Today I had the opportunity to teach a reading lesson to a room full of 6th graders. It was evidence to me that no matter how well planned, rehearsed, edited and re-hashed, there is likely to be the need to change direction, shorten, re-think, and maybe even scrap the whole thing! I worked really hard on this read aloud and was very confident going into it.
For some reason, BOTH of my watches had dead batteries this morning and I considered that to either be a bad omen or a sign that I needn't worry about the clock. As it turned out, I needed to worry about the clock. Though I'd read through the story several times, it seemed to get longer and longer as I read. Fortunately, it was a story that gripped the students' attention and inspired them to raise their hands, but I was very short on the time that I had planned for an assignment for them to show what they'd learned.
So now I'm editing. I'm giving the same lesson again tomorrow but it will be better, cleaner, smoother, and . . . shorter.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Gap
I'm lucky enough to know the complete exhaustion of Friday just after school is out. It's a mind-numbing kind of tired but the kind where you know your efforts mattered. I was an assistant teacher at the time so I'm assuming the classroom teacher was as tired as I was, if not more tired. But here I am in school preparing to take on the job of teacher. I'm here because I know that feeling, not in spite of it.
Teachers have been in the news a lot lately due to budget cuts, contract negotiations, and statistics that make it seem like our kids are becoming less educated rather than more. Some people want teachers to do more with less and resent that teachers get summers off and still have the nerve to complain. A recent story in the Seattle Times discusses the high expectations people have of teachers yet still don't value them as professionals. I think it's because every adult in the country has, at one time, had a "bad teacher", someone who probably hated their job, was burned out, or resented being scrutinized by administrators and parents. This experience causes some people to be merciless about what teachers should be capable of doing and ought to do without complaining and just be thankful they have a job.
My favorite part of this piece is when a teacher being interviewed expresses that he's fighting an uphill battle and the reporter summarizes this viewpoint with "he knows he has two choices: throw up his hands or try like crazy". Good teachers are going to try like crazy, but let's hope they aren't completely burned out from their efforts to fill the gap.
What can we as individual teachers do in our classrooms to connect students to enriching learning experiences when schools are operating on budgets that are stretched thin? What resources remain untapped? How can we involve families in educational activities to a greater extent?
Teachers have been in the news a lot lately due to budget cuts, contract negotiations, and statistics that make it seem like our kids are becoming less educated rather than more. Some people want teachers to do more with less and resent that teachers get summers off and still have the nerve to complain. A recent story in the Seattle Times discusses the high expectations people have of teachers yet still don't value them as professionals. I think it's because every adult in the country has, at one time, had a "bad teacher", someone who probably hated their job, was burned out, or resented being scrutinized by administrators and parents. This experience causes some people to be merciless about what teachers should be capable of doing and ought to do without complaining and just be thankful they have a job.
My favorite part of this piece is when a teacher being interviewed expresses that he's fighting an uphill battle and the reporter summarizes this viewpoint with "he knows he has two choices: throw up his hands or try like crazy". Good teachers are going to try like crazy, but let's hope they aren't completely burned out from their efforts to fill the gap.
What can we as individual teachers do in our classrooms to connect students to enriching learning experiences when schools are operating on budgets that are stretched thin? What resources remain untapped? How can we involve families in educational activities to a greater extent?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Makeal
Makeal inspires me, not only because he has given school a second chance but also because he sees potential in himself that he didn't see before. I have met many kids this year who have much in common with the "old Makeal" who didn't want to go to school, didn't care how he did and couldn't think of any way to connect what he'd rather be doing to school. I saw a NSD Community Schools booth yesterday at the campus career fair and I'm wondering if there were classes available there that would connect to kids as the skateboarding one did with Makeal? Plan to look into that. I know they have classes like quilting, ESL, karate, dance. I also wonder if there are scholarships available for these classes?
I have a student who says he hates school. Yet, I see him doing things that indicate otherwise like taking leadership roles in the classroom and attending optional events. He strikes me as a kid who would burn like crazy if someone put a spark to him. There are so many positive ways to allow kids to write what they want, where they want and to an audience who can appreciate what they have to share. I do see how Makeal needed this connection to get him motivated to learn. No surprise that he missed school a lot - he didn't feel like he had anything to contribute that would be appreciated. Now he sees that he can share what he knows about something he cares about. Love it.
I have a student who says he hates school. Yet, I see him doing things that indicate otherwise like taking leadership roles in the classroom and attending optional events. He strikes me as a kid who would burn like crazy if someone put a spark to him. There are so many positive ways to allow kids to write what they want, where they want and to an audience who can appreciate what they have to share. I do see how Makeal needed this connection to get him motivated to learn. No surprise that he missed school a lot - he didn't feel like he had anything to contribute that would be appreciated. Now he sees that he can share what he knows about something he cares about. Love it.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Technologically Challenged
I admit, I'm one of those people who just doesn't get technology. I still call keyboarding "typing" and I play solitaire with cards that can actually be shuffled. When I run into a computer glitch, I get a panicked feeling inside because my efforts to resolve issues are hit and miss. My teenage daughters are far more capable than I am of putting our internet connection to good use. I recently gave up my flip phone and got a fancy phone with apps, internet and "Angry Birds". I still haven't played, but it's there in case I ever want to. Frankly, I'd like to have my flip phone back.
It's not that I don't see the value of the technology we have. I do. I also see the value of going for a walk with my friend as opposed to sending her a message on facebook. I enjoy going to the library and looking at staff recommendations, new magazines, and the books on the carts that others have picked up but not checked out. I have had trouble with spending too much time at the computer and it's been difficult for me to break myself of these habits. I've spent far too many hours of my life playing freecell, poker, and scrabble, shopping on zappos, ebay, craigslist, and Amazon and I can't ever get them back.
I know our kids have to be computer savvy to be employable in the future, but I worry that they will also be overweight, anti-social, and unable to stay focused on every day activities that don't come with all the bells and whistles that can be found on a computer. I agree with Cathy Davidson that our society has become overly paranoid about child molesters lurking around every corner and on every website. And because I agree, I say let's unplug the computer and send our kids out to play for a few hours everyday rather than allowing them to sit transfixed in front of a screen from 4pm to bedtime.
As with anything we give our kids, moderation is key. It's so easy to let them spend hours playing games or watching videos on youtube because they're so content and quiet. We have to monitor what kids see and for how long and for me, that's difficult because I struggle to keep up with the skills they've already mastered. So, I must bravely go out on a limb and try new things like blogging, photostory3, wikis, online courses, itouch, and a whole bunch of other techno-thing-a-ma-jigs because I want to be there to witness, help and learn when my students and my daughters are using technology to be the best they can be.
It's not that I don't see the value of the technology we have. I do. I also see the value of going for a walk with my friend as opposed to sending her a message on facebook. I enjoy going to the library and looking at staff recommendations, new magazines, and the books on the carts that others have picked up but not checked out. I have had trouble with spending too much time at the computer and it's been difficult for me to break myself of these habits. I've spent far too many hours of my life playing freecell, poker, and scrabble, shopping on zappos, ebay, craigslist, and Amazon and I can't ever get them back.
I know our kids have to be computer savvy to be employable in the future, but I worry that they will also be overweight, anti-social, and unable to stay focused on every day activities that don't come with all the bells and whistles that can be found on a computer. I agree with Cathy Davidson that our society has become overly paranoid about child molesters lurking around every corner and on every website. And because I agree, I say let's unplug the computer and send our kids out to play for a few hours everyday rather than allowing them to sit transfixed in front of a screen from 4pm to bedtime.
As with anything we give our kids, moderation is key. It's so easy to let them spend hours playing games or watching videos on youtube because they're so content and quiet. We have to monitor what kids see and for how long and for me, that's difficult because I struggle to keep up with the skills they've already mastered. So, I must bravely go out on a limb and try new things like blogging, photostory3, wikis, online courses, itouch, and a whole bunch of other techno-thing-a-ma-jigs because I want to be there to witness, help and learn when my students and my daughters are using technology to be the best they can be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)