I think the goals that we created in class are very powerful. These goals demonstrate effective teaching because if we, as teachers, can teach our students to achieve these goals then I think we would all be effective. I do however think it will be a big challenge for us as teachers to get everyone of our students to achieve these goals by the time they leave the 12th grade. I’m not saying it will be impossible for students to achieve these goals but it will be a challenge because no student learns the same so it’s up to us as teachers to find a way to teach so that our students actually learn.
I think for me the most challenging goal for students to achieve will be that students will demonstrate understanding of learning. We’ve talked in class about how difficult of a concept learning actually is. I don’t think I will actually know how complicated learning is until I get into my own classroom. To not only teach my students how to learn but for them to demonstrate what they’ve learned will be a great accomplishment for me as a teacher. It is a goal for me to have every one of my students learn what I’ve taught them. A fear that I have though is that not all my students will learn what I have taught. I will hold myself accountable then and know it was my fault that some of my students didn’t learn what I taught them.
I think the goals we came up with in class will be very beneficial for me as a teacher because they cover everything a student should demonstrate after 12th grade. These goals will be very useful for not only my students but for me as a teacher as well.
I agree that setting goals is an essential part of becoming an effective teacher. I think you must set personal goals and student goals. It's important to remember that these goals set the tone for your classroom. I think they hold both you and your students accountable. They allow you, as a teacher, to self-reflect on an everyday basis. They also allow you to reflect on your teaching. My ultimate goal as a teacher is to be an effective teacher and hopefully, setting goals in this class will help me understand what it is to be an effective teacher.
ReplyDeleteI think your fear of failing to effectively teach all students is a valid one. Ultimately, teaching is only part of our job, in that making sure that our students are actively learning and understanding what is taught is the major mission as a teacher. I think that the distinction between "taught content" and "learned content" is very important because our students do not always acquire the knowledge that we teach. Thus, it is essential for us as teachers to recognize where this disconnect exist and adopt various methods and strategies to eliminate the gap between knowledge taught to students and knowledge learned by students.
ReplyDelete