Amy+Barton

Ligon Middle School 8th grade--Language Arts CT: Arlene Genovese

The First Days of School....

What a challenging and exciting time. On the first day of school, I want to establish the tone for the entire year. As a beginning teacher, I know that students will be eager to find out if I am an easy teacher or if they will have to respect me and work hard. I don't want to be too stern, but I do want to gain their respect from day one. Basically, this means that I should establish a strategic routine for classroom management right away--with the help of the students. I liked the idea we talked about in class about building classroom rules with the students.

Really, the first days of school should be about the students, not me, the teacher. This being the case, I really want to get to know my students, have them get to know me, and get to know each other. Get-to-know-you and icebreaker type activites are my favorite! I'm looking forward to showing my students pictures of my family and telling them about my life because I know as a student I absolutely loved when my teachers shared personal stories and background. After introducing myself, I want the students to tell me and the rest of the class about themselves. The reading had some great ideas for how to do this....

One of my favorite ideas from the reading was the sillhouette/interview. Although it might be a little bit of work, students have to cut out a sillhouette from a light source of a partner and then interview each other. The teacher can supply the interview questions so students don't get too off track. After the sillhouettes are collected, I could hang them up around the classroom so we could remember that we are a team.

One thing that is also important in the first day of school is not only to get to know eachother but also to touch on content. I want to find out where my students are coming from, so I want them to fill out a letter that talks about their experiences with language arts, favorite books, what they hope to learn, what they don't like, etc.

September 6, 2013 Online Identity

There are many concerns to consider when establishing an online identity. First of all, many people share detailed information about their personal lives online for all the world to see. The transition from college student life to a teacher is significant, and beginning teachers should google themselves to make sure there is no unprofessional or objectionable content that students or parents could access. However, rather than being paranoid about your online identity, you can see it as an opportunity to communicate to the world who you are--in all the best ways, of course. For example, Twitter allows you to define yourself in a few brief words or phrases on your proflie. This is a fun way to let people know your interests and pursuits. Basically, teachers can treat their online identity similar to their daily professional identity---make wise choices and take advantage of the opportunities.

September 12, 2013 Teaching Philosophy

 I believe that the best student learning occurs when a student adopts into his/her own understanding a new ideas. Students learn best when they have “translated” the material a teacher is presenting into their own, personal understanding. In order to facilitate this translation process, I want students to be personally interested and invested in the content covered in class. Therefore, I believe that teachers should make the content they have to cover in class relatable and hands on for the students. In the classroom, I will encourage higher order thinking so that students must truly grasp the information for themselves in order to succeed. Some activities that involve higher order thinking skills include debates, inquiry based learning, and artistic and media centered presentations.  I also believe that in order to promote learning, a teacher must allow students to discover knowledge for themselves; the teacher should take a “back seat” in the learning process as much as possible.A teacher should serve as a guide to student learning. The teacher should allow students to learn for themselves. Author and philosopher Dorothy Sayers also stated that the teacher should not simply pour knowledge into students’ heads, but help them reach new conclusions through guided discussion. One way this would manifest in my class is a “Socratic dialogue” style in which the teacher questions students to help them reach an answer, rather than just telling them. When students must reach out and discover for themselves, they will retain information more quickly, thoroughly, and deeply.

Ideal Classroom: http://classroom.4teachers.org/



Here is the link to my Personal Educational History timeline:
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**Name Inquiry Project:**
What’s in a Name?

Amy. The named is short but has spring and vivacity to it. The hard “A” sound and the “ee” sound are bright and strong, but the “m” is soft and reminds me of “motherly”. Amy is the English form of the Old French name //Amée, //a vernacular form of the Latin //Amata.// In Spanish Amy translated to //Amada.// Amy is most common in Ireland, but less common in the United States. To me, Amy sounds like something in the spring like a ray of clean sunlight, or something red and luscious like a soft rose. It means “Beloved.” As a little girl, I didn’t like my name, and longed for something with more flow, lengthier, more substantive. I wanted to be Clarissa or Rebekah, something that was hard to spell and could be turned into nicknames like my sister’s name, Katherine. With my name, it also bugged me that any nicknames were longer than my actual name, such as “Amykins.” Although coming from my dad or little brothers, this nickname always brought a big smile to my face. My mom always calls me “Amy Elizabeth” when she is showing she loves me or sometimes if there is a chore I should do and she wants to give me a gentle reminder. My mom tells me that if I was a boy, I would have been named Eric James. This name sounds very Scottish, and reminds me of William Wallace, so I wouldn’t have minded if I got this name if I was a boy. Since I am a girl, I was nearly named Jamie. Amy Grant was one my parents’ favorite singers, and they asked the nurse when I was born if she liked Jamie or Amy better. Actually, it just occurred to me that Jamie is the same as Amy, just with a “J” in the front. I’m so glad I was named Amy instead of Jamie, because Amy has a richness and maturity to it whereas Jamie sounds very cute and fun. I’d like to be cute and fun, but I’d also like to be dramatically beautiful and wise, and I think Amy fits that persona better. As I mentioned before, “Amy” means Beloved. For me, there could not be a better meaning for my name. As I have grown up, I’ve realized that life has had its share of challenges for me. Fighting to believe that I was (and am) loved for who I am has been a journey. I think that our names are chosen for us for a purpose that is outside of our control. My name is a constant reminder to me that no matter what I may feel like or what I perceive through my senses, I am completely and unconditionally loved. I don’t have to do anything to earn love, it is freely given to me. So I am glad my name means Beloved; it helps me know I won’t ever be neglected or overlooked—I will always be actively and unconditionally loved.

__Name Poem__ Amy is that quick bright freshness That fills your lungs on an early crisp morning Amy is a dark red rose That bends gracefully over a sparkling Crystal vase Amy is a girl skipping in pigtails She chatters, plays pranks, and dances Amy is a tall, elegant woman In a long red gown that glimmers She waltzes with the dashing and gallant prince And a hush falls on the crowd Amy means Beloved. Beloved means you don’t have to strive Or perform to earn love. Just be—Just you is enough! Be loved. You are worth it. Amy means Beloved. Beloved means I am loved. I have value and worth. It’s what I see when I look in the mirror and wonder At the care, beauty, and detail with which I was created. No wonder I am loved— Guarded jealously, passionately, constantly Loved Amy means Beloved. Beloved means That because I am loved, I’ll give love away Freely, Like I’ve received it. Come and rest with me, I’ll remind you that like me, you too are loved You too are Someone’s Beloved.

http://amybarton.edu.glogster.com/amy-barton
__Unit Plan__ 1. Focus: A history of human captivity through language arts (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) 2. I chose this theme because I think it will interest students and there are many language arts resources available that have to do with this theme. I hope students will learn important reading and writing skills through this unit as well as gain a knowledge of how various groups have been opressed throughout history and how they can change the future. 3. List of possible materials/texts: Farewell to Manzanaar, The Devil's Arithmetic, Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry, Night, The Boy Who Dared 4. List of skills: determine a theme and analyze its development over a text, analyze setting, character development, dialouge, point of view, dramatic irony, develop writing skills to organize ideas and info into broader categories, use sensory langauge to capture action in a story.

__**My Cozy Room**__ // (Innisfree imitation) //

I will enter with a sigh of long awaited rest And close the door behind me while the sunlight floods the walls I curl up on the paisley quilt and lift my wooden window Bonfire scents and honking geese and colors of this fall

Cozy here, I light my candle, pumpkin vanilla spice And brew a cup of something warm while drinking in the peace The shelves hold all my favorite books, old familiar friends Jewelry and perfume add just a dazzling touch

I will enter with a sigh of long awaited rest Into the land of starry, healing slumber Away from rushing buses, looming deadlines, stuffy classrooms I rest until the next dawn comes

Thematic Unit: Outline, Objectives, Draft of Lesson One: