Christine Kelly Field Journal # 1 EDU 280 March 29,2012 Theme: Personal/Professional Reflection Subthemes: c.

What are you most attracted to in teaching? Which professional and emotional needs are being met and how? How might it affect your practice? Explain. d. What do you imagine would be the greatest challenges to you? One of the aspects of teaching that I am most attracted to is the student and teacher relationship that can be formed. While attending NCCS this week, I noticed a comfortable, yet professional relationship that occurred between Mr. Mark Blower and every single one of his students. In the free time before class starts students come up to Mr. Blower and talk about things that are going on with them at home and in school. He knows a lot about each of his students and even gives them advice if they ask for it. At the beginning of every period that he teaches he throws around a squishy ball to each of his students and asks each of them individually how they are. They answer honestly and in both Spanish and English. The 6th grade students are all mostly feeling feliz or happy and then they go on to tell why, while the 7th and 8th graders are also feliz, but more of them report feeling regular or alright and seem to portray more of the bad aspects of what is going on in their lives at the moment rather than all of the good and exciting moments. Mr. Blower also shares many jokes with his students and the boys love to talk to him about sports games. There is a level of respect that goes both ways. Mr. Blower shows his respect by giving all students a chance to talk and then by truly listens to what they have to say. They respect him back by not disrupting the class, paying attention, and participating throughout the entire class. There was not even one student who was withdrawn from any of his classes that I observed. Students also dont hesitate to say Good Morning or Hello as soon as they walk into the classroom. When discussing this obviously trusting relationship with Mr. Blower he said, This could be the only time during they day where anyone asks them something that allows them to express themselves. Finding theories to fit my observations for this personal/professional reflection is what I consider to be the most difficult part of this assignment. It is difficult in that there are so many theories that could probably be applied, most likely some that I havent even heard of yet. One theory that I think could definitely apply to all adolescents at some point during this transition period but applies specifically to what I observed in the classroom is the emotional competence theory. This theory itself discusses how children and adolescence effectively regulate their emotions and interact with others. Under this theory it is proven that as adolescents get older they learn to interpret the experiences they have in a more positive manner. Also under this theory it is discussed that older teens are less likely to report positive emotions and are expected to report somewhat negative moods more often than younger teenagers. I saw this theory occurring in Mr. Blowers classroom between the younger 6th grade students and the somewhat older 7th grade students. I know that there isnt a large age difference between these students and that the application of this theory is on a more of a small scale, but the difference in the

reporting of their feelings was pretty evident to me. For example, most of the 6th grade students told Mr. Blower that they were happy and excited for upcoming events. Students in 7th grade on the other hand reported that they were feeling alright or no bien (not good). They would then go into explaining disappointments and things that happened that werent exactly in their favor. The differences in response between the 6th and 7th graders shows the transition that occurs in the emotional competence theory where students as they get older begin to report more negative events than positive events. All of these individual responses were evoked because Mr. Blower took the time out of his class period to see how each student was doing, and I think that his relationship with his students is truly admirable, personal, and professional. By being a teacher who creates a comfortable and safe learning environment my needs would be met because I would be able to get to know all of my students on a personal level that still remains professional in that I will be able to know not only about all of the students and what is going on with them, but also what will place them in their disequilibrium and allow them to learn and absorb material more effectively. Emotionally my needs would be met in that I would know that my teaching strategies and my mentality would be making a difference in my students lives and seeing this effect would make me feel as if not only I am successful, but also that my students are successful. This observation opportunity might affect my practice in that I now know and have seen how crucial a safe and comfortable learning environment is for students and I will do my best to create this environment. I imagine that my greatest challenge will be to understand that all students will have different life stories and that a lot of them could be dealing with potentially hard situations and that I have to keep a clear mind and not necessarily think of these hardships every time I think of that particular student.