I have to write a journal response on the emotions of teaching.
This is the Q: How and in what ways are the emotions of teaching related to places and things that call up good and bad memories for me about teachers, classrooms and schools?
Im not sure how to get started on this one.It seems very broad and would love if you could give me some advice.Thanks in advance!
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Ok i have spent all last night fixing this essay and its due today and still have no conclusion.Please help...sorry to b picking your brain so much!!!
How and in what ways are the emotions of teaching related to places and things that call up good and bad memories for me about teachers, classrooms and schools?
In the course of this journal, I aim to convey the emotions and elaborate on/recall different emotions, either dark or light, and apply them to teaching experiences.
I assume that the utmost positive emotion a teacher can feel is the joy of improving a child's life with education. To be able to see a child in the class progress year after year is a great satisfaction. If a child in the class could not read or write when the year begins, and by the end of the year the child could read books and write stories--that would be a powerful experience. As a teacher, the emotions that I will go through in just one day will be truly incredible: joy and happiness when teaching a child something new that they didn't know yesterday. Frustration when something goes wrong or when there is a problem with a student or even administration. For me, the one emotion that I know I will not be alone on is the fear when I first begin to teach-the fear of the unknown, of doing the wrong thing, or that simply I'm not making enough of a difference.
One of the teachers that stands out in my memory for making a difference to the pupils in her class is one of my old national school teachers. The teacher, a female, was full of encouragement and inspiration and had a strong presence in the room. The teacher had a way of capturing our attention for all subjects, intriguing to watch and always supportive. The children in her class were in awe and would encourage all the pupils to do the best of their ability. She would encourage singing and physical education, while the other teachers couldn't bear to teach the subjects. The classroom environment was strict, she was well able to control the class but also let us enjoy learning through creativity and innovation.
The darker sides of emotion are ones of great concern to teachers. These emotions can appear within work colleagues themselves or between teacher and pupil. I can recall some experiences where sarcasm and negative emotions were conveyed in the classroom when I was a pupil. As with most adults, there is always a teacher who inspired me and makes me think about my own teaching, but there is also one teacher who was extremely discouraging and unsupportive. This experience was in my secondary school days, this was the teacher who took us for mathematics every day. She never helped anybody in the class to do the math she was teaching. The equation was wrote on the board and then explained briefly, I was told to open my book on a certain page and complete the questions. If I put up my hand to tell her I was not able to do them, she would abruptly tell me to ask the person sitting next to me for help. This was her idea of 'pair work' while she painted her nails at the desk. To this day, the odour of red nail varnish--or even the thought of it--makes me nauseous. As I was always a weaker student at math to begin with, it really didn't help to have no guidance for a year. I feel strongly that the purpose of this teacher's experience was for the money only and I think this made me more determined to be a better teacher than this teacher ever was. The essential 'fearas' of this teacher was the textbook. Learning is supposed to be child-friendly and blended into childhood. I don't think any child should have to face education in this way. In the classroom, teachers can choose to distance themselves from their pupils and not form close relationships. They do not know their pupils well and Hargreaves sums this up well when he states, 'Successful teaching and learning therefore depend on strong emotional understandings' (Page, 8). In my opinion it is vital to have a connection with the pupils, to respond to their learning. Distancing myself from my pupils would have a negative effect on their ability to learn. In a workplace where the classroom door is closed and is disconnected from the outside world, a social distance is created as Hargreaves calls it. (Page 8). I think as a teacher there should be more interaction with others, a culture of collaboration should prevail so that the openness and unitedness of every teacher form a bond in the school. I think this helps to form a better school environment as both teachers and students alike can share views and emotions in a natural way encouraging better communication. The majority of emotional experiences involve communication and interactions with parents, some of these situations can evoke negative emotions-fear, anger or anxiety. If my classroom practices and competence or even my purpose of teaching was questioned by or criticised by parents, I would be extremely hurt and outraged that a parent could judge me on my expertise. This may result in 'professional distance' from the parent involved but if confronted then these emotions are 'masked' so as to not show the true emotion that I the teacher is feeling when my expertise is being undermined. I think teachers have to step back a little from the situation to strategically handle the conversation in the best way possible. This may mean collecting our thoughts, staying calm and defusing the situation even when under the surface our emotions are boiling with rage. In my opinion this emotional pattern is largely negative as true emotions are not being portrayed.
'Emotion is integral to all teaching' (Hargreaves, page 4). Teaching calls up memories of my own school days, the good with the bad. The emotions of those experiences will be with me whenever I step into a classroom, but I believe all my past school experiences will make me a better teacher'.
Greetings!
I find when I have to write something like this that the easiest way to get started is to break it down into pieces. Let's see what those pieces might be.
1) The "emotions of teaching" - What are the emotions that teaching engenders? What causes them? They might include the joy of improving children's lives; frustration when you have a problem with a student or with administration; fear--of the unknown, when you first begin to teach; of doing the wrong thing; or, that you are simply not making enough of a difference.
2) Memories of teachers - Which teachers stand out in your memory and why?
3) Memories of your classroom experiences and schools - Did you like school? If so, did this prompt you to want to become a teacher? Did you hate school, and this made you want to be a better teacher than the ones you had?
You might want to start with #3 or #2, and then see how those memories tie in with and create the emotions you have/will have when teaching.
I hope this gives you some ideas!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
Greetings!
I think you have a very good essay here. I have just a few editing suggestions.
the utmost positive emotion a teacher can feel
To be able to see a child in the class progress year after year or if a child in the class could not read or write when they started and by the end of the year can now read books and write stories. - Despite its length, this is a sentence fragment; it needs an ending like "is a powerful experience."
As a teacher, the emotions that I will go through in just one day will be truly incredible: joy and happiness when teaching a child something new that they didn't know yesterday and also frustration when something goes wrong or a problem with a student or even administration. - Your second sentence was a fragment, so I changed the period to a colon.
Be aware that contractions are normally frowned on in formal writing. You have a few, like "couldn't."
The classroom environment was strict; [change to semicolon to avoid run-on sentence] she was well able to control the class but also let us enjoy learning through creativity and innovation.
She never helped anybody in the class to do the maths she was teaching. - Don't capitalize "maths" and don't use an apostrophe to make something plural. American students note: "math" is plural in British English. :-))
The thoughts and odour still of red nail varnish, makes me cringe and feel nauseous. - This construction is a bit awkward. How about: "To this day, the odour of red nail varnish--or even the thought of it--makes me nauseous."
the purpose of this teacher's experience
All you need is a sentence or two summing up the essay. Something like: "Teaching calls up memories of my own school days, the good with the bad. The emotions of those experiences will be with me whenever I step into a classroom, but I believe all my past school experiences will make me a better teacher."
Best of luck!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
Thanks, i didnt see those errors.I like the conclusion you have wrote too. I have been writing mad again so can you see what you think. I have used some references too.
I just need this essay to flow now as it has to 'intertwine'and i dont know if i have done this.
Thanks in advance!!
Greetings!
Here are some more editing tips for you:
To be able to see a child in the class progress year after year, or if a child in the class could not read or write when they started and by the end of the year can now read books and write stories/is a powerful experience/ is a great satisfaction. - Here's how I'd recommend doing this one: To be able to see a child in the class progress year after year is a great satisfaction. If a child in the class could not read or write when the year began, and by the end of the year the child could read books and write stories--that would be a powerful experience.
the fear of the unknown, of doing the wrong thing, or that simply I'm not making enough of a difference. [add commas]
The darker sides of emotion are ones of great concern to teaching. [I think you mean "to teachers."]
The guilt, shame jealousy and envy are ones to name a few but also co-exist in some schools. - This sentence does not make sense.
The latter being the more for concern as an adult now - I'd take this out; it is not grammatically correct and you don't need it.
a teacher can choose to distance themselves - "a teacher" is singular; "themselves" is plural. Say "teachers can..." or use "herself".
By distancing myself from my pupils, distances myself away from my pupil's success rate to learn. - This is rather garbled; I think you may have lost something when you were editing.
Hargreaves mentions how students that have to deal with emotional problems in school are dealt with to prevent from interfering with the child's learning. Bereavement or bullying can cause distress and total disgust towards school thus infringing upon their learning potential. - This paragraph seems to be just stuck in, not really connected to anything else. Consider putting it someplace else or taking it out.
You've been working hard! Good job!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
That last paragraph i wanted to intertwine someplace else but not sure where?What could I write for a conclson.Any ideas?
And do u think the essay has a flow to it?
Thanks for ur help again...your a star!!!
my essay is due tomoro justg wondering if u get a chance soon to help me..Thanks...i owe u on big time??R u on msn by the way?
ok thanx...thought maybe nobody was here...thx
Greetings!
I think you've done an excellent job smoothing out the rough places. I have just a couple more spots to point out and you'll be on your way!
This experience was in my secondary school days; [change comma to semicolon] this was the teacher who took us for Mathematics every day. - Also, you still sometimes say "Math" and sometimes "Math's". I'm not sure whether it should be capitalized in British English, but I do know that if you make it plural--which, as I understand it, it always should be in British English--you do not use an apostrophe. Say "maths."
By distancing myself away from my pupils has a negative effect on their success rate to learn. - I'd change this to "Distancing myself from my pupils would have a negative effect on their ability to learn."
'Emotion is integral to all teaching' (Hargreaves, page 4) - I'd put this in the previous paragraph.
Best of luck with your studies!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
