Like I stated last week, we watched the award winning 2008 thriller Slumdog Millionaire, 5 times today. I have already seen the film, dont like it but still am forced to watch the entire middle section of, 45 mins of it every class period. I saw the Jai Ho dance time after time, and cant get the song out of my head. I have constantly heard the boys of the class talk about if the main girl is hot, and how nasty of a place India looks.
On to the educational part of this blog, I dont really get what the students will take out of this film. I understand it shows "real life India", and this will help students understand what some parts of India are like. But I still think a false stereotype is being created. I really dont think this a good thing, but it is good that a different perspective than what the students are used to is being presented. All other perspectives on India the students have are that of the United States, but this movie shows the life of someone born and raised in the slums of India.
I really hope that while I was gone the teacher focused on how India came to be, and the ideas of Hinduism, and how India connects with the rest of the world were the focus of previous lectures that I wasnt present for.
I am really starting to get a feel for how students interact here at Warren. There are many similar cliques that I noticed were present at my high school as well. Also, I am seeing that students have very good relationships with educators and the educators seem to be interested in students interests and what activities they do outside of school. This could be a sport or a club ran by the school they are in. I feel like this gives students a better chance to learn from their teacher as a healthy student/teacher relationship can go along way.
PS- i graded some more papers too, i do it every day NBD
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Day 5 - India Our India, India We're All For You
Today in our geography class, the topic was India. This was not my most exciting day as it consited of lecture after lecture on the country, and of course a tid bit of grading. Throughout the lectures I once again felt like many things were needed to be added, as I felt like the stereotype of India being a place where every single inch of the country is filled with trash and overpopulated by dirty poor people. While, I know that this terrible thing does occur in the country that still is not the most important aspect. The teacher as also informed us that next Thursday we will be watching Slumdog Millionaire. (very educational?????) Oh well, I watched some pretty bogus movies in my high school social studies classes as well.
The teacher did incorporate some history into class today as well. She included Gandhi, but I'm pretty sure if you asked the students who he was, they would say something like "hes an old peaceful dude from India, who had silly glasses and wore a diaper looking thing" This doesnt seem right to me, but once again the teacher still has more lectures on India to give, and I hope she incorporates all of Gandhi's contributions to India.
I do feel like I am getting to interact with students more, this could be before and after class; or even in the passing periods where I "monitor" the halls. This is definitely a highlight to my observation, as a lot of the kids are easy to relate to with similar hobbies such as sports or the "hottest hip hop song" of that week.
I still havent really got to teach so this still kinda sucks, but I do feel like im learning how to be the best teacher I can be.
PS I got invited to a "ratchet twurking party that weekend". I politely said I would not be attending, and that was inappropriate to offer me an invitation. Still I had to chuckle, and thought to my self "why didnt I have one of those in my high school days?"
The teacher did incorporate some history into class today as well. She included Gandhi, but I'm pretty sure if you asked the students who he was, they would say something like "hes an old peaceful dude from India, who had silly glasses and wore a diaper looking thing" This doesnt seem right to me, but once again the teacher still has more lectures on India to give, and I hope she incorporates all of Gandhi's contributions to India.
I do feel like I am getting to interact with students more, this could be before and after class; or even in the passing periods where I "monitor" the halls. This is definitely a highlight to my observation, as a lot of the kids are easy to relate to with similar hobbies such as sports or the "hottest hip hop song" of that week.
I still havent really got to teach so this still kinda sucks, but I do feel like im learning how to be the best teacher I can be.
PS I got invited to a "ratchet twurking party that weekend". I politely said I would not be attending, and that was inappropriate to offer me an invitation. Still I had to chuckle, and thought to my self "why didnt I have one of those in my high school days?"
Day 4 - DEATH BY VOCAB
The grading continues, I have graded so many papers my hands are beginning to turn numb. Just kidding but seriously, I have graded a lot. I want more interaction with the students and maybe even the opportunity to teach.
I have seen countless lectures today on the Soviet Union's geography, and I feel like I have many things to contribute. I really feel like the teacher uses drilling strategies to get the students to learn. By this I mean the teacher is using a strategy I like to call "Death by Vocab", literally every unit the students have pages full of vocab and definitions.
While this may seem like a bad strategy and way to organize the classroom, the teacher does have a very well organized method that seems to work. She constantly reminds my colleague and I, how good test scores are for her class, so I really have no reason to put down this technique, I just feel like my classroom set up and strategy would be very different.
I also asked my teacher if I could do some teaching in the near future, she seemed hesistant and said they are on a strict schedule but maybe I could conduct a mini lesson :( .............. oh well gotta start somewhere and I still think my cooperating teacher is a very good one.
I have seen countless lectures today on the Soviet Union's geography, and I feel like I have many things to contribute. I really feel like the teacher uses drilling strategies to get the students to learn. By this I mean the teacher is using a strategy I like to call "Death by Vocab", literally every unit the students have pages full of vocab and definitions.
While this may seem like a bad strategy and way to organize the classroom, the teacher does have a very well organized method that seems to work. She constantly reminds my colleague and I, how good test scores are for her class, so I really have no reason to put down this technique, I just feel like my classroom set up and strategy would be very different.
I also asked my teacher if I could do some teaching in the near future, she seemed hesistant and said they are on a strict schedule but maybe I could conduct a mini lesson :( .............. oh well gotta start somewhere and I still think my cooperating teacher is a very good one.
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