Any job will present it's challenges and obstacles, teaching is no exception. I know being a teacher is hard work, however, I believe I am up to the challenge. I feel that I am on the right career path. I'm already an assistant and I can not see myself working anywhere else, but the school system. I love working with children and there is never a boring moment. A good teacher has many responsibilities. I believe a teacher's top priority should be to give his or her students the best education possible. Furthermore, a teacher should ensure the safety of all the students in their care. A good teacher will continue his or her own education to better educate their students. The student's needs should always come first. An educator should use different methods of teaching to make certain that all students will have an equal opportunity to learn. Being a good teacher and a good student go hand and hand. A good student will more than likely make a good teacher and a good teacher will be a good student. It is all about the desire to learn more. A student that is not really enthused about learning would probably not be an asset to the education profession.

Module 11

I chose the question, how can teachers best tap into different student learning styles. Students will become bored with the same methods day in and day out. A teacher needs to keep his or her classes attention by using different teaching styles. Students do not all learn in the same way. In the fifth grade math groups I visited, the teacher was a wonderful example of tapping into diverse learning styles. During her lesson she reviewed, used a smart board, and used manipulates. She accommodated all of her learners; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Differentiated instruction will ensure that all students will learn, however they may not learn it all in the same way.

What classroom management skills foster academic achievement, was the second question I chose. Classroom management is crucial to the success of the students. A class that is filled with constant chaos will have trouble staying on task. One effective classroom skill is known as group alerting found on page 432. This keeps all the students on their toes and paying attention. In the fifth grade class I visited, this skill was used. The teacher asked the question first and then called the student by name to answer. This teacher also used the skill known as overlapping. She would handle a student talking, while still teaching a math lesson without skipping a beat. This fifth grade teacher had great classroom management skills.

Legal Decisions

Teacher's Rights
I chose the issue applying for a position in the Teacher's Rights and Responsibilities Section. This situation causes a predicament for young woman who wants a career, however at some point may want to get married and have children. In years passed, a woman was expected to get married and raise a family. Today's world is quite different. School systems today look for employees who may not have to be out of work a lot. When teacher's have a family, things will come up, children will get sick, and life happens. Thankfully to Education Amendments and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 questions, such as, marital status, race, or age are illegal. A position should not be based on whether or not a woman chooses to marry or have children. All women should have the right to have a career and a family if she so chooses.

Student's Rights
I believe that it is unfair to award scholarships based on sex. Therefore, I chose the distribution of scholarships section of student's rights. Although criteria may lean to one sex or the other, scholarships can not be given solely on gender; thanks to Title IX. Boys may however receive more scholarships based on sports abilities,as spoke about on page 395, but scholarships can not be granted just because they are male. Scholarships should be based on the abilities of each individual, not on the sex of that person.

Field Experiences

I have completed both of my field experiences in the school I work at. I went to a fifth grade class and a kindergarten classroom. The school I work at is nice and orderly. Both classrooms were colorful and inviting. The classrooms were neat and clutter free. Everything seemed to be organized and have its own place.
The teachers were friendly and helpful. They seemed to be very knowledgeable about what they were teaching. I believe these women truly love their jobs. They worked great with their students. The teachers praised their students as well. They let them know when they were doing a good job. I could tell this was a positive learning atmosphere for all of the students.
I enjoy getting new ideas from looking at other teacher's classrooms. Ideas that would work for my future classroom. I liked this assignment!

The Leandro Case

The Leandro case that was filed against North Carolina in the 1900s proved that every student deserves the right to have a basic education. This lawsuit was initiated by five low funding counties in North Carolina. This lawsuit had several major arguments.One argument is that funding for NCs school districts were unfair. In this case, the state was failing to allocate enough money to the low wealth schools. When the funds are not in place the students may suffer. Resources, materials and other teacher tools will not be there for the students to use. Technology is another resourceful tool that many schools can not afford because of funding.
This case made it to Superior Court,where it made a ruling in 1997 and 2004. Judge Manning preceded over this court case . He reviewed both sides of the case, then ruled in favor of the at-risk students. He believed state, as well as, locals had their own faults in these education issues. Manning decided that North Carolina students were not receiving the education that they deserve. The state has stepped up the pace and started making changes in North Carolina school districts. Many programs have come about to ensure all children have an equal opportunity education.
The Leandro case shows a strong connection between social issues and unfair school funding. Many schools that do not receive adequate funding are located in the poorer communities. These schools probably have the most diverse group of students coming from different backgrounds and cultures. There are many children who come from low income households or even poverty. Schools such as these need additional funding to ensure these students have an adequate education to be successful in school and in life. Thanks to Leandro, this case will set the standard for fair school funding in North Carolina.

Education Inventories

Reflecting on the Chapter 4 inventory, Goals for Schools, I responded with mostly fours and fives. I felt that teaching responsibility and social skills in the classroom were important. On the inventory of Philosophies of Education I also answered with mainly fours and fives. Education is about teaching the whole child not just informing them with a few facts from certain subjects. Along with reading, writing, and math, teachers must teach skills for life, such as social interaction and how to survive in society. Educators must prepare the classroom of today to meet the needs of tomorrow's adults.

There are several relationships between the questions on Chapter 4 and Chapter 8 inventories. First, they relate to the student's goals, needs, and responsibility. Society is another area, in which, these questions relate to each other. They discuss social issues and economic concerns.

As a future teacher I will make a commitment to myself that I will make sure all of my students know that they have my full attention. Through my actions, they will realize that I am there to help, teach, and encourage them. I will take every child's needs to heart, whether it is educational, emotional, or a physical need. My students will know that they are important to me and to their society.

I will create a classroom where every child will be accepted for who they are. My class will learn how to cooperate with each other and accept that we all have differences. As a result of the inventory questions that I responded to, I will teach the curriculum, along with, life lessons, morals, and ethics in my classroom. Patience and understanding will be a part of my teaching practices, however I will not tolerate students who will not take responsibility for themselves. I will encourage my pupils to work hard and do well in school and in life.

Philosophy of Education

I agree with Dr. William Ayers in the video, Philosophy of Education. He believes that teachers have to teach the whole student not just the facts and figures. Ethics and morals should be taught in the classroom. According to Dr. Ayers, every minute of the day teachers are teaching morals and ethics whether they realize it or not. Dr. William believes silence is a moral statement within itself. Not saying anything, is not taking a stand for what is right. Teachers should speak the truth and be honest with their students. Everyday teachers interact with their students, this is a chance for teachers to promote positive ethics and morals. Children get all of the negative behaviors from television, their peers, and in some cases from their family. The school day should be the perfect opportunity for teachers to encourage ethics in the classroom and in life. He stated that teachers should make commitments to their students and themselves. Teachers need to see every student as an individual with different strengths and weakness. Educators need to ask more questions not just give all the answers. Teachers should be learning with the students, not acting as if they know everything already. There should be dialogue between students and teachers. The commitment must come from teachers to give every student their full attention. The educator should make every child top priority. Professor Ayers says it best, teachers need to unleash the energy in their students and empower them to express themselves in their own way. I believe his philosophy of teaching is the way all teachers should feel about their role in touching their students lives everyday.