My C4T # 2 was to comment on a page called Cooperative Catalyst and there are many different teachers and many different blog posts. At first I was like wow, how do I choose between all of these and then I found one about a book and I was sold. I am a fan of reading and during my breaks from school and summer I love reading. This is why I chose to read the blog titled, The Influence of Teachers by Teacher Ken (Kenneth Bernstein). Bernstein is a social studies teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George's County, Maryland public school. I found him on twitter and am now following him for more insight on teaching and great books to read. Like I said above I love to read so my next book to read will be The Influence of Teachers: Reflections on Teaching and Leadership. I have already found the book for the kindle at Amazon and I will be sure to get it next. The reviews made me want to read it even more. In Bernstein's review of the book he gives a brief description of many things including tenure, pay, classroom settings, learning, teachers getting along with each other, and much more. He focuses more on what he calls the heart of the book and that is the last few chapters. In the last few chapters the author talks about drop out rates and what Dr. Strange refers to as a burp back education and how this he believes in making our drop out rates go up so much more. Kids want to be engaged and not just watch a lecture on power point. The author and me and even Bernstein relate to this the same. If a child is engaged in the classroom and the material then they will be excited to learn and that is our job as a teacher to do this and be devoted to more than a burp back or regurgitated education. In my comment I stressed the importance of us as teachers not just looking at teaching as a job but as a place to make a difference in a students life and give them something to remember and hold on to for life. I also added how as teachers we influence these children more than some of their parents do at home and some strive to be just like us so we have to do our best at being the best that we can possibly be.
My C4T # 3 is also by teacher Ken. Yes you can tell I love him and his writing and most of his views. His blog post is No Independent Thought or Discussion Allowed in AP class. This blog was really short but it hit home with me because my son has recently gotten in trouble for commenting in an AP class. The blog speaks of this very same thing and states that teachers take the creative thinking out of the classes. In this particular class that my son is in they either watch a lecture and listen as she speaks off of a power point or she hands them hand outs of a power point. There is no extra work, no class discussion, no reviews, nothing. I emailed her and she said that she is only preparing them for what college will be like. Like Bernstein in his blog mentions, all AP classes can't be bashed but many are turning into the same thing. Many of our teachers need to read the book above. Don't you think?The most important thing in this blog to me was this one sentence, "And if we elevate these skills and develop good ways to chart our progress in conveying them, perhaps our children will finally be invited, encouraged, and made to think."
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