Learning Letter

Mackinzi Archer

English 493

Sean Agriss

March 20, 2017

Dear Dr. Sean Agriss,

 The work we have completed in this course has made me a stronger teacher all around. When I sat in the first day of class I got so stressed out because it sounded like so much work. I didn’t know then how well this would benefit me in the long run. During the first half of the class we started doing blog posts and having discussions in class. This is when we started reflecting on the theories and concepts throughout our reading. I have gathered so much information from those readings and discussions that I will get to carry away from this class and remember to input them into my classroom. After the reading, we would meet the next class period and discuss we had read. Learning and listening to what my other classmates thought about the reading really made me understand the reading even more. The theories we have read about in class is something I can take into consideration during my EdTPA lesson plans. The research and books we have read is something I can connect my lessons to. If I have learned anything about this class it’s that you learn so much. What I liked the most is that all of this information will help me be a stronger teacher. Readicide is one of my favorite readings that we read in class. I will take this reading and the strategies that it expresses and carry it into my classroom for ideas to use with my students’. When we had our discussions on our readings, and I would get to hear what my other classmates thought, this would give me a chance to see what their side was on the certain aspect and topic. This gives you a chance to see things two-sided and maybe you didn’t view things how they did and this will make you a stronger teacher in the end.

We have completed a lot of work throughout this course. The first being the book talk. I absolutely loved this part of the class. This is because I got to recognize and hear about books and literature that I have never heard of before. Listening to my classmates describe their book and give teaching examples that they would use with their students’ is something I know I will take away from this class. I picked The Swimmer by John Cheever for my book talk and I hope my classmates learned something from my talk. Being that we had blogs for this class, is something that I also love. This gives us a chance to look back on it and these book talks so we can get examples for our future classrooms. Before this class I never really thought that when you use certain literature in your classroom that some parents might not like it. During our book talks we got the chance to describe the problems we might run into. I have learned that no matter what, you should check and make sure that the book you’re using in your classroom is okay with the people around you.
The second big work we have done in this class is the mini-lesson. I found this to be beyond helpful for the future. Twenty minutes is not a long time so I felt like I struggled the most with time management. Watching my classmates give their mini-lesson was also very helpful for me. I gather information and examples that I can use during my teaching career. We got the chance to pick from our readings in class. This was such a great idea because we got a wide range of ideas from all of the different books. I will say that it is more nerve wracking to teach in front of your peers rather than your students’. This is funny because they have all been in your shoes and know what you’re going through. During my mini-lesson I became a stronger teacher because of it and getting feedback from my peers really helped as well. I constantly try to stay up beat when it comes to teaching because students’ love to see that. I believe that I did well by describing and getting the learning objective into my students’ heads. Also, I thought my worksheet was very engaging for my students’ and I felt as if they could learn a lot. The mini-lesson was very beneficial for me and I am so glad that you gave me this opportunity.
The biggest work of it all throughout this course that we got the chance to complete is the unit plan. I know that this project will and has shaped me into a better teacher today. When hearing about the requirements at the beginning you don’t realize how much work it actually is until you do it. Hannah and I worked together on this project and we learned so much. This is because we had to really think about what we wanted to do and what would be best for our students’. We decided to do a unit on Where the Red Fern Grows and to have our students’ compare and contrast the book and the movie. I think we did the best we could knowing how much work this actually was. After making the calendar, we realized what our plan was. This is when we started making lesson plans and I will as if this is when I learned the most. We wrote the lesson plans together and I think we not only learned from each other, but ourselves as teachers and educators. When completing the unit plan, it felt like I had completed something so great. This unit plan is something that I will carry with me and use as an example when I have my own classroom one day.
My participation in this course has shaped me into a better teacher. My thinking has become stronger about myself as a teacher. This is because I have done work throughout this class that I know I can take-away with me. At first, I was scared I didn’t know how to plan lesson plans and I didn’t know how I would come up with ideas. This class has proved to me that I can do it. I now feel so much more confident to get up in front of a classroom and teach curriculum. Honestly, this class has made me realize that I am so excited for my career and the exciting things I have ahead of me. Thank you so much for testing our knowledge and believing in us.

Sincerely,

Mackinzi Archer