Critical Reflection

My mission has always been to set up an atmosphere where my students feel comfortable; where there is a mutual respect between teacher and student, and where learning will not "hurt." I want my students to want to come to school, and if they are happy about coming to school, then I know I can teach them anything. So far in my twenty-two years of teaching, I am proud to say that I have reached my goal each year. The reason that I reach my goal each year is because my students walk into my classroom and feel that they are looked at as an individual where their special needs and ways of learning are addressed. It's okay to be wrong in my classroom; we learn from our mistakes. I approach learning from a practical stand point where behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are used interchangeably according to the lesson of the day. By approaching my teaching and setting up the atmosphere in my classroom in this way, my mission for developing an on-going love for learning will begin for my students. My hope is that they will continue to "want to learn" and develop a sense of inquiry about the world around them.

While reading and working with UbD (Understanding by Design) I have learned that I really do think about the different elements of this form of curriculum writing. I think about what my students will learn and how I will approach that learning. What was brought to a conscience level for me was the know (the facts, the bits of information) vs. the understanding (making sense of it all.) I don't know that I will actually use this detailed format, but I will remember the critical elements and make sure that they are apparent in my lessons.

I have learned many things over the past four weeks. I have learned to blog, set up a web page in Google, and I've learned to use a new format for designing curriculum. I have also learned more about object-based learning and I've "discovered" the Newark Museum. What a great place.

Now let summer begin!!!!!