About Me

My name is Keyanna Tolon. I will be entering my senior year this fall at Washington High School. This is my second year attending the Teachers Of Tomorrow summer program and I really enjoyed it. I have come to realize that teaching in a classroom is not for me, but I do want to work with children. The McDaniel Learning Center was my favorite because I love working with younger children so to be able to work with preschool children was a great experience.  I would recommend this program to anyone who would like to be a teacher and even to those who do not want to be a teacher because it is a great experience and you learn things about yourself as well as about the way people think.

FL Schlagle Library Teaching Experience

This was a GREAT experience!! At first I was overwhelmed with the lesson plan because I did it by myself and it took a while to do it. I am extremely happy that I did type up the lesson plan, because I did have it to fall back on when I got stuck on what to do next. At first when I was observing the day before, I felt as if a lesson plan was not necessary because we were only doing an activity, but the day of my lesson I was extremely happy that I did type up a lesson plan so that I could remember what questions I was supposed to ask before and after the activity.

Teaching the activity actually went better than I thought it would. The students were engaged and they seemed as if they actually enjoyed the activity. Majority of the students knew what the water cycle was and I had them explain it to the students. I was amazed at one student, he explained the water cycle to the point where I did not have to say that much because the way that he explained it, he used many details. It was great to see that this activity taught a few students about the water cycle.

In conclusion, although the lesson planning was not very exciting, the fact that I taught a few students something new was very exciting. The lesson planning was beneficial and it did help me while I was teaching. Even though I am not an environmental person this activity also refreshed my memory about the water cycle because I have not went over this material since elementary school. Overall this was a great experience and I would recommend this program to anyone who loves the environment and also love working with students to volunteer at FL Schlagle.

Knowledge To Instruction Reflection

Our group taught the class the activity telephone. The point of the activity was to show the class how one statement can be turned into many things, just like rumors. The day before we watched a video called When The Chips Are Down By Richard Lavoie and in the video Mr. Lavoie explained the term “chips” represented how much self esteem one had in their self. For an example, if one person is yelled at by their parent then their chips are taken away as well as their self esteem. So when we had to teach our class we had to keep in mind not to take the students chips. Also, we had to keep the educational psychological theories in mind. Some students did not want to participate, some asked to use the restroom every two minutes, then I had to remember that if the students basic needs are not met then they will not function correctly in class.

Majority of the class did participate and the lesson turned out well. After the activity I asked the students to share with the person next to them about a time when they have heard a rumor and later found out that it was not true. In conclusion, this was a great experience. We all had fun but at the same time we all realized how hard it is to be a teacher and also how patient you have to be.

Admissions Reflection

Today representatives from different colleges came in and talked to us about the education program that is offered at their school and what the requirements are to get accepted into the program and school.

I learned that it is very crucial to fill out the FASFA as soon as you can, so you will have the opportunity to get more scholarships. Also, research different scholarships and try to get as many as you can. Although my first college preference is in Texas, the representatives  from Ottawa University caught my attention out of all the other schools. Ottawa caught my attention because it is not too big nor small, and I am looking for a college around that size. Also, Ottawa has a really good school for business and that is what I am thinking about majoring in. After this experience, I realized that majoring in business would be best for me because it goes in hand with what I want to do in life. 

All high school students need to know that it is ok to come to college without a final decision in what to major in. Also, it is very important to stay focused and to not procrastinate because once you start procrastinating it becomes a horrible habit that is hard to break. Going to college has many great benefits such as: networking with people, finding new things that interest you, and it also opens more opportunities. In college, you meet a lot of people and build connections which can come in handy later on in life.  Another example of how college can be beneficial is that you find new things that interest you. In college there are many activities, clubs and organizations that are offered to the students so it is important to get involved so that you may try new things. I want to attend college for all of those reasons and more. To me college is a way to experience life on your own. People have their own opinion of “college life” but until you experience it for yourself, you will never know. I have always wanted to attend college because I was always told that people who attend college will make more money than those that did not go to college and also more opportunities will be offered to those that did attend college. 

Now that I am about to begin my senior year, I want to go to college because neither of my two sisters graduated from college and I see how they are doing in life and I do not want to be like them, so I use that as my motivation to go further education wise. I want to go to college right after I graduate from high school because if I do not I am afraid that I will start a family which would make it even harder to attend college because it would be more distractions. For an example, my oldest sister went to Emporia State University, and was majoring in early childhood education, and she got pregnant her junior year then went back then got pregnant again her senior year and ended up coming back home. Now, fast forward a few years later and she regrets not finishing college and she is still trying to go back. I see how hard it is for her to not be able to pursue her goal because she is trying to raise two kids as well as work full time. Most importantly, I want to attend college for myself! It is nothing better than a smart, well educated young woman that is trying to pursue her dreams, and I have always seen myself as that young woman.

In conclusion, I do realize that college is not for everyone but I do encourage anyone that gets the opportunity to attend college. I am very excited for college and I believe it is going to be an unforgettable experience.

FL Schlagle Library Observation

During the FL Schlagle Library observation, we went over the activities that we were going to teach the students. We had to practice the activities ourselves first, then wrote out a lesson plan. My activity was to teach the students about the water cycle. The activity was that each student would go to a station that represented some point in the water cycle (ocean, lake, glacier, etc.)  and grab a bead and put it on their journey stick then roll a box which would tell them where to go next, and repeat the steps until they reached fifteen beads. Following the activity I planned to ask the students a few questions regarding what did they learn from the activity and if they knew what pollution was and if so how can we prevent pollution from getting into our water streams.

Lesson Planning was my least favorite part! I was thinking I can teach this activity without doing the lesson plan. I realized that it is important to lesson plan just so you as a teacher will plan out every detail of the lesson, also practice lessons before presenting it to the students. I also realized that before you present a lesson before the class, it is extremely important to do more research about the topic. For an example, I had learned about the water cycle back in elementary school but to refresh my memory I researched more about it and also ways I could break it down in terms that six, seven and eight year olds would be able to understand. The lesson planning was not really as horrible as I thought it would be but I had to realize that it will pay off and also benefit the students.

In conclusion,  being a teacher takes a lot of work and patience but in the end all the lesson planning pays off when you see that you taught a student something. This observation made me realize that teachers do sacrifice a lot of their time so they can thoroughly plan out the lessons.

Ideal Classroom

All teachers have their own individual perception of what their ideal classroom would look like. Personally, my ideal classroom would be like a lounge if I were to teach high school. For an example, I would have couches and also desks. The reason why I would have couches is so that the students will feel more relaxed and it would hopefully make the students feel more comfortable in the class. I would have desks for those students that focus better in a desk. I believe that it all depends on the students. If you know that the students focus better in a typical classroom setting with desks and chairs than go that route, and if the students focus better in a more relaxed environment go for the more comfortable furniture. If you have a mixture of both types of students get both comfy furniture as well as desks. I do not actually have a specific idea of how I want my classroom to look. I do know that I will apply the different scents such as: peppermint, lavender, orange and cinnamon to help stimulate the students brain. I honestly just want my students to feel that my class is a safe place.

My preference is to teach either preschool or kindergarten in an urban area. I prefer to teach at an urban school because I went to elementary, middle and high school all in an urban area, so I am greatly aware of the many challenges that the students may face at home. In my class I will have little stations, the walls would be extremely colorful informational posters, a big mat on the floor with maybe colors and the alphabet. I will apply what I learned about the fluorescent lighting. I personally believe that it is really important for preschool and kindergarten classrooms to be filled with lots of colors, it makes it a comfortable environment.

In conclusion, my classroom will be designed to meet the students needs. After taking this class I realized, that every student have their own individual needs some students learn better through color, some students are hands on. It is important for a teacher to be aware of the different styles of learning so they can apply them to the structure of the classroom. This is why I believe that it is important for a teacher to be well rounded so that they can work with the students despite the situations, which is why I believe that it is very crucial for teachers that grew up in urban to teach in schools that are in urban areas because they are aware of many of the things that the students are faced with and can relate to them.

McDaniel Learning Center Observation

Today my observation took place at McDaniel Learning Center. This is my second time going there and I absolutely loved it!  Although the students have learning disabilities, the teachers there amazed me. I have much respect for all teachers, but I truly respect and I admire teachers that teach children with disabilities because the students come with many more challenges and also need more attention.

I realized that working with students with special disabilities can be beyond challenging at times and it takes very special people to work with those students. I really admire anyone that works with special needs children because it takes a lot of patience as well as a passion for what they do. My favorite class was the preschool class. It was my favorite because that is the age group that I would like to teach and the students were very loveable. One student had a speech impediment, and

I could relate because my oldest niece is going through the same thing. My heart goes out to students with disabilities as well as the parents and teachers. My heart goes out to the students because I have no idea what they have to go through and I know they get extremely frustrated not being able to clearly say and or do what they want. Also, my heart goes out to the parents and or caretakers and teachers because it takes a lot of patience. I strongly commend the parents and teachers for all the support that they give the children. At McDaniel Learning Center, I seen that the teachers used technology to help the students learn. For an example, the speech pathologist used an app on an Ipad to help keep a student focused. The student had a speaking problem and he was suppose to match a question with the correct answer, the speech pathologist said that if he answered three questions then he could play a transformers game on the Ipad. The game was used to help the student learn to match things together. I believe that this is a good strategy because it seemed to motivate him to keep trying.

In conclusion, this was a tremendous experience and it really opened my eyes to see how much work it is to deal with students with disabilities. Although the children have many challenges, you can tell that the teachers loves them and has a passion to help them. This was a wonderful experience, and I am overjoyed that this was my second opportunity to visit McDaniel Learning Center, I wish to go back to visit again soon.

Student Panel

5 things that I learned today to prepare me for college:

• Stay Organized- So that you will know where everything is.

• Keep your syllabus- To be aware of deadlines.
• Prioritize- Stay on top of all your work.
• Manage your time- know what is most important.
• Always make time for yourself no matter what- if you don’t then you will overwhelm yourself.
• Make as many friends as you can- to network
  

  

North West Middle School Observation

The middle school Northwest Middle School setting is in an urban area, also high in poverty, which means that the students all come from different backgrounds. Today I observed Mrs.Jackson’s 6th grade reading class. She seemed like a good teacher. The students respected her and it was obvious that she respected the students as well. Today, the class was working on a pre-write over their personal beliefs. Mrs.Jackson started the class off with bellwork. In the bellwork, the students were reviewing the suffix -ness, and were asked to place the words dampness and fondness into the correct sentences that were given.

After the students did their bellwork, they worked on their pre-write to prepare them for their final essay, which they will write on Thursday. While the students worked on their pre-write, Mrs. Jackson pulled up “This I Believe” on her laptop so the students could see examples. The final project is to write an essay about personal beliefs and post it on edmodo. Overall, the class seemed like a safe place and every student seemed like they were comfortable.

At first, I thought Mrs.Jackson would be a teacher that the students did not respect and would not have control over her class because she is young and speaks in a quiet and calm way. As the class went on, I realized that as a teacher having a calm voice can be beneficial because it makes the students pay attention more. Also, I realized that she had more control over her class than a few older teachers that I have previously dealt with.

Although the room was packed because of it being the last week of school, it was obvious that it was a safe environment. I could tell that it was a safe environment because for it being the last week of school, the class was very quiet and seemed interested in the assignment which was really unusual to me because in the schools that I have been in, the last week of school is really hectic.

In conclusion, this was a great experience even though we did not get the opportunity to teach this year, but this observation showed me that students in urban area schools need more attention. After learning about the different psychological development theories, Abraham Maslow’s theory really goes in hand with this. Students in urban areas usually come from broken families as well as broken homes. Maslow’s theory of the “Hierarchy of Needs” explains that if a person’s basic needs are not met, then the person will not perform to the best of their ability because they will be distracted by what is lacking in their life, such as: food, water, sense of confidence, protection, and not knowing what they are capable of doing. People that come from neighborhoods and families that are poverty stricken often times lack many of these basic needs and/ or more. This is the reason why it is important for teachers specifically teachers, that are in schools that are in poverty stricken areas, to be aware of these theories and keep them in mind, when handling a situation. For an example, the student that may be misbehaving in class, may be going through things at home and temporarily escape the harsh reality by misbehaving in class. This is why building close relationships with your students is tremendously important so that you have a better chance about being informed about this.

Educational Psychology Reflection

Today we studied the different psychological developmental theories. My favorite theory is Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”, in this theory Maslow talks about if the basic needs such as: water, sleep, food, feeling of being protected etc. are not met then the person will not perform to the best of their ability. For an example, if a student is hungry, he or she will not accomplish what is expected of them because their hunger will be a distraction. Another theory that i found interesting is Erik Erickson’s “8 Stages of Development”. In this theory, Erickson explains the psychological developments from infancy to late adulthood. I found it interesting because it explains why people in each age group react to certain things in a certain way. For an example, most older adults with common sense react to things in a more civil way, because they are more wiser than us younger people and they think before they act. Also Jean Piaget’s and Kohlberg’s theory all tie into Erickson’s. They all break down the psychological development stages from infancy  to older individuals. In conclusion, it is very important for all teachers and parents to be aware of these theories when handling situations.

Characteristics Of A Great Teacher

In order to be a great teacher, one must obtain certain characteristics. The first characteristic that a teacher must have is that a teacher must be personally involved with each student. Being personally involved with each student means that the teacher builds a personal relationship with each student and knows the needs of every student. Next, a great teacher is also caring. As a teacher it is important to be caring because students will feel that they can trust you and feel open with talking to the teacher about anything. Equally important a teacher must be patient. Teachers endure a lot of rough days, and you must be patient. Students will try their hardest to get to the teacher and if the teacher is impatient all the time, then it will make the student think that the teacher does not really care about him or her and will ruin the relationship between the teacher and student. Also, a teacher has to be understanding. Understanding goes in hand with having a personal relationship with each student. For an example, if the teacher is aware of a student’s home life then in most cases the teacher will understand why the student does certain things. Lastly, every great teacher must be open minded and always receptive to learning new things. No one can ever be too old to learn something new or can never have too high of credentials to learn something new. Students will teach you things as well. If the students see that teachers do not know it all, the students will be more willing to listen to that teacher because the student will realize that the teacher is human and like all other humans we all make mistakes. In conclusion, a great teacher has many characteristics that shapes them into the people that they are.

Personality Tests Reflection

In the first personality test, my score added up to be the color blue which gave the characteristics as follows: in search of self, value close relationships, desire quality time with loved ones, etc. I believe that the results to this assessment were completely accurate because a lot of the characteristics that were listed are very important to me and I truly value. With the second personality test, my personality was the direction South which meant that I am extremely caring. I do agree with that result to a certain extent. On the other hand, sometimes I may come off to others as direct and to the point and some people believe it is rude. I often times tell people how I feel, but at the same time if I know that I hurt them I apologize and admit that I was wrong. But majority of the time I do care about others emotions. I learned that I can be too emotional at times and as Teacher that could be a bad trait to have. If a teacher is too emotional than that would make the students feel as if the teacher would be easy to run over.  I need to learn how to balance being emotional and when not to be too emotional. In conclusion, these are great tests for anyone to take, so that they may learn more about themselves.