Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Using the Past to Understand the Present

In chapter one, Allen discussed how memories of school, both positive and negative, can influence who we are as learners, teachers, and parents. After writing about your own school memories, and sharing and listening with others, how do you see "school memories" shaping your own current beliefs or expectations? How may "school memories" be shaping the experiences of students in your classrooms?

11 comments:

  1. I believe my "school memories" help me to remember things I didn't like about teachers and ways that we don't want speak around children that might influence them in a negative way. But, also remembering the positive things and how easy positive people creat enjoyable memories. Angela Verdetto - Yargo Elementary School

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  2. My memories of school have helped me with my expectations of children. It has helped me to realize how important encouragement from a teacher is. Our actions, reactions, and responses are remembered either sorely or fondly for possibly the rest of their lives. I am going to strive to be more attentive, understanding, and positive with my students.
    Tena Miller/Yargo

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  3. I do believe school memories do shape our beliefs and expectations. I personally do not think much about my school memories as a teacher but more in raising my child and in her school life. Most of my expectations I believe come from how I was raised and what my parents expected from me more than what teachers expected.

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  4. I never really thought much about my school memories until now and I guess that when I think about it I do believe that school memories shape our beliefs and expectations. I do remember a lot of encouragement from my teachers and how many times that alone got me through different situations, so now I realize just how important that is to our own children and the children we teach and work with everyday. Our actions and the things we say will be remembered by these students for many years and possibly for the rest of their lives. Kim

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  5. The memories I have of school are positive, but I did struggle with various subjects from time to time. It is the struggles and the encouragement I got at school and home that help me to assist the children I interact with on a daily basis. I can recall different experiences and share with students. It gives us a common ground and they see me as someone who wants to help them.

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  6. I believe, like all encounters we have, our school experiences shape our beliefs and expectations. The attitudes and outlooks we hold define who we are in the classroom and in the world. Our school experiences are reflected in how we learn, how we teach, and how we motivate our students. I can’t really see someone going into the teaching field who had an overall horrendous experience while in school. I know each of us had ups and downs while on our educational journey, but I think it is the obstacles that allow us to connect with our students and help build a relationship that enables success.

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  7. Ooops! I didn't put my name on it! The post March 14 at 7:17 was Dione's. :)

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  8. I think all of the positive memories that I had in school are part of why I am a teacher today. I use those experiences in my classroom today. The teachers that had the biggest influence on me where the ones that I connected with - the ones that seemed to care about me. I think about those things as I interact with my kids.

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  9. Most of school memories are very positive experiences, and I only have 2 negatives memories but those have to more with situations than my former teachers. I learned a lot from the teachers I had to help me become the type of teacher I am today. Both my parents were teachers, and the stories they would tell have also effected the reason why I teach today, and they way I connect with my students and parents (current and in the past). I want the kids I teach to know I care and I want them to learn as many new things as they can.

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  10. I believe my school memories (mostly positive)do effect how I relate to students and my own children. I have a senstive spot for those who are bullied. For both the victum and why the bully feels the need to show aggression to another. Not because I was bullied in school persay but for other reasons. I do not have negative ones about my teachers, those always seemed to be good ones.

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  11. My school memories are mostly great. The teachers that that mattered to me the most then and now were the ones that had very high expectation for everyone in their classes. The ones that I would say treated me negetively, now pop into my head when I have to deal with bad behavior or someones work fall short of my expectation. What I'm thinking at some of those times is 'OH DON"T BE Mrs. Patrick'!
    However most of the time I want to be Mrs Hudson, Mr.Mays and Mrs. Andrews who expected nothing but everyones personal best!

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