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Module 5

Module 5: Chapters 12, 14, and 15 Chapter 12 started by explaining what motivation is. It described how psychology motivation focuses on five questions. It then proceeded to explain needs and self-determination, Maslow called four lower-level needs deficiency needs which are survival, safety, belonging, and self-esteem. Once they are met the motivation for fulfilling them decreases. What stood out to me in this chapter is how goals are most motivating when they are specific and attainable. When I make specific goals that are difficult yet attainable, I get very motivated to accomplish it. On the other hand, if I make a general goal, I do not attain it most of the time. Chapter 14, started with research on teaching and what methods have been used to study teaching. It then talks about what makes a good teacher, generally, teachers that get proper training and certifications tend to perform better. I worked at a pre-school center at that time I had my associate and was in school for m...
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Module 4

Chapter 9: Metacognition and Reaching Every Student             Metacognition is the awareness an individual has about their own thought processes; the Woolfolk text refers to this as “Cognition about Cognition” or “Thinking about Thinking.” Metacognition is a complex system of learning and thought. So, metacognition is higher-order knowledge about your own thinking as well as your ability to use this knowledge to manage your own cognitive processes—such as comprehension or problem solving (Brazilai & Zohar, 2014).             The Woolfolk text identifies three “essential” metacognitive skills:  planning, monitoring,  and  evaluating.  Once an individual decides what they want to accomplish or learn, they can begin to take the steps to plan out how they will execute their desired task and reach its outcome. This involves time management, specific strategies and resources...
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Classroom Management Interview

Hi Everyone, I wanted to talk to everyone about my interview with Mrs. Amy Freitag. Mrs. Freitag is a 3rd-grade teacher at Lester Elementary School in Downers Grove, IL. I first met Mrs. Freitag last year at Lester Elementary School when I started my job there as a teacher's aide. This year I had the opportunity to work in her class and see first hand how she runs her classroom management with her students. I decided that I wanted to get to learn more on her thoughts about classroom management and get any advice that she had on the topic.  Mrs. Freitag is a teacher that I highly respect and admire. Below I have a link to the video for you to check out and hear what Mrs. Freitag has to say about the topic.  Classroom Management Interview with Mrs. Amy Freitag My Reflection  After conducting the interview, I came away with many thoughts and ideas on how classroom management can be run in a classroom. Mrs. Freitag has been teaching elementary school for many years an...
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Module 2

Chapter 4 of the Woolfolk textbook was all about learner differences and learning needs. The chapter began with information on intelligence. Gardner came up with the eight (nine) intelligences that stress human ability. On page 128, I found it especially important for teachers to understand that they need to differentiate their student's needs and also use multiple methods of teaching to get the most out of the group. I particularly like the flipped classroom methods because it allows for students to first learn at their own pace and then come to class prepared for individual and group review and further learning. Further, the chapter also covered creativity and its practical uses in the classroom during a time when tests push it out. I found creativity to be especially important in the sense that in order for a student to show their creativity they must first show their logical understanding. For example, in a classroom would be in allowing a student to propose their own research ...
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Module 3

For me, the two chapters that we read this week (Chapters were 7 and Chapter 13) were the most engaging and the most interesting. One of my biggest worries going into education is classroom management. How am I going to maintain a well-run classroom of 20 plus students on a daily basis? Between reading Chapter 13 closely, taking in the information that I found to be the most helpful to use, performing my interview, watching the additional resource videos, and working in a classroom with a teacher who has amazing classroom management skills I believe that I have a stronger understanding of how I can implement those same strategies and skills into my own classroom. I like the definition that Woolfolk gives to describe classroom management.  Woolfolk stats that "the aim of classroom management is to maintain a positive, productive learning environment" ( Woolfolk 511). This way of defining classroom management can be interpreted in many different ways. For me, I believe that t...
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Module 1

Chapter one started with learning and teaching today and what our classrooms look like. It covered diversity topics and how the majority of our future students will be born outside of the United States. Although most of our classes are diverse, the teachers that are in the classroom are not.  It would be great to have teachers from different backgrounds, as it is important for students to see people who look like them in different positions and that they can do anything that they put their mind to. Another thing that stood out to me is how teachers can make a tremendous difference in students success. Different studies showed how teachers can have so much power over students lives. I personally agree with this myself. There were so many teachers that were the reason why I succeeded and they played a great role in my academic success. I believe that teachers have an influencing platform and they need to use it wisely. I hope to be a positive influencer on my future students, as I wo...
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