Looking into a Mirror: Self-Reflections

This semester is coming to a close. It went by so fast. I remember the first day of Social Studies. I was so overwhelmed at first, but as the semester went on I became more comfortable with the technology and the course requirements. I learned so much from this semester. Everyday we look in the mirror at our reflection. This blog has served as a deep reflection of my educational experiences and of myself. 

Overall, I have learned so much from my fieldwork teaching experience and unit plan designing. I conducted my fieldwork at Bishop Dunn Memorial School on campus with several students from grades 5-7. It was an interesting bunch of students ranging in ability levels. I decided to do my unit plan on the American Revolution. I had the pleasure of working with two of my best friends, Joe and Chris, on this unit! All three of us work extremely well together. When we work together, we are models of what cooperative learning should look like. All three of us equally contribute in all aspects of creating the unit and teaching. Working with both boys has made my teaching experience very valuable.

Video-taping my teaching was a worthwhile lesson. I was able to watch myself and reflect on the mistakes and make changes for next time. After teaching, as a class we met and discussed each other's teaching and unit. I really appreciated this because I was able to self-reflect on myself, my group and hear my peers views of our teaching. I feel that reflection is a necessary process as growing individuals. I will strive to have my students reflect on their own learning via blogging, journals or weekly reflection sheets. 

From the start of this course I have changed greatly. I used to hate technology and now I have a growing passion for it. I recognize the greatness and value of using technology in the classroom. Unlike some of my peers, I had a great experience with Social Studies as a K-12 student. My teachers made my learning experience memorable and fun. A lot of my learning was hands-on. I can clearly recall making wax candles and churning butter in my fourth grade class when learning about the colonial times. My seventh grade teacher created a Revolutionary War re-enactment that was amazing and I will never forget it. Throughout this semester we have conducted several activities that have had a lasting impression. The "About Me" projects was one of the first assignments that made me realize that this class would be different from my other grad classes. We immediately established a caring and interesting environment by getting to know our peers. We were able to utilize new technology and explore. I also enjoyed the Native American Jigsaw project and artifact bags. Prior to this class I have rarely used nor heard of the jigsaw method. Jigsaw and Cooperative Learning have become two of my favorite methods to use within the classroom, all supplemented by sufficient direct instruction. In the beginning I failed to have confidence in myself to know I could handle the work load and technology required for this course. I have always been a hard worker, but the first class seemed overwhelming and daunting. Adding all the technology to the first class, put me over the edge. But now, I look back and laugh at myself. I try to think how my students might feel similar on their first day of school and how I will try to make them feel more at ease. 

One very important thing I must mention is that Dr. Smirnova has tried to make our class a enjoyable, inviting and comfortable atmosphere. She has tried to create a "family" within our classroom. We look to each other for guidance and support. I have noticed that Dr. Smirnova was constantly taking pictures throughout the semester. Sometimes I felt like I was some celebrity with paparazzi following me through my educational journey. But when I saw the class album she made, it was really nice to look back at everyone's journey through the class. As an educator, I will too try to make either a online album or paper albums that are laminated to give to my students and their families at the end of the school year. The album, in my opinion, was very thoughtful and special. I even showed my parents. Yes, I am 23 and my parents are still interested in my learning. They thought it was really nice to see what I do on a daily basis. By creating an album I can not only connect my students to the class, but I can invite their families to sneak a peak into our world. 

I  have learned so much from this course. The textbook was extremely helpful in identifying powerful Social Studies, the important elements and example lessons and ideas to use in the classroom. My plans as to how I will teach SS int the classroom is to make it a memorable, hands-on and enjoyable experience. Too often, teachers get caught up in teaching to the test and following standards, that they forget to make learning fun and memorable. If students can remember the experience they had when learning, they are more likely to remember the information for a test or assessment. 

I will use all that I have learned from this class to make Social Studies learning better for all students. I have truly grown from this class and I now have a greater love for Social Studies teaching. The methods, techniques and ideas I have gained from this class will help me be a better teacher overall. I hope everyone has had the same memorable experience as me and I hope everyone has enjoyed my blog all semester!

xox, 

Christie