Today I got my laptop back from Gerry, our tech person. I left it overnight so he can install some updates and perform some maintainence. Since I missed The Office last night and I have two preps today, I decided to try Hulu. It worked!!! Other than YouTube, I wasn't able to watch any streamed video before. I watched last night's episode of The Office and the first two episodes of The Sarah Conner Chronicles, season 2. Meanwhile, I finished grading the test for one of my classes.
There is nothing too exciting to report. I let my advisory out early so they/I could get an early start to lunch. We had a staff potluck at work. It was awesome. I ate so much. I had some salad, veggies and chips with bean dip and salsa. On top of that, I had pumpkin pie, blueberry pie and baklava. That wasn't a good idea because the dessert was literally on top. I had to move it around to get to the salad.
Other than that, I gave a test in period 8. Then I left for Merced. After a 6.5 hour drive, I am here. For my birthday, Priscilla gave me a transformers toy (Overcast), a sack of marbles, a keychain with my name on it and a hand-crafted card. It was all very creative and thoughtful.
This officially marks the beginning of my week-long vacation and blogging furlough. Happy Thanksgiving!
Goals for the week: finish grading tests and quizzes, grade tutorial slips, input all grades, create a new unit plan, plan for next week.
About Me
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Having fun at the students' expense
Today I am going to do something different. I am going to record a bunch of little events that occurred today in chronological order. Then, I am going to talk about one of those events.
I did my traffic duty. I gave a test in 1st and 3rd periods (they both went really well). I was tempted to watch Wall-E with the tech class outside of my room during 3rd period. I picked on my 3rd period a little bit. I completed my APLE application. I ate my lunch. I did my lesson on exponents with my 7th period. I was tempted to watch Wall-E with the tech class outside of my room during 7th period. I found out that the little Holtville girl was using the bathroom as a cover story to sneak off with her boyfriend. I submitted my APLE application. I went to the gym. I went to Fresh 'n Easy. I ate dinner. I watched the 3rd-to-last episode of season 6 24. I showered. I started my laundry. Baked something. I was tempted to buy Wall-E so I can watch it whenever I want. I talked on the phone with Priscilla.
I still have a lot to do. I have to finish this blog, pack for next week, prepare the baked goods for tomorrow and fold my laundry. I don't think I'm going to bed soon.
I really have fun picking on my students. In 3rd period, I scared them into staying quiet during the test. If you remember from another blog entry, the last time I gave a test, it didn't go well. This time, I threatened them with an incomplete on their report card. That and the fact that I let them go outside to watch Wall-E when they finished helped keep the room quiet. At the end of the period, they started getting ready early. I told them to sit down because I have to give them their homework assignment. They all moaned and sighed because it is the last day I have them before Thanksgiving break. Then I relieved them a bit and told them that the assignment was to enjoy the break. It was funny. I laughed a little bit after class.
In sum, it turned out to be a good and productive day. Plus, I'm super excited about tomorrow. I get to drive for 6 hours up to Merced. I'm leaving right after work. I will be up there when I write tomorrow's blog entry.
Goal for tomorrow: start grading some tests.
I did my traffic duty. I gave a test in 1st and 3rd periods (they both went really well). I was tempted to watch Wall-E with the tech class outside of my room during 3rd period. I picked on my 3rd period a little bit. I completed my APLE application. I ate my lunch. I did my lesson on exponents with my 7th period. I was tempted to watch Wall-E with the tech class outside of my room during 7th period. I found out that the little Holtville girl was using the bathroom as a cover story to sneak off with her boyfriend. I submitted my APLE application. I went to the gym. I went to Fresh 'n Easy. I ate dinner. I watched the 3rd-to-last episode of season 6 24. I showered. I started my laundry. Baked something. I was tempted to buy Wall-E so I can watch it whenever I want. I talked on the phone with Priscilla.
I still have a lot to do. I have to finish this blog, pack for next week, prepare the baked goods for tomorrow and fold my laundry. I don't think I'm going to bed soon.
I really have fun picking on my students. In 3rd period, I scared them into staying quiet during the test. If you remember from another blog entry, the last time I gave a test, it didn't go well. This time, I threatened them with an incomplete on their report card. That and the fact that I let them go outside to watch Wall-E when they finished helped keep the room quiet. At the end of the period, they started getting ready early. I told them to sit down because I have to give them their homework assignment. They all moaned and sighed because it is the last day I have them before Thanksgiving break. Then I relieved them a bit and told them that the assignment was to enjoy the break. It was funny. I laughed a little bit after class.
In sum, it turned out to be a good and productive day. Plus, I'm super excited about tomorrow. I get to drive for 6 hours up to Merced. I'm leaving right after work. I will be up there when I write tomorrow's blog entry.
Goal for tomorrow: start grading some tests.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
New light to help brighten my sight
Today was another one of those I-think-I'm-starting-to-get-the-hang-of-it feeling type of days. I worked another full-load day. I subbed for another teacher, so I had no prep. I was more than happy to fill-in because I get extra money and I had nothing to do anyways.
One of the classes I subbed for was a 9th grade class. Some of my students are in that class. It was really interesting to see them in a different light. It was a mix of some students from each of my Algebra I sections, my advisory and other 9th graders. They act very differently in this light. One student, for example, is absolutely quiet in my class. In this class, he reminded me of a hungry chihuahua seeing his favorite Kibbles 'n Bits being poured into his bowl. One student told me that he was lucky to have me for 2 periods in a row today; 6th and advisory. Another student asked me if I was jealous of her paper-snowflake.
On the bright side, I have a better understanding of the assignments they are working on in this class. It's like ammunition I can take with me when I ask them about their grades or if they try to lie and say they have no homework.
Regardless, I left work feeling pretty good. I wasn't exhausted at all. I was a little hungry, but not too tired. The fact that I am traveling to NorCal on Friday helps brighten my spirit too.
Goal for tomorrow: prep an activity on exponents for my MET class.
One of the classes I subbed for was a 9th grade class. Some of my students are in that class. It was really interesting to see them in a different light. It was a mix of some students from each of my Algebra I sections, my advisory and other 9th graders. They act very differently in this light. One student, for example, is absolutely quiet in my class. In this class, he reminded me of a hungry chihuahua seeing his favorite Kibbles 'n Bits being poured into his bowl. One student told me that he was lucky to have me for 2 periods in a row today; 6th and advisory. Another student asked me if I was jealous of her paper-snowflake.
On the bright side, I have a better understanding of the assignments they are working on in this class. It's like ammunition I can take with me when I ask them about their grades or if they try to lie and say they have no homework.
Regardless, I left work feeling pretty good. I wasn't exhausted at all. I was a little hungry, but not too tired. The fact that I am traveling to NorCal on Friday helps brighten my spirit too.
Goal for tomorrow: prep an activity on exponents for my MET class.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Long day, feeling content
Today was a day of great realization. I'm finally realizing that the end of the semester is coming up. There are many signs of its coming. We have one class meeting left in our EDS 351 course and our professor gave us the assignment for the final project: a scaffolded lesson plan. Teachers at work are frantically putting together the materials needed for student presentations during the last week of the semester. Students are getting concerned about their grades. I'm planning for the rest of the semester. Thanksgiving and winter break plans are coming to fruition. So many things are happening right now. I hope I can get through this with a steady mind and my feet planted firmly on the ground.
I really want to put a lot of effort in my scaffolded lesson plan. I feel I owe it to this class. Plus, it is something I could actually use in my own class. It is also something we can use for PACT (Performance Assessment for California Teachers) happening in the winter. I want to gear my lesson plan towards something I am going to teach next semester. I have no idea what it will be, but it has to be on a broad concept; solving systems of linear equations for example. I also want to include graphic organizers; something I want to use more of.
Today I realized there was at least one other type of graphic organizer and another strategy I could have used in the solving equations unit we are finishing up. One graphic organizer is a flow chart. Solving equations simply involves a series of steps to be applied to every problem. If students understand the procedure, they will understand how to solve equations. They can use a flow chart to effectively organize the steps in the proper order.
There is an elementary strategy that I could have used. It is called sentence framing. This is where you leave blanks in a sentence and have students fill them in with words from a word bank. I did use it implicitly in my instruction, but I think the students would have understood more if we had actually worked it out. The way I would use sentence framing is by having students justify every step they make in solving an equation.
Today was a long day, but I am feeling content. It was productive both for me and my students. I learned more about teaching strategies. I now have a goal: to use sentence framing in teaching the solving inequalities unit starting after Thanksgiving break. I know this will help me to improve upon my teaching and help the students understand what they are learning.
I really want to put a lot of effort in my scaffolded lesson plan. I feel I owe it to this class. Plus, it is something I could actually use in my own class. It is also something we can use for PACT (Performance Assessment for California Teachers) happening in the winter. I want to gear my lesson plan towards something I am going to teach next semester. I have no idea what it will be, but it has to be on a broad concept; solving systems of linear equations for example. I also want to include graphic organizers; something I want to use more of.
Today I realized there was at least one other type of graphic organizer and another strategy I could have used in the solving equations unit we are finishing up. One graphic organizer is a flow chart. Solving equations simply involves a series of steps to be applied to every problem. If students understand the procedure, they will understand how to solve equations. They can use a flow chart to effectively organize the steps in the proper order.
There is an elementary strategy that I could have used. It is called sentence framing. This is where you leave blanks in a sentence and have students fill them in with words from a word bank. I did use it implicitly in my instruction, but I think the students would have understood more if we had actually worked it out. The way I would use sentence framing is by having students justify every step they make in solving an equation.
Today was a long day, but I am feeling content. It was productive both for me and my students. I learned more about teaching strategies. I now have a goal: to use sentence framing in teaching the solving inequalities unit starting after Thanksgiving break. I know this will help me to improve upon my teaching and help the students understand what they are learning.
Monday, November 17, 2008
24 damnit
Today was a 24 day. Since today was Monday, the periods were about 30 minutes each. For my Algebra I classes, we had a homework quiz. After the quiz, we played the 24 game for the remainder of the period. It's the one with 4 integers on a card. You have to use basic operations to obtain the solution of positive 24 or negative 24.
The bottom line is...oh my gosh. I thought these students would be more into it. In retrospect, I don't think I would be into it if I were in their shoes either. This is the 24 game with integers. This includes positive and negative whole numbers. The solution can be either positive 24 or negative 24. This raises the level of difficultly. To top it off, we only had about 10-15 minutes to play after the quiz. Plus, there was no incentive for the winner. But hey, it's better than a worksheet. Plus, I cannot emphasize the importance of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers. These are basic skills crucial for success in Algebra.
I don't know. Maybe we needed more time to "play" this game. Some students were into it though. But even those students were having difficulty solving the problems. I wonder where the creators were when they designated this game for ages 12+.
Also, we played the 24 game at home. Not the card game. I left that at work. I'm talking about the show 24. I got my roomies hooked. We started watching season 6, so we can get ready for the premier of season 7 on Sunday. I'm super excited for that. Anyways, the game ended up being not what we expected. In two episodes, the word "damnit" was only said 3 times. If I remember correctly, Jack had only said it once of those three times. Grrr. Actually, I'm not too mad. After all, I do have to wake up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.
Also, I love Priscilla.
The bottom line is...oh my gosh. I thought these students would be more into it. In retrospect, I don't think I would be into it if I were in their shoes either. This is the 24 game with integers. This includes positive and negative whole numbers. The solution can be either positive 24 or negative 24. This raises the level of difficultly. To top it off, we only had about 10-15 minutes to play after the quiz. Plus, there was no incentive for the winner. But hey, it's better than a worksheet. Plus, I cannot emphasize the importance of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers. These are basic skills crucial for success in Algebra.
I don't know. Maybe we needed more time to "play" this game. Some students were into it though. But even those students were having difficulty solving the problems. I wonder where the creators were when they designated this game for ages 12+.
Also, we played the 24 game at home. Not the card game. I left that at work. I'm talking about the show 24. I got my roomies hooked. We started watching season 6, so we can get ready for the premier of season 7 on Sunday. I'm super excited for that. Anyways, the game ended up being not what we expected. In two episodes, the word "damnit" was only said 3 times. If I remember correctly, Jack had only said it once of those three times. Grrr. Actually, I'm not too mad. After all, I do have to wake up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.
Also, I love Priscilla.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A state of moratorium
This may sound a little conceited, but I was truly impressed with myself today. After getting 3 hours of sleep last night, today I woke up on time, made it to work on time and prepared for the entire next week. I even stayed after school a little longer. One parent showed up. She checks in on her son's progress periodically. Then a couple of students came in wanting to learn more about the fields of aerospace and mechanical engineering. They want me to find an engineer willing to talk to them about his or her career. Lastly, a student not in any of my classes came in my classroom because she didn't want to do her work. She was in the computer lab outside with her friend that was doing homework. This girl spent about 5 minutes asking me who is in my classes.
Despite the lack of sleep, I think I had a pretty great day. After getting rid of that girl, I started getting ready to leave. Right outside, there was the math leader and the current calculus teacher talking to some students on the open floor. I guess they were asking him what class he was going to teach next year. He jokingly repeated "Algebra I" five times. I guess the students asking him are juniors and they want him to teach calculus. They asked him who was going to teach calculus instead and he said "Mr. Velazquez" pointing at me. "Why?" one student replied. "Because he likes calculus" he answered.
I do like calculus, but this got me thinking about more than just math. What am I going to be doing next year? My original plan was to move back to Holtville after I graduate and get a house. However, many things have changed. Most notably, is the new relationship I am in. There's that and many other factors that will ultimately influence my decision of staying here in SD or moving back.
If I am offered a full-time position at Guajome, I may just go ahead and take it. I like my job there right now. The students are great and the co-workers are very supportive. Another big factor is the ability of my mother to care for my younger siblings while she is on disability. I have a brother in the 9th grade. As a 9th grade teacher, I feel I should be more involved in his academics; especially because he wants to go to UCSD. I also have a brother in the 2nd grade who was in danger of repeating 1st grade last year. Because I watched 3 other siblings grow up, naturally, I want to be there for my youngest brother.
All these things have been racing through my mind for the past month or so. Honestly, I don't know what I am going to do. I wish I could give people a consistent answer. It's frustrating to tell one person one thing and another person something else. I guess I will just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
Despite the lack of sleep, I think I had a pretty great day. After getting rid of that girl, I started getting ready to leave. Right outside, there was the math leader and the current calculus teacher talking to some students on the open floor. I guess they were asking him what class he was going to teach next year. He jokingly repeated "Algebra I" five times. I guess the students asking him are juniors and they want him to teach calculus. They asked him who was going to teach calculus instead and he said "Mr. Velazquez" pointing at me. "Why?" one student replied. "Because he likes calculus" he answered.
I do like calculus, but this got me thinking about more than just math. What am I going to be doing next year? My original plan was to move back to Holtville after I graduate and get a house. However, many things have changed. Most notably, is the new relationship I am in. There's that and many other factors that will ultimately influence my decision of staying here in SD or moving back.
If I am offered a full-time position at Guajome, I may just go ahead and take it. I like my job there right now. The students are great and the co-workers are very supportive. Another big factor is the ability of my mother to care for my younger siblings while she is on disability. I have a brother in the 9th grade. As a 9th grade teacher, I feel I should be more involved in his academics; especially because he wants to go to UCSD. I also have a brother in the 2nd grade who was in danger of repeating 1st grade last year. Because I watched 3 other siblings grow up, naturally, I want to be there for my youngest brother.
All these things have been racing through my mind for the past month or so. Honestly, I don't know what I am going to do. I wish I could give people a consistent answer. It's frustrating to tell one person one thing and another person something else. I guess I will just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Never trust someone under 18
Today I got a new rotation of MET students. They make a group of 12 7th graders and I will have them for the remainder of the semester. It's so weird hearing that. It's almost been a semester! Anyways. I know I have my work cut out for me because, all of the students have a C or below in their mainstream math class. Plus, each of the students' math grade declined in the second grading period. Right now they are working on exponents and radicals. I'll try to help them not only become experts in exponents and radicals, but become good little learners.
I started off by telling them a little about myself. I told them that I am from Holtville and one girl said she grew up there. Holtville is awesome. It's a small farm town in the Imperial County with a population of about 5,000. I hope to find a home and settle down there eventually. For now, I'm here in sunny San Diego.
Anyways, soon after, she went to the restroom. Then the VP came in my room asking for her. I told him she was in the restroom. He told me to "watch out for her". Apparently, she likes taking advantage of her restroom privileges. I couldn't believe it. Here is this sweet little girl from Holtville taking advantage of her bathroom privileges and the VP making an effort to track down her class and tell her teacher to "watch out for her". She came back and said that one of the security guards made her wash some markings from her hand. That is why it took her so long. I'm so swayed to give her the benefit of the doubt. I guess I can't be too trusting of these students.
It's like a wise-man once said: "Never trust someone under 18".
I started off by telling them a little about myself. I told them that I am from Holtville and one girl said she grew up there. Holtville is awesome. It's a small farm town in the Imperial County with a population of about 5,000. I hope to find a home and settle down there eventually. For now, I'm here in sunny San Diego.
Anyways, soon after, she went to the restroom. Then the VP came in my room asking for her. I told him she was in the restroom. He told me to "watch out for her". Apparently, she likes taking advantage of her restroom privileges. I couldn't believe it. Here is this sweet little girl from Holtville taking advantage of her bathroom privileges and the VP making an effort to track down her class and tell her teacher to "watch out for her". She came back and said that one of the security guards made her wash some markings from her hand. That is why it took her so long. I'm so swayed to give her the benefit of the doubt. I guess I can't be too trusting of these students.
It's like a wise-man once said: "Never trust someone under 18".
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A few adjustments and management is restored
Today went really well. Better than I had expected. I wasn't expecting a lot of cooperation today since the students had just come back from a 4-day weekend and frankly because it was 8th period.
I gave the students a new seating chart. Really, it was minutely revised from last time. A few adjustments, if you will. For some, it was a reminder of where they are supposed to sit. Why can't students remember where they sit? We would all win. I had one student who sat in the back. She was really stubborn and actually refused, albeit politely. I gave her two options: 1) sit in her assigned seat or 2) go to the vice-principal's office. I know she doesn't get along with him, so I gambled and gave her that option. She chose to sit in the assigned seat. The whole period she was unusually quiet and taking notes. Anyways, I posted up the seating chart for their reference.
Because of that, the students were doing really well. They were quiet and I was able to talk uninterrupted. I had planned on review classroom procedures today; especially what to do when they come into class. They were so good, I decided to skip that and go straight into the lesson. Because of that, I ended class with a few minutes left to spare; not too bad. Some students started on the homework and actually asked me some clarifying questions.
To top it all off, no one stayed for after-school tutoring, so I was able to leave a little earlier. That could also be a bad thing. We shall see.
I gave the students a new seating chart. Really, it was minutely revised from last time. A few adjustments, if you will. For some, it was a reminder of where they are supposed to sit. Why can't students remember where they sit? We would all win. I had one student who sat in the back. She was really stubborn and actually refused, albeit politely. I gave her two options: 1) sit in her assigned seat or 2) go to the vice-principal's office. I know she doesn't get along with him, so I gambled and gave her that option. She chose to sit in the assigned seat. The whole period she was unusually quiet and taking notes. Anyways, I posted up the seating chart for their reference.
Because of that, the students were doing really well. They were quiet and I was able to talk uninterrupted. I had planned on review classroom procedures today; especially what to do when they come into class. They were so good, I decided to skip that and go straight into the lesson. Because of that, I ended class with a few minutes left to spare; not too bad. Some students started on the homework and actually asked me some clarifying questions.
To top it all off, no one stayed for after-school tutoring, so I was able to leave a little earlier. That could also be a bad thing. We shall see.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veterans Day-No school
Today was cool because I got to sleep in until about 8:30. I would have slept in longer, but my mom called. Anyways, I started the day by going to UTC with Wilmar. We stopped at Macy's and went to Sport Chalet. He got a new pair of court shoes and I got nothing. Then, I accepted a loss to Wilmar in squash. After that, we came back to Wilhouse, showered (separately), then watched some 24, season 6. Season 7 premiers on Nov. 23. At that time, I will be in Merced with Priscilla. I don't know which one I am more excited for. :D And that's about it. Now I have to prep for tomorrow slash talk to Priscilla.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Understanding what you are learning
Although there were no classes today, I learned a lot. After today, I realized that I am not the only teacher having difficulties. Then again, it's naive to say that no one else is having problems. It's just that outside of these professional development days, no one is discussing their problems.
Today, while presenting our unit plans in our house collaboration, I found out that another teacher is experiencing students that do not understand what they are learning. I am experiencing the exact same thing in my math classes. What's happening is that our students are applying concepts, but they do not know what the concepts are. For example, if you ask them to solve for x in the equation x + 5 = 2, they know to subtract 5 from both sides of the equation resulting in x = -3; an equivalent equation. However, if you ask them what the addition property of equality is, they do not know.
I do realize that I am partly to blame. I mean, I did teach them the definition of the addition property is, but I could have given it some more importance. It's also because for 9th graders, it's hard to understand abstract concepts. They are naturally inclined to subtract 5 from both sides rather than apply the addition property to get an equivalent equation.
I am happy to report that I think the steps I am taking to address this are the right steps. The teacher I mentioned before is adding questions to his tests that assess students' understanding of concepts. I am applying more importance on the definitions and understanding of the concepts and the interconnectedness of the concepts. I am also planning on testing them on this, in addition to testing them on the application of a series of steps.
All in all, I'm glad that the unit plan I earnestly completed over the weekend is a step in the right direction. I only wish I had started emphasizing the understanding of the concepts earlier in the year.
Today, while presenting our unit plans in our house collaboration, I found out that another teacher is experiencing students that do not understand what they are learning. I am experiencing the exact same thing in my math classes. What's happening is that our students are applying concepts, but they do not know what the concepts are. For example, if you ask them to solve for x in the equation x + 5 = 2, they know to subtract 5 from both sides of the equation resulting in x = -3; an equivalent equation. However, if you ask them what the addition property of equality is, they do not know.
I do realize that I am partly to blame. I mean, I did teach them the definition of the addition property is, but I could have given it some more importance. It's also because for 9th graders, it's hard to understand abstract concepts. They are naturally inclined to subtract 5 from both sides rather than apply the addition property to get an equivalent equation.
I am happy to report that I think the steps I am taking to address this are the right steps. The teacher I mentioned before is adding questions to his tests that assess students' understanding of concepts. I am applying more importance on the definitions and understanding of the concepts and the interconnectedness of the concepts. I am also planning on testing them on this, in addition to testing them on the application of a series of steps.
All in all, I'm glad that the unit plan I earnestly completed over the weekend is a step in the right direction. I only wish I had started emphasizing the understanding of the concepts earlier in the year.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Substituting for the first time this year
Today I had the opportunity to substitute for another math teacher at work today. This was good for two reasons: 1) it got me out of the twice weekly collaboration meeting and 2) I'm getting paid for it. I subbed for an Algebra II class and all they did was take a quiz. I simply had to proctor it.
The students were really great. They were really respectful; probably because I told them I teach there. I followed the plan the teacher left and gave them about 10 minutes to study. I even helped a couple of students with some examples. Then I gave them the instructions and passed out the quiz. They were absolutely quiet during the quiz. Even when they were finished, they were respectful of the students still working on the quiz and stayed quiet.
I was astonished because I remember the time where I gave a quiz in 3rd period and they were as good. They are a lot of factors that may explain the difference, including the fact that my students are freshmen and this class had 10th and 11th graders. I want to believe it has mostly to do with me and my classroom management.
I'm pretty sure the teacher has her procedures in place. The students all seemed to know what to do because they were all consistent. They all stayed quiet after the quiz (surprisingly, because for 4th period, I forgot to mention that they needed to stay quiet) and they raised their hand and asked to go to the bathroom when they needed to. I can tell they are also not used to leaving early because I didn't have a lot of students packing up until I told them so.
Anyways, big SIGH. It has become more apparent that I have some work to do with my students. Honestly, I think they need to learn HOW to take a test. Don't worry. I promise you: I will teach them.
The students were really great. They were really respectful; probably because I told them I teach there. I followed the plan the teacher left and gave them about 10 minutes to study. I even helped a couple of students with some examples. Then I gave them the instructions and passed out the quiz. They were absolutely quiet during the quiz. Even when they were finished, they were respectful of the students still working on the quiz and stayed quiet.
I was astonished because I remember the time where I gave a quiz in 3rd period and they were as good. They are a lot of factors that may explain the difference, including the fact that my students are freshmen and this class had 10th and 11th graders. I want to believe it has mostly to do with me and my classroom management.
I'm pretty sure the teacher has her procedures in place. The students all seemed to know what to do because they were all consistent. They all stayed quiet after the quiz (surprisingly, because for 4th period, I forgot to mention that they needed to stay quiet) and they raised their hand and asked to go to the bathroom when they needed to. I can tell they are also not used to leaving early because I didn't have a lot of students packing up until I told them so.
Anyways, big SIGH. It has become more apparent that I have some work to do with my students. Honestly, I think they need to learn HOW to take a test. Don't worry. I promise you: I will teach them.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Just a good day
So this graphic organizer I told you about yesterday went surprisingly well. I started the class by having them throw out the skills and concepts needed to solve equations. Then we sorted the list into two categories: skills and concepts. For the last part of the activity, I handed out the graphic organizer and had the students organize all the information.
One reason why I believe this activity went well was because they all completed in the allotted time. It took about the entire period, but we finished the activity. They finished with about 5 minutes left in class. I was really pleased with how the activity turned out, but I think I could have included more scaffolding.
Tomorrow, I will print out a table, perhaps on the back of the graphic organizer, with two columns; one for skills and one for concepts. Hopefully this will help the students organize their ideas.
I could have also asked the students to write a reflection on how this helps them communicate their ideas. I didn't think of that until we started the activity. It's up here though, so next time I will remember.
One reason why I believe this activity went well was because they all completed in the allotted time. It took about the entire period, but we finished the activity. They finished with about 5 minutes left in class. I was really pleased with how the activity turned out, but I think I could have included more scaffolding.
Tomorrow, I will print out a table, perhaps on the back of the graphic organizer, with two columns; one for skills and one for concepts. Hopefully this will help the students organize their ideas.
I could have also asked the students to write a reflection on how this helps them communicate their ideas. I didn't think of that until we started the activity. It's up here though, so next time I will remember.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Know where to find resources and how to use them
Wow. So we made it through half of the week. Today, since I had tutoring after school, it was a much longer day. I can tell because right now I am EXHAUSTED. In fact, this blog is taking about 2 hours since I napped in the middle of it. Anyways, I'm ready for the weekend. Seriously.
Something cool happened today. I got a cabinet! I mean, I'm sharing it with someone else, but I can leave my things in the location where I usually hang out. Now I don't have to wait for class to end and avoid disrupting a class by picking something up in one of the three classrooms I teach in.
This will also help me save time during prep by not having to run around 3 different classrooms. Also, I can pack a few reams of colored paper to use for copies. Oh, and food. I can pack some food there so I don't have to pack a lunch everyday. Sometimes I may oversleep and not have enough time to pack a lunch.
Anyways, before the year started, I was told that if I see a cabinet, then take it. Apparently, there is a storage shortage at work. Of course, by the time I figure out what was going on, all the cabinets were taken. Now I have one, so it's cool. It all comes from experience: knowing where things are and how to use them. In this case, if I hadn't claimed the cabinet, someone might of. It also helped that a couple of teachers noticed our need of cabinet space and took us into consideration.
Something cool happened today. I got a cabinet! I mean, I'm sharing it with someone else, but I can leave my things in the location where I usually hang out. Now I don't have to wait for class to end and avoid disrupting a class by picking something up in one of the three classrooms I teach in.
This will also help me save time during prep by not having to run around 3 different classrooms. Also, I can pack a few reams of colored paper to use for copies. Oh, and food. I can pack some food there so I don't have to pack a lunch everyday. Sometimes I may oversleep and not have enough time to pack a lunch.
Anyways, before the year started, I was told that if I see a cabinet, then take it. Apparently, there is a storage shortage at work. Of course, by the time I figure out what was going on, all the cabinets were taken. Now I have one, so it's cool. It all comes from experience: knowing where things are and how to use them. In this case, if I hadn't claimed the cabinet, someone might of. It also helped that a couple of teachers noticed our need of cabinet space and took us into consideration.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Express your ideas in a different way so more people understand
Today was a crazy day. A lot happened today and it all happened so quickly. I feel as though the day was moving along without me. I guessed that's a good thing. I don't know. I know that it's 6:30pm right now and I am at home. Usually on a Tuesday, I don't get home until about 8:30 because of class.
Today after class, a classmate of mine approached me and asked if he can come in and observe one of my classes. He needs to observe a couple of students for the English Learner case study we had to do. We had to analyze two English learners' performance in a strategy we implemented in the class. I said yes and we're going to coordinate his visit later.
That got me realizing that I could be doing more to help my students learn what we are currently going over. My plan is to create a graphic organizer to help the students organize the information in a differenty way: graphically. What I am thinking about is a web chart with "solving equations" in the center. What branch off the center concept are the properties needed to solve equations. I think this will be a good review for the end of the chapter.
So this provides a different way students can organize the information, demonstrate their understanding to me and to express their creativity. In other words, it allows them to use a different mode of communication to express their ideas, to show me what they know and how they are understanding the concept of solving equations.
Today after class, a classmate of mine approached me and asked if he can come in and observe one of my classes. He needs to observe a couple of students for the English Learner case study we had to do. We had to analyze two English learners' performance in a strategy we implemented in the class. I said yes and we're going to coordinate his visit later.
That got me realizing that I could be doing more to help my students learn what we are currently going over. My plan is to create a graphic organizer to help the students organize the information in a differenty way: graphically. What I am thinking about is a web chart with "solving equations" in the center. What branch off the center concept are the properties needed to solve equations. I think this will be a good review for the end of the chapter.
So this provides a different way students can organize the information, demonstrate their understanding to me and to express their creativity. In other words, it allows them to use a different mode of communication to express their ideas, to show me what they know and how they are understanding the concept of solving equations.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The correct solution may be lying right underneath your nose
Nothing extraordinary happened today in class. I handed back their tests. Most of the students did not do well at all so I also gave them some time to work on some practice worksheets. However, a couple of interesting things happened today after work.
Today after work, I decided to open up our dryer because my clothes were coming out of it a little damp. I even went to Wal-Mart to pick up a screwdriver set with the star-shaped bits. Well I took the dryer apart and looked for evidence of an open circuit or cracked coil; something of the nature. I did not find anything. About the time I decided to put it back together, Wilmar walked into the garage and observed some of my work. I asked him to help me put it back together. When he positioned himself to help me, he noticed the heat level was set to 'delicate'. Apparently, when the dryer is set to delicate, there is almost no heat being applied to the clothes. I felt so ashamed. If I had simply checked the control panel, there would have been no need to take the entire dryer apart. However, I did get to see the inside of our dryer and clean it out in the process. Later, Marvin, my other roommate showed up soon after. It took the three of us to put the dryer back together. Four of us if you count Sarah, Wilmar's girlfriend. She showed us the diagram that helped us figure out how to replace the belt.
The other thing that happened today occured while playing squash at UCSD. I was resting in between games and overheard a couple talking about logic. The man was talking about solving problems. You have to solve problems one step at a time. If you solve a problem one step at a time, you are almost guaranteed to get the right answer. This is what I tell my students all the time. Sometimes they get lazy and try to go straight to the answer. Sometimes they get lucky and get the right answer. Most of the time it's wrong. I try to tell them that solving problems mentally is hard. I even put myself in their shoes and tell them that not even I can solve problems in my head. Anyways, I learned a couple of great lessons today and they didn't even occur at work or school.
Today after work, I decided to open up our dryer because my clothes were coming out of it a little damp. I even went to Wal-Mart to pick up a screwdriver set with the star-shaped bits. Well I took the dryer apart and looked for evidence of an open circuit or cracked coil; something of the nature. I did not find anything. About the time I decided to put it back together, Wilmar walked into the garage and observed some of my work. I asked him to help me put it back together. When he positioned himself to help me, he noticed the heat level was set to 'delicate'. Apparently, when the dryer is set to delicate, there is almost no heat being applied to the clothes. I felt so ashamed. If I had simply checked the control panel, there would have been no need to take the entire dryer apart. However, I did get to see the inside of our dryer and clean it out in the process. Later, Marvin, my other roommate showed up soon after. It took the three of us to put the dryer back together. Four of us if you count Sarah, Wilmar's girlfriend. She showed us the diagram that helped us figure out how to replace the belt.
The other thing that happened today occured while playing squash at UCSD. I was resting in between games and overheard a couple talking about logic. The man was talking about solving problems. You have to solve problems one step at a time. If you solve a problem one step at a time, you are almost guaranteed to get the right answer. This is what I tell my students all the time. Sometimes they get lazy and try to go straight to the answer. Sometimes they get lucky and get the right answer. Most of the time it's wrong. I try to tell them that solving problems mentally is hard. I even put myself in their shoes and tell them that not even I can solve problems in my head. Anyways, I learned a couple of great lessons today and they didn't even occur at work or school.
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