The test during 8th period went pretty well. I set my expectations at the beginning of the class. During the test there was no talking until towards the end when people finished up. They did have the cryptogram to work on when they finished the test. If they were talking quietly while they were working on it, I wasn't too annoyed. However, I realized that I shouldn't have any talk at all; regardless of if whether or not they were finished with the test. Honestly, for being the last period of the day, on a Friday, immediately after an assembly and on Halloween, I believe the students did very well behavior-wise. At the end of the period, I was in a decent mood and I gave them a few pieces of candy each. For future reference, I do think I need to be more clear in my expectations and be more strict in enforcing them during tests.
Since today was Halloween, I believe there was a lot of fun spirit in the air. Surprisingly, many students dressed up for Halloween and I think most of the teachers did as well. I was actually not looking foward to giving a test in 8th period. I thought they were going to be rowdy and that no one was going to be able to concentrate. The assembly rallied all the students up via a costume contest. They also played a face painting game in which people who didn't dress up for Halloween got the face painted by people who did dress up. Fortunately, they had lunch after the assembly to cool down and refocus. Overall, the day went really well and I am happy with how the day went.
After school I helped my friend move out of his apartment. His mother was there helping him move out and clean up. I thought it was funny to see them interact the same way they did when we were kids. What she did was snap at him as soon as he started imitating his younger brother. She didn't put up with it back then, nor does she put up with it now. I thought it was cool to see. Anyways, the point is, I think I need to be more like my friend's mom and enforce the rules more strictly and consistently.
About Me
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Consistency = 1 / (Nagging + Frustration)
Today turned out to be a great day despite what happened in 3rd period today. Today we had a quest (as long as a quiz, worth as much as a test). I administered the test in first period with absolutely no difficulty. I started the day with a little classical music. I had them listen to it for a couple of minutes, then I asked them if they wanted me to do a couple last minute problems on the board. I did a couple, then I handed out the quest. As I expected, there was absolutely no talking. If they finished early, I had two cryptograms they could work on, which they all completed. I even gave them some halloween candy and let them go a few minutes early.
Third period did not go so well. I mean, it started off well. I played the music just like 1st period. There was some opera thrown in there, so I had to turn it off. Then I asked if they would like me to do any problems on the board before the quest. No questions. I made sure and I asked them again. Again, no questions. So we began. What happened was that there was some sporadic chatting going on here and there. Now, I know they weren't talking about the test, so I simply reminded them not to talk during the quest. It happened quite a bit and since I was a little tired from a lack of sleep the night before, I wasn't being as strict as I should have been. Plus, a lot of them were asking me how to do the problems. Up to a certain point, I was helping students one at a time which caused me to turn my back to the majority of the class. I almost wanted to create a new and different test for the next class session. Now I know what to do for the next test AND for tomorrow in 8th period. Oh, and I didn't give them candy.
One positive thing that happened at the end of the period was that while I was talking about upgrades and retakes the bell rang. I totally ignored it, but a couple of the students did not. They stood up and I told them to sit down. I think that was remarkable. I do have to give myself a little applause for that.
Immediately after, I called my comfort and support. She simply reinforced the fact that I should have been a lot stricter about talking. She told me about one of her teachers who took a test away from one of her classmates for asking for a pencil a few moments after receiving test. Now I know I have to be strict and follow-through with my specifications. I'm not a fortune-teller or anything, but I guarantee you that tomorrow I am going to take someone's test away.
Third period did not go so well. I mean, it started off well. I played the music just like 1st period. There was some opera thrown in there, so I had to turn it off. Then I asked if they would like me to do any problems on the board before the quest. No questions. I made sure and I asked them again. Again, no questions. So we began. What happened was that there was some sporadic chatting going on here and there. Now, I know they weren't talking about the test, so I simply reminded them not to talk during the quest. It happened quite a bit and since I was a little tired from a lack of sleep the night before, I wasn't being as strict as I should have been. Plus, a lot of them were asking me how to do the problems. Up to a certain point, I was helping students one at a time which caused me to turn my back to the majority of the class. I almost wanted to create a new and different test for the next class session. Now I know what to do for the next test AND for tomorrow in 8th period. Oh, and I didn't give them candy.
One positive thing that happened at the end of the period was that while I was talking about upgrades and retakes the bell rang. I totally ignored it, but a couple of the students did not. They stood up and I told them to sit down. I think that was remarkable. I do have to give myself a little applause for that.
Immediately after, I called my comfort and support. She simply reinforced the fact that I should have been a lot stricter about talking. She told me about one of her teachers who took a test away from one of her classmates for asking for a pencil a few moments after receiving test. Now I know I have to be strict and follow-through with my specifications. I'm not a fortune-teller or anything, but I guarantee you that tomorrow I am going to take someone's test away.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A minute feels like an eternity
Keeping students after class is a discipline that is somewhat controversial. I have played around with the idea in the past. Today, I saw it done the way I think it should be done.
I observed another teacher at our school today and the students were being a little chatty. The teacher said that if they are going to waste his time, he will waste their time after class. He held them for one minute after class. I am not against keeping students after the bell, but it seems like every time I have done it, it was merely for dramatic effect. You see, the teacher's activity did not stop when the bell rang. That is how I believe it should be done. It should be an extention of class.
When I made them stay after, I made them sit quietly for one or two minutes. I also nagged after a few seconds of complete silence. When they sit there quietly, it makes a minute feel like an eternity. When they're finishing up an activity, a minute is nothing. Thinking back, I have not done that in a long time. There has been no need to. I think after I did the first time, the students realzed that I could actually do that and so they don't waste my time as much anymore.
I observed another teacher at our school today and the students were being a little chatty. The teacher said that if they are going to waste his time, he will waste their time after class. He held them for one minute after class. I am not against keeping students after the bell, but it seems like every time I have done it, it was merely for dramatic effect. You see, the teacher's activity did not stop when the bell rang. That is how I believe it should be done. It should be an extention of class.
When I made them stay after, I made them sit quietly for one or two minutes. I also nagged after a few seconds of complete silence. When they sit there quietly, it makes a minute feel like an eternity. When they're finishing up an activity, a minute is nothing. Thinking back, I have not done that in a long time. There has been no need to. I think after I did the first time, the students realzed that I could actually do that and so they don't waste my time as much anymore.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Go with your gut...and what your girlfriend says
Today turned out to be a great day. I did the activity I told you about in periods 1 and 3. I think I pulled it off. I could of however, modeled it before I let them start. In other words, I should have done an example of how I wanted them to solve the problems and sort out the steps. Tomorrow, I will try doing that for 8th period. However, I'm afraid they won't have enough time to complete the activity. We run a little tight on time in both periods today. So much so, 1st period worked on the activity until the bell rang.
While I was brainstorming how to execute the activity with my girlfriend over the weekend, she pointed out that I did not indicate the original problems. In my gut, I agreed with her, but my original plan was to challenge the students and have them pick out the problems and work from there, OR, pick out the solutions and work backwards. After talking to her about it, I decied to give them some time to figure it out on their own and then give them the original problems.
In 1st period, they did say that it was too hard, so I gave them the problems about half way through. Most of the groups finished about half. For 3rd, I gave them the problems at the beginning. All they had to do then was find those problems in the pile and sort out the rest of the steps from there. That turned out to be a little better since most of the groups actually finished or came close. The point is, in both classes, they were working hard to figure out these problems and review for the test.
While I was brainstorming how to execute the activity with my girlfriend over the weekend, she pointed out that I did not indicate the original problems. In my gut, I agreed with her, but my original plan was to challenge the students and have them pick out the problems and work from there, OR, pick out the solutions and work backwards. After talking to her about it, I decied to give them some time to figure it out on their own and then give them the original problems.
In 1st period, they did say that it was too hard, so I gave them the problems about half way through. Most of the groups finished about half. For 3rd, I gave them the problems at the beginning. All they had to do then was find those problems in the pile and sort out the rest of the steps from there. That turned out to be a little better since most of the groups actually finished or came close. The point is, in both classes, they were working hard to figure out these problems and review for the test.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Take what you can get because there is no going back
Today was sort of an easy day. We took the entire freshmen class to the SD Zoo today. I split my advisory into three groups since I had two chaperones. Therefore, I only had to manage 11 students. I consider that much easier than going through all my classes.
I want to flip this intro to a topic we went over in class on Thursday. The topic is taking what you can get because there is no going back. It is derived from one of the 8 Keys of Excellence-"This is it!" Since this is my first year teaching, I need to be taking every bit of advice and using every resource I can find to learn from. While I could be doing more observations and talking to experienced teachers more often, I have been taking advantage of our school resources.
Today, after I got back from the zoo, I finished the activity I have planned for tomorrow and Wednesday. I took 8 different linear equation problems, made 7 sets, laminated them on construction paper, then cut them out into the individual steps. The game for tomorrow and Wednesday is for the students to take the whole pile all mixed up and put them back together.
They're laminated, so guess what, you can use them over and over again. You can also make different sets for different concepts in the future. Just make sure you find a TA to help you because the work can be a bit monotonous. Plus, it's called a laminator, not a lamitor.
I want to flip this intro to a topic we went over in class on Thursday. The topic is taking what you can get because there is no going back. It is derived from one of the 8 Keys of Excellence-"This is it!" Since this is my first year teaching, I need to be taking every bit of advice and using every resource I can find to learn from. While I could be doing more observations and talking to experienced teachers more often, I have been taking advantage of our school resources.
Today, after I got back from the zoo, I finished the activity I have planned for tomorrow and Wednesday. I took 8 different linear equation problems, made 7 sets, laminated them on construction paper, then cut them out into the individual steps. The game for tomorrow and Wednesday is for the students to take the whole pile all mixed up and put them back together.
They're laminated, so guess what, you can use them over and over again. You can also make different sets for different concepts in the future. Just make sure you find a TA to help you because the work can be a bit monotonous. Plus, it's called a laminator, not a lamitor.
Friday, October 24, 2008
More frontend work, less backend work
I think I am starting to get in the groove of planning. According to my supervisor, my planning is really developed and I have a good idea of what is coming up week to week.
Today I spent 10 hours at work. About 4 hours of it was spent prepping for next week and I am not even done. I am doing a review activity on solving linear equations. The prepping included a lot of cutting, laminating and more cutting. Today, during 4th and 6th periods, I was in the upper admin building using the big paper cutter; you know, the one with the big swinging blade. The principal walked up behind me and said "Hi Eric!". I was astonished. She knows my name! I replied "Hi Carla". Then I went to advisory, lunch and 8th period. After 8th period, I had detention supervision. After that, I continued cutting with the big paper cutter. The prinicipal comes in shortly after and asks "What are you still doing here?!" She said it in a jokingly manner. I told her that I hadn't been there the entire time.
On the topic of taking as much in as possible, I was talking to an experienced teacher while I was cutting about projects and lesson plans. She started the conversation by asking if there was an easier way. I told her using the cutting was the easiest way I can think of. Then I told her the plan was to prep a lot on the frontend and not do as much work during the activity. Plus, I can lend these materials I am creating to other teachers and use them in future years.
Lastly, I don't think I would have gone so many hours if I wasn't so excited about Priscilla coming down. She is here now and staying for the weekend. During that time, I am going to try to do more work; including posting grades on my lily pad like I promised my students. Hopefully she will help.
Today I spent 10 hours at work. About 4 hours of it was spent prepping for next week and I am not even done. I am doing a review activity on solving linear equations. The prepping included a lot of cutting, laminating and more cutting. Today, during 4th and 6th periods, I was in the upper admin building using the big paper cutter; you know, the one with the big swinging blade. The principal walked up behind me and said "Hi Eric!". I was astonished. She knows my name! I replied "Hi Carla". Then I went to advisory, lunch and 8th period. After 8th period, I had detention supervision. After that, I continued cutting with the big paper cutter. The prinicipal comes in shortly after and asks "What are you still doing here?!" She said it in a jokingly manner. I told her that I hadn't been there the entire time.
On the topic of taking as much in as possible, I was talking to an experienced teacher while I was cutting about projects and lesson plans. She started the conversation by asking if there was an easier way. I told her using the cutting was the easiest way I can think of. Then I told her the plan was to prep a lot on the frontend and not do as much work during the activity. Plus, I can lend these materials I am creating to other teachers and use them in future years.
Lastly, I don't think I would have gone so many hours if I wasn't so excited about Priscilla coming down. She is here now and staying for the weekend. During that time, I am going to try to do more work; including posting grades on my lily pad like I promised my students. Hopefully she will help.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Think positive because it is positive
Today I realized how sweet and innocent my 6th graders are. They are so cute in asking me if they can do the littlest things. "Can I get a drink of water?" when the fountain is only 10 feet away. "Can I check my e-mail?" when they are already on the computer. "Can I read over there?" when there is no seating chart. These are all questions they asked me today. This almost makes me consider being an elementary school teacher. Almost.
This is the MET class I am talking about. I just got this rotation of students two weeks ago. Today we had a tutorial day. I let them work on their homework for the first hour and free time for the last 30 minutes. These students come in to my class today a little rowdy. This is because they had just gotten out of advisory. In our middle school, the advisory classes allow the students to run amuck. This is partly the reason why it took me so long to get my advisory (9th graders) to the point where they are now. But that is a different story. Anyways, they run amuck in advisory, then come to my class with an elevated heart rate. This gets them all excited and it takes a few minutes to calm them down. After they calm down, they are the sweetest kids ever.
They give me the energy I need to make it through the day. Today in particular I went into 7th period a little tired. But afterwards, I came out of class pretty energetic and pumped up for class tonight. In this case, I can truly say that I am excited for 7th period and that I am happy to be there.
This is the MET class I am talking about. I just got this rotation of students two weeks ago. Today we had a tutorial day. I let them work on their homework for the first hour and free time for the last 30 minutes. These students come in to my class today a little rowdy. This is because they had just gotten out of advisory. In our middle school, the advisory classes allow the students to run amuck. This is partly the reason why it took me so long to get my advisory (9th graders) to the point where they are now. But that is a different story. Anyways, they run amuck in advisory, then come to my class with an elevated heart rate. This gets them all excited and it takes a few minutes to calm them down. After they calm down, they are the sweetest kids ever.
They give me the energy I need to make it through the day. Today in particular I went into 7th period a little tired. But afterwards, I came out of class pretty energetic and pumped up for class tonight. In this case, I can truly say that I am excited for 7th period and that I am happy to be there.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Keep your cool, don't engage in confrontations
Today was a bit of an off day. Today, I came back after being off on Monday. Apparently, one of my students did not behave for the substitute. She was given a detention for playing with glitter glue and not putting it away after being asked to put it away several times. The sub, who is another math teacher, wrote her a detention slip after class. So today, I had to give it to the student. However, she would not sign it. I did engage in a little confrontation with her, but I managed to cut it short. I ended up tearing up that detention slip up and giving her two detentions for not following directions. She said she wouldn't sign it because what the teacher said was not true.
I wish I had done 2 things differently: 1) give her the slip before or after class and 2) instead of engaging in the confrontation, give her the option of signing it or taking the 2 detentions for not following directions.
In the end, I think it ended well. She wasn't too mad at the end of the period. She was more scared that she would get in trouble at home for having to stay after school. The weird thing is that even after this incident, this student still acted the way she normally does; talking to me about her upcoming quinceanera for example. I would have assumed that she was going to start an even bigger confrontation. But no, she accepted the punishment and I continued on with class.
I wish I had done 2 things differently: 1) give her the slip before or after class and 2) instead of engaging in the confrontation, give her the option of signing it or taking the 2 detentions for not following directions.
In the end, I think it ended well. She wasn't too mad at the end of the period. She was more scared that she would get in trouble at home for having to stay after school. The weird thing is that even after this incident, this student still acted the way she normally does; talking to me about her upcoming quinceanera for example. I would have assumed that she was going to start an even bigger confrontation. But no, she accepted the punishment and I continued on with class.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Retelling stories for comprehension, explaining problems for understanding
Today went pretty well. I did an activity in Algebra I called Four Tutors. This one I picked up from a teacher at the Preuss School. During the period, while students are working on what I call "On Your Own" problems, or "OYO's", I check to see which students are doing them with ease (check for understanding). I also check to see which students are able to do them with a little guided practice. Then I pick 4 students to be the "tutors" from those two groups. I give them each a card with a problem similar to the problems we just went over on one side and the answer on the other. Then the tutors situate themselves around the room and the other students go around to each one with a sheet with 4 squares. The goal is for the students to solve all four problems in the allotted time. The tutors are chosen to assist the students in solving the problems.
I think this activity went pretty well. One reason why I think it went well was because we have done this activity before. One reason how I can tell it went well was because one student who needed some guided practice in solving the problems before was able to explain how to solve the problem to the students during the activity.
I think this is important because being able to explain a problem to another person reinforces the student's understanding of the problem and the ability to solve it.
This connects to what we learned in class tonight. We learned that retelling stories reinforces an English learner's comprehension of English. Also, retelling stories (or in a math class: how to solve problems) in an individual or small group setting is less intimidating than doing so in front of the entire class. The four tutors activity allows students to demonstrate their understanding without going up to the board and explaining a problem to the class.
I think this activity went pretty well. One reason why I think it went well was because we have done this activity before. One reason how I can tell it went well was because one student who needed some guided practice in solving the problems before was able to explain how to solve the problem to the students during the activity.
I think this is important because being able to explain a problem to another person reinforces the student's understanding of the problem and the ability to solve it.
This connects to what we learned in class tonight. We learned that retelling stories reinforces an English learner's comprehension of English. Also, retelling stories (or in a math class: how to solve problems) in an individual or small group setting is less intimidating than doing so in front of the entire class. The four tutors activity allows students to demonstrate their understanding without going up to the board and explaining a problem to the class.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Don't plan the plan if you can't follow through
Finally it fits! The title is a lyric from the song "A Man's Gotta Do" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
So today I took the day off. I called in sick. I felt I needed another day of rest before I started the week. I actually rested and feel a whole lot better now. However, I did mess up with something I am supposed to do everytime I take the day off; sub plans.
Don't get me wrong. I did do them. In fact, I spent about 2 hours doing them yesterday. Then I sent the e-mail to the school last night. However, when I checked my e-mail this afternoon, I realized I forgot to attach the document. I was so upset at myself. I spent those 2 hours on Sunday for nothing. Anyways, another learning experience this is.
On a positive note, I spent my day off at my alma mater, Holtville High School. I observed 3 math teachers; one of whom was my 7th grade math and geometry teacher. That was quite an experience. The 3 teachers all had their own teaching styles. The classes were completely different. I observed a geometry class, algebra I class, then math analysis.
Observing the algebra I class strengthened my desire to move a little faster. Their class is already learning the slope-intercept form of equations and we're just learning how to solve multi-step, single-variable equations. Then again, I don't know the details of his pacing. He could be jumping around for all I know.
Besides that, I ran into some people I know from school. That's always nice.
Lastly, I want to close with something one of the teachers told me. He told me to do as many observations as I can: take what you can get, steal some ideas and try them for yourself.
So today I took the day off. I called in sick. I felt I needed another day of rest before I started the week. I actually rested and feel a whole lot better now. However, I did mess up with something I am supposed to do everytime I take the day off; sub plans.
Don't get me wrong. I did do them. In fact, I spent about 2 hours doing them yesterday. Then I sent the e-mail to the school last night. However, when I checked my e-mail this afternoon, I realized I forgot to attach the document. I was so upset at myself. I spent those 2 hours on Sunday for nothing. Anyways, another learning experience this is.
On a positive note, I spent my day off at my alma mater, Holtville High School. I observed 3 math teachers; one of whom was my 7th grade math and geometry teacher. That was quite an experience. The 3 teachers all had their own teaching styles. The classes were completely different. I observed a geometry class, algebra I class, then math analysis.
Observing the algebra I class strengthened my desire to move a little faster. Their class is already learning the slope-intercept form of equations and we're just learning how to solve multi-step, single-variable equations. Then again, I don't know the details of his pacing. He could be jumping around for all I know.
Besides that, I ran into some people I know from school. That's always nice.
Lastly, I want to close with something one of the teachers told me. He told me to do as many observations as I can: take what you can get, steal some ideas and try them for yourself.
Friday, October 17, 2008
A lesson is like a vector, it needs a magnitude and a direction
So nothing extraordinary happened today. Therefore, I am going to talk about my lesson plans this week. It's really cool because I do the same thing every two days. That means every two days, I have a new lesson plan and I don't have to worry about writing one Thursday night.
Well, this week, both my plans were not followed through. I blame my own overambition. However, like my UCSD supervisor says, it is better than falling short. It's worse standing in the front of the class not knowing what to do next than it is overplanning.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I planned a lot. I sort of knew it beforehand, but I created a unit plan that I wanted to finish by Thanksgiving break. I planned to go over how to take notes, how to do homework, the addition property of equality and the multiplication property of equality. I got through the addition property with some time left, but not enough to complete the multiplication property. That was fine because there was a clear transition between the two and it wasn't a weird place to stop. So I had them start the homework. I postponed the multiplication prop. until Thursday/Friday.
On Thursday/Friday, I planned on teaching them how to do equations involving both properties together and working on their small business project. However, I changed my plan to cover the multiplication property and their SBP. Well, again, I overplanned and only got through the multiplication property. Now I'm about one day behind in my unit plan. I'm going to have to rethink that this weekend.
Anyways, I'm still learning how to create plans that work out time-wise. However, it's hard to predict what will happen in the classroom. It is better though, to overplan than it is to fall short. So, make the best use out of your time and plan a lot of things to do. If you don't finish, there is always tomorrow.
Well, this week, both my plans were not followed through. I blame my own overambition. However, like my UCSD supervisor says, it is better than falling short. It's worse standing in the front of the class not knowing what to do next than it is overplanning.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I planned a lot. I sort of knew it beforehand, but I created a unit plan that I wanted to finish by Thanksgiving break. I planned to go over how to take notes, how to do homework, the addition property of equality and the multiplication property of equality. I got through the addition property with some time left, but not enough to complete the multiplication property. That was fine because there was a clear transition between the two and it wasn't a weird place to stop. So I had them start the homework. I postponed the multiplication prop. until Thursday/Friday.
On Thursday/Friday, I planned on teaching them how to do equations involving both properties together and working on their small business project. However, I changed my plan to cover the multiplication property and their SBP. Well, again, I overplanned and only got through the multiplication property. Now I'm about one day behind in my unit plan. I'm going to have to rethink that this weekend.
Anyways, I'm still learning how to create plans that work out time-wise. However, it's hard to predict what will happen in the classroom. It is better though, to overplan than it is to fall short. So, make the best use out of your time and plan a lot of things to do. If you don't finish, there is always tomorrow.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
New unit, new seating chart, new attitude
Until this week, I had let my 3rd period sit wherever they wanted. There was no seating chart. On Tuesday, I started a new unit, so I wanted to do things a little differently this time around. The new seating chart seemed to have worked on Tuesday. Today, it was even more apparent to me that the seating chart improved their behavor.
Of course, other factors play into this; parent conferences for example. I separated two girls because both their mothers said they get especially distracted by each other. You can imagine they did not like that idea. I had no problems with them talking at all this week though.
The striking event that happened today was that one of my students pointed out that the class today is going very well. He hypothesized that this could have been the best class [behavior-wise] ever. Then he said that it probably had something to do with the seating chart. Then he said "You really put a lot of thought into it, didn't you mister?" I did, I really did.
Also, today my UCSD supervisor came in to observe me. He was sitting in the back of the room. He also noticed a big improvement in the students' behavior. In his observation notes, he said "They are much more focused (most of the time, other than the occasional ice cream and myspace talk). And the side talking is almost not here at all."
This is good news because I do want my students to learn. I do want them to see that I put a lot of thought and effort in my plans and actions. And I do want to be successful in my first year of teaching.
Of course, other factors play into this; parent conferences for example. I separated two girls because both their mothers said they get especially distracted by each other. You can imagine they did not like that idea. I had no problems with them talking at all this week though.
The striking event that happened today was that one of my students pointed out that the class today is going very well. He hypothesized that this could have been the best class [behavior-wise] ever. Then he said that it probably had something to do with the seating chart. Then he said "You really put a lot of thought into it, didn't you mister?" I did, I really did.
Also, today my UCSD supervisor came in to observe me. He was sitting in the back of the room. He also noticed a big improvement in the students' behavior. In his observation notes, he said "They are much more focused (most of the time, other than the occasional ice cream and myspace talk). And the side talking is almost not here at all."
This is good news because I do want my students to learn. I do want them to see that I put a lot of thought and effort in my plans and actions. And I do want to be successful in my first year of teaching.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Keep your parents informed part 2
So today something remarkable happened in tutoring. The participation rate tripled. I had about 6 students show up. One had to make up an exam. 3 were working on the current homework assignment. One was making up a project. One was working on Spanish homework. Do you know why so many students showed up? Because of the parent conferences.
After parent conferences, not only does attitude and behavior improve; so does their effort. A couple of the students were a little upset at the fact that they were still in a classroom after school, but I don't think they can hold that against me. In fact, they were blaming their own mothers. I was jokingly threatening to call their mothers and they shouted "NO!" with panicky undertones. To be honest, this made me a little happy. Now I can threaten to call their mothers.
What another teacher at the school does is he makes his students line up to call their parents if they missed an assignment. He makes them read off a script he wrote on the board. Something to the effect of "I'm calling you because I didn't turn in my work". To me that sounds a little harsh, but I've heard it's gotten positive results. I'm not saying that I have been considering doing that, but I know it's something I can resort to if needed.
So I want to close by reiterating that it is utterly important to keep your parents informed. They help you tremendously by making sure they do what they are supposed to be doing at home and making them stay after school. I have been more susceptible to call home on a regular basis. I also regret not doing it earlier in the school year. Next year, I will definitely open up with that.
After parent conferences, not only does attitude and behavior improve; so does their effort. A couple of the students were a little upset at the fact that they were still in a classroom after school, but I don't think they can hold that against me. In fact, they were blaming their own mothers. I was jokingly threatening to call their mothers and they shouted "NO!" with panicky undertones. To be honest, this made me a little happy. Now I can threaten to call their mothers.
What another teacher at the school does is he makes his students line up to call their parents if they missed an assignment. He makes them read off a script he wrote on the board. Something to the effect of "I'm calling you because I didn't turn in my work". To me that sounds a little harsh, but I've heard it's gotten positive results. I'm not saying that I have been considering doing that, but I know it's something I can resort to if needed.
So I want to close by reiterating that it is utterly important to keep your parents informed. They help you tremendously by making sure they do what they are supposed to be doing at home and making them stay after school. I have been more susceptible to call home on a regular basis. I also regret not doing it earlier in the school year. Next year, I will definitely open up with that.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tangents, fires and 6th graders
Today I want to talk about tangents. I don't mean the kind of tangent that is a line which intersects a circle at one point. I'm talking about the digression from one topic to another.
Today started like any Tuesday or Thursday, except on Tuesdays, I don't have traffic duty. 1st period Algebra I, 3rd period Algebra I, 5th period prep and 7th period MET. In 3rd period, during my lecture, the class went on a tangent after one student blurted out "Did you see the fires?" She was refering to the fires in Oceanside. These students live right around there, so of course, they all started getting into the conversation. Immediately I had to redirect their focus back to me.
In MET, something similar happened. Firstly, I've been meaning to talk about MET. I like this class because it's very different than the traditional math class; any class for that matter. MET stands for Math, English and Technology. The students enrolled in the class rotate between the three subjects every five weeks. Today, I got a new set of students. They are sixth graders! I was so surprised. Of course I got the roster last week, but I hadn't looked at it until 7th period. These sixth graders are awesome. They're as energetic as my 9th graders, but their energy is very positive. They are eager to learn, listen and do pretty much whatever the teacher says. 6th grade teachers, I envy you.
Anyways, since it was the first day with them, I introduced and told them a little about myself. While I was telling them about myself, I told them that I was a college advisor in college. They started asking me about college. I could see that they all had some sort of interest in going to college, or at least in a career that requires college. This tangent I was okay with. It was actually related to what I was talking about. Plus, it showed me that I may be able to use my knowledge of college admissions with them. After we refocused, I did an introductory activity with them.
I did an activity called "About You". I had them write down their name on a piece of paper. Then I had them write 2 things about themselves that are commom; e.g. I have a dog. Then I had them write down 1 thing about themselves that is unique; e.g. I speak 3 languages. Next, they hand them in and stand up. I start reading off the 3 things. After the first one, the people with which the statement does not relate sit down. Same after the second and the third. The idea is that the only person standing is the person whose paper it belongs to. The activity allows me and the rest of the class get to know the students.
Despite the tangent in each of those classes, I did manage to complete everything I meant to complete. However, I believe I can use some sort of verbal cue other than my "quiet down and listen up" to redirect the students' attention back to my lesson. I could also use a non-verbal cue. I don't have one at all as of right now. I have been toying with my electronic timer. I think I'll use it tomorrow with 8th period and let you know how it goes.
Today started like any Tuesday or Thursday, except on Tuesdays, I don't have traffic duty. 1st period Algebra I, 3rd period Algebra I, 5th period prep and 7th period MET. In 3rd period, during my lecture, the class went on a tangent after one student blurted out "Did you see the fires?" She was refering to the fires in Oceanside. These students live right around there, so of course, they all started getting into the conversation. Immediately I had to redirect their focus back to me.
In MET, something similar happened. Firstly, I've been meaning to talk about MET. I like this class because it's very different than the traditional math class; any class for that matter. MET stands for Math, English and Technology. The students enrolled in the class rotate between the three subjects every five weeks. Today, I got a new set of students. They are sixth graders! I was so surprised. Of course I got the roster last week, but I hadn't looked at it until 7th period. These sixth graders are awesome. They're as energetic as my 9th graders, but their energy is very positive. They are eager to learn, listen and do pretty much whatever the teacher says. 6th grade teachers, I envy you.
Anyways, since it was the first day with them, I introduced and told them a little about myself. While I was telling them about myself, I told them that I was a college advisor in college. They started asking me about college. I could see that they all had some sort of interest in going to college, or at least in a career that requires college. This tangent I was okay with. It was actually related to what I was talking about. Plus, it showed me that I may be able to use my knowledge of college admissions with them. After we refocused, I did an introductory activity with them.
I did an activity called "About You". I had them write down their name on a piece of paper. Then I had them write 2 things about themselves that are commom; e.g. I have a dog. Then I had them write down 1 thing about themselves that is unique; e.g. I speak 3 languages. Next, they hand them in and stand up. I start reading off the 3 things. After the first one, the people with which the statement does not relate sit down. Same after the second and the third. The idea is that the only person standing is the person whose paper it belongs to. The activity allows me and the rest of the class get to know the students.
Despite the tangent in each of those classes, I did manage to complete everything I meant to complete. However, I believe I can use some sort of verbal cue other than my "quiet down and listen up" to redirect the students' attention back to my lesson. I could also use a non-verbal cue. I don't have one at all as of right now. I have been toying with my electronic timer. I think I'll use it tomorrow with 8th period and let you know how it goes.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Finding an appropriate time and place to finish your work
It's funny how walking up the stairs, my first thing to do was write this blog when, in fact, I almost went to bed before doing it.
Why did I almost forget? I was busy prepping for tomorrow and Wednesday. My prep includes writing my lesson plan and completing the PowerPoint presentation. I did it here because I wasn't able to do it at work today. The day was spent in more parent-teacher conferences and professional development. I bearly had enough time to eat. I did manage to run the copies of the homework assignment and other handouts I need for tomorrow and Wednesday.
I did start off on the right foot by keeping a list of things I need to do. I just didn't have one period of time that was long enough to finish it all. I had sporadic, short periods of time in between the conferences and the meetings. What I really needed was a place to myself for a couple of hours to finish my prep. I'm sure if I had that, I would have finished at work and wouldn't have to do it at home.
Why did I almost forget? I was busy prepping for tomorrow and Wednesday. My prep includes writing my lesson plan and completing the PowerPoint presentation. I did it here because I wasn't able to do it at work today. The day was spent in more parent-teacher conferences and professional development. I bearly had enough time to eat. I did manage to run the copies of the homework assignment and other handouts I need for tomorrow and Wednesday.
I did start off on the right foot by keeping a list of things I need to do. I just didn't have one period of time that was long enough to finish it all. I had sporadic, short periods of time in between the conferences and the meetings. What I really needed was a place to myself for a couple of hours to finish my prep. I'm sure if I had that, I would have finished at work and wouldn't have to do it at home.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Keep your parents informed
Today was nothing but parent-teacher conferences. I had 13 total and 11 of them showed up. That was pretty good considering I only expected half.
One event was that a Spanish-speaking parent of one of my students was there with her son and met with 4 of us. The whole time she seemed disconnected or uninterested until I started talking. Even though her son was able to translate for her, hearing me talk in Spanish opened up a channel she didn't get with the 3 other teachers. She was looking up at me and asking me questions. In other words, she was actively engaged in a conversation with me rather than being talked to. Also, at this point, I had gotten through talking to 2 other Spanish-speakers. I was getting increasingly better at it. I felt good after the last conference.
Anyways, what I learned today was that as a large group of stakeholders in our school, it is important to keep parents informed. I would say our school does a pretty good job of giving our parents opportunities to be informed. However, unless we are proactive in getting the message across to them, they will not get it. The trend is that students greatly improve in those aspects after phone calls and conferences. Keeping parents informed helps us by having their support in completing homework and their behavior in class.
One event was that a Spanish-speaking parent of one of my students was there with her son and met with 4 of us. The whole time she seemed disconnected or uninterested until I started talking. Even though her son was able to translate for her, hearing me talk in Spanish opened up a channel she didn't get with the 3 other teachers. She was looking up at me and asking me questions. In other words, she was actively engaged in a conversation with me rather than being talked to. Also, at this point, I had gotten through talking to 2 other Spanish-speakers. I was getting increasingly better at it. I felt good after the last conference.
Anyways, what I learned today was that as a large group of stakeholders in our school, it is important to keep parents informed. I would say our school does a pretty good job of giving our parents opportunities to be informed. However, unless we are proactive in getting the message across to them, they will not get it. The trend is that students greatly improve in those aspects after phone calls and conferences. Keeping parents informed helps us by having their support in completing homework and their behavior in class.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Don't be afraid to ask for help, Part II
Now we're in advisory. Yesterday, I had asked my house leader to sit-in my advisory because I felt things get a little out of hand. I wanted him to observe and give me some feedback. Worrying about advisory has made me a little stressed. These students are used to not doing anything during advisory. This is because in middle school, advisory wasn't as structured. They didn't receive a letter grade and, according to the students, the teachers let them do whatever they want. Well high school is very different and some of them still don't realize it. I try to follow the house plan as much as possible. Tuesday is the teacher day. I get to teach what I want to them. Wednesdays and Thursdays are tutorial days. These are their days to do work from other classes. Fridays are fun days. Currently, we are engaged in a kickball tournament. Next week, my advisory gets to play.
So today was a tutorial day. The reason I asked my house leader to sit-in was to give me some feedback on what I can do differently with these students. Surprisingly, advisory went a lot better than I was expecting. Either they are starting to get it, or the fact that the house leader was in the room casued them to be more hospitable. Today I had some students from my math classes come in for help, so I helped them. After advisory, I let them go for lunch.
When I met with my house leader afterwards, he said I am doing just fine. In fact, he saw things in my class going a lot better than what he has seen in other classes. This feedback was such a relief to me. It also caused me to wonder if I am setting too high standards for my students. But now I have something to compare the following days with.
After lunch is the last period of the day; Period 7. This is my MET class. MET stands for Math, English, Technology. It is a remedial class for the students to fortify their skills. The students are in four groups and rotate around the classes every 5 weeks. As you may have guessed, I am the math teacher. So this is my 2nd group of students. By the way, these are 8th graders. That's what makes me both a middle school and high school teacher. This class is pretty chill. All we do is tutorials. I help them with their work. When they finish their work, they are free to play on the computers and I am free to do some of my work.
Today, however, I did something I wish I hadn't done. I received some disheartening news in an email and caused me to because a little upset. I ended up lashing out on a student because I was reading the email and a student was trying to tell me about his day. First of all, let me say I am really really ashamed for what I did. I brought something in from my personal life, showed that it affected my emotically, and took it out on a student. Now let me say that he half-deserved it. The instructions were clear: take out some work and work on it, if you don't have work, take out a book and read it, if you don't have a book, play one of the math games. He was just sitting there doing nothing. At the end of the period, I brought them back inside, told them they that they did a great job today, asked them to put up their chairs and let them go about 5 minutes early.
Oh but wait, the day isn't over yet. We have parent teacher conferences, remember? I had to really remind myself after forgetting about the conferences on Monday. Oh, by the way, other teachers, thanks for calling me and reminding me. J/K. Most of them didn't show up anyways. Anyways, today's conferences went pretty well. Informing the parents of their child's progress is really important because most of the time, the students don't tell their parents how they are doing. The parents don't find out until progress reports are mailed out. Then the wonder why their child isn't doing so well. Thus, parent-teacher conferences. Plus, it's a good chance for me to practice my Spanish. Overall, they went pretty well. It was my first set of conferences. At first I didn't know what I was getting to. Now that I got a couple out of the way, I feel confident about stepping into the next set of conferences.
Lastly, I want to briefly talk about class tonight (I'm talking about grad school class). In class we learned that asking for help from veteran teachers is important. That was the very thing I asked of my house teacher yesterday; help. It's comforting to know that I have made some connections between what we're learning in the Education Studies program and my actual teaching practices.
So today was a tutorial day. The reason I asked my house leader to sit-in was to give me some feedback on what I can do differently with these students. Surprisingly, advisory went a lot better than I was expecting. Either they are starting to get it, or the fact that the house leader was in the room casued them to be more hospitable. Today I had some students from my math classes come in for help, so I helped them. After advisory, I let them go for lunch.
When I met with my house leader afterwards, he said I am doing just fine. In fact, he saw things in my class going a lot better than what he has seen in other classes. This feedback was such a relief to me. It also caused me to wonder if I am setting too high standards for my students. But now I have something to compare the following days with.
After lunch is the last period of the day; Period 7. This is my MET class. MET stands for Math, English, Technology. It is a remedial class for the students to fortify their skills. The students are in four groups and rotate around the classes every 5 weeks. As you may have guessed, I am the math teacher. So this is my 2nd group of students. By the way, these are 8th graders. That's what makes me both a middle school and high school teacher. This class is pretty chill. All we do is tutorials. I help them with their work. When they finish their work, they are free to play on the computers and I am free to do some of my work.
Today, however, I did something I wish I hadn't done. I received some disheartening news in an email and caused me to because a little upset. I ended up lashing out on a student because I was reading the email and a student was trying to tell me about his day. First of all, let me say I am really really ashamed for what I did. I brought something in from my personal life, showed that it affected my emotically, and took it out on a student. Now let me say that he half-deserved it. The instructions were clear: take out some work and work on it, if you don't have work, take out a book and read it, if you don't have a book, play one of the math games. He was just sitting there doing nothing. At the end of the period, I brought them back inside, told them they that they did a great job today, asked them to put up their chairs and let them go about 5 minutes early.
Oh but wait, the day isn't over yet. We have parent teacher conferences, remember? I had to really remind myself after forgetting about the conferences on Monday. Oh, by the way, other teachers, thanks for calling me and reminding me. J/K. Most of them didn't show up anyways. Anyways, today's conferences went pretty well. Informing the parents of their child's progress is really important because most of the time, the students don't tell their parents how they are doing. The parents don't find out until progress reports are mailed out. Then the wonder why their child isn't doing so well. Thus, parent-teacher conferences. Plus, it's a good chance for me to practice my Spanish. Overall, they went pretty well. It was my first set of conferences. At first I didn't know what I was getting to. Now that I got a couple out of the way, I feel confident about stepping into the next set of conferences.
Lastly, I want to briefly talk about class tonight (I'm talking about grad school class). In class we learned that asking for help from veteran teachers is important. That was the very thing I asked of my house teacher yesterday; help. It's comforting to know that I have made some connections between what we're learning in the Education Studies program and my actual teaching practices.
Don't be afraid to ask for help, Part I
As a first-year teacher, one thing I try to do is get as much help as possible from veteran teachers. I recommend this to anyone who has started something new.
Today started off pretty well; the usual Thursday. I got to work early. I did my traffic duty. Then, when the bell rang, I went to the classroom to get ready for class. On Thursday mornings from 7:15-7:35, I stand by the traffic lane, where students get dropped off, making sure the cars keep moving. Pretty boring. After that I'm off to Period 1 (Algebra I). I set up my laptop and the ceiling-mounted projector for the instructions. What we did was a reading comprehension activity on an article about student enrollment in public schools. That went pretty well. "What does that have to do with Algebra" you might ask. It doesn't have anything to do with Algebra. Well, there was a graph portraying the student enrollment levels for the past 6 six in the San Diego Unified School District, but that wasn't the point. The point was to teach students how to read informational texts. Believe it or not, math teachers are reading teachers too.
The activity is called Think, Predict, Read, Connect. First they talk about what they think they know about student enrollment in groups. Then they write it down on a cool little worksheet I handed out. Then I told them the name of the article and told them to predict which ideas they thought of will be in the article. They read the text. Then they made connections between themselves and the article. Making connections is the key. It helps them create a better understanding of what they just read.
They next activity was pretty fun. We played Syllabus Jeopardy. Just like it Period 8 yesterday. Only this time (Period 1) we finished the game just in time.
Period 3 on the other hand didn't go as I had planned. It turned into a class discussion, which is okay with me as long as they read and make connections. A few of the students started ranting about how schools only care about student enrollment for the money. They asked me how I felt, but I tried to stay out of the discussion. Because they were getting in a discussion, I gave them more time on it. That time, however, bled into the time I had set for Jeopardy. Needless to say, we didn't finish. This was partly because of the overtime in the discussion and the messed up projector. For Period 3, I use another teacher's classroom and in his classroom, there is a shotty little LCD projector on a cart. It was working completely fine until a started Jeopardy. I was really irritated because it would have made Jeopardy a lot more fun for the students. On the other hand, I think I figured out the problem. See, it has been crapping out for a long time now. I think the projector overheats. We have long blocks, so they are on for long periods at a time. The ceiling-mounted projectors are of a much higher quality. It would make things a whole lot easier if we had one in there. Especially because I like using PowerPoint. Anyways, what I do on PowerPoint, I can do on the board. So I continued the game on the board. So we didn't finish, nor was it visually stimulating for the students, but that's okay. It wasn't a complete bust. Now on to prep.
Period 5 is another prep. I have 3 prep periods because I am an intern teacher. I teach 3 Algebra I classes, 1 MET class (I'll explain what that is later) and I have one collaboration period with the other 9th grade teachers. So 3 preps, 3 Algebra I classes, 1 MET and 1 collaboration makes 8 periods.
Half way through this prep, there was a fire alarm. Last week we just had a fire drill and last Tuesday, I went over emergency procedures with my advisory students, so I thought it was another drill. It was in fact a real fire drill. So after standing under the warm sun for nearly half an hour, we found out it was merely a piece of sawdust that flew into smoke detector.
Now off to advisory...
I think at this point I should stop and finish in a new post because it might be just as long.
Today started off pretty well; the usual Thursday. I got to work early. I did my traffic duty. Then, when the bell rang, I went to the classroom to get ready for class. On Thursday mornings from 7:15-7:35, I stand by the traffic lane, where students get dropped off, making sure the cars keep moving. Pretty boring. After that I'm off to Period 1 (Algebra I). I set up my laptop and the ceiling-mounted projector for the instructions. What we did was a reading comprehension activity on an article about student enrollment in public schools. That went pretty well. "What does that have to do with Algebra" you might ask. It doesn't have anything to do with Algebra. Well, there was a graph portraying the student enrollment levels for the past 6 six in the San Diego Unified School District, but that wasn't the point. The point was to teach students how to read informational texts. Believe it or not, math teachers are reading teachers too.
The activity is called Think, Predict, Read, Connect. First they talk about what they think they know about student enrollment in groups. Then they write it down on a cool little worksheet I handed out. Then I told them the name of the article and told them to predict which ideas they thought of will be in the article. They read the text. Then they made connections between themselves and the article. Making connections is the key. It helps them create a better understanding of what they just read.
They next activity was pretty fun. We played Syllabus Jeopardy. Just like it Period 8 yesterday. Only this time (Period 1) we finished the game just in time.
Period 3 on the other hand didn't go as I had planned. It turned into a class discussion, which is okay with me as long as they read and make connections. A few of the students started ranting about how schools only care about student enrollment for the money. They asked me how I felt, but I tried to stay out of the discussion. Because they were getting in a discussion, I gave them more time on it. That time, however, bled into the time I had set for Jeopardy. Needless to say, we didn't finish. This was partly because of the overtime in the discussion and the messed up projector. For Period 3, I use another teacher's classroom and in his classroom, there is a shotty little LCD projector on a cart. It was working completely fine until a started Jeopardy. I was really irritated because it would have made Jeopardy a lot more fun for the students. On the other hand, I think I figured out the problem. See, it has been crapping out for a long time now. I think the projector overheats. We have long blocks, so they are on for long periods at a time. The ceiling-mounted projectors are of a much higher quality. It would make things a whole lot easier if we had one in there. Especially because I like using PowerPoint. Anyways, what I do on PowerPoint, I can do on the board. So I continued the game on the board. So we didn't finish, nor was it visually stimulating for the students, but that's okay. It wasn't a complete bust. Now on to prep.
Period 5 is another prep. I have 3 prep periods because I am an intern teacher. I teach 3 Algebra I classes, 1 MET class (I'll explain what that is later) and I have one collaboration period with the other 9th grade teachers. So 3 preps, 3 Algebra I classes, 1 MET and 1 collaboration makes 8 periods.
Half way through this prep, there was a fire alarm. Last week we just had a fire drill and last Tuesday, I went over emergency procedures with my advisory students, so I thought it was another drill. It was in fact a real fire drill. So after standing under the warm sun for nearly half an hour, we found out it was merely a piece of sawdust that flew into smoke detector.
Now off to advisory...
I think at this point I should stop and finish in a new post because it might be just as long.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Today started like any normal Wednesday. I arrived to school early and set up my laptop in the teacher's area where we eat lunch. Since I do not have my own classroom, this is my make-shift work space. Then at 8 o'clock (Period 2), we had 9th grade house collaboration. This is where the 9th grade teachers meet twice a week. Our main topic on the agenda was parent-teacher conferences. We just talked about scheduling really. Nothing too exciting goes on in collaboration. It does help, however, to be in constant communication with your students' other teachers. We can talk about what's going on in other classes and keep things consistent among our students. Our next trip is to the San Diego Zoo. We are taking the entire 9th grade class; about 235 students. It's on October 27. I can't wait.
Period 4 and 6 I have prep. We are on a block schedule, so odd periods are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and even periods are on Wednesdays and Fridays. 8 periods total, 85 minutes each. On Mondays every period meets for 35 minutes each. Anyways, I prepped for nearly 3 hours. Needless to say, I was not prepping for the entire time. In fact, I used part of the time to run to Stater Bros. to pick up a big bag of candy for a last minute idea.
In period 8, we played Syllabus Jeopardy. We did this after our activity on Population density of course. Syllabus Jeopardy actually went pretty well. The candy was the prize for the winners. I used this template to review my syllabus. It's important to review the syllabus every once in awhile or when the situation warrants it. In this case, we are going into a new unit on Tuesday and I wanted to start fresh.
What I learned today was that if the situation warrants it, it's okay to review the syllabus. They all know it, but they need to understand that you are serious about your classroom rules and expectations, policies and procedures, homework policy and everything else. It's like another teacher told me today, it helps us as teachers and it shows the students that you mean business. He also said that they are not shit-heads, but so-and-so-heads.
Period 4 and 6 I have prep. We are on a block schedule, so odd periods are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and even periods are on Wednesdays and Fridays. 8 periods total, 85 minutes each. On Mondays every period meets for 35 minutes each. Anyways, I prepped for nearly 3 hours. Needless to say, I was not prepping for the entire time. In fact, I used part of the time to run to Stater Bros. to pick up a big bag of candy for a last minute idea.
In period 8, we played Syllabus Jeopardy. We did this after our activity on Population density of course. Syllabus Jeopardy actually went pretty well. The candy was the prize for the winners. I used this template to review my syllabus. It's important to review the syllabus every once in awhile or when the situation warrants it. In this case, we are going into a new unit on Tuesday and I wanted to start fresh.
What I learned today was that if the situation warrants it, it's okay to review the syllabus. They all know it, but they need to understand that you are serious about your classroom rules and expectations, policies and procedures, homework policy and everything else. It's like another teacher told me today, it helps us as teachers and it shows the students that you mean business. He also said that they are not shit-heads, but so-and-so-heads.
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