Chapter 5 & 6

In chapter five the author gave great personal experiences about her own education. I loved how she described the differences in her Algebra teacher and German teacher’s teaching styles. “My algebra teacher taught algebra, my German teacher taught me German.” These two teachers shaped the rest of her life. Her German teacher made an effort to reach her, and give her assignments and work that would interest and suit her. The algebra teacher on the other hand, just taught the subject matter. I couldn’t help but think of teachers I’d had in my life. It made me think about whether or not I could remember the names of all of my teachers. The teachers I can remember are the ones who did try to make the lessons fun and interesting.

I think as teachers when teach in such a way that makes it real for our students they are more likely to remember the information. It does take time and effort to make our lessons apllicable to our students but it is well worth it. “The brain is inefficient at rote memorization and seeks instead to make meaning of information. I we don’t make meaning of what we study, we are likely not to remember it, be able to retrieve it, or be able to use it.”

As described in chapter 6 a teacher that brings the real world into a lesson, makes it more memorable for a student. I thought it was great how the math teacher brought their students to the construction site. It brought the real world into their lives. I especially liked how the students watched the construction and made suggestions, some of which were actually used. Lessons like this speak to a child just how important math really is without telling them, they will really see it, and experience it.

I've always loved taking my preschool students on field trips for this reason. It ties the abstract into something real. In November I teach my students about the food groups/food pyramid, since Thanksgiving comes at the end of the month. I have even taken my students to "Dominos Pizza" to see how they make pizza. Pizza if you think about it has all the food groups, (done correctly) Grains, dairy, meat, fruit and veggies, and fat of course:) My students have loved seeing behind the scenes of a product they have gotten many times. I've done many other field trips such as: the Dinosaur Museum, The Aquarium, and Farm Country. These have helped solidify what we've been learning about in class.

.....In essence these chapters have reinforced and taught me that when a student comes to me and says, "Please invest in me" my response in my actions and planning, will be "I will honor you by teaching you what matters most in your life."