Anticipation for Georgia

Today, I am at work and I cannot help but think about the trip I have coming up in a little over 2 weeks. I will be headed to Savannah, Georgia with my Teaching Writing Class as part of James Madison University's Alternative Spring Break Program. We will be staying in a church and practicing simple living throughout the week while visiting an elementary school during the day to help with literacy in 3rd grade classrooms.

As I sit here, I wonder what sort of students I will encounter? What will they think of me and will they find me interesting? I want to be an Elementary School teacher after I graduate and at this point have my heart set on 2nd or 3rd grade. This experience may be eye-opening and allowing some insight into what my future will look like. Overall, I am just excited and cannot wait to be there and have the experience of a lifetime.

My only concern is. . .I hope I do not pack too much!

Teaching the Way You Were Taught

It is often said that teachers teach the way they were taught. This statement is slowly coming to life. As an education major, I am reaching the point where I am have to decide my stance on certain teaching methods. In class, we discuss pros and cons to particular methods and incoporate experiences of our own. When I was in school, I enjoyed working with a group because I am an extremely social person. However, every situation can be good or bad and anywhere in between.

One particular experience I have enjoyed in a group was with a group presentation I had to complete for a Human Resource Development class here at JMU. We were placed with a group for an entire semester and assigned each other roles within the group in order to hold each other accountable. The groups were arranged based on a learning styles inventory test and I enjoyed the company and work ethic of my team. We knew what to expect from one another and the project was completed in a timely and even manner.
One particular experience I have not enjoyed in a group was with a group presentaion I had to complete for Communications class here at JMU. We were placed into randomly assigned groups based on last name and were to come up with a speech topic and presentation to make in class on an informative topic. Each member was unsure of what the other was going to be doing and information overlapped, as well as some members contributing nothing until the last day.

Overall, I would not say I am going to completely follow the ways my teachers taught me and I think this is in particularly because all teachers are different. I am sure I will incorporate elements of previous teachers into my classroom experience, but there is not one teacher who I believe to be the perfect model. When it comes to group work, I think teachers need to serve as a mentor and mointor in order to keep the work on task and to help members keep one another accountable.