Module 1: Chapters 1-3

 Concept 1: What Makes a Good Teacher?

Summary: In Chapter 1, Woolfolk discusses the difference teachers can make in the lives of their students, as well as different types of research that go into the study of educational psychology. She displays through several studies that having a caring, supportive teacher-student relationship leads to better academic and behavioral outcomes. For example, when Woolfolk describes the experiment done by Roorda which reviewed 99 studies conducted worldwide that focused on the connections between student engagement and teacher-student relationships. According to the text, in the studies, "Positive teacher relationships predicted positive student engagement at every grade, but the relationships were especially for students who were at risk academically and for older students." (Woolfolk 8). Since it has been proven that having effective teachers improves students' performance, the next question Woolfolk tackles is "What makes good teaching?" She asserts that good teachers are "both sages and guides" - they share their knowledge, speaking at the front of the room, and as well as work with students side-by-side as they learn. (Woolfolk 10) Suffice it say, teachers should be engaging AND informative - as the author puts it, "knowledgeable and inventive" - as opposed to an either/or situation. 

Reflection: Reading about the studies done connecting student engagement and a caring teacher-student was so encouraging to me as a future teacher. From the time I began this program, I quickly realized that this would be a core tenet of my teaching philosophy. I tutor at a Huntington Learning Center part-time, and it is so rewarding to build relationships and rapport with the students. Working with them one-on-one is part of the reason I finally decided to pursue my teaching license. Woolfolk's assertion that teachers should be both the sage and the guide was also inspiring to me because, in the past, I have struggled with being more of a "sage." 

When I first finished college, I went to grad school and got my master's degree in history. This allowed me to teach at the junior college level. I did this as an adjunct for about four years, and though I loved it, I worried that the students found me boring, to be frank. I was used to lecture-style college classrooms, and since my subject was history, more often than not lecture was the bulk of my plans for lessons. As time went on, I incorporated more discussion, and received some guidance on making my teaching more student-centered. The more I learn about making my lessons more engaging, the more I realize how simple it can truly be. For example, in a previous class, we learned specifically how to promote a love of reading in students. Some of the strategies were as straightforward as asking open-ended questions that did not have yes or no, or necessarily right or wrong answers - "How did this story make you feel?" "What do you think the author wants us to know in that paragraph?" This will get students to participate and encourage discussion. I used to think that creating more of a student-centered classroom would involve complicated strategies - now I realize that I was wrong!

Concept 2: Piaget and Underestimating Children

Summary: In chapter 2, Woolfolk goes over different definitions of development, then discusses the brain and cognitive development. Piaget and Vygotsky's theories are also described, along with the limitations of each. For example, researchers assert that Piaget's stages of development may not be so cut and dry, as learning can be continuous and/or gradual. (Woolfolk 55) Additionally, the author points out that now, it seems that Piaget underestimated the abilities of children, especially younger age groups (Woolfolk 55). Piaget also believed that children had to be ready to learn developmentally, and had to discover more advanced developmental processes like conservation independently, but according to Wolfolk, "Quite a bit of research, however, has shown that with effective instruction, children can learn to perform cognitive operations on their own" (Woolfolk 55). 

Reflection: Considering that Piaget may have underestimated children and what they could be taught made me think about the classroom I am currently working in. I am a paraprofessional in a Special Education classroom that is part of a program at the school for kids with autism. However, our students are all higher-functioning, so my co-worker teaches them their grade-level curriculum along with making sure they reach their IEP goals. One of our students was in a classroom last year which focused more on life skills. He had issues with acting out in class and had to be re-directed to stay on task a lot. Over the course of the school year, his parent told us how much growth she has seen, even at home, with his behavior. I know this is because my co-worker knew when he walked into her classroom that he was capable of learning grade-level material. She pushed him to stay focused and set high expectations for him. And we saw changes - his behavior improved in class, too. I feel that if we had let him get away with more, his behavior may not have improved the way it did. But it just shows that we should not underestimate what our students are capable of. Some things cannot be rushed, but if students are given that instruction - and sometimes, a push - they will use those cognitive tools that are available throughout the different stages of development. 

Concept 3: Parenting Styles

Summary: In chapter 3, Woolfolk describes the different styles of parenting that most children will be exposed to. These include authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and rejecting/neglectful/uninvolved parents. Woolfolk stresses that all of these parents love their children (with an unspoken exception possible in cases of neglect or abuse), but have different views of what makes a good parent. (Woolfolk 83). However, different parenting styles can lead to children who may show different traits or tendencies. For example, children of permissive parents "may have trouble interacting with peers--they are used to having their way." (Woolfolk 83) The author also goes on to discuss how different aspects of students' cultures and their peers affect them. 

Reflection:  Reading about these different parenting styles was interesting to me as a future teacher. In my work in schools, I feel that I have seen almost the whole gamut of parenting styles, and they all tend to fall into these categories. It makes me want to plan for dealing with each style, while recognizing that categories like this are based on a study of 100 parents, and each family is unique and may not fit into one group perfectly. I tutor a student who I feel has more authoritarian parents. These, according to the text, are those parents who are stricter with their children, have high expectations, and aren't openly affectionate. I cannot say for sure if this student's parents are affectionate because I don't see them. However, I can tell the expectations placed on this child are high. She is extremely bright and polite. I recently helped her study for a placement test that would put her in a higher math class next school year. "I'm already in the highest group for the other subjects," she explained, "But my parents want me to be in the highest math class, too." She is also involved in many after-school activities and sports, even in the summer. She seems like a happy, well-adjusted child, but I do hope that her parents let her relax and have fun enough. It makes me wonder about the best way to deal with parents like this in the future, when I will have much more interaction with them as a teacher. I want to be able to show each parent that I care about their child and believe in them, but how is the best way to go about this? The text gives great tips for parent involvement - keeping interactions positive, sending notes, and so on. This is a great starting point, as I feel that parents and teachers working together and being on the same "team" is crucial for students of any age.