For this lesson we were given five short videos to watch, and all were students in a high school. They talked about several different things that they wished the teachers would do differently and what they wished would change in their high school in general. They talked about stereotypes, and lots of other things. The one thing that stood out to me the most was how each student said something about how they wished their teachers showed them they cared more. After watching all five videos, we were given questions to answer about the videos.
EDUC 2130 – Lesson 12 – Creating Learning Environments; Social Emotional Learning
Evaluation
Based on your viewing of the five videos, describe two or three of the most important points that you discovered.
One thing I noticed the most that the majority of the students had said was about the student-teacher relationships. Each student mentioned that they wished that teachers would encourage students more than they do already because this will make them want to do better. Another thing that stood out to me while viewing these videos is what Jaquarius said. Jaquarius mentioned standing out, meaning her and other students. She wants to be the best, and she wants to be recognized for all of her hard work. Standing out of the crowd and doing your best will help with recognition.
Describe how you, as a teacher, could help students believe in themselves.
I would talk to each of my students about their hard work and how it will pay off in the end. I’d make sure that they knew that I was there for them if they ever needed to talk about any situation, even when it’s not school related. I would never give up on them, and encourage them every day to do their best. I would reward my students for their hard work.
Describe how you, as a teacher, could show students that you care for them.
As a teacher, I would always encourage my students individually. It’s important to get to know each of your students likes and dislikes. Being able to connect with each of your students will show that you care about them and want to be their friend, mentor, and a teacher to them. I would try to take time to go around my classroom and talk to each student and ask them how they are enjoying my classroom, their assignment, and if they need any help. Just encouraging students, knowing little things about them, and praising them for their hard work, will show that you care about your students.
Should your students have a say in the education they receive?
I think that students would learn better if they had a choice in which classes they were offered to take. There’s just some subjects that some individuals aren’t good at, but they’re really good at others. For elementary school, I think that students would be more willing to learn if the teacher started off the morning as “we’re going to cover three lessons today, but I’m going to give you all the choice of which one we should cover first.” Doing this will help students stay engaged, and will make them feel like they were a part of something.
What gets in the way of building strong, positive student-teacher relationships? Describe.
Student-teacher relationships don’t always go as planned most the time because of the time lacked. There’s only so many hours in a school day and teachers are covered with lesson plans and other things that they need to be getting done. Being a teacher can be hard, and will be hard if you want the right student-teacher relationships. Teachers need to at least find sometime out of their day to connect with their students. This doesn’t mean that all the students have to be in the classroom talking to the teacher all at once, but just find time throughout the whole week to make time for the individual students who want the relationship with you.
All of the student videos raise the issue of stereotyping. What can teachers and students do about the tendency of quickly label and judge people? Describe.
Teachers need to monitor not only their students’ behavior, but theirs also. We as teachers need to make sure that we treat each and every child, of different race and gender the same. When our students see this happening from us, and they notice our behavior, they will soon follow behind us. We are the teachers, and we have to be the leaders.
Summary
I enjoyed this lesson. It was interesting to listen to what real students have to say about their teachers, the way they learn, and what needs to be changed. It really opened my eyes and I enjoyed all of the student’s videos.
Research Question
What are things that teachers can do to help their students succeed?
Reference(s): http://712educators.about.com/od/motivation/tp/Eight-Things-Teachers-Can-Do-To-Create-Successful-Students.htm
Research Analysis
A student’s success should be every teacher’s number one priority. Teachers should set high expectations for his/her students. The students will rise to the occasion and make you proud of their hard work. Create a schedule for your students to follow. This will keep each student on track and less disruptiveness in the classroom. Keeping up with the latest information to help you become a better teacher will also help your students succeed. Teachers need to continually grow in their profession.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is another way teachers can help their students succeed. Moving students up the pyramid and requiring them to apply, analyze, evaluate and synthesize information will result in an increase use of critical thinking. Use different teaching styles because each student has their strengths and weaknesses of the way they learn. Create an effective disciplinary plan for when students misbehave. Students don’t learn well in a disruptive environment. Make sure you let your students know that they can succeed in your classroom, and let them know how they can succeed. The most important thing is to believe in your students and let them know that you want them to succeed academically.
Research Summary
I always love learning more about how I can as a future teacher help my students succeed. I want all my students to feel like they won’t have any trouble succeeding in my classroom and these are great strategies to follow to help them know that they can succeed.