Daily actions & Effective teaching reflections
DAY 1- Pocinjem svoje ReflekCije.
10/9/23
Daily action
Focus on understanding#
In the future, I believe it's important for me to dedicate additional time to ensure that students grasp the concepts from the preceding section before progressing to the next one. When working with high school students on college and career readiness, it can be deceptive to assume they understand everything (because the content is not innovative), leading to the misconception that we can go through each topic quickly. That is the situation I had last year. However, I later realized that they struggled with even the most fundamental concepts I tried to convey.
The lesson I learned: focus more on understanding before moving forward.
Effective teaching reflection
"Change is the end result of all true learning."
I found great satisfaction in the notion that we equate learning with change, particularly when we emphasized that learning inherently involves change. To elaborate further, I've always perceived learning as a profoundly creative and almost magical cognitive process that forges new neural connections within our brains. If we possess the capacity for thought, we possess the capacity for learning, or in simpler terms, the ability to establish fresh connections in our brains.
When faced with demotivated students, my initial approach involves envisioning the impact of every new piece of information on their brains. Psychologically speaking, we generate new synapses, and even the creation of a single synapse alters our brain.
Hence, when we engage in learning, there is an undeniable transformation within us, in our surroundings, and in our overall being. This transformation is the path to personal growth. Effective teaching fosters learning, and genuine learning invariably leads to personal development.
* * *
DAY 2 - ReflekCije...Odrazi mojih misli.
11/9/23
Daily action
Peer-review approach#
I am very glad that we reflected on the importance of peer review and how beneficial is in education. We all need supervision which doesn't create anxiety as it usually comes when it comes from the leadership side. Sharing our concerns, ideas, and thoughts with other teachers, observing lessons, and sharing good practices is a profound resource and I am going to promote it more and reach for it whenever I can.
In my school, there is a huge need to work more on it, make, and motivate teachers to step into other classrooms and learn there. Peer support is the most natural support for all ages, kids and adults as well.
Effective teaching reflection
"What? How? Why?"
It is always good to be reminded to ask yourself the core questions: What am I doing? How am I doing it? and Why am I doing it? Refreshing our goals, methods, and motivation is crucial for everything that we do. When it comes to counseling or teaching, we usually become easily motivated or demotivated and that is concerning. This mental exercise can help us restructure our activities and bring us back into the game with a strong purpose for our endeavors.
Being in the circle means we are involved in each phase of the process. Sometimes we need to invite ourselves to come inside.
* * *
DAY 3 - I jos reflekCija o mom ucenju...
12/9/23
Daily reflection
Truth, Justice, Mercy, and Peace#
Conflict resolution is a very common problem I deal with middle school students. I will gladly apply for the activity "Truth, Justice, Mercy, and Peace".
Effective teaching reflection
"If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you"
I intend to link this idea to the primary insight I acquired on the first day of this course. Genuine learning involves a transformation within ourselves, affecting our brain, conduct, lifestyle, and environment. This transformation is intrinsically linked to the challenges we willingly undertake. Learning is an ever-evolving journey, marked by its dynamism, stimulating all our senses, and compelling us to fully engage with life.
All of these concepts resonate deeply with me. Teaching is an ongoing lifelong pursuit as it enriches our existence and enhances our connection with the world.
* * *
DAY 4 - Reflektiram umor...
13/9/23
Daily action
Leading conversation with ChatGPT#
ChatGPT is an awesome tool for education. I use it a lot to learn, get quick information, and perspective, or express myself in a more concise and articulated way. I liked the advice to go into deeper conversation with ChatGPT and make it more two-way communication which may bring you more benefits and clarification. I am internalizing and taking this approach from now on!
Effective teaching reflection
An EN-during understanding - What is your big idea?
One simple but crucial question sets the foundation for effective teaching plans: What is the key concept you want students to grasp? Sometimes, keeping things straightforward can be challenging. I've encountered complex lesson plans, and as a result, I've seen many confused students.
I believe all teachers should ask themselves this question as a starting point. When teachers are clear about what they want students to understand and store in long-term memory, it ensures that the lesson's structure is on the right track.
Personally, I incorporate this practice into my mindfulness approach. Every now and then, I like to ask both myself and my students: What do you want to achieve, what do you need, and what is your ultimate goal?
* * *
DAY 5 - Ipak me ucenje cini sretnom. I ja sam sretna zbog toga.
14/9/23
Daily action
SMART goals#
Although this is something I preach about all the time when it comes to college and career readiness, going through SMART principles as part of learning and teaching plans and strategies sounded good and different.
In my daily routines, I often reflect on how the knowledge I possess can be transformed, more effectively applied, and restructured. Therefore, I've made a mental note to encourage my students to adopt SMART goal-setting during counseling sessions. Additionally, I'm considering conducting workshops for seniors, incorporating the new insights I've gained from this course into the goal-setting process.
Effective teaching reflection
"We all learn in our own way."
I am glad that I upgraded my understanding of differentiation. To be honest, I was always a little bit confused when it came to classic learning styles theories. It always sounded too rigid and narrow to me.
Now, keeping in mind that every student can learn based on his/her needs is an essential idea. There are also needs, content, context, interests, readiness...
In my counseling practice, I encounter a lot of students who are intimidated by the learning process and then they choose to stay on the surface and engage minimally just to get passing grades. That is very sad. I always try to motivate them to be brave, take a chance, and make their learning opportunity a way to their self-actualization.
* * *
Daily action
Self-regulation rule#
I found the section of this course that focused on social-emotional learning in the classroom to be particularly engaging for me. It's easy for teachers to get caught up in delivering content and planning activities, often overlooking the fact that students learn best when they're emotionally involved. Many students face difficulties in learning because they're dealing with overwhelming emotions or personal challenges. It's worth noting that a significant portion of students who exhibit behavior issues struggle with self-regulation due to emotional turbulence in the background.
Recognizing the significance of self-regulation for both teachers and students, especially in situations involving student behavior issues, is essential. I appreciated the advice we received from the teacher on this matter based on his experience.
Effective teaching reflection
"Becoming an effective teacher is a journey; not a destination to arrive at. "
This sentence had a profound impact on me and inspired me to put in continuous effort to enhance our teaching and learning, making it more meaningful. It serves as a reminder that everything we do is an ongoing, lifelong journey of improvement, change, challenges, endeavors, engagement, and innovation. The key is to keep moving forward and constantly seek positive change, which essentially means one thing - you are learning.
Today, when I hear the term UDL, I instantly associate it with diversity, dynamism, and the ongoing process of discovering a "better way" or an "unobstructed"/"barrierless" path for all individuals to continue their growth.
* * *
THE END
Comments
Post a Comment