Month: March 2019

Today’s class was great. First, I really enjoyed the talk about children’s literature and how books need to be examined for biases and any inappropriate nature. Before Dr. Stohr mentioned her friend’s blog site about the negative portrayal of Indians in children’s literature, I hadn’t even noticed the racist pictures of them in the books I scanned about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. That just shows how accustomed I am, as a white female, to seeing racists images in my daily life..so much so that I have never even thought about how American Indians are portrayed. Nevertheless, I was happy that this lesson brought that realization to life. I now know how incredibly important it is to actually read the books you put into your classroom so that you are not accidentally choosing materials that target specific groups or make students feel uncomfortable.

Regarding the lesson plans, I think next week will be better since we have had a discussion about the assignment and will have a group discussion/hear other peoples ideas. I am excited to see what next week brings.

I am so glad to be finished with Jamestown! YAY. Nevertheless, I thought Blood on the River and 1607 were fascinating. The thing I appreciated most about both books was that they were honest about the unsettling way Jamestown became America’s birthplace. I also enjoyed the activities that followed our groups presentation. As Kelly stated, I appreciated that we could work with our hands and examine the documents with our groups.

The best thing I took from today’s lesson was the information about the lesson plans. I know that I mentioned that I think the classes would benefit from a hard copy perfect example of what the professors are looking for in a good lesson plan, but the feedback ya’ll gave about the purpose of the lesson plan helped me understand. However, I have also been very discouraged during the entire process. I worked really hard on this lesson plan and it was the worst grade I have ever received. I think the lesson plan format could be adjusted to not be so negative for students. Honestly, it makes me worried about my future as a teacher and my confidence is at an all time low. I appreciated the idea of everyone working on a single lesson plan generated in class and working to improve it. The most helpful tip I took was that I literally need to spell things out in the lesson plan. I’m hopeful that I can get better at this process moving forward.

I missed the blog before Spring Break and even though I know this post = 0 credit, I still wanted to give my thoughts on Tuesday’s class.

I actually thought that the class two weeks ago was one of the most helpful classes I have taken at the University. Most of the time, I feel like the TL program idealizes teaching and it’s always been hard for me to think about how the lessons will be implemented in an actual classroom. So, having the two kindergarten teachers come in and reflect on a DBQ unit was fascinating and incredibly helpful. Previously, my only experience with DBQ’s was in my AP History class in high school. They were used as our sole test method and I actually quite enjoyed looking at documents and creating thesis’ + essays from them. What I thought was truly amazing was that these women took a somewhat difficult concept and molded it for 6 year olds. I was also grateful that the presenters were kindergarten teachers because throughout the program, we have never spoken to anyone that targets the youngest age group. Most importantly, I enjoyed this activity because it made me excited about teaching. Personally, it has been hard not to feel burned out after 18 years of school and being able to talk to women who are actually in the teaching profession and using the techniques that we are learning in class gives me more hope for the future.