Journal 4

Diana L. Sammis

Now that I have reached the end of the semester, I feel relieved and a sense of accomplishment.  It seemed that I would never get to this point and it was a harrowing process but I made it.

For me the fieldwork was the best part.  It allowed me to spread my wings in a judgment free zone and really experience what it is like to be in the classroom.  The lesson plans I developed were a great preparation for the future and actually working with them in the classroom was very fulfilling.  To see something through from start to finish and see how it pans out is an awesome feeling.

I have learned much and will take with me many memories and experiences.  The students I worked with were great and provided for me an opportunity to see that I can work with children and do well at it.

At the beginning of the semester, I was very unsure of myself.  Everything made me nervous and I felt that I would never be able to handle all of the work.  Each week there was something new and WebCT looked like a bible of text that we had to consult and download.  It all seemed like way too much to deal with because we had graphic organizers and group presentations and fieldwork and group participation to contend with.  Professor Smirnova said that the course was set up this way to prepare us for the real world.  She told us that teaching is really like this, a constant barrage of tasks and duties that we as teachers must be ready for.

As far as confidence goes, I feel much better.  My first Anticipatory Set was horrid.  I completely misinterpreted the assignment and fumbled through the process to then be met with embarrassment.  Yet as time went on and I talked to my classmates, I realized I was not the only one who felt this way.

I have learned that I prefer cooperative learning because I like to see the students learn independently.  Even so, some subject matter can only be taught by using Direct Instruction.  Direct Instruction is in its own way valuable because in my opinion you can really control how the students learn and how things are taught.  It is a very controlled type of instruction which requires the teacher to use a step-by-step procedure to teach a concept.  This is advantageous in the sense that things are better able to be monitored and students should all be doing the same thing.  It reminds me of a baby bird being released from the nest when it first learns how to fly.  As a fledgling, it struggles and then eventually learns how to survive on its own.  Students in the same way are taught a skill and then given the opportunity to use those skills on their own.

I’ll end here.  Thank you to Professor SMirnova for stressing me out but also making me realize I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Thank you to everyone in the class for all of your support.  Good Luck to everyone!!