Jared Willmann's Blog

Week 4 – Talley Middle School

jaredwillmann — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:32:29 +0000

Going into the last week of winter session, it is definitely a bitter-sweet feeling. It’s exciting to be moving on, but I’ve learned a lot this winter and have had a good time getting to know the Talley middle-schoolers, teachers, and administration. It’s good to be able to look back on the class with some perspective and consider everything and attempt to apply it moving forward. I am nervous and excited to get started with student teaching, and hopefully my positive experiences this winter will carry over to the spring.

I really enjoyed listening to Dr. Holodick, Pastor Pope, and Dr. Carter today. It is truly inspirational to list to people with such knowledge and experience. I am always on the edge of my seat, careful to not let a single word slip past me, when any of them are talking. I can tell that everything that they have spoken about is true and came from their heart. I have something to learn from each of them. Pastor Pope’s dedication to the community is something to emulate, as are the purpose-driven efforts of Dr. Holodick and Dr. Carter to change the lives of their students.

To conclude, it was great working with everybody in the class – Professor Meachem, my classmates, the students at Talley, the teachers at Talley, the administrators at Talley, and all the visitors we had as well. This class has definitely inspired me.

Week 3 – Talley Middle School

jaredwillmann — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:22:25 +0000

Recently we have been discussing the Freedom Writer’s Diary. It is an extremely interesting book because of how real and, in many cases, how horrifying some of the entries are. I’ve had to take breaks from reading it because of how heavy some of the passages are. This is the type of book that will affect your day, because you can’t stop thinking about the world that they live in.

It also has me thinking a lot about my future career as a teacher. It would be an understatement to say that Ms. G is not only an amazing teacher but an amazing person. It’s a lot of pressure to even want to do half the good that she has done. The added pressure of trying to measure up against teachers like Ms. G only adds to the stress already created by the vivid and horrific stories. But, that being said, there are passages of amazing accomplishment that serve as light at the end of the tunnel. All I can really ever think while reading is, “wow”, whether it be for a positive or a negative.

One other thing I noticed about the Freedom Writers Diary and the Hobart Shakespeareans is that each teacher was sponsored by somebody with money so that they could do amazing things with their students. Both teachers flew their kids to Washington DC all the way from California! That’s a pricey field trip. When I think about that, I wonder what kind of funds I will be able to procure, either from the school or some rich philanthropist, when I am a teacher. I am saddened by the realization that it will probably be from the former.

Week 2 – Talley Middle School

jaredwillmann — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:03:08 +0000

The second week at Talley marked the beginning of the some of the hands-on learning and experience that will occur during winter session. The adventure-based learning with Mr. Iaboni was an awesome experience and a great chance to get to know my classmates on a deeper level. Additionally, we met with the students that we would be paired with for the next couple of weeks. We helped them create their own “I Am” Poems, which was definitely a success. I could tell that the students were all a bit nervous to be working with college students, but in the end they all seemed to respond well. I was especially impressed with the confidence that the students showed when reading their poems to the group.

Moving forward, I am excited to continue working with my student, as well as getting to know some of the other students, teachers, and administrators at Talley even more. It has been a great experience already and I am hoping for more of the same. Also, I have begun reading The Freedom Writers Diary which has already given me some things to think about for my future career and student teaching.

Week 1 – Talley Middle School

jaredwillmann — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:19:30 +0000

This first week at Talley Middle School has been interesting and I have already begun to learn and be exposed to new things. One such thing is Talley’s use of data analysis in Talley Middle School is extremely interesting and innovative. The school’s ability to target specific areas where students require additional instruction is an amazing tool. Another interesting aspect of Talley are the students themselves. Because they are bused in from different areas, the student base is very diverse. I liked the description of “an urban school in the suburbs”. Additionally, I was extremely impressed with Dr. Carter, the principal of Talley Middle School. He was extremely well-spoken and even after only a few minutes I could tell that he would be an excellent source of information.

In class, we have discussed achievement, diversity, curriculum, and relationships. With respect to achievement it is important to realize that everyone achieves in their own way, especially in diverse environments. It is our job as teachers to facilitate achievement by promoting positive relationships within the classroom and designing an appropriate and challenging curriculum that will engage all types of students and learners.

Moving forward I am excited to work with the students and teachers of Talley Middle School. I can already begin see the benefits of holding class in the school.

Week 1

jaredwillmann — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:49:14 +0000

This week’s focus has been on what it means to be an achiever. Our goal as teachers should be to promote an environment in which our students want to achieve. As teachers, we should also understand what it means to be an achiever, because we should all be achievers ourselves.
My experience regarding achievement is probably not atypical. I never made the conscious decision to become an achiever, it was just always expected of me. Eventually that expectation to achieve became less about my parents and my teachers, and became more about my own desire to achieve.
Unfortunately it will not be this easy for many students. A lot of students will not be fortunate enough to grow up in an environment that expects achievement. For some students, achieving has nothing to do with school. Impressing the importance of an education and being an achiever on these students will be an enormous challenge. As this semester continues I hope that I will be able to learn strategies to cope with challenges such as these.

Hello world!

jaredwillmann — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:30:57 +0000

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