I have been reflecting on the past couple of months, being in the classroom and teaching full-time. It has been a challenge, and I can definitely say that I've learned more now than I ever have about teaching, but I'm still unsure as to how I'm growing as a teacher. Watching myself on the videotapes only goes so far. I get a lot out of the discussions that take place during MAC classes, but is that enough?
How else can I assess myself in terms of success with the students? How can I tell if I'm getting through to them, or if I am even teaching them anything? Are grades enough? Do grades really assess student learning? Not when we're required to "teach to the test". Extra credit can throw things off as well. Are my students learning from me?
I'm looking forward to the trimester ending, because I am collecting student comments to save from my very first class. Hopefully I will gain some insight into whether or not I've helped them learn.
About Me
- Lauren Paul
- Currently, I am pursuing a Master's degree in Education. To me, the perfect career would be a high school calculus teacher, creating fun and interesting ways to approach math and to inspire kids to dive in! Also, being a coach is a very important dream of mine, because it allows me the chance to work on a more intimate level with children. I have been lucky enough to have two amazing coaches that have helped shaped me into the person I am today, and I would love to help shape our next generation of women. I long to mentor in any way that I can, and hopefully I will have something to offer my students. Outside of my career pursuits, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful family:) I can't live without running. I can't live without my pets. I can't live without the love of my friendships. I love exploring and I love letting go and living life! Here's to an amazing ride!
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI think the questions you are asking yourself are questions that are in all of our heads. I often wonder when my students it leave the classroom if they learned anything that day or not. Hopefully it is something that we will start to figure out with time :)
Lauren, I agree with Megan that you're asking important, challenging questions. In all honesty, I think you're much more ready to answer your own question than you allow. Use the opportunity of asking this question to hazard some responses. What do you take as evidence of student learning? You might ask yourself something like "if I knew that my students would leave my classroom today thinking about one idea, or in command of one piece of information, what would that be?" Maybe you could add in an informal assessment or two along the way...let someone explain *that* idea to the class. Where have you come to feel that extra attention must be paid in your lesson planning or in your reflection on your teaching? There are signs there about what you've learned about the important aspects of student learning and your teaching, and where the possible disconnects might be. Try telling your students once that you have this *particular* idea that is really important for them to know about, and you're hopeful but not sure that you'll be able to help them understand it. Let them help you with "on the fly" assessment.
ReplyDeleteKeep working on this, Lauren...it's important stuff.
Fear not! You are not alone in your anxiety regarding these type of questions. Student comments sound like an excellent idea. Just recently our 650 group has began talking about what kinds of questions would be good to give the students about our teaching. You mentioned something about student comments, are you having them take a survey/fill out an evaluation?
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really like your quote at the top of your blog. Did you find it or write it yourself. Well said!
I just wanted to let you know that I have all of the same fears and concerns. I think this is a good thing. I think that it shows that you care and that you are concerned about growing and learning. I feel like the day that we stop asking these questions, we may want to start thinking about doing something else. How did your student surveys go? I think students can give us the best insight.