Week one

Every child should have a caring adult in their lives. And that's not always a biological parent or family member. It may be a friend or neighbor. Often times it is a teacher.
-Joe Manchin

What I have Read

Each student is unique, they have their
own needs and goals, along with learning style
and strengths. Though with strengths come
weaknesses and as educators we need to be able
to work not only with a students strength but
work to the best of our ability to bridge the gap
and improve on the things students struggle with.

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My strengths and weaknesses based on the Gardner's Eight Intelligences theory.

As an aspiring teacher I am well aware of my own learning styles, and that sometimes they affect my teaching style in a way that does not cater to the diverse needs of a collecting of students in a classroom sense. The results show that I have a strong Musical Intelligence. I am able to play 5 instruments, and have been brought up with very strong musical influences through my parents. I have used this as an advantage in a classroom setting before, with the guitar being an amazing tool for engaging students. I am also strong in Math intelligence, with Arithmetic Math and thinking logically being what I feel personal strengths. I also consider myself to be strong in the literacy field, with a well developed vocabulary and a passion for reading, writing and narrative (and I love to debate!) ∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧

When I reflect on these strengths (and with that my weakness's) I want to be honest, as that is my aim with this blog. I feel that I value Maths and Literacy as the most important subjects, followed by science and S.O.S.E. Although I know that it is wrong to value any one subject more than others, I still cannot reason with myself why art, HPE or any other study could be so crucial. I understand that students are not strong in these fields and that we need to look else where to raise students self esteem and forge an attitude of belonging and confidence in the school environment, but I also ask myself where do we stop? A students who is physically or artistically gifted needs to be able to perform in these mediums, but where is the point where the student must conform to produce work which can be graded and assesed like the other students in their grade? Some classes I struggle to see ways to include physical or artistic elements, like math. ∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧

The English Language.(Wordpress)

There are different thinkers and different learners, but as I continue through universtiy and plan for my future and a teacher, I realise that learning is life long and that it never stops. And I have struggled in crossing into area's where I have not been strong and I have had to use a style of thinking that I did not like. It is so important to make sure that we give our students opportunities to showcase their strengths, but I also feel that it is ok to expose them to ways of thinking that they usually would shy away from. ∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧∨∧

What I Believe

So what does this mean? The thought that I have from all of this is the need to be able to balance the needs of all of our students in a way that allows them to succeed and think to their and produce content to the best of their ability. Knowing your students and understanding other people thinking is a skill that teachers need to develop in order to stabilise the balancing act.

Inside the Innovative Mind.(Bhattacharya)
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References

Bhattacharya, S. (n.d.). Inside the Inventive Mind. Retrieved July 3, 2013, from http://ibmblr.tumblr.com

Birmingham City Council. (n.d.). BGFL Multiple Intelignces. Retrieved July 3, 2013, from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/results.cfm - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.lIN6QxmT.dpuf

WordPress. (2012, May 25). The English Language. Retrieved July 3, 2013