UbD Chapter 4 Response

I think the general take-away point from this chapter emphasizes how important it is to get to know your students and to recognize that your job as a teacher is to do your absolute best to guide them towards success.  One part that really stood out to me was the scenario about Mrs. Callison and the notes that she takes on her students.  Once I got over considering the possibility that my teachers could have taken notes on me (yikes?) and realized that it’s probably more useful than creepy, I thought to myself, but I want to know my students well enough that I don’t need to refer to a notebook.  This generated another fear: the likelihood that I will have so many students coming in and out of my classroom on a daily basis that I may not be able to know them as well as I would like to.  Not only do I want to know about the different learning styles of my students so that I can best meet their needs, I also want to know about their family, hobbies, and interests because it will help me to make the curriculum more appealing to them (hopefully).  I also think that if I know a lot about my students, they might be encouraged to learn more about each other.  The more they know about and respect each other, the better the classroom community.  So, while I want to be the best teacher I can be, I also have to understand that it’s not going to be an easy task, and that getting to know my students will take a great deal of time and dedication, and maybe even some note taking.