Chalk

I enjoyed the film Chalk as it was both entertaining and provided insight into the importance of classroom management, student-teacher relationships, and teachers interactions with colleagues. Although the teachers all seemed to fit into the extreme ends of the spectrum, it is true that there are teachers in todays schools that exhibit similar characteristics. I had a teacher in high school very similar to the teacher who was obsessed with becoming teacher of the year. This teacher had little concern or interest for the content area he was teaching; most of his lessons plans contained telling the students to take notes out of the book and then talking to the students about the latest basketball game statistics. He was clearly a favorite among the students but I highly doubt if anyone learned anything from his classes.
This movie made me realize how crucial lesson planning and classroom management is to becoming a successful teacher and running a productive classroom. In instructional strategies, we are talking about the importance of writing clear objectives with detailed lesson plans. This task is a bit overwhelming to me and I can easily understand how teachers could become lazy about writing out these detailed, in depth layouts of their plans. However, it is clear that students will be more likely to succeed if lesson plans are prepared ahead of time and clear assessment strategies are implemented. Classroom management covers a huge variety of topics and can also be very overwhelming for beginning teachers. I think the most important aspect of classroom management is to set clear, concise classroom expectations, rules, and goals. If the students are aware of what is expected of them, there will be a solid foundation for students to build a relationship with their teacher and the teacher will be able to focus on academic material rather than wasting class time dealing with behavioral issues.

Seek Opportunities

The discussion with Mr. Steve Chambliss was very informative as well as inspiring. I have recently began to pursue an elementary education major and have since pictured myself in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom. After listening to the vast variety of positions Mr. Chambliss has pursued in his 41 year career, I have realized there are many opportunities to expand my career options and advance my position while increasing my influence on childrens' education. Mr. Chambliss emphasized the importance of advancing one's education in order to obtain influential positions such as superintendant. I have never pictured myself pursuing such positions but now have an interest in exploring areas beyond the classroom as well as keeping an open mind as far as what grades I will be teaching. Teaching a variety of grades and switching grades often ensures that teachers continue to develop their teaching styles, stay updated on current curriculum, and remain engaged in educating children rather than falling into an unchanging routine.

New Teacher Panel

I really enjoyed attending the teacher panel and listening to the experiences of these new teachers beginning their careers. I found this very helpful in informing me of what to expect as I enter the teaching profession. I grew up in a small town in Southwestern Minnesota and have had many similar experiences attending a small rural school like the ones around Decorah. However, my town is extremely diverse with many hispanic families moving into the area, especially in the last fifteen years. Now that I am getting into the education program and taking classes like Diverse and Exceptional learner, I am learning how privileged I was to grow up in such a diverse community. After listening to the teacher panel, I began to think about where I see myself teaching in a few years. There is a great difference between teaching at a small, predominantly white rural town as opposed to a large, urban area where diversity is a huge aspect of the classroom makeup. Having grown up in a diverse community, I feel I have had many valuable experiences that will benefit me whether I end up teaching in a small town or a large city.