Journal #3: Part 2 Item 1

Prompt: What influences from your personal history, mixed with your teacher-education
experience, are active parts of your current teacher self?
A. Ways that I conceptualize my subject matter as a teacher:
In my personal history, I had always seen math as a very concrete, right-and-wrong
subjectwhich I liked. I was good at learning the processes and did very well in math
throughout high school, so I decided to continue with it in college. That, however, is where I
learned how little math I had learned in high school. Now I know that math is really about
discovering why something worksnot how or what the steps are. My student teaching has
taught me that students need to learn this at a younger age, too. Im discovering very quickly
that topics they were taught in elementary school never stuck in their minds because they
never had a deep understanding of the content. Now Im trying to do more why thinking and
work in the classroom so that they students see math for what it really is: application of skill and
critical thinking.
B. Ways that I view and treat my students:
I always loved the teacher who took deep interest in his/her students learning. This
didnt always mean that the teacher was easy going or laid back, but was rather constantly
looking for ways in which to help us as students grow. The teacher who pushed his/her students
to want to know more and not settle for just being told something was truethats who I wanted
to be. So now in my classroom I try to find that happy medium of friend and guide. I want my
students to feel comfortable asking me questions and confiding in me if they ever need an ear to
listen or someone for support. I also want them to know that I have high standards for each and
every one of them. I will never lower my standards, because thats equivalent to telling students
that theyre not worth as much as their peers, and that is simply not true. I believe in each one of
my students, even when they dont quite believe in themselves.
C. The kinds of instructional practices I favor (and why):
I wouldnt really say that there are instructional practices I favor and reject, because I
believe in variety. However, I do tend to use more inquiry, discovery and cooperative learning
based practices, simply because I believe these practices give deeper meaning to content.
Students are being lectured at all day in the majority of their other classes, so I like to change it
up a bit for them. They do more talking than I do on most days, but Im always walking around to
answer questions or clear up misconceptions. Often times, I find that other students can explain
things more clearly to their fellow classmates than I can. They just have that connection
because of their similar age and generation. I also believe that if students can see something
first hand theyll be more likely to recall it at a deeper level as time goes on.
D. The kinds of instructional practices I reject (and why):
Again, I wouldnt say I particularly reject any instructional practices, but I definitely use
direct instruction and lecture the least. This goes back to what I said in part Cstudents receive
too much of this during the day, and quite frankly it can get quite boring. I want to change it up
for them. That doesnt mean I dont ever use this instruction, because sometimes the lesson
lends itself well to this type of direction. Growing up, most of my instruction was lecture/direct
instruction, and as I mentioned in part A, I didnt retain much at a deep level. I was good at math
because I knew the process and I could regurgitate it. It wasnt until college that I really began to
dig deep and learn to ask why.

E. My teaching purposes and how I define success for myself and my students:
My favorite teachers werent just the ones who were really good at teaching their content
area, but who were also phenomenal at teaching life lessons. Yes, I am there to teach my
students math, but I also want to help them become well-rounded, critically thinking citizens who
are curious about the world around them. I feel that I am successful when my students are able
to think outside of the box and feel confident in themselves. I am successful when they are
successful. I love seeing the aha moments that my students have when everything clicks into
place. Its such a good feeling to know that their hard work and perseverance has paid off
theyre understanding the material in such a way that they are able to teach it to those around
them. I also feel successful when Im able to reflect on my teaching, alter what Im doing and
see the results. Its awesome to see the way in which students respond to even just slight
alterations in teaching styles. I think my students are successful when theyre enjoying what
theyre doing. Sometimes well take half the class period to work on a really challenging
problem. This isnt to torture them or make them frustrated, but rather to help them learn to push
through the tough stuff in order to see that they are capable of anything if they put their minds to
it. They almost always love these problems because they can see real results from their hard
work.
F. My relationships with colleagues and administrators:
This is something Im learning about in a sort of round about way. I cannot stand to
watch the way in which the teachers and administrators in this school talk about each other and
students behind one anothers backs. Ive always been brought up to believe that even if you
dont particularly care for someone or the way in which theyre doing something, that doesnt
give you the right to be rude or condescending to/about him/her behind his/her back. Teachers
should be a united front, because students can sniff out those differences of opinion and use
that to create all sorts of trouble. Theres always going to be pressure from parents, the
community and higher-ups, but its the way in which everyone deals with this pressure that can
make all the difference.
G. My predictions for my future in education:
I believe that with my new-age teacher education from Grand Valley that I will really be
able to be a part of a new way of teaching across the United States. Teaching has been the
same for way too long, and the world is changing far too much for this to continue. I truly hope
to have the opportunity to teach out of the country for a few years, not only to bolster my skills in
speaking the Spanish language (my minor), but to learn more about cultures other than my own
and make comparisons between our education systems. We can all learn from each other, but it
takes willingness and time do sotwo things I am very open to!