Talk is a valuable instructional tool.

In class Monday, we watched a clip from the movie Freedom Writers. I have seen this movie before, and I think it is wonderful and makes me realize why I want to teach each time I watch it. The clip that we watched was very intense. The teacher is talking to her students about how hate for another race just is not right. The students then tell her exactly how they feel about her and what happens in their lives and how people, even the school system, see and treat them. It makes her realize that no one has ever tried to believe in them. It makes me think about how there are many schools out there that do not believe in their students and that is why their students are not succeeding, in and outside of school. It helps one realize that listening is an essential part in the schools and can be used many different ways. She listened to them and to me that shows that she cared about her students and truly wanted to help them.

The Importance of Listening

After talking about listening in class, I definitely think that it is taken for granted. I think that listening is a huge part of being able to teach and learn. Lessons and discussions involve listening and it is an essential part in education. Teachers can use listening in order to see if students are understanding the material that they have been taught.

In class, we did an activity and had to find different types on propaganda used. I thought that this activity was so much fun and really eye opening. Propaganda takes advantage of listening because people listen to what these ads are influencing peoples opinions about certain things. It is used for political campaigns, in which, politicians say negative things about their opponents, even if these things are not true. It could influence the way someone votes or what they buy. I thought looking up ads was a great way to teach us the different types of propaganda.

Field Experiences

My field experience has taught me a lot over the past semester. It was interesting to see what we are learning in class in the classroom that I observing. After learning about phonics and whole language, I wondered what the teacher I was observing would use in her classroom. I quickly observed that she used phonics on a regular basis. It seemed to help the children spell out the words that they were struggling with.

I think my favorite visit was when they were writing about Abraham Lincoln. The students were so excited and jumped to the opportunity to learn more about him. They wanted to know everything and I just watched them sit there look through the books amazed and absorbed in the information.

During my visits, I noticed that the teacher did not give them prompts in which they had to write about a certain thing. They were able to write freely about things that they liked and enjoyed. I think that when students write about something they enjoy, their writings will come out much better.