Friday, December 16, 2016
Teacher- A profession wearing many hats
I was thinking today about all of the different roles teachers play in the lives of their students. I consider it a privilege to have influence over any child's life. As teachers we will be mini counselors listening to challenges our students face. It could be in their home life or school life but the responsibility we have is great to listen and direct them to the best of our ability. Depending on the grade level we teach we might even have to put band-aids on boo boo's, provide a snack from time to time, and we are expected to be totally in tune with kids that may not communicate with us what they need to be successful in school. I am totally excited for the challenge and as a Christian Educator I pray that I am loving and that I bring as much joy to them as they will bring me.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Teaching & Current Events
As long as I can remember I have been borderline addicted to news. I always have to know what is going on around me and the world. I've taken many jokes from my family specifically while out of town about how I have to make sure I watch their local news. There is news that I am glad I know and news that I wish I had never read.
I'd love to teach 6th grade. I know that is probably an age where students are learning about the world around them and are probably conscious of things they may hear on news at home or maybe in conversations they hear their parents having. I often think about how I would address questions regarding current events. One example that comes to mind is something like the Presidential election. I heard stories of kids going to school crying because they think they will be deported soon. Can you imagine the worry that kids have if they feel like their life is going to change that drastically? While it is my opinion that parents should never put their worry about something like that on a child, I know that it happens. I often think about how I would handle something like that, if I could actually diffuse a situation. I wonder if it would be something out of my control and that I would have to refer to a counselor. I pray that I can be a resource for those students and at least calm their fears.
I'd love to teach 6th grade. I know that is probably an age where students are learning about the world around them and are probably conscious of things they may hear on news at home or maybe in conversations they hear their parents having. I often think about how I would address questions regarding current events. One example that comes to mind is something like the Presidential election. I heard stories of kids going to school crying because they think they will be deported soon. Can you imagine the worry that kids have if they feel like their life is going to change that drastically? While it is my opinion that parents should never put their worry about something like that on a child, I know that it happens. I often think about how I would handle something like that, if I could actually diffuse a situation. I wonder if it would be something out of my control and that I would have to refer to a counselor. I pray that I can be a resource for those students and at least calm their fears.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
A day in the Sun
This past week I got to attend a high school day with my Freshman. Since I don't have much classroom experience, I was actually excited to go. I had no other real high school experience since my own high school days so I did not know what to expect. Here are my observations:
Bell 1- ROTC - Her teacher is very effective. He connects with the students in a fun, but firm way. Doesn't allow them to mumble - great class!
Bell 2- Upstairs to Science - I took a quiz and got 3 out of 10 correct. Lots of chatter in that class, didn't seem to bother the teacher. One thing I liked that she did was she had all of their names on index cards and called on them at random. She also allowed them to draw a special picture on the back of the card so that they would know split second before they are called so that they could get their answer together.
Bell 3- History- There was a VERY INEFFECTIVE substitute. Literally told the class her name, handed out a work sheet. Within 15 min students were snap chatting. She sat there and did nothing.
Bell 4- Read 180- VERY INEFFECTIVE. Read 180 is for struggling students that may have failed SOL's and it is supposed to act as a remedial course for them. When students get in, they all grab laptops and do e-reading on short stories and take quizzes. The teacher is walking around talking to some students. Very hard to concentrate and read to yourself with background noise. I had to re-read story several times to comprehend.
Bell 5- Math Lab- Teacher has good classroom management- however, she talks really really fast. A lot of confused kids. Most didn't want to ask for help.
Bell 6- Math- I thought it was interesting that although my daughter hates Math, she likes this teacher's style the best. She says that she does the same thing in the same order every class. Because she knows what to expect each day it is very helpful. I also was surprised that my daughter was so organized! Really, I was expecting crumbled papers coming out of the bottom of her book bag! She had one binder with a table of contents and page protectors. Boy, was I wrong!
Bell 7- English- Talked to this teacher at length while students were at lunch. They come in her class for 20 min, go to lunch and then finish the class. I thought that was strange. This teacher was very surprised that anyone wants to become a teacher now. She said she brought home less money today than 10 years ago because of benefit prices increasing drastically. She said also, she has more students than she ever has had- 188! She was very burned out, I felt terrible for her. She said teachers are very pressured to incorporate technology into classroom and then in high school at least they end up on sites not on topic and it's very hard to manage.
Bell 8- Health - Teacher seems effective and respected but we really played a game the whole time.
Overall I know this was just one day in the life but it was eye opening and I can't wait until my next practicum to see more.
Bell 1- ROTC - Her teacher is very effective. He connects with the students in a fun, but firm way. Doesn't allow them to mumble - great class!
Bell 2- Upstairs to Science - I took a quiz and got 3 out of 10 correct. Lots of chatter in that class, didn't seem to bother the teacher. One thing I liked that she did was she had all of their names on index cards and called on them at random. She also allowed them to draw a special picture on the back of the card so that they would know split second before they are called so that they could get their answer together.
Bell 3- History- There was a VERY INEFFECTIVE substitute. Literally told the class her name, handed out a work sheet. Within 15 min students were snap chatting. She sat there and did nothing.
Bell 4- Read 180- VERY INEFFECTIVE. Read 180 is for struggling students that may have failed SOL's and it is supposed to act as a remedial course for them. When students get in, they all grab laptops and do e-reading on short stories and take quizzes. The teacher is walking around talking to some students. Very hard to concentrate and read to yourself with background noise. I had to re-read story several times to comprehend.
Bell 5- Math Lab- Teacher has good classroom management- however, she talks really really fast. A lot of confused kids. Most didn't want to ask for help.
Bell 6- Math- I thought it was interesting that although my daughter hates Math, she likes this teacher's style the best. She says that she does the same thing in the same order every class. Because she knows what to expect each day it is very helpful. I also was surprised that my daughter was so organized! Really, I was expecting crumbled papers coming out of the bottom of her book bag! She had one binder with a table of contents and page protectors. Boy, was I wrong!
Bell 7- English- Talked to this teacher at length while students were at lunch. They come in her class for 20 min, go to lunch and then finish the class. I thought that was strange. This teacher was very surprised that anyone wants to become a teacher now. She said she brought home less money today than 10 years ago because of benefit prices increasing drastically. She said also, she has more students than she ever has had- 188! She was very burned out, I felt terrible for her. She said teachers are very pressured to incorporate technology into classroom and then in high school at least they end up on sites not on topic and it's very hard to manage.
Bell 8- Health - Teacher seems effective and respected but we really played a game the whole time.
Overall I know this was just one day in the life but it was eye opening and I can't wait until my next practicum to see more.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Pinch the Pillow
I've been told my whole life that I write funny. Ok, not write funny but that I hold a pencil funny. I've also been told that I hold a fork funny and tie my shoes funny. What's the point? Even though I've been told that I do all of these things "funny" I am still able to complete the task. The end result is the same. If your result is the same as it would be if you did it the "correct" way, does it mean that it is wrong?
I've now passed my silly pencil holding skills down to my son and he was sent home from Kindergarten with a contraption that secures to his pencil.
I've never noticed that he held his pencil improperly probably because I always have. As a teacher, there are things I will have to notice about my students that I'm not really sure I would make a big deal about if the results are correct and consistent. This is one of them.
I've now passed my silly pencil holding skills down to my son and he was sent home from Kindergarten with a contraption that secures to his pencil.
I've never noticed that he held his pencil improperly probably because I always have. As a teacher, there are things I will have to notice about my students that I'm not really sure I would make a big deal about if the results are correct and consistent. This is one of them.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Ms. Teacher to Some, Ms. Mom to my own......
One would expect since I am studying to be a teacher that my kids have the best study habits, make the best grades, and behave the best in school. Truth is, that is not true. Not even a little bit. I've done little things for my kindergartner such as put sight words on his wall but still he remains unable to read. For my ninth grader, she brought home a D on her report card in math. It's quite embarrassing considering one day I will be responsible for teaching other people's children. I put a lot of pressure on myself about this because I take it very seriously.
Maybe it's because I am their mom, maybe it's a combination of things like the fact that I work full time and go to school full time and I am not as present as I want to be. I just know its not a good feeling.
I'm looking forward to continuing my learning and picking up on strategies to help me with my own as well as in the classroom.
Maybe it's because I am their mom, maybe it's a combination of things like the fact that I work full time and go to school full time and I am not as present as I want to be. I just know its not a good feeling.
I'm looking forward to continuing my learning and picking up on strategies to help me with my own as well as in the classroom.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Doing Life Backwards
I will be 35 in December. I have worked very hard to achieve a successful career in marketing/advertising sales over the past 15 years. Over the course of my career I have usually been the youngest one in the office in my role. At Regent, I'm often the oldest in my classes. I know everyone walks different paths in life, some of us just discover our passion a little later. I rely a lot on my adult experiences to help me in class and I believe they help me add another perspective to the views of a younger student fresh out of high school.
I pray that my adult life experiences can bless my fellow students. I pray that my adult life experiences can help my future students.
I should graduate May 2018 after 13 years in and out of college. I pray that one day I can be an inspiration to someone who is deciding to return to college. Someone who is doing life backwards.
I pray that my adult life experiences can bless my fellow students. I pray that my adult life experiences can help my future students.
I should graduate May 2018 after 13 years in and out of college. I pray that one day I can be an inspiration to someone who is deciding to return to college. Someone who is doing life backwards.
Friday, November 4, 2016
The problem is the parents. You will not make any money. Kids are so difficult nowadays.
"Why do you want to teach?" "You must really love kids!" There are so many lines I hear when I tell people I am going to school to be a teacher. Oh, and when I tell them I dream of teaching the SIXTH grade....forget about it! "Are you crazy? That's when they are the worst!" How do you reply to that? YES I am in fact CRAZY. Completely nuts. And, well, I'm crazy excited that one day I'll have the opportunity to influence those little lives. Lives that may be related to some of the people who questioned me regarding wanting to be a teacher in the first place.
When my daughter was in the third grade she had a teacher named Ms. W. Ms. W was the type of teacher that clearly hated her job, was burned out, and just unable to instill the love of wonder or learning in my little student because every day was a chore to her. It was a very difficult year for all of us but I have to thank Ms. W. It was her poor attitude towards teaching that inspired my love for it and I began taking classes towards a teaching degree shortly after that experience.
I recall one time specifically when my daughter left her lunch in the class room and as they were walking she told Ms. W. Ms. W said later that she told my daughter to come with her back to the classroom to get it. My daughter said she did not hear her and sat crying in the lunch room until a lunch monitor asked her what was wrong. She told her she left her lunch so the monitor walked her down to her class to get her lunch. Ms. W was very angry and punished my daughter by giving her a dreaded "mark," her classroom implemented discipline strategy. Was it a "mark" for forgetting her lunch, not following her back to the class to get it, or because she involved the monitor? I'll never know. I do know that while I am a huge believer of personal responsibility, I would not punish a child over forgetting a lunch in the classroom.
The biggest part of expecting students to have personal responsibility for themselves is teaching them what it is and teaching them how they can achieve it. People are not born with a responsibility instinct. This will be one of the most important parts of my classroom, and I can't wait.
When my daughter was in the third grade she had a teacher named Ms. W. Ms. W was the type of teacher that clearly hated her job, was burned out, and just unable to instill the love of wonder or learning in my little student because every day was a chore to her. It was a very difficult year for all of us but I have to thank Ms. W. It was her poor attitude towards teaching that inspired my love for it and I began taking classes towards a teaching degree shortly after that experience.
I recall one time specifically when my daughter left her lunch in the class room and as they were walking she told Ms. W. Ms. W said later that she told my daughter to come with her back to the classroom to get it. My daughter said she did not hear her and sat crying in the lunch room until a lunch monitor asked her what was wrong. She told her she left her lunch so the monitor walked her down to her class to get her lunch. Ms. W was very angry and punished my daughter by giving her a dreaded "mark," her classroom implemented discipline strategy. Was it a "mark" for forgetting her lunch, not following her back to the class to get it, or because she involved the monitor? I'll never know. I do know that while I am a huge believer of personal responsibility, I would not punish a child over forgetting a lunch in the classroom.
The biggest part of expecting students to have personal responsibility for themselves is teaching them what it is and teaching them how they can achieve it. People are not born with a responsibility instinct. This will be one of the most important parts of my classroom, and I can't wait.
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