Beginnings of Fieldwork

Fieldwork or observation within the classroom has begun. One week has been completed and a new week approaches. I am within a K-8 school in Hudson county, NJ where I am observing a Special Education classroom. It is a 6th grade class with 8-9 students. They come from various backgrounds of the working class community. With that in mind, they were classified. I cannot go into further detail because it is classified information and private. What I will talk about is what I observed and what my cooperating teacher worked with these students. 

My cooperating teacher is Ms. B. Ms. B has a extensive background in special education and has been teaching this and elementary education for 10 years. She was assisted by three aids who help out the students and some are assigned to a particular student based on their IEP. She holds onto her class for the whole day except for the last period where the students go to another classroom for a different subject being gym, health or Italian. When the students are in her class, Ms. B teaches English (Language Arts), math, science and social studies/history. Ms. B presents herself a straight forward, honest teacher. It is something to have in that kind of classroom. She helps the students in their learning process and guides them to the answers. Ms. B brings the students to her level when it comes to the learning process. She doesn't want to lecture at them but wants them to succeed by any means. 

I don't know how much more information I can talk about with what I say. There was nothing out of the ordinary and the students she has are great students and this is a great stepladder for me for when I go out and teach. 

My Pedagogic Creed

When I had to think about my pedagogic creed or a mission statement about my thoughts and beliefs on pedagogy and education, it took me two weeks to think about it. I read over John Dewey's pedagogic creed and I would agree with what he wrote down. However, if I had to create my own, I would modernize it. There are points within Dewey's creed that I agree but what it needs is a small update. His creed was written in 1897 and it was focusing on the white middle class of that time. Now I will give my take on my own Pedagogic Creed.

As human beings, we need to learn. Learn how to talk, learn how to read, learn to respect others. It is engraved in us since we were born. We take steps to learn what the world has for us. Education is a step to enhance the mind and body. Education brings the learning into a deeper level. It introduces and brings out senses that we would not use at home. However, the learning from education does come home in assignments, projects and discussions. 

Education can travel all over. It does not be confined into a small classroom but out in the open. As an individual, you can bring the education with you as you walk or drive into the unknown. Some of the best learning comes from being hands on outside of the school building. People can pick up a trade from being in the open air. 

Education is universal. Anyone can learn. From color to disabilities, anyone can learn. Education is accepting for anyone who walks into the classroom. It is where that you can access to what you want to know, from other students and teachers to technology and documents. 

What I point out are what I believe education is. In terms of what I plan to do when I teach, I will utilize everything that I can. 

I want the students to really learn. They will not be bored of what material is placed in front of them. Students will appreciate what is to be learned and find ways to incorporate it into their own lives. Students will be engaged in each activity and discussion within my class. The material presented in class will be relatable. They will find connections and if they cannot find the connections, the other students and myself will seek out connections for them to see. 

I want the students to bring the lessons and activities with them as they go through life. They will be motivated and inspired to move forward and to not move backwards. They need to have a firm foot in the directions they will go in life. They will take the lessons, activities and stories with them to seek their own answers in life. They will learn more as they move forward in their profession. 

I want a democratic classroom. Everyone is equal in my eyes. There will be no discrimination of what an individual is. We are all human beings. Everyone has a right to learn. We will have open discussions and learn about each other's backgrounds and histories. We will have lesson around a common theme and share our cultures. Everyone is different but they are uniquely different. We will evaluate each other of who we are and not what we are. 

This is the basis of my pedagogic creed. I will educate, motivate and inspire students of all ages. 

Presence

In my Teaching for Learning class, we had to read an article by Carol R. Rodgers and Miriam D. Raider-Roth on the presence in teaching (the name of the article). The majority of the article hits upon what it says in the title, having a presence in the classroom as a teacher. It talked about having passion for the material and bring forth excitement. With that in mind, make yourself known within the classroom and be in the present moment. We live in a society that is too far in the past or too far in the future. What I found to be interesting was the fact that they used a quote by Henry David Thoreau. The quote was "To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face." Thoreau knows how to get some ideas across in his writing but this quote I have a hard time trying to wrap my mind around. What I can gather from the quote is that we, as humans, are not alive. We claim to be awake but are we truly alive? That is something that we must find out ourselves. Personally, I am alive and awake each day. I try to live in the present but what is ahead and behind ties me down. That needs to stop. That is where stress begins. What I try to do to get out of those thoughts is to free my mind. Meditation and acknowledging the present is what I try to do each day. That will be something that I would carry over when I go into the field.
 Another part to today's blog has to do with what should the learning community that I would be teaching in would think and say about me. When I mean learning community, I mean students, parents, colleagues, administrators and other individuals.  I never gave a close thought to this. I believe that they should all have high respect for me along with sense of reliance when it comes to various situations. I want to be the go to person. My philosophy in life is to lead by example. They need someone to look up to and acknowledge whenever things go the other way. What the learning community should think of me is the same kind of question of why I am in this field. I want to inspire, motivate and educate everyone who steps into my classroom. I want a safe learning environment that everyone can access to. There will be no discrimination. Everyone is equal in my eyes. What needs to change in the education field is a progression of better, smarter learning. I consider myself progressive in my approach to education, not a rebel. I want to change the face of education in America and bring it up to the ranks of educational systems in Scandinavia and other parts of the world. I might be preaching to the crowds on this but this is what I believe in education. What others should think is up to them but to know that I am here to educate, motivate and inspire them with what they want to do with their lives.