Team Teaching and TPA Guidlines

After reading this article on Team Teaching, I become a fan of the idea. At first I was a bit skeptical, because I know myself and know that I often times like things done "my way". But after reading all the benefits that can come out of teaching with another colleague, I think I would be excited and thankful if I ever got this opportunity in the future. One specific benefit I think comes along with Team Teaching, is if one teacher is more experienced in a certain area or subject, you have the option to have them teach that portion, to more effectively help the student learn. Also, having the opportunity to watch someone other than yourself teach everyday, is extremely beneficial to your own growth as a teacher. Another point I thought was a great idea was that while the one teacher is teaching, the co-teacher can jump in and act as a student, asking valid questions that other students may have but aren't thinking to ask. I think Team Teaching is helpful in so many ways, and can be a fun and effective learning technique for both the students and the Team Teachers.


Reading more in depth about the TPA guidelines was also interesting for me. While the TPA lesson plans are more than a little extensive, I find them extremely helpful when creating a lesson. I am a very organized person, so they really help me plan everything out to a T and help me understand the objectives and goals in my lesson, which I may not think of doing if I was without the TPA  guidelines. Overall, I do think they are extensive and time consuming, but I think they are even more beneficial and effective for both the effectiveness of the teacher and for the learning of the students.

Common Core State Standards

Before I read this article I had only an idea of what Common Core State Standards actually meant. I heard the term used many times by teachers and professors through out my schooling career, but never really understood the depth of how they work. I know Common Core State Standards are put into place to ensure every student is taught the same fundamentals and to make sure teachers are being consistent across the United States. However, that does not mean every aspect of Common Core State Standards is liked by teachers. There is a valid argument that can be made that students are not necessarily interested in the material that Common Core State Standard offers. Sometimes students may think the material is boring or they feel like they will never use it in their adult life. This is a huge issue when it comes to teaching because it takes away from the student learning anything from the material. When the student is engaged and excited about the material, that is when they start excelling in their work. It is important for teachers to follow Common Core State Standards but also apply modern culture and fun activities into their daily teaching routine. I think one area that Common Core State Standards is effective in, is todays day and age is so busy and students are being expected to take on more and more of a workload than ever before. Common Core State Standards make sure that they are getting a consistent education. Common Core also can allow teachers to evolve with their teaching while also allowing them to put their own twist to it and adapt the material to their students. I think CCSS is a very necessary and helpful tool that can for the most part be greatly appreciated by teachers, yet no concept is perfect. It is structured, organized, and molded to be as effective as possible for teachers, and that is where the learning starts.

Discussion in a Democratic Society

Reading this article on Democracy really opened up my eyes to issues that teachers and students face within schools. I particularly enjoyed the part that talks about the differences between conversation, dialogue, and discussion. If you would have asked me before what the difference was between the three, I probably would have said nothing. But reading in depth what these philosophers say the difference is was really interesting to me. I would have never thought that dialogue was considered to be more about inquiries, problems, and increasing understanding, and conversation was more informal and les-structured. I would have thought they were almost identical concepts. But now being able to distinguish between the two gives more insight on when to use one versus the other in my future classroom. And then there is "discussion" which is said to be more serious because it "requires the participants to be mutually responsive." I do think this description of the concept discussion is accurate in comparison to "conversation" and "dialogue". I do recognize discussions to be more serious and equally participated by both parties, but the differences between dialogue and conversation are still interesting to me. I know now that I will definitely separate the three and use them differently in the classroom, depending on what I think is appropriate for the situation. I really agree with the statement that was made about discussion being valuable for revealing the diversity of opinion that lies underneath any complex issue. With any controversial situation, especially in schools, it is important to explore all possible ideas, thoughts, and situations before making a decision. Also, one person making all the decisions is not right either, it needs to be a collective process with the whole community. This insures the right decision is being made, and is approved and supported by the majority of people involved. Overall this was an eye-opening and intriguing article to read! Thank you.