Vocabulary Instruction

The main way that my elementary and secondary teachers taught vocabulary was by having the students write the words down in their journal at the beginning of each class period. The other way we would learn vocab is by repeating the word out loud as a class. Orally speaking the word over and over again was effective, but became monotonous after several meetings. In college, however, the challenge of new vocabulary was placed on the students. If I came across a word that I didn't know I was expected to look it up or as a clarifying question in class otherwise the professor would assume that we all knew the word.

These techniques gave me a basic understanding of what each word meant. The repetition of words didn't truly make the meaning of the word seem flexible or adaptable to different situations. We also were taught the primary definition for the words rather than multiple definitions to be used in different situations. This fact presented a problem mostly because it too me along time to be able to distinguish between the different meanings of the same word.

I think that having students write down vocabulary at the beginning of each class period is helpful to build the students own word bank, but I don't feel that by itself will be a truly effective tool. Same with repeating the words and definitions as a class. There needs to be a connection made between utilizing those aspects of teaching with helping the students gain a deeper understanding of the vocabulary. Personally, I feel that during a reading or anytime during instruction that one of the vocabulary words appears there needs to be discussion about how the word is being used.

Comprehension Instruction

In my ENGL 5340 class, Monsters vs. Science, we read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein deals with many complex ideas and metaphors that are used to describe the world that Dr. Frankenstein lives in. While reading this book my professor asked us to ponder the idea that the monster is actually a modern day representation of Adam from the Garden of Eden. When he first introduced this foreign concept my brain had trouble processing exactly what this meant. My professor lets us think quietly to ourselves for a couple of minutes. He then went to specific passages from within the book to help support his claim. This particular professor showed me that in order to make claim and reach conclusions that may seem far-fetched or a big stretch are sometimes the biggest and best conclusions to make. He also showed me that in order to prove your point you have to have provide evidence that supports your claim otherwise people will not find you to be a credible source.

In comparison to the teachings of Buehl, my professor didn't really front-load us to much, if at all. He was more about the art of discovery within his classroom. This form of instruction did sometimes leave us feeling ungrounded when we would leave the class, but there was always a feeling of stepping out into uncharted water that made it all worth it in the end. As to what I can learn from this teacher I would say that the most important thing is that sense of accomplishment when I would make connection or draw conclusions that no one had thought about in the class, and when challenged upon my stance I could find the proper evidence to support my claim.

SCED 4200 Introduction

What would you like us to know about you?

• I am an English education major with a psychology teaching minor. I originally started out in the Biology education program here at USU, but completed the first two years and decided that biology just wasn't for me. I then transferred to the Special Education program where I applied two years in a row and didn't get accepted. Deciding that I wanted to continue pursuing a career helping people with disabilities I made the switch to Communication Disorders; however, I realized I did not care for anatomy and finally made the correct switch to English education. My college journey has been long, but rewarding. I currently feel like I am where I need to be, and am passionate about the subject matter that I will be teaching.

What are your interests, hobbies, and/or other interesting facts about you?

• Outside of work and school I really only have two hobbies that I spend any time on. The first would be rock climbing. I have been a climber since 2006. I have been a sponsored athlete since 2009. It has taken a lot of work and dedication to maintain everything that is going on in my life. The second hobby that I enjoy is running. My wife and I are currently training to run our first marathon this coming May.

Which disciplines will you be certified to teach, and which disciplines do you hope to teach?

• I will be certified to teach both English and psychology.

What drew you to teaching in this discipline? How do you define your discipline?

• I love to read! I am especially drawn to the Gothic and Romantic era of literature as well as more contemporary poets.

How do you define literacy?

• I would define literacy as my students ability to read and write.

Does literacy relate to your content area? If so, how? If not, why not? Please explain.

• My content area is all about literacy. My job will helping the students become confident and competent in both reading and writing because if they can't be fully functioning in both areas then I have failed them as they go forward into the real world.

Anything else you want to say? 

• Nope. I think that this is everything that I would like to say :)