This week was mostly about fine tuning. On Monday, I reviewed
dialogue rules with the students, hoping to improve this portion of
their narratives. Tuesday and Wednesday we reviewed some of the comma
rules students had already learned but were struggling to remember
how to use in their own writing. The reason behind these review
sessions was because as I conferenced with students on their writing,
I saw people struggling with these rules, and instead of just picking
out every little mistake I wanted to teach students to take
responsibility for themselves. In doing this, and giving students the
responsibility of fixing their writing themselves, I was aiming to
have them construct their learning, and then hopefully that rule
might stick better the next time they write. Thus, I built into the
lessons time to have students look for places they needed to
incorporate the rule we had just discussed in their writing. I was
trying to give relevancy to grammar lessons, because too often
grammar gets separated from its real goal – to improve writing. Did
every student use that time effectively? Maybe not. Yet, it was
explained that I would then be checking carefully for the use of
these rules, and it would affect their grade, and so far I have stuck
to that promise. I want students to see that grammar does matter and
does need to be included for clear writing.
The second half of the week we watched Hoodwinked. This
was a nice break for me and for the students, and yet it also had
relevancy to Language Arts and narrative writing. In Hoodwinked,
the story of Red Riding Hood is
told from four different people's perspectives. Thus, I set up the
movie by reminding students about point of view, and asking that they
consider how different points of view affect how the story is told.
They also had a brief worksheet that asked them questions about the
same idea.
The biggest struggle of the week
was battling issues with respect and complaining. There were numerous
times I would ask students to do something, and they would straight
out refuse or give me some back talk. I'm not easily riled up with
students, and I don't hand out consequences like detentions very
quickly. However, this week it became a necessity to hand out some
detentions, because the vocal correction was not cutting it with some
students. Furthermore, some other teachers would step in and
reprimand students for not doing as I asked, reminding them that I
was the teacher and I got to tell them what the rules were.
Further, I daily battled
complaining. There were whining complaints like “This is so boring.
Why are we learning this?” or
“I hate Hoodwinked. It's
so dumb.” There were challenges to what we were doing, such as “We
already know this. This is stupid,” “Can't we just talk instead
of watching this movie? Why do we have to watch it?”, and “Let's
watch Frozen! That's
so much better.
Hoodwinked sucks.”
When these came up, I've learned in other teaching experiences to
give them a rational response to their questions. So I would explain
why we were reviewing grammar, or I would remind students how
Hoodwinked related to
what we'd talked about for narratives. I also presented students
trying to bring up their own ideas for how class should go during the
movie day with the options for the day – grammar lessons or a
movie. I was fully prepared to back myself up on this one if they
kept complaining, already having a couple plans in my head of what
might be some grammar to teach them. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic
or talk back to my students; I stayed calm and gave them a rational,
true response to their queries. I needed to give a firm reminder that
I decided the plans, not them.
Through these complaints and the
lack of respect to my instruction, I've seen that somehow I have not
set up my presence as teacher in this classroom firmly for students
yet. I'm dancing a fine line, because I love building rapport with my
students; yet, they definitely need to respect me as well and I have
to be a firm authority presence.
Now we go on spring break; even
that has taught me about what being a teacher really means! The
narratives aren't going on third quarter, so aren't required to be
finished in a week, but the students probably will ask. So, here I
am, the night before I leave for Cancun with some of my best friends
(coincidentally, our spring breaks lined up, and we planned this trip
in November), downloading some of the narratives to grade on the
plane. I want to be one of those on the ball teachers, so I hope to
get done as many as I can on the plane rides, and even in the hotel,
before I return to school a week from Monday. People may claim
teachers have a lot of break time, but really, our work doesn't end
when we aren't in the “office.”
This spring break came at a much
needed time. However, we jump right back into a crazy week when we
return. We start learning about Shakespeare, as the Reading class
reads A Midsummer Night's Dream,
which will be fun for me, but I know will cause even more of this
complaining. I'm coming up with ideas now to show them how relevant
Shakespeare's stories remain in today's movies, plays, and books, and
hopefully that will hook them. Then, PARC testing is occurring, but
only for 2 periods, so the other periods have to be taught something
that it's okay for 1st
and 2nd
to miss. Crazy.
For now, I'm eager to escape this
weather. 80's and sun, here I come!
Oh, but now back to grading.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Week 10 - Exhausted Yet Finding the Blessings
This week was going to be a quiet week; while the rest of my
friends departed campus, I was still around, preparing myself for a
full week of work. In the end, it was a blessing that few people were
around this week; the quiet was what I needed as I worked from the
moment I got home until my head hit the pillow.
It's been rare that I have been as emotionally, mentally, and physically drained as I was this entire week. My days went from supporting students in class and still getting a feel for the school to fully being in charge for a straight seven class periods. In addition, I was working through 35 narratives each night to get through the writing of my nearly 100 students by the end of the week, and then starting the second cycle of read-throughs on their narratives. I was resisting complaining students about the guidelines I set, and students who decided to break those rules anyway. I was dealing with students who simply laughed in my face when I gave them instructions to follow or corrected their behavior and other students flat out ignored me. When I came up with what I thought would be good ideas for advisory, they ended in chaos. On top of all of it, I was also working on job applications for the reality that is coming my way in just 7 weeks. It was honestly exhausting.
To break some of this down a little more, let's take a look at the week. Monday I introduced narrative writing, gave them prompts to choose from, and started the students brainstorming what they wished to write. Then we began the work days, which were days that I had to fight the most to stand my ground. I instructed them that the noise level had to be a whisper, that they could not use iPads while writing since they already Chrome books for any internet needs, they were not to use ear buds, and they could not move seats. The first day, it was trying to keep a couple students in line, and the noise level in most classes was not even close to a whisper. The second day, Wednesday, the students in all but one or two of the seven periods had moved around so much when I went to tell one student to move back to their seat, another student was sitting there, and when I told that student to move, another was sitting there, until I couldn't count how far down the line I had to go to find original seats. Meanwhile, I had some students nearly completely finished writing on Thursday, while some had yet to type their second sentence. The students who had gotten a lot of work done in those two days were now bored, and rowdy. The students who didn't have much completed were also not remaining on task, hence they weren't getting much done.
Thursday I came in ready for some protesting students. I had discussed with my teacher the fact that I needed to be able to give consequences for moving seats or having ear buds because the message wasn't getting through to the students, even when I put in bold letters on the screen, said it aloud three times, and individually warned several students. So this time I put it in all capital letters on the screen, and stated at the beginning of class the possibility of consequences. Surprisingly, Thursday was my best day and students didn't give me near as much hassle as I expected. Friday the students were “squirrely” and loud, but at least most of them remained in their seats. I also had created lists of students who didn't have work done, and started checking in with them repeatedly during class, reminding them over and over to get to work.
Advisory periods are a whole different beast. I had no idea going into this that I would be expected to also take over this period, which meets with the small homeroom group for teacher-planned activities or lectures, for half an hour. In my idea, I was taking over some of the normal lessons with continual teacher support, and she would guide me more gradually into supervising advisory, since in this group that period is chaos. Yet, my teacher had other work to do, and Tuesday I found myself in charge of this period in addition to the other six. So I pulled out camp games and team-building exercises. The team-building went off terribly; the students refused to even stand in a circle in small groups. So I switched to a non-academic, non-strenuous game. There are students in the class who refuse to participate in any plans, but I thought that was mostly because they didn't want to run around or do something athletic. Yet, I found it a struggle to even get students to participate in the game that required them to sit in a circle on the floor and only move if they get “killed off” by the poison dart frog (who sticks out his or her tongue at their victim, trying not to be caught by the “detective” in the middle). Then that day, when we got back to the classroom, there was a tussle that ended in some serious consequences for those students. Wednesday and Thursday weren't much improvements, though I kept the activities limited to academics like cleaning out their lockers and checking their grades, as the teacher suggested. Friday we tried a combined activity with another class, and when we had to return to class we continued the activity. I thought it was going well; the students who didn't wish to participate could work on homework while others played and it all seemed all right. There were some students who started getting out of hand, and I shut it down soon after. However, reports that it was chaotic got to my cooperating teacher. I'm running out of ideas to keep this class content and subdued.
I have one week until spring break. We're wrapping up the writing this week, and after spring break get to discuss Shakespeare while the Reading class reads the play A Midsummer Night's Dream before students see a performance of it. Hopefully that lightens some of the nightly paper reading load. I'm interested to see how into Shakespeare these eighth graders get.
Despite the chaos of the week, I do find joy in some things. First of all, there are some students who are really working hard on this unit and taking my input to heart. They are eager to learn about writing and want to make great narratives. Second, I've read some amazing stories. Some of these students have mad talent, and I'm completely wrapped up in their story. Others, who are putting forth the effort, have some great ideas their working with and simply need some polish. Third, I know that this placement is truly preparing me for teaching. In talking with my cooperating teacher, I noted that I guess I'd rather have a tough group of students while I'm student teaching, so I can go into my teaching career with more confidence in these situations. Finally, I have continued to be challenged through Bible study and songs on the radio to be an image-bearer of Christ to those I encounter, and this placement has certainly given a lot of opportunity for me share that love, even when it's hard. I have to be firm with these students, but I hope in that firmness, I am also able to show my positivity, my continual belief that these students can succeed if they try, and a caring attitude about the individuals in the class.
I have to make it one week. Then I get a short reprieve from the daily grind, and after that it's only five weeks. I have more work on the way, with finish the edTPA, taking the APT test, and continuing the job search process. However, I know better than ever that God will give me his strength on those days I can't find any on my own. And as a cute blue fish, Dory, would say... “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”
It's been rare that I have been as emotionally, mentally, and physically drained as I was this entire week. My days went from supporting students in class and still getting a feel for the school to fully being in charge for a straight seven class periods. In addition, I was working through 35 narratives each night to get through the writing of my nearly 100 students by the end of the week, and then starting the second cycle of read-throughs on their narratives. I was resisting complaining students about the guidelines I set, and students who decided to break those rules anyway. I was dealing with students who simply laughed in my face when I gave them instructions to follow or corrected their behavior and other students flat out ignored me. When I came up with what I thought would be good ideas for advisory, they ended in chaos. On top of all of it, I was also working on job applications for the reality that is coming my way in just 7 weeks. It was honestly exhausting.
To break some of this down a little more, let's take a look at the week. Monday I introduced narrative writing, gave them prompts to choose from, and started the students brainstorming what they wished to write. Then we began the work days, which were days that I had to fight the most to stand my ground. I instructed them that the noise level had to be a whisper, that they could not use iPads while writing since they already Chrome books for any internet needs, they were not to use ear buds, and they could not move seats. The first day, it was trying to keep a couple students in line, and the noise level in most classes was not even close to a whisper. The second day, Wednesday, the students in all but one or two of the seven periods had moved around so much when I went to tell one student to move back to their seat, another student was sitting there, and when I told that student to move, another was sitting there, until I couldn't count how far down the line I had to go to find original seats. Meanwhile, I had some students nearly completely finished writing on Thursday, while some had yet to type their second sentence. The students who had gotten a lot of work done in those two days were now bored, and rowdy. The students who didn't have much completed were also not remaining on task, hence they weren't getting much done.
Thursday I came in ready for some protesting students. I had discussed with my teacher the fact that I needed to be able to give consequences for moving seats or having ear buds because the message wasn't getting through to the students, even when I put in bold letters on the screen, said it aloud three times, and individually warned several students. So this time I put it in all capital letters on the screen, and stated at the beginning of class the possibility of consequences. Surprisingly, Thursday was my best day and students didn't give me near as much hassle as I expected. Friday the students were “squirrely” and loud, but at least most of them remained in their seats. I also had created lists of students who didn't have work done, and started checking in with them repeatedly during class, reminding them over and over to get to work.
Advisory periods are a whole different beast. I had no idea going into this that I would be expected to also take over this period, which meets with the small homeroom group for teacher-planned activities or lectures, for half an hour. In my idea, I was taking over some of the normal lessons with continual teacher support, and she would guide me more gradually into supervising advisory, since in this group that period is chaos. Yet, my teacher had other work to do, and Tuesday I found myself in charge of this period in addition to the other six. So I pulled out camp games and team-building exercises. The team-building went off terribly; the students refused to even stand in a circle in small groups. So I switched to a non-academic, non-strenuous game. There are students in the class who refuse to participate in any plans, but I thought that was mostly because they didn't want to run around or do something athletic. Yet, I found it a struggle to even get students to participate in the game that required them to sit in a circle on the floor and only move if they get “killed off” by the poison dart frog (who sticks out his or her tongue at their victim, trying not to be caught by the “detective” in the middle). Then that day, when we got back to the classroom, there was a tussle that ended in some serious consequences for those students. Wednesday and Thursday weren't much improvements, though I kept the activities limited to academics like cleaning out their lockers and checking their grades, as the teacher suggested. Friday we tried a combined activity with another class, and when we had to return to class we continued the activity. I thought it was going well; the students who didn't wish to participate could work on homework while others played and it all seemed all right. There were some students who started getting out of hand, and I shut it down soon after. However, reports that it was chaotic got to my cooperating teacher. I'm running out of ideas to keep this class content and subdued.
I have one week until spring break. We're wrapping up the writing this week, and after spring break get to discuss Shakespeare while the Reading class reads the play A Midsummer Night's Dream before students see a performance of it. Hopefully that lightens some of the nightly paper reading load. I'm interested to see how into Shakespeare these eighth graders get.
Despite the chaos of the week, I do find joy in some things. First of all, there are some students who are really working hard on this unit and taking my input to heart. They are eager to learn about writing and want to make great narratives. Second, I've read some amazing stories. Some of these students have mad talent, and I'm completely wrapped up in their story. Others, who are putting forth the effort, have some great ideas their working with and simply need some polish. Third, I know that this placement is truly preparing me for teaching. In talking with my cooperating teacher, I noted that I guess I'd rather have a tough group of students while I'm student teaching, so I can go into my teaching career with more confidence in these situations. Finally, I have continued to be challenged through Bible study and songs on the radio to be an image-bearer of Christ to those I encounter, and this placement has certainly given a lot of opportunity for me share that love, even when it's hard. I have to be firm with these students, but I hope in that firmness, I am also able to show my positivity, my continual belief that these students can succeed if they try, and a caring attitude about the individuals in the class.
I have to make it one week. Then I get a short reprieve from the daily grind, and after that it's only five weeks. I have more work on the way, with finish the edTPA, taking the APT test, and continuing the job search process. However, I know better than ever that God will give me his strength on those days I can't find any on my own. And as a cute blue fish, Dory, would say... “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”
Sunday, March 9, 2014
The Full Week - week 9
“See you for another fun-filled day tomorrow” is usually how
my teacher says goodbye for the afternoon. This week, each day may
not have always been completely full of “fun” (depends on the
definition of fun) for students or teachers, but the days were
certainly filled!
It was ISAT week at Central. This was probably the part of the day that was least thrilling for both staff and students; however, it is important to these students' futures so was taken very seriously. My task during this time, as someone who was not legally allowed to proctor the exam, was to pass out calculators and scratch paper, keep an eye on the students, walk around, and make sure they weren't going on their iPads. Students filled in their bubbles and put some of that practice we did last week to use as they answered extended response for both math and reading tests (who knew you could write an essay for math). Obviously, I couldn't make comments at the time but it appeared when I read a couple students first sentences as I walked around that they were off to a good start, so that was encouraging. However, I did note one thing that could've been done differently in practice considering the test. For the reading extended response, students had a few multiple choice questions they had to answer first and then with the remaining time they wrote the extended response, and all of this was done in 45 minutes. Last week, Ms. Lynch gave the kids a class period to read the passage and plan, then a timed 45 minutes to write. Though I think this was good to give them time to write, if we're trying to get them to practice the timed aspect, I think the time should've been modified to be closer to the conditions under which they would actually be writing. It's just a note to tuck away for when I'm a teacher and helping students prep for any testing.
After two and a half hours of testing, the rest of the day was compacted into the same amount of periods with less time for each. In these periods, students read narrative writing examples, marking them for ten different elements including several types of figurative language, dialogue, and imagery. The reason behind this exercise is to prepare students for starting their own narrative writing next week, when they'll have to use all of those elements themselves in their writing. Figurative language, dialogue, and imagery have been the topic of study for weeks so students will only need to be reminded rather than taught what these all mean. I think having students work through examples themselves was a really great choice, because it just continually reinforces the concepts in their mind and gives them time with models before they then go through the practice themselves.
This exercise took up Tuesday-Thursday, then Friday we discussed plot pyramids. Thursday before I left, Ms. Lynch mentioned she was thinking of having me teach some of the periods the lesson Friday. I came in Friday and she asked if, after shadowing her first period to see what she wanted to explain, I would take over the following six periods. So here I was, jumping in! It was a pretty straightforward lesson, but I did have some fun with it. Ms. Lynch had mentioned using the analogy of a roller coaster with the plot pyramid, but hadn't brought that out much in the first hour. I, however, grabbed that analogy and hammed it up. The students probably all think I'm pretty dorky, but I say “yup that's me!” I am passionate about Language Arts, and yes I will do goofy things; but those goofy things are what students will remember. For the most part, they paid attention and didn't disrespect me much, which is one of the concerns with this class. I even taught the seventh hour, which is the most difficult because many kids have behavioral issues, are low academically, or combine those two. Plus it was a longer period than the other six. So though I used the roller coaster example in this period, I also used other examples, making up a rough story on the spot and explaining what I might write for each of the parts of the pyramid as well as pulling in Remember the Titans. For the most part, the students participated and were attentive, except for about three students who are consistently causing issues in the classroom. However, Ms. Lynch did have a talk with one of the students about respecting me more and when I brought in Remember the Titans, one of the other students who was causing problems latched onto that and didn't make as many off-topic comments. It will be a daily toss-up with this period, and actually most of the other periods, for how the day might go behavior and respect-wise; however, that's teaching in general – you never know what to expect out of the students. Yet, my teacher told me before I left that she thought I did a really good job and to not let some of the students get to me. It was nice to have that support and encouragement.
Now Monday it begins – it's all me, all seven hours! We start the narrative writing itself, and my teacher has already provided general materials that she has given me permission to tweak, use, or toss out and use other ideas. I'm looking forward to how the lessons will go; I think it's a really interesting unit and has the potential for a lot of fun for the students. After all, it's pretty much just writing stories, which, if you ask me, is more engaging writing on its own for the average student than, say, research papers. However, the nerves about what the students behaviors might be like, in all the periods, weighs on my mind.
Early in this week, I was listening to the radio and heard the song “Let Them See You” by the JJ Weeks Band. The chorus says: “Let them see You in me. Let them hear You when I speak. Let them feel You when I sing. Let them see You, let them see You in me.” And I just felt convicted that this was the mindset with which I was supposed to approach that day, and this placement. It is different, and I won't be having my faith explicitly supported by staff or students. In fact, I've already found my values don't line up with the values of others there, including staff members. But God is leading me “where my trust is without borders... wherever [He] would call me” (“Oceans,” another song I heard on the way home that same day that's also become a challenge to me). And as he stretches me, calling me to this class where behavior management is a daily challenge and I feel slightly isolated, He is calling me to show them Him through what I do. Ready or not, here I go, to shine His light.
It was ISAT week at Central. This was probably the part of the day that was least thrilling for both staff and students; however, it is important to these students' futures so was taken very seriously. My task during this time, as someone who was not legally allowed to proctor the exam, was to pass out calculators and scratch paper, keep an eye on the students, walk around, and make sure they weren't going on their iPads. Students filled in their bubbles and put some of that practice we did last week to use as they answered extended response for both math and reading tests (who knew you could write an essay for math). Obviously, I couldn't make comments at the time but it appeared when I read a couple students first sentences as I walked around that they were off to a good start, so that was encouraging. However, I did note one thing that could've been done differently in practice considering the test. For the reading extended response, students had a few multiple choice questions they had to answer first and then with the remaining time they wrote the extended response, and all of this was done in 45 minutes. Last week, Ms. Lynch gave the kids a class period to read the passage and plan, then a timed 45 minutes to write. Though I think this was good to give them time to write, if we're trying to get them to practice the timed aspect, I think the time should've been modified to be closer to the conditions under which they would actually be writing. It's just a note to tuck away for when I'm a teacher and helping students prep for any testing.
After two and a half hours of testing, the rest of the day was compacted into the same amount of periods with less time for each. In these periods, students read narrative writing examples, marking them for ten different elements including several types of figurative language, dialogue, and imagery. The reason behind this exercise is to prepare students for starting their own narrative writing next week, when they'll have to use all of those elements themselves in their writing. Figurative language, dialogue, and imagery have been the topic of study for weeks so students will only need to be reminded rather than taught what these all mean. I think having students work through examples themselves was a really great choice, because it just continually reinforces the concepts in their mind and gives them time with models before they then go through the practice themselves.
This exercise took up Tuesday-Thursday, then Friday we discussed plot pyramids. Thursday before I left, Ms. Lynch mentioned she was thinking of having me teach some of the periods the lesson Friday. I came in Friday and she asked if, after shadowing her first period to see what she wanted to explain, I would take over the following six periods. So here I was, jumping in! It was a pretty straightforward lesson, but I did have some fun with it. Ms. Lynch had mentioned using the analogy of a roller coaster with the plot pyramid, but hadn't brought that out much in the first hour. I, however, grabbed that analogy and hammed it up. The students probably all think I'm pretty dorky, but I say “yup that's me!” I am passionate about Language Arts, and yes I will do goofy things; but those goofy things are what students will remember. For the most part, they paid attention and didn't disrespect me much, which is one of the concerns with this class. I even taught the seventh hour, which is the most difficult because many kids have behavioral issues, are low academically, or combine those two. Plus it was a longer period than the other six. So though I used the roller coaster example in this period, I also used other examples, making up a rough story on the spot and explaining what I might write for each of the parts of the pyramid as well as pulling in Remember the Titans. For the most part, the students participated and were attentive, except for about three students who are consistently causing issues in the classroom. However, Ms. Lynch did have a talk with one of the students about respecting me more and when I brought in Remember the Titans, one of the other students who was causing problems latched onto that and didn't make as many off-topic comments. It will be a daily toss-up with this period, and actually most of the other periods, for how the day might go behavior and respect-wise; however, that's teaching in general – you never know what to expect out of the students. Yet, my teacher told me before I left that she thought I did a really good job and to not let some of the students get to me. It was nice to have that support and encouragement.
Now Monday it begins – it's all me, all seven hours! We start the narrative writing itself, and my teacher has already provided general materials that she has given me permission to tweak, use, or toss out and use other ideas. I'm looking forward to how the lessons will go; I think it's a really interesting unit and has the potential for a lot of fun for the students. After all, it's pretty much just writing stories, which, if you ask me, is more engaging writing on its own for the average student than, say, research papers. However, the nerves about what the students behaviors might be like, in all the periods, weighs on my mind.
Early in this week, I was listening to the radio and heard the song “Let Them See You” by the JJ Weeks Band. The chorus says: “Let them see You in me. Let them hear You when I speak. Let them feel You when I sing. Let them see You, let them see You in me.” And I just felt convicted that this was the mindset with which I was supposed to approach that day, and this placement. It is different, and I won't be having my faith explicitly supported by staff or students. In fact, I've already found my values don't line up with the values of others there, including staff members. But God is leading me “where my trust is without borders... wherever [He] would call me” (“Oceans,” another song I heard on the way home that same day that's also become a challenge to me). And as he stretches me, calling me to this class where behavior management is a daily challenge and I feel slightly isolated, He is calling me to show them Him through what I do. Ready or not, here I go, to shine His light.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Week 8 - Welcome to CMS
This week was adjustment week. I am living again with college
students in a small apartment. It isn't expected that meals are
shared. I went from high school classrooms to middle school. I don't
get free lunches from school anymore. I can't name every student in
all six periods yet. I don't even know who half the staff are. I went
from the West Michigan bubble to Chicago suburbs. I don't get to
teach much literature anymore – just writing. I went from a
Christian school where I was filled through weekly chapels and
devotion time and free to discuss topics from a Christian worldview
to hearing people in the classrooms and hallway bashing Christian
views and daily using inappropriate language. Now, I'm not trying to
complain because really Christian school kids aren't immune from the
same vices, I'm open to teaching in public or private schools outside
of the bubble, Central is a good school, and I'm starting to find my
groove here. But the fact of the matter is this week was all about
adjusting and still things haven't quite settled all the way yet,
both at Trinity and at Central.
Okay, so now for more about what's going on in eighth grade at Central.
First, a quick brief facts about the school itself. The grades at Central Middle are 6th-8th. The place is bigger than NorthPointe, though. I'm figuring out my way around, but it isn't as simple as my alma mater or NorthPointe. I'm in the eighth grade Language Arts class, and teach periods 1-5, break for lunch, then teach 7th period before getting a break for plan periods – which usually include meetings. It's quite a marathon. Technology-wise, I'm once again blessed. All the students have their own iPad, but they must pick it up before school and can't bring it home. In the Language Arts classroom, they also have chrome books (like netbooks, made by Google) that they leave in the classroom but work with when writing. I got my own chrome book and iPad as well. Though this technology is really useful, it's also the first thing students use to disengage from the class. It will be something I will have to be aware of and try to make sure it's being used productively.
Now, into the classroom. The students were ready and waiting for me. Apparently my cooperating teacher, Ms. Lynch, has been telling them that I was coming and they've been asking all sorts of questions. They wanted to make sure I was nice. It was sweet, and I'm trying to show them my personality as much as I can. Also, Ms. Lynch has been really good about getting me involved right away. On the first day, she had me introduce myself and the rest of the week she had me walking around, conferencing with students on their writing and I graded almost all the students short essays. This class, as briefly mentioned, is separate from the reading class, so the focus is not on reading but on writing and grammar. It's weird for me to have the two separated, but completely normal for these kids. When I said I was going to teach Language Arts, one student asked why I wouldn't want to teach reading; for her, Language Arts isn't reading. I told her I could teach reading too, as could Ms. Lynch, and she was shocked. I'm going to have to get used to using separate vocabulary for referring to the separate classes.
The first couple of days the students did an exercise that I thought was really great and something I may keep in mind. They watched a one minute clip from Mulan, and had to then write a descriptive essay, using figurative language, dialogue, and imagery, all which they have been learning about. Apparently prior to this they did the same with a longer Lion King clip. It's a good idea for writing, I think, because Disney movies are so loved, so it's fun for the kids to engage with that and write about it. Also, since I ended up grading most of the short essays using a rubric the teacher provided, I got to see their writing and there are some really impressive writers in this grade! It makes me excited to read and work more with them.
The second half of the week was ISAT practice. Students practiced the multiple choice section as well as the extended response. I again walked around while students wrote, keeping them on task and coaching them on their responses. Since they won't get this help on the actual test, the goal was to give them the coaching now so hopefully it will help them improve on the test. This helped me to continue to get to know the students, and for them to be comfortable around me, which will be a great help in the weeks to come.
However, I am already aware of some challenges in this placement. First of all, there are a lot of students with different behavioral or learning needs. My teacher has been good about briefing me on these different issues, but it's definitely going to be a struggle to remember what student needs what, figuring out how to manage the classroom, and motivating the students. Second, there's a lot of small routine things I'm not used to. We have to stand in the hall between every class. I have to make sure all the students in homeroom get lunch cards, including a student who takes high school math and comes later. Students can't get zeros without the teacher notifying the parents, nor do they (seemingly) get docked for late work (I'll see how true that is when I really get into the grading). I have to do bus duty every day. Once I get my swipe card, nearly every door I encounter (besides the classroom) I have to swipe in to enter and swipe out to exit. Students get detentions at lunch, and I have to sit with them as they serve their time. I have to fill out referrals if I do give out a detention. There's more, and my teacher is nice enough to make a list, but these are things I didn't deal with previously.
As we head into ISAT week, I have a couple of goals. First of all, I would like to meet more of the staff. My teacher eats lunch in the room, and so I usually do too, but I miss out on that community time during lunch. I want to know more people, because I appreciated that additional support when I was at NPC. Second, I'll be getting more ideas of where my plans are headed for the next couple weeks, so I am to really get more ideas nailed down for where I am going from here.
It is an adjustment being at Central. I had such a great placement previously, which is a blessing. However, I am looking forward to what this placement will teach me, especially about dealing with students with different behavior needs. My worldview and perspective are different than many of the students and staff at the school, and being aware of how that will affect my teaching follows the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 1F, which says that “a competent teacher understands his or her personal perspectives and biases and their effects on one’s teaching.” As I teach these students, I trust that God will give me the strength and I hope to shine for Him.
Okay, so now for more about what's going on in eighth grade at Central.
First, a quick brief facts about the school itself. The grades at Central Middle are 6th-8th. The place is bigger than NorthPointe, though. I'm figuring out my way around, but it isn't as simple as my alma mater or NorthPointe. I'm in the eighth grade Language Arts class, and teach periods 1-5, break for lunch, then teach 7th period before getting a break for plan periods – which usually include meetings. It's quite a marathon. Technology-wise, I'm once again blessed. All the students have their own iPad, but they must pick it up before school and can't bring it home. In the Language Arts classroom, they also have chrome books (like netbooks, made by Google) that they leave in the classroom but work with when writing. I got my own chrome book and iPad as well. Though this technology is really useful, it's also the first thing students use to disengage from the class. It will be something I will have to be aware of and try to make sure it's being used productively.
Now, into the classroom. The students were ready and waiting for me. Apparently my cooperating teacher, Ms. Lynch, has been telling them that I was coming and they've been asking all sorts of questions. They wanted to make sure I was nice. It was sweet, and I'm trying to show them my personality as much as I can. Also, Ms. Lynch has been really good about getting me involved right away. On the first day, she had me introduce myself and the rest of the week she had me walking around, conferencing with students on their writing and I graded almost all the students short essays. This class, as briefly mentioned, is separate from the reading class, so the focus is not on reading but on writing and grammar. It's weird for me to have the two separated, but completely normal for these kids. When I said I was going to teach Language Arts, one student asked why I wouldn't want to teach reading; for her, Language Arts isn't reading. I told her I could teach reading too, as could Ms. Lynch, and she was shocked. I'm going to have to get used to using separate vocabulary for referring to the separate classes.
The first couple of days the students did an exercise that I thought was really great and something I may keep in mind. They watched a one minute clip from Mulan, and had to then write a descriptive essay, using figurative language, dialogue, and imagery, all which they have been learning about. Apparently prior to this they did the same with a longer Lion King clip. It's a good idea for writing, I think, because Disney movies are so loved, so it's fun for the kids to engage with that and write about it. Also, since I ended up grading most of the short essays using a rubric the teacher provided, I got to see their writing and there are some really impressive writers in this grade! It makes me excited to read and work more with them.
The second half of the week was ISAT practice. Students practiced the multiple choice section as well as the extended response. I again walked around while students wrote, keeping them on task and coaching them on their responses. Since they won't get this help on the actual test, the goal was to give them the coaching now so hopefully it will help them improve on the test. This helped me to continue to get to know the students, and for them to be comfortable around me, which will be a great help in the weeks to come.
However, I am already aware of some challenges in this placement. First of all, there are a lot of students with different behavioral or learning needs. My teacher has been good about briefing me on these different issues, but it's definitely going to be a struggle to remember what student needs what, figuring out how to manage the classroom, and motivating the students. Second, there's a lot of small routine things I'm not used to. We have to stand in the hall between every class. I have to make sure all the students in homeroom get lunch cards, including a student who takes high school math and comes later. Students can't get zeros without the teacher notifying the parents, nor do they (seemingly) get docked for late work (I'll see how true that is when I really get into the grading). I have to do bus duty every day. Once I get my swipe card, nearly every door I encounter (besides the classroom) I have to swipe in to enter and swipe out to exit. Students get detentions at lunch, and I have to sit with them as they serve their time. I have to fill out referrals if I do give out a detention. There's more, and my teacher is nice enough to make a list, but these are things I didn't deal with previously.
As we head into ISAT week, I have a couple of goals. First of all, I would like to meet more of the staff. My teacher eats lunch in the room, and so I usually do too, but I miss out on that community time during lunch. I want to know more people, because I appreciated that additional support when I was at NPC. Second, I'll be getting more ideas of where my plans are headed for the next couple weeks, so I am to really get more ideas nailed down for where I am going from here.
It is an adjustment being at Central. I had such a great placement previously, which is a blessing. However, I am looking forward to what this placement will teach me, especially about dealing with students with different behavior needs. My worldview and perspective are different than many of the students and staff at the school, and being aware of how that will affect my teaching follows the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 1F, which says that “a competent teacher understands his or her personal perspectives and biases and their effects on one’s teaching.” As I teach these students, I trust that God will give me the strength and I hope to shine for Him.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Week 7 - Goodbye Mustangs
I remember being nervous about this placement and freaking out
about it the night before I started. Now, my heart was breaking as I
pulled away from the parking lot Thursday afternoon. I had no idea
seven weeks could feel so long but so short; so brief, yet so
impacting.
It was my final week of teaching the NPC Mustangs. And it was a bit of a crazy week, but it ended really well.
Monday I continued my stint of teaching (or supervising) all seven classes (my cooperating teacher was training for leading a group of students on a Europe trip later this spring, so I took over supervising her French classes in addition to the English classes I already was in charge of). The freshmen were simply finishing their final drafts, so weren't too much of a problem. The seniors discussed “Ozymandias,” and actually got into a lively discussion about celebrities who, like the statue, had fallen from prideful heights. It was encouraging to see them connecting to their homework and having so much participation. Though Monday didn't prove too much of a problem, I was ready to have my cooperating teacher back so I could a) have a plan period again and b) to have someone to support me after some challenges the previous week.
Then I got the text – she was stuck due to a canceled flight. Having finished my unit, and not being sure of what unit was next, I came up with a plan on the fly. The students took part in four stations, each with a different Language Arts related activity. I was proud of myself for thinking up this idea, and actually had a student comment on how she was impressed as well. To add to the challenge, Tuesday morning there was a two hour delay, so I had to plan for shorter classes as well. Hey, if nothing else, I have definitely learned to be flexible with my plans in this placement! Wednesday marked the return of my teacher and a phase out of my duties in that classroom.
The senior class, meanwhile, finished their Romanticism unit and I wrote and administered my first full-blown test. I gave it on my final day there; however, a very small percentage of my students actually took the test that day. First of all, not everyone was there, being the day before mid-winter break. Second, with so many tests that day, they had been given the option by my cooperating teacher to opt out until Tuesday. Those who did take the test did okay; for those that didn't do as well, it was because they hadn't taken responsibility for their studies. I felt had given them the supports needed; they had received a study guide and gone through a review activity, and the questions came straight from that. I also asked those who were there to fill out a post-assessment about their feelings and impressions of the unit; however, with so few in the room with me, I didn't get a good representation of the class's reactions.
My final day was a good way to end. I had brought candy and wrote the class notes. In the freshmen classes we also had cookies to share. I wish I had been able to say goodbye to more of the seniors and staff members, but many students did come and express their appreciation and say goodbye to me. Now, I just have papers – loads of papers – to grade before I head off to Illinois on Sunday to start my second placement with the Central Middle School Twisters.
This placement at NorthPointe was incredible. Never before have I felt so supported by the staff as a whole in a placement, and especially supported by my cooperating teachers. I also felt connected to each of the students, and have many fond memories, funny stories, and lessons learned that I take away as I leave this placement. I didn't know when I began just how much these seven weeks would mean to me. It really felt like a place I belonged; I was a staff member, I was trusted, and the students really became my students. I come away from this placement with more confidence for the future, with things to continue to work on, and a greater love for what I'm doing. Now, on to the next step and the next lessons God has in store for me. But I am incredibly grateful for all the blessings he showered on me through this time at NorthPointe.
It was my final week of teaching the NPC Mustangs. And it was a bit of a crazy week, but it ended really well.
Monday I continued my stint of teaching (or supervising) all seven classes (my cooperating teacher was training for leading a group of students on a Europe trip later this spring, so I took over supervising her French classes in addition to the English classes I already was in charge of). The freshmen were simply finishing their final drafts, so weren't too much of a problem. The seniors discussed “Ozymandias,” and actually got into a lively discussion about celebrities who, like the statue, had fallen from prideful heights. It was encouraging to see them connecting to their homework and having so much participation. Though Monday didn't prove too much of a problem, I was ready to have my cooperating teacher back so I could a) have a plan period again and b) to have someone to support me after some challenges the previous week.
Then I got the text – she was stuck due to a canceled flight. Having finished my unit, and not being sure of what unit was next, I came up with a plan on the fly. The students took part in four stations, each with a different Language Arts related activity. I was proud of myself for thinking up this idea, and actually had a student comment on how she was impressed as well. To add to the challenge, Tuesday morning there was a two hour delay, so I had to plan for shorter classes as well. Hey, if nothing else, I have definitely learned to be flexible with my plans in this placement! Wednesday marked the return of my teacher and a phase out of my duties in that classroom.
The senior class, meanwhile, finished their Romanticism unit and I wrote and administered my first full-blown test. I gave it on my final day there; however, a very small percentage of my students actually took the test that day. First of all, not everyone was there, being the day before mid-winter break. Second, with so many tests that day, they had been given the option by my cooperating teacher to opt out until Tuesday. Those who did take the test did okay; for those that didn't do as well, it was because they hadn't taken responsibility for their studies. I felt had given them the supports needed; they had received a study guide and gone through a review activity, and the questions came straight from that. I also asked those who were there to fill out a post-assessment about their feelings and impressions of the unit; however, with so few in the room with me, I didn't get a good representation of the class's reactions.
My final day was a good way to end. I had brought candy and wrote the class notes. In the freshmen classes we also had cookies to share. I wish I had been able to say goodbye to more of the seniors and staff members, but many students did come and express their appreciation and say goodbye to me. Now, I just have papers – loads of papers – to grade before I head off to Illinois on Sunday to start my second placement with the Central Middle School Twisters.
This placement at NorthPointe was incredible. Never before have I felt so supported by the staff as a whole in a placement, and especially supported by my cooperating teachers. I also felt connected to each of the students, and have many fond memories, funny stories, and lessons learned that I take away as I leave this placement. I didn't know when I began just how much these seven weeks would mean to me. It really felt like a place I belonged; I was a staff member, I was trusted, and the students really became my students. I come away from this placement with more confidence for the future, with things to continue to work on, and a greater love for what I'm doing. Now, on to the next step and the next lessons God has in store for me. But I am incredibly grateful for all the blessings he showered on me through this time at NorthPointe.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Week 6 - The week of laughter and challenges
This week I wore a football jersey, and the next day my arm was in a sling. Then I encountered one of my freshman boys wearing a coconut bra (on top of a shirt) and a grass skirt. Finally, my classes became a sea of blue and yellow. No, nothing was wrong. It was homecoming week at NorthPointe.
Once again, it was an abnormal week. Thankfully, this time it wasn’t because of snow days (although a five day week this semester really does seem abnormal). However, in most cases, the fun dress-up days didn’t affect the learning.
Once again, let’s take a brief review of what went on this week:
Class of 2014
The Romanticism continued in the senior class. Monday was a little rough; I don’t think I’d assign “Kubla Khan” again other than the kids had to laugh at how crazy it was. The next two days were a lot better. I had found an audio recording of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (a poem I really love), and so during class we played that while reading, which not only saved my voice but made it more alive than I probably could have. There were three different actors, and the man who read the mariner was superb. Anyway, we stopped it occasionally and I would ask questions or explain something a little further. The students had a couple of assigned questions those nights, but overall it was more relaxed of a week for them. Plus there was pretty good participation during class. I was pleased with this choice, though, and would probably use it again if I teach “Rime.” Additionally, it aligns with Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 6J, which states that the competent teacher “selects, modifies, and uses a wide range of printed, visual, or auditory materials, and online resources appropriate to the content areas and the reading needs and levels of each student (including ELLs, and struggling and advanced readers).” I know that often my cooperating teacher reads the poems, because he thinks the students understand it better when they hear it; I haven’t read all the poems, because I give them the option of listening to the videos I put on a website for them during homework. However, I would agree it helps students understand poetry to hear it read by someone who knows the poem already. Further, there are some ESL foreign exchange students in the class, and this aid is probably very useful for them.
We ended the week with Byron. Friday they had an end of the day assembly, shortening every period, and the students were antsy for the big day, so the lesson didn’t go as well as expected. However, I did still get across all I had hoped and the students have been asking good questions that show they’re thinking deeper than the surface about some of these lines.
Another thing I’m pleased about is the rapport I have with some of the seniors, especially fifth hour. I went to the Calvin vs. NorthPointe game Tuesday, and sat in the middle. The next day, the students were talking about seeing me and asking my opinion about the game. Then several of them asked if I would come to the homecoming game (I couldn’t this time). I’ve also been able to use some of their slang or stories that I know they can relate to when trying to explain some of the concepts of the poems, which they seem to appreciate.
My goals for the final four days:
- edTPA, edTPA, edTPA: I’ve started work on these tasks, but the next two lessons are part of the segment I planned for the edTPA. So now I just have to try to keep that in mind in my planning, hoping to get the required parts into the lesson and good footage of some of the insights students have been having prior to bringing the camera into the classroom.
- Continue to make connections: As I finish, I’m really trying to emphasize those connections between poems and between their lives and the poems. I don’t want these poems to just be something isolated - they interact with the same themes we’ve studied, the same topics, and moreover students can still pick up on some of the themes in today’s society. Thus, I hope to continue to demonstrate these connections
- Finish strong: I have two more lessons to teach, a review day, and a test to give. Though I’m starting to feel like coasting lesson-wise, having all the work done for this week already, I know to make the lessons successful I can’t coast yet. I have to keep reviewing my lessons, keep thinking about what to add or build on from day to day. Then I want to see the students finish strong too, and hopefully demonstrate their knowledge and learning on the test Thursday.
Class of 2017
The freshmen had a lot of working time this week. We had one more lesson on Monday, but after that it was working on their rough drafts. However, they didn’t always make it easy on me this week. Some students didn’t even have their research complete. Others had finished their research, only to realized they’d only used internet sources, when we told them a number of times, and wrote it in the requirements on the website and in hard copy form, they could only use two. Then, there were the behavior issues. Without my teacher in the room at the end of this week, some of the students seemed to try to take advantage of that and see what they could get away with. Some of how I handled it I feel good about; however, the steps I took probably wasn’t enough for some of them. But it did give me examples to build on, and I was able to formulate plans for handling those situations the next time they arise, and implement them. This is what student teaching is for, in some respects; to try out some of what works now, while I’m still being supported.
I really only have two days left to teach most of my freshmen students, since most of them have final drafts due Tuesday. I may end up still teaching Tuesday; my teacher is currently out of the country, so I don’t know if she has plans for Tuesday. For these last two days, my goals include:
- Keep a lid on it: I need to work to control a couple of the students who are challenging my authority and slacking off. This is my test on classroom management. Now that I know some of what behaviors they’re exhibiting, I can figure out what to do about it.
- But don’t let others slip through: Even while I manage some of the troublemakers, I have to also be supportive of those who are working, which is pretty much everyone else. I don’t want those who are being good students, but want some assistance, to slip by
- Finish strong here too
I still don’t really want to leave these students at the end of this week. I do miss Trinity, and my friends there. I miss dorm life. But I don’t feel it was near enough time with these students. If we could just move Trinity to Michigan, or NPC down to Trinity, that’d be great. Yet, I am interested to see where this next placement leads, and what challenges, rewards, and lessons it brings.
Once again, it was an abnormal week. Thankfully, this time it wasn’t because of snow days (although a five day week this semester really does seem abnormal). However, in most cases, the fun dress-up days didn’t affect the learning.
Once again, let’s take a brief review of what went on this week:
Class of 2014
The Romanticism continued in the senior class. Monday was a little rough; I don’t think I’d assign “Kubla Khan” again other than the kids had to laugh at how crazy it was. The next two days were a lot better. I had found an audio recording of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (a poem I really love), and so during class we played that while reading, which not only saved my voice but made it more alive than I probably could have. There were three different actors, and the man who read the mariner was superb. Anyway, we stopped it occasionally and I would ask questions or explain something a little further. The students had a couple of assigned questions those nights, but overall it was more relaxed of a week for them. Plus there was pretty good participation during class. I was pleased with this choice, though, and would probably use it again if I teach “Rime.” Additionally, it aligns with Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 6J, which states that the competent teacher “selects, modifies, and uses a wide range of printed, visual, or auditory materials, and online resources appropriate to the content areas and the reading needs and levels of each student (including ELLs, and struggling and advanced readers).” I know that often my cooperating teacher reads the poems, because he thinks the students understand it better when they hear it; I haven’t read all the poems, because I give them the option of listening to the videos I put on a website for them during homework. However, I would agree it helps students understand poetry to hear it read by someone who knows the poem already. Further, there are some ESL foreign exchange students in the class, and this aid is probably very useful for them.
We ended the week with Byron. Friday they had an end of the day assembly, shortening every period, and the students were antsy for the big day, so the lesson didn’t go as well as expected. However, I did still get across all I had hoped and the students have been asking good questions that show they’re thinking deeper than the surface about some of these lines.
Another thing I’m pleased about is the rapport I have with some of the seniors, especially fifth hour. I went to the Calvin vs. NorthPointe game Tuesday, and sat in the middle. The next day, the students were talking about seeing me and asking my opinion about the game. Then several of them asked if I would come to the homecoming game (I couldn’t this time). I’ve also been able to use some of their slang or stories that I know they can relate to when trying to explain some of the concepts of the poems, which they seem to appreciate.
My goals for the final four days:
- edTPA, edTPA, edTPA: I’ve started work on these tasks, but the next two lessons are part of the segment I planned for the edTPA. So now I just have to try to keep that in mind in my planning, hoping to get the required parts into the lesson and good footage of some of the insights students have been having prior to bringing the camera into the classroom.
- Continue to make connections: As I finish, I’m really trying to emphasize those connections between poems and between their lives and the poems. I don’t want these poems to just be something isolated - they interact with the same themes we’ve studied, the same topics, and moreover students can still pick up on some of the themes in today’s society. Thus, I hope to continue to demonstrate these connections
- Finish strong: I have two more lessons to teach, a review day, and a test to give. Though I’m starting to feel like coasting lesson-wise, having all the work done for this week already, I know to make the lessons successful I can’t coast yet. I have to keep reviewing my lessons, keep thinking about what to add or build on from day to day. Then I want to see the students finish strong too, and hopefully demonstrate their knowledge and learning on the test Thursday.
Class of 2017
The freshmen had a lot of working time this week. We had one more lesson on Monday, but after that it was working on their rough drafts. However, they didn’t always make it easy on me this week. Some students didn’t even have their research complete. Others had finished their research, only to realized they’d only used internet sources, when we told them a number of times, and wrote it in the requirements on the website and in hard copy form, they could only use two. Then, there were the behavior issues. Without my teacher in the room at the end of this week, some of the students seemed to try to take advantage of that and see what they could get away with. Some of how I handled it I feel good about; however, the steps I took probably wasn’t enough for some of them. But it did give me examples to build on, and I was able to formulate plans for handling those situations the next time they arise, and implement them. This is what student teaching is for, in some respects; to try out some of what works now, while I’m still being supported.
I really only have two days left to teach most of my freshmen students, since most of them have final drafts due Tuesday. I may end up still teaching Tuesday; my teacher is currently out of the country, so I don’t know if she has plans for Tuesday. For these last two days, my goals include:
- Keep a lid on it: I need to work to control a couple of the students who are challenging my authority and slacking off. This is my test on classroom management. Now that I know some of what behaviors they’re exhibiting, I can figure out what to do about it.
- But don’t let others slip through: Even while I manage some of the troublemakers, I have to also be supportive of those who are working, which is pretty much everyone else. I don’t want those who are being good students, but want some assistance, to slip by
- Finish strong here too
I still don’t really want to leave these students at the end of this week. I do miss Trinity, and my friends there. I miss dorm life. But I don’t feel it was near enough time with these students. If we could just move Trinity to Michigan, or NPC down to Trinity, that’d be great. Yet, I am interested to see where this next placement leads, and what challenges, rewards, and lessons it brings.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Getting Down to the Wire - week 5
Well, it was an almost full week at NorthPointe. Wednesday marked the 6th snow day since I’ve been there. My units are pretty much down to the wire, and I’m just hoping no more cancellations will happen as I finish the last 9 days I have at the high school. By the time I become a certified teacher, I will definitely be well-practiced in rethinking my plans when unexpected cancellations or shortened classes occur!
I taught both the seniors and freshman all week. Teaching-wise, it was kind of a mixed bag week. I had good and rough lessons. The students were tracking with me some classes and other classes they were pretty out of it. But that’s also the life of student teaching; some things don’t always work out.
A quick review of the week:
The seniors
We got through Wordsworth, so still have four more poets to look at before the test. The Blake discussion was okay in both classes, though had limited participation; only a few people in each class were actually contributing. Since I still had yet to really know names, I was at a loss for how to call on specific students. The “Tintern Abbey” discussion was the rough day in the senior class this week. Though the fifth hour class was at least able to answer some of my questions, sixth hour wasn’t getting it at all and were quite disengaged. The cooperating teacher told me he doesn’t usually assign it as homework, but works through the poem in class instead, or at least gives them a paraphrase of the poem. It gave me something to consider for the future; how can I challenge them appropriately and yet still support them? When I get my own class, I may be able to gauge this fine line better, knowing them from the beginning of the year and sticking with them year-long. The second day of Wordsworth was better; the poems were shorter, they were at least understanding enough to engage with me through the assigned questions and the questions I posed in class, and I was able to engage more people by specifically calling on them since I was picking up on their names.
I was pleased that I could include a couple of shorter activities to extend the poem into their own lives; there was a free write about their favorite place one day and a humorous video connected to Wordsworth’s passion for nature another day. They were able to think about and discuss our call from God when it comes to nature, and they also answered some homework questions that asked them to tie the poems to modern culture or give their reaction.
As I move into the next weeks, the main areas I’m thinking about are:
- Keeping more students participating. The nightly homework reflects that these students do have answers, and some of them have really thorough answers, to the questions about the poems. I want to hear more of that in class. Being able to ask specific students what they think about something does help get more students participating, and hopefully also shows them they will be called upon if they are visibly disengaging or haven’t said much in the class period.
- Is it possible for me, in less than two weeks, to transition into having the students really holding the discussion among themselves? Right now, it’s mostly me posing questions and they’re giving answers. I try to stick to questions, which I think is good if I want to remain mostly the facilitator and give them ownership of their learning. But it’s still me in control as far as moving the discussion forward, especially in 6th hour. It’s a tall order for me to change their discussion tendencies in less than two weeks, in the second semester. I’ll do what I can to remain the questioner and the facilitator, but I don’t know for sure that they will get to the point of commenting and building on one another with me having limited say before I leave.
- The 5th hour class is the focus group for my edTPA, and I really need to pick up on getting some of that work done
- I want to continue to find little ways to get the students to connect the nineteenth century poems with their lives. A lot of this comes through assignment questions and questions posed in class, and I have some plans already in place, so I hope that these plans go over successfully
The freshmen
We are nearly to the point of drafting our papers, so not too far off track from the original plan before the past 4 snow days. However, there is an array of points of completion across the class. The majority of students are right where they’re supposed to be, doing no more nor no less; others have nearly 40 note cards, or had an outline drafted at the start of the week and have begun to write the paper; and others have only just begun the research. It’s an interesting position to be in, and one I know I will navigate again and again as a teacher. To an extent, it’s on the students; I can’t do the work for them. But it’s also about me -- how do I keep the students who are behind on task? How far do I extend deadlines for students who are behind because of sickness? And for those who are ahead -- how do I keep them challenged? How do I make sure they’re still doing the work correctly when I have so many other students who are behind them? This next week will be an interesting one, as I work with students at all of these levels, who are either ready or not ready to draft their paper.
The lessons themselves had ups and downs. I would think the explanation had gone well, but when I asked them to practice I realized less understood than I thought. Since I did include practice with the different writing elements that I taught, I was at least able to work with students when they didn’t understand, so that was a plus. And like it goes with most of teaching, certain students or certain periods as a whole would get it quickly, so the lessons were useful. Plus, even if students struggled, they usually understood part of what was said so could either ask more specific questions or at least indicated something in the lesson was getting through. However, towards the end of the week, we started falling behind because we weren’t able to get through the full lessons I had planned, partially due to snow days, or due to time being taken up by students handing in their homework, and also due to my possibly over-ambitious planning.
As I move forward with this class, the main areas of focus include:
- Keeping students on task, especially if they’re in the group that haven’t been sick but are still behind. I’ll also have to focus on those students who were sick, and re-teach the elements they may have missed or still don’t understand.
- Making sure what we’ve already learned is still being understood and used as they move into writing the paper
- Getting the students all the information they need, and remaining a support to students -- even those who don’t explicitly ask questions, because they may be those who need the support
Remembering that I’m leaving after 9 more school days in this school is really sad. I would absolutely love to stay at NorthPointe. I feel like I’m just getting to know some of the seniors, I don’t want to leave behind my freshmen, and the teachers are such wonderful people to work with. I am going to make the most of the rest of my time in this supportive environment.
I taught both the seniors and freshman all week. Teaching-wise, it was kind of a mixed bag week. I had good and rough lessons. The students were tracking with me some classes and other classes they were pretty out of it. But that’s also the life of student teaching; some things don’t always work out.
A quick review of the week:
The seniors
We got through Wordsworth, so still have four more poets to look at before the test. The Blake discussion was okay in both classes, though had limited participation; only a few people in each class were actually contributing. Since I still had yet to really know names, I was at a loss for how to call on specific students. The “Tintern Abbey” discussion was the rough day in the senior class this week. Though the fifth hour class was at least able to answer some of my questions, sixth hour wasn’t getting it at all and were quite disengaged. The cooperating teacher told me he doesn’t usually assign it as homework, but works through the poem in class instead, or at least gives them a paraphrase of the poem. It gave me something to consider for the future; how can I challenge them appropriately and yet still support them? When I get my own class, I may be able to gauge this fine line better, knowing them from the beginning of the year and sticking with them year-long. The second day of Wordsworth was better; the poems were shorter, they were at least understanding enough to engage with me through the assigned questions and the questions I posed in class, and I was able to engage more people by specifically calling on them since I was picking up on their names.
I was pleased that I could include a couple of shorter activities to extend the poem into their own lives; there was a free write about their favorite place one day and a humorous video connected to Wordsworth’s passion for nature another day. They were able to think about and discuss our call from God when it comes to nature, and they also answered some homework questions that asked them to tie the poems to modern culture or give their reaction.
As I move into the next weeks, the main areas I’m thinking about are:
- Keeping more students participating. The nightly homework reflects that these students do have answers, and some of them have really thorough answers, to the questions about the poems. I want to hear more of that in class. Being able to ask specific students what they think about something does help get more students participating, and hopefully also shows them they will be called upon if they are visibly disengaging or haven’t said much in the class period.
- Is it possible for me, in less than two weeks, to transition into having the students really holding the discussion among themselves? Right now, it’s mostly me posing questions and they’re giving answers. I try to stick to questions, which I think is good if I want to remain mostly the facilitator and give them ownership of their learning. But it’s still me in control as far as moving the discussion forward, especially in 6th hour. It’s a tall order for me to change their discussion tendencies in less than two weeks, in the second semester. I’ll do what I can to remain the questioner and the facilitator, but I don’t know for sure that they will get to the point of commenting and building on one another with me having limited say before I leave.
- The 5th hour class is the focus group for my edTPA, and I really need to pick up on getting some of that work done
- I want to continue to find little ways to get the students to connect the nineteenth century poems with their lives. A lot of this comes through assignment questions and questions posed in class, and I have some plans already in place, so I hope that these plans go over successfully
The freshmen
We are nearly to the point of drafting our papers, so not too far off track from the original plan before the past 4 snow days. However, there is an array of points of completion across the class. The majority of students are right where they’re supposed to be, doing no more nor no less; others have nearly 40 note cards, or had an outline drafted at the start of the week and have begun to write the paper; and others have only just begun the research. It’s an interesting position to be in, and one I know I will navigate again and again as a teacher. To an extent, it’s on the students; I can’t do the work for them. But it’s also about me -- how do I keep the students who are behind on task? How far do I extend deadlines for students who are behind because of sickness? And for those who are ahead -- how do I keep them challenged? How do I make sure they’re still doing the work correctly when I have so many other students who are behind them? This next week will be an interesting one, as I work with students at all of these levels, who are either ready or not ready to draft their paper.
The lessons themselves had ups and downs. I would think the explanation had gone well, but when I asked them to practice I realized less understood than I thought. Since I did include practice with the different writing elements that I taught, I was at least able to work with students when they didn’t understand, so that was a plus. And like it goes with most of teaching, certain students or certain periods as a whole would get it quickly, so the lessons were useful. Plus, even if students struggled, they usually understood part of what was said so could either ask more specific questions or at least indicated something in the lesson was getting through. However, towards the end of the week, we started falling behind because we weren’t able to get through the full lessons I had planned, partially due to snow days, or due to time being taken up by students handing in their homework, and also due to my possibly over-ambitious planning.
As I move forward with this class, the main areas of focus include:
- Keeping students on task, especially if they’re in the group that haven’t been sick but are still behind. I’ll also have to focus on those students who were sick, and re-teach the elements they may have missed or still don’t understand.
- Making sure what we’ve already learned is still being understood and used as they move into writing the paper
- Getting the students all the information they need, and remaining a support to students -- even those who don’t explicitly ask questions, because they may be those who need the support
Remembering that I’m leaving after 9 more school days in this school is really sad. I would absolutely love to stay at NorthPointe. I feel like I’m just getting to know some of the seniors, I don’t want to leave behind my freshmen, and the teachers are such wonderful people to work with. I am going to make the most of the rest of my time in this supportive environment.
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