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!
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