We only had a four day week, and I'm really glad to have no school tomorrow. I could use the break to catch up on my planning and catch a breath, so I was really glad when the bell rang at 2:30 this afternoon.
Unfortunately, having a day "off" from school means you have meetings scheduled from 8-4 at a different school in the district. I had really been hoping for a day to work in my classroom, plan full units ahead, make copies, and collaborate with my team. Instead I get to go to trainings on how to use the online gradebook and how proficiency grading works (I am so sick of talking about proficiency grading).
We will get some good work done tomorrow, but we won't get all of our work done. We will still have tons of grading to do and lessons to plan when the day is done. So it feels like I still have a full day of school tomorrow, even though there are no kids in the classroom, which makes it worse because teaching is my favorite part of being a teacher. Which is pretty obvious if you think about it.
That rant aside, I feel like I am really making progress both as a teacher and with my students. I have settled into the routine of the day, and I can really direct my energy to planning more fun and engaging activities with my students. It is really hard to be creative and innovative when you have so many other tasks to take care of. I did a better job this week of following my CT's advice, which was to plan around the question: "What are the kids actually doing at any given moment in your lesson?"
Yesterday, for example, I had the kids in the science lab working with density blocks. The blocks come in 9 different substances, but they are all the same size and shape. The students' task is to calculate the densities of the blocks and then match their densities to a table I provide. Some of the time it is pretty obvious what the block is made of (steel), but other times you have to use the formula to figure it out (oak vs pine, for example).
What I saw was pretty amazing. The kids loved using the scales and the rulers, and it amazed me how little experience they have using measurement tools. I thought that the lab would just be an easy exercise for the kids - we have been talking about density for about a week, and I have modeled repeatedly how to use the measurement tools. I was quite mistaken. Using a triple beam balance is no easy task for some kids, and some of the things you assume are obvious are not obvious to everyone. Some students were unable to understand that when the big slider is on the 100, the middle slider is on the 50, and the little slider is on the 4.5 that you have a total of 154.5 grams. I saw her write down 100504.5. She then got the most gigantic density you can imagine, because she messed up her volume calculation, too. She thought you could just measure the side of the cube, which was 2.5 cm, and multiply that by 3 (there's three dimensions, right?). Unfortunately, she did not realize that 3 times 2.5 is 7.5, and 2.5 * 2.5 * 2.5 = 15.625.
Every step was written out on the lab sheet. I pre-taught all the procedures. We had talked about the concepts for a week. Yet, somehow, these kids managed to find unique and creative ways to get lots and lots of wrong answers. Perhaps the art of teaching is understanding why kids make the weird mistakes they make. We didn't even finish with Activity 1 of the lab, which is the calculating mass part, and I had thought that we were going to finish Activities 1 and 2. In Activity 2 they get to see if the individual blocks will sink or float after making predictions based on the densities.
Even though so many students failed in the lab, I think that their failures are what made it a worthwhile lesson. They were engaged and actually doing science for a change, rather than reading about it, hearing me talk about it, watching me demonstrate it, or watching a movie. They were touching and seeing objects and using scientific tools (mostly) appropriately. And they really need the practice. It is really nice to plan lessons where the kids do more work than the teacher, because the students don't realize how much they are learning. Students are too passive too often in the classroom. I need to remember that learning really is doing, and that experience is more important than recitation of facts.
I try to remind myself that nobody really remembers what they learned in their 7th grade science class, but they may remember a few cools labs or projects that they did. What is really important is that the kids are safe and that they are engaged and focused on learning something. Even if they fail at something, there is a way that failure can be progress. If my kids aren't failing, that means I am not challenging them. On Monday we will go back to the lab to fail again, and hopefully we will make some more progress.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Respect
Yesterday a girl stayed after algebra to get some extra help with her other math class. At my school, some 8th graders take the regular 8th grade math and then take algebra class as an elective at the end of the day. When I got the job, I assumed the algebra class would be 15 students or so, 20 at most. When I got there, however, there were close to 30 students. Nearly every student in my 8th grade math class is also in algebra, which means they get to have me for an hour and 48 minutes every day; which is really great for building relationships and math understanding, but really bad for attention spans. It is middle school, after all.
I have had to hold them after the bell several times because of the general noise level in the classroom. I frequently have to ask them for their attention or ask people to stop talking, which is distracting for me and for other students. The girl who stayed after class yesterday put it this way: "It's like, it totally makes sense when you are explaining something, then I get distracted by what other people are saying, and I look up and I'm totally lost." The talking isn't just disrespectful to me, but it prevents other students from learning. I don't really care too much about being disrespected (again, it's middle school), but I really get pissed when I see a girl working hard to understand something, who is frustrated because she isn't able to learn due to her peers' behavior.
I decided that I would address each of my classes today with a reminder about talking out of turn. I think it is important not to patronize or talk down to students, so I try to be as honest as I can about everything. Classroom rules are no exception. I don't allow you to talk to your friends at all times because it makes it difficult for other people to learn. It's not all about you - your actions affect other people. I told them that their parents and people in the community pay money every day for them to come to school. Wouldn't it be a shame if they wasted all that time and money because they couldn't stop chatting for long enough to learn something?
Students talk because they crave interaction and attention. If you've ever been to a professional development or meeting with teachers, you know that they are some of the worst culprits for talking out of turn, too. It's hypocritical to pretend like you never talk out of turn, and that students are terrible children because they talk out of turn. If you were in your own class, how well-behaved would you really be?
I admit to students that I was not a perfect kid. I don't expect them to be perfect, either. But I try to teach them every day that their actions have consequences, and that they should consider those consequences before they act. Telling a kid why he needs to stop talking is a much more effective behavior management strategy than just giving him a referral or sending him to the office.
I know that I will have to tell the kids to stop talking and quiet down tomorrow. I'll have to tell them every day. But I'm teaching them a lesson besides math and science - and it's honestly a more important lesson. I'm going to manage my classroom the same way I would want to be taught: honestly.
I have had to hold them after the bell several times because of the general noise level in the classroom. I frequently have to ask them for their attention or ask people to stop talking, which is distracting for me and for other students. The girl who stayed after class yesterday put it this way: "It's like, it totally makes sense when you are explaining something, then I get distracted by what other people are saying, and I look up and I'm totally lost." The talking isn't just disrespectful to me, but it prevents other students from learning. I don't really care too much about being disrespected (again, it's middle school), but I really get pissed when I see a girl working hard to understand something, who is frustrated because she isn't able to learn due to her peers' behavior.
I decided that I would address each of my classes today with a reminder about talking out of turn. I think it is important not to patronize or talk down to students, so I try to be as honest as I can about everything. Classroom rules are no exception. I don't allow you to talk to your friends at all times because it makes it difficult for other people to learn. It's not all about you - your actions affect other people. I told them that their parents and people in the community pay money every day for them to come to school. Wouldn't it be a shame if they wasted all that time and money because they couldn't stop chatting for long enough to learn something?
Students talk because they crave interaction and attention. If you've ever been to a professional development or meeting with teachers, you know that they are some of the worst culprits for talking out of turn, too. It's hypocritical to pretend like you never talk out of turn, and that students are terrible children because they talk out of turn. If you were in your own class, how well-behaved would you really be?
I admit to students that I was not a perfect kid. I don't expect them to be perfect, either. But I try to teach them every day that their actions have consequences, and that they should consider those consequences before they act. Telling a kid why he needs to stop talking is a much more effective behavior management strategy than just giving him a referral or sending him to the office.
I know that I will have to tell the kids to stop talking and quiet down tomorrow. I'll have to tell them every day. But I'm teaching them a lesson besides math and science - and it's honestly a more important lesson. I'm going to manage my classroom the same way I would want to be taught: honestly.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Multitasking
Teaching is all about multitasking. You need to hold so many different things in your head at all times while staying alert for new problems and issues that may arise. In one minute you have to focus on giving the whole class directions, redirecting a student who is off task, helping another student who is confused, and keeping an eye on the clock. It is really remarkable that anything gets done in what can be a stressful and chaotic environment.
That is exactly why teachers need procedures and classrooms need structure. I am working on this. Organization is not my strong suit. I have managed to survive this long in life without any serious organizational system. I make notes of my appointments and engagements, but I haven't used a single, central system, nor have I made a point of recording each and every appointment I have throughout my day. I am finding my old (lack of) system unsustainable. There are simply too many meetings, too many classes to prep for, and too many things outside of school that I need to remember every day. My goal for this week is to work on my organization and procedures. It will make the rest of the year so much easier.
Today was a good day, probably the smoothest day that I have had so far. I'm getting used to the routines of teaching every day, and the students are getting used to my personality and classroom procedures. Students come into class expecting a warm-up, they know that there will be time for group work and conversation, and they know when and how I regain their attention. I have had to start issuing tardy slips for students who are unprepared when class begins, and that seems to be effective. One technique I used with a class that was talkative was to issue a warning, then hold them after the bell for each disruption they cause after the warning. I liked this technique, as it made the students accountable for each other's behavior as well as their own.
I'm still finding the classroom management strategies that work for me, but today felt much better than any previous day. Teaching is like a juggling act - you can only juggle so many different balls at a time. I feel like I have got down 3 balls at a time right now - tomorrow we can try to add another.
Till then!
That is exactly why teachers need procedures and classrooms need structure. I am working on this. Organization is not my strong suit. I have managed to survive this long in life without any serious organizational system. I make notes of my appointments and engagements, but I haven't used a single, central system, nor have I made a point of recording each and every appointment I have throughout my day. I am finding my old (lack of) system unsustainable. There are simply too many meetings, too many classes to prep for, and too many things outside of school that I need to remember every day. My goal for this week is to work on my organization and procedures. It will make the rest of the year so much easier.
Today was a good day, probably the smoothest day that I have had so far. I'm getting used to the routines of teaching every day, and the students are getting used to my personality and classroom procedures. Students come into class expecting a warm-up, they know that there will be time for group work and conversation, and they know when and how I regain their attention. I have had to start issuing tardy slips for students who are unprepared when class begins, and that seems to be effective. One technique I used with a class that was talkative was to issue a warning, then hold them after the bell for each disruption they cause after the warning. I liked this technique, as it made the students accountable for each other's behavior as well as their own.
I'm still finding the classroom management strategies that work for me, but today felt much better than any previous day. Teaching is like a juggling act - you can only juggle so many different balls at a time. I feel like I have got down 3 balls at a time right now - tomorrow we can try to add another.
Till then!
Friday, September 5, 2014
First Week
I feel pretty accomplished right now - I just finished my first week of teaching! On top of that, my last class of the day, Algebra, felt really good. I had the kids excited to do math, shouting out answers, and laughing about their mistakes. One kid was excited to give the next term in a pattern and said that 2(3)-1 was 6. Instead of lamenting his mistake, he shared in a laugh with the class. I reminded them that the brain can only focus on so much at one time, and it is ok to have a brain fart every once in a while. When you are so focused on discovering a pattern, sometimes we forget how to multiply and subtract. That doesn't mean you are dumb, it means you are learning.
This first week was a lot of expectations, rules, and procedures, and by the end of it, I was as sick of talking about rules as the kids were about hearing me talk about them. I cannot wait to dive into the content and to have more student-centered lessons. While the sound of my voice is nice (some might say mellifluous), it isn't the best environment for students to learn. My goal is to design lessons that require less than 10 minutes of talking on my end. The less I have to stand in front of the class and give directions and explain concepts, the better. When I stand in front and drone on about a subject, I can see the kids checking out, and behavior problems begin to creep up. Middle schoolers need to socialize - it is just part of their make up. If I can have them socialize about math or science, that's a win-win.
Next week we are getting into chemistry with my science kids, and I need to prepare some demonstrations or labs for them to do. They loved watching sodium explode when we dropped it into water yesterday, and many of them asked excitedly "Are we blowing up anything today?!" Unfortunately, I'm not able to blow things up every day, but we had a good conversation about why the sodium explosion happened. I think that the explosion grabbed their attention enough for them to learn a little basic chemistry. I'll use whatever trick or gimmick it takes to get the kids interested in science for the day.
I feel that after one week, I can say that I have done a good job. I have had a chance to talk to my kids individually, I know all their names, and I have set the tone for a fun and productive year. I'm finding my stride as a teacher, and I hope I can hit the ground running next week.
For now, it's the weekend. I'm out.
This first week was a lot of expectations, rules, and procedures, and by the end of it, I was as sick of talking about rules as the kids were about hearing me talk about them. I cannot wait to dive into the content and to have more student-centered lessons. While the sound of my voice is nice (some might say mellifluous), it isn't the best environment for students to learn. My goal is to design lessons that require less than 10 minutes of talking on my end. The less I have to stand in front of the class and give directions and explain concepts, the better. When I stand in front and drone on about a subject, I can see the kids checking out, and behavior problems begin to creep up. Middle schoolers need to socialize - it is just part of their make up. If I can have them socialize about math or science, that's a win-win.
Next week we are getting into chemistry with my science kids, and I need to prepare some demonstrations or labs for them to do. They loved watching sodium explode when we dropped it into water yesterday, and many of them asked excitedly "Are we blowing up anything today?!" Unfortunately, I'm not able to blow things up every day, but we had a good conversation about why the sodium explosion happened. I think that the explosion grabbed their attention enough for them to learn a little basic chemistry. I'll use whatever trick or gimmick it takes to get the kids interested in science for the day.
I feel that after one week, I can say that I have done a good job. I have had a chance to talk to my kids individually, I know all their names, and I have set the tone for a fun and productive year. I'm finding my stride as a teacher, and I hope I can hit the ground running next week.
For now, it's the weekend. I'm out.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
General Confusion
Where does the time go? It is amazing how quickly time flies, especially when you feel like you have a thousand things to do and you are accomplishing none of them. I think every first year teacher goes through these feelings of general confusion and wasted time. I'm so used to being extremely productive that it is weird to feel unproductive. As a new teacher, I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, and even if I knew what I was supposed to be doing, I wouldn't know exactly how to do it. I suppose the best way to improve is by doing, failing, then learning from your failures.
My second day seemed to go better than the first day, especially with how I relate to my students. I had some good response to my lame sense of humor in the morning, and I really felt comfortable in front of the class. In my morning classes, I was able to get almost every student's name from memory after playing a quick name game. I think that taking the time to do these get-to-know-you activities at the beginning of the year is vital. There is nothing so demeaning to a student as having a teacher that doesn't know your name. Knowing your students' names says, "I see you. I know you are here." That's a start, at least.
I am still amazed at teachers who are able to bring that energy to every class period, every day, every week, all year long. I felt my energy drop off a bit in the afternoon, after lunch. I think the kids felt it, and they were my sleepy class yesterday, too. I need to find a way to spice things up after lunch, so the students can be engaged. Honestly, I need the spice as much as my students do. I hate teaching boring lessons, and I feed off the energy of the class. It could be that the kids were just tired of hearing every teacher's back to school expectations spiel, so I'm going to cut myself a little slack.
Tomorrow I will get started on content, and the kids seem ready for it. They jumped at the opportunity to do a little math (probably because they were tired of hearing me talk about respect and behavior), so I think they will be excited to learn some new stuff. I'm excited to go home and relax.
Till tomorrow!
My second day seemed to go better than the first day, especially with how I relate to my students. I had some good response to my lame sense of humor in the morning, and I really felt comfortable in front of the class. In my morning classes, I was able to get almost every student's name from memory after playing a quick name game. I think that taking the time to do these get-to-know-you activities at the beginning of the year is vital. There is nothing so demeaning to a student as having a teacher that doesn't know your name. Knowing your students' names says, "I see you. I know you are here." That's a start, at least.
I am still amazed at teachers who are able to bring that energy to every class period, every day, every week, all year long. I felt my energy drop off a bit in the afternoon, after lunch. I think the kids felt it, and they were my sleepy class yesterday, too. I need to find a way to spice things up after lunch, so the students can be engaged. Honestly, I need the spice as much as my students do. I hate teaching boring lessons, and I feed off the energy of the class. It could be that the kids were just tired of hearing every teacher's back to school expectations spiel, so I'm going to cut myself a little slack.
Tomorrow I will get started on content, and the kids seem ready for it. They jumped at the opportunity to do a little math (probably because they were tired of hearing me talk about respect and behavior), so I think they will be excited to learn some new stuff. I'm excited to go home and relax.
Till tomorrow!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
First Day
"First days always suck, no matter how many years of experience you have"
Today was the first day of school for many kids, and I shared a lot of the emotions they must have been feeling: fear, anxiety, general confusion, and excitement. Today was also my first day running my own classroom as a 7th/8th grade math and science teacher, so I felt just as afraid as many of the kids coming into my classroom. I had (and still have) so many questions and unresolved confusion about how things really work around the school. The fact that so many kids rely on me to know the answers to questions I might not have even thought of yet is a bit nerve-wracking. I'm still figuring it out myself, along with trying to learn dozens of names and somehow getting lessons planned. It will come together, but I'll have to be quick on my feet and ready to improvise.
On the other hand, I feel really great about the way my first day went. It was not perfect - far from it - but I went a long way toward building a safe learning environment for my students. I think that first days are an opportunity, albeit a stressful opportunity. While my coworker may be right that "First days always suck," I think first days suck in the most glorious way. There's no second opportunity for a first impression, and the way you begin the year sets the tone for the rest of the year to come. I loved being able to introduce myself and to start learning the kids' names and interests. My first goal is to connect with my students. I don't think you can accomplish anything meaningful without first getting to know your students as individuals. Students are not just academic beings, and they should not be treated as such.
One activity I always do with my classes is to create a set of community agreements. I've found that students usually know what appropriate school behavior is like, and that when they phrase it in their own language it is more memorable. When students break the rules that they have established as a community, you can point to the agreements and ask the offender if he or she thinks they are abiding by the agreement. This way the authority for discipline is not solely on your shoulders, but is a shared responsibility of the whole class. I've had a lot of success with community agreements as a classroom management and community building activity. You can always add your own expectations, in case you are worried about giving up the reins to your class entirely. I make it very clear that I will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, bullying, or aggressive behavior, regardless of whether the class mentions it in community agreements or not. While the community agreements empower students, I make it absolutely clear that some behavior will not be tolerated, and that it is ultimately my classroom and my authority.
I framed the activity differently today than I have in the past, and I think it worked well. I usually ask students to brainstorm rules that they think would allow them to be successful in class. This focuses the activity on students advocating for their needs and thinking about successful situations, but it sometimes results in really short lists. A lot of times, students are not metacognitively aware enough to pinpoint what works for their learning. Instead, I focused the discussions today on classes they have been in that were bad experiences, and unpacked what was negative about that experience. Students shared some experiences (and we had a good laugh about a few) where they were in a class that just "sucked." After a few minutes of sharing bad experiences, I turn the question around on them, and they brainstorm rules silently. I'm really focusing on giving individual think time, so I let students silently brainstorm for 2 minutes before sharing. Then the groups of 4 make a list of rules by consensus and we create a full class list. Tomorrow we will re-visit the community agreements and dig a little deeper into rules and behavior.
I'm going to try to keep up on this blog as much as possible during this first year of teaching. I want this to be a forum for discussion and a place for advice and commiseration among teachers. Please feel free to comment! I would love to hear your thoughts on how I run things, advice for how I can do things better, and anything you are experiencing at your own school.
Alright, that's enough for Day 1. Until tomorrow.
Today was the first day of school for many kids, and I shared a lot of the emotions they must have been feeling: fear, anxiety, general confusion, and excitement. Today was also my first day running my own classroom as a 7th/8th grade math and science teacher, so I felt just as afraid as many of the kids coming into my classroom. I had (and still have) so many questions and unresolved confusion about how things really work around the school. The fact that so many kids rely on me to know the answers to questions I might not have even thought of yet is a bit nerve-wracking. I'm still figuring it out myself, along with trying to learn dozens of names and somehow getting lessons planned. It will come together, but I'll have to be quick on my feet and ready to improvise.
On the other hand, I feel really great about the way my first day went. It was not perfect - far from it - but I went a long way toward building a safe learning environment for my students. I think that first days are an opportunity, albeit a stressful opportunity. While my coworker may be right that "First days always suck," I think first days suck in the most glorious way. There's no second opportunity for a first impression, and the way you begin the year sets the tone for the rest of the year to come. I loved being able to introduce myself and to start learning the kids' names and interests. My first goal is to connect with my students. I don't think you can accomplish anything meaningful without first getting to know your students as individuals. Students are not just academic beings, and they should not be treated as such.
One activity I always do with my classes is to create a set of community agreements. I've found that students usually know what appropriate school behavior is like, and that when they phrase it in their own language it is more memorable. When students break the rules that they have established as a community, you can point to the agreements and ask the offender if he or she thinks they are abiding by the agreement. This way the authority for discipline is not solely on your shoulders, but is a shared responsibility of the whole class. I've had a lot of success with community agreements as a classroom management and community building activity. You can always add your own expectations, in case you are worried about giving up the reins to your class entirely. I make it very clear that I will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, bullying, or aggressive behavior, regardless of whether the class mentions it in community agreements or not. While the community agreements empower students, I make it absolutely clear that some behavior will not be tolerated, and that it is ultimately my classroom and my authority.
I framed the activity differently today than I have in the past, and I think it worked well. I usually ask students to brainstorm rules that they think would allow them to be successful in class. This focuses the activity on students advocating for their needs and thinking about successful situations, but it sometimes results in really short lists. A lot of times, students are not metacognitively aware enough to pinpoint what works for their learning. Instead, I focused the discussions today on classes they have been in that were bad experiences, and unpacked what was negative about that experience. Students shared some experiences (and we had a good laugh about a few) where they were in a class that just "sucked." After a few minutes of sharing bad experiences, I turn the question around on them, and they brainstorm rules silently. I'm really focusing on giving individual think time, so I let students silently brainstorm for 2 minutes before sharing. Then the groups of 4 make a list of rules by consensus and we create a full class list. Tomorrow we will re-visit the community agreements and dig a little deeper into rules and behavior.
I'm going to try to keep up on this blog as much as possible during this first year of teaching. I want this to be a forum for discussion and a place for advice and commiseration among teachers. Please feel free to comment! I would love to hear your thoughts on how I run things, advice for how I can do things better, and anything you are experiencing at your own school.
Alright, that's enough for Day 1. Until tomorrow.
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