Student Voices Matter!

Students, never doubt that your voice matters. The "Dear Teacher-To-Be" posts that you wrote were outstanding. Those posts show your personality. They are honest and sincere.....written from the heart. It is  obvious that you care about the topic. I am so proud of you! You made a difference with these students who are studying to be teachers. I just wish you could have seen the Georgia State students' faces as they were reading your posts.  It was awesome! I want to share a few of their posts that they made on their new weblogs.

Sara plans to take Ashley's advice to heart.......

Today I got to comment on a fifth grade student's weblog. Ashley made a post to me, a Teacher-To-Be, with some ideas for what she thinks makes a good teacher. She used the phrase "less talk, more action" to tell me that students are much more eager and excited to learn in a fun environment. I will definately take Ashley's advice to heart and apply it someday in my own classroom.

Bethany agrees with Adrieana about working with partners........

Adrieana, my fifth grade student, said that she liked when her teachers allowed her to work with a partner when doing an assignment. She also enjoys going on fieldtrips and particularly enjoyed going outside in the woods with her class to learn about nature. I agree that working with a partner or in groups is a great way to facilitate effective learning. Field trips are also good because they allow students to actually experience what they are learning about.

Alex is going to do her best not to disappoint Jhonathan.....

I really enjoyed to read the advice that Jhonatan gave me. I take them very seriously, and I am impressed by his thinking skills. I am going to do my best to not disappoint him.

Jovanna is amazed  and excited after reading  Paulina's post......

Paulina, I am amazed at the wonderful and very encouraging advice you have given me. I am very excited about becoming a teacher and it is students like yourself that make me want to teach even more. You must be a very smart and responsible young lady. You have made some great tips for future teachers and I appreciate your advice dearly. Thank you so much and continue to be thoughtful and caring of others. Have a great year! I hope to talk to you again. Miss Ebanks.

Christen loved that her own philosophy was reflected back from Patrick, a student she does not know.....

I just read a blog from a child, Patrick, giving me tips on how to be a good teacher. I was amazed at how smart and tech savvy this children are as I read their blogs. My favorite tip from Patrick concerned respect. That has always been my number one rule: respect me, and I will respect you. I loved that my own philosophy was reflected back from a student that I do not know. 

Crystal discovers  good advice from Juan.....   

One student, Juan, suggested that teachers allow their students "free expression." He talked about how students should be able to say what's on their mind. Great advice, Juan! I left him a comment, thanking him for writing his post for us teachers-to-be.

Nakia   plans to take Marcos' advice to heart......

After reading Marcos's post, I learned that having fun with the students and giving them breaks sometimes is very important. Also Marcos mentioned some activities that he does in his class that are both fun for the students and help them learn at the same time. I really will take Marcos's advice to heart when I start teaching.

Cara appreciates seeing things from a fifth grader's point of view. In this case, Alejandra's entry......

After reading Alejandra's entry, I saw that she has some great tips and ideas to share. I found out that to her a good teacher must be prepared, rewarding, and know how to relate to each student in his or her classroom. Alejandra gave an example of one of her teachers that fits into each of the categories she listed, and it was neat to see it from a fifth graders point of view. Since I eventually plan on teaching fifth grade, I took Alejandra's tips as useful information that I will be sure to use when I get my chance to stand up in front of my own class. 

Wow! Doesn't that make you feel good? Your voice is evident in these posts. Keep on making your voices heard! We have much to learn from you.