Topic of the Week: Diversity in the Classroom

One of the biggest challenges that both novice and experienced educators face each day is teaching diverse classrooms. The term "diversity" does not just mean racial differences; in fact, it includes students with disabilities or giftedness, varying religious beliefs, different cultural backgrounds, unique personalities and interests, and individual learning styles, to name a few. It is the teacher's role to ensure that all of these students, regardless of background, is given a quality education. In whatever means necessary, the teacher must make sure that the entire class reaches the same lesson objective. How will you perform such a task while valuing and promoting diversity in your classroom? 

The following are examples of strategies to encourage diversity in the classroom: 

• Take the time to learn about your students' background, interests, and learning style
• Allow time for the students to learn about each other and gain an appreciation for the diversity they bring to the classroom.
• Bring in different people to the class as resources that students might be able to connect with.
• Never tolerate bullying, teasing, and other put-down behavior at any time in the classroom.

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What will you do to address and promote diversity in your classroom? 

How will you instruct learners with a variety of needs and abilities? 

Topic of the Week: Education Courses at STJ

The School of Education offers a variety of courses that prepare students to become successful educators after graduation. Starting with Foundations of Education and ending with Student Teaching, the pathway to earning a degree in education contains unique and exciting courses all related to the field of teaching. Although Adolescent and Childhood Education are two different majors, they are required to take overlapping courses such as Human Relations, Special Education Foundations, and Technology and Society. For this week's discussion, we invite you to share your favorite Education course thus far at St. John's. 

For more information about the School of Education's program requirements, click here.

What EDU class did you learn the most from? 

How will you apply what you learned to your future teaching career?

Student Teaching

As all students in the School of Education are aware, the final, culminating undergraduate experience is student teaching. For many, the idea of student teaching can be a source of both anxiety and excitement, especially as senior year draws closer. This week's discussion is geared toward our past and current student teachers, who we ask to give an overview of what it is like to be in the classroom full time.

For student teachers:

What is it like to run your own classroom?

Does your past or current student teaching experience match your initial expectations?

How has your student teaching experience benefited (or not benefited!) you as a future educator?

For SOE students who anticipate student teaching:

What do you hope to gain from your student teaching experience?
 Where do you want to student teach? 
What are you most excited about? 
Do you have any concerns about student teaching?

Topic of the Week: Extracurriculars

The most effective teachers know that the school day does not end with the sound of the final period's bell. Being actively involved in after school activities, whether it be coaching softball, running the debate club, or overseeing the student government, can make a teacher's school experience more  meaningful. As a leader of extracurricular activities, teachers may develop better relationships with students, teach them in ways not possible in a classroom setting, encourage school spirit, and overall enhance students' learning experiences in a positive school environment. 

What after school activities do you wish to lead? 

Will you coach a team or sponsor a student club? What do you anticipate will be the challenges and rewards of doing so?

Topic of the Week: Looking Forward

For many School of Education students, graduation is right around the corner. Student teaching is coming to an end, and it time to finalize post-graduation plans. For other underclassmen students, there is still much time left to plan. No matter what year a student may be, it is always a wise decision to have a tentative plan for life after college. Planning helps us to set our career goals, stay on track as undergraduate students, and be as best prepared as possible for the future.

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There are numerous options for students after they have obtained their Bachelor's degree. Some choose to go right into teaching and begin the job hunt as soon as their final semester of college begins, while others plan to attend graduate school. Of course, many students choose to work full-time while also attending graduate school in the evenings.
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What is your post-graduation plan?
Do you see yourself going straight to graduate school, getting a teaching job, taking time off, or traveling? Do you plan on applying for a teaching organization such as Teach For America or the Peace Corps?

Topic of the Week: Memorable Teachers

For this week's discussion, let's reflect on the great teachers that have positively impacted our lives.

Think back on your years as a student, either before or during college.
 Can you recall the best teacher you've ever had? 
What made this teacher so memorable? Was it their teaching style, sense of humor, or the content they taught? What did you learn from them?
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To see what they students themselves have to say, click here.

To read about the strategies of master teachers, click here.

Topic of the Week: Teacher Data Reports

Arguably the "hottest" topic in education at the present is the newly-released teacher data reports. The New York City Department of Education just revealed the ratings of about 12,000 fourth through eighth grade public school teachers who teach Math, English or both. Teachers, administrators, parents, and even students themselves have mixed opinions on these teacher rankings, which are based upon  students’ gains on the state’s Math and English exams over five years and up until the 2009-10 school year.

According to an article in The New York Times, The ranking system is controversial for a number of reasons:

• The higher teachers rank one year, the harder it is for them to sustain their high ranking by showing significant progress in students the next year.
• The data are more than a year old and based on test scores that have been somewhat discredited.  
• There are aspects of a child’s life — or distractions on test day — that the numbers cannot capture: supportive parents, a talented principal, the help of a tutor, allergies or a relentlessly barking dog outside the classroom. 
• Students can change classes during the year, and teachers who have them in their classroom for less than a full year can nevertheless be assessed on those students’ performances.  

For the source of the information above and to learn more about the teacher data reports, click here to visit the article on The New York Times website.

For this week's discussion, let's talk about teacher rankings. 

How do you feel about the newly-released city teacher data reports? 

Is such a public reporting fair or accurate? 

How should teacher performance be measured?

Want to know how the teachers feel about it? Click here to read another recent article in The Times that highlights the decreasing teacher morale.  

Technology in the Classroom

One of today's "Hot Topics" in education is the use of technology in the classroom. The term "technology" encompasses a wide array of learning tools, including computers, Smart Boards, iPads, Kindles, and interactive videos. In some schools, the push for technology is overwhelmingly clear; each student uses an iPad on a daily basis, and entire lessons are given with the aid of a Smart Board. Other schools, however, lack the funding necessary for technology. Does this mean the students cannot learn? 

Some school administrators argue that the increasing use of technology in the modern-day classroom is inevitable: No longer can teachers rely on traditional chalkboard learning. Today's students, who grow up in the age of the internet, learn best through the engaging, interactive nature of technology-based learning. These administrators push for educational games, simulation-based learning, and even social media as a means to teach material in new ways. 

Others see the opposite. For teachers and administrators who do not see the need for technology, this kind of learning can be distracting and counterproductive. School computers are not used for educational purposes, students use iPads to surf the web, and textbooks suddenly become absent. Real learning does not depend on advanced technology. 

Is technology in the classroom a necessity? 

Topic of the Week: Tenure

One of today's hot topics in education is teacher tenure. Tenure provides educators with a permanent teaching contract with the near-impossibility of being fired. Ideally, teachers granted tenure have displayed outstanding successes in teaching and a consistent passion and drive for their work; however, many argue that teachers in the "tenure-track" are no longer evaluated properly.

For this week's discussion, let's give our own opinions. While many argue that tenure offers much-needed job security, its opponents say that tenure makes it almost impossible to rid schools of poor teachers. 

To read more about teacher tenure as well as the opinions of education experts Geoffrey Canada and John Wilson, click here and here.

Should teachers have tenure?  


*We encourage you to not only share your own opinion, but to comment other participants' posts as well. This is a great way to engage in a discussion with your peers and gain invaluable insight on both sides of educational issues.
Finally, please remember to be respectful and engage in professional discussion when replying to the post of another.*

Topic of the Week: Childhood or Adolescent Education?

As Education majors, we had to make an important decision about the age level we hope to someday teach. For this week's topic, let's discuss your choice; Are you an Adolescent or Childhood Education Major?

Of course, there are positives and negatives that come with teaching both age groups (which even further divide into different grades!) Some enjoy working with younger children and teaching a wide array of subjects, while others prefer to instruct a specific subject of expertise to older students. What influenced your choice? 

Are you an Adolescent or Childhood Education Major? What is your concentration? What do you find appealing about teaching your chosen age group? 

Topic of the Week: Where Do You Want to Teach?

As future educators, we are faced with the task of choosing where we want to apply for teaching jobs. There are a variety of schools where we can work, each one having different positives and negatives. Some find suburban public schools particularly appealing, while others envision themselves at a private urban school. It is important to analyze your preferences when choosing a school; for example, some districts offer teachers little say in curriculum development while others allow teachers a significant amount of lesson planning freedom. What school system do you think will work best for you?

Where do you see yourself teaching: 

a Public School, Private School, or Charter School? 

Do you prefer the New York City Public school system or do you wish to teach in a suburban neighborhood? 

Why?

Topic of the Week: Goals for Spring 2012

With the semester in full swing, it's time to start planning for success. Goal setting is critical for being as academically productive as possible and helps us to better prioritize our tasks. What do you hope to accomplish this semester and how will you do it? Do you wish to improve your writing? Stop procrastinating once and for all? Get more organized? Or do you want to improve your overall GPA? 

What are your academic goals this semester? What will you do to achieve them? 

Topic of the Week: Looking Back - A Reflection of the Fall 2011 Semester

As the semester comes to a close, it is important for us to reflect on both our achievements and what we would like to improve upon as students. For our final discussion, we invite you to share some of your academic and professional accomplishments as well as what you hope to work on next semester. 

What was your biggest achievement this semester? What did you learn about yourself? How did you learn best? What could you have done differently? 

We are especially interested in hearing about the experiences of our student teachers. Tell us all about it!

The S.T.A.R. Coordinators would like to thank all mentors and buddies for their active participation and enthusiam this past semester. We you had an exciting, productive semester and formed lasting friendships that will continue to grow in the Spring. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Topic of the Week: Study Strategies

It's that time of year again! With final exams only a week away, we want to know how you've been preparing. For this week's discussion, let's talk study strategies.  

What study habits work for you? How do you prepare for a big exam? For upperclassmen, any words of advice for freshmen about to take their first round of finals at St. John's? 

The Study Guides and Strategies website, http://www.studygs.net/ is an excellent resource for all your studying needs. Here you'll find a variety of study tips and tricks, along with techniques to better manage your time and prepare for exams. 

For a list of quiet study hours and locations on campus, click here.

Finally, we encourage all S.T.A.R. participants to take the time to meet with their mentor or buddy one last time before the close of the semester. Tomorrow's event, Holiday Cards for Troops at 1:50pm in the Sullivan Hall Cafe, will be a great opportunity to do so.

Good luck!

Topic of the Week: Professional Development Events in the School of Education

The School of Education hosts a variety of events and workshops almost every week to prepare students to enter the professional world, network, or engage in professional discussion on various topics in education.

Tell us about an event you have been to. How did it benefit you as a future educator? Why was it interesting? What did you learn? 

Some examples include:

• Teacher Certification Workshops (Violence Prevention, Child Abuse)
• Careers Outside the Classroom
• E-Portfolio Workshop
• Job Search Workshop
• Stacey Bess Lecture
• Kappa Delta Pi Assemblies
• Career Fair

For a complete list of upcoming events, visit the School of Education website at http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/undergraduate/education/currentevents

Topic of the Week: Teacher Certification Exams

For our first discussion topic, let's talk Teacher Certification exams. As we know, all future educators are required to take a series of exams to become a licensed teacher in New York State: The Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills (AST-W), and the Content Specialty Test (CST). Remember, it is essential to begin preparing for the exams as soon as possible and avoid saving them for the last minute. It is wise to complete all exams before you apply for student teaching your senior year!

All freshmen should have already registered for the LAST exam. St. John's offers various preparation courses throughout the semester, which students can sign up for in Sullivan Hall room G-06. Finally, it is important for students to inform the Dean's Office of the status of all exams and report scores as soon as they arrive. 

For more information on the NYSTCE, visit http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/index.asp. The website even offers practice exam questions and helpful study guides!

Further information can be found on the St. John's website, http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/index.asp.

Tell us: Which exams have you taken? What did you think? How did you prepare for the exam and what advice do you have for students about to take it? 

*Please remember to keep all posts both positive and professional. Any negative or derogatory posts will be removed promptly.*