I think that connecting the core to my own students personal lives will be fairly easy for me. In my own life I am constantly connecting what I'm learning to myself. This is how I remember things so I know how important it is and will make the time to do the same thing for my students. I also love the idea of teaching the important things in depth. If you just touch on a subject and don't get knee deep in it your students are not going to remember it anyway and you have wasted your time. I also think that it is impossible to cover everything! It is so important to teach your students how to find answers on their own and better yet ask good questions and learn how to wonder. I am a strong believer in "pretending I don't know everything" so my students can learn how to answer questions on their own and show me what they have discovered. They will remember the answers to these questions much better that way. I do worry about knowing what parts of the curriculum are necessary and which parts are just helpful tidbits. I know sometimes I am going to have to make the call and hopefully once I dig in and start teaching this will become easier for me.
My favorite quote in this reading was on page 63. "Students not only have more respect for classes that are demanding, but they also have more respect for themselves when they are in those classes." I LOVE THIS QUOTE! It is 100% correct. I also hate my hardest classes until the end of the semester when I realize that I did it. It makes me feel amazing to accomplish some of the things that I did.
1. Look for fresh ways to explore and present ideas. (p. 73)
I love this idea. I am all about making things different. There is always a way to get your students attention and help them enjoy learning. If you can't change what they are learning change HOW they are learning by presenting it with a cartoon or a children's book that makes it more interesting. If you can't even do that change up your assessment. Find interesting and fun ways for student's to show they understand. Let them use their interests. Art, Music, Dance, whatever. They are going to be much more excited about learning and sharing what they have learned.
2. "the trick in providing challenge, is to place tasks just a bit ahead of a learner's comfort zone." (p. 73-74)
In chapter 5 I loved where it said "because this is the first year I've ever given bright kids work that was challenging for them they need me for the first time." This was a huge epiphany for me. It is kind of a duh statement but its huge! You must make things challenging for every single student. Teach to them as individuals and as a group. You can't overwhelm your students by making things too hard. It must be "a bit" ahead of their comfort zone but it NEEDS to be ahead of their comfort zone so your student will actually need you! Teach ALL of them!
3. Stretch your students. (p. 78-79)
I love this idea. It gives me the perfect visual. Your students are not going to make huge strides in small amounts of time. This is not what teaching is about. Its about watching growth in your students knowledge a little bit at a time. Stretching cant be done quickly it takes time or it will snap! So pay attention and you will see this slow and constant stretching of your students minds.
4. "This is hard, but you can do hard things, and I am not willing to let you settle for less." (p. 82)
I am going to admit to my students that things are HARD! But they are SMART and they have me to assist them so how can they fail? I want them to know how intelligent they are and the potential that they possess. If I can be a teacher who had high expectations and believed in them how can they fail? They will feel so good about themselves when they accomplish things that they never thought they could. Every single student can do this and I will expect nothing less!
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