Module 1

Module 1: Teaching & Learning

Concept 1: Relationships

Summary

In chapter 1, Woolfolk talks a lot about the relationships between teachers and students and the impact that relationships have on student performance. Woolfolk stated that the relationships that are placed early on in a student’s life determine how best a student will do academic and behaviorally in future endeavors. “The researchers concluded that the quality of the teacher-student relationship in kindergarten…predicted a number of academic and behavioral outcomes through the eighth grade, particularly for students with many behavioral problem” (Woolfolk 7). Woolfolk mentioned a lot of other positive benefits that come to students with positive teacher-student relationships. He mentioned that a lot of student success were from positive outcomes of relationships. Chapter 1 furthered and mentioned that these kinds of relationships have predicted that students have fewer behavioral problems and more student engagement in the classroom for future grade levels. But this emphasized that the students who were most at risk academically gained the most from teacher-student relationships.

Reflection

As I further read into this chapter, I read more about the importance of teacher-student relationships than ever before. I have always figured that they were important, but I never knew of the impact that those relationships can have on students and their academics. I thought that it was interesting that Woolfolk mentions the importance of positive relationships to students who are at risk or struggling in school gain the most benefits from teacher relationships.

I always found the relationships with my teachers to be beneficial because it made communication much easier, engagement with class better, and an easier time getting to know my teacher on a slightly personal note. If those experiences benefitted me, I cannot imagine what they would do for students who are at risk at school.

Over the years, I have experienced many positive teacher relationships. I have had teachers that made it very easy to talk to them over the school years. I had one high school teacher in particular that became my mentor and now friend as I have grown over the years. This teacher always gave me honest advice and her opinion when I needed it. That relationship with her has made learning in her class much easier because I want to do well in her class because of the relationship that I had with her. There have been other teachers where they welcome any student to come and talk to them about whatever when we needed to. This teacher was someone that everyone loved because he made class engaging and incorporated student involvement and cooperation. Through seeing what he did in his classroom and how fun he was as a teacher, it made talking to him much easier when I had a problem with one of his social studies assignments. Due to that relationship, it also made the class much more fun and increased student involvement.

Concept 2: Principles

Summary

One of the very first points that Woolfolk presents in Chapter 2 is that it is a teacher (and a student’s) responsibility to transform the brain from simply using one’s brain to changing one’s brain. Woolfolk explained what that looks using multiple points. First, he explained human capabilities such as nature versus nurture. Woolfolk also explained a lot of different aspects regarding the brain, such as the brain has many different functions and that those functions work for different children. He also mentioned that since a child’s brain is plastic, it takes a while for students to fully comprehend new information, but that the brain seeks different patterns and that students can learn best from real life experiences. Woolfolk talked about the importance of stories and how it is important to demonstrate the why and what students are learning whether through activities, lessons, or assessments.

Reflection

This chapter was very informative about the different parts of the brain and how a young child’s brain develops. I liked how Woolfolk gave many different insights into the principles of how to teach developing brains. There were quite a few examples that stood out to me in the midst of reading this chapter. I can remember a distinct time in high school where my history teacher would use different stories to help the class remember important parts of history. This made sense when I was reading from Woolfolk, “Stories also are organized and have a sequence – beginning, middle, and end – so they are easier to remember than unrelated or unorganized information” (Woolfolk 44).

In my future classroom, I will hope to show and demonstrate to students why they are learning the things they are learning and why they are doing activities that I have them do. I think that it emphasizes what the students learn and helps them remember much easier because I consider this to be a kind of hands on learning with explanation. This brings me to the thought of the Butterfly Project that students were doing during my placement. The students were learning about the different stages of a butterfly’s life and how they are “born.” The students each had their own caterpillar that they watched grow and form. This is where I would agree with Woolfolk when he states that this is where children are responsible for their own learning. It was up to those kindergarteners to understand the importance and beauty of a cycle of nature. This would also help students remember how growth of a living organism is because they had an experience to connect with.

I think that Woolfolk had a lot to offer in chapter 2, but I found the information about different teaching principles much more effective because of the way that Woolfolk explained and provided why those principles would benefit student learning with a developing brain.

Concept 3: Abuse

Summary

In chapter 3 of Woolfolk, he gave a lot of insight into a student and abuse that they may have encountered. One of the first things that Woolfolk included was what to do if a teacher were to suspect that a student was being abused. Woolfolk mentions some of the first steps that teachers are to do if it ever came to that point. First, talk to the principal of the school, then the school psychologist or social worker if abuse is suspected. Woolfolk also gives a definition of what abuse is and how there are different legal definitions in every state. “The legal definition of abuse has been broadened in many states to include neglect and failure to provide proper care and supervision” (Woolfolk 91). There was also a massive chart that explained more in depth of both physical and behavioral indicators of either physical abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse. Woolfolk provided examples under each abuse category that is easier to pin point for teachers.

Reflection

Although this is a less enjoyable topic, it is also a very important one as students of all ages experience different kinds of abuse. I was astonished by the statistics that Woolfolk provided in chapter 3 about how many students go without abuse being reported – and the effects for those students are unacceptable. I was very appreciative of the fact that Woolfolk included how to look out for abuse because I feel as if it is not talked about enough in educational textbooks.

There have been a few instances at different placements of mine where teachers pin point or have suspicions of students who are experiencing abuse. For example, at one placement, a student had an in-school suspension. He had many behavioral issues because his mother was present in his life when she wanted to – his mother was never consistent in seeing this child. The father of this child physically abused him; this student would show up with different bruises and his father had no interest in his son’s education. Not only was there physical abuse present, but teachers had witnessed many occasions of verbal abuse during parent-teacher conferences. My cooperating teacher said that child services have been called a few times for that student.

There have been more experiences that I have seen. For instance, there was a student that was very sweet; he had shown no signs of behavioral problems while at school. However, one day, my teacher mentioned that she was a little worried about this student because he came to school with a large bruise on his face. The teacher asked where he got his bruise from and as he answered, he hesitated and said that he had fell. This was a sad situation because the teachers just experienced and witnessed a possible abuse situation. The last thing I heard was that the teachers were keeping tabs on this student and whether he came to school with more injuries.

Again, this topic is not fun to talk about, but it is necessary. In my short time of observing in classrooms, there have already been two students who have experienced abuse in their homes. There are so many different kinds of abuse, as sad as it is, and it happens more often than what we think. It is important, as a teacher and as a responsible adult, to keep these things in mind because we do not see what happens behind closed doors and it is necessary to be an advocate for students who may not have anyone to talk to about their abuse – in fact, some students may not know that they are being abused in the first place. In my future classroom, I hope that I keep an eye out for my students no matter what their situations are.