I have a philosophy!

Chelsey Hann

Intro to Teaching

Philosophy of Education

May 3, 2011

I had to take an Introduction to College Algebra class one year, and much to my surprise it was actually my favorite class of the semester. Each couple of weeks we learned a new process, and then spent those weeks learning different methods to tackle each type of process. Now, some of these ways were horrible for me personally, but in each set of weeks, I learned at least one way to handle each set of problems that fit me, and if need be, I could solve the problem using a different method as well. Now, math will never be my forte, and I cannot even really look at a calculator without cringing, but I left that semester and that classroom with more confidence in my mathematic abilities than I had ever had before, and will ever have after – guaranteed.  This is what successful teaching looks like to me; students learning to flourish and grow into themselves by any method necessary, surrounded by teachers who do not expect them to figure out the secret of pi, but still encouraging them to try. Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid”. If I could make this one sentence my entire philosophy and stop at that, I would. Instead, this quote is what I want to base my philosophy on.

In my classroom children will become well-developed in the fields of math, science, history, and English through the means of hands-on and minds-on learning. Core subjects are very important to me; they are the foundation upon which the school system was built. That being said, I think creative outlets like music and art are supremely important to the development of a child as a whole. I believe shop class to be good for the mental development of young men, and I think sports are cathartic. Schools should keep an atmosphere of discipline, while incorporating creative techniques that will introduce students to examine and question realities. John Dewey was once quoted as saying, “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself”. It is my role as a teacher to prepare children for the adult world with real life experiences, and I think it is important that children are knowledgeable, and it is the roll of my students to ask questions, and to argue, and if they think another method is superior to the method that is given, then I want to hear it. I want to inspire children for life, not just the months that they spend sitting in my classroom. I want to encourage them to over-achieve, inspire them to think outside the box, and push them to achieve their highest goals. Each student is unique, and I believe in arming them with the knowledge and intellect and emotion that is required in the world that they experience.

Teaching is important to me because I think every child has the potential to be outstanding in life, in their own way, and they just need someone to show them how to get there. I will be that person.

Earth Day!

Teacher: Chelsey Hann
Subject: Science
Grade Level: Third Grade
Date: April 27, 2011
Time Frame: 1 class period, 35 minutes

I. Content: I want my students to be able to know the definition of "pollution", develop personal actions to solve pollution, and learn ways to practice reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Kansas State Standards: Third Grade - Standard 6: Science In Personal and Environmental Perspectives -Benchmark 2- Indicators 1, 2, and 3.

1. Anticipatory Set: Eco the Butterfly!

II. Prerequisites: Students must be able to give a vague description of what they think "recycling" is, and how they can help. They also have to be able to write a complete sentence with correct spelling and punctuation. 

III. Instructional Objective: Students will all be able to write one sentence describing how they personally can help stop pollution/start recycling.
            1. Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this lesson is to teach students the importance of taking care of the world they live in; that unless something is taken care of, it will wither and perish.

IV. Instructional Procedure: 

9:25-9:30: Watch Youtube clip of Eco the Butterfly, and find out what the students already know about pollution and recycling.

9:30-9:40: "Michael Recycle" by Ellie Bethel, and introduce extra credit spelling words: "pollution", "environment", "ecology", and "recycle" (the actual definitions of the words can be explained during spelling time).


Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel



9:40-10:00: Writing one sentence on how the student personally can help save the earth, and coloring the "Love the World" picture.



Coloring Page



V. Materials and Equipment: "Michael Recycle" book, smartboard for youtube video, and colors, markers, and pencils for "Love the World" picture.

VI. Assessment/Evaluation: The spelling and punctuation will count for 5% of the total grade, otherwise, if there is a sentence describing how the student can help the earth by either stopping pollution or by reducing, reusing, or recycling - then they will get an A.

VII. Follow-up Activities: For homework, the students will take home a "Think Green" word search, and if the student tells their parents what recycling is and have the parent sign the word search, then the student will get 5 extra minutes at recess.We will  also color and label different boxes and set them up throughout the classroom, for paper, plastic, and aluminum cans, and students will be expected to use the correct boxes throughout the year.

The Word Search!

VIII. Self Assessment: I rock. I think the video is a strength, because there is a song involved and it's catchy. The only downfall of this lesson is the fact that Earth Day is towards the end of the school year, so students won't be setting up the recycling boxes until the end of the year. Maybe Earth Day should be celebrated at the beginning of the school year instead.

Dr. Seuss Week!

Teacher: Chelsey Hann
Subject: Writing
Grade Level: Third Grade
Date: April 13, 2011
Time Frame: I  week, 25 minute classes

I. Content: I want my students to be able to practice writing by composing a short poem based upon personal experience.

Kansas State Standard: Third Grade - Standard 1:Writing - Bench Mark 1 - Indicator 2:

"Practices writing by using (1) personal experience (2) observations (3) prior knowledge."

II. Prerequisites: Students must be able to identify rhyming words, and must be able to write a short story using proper punctuation and capitalization.
Anticipatory Set: Reggie the Rhyming Rhino (http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/reggie/index.htm)


III. Instructional Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the state standard listed above by writing a poem based upon a personal experience. The purpose of this week's lesson is to find and experience the fun of poetry. Poetry is a hard subject to find enjoyment in later in life if it is not properly introduced early on. My objective is to show the fun of writing a poem, to prepare them for later learning.

IV.  Instructional Procedures: The first five minutes of each class will be spent using the smartboard playiing "Reggie the Rhyming Rhino" each day - focusing the kids onto rhyming and poetry, and refreshing their minds on what they already know.

Monday: Intro to personal experiences
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:10 Explaining the day's objective: writing a short story based upon a personal experience
9:10-9:12 Modeling my own short story:

Last summer my family and I went out to the lake, and while I was out there I became very sunburnt. I was so sunburned that it hurt to lay in bed! From now on, I will listen when my mom tells me to put on sunscreen.

9:12-9:25 Students will write their own short story.

Tuesday: Poetry Introduction
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:20 "Boa Constrictor" by Shel Silverstein and "Daisy Head Mayzie" by Dr Seuss.
9:20-9:25 Smartboard - "Boa Constictor"- Circle the rhyming words as a class.

Wednesday: Personal experience poetry
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:25 Modeling my poem, and guided practice, based upon fake personal experiences.

I went out in the sun,

and that sun ruined my fun.

Now it hurts to sit,

But I guess that's what I get!

(Remember: rhyming usually happens at the end of the line, but it definitely doesn't have to. Make the poem your own.)

Thursday & Friday:
9:00-9:05 Reggie the Rhyming Rhino
9:05-9:25 Working on their own poems.


V. Materials & Equipment: Smartboard: used for Reggie the Rhyming Rhino as well as the worksheet over "Boa Constrictor" and the guided practice. "Daisy  Head Mayzie" by Dr Seuss. "Boa Constrictor" by Shel Silverstein. Construction paper: to glue the poems to after they're finished.

VI. Assessment: Every misspelled word will be counted off, name on the paper, punctuation on both the story and the poem, and at least one pair of rhyming words.

Story: 50 Points

Personal Experience: 25 Points

Spelling: 10 Points

Punctuation: 10 Points

Name: 5 Points

Poem: 50 Points

Personal Experience: 15 Points

1 Pair of Rhyming Words: 20 Points

Spelling/Punctuation: 10 Points

Name: 5 Points

VII. Follow-Up Activities: Decorating the poems, gluing them to construction paper, and hanging them up outside the classroom.

VIII. Self Assessment: I think this is a fantastic week of writing class, if I do say so myself. Maybe it should have been a Haiku instead though. Writing a poem based off a story is actually a little harder than I thought.

The smartboard worksheet!

My story & poem!