I can't believe this is my second to last post... all i can say is wow.
I feel like I could cry as I write this because my time at Big Spring has been incredible. At Carlisle, I enjoyed my students and I had some special ones take my heart. But here at Big Spring I can say that I truly love every student, and it is going to so hard to say good bye to them on Wednesday.
I have realized that I am the kind of teacher I want to be. I know that doesn't make much sense... but for those of you that have interacted with me, you know that I try to put humor in everything I do, I have a low bullshit tolerance, I want my students to make connections to the world around them, and I want my students to express themselves in all different ways...
I was able to do all of this while at Big Spring.
For the first time, I was able get in front of my students and not plan every single word and rehearse what I was going to say. I learned to laugh at myself and my students fed off of that confidence and humility.
Let's face it, I was incredibly laid back at Big Spring, and I probably won't be able to be AS laid back...however I find that I need to pick my battles. If I bombard my kids with little nit-picky rules they will feel like they are 5, and this is not my intention. When I have my own classroom I think my two rules will be RESPECT, and USE COMMON SENSE. I will probably adopt Courtney's little speech at the beginning of the semester which says something like this:
"We will do a lot of work, but I have high expectations for all of you. With that said, we will have a great time-- and we will laugh and joke. But the moment you go too far, you'll know it." -- some people might disagree with this teaching philosophy, but it works for me.
I hope everyone has a wonderful wrap up with their classes!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
1st Student Teacher Conference....
Well, if there is one thing I've learned from being a part of parent/teacher conferences is I MUST FIND MY CHI (sp?) BEFORE I DO THIS!
This was a great learning experience. For the longest times I always shrugged off parents as separate "things" that float in and out every once in a while. I was wrong.
Now, I met some very lovely parents who were supportive and fabulous. I had to tell one set of parents that their son was caught cheating on a quiz, and I was afraid they were going to blow up. Thankfully, they gave me all the more support and we worked out a plan to help their son improve in class. (I was afraid that if I said somethign too harsh they would go home and kick his ass...I do wonder about that sometimes with parents)
However there was this one mother.....
I have a senior in 5th period named Trevor. Now, Trevor hates reading...hates writing.... and hates, and I mean HATES to stay awake. He literally, will not stay awake 60% of my class. Trevor also has a 46% in the class and needs a 70% to pass English and graduate- let me reiterate that there are 27 days until they graduate.
Now, back to this kid's mother. His mother came in saying "well, Trevor really hates to read and he gets distracted. Maybe if he could be in a quiet place...blah blah blah."
I said "Look, we do all the work in class, and I read most of Animal Farm TO THEM. We also had review questions that we filled out after EVERY chapter."
After this, Trevor's mother replied "Well, he is just so tired. He stays up until 2 a.m. playing video games and justteh other night he was at a girl's house until 11:00" - Mind you, she was not complaining about Trevor, but using this as an excuse. I SSSOOO wanted to say, "staying up all night is a CHOICE. Why aren't you being a parent?"
Of course, that is what I thought. I would never say anything like that, (I hope)but it is seriously frustrating when students are given NO responsibility/accountability. Did anyone else have any issues/complaints with parents who honestly just don't "get it"??!!
This was a great learning experience. For the longest times I always shrugged off parents as separate "things" that float in and out every once in a while. I was wrong.
Now, I met some very lovely parents who were supportive and fabulous. I had to tell one set of parents that their son was caught cheating on a quiz, and I was afraid they were going to blow up. Thankfully, they gave me all the more support and we worked out a plan to help their son improve in class. (I was afraid that if I said somethign too harsh they would go home and kick his ass...I do wonder about that sometimes with parents)
However there was this one mother.....
I have a senior in 5th period named Trevor. Now, Trevor hates reading...hates writing.... and hates, and I mean HATES to stay awake. He literally, will not stay awake 60% of my class. Trevor also has a 46% in the class and needs a 70% to pass English and graduate- let me reiterate that there are 27 days until they graduate.
Now, back to this kid's mother. His mother came in saying "well, Trevor really hates to read and he gets distracted. Maybe if he could be in a quiet place...blah blah blah."
I said "Look, we do all the work in class, and I read most of Animal Farm TO THEM. We also had review questions that we filled out after EVERY chapter."
After this, Trevor's mother replied "Well, he is just so tired. He stays up until 2 a.m. playing video games and justteh other night he was at a girl's house until 11:00" - Mind you, she was not complaining about Trevor, but using this as an excuse. I SSSOOO wanted to say, "staying up all night is a CHOICE. Why aren't you being a parent?"
Of course, that is what I thought. I would never say anything like that, (I hope)but it is seriously frustrating when students are given NO responsibility/accountability. Did anyone else have any issues/complaints with parents who honestly just don't "get it"??!!
Last Observation with Dr. Mortimore
On Wednesday, Dr. Mortimore made her final observation of my class... my second period freshman-- the class I love so much. (Don't get me wrong, I love ALL of my classes-- but this class is especially motivated and fun!)
For this lesson, I wanted to implement writing, but also give the reigns to my students. I feel that I sometimes struggle greatly with control. In order to test myself, I borrowed a literature circle activity from Courtney and had students take it home to work on for homework. Since we were reading a VERY thought provoking part of the novel, I had students go home the night before and formulate two thought provoking questions and take one interesting/confusing/beautiful quote from the novel. Then, students were expected to come prepared for a class discussion in which THEY directed the discussion; I simply mediated when needed. This was a gamble- I don't say a BIG gamble because my students are so fabulous. However this activity was a gamble in the sense that I had never tried anything like this before and with an acitivity like this, you never really know what will happen.
As if I had any doubts... the discussion went well! Dr. Mortimore and I both realize this is a great class, and we brainstormed ways to implement this same activity in a class that might need more structure. I am totally open to the idea.
To switch gears, a lot of the discussion was based around pain which then lead into their writing assignment. You all may have remembered this acitvity before in Carlisle, but it was the "painful memory prompt" with sensory detail. To be clear, this piece could be about a physical or emotional pain; whatever the students felt comfortable sharing. Students were a little grumbly at first, but after I read my own personal memory...well...Dr. Mortimore said I had them hooked! I simply wanted to give them the knowledge that they were safe and perhaps give some of them that little bit of confidence to write more personally if they were "thinking about it".
As I've been readinf their prompts, I get more and MORE amazed by them. I am really going to be sad when I leave. I feel like my haert is breaking already.
For this lesson, I wanted to implement writing, but also give the reigns to my students. I feel that I sometimes struggle greatly with control. In order to test myself, I borrowed a literature circle activity from Courtney and had students take it home to work on for homework. Since we were reading a VERY thought provoking part of the novel, I had students go home the night before and formulate two thought provoking questions and take one interesting/confusing/beautiful quote from the novel. Then, students were expected to come prepared for a class discussion in which THEY directed the discussion; I simply mediated when needed. This was a gamble- I don't say a BIG gamble because my students are so fabulous. However this activity was a gamble in the sense that I had never tried anything like this before and with an acitivity like this, you never really know what will happen.
As if I had any doubts... the discussion went well! Dr. Mortimore and I both realize this is a great class, and we brainstormed ways to implement this same activity in a class that might need more structure. I am totally open to the idea.
To switch gears, a lot of the discussion was based around pain which then lead into their writing assignment. You all may have remembered this acitvity before in Carlisle, but it was the "painful memory prompt" with sensory detail. To be clear, this piece could be about a physical or emotional pain; whatever the students felt comfortable sharing. Students were a little grumbly at first, but after I read my own personal memory...well...Dr. Mortimore said I had them hooked! I simply wanted to give them the knowledge that they were safe and perhaps give some of them that little bit of confidence to write more personally if they were "thinking about it".
As I've been readinf their prompts, I get more and MORE amazed by them. I am really going to be sad when I leave. I feel like my haert is breaking already.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
This made me cry....
I have fabulous students, and a lot of them have emotional baggage. I have students who are recovering drug addicts, products of broken homes, students with anger management issues, and rape victims. I know... what a hat full. I wanted to share a story with you guys that makes me want to be a teacher and provide a safe classroom community for my students.
In my senior class, I have a student named Kaylee. Kaylee has struggled with drugs and alcohol for some time. Despite her issues and reputation, Kaylee is one of my most engaged students and has some of the most insightful things to say during discussion. This week, Kaylee shared an occasional paper about the funeral she went to. Let me preface this by saying a student at Big Spring, Jake, was killed in a car accident. Kaylee went to his service and had this to report to the class.
With me at the front of the room, she said she went to the funeral and admitted that she was surprised what the service was like...people were not crying, but smiling because they wanted to celebrate Jake's life. She said how she was afraid that if she died today, she wouldn't go to heaven. In fact, she stated that she died today, she doesn't think anyone would have anything good to say about her. In front of the class, she said she "made a promise to myself to be better to my body... I want to stop doing drugs and drinking because I realize how fragile life is." This made me tear up, and the class say my vulnerability…and that was okay.
Her classmates were very respectful, and gave a spirited round of applause after she was finished.
Granted, I know this blog has nothing to do with my instruction, but I think it is so important to share this with you all. Sometimes we forget in the midst of all the standards, lesson plans, and administrative bullshit that we are teaching human beings with complex pasts and layers.
I feel so blessed to be getting into this field because I want my students to feel safe enough to bear a shred of their soul and possible mature a little while in my class. I want my classroom to be a safe haven. I want my classroom to feel like a home—and my students feel like a family.
It made me feel good that Kaylee was comfortable enough with me being there to share this personal paper. It is times like these that I love being a teacher.
In my senior class, I have a student named Kaylee. Kaylee has struggled with drugs and alcohol for some time. Despite her issues and reputation, Kaylee is one of my most engaged students and has some of the most insightful things to say during discussion. This week, Kaylee shared an occasional paper about the funeral she went to. Let me preface this by saying a student at Big Spring, Jake, was killed in a car accident. Kaylee went to his service and had this to report to the class.
With me at the front of the room, she said she went to the funeral and admitted that she was surprised what the service was like...people were not crying, but smiling because they wanted to celebrate Jake's life. She said how she was afraid that if she died today, she wouldn't go to heaven. In fact, she stated that she died today, she doesn't think anyone would have anything good to say about her. In front of the class, she said she "made a promise to myself to be better to my body... I want to stop doing drugs and drinking because I realize how fragile life is." This made me tear up, and the class say my vulnerability…and that was okay.
Her classmates were very respectful, and gave a spirited round of applause after she was finished.
Granted, I know this blog has nothing to do with my instruction, but I think it is so important to share this with you all. Sometimes we forget in the midst of all the standards, lesson plans, and administrative bullshit that we are teaching human beings with complex pasts and layers.
I feel so blessed to be getting into this field because I want my students to feel safe enough to bear a shred of their soul and possible mature a little while in my class. I want my classroom to be a safe haven. I want my classroom to feel like a home—and my students feel like a family.
It made me feel good that Kaylee was comfortable enough with me being there to share this personal paper. It is times like these that I love being a teacher.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What I need to work on....
Hey everyone! I know I wrote about my observation, but I also needed to include another blog so here it is! I have had such a fantastic week; I feel as if I can getting closer to my kids more and more. I walk into Big Spring with confidence and I feel so natural in front of my freshman and seniors.
If I had to pick one thing to work on for the rest of this placement, I would have to say my senior class's engagement level. During 5th block, there are times when I am satisfied with my lesson plans. However there are some days when I know my seniors are not nearly as engaged as they could be; during these days we do vocab, S.S.R, senior memory books etc. Granted, my students are older and at times prefer individual work time, but there are times that I think to himself "hm...I feel like I should be doing something more with them..." Have any of you ever felt that way?
We are 3/4 of the way through Animal Farm, and let me tell you, my seniors do not like it very much. I remember reading this book in 9th grade, so I wonder if Animal Farm might be a little too easy for some of my Academic level students. Granted, Animal Farm teaches some amazing and universal lessons, but the text itself is a bit of any easy read and some of my students have voiced their frustration with how "easy" the book seems. Plus, some of my students have already read this novel in history class and know all the allusions and symbolism. At times I find it difficult to address all kinds of students- meaning, the ones who are obviously accelerated and those who are either "right with me" or a little behind. To combat this, I try to get my students to work in partners and pair up with different ability levels.
My freshman have just started The Giver and they love it! The freshman at Big Spring High School are so incredibly different from my students at Carlisle High School. At Carlisle, I could NOT get my students to read The Giver at all. However at Big Spring, my kids are reading ahead and I have to keep up with THEM! It is a totally different situation than what I am used to. Another huge difference between my students at Big Spring and Carlisle is that my students at Big Spring facilitate most of the class discussion. I love it! Granted, I still gauge the discussion and throw statements and questions into the mix, but my freshman students are so incredibly mature and still excited about class.
If I had to pick one thing to work on for the rest of this placement, I would have to say my senior class's engagement level. During 5th block, there are times when I am satisfied with my lesson plans. However there are some days when I know my seniors are not nearly as engaged as they could be; during these days we do vocab, S.S.R, senior memory books etc. Granted, my students are older and at times prefer individual work time, but there are times that I think to himself "hm...I feel like I should be doing something more with them..." Have any of you ever felt that way?
We are 3/4 of the way through Animal Farm, and let me tell you, my seniors do not like it very much. I remember reading this book in 9th grade, so I wonder if Animal Farm might be a little too easy for some of my Academic level students. Granted, Animal Farm teaches some amazing and universal lessons, but the text itself is a bit of any easy read and some of my students have voiced their frustration with how "easy" the book seems. Plus, some of my students have already read this novel in history class and know all the allusions and symbolism. At times I find it difficult to address all kinds of students- meaning, the ones who are obviously accelerated and those who are either "right with me" or a little behind. To combat this, I try to get my students to work in partners and pair up with different ability levels.
My freshman have just started The Giver and they love it! The freshman at Big Spring High School are so incredibly different from my students at Carlisle High School. At Carlisle, I could NOT get my students to read The Giver at all. However at Big Spring, my kids are reading ahead and I have to keep up with THEM! It is a totally different situation than what I am used to. Another huge difference between my students at Big Spring and Carlisle is that my students at Big Spring facilitate most of the class discussion. I love it! Granted, I still gauge the discussion and throw statements and questions into the mix, but my freshman students are so incredibly mature and still excited about class.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Taking Over the Freshman.... with Dr. Mortimore Watching
On Wednesday, Dr. Mortimore came to Big Spring to observe me. What was interesting about this day was that Dr. Mortimore was going to observe the FIRST day I took over my freshman. (up until now, I was only responsible for 5th block seniors). Now, some of you might be thinking "Oh my god, how nerve racking"- being that I never taught these kids by myself before. But lucky for me, I couldn't have asked for a sweeter more polite freshman class. On that note, I have absolutely NO classroom management issues! The freshman at Big Spring and the freshman at Carlisle are two totally different creatures. To be honest, it is really nice having such a pleasant experience to end my college career on. I digress, the lesson Dr. Mortimore observed was my launch lesson to The Giver.
In this lesson, we have our typical bell ringer: journaling, scribe notes, and sharing occasional papers. Afterward, I used the Smart Board to give my students a very brief book chat where I introduced the author as Lois Lowry, and gave a brief explanation of her life and accomplishments. I also told my class the name of the main character and how he lives in what is “supposed” to be a “perfect” society, or UTOPIA.
Next, we got into a kinesthetic activity called “Toe the Line, Take a Stand” (for those of you who saw me at Exhibition Day, this is one of my seasoned activities… it has GREAT results !) As a recap, I set up signs around the room that said “Strongly Disagree”, “Strongly Agree”, “Unsure”, and “Can see Both Sides”. As the instructor, I would read aloud a statement that had to do with the concept of a perfect society (i.e. Life would be better if there was no pain of any kind). Students then had to choose an opinion, and then I called out students to defend their position. There was polite debate and articulate conversation.
Afterwards, I had the class define Utopia, and then finish the sentence in a small writing prompt, “In a perfect world…..”. After sharing, students were given the remaining time in class to create their own Utopia and construct a “Travel Ad Poster”- You guys wouldn’t believe the creativity I received! These ads were fabulous! (And the students really seemed to enjoy this creative outlet.
Usually, I would always say something bad about my lesson or my classroom management, but in all honesty, I am so happy with how everything went. The atmosphere of Ms. Moore’s class (and now mine) is so relaxed, respectful and fun.
After assessing the projects, I feel that my students really “GOT IT!” YAY!
In this lesson, we have our typical bell ringer: journaling, scribe notes, and sharing occasional papers. Afterward, I used the Smart Board to give my students a very brief book chat where I introduced the author as Lois Lowry, and gave a brief explanation of her life and accomplishments. I also told my class the name of the main character and how he lives in what is “supposed” to be a “perfect” society, or UTOPIA.
Next, we got into a kinesthetic activity called “Toe the Line, Take a Stand” (for those of you who saw me at Exhibition Day, this is one of my seasoned activities… it has GREAT results !) As a recap, I set up signs around the room that said “Strongly Disagree”, “Strongly Agree”, “Unsure”, and “Can see Both Sides”. As the instructor, I would read aloud a statement that had to do with the concept of a perfect society (i.e. Life would be better if there was no pain of any kind). Students then had to choose an opinion, and then I called out students to defend their position. There was polite debate and articulate conversation.
Afterwards, I had the class define Utopia, and then finish the sentence in a small writing prompt, “In a perfect world…..”. After sharing, students were given the remaining time in class to create their own Utopia and construct a “Travel Ad Poster”- You guys wouldn’t believe the creativity I received! These ads were fabulous! (And the students really seemed to enjoy this creative outlet.
Usually, I would always say something bad about my lesson or my classroom management, but in all honesty, I am so happy with how everything went. The atmosphere of Ms. Moore’s class (and now mine) is so relaxed, respectful and fun.
After assessing the projects, I feel that my students really “GOT IT!” YAY!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Last Week
Yikes! sorry everyone for the "late" post... I guess this is what I get for not saving my blog! Arg, technology!
This week I've been really getting into Animal Farm with my seniors. It has been a challenge to get them engaged with the novel. My launch lesson was very strong, but I feel as if my following lessons have been only mediocre. I don't know about you guys, but it makes me so nervous when my students look at me with a blank stare; in other words, it really scares me when they "don't get it". Sometimes I feel so stupid, or like I'm failing as a teacher. But then, I simply try to regroup and remember, I'm okay, and let's regroup.
On a more positive note, there are so many things that my co op does in her classroom that I want to include in my own classroom someday. For one, every morning there is a routine (that I've kept up with as well). First, students write about a random journal entry and share as a class, then there are scribe notes, followed by occasion papers.
Scribe notes are when one designated student (they are on a revolving schedule) takes "fun notes" about what happened yesterday during class. Ususally students take notes on what they did in class and what outrageous things were said yesterday (and trust me, they can be pretty crazy!) The cool thing about this is that the students have to showcase the notes they took in a creative way; weather forecast, original poem, diorama, puppet show; the sky is the limit! It amazes me how creative these students can be.
An occasion paper is when a student writes a paper about anything and reads it to the class. Every student is required to write at least 2 per semester and there is no designated length. These papers range from hilarious situations to serious, somber events; I never kno what my students are going to share and I think that's amazing!
Well, I start taking over my freshman this week and we are doing The Giver! (yay!) Wish me luck- Happy 4th Week!!!
This week I've been really getting into Animal Farm with my seniors. It has been a challenge to get them engaged with the novel. My launch lesson was very strong, but I feel as if my following lessons have been only mediocre. I don't know about you guys, but it makes me so nervous when my students look at me with a blank stare; in other words, it really scares me when they "don't get it". Sometimes I feel so stupid, or like I'm failing as a teacher. But then, I simply try to regroup and remember, I'm okay, and let's regroup.
On a more positive note, there are so many things that my co op does in her classroom that I want to include in my own classroom someday. For one, every morning there is a routine (that I've kept up with as well). First, students write about a random journal entry and share as a class, then there are scribe notes, followed by occasion papers.
Scribe notes are when one designated student (they are on a revolving schedule) takes "fun notes" about what happened yesterday during class. Ususally students take notes on what they did in class and what outrageous things were said yesterday (and trust me, they can be pretty crazy!) The cool thing about this is that the students have to showcase the notes they took in a creative way; weather forecast, original poem, diorama, puppet show; the sky is the limit! It amazes me how creative these students can be.
An occasion paper is when a student writes a paper about anything and reads it to the class. Every student is required to write at least 2 per semester and there is no designated length. These papers range from hilarious situations to serious, somber events; I never kno what my students are going to share and I think that's amazing!
Well, I start taking over my freshman this week and we are doing The Giver! (yay!) Wish me luck- Happy 4th Week!!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Totally Different Placement
Let me preface this blog by saying in my last placement, I had to have cohesive lesson plans scheduled at least 3 days in advance (if not a week). This was more so an extension of my anal retentiveness, but a requirement by my first co op nonetheless.
What I like about this placement is that I am given free reign of what I want to do and how I want to do it in my lessons. Unlike my first placement, Courtney and I don't sit down together and plan out the week. Instead, it's my job to figure out what I'm doing and where I'm going independently. Thankfully, she gives me plenty of feedback, but she expects me not to run to her over every little thing; I appreciate this because I need to find myself as a teacher and not only take responsibility, but ownership of all my lessons.
This week I've been team teaching with Courtney with my 5th block seniors. This week, Courtney took the first 20-30 minutes of class to go over occasional papers, journals and scribe notes. Afterward, I took the remaining time (anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes) to introduce new material surrounding Animal Farm (I'm so happy to teach this book!)
The first 3 days of this week were dedicated to introducing fables and having my students write their own fable with a moral at the end. In the beginning of the week, I wasn't very confident with my seniors. Knowing that we are so close in age, I was fearful that they would try to call me out, or worse, not listen to a word I had to say. Also, they all love Courtney, so I was afraid I’d hear “We want Ms. Moore back, she’s so much better!”
However as it turns out, my seniors are great and very respectful. There are definitely some senior students who are ready to get out of high school, but they remain respectful nonetheless.
Since I’m teaching Animal Farm, I’ve dedicated this week to introductory “hook lessons”. In the beginning of the week, my class read traditional fables and identified the elements of a fable: main characters as animals, character has downfall, some commentary on human nature (usually negative or unflattering) and a moral/lesson. Afterwards, I had my students write their own original fables. Some of them were griping, but once they got going I had some really original pieces of writing. One thing that surprised me was that my students did not know how to write dialogue. I ended up having to do a mini lesson on dialogue and the use of quotation marks and proper indentation. I realized later that a lot of students still struggled with dialogue in their papers and that was my fault. Making sure that all of my students are on the same page continues to be a struggle for me.
On Thursday we were talking about effective leaders and what makes leaders effective. Afterward, I narrowed the scope of discussion and asked my students if communication is needed in order to be a good leader. All of my students agreed, and then we wrote another list of qualities in an effective communicator. In order to tie it all in, I pulled up pictures of 4 different leaders: Gandhi, MLK, Hitler, and Charles Manson. After giving them each a little description, I had my students watch clips of each leader speaking. Using the list we compiled earlier, I wanted my students to watch for certain things and decipher what EXACTLY these leaders do when they speak: how do they project their voice, what is their body language like, how are their facial expressions, what is the style in which they articulate? The students LOVED this! Plus, I made it a point to find clips of speeches that weren’t as well known…. THANK YOU, YOUTUBE!
Since we do ALL of the reading in class, we should move through the novel fast. I intend to get in the meat of Animal Farm by Monday. Wish me luck!
What I like about this placement is that I am given free reign of what I want to do and how I want to do it in my lessons. Unlike my first placement, Courtney and I don't sit down together and plan out the week. Instead, it's my job to figure out what I'm doing and where I'm going independently. Thankfully, she gives me plenty of feedback, but she expects me not to run to her over every little thing; I appreciate this because I need to find myself as a teacher and not only take responsibility, but ownership of all my lessons.
This week I've been team teaching with Courtney with my 5th block seniors. This week, Courtney took the first 20-30 minutes of class to go over occasional papers, journals and scribe notes. Afterward, I took the remaining time (anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes) to introduce new material surrounding Animal Farm (I'm so happy to teach this book!)
The first 3 days of this week were dedicated to introducing fables and having my students write their own fable with a moral at the end. In the beginning of the week, I wasn't very confident with my seniors. Knowing that we are so close in age, I was fearful that they would try to call me out, or worse, not listen to a word I had to say. Also, they all love Courtney, so I was afraid I’d hear “We want Ms. Moore back, she’s so much better!”
However as it turns out, my seniors are great and very respectful. There are definitely some senior students who are ready to get out of high school, but they remain respectful nonetheless.
Since I’m teaching Animal Farm, I’ve dedicated this week to introductory “hook lessons”. In the beginning of the week, my class read traditional fables and identified the elements of a fable: main characters as animals, character has downfall, some commentary on human nature (usually negative or unflattering) and a moral/lesson. Afterwards, I had my students write their own original fables. Some of them were griping, but once they got going I had some really original pieces of writing. One thing that surprised me was that my students did not know how to write dialogue. I ended up having to do a mini lesson on dialogue and the use of quotation marks and proper indentation. I realized later that a lot of students still struggled with dialogue in their papers and that was my fault. Making sure that all of my students are on the same page continues to be a struggle for me.
On Thursday we were talking about effective leaders and what makes leaders effective. Afterward, I narrowed the scope of discussion and asked my students if communication is needed in order to be a good leader. All of my students agreed, and then we wrote another list of qualities in an effective communicator. In order to tie it all in, I pulled up pictures of 4 different leaders: Gandhi, MLK, Hitler, and Charles Manson. After giving them each a little description, I had my students watch clips of each leader speaking. Using the list we compiled earlier, I wanted my students to watch for certain things and decipher what EXACTLY these leaders do when they speak: how do they project their voice, what is their body language like, how are their facial expressions, what is the style in which they articulate? The students LOVED this! Plus, I made it a point to find clips of speeches that weren’t as well known…. THANK YOU, YOUTUBE!
Since we do ALL of the reading in class, we should move through the novel fast. I intend to get in the meat of Animal Farm by Monday. Wish me luck!
Friday, March 19, 2010
First Week -- Round 2
I am in love love LOVE with my second placement. I am teaching two freshman classes and two senior classes. My co op, Courtney Moore, is exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. She is firm, fun and legitimately loves every single student she has. Walking into her room, 351, the walls are a crazy splash of color and creativity. Pictures of former students, posters, projects, and dioramas hang and set everywhere. I would say her personality and mine are very similar, which is perhaps one of the reasons we get along so well. I've only known this woman three days, and I truly believe she is one of the most sincere and passionate teachers I've ever met. She reminds me a lot of the teachers I had in high school who inspired me to teach in the first place.
Now, just because my co op and I get along great, doesn't mean she won't give me feedback. She has absolutely no qualms about telling me what she thinks and I love that. In fact, on Wednesday she was going to be for a SAP training session, and she told me that I would take over all four block periods! (WOAH!- talk about a baptism by fire!) Luckily, the students were working pretty independently so it was on me to keep order and manage appropriately. She told me to make sure I should "work smarter, not harder" -- this gem of advice really stuck with me because I know that sometimes I make things harder for myself.
Like I said before, on Wednesday I took over all classes while Miss. Moore was out. The sub was there, but she was pretty useless and I explained to her that I would be doing most if not all of the instruction. My two freshman classes went awesome! The freshman here, at Big Spring and the freshman at Carlisle are two totally different creatures! My freshman here are overly energetic, blunt, happy and RESPECTFUL! I feel as if they have already taken to me and I am so excited to get to know them better.
My seniors are going to be a little harder to crack than my freshman, but I am incredibly hopeful. I have what some might consider an “alternative English class”. It is a class of 7 seniors and all these kids need a lot of love! Some come from really terrible situations and they are all just trying to graduate and get out of school…hm?? Sounds strangely familiar…..huh guys?
Anyway, this class of 7 seniors is very blunt and they have no problem telling me exactly what they think. However, they aren’t rude to me (yet at least) because I have been making a cognoscente effort to both respect and learn about them; it is amazing how well they respond when I strike up a conversation centered around them…. And in return they ask me about my life. The introductory period with my students is so exciting and I know we are making ground and building a foundation.
My last block is of all seniors and there are 23 of them… a big class compared to my class of 7. I think this class will be the most difficult out of all of them (what is it about last period classes?) , but at least I will be taking over this class first. Thus, I will get a lot of practice.
I am just overly excited for this placement and I think that the next 7 weeks are going to swoop by! I can honestly say I already adore my students and I can’t wait to take over.
Now, just because my co op and I get along great, doesn't mean she won't give me feedback. She has absolutely no qualms about telling me what she thinks and I love that. In fact, on Wednesday she was going to be for a SAP training session, and she told me that I would take over all four block periods! (WOAH!- talk about a baptism by fire!) Luckily, the students were working pretty independently so it was on me to keep order and manage appropriately. She told me to make sure I should "work smarter, not harder" -- this gem of advice really stuck with me because I know that sometimes I make things harder for myself.
Like I said before, on Wednesday I took over all classes while Miss. Moore was out. The sub was there, but she was pretty useless and I explained to her that I would be doing most if not all of the instruction. My two freshman classes went awesome! The freshman here, at Big Spring and the freshman at Carlisle are two totally different creatures! My freshman here are overly energetic, blunt, happy and RESPECTFUL! I feel as if they have already taken to me and I am so excited to get to know them better.
My seniors are going to be a little harder to crack than my freshman, but I am incredibly hopeful. I have what some might consider an “alternative English class”. It is a class of 7 seniors and all these kids need a lot of love! Some come from really terrible situations and they are all just trying to graduate and get out of school…hm?? Sounds strangely familiar…..huh guys?
Anyway, this class of 7 seniors is very blunt and they have no problem telling me exactly what they think. However, they aren’t rude to me (yet at least) because I have been making a cognoscente effort to both respect and learn about them; it is amazing how well they respond when I strike up a conversation centered around them…. And in return they ask me about my life. The introductory period with my students is so exciting and I know we are making ground and building a foundation.
My last block is of all seniors and there are 23 of them… a big class compared to my class of 7. I think this class will be the most difficult out of all of them (what is it about last period classes?) , but at least I will be taking over this class first. Thus, I will get a lot of practice.
I am just overly excited for this placement and I think that the next 7 weeks are going to swoop by! I can honestly say I already adore my students and I can’t wait to take over.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Taking a Look Back....
I'm sure everyone will say something along the lines of this, but, really, -- Where did the last eight weeks go? My first placement has been such a journey with amazing highs and depressing lows. There have been days when I strutted out of school thinking to myself "Oh yeah, this is what I was born to do!" And of course, there have been other days when I have balled my eyes out during the drive home and said "There is no way I can do this for the next 40 years!" (Am I right when I assume we've all been at those two extremes?)
In past posts, you read vents about my co op. As I looked through my past posts for inspiration, I re-read about a time when I was frustrated with my co op and how different she and I are. While I don't want to amend what I said before about her, I do want to clarify some things that I recently discovered.
Even though my co op and I are very different, she has helped me become a more confident and laid-back teacher. Coming into CAHS, I would describe myself as a bit anal-retentive with my planning. For the first three weeks of teaching, I had to have every minute of every day planned out a week in advance. Ambitious, I know, but after a while it began to stress me out if I didn’t know exactly what I was doing a week in advance. For a while, I was too concerned with seeing what was ahead instead of enjoying the lessons in the moment. I feel as if my co op helped me "lighten up" and relax a little more as I taught. Because of this, I feel as if I connected better with my students once they sensed I wasn't as uptight.
In addition, I feel as if my co op and I have become good friends and I hope she and I will remain in contact. Yes, she cared a lot about the logistics of teaching and what she had to grade me on, but she truly cared about my well being as a person. By the end of my placement, I feel that any hiccups we went through together were simply little growing pains. I am so very grateful for the effort and concern she put into her time as a cooperating teacher.
Now this reflection brings me to my students...
It wasn’t until now (as I write this blog) that I realize how much I am going to miss my kids. (Yes, I refer to them as MY kids) In such a short time, I feel as if I have gotten to know them so well. Through discipline, funny conversations and in depth discussions, I feel as if they have molded me into the kind of teacher I always hoped I would be—a teacher who is tough and firm, but approachable and trustworthy. In the eight week window that I’ve peered into their lives, I feel as if I am closing a book that I wish I could finish. This journey has simply been too short and, if anything, I wish I had more time with my students.
Next week, I am headed for Big Spring High School to teach 10th grade and 12th grade (YIKES!) I am excited but sad at the same time because I will not be returning to CAHS. Coming into Big Spring, I can take all the frustration and jubilation I received from CAHS with me and hopefully make these last 8 weeks of my undergraduate career wonderful and memorable!
In past posts, you read vents about my co op. As I looked through my past posts for inspiration, I re-read about a time when I was frustrated with my co op and how different she and I are. While I don't want to amend what I said before about her, I do want to clarify some things that I recently discovered.
Even though my co op and I are very different, she has helped me become a more confident and laid-back teacher. Coming into CAHS, I would describe myself as a bit anal-retentive with my planning. For the first three weeks of teaching, I had to have every minute of every day planned out a week in advance. Ambitious, I know, but after a while it began to stress me out if I didn’t know exactly what I was doing a week in advance. For a while, I was too concerned with seeing what was ahead instead of enjoying the lessons in the moment. I feel as if my co op helped me "lighten up" and relax a little more as I taught. Because of this, I feel as if I connected better with my students once they sensed I wasn't as uptight.
In addition, I feel as if my co op and I have become good friends and I hope she and I will remain in contact. Yes, she cared a lot about the logistics of teaching and what she had to grade me on, but she truly cared about my well being as a person. By the end of my placement, I feel that any hiccups we went through together were simply little growing pains. I am so very grateful for the effort and concern she put into her time as a cooperating teacher.
Now this reflection brings me to my students...
It wasn’t until now (as I write this blog) that I realize how much I am going to miss my kids. (Yes, I refer to them as MY kids) In such a short time, I feel as if I have gotten to know them so well. Through discipline, funny conversations and in depth discussions, I feel as if they have molded me into the kind of teacher I always hoped I would be—a teacher who is tough and firm, but approachable and trustworthy. In the eight week window that I’ve peered into their lives, I feel as if I am closing a book that I wish I could finish. This journey has simply been too short and, if anything, I wish I had more time with my students.
Next week, I am headed for Big Spring High School to teach 10th grade and 12th grade (YIKES!) I am excited but sad at the same time because I will not be returning to CAHS. Coming into Big Spring, I can take all the frustration and jubilation I received from CAHS with me and hopefully make these last 8 weeks of my undergraduate career wonderful and memorable!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Week 6- An Emotional Rollercoaster
Hello Again!
Week 6....can you all believe it? I sure can't. I feel like I've only been at my placement a week and yet some days I feel like I've been there for years. It's so funny how teaching is an emotional roller coaster.
Speaking of emotional roller coaster I wanted to bring up something that happened this week that I pray none of you will experience (at least any time soon). On Monday morning, I had to tell every single class about a student named Kevin Hutchinson. Over the weekend, Kevin Hutchinson (a 9th grader) was struck by a truck and rushed to Hershey Hospital.
What makes things even worse is that Kevin is in my 3rd period class.
I can't even tell you all how hard it was to press on and teach after such an emotional blow. I knew the kid for only 5 weeks and I was balling my eyes out. I was truly an emotional wreck and I just couldn’t seem to fake a smile.
A time like this reminded me of when I was dealing with a loss during high school and how hard it would be for me to concentrate...all of my teachers would give me slack and let me know that they were there if I needed anything.
Yet, as a teacher I don't have that luxury to be overly emotional and upset. In essence, I still had a job to do-- and let me tell you, it was honestly, the worst day of instruction I've ever had. I simply wasn't on my A game, and I can admit that.
On a side note, I just wanted you all to keep this boy, one of my students, in your prayers. On the positive side, he was moved out of critical condition and is now stable.
Going in a different direction, I wanted to talk about the relationship I'm building with one students. Lately my blogs have been about my instruction or certain activities and their level of success. However for this week I want to talk about a student who really makes me want to work with her.
The student's name is Shania and she is in my 6th period Option II (college bound) class. Yes, she is from the infamous 6th period, but let me assure you that she is always a pleasure to have in class. She is always the one "sssshhhinnngg" her classmates and saying "I want to hear what Ms. Goetter has to say,"-- and yes, for those skeptics I know she's not just being a brown-noser.
Anyway, Shania struggles with Huck Finn because she is not used to the language or dialect. She has come in for help multiple times and is always reading to take advice. She also struggles with the idea of satire. To help, I do a lot of one on one with her and it makes my day when the light bulb in her head starts to flicker.
Not only is she a hardworking student, but she is also a caring kid. On the day everyone got the news about Kevin, she stayed after class and confided in me. All I could do is give her a big hug and let her vent about her friend. I think it was something we both needed.
Now, Shania is always coming into my class to say hi or ask a question. I am really going to miss her when I go to my second placement-- she is the kind of student I would work all day for!
Week 6....can you all believe it? I sure can't. I feel like I've only been at my placement a week and yet some days I feel like I've been there for years. It's so funny how teaching is an emotional roller coaster.
Speaking of emotional roller coaster I wanted to bring up something that happened this week that I pray none of you will experience (at least any time soon). On Monday morning, I had to tell every single class about a student named Kevin Hutchinson. Over the weekend, Kevin Hutchinson (a 9th grader) was struck by a truck and rushed to Hershey Hospital.
What makes things even worse is that Kevin is in my 3rd period class.
I can't even tell you all how hard it was to press on and teach after such an emotional blow. I knew the kid for only 5 weeks and I was balling my eyes out. I was truly an emotional wreck and I just couldn’t seem to fake a smile.
A time like this reminded me of when I was dealing with a loss during high school and how hard it would be for me to concentrate...all of my teachers would give me slack and let me know that they were there if I needed anything.
Yet, as a teacher I don't have that luxury to be overly emotional and upset. In essence, I still had a job to do-- and let me tell you, it was honestly, the worst day of instruction I've ever had. I simply wasn't on my A game, and I can admit that.
On a side note, I just wanted you all to keep this boy, one of my students, in your prayers. On the positive side, he was moved out of critical condition and is now stable.
Going in a different direction, I wanted to talk about the relationship I'm building with one students. Lately my blogs have been about my instruction or certain activities and their level of success. However for this week I want to talk about a student who really makes me want to work with her.
The student's name is Shania and she is in my 6th period Option II (college bound) class. Yes, she is from the infamous 6th period, but let me assure you that she is always a pleasure to have in class. She is always the one "sssshhhinnngg" her classmates and saying "I want to hear what Ms. Goetter has to say,"-- and yes, for those skeptics I know she's not just being a brown-noser.
Anyway, Shania struggles with Huck Finn because she is not used to the language or dialect. She has come in for help multiple times and is always reading to take advice. She also struggles with the idea of satire. To help, I do a lot of one on one with her and it makes my day when the light bulb in her head starts to flicker.
Not only is she a hardworking student, but she is also a caring kid. On the day everyone got the news about Kevin, she stayed after class and confided in me. All I could do is give her a big hug and let her vent about her friend. I think it was something we both needed.
Now, Shania is always coming into my class to say hi or ask a question. I am really going to miss her when I go to my second placement-- she is the kind of student I would work all day for!
Observation with Dr. Mortimore
Hey Guys, I realize this was supposed to be last week... for some reason it just wasn't sinking in. I apologize. Well, let me just say I was really nervous to have Dr. Mortimore observe my 6th period class because that have been my most challenging class (As you may know from previous blogs ;-). Lately I've been focusing on all the great things that have been going on that I thought I would touch upon the things I need to work on and improve.
In this particular class period, we were continuing to explore satire and how Twain uses it to make social commentary on Southern society. As it turns out, I had planned this lesson a week in advance and the EQ was "How does Twain satire his male characters?" While I thought this was a strong EQ in and of itself, I realized later it didn’t fit the lesson as it was originally intended. When I finally got to the lesson on Wednesday, we didn't only focus on Twain's use of satire for characters. Instead, our class discussion focused on satirizing Southern society, African-American stereotypes, (for example, how black slaves are portrayed as helpless, guilible, and child-like) and the lack of education and drunkenness in certain characters. In essence, the discussion was great, but I really need to be careful that my EQ (If I'm teaching in a 'gun-hoe' LFS district) matches what I'm trying to cover in my lesson.
Another thing that I should have done different is my opening activity. To warm my students up to satire, I had them bring in political cartoons from either the newspaper or the internet for homework. I had them all share these cartoons to the entire group and pass them around. So there we were in a big discussion seating set up, talking about what the cartoons were while most students couldn’t possibly see them until a minute or two later. Needless to say it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. With such a large class I think it would have been beneficial to have students share their cartoons in small groups...that way, all students could look at the appropriate cartoon as they were discussing it.
To be perfectly honest (and I know I’ve said this before) I truly thought I was on the verge of failing student teaching because I wasn’t perfect. Before my observation with Dr. Mortimore, I looked at every lesson like a big performance or presentation that had to be stellar in order for me to earn a decent grade. But luckily Dr. Mortimore and Mrs. Muir assured me that they don’t expect perfection, and basically… that I should strive for it, but not expect it since I’m just learning. They are both totally right; taking that knowledge actually has helped me relax and not worry about being perfect.
In this particular class period, we were continuing to explore satire and how Twain uses it to make social commentary on Southern society. As it turns out, I had planned this lesson a week in advance and the EQ was "How does Twain satire his male characters?" While I thought this was a strong EQ in and of itself, I realized later it didn’t fit the lesson as it was originally intended. When I finally got to the lesson on Wednesday, we didn't only focus on Twain's use of satire for characters. Instead, our class discussion focused on satirizing Southern society, African-American stereotypes, (for example, how black slaves are portrayed as helpless, guilible, and child-like) and the lack of education and drunkenness in certain characters. In essence, the discussion was great, but I really need to be careful that my EQ (If I'm teaching in a 'gun-hoe' LFS district) matches what I'm trying to cover in my lesson.
Another thing that I should have done different is my opening activity. To warm my students up to satire, I had them bring in political cartoons from either the newspaper or the internet for homework. I had them all share these cartoons to the entire group and pass them around. So there we were in a big discussion seating set up, talking about what the cartoons were while most students couldn’t possibly see them until a minute or two later. Needless to say it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. With such a large class I think it would have been beneficial to have students share their cartoons in small groups...that way, all students could look at the appropriate cartoon as they were discussing it.
To be perfectly honest (and I know I’ve said this before) I truly thought I was on the verge of failing student teaching because I wasn’t perfect. Before my observation with Dr. Mortimore, I looked at every lesson like a big performance or presentation that had to be stellar in order for me to earn a decent grade. But luckily Dr. Mortimore and Mrs. Muir assured me that they don’t expect perfection, and basically… that I should strive for it, but not expect it since I’m just learning. They are both totally right; taking that knowledge actually has helped me relax and not worry about being perfect.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Week 5
This week was all in all a good week. I felt like I had some solid engaging lessons in both Huck Finn & The Giver. Various times I was able to get my students up and working in small/large groups which will help me for my Student Impact Learning Project (How is that going for everyone by the way?)
I never thought I'd say this, but 6th period is finally coming around. It seems as if they are finally used to me and my routine. The outbursts and "off-taskness" (poetic license, sorry!) are becoming less and less frequent and I couldn't be happier. The students that usually gave me a hard time and either relating to me better or just mellowing out.
On the flip side, I've had Option II for the longest amount of time and have only been in charge of Option I for 2 1/2 weeks now. I find now that Period 3 is trying to test me in little ways. I have some students who are very smart but they refuse to do anything but the bare minimum of work. (I’m sure Ellen can commiserate with me in that respect Really, these students could definitely be in Option II, but they refuse to put the work in. There have been times when I ask them a simple question that I KNOW they know the answer to, but they just sit there with a bored look on their face and say “I don’t know…”. Sometimes it makes me want to say “You know, English might not seem so boring to you if you would put in a pinch of effort!” It's hard when you see glimmers of excellence from these students only to be let down a little when they refuse to keep it going.
One thing I have realized this past week is that I like grading, but I don't like grading when I have to keep track of half credit, 1/4 credit, or even extra credit! It's too much to keep track of and I get such a headache. I find that the students who DON”T need the extra credit are the ones who go overboard with it, and the students who really need it pay it no bother. In addition, I've found that my students are so used to handing assignments in 3,4,5 days late and knowing that they will receive at least half credit. To me, it's a bit of a joke.
Thinking of my favorite/mentor English teacher back in High School, you either had your work, or you didn't. There was no half credit or anything like that because she had such high expectations. In essence, as a student, you would either sink or swim.
Knowing that this is the kind of routine my co op has adopted, it would be unfair to undo what she’s done for over half a year. However this makes me realize that when I have my own classroom, I will make certain my students know my expectations about deadlines because I want to prepare them for the realities of the “real world”… regardless of whether my students go into the armed forces, college, or the work force, one cannot perpetually turn their work in late and expect to be successful. The world doesn’t work that way!
I never thought I'd say this, but 6th period is finally coming around. It seems as if they are finally used to me and my routine. The outbursts and "off-taskness" (poetic license, sorry!) are becoming less and less frequent and I couldn't be happier. The students that usually gave me a hard time and either relating to me better or just mellowing out.
On the flip side, I've had Option II for the longest amount of time and have only been in charge of Option I for 2 1/2 weeks now. I find now that Period 3 is trying to test me in little ways. I have some students who are very smart but they refuse to do anything but the bare minimum of work. (I’m sure Ellen can commiserate with me in that respect Really, these students could definitely be in Option II, but they refuse to put the work in. There have been times when I ask them a simple question that I KNOW they know the answer to, but they just sit there with a bored look on their face and say “I don’t know…”. Sometimes it makes me want to say “You know, English might not seem so boring to you if you would put in a pinch of effort!” It's hard when you see glimmers of excellence from these students only to be let down a little when they refuse to keep it going.
One thing I have realized this past week is that I like grading, but I don't like grading when I have to keep track of half credit, 1/4 credit, or even extra credit! It's too much to keep track of and I get such a headache. I find that the students who DON”T need the extra credit are the ones who go overboard with it, and the students who really need it pay it no bother. In addition, I've found that my students are so used to handing assignments in 3,4,5 days late and knowing that they will receive at least half credit. To me, it's a bit of a joke.
Thinking of my favorite/mentor English teacher back in High School, you either had your work, or you didn't. There was no half credit or anything like that because she had such high expectations. In essence, as a student, you would either sink or swim.
Knowing that this is the kind of routine my co op has adopted, it would be unfair to undo what she’s done for over half a year. However this makes me realize that when I have my own classroom, I will make certain my students know my expectations about deadlines because I want to prepare them for the realities of the “real world”… regardless of whether my students go into the armed forces, college, or the work force, one cannot perpetually turn their work in late and expect to be successful. The world doesn’t work that way!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Week 4...if by a week you mean 2 days of teaching
Greetings from under the snow! This week I taught Monday (after a two hour delay) and on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday school was closed and on Friday we had an In-Service day (which I attended). I feel like I haven't seen my students in ages. You might think I wouldn't have very much to blog about, but on the contrary, I DO!
First I want to start off with something positive. For my "Impact on student learning project" I decided to see how kinesthetic/group work affects student engagement and participation. On Tuesday I initiated an active game to see “who was the best liar in the class”. I had students do the typical "2 truths & 1 lie" on an index card and circle around trying to fake each other out. (This activity ties into Huck Finn's characterization as he always seems to be boggled in some sort of lie in the novel). Students were laughing, buzzing around and even asking me "Does this have anything to do with the book? I want to know why we are doing this!" When I heard that I was so happy for the simple reason I want my students to come in my classroom never knowing what we're doing at first, but then make the connection and say "OOOOHHH, so THAT'S why she did that in the beginning!" (Similarly to what Dr. Galioto did in her class...we never knew where she was going at first, but then it all made sense in the end.) Since my students are so used to staying in their seats all period, I feel that this was a needed release of energy before we got down to business.
Also, this week I finally took over all of my classes. My periods 2 & 3 are considered lower level (though I think many of them could accomplish upper level courses)and they are reading (or not reading) The Giver. Having the students not read what they were supposed to kind of sucked, but luckily I had planned a writing lesson that tied into parts of The Giver that they were already aware of. In the novel where we are at, Jonas is beginning to feel pain and painful memories. I asked my students to take the last 15-20 minutes of class to write about their own painful memory (physical pain or emotional pain) in sensory detail. As I was explaining the assignment, one student who is usually an "issue" called out "No offense, but why do YOU want to know about our pain?" Without skipping a beat I just said “Well, it's easy to write about happy memories. And I figured since not many of you read the book you could write about something you really know about and can connect to." As it turns out, that student wrote the most heartfelt memory about a friend who overdosed on drugs. Another student wrote about how she watched her cousin be murdered in front of her, and another student wrote about how he'd been in the house while his older sister was being raped -- and how he blamed himself for not knowing or trying to stop it.
You can imagine how shocked I was at these responses. As I was reading them, I just wanted to cry or hug them. Sure, some students wrote a painful but funny stories about some freak accident or injury, but some of them were just so tragic…things that no one- let alone a fourteen year old KID should experience. But there they were...on my desk...all these painful memories that my students knew I was going to read. It made me feel closer to them. But at the same time I realized that I have barely scratched the surface with them... you really can't know a person in four weeks; it's impossible.
I know this is getting lengthy but I also want to take this opportunity to vent. No, vent isn’t the right word. Instead I’ll say, “voice my concerns”.
Now, I do like my co op as a person. She is a very nice woman. However she and I are very different in terms of personality and teaching style. Mind you, different is not bad; it's just different. Now for those who know me, you know that I am not the kind of person who needs instant positive feedback. In essence, I am not the kind of woman OR teacher that needs to be coddled. I enjoy constructive criticism because I wish to be a very reflective teacher. But these last few weeks have been tough.
I've been taking her advice and making a cognoscente effort to improve my instruction every day. But I feel like I just can't seem to do anything exceptional in her eyes. For example, when I was trying to be "tough" with my 6th period she said I "came off as overly frustrated and exasperated which made the kids want to push me more." She suggested I let some of the side conversations "go" or else I won't get anywhere. Then, when I tried to use this advice, the class was even more unruly and she said "you have to set rules and boundaries so they know whose boss." I realize that I need to find the balance, but she tells me one thing and then when I do it she tells me another.
I'm not delusional (I hope) and I can honestly say that I thought some of my lessons were pretty decent if not good. I’ve gotten students who never talk to join class conversation and I’ve given opportunities for cooperating work. Yet, all my confidence is lost between periods when my co op tells me only the negatives or "things I need to work on". YES, I realize this is a learning experience...Hell, I'm a STUDENT-teacher...but I feel like I'm starting to lose confidence in myself as a teacher because I find myself worried about her criticism and essentially, my final grade. And trust me, I KNOW that is backwards because the most important aspect of this process is the students and how they are learning from me.
First I want to start off with something positive. For my "Impact on student learning project" I decided to see how kinesthetic/group work affects student engagement and participation. On Tuesday I initiated an active game to see “who was the best liar in the class”. I had students do the typical "2 truths & 1 lie" on an index card and circle around trying to fake each other out. (This activity ties into Huck Finn's characterization as he always seems to be boggled in some sort of lie in the novel). Students were laughing, buzzing around and even asking me "Does this have anything to do with the book? I want to know why we are doing this!" When I heard that I was so happy for the simple reason I want my students to come in my classroom never knowing what we're doing at first, but then make the connection and say "OOOOHHH, so THAT'S why she did that in the beginning!" (Similarly to what Dr. Galioto did in her class...we never knew where she was going at first, but then it all made sense in the end.) Since my students are so used to staying in their seats all period, I feel that this was a needed release of energy before we got down to business.
Also, this week I finally took over all of my classes. My periods 2 & 3 are considered lower level (though I think many of them could accomplish upper level courses)and they are reading (or not reading) The Giver. Having the students not read what they were supposed to kind of sucked, but luckily I had planned a writing lesson that tied into parts of The Giver that they were already aware of. In the novel where we are at, Jonas is beginning to feel pain and painful memories. I asked my students to take the last 15-20 minutes of class to write about their own painful memory (physical pain or emotional pain) in sensory detail. As I was explaining the assignment, one student who is usually an "issue" called out "No offense, but why do YOU want to know about our pain?" Without skipping a beat I just said “Well, it's easy to write about happy memories. And I figured since not many of you read the book you could write about something you really know about and can connect to." As it turns out, that student wrote the most heartfelt memory about a friend who overdosed on drugs. Another student wrote about how she watched her cousin be murdered in front of her, and another student wrote about how he'd been in the house while his older sister was being raped -- and how he blamed himself for not knowing or trying to stop it.
You can imagine how shocked I was at these responses. As I was reading them, I just wanted to cry or hug them. Sure, some students wrote a painful but funny stories about some freak accident or injury, but some of them were just so tragic…things that no one- let alone a fourteen year old KID should experience. But there they were...on my desk...all these painful memories that my students knew I was going to read. It made me feel closer to them. But at the same time I realized that I have barely scratched the surface with them... you really can't know a person in four weeks; it's impossible.
I know this is getting lengthy but I also want to take this opportunity to vent. No, vent isn’t the right word. Instead I’ll say, “voice my concerns”.
Now, I do like my co op as a person. She is a very nice woman. However she and I are very different in terms of personality and teaching style. Mind you, different is not bad; it's just different. Now for those who know me, you know that I am not the kind of person who needs instant positive feedback. In essence, I am not the kind of woman OR teacher that needs to be coddled. I enjoy constructive criticism because I wish to be a very reflective teacher. But these last few weeks have been tough.
I've been taking her advice and making a cognoscente effort to improve my instruction every day. But I feel like I just can't seem to do anything exceptional in her eyes. For example, when I was trying to be "tough" with my 6th period she said I "came off as overly frustrated and exasperated which made the kids want to push me more." She suggested I let some of the side conversations "go" or else I won't get anywhere. Then, when I tried to use this advice, the class was even more unruly and she said "you have to set rules and boundaries so they know whose boss." I realize that I need to find the balance, but she tells me one thing and then when I do it she tells me another.
I'm not delusional (I hope) and I can honestly say that I thought some of my lessons were pretty decent if not good. I’ve gotten students who never talk to join class conversation and I’ve given opportunities for cooperating work. Yet, all my confidence is lost between periods when my co op tells me only the negatives or "things I need to work on". YES, I realize this is a learning experience...Hell, I'm a STUDENT-teacher...but I feel like I'm starting to lose confidence in myself as a teacher because I find myself worried about her criticism and essentially, my final grade. And trust me, I KNOW that is backwards because the most important aspect of this process is the students and how they are learning from me.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
FLOW
Now for those who read my last Blog (in other words, all of you :) you'll remember that last week was pretty hard...okay it was hell. 6th period was so chatty and inadvertently disrespectful that I was really frustrated. Well, for as hard (and educational) as last week was, this week with 6th period was the most rewarding.
This week we finally got into the "meat" of Huck Finn. On Tuesday, I decided we were going to have a discussion on Twain's use of the N-word, dialect, censorship and whether or not the book should be taught in public school. (I know, a hefty agenda for 50 minutes!)
1st period was typical, I suppose. They said some insightful things about racism, historical texts, and the N-word, but nothing could prepare me for what happened 6th period.
After reading a primary source from 1885 which banned Twain's book, I had the students break up and debate either side. At first the debate was going pretty standard...students were using their own opinions and evidence from the articles I had them read as groups. But then something happened...instead of going back and forth (point -- rebuttal -- counterpoint etc) the students started to abandon the debate in and of itself and talk about their emotional connections to the N-word and other racial slurs.
As new teachers, we are always told to be flexible and this was a test that I really think I passed. When this started happening, I almost said to the students "Okay guys, let's get back to the articles and the debate," but I didn't. In reality, the articles didn't mean anything in comparison to the "realness" my students were giving me.
Instead I simply said "Okay we've kind of gotten away from the debate but that's fine, I want to keep going with this." That way, the students knew we could talk about this and not feel like I was itching to accomplish my original objective for them.
Anyway, students were so respectful and though they disagreed at some points, almost every student talked about their own experiences with derogatory language. The stories these kids openly shared made me want to cry or just hug them. It was truly amazing...this is why I want to be an English teacher!
At points it got heated, but it was always controlled. They showed so much emotion and for the first time I think they all felt safe in the class.
I will not take full or even any credit really because this discussion was perpetuated by my students. But I will say that I guided their discussion and for the first time experienced real FLOW. It reassured me that this is what I want to do, and these are the kind of conversations I should always push my students to have.
This week we finally got into the "meat" of Huck Finn. On Tuesday, I decided we were going to have a discussion on Twain's use of the N-word, dialect, censorship and whether or not the book should be taught in public school. (I know, a hefty agenda for 50 minutes!)
1st period was typical, I suppose. They said some insightful things about racism, historical texts, and the N-word, but nothing could prepare me for what happened 6th period.
After reading a primary source from 1885 which banned Twain's book, I had the students break up and debate either side. At first the debate was going pretty standard...students were using their own opinions and evidence from the articles I had them read as groups. But then something happened...instead of going back and forth (point -- rebuttal -- counterpoint etc) the students started to abandon the debate in and of itself and talk about their emotional connections to the N-word and other racial slurs.
As new teachers, we are always told to be flexible and this was a test that I really think I passed. When this started happening, I almost said to the students "Okay guys, let's get back to the articles and the debate," but I didn't. In reality, the articles didn't mean anything in comparison to the "realness" my students were giving me.
Instead I simply said "Okay we've kind of gotten away from the debate but that's fine, I want to keep going with this." That way, the students knew we could talk about this and not feel like I was itching to accomplish my original objective for them.
Anyway, students were so respectful and though they disagreed at some points, almost every student talked about their own experiences with derogatory language. The stories these kids openly shared made me want to cry or just hug them. It was truly amazing...this is why I want to be an English teacher!
At points it got heated, but it was always controlled. They showed so much emotion and for the first time I think they all felt safe in the class.
I will not take full or even any credit really because this discussion was perpetuated by my students. But I will say that I guided their discussion and for the first time experienced real FLOW. It reassured me that this is what I want to do, and these are the kind of conversations I should always push my students to have.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bad Day, But Getting Better
Instead of focusing on my entire week as a whole, I wanted to bring up how incredibly different individual classes are and how I need to teach them. This week I officially took over two of my four classes. One is an Option II (college bound) 1st period class of 16 students and the other is an Option II (college bound) 6th period class of 22 students.
Though the class hasn’t gotten into the “meat” of Huck Finn yet, (that will all start Monday… pray for me) we’ve spent the last week doing background research and poster projects about the 1840’s (aka, the time period in which Huck Finn was written). More or less, Monday & Wednesday of this week were centered solely on students as they worked with their partners in researching and constructing their compare/contrast poster. As the teacher, I addressed individual questions, checked that students were on task, and gave directions when needed. In essence, I had a relatively passive role in term of direct instruction. ( Which actually I felt was beneficial before I start teaching an in depth lesson centered on the text.)
Fast forwarding to Thursday, this was the day that 1st and 6th period would share their presentations, review for their vocab quiz with an engaging, competitive game and start some vocab extra credit for homework.
Coming into Thursday I felt great, and 1st period went so smoothly! The informal partner presentations were (for the most part) well done and very interesting. The students took well done notes (which were handed in as class work credit) and were very respectful while others were presenting. As for the vocab game, we got through the game with plenty of time to spare and the students seemed to love the competition. In all honestly, there were moments when they would try to argue the words or the answers- but there wasn’t anything blatantly disrespectful or out of control.
After 1st period, my co op gave me some constructive criticism and suggested that I make sure I assert myself and not allow the teams to argue over words/rounds of the game. Taking this advice, I figured I would reflect and adapt my instruction for 6th period. WELL…. That’s what I “figured” I would do.
Little did I realize that 6th period is significantly different than 1st period. I hadn’t really realized it before because during the days of research I had the same questions, comments, and even issues in both classes. I assumed (which I will never do again as long as I live) that 6th period would go as smoothly as 1st period. Well needless to say it didn’t.
Coming out of lunch, 6th period was incredibly talkative. Tiny outbursts, smart-ass comments and “whispered” side conversations were going on constantly during presentations. I must have asked.. no, wrong word… told my students to be respectful and courteous about ten different ways and in ten different tones. By the time we had finished presentations and moved on to the vocab game, they would be silent for 10 seconds and then it would take another 10 seconds to quiet them again so people could hear the question.
According to my co op, they were definitely testing me to see what they could get away with. I realized that makes sense because my co op tends to let them get away with a lot and unfortunately she was always repeating herself in that class.
Luckily, Friday’s 6th period (today) went so much better! After Thursday’s disaster I realized I had to change something. My first instinct was to be tougher, firmer, and even a bit of a hard ass with this class… some students respond to that, and others don’t. But I changed my mind.
I realized that my students in 6th period respond a lot better to me when I’m calm but firm. I unfortunately had to give a student a 0 on his vocab quiz because I caught him talking… so at least now they know they can’t walk all over me.
I know that 6th period will be one of my more challenging classes, but in the end I know the good days will outweigh the bad ones.
Though the class hasn’t gotten into the “meat” of Huck Finn yet, (that will all start Monday… pray for me) we’ve spent the last week doing background research and poster projects about the 1840’s (aka, the time period in which Huck Finn was written). More or less, Monday & Wednesday of this week were centered solely on students as they worked with their partners in researching and constructing their compare/contrast poster. As the teacher, I addressed individual questions, checked that students were on task, and gave directions when needed. In essence, I had a relatively passive role in term of direct instruction. ( Which actually I felt was beneficial before I start teaching an in depth lesson centered on the text.)
Fast forwarding to Thursday, this was the day that 1st and 6th period would share their presentations, review for their vocab quiz with an engaging, competitive game and start some vocab extra credit for homework.
Coming into Thursday I felt great, and 1st period went so smoothly! The informal partner presentations were (for the most part) well done and very interesting. The students took well done notes (which were handed in as class work credit) and were very respectful while others were presenting. As for the vocab game, we got through the game with plenty of time to spare and the students seemed to love the competition. In all honestly, there were moments when they would try to argue the words or the answers- but there wasn’t anything blatantly disrespectful or out of control.
After 1st period, my co op gave me some constructive criticism and suggested that I make sure I assert myself and not allow the teams to argue over words/rounds of the game. Taking this advice, I figured I would reflect and adapt my instruction for 6th period. WELL…. That’s what I “figured” I would do.
Little did I realize that 6th period is significantly different than 1st period. I hadn’t really realized it before because during the days of research I had the same questions, comments, and even issues in both classes. I assumed (which I will never do again as long as I live) that 6th period would go as smoothly as 1st period. Well needless to say it didn’t.
Coming out of lunch, 6th period was incredibly talkative. Tiny outbursts, smart-ass comments and “whispered” side conversations were going on constantly during presentations. I must have asked.. no, wrong word… told my students to be respectful and courteous about ten different ways and in ten different tones. By the time we had finished presentations and moved on to the vocab game, they would be silent for 10 seconds and then it would take another 10 seconds to quiet them again so people could hear the question.
According to my co op, they were definitely testing me to see what they could get away with. I realized that makes sense because my co op tends to let them get away with a lot and unfortunately she was always repeating herself in that class.
Luckily, Friday’s 6th period (today) went so much better! After Thursday’s disaster I realized I had to change something. My first instinct was to be tougher, firmer, and even a bit of a hard ass with this class… some students respond to that, and others don’t. But I changed my mind.
I realized that my students in 6th period respond a lot better to me when I’m calm but firm. I unfortunately had to give a student a 0 on his vocab quiz because I caught him talking… so at least now they know they can’t walk all over me.
I know that 6th period will be one of my more challenging classes, but in the end I know the good days will outweigh the bad ones.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The first week....
I came into the first week of student teaching knowing full well that I would not be teaching any lesson in any way, shape or form. Timing and fate would have it that I came into school when the students were JUST getting into their midterms and finishing up the rest of the first semester. In essence, it was a lot of housekeeping "stuff" that my co op and I did in order to set the kids up for the next semester under my instruction. (However on the bright side I did get to learn how to grade scantron exams using the machine... is it weird that I thought it was fun?)
With that being said, though the class content/instruction was pretty uneventful, I really got a chance to start connecting with my students. Some were even shocked that I remembered their name from October! By the end of the week (Friday) students were saying "Hey Miss. Goetter" or "Have a great weekend, see you Monday!"- this made me feel all warm and gooey inside...almost as if they were already starting to trust me.
Speaking of trust, that brings me to how my co op "trusts" her classes. (Catch the sarcasm?) In other words, she doesn't at all! As supportive and flexible as my co op is, she definitely has an issue with classroom management. The kids can get very chatty, rambunctious and even disrespectful once in a while. Moreover because of these issues, the kids sit in their seats the entire class and work independently through every activity. Granted, the classes can get crazy, but I feel there are different things I can do to retain order and establish that level of respect. Once they realize I'm not there to babysit them, I think I can gradually work in more kinesthetic activities and cooperative work to (hopefully) establish flow. (This is what I am shooting for!)
There is one more thing I want to bring up and then I'll put this blog to an end. (Promise!)Okay, the talk in the teacher faculty lunch room is nothing short of scary and enlightening. Now, I may be naive, but I think it is so wrong to sit and bash students for the 42 minutes you have for lunch. I understand that teachers have rough and even bad days with students, but if you (as a teacher) are overjoyed that a kid got out of school suspension then there is something seriously wring with your attitude as an educator. (No joke, this one teacher was jumping for joy with a "na-na-na-na- naaaaaaaaaaaaa-na attitude. ) It makes me sad… I hope to God I don’t grow such a negative attitude as I get deeper into my career.
With that being said, though the class content/instruction was pretty uneventful, I really got a chance to start connecting with my students. Some were even shocked that I remembered their name from October! By the end of the week (Friday) students were saying "Hey Miss. Goetter" or "Have a great weekend, see you Monday!"- this made me feel all warm and gooey inside...almost as if they were already starting to trust me.
Speaking of trust, that brings me to how my co op "trusts" her classes. (Catch the sarcasm?) In other words, she doesn't at all! As supportive and flexible as my co op is, she definitely has an issue with classroom management. The kids can get very chatty, rambunctious and even disrespectful once in a while. Moreover because of these issues, the kids sit in their seats the entire class and work independently through every activity. Granted, the classes can get crazy, but I feel there are different things I can do to retain order and establish that level of respect. Once they realize I'm not there to babysit them, I think I can gradually work in more kinesthetic activities and cooperative work to (hopefully) establish flow. (This is what I am shooting for!)
There is one more thing I want to bring up and then I'll put this blog to an end. (Promise!)Okay, the talk in the teacher faculty lunch room is nothing short of scary and enlightening. Now, I may be naive, but I think it is so wrong to sit and bash students for the 42 minutes you have for lunch. I understand that teachers have rough and even bad days with students, but if you (as a teacher) are overjoyed that a kid got out of school suspension then there is something seriously wring with your attitude as an educator. (No joke, this one teacher was jumping for joy with a "na-na-na-na- naaaaaaaaaaaaa-na attitude. ) It makes me sad… I hope to God I don’t grow such a negative attitude as I get deeper into my career.
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