In chapter 12, I found the topic of sociocultural conceptions of motivation to be particularly interesting. I think this is a topic that is kind of understood as existing but isn't always addressed. I think a reason or that is that it would appear to be common sense. The people you hang out with or the company you keep so to speak, have a way of influence you. In our intro class, we discussed the importance of building relationships with our parents and communities at our new schools and fresh new teachers. How this truly aids a child in learning. This concept is saying just that. If we make sure to keep people who want to learn around our children, then we are setting the perfect stage for them to become learners in their own right. This also shows why it is detrimental when there are children in the classroom who are disruptive. They tend to draw attention and get followers to act the same as them. It turns into a bit of a group think method. I think this is why it is important to be stern and follow through with reprimands as opposed to open ended punishments.
In chapter 14, the topic of seatwork caught my attention. As a substitute teacher, seatwork is probably one of the most often used filler work I am given to present to the students. This normally includes some complaints, a lot of bathroom breaks, and a hefty amount of disruptive behavior. Of course I am in a special circumstance as students will push their boundaries much more with a stranger, such as me their substitute teacher, than they would with their actual teacher. I have had a few opportunities in my subbing where the teacher did actually allow me to teach a lesson. This was such a different experience because I was able to create conversation and engage with the students. Otherwise, I am normally just handing out busy work and constantly asking students to quiet down and do their work. I can definitely see how detrimental this type of work could be to a student who is already struggling. Its almost as if these students crave the interaction with the teacher. Seatwork obviously is needed at some point in time or another but it definitely should be limited.
In chapter 15, I think I enjoyed reading about the different kinds of tests much more than anything else. I personally prefer to have essay question tests. I feel that this is truly the best way to assess a students understanding of the material. I have been there before where I am taking a multiple choice exam and I go through the test looking to see if another question might hint at the answer for me. An essay doesn't allow that. It forces you to either know the information or you don't, or the hidden answer is that you can partially know the answer for at least some credit. It leaves a lot more grey area for the student to work with than just knowing that 1 of these 4 options is the right one, and if I don't chose the right one then I get the whole thing wrong.
After reading chapter 12, I did think back to our intro to education class. I was always told growing up, surround yourself with good people. I noticed the bad kids, hung out with the bad kid and so on. This is why the teacher tends to separate them when organizing the seating in the class.
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