Hey guys,

I was wondering after the discussion today if you had any good thoughts or ideas on how you are going to balance your teaching in your own class. How will you teach the information that is on standardized tests, but make it creative at the same time? How will you practice high level teaching in a way that the students will still be successful on tests?

Hey Samatha! I was really interested in the topic today in class, as well, and it has had me thinking alot about how I am going ot balance my classroom. I know that I am going to teach the strands and standards that I am suppose to so that my kids will do their best on the tests but I know that I will also make class interesting for them! I think i wil do this by incorporating alot of interaction, activities, projects, and hands-on learning so that they are not just learning the material but have fun with it and thinking at a higher level of learning!
I feel that this will be a challenge for all teachers but it this challenge is what makes our jobs, as teachers, so much fun!

I think that balance in the classroom is going to be difficult but, like Katie Gray said, this challenge will make teaching more fun. I also want to include a lot of hands on learning, parent involvement, and a variety of approaches to teaching the required subject matter. I believe that creativity is so important in the classroom because kids will remember unique activities and lessons that they enjoy. During class it seemed like creativity was made to look time consuming and not a realistic way of teaching. I have no doubt that creativity could do nothing but benefit the classroom and could even save time. The lessons should still follow the SCOS and help children master knowledge that will be needed for the End Of Grade tests. I hope to have lessons that are as creative as they are factual and beneficial to my students. Creating original lesson plans would take much longer on the part of the teacher but it is all about the students!

I agree with Katie also. Teaching in the same lower levels of thinking to our students over and over will not be beneficial to them and they will get tired of it. For us as teachers, doing things more creatively will not only keep us from getting tired of teaching the same old way, but keep our students enthusiastic and involved when they see our enthusiasm for the subject matter!

I agree with what everyone has been saying. Yes, trying to be creative yet stick to the standards we are told to is difficult, but aren't we trying to get students excited about school? They are not going to be motivated if we do not incorporate creativity and activities that relate to students' needs. I know that the first year of teaching is going to be more difficult because we will be starting from scratch with lesson plans and activities. This is why I am taking advantage of the resources we have now at App. In my math class, we have to do an activity file that consists of 20 activities for various concepts that are part of the SCOS. Instead of just doing a slack job and getting through the project, I am finding activities for the grade I want to teach and activities that I will actually use in my classroom someday. So, I guess that I am trying to find creative ways now so that I will at least have a start for when I begin teaching and am having to follow the SCOS.

The discussion in class I thought was really well and made me really sit there and think about my teaching. Sometimes it seemed like people were for teaching to the test, but I think that was opposite or at least for me it was. I think that first year in the classroom is going to be the most overwhelming. Its our first time alone and the students are officially our kids for a whole year. We are the ones who have to teach them everything they need to know for whatever grade we are teaching. I remember those teachers as a student in school that all they did was teach toward the end of grade test. Those were the most boring classes I had and most of the time I didn't want to be there. I don't want to be one of those teachers. Creativity most of the time leads kids to explore the subjects more in depth and really participate in the classroom. I agree with Katie Gray that this is the challenge that makes our job of teachers so much fun.

I agree with what everyone has been saying. I honestly feel like if you go into a classroom and teach to the test and make it the most boring thing in the whole world then you have not learned anything while being here. In all the lesson plans I have made so far and used from nclearn, they have included creativity in the classroom AND students learn the information for the tests. Children are not as stupid as some people think they are. They can use higher level thinking and apply it to basic questions that are asked on standardized tests. Yes it will be a lot of work to make creative lesson plans, but who wants to sit behind their desk from roughly 8-3 while their students just do worksheets.

I also agree with what everyone has been saying is. There is never going to be a perfect balance of creative activities and getting the kids to learn what they need to learn for the test but I think it's all about setting the bar high. You have to be willing to challenge yourself in your lesson planning. Don't think that you can't do it or be fearful of being fired. I think it's important to remember that we're there for the students to learn and remember and have fun all at the same time, not so that we can be proud of ourselves for our students getting high scores even though they forget all that they've learned. Bottom line though, is that teachers can do it and it is possible for kids to have fun while they learn.

I think that our discussion in class last Thursday was brought up a lot of good points that will help me in my quest to be creative with my students while still giving them the information they need for a test. I believe that it is possible to teach students past the lowest knowledge level, because to encourage higher level thinking, the students first have to have a knowledge foundation of the subject. For example, students in a history class could not connect the dots from the German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles to the rise of Hitler without knowing first how the Treaty disenfranchised and humiliated the Germans. They could also never know why Hitler was so focused on "cleansing" Germany without knowing that he blamed Germany's loss of World War one on Jews. Without this basic knowledge, students could never progress past the basic knowledge of these events and see how they shaped the future. So I feel that the difficulty with being creative should not be as overbearing when you keep in mind that teaching this basic knowledge can both help the kids advance to a higher level of thinking and with also give them the knowledge they need for any standardized tests.

Adding to Kyle's reply, it is imperative that teachers make sure that their students know the basic information that allows them to employ their higher level thinking skills. Metaphorically speaking, without first teaching the basics of driving, how can you expect someone to merge onto an eight-lane interstate during rush hour while going 75 mph? Being a music education major, I am constantly trying to find ways to relate the *cough* core classes *cough* to what my major entails. It is a constant challenge, but I feel that unless teachers of ALL levels guide their students in a manner in which they can relate, then the teaching is pointless. If these teachers cannot find ways to help his/her students associate with the lessons they are learning (in order tO pass the standardized test...etc.) then these children are going to be sitting in classrooms staring out the window and wondering "why do I have to know this again?"

I've always enjoyed hands-on learning and really grasped the concept I was learning better when it was hands-on. When students are allowed to touch their subject and really see it and experiment with it, I feel like they appreciate it more. Therefore, they are going to retain that knowledge a little better. It is important to be creative in the classroom. I think someone said during class that if a teacher is creative in the classroom, then doing well on tests should come naturally. Testing is relatively important, but it is definitely not the most important thing. Making sure that students know the information, care about it, and continue to know it should be just as important, if not more, to the teacher. I plan to have this approach in my classroom!

I think having a balance is absolutely key. Teaching to the test does not give students an outlet or the teacher to be creative and have their mind thinking about more than what's going to be on the test. If you can integrate the two and give just a little more time for your students to be able to be creative as they learn I think the learning atmosphere will be much better and everyone will enjoy the class. I am a hands on learner and a visual learner so I will definitely think about that when I am teaching. I will also remember everyone is not the same when they learn so I will try to give a balance.

I am a very hands on learner. You can show me something once, but then I have to do it myself and ask questions as I go. I can't just read something and know what it is talking about. For me, I would rather build a desk by myself then read the instructions. I would look at them if I needed help, but I would try it on my own first.

Creativity is key, especially in an elementary school classroom. If you can't keep things fun and interesting then your students will run off course and lose interest. I would keep my classroom fun and interesting by doing a lot of hands on activities and getting the children, and sometimes parents involved as much as possible. I would take field trips to help those who learn better that way, and have reading material and worksheets for others who learn that way. You have to have a little bit of everything. Search around in the classroom to see how the students operate and go from there.

I definitely agree that balance is the key. I think that learning should be fun and that if students are interested and engaged they will naturally learn the material. By using hands-on activities, projects, and group interactions the students will be more involved in the learning process and therefore should retain the information better. Just because a teacher hasn't "taught to the test" doesn't mean that the students will not perform well on the test. As long as students know the information, they will be able to apply it on the test.

I think I am just going to try to be as creative as possible whenever I can and appeal to as many different learning styles as possible so that all students have a chance to learn the information.

I would defiantly have to say that the first year of teaching is going to be one of our biggest challenges as we adjust to the idea of having around 25 kids listing to us and hanging on our every word. I really think that teaching to the test is the worst thing a teacher can do because in all reality it tells the kids that learning is not important that your only doing this to pass a test until you are "free" or of age to quit school. I believe that having interest in what you are teaching is important and you must be able to be creative. Creativity allows children to experience your lessons on a different level and allows them to have interest in what they are learning. I think hands on learning is very important and for us as first year teachers it will allow us to have a less stressful environment and allow us to be fun teachers along with being successful teachers.