Kudos to Couros

I found the Skype chat with George Couros to be extremely helpful! First of all, I liked that George said he would not speak specifically about technology because it should be integrated in with everything else we are doing in the classroom. How true is that?!?! We have been extremely focused on technology this semester during this class, and we have all learned so much, but the next step is that we find ways to integrate the technology into what we are already doing in the classroom with the purpose of enhancing student learning. In other words, we should not be using technology just for technology sake, but with a purpose!
I'm not sure that I completely agreed with all of Couros' comments about Facebook. I am moving to a very small community where I don't know anyone, so I DO appreciate the fact that Couros wants us to be careful about who we add on Facebook. Just the other day, a student tried to add me but I declined. The thing I was critical about was not adding parents. I have friends in the community who have children that I will teach eventually. I would feel wrong deleting that parents once their child is in my class. I think because it is a small town, you have to be somewhat flexible in your approach, because it is important that people like you, as shallow as that sounds. I think I would come across in the wrong way if I was so rigid about my Facebook membership. I would not want people to think that I am "too good" to add them as a friend. However, I also have absolutely nothing on my Facebook that I could not show a future employer. I can see from Couros' administrative perspective that it is good advice for him to give. At least he made us think about our actions, even if we do not change our ways!
The advice George gave about preparing for interviews was invaluable. It was really great to hear from an administrative perspective what they are looking for in your interview. George put a lot of emphasis into working hard in your final placement. He recommended getting to know the kids as well as you can, and getting involved with the school as much as possible. I am for sure taking his advice to talk to the principal and get her to watch me teach a class. I had never thought of doing that before, but its true, she is the one that will likely play a big role in me getting hired next year! The one thing that resonated with me most from George's advice was his approach to discipline. The analogy about the cop giving out tickets is a great one! As a teacher, you need to deal with discipline as much as possible on your own. We should always try to deal with the child on our own unless we feel unsafe or the situation has exploded. The first step to discipline is to really know the kids. It is much more effective to have a conversation with a child about their behaviour if you actually know their typical behaviour and where they are coming from. An officer gives a ticket and walks away, but that is not something that is effective with discipline in the classroom.
This Skype interview was an excellent end to our guest speaker series. It made me look towards the future, and I am just as excited as ever to get into the classroom and do what I love every day. I am also sad that my time at BU is coming to an end. I have learned so much from my colleagues and professors! I think it is going to be a difficult last couples of days! I think bittersweet is the right word :)