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?
I was a little surprised at first when one of the teachers said that it was better to “suck it up” when being asked how they make a lesson more unique to them with an already tight curriculum. It was refreshing when the others chimed in saying that it was okay to find “something weird” like a video or a game. In a sense, I know that making all lessons exciting and unique and different every day is not only struggling, it is almost impossible. I like the idea that even something as small as a video can be enough to make a lesson more unique and fun for not only your students to see but for you, as their teacher, to create.
ReplyDeleteI was also relieved to hear that some teachers, especially those who come in later in the quarter or even the year sometimes have to make lesson plans last minute and that even a fantastic lesson can be altered, changed, and, sometimes, not even work! My cooperating teacher mentioned something similar as well, that my student teaching was going to be FILLED with mistakes. I think that making a mistake is the most terrifying thing that can happen to a new teacher or a student teacher. But, we learn from those mistakes because that means we have opportunities to make better lessons later on.
These teachers really emphasized learning from their own students and to ask for their input. I think that, with all the busy work and the running around we sometimes forget that these students ARE why we are doing what we do. If above all else, I think it should be relevant to ask students where they are in a lesson, if you’re going to fast or focusing on something that really is not all that new to them. I also love how they said that students LOVE learning WITH you. I think that really stood out to me and I think it is something I have been trying to do. I love telling them about college and such. In a school with such high expectations, it’s almost relieving to hear from someone who is already almost done with college.
Finally, the last bit we talked about with the other teachers explained that some things that may have worked for your teacher may not always work for you. And I do agree. At first, I was a little afraid to deviate from the method that the teacher used in her class, so much that I did not even want to read IN class. I talked about this with her and she relieved some of my worry when she said that reading aloud was all HER cooperating teacher did when she student taught and did not want to make it a habit, and that if I wanted to read aloud in class, and if I thought it would be within my best interests for the class, I should do it.
Overall, this is such a unique experience. I am still very anxious about my lessons, especially since I am attempting to start my unit this Monday!
I do want to know what happens if my lessons do not go as I hoped, should I start the next day where we left off, try the lesson again from a new approach, or move on?
How can I let students teach each other?
Also, I know that I am a kinesthetic learner, but I have some difficulties creating lessons and activities that work for similar learners, any advice? I was thinking, for my language lesson, to have a game with the vocabulary words where students would toss an object around to one another. One student says the word, passes the object, then the person whom it was tossed to has to give the definition.
I completely agree with your point about "learning WITH" them. I think this can be applied throughout this experience: us learning to be teachers as they learn to be students; us learning about the specific content of our courses as they do; us learning about one another as human beings!
DeleteConcerning the first question you ask, I would try again -- as long as time allows. The school I'm in does not keep its teachers to a strict schedule, so I am able to spend whatever time is necessary to make sure the students get the information they need. If that means teaching the same concept 3 times, so be it! (Hopefully in different ways, or they will revolt!)
I'm also finding it hard to engage my kinesthetic learners. I think that's one of the harder learning styles to accommodate in an English class. Your vocab word game sounds like a nice start!
Hi Danielle, Joey and I talked about risks today. Risks imply mistakes. Try something and if it doesn't work, well, then you can decide whether to try and save it or move on. I'd rather you take risks and get students engaged and up out of their seats and maybe (gasp) out of control, then to teach a boring lesson where nobody gets anything out of it.
DeleteI don't know many kinesthetic activities off the top of my head.... Anything that gets them out of their seats seems like a step in the right direction. Think about some of the activities from 445 and Practicum. We got up and moved often. Is there anything you could adapt?
DeleteI know you'll come up with something amazing. Just think: "What would I enjoy doing in class?"
And then modify it, because you're an English major, and your students aren't.
My first takeaway was that, in regards to a lesson going poorly or not playing out the way you saw it playing out, it is okay to let students know that you are a student just like them and that you are learning too. I liked hearing it and for whatever reason it never occurred to me to share that with my students. Of course I’m still learning and things cannot go seamlessly all of the time!! Why hadn’t I thought of that? I think that sometimes I’m so nervous and feel so small in the front of the classroom that I fail to realize that. I am teaching my students that it is okay to try something and not get the results they are looking for, and that it is more important to keep on trying and plugging away, and most importantly to be gentle with yourself.
ReplyDeleteBe gentle with yourself was another big takeaway for me. I am constantly on the go and never stop and take a moment for myself. I know I’ve heard it from others, and read it in our class syllabus, but for whatever reason it really hit home as I was sitting listening to the panel talk. This week I realized that I do not take time for myself and I never make myself a priority. I’m mommy, student, partner, or friend—I never stop and take time to just be Amanda. With this realization of constantly being on and constantly fulfilling a role for someone else, I decided to play the solo Amanda role every day. Unfortunately, I am not in the position to carve out chunks of time for myself so I broke it down into five minute increments throughout the day. It is amazing what five minutes can do for you as far as relaxing and clearing your head. By the end of this week those five minute increments packed a huge punch for me and I realize that I am much more in tune with myself. Also, I realized I was not as exhausted at the end of the day (week).
Another takeaway for me was hearing that you cannot reach every student. If a student chooses not to participate or do his/her work than sometimes you have to allow that student to make their own decisions. That is a choice that they are making and you cannot force them to participate. As for it becoming a distraction to the rest of the class, then that is something you have to address. As a student teacher, I really did not want to have to remove a student from the classroom, but I realized after hearing the panelists talk about it that sometimes it just has to be done. I am not so sure why I was so concerned with removing a student from class or handling a disruptive student. I guess I just really wanted student teaching to run smoothly and have no behavioral problems. I realize now how ridiculous and impossible that sounds.
I think it's definitely hard for all of to take care of ourselves. I like that you're scheduling time for you! It's important and i'm sure you'll be thanking yourself in the end. I hope that you'll be able to push towards more than 5 minutes though!
DeleteLove that you're taking even five minutes to just be Amanda! What an important takeaway, and as you found out, it matters. Not all recalcitrant students will turn out like the Student from Hell in Parker's chapter, but give them their chances and move on. You never know what will resonate.
Delete"Be gentle with yourself was another big takeaway for me. I am constantly on the go and never stop and take a moment for myself. I know I’ve heard it from others, and read it in our class syllabus, but for whatever reason it really hit home as I was sitting listening to the panel talk. This week I realized that I do not take time for myself and I never make myself a priority. I’m mommy, student, partner, or friend—I never stop and take time to just be Amanda." I can only imagine how being a mother, a student, and a teacher all at once can be like. I have always held a lot of respect for teachers who are parents (especially with very young children). And, as you are seeing, you do need time for yourself, so be good to yourself. Treat yourself to a day at the mall or even just sitting down with a cup of tea and some tv. You're a hard worker.
ReplyDeleteI think the first thing that really stuck with me was when one of the teachers mentioned taking care of yourself. One of them chimed in that napping was crucial which was great because my body doesn’t give me a say in the are we about to be napping debate, so it felt good hearing that I’m not the only one who falls asleep almost immediately after coming home for teaching. It also struck a chord that week since I had to miss going to class one day due to a family emergency and felt terrible about it the whole day. I was worried that I would come in and have to refocus the students, or that the lesson would be lost on them with too much time lapsing in between, but mostly I was just terrified of the unknown. What happened during the day that I missed? How am I supposed to continue the lesson if I don’t know where they left off? I came to the realization during that meeting and during the class day after my absence that it wasn’t really the worst thing in the world. It was pretty simple figuring out what they did (I asked them) and to prepare accordingly (turns out they did nothing, good?), but more importantly I realized that it would have been a waste of time going in in the first place. I would have honestly not been any use there that day and the lesson would probably have not gone in any productive fashion. I learned that it’s okay to take care of you before taking care of the class sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI also like that one of them said that summer, while good for planning, is great for decompressing, and that it’s okay to not think about school for a while. I get worried sometimes that I’d be spending the majority of the time planning for the next year, which yeah I probably will do to some degree, but that it’s okay to relax and enjoy some time off too. Admittedly relaxing is not something I’m particularly good at, but it’s nice having the thought in my head that I don’t have to feel guilty for doing it.
I think lastly one big thing I took away was the same think Amanda did. It’s okay to realize that some days aren’t going to be perfect and on those days sometimes you have to make the decision to send a behaviorally disruptive student out of class for the good of the other students. While it’s a shame, and I think obviously shouldn’t be used frequently, sometimes one student is simply ruining it for the rest of the class. I luckily haven’t had any moments that I felt I needed to remove a student from class, and hopefully that doesn’t happen for a while, but it’s nice to know I’m not a monster or a terrible teacher for doing it if it needs to happen.
It seems you really care about your students and want to work hard to be successful. I think a lot of us are realizing that relaxation is not just a luxury , it is still a necessity. I am glad we got to hear that from the teachers on Tuesday.
DeleteI love that you mentioned taking the summers off to decompress! Summers are known for allowing students to decompress, but it is important that educators decompress too! And we should never feel guilty for taking time to relax and unwind!!!
DeleteIt's great to know that you are learning that taking care of yourself first is necessary, often. And relaxing doesn't have to mean going to the beach. For you, relaxing might mean writing something non-schooly :)
DeleteI always overlooked the recharging qualities of Summer. It bears repeating its usefulness.
DeleteAs for your missed class, that guilt could have been destructive. But you worked past it. Plus, the fact that you were able to pick up where you left off means it stuck with them in the first place.
The panel last week was very enlightening. They were a great resource, and I have already tried on some of the things they discussed, with the intention to grab some others in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing I grabbed from the panel was the idea of drumming up energy and engagement by creating a game-like atmosphere around the lesson. Last week, I had an afternoon class that was virtually dead on its feet. It was the end of the day, it was hot, and we had a number of things to get through, but the energy level was dropping fast, and I could see where the class was headed. So, I channeled my inner, hyper-energized sports announcer self and switched to game jargon and time limits. To my surprise, it worked like a charm. Almost instantly, there was a spike in energy, and I soon had everyone working on what they had to get done, and was going through things at record paces. So, they were right. Games are magic in the classroom, even when they aren’t really games.
The next big thing I grabbed was the idea that there are some students who, for whatever reason, aren’t interested in learning that day. You should never give up on them, and you should continue to push and prod them along, but it’s not a complete failure if there is one student not engaged one hundred percent of the time in every lesson you teach. You can only do your best. This raised a weight from my shoulders. Not because I thought there was an excuse to stop trying (there is never one), but because it made an inevitability real and acceptable. It’s alright if you make a mistake, or you mess up. Every lesson doesn’t need to turn out like a mythical “perfect lesson.” They’re not going to. But if you try to attain that mythical perfect lesson every day, then you’re on the right track. It was reassuring.
Something I intend to work on more as I go forward is to take more time to “unwind” as myself. “Re-Charge Time” is in incredibly high demand right now. Seriously, I think its exchange price just rocketed past gold, with no end in sight. But I know I need to make time for myself, to recharge my teacher circuits, or else there is going to be a burn out. This is something I will work on as I move forward. Hearing them say it made it seem “real.” I need to take care of myself, or else my pace is going to wear me down.
So, those are the three biggest things the panel showed me. And armed with this knowledge, I hope to go on to a successful next few months in student teaching.
I did not remember the panel talk about making the lesson into a game of sorts. Thank you, Matt, for this share. I like how you made the point that energy in my room changes regularly, and that I can do a lot to change it. I don't need to have a GAME in the lesson plan to attempt to make a shift in the climate from sluggish to awake!
DeleteEnergy in the room is contagious, so i think it is great that you found a way to muster up your own and pass it to your students! Thanks Matt!
DeleteI love the whole tone of your reflection (which is, in part, because I love your writing so much, as I've probably mentioned 50 times). The idea that it's about the intention, not necessarily the outcome. All we can do is try our best and push ourselves to hold everyone in the room (teachers and students alike) to a high standard. And yes, sometimes it's not going to be excellent. How many times have we all mentioned that we're "out of it" or "having a bad day" or simply "tired"? It's imperative that we accept the humanness within our students and within ourselves.
DeleteI appreciated hearing that someone with three extremely young children went through this experience. I also appreciated that sometimes, after going to the wall to help a particular child, they may still make negative choices and not want help. I also like (and need) to hear that I need to take care of myself throughout this process. The group of panelists all had very different relationships with their cooperating teachers, so that is a good example for me. The text had an interesting takeway for me. I love the idea that a good teacher connects because (or when) their intellect, emotion, and spirit converge as they teach. This gives me hope! I can have an impact on students (under this model) LONG before I am a seasoned teacher, because I have been developing these parts of myself for a number of years!
ReplyDeleteRight now I cannot specify what I will continue to process mentally, from what I heard and read, but I suspect it is a lot. I took a lot of notes during the panel. I imagine that they job interviewing process will trigger a lot of memories, taking me part to their words. I think the determination they spoke of resonates with me. I am looking forward to working as a teacher, even as I know that the work I have before then is crucial to building my practice.
As I said to Amanda, I have a lot of respect for teachers who are parents. I think we were all glad to hear that taking the time to sit an unwind is okay and needed.
Deletethanks Cindy
I had never thought of "owning up" to my newness until that was brought up during the Student Teacher panel. I came into this experience preoccupied with the idea that I had do be excellent at it right away, which of course is ridiculous and impossible and just plain silly, which I quickly realized. Well, I thought, fake it 'till you make it! I thought that, even if I wasn't entirely sure if something I would try would work or not, I had to pretend that I had the utmost confidence that it would be wonderful. I still believe this, to a degree; having a teacher who seems unsure about her own lessons would surely be a poor sign for the students. However, being frank and honest when things don't go quite as planned is a really freeing and exciting approach. I'm going to try using it more often and more intentionally when I switch to the middle school.
ReplyDeleteI also loved Brittany's approach to make everything (within reason) feel like a game, even in the smallest ways. Though she was speaking specifically of her middle school students, I've been using pieces of that approach with the older kids, too. For instance, for my 12-2 group of reluctant writers, I started giving them an over-the-top countdown before our timed writing, and they practically jump on the paper once I say "go". Of course, that wears off , but I have seen some success with this approach so far.
Lastly, I'd like to address the point that I believe we all have addressed: taking care of ourselves. This experience is nothing like we've ever done before. A lot of us have other commitments: families, friends, jobs, and our own personal well-being. I'm a very hard worker, and it's only within the past year or so that I've allowed myself to take care of myself. Before, I had seen it as a weakness I had to overcome; now, and especially since it's been reinforced by the panel, I see it as a human need to be a human. It's important that I carve out a little time every weekend to see my friends. They are my support system, and I need them to survive in a healthy way. If I were to try and student teach about a year ago, I would have been burned out by week 2. Now, though, I allow myself to deviate from my get-it-done-yesterday mentality to take care of myself. Now, I think I'll make it until at least October!
I'm joking about that last part. I hope.
You. Will. Make. It. To. October. And. Beyond!
DeleteIt really is silly that we think we have to enter this learning experience as experts, and that we will be perfect at it right off the bat. I wonder why that is...
Also, I love Brittany's game approach too!
. "I came into this experience preoccupied with the idea that I had do be excellent at it right away, which of course is ridiculous and impossible and just plain silly, which I quickly realized. "
Deletesame here! I think we have all been so worried about making sure we are top notch that we forget that we are still 'students' ourselves.
Jess, you'll make it beyond October, I have no doubt.
DeleteI was surprising how much of an impact "take care of yourself" seems to have had. I wonder what it says about teacher candidates....
Matt, I agree with everything you said, and I'd love to see your sports announcer self! I'm so excited that you are keying in on reading the energy of the room.
ReplyDeleteCindy, Palmer resonates with me as well on those levels. Being a teacher is not just about management, assessment, and pedagogy, although you'd think so based on evaluation forms and methods courses syllabi.
Jess, it's not about being excellent, it's about being present, right? Not needing to evaluate is really important, especially this early. it's about what happened, not what is good or bad.
Nice work, everyone! Very thoughtful.