Blog 8

     I have learned many things through my field work.  The most important thing that I learned was classroom management.  The teacher that I observed did a fantastic job at controlling the classroom.  He had many procedures that effectively got the students attention and the class was never out of control.  I want to be able to run my class this way because it is such an important aspect of teaching, it sets a foundation for everything else.  Learning strategies on how to control a class was probably the most important thing that I could have learned.
     Other strategies that I learned during my field work was strategies on how to get the student thinking.  I learned the importance of not just giving the child an answer, but rather using scaffolding to get their brains thinking.  When they learn something for themselves, they remember it a lot better than if the answer is just told to them.  I think this is another important thing to learn early in my education.  I want the children to really absorb the information I teach them.  Asking, "Why?" is another key aspect to teaching that I learned through my field work.  It allows their thinking to go deeper rather than staying at the surface.
     If I can learn right now effective strategies to run a classroom then I will be a more successful teacher when the time comes.  Classroom management and teaching information are the keystones to an effective classroom.  This class has set a foundation for the remainder of my journey through the elementary education process.  I can elaborate my ideas from this class into deeper philosophies for my teaching strategies.  These are only two of the countless things I learned through my field work and I cannot wait to incorporate them into my teaching tactics.