Chapter 4- Classroom Management

     When I started thinking about pursuing a degree in Teacher Education, I wondered if I would ever be able to handle a classroom of high school students. I have learned since that there are very few discipline problems in a well managed classroom. I believe that the key to a well managed classroom is to start on the first day of school with clear classroom procedures and practice them with your students.
     "Get to know your students as people,"  is stated by Kellough in chapter 4.  I think that teachers who develop relationships with their students are more likely to have students who are motivated to learn. I don't think that we should exchange phone numbers, or become Facebook friends with our students, but sharing a little bit of ourselves can be beneficial to the learning environment.

Chapter 3 - Mnemonic Devices

     I am interested in the different types of mnemonic devices, mentioned at the end of Dr. C's powerpoint. I had never heard of image-name or loci, so I did a little research.  To create an image-name, a student should visualize a picture and connect it to a concept.  This would work well for visual learners.  For example, to remember the word numismatist, the student should visualize a mist over a beach made of coins (Congos, 2005).
     The loci method of mnemonic was used by ancient orators who had to remember long speeches.  A student using this method would visualize a familiar place, such as his house, and place items in different areas of the house.  For example, if a student needed to memorize cell organelles, he would picture them in different areas in his house.  Then, he would take a mental walk through the house and pick up the organelles as he remembered their names (Mnemonic, 2006).


Congos, D. (2005).  "9 Types of Mnemonics for Better Memory." Retrieved at http://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html

"Mnemonic Devices". (2006). Retrieved at http://www.usu.edu/arc/idea_sheets/pdf/mnemonic_dev.pdf

Chapter 2--Praise vs. Encouragement

I was very surprised to read the following statement in our text:  "Probably no statement in this resource guide raises more eyebrows than the statement that praise for most children beyond primary years has little or no value as a form of positive reinforcement" (Kellough, 63). I have been a believer that praising students is a way to foster their intrinsic motivation to learn.  Perhaps the Kellough statement applies to the more mature 7th and 8th grade middle school students.  Middle school students exist at all levels of maturity.  I have seen 6th graders who act like 3rd graders and 8th graders who resemble young adults.  I believe that both praise and encouragement are valuable to use with 6th grade middle school students as well as immature 7th and 8th graders.

Chapter 1-Junior High v. Middle School

Chapter 1:  Until reading this chapter, I did not know that there are so many differences between middle schools and junior high schools.  I thought a junior high included only grades 7 and 8 and a middle school consisted of grades 7-8 or 6-8.

 

The slide in Dr. C’s Power Point, titled “Middle School v. Junior High” states the differences, according to the National Middle School Association.  In summary, it states that a junior high is a very structured environment that prepares students academically for high school.  A middle school allows students the freedom to learn in a comfortable, creative setting.

I have worked at a junior high school for 17 years that includes grades 6-8.  I believe that my school exhibits qualities of both a middle school and a junior high school. We follow an eight period day and subjects are offered for one semester or one year.  Some of our teachers teach strictly from a textbook but others teach by inquiry and exploration.

I was most surprised and puzzled by Statement #2: “MS fosters collaboration and empowerment of teachers and students—JH fosters competition and empowerment of administrators.” I assume it means that middle schools encourage the use of cross-curricular projects.  I am not sure what the second part of the statement refers to.  Do junior high teachers typically compete with other administrators within their districts?  Can anyone explain this statement to me?