May 09, 2011
I Did It!
After five very exciting, long, and challenging years - I graduated from MSU! Although I am an incredibly nostalgic person, I was filled with nothing but excitement and happiness the entire weekend. I am so thankful to be surrounded by wonderful and supportive people. I have the best family I could ever imagine and it was really special to share this time with them. It was just as big of an accomplishment for my family as it was for me to see me through this step of my life. Everything I have been involved with since my first day on campus has helped make this a really incredible journey. Forever a Spartan!
May 02, 2011
Truly Historic
What an amazing evening to be a history teacher! President Obama just announced that the United States was successful in finding and killing Osama Bin Laden. Events like this are going to be remembered by our generation forever and are on par with Kennedy's assassination and the first moonwalk. I think Obama did a wonderful job of reminding our very divided country how much things have changed since 9/11. Hopefully this will bring even a small amount of unity back for a short time. It is hard to say what this means in the larger scope of things. I worry that we are entering a very scary time on the international level and for our troops. That being said, this is a truly symbolic announcement and it will be something I always remember.
I was in my wood shop class in middle school the morning of 9/11 and I can remember a similar sense of fear and confusion as the one I felt when they first announced that Obama was making an emergency address to the country. I'm currently watching the re-play of Obama's address on CNN which is being played on a split screen with coverage of the celebrations taking place in Washington D.C. and around the country. This is really amazing.
I was in my wood shop class in middle school the morning of 9/11 and I can remember a similar sense of fear and confusion as the one I felt when they first announced that Obama was making an emergency address to the country. I'm currently watching the re-play of Obama's address on CNN which is being played on a split screen with coverage of the celebrations taking place in Washington D.C. and around the country. This is really amazing.
April 28, 2011
Inspiration
This is a quote I tell my GED students a lot. I think it is perfect for just about any type of learner, but helps them in particular. I think every teacher should truly believe this.
April 08, 2011
Questions, Questions: Part 3
Read Parts 1 and 2 Here!
The second part of this assignment that was important to me was to speak with students at the high school I am now observing at. I asked them some of the same questions I did of my teacher regarding motivation. I wanted to know what motivates them to do well in school, how teachers and classes contribute to this, and what they feel like the overall attitude towards school is in their community.
While speaking to the students they said that, interestingly enough, their friends were the main motivating factor in their lives. They explained that if someone they know is taking a harder class or getting involved in an organization, they can be convinced to do so also. They also said that they are very competitive with friends over grades, so it is important for them to not fall behind what other people are achieving. I think it is important to point out here that the group of eight students I spoke to volunteered to help me out and were (by a quick and informal poll while we spoke) all members of varsity sports, NHS, or some type of extra-curricular organization. I assume that the fact that these were academically high-achieving and involved students has an effect on their answers to my questions.
Some of their advice to me as a new teacher was that lectures and discussions were the best format for Social Studies classes. When I asked why, they told me that Social Studies is one of the only times during the day that they get to have much an opinion on subjects, and that they enjoy being able to do so. They also said that the most frustrating things a teacher can do are to not know the information they are teaching, or to not return assignments or grades back to them in a reasonable amount of time.
One of the things that I have working in my favor as a brand-new teacher is that I still completely understand what it is like to be a student. I could relate to what these students had to say about their experiences much easier than I could to what my host teacher had to say. Both had wonderful and insightful advice for me and I think keeping a balance between the teacher side of me and the student side of me will be key to my own success.
The second part of this assignment that was important to me was to speak with students at the high school I am now observing at. I asked them some of the same questions I did of my teacher regarding motivation. I wanted to know what motivates them to do well in school, how teachers and classes contribute to this, and what they feel like the overall attitude towards school is in their community.
While speaking to the students they said that, interestingly enough, their friends were the main motivating factor in their lives. They explained that if someone they know is taking a harder class or getting involved in an organization, they can be convinced to do so also. They also said that they are very competitive with friends over grades, so it is important for them to not fall behind what other people are achieving. I think it is important to point out here that the group of eight students I spoke to volunteered to help me out and were (by a quick and informal poll while we spoke) all members of varsity sports, NHS, or some type of extra-curricular organization. I assume that the fact that these were academically high-achieving and involved students has an effect on their answers to my questions.
Some of their advice to me as a new teacher was that lectures and discussions were the best format for Social Studies classes. When I asked why, they told me that Social Studies is one of the only times during the day that they get to have much an opinion on subjects, and that they enjoy being able to do so. They also said that the most frustrating things a teacher can do are to not know the information they are teaching, or to not return assignments or grades back to them in a reasonable amount of time.
One of the things that I have working in my favor as a brand-new teacher is that I still completely understand what it is like to be a student. I could relate to what these students had to say about their experiences much easier than I could to what my host teacher had to say. Both had wonderful and insightful advice for me and I think keeping a balance between the teacher side of me and the student side of me will be key to my own success.
Refreshing
I had such a wonderful learning/teaching experience today in my GED class! One of our students who graduated from the program last fall came to visit because she needed some guidance on an essay. She is now enrolled in the local community college and stops in every once and a while for some help. A year ago she had not yet finished her high school education and she is now just about to finish her second semester of college on the Dean's List. She is the epitome of a success story. I had a Social Studies lesson planned but she ended up helping lead a discussion on some tips and tricks for taking the GED. As much as I can talk and try to convince the students how important these classes are, hearing from a peer that has just recently passed the tests speaks volumes. We ended up having a great talk about how and why people make the choices that they do. I always try and stress the fact that we all complete our education in a lot of different ways - but that the important thing is that we continue learning. The students I work with find themselves in the positions that they are in for an incredible variety of reasons. What we try and focus on during class is a way to validate all of their experiences, while still moving forward. The visiting student had great advice for everyone in the class and the students had so many questions for her. It was a really interesting learning opportunity for everyone. It also reminded me of my limitations as a teacher, and how my students can be experts at things I never will be.
April 06, 2011
Questions, Questions: Part 2
This will make more sense if you read this first!
As most things regarding education seem to do, the more answers I hear, the more questions I end up having. Recently, I was able to sit down with my host teacher and have a discussion about motivation. Most importantly, I was interested in seeing what she had to say about how she motivates her students, and how effective those methods seem to be. According to my teacher, the easiest and most prevalent way teachers motivate students and show progress are through grades. She explained that she feels that most students at our school feel that just passing classes is enough, and that there doesn't seem to be much of a desire to excel beyond that by the majority of students. In our class, her policy for late work is much more lenient than some other teachers in the school. My teachers allows students almost the entire trimester to get homework assignments turned into her for at least partial credit. According to her this, coupled with a regular email update to parents every week, encourages the students to finish most of their assignments. Her most salient advice to me was the importance of follow through. She said that whatever policies I establish need to be adhered to in all cases, and similarly at all times. I think this is great advice because it allows to establish a precedent within my classroom.
An interesting thing that my host teacher brought up is that she tries to use positive encouragement sparingly. Her reasoning was that if a student answers a question and you tell them that it was a "great answer", then it discourages other students from answering, or from that student pushing past their initial answer. I have very mixed feelings about this approach. I can see what she is saying but I feel like you can still validate and praise all answers, while still pushing students. I personally am a very positive person, so it would be difficult for me to take this approach. I have noticed that she does not use positive verbal encouragement very often with her students and have wondered how it effects her relationship with them.
Something that struck me during our interview that my teacher said several time was that, "we don't have kids that go to Harvard" when talking about the student population at our school. There is a very wide economic gap within the community, but our school has honor roll, AP classes, honors credits, and National Honor Society just like most other high schools. She also mentioned that her own children who attended the school were part of groups of friends that were very academically gifted and high achieving. That being said, she meant that even the smartest students do not attend Ivy League schools. This comment really confuses me because I don't understand how there could be a vacuum of Ivy League material students in this one community. Both of these comments make me wonder more about how my teacher actually views her students. I don't get the impression she thinks of them as adults (or at least on their way to being adults). It is hard to tell whether this is from the community, her age difference from the students, or her personal style.
As most things regarding education seem to do, the more answers I hear, the more questions I end up having. Recently, I was able to sit down with my host teacher and have a discussion about motivation. Most importantly, I was interested in seeing what she had to say about how she motivates her students, and how effective those methods seem to be. According to my teacher, the easiest and most prevalent way teachers motivate students and show progress are through grades. She explained that she feels that most students at our school feel that just passing classes is enough, and that there doesn't seem to be much of a desire to excel beyond that by the majority of students. In our class, her policy for late work is much more lenient than some other teachers in the school. My teachers allows students almost the entire trimester to get homework assignments turned into her for at least partial credit. According to her this, coupled with a regular email update to parents every week, encourages the students to finish most of their assignments. Her most salient advice to me was the importance of follow through. She said that whatever policies I establish need to be adhered to in all cases, and similarly at all times. I think this is great advice because it allows to establish a precedent within my classroom.
An interesting thing that my host teacher brought up is that she tries to use positive encouragement sparingly. Her reasoning was that if a student answers a question and you tell them that it was a "great answer", then it discourages other students from answering, or from that student pushing past their initial answer. I have very mixed feelings about this approach. I can see what she is saying but I feel like you can still validate and praise all answers, while still pushing students. I personally am a very positive person, so it would be difficult for me to take this approach. I have noticed that she does not use positive verbal encouragement very often with her students and have wondered how it effects her relationship with them.
Something that struck me during our interview that my teacher said several time was that, "we don't have kids that go to Harvard" when talking about the student population at our school. There is a very wide economic gap within the community, but our school has honor roll, AP classes, honors credits, and National Honor Society just like most other high schools. She also mentioned that her own children who attended the school were part of groups of friends that were very academically gifted and high achieving. That being said, she meant that even the smartest students do not attend Ivy League schools. This comment really confuses me because I don't understand how there could be a vacuum of Ivy League material students in this one community. Both of these comments make me wonder more about how my teacher actually views her students. I don't get the impression she thinks of them as adults (or at least on their way to being adults). It is hard to tell whether this is from the community, her age difference from the students, or her personal style.
April 04, 2011
Questions, Questions: Part 1
A large portion of one of the classes I am currently taking revolves around our time spent placed in a local high school. For five hours each week I observe and participate in a classroom with high school Juniors and Seniors. With respect to everyone's privacy, the name of the school, students, and teachers will be left out. For an assignment, we had to act as a 'participant observer' to further explore an aspect of the school that interested, confused, or concerned us. I decided to interview my host teacher and some of our students regarding questions I had about motivation.
The reason I chose the topic of motivation, and how it is fostered, is two-fold. First, the atmosphere regarding motivation and enthusiasm about schoolwork was very different at this school than anywhere I had personally attended or observed. To me, many of the students were not passionate about school or interested in their classes. Having worked and tutored in mostly urban schools prior to this placement, this attitude was not completely new to me. High School is a difficult time for students for a host of different reasons. Unfortunately, popularity and personal issues often get in the way of education. That being said, the students at the school I am currently placed at were very different to me. There seemed to be a greater deal of apathy and disinterest than at other schools. In an urban setting, there are great amounts of passion, it is just usually not placed towards school. At my current placement, students didn't seem moved one way or another. They showed up because they 'had' to and for no other reason. The second reason I chose this is because, as a teacher, it is the aspect of classroom management that scares me most. How do I encourage students and convince them how important education is?
To keep my own thoughts organized, I plan on completing this analysis in three parts. This first entry being my intentions and thought process, the second will be about my discussion with my host teacher, and the third will be about my interview with students. Hopefully I can shed some light on this complicated issue.
The reason I chose the topic of motivation, and how it is fostered, is two-fold. First, the atmosphere regarding motivation and enthusiasm about schoolwork was very different at this school than anywhere I had personally attended or observed. To me, many of the students were not passionate about school or interested in their classes. Having worked and tutored in mostly urban schools prior to this placement, this attitude was not completely new to me. High School is a difficult time for students for a host of different reasons. Unfortunately, popularity and personal issues often get in the way of education. That being said, the students at the school I am currently placed at were very different to me. There seemed to be a greater deal of apathy and disinterest than at other schools. In an urban setting, there are great amounts of passion, it is just usually not placed towards school. At my current placement, students didn't seem moved one way or another. They showed up because they 'had' to and for no other reason. The second reason I chose this is because, as a teacher, it is the aspect of classroom management that scares me most. How do I encourage students and convince them how important education is?
To keep my own thoughts organized, I plan on completing this analysis in three parts. This first entry being my intentions and thought process, the second will be about my discussion with my host teacher, and the third will be about my interview with students. Hopefully I can shed some light on this complicated issue.
April 01, 2011
Baby Steps
Teaching GED classes has been simultaneously the most difficult and most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. I have never understood perseverance and dedication in the way I do now. I have also never experienced defeat and frustration quite like I have alongside my students. I fell into this internship completely by accident. I had wanted to work in a museum, and if it weren't for the kind and wise words of the coordinator (and now friend) that said "I think you would prefer this...." I don't know where I would be. I am thankful everyday for this falling into my lap. I am also thankful for the trust that the staff at my internship has put into me to be able to run with some of my ideas.
One of the things that has been the most challenging while teaching these classes is how to structure the lessons. I have one hour to cover a single topic from one of five subjects in as much detail as possible. I also have to make it engaging, interesting, and relevant. An experienced teacher would probably roll their eyes at my surprise. Of course these are the things you have to do while planning a lesson, which I now understand so much better. The trick with my GED classes is that I cannot built on lessons we have done in the past, or carry things over from day to day, because each day and each class contains different students. This is partly because some students can only come on certain days during the week, and partly because some students come very sporadically. I attempted a lesson on World War II propaganda the other day that crashed and burned. I was so excited about what I had prepared, but had overlooked the fact about how much background information we would need to cover to get on the same page. I'm constantly learning just as much as my students are.
One of the things that has been the most challenging while teaching these classes is how to structure the lessons. I have one hour to cover a single topic from one of five subjects in as much detail as possible. I also have to make it engaging, interesting, and relevant. An experienced teacher would probably roll their eyes at my surprise. Of course these are the things you have to do while planning a lesson, which I now understand so much better. The trick with my GED classes is that I cannot built on lessons we have done in the past, or carry things over from day to day, because each day and each class contains different students. This is partly because some students can only come on certain days during the week, and partly because some students come very sporadically. I attempted a lesson on World War II propaganda the other day that crashed and burned. I was so excited about what I had prepared, but had overlooked the fact about how much background information we would need to cover to get on the same page. I'm constantly learning just as much as my students are.
March 06, 2011
Books I Love Right Now
This book is true story about a trio of unlikely friends. Ron, the author, and his wife begin volunteering at a local homeless shelter. During one of their first weeks at the shelter, Ron's wife gets the strong and unreasonable feeling that her husband needs to befriends of the unruly clients. Through several attempts, and many more errors than successes, Denver (the client) begins to warm up to Ron. I think that the reason this story struck a chord with me is because of my work teaching GED classes. Many of the students I work with are temporarily homeless or highly at-risk. Reading a story about someone that I never knew existed, but seeing in him so many of the people that have become very close to me, pulled at my heartstrings. The struggles and challenges of individuals that find themselves homeless are terrifying and heartbreaking. It makes me greatly question the system that we live in. At the same time, I also see the work that I do with my GED students as the beginning of a way out of a terribly vicious cycle.
This story has very deep roots in the religious beliefs of Ron and his wife, and how their faith helped them through some very difficult times and relationships. At first I was worried that I would be too distracted by this to dive into the story, but it was completely the opposite. I was shocked at the honesty and transparency that their faith gave them. Read this now!!
February 27, 2011
Books I Love Right Now
January 15, 2011
Books I Love Right Now
This year I have been lucky enough to have a little bit of time to get back into pleasure reading. I've always enjoyed the adventure of reading but during the school year I can never rationalize spending time on reading books I want to when there is so much reading I have to finish. Also, it is far easier to get caught up in a novel than it is to get too carried away by critical social policy analysis.
The very first book I had the great fortune to read on my new Kindle was "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates". This was an incredible story about the choices we make every single day. Wes Moore, the author, is a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow. When he was home visiting his family in Baltimore he read an article about a man that was on trial for felony murder. Ironically, this man's name was also Wes Moore. Instead of overlooking this coincidence, Wes (the author) was spurred on to investigate this man's life. Wes ended up visited him in prison and pieced together the story of their separate but parallel lives.
This story hit home in a lot of different ways. Although my life does not look like the journey of either of these men, there was so many universal truths that were touched on like love, family, education, and self-control. I have had so many opportunities in my life, and what that really boils down to is a lot of choices. Things can change in an instant for better or worse. Wes's story is inspiring and frustrating at the same time, because you can clearly see how easy things can be different.
The very first book I had the great fortune to read on my new Kindle was "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates". This was an incredible story about the choices we make every single day. Wes Moore, the author, is a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow. When he was home visiting his family in Baltimore he read an article about a man that was on trial for felony murder. Ironically, this man's name was also Wes Moore. Instead of overlooking this coincidence, Wes (the author) was spurred on to investigate this man's life. Wes ended up visited him in prison and pieced together the story of their separate but parallel lives. This story hit home in a lot of different ways. Although my life does not look like the journey of either of these men, there was so many universal truths that were touched on like love, family, education, and self-control. I have had so many opportunities in my life, and what that really boils down to is a lot of choices. Things can change in an instant for better or worse. Wes's story is inspiring and frustrating at the same time, because you can clearly see how easy things can be different.
January 05, 2011
New Years Resolutions
1. Get back to maintaining this blog - be thoughtful and witty (these are supposed to be big plans right?)
2. Be thankful and happy - remind myself and others that I am doing so
3. Start a lending library for my GED class - more information to follow
4. Work out - just kidding, that one is obligatory
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