What makes great teaching?

     For this weeks assignment we were asked to make a list of our top 5 strategies from this class. When looking through the list, it was easy for me to pick my top five because they stood out to me in working through this class. In no specific order this is my list:

1. Blogging 

2. Text-to-world connections 

3. Anticipation guide

4. 3-2-1 Research Paper 

5. Self-Assessment 

These strategies helped me gain a deeper understanding of the material in the modules and allowed me to even make connections. I want to use these strategies in my future classroom in hopes that my students will also gain a deeper understanding with the curriculum. Blogging is a great way (especially with online learning) to have conversations and learn other peers perspectives. Text-to-world strategy is great for connecting what is being learned inside of the classroom to real world events (past, present, or future). This is perfect for getting the students to start thinking about content topics outside of the classroom and allows them to be more aware in the world. Anticipation guide is a good way to see how the students ideas have changed/ or stayed the same when learning a topic. I personally liked this strategy because I saw where my initial ideas were before going through the module and then what they were after all the readings and materials. The 3-2-1 Research paper allows the students to show what they learned and as well as asking questions. For this strategy there are many 3-2-1 combinations that the teacher can choose from to assign the students or give them the choice of which one they want to do. Finally the Self-assessment gives the students the chance to reflect on their own learning and connect with the material on a deeper level. Overall a combination of strategies and making sure that the students are engaged and connecting to their learning makes great teaching. In my future classrooms I will evaluate what works best for my students as a class and individually. 

Recourses for these strategies:

Blogging: https://www.blogger.com/u/1/onboarding 

Text-to-world: Making Text to World Connections (Kindergarten and First Grade) 

Anticipation Guide: https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide  

3-2-1 Research: https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/3-2-1-strategy/  

Self-assessment: https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/assessment-evaluation/self-assessment

What does money really have to do with it?

     What does money really have to do with it? Money has so much more to do with school than I previously thought. Unfortunately money can be the factor that decides if a student is successful or not. For example, I am a tutor for a 3rd grader in San Marcos. When I first got the job I was told that he was behind in most subjects, however when I first started working with him I realized he needed more help then I was told (reading at a kindergarten level). I talked with his parents and they mentioned how they were fighting with the school district to get him tested for dyslexia. This is not uncommon in the school system. 

    The amount of money a school gets paid depends on funds they receive; mostly from local property tax. The amount of students in the school can also affect the amount of funding. Low-income areas statistically have lower expectations for their students success than high-income areas. Low-income areas might also have more students who need extra resources, meaning more money that the school might or might not have to spend. Even if a district has the money, they might not want to spend it on a student who they have low expectations for. Any student who needs more help than basic classroom teaching (dyslexic, special needs, or any other learning disabilities) cost more money for the school. Having aids to help in the class, hiring more teachers to teach those special classes (special needs, speech classes, etc.), even having testing done for those students, they all cost money. If the school doesn't have the extra funding for those students, the students are having to deal with the consequences. The students are being put in classes where they don't get the attention or resources that they need because the school can not provide it for them. This can cause many problems for the students that they might not have if the school had enough funding. 

    At the end of the day, we as future educators need to advocate for our students and do the best we can with the resources that we have. Every student deserves a chance to succeed no matter their situation.