Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Greetings from the editor

Dear readers,

Welcome to JOCTL—Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning! This journal was originally created by Dr. Dengting Boyanton and her students at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB/TSC) in the spring of 2008. JOCTL is currently contributed by all the students who are taking the undergraduate course of EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescents, and the graduate course EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education at the School of Education, Long Island University, C. W. Post, Brookville, New York.

JOCTL intends to publish our students’ research discoveries throughout their exploration with these three courses. It strives to provide the best platform for our university student researchers and scholars in the LIU as well as the New York community to exchange their findings and discoveries on teaching and learning. All of our students spend one whole semester investigating one research topic of their interest under Dr. Boyanton’s guidance and supervision. Most students’ research findings were or will be presented at the Conference of Elementary Secondary Teaching & Learning (CESTL), a completely student-oriented conference organized by Dr. Boyanton and all her students.

The main purposes of JOCTL is for our students 1) to discover principles, relationships, patterns, and theories of classroom learning and teaching; 2) to create a learning community for all students to discuss and exchange ideas about classroom learning and teaching; 3) to improve students’ analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills; 4) to enhance students’ communication skills (e.g., writing, public speaking, presenting); and 5) to help the students develop a deeper understanding on classroom teaching and learning and be better prepared as future teachers.

JOCTL seeks to explore the multitude of issues that impact and influence student learning in the classroom setting. In accord with its broad focus, the journal welcomes contributions that enhance the exchange of diverse theoretical and practical information from other educators, teachers, students, and researchers at LIU or the New York community. It is our hope that our JOCTL can provide a channel for all classroom instructors and professors to better understand students’ needs and characteristics as learners, thus to design their instructions which produce powerful classroom learning.

JOCTL has received much positive feedback and support from its wide range of audiences from from different universities (University of Texas at Brownsville, University of Texas at Austin, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Yale University, City University of New York, Willamette University, Long Island Universty). To read their feedback, click JOCTL Feedback.

We sincerely hope you will enjoy our students’ exploration on teaching and learning. If you have any comments or suggestions to improve JOCTL, please contact me directly at dengting.boyanton@liu.edu. We welcome honest feedback from you.

Thank you very much for your support!

Sincerely,

Dengting Boyanon Ph.D.
Editor, JOCTL
Assistant Professor
Educational Psychology
Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education
Long Island University, C.W.Post
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, New York
516-299-4117 (Office)
Dengting.Boyanton@liu.edu
http://people.virginia.edu/~db6wq/

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Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 550/551 Class

Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 550/551 Class

By
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June , 2009

“More of a Family Than a Class”

Wow, I cannot believe that I am writing my last journal for this class. I can feel myself starting to get emotional because I am realizing that this class has actually finished. I never thought that I would be reacting this way because I never have before for any other class. But this one was different and it was different from the very beginning.

Professor Dengting, I must say you are an absolute amazing teacher. The way you structured the class, had the class interacting, and all the exercises that had us working together with everyone. I feel after this whole time this class has become more than a class to me, it became a family. We were even discussing this afterward when we all went out to the bar, that everyone is so used to coming in to a class and all of the students keep to themselves. No one really talks to one another and it is hard to build relationships and make friends. But from the first day you changed all of that with a simple exercise of the name game. Then you continued to bring the “family” closer and closer together as people shared their personal history with the class, professional experiences, and the multitude of fun and educational discussions. That is no easy task and it takes trust in a class for a person to share their history. From what everyone witnessed, everyone told their personal histories, even if they got emotional from it.

I cannot stress hard enough how enjoyable this class was. You are an amazing and brilliant professor and I feel honored to have been your student. The only problem (a good one I might add) is that you set the bar so high for class enjoyment and learning that I do not know if I will have a class that is better or even comes close. I hope to take another one of your classes and for anyone that is reading this, Professor Dengting Boyanton is a phenomenal teacher that I will miss dearly since class has come to an end. From this class, I was able to meet new friends and build new relationships that I never thought I would have. Thank you so much Professor and I say that with the most sincerity I can. Thank you!
(Daniel Dombrowski, June 19, 2009)

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Dear professor Boyanton,

I would like to use this journal entry as an opportunity to say thank you for putting all your heart into our class. I am sure you have heard this before; however, I would like to write it. You are truly an amazing person and an inspirational educator.

I also think, despite some of the moaning and groaning, the amount of work assigned was near perfect. The only part I fell behind on was the readings. Reading for me is very time consuming because I often re-read sections. In addition, Web ct is an excellent resource to keep one focused and on task. I am so used to going on there on a regular basis it will be hard to stop!

Again, thank you so much and I hope our paths cross again in the future. Congratulations on your new baby and have a wonderful summer!!

Sincerely,

Mark Zelonski
June 18, 2009

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The End of Class

Today was the last day of our great class. Length wise, this was the shortest class I have ever been in since this was my first summer class, and I have never felt sadder about ending class. I feel like we know each other all so well and we have bonded through these ten classes. I have made good friends and I hope to stay in contact with many of these classmates.

I also think the presentations were fantastic, and some extremely moving and emotional. It was evident that everyone put in a lot of time and effort into their work. I was pleased with my presentation, although I was a little nervous when I didn't expect to be. I think this is because of the material I was presenting was more personal than my most people were expecting. Talking about ones sex life is not the easiest thing, but I did enjoy it and one student told me that she was actually moved by my thoughts and ideas to the point where she became teary. That was really nice to hear , and I'm glad that my viewpoints did not come off as crazy because I was weary of the classes opinion of my personal philosophy dealing with sex.

Overall, I am going to miss this class, the amazing professor who taught it, and all my peers.

Thinking about it now, I can honestly say I made some good friends in our class. Never have I been in a class where we all decided to go out as an entire group after the last day of class in celebration. I think that's special. I honestly hope I stay in touch with these classmates and stay friends with them. They are good people, which is hard to find these days. But I also hope to meet new people in the future.
(Greg Cioffi, 6.18.09)
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Last Class

Last night unfortunately was our last class. I will miss this group more than I have ever missed any college class that I have taken. I felt like there was a rare connection between us all in this group. We just got along so great, had stimulating discussions and respected one another to the fullest. Every single one of us opened up to one another and spoke of extremely personal events that occurred in our lives. I have never seen this happen between a class like it did with us. There were multiple class sessions that left people in tears but I think it was a healthy thing for them to get a chance to speak about whatever was on their mind.

Dr. Dengting was my favorite professor so far in my grad program. I would be lucky to have her for any other courses. I have never been more motivated to do school work than I was in this course and I owe that to her. After the class about 80% of us went out for some food and drinks. We had such a nice time. I exchanged phone numbers with a few people and we are going to keep in touch with one another. I’m actually getting together with someone this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Thank you Dr. Dengting for such a great experience. I wish you all the luck in the world with the new addition to your family!!!!

Thank you for such a great experience!!! I hope I have you for another course. You are by far the best Professor in the Education Department!!!
(Timothy O’Sullivan, June 19, 2009)

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Dear Dr. Boyanton,

Thank you very much for giving me the time, the space, and the courage. I truly hope that we can continue our dialogue after Thursday, since it makes me sad to think of not seeing you twice a week any longer. The experience of being in your class has been such a precious gift for me, and I know for sure that you will be the world's greatest mother to the beautiful baby perching safely in your womb. Congratulations to both you and your husband on your very happy news!

Thank you ever so much Dr. Boyanton for having the grace, the courage and the heart to spread your wings and nurture us all. Your caring support already is helping us to be better people not only for ourselves and for others, but also for the children who are our future. I will miss you.

I really hope that we as responsible and strong yet nurturing teachers of impressionable youths can dispel the drinking problem that clearly plagues them, and perhaps you’d like to challenge your students to more closely examine this rampant issue in future semesters.

With beautifully inspirational people like you, Dr. Boyanton, along with the many precious souls in our class, we as a collectively caring cadre can help to solve the dilemmas of desire, thus facilitating the sure and healthy identity development of the adolescent students we encounter ourselves as teachers who take great pride in being positive role models for all, and for always. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Louise Torinese
June 17, 2009
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Last Class Conclusions

I truly have really enjoyed this class. Not only did I learn a tremendous amount about adolescent psychology but I learned about myself. This class has been both informative and I feel like I went to a group therapy session twice a week. This is the only class in my entire 30 years of schooling that I will miss not going to. It is no contest, this is my favorite class.

Hearing about my classmates lives in such a candid fashion was eye opening and a cathartic experience for all. I am also feeling validated. I have learned in my relatively short life that EVERYONE has issues and when you realize that you don’t feel self-consious or different. I thing it was my first journal that I said all teachers have the same fears and they do. People are unique but in many ways they are all the same and want and need the same things and acceptance if probably one of the most important ones.

After class many of us went out for a few beers and although we met only five weeks ago I feel more of a connection with these people than I do with people I have known for 20 years. They know more about me than most of my friends do and I felt comfortable and not judged.
Thank you for being such a great teacher and friend. I wish you a wonderful life and know that your daughter or son will be lucky to have you as a parent.

(Audre Iglehart, 6/18/09)
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Last Class

Tonight was our last class. It is crazy to think about how fast these last five weeks have gone by. I am definitely going to be sad to leave this class because of how much I learned and the people who were a part of it.

I believe we ended the class on a great note. I really enjoyed watching everyone’s presentation because we not only got to learn some interesting facts along the way, the class also got to know each other on a deeper level. I think that it is great that we all feel comfortable enough with one another to express our emotions and feelings as a class, even if they did spark up some terrible memories from the past.

Out of all the classes I have taken in both my undergraduate and graduate courses, this one really has left such an impact on me and for the rest of the class. I really appreciate Dr. Boyanton’s efforts to make this learning experience such an influential and positive one. I really hope to have more classes like this one in the future or at least have this kind of atmosphere in my classroom as a future teacher. Not only did I learn so much, I met some great people. I really will miss this class.

(Krys, 6/18/09)
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Finishing a course never felt so bad before. I always feel excited to move to the next course but with this class every thing changed. The classmates were really nice and helpful. Even though we only met 10 times, it seems like I have known every one for ever. Alex’s presentation was heart warming. She was so brave to speak front of the entire class about the violence childhood she had. Professor Dengting’s class activities were very informative and gave me a lot of ideas towards my lesson plan. At the end of each class I walked out learning something new. I don’t know if I can say that about any other class.

I want to become a professor like Dr.Dengting. She teaches the class with an ease. The most important fact is that I thought that because of my accent the student will not respect me, but then I took Dr. Dengting’s class and she also had a little accent. I followed every step and methods of her teaching. Then I realized that is not your accent but what and how you teach it to you student will gain your respect. She is my ideal professor. This class was my first class at C.W post and I was lucky enough to take with the best professor in the world. I will always remember her because she has given me the way to teach through her teaching.
Thank you, Dr.Dengting!

(Sharmin Al-majidi, 6/18/09)
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The Final Goodbye

Today's class was one of the best classes yet. All we did in class was presentations, however I have never been so intrigued and interested in someone's presentation before in my life. They were so interesting and everyone was well prepared. I was able to learn so much about my fellow peers and see how much we really had in common. I was amazed at how open people were. There were so many emotions and feelings going through the room.

After class a bunch of us went out. I would say about 10 people were there from the class. We had dinner and a few drinks and talked to each other. It was the best conversation that I have had in a while. Considering they just met me, but knew so much about me, everyone was so open and just talking about whatever they wanted. I had a ton of fun.

I am truly upset this class is over. I wish that all my future classes would be just like this. I feel that some of the people I met in this class will stay good friends with me into the future. We all exchanged numbers and planned on going to the movies on the weekend. Thank you professor, this class was amazing. You are truly a great inspiration for me to become an excellent teacher one day.

Have a great summer and congratulations on your pregnancy! You will be an excellent mom!

(JM, 6.18.09)
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“GOODBYE”

Listening to everyone’s presentations, I thought was very interesting. It is hard in a class to really get to know a person and understand them. I usually just listen to people in class, talk and then make my judgments about them. I think I had some opinions about people that changed as soon as I heard their stories. I believe that this was a great way to wrap up the class and learn about my classmates. I may have done this project sooner just because we did not really get to talk about it. It really interested me knowing that I was not the only one that had issues growing up. Everyone had some sort of problem and was able to tell us about it. I really appreciated Louise’s and Alex’s story. They were very powerful and really made me think that there are these problems in the world today and they are not just on T.V. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone in the class and seeing what they were all about.

Adolescent psychology has always interested me because there have been many times I have asked myself why children at this age do certain things. I think that I got a lot of answers from the class. Thank you very much.

(Erica Caiati, 6/18/09)

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Advice for Future Students

When I look back on the five weeks I spent in this course, I realize that it is one was absolutely meaningful for me as an aspiring educator. The workload seemed overwhelming at first, but it is worth it at the end. The assignments also are worthwhile, as students in this course will both learn about adolescents as well as themselves, and both topics will only help with one’s ability to reach today’s youth.

One piece of advice I want to leave for future students is to make sure you stay on top of your work. The work can be a lot, but it will be much worse if you leave it to the last minute. Make sure you leave yourself time so you can get everything in on time. Also, it will help at the end of the course to be able to look back on everything you did as you put your final works together.

I also want to advise students to take the class seriously. This class offers a student the ability to gain perspective on what it is like to be an adolescent. Through class discussions, I was able to learn about situations I had never been in or ever thought about. Everyone comes from a different background, and by really giving an effort, there is a lot to be learned. Also, the assignments are meaningful. You will get to learn about yourself from this class, and the more we understand about ourselves, the better the chance we can reach others.

Overall, this course was one that I am glad that I took. It came along at a great time in my life, as I was already confident in my ability to work with adolescents. I walk away from this course with an even stronger confidence in my ability, and hope that everyone who takes this course gives themselves the chance to duplicate my experience. Thank you very much for being a great class Professor.
(Michael Wimmer, 6.19.09)

Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 600 Class

Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 600 Class

By
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June, 2009

I can’t believe the end is here. The time in this class went extremely fast! I must tell Dr. Boyanton that I am so lucky to have had her as my professor. As this was my first graduate class, I walked into the unknown on May 18th. I was very nervous since it was my first class into a whole new journey. After being in this class for four weeks, I can say I am happy this was my first experience as a graduate student.

Dr. Boyanton’s class couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. I had decided that this summer was going to be one of reflection. I have never gotten to know true self and I decided that this summer was going to be where I found out whom I was. Both the self-management and research papers have helped me on this journey. I discovered that I can thrive on my own and I don’t need anyone else to help me to grow. I also learned a lot about my childhood and how it relates back to my life now.

I have formed many bonds in this class with students that I plan on keeping in touch with. I have found those students who will continue to help me achieve my goals in life. I plan on leaning on them for advice when we graduate and have our own classrooms. Thank you Dr. Boyanton for this great opportunity. I was truly a pleasure to be a student in your class. Thank you for engaging us as students and helping us to develop ideas for our future. You are a wonderful person and congratulations on your pregnancy! You are going to be a great mom to a beautiful child! I am so very happy for you!
(Justine Balsan - June 15, 2009)
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The Last Class

A problem that I have always had was public speaking. I would consider myself to be a somewhat shy student, with bad nervous habits. This is why chose the topic of public speaking for my self-management project. I tend to be a shy in class and don’t like to participate and talk with my peers. In addition, when I get nervous I tend to use the word “like” with out even realizing that I am and I speak way too fast.

I was extremely nervous for the presentation, I really wanted to do well and prove that my self-management project was in fact a success. At first, I admit I was very hesitant about the assignment, the problem is, I have been this way for many years and have not had much success in the past. I am so happy that Dr. Boyanton gave us this assignment, which at first seemed impossible.

However, in class we learned ways in each to track out project using charts and logs which I had never thought to do before. As the semester went by, I also spoke with classmates to see if they had any other ideas for me. In the past I would not have had the courage to ask my classmates for advice. Needless to say, I think presentation went well!

Being in Dr. Boyanton’s class has opened up my eyes to so many new ideals about education, and life in general that I will always remember. As a perspective teacher I aspire to be just like Dr. Boyanton. I am determined to always be available for my students and to help them through both the coursework and life experiences.

Thank you!!!
(Amanda Zack, 6/18/09)

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I never experienced a class where such a warm community of respect was built. I truly feel as though we had spent a full semester together rather than just a summer session. Through our presentations, role model activity, etc. I feel like I know so much about each of my classmates. A true bond and connection has been made between many of us. The presentations were very impressing. I cannot believe the trials and hurdles many of my classmates have overcome to be where they are today. Justin, Scott and Debbie were just a few that were very inspiring to me.

I think the course content was excellent. The psychological theories were really interesting as well as all the memory exercises. I enjoyed all the readings in the text as well as creating mini-lessons in class.

I enjoyed the class very much because we did a lot of work; we grew in knowledge and relationship with one another. This class took a lot of work and dedication to get through, as you said it would Dengting. It was worth it. I learned ALOT and made lasting friendships as well.

Thank you for an amazing summer session!

(Tiffany De Rosa, June 19,2009)
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I Never Thought…

I must say that I am very impressed with the sense of community I felt in this class. I am usually very uncomfortable and quite in my classes. However, the way Professor Dengting guided us and helped us learn about each other, accept each other, and respect each other really helped me feel the opposite. I have never felt so sad from walking away from a class before because I felt a connection with many of my peers, we learned so much from each other!

I hope to succeed in creating this sense of community in my future classes. I must say that I was very overwhelmed with the amount of work that we had to do in this class in such a short period of time, I thought it was impossible! I really did not think that I would be able to complete everything in an unstressed manner; but the way that Professor Dengting, planned it all out, it worked pretty well. Future students must follow the guidelines and make sure not to fall behind in course because it is a lot of work! Make sure everything is done on time! I learned a lot from this course that I can apply to my teaching in ways that I did not think were possible. Everything done in this course was very unique. Thank you!

(Eugenia Splinis, June 18, 2009)
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The Grande Finale

First, I would like to thank you for a wonderful although very short semester. We all worked hard and I feel like accomplished something great. I have never been in a situation that challenged me academically and emotionally at similar levels. I don’t think in all my time at Post that I ever learned more than two names in any of my classes. We are a supportive group and I can honestly say that I have made actual friends. Friends that I think I will stay in touch with after my education at the University is over.

The presentations, covered the one thing we had not gone into this semester, which was what made us the people we are today and eight minutes fly by quickly. I also found there were many commonalities in our educations as a group. I was surprised and saddened by how many people had terrible and esteem defeating teachers. I am confident after getting to know my classmates that they will not repeat history and will concentrate on building the esteem of their future students. We should all learn from experiences, aspire to the great ones and make sure not emulate the bad ones.
(Heather Hoffman, 6/17/09)
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What A Class

What an experience the last four weeks has been. I have learned so much about my self and I am still dissecting the information. I was so scared on day one. I did not know how I was going to get all that work done. I wanted to succeed in my first graduate level class and after my presentation I feel that I have.

I never thought that the Phycological Foundations of Educations class would lead me to explore my self so much. Like I said in my presentation some of the topics I discussed has never been said out loud. To hear myself and others discuss how we learned was really eye opening. Everyone taught me that although we all come from different places we have so much in common. We all wanted to succeed but just did not know how.

Realizing this as a teacher will enable us to keep our eyes and ears open. Being able to be open about our experiences let us be genuine teachers. We now have the opportunity to see how at one point in a child’s life we can make a difference.

(Kevin Norris, 6/17/09)
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Prof. Boyanton I want you to know that I honestly appreciated you class and just looked forward to attending every class. I loved the journals, logs and even the research project and the class assignments. For me, it didn’t seem like class because it was so engaging and just fun. I was absolutely an awesome time. Your class decisions and assignments and other interactions with my fellow classmate really have opened my eyes to the world of teaching and I know I have achieved some much in such a short time flame of and it’s all because of your wonderful class. Thank you! :)

It was a pleasure being in your class and I will stay in contact. :)
Wish you have a great summer! Take Care.

(Shahira Asadi, 6/18/09)

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I enjoyed listening to my classmates’ presentations last night. However, I am disappointed that I was unable to finish my own within the time limit. I found it very interesting how many women spoke about being shy and not wanting to speak up in class. For some of them, this is still a fear, while for others; they have gotten over this hurdle and are more active participants in class. I wonder what changed for those students like myself who are now comfortable speaking in front of a class.

I believe that I gained confidence when I finally realized that I was as smart as everyone else in the room and that what I had to say was valuable. I think Stacie’s presentation was really good as she presents as a very intelligent woman. I wish she had spoken up more often in class this past semester. I am sorry that I was unable to stay late and hear the rest of the presentations, but I have a one-hour commute and had to complete work for my job for the next day.

Overall, this class was an excellent learning experience filled with many intelligent people. I believe that most people in the class will make excellent teachers not only because they will be well prepared, but also because they have learned from their past experiences what worked and didn’t work for them as students.
(Heather Adams, 6/18/2009)

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WE DID IT!!!

Today’s class was one of my favorites! I dreaded this day for a long time because I had to present today, however I will remember it as one of the best days in my school career. I shocked myself at how calm I was, presenting my research topic and my life experiences. I was so afraid to stand in front of everyone today and admit my shortcomings and deficiencies throughout my life. My nerves and lack of confidence in myself usually get the best of me. However, I stood up there and told my story and all of its implications with conviction. This is a monumental event for me, one that I will call upon the next time “I think I can’t”. As my personality would have it, I have to give credit to all the extraordinary peers I was so fortunate enough to find support from: Justin, Lisa, Ilana, Judy, and especially Brian. They probably don’t even know how much there words of encouragement and advice helped me get through the presentation, but it meant the world to me. Brain looked at me and smiled as I stood in front of the room mouthing, “I’m so nervous”. He mouthed back, “Just breathe…you’re fine”. I firmly believe that support and empathy from others is the boost we all need to overcome our fears. For the record, I think he has all of the makings of a great teacher.

I have learned so much from listening to everyone’s presentations. I think that listening to the different life/school experiences and how they affected the person was one of the most valuable lessons I will take with me. We are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all learn from them. We have feelings as students, as we will have feelings as teachers. I’ve not only learned to identify and analyze my own experiences, but also I have learned to recognize the significance and importance of my peers’ experiences. This raw exposure of my classmates and myself will not only make me a better teacher, it will make me a better person.

I want to take this final opportunity to congratulate you as you await the arrival of your daughter. Your life story as you told it to all of us is truly amazing and it seems as though your hopes and dreams have come true. Good luck and enjoy every moment!

(Stacia Roth, 6/17/09)

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The presentations in class today were so motivating to listen to. I cannot begin to imagine some of the hardships that my peers have gone through. I feel so fortunate to have been raised by two loving parents in a loving family. I will never take that for granted again. The aspirations these students had, with all the cards stacked against them, are a testament for all people to learn from. It is important, as future teachers, for us to see just how important our role is, and how we can truly impact someone else’s life. So many teachers think there role in their students’ lives are meaningless or small. They are so wrong! Students, especially who come from a difficult home, need these teachers more than anything, to help guide them.

This class was such a motivating class for me to keep pursuing teaching. It showed how important my role is and how much thought and time I need to put into it. You are not just teaching kids how to read or write, your inspiring them (or unfortunately hindering them) to attain all of their goals. When you really begin to think about it, you see how important this job, a teacher, is to society.
(Brittany Leigh, 6/17/09)
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Look How Far We Have Come!

All I could think about tonight while I was watching and listening to the PowerPoint presentations was how much we had learned in only five weeks. The majority of the class does not have an undergraduate degree in education; we were all beginning in a new field. We have bonded like family, each of us supporting one another.

There were several outstanding presentations, specifically Justin’s, Scott’s and Kevin’s. I cannot imagine having to go through the obstacles that each of them have encountered and to emerge such strong, vital people. Scott gave me his paper to read early on: I could not fathom how this hard working, soft-spoken, father of two was able to emerge from the wreckage of his childhood. Most people in his position would have either mimicked their parent’s behavior (they would consider that the norm) or opted to not get married or have children at all. Instead this wonderful man, who listened with his mind and his heart whenever I spoke to him and who could also make me laugh so hard it brought me to tears, is a shining example of persistence and determination.

I was inspired by Justin’s quest for accepting both a disability as well as being abandoned by his father. Again, he had every legitimate excuse in the world to give up, instead he extolled his mother’s patience and determination. He is an extraordinary human being and will be an amazing teacher. Kevin has a spark and spirit that I am sure will help him continue to deal with the problems he has encountered with his family.

When we started class writing our journal entries and childhood chapters was especially laborious. To be honest, I did not fully understand why we were spending so much time working on them. Dengting, after witnessing the culmination of our work last night I sincerely thank you for your innovative and introspective curriculum.
(Lisa Pratt, 6/18/09)

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I was very impressed with the lessons learned during tonight’s class. I now know, more than ever, how one person can really make a difference in someone’s life. I also know that so much unfair disappointment occurs in each of our lives and the only way that we can overcome it is through our own strength. Feeling sorry for oneself is a waste of your time. It was clearly pointed out tonight that there is always someone who has a more horrible situation than you do. What you need to do is be confident, if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. This is much easier said than done.

Teacher’s can ruin a child’s experience or make it great. A teacher’s warmth or lack of it may cause a student to thrive or shut down. It is so important for a teacher to create a comfort level in the classroom and realize that their classroom contains many different personality types. Everyone is an individual and it is crucial to build confidence in your students. The research that shows how the overall student confidence level drops to 20% by the time they reach 5th grade is very telling. Teachers need to be nurturing, sensitive and open. They should not discriminate; they should encourage, promote and push their students. They very well may be changing an individual’s life forever, for better of for worse.

(Scott Robinson, 6/18/09)
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One Final Time

Overall, I was very impressed by the class presentations. Most notably, I appreciated how honest and open everyone was about their years in school and how they affected their learning and who they are today. I guess that shouldn’t have come as a surprise though because that was the trend throughout this entire semester. As I think most people were, I was shocked by how difficult Scott’s upbringing was. I was painful enough just hearing him talk about some of those things, let alone trying to live through it. I also found Debra’s story extremely amazing. I did my self management progress of sleep behaviors and it seemed like she lived her entire college career on no sleep. I sleep very little and have trouble making it through the day sometimes. It is impressive how productive she was on such little sleep.

Thank you for a great semester.

(Adam Cirnigliaro, 6/18/09)
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Once again I am amazed at how open and honest my classmates are with their life experiences in regards to their research question. I have been very open myself, and have found that it has eased a burden on my mind. Although I have had issues in my life, I have found that my classmates have overcome hurdles and have had experiences that I would not wish upon anyone.

Every time one of my peers presented, I found myself listening with an intense feeling of knowing who they are and who they want to become. Once again, this is a new concept for me as I am a talker. As we have learned, listening is a skill that will enable us to be better people and better teachers. I now consider myself lucky to be a part of this class, where I can learn from my peers and of course my professor. It has been a tremendous journey for me as I have found my quest for knowledge is growing daily.

In reviewing all of my journals, I have found a degree of learning and self efficacy. I was very afraid to come back to school. Because I was not a great student in my undergraduate degree and also my early education, I was afraid I would fail. What I have learned is that I have the drive to succeed. I will be a successful teacher and if anything I am not a confident student and human being. I learned that we must all respect each others values, ethnicities, races, and in short, EVERYONE!

My advice to the instructor is to continue inspiring students to be the best they can be. I believe that Dengting has been able to do this for me. My advice for future students is LEARN, LISTEN, BE HONEST, and RESPECTFUL! With these words you will become the person you want to become – a PROFESSIONAL!

(Brian Bergman, 6/17/09)
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In Conclusion…

Overall I feel that I did well in this class! I defiantly learned a lot from my peers through our class discussions and even more so through their presentations. I found shocking similarities in so many or the presentations and that has made me feel more comfortable in my classes. I feel that I am not in this alone! I look forward to my summer break and I also look forward to continuing my education next semester. All the while I continue to look forward to the day that I can take what I have learned and apply it in my own classroom and motivate my students to their full potential!

(Tamara McAtamney, 6/18/09)

Sexual Education: Exploring Different Approaches

By Michael Wimmer
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 17, 2009

Yesterday’s class was one which shed some light on a topic that I have felt uneasy about ever since I began working with adolescents. That topic is sexual education. It is a topic which I feel really has no perfect way to approach, but at the same time must be. One thing that I learned from the class discussion was that there are a few ways that have been put into practice that I feel have the potential for some positive results.

One of the concepts I really thought was effective dealt with starting the children as early as possible. Obviously kindergarten children do not need to learn about sexual education in detail, but at the same time there is something to be said for teaching them some differences so that they begin to have a better understanding. This could allow them to have more educated interaction with their peers. I also liked the idea of having elementary school children attend seminars with their parents. This way, the parents can have a direct understanding of what their children are going to be learning, and it allows them to be more involved in a subject that they have to deal with.

While I am still not sure I am comfortable with any set way to teach sexual education to today’s youth, I feel these two schools of thought are strong starts. We have to make sure that we as educators walk a fine line when dealing with this topic. Every child is going to react differently to something so sensitive, which is something that must be kept in mind. However, it is obviously important, so a plan must be put in place. This is a plan that I am more comfortable with.

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

By Audre Iglehart
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 17, 2009

I do believe that sexuality and sex education should begin in kindergarten and the subject is just as important as language, math, science etc. Unfortunately sex education has been relegated to abstinence education in the country and it is not helpful and unrealistic. It seems that all sexual education programs focus on all the negative things that can happen if you choose to have sex. This negative spin allows sex to be taboo and not accepted. It seems that everyone is convinced that if you accept that teens are having sex and talk about how to make proper choices and be a respectful partner then all kids will begin to have sex like animals. For some reason we continue to teach all the negatives about sex even if it is not working. I understand that no politician wants to be the one to say “Our kids are having sex, lets teach them about it and give them access to protection.”

I also feel that the reasons adolescents have sex are different. A male has sex for two reasons, to fit in socially and because it feels good and he is satisfied after sex. An adolescent female has sex to socially fit in, because she wants to please her horney boyfriend or she thinks its good sex. I don’t care what anyone says a 13 year old boy has no idea how to please a woman sexually. Those are skills that take years to master, and unfortunately some men never do. So therefore no 13 year old girl having sex with her boyfriend walks away satisfied. As it takes years for males to craft a technique or multiple techniques to satisfy a female it takes a female years to gain enough self-confidence and experience to know what will satisfy her and articulate that to her partner.

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

By Krystal Barrera
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 16, 2009

I really enjoyed tonight’s class on Sexual Development. I thought the exercise that we did as a class where we were all able to voice our opinions on different statements regarding sexual development was very interesting. Not only was it good to hear others opinions and perspectives, there were also some statements that made us think on different levels about the issue.

Sexual Development and when it is age appropriate to teach has always been a major concern in education. Who’s to say when children are ready to learn about sex because kids are all maturing at different ages and during different times of their life. I believe that kids should be educated during their elementary years and not just on puberty but on different concerns and issues when it comes to sex. I thought this was a great way for everyone in the class to be involved and for each student’s voice to be heard.

Behavior Management: Importance of Establishing Rules

Behavior Management: Importance of Establishing Rules

By Adam Cirnigliaro
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 16, 2009

Classroom management is an essential aspect of being an effective teacher. It is important to establish rules at the beginning of the school year so that the children understand what appropriate behavior is. I think the most effective strategy for this is to ask the students what they believe should be the main classroom rules. This way, they will feel like they have been involved in the process and are not being told what to do. They will believe that they have more responsibility and are more likely to internalize these rules. If certain rules are left off, the teacher can suggest adding them in by bringing it up as a question to the students and then implementing them.

These rules should be applied consistently and fairly, although a great point was made yesterday referring to a previous movie we watched. Fairly does not necessarily mean the same for everyone. I think many people often make this mistake. Fair requires that each student receive the unique specifications needed by that individual. Every student has different necessities.

However, I believe that consequences should be implemented quickly after the unacceptable behavior occurs. By doing this, the students will associate the bad behavior with the consequence. Of course the teacher does need to be flexible and leave room for varying circumstances. If a much bigger problem occurs, such as the one we discussed in class about the student taking their clothes off, the student should be removed and the issue can be dealt with later. It would not be at all appropriate to handle this situation in that moment.

I also agree with the comment made in class yesterday that teachers need to avoid being too heavy handed in their approach to discipline. It can often become tiresome hearing the same nagging voice repeatedly telling you to stop doing something. There will certainly come a point where the students become so accustomed to hearing the teacher complain that they will tune their voice out. While working this year, I have heard many teachers use the threat of writing or calling home to a student’s parents if they do not start behaving properly. The problem is most of these teachers never follow through. If half of a school year has passed and the parent has never been called, the student is going to realize this is an empty threat and no longer respond to it. It is a difficult to line to navigate when trying to manage behaviors in a classroom.

Behavior Management: A Tricky Subject

Behavior Management: A Tricky Subject

By Brittany Leigh
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 15, 2009

Dealing with misbehavior, I find, is a tricky subject to teach someone. While there are some basic guidelines to adhere to such as being professional, not grabbing students, losing your temper, etc., it is difficult to teach how to deal with students on a case by case basis. And when your teaching that is what it is. Every situation is different, and you learn as you go. Sometimes, there are no right answers. There is not one correct way to discipline a child or show them proper behavior. If there were, then we would all act the same.

That being said, there are some fundamental practices that a teacher can use to try and prevent misbehaviors. Some of these strategies we discussed in class, such as, discussing the rules upfront, have the students help create the boundaries of the classroom, know what is misbehavior and was may be annoying to you, etc. These are all important principles because so many teachers blend these lines. They are tired, or the students are really getting on their nerves, and so many times they snap in front of the class. As hard as it is to not do this, try, because this situation is completely negative for a classroom, and can further unmotivated students. As discussed in class previously, the teacher-student relationship is key.

Behavior Management: Importance of Creating a Positive Teacher-Student Bond

Behavior Management: Importance of Creating a Positive Teacher-Student Bond

By Lisa Pratt
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 15, 2009

Although textbooks, lectures and videos were a vital and necessary component of EDI 600 course, I learned the most from my classmates that the human relationships are more powerful and resilient than any other instructional tools. I know that there is no such thing as an off-the-cuff remark in a classroom: classmate’s and teacher’s words sting long after the ink on the yearbook has dried. Childhood highs and lows are tattooed into our psyches; the good times will sustain us and, hopefully, the bad times will serve as a catalyst to reflect on and improve the upcoming stages in our lives.

The bond between a teacher and a student is vital in behavior management: we also need to develop a positive or at least a workable relationship with the parents of our students. They both need to know that we want what is best for them. It is not a coincidence that the teachers my children liked best were the ones that were most accessible; they could be reached before and after school as well as by e-mail. They were old and young, male and female: their bond was that they did not want to miss an opportunity to connect with a child. After watching tonight’s Power Points, I think we all know how important that connection can be.

I know that educators are facing a barrage of obstacles in their classrooms, but I am going to try to end the year with a PowerPoint presentation similar to those we watched on Monday night. I want each of my students to have tangible proof of the very best memories of our time together because years spent in the classroom are arguably part of the most impressionable time of the students' lives.

Behavior Management: How did My Teachers Fail to Discipline Us?

Behavior Management: How did My Teachers Fail to Discipline Us?

By Ilana Johnson
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 17, 2009

In class on Monday, it was interesting to hear fellow classmate's ideas on behavior management. Many expressed different ideas on what they thought was the most appropriate way to handle discipline issues. I believe that many of our ideas, especially as prospective educators, come from our own experiences as students and how our former teachers dealt with managing behavior.

I can recall some of the ways that my former teachers handled poor student behavior:
My second grade teacher would scream to get her point across to the misbehaving student, chastising aloud and embarrassing the targeted student in front of classmates. She could be hasty, without taking the time to inquire what the student was actually doing, and either fly into a rage or immediately change a student's seat.

My fourth grade teacher would handle poor behavior by making the targeted student stand outside in the hallway, removing the “problem” from the view of the rest of the class. Once the student had spent a sufficient amount of time in the hallway, no doubt reflecting on what he or she did wrong, they would be allowed to return to the classroom. She would also request that the student stay after class at the end of the day for the purpose of “discussing” the behavior issue at hand.

My fifth grade teacher was constantly reprimanding students, as I recall quite a few classmates with chronic behavior problems. She would, like my second grade teacher, embarrassingly chastise students aloud, but without the yelling and screaming. Instead, she would instruct the student to write, during class time, on the board fifty times what they will not continue to do that got them into trouble in the first place (eg. “I will not talk in class”).

These are the ways that my former teachers handled discipline problems. However, I don't agree with some of them and do not intend to use as a prospective educator. For example, yelling and screaming is not effective. This does not build a trusting student-teacher relationship and induces poor class morale. Also, I believe instructing a student to write his or her punishment on the board during class time is not wise either. This is distracting to the other students who may feel compelled to watch the student while he or she is writing the punishment on the board and essentially miss part or all of the lesson.

I believe the best way to handle discipline issues is to address the misbehaving student quickly (eg. Bobby, please stop talking) and move on with the lesson. After class time, the student can be addressed further, in private, for inquiry (eg, Bobby, why were you talking when you know what the rules are?)

The point is to deal with the “problem” quickly and move on to continue the lesson. This eliminates distracting the others students and avoids disrupting the flow of the lesson. Also, this eliminates embarrassing or “picking on” the student and wasting class time.

A Class Divided Unites a Community

By Gregory Cioffi
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 11, 2009

I am absolutely enthralled with this documentary A Class Divided . What that teacher did took a certain degree of dedication and courage that is rarely seen. In three days she gave students a life long lesson on discrimination. In her eyes, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., the only way to truly drill the evil of discrimination and racism into the heads of her students was to divide the class against each other and make them experience first hand the malice that many of them had nonchalantly talked about in the beginning of the film against people who were different from them. In only a few days you could see blue eyed students and brown eyed students turn against one another, and turn into “nasty, discriminating children.” It was actually a little scary to watch as they were manipulated so easily. It made me think of the holocaust and Nazi Germany, and how something like this is possible.

Then I thought about how impossible it would be to do something like this today, and the thought of that seemed a little disappointing. I think I enjoy the hands-on activities because something like this those children will never forget. And not only will they not forget, but as adults they come back and watch that video with their teacher a number of years later, and that is just amazing. It is nice to see when a teacher has this kind of affect on her students and receives the recognition she deserves.

Becoming Aware of Ethnicity

By Michael Wimmer
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 11, 2009

It is hard for me to pinpoint an exact moment that I became aware of different ethnicities growing up, because I never remember being naive about this reality. For as long as I can remember, I was around people of all cultures. My father has two best friends from the time he was an adolescent, one of which is Chinese and the other Spanish, the latter being my Godfather. Also, being involved in athletics from a young age, I was always surrounded by children of different ethnicities, to the point that anything else would seem strange. However, when I moved to a neighborhood in which a majority of the adolescents were Caucasian, I realized that this was more of an issue for people than I could understand.

Throughout high school, I realized exactly what racism was. Although I always understood that it existed, it really was not an issue around me when I was younger. However, moving to neighborhood in which there is a lot of ignorance, I realized how sad our society can actually be. A prime example of this comes from when I first came back from Purchase College. When I told one of my high school teammates that at school I lived with my teammates, the first question dealt with how I could possibly live with people of other ethnicities. I remember being shocked and appalled, as I never had this person pegged to have such an issue with other ethnicities, and in all honesty our friendship suffered from his ignorant behavior.

Some of my best friends are of ethnic descent which differs from mine. I cannot imagine not having them in my life, and really am puzzled as to how this becomes an issue for so many people. To me, people are people. People are not defined by the color of their skin or the country which their ancestors come from. I consider myself to be an open person in this regard, and feel that it comes from growing up in the household that I did. While many people would call this a tolerant view, I just call it normal.

Understanding Discrimination by Experiencing it

Understanding Discrimination by Experiencing it

Reflection on the Cross-over Activity

By Krystal Barrera
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June 11, 2009

Today’s class required a lot of thinking. Although the Cross-Over activity stirred up a lot of emotions, I believe it really put us in the position to know how it feels to be segregated and discriminated against under certain conditions. I felt as if many of us in the class felt overwhelmed and insecure at different times. Personally, each time I had to cross-over to the other side, there was a sense of discomfort making it hard to look at the people on the other side of the room. Being on the other side was just uncomfortable. Although eye-opening, it definitely put us all in the position to know how other races feel when they are put in the position to be minority figures.

I really enjoyed this lesson and watching the video on discrimination. I thought that Prof. Boyanton had a great closing activity where she allowed us all to embrace our own cultures and share them with the class. At the beginning where we felt uncomfortable to be ourselves, we were now allowed to share what makes us all different in a comforting way. I really enjoyed today’s class. I think as a class we now know how it feels to be segregated for certain aspects of our identity that are beyond our control.

Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Greetings from the editor

Table of Contents

Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 550/551 Class

Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 600 Class

Sexual Education: Exploring Different Approaches

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

Sexual Education: Should it Start from Kinder?

Behavior Management: Importance of Establishing Rules

Behavior Management: A Tricky Subject

Behavior Management: Importance of Creating a Positive Teacher-Student Bond

Behavior Management: How did My Teachers Fail to Discipline Us?

A Class Divided Unites a Community

Becoming Aware of Ethnicity

Understanding Discrimination by Experiencing it

4th CESTL

Copyright © Dr. Dengting Boyanton Assistant Professor of Education 2008

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