Its been far too long since I've blogged and its actually not a good thing that today's events have led me to blog. Today was a totally frustrating day and the students weren't the source of my frustration.
Sure I was disappointed that my students didn't do well on a difficult test, but I had to look at myself and realize that even though the computer-generated test asked 7th grade questions, the level of questioning was advanced for even my highest students. That was an easy fix, and something that didn't weigh on my mind for very long.
However, my interaction with the adults in my school is what has me feeling upset, sad, and frustrated all at the same time. I know that educating a school system's lowest students is a challenge, but I don't understand how reasonably intelligent adults can sit around and listen to administrators talk out of both sides of their mouths.
They say they want to close the achievement gap, but yet we constantly never have real conversations about what that means. We just try all these programs and programs, and shift children around but the problem is never addressed. And where I teach at, the kids are 'socially promoted' without them receiving the skills. So if this starts when they are in the 1st or 2nd grade, by the time they reach me, they're so far behind that getting them to their current grade level that they need more time than I can offer them. (Especially if they aren't working at home, which MANY of them aren't)
Before I continue, let me say that I'm not blaming the kids at all. I'm not upset that the kids don't know the information. I love teaching them and watching them learn. I'm frustrated that they'll been allowed to move year after year without knowing this information. I'm not even blaming the teachers before me, because I know kids often say 'I wasn't taught this' when they don't remember something. My students this year told I didn't teach them something, even though it was written on my 'daily subject' calendar. My anger comes from when teachers KNOW a subject hasn't been mastered, try to retain a student and are rebuked by administration.
I know this has happened, and lets just leave it at that.
I don't see how having a kid repeat a grade level is really going to cause many problems. Many students one grade level apart hang out together anyway, and maybe the supposed public humiliation that they'll receive will spare them the public humiliation of not being able to get a job because they didn't get a diploma, they just got a certificate saying they came to school all 4 years.
(-__-) << blank stare (Another pet peeve of mine, but that could be another post)
I say if they aren't progressing normal in elementary school, then it has to happen there. The wake up call needs to happen for all parties. The kid, the parents, the teachers (who wouldn't miss a kid repeating a grade), the administrators (who could now see if its a learning disability or if the kid was just lazy), everyone. If it's in middle school then it needs to happen there. It already happens in high school. Well, you just don't graduate in those cases.
I don't know see why this is so a hard concept to follow especially since we see what the alternative is. We see how ill-prepared some of the kids end up being for the real world. Whether its college, or a job straight out of school they don't know what to expect., but we as teachers and administrators do know. We've been there. I've been laid off, fired, and left a job. I've worked in 3 different fields before teaching. I know what its going to take for them to really succeed in the ways they want do. And yes, it will be hard for them to repeat a grade. However, if the choice is having it hard now or REALLY hard later on, is there really a choice?
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Goals for my second year
With the school year rapidly approaching, I think its important for me to highlight my goals for the upcoming school year. While I thought that I overall did a good job last year, there are areas that I can improve upon.
I've found that for me, writing down goals has often helped me achieve them and in a timely manner. So I'm adopting that strategy for my teaching goals.
Goal #1:
- Have all of my students earn 3 or better on their End-of-Grade (EoGs) tests.
- I know that this is a lofty goal but seeing how I only had 8 math retakes (out of 41) gives me the confidence that I can make this happen. I know that I'll need to make better use of test statistics and quickly adjust seating arrangements to maximize groups that work well together.
Goal #2:
- Have students show more proficiency in science through writing reports and other presentations.
- This goal fits in with the new common core standards of writing and the increase in STEM learning. Since I teach math and science during the same block, I have to make sure that I don't slack on my math (since math is the only one tested in 7th grade).
Goal #3
- Find a way to make it to the NSTA National Conference (s).
- In my previous post I mentioned that I went to Indianapolis for a national science teachers conference. This year, its in San Antonio and I want to go back. The information I gained and the people I met provided benefits that I'm already using. Really, I want to make my way to Atlanta in November for the regional conference. Its in a place that I know and I'm sure that it'll be cheaper (and thus easier to sell to my admins).
So those are my three main goals. I know that throughout the year I'll develop, find and achieve other goals but these three are the ones I'm going to focus on. Stay tuned!
I've found that for me, writing down goals has often helped me achieve them and in a timely manner. So I'm adopting that strategy for my teaching goals.
Goal #1:
- Have all of my students earn 3 or better on their End-of-Grade (EoGs) tests.
- I know that this is a lofty goal but seeing how I only had 8 math retakes (out of 41) gives me the confidence that I can make this happen. I know that I'll need to make better use of test statistics and quickly adjust seating arrangements to maximize groups that work well together.
Goal #2:
- Have students show more proficiency in science through writing reports and other presentations.
- This goal fits in with the new common core standards of writing and the increase in STEM learning. Since I teach math and science during the same block, I have to make sure that I don't slack on my math (since math is the only one tested in 7th grade).
Goal #3
- Find a way to make it to the NSTA National Conference (s).
- In my previous post I mentioned that I went to Indianapolis for a national science teachers conference. This year, its in San Antonio and I want to go back. The information I gained and the people I met provided benefits that I'm already using. Really, I want to make my way to Atlanta in November for the regional conference. Its in a place that I know and I'm sure that it'll be cheaper (and thus easier to sell to my admins).
So those are my three main goals. I know that throughout the year I'll develop, find and achieve other goals but these three are the ones I'm going to focus on. Stay tuned!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
More 1st Year Experiences.......
So until school starts (and to make sure I get into a blogging routine), I'm going to bring up things from my first year. Today's topic is all of the professional developments I attended this year.
As a first year teacher, I wondered how many professional developments I should attend. My rationale was that I needed all my classroom time for not only instruction but for classroom management and routine. I taught single-gender classes and my boys class could be.... um.... a little rambunctious
to put it mildly. I could (and did) handle them, but to substitute teachers with whom they had no connection, it could be a problem. My girls class wasn't as bad, but there were a few who could cause problems. So these were the things I had to weigh when deciding if I should sign up for profession developments.
Of course, my school system already had mandatory trainings I had to attend. Most of these were very pertinent, like the two I attended on classroom management, but some were a waste of time. One main one sticks out in mind. The training on how to teach children from poverty.
I don't know, maybe growing up being in and around poverty the ideas they presented either were a) common sense (to me) or b) fundamentally flawed. It was a waste of my three hours and I was fully participating!
Let me get back on topic because I could write about that all day. The main reason for this post is to talk about my two favorite professional developments I attended. Both were out of town trips and even though I missed some school time, I feel it was worth it. The first one I'll talk about is the NCTIES conference in Raleigh, NC.
Basically, this conference was all about how to use technology in the classroom. Session I attended ranged from using google projects for students to creating a STEM classroom to using Discovery (channel and website) in day-to-day teaching. The last two sessions I mentioned were very important to since I teach both math and science classes. This conference was good for me because it gave me instant ideas to use when I returned to my classroom. I also have been tinkering with these ideas so that I can use them more frequently this upcoming year.
My favorite conference of the past year was going to the National Science Teachers of America conference in Indianapolis. Not only was it my first time to Indy but I was able to hear new ideas and meet teachers and swap methods.
One of the favorite pieces of this conference was meeting Leland Melvin. Melvin, former NFL player, now works for NASA going around to schools education kids about STEM opportunities. One of my goals this year is to bring Melvin to my school to speak. I know the benefits of kids seeing people who they can identify with and I think they would really enjoy hearing him, his background, and what he does now.
I also got to meet with teachers from other school districts across the nation and see how they're using STEM inside of their classrooms. I was able to gather valuable information on tactics that work in districts that are similar to mine. In addition to seeing Bill Nye, the Science Guy I was able to get free stuff that I was able to use before the school year ended.
While in Indy, I also got to take in some of the sights, such as the NCAA Hall of Fame and Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts. See attached photos. Well that wraps up this post. Until next time, peace.
As a first year teacher, I wondered how many professional developments I should attend. My rationale was that I needed all my classroom time for not only instruction but for classroom management and routine. I taught single-gender classes and my boys class could be.... um.... a little rambunctious
to put it mildly. I could (and did) handle them, but to substitute teachers with whom they had no connection, it could be a problem. My girls class wasn't as bad, but there were a few who could cause problems. So these were the things I had to weigh when deciding if I should sign up for profession developments.
Of course, my school system already had mandatory trainings I had to attend. Most of these were very pertinent, like the two I attended on classroom management, but some were a waste of time. One main one sticks out in mind. The training on how to teach children from poverty.
I don't know, maybe growing up being in and around poverty the ideas they presented either were a) common sense (to me) or b) fundamentally flawed. It was a waste of my three hours and I was fully participating!
Let me get back on topic because I could write about that all day. The main reason for this post is to talk about my two favorite professional developments I attended. Both were out of town trips and even though I missed some school time, I feel it was worth it. The first one I'll talk about is the NCTIES conference in Raleigh, NC.
Basically, this conference was all about how to use technology in the classroom. Session I attended ranged from using google projects for students to creating a STEM classroom to using Discovery (channel and website) in day-to-day teaching. The last two sessions I mentioned were very important to since I teach both math and science classes. This conference was good for me because it gave me instant ideas to use when I returned to my classroom. I also have been tinkering with these ideas so that I can use them more frequently this upcoming year.
My favorite conference of the past year was going to the National Science Teachers of America conference in Indianapolis. Not only was it my first time to Indy but I was able to hear new ideas and meet teachers and swap methods.
One of the favorite pieces of this conference was meeting Leland Melvin. Melvin, former NFL player, now works for NASA going around to schools education kids about STEM opportunities. One of my goals this year is to bring Melvin to my school to speak. I know the benefits of kids seeing people who they can identify with and I think they would really enjoy hearing him, his background, and what he does now.
I also got to meet with teachers from other school districts across the nation and see how they're using STEM inside of their classrooms. I was able to gather valuable information on tactics that work in districts that are similar to mine. In addition to seeing Bill Nye, the Science Guy I was able to get free stuff that I was able to use before the school year ended.
While in Indy, I also got to take in some of the sights, such as the NCAA Hall of Fame and Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts. See attached photos. Well that wraps up this post. Until next time, peace.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Trying Something New
I completed my first year of teaching in June, and just started teaching summer school this week. I figured that this would as good a time as any to start capturing my thoughts about school, education, and my teaching career in general.
My first year was a whirlwind journey. It was my first year with students (7th graders) and while I was able to use some of the same things I used in my previous teaching stint with adults, where I helped them get their GEDs. However, much of my year was filled with new experiences, some I couldn't even imagine before I started.
There was the death of a student at my school, the removal of my principal, a fight that sent a kid to the hospital with broken ribs, me becoming the head track and field coach and of course the End-of-Grade tests. Through it all, I think I managed to not drown and definitely reach some kids. My kids did well on the tests, and they were rewarded with a party and got to pie me in the face, which they all enjoyed. (Video may be posted later)
What did my first year teach me? It taught me that students just want to be understood. It taught me that instilling confidence in them matters just as much as the information I'm giving them. It also unfortunately taught me that despite your best efforts, some students will have to learn the hard way.
Most importantly, my first year made me want to come back for another. This year affirmed how much I enjoy, no scratch that I love teaching and there are very few feelings like seeing students learn. So with the knowledge that I have tons to learn about the nuisances of teaching I am ready to embark on year two. I can also see how my students from last year perform outside of my classroom.
All in all, I am excited. Summer break is never long enough but the joys of teaching for me has me itching to get back in the classroom and try to reach a new group of children. Until next time, peace.
My first year was a whirlwind journey. It was my first year with students (7th graders) and while I was able to use some of the same things I used in my previous teaching stint with adults, where I helped them get their GEDs. However, much of my year was filled with new experiences, some I couldn't even imagine before I started.
There was the death of a student at my school, the removal of my principal, a fight that sent a kid to the hospital with broken ribs, me becoming the head track and field coach and of course the End-of-Grade tests. Through it all, I think I managed to not drown and definitely reach some kids. My kids did well on the tests, and they were rewarded with a party and got to pie me in the face, which they all enjoyed. (Video may be posted later)
What did my first year teach me? It taught me that students just want to be understood. It taught me that instilling confidence in them matters just as much as the information I'm giving them. It also unfortunately taught me that despite your best efforts, some students will have to learn the hard way.
Most importantly, my first year made me want to come back for another. This year affirmed how much I enjoy, no scratch that I love teaching and there are very few feelings like seeing students learn. So with the knowledge that I have tons to learn about the nuisances of teaching I am ready to embark on year two. I can also see how my students from last year perform outside of my classroom.
All in all, I am excited. Summer break is never long enough but the joys of teaching for me has me itching to get back in the classroom and try to reach a new group of children. Until next time, peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
