Week #3- Teachers and Knowledge
This week I got to experience another day out in the field and I still love it. I learned that there are many ways to teach a lesson or concept so that every student can accomplish the task and understand the concepts of the day. My placement is in a math room so I get to see my cooperative teacher use different techniques and ways to teach the students. Some children need a visual representation of the numbers whether that be a simple number line or the use of manipulatives like base-10 blocks or counters. Some of the other students need one on one time with the teacher or assistance from the EA or my placement partner and I. I did notice that some children won’t ask for help or won’t reach out in class discussions if they are stuck on a concept and that as a teacher or helper you need to keep your eyes out for the ones who need help but wont directly ask for it by asking them if you can assist them. My cooperative teacher has “I can” statements up on a bulletin board for all the students to see that she created from the curriculum. Her goal is to have all the students cover their required skills through math skills and what she calls facts. Fact are just the curriculum broken down into different skills the students work on such as multiplication, counting, representing numbers, and so on. She has created rounds, which I talked about on my first log, where students go to different stations to accomplish and practice their skills and techniques by creating patterns, recognizing numbers, and practicing their concepts on their own and one on one with a teacher or helper. All of these different ways help the many learners learn in an effective way. She does a group discussion and that is where she teaches her lesson for the day. During this lesson time it helps auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners learn the task at hand through her talking, engaging with the students, getting them involved, and demonstrating on the board.
I’ve noticed that the teachers in the school, not just my cooperative teacher, rely on each other for input and support with questions or help on a lesson. They have a LRT (learning resource teacher) at the school who helps my teacher and other teachers if they get stuck and need an extra eye or mind. I know that the teachers will talk about their ideas with each other and get a feel for what their peers think as well as provide their insight for other teachers’ ideas. I 100% believe that cooperation between teachers and other staff is a beneficial thing for everyone!
I definitely think that teachers provide their professional knowledge through a) their own experience, and b) through their peers’ experiences. To get a feel and understanding of what kind of teacher you want to be and what works best for you and your classroom or students you need to experience it for yourself whether that takes the first 5 years or takes you your whole career. Teachers also get their professional knowledge through their colleagues and peers experiences as well. When a teacher asks their peer for advice or help the peer can provide their knowledge and experiences to the teacher questioning them.
Mondays are crazy and many people don’t like them but having my placement on a Monday really gets my week going and I love it being on a Monday. This week I helped teach subitizing strategies to a few of the students and helped them understand the concept of it. I also helped my cooperative teacher prep a few things in the morning which was a nice start to the day and allowed me to see a small glimpse into what goes into the creation of lessons and ideas. Most days are structured the same in terms of routine and the students rounds but there is definitely differences every day through the lessons and the student’s behaviour. I really enjoy being at the school and I always look forward to going back in the following week.