Teacher as Guide

While reading chapter 3 in the Marintello and Cook book, I was very interested in learning the different teaching styles that are adapted in integrated learning. Before this chapter, I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around how I would fit into the world of interdisciplinary curriculum. I have always been the person with a plan. I can be flexible with my plan, but I need to walk into a classroom with ideas and an outline in hand. So while reading the first couple of chapters in our assigned books, I was beginning to think that this teaching method was not for me. In my mind, an integrated curriculum teacher was only equipped with a theme and then the rest of the curriculum for that class was a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of structure. This style of teaching would give me a headache every night and I would lose sleep. However, as I read more into the teaching roles, I found one that I think would fit my personal teaching style. I like the idea of presenting a theme to a class and them giving them options on how to approach that theme. I am all for students experimenting and trying to find their own meaning within that theme, but I also feel that students need structure, foundation, and guidelines to follow in order to really blossom. Last year, I observed a classroom that had, for the most part, very little structure. Each child was working on his/her own project. This project came from a class theme and then the children were welcomed to go work within that theme any way they chose. These kids were bouncing off the walls. Each child was doing his/her own work (to and extent) and the teacher did not have enough time to get to each child because no one was on the same page. I would say that about 5 out of the 20 children were actually working on their projects,while the rest of the class were playing games, reading, talking to each other. There was no structure...and it drove me nuts. However, I feel that there can be (and should be) a happy medium. Children need guidance. Children need structure and direction and need to be able to work within classroom parameters. But I also feel that they need to be able to use their talents and be able to find and create different methods on how to do and present their work. This is why I am fond of the Teacher as a Guide role. I also feel that this role works well with the type of children I work with. Working, primarily, with children who have autism, I see many of my kids not keeping up with their classmates. Listening to a teacher lecture for 30 minutes, and then having to do pencil/paper work is not affective learning for a lot of my kids. They need to be more hands on and more involved in the process in order to prosper. I hope to be able to provide this teaching model for them because I want nothing more than for them to succeed!

Hello Integreated Curriculum. Nice to meet you!

This class is my first official introduction to integrated curriculum. My first thoughts as I began reading the chapters assigned were, (A)"Wow! This is amazing." Followed by, (B)"Wow! This is a lot of work."
(A) Being a behavior therapist, I have worked in a variety of school settings, grade levels, and have certainly worked with my share of teachers (good and not so good.) I have watched teachers working tirelessly to get the curriculum out and to make sure that they are meeting all the state standards that are necessary. The problem is, is there is really no time for the kids to enjoy and embrace what it is they are learning. And in many cases (i.e. most the kids I work with), the lessons are flying right over their heads because they are not fully engaged in what is being taught, therefore, they are not comprehending the lesson.
I think that implementing integrated learning into the curriculum is brilliant. I think there would be less drop out rates in schools, better understanding of what is being taught and more interest in it, kids would be able to better relate history with current issues, they could get to know their community better and take more interest and charge in making changes within the community and their own lives, and I think that more students would be reached. The kid(s) that is too smart for the special day class but can't seem to keep up with the general ed. class can finally fit in because he is learning what he needs to know but he is learning it how he needs it taught to him.
(B) With that said, my personal opinion is that there is going to need to be some change within the school districts in order to see more and more teachers take on integrated learning. Living in Los Angeles and seeing how that district is ran (ran itself into the ground), they are lucky they even have people to teach children living in southern Ca. Teachers are burned out and I don't blame them. I think most teachers, at least those who really do want to teach and have the kids interest at heart, would like to take on integrated learning into their classrooms. But I also feel that they do not have the support, time, or finances to really apply this teaching method in their classrooms.
My hope is that these things change. I would love to see teachers who are thoroughly happy to be going to work and who feel that they are being supported by the community, by the parents, by their peers and by their superiors. I would also love to see integrated learning adapted into more classroom settings. Lets make school fun again! And not just for the students, but for those who are involved in these students lives.