Knowing what you didn't know you didn't know before

After multiple weeks of teaching, you are now an insider in the teaching profession.  Congratulations!

 What are the most valuable things you have learned--about yourself, kids, pedagogy, teachers, systems, etc.?   What was most surprising?  As the title of this blog suggests, what is it that you discovered that you had no idea existed before?  And how do these things impact the teaching identity you are cultivating?  Parker Palmer talks about living an undivided life, in that your teaching identity and your social identity are "undivided" (pps. 173-178).  In what ways does being a teacher now feel natural, and in what ways are you still learning to take on this new identity?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

With only three weeks left, you each developed some sophisticated areas of inquiry, no doubt a result of your growing professionalism!  Now it's time to develop a systemic way of addressing your question(s).  That does not mean you will find an answer, in fact, you might come up with even more questions.  This is fine.  My objective here is not that you find an answer, but that you hone your curiosities and become more targeted and specific about what you want to know, and why it matters.

Here are my notes from our class (feel free to revise or change as you see fit):

Joey:  How do I know what I taught them?  What are students taking away from my lessons?

Amanda:  How can I make first and last period better learning experiences?  What makes students share personal events in some contexts and not in others?

Jess:  How is classroom management different in middle school versus high school?

Cindy:  How does a teacher work through bureaucracies in order to have a positive career?

Matthew:  What are some ways to facilitate discussion in order to get deeper, higher-order answers?  What are some ways to develop student-centered lessons?  How do teachers maintain physical, emotional, and mental wellness?

Danielle:  Why do some activities work in some classes and not in others?  How do I know if a student isn't "getting it"?  What kind of teacher did I come in, and how am I different now?

As you look at your own questions, what comes to mind?  Where did these questions come from?  If you have more than one, what's most important to you at this moment?  What are some ways to find answers?

Mile 20

This point of the semester reminds me of mile 20 of a marathon, which is 26.2 miles long.  Mile 20 is notorious for "the wall": a depletion of energy, motivation, and a surplus of pain.  It's too late to quit, and you know it will feel great to finish, but there are many physical and emotional barriers to keeping forward movement.

At the same time that you may be feeling tired, you are probably also in a place where you can be more of a colleague than a candidate.  I encourage you to find ways to lean less on your teacher for everyday tasks, and to even volunteer to do more than you do right now.  After all, s/he has taken great care of you so far this semester.  In what ways are you feeling more like a peer in your department than a student teacher, through sharing ideas for lessons, working with kids, technological issues, etc.?  Are there things you can do or share that might position you in that way?

It probably sounds strange, but actually doing a bit more, or, for a marathoner, picking up the pace, can actually make you feel better, and help get you through this difficult part of the semester.

Teachers as Public Intellectuals

You have probably seen and heard many protests from your professors and teaching colleagues regarding the "top-down" approach when it comes to different political entities instituting curricular or pedagogical mandates.  These mandates are seen as de-professionalizing and not trusting teachers to do the work we are trained to do.

Historically, and in other countries, teachers have been respected as public intellectuals.  Now that you have been in the schools for a couple of months, and teaching for multiple weeks, where is that you get your intellectual stimulation?  Is it from the content you are teaching (as it takes more work to be a teacher than a student)?  The different pedagogies you might be trying?  Conversations with colleagues and/or with students?  Learning about the cultures of your students which may be alien to you?  Cultivating relationships with kids?  Some or all of the above?

How have you grown intellectually since you started student teaching?

Sharing your new knowledge

This weekend, you had the opportunity to engage in professional development through attending a conference.

Now that you are in the role of a teacher, as opposed to a student, how was this different?  Tell us what you looked for, or wanted to look for, that you did not in the past.  Remember, not everything is about strategies or loading up the "toolbox."  There are more subtle things.

Tell us what you learned, whether it was regarding content, pedagogy, or relationships, that you can use in your classroom immediately or in the future.

Our (Your) Demons

You know how you sometimes get messages from multiple and diverse places that all say the same thing?  And that thing is something you know you need to pay attention to, even though you'd rather not?

I don't know about you, but I like it when people behave as I would expect, do what they are supposed to, and act according to my view of the world.  Naturally, I can't say that aloud, but it's there.  That longing for control, that ego-driven idea that I know what would be best.  After all, it's not too much to ask for people to be kind, work hard, and understand that the world will go to hell if it does not change according to MY expectations.  Perhaps you're like that, too.  Maybe not.

Regardless, we all have students or colleagues (or friends, family members, children, cats) who, for whatever reason, resist our gentle and not-so-gentle nudges to behave in ways that are concordant with our expectations.  But here's the thing:  they may be working according to another set of expectations that has nothing to do with us.

Here are some messages that appeared to me these past couple of weeks:

1. We went to see a band, Ages and Ages, for Nels' birthday.  Their music is smart and harmony driven. See the link for "Our Demons" here: http://youtu.be/Dqzc1L1H2YE

 If you don't care to listen, the chorus goes like this:  We're not so different/you and I/I know you've got your reasons for avoiding your demons/and I know I've got mine.

2. I listened to the Bob Edwards show on NPR while driving to RIC and heard a show about Father Greg Boyle in LA:  http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/blog/2010/5/3/homeboy-industries.html

Father Greg says that it's not his job to judge gang members, but to support them in finding a more productive and healthy life in a place where there are few options.

3.  And I was reading Mary Rose O'Reilley's book, The Love of Impermanent Things, and she had this quote from Philo of Alexandria:  "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

Think of a student or colleague (provide a pseudonym) whom you feel you cannot reach.  Tell us about your journey in moving from judgment to compassion for this person.  What in this person can you see in yourself?  What struggles do you share, or what seems impossible to understand?  What does it mean to consider that her/his battles are just as meaningful as yours?

Your Midterm Report

Congratulations!  You are now halfway through your student teaching experience.  It's time to take that inquiry-oriented perspective you have used toward your school and students to yourself.  

What are your strengths?  What are you good at--and how do you know?  Give some evidence.  Did you know this ahead of time, or are you surprised?

What are some areas of growth?  Name 2-3 things you want to work on, and how you plan to meet these particular challenges.

Producers and Consumers of Knowledge

In chapter 4 of The Courage to Teach, Palmer writes about different types of community models, and advocates for what he names as a "community of truth" within schools and education.

On p. 96, he writes that good education teaches students to become both "producers" and "discerning consumers" of knowledge.  He also writes that "good education may leave students deeply dissatisfied" and "angry that their prejudices have been challenged  and their sense of self shaken."

Student teaching is just such a time when your sense of self may be changing, and that you are both producing and consuming knowledge.  Can you tell a story from your student teaching that offers such an example?

OR

On p. 112, Palmer critiques postmodern/feminist/critical analyses of texts and offers the example of Moby Dick.  Paradoxically, critical analysis can both enhance and rob texts of their integrity.   How are you--or will you--walk the line in supporting student enjoyment of narrative while also teaching them textual analysis?

Living with Paradoxes

In chapter 3 of The Courage to Teach, Palmer writes about the paradoxes of teaching, and lists a few from his own experience.  I would add one of my teaching mantras which is "support and push."  That is, there are many occasions on which I need to encourage students, provide scaffolding, and nurture their tentative confidence.  At the same time, I also know that it is important to push their thinking, provide challenges, and, to go back to Vygotsky, ensure that they are in their particular "Zone of Proximal Development."

Over the last two weeks of observing all of you, I saw some nice examples of supporting.  Now, I'd like to hear about how you intend to push (gently, of course!) your students to question their own and others' ideas, to come to new understandings, and to use higher-order thinking skills.  You now have Bloom's Taxonomy to help you construct Student Learning Objectives for your unit, and that framework can help you with this task.  For this blog, I want to see at least three ways you plan to challenge or push your students to meet #19 on the Observation and Progress Report:  "TC models and promotes high expectations, constructive criticism, and the challenging of ideas."

This can be for any of your classes.  Maybe develop a challenge for each one.  It's up to you.

Learnings from the Student Teacher Panel and Palmer

Along with the day-to-day experience of being in the schools, as exhausting and exhilarating as that is, you have had the opportunity to hear words of wisdom from a veteran teacher in Parker Palmer, and from relatively new teachers who were where you are not so long ago.  

What feels immediate and practical for you?  What feels conceptual, important and deep that will take time to absorb?  

Name at least three things you will take with you, and maybe have already applied, in your thinking, pedagogy, or interactions with students or colleagues this week.  Tell stories that illustrate your struggles and/or successes.  What new questions or inquiries have arisen?

Questions for Student Teacher Panel

What do you want to know from a panel of successful student teachers who are now currently teaching in various schools?  Think about your curiosities and ideas about time management, classroom management, relationships with colleagues and students, planning, grading, etc.  You might also bring up questions related to the Parker Palmer chapters, as far as teaching from identity and integrity, and what that actually looks like (although they did not read Palmer, at least not in ST Seminar).

List some questions that you have.

Response to Parker Palmer

In the introduction and chapter one, Palmer makes the case for teaching being a spiritual endeavor, and that "To educate is to guide students on an inner journey toward more truthful ways of seeing and being in the world" (p. 6).

Does this resonate with you?  In what ways?

He also makes the case for teaching beyond technique and honoring subjectivity.  As novice teachers, you are probably depending on techniques and strategies.  Have you experienced some times when you have reached beyond this?  Describe those, and how that felt different than implementing a particular technique.

Or, if there is something else in these chapters that you would rather write about, please do.

I will post a second prompt regarding questions for the student teacher panel.

My Week

My week was great! I began solo teaching which went a lot more smoothly than I thought. I have noticed that a large majority of the students are already comfortable with me. There a very small handful that are on the cusp, but are holding back for whatever reason. I have to say that I am extremely satisfied with the way lessons have gone. I made sure to over plan for every lesson, but never needed it. I am amazed at how fast a 55 minute period can go!

I have made sure to incorporate writer’s notebooks into every lesson. I ask students to share, but do not require it. At the beginning of the week students were apprehensive to share. As the week went on fifteen out of eighteen students shared!! I found this amazing and did not expect it to happen so quickly. My thoughts are that they are feeling more comfortable as a classroom community and more comfortable with me as their teacher.

The only hiccup I am having with this one particular class is that two students (a boy and girl) are constantly having side conversations. It becomes disruptive when other students are sharing or when I am addressing the class with prompts or activities. I have stopped class and waited for them to notice, and I have also called them out on it in class. I have spoken with both students privately to inform them of the behavior and that I will move seats if necessary. At this point there are not assigned seats and I really wanted to avoid assigning seats.  I have informed both students that they have had two strikes and upon the third strike I will be moving their seats. Today is a new day and I’m waiting to see how it turns out. 

Jessica's Reflection: Week of 9/8

I had a pretty good week! I continued with the two classes I've been working with, American Lit and Creative Writing. With Creative Writing, we talked about being specific in our writing and using concrete detail, similies, and metaphors. We also established a new norm, which is Friday as a "Writing Day". This means that there is no direct instruction on Fridays, only time for them to produce as much memoir writing as they can. Every week will have a theme. This past Friday, the theme was "Tina Fey Day" as all the prompts came from her book Bossypants. I think the students enjoyed having time to write about a variety of things as well as being able to choose from a large number of prompts. It's also a nice treat first thing on a Friday morning!

Creative Writing is a small class and I almost never have an issue with students sharing their opinions or their writing. This makes sense to me -- it is an elective, so most students feel comfortable with their writing. I'm having a different experience with the American Lit class.

American Lit is a class of 11th graders who are very chatty and funny. However, in full-group situations, they are reluctant to share their thoughts or writing. We begin each class with a journal and I often have to "draft" people into sharing what they've written. After being observed on Thursday, however, I've gained new strategies to start small and build toward full-group sharing.

Speaking of being observed -- that went alright. I'm honestly pretty disappointed in myself because of a number of little things that I realized I should have done differently right after the students left the classroom. That being said, I did learn a lot about thinking on my feet and time management. I feel confident that I will have a more clear plan for editing my lessons when necessary moving forward.

All in all, I had a good week. Tomorrow I will take over my last class, which is World Lit with 12th graders. We will be reading The Things They Carried. I'm pretty nervous about teaching a whole book -- I've never had to do anything close! -- but I'm really interested in and excited by the text, so I'm feeling good about it! :)

As Time Continues to Fly

               This week, there was no prompt, so I decided to reflect on the transition process, and differentiating between classes.  These are two ideas that are coming up in my placement recently, and I thought I would take the opportunity to share.

                Over the past few weeks, my host teacher and I have been slowly transitioning responsibility from him to me.  This gradual picking up of responsibility has allowed me to be a presence from day one, and allowed me to grow more comfortable with my place in front of the classroom, and with the classes I will be taking over during this process.  By the time of the “final hand-off,” I will have a good grasp of what needs to be done, and how I need to present myself to each group (at least, I hope I will).

                This brings me to my next point:  differentiating lessons, not between students, but between classes.  One of the things that I could see from the beginning of my placement was that my host teacher seemed to make changes to lessons on the fly, interpreting things that I didn’t notice, and “mixing things up.”  It seemed like a useful skill, and something I desperately wanted.  Unfortunately, I seemed to be blind to the sixth (or is it seventh) sense that seemed to be in play here.

                But, through the “gradual release of responsibility,” I think I am finally understanding the differentiation necessary.  As my host teacher has said (or rather, what he says in the approximated words my mind remembers), “you can’t teach every class the same things in the same ways.”  In other words, you need to know the class in question on a “personal” level, not just a curricular level, if you want to be effective.

                As we go forward, I am trying to get a sense of where everybody is, and how to “mix things up.”  It’s slow work.  I am trying to edit rapidly and, not on the fly, but after rapid-fire self-analysis after classes (and segments of classes), so that each class can benefit from the previous one.  I am waiting to see how this works in the long run, and I hope to someday be able to “edit” on the fly myself.

                All in all, the gradual release of the classroom responsibility and the emphasis on seeing each class as an individual entity is the thing that is foremost in my mind right now.  As the semester moves forward, these are some of the things that I will continue to work with to better my teaching skills.  There are some new things we (mostly I) am going to try in my future lessons and lesson planning, and I look forward to trying them.  Classes are like students, they need individualized instruction.  And the sooner I get away from “one size fits all instructional strategies” (really more like “designed without a specific classroom community in mind strategies”), the better.  I’ve already started the process, and now I need to see it through.

My Wednesday.

Tuesday night I prepared for the following day with the mindset that I was going to continue my Co-teaching model, where I teach a portion, and she teaches a portion of class, but instead on Wednesday I woke up to a text from her saying she wasn’t going to be able to come into class. I went to school nervous as to how this would be fixed. I had been instrumental in helping to make the unit we were on so I knew everything that was going to be taught that day, but I still wasn’t prepared for what ended up happening.

I went into the classroom, it was free period first so I spent the hour preparing for the four classes to follow. All the while the school radio reminded me that they still hadn’t found coverage for my next class. At the last minute the department head of English came in. He was going to cover. As I explained to him what today’s lesson was on I realized that I knew enough to do it. I told him I’d take the lead, and I taught the whole period. This proved beneficial to me, as I got to be observed teaching by the department head, so I ended up with some solid feedback for what I can improve, and what I’m doing well.

Unfortunately the rest of the day didn’t go that smoothly. They took away my advisory period from me, which was great because I have absolutely no clue what to do in advisory. They meet once a week so I pretty much never see them. All the while I didn’t hear any announcers asking for coverage, so I assumed I was all set. I taught my first class thinking, well I was going to take over that period this week any way, but I was hoping that someone could take the lead for the last three. One minute into start of that class the announcer asked for immediate coverage for that class. I realized I had to take over. Fifteen minutes went by before a sub came in. Since I had already started I figured I might as well keep going. This one was more difficult, but I made it through.  

  

                The last two classes were the most difficult. At this point they didn’t even have coverage so I took them both over completely alone. It was honestly one of the most exhausting, frustrating experiences of my life, but I survived. By the end it made the rest of the week feel so much easier because hell I’d already taught a whole day by myself. What’s one or two classes going to do? In the frustration of teaching students who have behavior problems by myself I ended up breaking any nervousness I felt about taking control of a class. If I was going to survive I’d have to be an authoritarian presence in that classroom, and while I can’t say I’m the best there is, I definitely made huge strides. 

This week the gap between the motivated and unmotivated begins to be revealed.  Students are starting to give me small bits of information about themselves, and show interest in me as a person.  These appear to be the motivated students.  Others will take longer.  In some cases, I have information about them which helps me to understand why they might need more time to place trust in an adult.
My cooperating teacher and I continue to forge our relationship.  This week we spent a good amount of time grading papers.  We graded separately and together.  Then we discussed our differences.  I led my three classes a good bit, and we made plans for more of this this week.
I will say a few things about what I noticed regarding contextual factors.  I see the principal frequently, and he doesn't wield his power in an intimidating manner.  He just does not have that sort of physical presence.  One of the assistant principals deals with discipline issues relating to 12th graders, so she is present frequently in the areas of the building which I frequent.  She has a strong physical presence, and I wonder if this connects to her ability to do this particular job well;  I suspect it does.  She has good boundaries insofar as being chatty with teachers;  which I respect.  I see the hallways throughout the day, and I hear teachers connecting with students during these times.  What I hear is frequently very positive; a level of interest in students which is alternately caring and firm.

Danielle-Week Progress Report

This week was very odd for both teachers and students. That one day off on Tuesday provided what almost felt like two Mondays. In fact, I had a difficult time keeping my students organized and not distracted on the Wednesday following. Not many students wanted to partake in the chapter discussions and we did not get a lot done. It did not help that Wednesdays were late start days, making all the classes shorter. With these two obstacles, the class ran short on time. On Thursday, I gave a pop quiz on the reading. Those who had not been doing the homework or did not partake in the discussions now had to demonstrate what they did know. Many of them did exceptionally well. This quiz helped me see who was reading and who was not, and who I have to assist when they get to their end of book writing assignment. 

What I did not expect was the amount of students who suddenly participated after the quiz. It was refreshing and I hope it will continue. 

Friday was a quiet day and we had students get their progress reports. I am not sure if I like strictly online grading and I am thinking of keeping a paper gradebook for my own records, until I get the hang of the online one.

I am very eager to begin my own unit once the students finish this book. Since the class is American Literature, we will be focusing on American myths. At the end of the book they are currently reading, the narrator discusses a myth that the Native Americans of his reservation have for a particular lake. I think it will be a great starting point.

Reflection on Akin

I invite you to reflect on what you read in the Akin article, "Out of Despair: Reconceptualizing Teaching Through Narrative Practice."

1. Akin shares how writing has become part of her practice, and that "Through writing narratives I place myself in a position where I can learn from my work, I participate in the definition of my own practice, and finally I assume responsibility for who I am as a teacher" (p. 68).

What do you think it means to define your own practice as a teacher, particularly in light of the rest of this article?  What are ways that you, even as a student teacher, are already assuming responsibility for your teaching identity?

2. Akin also writes about how upsetting it was to find that the "grand narrative" of teaching is false, and she offers an honest counter-narrative to what it means to feel like she's failing, even as she is giving everything she has.

As you teach and run into what feel like failures, what can you take from Akin that will sustain you?

3.  If there is something else from this piece that resonates you, go ahead and write about that.  Just follow the guideline of being honest.

week one/NPHS

This first week was exciting!  I liked learning who my cooperating teacher uses for support amongst her co-workers.  I see the strategies they used when getting together to discuss a specific item-they would voice their goal for the meeting, and it helped them to stick to it.  I also saw the principal say thank you to staff members for completing tasks, using dunkin' donuts gift cards-a nice touch, I thought!
I'm learning that I know something about my personality, as far as getting my bearings in a new situation or job, such as this.    I need to ground myself in my new relationship with my cooperating teacher, and then begin the process of my individual work-my unit.
I noticed some strategies my teacher used for avoiding pissing matches with students.  She used "I" language when addressing them about inappropriate behavior.
Students surprised me by writing very honestly in a survey they took about their interests.  The school has a strong senior project requirement, and the survey is the first step in helping them figure out what topic they might take on for the project.  One student wrote that he supports the Palestinian Liberation Organization as his favorite cause.  I suspect it will be challenging for me to avoid talking about that topic-it is such a hot button right now!  If he chooses it for his senior project, I will not be able to avoid it!!
I was disappointed that many students did not complete their summer reading!
A great week-all in all!

First Week Navigation

What happened this week?  What did you learn about yourself, your students, and the teaching life?

You can write about the energy level of different classes (or yourself!) at different times, things that surprised you, and/or things you look forward to.

What will require most of your time and attention, do you think, at least as you begin?

Be honest and be thoughtful.