The Process of Progress - Observation, Reflection, and Refinement

To think I was intimidated by all of this work that this class entails just a few months ago seems unreal. All of the readings and work that this class required were all really beneficial readings that provoked a lot of thought, and I wouldn't change the syllabus one bit. The class as a whole was really warming because of the open discussion that we dealt with each class meeting. It was really nice to hear each persons ideas about a certain topic and their insight or examples to better connect to the topics at hand. I really liked the class discussion, writing prompts that Shannon had us do and especially the blogging. I never blogged before, so it was a new experience and a good one! One thing that I will especially take away from this class is the idea of creatively making groups. Shannon showed us multiple ways that were cool ideas that I'd use in my classroom. I've learned through this class that you should constantly improve your techniques and always add new ways of light to the curriculum. By constantly changing your ideas and ways of teaching, allows for you to reflect on the things that work, keep them, adapt them and make them better as well as fix the ideas that did not go as planned. Since we hardly ever had a class of lecture, it was really nice to see the ways you can implement activities besides the traditional lecture. The gallery activity was a really nice way to allow us teachers to learn about our peers and their views of teaching Shakespeare, what we're afraid of and what we think needs to be implemented in the classroom in order to engage students. I think this was a fascinating way to get us intune with our thoughts of Shakespeare.

This being my first education at Shippensburg, (not all together) I remembered how much work it takes to be an effective teacher. Lesson planning is very time consuming but for the love of the students and the classroom it is definantly worth it. Something I will never forget is all of the advice that the teachers at the pannel gave us. It was extremely beneficial to hear teachers who have been in the game for a long time tell us things they wished they would have known, in order to help us become the best we can be. All of the notes that I took during this presentation were all very useful ideas and I plan on going back to them in the future. It is extremely important to spend time on your lesson plans in order for your students to get the most out of the assignments, just throwing a lesson plan together is not sufficient. It was really constructive to see our peers do the presentations because not only did it help them better understand but it helped each person in the classroom become a better informed teacher.

I think it is reallllly important to be passionate about the subject in order to make unique lesson plans and connect to your students on more than just a surface level. I've learned that it is really important to never pretend about something because students will be able to see right through you. I think it is a really big shoe to fill to be a teacher of English because so many students will rely on you to make them love the subject, and I am ready for the challenge! My passion is not about correct verb usage, MLA, Shakespeare or Chaucer (although always in my heart) my passion is to make students see what english/reading/writing/interpreting all have in store for them personally. I am a teacher of passion who is always learning new ways to implement new activites and engage my students, and this I will be even when I am in my profession. I plan on keeping teaching journals from the very start until the end so that I will always be able to look back on my teaching skills, my students progress and the development and improvement of my classroom. This class was a good start of getting out of the habit of thinking like a student, and transitioning to thinking like a teacher! As a teacher of English today, I plan on continuing to be open minded in order to learn as much as I can in order to be the best that I can be in MY classroom. :)

3 influential songs

My first song choice is I'll be missing you- Puff Daddy because when the song first came out, I told my aunt that I was going to play this at her funeral, I was probably 9. She passed away a year later when I was ten, but because I was so young and didn't really have a say in the funeral, I never got to play it. So whenever the song comes on, I know she's around letting me know she's thinking of me and missing me too.
-Life ain't always what it seems to be
Words can't express what you mean to me
Even though you're gone
We still a team
Through your family I'll fulfill your dreams
In the future can't wait to see
If you'll open up the gates for me
Reminisce sometime
The night they took my friend
Try to black it out but it plays again
When it's real feelings' hard to conceal
Can't imagine all the pain I feel
Give anything to hear half your breath
I know you still livin' your life after death

My 2nd choice is Getting Jiggy With It by Will Smith, for smiliar reasons. My aunt really liked this song and it reminds me of her.
na na na na na na na nana
na na na na nana
gettin jiggy wit it
repeat 3x
what you wanna ball with the kid
watch your step you might fall
trying to do what I did
mama-unh mama-unh mama come closer
in the middle of the club with the rub-a-dub, unh
no love for the haters, the haters
mad cause I got floor seats at the Lakers

My Third Song is A broken wing by Martina McBride because my aunt and I always listened to it. When she first passed away, I would constantly sing this on the top of my lungs.
She loved him like he was the last man on earth
Gave him everything she ever had
He'd break her spirit down, then come lovin' up on her
Give a little, then take it back
She'd tell him about her dreams, he'd just shoot 'em down
Lord he loved to make her cry
You're crazy for believin', you'll never leave the ground
He said only angels know how to fly
And with a broken wing she still sings
She keeps an eye on the sky

As you can see, all three songs reflect times when I was with my Aunt or reminds me of her because she was a big influence in my life and an even bigger one when she passed away.