Blog Assignment # 4 - Tools of the Trade

Teaching in the average classroom is currently not a very high tech profession. While most teachers will use chalkboards, whiteboards and handouts on a daily basis, the two most important tools a teacher will use daily are her brain, full of creativity and textbooks.

To teach successfully a teacher will need to use her brain to be creative. One thing that many students do not realize is that the material a teacher covers on a daily basis is primarily created by the classroom teacher. Teachers share lessons and the province sets provincial goals, but the day to day is up to the teacher to lay out. I know that I had never really thought about that aspect of teaching before I got into my PDP program.That means a lot of work before and after school to even be ready to have students in the classroom. This is why a teacher's brain filled with creativity is one of the most important tools needed to teach. Creativity will enable a teacher to create lessons that will hopefully interest the students and help to teach them the lessons and concepts they need to be successful.

Creativity alone will not get the teaching job done. The other very important tool that a teacher will need to use is the course textbook. The course textbook(s) is very valuable in helping a teacher plan the curriculum. without a text, a teacher will have a lot of work to do on her own to set up units and readings for the course. A coursetext book in most public school is something that will rarely be replaced which means that a teacher could using the same textbook for a good portion of their career. This leads back to the fact that teachers need creativity to be successful. Teaching out of the same book for years can get boring and if the teacher is not interested in the material, you can bet the students won't be either.

Teaching utilizes many tools beyond brain power, creativity and textbooks. Teachers will need to master grade software, attendance systems, projectors, televisions and more to be successful in their classrooms.

Blog Assignment # 3 - How to Become a Professional

Becoming a teacher is not something that one can do directly out of high school. Teaching requires a professional degree, certification and membership to the both the provincial union (the BCTF) and a local district union.

Once a person makes the choice to become a teacher, the first thing to be done is to search out a certified professional development program (PDP) at a university. There are two routes into a PDP: one involves getting a Bachelor of Education through a 4 year program, the other is completing a regular four year Bachelor's degree in a program of choice and then completing a one year teaching program. Either way, you will need to know what you want to teach even before applying to the program because teaching high school requires that you have completed a university major in a teachable subject, or teaching elementary will mean that you have completed coursework in all elementary subjects up to a certain university level.

Acceptance into PDP is based on school grades, personal references, volunteer hours and a personal application. Once accepted into PDP, a student can only become a teacher by completing specific coursework, maintaining a good grade point average and successful completion of two in-class teaching practicums. A teaching practicum is when a student teacher goes into an existing classroom over a period of weeks and takes over regular classroom teaching from the classroom teacher. While the students teacher is teaching, the regular classroom teacher and a university PDP instructor watch and critique the student teacher. This process involves constant feedback, reflection, and improvement. At the end of the practicums it is in the hands of the classroom teacher and the PDP instructor to decide whether or not a student teacher is ready adn capable fo having her/his own classroom. It possible to fail practicums and asked to repeat the following year, and is possibelt o be asked to leave the program permanently if perfomance is very unsatisfactory. Controls like this are in place here in Canada to make sure that only qualified and capable people are becoming professional teachers thus maintaining our high quality educational standards.

Here is a link to the PDP requirements at Simon Fraser University: http://http//www.educ.sfu.ca/pdp/admissions/index.html

Blog Assignments #2 Sample

Blog Assignment #2
A Day in the Life of a Teacher

A teaching day may only last from 8:30 - 3:00 according to students, but it is actually much longer than that. Teachers need to mark homework, create assignments, attend meetings, talk to parents and keep their marks up to date.
A regular teaching day would involve arriving at the school at least a half an hour before students are expected in the classroom. Teachers need to arrive early to prepare teaching materials for all their classes. This could mean photocopying, setting up technical equipment, or writing instructions on the board. Most teachers will keep a day planner to keep themselves organized for these daily activities so they know what they will need for the day.
Once students arrive, a teacher will instruct the students in whatever coursework they are expected to do for the day. As an English teacher, I am expected to keep students up to date on a variety of aspects in the curriculum. Each day my classes are involved in doing work for a particular unit. Once I have instructed the students and they are hard at work, I will spend time helping students and answering questions. In high school this process will repeat itself in 80 minute increments for four blocks each day. Some days there will be a lot of instructions and talking as a teacher, other days will involve mostly supervision and help, but everyday as a teacher involves connecting with students and helping. The largest part of a teachers job is providing support for students in the classroom.
Many students do not enjoy being in the classroom and teachers do their best to make learning more exciting and interesting for them. One of the most challenging parts of being a teacher is motivating students to take pride and interest in all that they do no matter what they feel about the subject. As a teacher, a part of every day is working with students who are tired, disinterested, or emotionally unavailable. It can be hard, but it is also very rewarding to be there when they are happy, excited and interested. Every students will have a bad day, and the same is true for every teacher.
At 3 pm, the bell sounds and students leave as quickly as they can. A teacher however must stay behind and get prepared for the next day. This may include marking homework that was just handed in, or creating an assignment for the next day. Most teachers do not leave the school until 4 or later. Many teachers are involved in after-school activities like clubs, sports, or drama. A teacher who is helping with any of these activities can expect to be at their job until seven p.m or later.
Some teachers are able to get all their marking done at school, while others, like many English teachers have so much marking that it will sometimes need to be taken home. On days where a teacher takes home work, they are much like their students and can spend any number of hours on their homework!
A typical day for a teacher is a lot of work, but I think it's the best profession in the world.

Sample Entry #1 - Teaching

While growing up, my family would often tell me that I was just like my one of my Aunts. My aunt is funny, personable and full of that zest for life. I was always flattered that others thought they saw some of that great personality in me. My aunt had moved from a successful time in post secondary school into working for some of this country;s most powerful corporations including Tim Horton's and General Electric. It seemed to me that if business and corprate training had been a good route for my aunt, that I should naturally follow in her footsteps. I spent much of my high school life thinking that I would someday become the head of Human Resources for a major national corporation. With that in mind, I set off for university. In university I discovered that business was not in my heart, and to be truthful, if I had been honest with myself, I would have known that fact the whole time.
As I reevaluated the direction my life was about to take, I considered all the people I had admired growing up. I considered all the adults whose opinions I valued and I considered what my true passions were. It did not take long before I came to see that teaching would be my profession. I knew immediately that I wanted to teach high school. Being a teenager can be a challenge and I truly believe that most adults do not treat teens with the respect that they deserve. I knew that by becoming a teacher I would have the power to help teens help themselves.
Helping young people is one of the facets that I find most rewarding about this job. The other is the freedom to be creative. To always be problem solving in new ways keeps my on my feet and keeps me interested at all times. Already, I have met thousands of amazing teenagers and I have felt blessed to be their teacher.

Blog Assignment # 1 - An Introduction to My Profession

Assignment #1
Topic : The Profession that I am interested in

Welcome to the world wide web and to the medium of blogging. By now, you have already visited other professional blogs, and you know that they are a great place to find and share information. In this first assignment, you are going to introduce the profession that interests you and discuss why this profession is something that you might consider dedicating your life to. Feel free to include pictures in your write-up to help readers understand what it is that draws you to the profession. If there is more than one profession that interests you, choose the one you can say the most about.

Today you will :

1. Type your blog entry
2. Give your entry an original title
3. Edit your blog entry
4. Publish your blog entry
5. Comment in my blog with a link to yours
6. Add other members of the class to your blog
7. Comment on at least two other classmates' blogs