Week Four - Exit Slip (Art of Praising and Blaming)

As a teacher, it is important to know "the art of praising and blaming". Although praising students may motivate them more than blaming them, blaming is necessary. 

It is usually better to give positive comment on what students have done. If they do things well, we need to praise their behaviour and what positive effect it brings rather than their identities. When we praise, it is better to tell them that they helped with somethings and thank them. There is also art of blaming them. Blaming students may make them notice their mistake or remind them to improve. Teachers would better tell them if there is anything they can do better while blaming them. Teachers are responsible for leading students to improve and keep them on the right track. Since human could make mistakes and we are all human, teachers need to to tolerance on students mistake and do not blame them all the time.

Week Four - Entrance slip

"Reflection in action is limited to an (inter)active thoughtfulness." I agree with this quote on the first page. Imagine if the class is not motivated and not willing to study, it is difficult for them to reflect on their learning. Similarly, if teachers do not like their job or is not willing to improve, they would not do reflections on their teaching and blame students even if the problem is caused by their inappropriate way of teaching.

"The teacher may reflect or think about all kinds of possibilities but while acting one can only do one thing at a time." A teacher needs to be open to all possible solutions to one question or all possible ways to solve a problem, even if they are only planning to teach one of these methods. This quote can also be known as, a teacher can have their own opinion towards one question but they need to accept all kinds of opinions.

"The aim of critical reflection is to create doubt and critique of ongoing actions." This point is especially important for both learning and teaching. Even if we do "well", we could always do better. Since well is the biggest enemy of better, we should not only satisfied with doing "fine" or "well" and try to do better. And sometimes, doing well and doing better are on different track so that we need to work on another way to become better, and this is why we doubt ourselves.

Week Three - Exit slip (Flipped classroom)

I remember that my first experience of learning by watching videos was in 2003, then Internet was not so widely used. At that time, my hometown was under threat of a kind of fatal virus so that all schools were closed, and students were required to watch a television program with teaching videos in order to learn. However, I do not think watch videos can replace our classroom experience.

Although videos works better for students who prefer studying alone and do not like interacting with others. Teaching videos can be a good supplement for them to improve their learning experience. It is sometimes better to have teachers and students work together in a class, and teachers can make sure that students are on the right track. If videos are assigned and teachers do not repeat anything on the video, some students who missed one or two videos will be left off and lose confidence of learning. Flipped classes may be a good "starter" or "dessert" but it cannot replace the "main course" - our actual classroom teaching.

Week Three - Entrance Slip

Just like the article said, being a good and reflective reacher needs to be openminded and responsible.  In my point of view, it is also important to be both passionate and patient, but it is not easy. Although it might be "well" for teachers to be satisfied and stay where they are, well is the biggest enemy of better. Regarding the fact that we are not sure about how will we affect students in their live, it is important for a teacher to stay curious, keep learning and be reflective. None of us were born to be a good teacher, we all need to learn from others and our own experience.

Being reflective is not only important for teachers, but everyone. People improve their knowledge and reflect on what they have done before so that they could avoid repeating mistakes and make their live more effective. This is not related to job careers but everything in our lives.

"Justification for reflection is not simply a matter of minimal necessity. It is a matter of desirability, not because it is something that we could not do without, but because it transforms and enchanters the quality of what we do and how we live."

Week Two - Exit Slip

As Dr. McCourt said in the video, a teacher should learn when teaching students, otherwise they are not teaching. Being a teacher is another chance to grow up and learn about the world. I remember my mother once told me that since it is her first time bringing up a child, she is also learning and we are growing up together. She is being honest and I do trust her. Similarly, it is important for a teacher to be honest and admit the fact that they have a lot to learn. Sometimes, it is difficult for a teenager to give their fully trust to a adult, showing them willingness to help and learn is a good way to connect with them.

Answers of my questions may depends on what kind of students we meet. When we meet a new group of students, we need to learn a new answer of these questions.

Week Two - Entrance Slip

I am now interested in 3 areas of education.

• Homework

Is giving out homework useful in teaching? How much homework is appropriate? As a student before, I hated teachers assigning too much homework. However, I also had experience that if there is no homework, students will not do any revision and forget what they learnt in class. Maybe assigning homework is necessary, but how much homework do students need in order to remember what they learnt but not too fed up with it.

Also, since there are different types of students - some would prefer obeying rules and finish what is assigned, while some like to create their own works. What kind of homework is appropriate? Could teachers assign different types of homework? Is it possible for students to choose their homework?

Another idea coming up to my mind is "optional homework". Students could freely choose to do and not to do it. If no student choose to do it, is there any way to motivate them to have a try on it?

• Quiz & Exam

Giving out small quiz is a good way to check whether students are doing well. But there are students who gets stressful and could not do well during quizzes while they do perfectly in homework and have excellent classroom performance. Quizzes and exams are not the only way to measure their learning, but what are other ways?

For students who gets panic before exam and have worse preformance than usual, is there any method to overcome their fear?

How could teachers talk with parents about exam result? This problem is especially difficult if parents are "score-based" and regard exam result as the only measure of their children.

(After discussions: assigning project might be another idea to evaluate students.)

• Classroom management issue and bullying

How do teachers tell a student is being bullied in a class? How could we help them? If they are being bullied and try to fight back, but disturbed the whole class, shall they be punished? If a student is bullied by the whole class, which seat shall they seat in the classroom?

Week One - Exit Slip

In the first class, I was impressed by the discussion about six controversial statements. Different from math problems, a statement can be right and wrong depending how we agree or disagree. I learnt that even if we sometimes disagree with a statement, it is necessary to find out why some people agree. It is similar with getting alone with students - we may find them doing things we do not like, but we need to stand in their shoe and get to know why do they be like that. There are also different types of students so that a learning method that works for one of them does not fit others. As teachers, we need to find the way of learning that works best for them, and the process may be difficult. The question coming up to my mind is that how can a teacher get to know their students if some students refuse to communicate or say yes but mean no.

Test post

If the post is seen, then it was posted successfully.