The Caring Teacher

Being a caring teacher can never be overstated. Most of the children in a class have problems and issues beyond the classroom. School should be a place where students find refuge. When teachers are insensitive, we take away sometimes, the only safe, comfortable place for the students.

Some teachers will argue that they can't be expected to perform in all these different roles. However, let's face it; when we signed up for this job we knew that it would require us to sometimes be a mother, a counselor, a nurse, a financier and a friend. It becomes frustrating to the teacher when we have no support.

We must constantly remind ourselves that it is not the child's fault that they are in their situation. We mustn't cause them to suffer for what they weren't responsible. Even though it is easier to take frustrations out on the child, this is not good.

Being a caring adult for and around a child can help them to make the decision to also be a caring and positive person in society.

Let me Integrate!!!

I long for the day when I can effectively integrate ICT in my classroom that allows students to discover and explore learning experiences on their own. Sure, I have my laptop hooked up to a projector. I even have an interactive whiteboard. However, these tools still only allow me, the teacher, to direct the instruction and learning. I would love to encourage project based learning through ICT, even in my first grade class. However, with only 1 computer in my class available for student use and a total of 40 students, this is virtually impossible.

After doing the last few activities, I am more motivated to carry my entire class into the computer lab and allow them to do activities there. The challenges with this idea is the fact that the lab is used for computer classes for the upper primary students and may not be available. Another issue is the fact that probably only 15 of the 25 computers work properly. This means that 2 - 3 students must be at one computer.

Ideally, I would love if each student had access to their own computer. I know that it is a far stretch from reality, but could you imagine what could be done if each student had a computer to use in their class to be integrated in just about every subject area?

I strongly believe that when ICT is integrated properly, optimal learning takes place. Hopefully, the correct fundings become available to help realize this dream.

The Role of the Teacher

When
I think about myself as a teacher, there are a lot of things I learned
“scientifically” that was never really linked to my experiences. Hence, when it
is time to teach these concepts, I am somewhat forced to teach it to my students
the same way I was taught; without meaning and connection.

As I think about Vygotsky's ideas about spontaneous learning and Dr. Mitra's experiments, a few questions arise.

- How do you ensure that curriculum content is covered by the students?

- What happens to students who cannot read?

- How can these outcomes be achieved with the little equipment available to us?

- Is this even realistic for The Bahamian society?

Behaviorist Theory

As we are teaching students to read and write in first
grade, we often concentrate so much on the skills and strategies that it
becomes overwhelming for students. Anytime I told the students to take out
their readers for silent reading, or that they had to write a story, there was
always a groan and looks of disappointment. This bothered me. I wanted my
students to enjoy reading and writing.

So in January of last year, I brought a newspaper to school
every morning. Students would walk into the classroom and meet me reading. At
different times, I would burst out laughing as if I was reading something
really funny. The students would look at me and wonder what I was reading.
Sometimes I would shout out, “Oh no!” I did this for about a week without
sharing with the students what I was reading about. The next week, each time I made
an exclamation, I shared it with the students. Sometimes I had to create my own
story because let’s face it, some news are just boring! The following week, I
encouraged students to bring their own newspaper to school. The students would look at the pictures and try
to figure out what the article was saying just because they wanted to share.
Silent reading time became one of the highlight moments for my students. By
modeling the behavior that I wanted from them, they were able to better
interpret and apply the learning to them personally.

I did the same thing with creative writing. I wanted my
students to begin keeping journals. Before I told them about it, I bought a
journal for myself and shared with my students that I was starting a journal. I
wrote in my journal aloud for my students to hear what I was writing. I
expressed my feeling on different topics. They enjoyed stepping into my world
for that moment. The following week, I got them new books and told them that
they would now be able to write their own journals. This was greatly received and
the entries even surprised me at times.

The challenge with behaviorist theory of learning is the
fact that teachers must be consistent.
We know that on any given day, a curve ball can be thrown our way that
sets our entire routine off. It is up to the teacher to get things back on
track.

Social Cognitive Theory

The way teachers interact in front of and with their students make a huge difference. Often times as adults we use the "do as I say not as I do" theory to rear children. Appropriate modeling is necessary for students to see the desired behavior in action. If you want students to read for enjoyment, let them see you enjoying a piece of literature.

Making sure that students are surrounded in an environment that promotes positive behavior is important. Even when a child comes from a less than desired background, teachers can make a difference in their lives. The challenge comes when what is being taught at school is the opposite of what is being taught at home. Students see-saw between behaviors and they become confused.

Teachers have the task of showing students the positive way forward. In order to make a meaningful impact, it requires us to get down to their level. We must find out what experiences they have and use it build new ones.

Developed VS Developing Countries

"It is impossible for a developing nation to compete with developed nations in the field of ICT integration in schools"

It is interesting to see how many group members disagree with this statement. However, I totally agree.

The “Digital Divide” between developed and developing countries makes it impossible for them to compete with each other in terms of its ICT integration in education. The bottom line is this: if developing countries could compete with developed countries in this arena, they would no longer be considered as develop“ing”, but develop“ed”.

The education system is the blue print of any country or society. If developing countries would utilize ICT in education, in the magnitude as those developed countries, there would be a visible change in society toward development.

Also, technology on its own is rapidly changing. It is impossible for developing countries, which just recently got their first set of flat screen monitors to compete with countries where tablets are a part of daily life.

It is obvious the many factors that cause developing countries to lag behind, such as lack of funds,training or vision by its leaders. And it’s because of these factors,developing countries will never be able to keep up. However, they can come in close behind.

Reading 1

I have only been teaching for 7 years. Looking back, I can’t
even remember how many times I’ve had to change my approach to teaching. I’ve
discovered that I had to tailor processes to suit the individuals in my class
at that particular time. It’s amazing to see how the techniques and strategies
used for one class don’t work for another. Often times as a teacher who’ve been
at a particular grade level for a long time, you may feel that you know the
content in and out. However, it’s the delivery of this content and your
readiness to change as your students change that presents the challenge. The teacher and teaching CAN NOT be static.

Luckily for me, I am all about change. I enjoy researching
and interacting with other teachers, hearing and sharing tips to improve
classroom instructions. In this technological age, I’ve found that the best
mentors for me weren’t the seasoned teachers with 20 – 25 years of teaching
experience. My mentors became the new, young teachers who keep current with today’s
trends.

I am motivated when I see the light bulbs in my student's head turn on, even if its only for a short moment. I am motivated when I evaluate and assess my students learning journey.