Blog- Chalk

The movie Chalk was very entertaining to watch and I thought it was a great way to introduce problems that teachers deal with but in a way that we could relate to. Personally, my school was not like the one in the film however the exaggeration of the different types of teachers and students made Chalk hilarious to watch. For example, the first year teacher who was previously in computer science and now teaching history was kind of similar to some math teachers I had, who I'm sure they were smart in the subject but did not relate to the students very well and had trouble teaching the material because they couldn't connect to the students. I think that when a teacher is passionate about the subject that is definitely important, but the teacher must also have a passion for teaching and working with kids. The first year teacher had a lot of problems because the students didn't respect him and even though those situations were funny to watch it is true that kids know when a teacher isn't very passionate about helping the kids learn.

The school was very chaotic and not very professional and was helpful in showing what not to do while teaching even though some of it was kind of obvious. The teacher who just wanted to be teacher of the year crossed boundaries and the gym teacher was not very open to other people's suggestions. The students would not be able to learn in this school environment because the teachers didn't handle any problems with behavior in a way that would teach the students and the first year teacher who just gave definitions everyday did not challenge his students and created a classroom that was boring. I thought that Chalk was very interesting to watch and it was kind of like The Office but for teachers which made the film very entertaining to watch.

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I thought that the superintendent that talked with us on Monday was very helpful and hearing about his background made me think of how important it is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Listening to him talk about the struggles he faced in the beginning of his career in regards to working with students who came from different backgrounds and who had a different attitudes about education than the previous students he worked with, made me think about how even though it was difficult for him, it was very beneficial to his career. What especially stuck with me was when he compared his career with two of his fellow collegues in relationship to where they are today and where he is. He has dabbled in many different areas, has taught in different schools, has been a principal as well as a superintendent and with all of those experiences, he has gained a knowledge that has allowed him to take leadership roles and continued to learn in new ways. I think that his experiences such as teaching in an environment that differed from what he was used to, as well as challenging himself by continuing his education, contributed to his success and his understanding of students.

I think that the Social Cognitive Theory that is mentioned in Santrock explains how Environment, Behavior and Cognition influences a student's attitude about school which the superintendant experienced in different ways. For example, while he was in Chicago, students' environment and attitudes about school were significantly different than students in Decorah. I believe that if a teacher recognizes this and uses this theory to better understand a student's attitude about school which can also be referred to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy has such a strong influence on behavior because it is the belief that a student has if he or she can master a certain situation. This is important in understanding students' backgrounds in different cities. I think that his experiences in Chicago as well as Decorah as led him to have a better understanding of how different students behave and why. These definitions are important when understanding education because it is clear from his wide range of experience, it has made him a better teacher and leader in the school environment. Along with that thought, I agree with what he said about always moving forward and not being stuck teaching the same grade or subject for 40 years. I think it is important for a teacher to continue learning and exploring different areas of the career because it will only help in understanding students and better connecting with them to impact their lives in a positive way. Hearing him speak was very helpful because with all of his knowledge about the education system, it made me think beyond my education at Luther and the first couple of years teaching. I think that by continuing to learn, it will help me be a teacher who can really impact kid's lives.