Blog #1

Hi!

My name is Kathryn Harris. I grew up in Homewood, Alabama and attended public schools in Homewood. In August, I will begin my Senior year at Mississippi State University where I am majoring in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Math and Science. I enjoy traveling, playing tennis, and spending time with my dog. The summer after my sophomore year of high school, I traveled with my church youth choir to England and Wales. While I was there I had the opportunity to see the Queen of England and many other royals riding in the Queen’s birthday parade. I have enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York. My family in particular likes to visit National Parks. While visiting the Grand Canyon, we went white water rafting and rode mules. Last summer we took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. During our stay we rode horses in Montana and went on a safari in Yellowstone. I am really passionate about working with dogs. In my spare time I like to show dogs at various shows throughout the south. When time permits I enjoy playing tennis with my friends. My freshman year at Mississippi State I won the Women’s Intramural Tennis Championship.

  

I have worked for the last seven summers as a camp counselor at my church camp. The camp is for kids in the 1^st through 6^th grades. I really enjoyed interacting with the kids by helping them make crafts, leading them in Bible stories, and leading them in recreational games. This experience motivated me to become a teacher. My grandmother and aunt were teachers, and they have both been very important role models in my life. They have always encouraged me to go into the teaching field.  My goals for this course are to come out of this class with a different perspective on teaching middle school students. I want to feel prepared to teach at the middle school level and be able to help each student meet each of his unique academic goals.

I hope to learn how to effectively manage a middle school classroom. The middle school years are crucial in the development of productive students. I have not had the opportunity to adequately observe a middle school classroom; I know that I may one day need the knowledge and skills to work at the middle school level. Middle school students are going through a difficult time in their lives. They are beginning to mature, and they need a lot of support both educationally and developmentally. I hope to learn how to successfully help each student with these needs.

A large part of a middle school teacher’s job is to prepare students for the high school level. Middle school teachers enforce deadlines and completing homework assignments more than elementary school teachers. These actions are beneficial to the overall learning experience because they encourage students to not be lazy and to engage in their work more fully. The teachers help the students with their organization skills. It is important for students to be organized with their school work. By learning how to stay organized at a younger age, students are more likely to stay organized when they are older. At my middle school, all the students were required to have an organizer and a student planner.  The teachers taught us how to organize our work and encouraged us to write down all our assignments and the due dates. Several of my past middle school teachers have tried to incorporate all of the students in the classroom so that each student does not feel left out. During middle school years, children tend to form cliques and make other students feel that they are not wanted. By placing students out of their comfort zones, middle school teachers are able to create a more positive learning environment. Additionally, if students are not placed with their best friends during a lesson or during a group project, then they are more likely to stay focused on the lesson.

Many teachers do not get to know their students on an individual basis. If a teacher sees a particular student in the class as just another kid in her classroom, then the teacher may fail to see that the student is falling behind academically. By learning each student’s personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, a teacher can better develop a plan for the student’s success.  Some teachers tend to have a favorite student. The teacher will often call on that particular student to answer a question or let the student get away with class disruptions. These actions can make the other students feel frustrated and feel that they are not smart or talented enough. If a student does not feel that he or she is as capable as another, than he will not put forth as much effort in the classroom. A student can get so much more accomplished if he feels confident in his abilities as a student. Assigning projects that are unrealistic for students can hinder the learning process.  When I was in middle school, I really enjoyed working on projects because they helped me learn the material more quickly.  However, when I was in the sixth grade, my teacher had us create a 3-D Action Figure with a movable part.  All of my friends had to get a lot of help from their parents to make their figure. I was not able to fully learn the material for that particular chapter because the project that I had to do was difficult and not beneficial.

I come from a public school in Alabama, unlike many of my friends that I have met in Mississippi. Several of my friends from Mississippi went to small private schools. I have more experience working with people from all kinds of religious beliefs, races, and home lives. I am able to meet the individual and personal needs of each of my students more fully than the typical Mississippi private school student. Another trait that sets me apart from my peers is my organizational skills. I am able to set up my own schedule and meet each deadline. I can keep all of my tasks for the day together and not get sidetracked. My students will not have to struggle academically simply because I am not able to keep my lesson plans organized.