I have to admit; I had no idea what to expect from this course. And now, as I sit thinking on it, I see that it is going to likely be one of the highlights of my teaching career.
This week we have explored needs and styles of all kids. It truly is amazing how varied we all are. Now we will embark on a discussion of multiculturalism and how important that is. I hope that all of these activities and discussions will open their eyes to the diversity they are bound to have in their classes.
I truly to appreciate and enjoy each Teacher Cadet in the class. They all bring something unique to the table and tend to have some great perspectives on things.
I hope they realize that even though this is my first time teaching the course, it is BY NO MEANS my first encounter with any of this material. Getting an undergrad and grad degree in education means that I have been exposed to most if not all of the concepts and knowledge that TC curriculum includes. However, it is amazing that when one is on the teaching end and not the receiving end, it hits home all the more.
I am uber-excited to hear them present their first of many "lessons" when they present their barrier to learning on Friday. I hope that they will show their mad teaching skills and enjoy doing it. Overall, they rock, and so does this class.
One of the current issues in education right now is grading. We are reading a book called A Repair Kit for Grading, which explains that there are 15 basic principles about our current grading system that are wrong. For example, the author says that students should not be given "Bonus Points" or bonus items on tests and also should never be given a group grade. I wonder what the Cadets think of these fixes.
Looking forward to another week with this group. They amazed me with their positive and cheerful interactions with the middle school kids and Mrs. Williams' students.
