What: I chose to look at Judy Willis and her R.A.D. teaching method . She teaches parents and teachers strategies that will help ignite a students learning. She teaches ways to engage the heart and mind to challenge students and enable them to reach their highest potential. Her method is called R.A.D., which stands for Reticular Activating System, Amygdala, and Dopamine.
So What: Knowing how to engage the heart and mind to challenge students and enable them to reach their highest potential is a huge part of teaching. To me this seems like the one of the biggest parts of being a teacher. Maybe that's how teachers should measure their success. Ask ourselves if we helped them reach their highest potential while in my class.
Now What: Dr. Willis suggested the following as tips for improving students memories: Destress, grab attention, color, novelty, personal meaning, relational memories, pattern, mental manipulation, practice makes permanent, and syn-naps. These seem not only great for students I teach, but for me in comprehension. I makes me want to learn more about how I can better help students I teach to reach their full potential.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Course Contract Review #1
1. I'm staying on top of my homework and making sure I get my assignments done on time. I've talked to someone in the class and kind of teamed up to help each other to remember assignments and discuss projects and readings. That seems to help a lot.
2. I still need to work on my comprehension while I read. While I'm reading everything seems to make sense and I follow it quite easily. But as soon as I'm asked to repeat what I learned I seem to automatically forget it.
3. I do feel like the things that we've talked about will help me improve as a teacher. Learning how to connect with my students and how they learn will play a huge role in how I go about teaching them.
4. Rereading assignments and taking better notes will help me to better comprehend what I've read and help me to remember it better for tests.
5. As of right now I'm probably more focused on my performance rather then mastery goals. I am realizing that after so long of having performance based goals rather then mastery goals its really hard to change my mind set. But hopefully if I focus on how all of this can apply to my teaching mastery goals will become easier.
2. I still need to work on my comprehension while I read. While I'm reading everything seems to make sense and I follow it quite easily. But as soon as I'm asked to repeat what I learned I seem to automatically forget it.
3. I do feel like the things that we've talked about will help me improve as a teacher. Learning how to connect with my students and how they learn will play a huge role in how I go about teaching them.
4. Rereading assignments and taking better notes will help me to better comprehend what I've read and help me to remember it better for tests.
5. As of right now I'm probably more focused on my performance rather then mastery goals. I am realizing that after so long of having performance based goals rather then mastery goals its really hard to change my mind set. But hopefully if I focus on how all of this can apply to my teaching mastery goals will become easier.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Motivation Blog
I'm here at UVU as a History Education major because I love to teach, and I love history! Everyone says that they love kids... OK, maybe that's just El Ed majors. But I really love high school age kids! They are smart, witty, creative and most of the time just need help figuring out where to put all their energy. Yes they can be a pain, be immature and have attitude, but that's part of the reason I love that age group so much. I just know that if I can share with those students my appreciation and love for history it will all be worth it.
I succeed and am motivated when I am passionate and excited about something. And its just the opposite when I fail. I am bored or not interested in whatever I'm doing.
I do think that my goals that I mentioned in my course contract cover both mastery and performance goals. I want to do well in the class by staying on top of assignments and coming prepared to class. By doing/performing well in this class it will help me reach my ultimate goal of becoming a better teacher.
If I can stay in line with my goals in my course contract I believe I will stay motivated to do well in the course and ultimately become a greater teacher.
I succeed and am motivated when I am passionate and excited about something. And its just the opposite when I fail. I am bored or not interested in whatever I'm doing.
I do think that my goals that I mentioned in my course contract cover both mastery and performance goals. I want to do well in the class by staying on top of assignments and coming prepared to class. By doing/performing well in this class it will help me reach my ultimate goal of becoming a better teacher.
If I can stay in line with my goals in my course contract I believe I will stay motivated to do well in the course and ultimately become a greater teacher.
Course Contract
Goal #1 - Become a a better teacher. I know I love to teach and that it makes me happy. But I wouldn't say I'm great at it. I have a lot to learn and am eager to improve.
Goal #2 - Stay caught up on my assignments. From what I hear this class can be a little overwhelming. Not that its necessarily difficult, but that there is a lot of work to do. I would like to make sure I stay on schedule so that I can focus on each assignment as it comes.
Every day following class I have set aside time to work on any projects that will be due the following time we meet for class. I wait till the day before class to do any reading we have been assigned so that it is fresh in my mind and I can actually remember it for any class discussions. The best thing for me to do for this class will be to do the reading and work on the assignments before class and come prepared.
If I don't understand something I will first look it up online. I know a few people in the class. So if I still have questions or don't understand something I would go to one of them and see if they can help explain it to me more clearly. If I am still having problems I will e-mail you to see if I can meet with you to get some more clarification.
I will reach my goals for this course by staying caught up on my assignments, attending class, coming prepared to class having read the assignments and completed any projects, and by asking questions if I have any.
Goal #2 - Stay caught up on my assignments. From what I hear this class can be a little overwhelming. Not that its necessarily difficult, but that there is a lot of work to do. I would like to make sure I stay on schedule so that I can focus on each assignment as it comes.
Every day following class I have set aside time to work on any projects that will be due the following time we meet for class. I wait till the day before class to do any reading we have been assigned so that it is fresh in my mind and I can actually remember it for any class discussions. The best thing for me to do for this class will be to do the reading and work on the assignments before class and come prepared.
If I don't understand something I will first look it up online. I know a few people in the class. So if I still have questions or don't understand something I would go to one of them and see if they can help explain it to me more clearly. If I am still having problems I will e-mail you to see if I can meet with you to get some more clarification.
I will reach my goals for this course by staying caught up on my assignments, attending class, coming prepared to class having read the assignments and completed any projects, and by asking questions if I have any.
Friday, January 8, 2010
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