Knowing what to expect made the second go round a lot easier.  My second time at HB was on the fourth of December, and yet again I found myself in in Mr. Hoffman's history class.  As I've stated in my final project as well as numerous times in class, I am a big advocate for technology being used in class.  I feel as thug if it is used correctly than it will be able to enhance discussion in the classroom, and therefore better the learning environment as a whole.  But at times over the course of this history class I felt as though it was more of a distraction than anything else.  Students often typed out the notes that were on the board or things that were being said by classmates.  The only problem with this is that once a question was posed for the class, there was no one to respond because they were all busy attempting to get the information down in their notes.  One of the aspects of the class that I enjoyed and will most definitely take into my own teaching methods is when Mr. Hoffman was able to link a story of his own life into the lesson itself, making it not only more entertaining, but also more relatable.  As a result the students felt more inclined to share their own stories causing for more class discussion and problem solving.  In order for classrooms to be successful it cannot just be the teaching standing at the front of the class attempting to shovel knowledge into the minds of the students.  The learners must be able to conceptualize the material themselves, and I feel Mr. Hoffman does a very good job of facilitating such a task.  I thoroughly enjoy being in Mr. Hoffman's class because along with the stories that he tells that are relatable to the topic at hand, he also has the hands on experience to deal with the awkward silences, and the abrupt halts that are inevitable while teaching a class.  I feel that part of a classroom is my biggest fear.  I must learn to overcome those silences and encourage engagement for the sake of the whole class taking away as much as they can from the lesson plan that I have prepared.

After years of avoiding eye contact, secretly texting, and staring at the clock until it was time to leave, I finally had the opportunity to see a classroom environment from the other side of the glass-what a view!  Not only did it feel awkward to be standing in front of my peers as an authority figure, but it also gave me a sense of pride that the profession I had longed for since I was in third grade was now just peaking over the horizon.  But then the glorious moment ended, and that ray of sunshine over the horizon blinded me with the reality that I now had to teach a lesson, one that these students would actually be able to learn from, there needed to be something that these peers of mine would be able to take away from all of the information I was about to throw their way.  I was the provider of the knowledge, as well as the facilitator of the learning.
Starting off the class with the background knowledge of the information that had been provided through chapter 13 of Educational Foundations was both necessary and informative in my eyes.  But at the same time I couldn't help but feel like I lost some interest right off the bat.  One of the biggest struggles throughout the class was whether or not I was going to be able to be informative while also maintaining a maximum level of interest.  That was where I thought the activity with the song lyrics brought that interest level back.  A song that presumably everyone had heard at one point and was popular relatively recently was now being used as a teaching tool in the classroom.  But despite the excitement that came with the activity, the students didn't really seem to get out of it what I wanted them to.  That was the hardest part for me.  Being able to come up with an activity that would meet the focal point of my topic, while maintaing the illusion that all we were doing was looking at a song and having fun.  It is definitely something I will need to work on-making activities more relatable to the subject at hand.

On Tuesday December 2nd, I way fortunate enough to sit and observe two of Mr. Carl Hoffman's US History class at Hathaway Brown.  It was certainly a different feeling when I realized I was one of two male's in  room of 20. It also gave me a view of how the other side lived as I myself had attended and all boys high school, and always wondered if our sister schools were run the same way. It was apparently so-with quite a bit of knowledge being thrown at the students they attempted to contribute to the class while maintaining adequate notes on their laptops for next weeks test.  Although the atmosphere was the same as my own experience in high school, I did notice some differences in the way classrooms were structured.  As appose to the "traditional" desks set up in rows, the students, as well as Mr. Hoffman, all sat around a large oval-shaped table.  This to me, was something new, something fresh, a way in which the class is more able to become discussion based, where ideas can be thrown every which way and learning can be exciting and fun.  That being said, from a students' perspective it could also be seen as a burden-there is nowhere for students to hide at an oval-shaped table.

On this particular day the class talked, listened, and learned about the civil war.  Being a history buff, I myself was riveted to relearn about the events leading up to the civil war, the secessions from the Union, and then finally the battle at Fort Sumpter.  But the first class, I cannot say with absolution, felt the same way.  Many of the students appeared disinterested based on their posture, and only contributed after many moments of awkward silence after a question had been posed.  The second class on the other hand was a talkative bunch with much enthusiasm and much to say...just not very much on topic.  The beginning of class, which eventually ended up being about 20 minutes, was spent talking about the Ferguson shooting and riots-which is far from the topic of the civil war.  Nevertheless, some discussion is better than no discussion.  It was interesting to see both sides of the coin.  By that I mean, I was able to see what it is like to be in a classroom with engaged students, and another classroom where the majority would rather sit back and let a handful answer all the questions.

Bill Ayers talks a lot about this idea of building bridges in order to achieve greatness in the classroom.  Although these bridges seem to have a positive affect on the classroom, some of those bridges may or may not take place in the classroom itself.  Sure it is safe to say that an educator must form a relationship with his or her students in order to be able to connect with them and know what their strengths and weaknesses are, but there are many other dynamics at hand in order to achieve that success.  A teacher must also build a bridge with those connected to the student when they are not in a classroom environment.  It is essential to maintain a steady relationship with the parents or guardians of students in order to reaffirm the notion that everyone in the students' learning process is on the same page.  Above all else both teachers and students should be looking out for the best interests of a students.  This "bridge" is that link between parents wanting to see their children succeed, and teachers allowing said student to perform in the classroom using the tools and skills they have attained through prior experiences.
One pattern that often sticks out when it comes to the evolution of a child's learning ability is their growth in communication.  Being able to find one's voice is an enormous aspect to finding ones identity both as an individual, as well as a student.  Whether it is asking questions or giving informative answers when it comes to class discussions, a student should be able to become more and more engaged the higher into their education that they get.  Another pattern that can be argued for is the link from grade to grade.  In order for students to obtain knowledge and not simply regurgitate information, they must build off of what they had already previously learned.  This happens from grade to grade regardless of the subject.  For example, statistics builds off of algebra the same way US History ties into the American Revolution.  Each grade is a building block taking a student higher and higher.
In making a lesson plan for a high school history classroom, my topic would be the Battle at Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War.  There are a few key points that I would need to make sure that I cover in order to be sure that the students had fully grasped what this particular battle, one of many, was all about.  I would definitely need to cover who it was fighting in this battle, both sides as well as the views in which these two parties were fighting for.  I would also need to touch on the fundamental strategies in which the battle was fought (who was stationed where/tactical successes or errors made by military leaders).  And of course the outcome of the battle and what this meant for the rest of the War.  Of course the Battle of Lexington and Concord was really the first skirmish between the British and the Colonists.

Blog Post 6

Chapter 8 of Educational Foundations talks a lot about the banking concept of education.  Much like depositing checks into one's bank account, teachers are sought to deposit checks filled with knowledge into the minds of their students.  The problem with this is that students are not being communicated with, but are instead being lectured and being told the difference between right and wrong.  The learning abilities of these students are not being judged on how they come to certain conclusions, but is instead being measured by whether or not the students are able to temporarily regurgitate the information they are fed, back onto a formal assessment.  It is this concept that leads on the idea that teachers do not necessarily care whether or not the students are comprehending the material.  This, above all else, puts students at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to articulate what it is that they are learning in school.  "Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence.  The means used are not important..."(Freire 114).  A prime example of this is when parents ask their children what they did at school that day.  Many people would say that it is a rebellious child that says "nothing", but what if they actually don't have the faintest idea until they cram for the test the night before.  Personally I find nothing that is influential about the banking concept of education.  By this I mean that students have nothing to take away from this style of teaching other than being able to obtain knowledge through 5 hour-cramming sessions, if you consider that a skill.  A classroom is made for both  student and a teacher to learn and feed off of each others' ideas.

One of the main things that I was able to take away from visiting Beachwood Middle School was how different a 7th Grade history class is from what I experienced.  Although Material may still be the same, the technological advances made in the past 6 or 7 years has allowed new ways of learning to progress in today's classrooms.  Just from observation and walking around the classroom while students worked, I was able to get an idea of how these new tools were being implemented into their curriculum.  Students were using laptops to write blogs and share their own ideas on the contents in which they were submerged.  Talking to the teacher in the class room, he was able to share with me the fact that textbooks weren't used during lessons.  7th grade history teachers in the local community were able to develop a webpage or "web quest" in which the students would be able to learn the same material, but in a more fun and interesting way.  Not only using the technology that was generally frowned upon while I attended middle school, but the students also had the luxury of learning at their own pace.  Upon completion of the web quest, it seemed apparent that students were able to retain more knowledge than they would a regular textbook.  This goes along with the idea that students should be able to understand the material and be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas on the matter, as appose to simply regurgitating information onto a formal assessment. On top of all of this, classroom discussion seemed to be more apparent as a result of the students' understanding of the material.  The teacher emphasized the fact that he never wants to lecture his students, reiterating the fact that the information during a lecture could simply go in one ear and out the other.  His style of teaching allowed students to conceptualize the information in front of them, and formulate their own ideas and views pertaining to the subject at hand.  This to me makes me wish I was in 7th grade now as appose to 6 years ago.  But then again don't we all?

For me, sexual orientation is in no way a deterrent of whether or not a person is able to be in my life. I have had numerous friends that have come out to me saying that they were gay-a fact that I have always been quite proud of.  Attending an all-boys high school forced me to see that all different walks of life should be able to coexist.  That being said, I think we can all agree that a school atmosphere, high school especially, can be one of the more unforgiving places for a young person to express who they are on the inside and out.  Eric Rofes talks a lot about gender roles, and how they affect an individual in an academic setting.  Not only was my high school an all boys school but it is also a jesuit institution.  The school itself, I felt, did an outstanding job at making sure that all students felt comfortable with learning in the confines of 150 Morrissey Blvd.  It was the students themselves who determined whether or not it would be easy for members of the LGBT community to feel welcome.  I can relate to Rofes when he says that he would always assume the role of a peacemaker.  With divorced parents I have naturally taken on that role myself, and I guess it has carried over into my every day life.  One of the beautiful things about my high school was that no one person was forced into a single group of friends, it was a brotherhood.  But with such a tight-nit group of course there were going to be situations in which confrontation would arise.  Not one day would go by where the word "fag" would not be tossed around the cafeteria or playing field.  In these situations it would normally be a question of "manhood" that came into play.  It was almost as if being gay would take away from a boys masculinity, when in reality there are homosexual professional athletes who compete at the highest level with more masculinity than some could ever imagine.  The question is, why does being gay take away from a persons character? or even their drive to succeed?  In other words making them feel like less of a person because of their sexual orientation.  When in reality, members of the LGBT community are attending school, social events, and playing sports for the same reason as a person that identifies themselves as straight.