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Chapter 1: The Teaching Profession and You

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Chapter 1: The Teaching Profession and You

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#1. "People think “vocation” is all about choosing and preparing for a career: learn about different careers, consider the external rewards and downsides of each career, weigh the pros and cons, and finally choose the one that makes the most sense. But if you haven’t discovered this yet, life often defies such logic and planning." (pg. 3)

---I was always the odd one out when it came to knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Since 6th grade, I knew I would be a music teacher. However, what I didn't know was that it would be so hard just to get a piece of paper that said I was a certified teacher.

#2. "Not surprising. In our society, schools teach us early on to be quiet and listen to others, to take notes on what others say, to study hard, and to do well on the test." (pg. 3)

--- I chose this quote because it bothers me so much. We train students to be mindless yes men and then expect them to be creative adults on their eventual occupation. It is all about the test and never about the student. It is good to study and do well but it is also so important to be YOU!

#3. The Tarnished Idealist!
"We all hope to be that special teacher, the one students remember and talk about long after they graduate. But too often, idealistic goals give way to survival—simply making it through from one day to the next. New teachers find themselves judged on their ability to maintain a quiet, orderly room." (pg. 6)

--- I definitely want to be a special teacher. I also know what it is like to survive through a class and then forget about it. The balance needs to be found. New teachers should be hungry for the job and be determined, but they need to plan for the worst. The classroom can be a sanctuary and the next day be a war zone.

This chapter made me realize how scary and rewarding teaching can be. I still want to be a teacher, but I know that there will always be factors to consider when it comes to my classroom and my teaching style. The chapter poses the question, Why Teach?

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Chapter 2: Mindsets and Multiple Intelligences

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Chapter 2: Mindsets and Multiple Intelligences

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#1. "The theory of multiple intelligences goes a long way in explaining why the quality of an individual’s performance may vary greatly in different activities, rather than reflect a single standard of performance as indicated by an IQ score." (pg. 28)

--- I chose this quote because I think IQ tests are completely unnecessary in the way they used to be conducted. Measuring one's IQ can be beneficial, but it can no longer be based solely on one standard.

#2. "How often do you listen to misogynist rap lyrics, combative talk radio, rude television commentators; laugh (even uncomfortably) at a racist joke; or witness road rage unfold before your eyes? Disrespectful behavior in our society has become commonplace...This means [we need to be] honoring people with different ideas, different cultures, and different belief systems...In an ever-shrinking world, the lack of respectful minds can have dire consequences." (pg. 29)

--- This quote is ridiculously important because it is true. We, as a whole, fear the truth when it is most important. I find myself doing things outlined in this quote and I need to check myself every time. There needs to be respectful people in this world to keep us human and kind.

#3. "Constant references to gender lead children to believe that teachers are intentionally signaling important differences between boys and girls. But are these differences significant, or are they stereotypes?" (pg. 35)

--- I think this is awful. Personally, I believe in children playing with whatever toys they want, wearing whatever styles/colors/outfits they want, and pursuing a life that makes them happy. Why other people can't think like this blows my mind because it isn't even hard! Teachers are turning out to be dangerous to children when it comes to the topic of gender. We really need to watch ourselves and promote creativity rather than pushing stereotypes on the most innocent and beautiful minds.

This chapter puts the spotlight on diversity. All students will learn differently and they will all want to do different things. It is ridiculous to try to mash all students together based on a number. All students should be free to be themselves while learning. The chapter made me reflect on how I used to learn and the fact that I had to take IQ tests.

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Chapter 3: Teaching Your Diverse Students

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Chapter 3: Teaching Your Diverse Students

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#1. "...Many adults conclude that students of color are punished more in school because of their misbehaviors, but research points the finger at the unconscious bias of teachers and administrators. ...Regardless of the infractions, the teachers gave more harsh punishment to the students with black sounding names." (pg. 53)

--- This quote hits a little too close to home for me because of how my boyfriend grew up. His father (from Ghana) gave him a "white" name (Harold) when he was born in the US. He has a traditional African middle name, but I can only imagine what it would have been like for him in school with a different name. He tells me all the time that he still was targeted as a young student just because of his skin color. All of those teachers were wrong because he grew up to be incredibly well spoken, and runs a multi-national bio technology company with his father. I don't understand why people just assume things. It is extremely tedious and stupid.

#2. "Although schools were ordered to desegregate in the 1954 Brown decision, since the 1980s, schools have been resegregating. Since the 1990s, the segregation of students of every racial group has increased." (pg. 68)

---Honestly, I wish I could be President. I would end segregation immediately. It takes so much effort to hate someone and make sure they're separated. Why can't we just leave people alone? Students and adults should never experience segregation. It is going on right under our noses and we (teachers) have the power to fix it.

#3. Multiple Intelligence Connection
"Let students explore their interpersonal intelligence. Have them identify four individuals in their circle of friends and acquaintances. Where do their friends stand on the issue of multiculturalism?" (pg. 69)

--- STUDENT INTERACTION IS SO IMPORTANT! Students always learn more from their peers especially when it comes to social intelligence. Prompting students to talk about culture and its differences, makes them more well rounded and accepting of other opinions/people.

This chapter made me think about the things I've said in my life that could be deemed racial or rude. It also made me think about how to get students to learn about it each other to create a safe and healthy environment. I want all students to be comfortable learning.

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Chapter 4: Student Life in School and at Home

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Chapter 4: Student Life in School and at Home

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#1. "From the moment children first enter school, they are immersed in an informal and subtle network of interactions that forms a big part of school culture" (pg. 84)

--- I think this is a blessing and a curse. Students should be immersed into school culture, but they should be taught what they're getting in to so they know how to handle it. Students stress is one of the worst things to go through.

#2. "Being an adolescent is a full-time job, an all-out war against the appearance of awkwardness. No one is more attentive to nuance than a seventeen-year-old … When a kid in my class came to school one day in a funny-looking pair of shoes that one of his friends eventually laughed at, I could see by his face that he was thinking, “well, that does it, there goes the rest of my life." (pg. 96)

--- High school students are ruthless animals that can either make or break your whole career. You have to be perfect and ooze confidence just to make it through a week...let alone a year. I went through this every year, but I was able to set it aside to face the bigger picture.

#3. "Are you surprised to learn that nationwide only about 80 percent of students graduate from high school? Every day 7,000 or more students give up on school, resulting in more than 1 million American high school students who drop out every year. Racial, ethnic, and gender patterns offer an even more disturbing picture of educational attainment. And not surprisingly, dropouts reflect challenges faced by other disadvantaged groups, including English language learners, students with special needs, and those from low-income backgrounds." (pg. 103)

--- This statistic was all too real for me. In my senior year, I was supposed to graduate with almost 200 people and we ended up at 105 people that actually walked the stage. It is also sad to know that a lot of those students didn't have a fair chance because they hit a wall right out if the gate when they got to school.

This chapter changed my thoughts about how to approach adolescent stress and social prowess. I know how it feels to be a high school student and I will strive to minimize their stress and make them worry less about material concepts.

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Chapter 5: The Multicultural History of American Education

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Chapter 5: The Multicultural History of American Education

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#1. "For attendance at exclusive schools, such as Boston Latin Grammar, or at college, wealth was critical. The least desirable educational and apprenticeship opportunities were left to the poor."
(pg. 116)

--- I chose this quote because it still happens today. After all these years, we are still giving better opportunities to the wealthy just because they have green paper with big numbers on it! I also think though that some schools can provide better education to students without being an "Ivy League" or "Prep" school.

#2. Progressive Education
"This model of education assumes that students learn best when their learning follows their interests. Progressivists believe that knowledge is not an inert body of facts to be committed to memory; rather, it consists of experiences that should be used to help solve present problems." (pg. 127)

--- YES, YES, YES! Students should be free to explore their interests. No one can say that they can do something before experiencing it first. Knowledge is gained through experience. I think that a lot of schools still overlook student interests even though they're so powerful and can lead to wonderful outcomes.

#3. "In Sex in Education (1873), Dr. Edward Clarke, a member of Harvard’s medical faculty, argued that women attending high school and college were at risk because the blood destined for the development and health of their ovaries would be redirected to their brains. The stress of study was no laughing matter. Too much education would leave women with “monstrous brains and puny bodies … flowing thought and constipated bowels.” Clarke recommended that females be provided with a less demanding education, easier courses, no competition, and “rest” periods so that their reproductive organs could develop. He maintained that allowing girls to attend such places as Harvard would pose a serious health threat to the women themselves, with sterility and hysteria potential outcomes." (pg. 140)

--- I almost don't want to say anything because the quote speaks for itself. This is pure madness. Why were so afraid of women? We are not mindless housewives...sorry guys. Unfortunately this "study" was taken seriously. I take this personally too because I have over a 3.0 GPA and I have never taken less than twenty credits a semester (no lie). Sure I get stressed, but I'm still here and I will not back down from the degree I am striving for.

This chapter didn't really change my thoughts about education. Rather, it shed some light on how far we've come as a whole and where we are still going. It made me understand the mistakes that were made

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Chapter 6: Finding Your Philosophy of Education

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Chapter 6: Finding Your Philosophy of Education

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#1. "Schools were endorsing social Darwinism, the idea that society is an ingenious “sorting” system, one in which the more talented rise to the top, while those less deserving find themselves at the bottom of the social and economic pecking order. The conclusion: Those with money deserve it, those without money deserve their lot in life, and poverty is a normal, preordained part of reality." (pg. 163)

--- I do believe in social Darwinism. However, it takes things to the extremes. I think that everyone should adapt to different circumstances over the course of their lives or else they'll become stagnant and ignorant.

#2. "In much of the West, society’s needs dictate educational practices, with statewide standards, national goals, and high-stakes testing. In the rest of the world, that is to say, in most of the world, the child’s education is primarily a concern of the family, not the society. A child’s vocational interests, for example, might mirror the occupation of a parent or be built around the unique interest or talent of the child, rather than respond to the broader employment market or societal priorities. Family and community are foremost; the nation is a weaker influence." (pg. 172)

--- I really appreciate the innocence that this quote provokes. It talks about how children shouldn't have to conform to the global market. They should do something they're good at and excel with. Sadly, much of the Western civilization does the opposite of this.

#3. "Aristotle promoted the doctrine of the Golden Mean, or the notion that virtue lies in a middle ground between two extremes. Courage, for example, is bordered on the one side by cowardice and on the other side by foolhardiness." (pg. 173)

--- Honestly, I didn't know what the golden mean was until I started reading this chapter, but it makes perfect sense. All teachers need to find the balance between the extremes in order to be the best teacher they can be.

This chapter changed the way I thought about outside influences on education. It seems that choice is the best option for children and young adults, but they are rarely given the opportunity to chose.

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Chapter 7: Follow the Money: Financing America's Schools 

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Chapter 7: Follow the Money: Financing America's Schools 

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#1. "We believe that teachers should be advocates for children, children who themselves are excluded from policy decisions. Teachers and students find themselves the victims of rising educational expectations but limited educational resources. All society’s economic and social inequities are left for schools and teachers to remedy. If they are not successful, it is their fault. Even the bare necessities of classroom resources are often inadequate, and teachers are forced to dig into their own pockets to buy school supplies.

--- There is too much pinned on new teachers and yet they aren't part of the large decisions that directly affect them. The world expects so much from us and we try so hard to deliver when we will never get the same in return.

#2. "We have become a nation that places a lower priority on teaching its children how to thrive socially, intellectually, even spiritually, than it does on training them to consume. The long-term consequences of this development are ominous." (pg. 192)

--- As I have said before, children are incredibly important and deserve the best. We need to start practicing what we preach. If we don't, the results will be detrimental. Children need to be taught how to survive but also how to thrive.

#3. "Most school board members are … white, male, and middle or upper class." (pg. 198)

--- Shocker...Before college, I had more male teachers than female teachers. I think that women aren't putting themselves out there. I remember that my school board only had two women on it. If i had the opportunity, I would be part of my school board.

This Chapter made me think about how I could help students and what they could achieve if they just got helped. I also thought about how I don't know how to do certain things right away because I wasn't taught at a young age.

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Chapter 9: Purposes of America’s Schools and the Current Reform Movement

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Chapter 9: Purposes of America’s Schools and the Current Reform Movement

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#1. "After a bad day in class, you may have muttered (or screamed), “Why do schools exist?” However, any attempt to provide an “answer” shows that the question is deceptively complex. Of course, students go to school to learn. But what are they (we) supposed to learn? That depends on who you ask."
(pg. 245)

--- I think this is a great quote because I have asked myself both of those questions. However, I haven't really been able to answer them because there really is no good answer.

#2. "We should simply accept that school isn’t actually about efficient teaching; it’s about free all-day babysitting while parents work.” (pg. 247)

--- I really don't like this quote, but it shows what people are thinking. School is not a daycare. I do however think that teachers are more than just teachers. We are caregivers, therapists, facilitators of creativity, etc.

#3. "Recently, the focus of teacher evaluation has started to shift toward classroom performance. Teacher evaluations and salaries were linked to student test scores." (pg. 269)

--- This really scares me. I agree that classroom performance should be a factor in evaluating teachers, but test scores should have nothing to do with it. Whether or not students do well on a test does not mean that the content on the test wasn't taught. The government and the Commissioner of Education need to realize this.

This chapter highlights the friction within the teaching world. It also talks about the faults. There needs to be some light shed on the realities and fantasies of schools.

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#1. "As a classroom teacher, what can you legally say and do?" (pg. 213)

--- I think this is a really important question because everyone will ask it at least once in their teaching career. It is not always clear what teachers are allowed to say/do. Now, we do have common sense and abide by morals, but the gray area will consistently be there. We want to help our students, but we don't want to get in trouble either.

#2. "Not too long ago, school districts regularly considered marital and parenthood status in employment decisions. For women these were critical factors in being offered a job, and the “right” answer was: “No, I am not going to get married or have children.” For male candidates, the question was less important and rarely asked." (pg. 214)

--- I would be really uncomfortable if someone asked me questions on either of those topics. However, it makes sense that men wouldn't be asked the same invasive questions as female candidates. Other than time commitment, I'm not sure how being married or having children would be a detriment to teaching.

#3. "Cheating in school has become easier; cell phones and smart watches, along with other sophisticated (and tiny) gadgets, are today’s cheat sheets, and the World Wide Web is a powerful temptation at home. The Internet has made it easy for students to cut and paste their way to a term paper, downloading a few sentences or even entire essays before weaving them into their papers—without crediting the original sources." (pg. 234)

--- This is unfortunate. Students should never cheat and they shouldn't have a reason to cheat either. However, I can say with full honesty that I have "cut and pasted" things in the past. The thing that sets me aside is the fact that I only do it for direct quotes or I would change the sentence around/elaborate on it with my own thoughts.

This chapter talks about the gray areas. Cheating, teacher conduct, and asking inappropriate questions are all things that have been addresses, but maybe not enough. I think as teachers and future teachers, we can hit these topics right on the head.

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Chapter 10: Curriculum, Standards, and Testing

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Chapter 10: Curriculum, Standards, and Testing

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#1. "Much of what is taught in schools is tradition and conventional wisdom, representing curricular inertia rather than careful thought. It’s not easy to find balance among the often-competing goals and values of conveying our cultural heritage, preparing children for an unknown future, and keeping curricula from obsolescence." (pg. 277)

--- I think it is a lot easier to find a balance between careful thought and conventional wisdom. Teachers just have to be taught how and be willing to teach both. Curriculum will never be obsolete, but it will be the downfall of free thought.

#2. "The Common Core is intended to bring more rigor to the curriculum, and reflect a national consensus on what all American students should learn." (pg. 288)

--- I think common core was something that looked really good on paper, but had some execution problems. The national consensus doesn't apply to every single individual child so that's where my problem lies. I believe that there should be standards, but they need to be revised.

#3. "Perhaps the biggest technological classroom problem is smartphone distraction."
(pg. 301)

--- I agree and disagree with this. If the content being taught is not engaging, I think the natural response for anyone is to tune out and do something more "fun." However, students are so used to being on their phones that even if the content is interesting, some of them may be glued to their screens.

This chapter really talks about common core and how those standards came to be. I see the faults and benefits of them, but overall, they don't apply to me anymore because of the NYS Art Standards. I think it's good to still know about them and find the significance.

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Chapter 11: Becoming an Effective Teacher

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Chapter 11: Becoming an Effective Teacher

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#1. "Are teachers born or made?" (pg. 307)

--- This is a tough one. I personally think I was born to teach and there is nothing I want to do more. However, I think that if someone wants to become a teacher later in life, they should have to opportunity to do so. I do think that you have to be born with certain qualities and temperaments to be an effective teacher.

#2. "To question well is to teach well. In the skillful use of the question more than anything else lies the fine art of teaching; for in it we have the guide to clear and vivid ideas, and the quick spur to imagination, the stimulus to thought, the incentive to action." (pg. 317)

--- When teachers ask twenty questions after a lesson, it isn't as effective as one, well placed, question to wrap everything up. I also find it useful to ask a question before starting a lesson to get the students attention.

#3. "This vision of deep teaching highlights the social nature of learning and of the classroom." (pg. 337)

--- Teaching is meant to go with the grain. A good classroom adheres to the needs of its students and facilitate as much free thought as possible. I just love this quote.

This chapter is great to end the book because it tells teachers that failure is okay, but you always have to get back up and go. We all have it in us to be great teachers. It is only a matter of us believing in ourselves and maintaining our passion that we will eventually pass onto our students. The chapter answers the question, Why Teach?