Course Contract Review

What am I Doing Well?

I am learning the material that we are covering in class and applying it to my life currently.  I am also taking the next step and using it to think about my future classroom and my goals as a teacher.

What are You Not Doing Well?

In my course contract I said that I would review the material 4 times after I had completed the work before the next class, I am not doing that.  However, I think that was somewhat unrealistic.  I review material twice after completing homework and make sure I check the website.

Are You Making Sufficient Progress on Your Goals?

Yes!  There is always room for improvement, that is what makes life challenging but I have to give myself credit.

Specific Things I Need to Change?

Find a better environment to study in.  I feel like I am ignoring my daughter studying at home and that is not conducive to a good learning experience.

My Motivation?

I think my motivation is both mastery and performance right now.  I am changing attitudes I have had throughout my life.  I am very appreciative about what this class has taught me.  In the past I have usually started out with mastery goals and somewhere along the line my motivation became performance.  I am  making sure that I remind myself of what I want my students to also realize, that the right attitude can make learning fun as well as necessary.

Educational Neuroscience - John Ratey

What?
Dr. Ratey has and is continuing to study the relationship between exercise and the brain.  His most recent book Spark addresses how exercise can help people regulate mood, deal with stress, help your brain learn better and remember more.  He has found connections to and evidence of how exercise is a necessary part of human existance and where our society is deficient in addressing this topic and ways that we can be better.

So, What?
One area that he really emphasizes is how making exercise part of the learning process will improve students' ability to learn and retain information.  There were several articles from various places across the country about schools that were implementing programs to address the students need for physical activity.  The reports were wonderful about how it helped to focus students, kept them on task longer, and reduced  behavioural problems.

Now What?
I am excited to look more into this topic.  I think that helping students get the most out of their education is a key role that teachers play and I am open to exploring more ways to do that.  I know that I get tired of sittinig in classrooms all day.  It is very difficult to pay attention for long periods of time and I think that learning is degraded the longer it goes on without breaks or other activity.  I plan to incorporate some of the strategies that were talked about on Dr. Ratey's website and also to be an advocate for physical education and the importance of keepinhg students moving.

Motivation

Why am I here?


I have asked that question a lot, and not just in regards to school. For the majority of my life I have been in a Mastery Avoidance State. I have done well in school and other pursuits but there was always the constant fear of failure. The stress this caused is unbelievable. The chapters on motivation have given me a terminology to use when trying to describe why high school was so hard for me. I have gained a clearer understanding about what was really motivating me before now.

What motivates me?

I say “before now” because coming back to school to become certified as a teacher is something I am doing for me, my family and community. Looking back on my school years, and this includes the years I was in college getting my bachelors degree, I feel regret for wasted time and opportunity. There was so much more that I could have learned if I had known then what I know now. That’s the way it was though, what I can change is the way it will be. It’s still difficult, sometimes old habits and attitudes creep up on me, but I am progressing and I will take my experiences to my classroom and hopefully be there to intervene for others. I am excited to help students develop a lifetime love of learning.

Why do I succeed and why do I fail?

I have always had an internal locus. However, that inner voice usually told me that I could have done better if I would have tried harder. This is peculiar because I got good grades. Doing a task better to me meant that I could have done it with less anxiety and stress if I only would have started earlier, seen it for the mole hill that it was, or not expected myself to be perfect. Those are the reasons I fail. I succeed when I focus on developing an incremental view of my abilities and allow myself to grow and through my failures become better.

Course Contract Goals:

My goals are mastery goals. This says a lot about how far I have come and my hope for the future.

The Mindset of a great teacher:

I believe that I am currently on the first rung of the ladder leading to being a great teacher. I need to continue to monitor myself and work on my shortcomings as well as my strengths with a clear expectation of what I want to bring to my future students.

Educational Psychology Course Contract

Goal #1 - Become a self regulated learner.  I did the reading for class today before I went in search of the "hidden assignment."  I would  have benefited much more had I done things the other way around.  I am very excited to learn new studying strategies and techniques.  This will benefit me in my career as well as any other task I undertake in life.

Goal #2 - Understand techniques and models to impart what I learn from Goal #1 above into teaching strategies that will help my students discover or improve their learning habits and give them a better chance for a successful future.

Weekly Preperation Plan:
I will start on Thursday since that is the day of our class.

Thursday - After I come home from school I will review the material I learned in class and write down any questions I may have.
Friday - This is my study day.  I will devote the hours between 10-4 to preparation for this class.
Saturday - I will briefly review what I have studied/prepared the day before and seek clarification on things that may confuse me.
Sunday - Day off.
Monday - Brief review.
Wednesday - Brief review.

Study Strategies:
I will utilize the strategies given in the link for this assignment.  If these do not work for me then I will revise and find new ones.

Process to follow if I do not understand a topic:
I will review the materials i have been given as well as seek out further information on the web to answer my concerns.  If this does not yeild satisfactory results I will ask a classmate for their insights and if this does not work I will come to you for help.

I will reach my goals in this course by holding myself accountable for my education and adhering to my goals and outlined strategies.