BlogPostIT

One of the most important things that teachers have to do, is develop a relationship with their students. When teachers have a relationship, the student feels more comfortable to approach their teacher. Also, when teachers have a relationships with their students, they care more about them and their individual learning. Student-teacher relationships can be very beneficial for both people.

Another important aspect to teaching, is that teachers have to be able to engage their students, instead of just throwing information at them. Students are not going to have the desire to learn if the information is just being thrown at them and they are asked to memorize it. The best teachers are the ones that can get their students involved throughout the class and get their students to love participating. The problem-posing method is definitely a better method to use when teaching and approaching ones students. Instead of just giving them the information to memorize for themselves, they propose a question for their students in order to get them to start thinking for themselves. This is a better method to teaching because it increases their level of thinking and their ability to comprehend the material that is being covered.

Overall, I believe that it is important for teachers to be able to establish relationships with their students in order for their students to be more willing to seek them out for help and in order to get the students to be more comfortable with their teachers. I also believe that it is a teachers job to be passionate and for them to be able to engage their students in the classroom. Information should not just be thrown at a student, it should be given to them in a way that will make them want to learn and grasp the information.

BlogPost5

At my grade school, there wasn't much talk about different sexualities. I think it was because we were so young that most of the students probably didn't know that there are different sexualities or they did know but it didn't make them look at anyone differently. Once I got to high school, people were more aware of the different sexualities.  I went to Ursuline Academy, an all girls high school, and if someone had a different sexual orientation, that didn't lead to others looking at you differently or mistreating you. All the girls at my high school were super supportive of people with a different orientation and if they weren't, they didn't show their opinions because they didn't want to offend anyone. At Ursuline, I am not sure if there was a group or a club like a gay straight alliance. I don't think that there necessarily needs to be a group started at Ursuline because of how accepting all of the students are of one another. Ursuline was definitely a place that allowed you to be who you are and to express yourself. That was one of my favorite things about the school. I loved how close everyone was to each other and how accepting they are of you. I think that it is very important for people to be accepting of one another. I think that it is something that should be taught from a young age, to love and except everyone. If that begins to be taught to young children, I think that there would be more acceptance of people.

FieldPost2

       At Shaker Heights Middle School, the students and the teachers had a great relationship. The students seemed to respect their teachers and their teachers seemed to care a lot about their students. The teachers made sure to talk at a level that their students would understand and considered their students more as friends than a random kid that they had to teach. The teachers wanted to be their because they love their job and the kids in their class. The students were good about taking part in the class and making it their own. They were supportive of one another and encouraged each other to succeed and to try again if they didn't understand something.
       After observing two different classes, the bridge that I think they are trying to build is from solidarity to strong relationships. These kids don't know very much about each other and how they learn. Being in class everyday with one another, allows the students to realize that a big part of their education has to deal with the people that they are around. With positive encouragement and enthusiasm to learn, these students are able to strive to do their best everyday. They learn to bond with the other students in their class, as well as, their teachers. They are able to form a trust between one another that allows them to feel more comfortable around each other and in the learning environment.

BlogPost4

Dear Senator Bill Coley,

My name is Danielle Brinkmann and I am an education major at John Carroll University. At John Carroll, I have begun to learn the basics of Education and the meaning of becoming a teacher. In my class, I have learned about the DeRolph case and the Supreme Court's ruling. The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio found that Ohio's system of school finance to be unconstitutional. I find this ruling troubling because there has not been much done in order to reform the school system. Why has nothing been done to help the school in Ohio? Schooling plays a huge part in every child's life. It is the place where they spend most of their time learning, with friends, and developing. If the schools aren't safe for the students, why are they still being allowed to attend them? Schools should be of the upmost importance, especially since learning and graduating school are of such importance in today's society. There should be more attention on schools to make sure that each student is gaining an education and that they are getting the attention needed when it comes to learning. I think that more attention and action should be taken to get schools up to code, because schooling is one of the most important things that any child will experience throughout their life.

Sincerely,
Danielle Brinkmann