Video Response

            The teacher in the video “Performance Assessment: Student Presentations in a High School English Class” used students opinions on how she was going to grade the students work. The students decided what key parts of the project they should be graded on. The students made up the parts of the rubric. They also used rubrics themselves to grade their peers. The assignment the students had to do was to pick an influential author and present it in a creative way to the class. The way this teacher created her grading system for this project can be done in different subjects and grades. I felt that this assessment format allowed students to show what they have an interest in, but to also know it’s for a grade. The students seemed to enjoy the peer interaction and having an opinion not only in the project, but also the grading aspect.

            This form of assessment can certainly be used in lower grades; however, I believe they would need some more guidance. I think having a mini lesson on teaching the children how to assess and the meaning behind it would be a good opener for them to create what they want to be graded on. I have seen in third grade students peer review each other’s writing with some guidance from the teacher. The key part for the younger grades would be to have the guidance.

            I think it is important for students to peer review or assess each other’s work. It gives them the chance to understand what they are being graded on by grading someone else’s work. Many forms of assessment could have been done for this English classroom. The students could have written a research paper on the author. They could have designed a different style project for the assignment, for example acting out a part from one of the author’s works. The teacher could have also simply made up her own rubric without having input from the students. I believe it is important for the students to have an interest in the grading way, because they may show a higher interest in completing the assignment.

Hidden Rules

            The Rules for Teachers 1915 & 1972 and the NEA Code of Ethics differ greatly. The Rules for Teachers seem to focus a lot on the life outside of the teacher’s job. These rules controlled what the teacher could or could not do while not at work. The rules were mostly strictly for women The NEA Code of Ethics discusses more about benefiting the students education.  NEA Code of Ethics also focuses on the school setting and not the life outside of school. Both of these sets of rules have rules for being at the school (commitment to the students) and being a teacher (commitment to the profession).  

            I do believe we have hidden and unwritten social rules for teachers today. I find that these hidden rules are all over society and not just in the education field.  Some of the hidden rules that are for teachers include holding up to the standards they show their students. An example would be telling students not to drink and drive, we as teachers should not do that. Another hidden rule in for some school is the dress code, teachers may have to look professional every day, but some teachers may decide to wear jeans for the casual professional look. I think that when starting a job, it is important to know what the hidden rules are right away. 

Education Legislation

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed in 1965 to help federally finance schools. It is the largest resource for K-12 education and has been continually reauthorized since it has been passed. The first step ESEA took was to provide one billion dollars to help families living below the poverty line improve their education. This act has helped form many programs that assist those families who need educational assistance. Some of the programs they have formed are Head Start, tutoring, after-school centers, education for parents. The No Child Left Behind Act has revised the ESEA to have schools be proficient in math and reading. It also allowed parents to choose what school they want their children to go to.

            The Title IX was part of the Education Amendments in 1972 that discrimination. Title IX is for those education programs that receive financing assistance from the federal. This act has helped sports that girls play receives equal amounts of opportunities and funding as boy sports. Some schools do not fully enforce this act. Some schools have same sex classes to eliminate gender inequality.

            These two federal legislations have many impacts for both students and teachers. All students are capable of receiving an education due to having federal assistance. Students should be able to receive the same education as the person sitting next to them no matter of their sex, race, or national origin. Teachers are impacted by these legislations because they have to reach out to all types of students and be sure they are all treated equally. 

            

School Climate/Culture

The school culture in my elementary school was primarily Caucasian students. There were a few other races in the school, but not many.  The overall atmosphere of the school was a friendly and helpful school. The teachers were always there for you when you needed more help outside of class. The principal at the school designed a program called “4>2.” The motto was: it is better to do something for someone than to someone. I think that this also had an impact for how we treated others. There were different incentives if you were caught doing something good for someone, such as raffle cards or special days. The teachers seemed to hold good communication between each other so if there was troubles going on between students, the teachers were aware about the issue. I thought that our guidance counselor also held an important role for keeping a good school climate. There was always, and still is, a word of the month that has to deal with treating people nicely, such as respect. Not all students followed the rules, but the rules were always enforced. Overall, I felt that the school promoted very well on how to treat others and work well with others.

            The culture of my middle school became more mixed due to other elementary schools joining together in the middle schools. The climate was more independent than elementary school, but there was still guidance. I felt that during this time more cliques started to form amongst the students. Middle school is when we all try to find what we want to be like, so there seemed to be differences in people constantly.

            High school had many different cultures due to many different middle schools public and private joining together for one of the two high schools. The atmosphere of high school seemed to be much more relaxed and independent than any of the other years. By this time, there seemed to be defined groups of friends. Teachers helped prepare us for the college setting, and gave us more independence. Counselors were also there to help us prepare for the college life.  I think high school was all about preparing us for the life that we would bring after graduation.

            Overall, in my school life, each stage brought more culture awareness by bringing more cultures in the school. The climate also went from dependent to be more independent. Each stage of school, prepared us for the next stage gradually each year. I remember hearing in fifth grade, “We are getting you ready for middle school.” In eighth grade it was being prepared for high school and high school was to prepare for college, military, or other options students took. 

Teaching Metaphor

Teaching is like riding a roller coaster.

           

            In many ways teaching is like a roller coaster. Teachers have to build up the students “momentum” for them to understand the concept. This is like the first hill that goes up on the roller coaster. Some areas of a lesson may go quick and fast, others slower; just as the roller coaster speeds. Teachers should make sure the students are in somewhat of the same place and not fall apart. This would be like when roller coaster carts are on different parts of the track at the same time. The hills of the roller coaster track can also represent the ups and downs of teaching. This is because there are sometimes difficult moments of teaching, but we have to rebuild up the momentum to make the students engaged again. Teaching has its bumpy moments, just as the wooden roller coaster does; this would be when concepts just aren’t clicking for the students. Teaching also has its smooth moments, the steel roller coasters, when the students understand the concepts.  However, the abrupt stop at the end of the ride is not how teaching should be. The concept that is being taught should not be stopped and forgotten about; there should always be a review session throughout the school year. 

Educational Autobiography

           When I think of school I think of my school career in grade school, mainly my elementary school. I think of myself as a student, but I also think of different kinds of students. The students I think of go across the board from strugglers to those who excel. School to me means a learning environment for all learners.

            I attended school in the Sheboygan Area School District. Prior to attending kindergarten, I was enrolled in 3 year old preschool and 4 year old preschool. When starting kindergarten, I remember I was nervous about going to school. Even though I was usually nervous, I loved going to school and this continued throughout the years. I remember my nervousness always happened on the first day of school, this was probably because everything was going to be new again. Once I had a sense of comfort, I felt more at ease and began to enjoy school.

            My elementary school I remember enjoying each year. There was some times where I felt lost and struggled, but always loved going to school. One year I was sick, but had a presentation to do so I begged my parents to let me go to school so I could share my project. I never liked being sick and missing elementary school. Throughout grades kindergarten and fifth grade, I’ve come across some passionate teachers, the ones I want to be like, and then the teachers who made a bad impression for me. All the teachers, however, I believe have helped me grow a stronger passion for wanting to teach. The excellent teachers helped me by having me want to have the same passion they do for teaching children. The not so good teachers have helped me to become a teacher because I know what not to do when I am teaching. To this day, I still keep in contact with some of my elementary teachers and they encourage me to keep going to school and become a teacher.

            Middle school, I felt was an awkward time. I feel this may be the case for many children. There are many changes between elementary and middle school. The schools were bigger and the idea of needing to move to different classes seemed different compared to staying in one classroom. I switched middle schools in eighth grade because my family moved. I believe this switch benefited me because I felt more comfortable in my new school with having more friends to be with. I feel that both schools are excellent schools with inspiring teachers.

            High school brought many challenges later on in junior and senior year. This was because I took harder courses and added a zero hour (having eight classes, instead of seven in a day). I felt that high school was a change in pace. Everything seemed to go by quicker, such as time, classes, activities, etc. My senior year of high school I began to take classes for teaching. They were Youth to Youth Tutoring (YTY) and Introduction to Education. These classes I feel helped me be sure that teaching was what I wanted to go for when I entered college.

            I can remember certain characteristics of each school I attended and when I go in one of them now, I can go back to remember when I was a student there. I recently helped out in my elementary school and when I walked past the gym, where lunch is held, the hot lunch still has the distinct smell that I always hated. My first middle school was an older school, so the blackboards are still the old style blackboards in some rooms. In high school I remember that people walked slowly or stood in the middle of the hallway.  All of these aspects of the school itself make the school unique or just like any other high school.

            Overall, my educational experience in grade school was enjoyable and at times challenging. I am thankful that I have had many inspiring teachers to keep me going on my educational path throughout the years.