Learning Outcome #8:Integrate curriculum among disciplines, and balance historical and contemporary research, theory, and practice.
I didn’t realize how important it was to integrate
curriculum among disciplines until I started teaching at Homer Junior High.
When I first arrived, the social studies teacher came to my classroom and gave
me a calendar of what she was teaching the next couple weeks, so I could
collaborate with her, and include material that matched what they were learning
in history. ELA is one of the easiest subjects to integrate with anything. One
of my lessons dealt with historical fiction versus informational texts
(non-fiction). The examples that were brought up lead us to a discussion about
science and social studies books and how they are written versus how literature
is written. Without planning it, this was a way for the students to make sense
of things across subjects. In the text Going with the Flow by Wilhelm and Smith
it discusses and helps teachers see the importance and gives examples of how to
integrate across disciplines. They converse about the transfer, and as
educators it is our job to create life long learners; the more transferring
being done the more use they get out of every subject. Reading is done in all
subjects, even math, so presenting those reading skills to the students gears
them toward other areas of life and subjects in school.
"Multiple Disciplines Balance the Students Education"
The amazing thing about English is the fact that you can
look at anything read or written through multiple lenses. I don’t believe I
actually learned this until college, and appreciated it much more when teaching
it. We are reading a novel now at Homer titled Inside Out and Back Again and the main character is from Saigon,
Vietnam. We ended up entering into a discussion about different cultures,
theirs’ versus ours. This lead to a conversation about gender because the men
are the people who carry good luck, and if the women do things like touch the
floor first during the New Year (Tet) it brings bad luck upon the family. The
cultural and gender differences were great and the students really wanted to
dig deeper to try and understand how varied our cultures actually are.
While at Tully High School, not only did I spend time on the background of Vietnam because that is where most of our novel had taken place, but I also gave background on the author who influences the text. One of my final lessons, I introduced Chaucer and spent a whole lesson giving them examples of what life was like back then through culture, gender, history, and language. They were interested because they found connections one way or another, and if they didn’t this lesson still shed light on important research and theory based on historic criticism, and gender criticism.
After every lesson plan written, I made sure to write down my reflection of each. The one thing I continued asking myself, and will continue to ask myself as long as I am a teacher is “How can I make the next lesson better?” “What can I improve on?” My lessons throughout the day became much more intriguing because I knew what needed to be done to get the students more engaged, and what needed more explanation, so that they truly understood what was being discussed. Especially in Homer, I have realized that if I have a set schedule that it probably will change. Education shouldn’t be timed, and say I have a set number of things to get done in a lesson, and a student brings up a topic that was unexpected, but should be addressed, I am going to use that as a teachable moment and become engulfed by the students and their thoughts. Any way that connects what is being learned to their lives is worth stopping “the plan,” so the students are really seeing how what we do in class can be used and transferred to their lives, other subjects, and the world in which they live.
Historical Fiction versus Non-fiction Lesson
Historical Fiction Versus Non-fiction PPT
Prezi of Chaucer Introduction
Chaucer Lesson
While at Tully High School, not only did I spend time on the background of Vietnam because that is where most of our novel had taken place, but I also gave background on the author who influences the text. One of my final lessons, I introduced Chaucer and spent a whole lesson giving them examples of what life was like back then through culture, gender, history, and language. They were interested because they found connections one way or another, and if they didn’t this lesson still shed light on important research and theory based on historic criticism, and gender criticism.
After every lesson plan written, I made sure to write down my reflection of each. The one thing I continued asking myself, and will continue to ask myself as long as I am a teacher is “How can I make the next lesson better?” “What can I improve on?” My lessons throughout the day became much more intriguing because I knew what needed to be done to get the students more engaged, and what needed more explanation, so that they truly understood what was being discussed. Especially in Homer, I have realized that if I have a set schedule that it probably will change. Education shouldn’t be timed, and say I have a set number of things to get done in a lesson, and a student brings up a topic that was unexpected, but should be addressed, I am going to use that as a teachable moment and become engulfed by the students and their thoughts. Any way that connects what is being learned to their lives is worth stopping “the plan,” so the students are really seeing how what we do in class can be used and transferred to their lives, other subjects, and the world in which they live.
Historical Fiction versus Non-fiction Lesson
Historical Fiction Versus Non-fiction PPT
Prezi of Chaucer Introduction
Chaucer Lesson