Initial teaching experiences...

So I just realized that I have been neglecting my blog for a bit...so time to get back at it! I have started to get some actual hands-on experience in the classroom, and I have begun to step out of my comfort zone as an observer, to try my hand at some teaching! Last week we had to post video of an "intial teaching experience"...and I'm not sure whether mine was as "high leverage" as expected...but either way...it was fun! I was able to lead a discussion with my Theater 1 students, who had been reading/acting the play, 12 Angry Men. The kids seemed to really get into this play, that on initial observation, may not really apply to their lives (as the play is centered on a jury of 12 older white men). They seemed most excited when I asked them to weigh in on the verdict itself, as they loved being able to argue about whether the teen on trial was innocent or guilty. I am now trying to figure out my own "teaching style" and I think I am going to take away a number of features and tips from my mentor. She really connects with the kids...and I am trying my best to emulate this in my own teaching. Now, I'm off to figure out how to make my next lesson on adjectives/adverbs interesting...any tips out there?

First few days of school...

After what seemed like a very short month off, the MAC program is back in full gear. While I am more busy than ever, I am excited about these next few months as I will be finally in the classroom! My first days of observing students and my mentor teacher have been very informative. I have already begun to see how my mentor teacher's approach towards her students really seems to work with kids that would often be misbehaving or totally disinterested in school. She really works hard at being excited and enthusiastic about whatever she is teaching. This may be easy in some course (like Theater) where the students already have an interest in the topic, but she brings this same amount of enthusiasm to an English course. I can see the students really connecting with her as she tells personal stories, makes fun of herself, and gets the students to really understand why each lesson is important to their lives. She seems so comfortable commanding a classroom, and I hope that with some experience, I will begin to feel the same way.
It should be an exciting year!!!

Classroom management...

So, while I know that we won't actually be getting into a classroom for at least another month or so...hearing from former MAC'ers over the past two days has really gotten me thinking...
And, by thinking...I mean slightly apprehensive...to be completely honest. I have taken away from these discussions a number of ideas on how to effectively manage a wide variety of students (communication, discipline, humor, respect, etc) but how do we ever really know which type of style will fit us until we actually step into the classroom? I guess that is what student teaching is all about...and I hope that through this experience I will become much more comfortable with this huge aspect of teaching. I know I will have to go through some quite uncomfortable feelings to finally become sure of myself and my teaching style. I hope that we can all help each other through these adjustments with support, tips, and hopefully a little bit of humor along the way!

Technology and diversity...

As I sit down to write my blog, I seem to have a million ideas running through my mind. This week has been the most intense to date, and it seems the subject matter is also the most controversial. Equity, diversity, and disability have been the topic of some of our recent classes, and it has started to get me thinking about how I will address these issues in my future classroom. I have been thinking about how I could possibly deal with these issues through not only my teaching strategies, but by also incorporating a medium that does not discriminate based on race, class, age, gender, etc. I am of course talking about technology. No matter what your background may be, technology can baffle and excite all of us. Personally, I thought before this class that I had a good overall knowledge of technology. I was on Facebook, used e-mail, etc...but there were so many other types that I had no idea how to use! Now, I am blogging weekly, navigating wiki's, "tweeting", and starting to think about how I can incorporate these tools into my own classroom. I hope that these types of tools can be used to bridge gaps between students of different backgrounds. They will be able to help each other navigate new technology, while also bonding over technology that they all use on a daily basis.

Media-making...

I was very curious to read some of the recommended "Edublogs" this week, including one done by a former Mac'er, Lauren Fardig. Lauren is teaching English in the Bronx, and her most recent post is about preparation to attend the Detroit Allied Media Conference with some of her students. The conference brings together activists, students, and others from all over to share their ideas and projects while also focusing on teaching youth media-making skills. This is of particular interest to me because I spent two years working directly with media as a producer for two local news stations. I have always wondered about how I could bring these experiences into my teaching, and Lauren's blog got me thinking about the use media-making skills in the classroom. I started thinking about whether I could have my students put together mini-newscasts where they would be able to use writing skills, along with utilizing various types of technology. I could even incorporate daily or weekly blogs! I am getting excited already! haha. I hope these types of lessons will keep my students interested in English and technology, and even possibly get them thinking about future careers.

Techno savvy....or technology challenged???

As I reflect back on my first few weeks in the MAC program, I begin to realize just how much classrooms and schoolwork has changed since I was in middle school and high school. I may have only graduated from high school seven years ago, but it seems more like an ion in techno-time. I have always been a minimalist when it comes to technology. In most of my undergraduate years, I submitted work the old-fashion way...in paper. Now, in this program, I am being forced to go out of my comfort zone and tackle a number of new technologies. Our homework is submitted online, we have class discussions online, even this blog I'm writing (which is my first) is being posted in cyberspace for class credit. It really makes me think about how I will use technology in my future classroom.

As I sat down to draw my "ideal" classroom, I was surprised about how little I thought about technology. As a future English teacher, I really want to be able to get my students to connect what they are learning to their own lives. Most kids are using technology nearly every minute of the day, from text messages, to social networking sites, to e-mail and blogs. I hope to incorporate these technologies into my lessons to show my students that even classic literature can apply to their lives.