People buy WHY they do before they buy WHAT they do

That sounds quite funny but it really does make sense. It was a TED talk by Simon Sinek called How Great Leaders Inspire Action. It was about the business world but it did have an impact on me in regards to teaching. The whole point of the talk was that if you believe in why you do things people will trust you more and tend to purchase your product. Now you can twist that you educating. If you believe in the material you are teaching and in your students then they will have success. That might not make any sort of sense but what I got out of the TED talk was that if you believe in what you are teaching and you believe in your students then they will have success.
-K

Branfenbrenner's Bioecological Model of Development

We were asked yesterday to reflect and think about our own model of development and I did not include St. Angela's Academy on there. I think about this now and SAA falls in a Microsystem for me. I wonder if people think I am strange having such a connection to my high school, but the way I see it I am very lucky and very blessed to have had that influence in my life. Now what made me think about where St. Angela's would fall into my model of development is because today is the day that I found out they are tearing down my school as the nun's can not find a buyer for the school. The school has been shut down since 2007 and there had only been 4 Sister's remaining there up until November. Now the school is standing eerily empty and that makes my heart sad. So as I sit here at my kitchen table thinking about Branfenbrenner's Theory I wonder would SAA now fall within my Exosystem as well? I believe it would because I have no direct influence whether to keep the school standing. So today is a sad day, such a beautiful building going to waste. SAA was a wonderful school and very much is still a microsystem on a day to day basis for me.

St. Angela's Academy -  Prelate, Saskatchewan -  My "Home Away From Home"

Positive correlation between exercising and learning? HMMMM....

On Monday we watched a documentary by The National on a school in Saskatoon where a teacher has proven a positive correlation between cardio exercise and the learning of students. This video has very much made me think about things. If this is a positive correlation why isn't it being made more public and more people making positive changes in their life? SO... I've made a challenge to my friends on facebook. I've posted the link to the video and have encouraged everyone to watch the video and make a comment on what they think. So far, no one has ever heard of this. So maybe by word of mouth and the pass it along chain we can make more people aware of this. For myself, I'm going to give it a shot actually. Instead of going to the gym after school I'm going to make an effort to exercise BEFORE school and see if it changes my marks. Who knows? Maybe it will allow me to be less cranky (my poor husband to-be!) and stressed when it comes to school. I'll let you know.
- K

January 12, 2011

Well this is my first blog post. So far, I am enjoying EDPY. I find that it is building on the information that I have learnt in EDUC 250 which I absolutely loved so I am sure that I will love this class as well.

Today's class we were asked to recall upon our own life and education experiences for an example of effective teaching in action. My entire high school years (Grade 10-12) were an example of effective teaching in action or as our school "slogan" if you would like to call it that was "Education for life". I went to a private all-girls boarding school in the middle of Saskatchewan. The decision to attend St. Angela's was mine and mine alone. I would not trade it for anything! At the time I absolutely HATED it but as I start my education to become a teacher I am finding myself reflecting upon these years and have realized exactly what effective teaching is. Each and every one of my teachers and Sister's (the school was run by an Catholic Order of Nuns) from high school have made an impact on my life and continue to do so to this day. I think the best example of effective teaching for me as a student did not happen in the classroom. At St. Angela's every night there would be a 2 hour mandatory study session. There was a catch with this though. If your average was anything below 75% you were in the dreadful study hall which essentially was a great big room with a bunch of desks. It was not a great place. If you have 75-80% you had the choice to study in the library. But, if you had an honors average of 80% or higher, you were allowed to study in your room. That there was the BEST effective teaching anyone could of taught me. It taught us how to study and how to achieve the higher marks because with higher marks came a better place to study. So I worked and worked and worked. It took me till Grade 12 but I did make it into my room for study. Starting at the Academy in Grade 10 I went in with a 56% average and I walked out a honors graduate. I feel privileged and proud to say I'm an Academy girl and I hope one day I can be half as good as a teacher as mine were to me.
- K