How do you deal with a disappointment in the classroom?

I think that I will do what my Mom did when this happened in my class. When a student does something to disappoint me (particularly them lying, not turning in work, talking back, etc) I think it is important to them EXACTLY what they did to disappoint me. I think that its really important to explain yourself. If you’re just getting angry, but not telling them why… how the heck are they going to fix the problem? Then, I would tell them exactly what they can do to fix the problem. Just like not telling someone what they did…. if you don’t tell them how to fix it… the problem is going to be addressed, but then its just going to stop there. I also think that it is really important to not hold a grudge on a student. If you have addressed and fixed a problem…. why the heck do you need to keep on telling them about it? Move on. If a student continues to disappoint you, I think it would be ok to take away small privileges (writing on the white board, using a smartboard, etc) until they realize that they should check themselves.

OK, so this is super duper late… but whatever the important thing is that I remembered!

Back in March I did my discussion leading over blended technology use in the classroom. Now granted, this was a relatively new topic for me as well….so I didn’t have too terribly much to say on the topic. I think I might have led us down the wrong path at some points as well. I don’t want to imply that I think classrooms should be technology wastelands, but I also don’t think children need to have access to their phones/laptops/tablets the entire time they are in class. I think there should be a nice balance.. and I’m glad that we got to discuss where that balance might be found.

So here is my take on such a foreign area to me (I think that my school had 2 smart boards and cell phones were to be locked in lockers.)

I think being able to access information with a few clicks is great. I also really hate when someone says that kids should have more reliance on older technology. Like… I understand that a student should understand how books and libraries work… but I don’t think that it is very good practice to make them slug away at the library in order to complete a task that Google could have answered in 4 seconds. Its just an outdated practice.

I think that phones should have some sort of text block unless its the child’s caretaker. I mean.. I get that students need to have their links to the outside world because of emergencies… however, I don’t think its the kids mom texting them from 7-3.. I mean, I love my mother… but we can only text for like 4 minutes.

I think that programs that are individualized to the student’s needs should be implemented in all classrooms. I’ll need to do the research on this.. but from what we learned from the TEDtalk… it sounds amazing.

Can anyone tell that my blogging is getting weaker>?

Hey, we are finished with our genre projects!

I think that we should discuss both the pros and the cons of this type of assignment, because I fear we will never have this unique task again (unless we are the ones assigning it.)

Ok, so first off. CONS:

1. I really love art/creative projects in school, but I only like them in an art class. When we were assigned a project that was graded on creativity in a writing class, I got nervous. I was used to a rubric and a right answer.

2. Finding a topic, an appropriate genre, a specific audience to address, and an argument kept me up a few nights. I found myself losing sleep and working through the nights before each genre project were due in order to turn in a finished project.

3. Trying to present my projects was also somewhat scary to do. I knew what I wanted to say… I knew what my project was about.. but I also knew that no one wanted to read/hear/see my entire project. So, how do I sum up what I did in such a way that maintained their attention but do justice for my previous night’s work?

4. I got used to this type of assignment, so going back to the “real” assignments (the paper we are currently working on) was sort of a shock.

Ok, so thats about all the cons that I can think of. Now, onto the pros!

1. I really had to think outside of my comfort zone. I know that this sounds bad, but I enjoy this!

2. Being crafty is literally my favorite thing ever. I love drawing, cutting construction paper, and gluing things to other things! Its cathartic… and it gives me a reason to buy more office supplies.

3. This assignment exposed me to an area of the education world that I normally never am (like laws, administration… etc etc)

4. I genuinely got excited about my research (when I finally picked my argument)

I could think of more.. but if you force me to do so, I will have to add that to the “cons” list.

I think that I will use this teaching method with my students. Maybe not ALL the time.. but for sure at least once.

Hey! Our assigned reading for this week…

…is very similar to the genre project that I did.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/education/edlife/is-your-first-grader-college-ready.html?ref=edlife&_r=0

So, obviously I am somewhat conflicted with this post. On one hand, I think that it is very important that children understand what “goes into” going to university. On the other hand, I feel like pounding the idea that “university=job” shouldn’t be pounded into every child’s head. I also don’t believe that starting a child off “down the path” of university in FIRST grade is the best way to prepare them. Like the article says, this can be overwhelming for a child.

Yes, I did take advanced math in junior high. Yes, I did join clubs, run for student council, receive my cosmetology license before graduation, blah blah blah blah… all to cushion my resume and college application. However, when my mom signed me up for elementary soccer, I wasn’t playing with the ultimate goal of playing soccer for University of Tennessee; I was playing because oranges and capri suns tasted really good at half time.

BUT then again, I have this fight with myself.

Ok, so I came from an upper middle class family where both my parents received professional degrees, and all three of my brothers also went to university SO some college preparation MUST have happened (even subconsciously… I mean, here I am.) How about all these children that DON’T have parents/family/friends that went to college? What about these children that have no idea how to fill out a FAFSA? Or how to apply for student housing? Or even to declare a major? These are things that I could call anyone in my immediate family over… and I took that for granted.

So, whats my point?

My point is that I am conflicted. On one hand I believe that children shouldn’t have to worry about university in the first grade. On the other, I think that university is complicated, and it is something that you need to prepare for.

Someone please just tell me the 100% correct answer.

Alright… so this is going to make me sound horrible

But I’m really struggling with a specific course this semester… and this specific course is an introduction poetry class. Going into the semester, I knew that it was going to be a rough semester, because I have never really spent any extensive time studying poetry. Yeah, in high school we would study some odds and ends, but we never really dove into the subject (and we especially never reached a level that spiked any interest from me.) Whatever, I need the course to graduate.

Much to my surprise, I really have enjoyed the class. AND even though its a Monday, Wednesday, Friday course at EIGHT AM I make it there regularly. My professor made us all super engaged in the poetry, gave great feed back on our journals that we kept for readings, and I felt like this was something I could really get into.

This new found love for poetry was somewhat changed when I received a B- – on an explication that I thought I nailed. I was shocked. It was 20% of my grade for the entire semester. Whatever…. I tried harder on the next one.

So, I turned in the next paper…..

And my morning is ruined. I got a C on it. THATS 20% of my grade! I want to explode/cry/scream.

I feel like I am in high school again and I’m going to get grounded for this grade.

This genre project really had me stumped

So… the first genre project was incredibly easy for me since I have always had a huge passion for school safety (I did an anti guns in school pamphlet.) The second genre project was a touch more difficult for me to figure out. My youngest brother is working on his master’s degree in dietetics at New Mexico State, so I heard him talking about the importance in nutrition (especially in young children) ALL THE TIME. So, I decided that I should show my support for the new nutrition standards implemented in secondary education. Awesome…. I turned something in!

Now, my brain is literally dead. I stayed up last night much later than I would have liked thinking about an argument I could take. Finally, I came to the idea that secondary teachers should really be showing their students what going to community college versus a four year university would look like financially. So, finally.. I came up with the idea to make a board game that looks nothing like the game LIFE. Haha…

So, the way that the game will be set up is designed so that every player will HAVE to pay the full amount for both options (yeah, this isn’t fun, but neither is paying for school.)

Everyone is a loser for a little bit…. but you lose a little less usually when you choose to go to community college first. It has to be that way, because thats my argument.

Quick Write: What feedback do I need? Whats your game plan to be done? 

Okay, here it goes. I need to know that even though I am being very biased towards my opinion, does it still fly? Also, is it okay that everyone is a loser, but that there is “less” losers??

My plan to be done in a week…. is to just continue to make the game, look up average costs of state schools, and fit them into the game. Then, I will make my friends play it (while I am the powerful banker, of course).

You know what I hate? Those videos with everything written on cards rather than the person being filmed actually talking. The video takes FOREVER. I feel like I’m stuck in purgatory

So I’m going to need a works cited page for this next project?

Thats a huge bummer…. but I guess I can muster up the STRENGTH to do some research (haha)

Topics I could *possibly* stand to read scholarly articles and what have you.

1- School safety

2- Continued education for teachers
-how does this even work?
-who pays for this?
-where is it?
-how long does it last?
-how frequently do I need to go?

3- Making all teachers have a minimum ELL class/certification requirement

Quick write

Quickwrite: Mike Rose spends a significant part of his book asking big questions about education – why do we teach? for whom? To what purpose? but what about the smaller questions that will affect you day-to-day? How do I get so-and-so to sit down? When do I get to use the bathroom? What are the areas of teaching that you don’t think STEPP will cover while you are at CSU? What topics need to be covered? What classes need to be taught?

Oh man… I’m so excited that this was asked as a quick write. I have so many fears that I think won’t be addressed. So here we go…

1- How do you handle students that know this is your first year teaching and know that your job is on the line? (Some kids in my school were straight mean when it came to new teachers.)

2- How to quickly change a lesson plan if something comes up (an emergency)

3- How do you plan for a sub? (many of these people only have high school degrees and couldn’t possibly be prepared to take over a classroom that we have been trained professionally to manage—- well in the county that I grew up in, that was literally one of the two eligibility rules)

4- How do I connect with kids, but manage to remain the authority figure in the classroom? What is too much to share?

5- What happens if I just royally mess up? Who do I tell?

6- What happens if I’m late?

Its Friday