Tuesday, March 16, 2010
My kids are hilarious.
So we have this German exchange student who hollers out "damnit!" every once in a while when he's frustrated. Instead of getting hard on him, we laugh really hard because his accent makes it funny. I think I'm starting to learn just how human teachers are and can be.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
The funniest day ever.
So today, Brent was gone. I had this great lecture about the Home Front planned, and everything was going to run smoothly. Here's why that failed:
1) The sub didn't show up, so we were forced to go to the cafeteria. I call this "AmStud Internment."
2) Violin players were in and out of our classes all day to serenade students.
3) Singers were in and out of my classes all day to serenade students (and me!!!)
4) A random band that was not part of this operation came in and sang an entire 3 minute song to the class, and I later found out that they were suspended.
5) The class could not settle down enough to make connections from the Home Front to the rest of the unit.
6) I drank too much Red Bull.
BUT, we are doing Myth Busters instead today, and they don't need to be prepared to take in any educational substance for that.
All in all, a great day!
1) The sub didn't show up, so we were forced to go to the cafeteria. I call this "AmStud Internment."
2) Violin players were in and out of our classes all day to serenade students.
3) Singers were in and out of my classes all day to serenade students (and me!!!)
4) A random band that was not part of this operation came in and sang an entire 3 minute song to the class, and I later found out that they were suspended.
5) The class could not settle down enough to make connections from the Home Front to the rest of the unit.
6) I drank too much Red Bull.
BUT, we are doing Myth Busters instead today, and they don't need to be prepared to take in any educational substance for that.
All in all, a great day!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Yay! Great day because of one student...
Well it was a great day for a lot of reasons, but for one huge reason in particular. One of my students came up to me after first hour to tell me that he thought I was doing a good job with the class and that he liked how I lectured on Tuesday, which was an improvement from the more formal language and attitude I'd had with the class in the past. Yay improvement!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
ADD
As I've gone through my own adolescence and young adulthood and now through college and the MAC Program, there has been one topic that has been the bane of my existence: ADD.
I was diagnosed with borderline ADD in the second grade, when my teacher noticed that I had trouble staying on task, even though I was very bright and not particularly disruptive. I was put on Ritalin, which I took three times a day, including once in the office at school during lunch. I, like my other three classmates who were on any medication, endured cruelty from other kids well into middle school, when they finally started making the time-release Aderol (sp?). This made it so that I could take the drug once a day--usually at night so that it could work it's way into my system for the next day. My parents let me stop taking it during the summers, but my siblings still taunted me anytime I acted up or got cranky. They used to say, "Wow, you're being a brat today. Did you take your pill yet?" (You know, because Valium and Ritalin are somehow synonymous?) I eventually let go of the drug altogether when I reached the age of 16, but quickly found that I had a hard time managing without it, so I took it for about two more years, until I had a grasp on managing work and time with harder schoolwork.
Some of the worst encounters has been dealing with the nonbelievers. Most people consider ADD to be over-diagnosed, which isn't far off from the truth. BUT, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist in many people. They think it's an excuse for not getting work done or a way to get out of classroom discussions or an excuse for hyperactive behavior. But this is a very real disorder that people like me struggle to manage every day.
Along with this, the very worst encounter is when I meet someone who has an utter misunderstanding of the disorder itself. I will say, "I struggled with ADD as a kid, but my management has gotten much better now." They response, "Oh yeah, I was never diagnosed, but I had it. I still struggle with it. I get distracted so easily by what's going on around me." Pretty much anyone in the world could say that they have ADD by these standards. Of course there are distractions around everyone! We were born with 5 senses, and we tend to be overstimulated by things like Google or Facebook or crowded rooms. But this is not ADD.
ADD is much more internal than this. For example, I will read a passage from a book for homework, and I'll be hyper focused on trying to read, but meanwhile I am actually thinking about something completely different, perhaps still pertaining to the reading, perhaps just letting my imagination take off with a day dream of myself joining the military or learning French. Someone can call my name repeatedly during this time, and I'll won't answer until someone physically touches me and jolts me from this zone. All the time, my eyes have been moving back and forth across the pages, which I've turned maybe five times already. I'll have no recollection of reading at all, so I start over. I not only start over the reading, but I start over the day dreaming or the internal distractions. Still, I'm not aware of my surroundings, generally speaking.
I know that people get distracted. I know there are other people who read the same paragraph three times and forget it each time. But until you've spent night after night after night going through this routine, you don't have the right to say you've got ADD. Until you've spent 4 hours doing a terrible job on homework that took your best friend 15 minutes, you haven't experienced this. Until you've gone off of medication, confidently thinking that you're at an age that you should be able to manage this on your own, but you quickly find that your grades have dropped from As to Cs in a matter of a marking period, you just don't know. And until you realize that the medication is there as an aid, and NOT a solution, while you learn techniques and practices that allow you to read 20 pages of reading in a reasonable amount of time, then stop saying that you know what myself and others like me have been through.
Instead of saying "I know what you mean," ask a person what they've actually been through and gain a real understanding of what ADD is and how it affects people every hour of their lives. This is not just a twice-a-week problem, or a high-stress problem, though it's aggravated by stress for sure. It's a very real, very frustrating, very damaging disorder of which teachers need to work to gain a better understanding.
I have a student in one of my classes whose parents told me about his struggles at home. He, like me, tried to give up Concerta at age 16, which is the age when doctors recommend trying to go without. He, like me, saw a sharp drop in his grades, self confidence, and productivity. I mean, it's hard to even read a novel that you're really, really interested in, so it doesn't just affect your school work. He's learning to manage and has gone back on meds (his own choice), but the school is doing little to help, even disregarding his parents' requests, since so many people believe that ADD is so overdiagnosed and therefore not real for anyone. They told me he worked on his school work for hours upon hours at night, only to get frustrated every single night and walk away every single night from his half-finished homework assignments, simply because he didn't have the mental ability to concentrate. He's even worse than I was, but still people tell him, "Ya, I've been there," as they look at their pristine, perfectly formed answers in front of them.
So if you get a student in your class who claims to have ADD, give him/her the benefit of the doubt. Most kids won't claim it if they don't really struggle with it, because it's not something the average teenager wants their peers to know, especially due to the hyperactive stigma that comes with it. There are also signs you can look for in their work, like unfinished sentences or thoughts. Or they're making a really awesome point, but very suddenly move to another topic and maybe revisit the other one later. They can be smart and outgoing, so don't limit your calls to the quiet kids.
And finally, do some research. For something that's as overdiagnosed as this is, people are still completely ignorant about it's true meaning, problems, and implications. Understand the disorder and learn ways to support your students and help them manage.
Check out the following links to learn more:
http://www.add.org
http://www.oneaddplace.com/
http://borntoexplore.org/index.html
http://www.chadd.org/ (This one includes resources for teachers as well.)
I was diagnosed with borderline ADD in the second grade, when my teacher noticed that I had trouble staying on task, even though I was very bright and not particularly disruptive. I was put on Ritalin, which I took three times a day, including once in the office at school during lunch. I, like my other three classmates who were on any medication, endured cruelty from other kids well into middle school, when they finally started making the time-release Aderol (sp?). This made it so that I could take the drug once a day--usually at night so that it could work it's way into my system for the next day. My parents let me stop taking it during the summers, but my siblings still taunted me anytime I acted up or got cranky. They used to say, "Wow, you're being a brat today. Did you take your pill yet?" (You know, because Valium and Ritalin are somehow synonymous?) I eventually let go of the drug altogether when I reached the age of 16, but quickly found that I had a hard time managing without it, so I took it for about two more years, until I had a grasp on managing work and time with harder schoolwork.
Some of the worst encounters has been dealing with the nonbelievers. Most people consider ADD to be over-diagnosed, which isn't far off from the truth. BUT, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist in many people. They think it's an excuse for not getting work done or a way to get out of classroom discussions or an excuse for hyperactive behavior. But this is a very real disorder that people like me struggle to manage every day.
Along with this, the very worst encounter is when I meet someone who has an utter misunderstanding of the disorder itself. I will say, "I struggled with ADD as a kid, but my management has gotten much better now." They response, "Oh yeah, I was never diagnosed, but I had it. I still struggle with it. I get distracted so easily by what's going on around me." Pretty much anyone in the world could say that they have ADD by these standards. Of course there are distractions around everyone! We were born with 5 senses, and we tend to be overstimulated by things like Google or Facebook or crowded rooms. But this is not ADD.
ADD is much more internal than this. For example, I will read a passage from a book for homework, and I'll be hyper focused on trying to read, but meanwhile I am actually thinking about something completely different, perhaps still pertaining to the reading, perhaps just letting my imagination take off with a day dream of myself joining the military or learning French. Someone can call my name repeatedly during this time, and I'll won't answer until someone physically touches me and jolts me from this zone. All the time, my eyes have been moving back and forth across the pages, which I've turned maybe five times already. I'll have no recollection of reading at all, so I start over. I not only start over the reading, but I start over the day dreaming or the internal distractions. Still, I'm not aware of my surroundings, generally speaking.
I know that people get distracted. I know there are other people who read the same paragraph three times and forget it each time. But until you've spent night after night after night going through this routine, you don't have the right to say you've got ADD. Until you've spent 4 hours doing a terrible job on homework that took your best friend 15 minutes, you haven't experienced this. Until you've gone off of medication, confidently thinking that you're at an age that you should be able to manage this on your own, but you quickly find that your grades have dropped from As to Cs in a matter of a marking period, you just don't know. And until you realize that the medication is there as an aid, and NOT a solution, while you learn techniques and practices that allow you to read 20 pages of reading in a reasonable amount of time, then stop saying that you know what myself and others like me have been through.
Instead of saying "I know what you mean," ask a person what they've actually been through and gain a real understanding of what ADD is and how it affects people every hour of their lives. This is not just a twice-a-week problem, or a high-stress problem, though it's aggravated by stress for sure. It's a very real, very frustrating, very damaging disorder of which teachers need to work to gain a better understanding.
I have a student in one of my classes whose parents told me about his struggles at home. He, like me, tried to give up Concerta at age 16, which is the age when doctors recommend trying to go without. He, like me, saw a sharp drop in his grades, self confidence, and productivity. I mean, it's hard to even read a novel that you're really, really interested in, so it doesn't just affect your school work. He's learning to manage and has gone back on meds (his own choice), but the school is doing little to help, even disregarding his parents' requests, since so many people believe that ADD is so overdiagnosed and therefore not real for anyone. They told me he worked on his school work for hours upon hours at night, only to get frustrated every single night and walk away every single night from his half-finished homework assignments, simply because he didn't have the mental ability to concentrate. He's even worse than I was, but still people tell him, "Ya, I've been there," as they look at their pristine, perfectly formed answers in front of them.
So if you get a student in your class who claims to have ADD, give him/her the benefit of the doubt. Most kids won't claim it if they don't really struggle with it, because it's not something the average teenager wants their peers to know, especially due to the hyperactive stigma that comes with it. There are also signs you can look for in their work, like unfinished sentences or thoughts. Or they're making a really awesome point, but very suddenly move to another topic and maybe revisit the other one later. They can be smart and outgoing, so don't limit your calls to the quiet kids.
And finally, do some research. For something that's as overdiagnosed as this is, people are still completely ignorant about it's true meaning, problems, and implications. Understand the disorder and learn ways to support your students and help them manage.
Check out the following links to learn more:
http://www.add.org
http://www.oneaddplace.com/
http://borntoexplore.org/index.html
http://www.chadd.org/ (This one includes resources for teachers as well.)
Monday, February 8, 2010
lessons, lessons, lessons
I hate Mondays. Any ideas out there of how to get students to stay awake during class on Mondays? It's kind of hard, since I really don't want to either. How about this....We don't start school until 10:40 am on Mondays. Then on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we go an extra hour. This extra hour will include cookies and milk and nap time. We start this next week. Except there is no class on Monday, so there won't be any time to make up since it's already been considered in our schedule. Instead, we will take all day Tuesday and half of Wednesday to have hiSTORY time. This will include aforementioned cookies and milk and also lasagna, tortellini, Greek salad, and tiramisu. All day, we will watch movies and clips and read stories from history that I find interesting. Napping is neither encouraged, nor discouraged.
Anyone second this motion?
Anyone second this motion?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Exam Time!
My sixth hour is 33 minutes away from being finished with their midterm exam in my class as I type this. They seem to be doing pretty well, no terrified faces or anything. I always thought taking multiple choice exams was really fun myself, but I don't blame them for not being excited about the essay portion.
I worry about a few students across all of the classes who are barely passing though. This is accelerated American Studies, which is supposed to mean that students fall above average, but below advanced. A lot of the times, I see kids who should be in AP (but I'm glad they're here), and I see kids who belong in regular AS. I feel like parents pressure their kids too much to be the best at everything. Maybe this is so they can brag to other parents. Maybe they just refuse to believe their kids are "just average" in some subjects. And it may not even be every subject; it could be that some of these kids rock in math and science, but they have trouble with the memorization and chronology aspects of history. There's no shame in it. And it's not that I don't want these kids in my class, because I do. But I also want to see them do their best and be able to UNDERSTAND, rather than struggle, struggle, struggle to barely get a D- and not retain anything. And frankly, sometimes a kid really can do the work and really is that intelligent, but he/she just has other crap going on that distracts him/her from schoolwork. I wish they would see that getting a B or C in a regular class looks a lot better to colleges and feels a lot better to a kid than getting a D- in an accelerated class, especially where he/she is surrounded by students who get A's on a regular basis and are disappointed by getting a B on a 5-pt assignment.
I worry about a few students across all of the classes who are barely passing though. This is accelerated American Studies, which is supposed to mean that students fall above average, but below advanced. A lot of the times, I see kids who should be in AP (but I'm glad they're here), and I see kids who belong in regular AS. I feel like parents pressure their kids too much to be the best at everything. Maybe this is so they can brag to other parents. Maybe they just refuse to believe their kids are "just average" in some subjects. And it may not even be every subject; it could be that some of these kids rock in math and science, but they have trouble with the memorization and chronology aspects of history. There's no shame in it. And it's not that I don't want these kids in my class, because I do. But I also want to see them do their best and be able to UNDERSTAND, rather than struggle, struggle, struggle to barely get a D- and not retain anything. And frankly, sometimes a kid really can do the work and really is that intelligent, but he/she just has other crap going on that distracts him/her from schoolwork. I wish they would see that getting a B or C in a regular class looks a lot better to colleges and feels a lot better to a kid than getting a D- in an accelerated class, especially where he/she is surrounded by students who get A's on a regular basis and are disappointed by getting a B on a 5-pt assignment.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Gettin' Busy
I am so stoked right now. I hope the students really like my WWII unit, because I'm so excited to teach it! Today I found all these fabulous resources on Japanese Internment in the US. I actually got it from the Wisconsin Historical Society. I love Wisconsin, so this must be fate. :-) (P.S. If you haven't visited Wisconsin, go do it as soon as you can! They are the NICEST people in the world!)
Anyway, Japanese Internment...So I found that Dr Seuss actually drew a cartoon to target the Japanese in America. I think I'm going to give this to the kids to help them get a feeling of the fear, distrust, and ignorance of the time.
Crazy, right?
I love working with images in my classroom though. I think pictures can be so powerful. Look at this one from the Japanese bombing raids during the Battle of Shanghai:
This picture reached the US during WWII and shocked the American public. This was not a coincidence. The rescue worker who found this baby under the wreckage after this bombing raid set him up on the platform specifically to take this picture and show the horrors of this war in Asia.
During the Myth Busters lesson I mentioned in my last post, I will use images for each slide. Some of them are more powerful than others. My recent favorites are these pictures of Auschwitz survivors posing to show their tattoos.
I hope my kids can appreciate photography and art like this. Again, images can be so powerful. Even though we're American History, we're looking at the Holocaust as an attack on civilians, along with the Rape of Nanjing and the A bombs and Japanese Internment. I once took a class on Concentration Camps and Penal Colonies, which gave me insight into some of the camp mentalities, so those are very interesting to compare. But then if we think of these camps as civilian targets, we can also connect them to acts of war at the time, and this helps dispel some of the romanticism surrounding America in the war. I can't tell students what to think of the war, but I am not going to sugarcoat anything. There were a lot of great things that the US did, and there were a lot of bad things too. This is war, after all. My hope is to create an engaging unit that will open up this era for their own exploration. There's no way we can get through everything in three weeks, so I have to make sure that every lesson really counts for something.
Anyway, Japanese Internment...So I found that Dr Seuss actually drew a cartoon to target the Japanese in America. I think I'm going to give this to the kids to help them get a feeling of the fear, distrust, and ignorance of the time.
Crazy, right?
I love working with images in my classroom though. I think pictures can be so powerful. Look at this one from the Japanese bombing raids during the Battle of Shanghai:
This picture reached the US during WWII and shocked the American public. This was not a coincidence. The rescue worker who found this baby under the wreckage after this bombing raid set him up on the platform specifically to take this picture and show the horrors of this war in Asia.
During the Myth Busters lesson I mentioned in my last post, I will use images for each slide. Some of them are more powerful than others. My recent favorites are these pictures of Auschwitz survivors posing to show their tattoos.
I hope my kids can appreciate photography and art like this. Again, images can be so powerful. Even though we're American History, we're looking at the Holocaust as an attack on civilians, along with the Rape of Nanjing and the A bombs and Japanese Internment. I once took a class on Concentration Camps and Penal Colonies, which gave me insight into some of the camp mentalities, so those are very interesting to compare. But then if we think of these camps as civilian targets, we can also connect them to acts of war at the time, and this helps dispel some of the romanticism surrounding America in the war. I can't tell students what to think of the war, but I am not going to sugarcoat anything. There were a lot of great things that the US did, and there were a lot of bad things too. This is war, after all. My hope is to create an engaging unit that will open up this era for their own exploration. There's no way we can get through everything in three weeks, so I have to make sure that every lesson really counts for something.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Victory! And other updates.
It's a small victory for the class as a whole, but a huge victory for one kid. We recently played a stock market game (that of course led to the Great Depression), so the students were split up in groups, which my mentor assigned before break, when they started the game. One student had been sitting alone prior to this game and didn't socialize much. Today, he's still sitting with his group, even though the game is long over; I see them pounding fists and giving high fives, both of his other group mates telling him he's awesome. Yay!
I've been planning a lot of lessons lately. One lesson I'm especially excited about is our Myth Busters day. I'm splitting the classes into multiple groups, and I'm going to put a myth on the overhead (I have a sweet power point made up for it) with things like "True or false? Millions of men rushed to enlist after Pearl Harbor, making up a mostly-volunteer military." (The answer is false. 60% of the military for WWII was drafted, and the draft had actually begun before Pearl Harbor.) So then the groups will have about 30 seconds to talk amongst themselves and bring their answer up to me on a piece of paper. Then the scores will be tallied, and the group with the highest score at the end will get some extra credit pts or cookies or something. I chose to have the kids bring the paper up to me, because I think that shouting out answers can get really unruly, and I don't want them looking at other groups and basing their answer on what popular opinion says. But I hope they're still lively and excited about it. This is supposed to be a fun and relaxing day for everyone. :-)
I'm also beginning to realize how hard it can be to choose lessons for a unit like WWII. I mean, for the Great Depression or the 1890s, there's kind of a formula for what you teach. But WWII is so huge. I studied it for 4 years in college, and I still never got to the Pacific conflict! But I do know that a lot of kids got to the war in Europe in World History, so I am focusing on the Home Front, the Pacific conflict, and a series of controversial issues surrounding the era (specifically Civilian targets--holocaust, Japanese internment, the Rape of Nanjing, the A-Bombs). We're reading a lot of primary resources and having a lot of discussions about these issues. In particular, we're reading these three primary resources from the holocaust (an excerpt from Primo Levi's "Survival at Auschwitz," which is kind of cliche, but they haven't read it before), from the Rape of Nanjing, and from Hiroshima. They're all very eye-opening, and my hope is that it will de-romanticize some of these events that have not been properly placed in context for them. People always talk about how justified the A-bombs were, but they never really pay close attention to what it actually did, aside from bringing an end to the War.
I'm also having them write a "Taking a Stance" essay on whether or not they thought Japanese internment was justified. They will need to back up their claim with three pieces of evidence and respond to why someone might think the opposite. (The format is more for working on writing essays, not so much for the topic, but I think it will work well with this and make their organization better.) And their overall assessment is to write a letter, acting as themselves during WWII, to their grandchildren or to future generations, telling them what to remember from WWII. My hope is that each of them will take their own situation during the time into account when they write this. So I want my female students to write from the perspective of a woman and my Black students to write from that perspective of the time. But I'm not sure if that will be good as a total assessment for the unit. I'll have to think about that a bit more.
Finally, I think we're doing a huge series of projects next semester, called "Teach Me." Students will get a list of topics that we're not covering in the class due to time or curriculum constraints, and they can pick one and do a project on it. Right now, I'm thinking that they're going to do some sort of visual thing, like a scrapbook or poster, so that we can keep it up in the room and all the classes can look at it. They'll also give a presentation to their class. But this isn't just for one unit. Students can pick a topic from a range of units. So on the list will be things like Holocaust Art, Blues Music, Roe v. Wade. And the students will be able to choose their own topic outside of the list, as long as they clear it with us to make sure we're not already covering it. But maybe if that's the case, we'll just let them teach that part to the class. The idea is that they teach something that the class may not know, and hopefully stuff that Mr. Richards and I don't know! And I'd like to see them have the freedom to do something meaningful to them and really let history come alive in their own hands.
All-in-all, I'm pretty excited about next semester. We just have to get through exams, and I'll be a pretty happy camper!
I've been planning a lot of lessons lately. One lesson I'm especially excited about is our Myth Busters day. I'm splitting the classes into multiple groups, and I'm going to put a myth on the overhead (I have a sweet power point made up for it) with things like "True or false? Millions of men rushed to enlist after Pearl Harbor, making up a mostly-volunteer military." (The answer is false. 60% of the military for WWII was drafted, and the draft had actually begun before Pearl Harbor.) So then the groups will have about 30 seconds to talk amongst themselves and bring their answer up to me on a piece of paper. Then the scores will be tallied, and the group with the highest score at the end will get some extra credit pts or cookies or something. I chose to have the kids bring the paper up to me, because I think that shouting out answers can get really unruly, and I don't want them looking at other groups and basing their answer on what popular opinion says. But I hope they're still lively and excited about it. This is supposed to be a fun and relaxing day for everyone. :-)
I'm also beginning to realize how hard it can be to choose lessons for a unit like WWII. I mean, for the Great Depression or the 1890s, there's kind of a formula for what you teach. But WWII is so huge. I studied it for 4 years in college, and I still never got to the Pacific conflict! But I do know that a lot of kids got to the war in Europe in World History, so I am focusing on the Home Front, the Pacific conflict, and a series of controversial issues surrounding the era (specifically Civilian targets--holocaust, Japanese internment, the Rape of Nanjing, the A-Bombs). We're reading a lot of primary resources and having a lot of discussions about these issues. In particular, we're reading these three primary resources from the holocaust (an excerpt from Primo Levi's "Survival at Auschwitz," which is kind of cliche, but they haven't read it before), from the Rape of Nanjing, and from Hiroshima. They're all very eye-opening, and my hope is that it will de-romanticize some of these events that have not been properly placed in context for them. People always talk about how justified the A-bombs were, but they never really pay close attention to what it actually did, aside from bringing an end to the War.
I'm also having them write a "Taking a Stance" essay on whether or not they thought Japanese internment was justified. They will need to back up their claim with three pieces of evidence and respond to why someone might think the opposite. (The format is more for working on writing essays, not so much for the topic, but I think it will work well with this and make their organization better.) And their overall assessment is to write a letter, acting as themselves during WWII, to their grandchildren or to future generations, telling them what to remember from WWII. My hope is that each of them will take their own situation during the time into account when they write this. So I want my female students to write from the perspective of a woman and my Black students to write from that perspective of the time. But I'm not sure if that will be good as a total assessment for the unit. I'll have to think about that a bit more.
Finally, I think we're doing a huge series of projects next semester, called "Teach Me." Students will get a list of topics that we're not covering in the class due to time or curriculum constraints, and they can pick one and do a project on it. Right now, I'm thinking that they're going to do some sort of visual thing, like a scrapbook or poster, so that we can keep it up in the room and all the classes can look at it. They'll also give a presentation to their class. But this isn't just for one unit. Students can pick a topic from a range of units. So on the list will be things like Holocaust Art, Blues Music, Roe v. Wade. And the students will be able to choose their own topic outside of the list, as long as they clear it with us to make sure we're not already covering it. But maybe if that's the case, we'll just let them teach that part to the class. The idea is that they teach something that the class may not know, and hopefully stuff that Mr. Richards and I don't know! And I'd like to see them have the freedom to do something meaningful to them and really let history come alive in their own hands.
All-in-all, I'm pretty excited about next semester. We just have to get through exams, and I'll be a pretty happy camper!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Heart Warmers
I'm writing to brag about my second hour class. They are seriously some of the nicest kids I have ever met. I thought last week that I really loved the kids who sit near my desk and the rest who sit in the front, but then, looking around, I realized that I'd love to have any of these kids up front! They're all so bright and engaged in the content. Not everyone is a participant in discussions, but they're all listening intently and engaged in the conversation in some way.
One pair just said that they needed the reading for the day, but there weren't enough copies, so another pair offered to share their reading right away. Most of them get along really well, and there are groups, but not cliques, and most students are welcoming to new friends in the class.
I do worry about one student, who always sits alone. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone else in the class, and I worry that he may be lonely or feel like an outsider. Does he do this on purpose? Or do the other kids do this to him? :-/
That's not as heart warming, but the rest of it is.
One pair just said that they needed the reading for the day, but there weren't enough copies, so another pair offered to share their reading right away. Most of them get along really well, and there are groups, but not cliques, and most students are welcoming to new friends in the class.
I do worry about one student, who always sits alone. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone else in the class, and I worry that he may be lonely or feel like an outsider. Does he do this on purpose? Or do the other kids do this to him? :-/
That's not as heart warming, but the rest of it is.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wrapping up the semester
So this semester has been pretty good in the placement. I really love my kids. They're all such bright individuals, and they've just started saying hi to me in the halls, which I think is a big deal, because before they were just ignoring me and hoping I wouldn't say hi to them. I even have one student who will stop and talk to me. I am such a dork. :-P But I also think that this is because I try really hard to relate to the kids on a professional-personal level. I'm their friend and teacher, but not their buddy or wanna-be buddy or authoritarian. There is a group of friends in one of my hours who has shifted from trying to be my buddies to trying not to draw attention to themselves when they do something obnoxious or wrong (they never succeed). This is because, before, they thought that they could get away with things because of my friendly demeanor with the students, but now I have also established myself as an authority figure, and I don't put up with their disruptive behavior. They don't like this, but the rest of the class respects me more than before, so tough cookies for them.
I also think that my teaching has strengthened through the advice of my mentor and field instructor. Simple things, like not losing the volume of my voice when I'm unsure, keep me looking confident and let the students trust my knowledge more. I also try to relate more to pop culture when it's possible in my examples. I like to loosen up the mood of the classroom and let students be themselves there.
I did recently find that many of my students plagiarize and then pretend not to know that they did it (even when copying and pasting from wikipedia). I was really disappointed to find that they would go to such great lengths to save their own grades, but not to do the actual work and learn and keep some semblance of integrity. This is not the first problem I've had with cheating in this class, and when I have more control over their grades, they will be very sorry to cheat. I'm going to make it clear the first day of my unit that if I catch anyone plagiarizing or copying, it will result in an immediate zero, no matter the assignment. (Maybe I'll secretly plan to let them off the hook with a second chance later, but they shouldn't know it's an option when they're doing their original work.) I let them know that plagiarism is illegal and will get them kicked out of college completely, but they still seem to be struggling to step up and do their own work.
More later, class just ended!
I also think that my teaching has strengthened through the advice of my mentor and field instructor. Simple things, like not losing the volume of my voice when I'm unsure, keep me looking confident and let the students trust my knowledge more. I also try to relate more to pop culture when it's possible in my examples. I like to loosen up the mood of the classroom and let students be themselves there.
I did recently find that many of my students plagiarize and then pretend not to know that they did it (even when copying and pasting from wikipedia). I was really disappointed to find that they would go to such great lengths to save their own grades, but not to do the actual work and learn and keep some semblance of integrity. This is not the first problem I've had with cheating in this class, and when I have more control over their grades, they will be very sorry to cheat. I'm going to make it clear the first day of my unit that if I catch anyone plagiarizing or copying, it will result in an immediate zero, no matter the assignment. (Maybe I'll secretly plan to let them off the hook with a second chance later, but they shouldn't know it's an option when they're doing their original work.) I let them know that plagiarism is illegal and will get them kicked out of college completely, but they still seem to be struggling to step up and do their own work.
More later, class just ended!
A poor example, but a good lesson.
I recently saw an example of teaching that really bothered me. This is a person who constantly disrupts class to nit pick little things. Like if a student is trying to find a notebook in his/her backpack, she will stop class to say, "Ok, what's going on? Right, right. Well, are we okay now?" I feel like it's a really big waste of class time to disrupt the entire class and call out a person she perceives as disrupting the class, but who could have just found the notebook within ten seconds and the class would never have noticed.
This was a good lesson in picking one's battles in the classroom. I feel like you set examples with big disruptions and let kids know the consequences if they're going to be disruptive there on. But to nit pick on little things that do no harm, like finding a notebook that only has the attention of one or two students, is really counter productive in setting an example of proper conduct. So we need to be careful in picking our battles, so as not to exemplify the behavior we try to stop.
This was a good lesson in picking one's battles in the classroom. I feel like you set examples with big disruptions and let kids know the consequences if they're going to be disruptive there on. But to nit pick on little things that do no harm, like finding a notebook that only has the attention of one or two students, is really counter productive in setting an example of proper conduct. So we need to be careful in picking our battles, so as not to exemplify the behavior we try to stop.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
My computer is gross...and other teaching adventures.
I don't have time to clean it, but that's OK. Much more to do otherwise.
We are getting a class website! One of my students has eagerly volunteered to be in charge of this process (thanks, Liz!), and I'm hoping to utilize this as a way to get kids more interested in the content by using a mode they can relate to. Plus I think this will save us paper. I just ran off two days worth of assignments and papers for one of Brent's and one of my lessons. For mine, I'm just handing out the standard note sheet and an assignment. For his, I had to run off a story, an assignment, and a guide. That ends up being 910 pages just for those two days. That didn't even count the four paper jams and major screw-up on the copier's part.
I can't wait to have a website that I can use during class. I want to be able to upload my power points, have an assignments section, have a discussion point, maybe have a way students can submit assignments to me. We just have so much paper going around, and it's a pain to pass back, and the kids get sick of getting handouts. Of course, I will have to consider those who do not enjoy using the internet for everything, so I'll make it optional for them to turn things in on paper, and I can make assignments available on paper as well. Since 100% of my kids have internet access, I really don't see having to make too many accommodations. They also have access to the library during 7th hour, or during whatever hour they do not have class. They also have access before and after school.
Anyway, just thought I'd share my excitement about the prospect of a new class website.
Other stuff that's going on:
My kids rock. Even the ones who want to be really cool and act like they don't care find themselves eager to participate in amazing assignments, like the one from last Thursday. Brent split the group into 7 countries--Austria-Hungary, Soviets, Germany, Great Britain, France, U.S., and Serbia. On the first day, they had to get together and discuss their needs, and then they were supposed to make treaties with other countries, but keep secret who else they were in alliances/treaties with. Then on the second day, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated. Austria-Hungary wants to go to war, so the first move is put in the hands of Germany. They have to go based on their treaties. It was a really great activity, because each hour came up with something different. One hour came up with the "Fab Five," consisting of Serbia, US, France, GB, and the Soviets. Then Austria and Germany backed down. Class was over in 20 minutes. Another class carried on their treaty decisions for so long that we almost needed an extra day. We made webs for each class to show who was aligned and who was at war. In some cases, all countries were both aligned and fighting, due to the nature of their treaties. In other classes, everyone was attacking Germany.
Anyway, it was an activity that they'll remember for a long time, and I think it got them really fired up for the rest of the unit. (Note: this was before we had read or done anything pertaining to WWI.)
We are getting a class website! One of my students has eagerly volunteered to be in charge of this process (thanks, Liz!), and I'm hoping to utilize this as a way to get kids more interested in the content by using a mode they can relate to. Plus I think this will save us paper. I just ran off two days worth of assignments and papers for one of Brent's and one of my lessons. For mine, I'm just handing out the standard note sheet and an assignment. For his, I had to run off a story, an assignment, and a guide. That ends up being 910 pages just for those two days. That didn't even count the four paper jams and major screw-up on the copier's part.
I can't wait to have a website that I can use during class. I want to be able to upload my power points, have an assignments section, have a discussion point, maybe have a way students can submit assignments to me. We just have so much paper going around, and it's a pain to pass back, and the kids get sick of getting handouts. Of course, I will have to consider those who do not enjoy using the internet for everything, so I'll make it optional for them to turn things in on paper, and I can make assignments available on paper as well. Since 100% of my kids have internet access, I really don't see having to make too many accommodations. They also have access to the library during 7th hour, or during whatever hour they do not have class. They also have access before and after school.
Anyway, just thought I'd share my excitement about the prospect of a new class website.
Other stuff that's going on:
My kids rock. Even the ones who want to be really cool and act like they don't care find themselves eager to participate in amazing assignments, like the one from last Thursday. Brent split the group into 7 countries--Austria-Hungary, Soviets, Germany, Great Britain, France, U.S., and Serbia. On the first day, they had to get together and discuss their needs, and then they were supposed to make treaties with other countries, but keep secret who else they were in alliances/treaties with. Then on the second day, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated. Austria-Hungary wants to go to war, so the first move is put in the hands of Germany. They have to go based on their treaties. It was a really great activity, because each hour came up with something different. One hour came up with the "Fab Five," consisting of Serbia, US, France, GB, and the Soviets. Then Austria and Germany backed down. Class was over in 20 minutes. Another class carried on their treaty decisions for so long that we almost needed an extra day. We made webs for each class to show who was aligned and who was at war. In some cases, all countries were both aligned and fighting, due to the nature of their treaties. In other classes, everyone was attacking Germany.
Anyway, it was an activity that they'll remember for a long time, and I think it got them really fired up for the rest of the unit. (Note: this was before we had read or done anything pertaining to WWI.)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Rundown:
Suffrage lesson went well. I didn't feel like the morning classes were getting much from the discussion we did in the beginning, so in the afternoon I pretended to be a woman who didn't believe in women's suffrage. See me in action on the class blog. They did some deep thinking about y argument--why women would think this at the time, why men would think this at the time, what societal conditions or cultural conditions would lead people to feel this way. It was really cool to see their wheels turning, and they were able to put themselves in the time more easily.
They liked the power point and all of the cartoons. I included one of a suffragette's home, which they recognized as propaganda, in which this hard working husband had come home to his children asleep on and under the kitchen table, and the house was a total mess. I also included one of celebrating suffragettes, with the lolcatz lettering over them that said, "We can has votez?" They really loved that one!
We ended with a very interesting discussion about Sandra Day O'Connor, who became the first female Supreme Court Justice, but 60 years before that, women couldn't vote!!! What could my kids do today that they couldn't do 60 years ago? Or what do they see as a struggle for a group today that they'd like to see change for in the future. A lot of people brought up gay rights, and we had this great discussion about the parallels.
The lesson ended there; we only have 55 minutes a day. I really can't stand that we don't have more time to get into these meaty discussions about issues that pertain to them right now, today, because my teaching philosophy is to always try to connect my students to the past, and always try to connect the past to my students. I really, really wish that we had more time. But such is life. If I teach upstate, most of the classes are about 70 minutes long, and I'll probably complain about that being too long or something. :-)
Suffrage lesson went well. I didn't feel like the morning classes were getting much from the discussion we did in the beginning, so in the afternoon I pretended to be a woman who didn't believe in women's suffrage. See me in action on the class blog. They did some deep thinking about y argument--why women would think this at the time, why men would think this at the time, what societal conditions or cultural conditions would lead people to feel this way. It was really cool to see their wheels turning, and they were able to put themselves in the time more easily.
They liked the power point and all of the cartoons. I included one of a suffragette's home, which they recognized as propaganda, in which this hard working husband had come home to his children asleep on and under the kitchen table, and the house was a total mess. I also included one of celebrating suffragettes, with the lolcatz lettering over them that said, "We can has votez?" They really loved that one!
We ended with a very interesting discussion about Sandra Day O'Connor, who became the first female Supreme Court Justice, but 60 years before that, women couldn't vote!!! What could my kids do today that they couldn't do 60 years ago? Or what do they see as a struggle for a group today that they'd like to see change for in the future. A lot of people brought up gay rights, and we had this great discussion about the parallels.
The lesson ended there; we only have 55 minutes a day. I really can't stand that we don't have more time to get into these meaty discussions about issues that pertain to them right now, today, because my teaching philosophy is to always try to connect my students to the past, and always try to connect the past to my students. I really, really wish that we had more time. But such is life. If I teach upstate, most of the classes are about 70 minutes long, and I'll probably complain about that being too long or something. :-)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Going crazy, wanna come?
This has been one busy semester so far. I think everyone is feeling the pressure now, but my spirits are still up. It helps that I'm starting to plan my own lessons now.
Couple of weeks ago I got to plan a lesson on Reconstruction. The students got to explore a website and answer some questions and discuss with their classmates. Groups of four each explored a single topic (like art and images or working conditions in the south). Then they compiled a study guide for their quiz. It went well in some hours, kind of shaky in others.
This week, I get to teach a lesson on Women's Suffrage. I assigned readings according to gender. The boys read the argument against suffrage for women, and the girls read the argument for suffrage for women. When they get to class, I'm going to do a discussion prompt about what a movement is, which should only take about 5 minutes. Then I'm breaking them into pairs, according to their gender, and they will make picket signs for a few minutes and discuss why some of them wrote or drew what they did. Their sign will match up with the argument they read. I'm hoping that this exercise will get them thinking "in the time." Then I will lecture about the suffrage movement and eventually tie it back to another discussion, prompted by the fact that sixty years after the 19th amendment was ratified, Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice. We'll talk about why suffrage was so important, as well as things they wouldn't have been able to do 60 years ago that they can do today, and things they would like to be able to do in the future, or see youth do in the future, that they can't do today.
I think this will take a couple of days, but I'm trying to make it work with my schedule. If I have to go two days, then that will put me at Pioneer on Friday, and I have Technology class in the afternoon. Perhaps my mentor will finish up the last hour so that I can leave.
Off to do Pat's paper!
Couple of weeks ago I got to plan a lesson on Reconstruction. The students got to explore a website and answer some questions and discuss with their classmates. Groups of four each explored a single topic (like art and images or working conditions in the south). Then they compiled a study guide for their quiz. It went well in some hours, kind of shaky in others.
This week, I get to teach a lesson on Women's Suffrage. I assigned readings according to gender. The boys read the argument against suffrage for women, and the girls read the argument for suffrage for women. When they get to class, I'm going to do a discussion prompt about what a movement is, which should only take about 5 minutes. Then I'm breaking them into pairs, according to their gender, and they will make picket signs for a few minutes and discuss why some of them wrote or drew what they did. Their sign will match up with the argument they read. I'm hoping that this exercise will get them thinking "in the time." Then I will lecture about the suffrage movement and eventually tie it back to another discussion, prompted by the fact that sixty years after the 19th amendment was ratified, Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice. We'll talk about why suffrage was so important, as well as things they wouldn't have been able to do 60 years ago that they can do today, and things they would like to be able to do in the future, or see youth do in the future, that they can't do today.
I think this will take a couple of days, but I'm trying to make it work with my schedule. If I have to go two days, then that will put me at Pioneer on Friday, and I have Technology class in the afternoon. Perhaps my mentor will finish up the last hour so that I can leave.
Off to do Pat's paper!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
N.1.H.1
I have never seen such a stir made over something so...normal. But still, we go over the same thing constantly--wash your hands, sneeze/cough into your elbow, NOT your hand, do not lick the same stamp that someone else has licked, do not lick the desks that students have touched, and don't ever touch your eyes...mmm, better be safe and never touch any part of your face...EVER. P.S. keep using the anti-bacterial soap sixty-eight times per day, even though the anti-bacterial soap also kills the good bacteria...just sayin'...
Anyway, following all of the rules to avoid getting N1H1 does not mean that you will not have the nastiest respiratory cold ever...and a fever...and a sore throat...and possibly bronchitis. So I have been laid up for 75% of this week trying to fight this thing. Whatever it is, it's got me.
Right, well, first days of school went well. I got to make and teach a lesson already, and my mentor is really open to me participating, rather than just observing. This rocks. I'm having trouble learning names, as Brent has already learned all of them and no longer has them use name tags. Maybe I'll go online to study faces/names.
I feel like I've been writing so much in my journal that I really don't have much to blog about. :-/ Hmm...
Anyway, following all of the rules to avoid getting N1H1 does not mean that you will not have the nastiest respiratory cold ever...and a fever...and a sore throat...and possibly bronchitis. So I have been laid up for 75% of this week trying to fight this thing. Whatever it is, it's got me.
Right, well, first days of school went well. I got to make and teach a lesson already, and my mentor is really open to me participating, rather than just observing. This rocks. I'm having trouble learning names, as Brent has already learned all of them and no longer has them use name tags. Maybe I'll go online to study faces/names.
I feel like I've been writing so much in my journal that I really don't have much to blog about. :-/ Hmm...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Opinions
It's my understanding now that many people who preach that freedom of speech and expression should be upheld, and those expressions respected, do not uphold this belief for those who speak the norm, the majority, anything moral (I think you all can grasp that), anything Christian, anything mainstream, etc... It seems that they are open-minded so long as the issues spark controversy, but when someone believes something age-old (perhaps that marriage is between one man and one woman), those speeches and expressions are suppressed and/or cut down.
In turn, people who were previously listening to others who were telling them to be "open-minded" abandon this effort in order to protect themselves. Why be open-minded about others' beliefs if they threaten your own?
Seems like a vicious cycle, doesn't it? Apparently this "respect" and "safe atmosphere" only applies to students, not peers. Peers get the crude jokes, jump-down-your-throat tactics, the woe-is-me attitude, instead of the stretch to understand why someone is believes the way he or she does. The attitude I have received from my peers--not just here and now, but long into my past--will not negatively my respect and value in others' opinions and beliefs. I will try my damnedest to keep my mind open, and though I will not push my beliefs on others, make no mistake that I will hold on fiercely to them and vehemently defend them against hostile attack if needed.
Most of my blogs are learning tools, as you know. So taking what I have noticed about peer-to-peer relations, we need to realize that this can go on in our classrooms as well, especially between students who have been in school/class together for quite a while.
So how do we promote respect and understanding between students? This is not the first time that I have reflected on the LARA method or tools for promoting respect in the classrooms. I can see that I will definitely need to devote even more attention to this in the future.
Have a nice break, everyone.
In turn, people who were previously listening to others who were telling them to be "open-minded" abandon this effort in order to protect themselves. Why be open-minded about others' beliefs if they threaten your own?
Seems like a vicious cycle, doesn't it? Apparently this "respect" and "safe atmosphere" only applies to students, not peers. Peers get the crude jokes, jump-down-your-throat tactics, the woe-is-me attitude, instead of the stretch to understand why someone is believes the way he or she does. The attitude I have received from my peers--not just here and now, but long into my past--will not negatively my respect and value in others' opinions and beliefs. I will try my damnedest to keep my mind open, and though I will not push my beliefs on others, make no mistake that I will hold on fiercely to them and vehemently defend them against hostile attack if needed.
Most of my blogs are learning tools, as you know. So taking what I have noticed about peer-to-peer relations, we need to realize that this can go on in our classrooms as well, especially between students who have been in school/class together for quite a while.
So how do we promote respect and understanding between students? This is not the first time that I have reflected on the LARA method or tools for promoting respect in the classrooms. I can see that I will definitely need to devote even more attention to this in the future.
Have a nice break, everyone.
Reflections on a Semester
Wow, I am so glad Break is here! They weren't kidding when they said that this program is A LOT of work! I feel so accomplished.
So things started off a little rocky. I wasn't sure that I was going to make any friends or really like the program, even though I felt that I was here because God willed it. (But still, don't we all doubt Him sometimes?) When I got here, my nerves were immediately eased by Ashleigh coming and sitting next to me (Thanks!) and the amazing preparation and understanding of the professors. I dived right in with open eyes and managed to get all of my work in before the deadlines.
Sometimes it's hard to figure out the reason behind the lessons we're doing. But I think the past two weeks have been soooo insightful and helpful. Maybe it's because I've subbed before, but I feel completely prepared for next semester in the schools.
Ah, just a short one, but I have to run and go do my presentation today! (First day nerves are back!)
So things started off a little rocky. I wasn't sure that I was going to make any friends or really like the program, even though I felt that I was here because God willed it. (But still, don't we all doubt Him sometimes?) When I got here, my nerves were immediately eased by Ashleigh coming and sitting next to me (Thanks!) and the amazing preparation and understanding of the professors. I dived right in with open eyes and managed to get all of my work in before the deadlines.
Sometimes it's hard to figure out the reason behind the lessons we're doing. But I think the past two weeks have been soooo insightful and helpful. Maybe it's because I've subbed before, but I feel completely prepared for next semester in the schools.
Ah, just a short one, but I have to run and go do my presentation today! (First day nerves are back!)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Homelessness and Secondary Education vs. Elementary Education
Just a short one.
I was thinking today about why I chose to be secondary instead of elementary, because I really love the little ones. But I decided that I really can't deal with the emotional aspect of kids, because most of their feelings are irrational and their peers are not a support system for them yet. Sure, they'll go and tell the teacher when one kids pushes their friend, but they will not necessarily be able to tell another kid not to worry about what another kid said to them, like "You have cooties."
But in secondary education, kids have friends who act as semi-consistent support systems. I mean, not every kid does, but many do. I feel like I'm not explaining this well, but I think it helps students stay more grounded than they would otherwise, especially in a public school system where kids seem to be much more volatile, rather than being home schooled or something. Drama factor.
Imagine being a homeless student who moves around a lot and needs support and has trouble making friends for fear that their secret will come out, or that they will be embarrassed, or that they will be forced to move again and lose their friends. I think it's really important for the adults in their lives to stay consistent. We're not going to be their best friends, but they should be able to rely on us for help if they need it.
Anyway, just some thoughts.
I was thinking today about why I chose to be secondary instead of elementary, because I really love the little ones. But I decided that I really can't deal with the emotional aspect of kids, because most of their feelings are irrational and their peers are not a support system for them yet. Sure, they'll go and tell the teacher when one kids pushes their friend, but they will not necessarily be able to tell another kid not to worry about what another kid said to them, like "You have cooties."
But in secondary education, kids have friends who act as semi-consistent support systems. I mean, not every kid does, but many do. I feel like I'm not explaining this well, but I think it helps students stay more grounded than they would otherwise, especially in a public school system where kids seem to be much more volatile, rather than being home schooled or something. Drama factor.
Imagine being a homeless student who moves around a lot and needs support and has trouble making friends for fear that their secret will come out, or that they will be embarrassed, or that they will be forced to move again and lose their friends. I think it's really important for the adults in their lives to stay consistent. We're not going to be their best friends, but they should be able to rely on us for help if they need it.
Anyway, just some thoughts.
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