Education Portfolio

1. Classroom images This image shows the desks arranged in groups. I want the focus of the student to be on each other and not me.   (The class will still be didactic but I don't want to down-play my role as the teacher) By putting the desks in groups, the students will have to look at each other and it help in group work and discussions (image from  here ). This image shows the teacher's  desk at the back of the room. I want to arrange my classroom in such a way that I am not front and center. I want to be there to help facilitate discussion but I won't be up at the front lecturing all day. The "front" will be like the whiteboard/projector so when we do work as a class, they are focusing on what is going on, not me (image from  here ).   (I will be front and center, a clear authority figure). This image shows a bookcase with lots of different kinds of books. This is the bookcase I imagine in my classroom. Because I will teach English, I want to

Hello to all m y avid f ollowers. Today, I wanted to talk a little about a book I read called Oddly Normal . Its about John Schwartz's son Joe and Joe's coming to terms with his own sexuality and mental illness but told from the point of view of the parents. It was a really good read and I thought I would share some thoughts I had from the book. Also, spoilers. So...watch out. 1. I had a few places where I felt a little uneasy. The first kind of idea was how casual Joe's parents were with his struggle. Several times throughout the book, the parents discussed Joe's sexuality with other people before Joe even came out. I was a little put off by the fact that they felt that it wasn't a big deal when it clearly was. Joe at one point said that his "secret" (his sexuality) was so big that if he told his therapist, he'd have to kill her. Yet his parents talked about his sexuality with his teachers, administrators and friends of the family. I also felt disr