Course Reflection Post

Image source: https://blogs.pugetsound.edu/cesblogs/files/2016/01/Square-kitten-reflection.gif

i) What I have learned

 I learned something from every assignment we were asked to complete. Some caused me to look back on my own school experience with a different perspective and realize there were some helpful things teachers did that I hadn't recognized as a student. Other activities made me aware of concepts and areas of research I wasn't familiar with (e.g. Richard Skemp's instrumental vs. relational understanding, the Math Wars, hidden curriculum that schools teach etc.). Overall, I believe I learned how to solidify some of the methods I wanted to apply to my classroom through this course. For example, in my letter from a future student, I defined as aspect of successful teaching to be adding variation to the classroom setting. From the ideas we explored during our first assignment with looking at the Bridges Conference art, covering different homework problems in class with the intent of looking at them from a student's perspective, and various other discussions/added resources during the course, I believe I now have many tools to implement variation in my classroom.

ii) How my ideas changed

 I think the main difference between now and the beginning of the course is that I have more awareness of how to achieve the goals I have for my classroom (such as added variation, as discussed in i)), and issues (such as the hidden curriculum) that may stand in the way of those goals, or are aspects of teaching I hadn't realized existed.

iii) Suggestions for Improvements

I have no suggestions for improvements to the course at this time. I found everything very useful and I learned a lot through the readings, activities, and discussions we had in this course.