Read-Alouds: I really enjoyed the read-alouds that were chosen for these past two weeks! The first one, "It's Not Easy Being a Bunny" by Marilyn Sadler 9780394961026, was a book my parents read to me when I was little! It was so strange and  so cool because it was the first time I had heard that book since I was really little and as Michael read it I was transported back into that time of my life. There was a lot of repetition which would be good for an English class. It would also be good for elementary school guidance counselors when they are teaching children about character ed. It would even be great for a science class where kids have to research about the animals that were listed in the story. "Is There Really a Human Race" by Jamie Lee Curtis 9780060753481 was a great book filled with rhyme scheme that would be a great model for kids to learn from. It was also very inspirational displaying that you don't always have to be first, if you work at your own place it will be much more rewarding. It would be a great encouragement for ESOL students to support them as they learn a new language, even the title itself is an idiom they would most likely misinterpret. The format of this story would be a great creative writing assignment where kids have to write a story by only using questions. The next book we read I found it to be very cute and funny. It was "The Monster at the End of This Book" by Sesame Street 0307010856. Grover is afraid of the monster at the end of the book, and kids can really relate to him because of their fear of the unknown. This book can get kids to talk about their fears or even write about them so that they can face them. I read "Halloween" by Jerry Seinfeld 0316706256. I first heard this book when I was in elementary school. I loved it so much that I had my parents buy it for me immediately; I had to have it! There was a lot of voice in the story which would be perfect for a public speaking class to get kids to read with enthusiasm while enjoying a funny children's book by a great comedian. Our last read-aloud was an excerpt from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling 9780747558194 portrayed a very unique student-teacher relationship. It shows that teachers are normal people and are surprisingly a lot like students. It displays a respectful and close relationship between teacher and student that is good for actual students to understand.
Learning Experiences: These past few days we have really started to focus on barriers. After reading our text book I was shocked at all the different barriers there were and what significant affects they have on kids. I really like how everyone in class presented about a specific barrier. It made it interesting and I liked what people brought in to help explain their barrier. I especially liked Faith's article about the impact bullying had a specific woman's son that caused him to commit suicide. It showed how serious barriers such as bullying can be and what are the true consequences. Learning is best when it is hands on and that's why I loved going to Coach Ivester's special ed PE class. It was amazing to see all of what kids with such varying disabilities can do. They are capable of more than I realized and that was one of the biggest things I took away from that day. People, including myself, shouldn't assume just because these kids have mental and physical disabilities and capable of doing the amount of things they can. They looked so happy and it truly was an opportunity that I am very happy to have gotten to experience.
Current Event: The article i read was about how some schools seperate their math and science classes by gender. Parents often got the impression that academia viewed girls as being dumb and less capable when it came to these subjects in comparison to boys. It discussed the different characteristics of each gender and how it influences the classroom. I did not agree with most of what the stereotypes were, nor did the author, but it was interesting to read how supporters of single gender classes thought this approach was beneficial.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/07/single-sex-education.html
Quote of the Week:"A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." I like this quote because it sets a teacher's goal to be that they teach so well kids will progressively need them less and less. But it should not be interpreted as that it is a teachers goal to avoid teaching and making kids learn on their own. It's a balancing act, a teacher should strive for their students to become somewhat academically independent but at the same time have a passion for helping them grow intellectually.
Observations: I've been noticing kids with special needs and barriers much more frequently than usual. This is probably due to our discussions in class and what we have recently learned about these kids so I see them easier. But because of what we have learned I don't see them as being as different as I did before, I have a better understanding of their special conditions and I like the fact that I am not as clueless about these conditions before.  I didn't realize how much I was moved and interested in kids with special needs and it may be something I would like to get involved in.
Reflections: I've been wrapping up my college applications and now am anticipating my acceptance status! It is going to be difficult waiting all the way until December to find out! I am ready to commit to a college (Cofc!) and begin the next step! I am glad that the first quarter is over, it has been more stressful than I had wished for but I am happy with the way I preformed. I've been enjoying most of my classes but this one is definitely the most enjoyable. I also like that we have Ms. Prince in our class, she's a great role model for the teacher cadets who really want to pursue teaching and is a great addition to our class!