My First Online Conference

The online conference session that I listened to was called How Do I Know that I Made a Difference?. This session title appealed to me because in the teaching profession affirmation is delayed and other than test scores there are few ways that we can truly know whether or not our teaching is sinking in and sticking for good. The presenter Ben Hazzard tells the story of his classroom from one of his past student's perspective. First he lays out the background, setting the scene, and then he goes on to explain the point of the video. Mr. Hazzard asked his students to plot ideas for a commercial similar to the Master Card Priceless commercial so in the story he is imagining what his students were thinking and struggling with throughout the process.
I learned how to read students and gauge their thoughts and reactions to what we as teachers ask them to do. I need to realize how my projects affect students on a deeper level and how I can deliver what my students need emotionally through schoolwork. One of the main points of the session was that students really want to know if they will be embraced and if they will be proud of who they are.
I thought that the session was fascinating and i needed the infusion of insight (pro of the session) but on the other hand all the presenter focused on was students feelings. I realize that my job as a teacher is not just strictly to teach students book learning but also important facts and attitudes for life, but I do not believe that emotions should be the focus. Positive student feelings should be a natural byproduct of correct teaching methods and not earned solely through choosing assignments based on the children's likes and dislikes. Projects should be chosen based on their educational value and then how I teach and help with the project should determine the emotional value of the project. So that point is a definite con of the conference session.