Reflection 5

Last week we saw "chalk" the documentary, I thought how scary! It must be very hard to teach the first year when kids can see right through you when one doesn't have the right confidence. One of the teachers in the documentary that was teaching history, looked scared out of his pants in front of his students. He didn't have the right strategies to cope with such stress and the student took advantage of that. In times i felt horrified for teachers and at the same time humorous. One day I'll be teaching and will remember this documentary and laugh about it.

Chapter five explains basically how kids and teachers can use reading exercise for more interaction in schools for better results. It's pretty much an application in a simpler and quicker way to help your students engage in the work. Activities involving writing and or jotting or sketching to facilitate the teachers efforts and minimize his work. The book organizes the strategies in five categories :Showing kids how smart readers work, before activities, during, and after activities, and Learning vocabulary.

This chapter cover material in chapter 2 with application. These strategies involve kids to visualize, connect, and monitor their understanding. I thought that it is every important in getting the student to focus and get them exited about the reading in order to start developing ideas. I remember my teacher's strategies work for me because them would introduce one strategy at a time and have it repeated. Lots of modeling was involved and quite frankly the best way of teaching it especially in band. Moving around and involving the class was very motivating and they seemed very engaging with us. Everyone would listen to exactly how he wanted without any confrontation.

I really like the part of the chapter that had outline every strategy with great facility. Brainstorming and Clustering was one strategy all my creative writting teachers would always use. This strategy is very involving and students get challenged continually. Many of these strategies are not ideal to use in a music reahearsal in band but, many of these strategies can be modified and tranlated to music exercises. RAFT on page 134, can be modified and use in music context. Students need to know the importance of style and character traits of a piece of music and this strategy can help to perform better.

Reflection 4

I really liked the video we watch in class about "what teacher's make" video. I really thought about about that situation and what would I said if they had asked me that question. My reaction would have been that same but not as intense as he said it. Even though I really felt all that he said. It's remarkable how we as teachers will have so much impact on so many children and wonder how much of it is worth it. Of course it is! We will be shaping the future America. Content area classes such as PE, Aggi, Art, and Music are just as important to Americas students as core classes. What will encourage children when theses subjects are gone from the public schools?

Chapter 4 covers many interesting ideas that blend elements that engage students to be successful. I like big points of the chapter that talked about finding alternatives within each text books and other genres. A "balance reading" is good way to put it when integrating Fiction vs. Nonfiction, Choice vs. Assigned, Classic vs. Contemporary Works, Hard vs. Easy, Short vs. Long,....etc.

All these points can be applied to music as well. I could assign a piece of music to the student and would make them read the background of the composer. What was the purpose of the music?, what period did he live in?, what style and form was it composed in? All these thing are important and necessary to interpret the music as the composer intended.

I found that Classroom Library is a very important point and an easy resource to build in any subject and content area. Especially for Band, A music Library is critical for students that are building on their repertoire. Music can be very expensive and as a teacher is very important to keep the music library growing. It would have been nice to see music related books in subject matters book.