Recommended tools!

Three texts/tools/films I would like to recommend:

#1 American Teacher (2011 film)

       This movie is a little hokey and a little sappy (you might be able to tell that just from the photo), but it's an amazing depiction of real-life teachers in our country. With the CPS teachers strike and uncertainty ahead, it's crucial that we as future educators know the politics and bureaucracy of the educational system. As a potential middle school educator, I want to know that my position as a teacher is not only valued and respected by my community, but also by my country. It's great to see change within our city's school system, and this is a timely film for that reason.

#2 John Dewey's texts

       As I mentioned in my introduction, I believe that Dewey's philosophies and writings about experience and education are essential to me as an educator. His ideas are useful in and out of the classroom, especially with middle schoolers. Because of where middle schoolers are, developmentally, his ideas on educational reform and practice are essential to study if one is to teach middle school. I truly appreciate his writing and want to read more as I continue through graduate school.

#3 Dead Poets Society (1989 film)

This might also seem hokey, but this film is a perfect example of how teachers should interact with their students. I think that Robin Williams' portrayal of a hands-on, exciting, "teaching outside the classroom" teacher has changed how many teachers interact with their students today. I think every adult has had that one teacher that's changed their lives, and it's usually because the teacher pushed them to be better people while treating them like equals. I don't think this is necessarily how one should always teach, but it's a great attitude to have overall.

My learning foundation

Here, I will discuss three scholars that have influenced me to be a teacher!

Scholar #1: Toni Morrison

         I have been a fan of Toni Morrison for years, starting when I was a freshman in high school. I loved the way she weaves fantasy and otherworldly experiences with reality. As a reader, I'm never quite sure what is real and what is a dream/fantasy/etc. I have always been a fan of her writing style and have tried to emulate her brazenness and strong femininity in my own writing. She's a great role model for young women, as her female characters may battle with "out of this world" dilemmas, but they are all rooted in realistic struggles women face.

         I want to teach Toni Morrison in my classroom because I think she's a very mature writer with adult themes that could be taught in a high school classroom. Themes of sexuality, violence, women's struggles, and death seem like difficult things to bring up in front of high schoolers. However, with an author like Toni Morrison, I feel like this would be much easier to teach. I saw Morrison speak not too long ago at a One Book, One Chicago event, and I was in tears. When she gave a voice to her characters, I felt even more compelled to bring her literature to the classroom.

   


Scholar #2: Ms. Cassel

         When I was in high school, my junior American Studies teacher, Ms. Cassel gave me such an

incredible experience. I had just moved to the area and didn’t have many friends, but I knew my passion was in Writing and Literature. I was 17 and was going through a very difficult time in my life. I was in therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and was in a special program at my school to keep the minimum required number of hours to legally be in school. I would come to school at around 11AM, be in a study session with a private tutor, and then go to an English class and a history class. I wasn’t involved in any after school programs, nor was I fully adapted to my new school. I had transferred from a private school of 24 kids/grade, to a public high school with a graduating class of 927.

            Ms. Cassel worked one-on-one with me to keep my grades high and help me feel more comfortable in her school. She was strict, but always fair. She wanted every student to work as hard as they possibly could, even if their final product wasn’t perfect. She expected the best from everyone, which wasn’t the same as “the highest grade”-she never condemned us for doing poorly on a test, she would work with each of us to figure out what we didn’t understand and help us to learn the material better.

            What really made Ms. Cassel stand out was her ability to make me feel like an adult. I didn’t feel like a “special” student with odd circumstances. I felt like I was working harder than anyone and I was ready for whatever she gave me. On one of my assignments, I received a fairly high grade, but she wrote “SEE ME” on the paper in red ink. I was terrified I had done something wrong. Instead, she told me how impressed she was with my writing and that I should try out for Steppenwolf Theatre’s playwrighting program. I was floored but I auditioned and was one of 7 children (out of a pool of about 100) to be accepted.

            When I reflect on Ms. Cassel’s teaching methods and her ability to work with us as adults, I’m reminded of theorist Erik Erikson’s stages of development. His adolescent stage “Identity versus Role Crisis” explains how children at this age develop “fidelity”, a strong sense of self-awareness and self-confidence that will boost their development as they go. Ms. Cassel was forcing us as teenagers to look at the world as adults, in order to develop a stronger sense of who we were. This was a risk, as many students may not have responded to it well and reverted to “Role Crisis”, having a harder time planting their feet in the world. However, her one-on-one tutoring and praise helped us to become stronger students and people.

Scholar #3: Mr. King

In high school, I was going through severe emotional trauma and was in therapy several times a week for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Without going into too much detail, my trauma stemmed from abuse in my past that I hadn’t fully come to terms with. I was physically and emotionally unable to go to school for eight hours a day. I would begin to hyperventilate, retch, and cry hysterically. Needless to say, I was not able to focus on my studies.

My mom was insanely concerned for me, to say the least. She spoke with the dean of my new school and I was allowed to carry my cell phone on me at all times in case I needed to call my mom or therapist. I was still failing all my classes, though, and I wasn’t a fully-functioning student. My teacher, Ms. Cassel, suggested I meet with the school counselor for further guidance and advice. Because our school was so big, we were assigned a counselor based on the first letter of our last name. For me, this was Mr. King. He was a younger counselor, with a great smile, who took a special interest in me. We developed a program that would allow me to attend school the minimum hours required by the state, yet still feel comfortable enough to stay in school for several hours a day.

Mr. King’s office was my safe haven. If I was ever feeling uncomfortable or anxious during class, I was able to excuse myself and go speak with him. He had an open door policy and would speak to me about anything, from school to home life. My mom often called him to check in on me, and he was always accommodating and friendly with her. He and I had such a strong relationship, one that was based on trust and care. He pushed me when necessary, saying things like “If you feel ready, you are ready. Don’t second guess your progress.” When I returned to school full time and made the honor roll, I let him know immediately. He never made me feel like one of the hundred plus students he had to see. Rather, I felt like he was my personal counselor.

“According to Baltes, Reese, and Nesselroad…life span perspectives represent an approach to the study of human development…” (Bergen, p.78.) These theorists explained that there are basic assumptions that are understood as “normative” or expected. When a person does not meet these normative perspectives, things can shift for them, developmentally or emotionally. These “events” make up one’s “life course” and are essential in shaping an individual. Because I experienced such an abrupt and traumatic change, I was experiencing a “nonnormative” event and was forced to change my perspective on things. I was struggling to function and adjust to my environment (which also ties in with Piaget’s accommodation theory), but with the help of positive human interaction, I was able to succeed in regaining a fluid life course.

Bandura believed that “certain competencies are required” in order to become a successful and strong individual, meaning, they must understand and develop their “self-efficacy” (Bergen, p.68.) Broadening and Self-Efficacy explains that children are highly influenced by their peers, citing one’s school/formal academic environment as a pusher for these interactions. When a child is reaching for broader social circles, there can be a difficult transitional period. He also discussed that if a child’s self-efficacy is low, that child may feel socially incompetent and become withdrawn and isolated. This was my situation. I was unprepared to interact with anyone, let alone my peers, who would have judged me and ridiculed me (as was my belief at the time.) Mr. King was my social interaction, which both covered my academic influence and, in a way, my peer development. He showed me that I could grow and become accepted by my peers, and that I never had to change who I was to do so. Because I was lucky enough to have this type of guidance, I made it through this extremely difficult time and developed a strong sense of self-efficacy.

 If it hadn’t been for Mr. King, I don’t think I would have made it through high school. He was able to keep me in school (which was something I always wanted), and he never made me feel like I was a “special circumstance.” I was able to make it through high school with flying colors, and it also helped me understand how students with low self-efficacy should be treated: like normal. No one should be constantly reminded of their shortcomings, but should be encouraged instead to focus on their strengths. It’s this type of counseling that Mr. King used to make me an amazing student and person.

All About Me!

           Hi, my name is Kate Daly. I am a graduate student at DePaul University, specializing in secondary education in English. I hope to be a high school English and Theatre teacher someday, but I am also very interested in being a middle school teacher. I think that middle school students are at a wonderful age, in terms of cognitive and behavioral reception. Middle school students are at that awkward age where they want direction but also crave independence. I think that because of this, I strongly identify with this age group.
            In terms of pedagogy, I think that John Dewey's approach in Experience and Education is something I agree with. The idea that students are highly molded by their experiences in and outside the classroom is important to note, as these experiences will change their behaviors and approach to knowledge when I'm teaching them. It's important to note that everyone in life has good and bad experiences in life, and these can positively or negatively impact us when we sit down to learn. Because of this, I need to be aware of the hazards that can come with teaching to a classroom of students, each with their own individual experiences. I want to ensure that my students are able to learn in a group but are also able to create their own unique classroom experience.