Module One (Chapters 1-3)
Chapters 1-3
Chapter one focuses on learning, teaching and educational psychology. This chapter highlights “Teachers’ sense of efficacy.” This term refers to a teacher’s belief that he/she can “reach” a student, no matter what their learning abilities are, or the students learning deficits. Teachers with a high sense of efficacy work harder and persist longer even when students are difficult to teach, in part because these teachers believe in themselves and in their students (Woolfolk 2019). The book explains that teachers who have a heightened sense of efficacy experience lower burnout rates, then do teachers with no/low sense of efficacy. In my experience I have found this to be true, especially in the field of Special Education. Teacher’s that are confident in their students’ abilities to learn and grow, often have confidence in their teaching method. Burnout rates rise when a teacher comes to a conclusion that he/she runs out of ideas/resources to assist a child, this teacher loses confidence in their selves and the students.
Chapter one also asks the question: “What is good teaching?” They (teachers) must have some basic researched-based routines for managing classes, but they must also be willing and able to break from the routine when the situation calls for change (Woolfolk 2019). While working in education, you find out fast that flexibility in the classroom is sometimes a survival strategy. Being able to adapt classroom instruction based on the students’ level of understanding, energy, behaviors, and unexpected situations allows the teacher the opportunity to support the students’ needs. Being flexible in the classroom also allows for assessment and reevaluation of lessons and schedule.
Chapter two focuses on cognitive development—gradual orderly changes by which mental processes become more complex and sophisticated (Woolfolk 2019). The chapter highlights brain and cognitive development. The book explains that several different areas of the brain are responsible for certain development i.e. the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is the area of the brain that allows humans to process information such as: planning, remembering, making decisions, problem solving, and thinking creatively. Brain development is crucial to cognitive development. All experiences sculpt the brain—play deliberate practice and formal learning (Dubinsky et al., 2013). It is important for educators to know that student cognitive development is affected by their past experiences, this knowledge develops the teacher’s empathy and assist with problem solving ways to support the student.
Chapter three focuses on The Self, Social, and Moral Development. These are three very important topics. To be a successful teacher or student, one must first understand their self as an individual—what made them who they are? Why do they think and feel a certain way? How can they “better” themselves? Social development begins from birth. Babies need their parent’s positive attention; this helps the baby to thrive emotional and dogmatically. The same is true for all humans, to thrive in life social skills are very important to have. My oldest son receives social work support to help him learn social skills, being social does not come to him naturally. The social skills he has acquired so far have not obey helped him to make and keep friends, they also helped him advance in his academics.
Understanding my own self efficacy as a paraeducator and a future teacher will develop my teaching methods, and help support my own emotional needs. This concept allows for me to take a step back and evaluate how I handle situations with students, while building confidence that I can reach students—no matter the obstacle. I consider cognitive development in terms of my own life, I can recall experiences that have shaped my way of thinking/understanding. I can use these experiences to evaluate and relate to students’ perceptions of the world based on their experiences, emotions and rationalizations. This has been a helpful tool in understanding the students and how to support them emotionally and academically.
Woolfolk, A. (2019). Educational Psychology. New York, NY: Pearson Education America
Charolette,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your recaps on the chapters that we were assigned. I too found a lot of similar things interesting in this weeks reading. I really enjoyed reading the science behind how a child develops and how their brain forms. While reading Chapter 2 really gave an insight into many different areas of development. I agree with you that these are great tools to have and to keep yourself accountable. So often we expect Kindergarteners or 1st graders to be calm and to always be listening, when these are skills they have not developed or have not learned the benefit of choosing to do the right thing on their own. I have also witnessed many teachers who are burnt out, and it effect the lives of so many students. While this is a tough topic because so many factor play into a burn out and efficiency of a teacher. It is a vital role in a students life and can deter or sway a student toward a life of loving learning or hating it. It is important that teachers have a watchful eye over their own attitudes and behaviors toward teaching and students.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Charlotte:
ReplyDeleteI read your reflection on Chapters 1-3 and found your experiences in the area of Special Education very helpful to me in connecting the information that I read to real-life experiences. I do not have much experience in the area of Special Education and assumed that teacher burn out was very high, due to the high needs of the students. I did not equate burn out with the idea that teachers run out of ideas or resources to connect with their students or when there is a loss of confidence to reach their students.
I agreed with your second point about flexibility being a survival skill in the classroom. Teachers need to be flexible with certain behaviors and unexpected situations. I think that teachers need to reach their students on their level and to see that all students are not equal. I think that by having prepared assessments and modifying them for specific students is one example of how teachers become great teachers due to the fact that there is an opportunity for all students of all levels to achieve success within the classroom.
As I read chapter 2 on cognitive development, I saw some of the same things you did. Past experiences certainly shape our cognitive development and how we learn and who we learn it from, certainly plays a big part in what type of student we become and how successful we are both inside and outside of the classroom. I think that if students have positive teachers and positive experiences in school, they are more likely to enjoy school and learning. If they are not encouraged in a positive way or if their teacher does not pay attention to them or is negative toward them, then their experience is likely to be a poor one and that student will not succeed in school or later in life. They will not grow in their learning and their cognitive development will become stunted.
Your own personal reflection really sums up your entire post. I think that you understand that as an educator, it is important for us to understand ourselves, our experiences, etc. in order to better support and understand our students and how we are to respond and connect with them. You see the value in using your own experiences to connect with your students and see how you can best connect and support them emotionally and academically. Good luck!