After the half day we had today our departments met for a professional development session on curriculum mapping.
that's beside the point.
After the day was over my department head (new for this year, not the guy from last year who still didn't know my name in may) called me over to talk. Rosie asked, "Tim, you're a software guy right? what is out there that will help students ..."
that's what started the conversation, it eventually morphed into a discussion about how to teach history outside of simply lecturing. Lecturing is boring for the teacher, and even more boring for the students. teachers try to spice it up with jokes, video clips, and things like that but as Rosie sort of pointed out in the discussion, "it gets to the point where you're entertaining more than you're teaching."
Rosie and I started to have a legitimate conversation about how to teach history what works, what doesn't, how to avoid simply giving busy work, how to integrate activities that actually have substance instead of the activities that miss the point and just slow you down pace wise.
We had a real, full out, colleague-to-colleague conversation where at points she was looking to me for advice and I looked to her. I was like, (in my head) "seriously, you're asking me about instructional strategies, I've been teaching for a total of a year and two weeks and you're the department head!" That may come off as if I was judging her for asking me (I wasn't), I was more just in awe of the fact that she respected me enough, even as a young teacher, to seek out to have this discussion.
I fully and completely felt (1) like a real teacher (2) like a real member of the department, and (3) like a true member o the school community I have been working in for the past year.
GREAT DAY!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
PARENTS!
this week has been going by smoothly. so far no fire alarms in the rain, no students bah'ing like sheep (I had a lot of that last year) or any crazy stories along those lines.
Monday we had a normal school day I taught about a the Lincoln-Douglas debates (where I compare Lincoln to Sarah Palin), Harpers Ferry (where I compared John Brown to Obama and GW Bush) and the Dred Scott Case (where I compared Dred Scott to a cellphone). Some of them were somewhat odd connections, but they all worked in a way to help the students remember/understand the overall topic.
Tuesday was similar, teaching the same sorts of lessons, just to different class periods. But after school tuesday, we had "BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!" where parents do a mini-schedule of their students classes (for only 7 minutes each), get to see the teachers and walk them halls just like when they were in high school.
Period 1 - had three parents show up to the wrong room so it was a little embarrassing for them. I had one parent of a student how told me to "Rock On!" as he was leaving at the end of the class.
Period 2 - Free!
Period 3 - Had a parent of a student show up late to class and jokingly pleaded not to have that reflect poorly for their student. At the end of class she came up to me and said, "now I have no excuse for yelling at her for being late to class"
Period 4 - when I was talking about some of the video projects we'll do in class, I turned to one of the fathers and said, "your son was actually in a few of the video projects from last year because he was friends with some of my former students, at one point in the video he ran through target with a penguin suit on but it surprisingly worked for video's purpose" He quickly responded he had no idea that happened and made a note to talk to his son later (didn't mean tot get him in trouble, wups).
Period 5 - I had one dad just blankly stare at me the whole time I gave my speech (the EXACT same expression on his face that his son gives me everyday).
Period 6 - Free!
Period 7 - Let my parents leave early so they could escape the parking lot before the big rush of eeryone trying to leave all at once (they seemed very excited to be done with the day)
All in all on tuesday, from teaching to parents night was at school from about 6:45am to 9:30pm
Gladly wednesday (today) is a half day and lucky for me I only had to actually teach one of my classes, the other periods that met today were all of my free periods.
Monday we had a normal school day I taught about a the Lincoln-Douglas debates (where I compare Lincoln to Sarah Palin), Harpers Ferry (where I compared John Brown to Obama and GW Bush) and the Dred Scott Case (where I compared Dred Scott to a cellphone). Some of them were somewhat odd connections, but they all worked in a way to help the students remember/understand the overall topic.
Tuesday was similar, teaching the same sorts of lessons, just to different class periods. But after school tuesday, we had "BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!" where parents do a mini-schedule of their students classes (for only 7 minutes each), get to see the teachers and walk them halls just like when they were in high school.
Period 1 - had three parents show up to the wrong room so it was a little embarrassing for them. I had one parent of a student how told me to "Rock On!" as he was leaving at the end of the class.
Period 2 - Free!
Period 3 - Had a parent of a student show up late to class and jokingly pleaded not to have that reflect poorly for their student. At the end of class she came up to me and said, "now I have no excuse for yelling at her for being late to class"
Period 4 - when I was talking about some of the video projects we'll do in class, I turned to one of the fathers and said, "your son was actually in a few of the video projects from last year because he was friends with some of my former students, at one point in the video he ran through target with a penguin suit on but it surprisingly worked for video's purpose" He quickly responded he had no idea that happened and made a note to talk to his son later (didn't mean tot get him in trouble, wups).
Period 5 - I had one dad just blankly stare at me the whole time I gave my speech (the EXACT same expression on his face that his son gives me everyday).
Period 6 - Free!
Period 7 - Let my parents leave early so they could escape the parking lot before the big rush of eeryone trying to leave all at once (they seemed very excited to be done with the day)
All in all on tuesday, from teaching to parents night was at school from about 6:45am to 9:30pm
Gladly wednesday (today) is a half day and lucky for me I only had to actually teach one of my classes, the other periods that met today were all of my free periods.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Fi-ya Pow-ah
Today started normally. Got to school, settled in, got some work done. The school day started next with homeroom and then first period (my free) all going smoothly.
I started to look out the window and saw that it was absolutely down-pouring outside. Just then the fire alarms at the school started to go off. (Even with a friendly automated voice: ATTENTION ATTENTION A FIRE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE BUILDING). So I grabbed my jacket and began to walk down the stairs and out the building with the students.
We got outside and you could see a sea of the school's 1100+ students all soaked and dripping wet from the pouring rain. Teachers began to complain that this was the worst time for a fire drill, someone else noted that was lightning in the distance and so on. Soon the principal called everyone back into the building before the fire department was even able to show up.
Apparently there was actually a fire in the building, somewhere in the kitchen but it was handled and dealt with. But now, all the students are drenches head to toe as they head back into the building. After the teachers were able to settle their students back down, the principal came out the loud speaker and announced that the teachers should be lenient in terms of the school uniforms and gave students permission to where sweatshirts, t-shirts or any other dry clothes they may have with them.
At that announcement, the hallways filled up with students all headed for their lockers, lockerrooms, and some back outside to their cars to get some clothes to wear.
In any case, it's an interesting start to the third day of school (and I haven't even started teaching yet)
I started to look out the window and saw that it was absolutely down-pouring outside. Just then the fire alarms at the school started to go off. (Even with a friendly automated voice: ATTENTION ATTENTION A FIRE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE BUILDING). So I grabbed my jacket and began to walk down the stairs and out the building with the students.
We got outside and you could see a sea of the school's 1100+ students all soaked and dripping wet from the pouring rain. Teachers began to complain that this was the worst time for a fire drill, someone else noted that was lightning in the distance and so on. Soon the principal called everyone back into the building before the fire department was even able to show up.
Apparently there was actually a fire in the building, somewhere in the kitchen but it was handled and dealt with. But now, all the students are drenches head to toe as they head back into the building. After the teachers were able to settle their students back down, the principal came out the loud speaker and announced that the teachers should be lenient in terms of the school uniforms and gave students permission to where sweatshirts, t-shirts or any other dry clothes they may have with them.
At that announcement, the hallways filled up with students all headed for their lockers, lockerrooms, and some back outside to their cars to get some clothes to wear.
In any case, it's an interesting start to the third day of school (and I haven't even started teaching yet)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
LOST
Today was relatively uneventful. I lectured all day about the Compromise of 1850, which is pretty boring but I think I managed to make it interesting.
While I was in the Main Office today, I random tiny little freshman came in carrying his books in his hands all the way up to his chin. He went over to one of the administrative assistants and just said, "I lost my schedule and I have no idea where I'm going."
She managed to print him off two new schedules, one to bring home and one that she taped inside his student handbook/assignment book/passbook. He looked to me and said, "I think I'm supposed to go to room 314 next period," so we looked at his schedule and he was supposed to be in 224. I ended up walking him to his next class because he was afraid he was going to be late (he wasn't). And he was all squared away.
While I was in the Main Office today, I random tiny little freshman came in carrying his books in his hands all the way up to his chin. He went over to one of the administrative assistants and just said, "I lost my schedule and I have no idea where I'm going."
She managed to print him off two new schedules, one to bring home and one that she taped inside his student handbook/assignment book/passbook. He looked to me and said, "I think I'm supposed to go to room 314 next period," so we looked at his schedule and he was supposed to be in 224. I ended up walking him to his next class because he was afraid he was going to be late (he wasn't). And he was all squared away.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
One and Done
First day of school is officially over. Overall, I thought it went pretty well. With each of my classes I went through my syllabus, explained my expectations and classroom rules, pretended to be strict and serious (I don't think it worked). I tried to start a class discussion about what they thought were the most important things in history but with all my classes, hardly anyone spoke. Too bad for them, this is their first essay.
Today I also assigned all my students an essay due on monday about what they think is/was the most important event/person in World or US history. This way I get to see their perception on history, I start off the year with an example of their writing style, and I set the tone that I'm the teacher and they shouldn't mess with me.
Anyway, we also shared fun/unique facts today in order for me to learn names by affiliating them with random bit of information. Here are some of the highlights:
Today I also assigned all my students an essay due on monday about what they think is/was the most important event/person in World or US history. This way I get to see their perception on history, I start off the year with an example of their writing style, and I set the tone that I'm the teacher and they shouldn't mess with me.
Anyway, we also shared fun/unique facts today in order for me to learn names by affiliating them with random bit of information. Here are some of the highlights:
- I'm afraid of clowns
- I've never eaten a sandwich
- I can lick my elbow
- I have a scar on my right eyebrow from running into the corner of a shoe-rack
- I broke my front tooth by running into a pole
- I once got 87 stitches in my face
- I blew up my friend's mailbox
- I fractured my skull as in infant
- I once got stuck on a roller coaster for 7 hours
- I eat in my sleep
- I have two different colored eyes
- I once convinced my sister bugs were candy (my mom caught her eating ladybugs)
- I recite Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame" word for word
- My brother pushed my down the stairs when I was still in a stroller
- I've never lost a game of Monopoly
Thursday, September 1, 2011
New Year!
So a new year has begun. I have the same five classes but a whole new group of students. Some students I knew from last year, some students I knew by reputation, and some students I had never seen or met before.
On Tuesday the teachers met and had an in-service day where we did a series of breakout sessions with our administrators. Over the past two days we had had our student orientation days. On Wednesday, the seniors and the freshmen came in for half a day consisting of assemblies and a mini-schedule run through.
This year I only have 9 seniors mixed into four of my classes. So during the mini-schedule, it was kind of awkward. I only had 2 seniors in each class and 3 in one of them. So doing my spiel about expectations and what the class was going to be like, while only 2 students sat in the desks in front of me.
In any case, Wednesday went well. Today went well too. I saw the rest of my students and gave them my expectations. In the first class today I just rambled for the 10 minutes I had, but by the fifth class I spoke to my timing was perfect.
But beyond all of that, there were no funny stories or students making animal noises. However, I have no doubt this will happen at some point. Also, I have given semi-administrative-ish responsibilities including watching the seniors in the cafeteria during the study period with the class deans, and being responsible for kicking the students out of the parking lot at the end of the day so they don’t loiter. FUN!
Friday, June 17, 2011
done-zo
The school year, as well as my first year teaching, is officially over. It's exciting but surprisingly sad at the same time. After finishing grading all the final exams it was a great feeling, but cleaning up the classroom and shutting off the light (however cheesy as this sounds) felt weird. Brian, the teacher whose room I have my desk in, and I made a few Boy Meets World jokes as we slowly left our classroom imagining Feeney giving some sort of closing remarks.
In any case, I an no longer and will never be again a first year teacher. Although I will always be a student-teacher.
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