- In Finland, student teachers are allowed into any classroom, at any time, to observe a teacher's lesson. After observing, they are able to ask questions and discuss the lesson. Along with this, the teacher's do the same. Student teachers and the teacher they are working with interact through email prior to a lesson. This allows the student teacher to change and update their lesson, as well as allowing a teacher to help prepare for what will be taught. When a student teacher is teaching, the main teacher critiques the lesson while the student teacher is teaching the lesson. This allows them to give exact examples and such in their critiques.
- In Finland, a teaching degree is not just a four year degree. They have a five year program, consisting of a three year bachelor's degree, along with a two year master's degree. Having the master's degree be part of the general teaching program, I think, helps ensure the best teachers are working in their schools.
- In Finland, the school system's are based on trust. They believe that their teachers are well trained professionals. They do not believe in having an inspection/inventory time for their teachers. By doing this, the teachers are allowed to think outside the box and work with their students to ensure the best results for each student. There are better results when there is trust. If a teacher's being inspected, they are preparing for inspection day, not preparing their students for success. By knowing that you can do it, versus having to prove yourself, a teacher is able to do their absolute best!
Here are points that I thought were really key points from the video:
- Everyone gets the same education, no matter their background.
- Students have the same teacher for several years, allowing them to learn easier.
- School is casual; teachers are called by their first name.
- Teacher's are knowledge workers, and need to make sure that all students succeed.
- Less is more!
- Lessons are/should be 60% student, 40% teacher.
- Students have the choice between vocational track or academic track for high school.
- Moodle is used, which is much like our D2L system.
- Students take responsibility for themselves in their classrooms, allowing teachers to have more time for individual help.
- There is little testing, allowing students to develop their own learning style.
- There is a core curriculum as well each school's own curriculum.
4/14: Group Seven, Chapter Ten: School Law
- Legal System:
- Constitutional Amendments- 1, 4, 14
- State- passes laws, legal rights
- Local
- Overlapping Legal System
- Ethics:
- Facebook Policy
- NEA (National Education Association)- gives teachers a code of ethics
- Rights & Responsibilities:
- Licensure- credential evaluation, background check, competency test
- Contracts- legally binding between school board & teacher
- Collective Bargaining- protests, budget cuts in education
- Tenure & Dismissal- legal safeguard, job security by preventing teacher dismissal without cause
- Liability
4/19: Today, group seven finished their project and we discussed district policies, as well as what is going on in the St. Cloud school district. In the school district, there will be a $3 million budget cut, $500,00 of it going towards special education. Every teacher that was not tenure received a pink slip, cutting many of the districts newest and greatest teachers. We also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of tenure. An advantage is job security, for the teachers who are good at what they do, as well as pay protection. A disadvantage is that is keeps the bad teachers in our schools. Along these lines, we also discussed school policies, such as religion and corporal punishment. Interested in where my school, STMA, stood with these issues, I decided I was going to look into all their policies, and become informed.
4/21: Group Eight, Chapter Twelve: The School Curriculum
- Positive Learning Environment
- Respect & Responsibility
- Classroom Set-up/Efficiency
- Time Management
- The Daily Cafe
- The Daily 5 Program
- People Plus+ Activity
- Gold Learner
- Organized, values family traditions, dependable, values order
- Generally needs extra time adjusting to change
- Orange (Red) Learner
- Quick, energetic, risk taker, high need for mobility, competitive
- Generally will be the chatty, social butterfly
- Blue Learner
- Sensitive, imaginative, strong sense of spirituality
- Generally will be the 'motherly' student
- Green Learner
- Analytical, thorough, calm/cool/collective
- Generally will be the leader in a group
- Parent Involvement
- Communication
- Parent-Teacher, Parent-Student, Teacher-Student
- Expectations
- Consistency in classroom
- Praise
- Phone call/Voicemail, Mail/Letter, Email/Text Message
- Open House
- Teacher Introduction, Teacher guidelines/expectations
- Progress Reports
- Report Cards, Conferences
- Misbehavior Intervention
- Awareness
- Having eyes in the back of your head
- Dignity
- Don't embarrass the student in front of his/her peers
- Consistency
- Having same expectations, yet respect for differences (IEP students)
- Communication
- Tone of voice, eye contact
- 'Solution Tree'
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