Teacher's Post
My second teacher that I commented on is J Spencer. His blog is called Spencer's Scratch Pad: Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher. You guys really need to check out his blog if you have time. He is an amazing writer, and I really like his blog format! His perceptions of his students are very unique and passionate.
First Post: Daddy, Why Cant Girls Be Friends?
This post is about his son asking this question and wondering why he cant have a girl as a friend. His son says that sometimes he just wants to talk and he thinks girls are better at that. His son is absolutely right. For the most part, girls are better at talking, listening, and handling the the emotional side of life. But why is this? Are girls just genetically better capable, or is their talking capabilities due to social factors? I think it is probably a little of both just like Nature and Nurture both play a part in intelligence, they both play a part in adaptive behaviors also.
My comment
Hey Spencer, I'm Josh King (an EDM310 student). I really like this post because it shows that kids do struggle with gender stereotyping and the pressures of being in a homogeneous group. Kids know the social boundaries without being taught, but we shouldn't feel like we have to uphold a stereotype. My girlfriend says that I'm a good listener when I want to be. So, this should encourage me to be a better listener instead of saying 'oh, I'm a guy I'm not supposed to be like that'.
In a week I'll post a summary of your blogs, my comments, and what I've learned on my blog. Thank you!
Second Post : Rainy Day Schedule
Mr. Spencer is so engaging! I love reading his perception on natural occurrences in life and in teaching. This post is about a day that it was storming really bad and Mr. Spencer was trying to get his students to be quiet so they could experience the weather. But, the kids were experiencing the weather. Some were sitting and being quiet. Others were splashing in the puddles and others were talking about it with fellow friends. They were experiencing the weather in their own individual way! Each kid has a distinct personality and therefore each student experiences life differently.
My Comment
Mr. Spencer I am so engaged by your experiences! Thank you so much for sharing this. I am in college at the University South Alabama aspiring to be a science teacher. I wonder (if I was in your shoes) if I would have missed the point that the students were experiencing the weather in their own individual way! Each kid has a distinct personality and therefore each student experiences life differently.
Hey Joshua,
ReplyDeleteI agree that women tend to be more effective communicators than men. Research shows that women can use both sides of their brains at the same time while men can usually only use one side of their brain at a time. This does not mean that women are smarter, but that they are simply able to multitask, including listening and evaluating at the same time.
I am a substitute teacher at a middle school and I really like the point Mr. Spencer makes about letting the kids experience things their own way. Often times, teachers expect students to sit down, be quiet, and "do their work." But I often wonder if this is always the best way for them to learn. Some students will sit and be quiet and not do any work at all. These students learn better with active engagement. Our methods as teachers should be as diverse as our audience so that we may be all means teach all.
Amanda Bosarge
Absolutely! A teacher should be as diverse as their audience.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Mr. Vital that said, "kids are social animals...why would we expect them to not talk and punish them when they do talk?"