Blog #4: Educational Blogging

What is educational blogging? If I were asked this question I would define it by saying it is a style of blogging used by teachers or faculty to bring light onto classroom topics or discussions. This is an avenue for teachers to express their thoughts and opinions on aspects of education that affect their daily lives and ability to teach. For teachers they can use their blogs as a way to showcase their students work, the resources that they use in the classroom as well as post helpful tips and pointers for their assignments in class. The blog can be created specifically for the teacher to use with their students or they can create a blog to aid in their communication with other teachers. These blogs can bring up points that encourage the analytical thinking of the readers and deepen their critical thinking skills on many topics stated by US department of education. Blogging is a very beneficial resource for school use whether it be through the use of the teacher or the students. 

Clipart image of a blog post and all of its components 

While reading the ideas of my classmates I was able to learn a lot. The first person that I want to make a comment on is Cat Dillards Blog about School Safety. I loved this post because it brings light to the concept that safety is not only in terms of keeping the children safe from physical harm but also from mental or emotional harm. I want to be a teacher that is a welcoming individual for my students like she wrote about and really work hard to create that safe environment for my students so they know they can always come to me if they need a trusted adult. Another peers blog that I enjoyed reading was Emily Klein's Blog about cyberbullying in schools. I have never been a victim of cyberbullying so her blog really served as a window for me to read about her experience and how harmful it was for her. I am hoping that in the lower elementary grades we will not have to face these issues in class but with technology
becoming such a big deal it frightens me to think that it may actually begin to trickle into the elementary school. I loved how she was brave enough to share her story as well as showcase how beenefical the schools involvement was in helping her get past the cyberbullying that was taking place in her life. The final classmate that I want to speak about is Leanna Lifords Blog about parent involvement with their students. Parent involvement is a very important factor of the students ability to do well in school. One thing that I loved about this post was how she began by stating that the term "caregiver" is more acceptable to use because there are many different family situations and lifestyles and whoever is the person that actually steps up to the plate to raise the child may not actually be their parent. Her post was very informative and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. 

Throughout the past few weeks we have been asked to write multiple blog posts and overall I enjoyed the experience. Before this I had no experience writing a blog and I was intimidated with the idea of this assignment but with time and practice it was very enjoyable. I liked having a space to write about some of the topics that I am most concerned with going into teaching. I also enjoyed being able to read about what my peers decided to discuss. I believe that moving on I will continue the use of a blog as a teacher, either as a way for myself to interact with my students and their guardians or for my class to create blogs as an avenue to share their ideas. 

Blog #3: School Safety

This week I am choosing to create a post about school safety and the importance it plays in our everyday lives as students and teachers. School Safety can be defined as keeping students safe from any violence, harm, bullying, substance use or any other harmful activity while being at school or in a school sanctioned activity. On the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments website the idea that a safe school promotes the learning of the students and by being in a positive atmosphere safe from harm will benefit their learning in the long run. It has also been linked that if your students are exposed to illegal substance, weapons, bullying or any other harmful activity it will affect their attendance and their willingness to learn and pursue their education. We do not want any student to be scared to attend school due to the fear of harm which is why school safety and ensuring that my students recognize that their safety is important to us will be a main priority in my classroom. 

School Safety is a Shared Responsibility Image

In my classroom I want to ensure that each of my students feel safe from harm. I want my students to know that bullying, weapons or violence will not be tolerated and it will be dealt with seriously if it does occur. A major part of learning comes from your desire to be there and be present, however, if you are missing school due to the fear of danger or harm then you will be missing out on a huge opportunity to learn. On the first day of school I want to cover safety rules with my students and keep them informed on how we will perform drills and what we will do in case of an emergency. Alongside with having a class discussion about how to conduct the drills we will also discuss how we can talk about sensitive topics such as bullying or anything that will be more personal and need to be talked about one on one. I want to implement a way for my students to be able to come to me and have these sensitive conversations without having to bring it up in front of the whole class. In todays age it is very import for my students to know that they are in a safe place when they enter my classroom and I will do everything in my power for them to know this. 

Blog #2: Classroom Management

 The second educational topic that I want to discuss in my blog is the concept of classroom management. Classroom management can be defined by the rules and procedures put in place by the teacher that creates a positive learning environment and encourages the academic, social, and emotional growth of their students. The idea of classroom management will look different in each class and is really dependent on the goal of the teachers. The rules and procedures will be established at the beginning of the year by the whole class to meet each of their specific goals and be able to support the needs of each individual. One of the major pointers that the article linked above by Edutopia states is that the classroom needs to create a list of agreements that each and every person in the room agrees to follow. These agreements are not only for the students to follow but also for the teacher and any guests who enter the room. Another tip mentioned in this article is to create a set of jobs for your class. In elementary school, it is very exciting to be a leader, and providing classroom jobs for the students, really gives them a sense of pride in their learning environment and encourages them to get their stuff done. Finally, the article encourages elementary teachers to have daily classroom meetings and continuously have whole group check-ins, small group check-ins, and individual check-ins. This will create a kind and respectful environment for the class to know that you care about them and their well-being. When your students know that you are there and care about their lives, they will continue to build that strong relationship with you. These are just three tips from an educational resource that have shown to be effective in the classroom, but like I said before, there are hundreds of strategies that can be used in the class to create the environment that you want to see. 

Four students sit in class working together. 

The topic of classroom management is very important to me because I want to create a class that is very well-managed and productive while also being a place where students can grow and feel supported. I do not want to operate my classroom on rules that only I come up with as the teacher, but I want to work as a whole class to establish these rules and procedures that we can all agree on. I do not want to utilize behavior charts that publically demonstrate the whole class behavior of the students. I feel that when elementary school teachers use these types of charts for their classes, it causes the students to feel embarrassed and ashamed because everyone can see what the teacher is thinking of them that day. I want to work to establish a method that the class agrees with to demonstrate their behavior, such as marbles in a jar, tickets for scratch-off cards, or a treasure box. The methods that I believe I will use for my classroom management are much more whole group centered and wouldn't publically display the student's wrongdoings. Classroom management does not only have to do with their behaviors; it also handles the procedures for how your class is expected to turn work in, will behave during drills or school events, and more. These procedures will be established during the first week of school and covered each week so that the class always remembers what is expected of them. Eventually, these rules and procedures will be second nature for the class, and that is my goal. I want each of my students to know that I will always love and support them while they know exactly what is expected of them. 

Blog Post #1: Family Factors

The first topic I chose to discuss on my blog is the impact family factors, specifically, family engagement, have on the student.  To define what family engagement would be when a family, such as parents or caregivers, has a meaningful role in their student's education, involvement, and activities. We want each of our families, whoever that may be for the student, to be a healthy and positive influence in their student's education. The family plays a role hand in hand with their success in school as well as their engagement in society. At this age, many students cannot choose to make their own decisions on how they live their lives, so these students must have engaged role models that really dive into the lives of their students. These families need to be their student's most prominent advocates and really understand their strengths and weaknesses. These engaged family members will always be the go-to people as a support system, and they will aid in any plans or strategies needed to benefit the child in school or out of school. We only want the best for our students, and we would be one step closer to success by having engaged family support.  

3 leaves labeled family, school, and community
used to represent how these factors all go 
hand in hand to lead to success. 

This is a topic that I want to stress to every single parent or caregiver as vital. If your student does not have support at home and the advocates that they need to really back them up, then they may miss out on reaching their full potential. I want each and every student to be provided the education they deserve and really benefit from the instructional methods used. This will be important in my future class because I want to encourage my families to help out in the class where they can and really show how involved they can be in order to encourage the same behavior from the students. When a student knows they have the support of their family, they will not only excel in school, but they will also be more encouraged to get involved in activities the community offers. I want my students to know that no matter who they have in their corner, I will always be their biggest fan, and I will ensure they have someone rooting them on. When it comes to family engagement, I think that the classroom will thrive when each of the students knows how important and supported they are outside of school. These students will be held accountable for ensuring their schoolwork is done, and they will also be encouraged to do their best. When parents are really involved and know what is going on in the classroom, it will make the dynamic a little smoother and your processes more seamless because the class will be prepared. Not only is this the responsibility of the parent, but it is also the responsibility of the teacher to have this open communication with the students and their support teams in order to encourage that engagement and build those vital relationships.