Learning Slowly...

Blogging is such a NEW thing for me...but, I really am enjoying it. I have enjoyed reading one of my friend's blogs in which she posts hilarious old 80's...and even earlier pictures, sometimes self-incriminating. They are hilarious and I tell everyone to check out her blog...you will find it on mine (all of those 2 people that view this, including the person I am writing about), under the pseudonym of "The Kolbs".

I am a teacher...and while I try to become a better teacher every year, this year, I guess is not any different. I have been learning a ton on my craft through taking Masters' courses through Southern Utah University. Southern Utah University is a great college...especially for training teachers. I like to compare SUU to my alma mater, University of Northern Iowa. I love the fact that from these two institutions, students are taught my professors who were actually teachers (some professors weren't, but the word some is the KEY word). I know that some colleges, or should I say a lot of colleges, employ professors to teach pre-service or any other major (may it be business, political science, etc.) who have never set foot in the classroom or...started or owned a business or ran for a political office. I think that real world experience...and bringing that experience to the classroom, is extremely beneficial and gives the professor or teacher more credibility.

Now, this doesn't mean that I enjoy reading readable research in the teaching field...and that I don't have my favorite researchers such as Nell K. Duke or Michael Pressley. I have learned a lot from these individuals just from the research that they have conducted...and my respect grew tremendously for Michael Pressley when I learned that he visited real classrooms (many different classrooms) in order to find out the characteristics of effective classrooms, teachers, and schools, instead of relying on others.

So, to get back to my original thought...I have learned a lot through my Masters' classes and through these classes, I have found and learned the tools that will make me an effective teacher. I think that everyone who takes these classes will find out what makes an effective teacher, but to put it into action is another thing. One thing that I have been focusing on for my class next year is writing. My goal is to have them compose one writing piece a month. I think this goal is doable. I have bought several books on writing instruction and have found that one guru in writing has changed her mind in what kids can write about. Her idea is that kids shouldn't write fantasy, adventure, non-fiction, historical fiction, etc. stories, but journal-like stories ONLY. She has made a change in this, but it's still pretty stifled. My belief is that children should not be pigeon-hold in one specific writing genre, such as non-fiction writing...the kind of writing you would find in newspapers or the National Geographic. But, that there should be a balance between non-fiction writing and fiction writing.

What do you think?