You can tell it's the end of the term because my blog updates are coming several times a day! This is my final reflection for winter term, discussing the term as a whole.
This term has been a term of challenges for me. I am a person who likes things to be in order, organized. In fact that is part of the appeal of ‘school’ for me. You have a schedule that only varies in predictable ways that were known ahead of time, you have a classroom that you prepare so as to be suitable for your lessons, units, style of teaching etc. You have a classroom routine, that you may then choose to disrupt at choice intervals. You set down expectations for your students, with predictable consequences. Things in a classroom should follow a certain equity and logic that is not often found out in the ‘real world’. A lot of my difficulties this term had to do with a school environment that was not many of these things. I started out ‘working’ in a class that felt more like a freshman seminar then a high school class, especially since the teachers didn’t need my help. I had very little to do at first except observe, participate and enjoy. Then suddenly everything changed and I was in a chaotic classroom, that shared many classes and teachers, that was also the lunch room, with a class that was nearly too large for the room, and didn’t have many clear expectations, at least not based on my observations of student behavior. And then again, I was thrust into yet a different classroom, with even more limitations as far as technology, resources and space. I think that the hardest part of all of this was the fact that I couldn’t be in my classroom before class started. Perhaps I could have taken more initiative and asked about getting keys, or getting let into the classroom early, but I didn’t. I was spoiled last term in that my teacher had prep first thing in the morning so I could come in at 8 am and have two hours of time in the classroom without students, or sometimes even my cooperating teacher. It was a peaceful and relaxing way to make sure that I was completely ready for class, and had all of my resources ready. I now appreciate just how lucky I was.
Another huge challenge for me had to do with the uniqueness of the students. A lot of these students aren’t regular students, they are at our school for a reason, they are artists, performers, musicians. Regular school wasn’t cutting it for them. That is the sort of high school student I was, and I find that that type of high school student is often more mature then your normal high school student. I have a knack for building relationships with my students, and maintaining positive relationships with them. With these students I had a hard time maintaining those positive relationships without slipping into my ‘just Ruth’ mode. I had to constantly remind myself that I was still the teacher. These kids reminded me a lot of younger friends and family members of mine and it was difficult not to treat them like friends. I felt like I was constantly moving back and forth between two personas inside of myself. Perhaps this is an issue that would solve itself with time as I adjusted to the age group, and as I continue myself to get older (and theoretically more mature). I think that this is part of the reason that I prefer middle school students, is that as much as I might like a middle school student at a person, I am in no danger of accidentally treating them like a peer.
Finally, designing curriculum is really hard. It sounds obvious, and I knew it was hard getting into it, but I had anticipated more resources or help. I feel like I didn’t know what I was supposed to teach about quadrilaterals, so I just sort of picked something that I thought was right, and erred on the side of the simple. I then feel like from watching Aaron teach the unit (twice now) that I taught the wrong things, or forgot to teach many things. I feel like my unit was sort of useless, which I know from the analysis in my assessment report isn’t true, but it’s hard not to be discouraged when most of your students don’t even turn in their final project.
Despite a discouraging tone in this reflection, my over all experience at A3 was a positive one. I love that school and what they are trying to do, and I feel like it is the type of school that I would like to spend time teaching at, I just don’t think I’m ready for it yet.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Homework
Homework always seems to be a point of contention and conflict in education. Some schools of thought seemed to believe that only through doing homework can students master skills. I admit their arguments are convincing. If a student can perform a skill at home where they don't have their teacher or peers to help them, then they truly know how to do it. I know from personal experience that homework tests how well I know how to do something very well. I might think I understand in class, and then get home and look at the homework and be totally lost. I've found this true in math classes, as well as other types of classes from social studies, to music, to theater.
On the other hand, I have also often done my homework with little attention to what I was doing, and just done it to be finished. Likewise I have often been in situations, most often in high school, where I knew the material very well, and had to do the busy work of homework. In many of my classes, I did all my learning in class. I also understand how many teachers give their students homework as if their class was the only class, or the most important class.
So what do we do about homework? All things in moderation I suppose. I think it is important that students learn how to do homework. They need to learn how to budget their time and plan ahead so that they can turn in an assignment when it is due, even if they have no little to no time in class to work on it.
I have recently been working in a class that Does Not Do Homework. The fact that these students lack the will, work ethic, or whatever to do homework is incredibly frustrating, and it means that I have only the time in class to give them to practice their skills. It is clear to me after this experience that No Homework is not a good option for my style of teaching.
I think that perhaps I would start of the year with homework most nights, and grading it all very carefully. This way I would build the homework habit, and students would be concerned about doing it. Then I would slowly ease up on the amount of homework assigned and choose to grade only a couple problems, or grade it for completion. This seems to me like a happy medium, but do you think the students would 'catch on' and stop doing the homework? I know that it's not always a priority for students, especially it seems high school students who have all kinds of other drama of relationships, friendships, and more 'real world' issues. So how do we convince students that it's important to do their homework?
On the other hand, I have also often done my homework with little attention to what I was doing, and just done it to be finished. Likewise I have often been in situations, most often in high school, where I knew the material very well, and had to do the busy work of homework. In many of my classes, I did all my learning in class. I also understand how many teachers give their students homework as if their class was the only class, or the most important class.
So what do we do about homework? All things in moderation I suppose. I think it is important that students learn how to do homework. They need to learn how to budget their time and plan ahead so that they can turn in an assignment when it is due, even if they have no little to no time in class to work on it.
I have recently been working in a class that Does Not Do Homework. The fact that these students lack the will, work ethic, or whatever to do homework is incredibly frustrating, and it means that I have only the time in class to give them to practice their skills. It is clear to me after this experience that No Homework is not a good option for my style of teaching.
I think that perhaps I would start of the year with homework most nights, and grading it all very carefully. This way I would build the homework habit, and students would be concerned about doing it. Then I would slowly ease up on the amount of homework assigned and choose to grade only a couple problems, or grade it for completion. This seems to me like a happy medium, but do you think the students would 'catch on' and stop doing the homework? I know that it's not always a priority for students, especially it seems high school students who have all kinds of other drama of relationships, friendships, and more 'real world' issues. So how do we convince students that it's important to do their homework?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pessimism
During my ELL class last week the HR guy from one of the local school districts came in to speak to our class. I think that my professors purpose was to bring in people who could talk about the opportunities for ELL education in Lane County, and discuss what sort of programs existed in this area. However, I felt more like he came in to tell us all that we weren't going to get jobs.
I understand that he was speaking to a class that was focused on teaching strategies designed for working with EL students, specifically the SIOP model, however I'm not sure if he was aware that many of us are not receiving ESOL endorsements, and none of us are receiving SIOP certification from this course, despite the fact that we have spent at least the last five weeks on the protocol.
The message that I received was that if you didn't have an ESOL endorsement or some sort of SPED certification, then that school district probably wouldn't even look at you for a job. And unless you were foreign and bilingual, your chance at getting a job was slim.
So I understand that this is just information from one guy, about one district, but it leaves me significantly less optimistic then I was before, and it also leave me feeling a bit tricked. If EL certification was so important now, why didn't they tell us this back in the summer when we could have done something about it. Why didn't they tell us then that they were going to start requiring it as part of the program, instead of waiting until part of the way through Fall term when it was too late to take the methods course?
I understand that things take time to change, and I can appreciate that, but it seems like the least that they could do is make it so that the ESOL strategies class that we elected to take actually left us with some sort of certification. After having spent a term learning all about SIOP, I feel sort of cheated that I don't have the sort of certification that a person who takes a weekend seminar on SIOP would have simply because our teacher wasn't certified by the company. It comes down to money. Whoever publishes SIOP wants to be paid for letting people teacher their stuff, and someone somewhere at the University decided that the SIOP class wouldn't include an element by a certified SIOP instructor, so I am left with no certification in an area that could mean the difference between me getting a job, or not getting a job.
I guess it's all just making me a bit blue.
I understand that he was speaking to a class that was focused on teaching strategies designed for working with EL students, specifically the SIOP model, however I'm not sure if he was aware that many of us are not receiving ESOL endorsements, and none of us are receiving SIOP certification from this course, despite the fact that we have spent at least the last five weeks on the protocol.
The message that I received was that if you didn't have an ESOL endorsement or some sort of SPED certification, then that school district probably wouldn't even look at you for a job. And unless you were foreign and bilingual, your chance at getting a job was slim.
So I understand that this is just information from one guy, about one district, but it leaves me significantly less optimistic then I was before, and it also leave me feeling a bit tricked. If EL certification was so important now, why didn't they tell us this back in the summer when we could have done something about it. Why didn't they tell us then that they were going to start requiring it as part of the program, instead of waiting until part of the way through Fall term when it was too late to take the methods course?
I understand that things take time to change, and I can appreciate that, but it seems like the least that they could do is make it so that the ESOL strategies class that we elected to take actually left us with some sort of certification. After having spent a term learning all about SIOP, I feel sort of cheated that I don't have the sort of certification that a person who takes a weekend seminar on SIOP would have simply because our teacher wasn't certified by the company. It comes down to money. Whoever publishes SIOP wants to be paid for letting people teacher their stuff, and someone somewhere at the University decided that the SIOP class wouldn't include an element by a certified SIOP instructor, so I am left with no certification in an area that could mean the difference between me getting a job, or not getting a job.
I guess it's all just making me a bit blue.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Things I've learned it's ok to do
Aaron, the primary geometry teacher at A3 is now teaching practically the same unit as I taught right now, to a different group of kids. As she is combating the same issues I ran into, I am pleased to be able to steal the ways with which she is dealing with them. A lot of things that she is doing, I feel like they are things for which I feel as if I need 'permission'. For instance, I need permission to give them lots of extra time, permission to extend the deadlines, permission to give different students with different needs different requirements or levels of expectations, permission to have students retake a quiz if they are unsuccessful. I don't know if it is my background as a good student, or how much time I've spent recently in college, where you are accountable for your own assignments, and have to make things up on your own time, or if these students are particularly challenging (probably a little of each) but I feel like if I have them redo a quiz or something like that, during class time, I'm losing in some way, or giving in. It's apparently a feeling that I need to get over, because it isn't helping my students.
I am also keenly aware of how important time is. More then ever I am happy that as I begin teaching we are beginning to implement the new State Focal points, rather then the multitude of standards. These focal points, if you aren't familiar with them, are a new format of standards, where each year there are three topics that students are expected to master. There are several subtopics, and mini-units within this, but the focus is on mastering several skills, rather then being introduced to many skills. For instance, for 8th grade math the three focal points are:
8 .1 Algebra: Analyze and represent linear functions, and solve linear equations and systems of linear equations .
8 .2 Data Analysis and Algebra: Analyze and summarize data sets .
8 .3 Geometry and Measurement: Analyze two- and three-dimensional
spaces and figures by using distance and angle.
There are 6-8 sub points beneath each, but this is everything that 8th grade math should cover, right there.
The high school focal points have not yet been instated, but I am confidant that focusing on fewer topics, with the goal of mastery, will better serve students, and allow for teachers to feel less rushed.
The other thing that I have been working on is my data analysis from my unit. I am disappointed in a few things. First of all, my average on my post assessment was below passing, not by much, but still below, second, several of the topics that I figured were easy, and spent little time one, the students didn't internalize. Specifically, the fact that the measure of the internal angles of a quadrilateral is 360 degrees. This is my fault, because the fact seemed so obvious to me that besides mentioning it a few times near the beginning of the unit, I hardly focused on it. Likewise, I focused a lot on characteristics, and it showed in the test scores, being one of three objectives that scored a passing average, but students were bored to death. In this new unit that Aaron is teaching (and I am teaching as well, since she has been absent, and I have taught her sub plans), we are focusing less on characteristics specifically, and more on the math symbols used to describe those characteristics, and focusing a lot more on interior angles and solving for them, which helps to integrate problem solving into the unit earlier. I didn't get to actual problem solving until only a few days before the end of the unit.
I guess you could say that the experiences of reteaching/observing the same material, with the same type of students, in the same space immediately after I've taught it is a particularly enlightening learning experience that most people don't get to experience, and I am glad for the opportunity.
I am also keenly aware of how important time is. More then ever I am happy that as I begin teaching we are beginning to implement the new State Focal points, rather then the multitude of standards. These focal points, if you aren't familiar with them, are a new format of standards, where each year there are three topics that students are expected to master. There are several subtopics, and mini-units within this, but the focus is on mastering several skills, rather then being introduced to many skills. For instance, for 8th grade math the three focal points are:
8 .1 Algebra: Analyze and represent linear functions, and solve linear equations and systems of linear equations .
8 .2 Data Analysis and Algebra: Analyze and summarize data sets .
8 .3 Geometry and Measurement: Analyze two- and three-dimensional
spaces and figures by using distance and angle.
There are 6-8 sub points beneath each, but this is everything that 8th grade math should cover, right there.
The high school focal points have not yet been instated, but I am confidant that focusing on fewer topics, with the goal of mastery, will better serve students, and allow for teachers to feel less rushed.
The other thing that I have been working on is my data analysis from my unit. I am disappointed in a few things. First of all, my average on my post assessment was below passing, not by much, but still below, second, several of the topics that I figured were easy, and spent little time one, the students didn't internalize. Specifically, the fact that the measure of the internal angles of a quadrilateral is 360 degrees. This is my fault, because the fact seemed so obvious to me that besides mentioning it a few times near the beginning of the unit, I hardly focused on it. Likewise, I focused a lot on characteristics, and it showed in the test scores, being one of three objectives that scored a passing average, but students were bored to death. In this new unit that Aaron is teaching (and I am teaching as well, since she has been absent, and I have taught her sub plans), we are focusing less on characteristics specifically, and more on the math symbols used to describe those characteristics, and focusing a lot more on interior angles and solving for them, which helps to integrate problem solving into the unit earlier. I didn't get to actual problem solving until only a few days before the end of the unit.
I guess you could say that the experiences of reteaching/observing the same material, with the same type of students, in the same space immediately after I've taught it is a particularly enlightening learning experience that most people don't get to experience, and I am glad for the opportunity.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Old News
I feel a distinct impression of being 'old news' now at A3. Initially (once J Term was over) I received a lot of help, explanation, people told me what was going on. This morning as I came into school, the staff room was deserted, my cooperating teacher was no where to be found. I didn't have anything to prep, since I was finished with my unit and I couldn't find anyone to see if they needed help.
It was a strange feeling. Suddenly I was 'done'. This is particularly concerning because I still have to do my midterm PGA, and a large portion of my School Improvement Project.
I just have this feeling that as far as the school is concerned, I'm old news.
It was a strange feeling. Suddenly I was 'done'. This is particularly concerning because I still have to do my midterm PGA, and a large portion of my School Improvement Project.
I just have this feeling that as far as the school is concerned, I'm old news.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)