Friends and Peers

Life has been insane. I know it has been a while since I wrote last but I knew that eventually I would be drawn back to this beautiful self-expression of mine like a moth to a flame. It’s summer; the weather is beautiful, the sun greets me and wakes me up every morning and I still find myself in the classroom. I am taking summer classes like the studious little bookworm that I am. I've been busy preparing for the week all day - lying in my bed doing a book report that’s due this upcoming week as well as a chapter presentation on the assigned classroom textbook. Since we talked last my life has been the same but a tad more interesting. I had a seasonal job but finding that it’s very hard to get a job around here, I've been busy searching for a new one ever since the initial one ended. It’s been difficult, but like I always do, I keep on trucking and moving forward! Sometimes it’s really the only thing you can do!

Anyways, now that I've had my little intro I’m going to get down to business. I am taking a TCE class during the summer it’s nice because I can use some of the material that we are talking about in class. I am taking this class by, in my opinion, the best professor at Oregon State. His name is Mike O’Malley. He is one of the reasons why I decided to have education as a future profession; he helped make everything possible.

The class that I am in is learning about adolescence and the changes they undergo as they transition into adulthood. Yeah, learning about puberty. The one bane of my existence that I wish I could take back and never think about again - constant embarrassment, the struggles of fitting in… Ah but alas, it’s a necessity in order for me to reach the much desired adulthood. There’s good news and bad news… Since I will be teaching high school students I will be right in the middle of those crazy hormone driven transitions, the good news is that I will never have to live through it again. However it will be difficult handling these students in the classrooms, but I knew that already and I look forward to the challenges I will be facing. No matter what grade or wherever I end up I will always be faced with challenges. That’s the exciting thing about this profession! If I do it right, it will never be boring!




So… FOCUS CARLY, FOCUS! I was reading about friends and peer groups and a couple of things that I found interesting that I didn't know before were brought to my attention. One factoid ;) was that peer pressure shouldn't really be called peer pressure - it should be called “friend’s influence.” This is a common mistake when talking about peers and friends. Peers are individuals in the same concrete grouping of age, gender, or education, etc. Friends are intimate individuals that you share and connect with on a deeper than surface level. “Peer pressure” isn't really peer pressure, it’s your friends; the individuals you’re closest with that you push you or thrust you into situations you might not be comfortable with.


When you think of friend’s impact you probably automatically think of the negative. WRONG! According to the chapter there are four types of positive support that individuals can give and receive in a friendship:


1.      Informational Support: Advice or guidance involving personal problems such as those in families, relationships, and schools.

2.      Instrumental Support: Helping with different tasks such as homework, household chores, lending money, etc.

3.      Companionship Support: Being able to rely on one another, and being reliable companions, like having someone to go to lunch with.

4.      Esteem Support: Encouraging or consoling when one fails, or congratulating when one succeeds.

These are things that I will have to keep in mind as I become integrated into the different classroom settings. It’s exciting.

I’m going to cut it a little short this evening because, beloved readers, it is late and I have class in the morning.

Until we read again.

Backward Design

“Just as a physical tool extends human capabilities, an intelligent tool enhances performance on cognitive tasks such as the design of learning units.” (Wiggins 2005)

Instead of having a cutesy little introduction, I decided to start with a quote from my new TCE classroom’s assigned textbook. (I’ll get to the cutesy stuff later!) In honor of the topic I’ll be conversing, I’m doing my normal routine backwards!

I want to talk about something new (like I tend to do) that I recently learned about. I think it’s pretty interesting. It’s called “Backward Design.” I wrote a personal definition based off of the statements presented in Grant Wiggins’ book Understanding by Design. It is, “an approach to teaching that narrows in on the end result and is focused on the learning, not the teaching aspect of being an educator.” I think that hits the nail right on the head (and I’m not just saying that because I wrote it and I’m biased about my opinions, because most often times I try to eradicate bias). The idea of “Backward Design” within the classroom is essentially the title. Literally. Most teachers start creating their curriculum based on the activities that they want to do, what the textbook has to say, and the work from previous lessons (RECIPE TEACHERS). Backward Design starts at what the end goal is. What do I want my students to take away from this lesson? What standards will I be meeting when creating this lesson? How does my curriculum prepare the students for further success in my classroom and society?

This is a no-nonsense system. If learning isn't a possible result, it’s cut from the game plan. These teachers that apply this design to their curriculum and classroom setting are successful. They are not recipe teachers that teach to the textbook and keep the same schedule year after year. These teachers have lesson plans that MEAN something, they are differentiating their classrooms, and they accomplish pre-set goals.  LEARNING HAPPENS! The information that is not important is cast aside, the included is not pointless and there is no filler. EVERY aspect of the formation of classroom direction has a reason or a purpose as to why it is included. Clear goals are set in the beginning before the lessons and activities are decided, THEN (in accordance to the set goals) the lessons are formed. A breakdown of how this works goes into three steps and they are as follows:

1. Identify desired results:

·         Examine established content standards and review curriculum expectations. (This is the step in which the magic begins, and it is THE most important).

2 .  Determine acceptable evidence:

·         Think about a unit or course in terms of the collected assessment evidence needed to document and validate that the desired learning has been achieved.

3.  Plan learning experiences and instruction

·         Fully think through the most appropriate instructional strategies.

Most teachers want to start with step three because it is the most exciting and fun part, but in doing this there is no set concrete goal that is at the end of the tunnel. In the beginning of the textbook Wiggins quoted, “If you don’t know exactly where you are headed, any road can take you there.” This is true for teaching too. In order for successful and purposeful learning to occur, we need to know exactly where we’re going.

We as teachers are going to want to jump ahead to the fun part but it just can’t happen right away. We would be doing our students a disservice, and many teachers are already like that. We have to REALLY think through our activities and lessons that we want to teach and decide what activity is a perfect fit that meets the student’s needs, the individual’s readiness level, and appeals to the standards already in place. (Hint, Hint: Referencing Differentiated Learning!) Stick to the order of the steps. You can still make activities fun and exciting AND they can pertain to the required curriculum or standard. What a wonder! I never knew it was possible (sarcasm) since all of the teachers never take the time to do it! Granted, this is a lot of work. But it’s worth it. I can’t stress that enough. For more info look up Understanding by Design.

So now that I've switched it up and talked about the important junk first, I’ll get to my (earlier mentioned as cutesy) introduction that I always do! The new term has started, hooray! I've been busy trucking away with my assignments because I am very eager to do will this term. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m intending to do well EVERY term. However this spring feels different. I was prepared when the first day rolled around for each of my classes, (already unlike last term, I didn't get my books until week three) the weather is starting to get nice so I can do my reading and lay in the sun, and I just like challenges. This term will definitely be that too! I’m enrolled in all four hundred level courses for the first time since attending Oregon State. I told my friend Josh today that it’s like when you’re playing Guitar Hero for the first time; the one hundred, two hundred and three hundred level courses resemble the first four keys that get you up to medium. The four hundred level courses are learning to use the orange key and getting used to shifting your hand. I feel like the first set of classes were pretty easy and I was able to pay attention on a moderate level, go to class and study slightly for tests and I could easily crank an A- out of them. Now it’s week one and I’m already feeling the heat. BUT! It’s exciting! Finally I have a challenge! So that’s about it.

I got a job offer for over the summer, that’s new! As of today actually. If my job at Garland doesn't last through the summer (since it’s seasonal) then I have a back-up! What else….. Hmmm… Oh I’m writing a book. Didn't know if I had announced that publicly yet or not. Well, now the cat’s out of the bag… Yeh, I’m writing a book. And I’m finding it difficult to work on because my life keeps getting in the way. That’s a characteristic of life though, right? Happy Wednesday!

Saludos,

Carly Mae

P.S I apologize for all of the photos, I was enjoying myself this post!