I can’t believe the first course if over already! I guess it’s a good thing that I feel like I still have SO much to learn! It’s exciting to think of a year from now and how I will have been changed as an educator.
In my classroom, I’ve been able to implement quite a few of the concepts that we’ve covered in Explorations in MBT. The BTT model fits in well with what I’m already doing, but I think to know the WHY is important- and now that I know WHY students need consistency, comfort, to know the big ideas etc..., I can be a more effective teacher. A lot of times good practice is instinctual we just do it because it makes sense, but knowing the rationale and research behind our practices is invaluable!
Our week 8 group discussion about how fear affects students and their learning was very timely. I have a situation in my classroom this year where we have a violent student who is quite unpredictable. Of course I realize that he affects the learning environment and his peers but I never thought of it in terms of the chemical processes of the brain. I wonder how able the students are to learn if they are often in “fight or flight” mode. The course has armed me information that I have taken to my administration. Hopefully, the spring will find us with a better solution!
I’m quite interested in autism spectrum disorders, so I am keen to learn more about the differences these children have and how better to support them in the classroom. Having my masters in reading, I’m also keen to find out more about the brain research behind reading acquisition and development to inform not only my teaching but also hopefully the parents who worry about developmental delays.
