Deciding on an area of focus

Area of Focus - Algebra 1 classroom

Image 1:  Area of Focus - Problems

Image 2: Area of Focus - Questions

Area of Focus Summary with some Critical Questions Identified

As I started brainstorming, I realized that the area that I am most concerned about in teaching is Algebra 1.  This class is required for all students to pass for graduation from high school.  In addition, Algebra 1 is not offered in differentiated levels, meaning that Algebra 1 Honors does not exist.  Because of this, the Algebra 1 classes contain a huge mix of students.  On one hand, ninth graders that are good in math and want to continue on to college are placed in Algebra 1.  On the other hand, 20 year old students that have failed Algebra 1 several times, but still are trying to graduate, may also be in the same class.  I have found from substitute teaching that you can get many students in an Algebra 1 classroom that do not want to be there and disrupt the class constantly.  Since new teachers are usually assigned to the lower level courses, there is a high possibility that I will be teaching Algebra 1 after I receive my degree.  I’m nervous that I will not be able to successfully teach a class of such diversity in so many areas.

               Additionally, high school math veers away from manipulatives and alternative hands-on learning techniques.  The thought is that they are preparing the students for college.  Since many of the Algebra 1 students are not planning on going to college, it might be more appropriate to use these types of instructional methods in this class.           

I created two maps for this exercise.  The first map that I created listed some of the problems that I see in an Algebra 1 classroom.  The second map takes these problems and splits them into three areas that I feel need to be addressed; instructional challenges, classroom management challenges, and parent challenges.  Under those headings, I listed some general questions that would need to be addressed in each of these areas.  These general questions deal with how to engage all students in instruction, how to use instructional techniques to teach all students, how to get parents involved in a high school classroom, and how to effectively use good classroom management techniques to maintain learning in a classroom that is this diverse.  Based on these general questions, I have come up with the following critical questions.

·        How can I improve student learning in my classroom using differentiation techniques?

·        How can I improve my instructional methods in order to engage students in Algebra 1 that do not want to be in the class?

·        How can I improve my classroom management skills to handle situations in which a student is belligerent and disrespectful to the teacher and constantly challenges her authority?

·        How can I improve my classroom management skills to handle situations in which many students in one class are not interested in math and continuously disrupt instruction and class activities?

·        How could I increase parent knowledge and involvement in my Algebra 1 high school classroom?  Would this help with students’ learning?

·        What are the impacts of using manipulatives, such as algebra tiles, on student understanding of equation solving processes in Algebra 1?

·        How can I encourage students to do their daily homework assignments, which are a necessity for learning in an Algebra 1 classroom?

My Collage for Public Images of Teachers

The Public Image of a Teacher (Summary of Week 3)

For the past week, my group has gathered pictures from Google Images to identify characteristics that define the public image of a “teacher”.  In reading the summaries from the other groups for this assignment, the images seem to meld into a common vision.  The most typical public image of a teacher is a conservative, professional female that teaches elementary students.  From the pictures that I collected for my collage, I can refine this image even further.  The teacher is portrayed as young, smiling, thin, and pretty.  Men are not often portrayed in the public perception as teachers.  When they are shown, they are always depicted as high school teachers for math, science or technology.  

Two attributes for a teacher are described by all of the groups in this study.  One of the attributes is that teachers care about their students.  The other trait is that teachers are enthusiastic about their jobs.  The pictures from Google Images for a “teacher” often show a smiling teacher helping students with activities, engaging students in instruction, and answering student questions.  The “Hollywood” version of a teacher takes these traits to a higher degree, where the teacher will go above and beyond the requirements of teaching to make their students successful.  In the marketing arena, students would not buy presents for teachers if they were not caring and enthusiastic about their profession.  In addition, they would not need smocks if they were not participating in student activities.

Some of the characteristics for the image of a public teacher were surprising (and possibly disturbing).  In many instances, teachers were shown attending teacher conferences.  This positive portrayal of teachers demonstrates a public perception that teachers are trying to improve their instructional methods for the benefit of the students.  Also, teachers were shown fighting political battles for education.  This may be a positive perception that teachers are willing to fight for what they think is right for education, or could be a negative image against tenure and unions.  The most disconcerting images portrayed the “sex kitten” teacher.  These images were shown in the marketing and overall “teacher” searches.  It is very unsettling to think that students could “google” their teachers on the internet and find images like this. 

 What is missing in the vision of a public teacher?  Diversity is the main characteristic missing from the images of a teacher.  Gender stereotyping is prevalent in this public image of a teacher.  Racial diversity for teachers is almost non-existent in any images across the board.  Age discrimination is also demonstrated, as few images displayed older teachers.  In addition, advanced methods for instruction are missing from the images.  Most teachers were shown instructing from the blackboard; technology was rarely shown in the school setting.  Finally, parents were not shown in many of the photos for teachers.  Since the teacher-student-parent triangle is extremely important for excellence in education, teachers should be shown working with parents for the benefit of the student.

My Image of a "Good" Teacher

My image of a good teacher is multifaceted.  First and foremost, a good teacher is qualified in her content area and is passionate about her job.  The teacher knows and understands the material that she is teaching and is able to answer questions on the material.  If the teacher does not know the answer, then she acknowledges this fact and researches the information for the next class. 

A good teacher is structured and organized.  This means that the teacher prepares her lessons in advance.  In this way, there is not an inordinate amount of time that the students are idle (and bored) during the instructional period, while the teacher decides what to do next.  Structure and organization also help with classroom management.  A good teacher maintains control of the classroom and, by doing this, provides an environment that is conducive (not disruptive) to learning.  The teacher follows through with disciplinary actions when classroom rules have been broken, so her credibility will not be tarnished. 

A good teacher prepares lessons that are interesting for the students, by including humor and relevant activities.  She teaches to all of the children in the classroom by incorporating different instructional methods into the daily lessons.  She challenges the students and has high expectations for students of all abilities.  An exceptional teacher is understanding and works with each child as an individual, without any preconceived notions about the child.  In addition, a good teacher will assess the students in valid and reliable ways.

Finally, a good teacher is a role model.  She respects her students and listens to them.  She apologizes when she has made an error.  She reflects and learns from her past teaching experiences, so that her teaching style will improve with time.

The drawings on page 8 of the Phillips and Carr book were difficult to read.  The theme of these drawings seems to be that good teachers should have the personal characteristics that will help them be liked by their students.  Many of the drawings list personal traits like flexible, creative, and fun as being traits of a good teacher.  These themes might be useful for teachers to remember when they are trying to plan and carry out instruction, but I do not think they are appropriate in describing a good teacher.  These themes are dangerous because they do not consider the quality of education that the students are receiving.

When I compared my image of a good teacher with the teacher drawings on page 8 of the Phillips and Carr book, there were two similarities between our views.  We both agreed that good teachers should be organized and should be passionate about what they do.  In contrast, the rest of my qualifications described improved instructional methods and exemplary teacher behavior shown by good teachers, as opposed to character traits that enable students to like their teachers.

One of my attributes, that the teacher should reflect and learn from her past teaching experiences in order to improve her teaching style over time, might be associated with research.  The words “reflect and learn” in this attribute could be associated with analysis or decision making with regards to improving the instructional process.  Theoretically, I could associate the concept of research with good teaching, but I tend to think more of reflection, than research, for day to day improvements in the classroom.

Self-Study: Personal Interview

Hi, my name is Vicki Pritko and I am currently enrolled at North Carolina State University in the MAT program.  My specialty is Mathematics.  The top five reasons that I have decided to become a teacher include:

·       I would like a job where I can have a direct impact on the next generation, with whom our future depends.

·       There is a real need in our society for good math teachers.  With my mathematics background (BS degree in Computer Science/Mathematics and 20 years in the programming industry), I feel that I am qualified to help fill this gap.  

·       I would like a challenging job where I look forward to going to work every day. 

·       I am an outgoing person and I enjoy working with children.

·       I am learning more about education as I tutor and substitute teach, so it would be nice to take those skills to the next level.

Previously, I worked as a programmer at a well-known business firm.  As I have gotten older, I have realized that there is more to satisfactory employment than a good wage.  It is important that you have a passion for your job, enjoy going to work each day, and feel that you are making an impact on society. The longer that I worked in my previous job, the more I realized that I was accomplishing none of those things.  At that point, I reassessed my life and decided to look into changing my career.  I started taking some education classes at UNC-Chapel Hill, but the timing was not right for obtaining a degree.  I decided to stay home with my children and I started a math tutoring business.  I have tutored for three years now and I really enjoy it.  I am also good at my job, as my students have improved their grades and mathematical understanding with my help.  Earlier this year, I was approved as a substitute teacher for Wake County Public Schools.  I have subbed in middle schools and high schools for a variety of subjects.  As a sub, you quickly learn more skills in classroom management.  These experiences have helped me to decide to go back to school to become a teacher. 

            It has been a long time since I was a student, so it is difficult for me to pick five critical moments in my education.  Instead, I chose five different teachers that I remember because of their impact on me.  These teachers include:

1.     My high school Sunday School teacher, an older lady (in her eighties), who would bring up a variety of topics that were not necessarily “church” material and have open discussions with us on these topics to try to teach us right and wrong.  She never passed judgment on any of our opinions, but would gently guide us in the correct (moral) direction.

2.     My fourth grade elementary teacher who slammed a yardstick down on the desk every time someone was misbehaving.  She scared half the class to death, but her class was well-behaved.

3.     My middle school Social Studies teachers who made learning fun with entertaining projects and bad jokes.

4.     My seventh grade Math teacher who was young and “cool”, and explained math in a way that we could all understand.

5.     One of my professors in college who designed all of his tests so that everyone would fail.  For most tests, the class average was 33.

These teachers have definitely influenced my image of a teacher.  They have given me some ideas on what to do as a teacher and what not to do as a teacher.  A teacher should be firm, but not mean.  He or she should try to engage the students, while maintaining discipline.  A teacher should listen to her students.  Finally, a teacher should create assessments that validly judge the knowledge gained by the student during instruction. 

            I was raised in upstate New York by lower middle-class parents.  I am a mix of English and Irish, and was brought up in the Presbyterian Church after the age of thirteen.  When I was little, my mother helped put my father through college, so that he could get a well-paying job.  My mother went back and received a two-year degree in accounting when she was in her fifties.  Thus, education was always important to my family.  My parents instilled several principles in me as I was growing up.  One main principle was that you have to work hard to get what you want.  Another principle was that education is not an option; it is a necessity.  The discussion when I graduated from college was not “if” I was going to college, but “where” I was going to college.  Because of this emphasis on the importance of education throughout my early years, it seems only natural that I would highly respect the teaching profession and some day want to become a teacher.

            Gender roles have had no part in my decision to become a teacher.  When I was a college student, my parents encouraged me to pursue a career that would make me happy.  The fact that they encouraged me to pursue mathematics and computer programming at a time when these fields were predominately populated with men proves that they did not place much emphasis on gender roles.

            The major factors that helped form my current belief and value system would by my parents, my church, my husband and my children.  Because of these factors, I believe that the role of education is to prepare children to become productive and informed citizens as adults.  A teacher is one part of this important preparation.  In his or her area of expertise, the teacher should provide the optimal learning environment for students to work toward achieving this goal.    

            I believe that two of the reasons that I want to become a teacher imply that part of the teaching process includes doing research.  In order to make an impact on future societies, teachers would need to continuously re-evaluate their methods in order to provide optimal learning for the current generation.  Teaching methods that are decades old may not be appropriate now or 10 years from now.  This would imply that some sort of research should be done to improve the old methods.  In addition, there is a need for good math teachers in our society.  In order to be a good teacher, the individual must reflect and improve on their classroom skills (instruction, management, etc.) in order to reach optimal learning for all of their students.  Since each class is different, methods that work in one class may not work in another class.  Thus, the teacher may have to do research to improve his classroom skills for the students in the class where he is not effectively teaching. 

            I believe that research should be part of the teaching process if it has a direct and positive impact on student learning.  Research done by teachers for their classrooms to improve instruction methods and classroom management should be encouraged.  Nonetheless, time, resources, and cost need to be considered when making the choice to start the research.

            To make classroom research both beneficial and ethical, the participants and their parents should be aware that they are taking part in the study.  All student information created by the study should be confidential.  The research should be accurate and the evaluations should be valid.  Finally, the solutions implemented by the research should be made available to all students in the classroom.  Classroom research should not be used to distinguish or “label” certain groups of students. 

            I would seriously consider becoming a teacher/researcher.  While I think it is always good to be receptive to new ways of teaching, I think that extra time and effort would have a large impact on my decision to implement a research project.