Jessica+Baughman

Placement: Wakefield Middle School 6th grade Language Arts Tim Tharrington

Response to Tchudi and Mitchell Reading:

I’m not sure how I feel about the silhouette strategy. First, it seems like it would be difficult to have so many students using one overhead projector. The text defends this strategy by saying that they recognize the concept seems elementary, but they have seen it work successfully. It is hard for me to see it working well in middle school since students are so focused on their maturity. Therefore, I will probably ask students to write a letter. I really liked this idea. Plus, I’m glad that this method presents such a good way to learn the names of my students. I’ve always been bad with names. Letters give students freedom to choose what they want to write about themselves, and they are already beginning to write. Plus, the letter gives students the opportunity to discuss their concerns about the class. They can disclose whatever they feel comfortable with. Then, I will allow students to share their letters with the class if they would like. This will not only allow me to get to know them, but it will allow them to get to know each other. I will probably assess ability levels etc. within the following days. To do this, I will most likely use a lot of informal writing such as free writing and journal keeping in response to a multitude of different types of literature. Class discussions and questionnaires will help me evaluate.

ECI 445 Brief Reflection on "write yourself into being"

To start "writing myself into being" I might consider getting an account on LinkedIn since this is more professional. Also, I will probably really edit my Facebook page. I'm not worried about anything on it now, but I will probably put a lot more privacy settings on it.

Link to dipity timeline: http://www.dipity.com/jlbaughm/Jessicas-School-Map/#timeline

Teaching Philosophy (Draft 1)

I believe that students should feel comfortable in the classroom. Each student should know that they are valued. Cultural diversity will be cherished in my classroom. There will be no tolerance for any type of discrimination. Every child deserves an equal amount of attention and respect. It does not matter if they have a low-SES or learning disabilities. Children who have setbacks are still perfectly capable and I hope to push them forward as a teacher.

Teachers that I learned the most from in middle school and high school were the ones that I had built relationships with. School should be a place where students desire to learn and explore. It is not a place where they just recite things from rote memorization. When a student feels a personal connection with their teacher, I believe it makes all the difference.

Inquiry-based learning will be one of the main principles in my classroom. My goal as a teacher is to help my students become lifelong learners. I hope to develop this by inspiring them toask questions about everything so that they can draw their own conclusions. Active learning will help students to do this as they will be mainly teaching themselves. Teachers should be the guides, not the people in front of the room spouting on and on about the information.



Name Inquiry Project:

I always wanted to have a significant name. My sister was named Samantha Bailey after my grandfather who died when my mom was only five. My mom, Melissa Bailey, also received her middle name from him. He was Samuel Bailey. I, however, got stuck with the name Jessica Leigh. In his desperate attempt to give my name more meaning after my incessant nagging as a young child, my dad told me that my uncle’s middle name was Lee. So, while both my mom and my sister had the same middle name, full of sentimental value, I received the name Leigh, conveniently the same as one of my uncle’s. Jessica is from Hebrew origin, meaning God Beholds (Campbell). It was first used in Shakespeare’s play ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ which most likely came from the biblical name Iscah, spelled Jescha at the time. Leigh, a boy name, is a celtic baby name that means healer ("Baby Names"). Ironically, my dad did not want to give me his middle name because it was a “boy name.” The American meaning for Leigh is also healer, and from the meadow is the English meaning. My last name, Baughman, is German ("Baughman Family Crest and Name History"). The surname comes from “baum,” or “boum,” meaning “tree” in German. Therefore, the name might have been derived from someone that lived by a tree. Baughman also might have come from the word “bumann,” which means “a farmer.” This seems relevant, as most of the Baughmans in my family live in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. My dad’s cousin is legitimately a cowboy. As you can most likely tell, I’m somewhat disheartened that my first and middle name do not represent much of a family history. It is comforting, though, to know that they were chosen by my parents simply because they liked these names. However, I love what Baughman represents. For me, it represents my grandparents, Papa Jon and Grandma Carol, who love to travel much like myself. Our family calls it the Baughman bug. It represents my grandma’s love for art and drawing, which I inherited. It represents my Grandaddy Jim, who ate maraschino cherries with me when I was way too young to truly appreciate him, and whose pond I caught my first and only fish in. It represents family, warmth, and love.

Citations: "Baby Names." //She Knows//. N.p.. Web. 25 Sep 2013. . "Baughman Family Crest and Name History." //House of Names//. Swyrich Corporation, 07 Jul 2013. Web. 25 Sep 2013. . Campbell, Mike. "Jessica." //Behind the Name//. N.p.. Web. 25 Sep 2013. . "Jessica." //Baby Names//. N.p.. Web. 25 Sep 2013. .

**Baughman** long **B**efore my time ** A ** name with significance that represents people living **U**nder the idea that family is worth far more than **G**old a **H**eart for culture, art, and travel incredible **M**emories we have shared our time is **A**lways cherished


 * N ** ow knowing that some have passed

 Thematic unit focus: Problem/Solution Wrilting I love this unit. Originally, I wanted to do the CMAPP unit on making choices. However, after talking to my CT and figuring out that I wasn't able to do CMAPP, he suggested doing this unit. I really like this unit because it is helping students practice writing. I think this is one of the best ways for them to learn grammar etc. Also, I really want to help students learn to enjoy writing. Also, the idea of problems and solutions are everywhere. Studying this will vastly improve students critical thinking skills. Supplementary Materials and Texts: -Newspaper articles -Short stories -Student found articles -Historical documents -Worksheets -Charts -Guided notes -Review worksheets -Overheads of handouts Possible learning activities -Have students find their own examples of problem and solution writing -Have students write about a time when they had a problem, and how they solved it -Have students analyze the problems that have occured in our history and how they were/weren't solved.


 * Home for Christmas**

I will close my eyes and just go home, to the place where there is warmth and love. It’s where we wake up to bells and music of Christmas, as the smell of coffee spreads from the kitchen to above.

It is away from the stress of a college apartment, where people are complaining about studying and stress. We wake up to the sound of groans, and brew coffee amongst the huge mess.

Lights, red and green, appear in both places, but what occurs inside the dwelling places are very different. The taste of ramen noodles in always unclean dishes, or a warm meal is where I would love to be sent.