Describe the characteristics of your own most significant teacher.

My most significant teacher has unmatched enthusiasm for the works he was teaching.Certain sentences, phrases, and words were sometimes spoken out loud, in slow timbre, or with an haunting voice that produces such a great affect. After reading a heart breaking poem, for instance, he said in a low and clear voice "these are the types of work that lasts forever."So it would seem that he the work the selected works he chose were done so with very serious consideration. 


He was also very patient. In fact, he is the most patient teacher I've ever had. He would come in on days off and schedule a meeting with every student to make sure that they are all on the same level he wants them to be. 


He carries an air of severity. It is obvious that talking to him like a regular person with out of the question. These are what made him very significant to me.

Did you experience any of the strategies of differentiated instruction listed in the text? If so, indicate which ones (such as stations, problem-based learning) you experienced and your reaction to this kind of learning. If not then discuss the benefits it holds for students in our schools today.

I never experienced any differentiated learning approaches. But I can see how some, like Choice Cards, can be beneficial. Some students who are weak in some areas can choose to picture something they've never done before, or they can choose a new thing to learn from. What I like about this approach is that it gives the student an option. 

The complex instruction method looks very interesting as well, because students are circulated and are given open-ended tasks. This allows them research the subject they are assigned with more possibilities.

Pick one of the social challenges and give as many ideas as you can for how a teacher could address its effects in his or her classroom

Bullying is something I have had personal experience with and assuming an objective stance to resolve this often destructive behavior would be difficult for me. Nonetheless, I know it is something I will undoubtedly have to address when I begin teaching. 

My late elementary school years  and middle school years 7 and 8 were most terrifying. At five feet five inches and under a hundred pounds I easily the runt of my family, and at a grade when hormones are erupting and adolescence was transitioning boys and girls into trouble makers and drama queens, I was an easy target. What made it worse was that I truly and honestly had no friends. I might as well have had a shirt that read "kick my ass." The worse came in during the middle of my 8th grade year, when these particular 6 boys would find me after school and, to put it simply, kicked my ass. At that age a kid rarely turns to his parents for help. I did not either. I just endured it. 

But bullying yields such tremendous pressure on students by sapping freedom from their individual. I can remember avoiding going to my locker, purposefully failing to avoid names like "nerd" and "geek" and at one point I had a gold-plated Cross brand pen my mom got me for my birthday, because I like to write, stolen from me. For fear of physical abuse I didn't report it, and simply told my mom I lost it (she still thinks this to this day, and for those of you who are unfamiliar with Cross manufactured pens, they're pretty expensive). But such things affected my grades, my performance, and my ability to socialize and talk to to people. It ended when I met a group of friends who were trouble.

Around my sophomore year in high school I befriended this group of guys who offered protection, to say the least, but were a group of kids I wouldn't let my adopted least loved child hang around with (this is a joke, if i were to adopt I'd love him or her just same). To seek approval and acceptance with this group of people, I picked up drinking, purposefully failed grades, smoking, and cutting class. I never wanted to do any of this, but I just wanted the bullying to stop, which it did, and I wanted companions. I'm no longer friends with all but 1 of these persons. I decided shortly after high school that they were simply holding me back from reaching my potential. Ironically, I've returned to my state of isolation I had during my pre-high school years but I'm much happier and more importantly, free. At five feet ten and a half inches and weighing in at about 170 pounds, I can say that I don't put up with any type of bullying anymore because even in adulthood, there is still bullying, but it occurs verbally in the workplace and other social settings, and not so much physical. Nevertheless, I recognize bullying at all levels, and at all ages.

My personal case doesn't apply to all victims of bullying. For the most part, the effects are similar. There are worse cases like mine that resulted in tragedy like Columbine. 

I would like to say that to resolve this issue I would apply strict consequences to bullying, the least of which would include suspension. But I know this rarely resolves the issue. I think a bully should be forced into emersion within those he or she bullies, so that the person could understand that the people that are picked on are not less of a person than him or her in hopes that the bully will return with a greater appreciation for all people.

Which area of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences do you feel is your area of strength? Explain why, and give an example.

I would have to stay that the interpersonal trait is my greatest strength. Lately, as I started to read more from this certain book that I won't mention, I've become more sympathetic with people, and I'm seeing certain characteristics I never noticed before. The problem with this is that sometimes, when two people are arguing or fighting over something, I am able to see both of their sides so clearly and emphatically, that I cannot take a stand with either of them. 

In other cases, I don't get angry too often. The only person who does get me upset, is me.

When I see a drunk guy being very rude, I feel bad for him. When I see homeless people, my heart breaks. I rarely call anyone crazy, because almost everyone does something for a reason.


But when it comes to understanding people, I think I can definitely say that it is a strong point. I like to listen people as they explain something, or are simply just talking. I look for certain patterns in things they say. I look for how they say certain things. If someone mentions something a few times, it's because they want me to take notice of it. I keep an eye out for facial expressions to tell me a lot. When I tutor in the writing lab, I do this very often. The two seconds on a student's face after I've shown them how to do something usually always tells me whether they understand or not.