Additional Assignment #5

Mr. Spencer seems like a great teacher because he has the unique ability to see things for how they really are and to accept students for what they are.  In his first post that I read, he talked about mediums and how they can be conducive to learning.  In his post, "He Just Likes the Class for the Pencils,"  he recalled a student-teacher-parent meeting.  In the meeting, he was told that the student liked his class for certain reasons.  He stressed the importance of being strict yet accepting and allowing kids to have the freedom to learn in their own ways.  I particularly liked his post about 8th graders and how they are like pencils.  They are going through a time in their lives where they are no longer children but also, no longer adults.  We, as teachers, must be sensitive to this change.  The last post that I read concerned the use of metaphors in teaching and really, all of life.  Mr. Spencer makes the point the learning is a messy business, and sometimes, the use of metaphors can be helpful in clearing things up.  He also makes the point that metaphors have been used for many years.  Overall, Mr. Spencer has some amazing ideas, and it seems like he has really had a positive effect on all his students.