Reflection on the semester

Well, this semester is nearly over. Only one day of classes left and one week of finals. This semester flew by very quickly, and I can't believe how much I have learned in just a few short months.

Educational Psychology is the first "real" teaching class I have had. (Intro. to Music Education didn't really teach us about teaching.) I found this class to be very interesting and inspiring. As I read the chapters of our textbook, I found myself circling and underlining things that I could apply when I am a teacher. Instead of memorizing who wrote what theory and the individual parts of that theory, I asked myself "How can I use this information in my classroom?" This was just my natural reaction to the class. Because I naturally thought like a teacher, I hope that that was a sign that I am meant to be a teacher. There are days when I doubt my choice, just as most people do, but in the end, I think that I will be very happy as a teacher.

Before taking this class, I was very nervous for my first year of teaching. Now, I know that my first year will be hard (as evident from the textbook and the movie "Chalk"), but I feel more prepared for it and ready to meet the challenge. I know that my first year of teaching will probably be my worst, but as I gain experience and confidence, my years of teaching will just become better and better.

I am just itching to get out into the classrooms and apply what I have learned thus far. This summer, I will be able to apply my new knowledge at the child care center where I work. That will be a good start. I'll keep you posted.

Reflection on i-Movies

I have been very busy this week with Christmas at Luther, so unfortunately this blog will be short in the interest of time.

On Monday night we watched i-Movies of book presentations. I enjoyed watching the movies, because I was able to learn about the books by watching the movies. Reading is a favorite hobby of mine, so I was disappointed when I did not have enough time to read more books from our book list this semester. Watching the i-Movies about the books helped me narrow down which books I will read this summer. The "Freedom Writers Diary" i-Movie looked great, but as I don't plan on teaching in an inner-city school, I will probably not read that book. "Last Child in the Woods" looked very interesting. I love nature and being outside (I could never live in town - I have to live in the country), so after watching an i-Movie about the book, I think that I will read that book over the summer.

I think that the i-Movie project is a good project to require. I had never used i-Movie before, so I learned a great deal about that. The project also forced us to really dive into our book, "Teacher Man." I don't think that our discussions about the book would have gone that in depth or had so much meaning if the i-Movie hadn't been assigned and we were instead just assigned to read the book and discuss it with our group. The project also taught me that I can't depend on technology (like youtube) or sometimes, people.

On a side note, watch "Christmas at Luther" on TPT/PBS December 22nd at 9pm. (That is when most stations are showing the concert. Check TPT's website or your local paper to find out when it is showing by you!)