Putting theory into action

Teaching is not easy. In theory, it seems straight forward; you follow the curriculum that you are taught to critically analyze and stick to, you follow classroom management methods that you repetitively work through, and you become aware and listen to your students' needs each year - all of which you learn while completing your undergraduate degrees. All of this sounds like it'll work smoothly, in theory. Stepping into a classroom is going to be a lot different, and is bound to require a lot of work to implement all of these theories that we have learned in university to a real-life classroom environment that challenge us with complications. Realistically, most of us are not going to remember the theoretical steps to dealing with certain situations that are occurring in our classrooms. We are going to deal with the situation in a way that seems right at the time. The information and theoretical learning isn't useless though. When times get stressful, and we find ourselves in a crunch, these theoretical frameworks are going to come in handy to fall back on, I'm sure. Also, some of the information that we have learned is inspiring, and I'm looking forward to trying certain concepts in my own classroom someday.

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A couple of major concepts from the course have stuck with me since I first learned about them. One of them is assessment for learning. When first introduced to this concept, it sounded pretty boring. Frankly, I dismissed the concept when I first learned about it, as I looked at it as another common sense theoretical framework that the faculty of education is shoving into my brain in hopes that it'll help me in the future. After revisiting the concept, I realized that this one will ACTUALLY help me in the future, and is something that I stand for in attempting to conquer and work within the flawed education system that is in place right now. The spirit that prioritizes learning over grading - this is at the heart of assessment for learning, and I believe that this is the key to effective teaching. We need to zone in on the process, rather than the product. Take the pressure off of the students, and LET them learn.

Just today, in another education class, we were discussing ways in which we could allow for students to feel confident in what they are learning, as well as how to create environments that don't single students out if they're at a different points in their learning processes. Assessment for learning is the answer. By focusing on the process of the learning with a class instead of the product, and allowing for students to use their creative license in terms of how they develop their process of learning, then the students can experience some freedom and enjoyment in what they are studying. This concept could be used to drastically reduce the amount of exclusion in a classroom based on student ability, and lend itself to a constructive learning environment where all of the students learn from each other through the differing learning styles of each student in the class. Again, this sounds great in theory, but hopefully this framework will be applicable to my future classroom.

Another concept that was learned, or at least resurfaced for me was to think outside of the box when it comes to creating lessons for students. It sounds pretty simple, but the rigid curriculum structures can be extremely limiting to teachers, especially new teachers, so I hope that I can remember to keep an open mind, and stretch the limits that are in place. The concepts that I am referring to presented themselves in the videos that we watched in class on online learning communities, and the use of Skype in some instances to learn from people and cultures that are unfamiliar and on the other side of the world. Working hard to include these types of opportunities for advanced and innovative learning through technology is a priority for me to include in my plan as a prospective teacher.

Of course, even these two stand-out concepts that have inspired me through this curriculum course are just working through my brain in theory. I expect that when I enter my first classroom and begin to attempt to implement them through practice, that there will be many complications and challenges that I will have to face. Either way, I have taken pieces of this course away with me as essential resources for my future teaching experience, and I am dedicated to giving them a shot in my future classroom. Teaching is not going to be easy, but I'm determined to use the concepts learned in this class and others to help influence and create an incredible learning environment.

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Bring on the field trips

A few weeks ago in another education class, I tackled a case study that involved a first-year teacher taking her students on a band trip that had been a tradition in the school for several years. This case introduced a number of problematic situations that as a prospective teacher, I had never actually considered before in my last three years of study at Brock. All of my focus in terms of education classes has been directed towards the classroom itself, how to manage a class and build curriculum in a public or private institution, and gearing lessons for these kinds of learning environments. It also brought up the fact that many teachers don't necessarily want to take the extra step as well as the extra responsibility of taking their students on a trip, and for reasons that are understandable. Just think of the number of permission forms, fundraising initiatives, scheduling meetings, alternative lesson plans, and the responsibilities that comes along with ensuring the safety of the students as well as dealing with potential behavioural issues. It seems a lot easier to stay at the school, and carry on with traditional lessons, and I wouldn't doubt that this is the case.

A general word of advice is to always challenge yourself in life. We hear this from people all of the time. Taking educated risks in life is almost always beneficial to learning for any individual. As a prospective teacher, I think that challenging myself when in the field will present itself in the form of going the extra mile for my students. Why not organize a field trip? There aren't very many students who would turn down the idea of a field trip if it meant that they were going to escape the constraints of the classroom space, and actually have an experience outside of the school with their peers. I know that whenever I heard rumours of a high school trip, whether it was a music trip, or a class trip, my excitement about the class increased significantly. Not only do field trips generate excitement, school spirit, and community, but they can also be EDUCATIONAL. Allowing for students to have an opportunity to learn about something through experience is extremely important to a new learning culture, as it gets the students out of the classroom and encourages them to understand what they're learning by actively participating in a lesson. Field trips can act as the Do in the Know, Do, and Be model, and encourage and support the Know and the Be simultaneously. It's difficult to create activities that fully encompass the Know, Do, and Be model, but field trips can be a great way to incorporate the entire umbrella in a single event.

EDUC 4P19 is all about the transition from the old traditional model of education to the new progressive model of education. Integrated curriculum is the main tool that we have been discussing lately that can be useful in putting this new model into action, but sometimes I think we overstep what seem like simple and original methods of actively engaging students when trying to brainstorm new ways of learning. Field trips are one of these methods that we seem to overlook, maybe because we associate field trips with the traditional model of education, and immediately disregard the idea. Remember when the popular cartoon show "The Magic School Bus" was a thing?

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Ms. Frizzle's class went on field trips every episode, and actually perpetuated a learning culture that supported experience-based learning. Although we sadly can't go on the kinds of trips that Ms. Frizzle took her students on, we can take this idea, and use it as a way to inspire out-of-the-box thinking when organizing these kinds of events as teachers.

There are some resources and examples of integrated learning that we have examined in class which have included the use of practical work for students to learn through experience, but most of the examples that we have come across in class occur on the school property, and don't consider the possibilities beyond that space. Organizing field trips should be included in the new learning model to expand the horizon of possibilities that the space of the school itself seems to limit. Offering real-world experiences to the students is this branching step. Organizing trips is not an easy task, but neither is implementing the new model of education, so why not include this within the model.

Organizing and supervising a field trip is not the only thing we have to worry about as prospective teachers. How do we ensure that the students are going to take something out of the trip that is beneficial to their learning? The answer to this is incorporating it into the integrated curriculums that we have been discussing and working on in class. Studying lessons through multiple methods of learning strategies already associated with the new model of education, and listening to what your students respond best to should inform the organization of a trip so that it caters to the learning styles of the students attending, and corresponds with the lessons that have been taught throughout the course of the year. We also can't forget to reflect with our students. Reflection is also a crucial step in the learning process as well. Many people think of reflection as an activity that should only happen every so often, but why not reflect constantly with your students? When on a field trip, ask students how they feel about their experiences, coach them to make connections to class material, and share your own experiences as the teacher.

Field trips can be useful tools, especially in the context of the progressive methods of learning that we are pushing for in the education world. Making connections to the real world through experience is exciting. Learning in this way is exciting. It takes dedication as a teacher, and a mindset that involves learning WITH the students through experience as an educator, to allow for this type of experiential learning to be effective. Integrated learning is important, which we have clearly established in this class, so lets add field trips into the equation to offer rich opportunities through real-world experiences.

Image from: http://talesofaschoolbusdriver.blogspot.ca/2013/10/field-trip-fun.html