TPA Lesson Plan

                From my first impression of looking at the TPA lesson plan, I found it a little intimidating. The fact that this is something we have to accomplish for every lesson becomes a bit of a large task. I have not had the pleasure of filling one of these out yet, but I feel like they are very detailed and will take a lot of time to fine tune and get down to a science, but I feel like they keep a very well detailed plan and give great direction to each day and where we want to take the class. I found it very interesting that the lesson plan was created by the University of California’s graduate school. I never would have expected that a school was so close to us that created something so important for schools to use on a daily basis.

                When looking at the framework it gave a great idea of how to break down the lesson plan. I never thought about having to break down the class by female and male numbers to decide what and how the lesson will go. I found the part about deciding about the students prior knowledge and skills to be a little bit hard to digest. I mean we have a basic understanding of what students are supposed to learn, but we have no knowledge of what actually the students have retained. The rest of the questions we need to reflect on under the “Context  for Learning” section seem pretty straight forward and what we have been discussing this entire class about our students and how to best teach them.

                I found each section to be a bit overwhelming as it went into such detail that it was a lot to take in all at once. I feel like it is so detailed because the children we teach we are shaping their future and what matters most is getting them the best education possible. I did enjoy the part talking about how we will assess what the kids learn because I never really thought about having to assess everything after teaching the lesson, but it makes sense. I believe that the children have just as much influence on deciding if the lesson was effective and can make all the different within a teacher’s lesson plan from what I have seen. 

Differentiated Instruction

                When searching through the internet for what differentiated instruction is, it is a way of teaching that allows students to acquire content in different ways. This method of teaching provides a way for all different types of learners to come to the same realization of certain topics and assignments. After all of my reading, differentiated instruction really spoke to the acknowledgment that there are different types of learners which this attempts to help out in various ways. Another area where this is an equalizer is in the ability area. With having different ways to learn and in turn us to teach these students it will create more equality among students and create more of an atmosphere at the same time.

                The article I looked at encourages us that are to become teachers that, “One size doesn’t fit all.” Carol Ann Tomlinson made that quote and it spoke to everything we have been discussing when it comes to getting all of our kids involved in class. The thinking that all students are going to learn something the same way is naïve and means you are not getting to know students within your class. Carol spoke to how each individual may be put in a class and an age range, but each student must be taken as an individual and figured out where there ability levels are and how they learn best. With differentiated instruction I believe it does make our job more detailed, but it is our job to do the best for our students and in turn get the best we can out of them.

                When it came to the English Language Arts portion of differentiated instruction, I found it to be pretty straight forward and what most teachers attempt to accomplish with their classrooms. I read about reading a variety of texts both written and found other places to help create a well rounded curriculum.  Other factors included were different time periods, different writing types, and using sever resources to discover facts and attain knowledge to name a few. Everything I read talked about using a wide variety of resources while teaching all different types of writing, reading, and informational texts. While reading all of this information it was as I expected and what I believe my teaching career will be like. I plan to use as many readings and writings as possible so that everyone including myself can learn throughout my teaching career. 

Comprehension Strategies

Tips for Reading a Poem

1.       Read the poem all the way through, twice.

For my poem I chose Robert Frosts, “The Road Not Taken.” I chose this poem because it is often used in a secondary education and is a very well written poem. Robert Frost uses great scenery to set up his poetry and relates to many different people on all levels of reading.

2.       Think about any background knowledge that you have that will help you connect to the people, animals, or objects in the poem.

Knowing many of Frosts poems I know that scenery will play a large role within this poem along with a person who is accompanied by a choice during this poem. I do have precious knowledge of this poem so I know what to expect within this poem. Frost often has a larger idea behind what he uses his people for and uses scenery to accompany the people within his poetry. Reading this poem we can relate to this individual because he is forced to make a large decision based on a road which can apply to all of our lives in one way or another. We all must choose a path in life and make choices to the best of our knowledge and not always choose the path that looks the easiest such as the person in this poem did.

3.       Try to make a picture in your head of what’s happening in the poem.

                While the paths do seem very similar as I read this poem I envisioned that it is not all about how different they look, but the choices we make which will help to change each of these paths for better or for worse.

4.       What do you think the poem is about?

I feel that this poem is about life and the choices that we make within our lives to help shape them. The two paths represent different ways that our lives can go and that maybe the easy path will not help us out in the long run. This poem is as if we sat down and wrote how our life is and possibly could have been. This poem makes us stop and think about our lives and maybe even choices to come in the future. I really enjoy this poem because every time I read it I get a different read slightly and it makes me rethink my life every time. I would like to use this in a classroom because it could make them think about choices and possibly choices to come in the future. The way people can look at this poem they can pull out so many tidbits of useful words, lines, and stanzas that can help each person in a different way and possibly help some where possibly we as teachers cannot.

5.       Textual evidence

Stanza 1 we see that there are two roads that we can choose from, but can not choose both. Talks about checking out each option and not rushing to a decision because there are underlying things to deliberate about.

Stanza 2 continues to deliberate between the two paths while still dissecting each to see which one looks like a better choice. Begin to notice in this stanza that the choice is not easy and that the path which looks the more worn may not be the best choice for everyone involved. Sometimes taking the other path may provide more useful.

Stanza 3 get to the fact that choosing one path may lead you down a road that you might not be able to come back from. This stanza gets back to the fact that the decision is one which needs much deliberation and must be taken seriously because it will have lasting affects on you.

Stanza 4 talks about how the person within the poem took the road less traveled and that changed everything for this person  and this is the work of all the deliberation helping to have made the choice and how he didn’t look back after making the choice. Sums up all of the stanzas by showing how the road less traveled worked out for him in this instance.

6.       Background knowledge

Before this time of dissection this poem I had read the poem several times and discussed it within different classes with several other people. I am pretty familiar with Frosts work and like a lot of his poetry this poem does not disappoint. Packed full of details and scenery that helps the reader through every line.  

I Read It, But I Don't Get It

                One of the first things that caught me when reading this book was the section talking about “fake reading.” I found this very interesting because I think almost everyone has had a time where this has occurred. The fact that a teacher was so open with his students about cheating on book reports and never having to read a full book spoke to the kind of relationships a student can have with their teachers. This teacher was so open with and knew what the kids were thinking that the students became excited about the class and the types of adventures they could have. The fake reading is something that I believe happens even in college and is something that almost every student deals with. We all are definitely not built equal when it comes to reading and every students finds different ways to deal with the reading tasks which this teacher understood.

                In chapter three I felt a strong connection with how the teacher was talking to the male students about looking up sports information and have discovering the information they were looking for are qualities of reading and being able to discover information.  Throughout my schooling, I have been one of the students that was mainly interested in sports and just did the school part so I could participate in these sporting events. In high school all that was important were sports. To be able to relate to students about how similar we all are will help others realize that we can all be very similar while different at the current time.

                In chapter five I found something that I also struggled with while reading especially in high school. Relating what I know to what I am reading and being able to what I read and attempting to make it relatable to me. When you can relate what you read to your life you can become more hooked and actually focus on the reading intently which can be so challenging with most readings. Reading is hard for so many of us that these first five chapters gave a lot of great ideas about reading and allowing us to see that teachers have struggled in the same areas that most of us have. I never thought about teachers possibly struggling at an area such as reading, but this book has really opened my eyes and shows how teachers are normal people also. How this teacher related to his students is how all of us hope we can relate our future students and create an atmosphere the same as teacher was able to do.

Response--Based Approach

                When reading this article it made me think about our class discussion today and how we talked about teaching English being a bonus because we can get the students to respond in such different ways while all of them being simultaneously correct.  When they spoke of teachers and how they felt out of sorts when students took conversations out of the realm they had created, I feel like part of the job now is being able to go outside of the lesson plan and ultimately be able to tie it all together. While I have not done many lesson plans or had the job of getting through one, I feel that with how things are shifting it may be a positive because I have the opportunity to begin my career with an open mind and be able to expect these circumstances.

                While reading through the “Horizon of Possibilities,” I realized that as teachers we are very similar to tour guides especially during literature where we can decide when and where to give input and help out the conversation without dictating it. The students in this instance can really feel like a part of the class and make decisive decisions for themselves, while also helping out the class. Being like tour guides, gives us as much a chance to listen and learn while still educating the children that the thought of running a classroom like that is very exciting.

                After reading this I found the part I enjoyed the most was where the article stated, “Their sense of the whole changes only when a substantial amount of countervailing evidence leads them to rethink how what they are reading or writing "holds together.”” I found this part the best because it is what I believe relates most with the children of today and can help them enjoy more of what they read.  I believe that what we have talked about with relating what we read to modern day things and also having the large group conversations leads to more students actually reading and being prepared to participate in the conversation thus helping them to learn more and be prepared for things to come in the future. Students often need motivation to read and to have them read and relate no matter what they relate it to will help them remember it and decide what their views are on it. 

Social Justice in Classrooms

                The article I chose to read made a very good point about what classrooms should be and how they will assist in creating a better learning environment for the students. The article I read talked about social justice being how teachers not only teach to the standard curriculum, but that curriculum should evolve to fit the students as well. My article stated, “…schools and classrooms should be laboratories for a more just society than the one we live in now. “ I took this as we must not let what holds back the children or makes them different outside of the classroom influence how we treat them inside the classroom and how everyone can be equals once they hit the classroom. Classrooms are supposed to be a safe place, a place built for learning. Social justice is not set up for one class, but rather universal throughout the classes and is meant to be applied so that every class in society has an equal chance in life.

                When applying social justice to classrooms, knowing that every student has an equal chance as given by not only the school district and staff as a whole, but individual teachers who are with the students every day. Social justice is important for our classes because to allow everyone to succeed you must create an environment beneficial to all students no matter their background or the classes they come from. All students deserve an equal chance to learn and learn as equals to all classmates in any classroom. Intelligence is not decided upon what class we are born in, but rather by how much we allow ourselves to learn and the opportunities we take to learn as much as possible.  As the article I read explained, our job in the classroom is to ask the important questions and get students to question the norms of society and individual problems we tackle. Getting students to believe in themselves no matter what class they come from is one of many incredibly hard tasks we will deal with, but in the end using the principle of social justice, we can run successful classrooms and attempt to make everyone feel equal.

                From all of my searching and looking at articles, social justice plays a large role in addressing our classes and how we can adjust things to allow everyone to become equals. If we keep an eye on things such as this, it will allow us to run a smoother classroom and make everyone on the same level. While there are things we can not change, making everyone feel as equals is one thing we can have an influence on.  

Popular Culture

                When reading the Pedagogical Practices section I was surprised to hear that there was such an in-depth look at Jonathan Kozol’s study into schools. I figured there had been studies done, but never knew who had done the study or really what they had looked at. I find myself becoming very curious about these areas that are poor and see how the struggle is in these schools. I feel like it would be a wakeup call to see these schools along with their teachers and see how the circumstances change. I believe it is very challenging to fill the gap that may be present from home and help the students succeed in the classroom. I also found it very cool how they compared the book with the film to give multiple view points and give everyone a chance to see two sides.

                A section that made me a little angry was the beginning of the “Teaching hip hop music and culture” section because of how it characterized certain people and tried to pin it on the hip hop music. I at first just read the beginning and could not believe what I was reading. Once I saw that they did break down and attempt to create a way for everyone to get involved, I understood more of the reading and began to understand why this section began the way it did. The way the teacher related music to poetry was very inspiring as I might not have though to include kids by mixing and matching the poem along with hip hop music to assist the learning experience.

                I also enjoyed Dewey’s look at how teachers should choose both methods of teaching when it comes to classical curriculum along with curriculum based on students and what they have gone through. I believe that what Dewey is saying helps with the shift we are having to Common Core State Standards and how our curriculum is changing. Dewey seems to have been able to see far into the future and understand what we would be going through as teachers and even students. The Implications section spoke a lot to me because we will be dealing with this on a regular basis and some of us on a daily basis.

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts

                While reading this the first thing I enjoyed was the “empowerment” of students and their setting themselves up to grow and learn. I took this as being teachers that we can not only teach students but give them the tools to help themselves further their learning and the want to learn. I can relate to the fact about allowing to children to become what they want and not forcing them into any field or what they wish to learn. I feel like our school system allows for people to become what they want no matter of their background or circumstances, it all relies on dedication and an individual’s choice to how hard they want to work. 

                Jumping to the “Forms of Knowledge,” I agree that knowledge is measured in the similar ways such as standardized tests and such which are discussed, but I also think some knowledge goes beyond what tests can detect. I believe that while we have to teach towards tests and to help children excel, I believe challenging students think deeper and more critical is a far better test and allows them to discover themselves more than any test score will do. I see teaching as not teaching towards a test bust challenging students especially on literature and things of that nature to dive deeper and choose for themselves on what the deeper meaning is and how they can support their arguments.

                A third category I found very interesting was “The Hidden Curriculum,” I found this very interesting because it speaks to what I was talking about with the doing more than teaching to the test and all of the underlying circumstances that come with teaching. I found it very interesting that the teacher, school, and many other things go into this curriculum and I had never thought that deeply about this situation. I always thought that the school and probably the district would have views in certain things that the teachers would need to do, but nothing like I imagined within this section. After reading this section, it made me wonder what else goes unforeseen for us practicing to become teachers and what we might experience once we are teachers.

                This article was very in depth and gave me a great idea on certain things that are to come and what I would like to accomplish as a teacher. This article also made me very curious on what I am going to experience as a teacher and how I wish I could see what is going to happen. All of this deep thinking and how these articles look at certain topics makes me wonder how often these things come up while teaching.   

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 2

                Immediately when reading this chapter I think back to the Common Core State Standards we discussed and how our roles of teachers are changing from purely lecturing to becoming guides and inspiring conversation among the large group. How the students are described as “receptacles” is quickly changing in the classes today due to us as teachers looking to inspire large group conversations and get the students to not only take in what we say and be able to reiterate it, but be able to think deeply and come to their own decisions and realizations on certain topics.

                While reading this chapter it spoke volumes to how we have discussed that not only the students learn, but us as teachers are learning from students simultaneously. I feel that as we learn from our students we can adjust lesson plans for the future and figure out how to best navigate discussions while not overtaking the conversations and forcing our views on others. I feel that through the years my best teachers and professors have been able to give differing views and opinions while not forcing their own on us as a class and allowing us to think and make these decisions for ourselves. While it is important to educate the youth of today, they can educate us at the same exact time.

                Throughout this chapter I was able to relate to the learning through discovery rather than a teacher just giving you information and be able to regurgitate it as many of our high school experiences have been.  To learn for one ’s self is to truly understand and be able to teach others about your discoveries.  Deciding to learn and being dedicated to educating yourself will forever pay dividends as no one can take an education away from you. This is how this chapter spoke to me and assured me that as a teacher to help educate is my job, but it is not the job to overshadow all of the students and not allow them to learn on their own.

                Freire helped me discover how being a guide through the educational process will help the students more in the long run as the students must want not only to learn, but to intake all of the information necessary to make educated decisions and be ready for not only class but life. Helping to educate the students of today will help their future no matter if they are looking to become more educated through higher education, or joining the workforce and deciding to take what they have learned and use it that way. Each individuals path is their own choice and we are here to help enrich their experience.  

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch.1

                When it came to reading this chapter on “Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” I found myself struggling with what the chapter was attempting to say. I stumbled over several words and found myself going very slow due to the wordiness of some sentences. Mainly what ran through my mind is what the author, Paulo Freire, must have gone through to write something of this nature. I found myself constantly thinking of the common groups of people who had been oppressed back in the day, such as the Jews and The Native Americans. This chapter seam to paint a very vivid picture as to the cruelty and what happens to the oppressed.

                As this chapter continued on, I felt like I became much more involved and almost wondered what had happened to the author to write something of this nature. I became fascinated with how he decided to word certain things and describe both the oppressed and the oppressors. One of the best lines I read is when he discusses how freedom is not free and we must fight for it, which really strikes home and reminded me of nine eleven and how we had to defend our country after that terrible day.

                As I continued to read this chapter I did not find answers, but rather many questions which I feel will be talked through in class and possibly answered by classmates. Most of my questions were formed by the author and possibly because I do not understand his past or why he has decided to write something this deep and troubling. I felt I struggled with the depth of this chapter because I have never encountered something of this magnitude. I found myself struggling to compute everything I read about this chapter as I struggled to put everything together after reading this chapter.

                This chapter was very intense and a struggle to get through, yet reading this chapter felt very heartfelt and was one I am glad I read. The chapter was chalked full of great lines and an in depth look at a topic I would not normally look at, but after reading it have a new look at the oppressed and the oppressors.  

Common Core State Standards

               When it comes to the Common Core State Standards, I focused mainly on the reading literature section from ninth grade all the way to twelfth grade. I focused on this as my major is secondary English education and the high school is where I am likely to work.

                I found that when it came to the standards and what was expected of high school students that there was a lot I already knew but I guess went unsaid throughout my high schools years. Things such as recognizing themes, identifying points of view, and discovering textual evidence within the readings among many others. While these things remain unsaid many times, all of the work we did and currently do throughout college only strengthen these and can help us as we become ready to teach. After reading these standards I realized that all of the things we wondered if we would ever use in everyday life, we will use to accomplish these standards and teach the children in our classes.

                With all of the standards I read, I felt they were pretty basic and what I expected was more detailed looks at what must be covered and accomplished by us as teachers. I expected there to be more in each section of what must be accomplished and how us as teachers must teach the curriculum to get the most out of every lesson. After reading these Common Core Standards I feel like everything we have accomplished in college is just a more detailed look at what high school kids must know. Yet while the standards are so basic in nature I find that there might be a challenge when choosing how we as teachers convey the material in hope that the children have the best learning possible.

                After reading all of the Common Core State Standards, I feel like I have a much better look at how I might attempt teaching along with a better outline on what I will be attempting to teach once I have graduated. While I was not sure what to expect when reading these standards, I found that the basic idea of it all translates really well and is almost something we know, but have never had written out and broken into sections for us to see. These standards provide a good challenge of what we will be attempting to accomplish with all of the children in out classes.