The Game Has Changed
"It is the learners who will inherit the future; the "so-called learned'" who think they "know it all" will find themselves frustrated by a world that has passed them by."
Reflections:
What is the role of schools today and how are the roles of teachers changing?
Reactions:
What are your feelings about the topics presented in this chapter?
What are some practical applications for what you're learning?
What do you want to remember about this chapter?
Click on comments to leave your response
In my opinion the role of schools today is to prepare kids to become productive members of society who are able to reach their full potential.
ReplyDeleteThe roles of teachers are changing due to society at large changing. Unfortunately, I believe that there are fewer parents that are teaching their kids that school is important and that teachers are to be respected. Therefore, one of our roles is to get the message across that school is important. I believe also that another role we should have is to make sure that the kids we come in contact with have successes. If it is true that “everyday experiences change the brain,” the more successes kids have each day or each week will cause a connection to happen that says “I can.”
As far as topics presented in Chapter 1, I agree wholeheartedly that the emotional connections a teacher makes is what changes lives. I read a statement recently about how “children don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” I have spent most of the last 15 years or so working with kids who were labeled “LD” and “ED.” One of the first things I try to do is to find out what some of their interests are: i.e. football, art, drama, their new puppy etc. I then use these as a springboard for conversations. “How did you do in the game on Saturday?” Making each child feel special is a teacher’s responsibility. You could be the only person who has done that lately. One thing that I want to remember from this chapter is that your interactions with students each day create emotional memories, some of which can last a lifetime.
The role of schools and teachers seem to be shifting from a school environment to more of a home/family environment. We need to create a nurturing, supportive, caring and positive environment for students so students can feel positive and feel more successful in their lives. I agree with this but with limitations. I think everyone needs to be in a positive and supportive environment but that they also need a dose of reality. Not every person or job that you experience in life is going to be nurturing or supportive and they need to learn how to feel good about themselves on their own. Just like the constant praising of a child for doing "good" all the time also created children that won't do anything unless they receive praise or a reward. That is not real life. School needs to be a mixture of both real life but be a safe and supportive environment for them to grow in.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I will remember most about this chapter is that teachers make an impact or difference in a student's life every day, whether they realize it or not. This makes my job of teaching even more challenging for me. In order to help make the changes in their brain and keep them learning, I need to keep their brain stimulated with meaningful activities, not just time fillers. I need to approach my teaching using a variety of methods in order to keep their brain stimulated. If I can keep it stimulated, their brain will change and learning will take place. Keeping the environment positive and safe will help to ease their mind to be more open to new thoughts.