Lesson 7 Blog Response

After reading and pondering the debate about teens lacking adult reasoning capacity, yet being held to adult consequences, what do you think this means for you as a teacher?

This means that there is added pressure to be looking for and implementing strategies that develop brain activity to reduce negative adolescent outcomes. As a current teacher and Hispanic I understand the extra responsibility teachers have and have had in the classroom. For minorities teachers are expected to do more than just teach, we are being asked to also develop morality and ethics in students. Those aspects of life - in my opinion - are learned mostly at home and are usually implied in the content we provide in the classroom, but those responsibilities are thrust upon educators without much preparation. And being unprepared may lead to just dismissing negative behavior and punishing it because it is easier. However, educators should try to curb it with data driven techniques and strategies at any age for the student.   

Lesson 6 Blog Response

After watching the videos on Math and Music, how does this information impact you as a teacher?

 As a teacher, in general, this information should provide accommodations in the classroom to maximize output scores and classroom behavior. Playing music in the classroom may help kindle communication, friendship, and exam scores. While it may be wishful thinking that music has significant impact on learning, it could help with the little things in the classroom that usually hinder a students ability to learn. If music makes students be happy, and happy students learn, then it should be done more often.

Math is important at any level of education, but from my experience it is the most difficult for high school students. Just this winter break we had students that did not graduate from high school because the Math AIMS test was not passed. They had passed everything else but that exam. A fraction of students will always have trouble with math, but if we can identify behavior in children that are indicators of problems and intervene, it may reduce the number of students that may struggle with it later in life.

Lesson 5 Blog Response

After watching the videos on Language and Reading, how does this information impact you as a teacher? 

In general, the information on getting students to learn reading and language at the correct moments so they do not fall behind is important. If parents understood the long term negative impact of not using peer reviewed techniques on children, they would probably take early childhood development of the brain a bit more serious. As I see it, students are only getting teachers to help with developing reading and language techniques and considering some seem to be 1-to-1, like listening to them directly and responding, they may become at-risk students if parents do not participate. As a high school teacher I see the aftermath of that already because many of the students that struggle with basic reading and language skills will start manifesting their frustration in the classroom.