Wow, it has been a very long time since I have posted anything. I need to get back on track! In the past two months I completed my student teaching assignment, passed the last of my certification tests and successfully finished my M.A. in Adolescent English Education (YAY!). I can't believe I am really done. If all goes as planned, I will be able to print my official teaching certification this Friday directly from the state website.
I have applied for several positions, both permanent and temporary. I did get called back for a writing sample from one school district two weeks ago, but haven't heard anything since. I have a cousin who is a teacher and he says most districts will be looking to hire back any teachers that were laid off before they hire someone new. My best chance is to get in as a leave replacement or a long term substitute. I am applying for any job I can get with my certification. It will happen. I just need to be patient.
While I am waiting, I've decided to start creating lesson plans for anything and everything that I might possibly use. During my student teaching experience I was introduced to many young adult novels that would work well in the classroom. My goal is to read them and post reviews and lesson plans here. I am off to the library today and see what treasures I can find.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
No Voice - No Teach
I have learned more in the past few weeks than I have all last semester. My most recent learning experience: do not come to school if you are sick. I struggled horribly last week with a fever, sniffles and sore throat. I tried to push through, but all the talking I had to do in class killed my voice. My fourth period class sensed my weakness and took complete advantage. I was trying to show a movie but they would not stop talking and my mentor teacher wound up stopping the movie and giving them a spelling lesson. I was mortified and disappointed. I took several factors into account.First off, it was Friday (the end of Spirit Week) and the kids could not wait for school to end. Secondly, the class is ruled by a group of "mean girls." My mentor teacher has never shuffled their desks and does not discipline them especially when it comes to cell phones. It's been really frustrating. They were so kind to me when my teaching supervisor observed several weeks ago. It's hard to believe they are the same kids! Regardless, when I woke up this morning my voice was still shot so I stayed home. Tomorrow my teaching supervisor will be visiting and I need my voice.
I am a bit disappointed with my mentor teacher. He isn't very supportive and he has made it clear he likes to work alone. I wonder why his boss chose him to work with a student teacher. Other teachers acknowledge he is a good educator but he has zero social skills. At one point the English chairperson suggested I observe her 9th grade class 3rd period instead of his AP class. I loved it. She is an awesome teacher and a great communicator. My next assignment is to work in a 9th grade setting. I am praying it is with her. I might speak with her tomorrow and see if it can be arranged. I know they are doing me a favor by allowing me in their school, but I am paying tuition to learn and I think I have learned all I can with this teacher. It's time to move on. I guess this is where my management skills will come into play.
I am a bit disappointed with my mentor teacher. He isn't very supportive and he has made it clear he likes to work alone. I wonder why his boss chose him to work with a student teacher. Other teachers acknowledge he is a good educator but he has zero social skills. At one point the English chairperson suggested I observe her 9th grade class 3rd period instead of his AP class. I loved it. She is an awesome teacher and a great communicator. My next assignment is to work in a 9th grade setting. I am praying it is with her. I might speak with her tomorrow and see if it can be arranged. I know they are doing me a favor by allowing me in their school, but I am paying tuition to learn and I think I have learned all I can with this teacher. It's time to move on. I guess this is where my management skills will come into play.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
On the front lines...
I am deep in the trenches of my student teaching assignment. It started slowly, which I am grateful for. The teacher I am working with knows what he is doing and I am following his lead. Right now I am teaching two 11th grade English Regents classes and I observe an Honors English 12th grade class. This week I will start teaching the Honors class along with my 11th graders and observe some 9th grade inclusion classes.
Last Wednesday my teaching supervisor observed me during my 4th period class. I was incredibly nervous. (I later joked with my husband the last time I was that nervous was on our wedding day.) The students were nothing short of amazing. They knew something was going on and they gave me their full respect and cooperation. It was one of those "teacher moments" that brought me such joy I could have cried. This solidified my reasons for wanting to become a teacher.
My supervisor had nothing but positive comments. He told me to slow down a bit and enjoy the students. I was so focused on getting through my lesson plan and as fate would have it I finished early which was not so good. He said it's par for the course when you are learning to teach. There is no magic bullet. Everything comes in time and you are constantly revising things.
I am looking forward to tomorrow. I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a Monday that wasn't a holiday. I still have lesson planning and a quiz to make up but I am happy. I just hope I am lucky enough to get a job when I graduate.
Last Wednesday my teaching supervisor observed me during my 4th period class. I was incredibly nervous. (I later joked with my husband the last time I was that nervous was on our wedding day.) The students were nothing short of amazing. They knew something was going on and they gave me their full respect and cooperation. It was one of those "teacher moments" that brought me such joy I could have cried. This solidified my reasons for wanting to become a teacher.
My supervisor had nothing but positive comments. He told me to slow down a bit and enjoy the students. I was so focused on getting through my lesson plan and as fate would have it I finished early which was not so good. He said it's par for the course when you are learning to teach. There is no magic bullet. Everything comes in time and you are constantly revising things.
I am looking forward to tomorrow. I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a Monday that wasn't a holiday. I still have lesson planning and a quiz to make up but I am happy. I just hope I am lucky enough to get a job when I graduate.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Good Advice for College Students
I am currently working on my 3rd college degree. If there is one piece of advice that I can offer to students everywhere it's "be proactive" with everything.
That advice is a no-brainer when it comes to school work. If you procrastinate you only hurt yourself. But the one place you might think you are safe is with the administrative part of your college experience. I know when I first started my journey toward higher education I thought professors and administrators knew best. After all, I was just a mere minion in the grand scheme of things right? Wrong. I have lost count of how many times my files (paperwork, registration, grades etc) have been screwed up because of simple incompetence. What blows my mind is that often the incompetence is because of a professor with a doctorate and years of life experience. My latest fiasco is thanks to my college advisor who never approved my student teaching registration for the spring semester. Although I registered early and reminded her several times to please sign off on my request she still neglected to do so. During the winter break she is conveniently "unavailable" until the start of the semester. This doesn't help me or the other students left in a lurch.
Thankfully we have a dutiful teaching supervisor (retired high school principal) who works part time at the university. He happened to flag several of our accounts and brought it to our attention someone else needed to approve our requests or we would not be able to begin our assignments next week. Unfortunately those of us who needed approval had to schlep to the school and speak personally with a dean to have them over ride the approval.
I can't speak for the rest of the world, but the reason I want to be an educator is to help kids learn. That doesn't just mean that I have to be a lifelong learner myself. It means the whole kit and kaboodle: being technically proficient, grading promptly, keeping students, parents and coworkers well informed as well as looking for ways to help students succeed. If you do not possess that passion and take the necessary steps to ensure things get taken care of, maybe you should not work in education. You can't force someone to have a moral compass, but you can evaluate poor performance and take the necessary steps to correct a problem. This isn't brain surgery or rock science. It's common sense.
That advice is a no-brainer when it comes to school work. If you procrastinate you only hurt yourself. But the one place you might think you are safe is with the administrative part of your college experience. I know when I first started my journey toward higher education I thought professors and administrators knew best. After all, I was just a mere minion in the grand scheme of things right? Wrong. I have lost count of how many times my files (paperwork, registration, grades etc) have been screwed up because of simple incompetence. What blows my mind is that often the incompetence is because of a professor with a doctorate and years of life experience. My latest fiasco is thanks to my college advisor who never approved my student teaching registration for the spring semester. Although I registered early and reminded her several times to please sign off on my request she still neglected to do so. During the winter break she is conveniently "unavailable" until the start of the semester. This doesn't help me or the other students left in a lurch.
Thankfully we have a dutiful teaching supervisor (retired high school principal) who works part time at the university. He happened to flag several of our accounts and brought it to our attention someone else needed to approve our requests or we would not be able to begin our assignments next week. Unfortunately those of us who needed approval had to schlep to the school and speak personally with a dean to have them over ride the approval.
I can't speak for the rest of the world, but the reason I want to be an educator is to help kids learn. That doesn't just mean that I have to be a lifelong learner myself. It means the whole kit and kaboodle: being technically proficient, grading promptly, keeping students, parents and coworkers well informed as well as looking for ways to help students succeed. If you do not possess that passion and take the necessary steps to ensure things get taken care of, maybe you should not work in education. You can't force someone to have a moral compass, but you can evaluate poor performance and take the necessary steps to correct a problem. This isn't brain surgery or rock science. It's common sense.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Student Teching in the Suburbs
I met my cooperating teacher yesterday. We were set to meet at 2pm. He was 15 minutes late. I think I have voiced my opinion on lateness before. Coming from the business world where it is not tolerated, I find it not only annoying but rude. As I move into life as an academic I find it's the norm for most teachers, professors and administrators.
The teacher (Rob) walks in the classroom (with a Starbucks cup), looks at me in horror and begins to apologize. I accept his apology (because I love Starbucks) and we begin our meeting. He's a laid back nerdy kind of guy. He admits freely that he lets his students get away with more than he should. He also confesses that he really likes them and finds them both entertaining and challenging. He's been teaching at this particular high school for 5 years. Prior to this job he taught English at a Catholic school for 3 years. He is married and has 2 children (a boy and a girl). I also learn is wife used to live in my hometown and they currently live not far from where I grew up. He gives me the details on the problem kids he has: 2 boys with temper/attention issues and a group of four girls with typical teen attitude problems. It doesn't sound too bad, but I will have to judge for myself. As we were talking he was writing notes on which classes the kids are in and what each class is working on.
Halfway through our meeting he says he has books for me. We take a sort walk to the "book room." This is where is understand the difference between a district with good funding and a district with no budget. The "book room" is about 10x30 and is stocked floor to ceiling with literature. Mostly new books, some classics and some contemporary. Walking into this room is like having a religious experience. Well, at least for an English teacher. I get copies of The Crucible, 1984 and Daisy Miller by Henry James (which I have never read). We walk back to the classroom and he gives me an AP English book and answer key.
We conclude our meeting as he must get to a tuition appointment. He offers to walk me out to the parking lot. It is dismissal and there are students everywhere. He put on his coat and scarf. His scarf is a replica of the same scarf that Harry Potter wears at Hogwarts. I thank him again and we make plans to meet again next week.
The teacher (Rob) walks in the classroom (with a Starbucks cup), looks at me in horror and begins to apologize. I accept his apology (because I love Starbucks) and we begin our meeting. He's a laid back nerdy kind of guy. He admits freely that he lets his students get away with more than he should. He also confesses that he really likes them and finds them both entertaining and challenging. He's been teaching at this particular high school for 5 years. Prior to this job he taught English at a Catholic school for 3 years. He is married and has 2 children (a boy and a girl). I also learn is wife used to live in my hometown and they currently live not far from where I grew up. He gives me the details on the problem kids he has: 2 boys with temper/attention issues and a group of four girls with typical teen attitude problems. It doesn't sound too bad, but I will have to judge for myself. As we were talking he was writing notes on which classes the kids are in and what each class is working on.
Halfway through our meeting he says he has books for me. We take a sort walk to the "book room." This is where is understand the difference between a district with good funding and a district with no budget. The "book room" is about 10x30 and is stocked floor to ceiling with literature. Mostly new books, some classics and some contemporary. Walking into this room is like having a religious experience. Well, at least for an English teacher. I get copies of The Crucible, 1984 and Daisy Miller by Henry James (which I have never read). We walk back to the classroom and he gives me an AP English book and answer key.
We conclude our meeting as he must get to a tuition appointment. He offers to walk me out to the parking lot. It is dismissal and there are students everywhere. He put on his coat and scarf. His scarf is a replica of the same scarf that Harry Potter wears at Hogwarts. I thank him again and we make plans to meet again next week.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Dead Poet's Society
I am finding my winter break a bit too long. I am grateful for not having to travel in the horrid weather, but I still wish I had a job. Thankfully I have been in contact with the teacher I will be working with this semester for student teaching. We are meeting this Thursday to review what he is currently teaching.
Yesterday I was happy to find "Dead Poet's Society" on television. It has been years since I had seen it. I was all too happy to crash on the couch and watch it in its entirety without interruption. Now that I am working toward a teaching degree I saw the film through a different set of eyes. The impact was much greater now than I remember the last time I saw it. I related so much more to Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) now. I could understand his creative teaching styles and his desire to want his students to think for themselves. I could also understand the impact his students had on him. When student Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) commits suicide, I once related to his side of the story: coming of age, self-discovery, overbearing parent, etc. I still found myself mad with his parents for not listening to him. But my heart ached even more for Mr. Keating. It's so interesting what time and experience can do in altering how one views the world. I think I can build a lesson out of that somewhere.
Yesterday I was happy to find "Dead Poet's Society" on television. It has been years since I had seen it. I was all too happy to crash on the couch and watch it in its entirety without interruption. Now that I am working toward a teaching degree I saw the film through a different set of eyes. The impact was much greater now than I remember the last time I saw it. I related so much more to Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) now. I could understand his creative teaching styles and his desire to want his students to think for themselves. I could also understand the impact his students had on him. When student Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) commits suicide, I once related to his side of the story: coming of age, self-discovery, overbearing parent, etc. I still found myself mad with his parents for not listening to him. But my heart ached even more for Mr. Keating. It's so interesting what time and experience can do in altering how one views the world. I think I can build a lesson out of that somewhere.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Teacher Quote of the Day
I saw this on apple.com and found it inspiring:
"As a general rule, teachers teach more by what they are than by what they say."
"As a general rule, teachers teach more by what they are than by what they say."
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