PhyreBards

I know we mentioned this topic in class but I wanted to expand on it further. Of all of the books I’ve had to read for education classes, Making the Journey is the first that I have ever really appreciated. Not only does Christenbury provide useful information, but also uses actual situations that are explained with examples. The language is not too informal, as many education books can be, but it is also not too formal. Christenbury’s text also seems useful and relevant, while many education books are not.
It is frustrating to have only had books that are repetitive with concepts that seem as though they are common sense. I have been told the same information about teaching over and over again, which gets annoying because it never seems too useful. For example, we are taught to have good classroom management, to manage the paper load, and that we will have to write lesson plans. Yet we have never been taught how to do those things. Since we are finally learning how to teach, I am appreciative of the fact that we have a text that will actually help us in the classroom.
That being said, one of my favorite tidbits of information from Christenbury is that we will have to loose our teacher ego. I believe that teachers should work as a team whenever it is possible. The phrase that teachers should be willing to “beg, borrow, and steal” ideas and materials is one I have heard numerous times and most definitely agree with. If a teacher is not willing to admit that a lesson plan failed or refuses to accept help, the students are the ones to suffer. Christenbury’s theory on the teacher’s ego was helpful advice that will be useful to my career, my stress level, and my students. This is the kind of advice that I never received from any other education book.

Although I definitely understand that sometimes it is important to work with students who have extreme circumstances that arise, I feel that by making "deals" with students, as suggested on page 107, is slightly inappropriate. By bribing students to do what should be expected of them, it is subtly reinforcing their behavior and they could fall into the assumption that everyone will make accommodations for their lack of motivation. Although I recognize that English is a required class for students, there are going to be many things in their life that they are required to do that they may not always enjoy. The attitude that the teacher takes should be one of encouraging them to see the positive and how to enjoy the class as opposed to condoning their lack of desire.

By telling students that it is acceptable to arrive to class late sometimes as long as it isn't everyday, the teacher is undermining the rule of punctuality. I do agree that teachers should keep students' personalities in mind and not force a student to perform in activities that truly terrify them. However, I feel that it is important for students to understand the value of the class and the value of what they are learning, and by accommodating students who refuse to acknowledge this, teachers are minimizing the importance of the class.