Chapter 4: Schools as the Workplace for Students and Teachers

The Vonnegut Center for Education, all of our staff hold an English teaching degree, as well as one in their specific area of study. The United States, as opposed to the VCE, only requires that staff have a teaching license in their area of study alone. Most US schools have a Superintendent, Board of Education, Principal, Teachers and Staff. The VCE has all of those too, but they also have a PTA that is very involved in decision making, as much as the school board. The VCE follows state rules and meets all standards. US schools go through a chain, just like VCE, to get commands of what to do. The state send orders to districts and then to the schools. VCE, being one of those schools, must follow all the orders. The Role of the Feds is the same in both cases, seeing as the VCE is a public school in the USA. The federal government provides few funds for schools, but helps them with cases such as Pico v. Board of Education. The schools are paid for by taxes from the public in the states and areas and some by the feds.

Chapter 14: Succeeding in Your Teacher Education Program--and Beyond

My concerns about being a teacher very widely. I worry that I will not be as great a teacher as I wish to be. I worry that I won't have as much of an impact on students as I hope to. I worry my first year, and maybe many more after that, will be full of worry and grading papers until I pass out. My concerns are also focused on my kids not doing well. Students who can do the work failing because I am not an effective teacher. I worry that I will worry so much, I won't know what to do with myself.

My concerns are mostly Self and Task. I had no concerns in the Unconcerned category. All my concerns revolved around teaching. They centered on my ability to succeed in teaching. A good many of my concerns are stage 2. A few are stage 3. One falls in stage 4.

Chapter 6: Social Context of Schools

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Chapter 7: Thinking about Teaching and Learning

I'd like to incorporate John Dewey and his philosophies and ideas. Plato and Socrates's ideas and theories about education and learning. I'd also include the discovery method and the reception-receptive method and what I like and dislike about both of them.

Things I Need to Know

• Praxis: Praxis passing scores impact me because I need to pass them in order to become a teacher
  
• Practicum: I did not know it's best to not take another class during practicum, this is good for me because I have extra time to work on practicum related activities and work, and I do not fall behind because I have a 4 credit cushion from AP English
• The Transferring does not affect me because I am already a part of the Secondary Education Major.

Chapter 13: Improving Teachers and Schools, and School Reform

I hope to add student teaching experience to my resume as well as maybe some tutoring at a local school. Also substitute teaching at my high school over school breaks, like Christmas. I also hope to add super great recommendations from professors. I hope to have great student teaching experience. But that does not mean all my teaching experiences will be good. Maybe I will encounter an out of control class and learn how to deal with them, strengthening my teaching experience.

During my first five years of teaching I hope to gain a masters degree, hopefully with help through the school at which I am teaching. I also hope to be beginning to think about National Board Certification. I hope to be teaching at a school that is very tech-savvy. I would love to be able to successfully integrate technology into the classroom. If there is little to no technology integration I hope to propose to get the school on the right track, starting to involve students and the classroom with technology.

How do I start thinking like a teacher?

To start thinking like a teacher I need to understand why I am doing assignments other than that they were assigned to me. I need to start asking my self, why did my teacher choose this passage from the book to read? Or why did my teacher set the classroom up in the arrangement? Just start watching my teachers and trying to figure out why they do the things they do and how they are helpful to different learners, or in some cases, not helpful. Mostly I just need to study how my teachers teach and try to put myself into that mind frame. When I am in class I should be asking my self "what is the advantage of watching this movie?" or "Did that class discussion help further students knowledge by sharing their ideas with each other?". I need to start visualizing how I would do things in class and think every class how to be the teacher not just the student.