Chapter 2: Today's Students

        In chapter two of The Joy of Teaching, we see many aspects influencing students and teachers to think that specific gender classifies how each student should behave. In the classroom teachers and students fall under the assumptions that females are better at reading, writing, and speaking because studies have shown that they are more apt to use their left hemisphere which controls language and other sequential skills, while boys are more apt to be good at science and math due to them using their right hemisphere more which is associated with spatial relations. This means that boys are more likely to be deductive thinkers who think about the general and then move into details, whereas girls commonly are inductive thinkers using details and then moving into the general. Due to these certain points brought up in the text we see boys generally get bored in the classroom more easily because they need movement to relieve impulsive behaviors they may have, as well as telling us that girls are more social and prefer to work in group project settings. The text discusses how this sets up certain expectations for boys and girls, such as boys having a tendency of being independent assertive leaders, and girls being quiet and more well behaved. This text encourages teachers to take this all into consideration in order to construct lesson plans that help all students learn all they can whether they fall into these categories perfectly or not.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Teacher

A smile shapes my mouth when I think of…

*      The intrinsic rewards when my students finally understand. I find joy in seeing my students' face light up when they can make new discoveries. I will feel as though I have accomplished what I set out to do when my students' understand my teaching. 

*      Letting my imagination sore as I try to come up with creative lesson plans that fit my students’ unique learning strengths. I hope by doing so it will allow me to bring English to life for my students. I look forward to seeing others grow to love English by learning it in many unique ways.

*      Seeing my students achieve and become the student I knew they could be. I will feel the great feeling when I know I have made a difference in someone’s life. satisfaction as I help my students go down the right path when they might have started down a destructive one. It will leave me with a great feeling when I know I have made a difference in someone’s life.

I lack the energy to jump for joy when I think of…

-       The pay a teacher receives for all the hard work he or she does. I feel like teachers work so hard to make a difference in their students' life and are seriously under paid for all their hard work. 

-       Worrying about meeting certain standards and guidelines while teaching. Teachers have to follow certain rules and restrictions towards what is acceptable to teach and what is better of left unsaid. There are certain part of the curriculum you must include in your lesson plans and other things you need to leave out such as beliefs and things that someone may find offending. 

-        How difficult it is to find a job the first year after graduation. It is very difficult to find a job when you are new to the field so you may have to settle for jobs you don't necessarily want which can be difficult.

Beginner at Blogging

This is my first blog entry! I have read other blogs written by friends in the past, but have never written one of my own. I am staring at this blank page lost for the words to say, so this is the end of my first blog. :)