills to be successful. Some of the worst teachers I’ve had were subject matter experts, but couldn’t teach very well. For example, a chemistry professional with every degree in the field could get a teaching license via the alternative route but have no experience actually teaching. Often teachers like this (being subject matter experts) think they are explaining things clearly, and don’t understand why students are confused or struggling because in their heads things make so much sense. It is one thing to know a subject, it is a completely other matter to be able to teach a subject. This is why traditional licensure is best and although I’m undertaking a long road in going back to school for a teaching degree I am certain this is the best for me and any students I have the honor of teaching.
Field work reinforced my teaching philosophies, classroom management structure, and assessment strategies, but I also realize that one can have an approach and plan but depending on the classroom dynamic one must be flexible and able to adapt. Knowing one’s audience is critical in teaching, as long as empathy, knowledge, motivation, and ethics are in abundance on the part of the teacher they will be effective. By being organized a classroom is much easier to manage, and by including robust amounts of summative assessments (including asking all students questions regardless of if their hands are raised or not), with the appropriate amount of informal and informal formative assessments a teacher can excel in the classroom (and more importantly so can the students). This is easier said than done, but like anything difficult a teacher must believe in their teaching philosophy, be dedicated to continually improving it, and have a solid personal code of ethics while being willing to learn from others.
Field experience influenced my teaching demonstration by making sure to emphasize the basics, during class lessons I was able to participate in it made me realize I cannot assume anything. Following up with students (especially struggling ones is critical) and never showing frustration or negative attitudes allows the classroom dynamic and vibe to always be a positive one. This takes countless hours to master, and any great teacher will know there is always room for improvement (again the need for a dedication to continuous improvement is key to being a master teacher).
My biases, assumptions, beliefs, feelings, and the process of field experience hours were greatly reinforced by the experience. I made great strides with a student who was on an IEP for behavioral issues, it really made me feel good to have him ask me if I could come to class every day. The fact that I cannot be in his class every day, and the realization of how many kids need help really motivates me to finish my degree and get in the classroom. Not everything was positive however, I noticed that while volunteering in the resource math classes I would get frustrated by the kids who simply did not care and wouldn’t try. I learned to keep giving those kids chances and moving onto the kids I could engage instead of giving up and getting needlessly frustrated.
Field experience and the ePortfolio allow one to keep an organized and dynamic journal of what one has done. Although one could always review past assignments it rarely happens as one is always focused on the next class, or next task. The ePortfolio allows one to keep adding to the educational philosophy for example, so continuous improvements can be shown by updating, adding, and editing to the ePortfolio. It also can be a very handy tool for showing a principal your abilities, I’ve already been offered a job share at the school I volunteered at for my field experience hours and one of the teachers has asked me to send me the link to my ePortfolio (which I will do post haste). One must also be able to reflect and critically analyze what one did during the field experience and the ePortfolio is the conduit that allows this manifestation to happen.
Classroom Management
Classroom management is synonymous with effective teaching, and arguably is more important than a personal teaching philosophy, in that, classroom management is how one’s philosophy is manifested. For example, one can believe that education is the key element to a civil society and is the most important aspect for every individual to develop; but if their classroom is chaotic, unsafe, and unorganized that philosophy is moot and pointless because it cannot be executed upon.
My classroom management philosophy is that a constructive and efficient learning environment must be centered on students; that is the focus as nothing is more important than the student. To that end, respect is the foundation of the philosophy and will be given by the teacher to all students at all times, even under trying circumstances (e.g. disrespect from student to teacher). The teacher will never single out, shame, or embarrass a student in the classroom and will hold appropriate meetings with stakeholders (the student, their parents etc.) to address the issue.
To achieve that focus a classroom must have a positive, community feel where each student feels like they are an owner of that room (Eggen, & Kauchak, 2014); not only that but the environment must be well thought out for aesthetics and space optimization (i.e. feng shui). For example ideally the desks should be in a circle that all face the front of the class (usually where the whiteboard is). A set up like this eliminates rows of desks that allow students to hide out in the back, or competition to sit in the front. That being said, if a circle desk set up isn’t possible and traditional desk rows must happen, seating assignments will be changed often to get out of their comfort zones in a positive way. To give the class a community feel each student will have some say in how the class is designed, and will feature some type of work from each of them (e.g. a test or paper they are proud of), or something they like such as an athlete or historical figure (or a painting/picture that inspires them). Another way to get a community feel is to have as many group learning opportunities as possible, and if possible a class nickname, mascot (or class pet like a fish or turtle) would enhance the probability of that ownership vibe and community feel.
Organization is the job of the teacher, and proper planning will prevent an unorganized classroom, or lesson from taking place (Eggen, & Kauchak, 2014). Certainly students need to be self-accountable and are continually taught ways to be more organized in regards to their academics (and lives in many cases), but the responsibility for a well planned classroom (and corresponding lessons) that is highly organized and efficient is squarely on the teacher.
When putting together classroom procedures and rules the teacher will include the class to help set policy. This is another way to create a community and ownership vibe in the classroom, and the remarkable thing is that when students are part of making rules they own up to them and cannot say they disagree or were unaware. The teacher will give a basic framework for procedures (other than emergency type procedures where a strict operation must be implemented), and rules as any time the class can own something like that it makes the experience better. The teacher will often find that all the rules they had were “created” by the class, but is something critical is missed the teacher will ask to have it added and convince the class that it should if they disagree.
Positive and negative consequences will allow the class to earn for example, free time on a Friday to pursue something they are interested in like a classroom appropriate game, or just time to draw. Negative consequences will never be draconian when it comes to the class, any serious consequences will be handled on a one-on-one basis with the appropriate stakeholders in the room (e.g. the student, parents, teacher and an administrator if needed). Certainly there may be an unfortunate occasion where an entire class, or majority of the class needs negative consequences which would be loss of privileges and trust until earned back; but at all costs the teacher will strive to avoid negative consequences and be a practitioner of positive reinforcement.
Parents and other volunteers will always be welcomed and encouraged to participate, or just to observe. A teacher cannot achieve their desired outcomes without the help and complete buy-in of the parents as the student is at home much more than they are at school. The parents need to be aware of scholastic focus and ensure the work is being put in, but the teacher also needs to create a symbiotic relationship with the parents so the goals of both are achieved (along with the all important growth and education of the student).
Certainly there is no panacea to negate classroom difficulties and no plan (no matter how painstaking the effort to put it together) goes perfectly, but without a plan nothing happens at all! As long as there is a commitment to continuous improvement the teacher will follow this philosophy, constantly revisit and hone it to have the most productive learning environment possible for all students.
References
Eggen, D. Kauchak D. (2014). Introduction to teaching, becoming a professional, 5th edition. Boston: Pearson.
Philosopy of Education
My educational philosophy is based on constructivist teaching methods, and three tenets which define not only my personal philosophy and beliefs, but how one can get the most out of their mind to benefit society and themselves. Constructivist teaching is all about structuring learning so that learners are actively involved in the process versus just listening to lectures. Although lectures are needed they will blend constructivist methods, for example having students do a math problem on the white board instead of me just showing them.
The three tenets are:
- Education is intrinsic to life.
- Education is an entitlement every human being should enjoy.
- Education (i.e. a true education) is what remains after memorization and other basic teaching methods are forgotten.
Education is intrinsic to life, I know this and want to pass this on. We only know what we know because of the cycle and legacy that education has provided for all of humanity; without it we would be stuck in the stone ages trying to figure out the most basic aspects of life for eternity ad nauseam.
Many speak of entitlement as a negative mindset, it is used often to describe the current generations and their thought that they should just get everything in life and not have to work for it. There are some entitlements that are a basic human need, education and health care are the epitome of this need. Truly all we need as humans to survive is food, water, and shelter. Humans should do more than survive, they should thrive and make the Earth better than they found it for the next generations. Unarguably if one has education and basic health care they will not only survive, but be put in a position to thrive. Victor Hugo shows this best in his seminal literary achievement, “Les Miserables”. Society can either punish the poor when they steal for food (which is for ultimate survival, not to be a criminal), or we can practice preventative care and teach those who don’t know how to live one’s life in an educated, healthy, and honorable way. If society looks at education and health care as entitlements for every citizen (e.g. Free and Appropriate Education), then billions spent on crime, punishment, and expensive health care would be saved by having an educated and healthy society. Education, health care, and hard work will give a person all the food, water, and shelter they could ever hope for; plus the ability to help others and create a legacy for society to build upon going forward.
Einstein said it best, “Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything learned in school”. Students that can memorize and regurgitate information are not nearly as valuable to society as students that can create, evaluate, and analyze with their own unique thoughts. As a teacher we should reward students that disagree with a view of ours, especially if they can form their own arguments and back them up with solid reasoning, opinions, and research. To be able to think for one’s self is one of the most important gifts in life, to pass that onto just one student means to be part of the educational legacy of Socrates, Plato, and other great minds.
Everything we learn depends on what we already know (Eggen, & Kauchak, 2014). But how is it that society forgets so many lessons of the past, and continues with philosophies that damage society? The problem is we often place things above humanity, when society is looked at as a whole, and the benefit of all humans is most important humanism must be brought into the equation (and the classroom). One can be religious and still believe in humanistic principles, there is no power or moral value that is superior to humanity in education. As teachers if we subscribe to this notion, and truly embrace secularism our classrooms will offer acceptance and understanding, plus the ability for all to learn. Not only that but the dynamic will promote similarities over differences, and give all the education students should be entitled to. A humanist can have their own personal and religious views, but once in the classroom the values, capacities, and worth of all humans is the center of the universe.
References
Eggen, D. Kauchak D. (2014). Introduction to teaching, becoming a professional, 5th edition. Boston: Pearson.
EDU1010 UEN Lesson Plan
This is my solving two step equations lesson plan done on UEN.org for my Orientation to Education class (EDU1010):
Brad Bleak's e-Portfolio 