Ms. Bamboo-Hoo

Confession

2012-02-03T13:45:00.006-05:00

Ok I confess: I’m playing hooky today.*

But most people who play hooky do things like go to the movies or watch tv all day. instead, I worked on planning a Romeo and Juliet unit.

it felt really, really good.

You see, the winter months, for me, are like moving in slow motion: everything seems to drag with perpetual slowness and the difficult things become impossible. this week was looooong for this reason only. I needed a day to get my brain together.

I have a bit of time before starting my next leave replacement, but not a whole lot of time. 3 weeks. I think I’m just starting to get a little nervous about jumping in, and i want to make sure I’m as ready as possible. also, I will have 4 (count ‘em! - 4!) preps (ok ok - kind of closer to 3, as one is co-taught and I think I will be carrying less of the weight there). And one of the classes is 11th grade and will be taking the Regents this year. So, the pressure is on.

Today is a beautiful, cloudless, cold day here. I’ve been settled at my kitchen table, surrounded by about 6 books on Shakespeare, listening to some phish, O.A.R. and DMB, and frequently refilling my coffee cup. I still feel guilty about not subbing today, but I feel much better about all the planning work I accomplished.

*annoying point of clarification: this doesn't involve calling out sick or a personal day or whatever it may as a full-timer; as a per diem sub, I just don't take a call. not the same thing!

Where are you from?

2012-01-03T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is a post I began writing - yikes - a whole month ago. So, the time references are off, but the relevance is the same.

Ok ok, and new year, new posting habits? Unlikely. :)
~ ~ ~

Here’s a sample from the most frequent conversation I have with students whose classes I’m subbing in - mostly in the middle school, but occasionally high school too:

Student: “Where are you from?”
Me: “Westchester.”
S: “No, like, what country are you from?”
Me: “America.”
S: “Noooo, like, where are you from???”
[repeat above lines another one or two times. Eventually I help them out with a hint.]
Me: “Are you asking me what ethnicity I am?”
S: “YEAAAH - that! What’s your ethnicity?”
Me: “Ohhh, ok. In that case, Chinese and Irish.”
S: “Really? Wow, that’s cool....”

One of the most special things about my district its vast diversity. Perhaps because of this, the kids seem fascinated with trying to figure out “where I’m from.” Of course, phrasing the question this way is incorrect - when they ask me that, they’re really trying to ask about my ethnicity or heritage. I’m not phased by the question at all, in fact I welcome it and it’s one that I’ve been asked throughout my life. I’m proud to be 100% Chirish.

However, it’s really important to me that the kids understand the difference between “where are you from?” and “what is your heritage?” It’s a question that they themselves may be answering their whole lives, as well. And living in a hugely diverse community, I think it’s imperative that they have an awareness of and sensitivity toward culture, origin, and, yes, race. I think it’s good that I can have this conversation so frequently. I probably have it at least once a day, sometimes two to three times.

Another frequent conversation I have is initiated when I hear a student speaking what I call “gibberish Chinese” - you know what I’m talking about, for example, “ching chang chong” and “meee Chineeese” (usually delivered quite loudly). This bugged the hell out of me as a kid because it was often directed at me and shaded with some kind of bully-ish tone. I always thought it was ignorant and offensive. (I think most everyone would agree that it is, but I think there are also some people who would willingly ignore it, and say you really can’t do anything about it, and that it’s not really that important anyways. I can’t accept that as valid.)

So, this is a conversation I have a lot as well - I probably went through it at least twice this week while in the middle school. When I hear a student going through this gibberish talk, I engage it right away, privately (not in front of the whole class, unless the behavior was clearly witnessed by the entire class). I don’t take a scolding tone: in almost every case, I know it’s because the kid is simply not aware of how insensitive this talk can be. In just the same way that students need to be taught about algebra or Shakespeare, so must they be taught about cultural awareness.

So, instead of scolding or reprimanding, I calmly walk over to the student, get down to his or her level, and explain why he or she can’t say that. My expression is one of concern. Here was one talk I gave to a student, more or less, from yesterday. He is in 7th grade. I was intentionally aiming for an informal, but firm, tone:

“Hey, look, I really want you to know, some people might be, you know, offended. It’s just not nice because it’s kind of like making fun of a language, and you’re not actually saying anything in Chinese or Japanese or anything like that. Do you know what the word ‘derogatory’ means? ... yeah, some people might think that’s derogatory, and might be hurt by it, ok? So just let’s not talk like that.”

I try to be very careful to not imply that the student is a bad person for saying this. I don’t believe that. All students need guidance about what’s appropriate and inappropriate, and need to know about the impact of their words.

Why aren't you teaching?

2011-12-01T15:48:00.001-05:00

Students:
Are you a real teacher?
Aren’t you just a sub?
Do you work here?
If you’re a real teacher, then what are you doing here?

Adults:
Are you looking for a job?
Have you tried the city yet?
Are you looking?
If you’re certified, then why aren’t you teaching?

At least the kids have an excuse for nosey questions.

Sub-batical!

2011-11-16T20:12:00.008-05:00

OK! GOT IT! EUREKA!

I’m no longer in sub-urgatory*... I’m actually on.... SUB-BATICAL!

Let me back up. I’m crushing on lots of teacher books, and trying to convince myself not to buy them, even though I know I will in the end. This is, shall we say, a “lean” time financially, and I’m a little stressed about Christmas coming up and bills and etc.

However, I’m really trying to use this time - like I said recently - to learn and think and try to plan out my game for how to be an awesome teacher. SO, if I view this time as something like a sabbatical, then that means it’s totally OK if I buy books to read and research and think and plan - just like I said I would do.

My list - bought and desired

Teaching Adolescent Writers by Kelly Gallagher (just bought it)

Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading Comprehension, 2nd Edition
by Lori D. Oczkus

Common Core Curriculum Maps in English Language Arts, Grades 9-12 (Common Core Series)

Should keep me busy and fill in those long periods in the teachers’ lounge ...

*Sub-urgatory - a place or state of suffering inhabited by teachers who are expiating their sins before securing a full-time teaching placement. Ok, I’m being slightly bitter and facetious. But, have you ever subbed? If you have the secret recipe - please, by all means - let me know!

Sub-Sub-Subbing

2011-11-09T09:26:00.002-05:00

So, there are ups and downs to my current schedule.

On the one hand, I come home and have nothing that needs to be graded, planned, or really even thought about. The job more or less ends at 2:30.

On the other hand, I am not so good with lots of time on my hands. I am a sadistic sicko who needs to work a lot in order to be happy (ok a little hyperbole there - but not all that much of it).

On the one hand, subbing gives me time to think and read and maybe even write about how to be a better teacher (and other stuff too - like cruising my way through the Game of Thrones series).

On the other, my dad always said the more you have to get done, the more you do. I am not necessarily productive despite all my free time.

But, I absolutely knew ahead of time that I would feel like this the second my long-term leave placement ended. So I guess I felt a little more prepared. I am determined to make the most of all the time I have right now. What better time for a few goals?

Goals for SubTime

Can’t think well if I don’t feel well: first goal is to exercise 4 times a week.

I want to be the best teacher I can possibly be. That requires research and thinking. So, this goal is a little amorphous but it is to think about and read about best teaching practices.

Write down something interesting or notable (to me) at least 3 times a week. It can even be 1 sentence. I just want to get into the habit of recording.

Planning planning planning and Hurricanes!

2011-08-31T15:49:00.001-04:00

I’m going to be teaching 9th and 11th graders for 6 weeks. The 9’s I think I have figured out, more or less. I’ve taught 9 a few times, particularly the beginning part of 9th grade, so since we’ll be focusing on literary elements and short stories, I feel like I’m fairly set.

It’s the 11’s I’m stressing about. How much review will they need? What writing skills do I teach? Ok, get them ready for the Regents, but this is the beginning of the year - we’re not doing Regents prep full-force just yet. How about a novel or a play? Which one? (I’m thinking Death of a Salesman?) Ok, but before we get there let’s start with a short story - again, which one? What essential questions are important for this year? What will speak to them about the “American experience”?

(Can you see I’m spinning a little? It doesn’t help that I’m going on Day 4 without power and have sort of been living like a nomad. I think I’d be a little less stressed if not for that. I’m really looking forward to going to work tomorrow, not only to catch up with everyone, but to try to forget about not having power for a little while! I’m also a little worried about getting to work - but I think the roads have been mostly cleared. I hope so anyways.)

Paranoid

2011-07-17T13:16:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm finding that choosing useful, engaging, appropriate short stories for 9th graders has been incredibly difficult. I'm trying to find something for my summer school class besides Poe, Hawthorne, or O'Henry. I'm loving ZZ Packer's collection, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, and Junot Diaz's Drown. However, I'm having difficulty choosing one or two stories that I feel confident doing with the kids. Either the language is too rough, the topics too dark, the implications too sexual - or any of it, too close to home. Yes, maybe I'm just paranoid - but I'm afraid of doing something a little new and different, and having it come back to bite me, even though it was entirely well-thought-out and purposeful. Even though ZZ Packer's collection is recommended on the Common Core Curriculum.

Paranoid. Yes.

I think I may bite the bullet though and go with Packer's "Brownies." It's an excellent story about race, misperceptions, and compassion and understanding. I think its message is crucial, yet its delivery is engaging and entertaining. I just hope my students can handle it.

Summer School!!!!

2011-07-14T18:06:00.000-04:00

Yes that's right -- I'm teachin' summer school!

It's actually not nearly as bad as you might think. My kids get a little chatty sometimes, but they're overall pretty good. They don't want to be stuck taking English forever!

I'm "teaching" 2 classes - I say "teaching" because the first class is an online course, where my role is that of a mentor. The students have an online teacher, but I am there to make sure they stay on task, answer questions they may have, help them with the technology (which is Blackboard), etc. From my end, this is nice - I don't have to plan, the students can take whatever English course they failed, regardless of the school schedule, and it's something new and experimental. On the other hand, I wonder how many of them will be successful. There's a whole lot of YouTube going on when I look around at the computers, despite my parrot-like commands for them to focus on their work and stay on track. That, and some other tech-related issues having to do with what we have in our computer lab, and the organization of the students' courses. I'm still out on whether I think this is a good option for struggling students.

My other class is a "live" class: 9th grade English. I really enjoy this one. I spend 2 hours with the kids each day, Monday to Thursday, and I'm really surprised at how quickly the time moves. It makes me wonder how we get through everything in 40-minute spurts during the year! It moves quickly for me, but I know it's a long time for some of the students --- some of them get really restless during the 2nd half. Overall, though, I think it affords the time to allow them to practice writing, and allows me time to check in with everyone at least once during class. We also have our own laptop cart, and I've set the kids up on Google docs. It's nice to have the time to experiment.

Anyway, that's all for now. More to come...!

End of the year?

2011-06-20T20:48:00.001-04:00

I'm not really sure how people teach (or work, in general) full time, and still have the time and energy to blog. I really like this space, but I wish I could carve out more time to write about the things I've been learning, thinking about, experiencing. So once again, as always, I'm mindful of my absence but hopeful that I can one day write regularly.

With that said, I feel like I sort of stumbled upon the end of the school year. Looking back, it feels like I blinked and found myself proctoring Regents exams and trying to piece together final grades. I graduated from my master's program about a month ago, and just received word that my certification should be passed any day now. It's been almost 2 years since I began my grad work. Where did that time go? Doesn't matter; I know I'm doing what I should be doing, and I love it.

It's hard to pin down what I like most about my job, but one of the top 3 items is getting to meet and talk with new people every day. I'm wrapping up a leave replacement right now, and will be teaching summer school (at the same school) next month. So even though the school year is ending, I am still meeting new people in the building each day, or getting to know people a little better and work with them a little more than I would on a regular school day (as opposed to exam week). Not to mention working with 80-100 kids every day. I love that I get to laugh at least once (and usually much more than that) every single day!

What's on my summer to-do list? Right now I'm mostly throwing myself into planning for summer school. Next on the agenda is to spend more time here, developing ideas for using technology in teaching. I also want to create a site geared for my (future) students: my vision is for it be a sort of portal for ELA and study skills (but with a really sweet UI too!). We'll see what happens ... unfortunately, my little projects don't always come to fruition. :) Most importantly, I will be spending some time on the beach with my stack of summer reading!

I'm not sure what next September will bring, but there will be something. I have to believe that. This year was amazing in so many different ways, and I only hope that next year will be as rewarding. I will keep chipping away. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

a fun pick-me-up

2011-05-10T20:01:00.000-04:00

Ok I am finding I need to watch this at least once a day!!

More info on NYT

Tired

2011-05-09T20:26:00.001-04:00

Radio silence. I'm swamped.

The short of it is that I've been doing a long term leave replacement, ELA Special Ed. I'm not sure why, but with all of the other placements I've covered over this past year, none have so fully wiped me out each and every day. I also feel like I can be doing so, so much better with these classes, but I'm not sure what's in my way. Maybe it's just the very different nature of these classes that I'm not used to. It is excellent experience, I just hope I am doing my students justice and giving them what they need.

On another note, I'm graduating in two weeks! I'm sort of happy, sort of not-caring. I'm trying to convince myself that this truly is an accomplishment. For some reason it doesn't really seem like one. Maybe because I feel so worn out right now. I feel like I've lost sight of what I originally set out to do (lofty things - change the world, integrate technology into every-day teaching, make kids' lives better, yada yada). But then maybe I'm already beginning to do those things? (OK I KNOW this is corny, feel free to skip on the feel-fest.) Today I received an "extra credit" paragraph from one of my most challenging students. It was titled "My ELA Teachers." Apparently, for some reason, he decided to begin returning to class when I began teaching. I really don't know if that's a compliment or not, and I don't think I will change anything for him (especially because he likes to sing while I'm trying to read aloud), but maybe he'll get something via osmosis and that will be more than he was getting while chilling in the caf during our class period.

Anyways. I'm tired. I hope no one believes that teaching is something people learn how to do overnight. It's easy to just "do" teaching. It's hard to do it well.

Soccer, or Critical Lens?

2011-03-27T23:35:00.002-04:00

So last week I subbed for a one of my mentor teachers. This was a treat because I knew the kids and they knew me, which meant that the extent of trying to get away with this and that was at least somewhat diminished. They had finished reading The Catcher in the Rye a few weeks ago, and were beginning to outline and draft critical lens essays.

Most of the students worked diligently on their essays. The ones who would usually goof off, did. One was particularly and genuinely frustrated, and as the bell rang after 3 days of having his head down and his earbuds in, he delivered this to my desk:

I tried to call him back but he kept walking. Well, I definitely wasn't going to throw it away. Back up to the office it went.

I showed it off to a colleague while eating lunch. "You know what you should do, you should tie a little ribbon around it." Great idea! And so the next day, as he was walking into the classroom, I tossed this to the student:

He smiled and then tried to frown. Then he dunked it in the trash, where it barely missed the remnants of someone's pizza. I pulled it back out and passed it back to him, and proceeded to tend goal for another minute. We played soccer, basketball, and ping pong all in about 60 seconds.

Then finally, he grabbed the wad of paper, and I thought he was going to really put it out of its misery so I tried to grab it back. "No, let me untie the string." Ok, keep it, the bell has rung and I have to start class. I get everyone started, take attendance. I make my way around the room to answer questions about their essays and make sure everyone is working. When I get to the one student's desk, his paper is smoothed out, and he's finally reading the instructions. I give him a graphic organizer to help him get started.

"This is all I have to do?" he says. "This is easy. I guess I should have started this on Monday."

Goal.

2011-03-11T16:12:00.001-05:00

Watch:

Sign:

Stand with Planned Parenthood

Best Intro Ever

2011-03-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be picking up a leave replacement next month some time, and the teacher had an appointment yesterday, so she requested me as her sub. Most of her classes are inclusion, so she teaches with another teacher, who was also there yesterday. It was a perfect situation for me to introduce myself to the classes and try to get to know them a little.

As I was introducing myself, I heard one student whisper something to the other teacher. She responded excitedly, "yes I know, I was just thinking that!" What were they talking about?

Next, she explains, they've been reading Tuesdays with Morrie (one that I need to read still). In one part of the book, apparently they do trust falls, where you fall backwards and trust that the other person or people will catch you. Ok, cue my heart beating a litttttle faster. I am immediately having flashbacks to a 7th grade field trip in which I was blindly led through a forest, and my partner let me trip over rocks and walk into trees. I tell them about this, they laugh with me. But with 22 kids in front of me cheering me on, waiting to see how I'll react, there's only one choice.

I go to the back of the room and about 8 kids line up in 2 lines. Then the teacher pulls a desk over in front of the line. I have to get up on the desk?? "Ok, Ok, you'll definitely catch me, RIGHT??!" I ask them, about 5 times. "Yes, we definitely will."

I step up, they give me a countdown. I fall, they catch.

As I return to the front of the room, and the students to their desks, the kids are smiling. One of them says as he is sitting down, "You're one of us now."

I can't imagine a better introduction to a class.

Race to Nowhere

2011-02-22T20:36:00.003-05:00

Today I attended a screening of the documentary "Race to Nowhere," at my university. i thought it offered a number of interesting facts and observations worth thinking about.

the documentary focuses on the obsession with achievement in America: parents are focused on their children's acceptance into colleges practically from birth; children are then expected to engage in a multitude of extracurricular activities, while maintaining flawless grades; NCLB's emphasis on test scores, and its implications on curricula. but, the film asks, while all of these things may create higher grades or stronger resumes, are students really benefitting in the long run?

Perhaps one of the most radical ideas promoted in the film is that homework does not necessarily improve grades. one stat mentioned was that studies have shown that homework at the elementary level actually has no impact on student learning; at the middle school level, it helps somehwat - but after an hour, its benefits drop; at the high school level, that number rises to about 2 hours.

i think this is fascinating to think about. homework improves student grades only marginally, yet as teachers we still place so much value on its completion. One thing I frequently observed while student teaching was that students who did not complete homework were not at all unintelligent. many were very bright, and asked valuable and important questions that demonstrated they were trulying processing the content. but their failure to complete homework deminished their grades and often caused teachers to view them as less capable than they actually were.

One line i really liked in the film was somiething to the effect of "employers aren't looking for people who know how to use a semicolon." the point was that our workforce needs people who can think creatively and problem solve. if we continue emphasizing scores and testing achievement, how will we be able to tackle those problems that we've never before had to face? we need people who can apply thinking and knowledge to many different and unforseen situations, not just people who can sovle problems that we have already experienced before.

this bent of the film really resonated with me, particularly because the work i was doing in my "past life" was so very enmeshed with these ideals. the focus was "bleeding edge solutions," as we would say. the focus was on problem solving. the problems we faced with our clients were things that had never been experience before, largely due to the advent of various technologies. whatever the issues were, the core objectives were the same: come up with solutions that no one has ever thought of or implemented before, and do it efficiently and quickly. there were no "out of the box" soluctions, nothing to pull off of a shelf and sell. that was our holy grail - to create thos things - but at the time, we needed to do the boxing, to create the things to put on the shelves in the first place. none of it existed, and the problems were brand new.

i also think about my own experiences. although my family has always seen me as the "scholar," i've had my shares of failures, like when i failed calc or had to retake stats-heavy course in college. i hated myself for those courses. but looking back, i'm glad i failed them. i think it makes me a better teacher to understand what it's like to really hate a subject to its core, to have nightmares in which you envison your professor as a terrorist with a machine gun. i try to imagine what i could be like for a student who sees all of his teachers as assailants who terrorize him or her, day after day after day.

another good line from the film was "the world is run by C students." i like that. i don't think that's an entirely terrible thing. i find, among my peers and my students, that oftentimes the students with the highest grades are deathly afraid of taking risks. they are afraid of falling. if you have never failed at anything EVER, well, then failure is an incredibly powerful and daunting thing.

i'm not sure what my "real" homework policy will be. i am still thinking about this film, but i certainly recommend it, if for no other reason than to foster thought.

(sorry for the lack of capitalization. i wrote this up quickly and would rather post it than put off fixing it at the risk of never publishing. no, i'm not a bad English teacher for this!!!)

Getting Things Done

2011-01-10T11:25:00.004-05:00

It's a new year, and my brain is going a little haywire trying to keep track of all the stuff I need to do and have been procrastinating for the past 2 weeks, 2 months... even a year. I think of myself as an aspiring organizationalist - I always want to be organized but never feel that I am enough. On the other hand, most family and good friends see me as OCD-level organized. Either way, I always feel guilty for letting things slip. This is particularly true when it comes to tracking tasks items for things like work or school.

Now, when I'm in run-mode, meaning having tons of things to do at once, I oddly feel ok. I know what I need to do, and I do it. It's when I have a stretch of time to get a bunch of tasks done, and don't know where to start. So for example, I have lots of time at the moment, having finished student teaching and being in a sort of limbo. What the heck do I work on? I know there's lots of stuff to do - but what is it???

This is where David Allen's Getting Things Done concept comes in. If you can't tell, I'm a little desperate. Someone like my dad would probably say, "what do I need some Harvard guy to tell me how to get through my day? Just make a plan and do it." I totally get it, and wish I was more like that. I'm not. If Allen's concept can work for senior execs, maybe it will work for me.

The concept is basically that first you write down all of your tasks, every single one. Then, sort those tasks into categories. Break down complex tasks into smaller steps. If there is something you can do in a couple of minutes, do it right away and cross it off of your list. At the end of the week, spend some time reviewing your progress.

I haven't read Allen's book, but it is on my short list. For now, this BusinessWeek overview is a good primer. The fundamental steps are broken out in the graphic above (also from B-week).

It's Monday, and I'm going to try it. Let's see how it goes...!

Back Again! And some thoughts on technology and learning...

2011-01-05T12:49:00.003-05:00

I won't say I'm the worst blogger ever - just maybe one of the least consistent ones. I have a great excuse though - and that is that student teaching and taking classes truly absorbs all of your time, energy, and thoughts. I was able to make a little bit of time for reflection, but not a whole lot of it for putting those thoughts into blog posts.

But that's ok. I am a person committed to quality over quantity!

Anyways, I think I was very lucky to be blessed with a phenonmenal student teaching experience. I landed in an incredibly rich and nourishing nest of supportive teachers who gave me the confidence to believe that yes, I can actually do this. I think that alone was critical and I am so fortunate to have them as role models and mentors.

One of the things I spent a lot of time thinking about this past semester is students and technology. I actually ended up doing my capstone research project on this topic. While it is fairly limited in scope, it gave me the opportunity to think about students and technology and learning, and how or where they intersect. One of th things I uncovered, at least for myself, is that students have technology skills, but they don't necessarily know how to apply social tech skills to academics. Now, of course, Prensky and others might argue that students today have an innate ability to use technology. I would argue, however, that although students have social technological fluency, they lack academic technology fluency: meaning, they just don't know exactly how to use tech for learning. I don't think we can expect them to innately know how, either.

No, I don't think these thoughts are completely unique: I'm sure many others have realized and written about this idea. But, I think that there is an assumption that students know how to use computers and just choose to constatnly check facebook or twitter and not do their work. Instead, I think if teachers engage students on these types of social technology platforms, and model for students how these things can be used for real learning (that part is key), maybe students will shift from using technology as a distraction towards truly engaging in learning on platforms they are comfortable and knowledgeable in.

Just some thoughts for today. I hope to continue writing about this, and thinking about easy ways to integrate technology into effective learning.

Until next time, whenever that may be. :)

1st official lesson

2010-10-17T16:42:00.001-04:00

(this is from a couple of weeks ago....posting it now...!)

Today i gave my first official, top to bottom lesson. I felt nervous - last night, a little bit all weekend, and of course this morning. But once I got into it, everything seemed to flow fairly well.

The lesson was on writing a thesis. I think some 9th graders know what this means, but may not have a good grip on what exactly a thesis is, or what a good thesis is. They might also not know how to write one. This is a skill that should stick with the students for the rest of their academic careers - and beyond. I feel it's a really, really important lesson.

one thing i want to work on is finding really good, solid examples that are relatable and relevant to my kids. the examples i had were ok, but most of them were a little too heady for 9th graders. more importantly, i want to be able to have examples sort of in the forefront of my mind that i can spit out for them to make my points clearer. My coordinating teacher is a champ at this - she spits out really relevant, detailed, beautiful examples on the spot.

Not only was this my first official lesson, I was also observed by my clinical supervisor! I think this added to my nervousness a bit, but she is very approachable and nice, and despite my worries I was fairly confident about my lesson. The observation went well and she had very positive feedback for me, and said I am doing a great job. She did observe a few things that I'm really glad she mentioned:

Acknowledgement/positive feedback: When students participated, I didn't always acknowledge their contributions. For example, one student gave an answer to my question, "what are the 3 parts of an essay?" He gave them, but I went very quickly to the next thing or person. Be sure to give specific acknowledgement so that students feel positive feedback from participation.
When students asked questions, I repeated their questions for the rest of the class. Instead, I should have students turn to the rest of the class and pose their questions so that everyone can hear. This fosters community. My clinical supervisor described this as a sort of game - the ball easily volleys between student and teacher, but it doesn't often or always volley between students.
Use more objective language so that students don't get mislead or confused. One example was "a thesis proves your point" as opposed to "a point".
Don't feed the kids answers: instead of "why isn't this a good thesis?" say "is this a good thesis?" Again, more objective.
Walk around more, look at what the kids are writing. Make sure it's making sense; highlight good notes or observations for the rest of the class.

Not bad for a first observation. I'm going to keep working on these items. Here's to my next observation....!

First day!

2010-09-08T16:49:00.002-04:00

I have officially survived my first day and half of student teaching!

So far, it's been good, if slightly awkward, as i think any job is when you first start out. i felt a little nervous when it came to introducing myself to the students. But my teacher does a very, very personal introduction. She basically tells the kids her life story. it felt almost a bit lengthy, but it's an important story, especially for the kids in my district to hear. she grew up in this town, she went to this school, almost dropped out - and now has a doctorate degree. i don't have quite that story, and mine felt kind of pathetic next to hers. but the truth is, i don't have to tell it when i get my own class.

my teacher is also incredibly dynamic. she has a very strong, direct, but caring personality. I'd like to develop a persona that has some echoes of that, but i know i am not completely like her.

anyways, i'm glad i don't have to do a super personal intro again. i don't think it's necessary, at least not coming from someone like me. i'd rather spend time driving home the message that i don't care who you are or were in the past. I don't care if you have failed classes or got in trouble last year. that's what's special about starting a new school year: it's kind of like real new year's: you can leave behind the old and start with the new. you can become anyone you want to be. i will not judge you for who you were last june. instead, help me to see you as you are today, and who you want to be tomorrow.

(philosophical stuff. corny? ha, don't know. i could even weave something about chinese new years into that story. like, i could describe chinese new years and why it's important to me, and how we wash our feet to get rid of last year's dirt. how every year is a new beginning.)

and i have all 9 graders right now, except for a creative writing class. they are really cute. it's also so endearing to hear my name over and over again. I think that might have been my favorite part of the day: hearing the kids call my name when they needed help or had a question.

Student Teaching....!

2010-08-18T10:36:00.001-04:00

I think I've been in denial, but it's almost here. That is... Student teaching!!!

On one hand, I'm super excited, and on the other, I'm nervous and wondering how I'm going to handle it. I wonder if I'm ready, but then again I think that's a pointless question because I feel like the best practice is to dive in and go at it.

I have contacted my coordinating teachers, and they've already been responsive and supportive. So at least I have that going for me.

There's a lot I have to get together over the next few weeks, and I hope I can do a good job of getting it done. I want to be able to walk into my school prepared and ready to go.

I just want to be credible, authentic, personable, but also respected. I want to be the best teacher possible.

.... Even if it takes some trips and falls to get there.

Tip - Extract Pages from a PDF

2010-06-14T13:02:00.000-04:00

Tech tips: sometimes they're really boring, but they can often be super helpful. This one's pretty simple, you probably already know it if you use Acrobat. It's useful if you have a large PDF document but only need one page from it and want to save it separately. For example, I needed a rubric from a Regents exam to include in a unit plan. This specific tip applies to Adobe Acrobat; your school computer lab should probably have it loaded if you don't have it on your own computer.

Extract pages from a PDF file

In Acrobat, select Document > Extract Pages

Then type in which pages you want to extract in the "Select pages to extract" box

I chose the "Extract Pages as separate files" to save the selected page(s) as a new file

Hello again, and a few more interview tips

2010-06-11T16:09:00.000-04:00

Ok #1: I know I'm probably the world's WORST blogger. Wrapping up the semester was a bit crazy, and then I basically zoned out for a couple of weeks. Forgive me.

#2. Final segment of interview tips. This one is a bit meaty, but I think there are some helpful last tips/perspectives that I know I hadn't considered before. I hope these help someone out there :) Enjoy.

What's an appropriate question to ask when called for an interview? The principals had a few responses to this:

- Don't ask too much

- You can ask about parking - i.e. is there parking available, where should you park.

- Ask the secretary's name; this shows consideration, and then you will be able to greet her by name when you arrive.

- That's about all you should ask - don't ask very much or anything else!

- What should a candidate bring to the interview? One principal mentioned that he likes candidates to have already "walked" the community - that is, explored the community a bit and have a feel for what kind of place it is. You should also have a unit or lesson plan prepared, and bring all of the necessary materials with you. Also, a copy of your resume/cover letter; the interviewers should have already seen this, but bring a few extra copies in case they need them.

- A note about portfolios/videos - All of the principals said that they don't really look at portfolios very much; you might want to bring it, and have one or two artifacts selected to share - e.g. a lesson you are particularly proud of, a letter from the children you student taught. But they will not pass around your portfolio and really look at it. Additionally, one of the principals said that she unfortunately has to throw out all of the videos she receives; she has no time to watch all of the videos she gets, and another principal added that if they're really interested in you, you'll either demo a lesson for them or they will come to your school and observe one of your lessons, if that's possible.

- Once the candidate has left the interview, what should they do? Send a thank you note!!! The principals varied on whether they preferred hand-written or e-mail; some were fine with e-mail, some preferred hand-written. I know in the business world, the only way I could guarantee someone would actually receive my note was through e-mail; but, it's different in a school setting where the principal is sure to receive his/her mail. So I guess you just have to use your intuition to infer if they have a preference, or go with whatever you're most confident with.

- Once you start working in a school, align yourself with the right people. There will be a lot of negative, jaded, bitter people. As a new teacher, do you really want to be like that? Find the positive, focused people and they will lead you the right way. The principals even said you might want to avoid the teachers' lounge - maybe eat there once or twice a week to get to know people, but know that there may be a lot of negativity there.

- Guiding motto: "If you're about the kids, you can't go wrong."

I think that FINALLY wraps up my interview tips from the Principal's Panel. I know it's so tough to get hired right now, but I think we have to stay optimistic. Hopefully these tips may help, and good luck to all interviewees!

Interview Tips for Teachers - Part II

2010-04-14T22:08:00.003-04:00

I'm finally posting installment #2 of Interview Tips. It's loooooong, but I think it's worth it. See the first installment for more info as well as some background info. I'm labeling this for teachers, but most of these tips really apply for all interviews. Third and last installment to come, sometime this century. Enjoy!

Tips on the Interview Process
- You are being interviewed from the second you schedule an interview. All of the principals noted that if a candidate is pushy, rude, or dismissive when scheduling their meeting, their secretary is sure to say something about it.
- Be prepared for different interview styles. Some may be more structured, with a set of specific questions, or the interviewer(s) may ask one or two very open ended questions and allow a more candidate-led interview. Think about what and how much you say in either scenario; your potential employer is observing not only what you say, but how you say it. The panel all agreed that candidates who give seemingly never-ending answers, or blabbered on about anything and everything, came across as nervous and unconfident, not to mention boring. As one principal said, "sometimes it's better to say less than more."
- Also be prepared for both one-on-one and group interviews. You might be able to politely ask about this - for example, you may ask the secretary "With whom will I be meeting?" or, "I want to bring enough copies of my resume - how many should I print?"

- Do your homework. This was a key point that was underscored numerous times throughout the session. You must do your research ahead of time. This includes everything from knowing where the school is and how to get there to your personal views and beliefs about education. Here's a rundown of items mentioned:

Name of the school, location, how to get there (Don't ask the secretary; use GPS or Google maps. Take a practice drive if you're unsure of the directions).
The principal's name.
General demographic of the district; general understanding of any specific issues or unique features of the school or district.
Your personal opinions about "hot" or important education issues - e.g. open enrollment, academic eligibility for athletics, etc.
School report card, mission, etc.
Be aware/abreast of current reform issues. Be able to speak eloquently and knowledgeably of these issues and your positions on them.
Likewise, be familiar with state and national assessment contents. One principal mentioned the website datawarehouse.com, which he said provides high stakes exam data and trend analysis. You might want to look at the district's performance on these exams.
Be aware of various professional organizations, and join the appropriate ones for you.

- Be able to frame your responses to various questions within the context of the district; tailor your answers to fit into the framework of the beliefs of the district.

- Know why you want to move. If you are already employed at another district, be prepared to explain why you want to leave it. Always give a positive answer - no principal wants to hear you say "well my co-workers are a bunch of idiots." A better answer would be "I'm looking for more professional development opportunities."

- Know why you want to work at that school or district. What's in it for you? "Employment" is not an answer; find something unique about the school, or frame your answer in terms of your own personal and professional development.

- Interviewers will try to uncover your belief system. For example, at the end of the interview, you might be asked "Is there any topic you thought I'd ask you that I didn't ask?" All of the principals said they use this question to dig at something deeper about the candidate; however, they varied in what kind of responses they like to hear. One said to try not to answer this question: by answering it, you might be revealing too much about yourself, and implying that the principal wasn't smart enough to ask the question. On the other hand, another principal said that they want an answer from candidates, to know they were prepared for the interview, and to uncover what other issues/topics they are concerned with. So it's a toss up, but I think once again you'll want to say less rather than more; keep any answer you give succinct.

Serious career goal...

2010-03-24T10:45:00.002-04:00

...Become a Google Certified Teacher in the next 5 years.

Google's program for teachers is like everything I want to accomplish in teaching. Ok, ok - not everything. But it gets at a lot of it! One of the things I grapple with almost every day is how we could be so much more effective in working (including teaching/learning) if more people used social tools on an everyday basis. I think about this for myself - what if my school had a social network just for the school of education students and alumni? It would be a perfect networking platform, and an awesome space for people to share and learn from others who are experiencing or have experienced the same things. Of course this is Social Networking 101, but it doesn't currently exist for my school, and the key here is the commonality we would all share - i.e. our university. Could I create this myself? Yes. Will I? Well, if my school gave me some money! Maybe I should pitch it to our dean :)

Anyways, I also think about social platforms in how they can get kids excited about learning - sort of in disguise. For example, ever heard of GoodReads? Or WeRead, on Facebook? These are just networks for sharing books you've read. How do you choose books to read for pleasure? Usually, or at least often, our selections are based on the recommendations of friends and family, or other people you know personally. Well, GoodReads and WeRead had the bright idea to put that concept into a social network. I think this connection is even stronger for kids - kids love reading what their friends are reading, and they recommend books to each other all of the time. And kids spend most of their non-school time online. So mash those two things together, and you have a very powerful tool for promoting literacy.

I feel like, in general, education is a fairly "downlevel" sector - the funding and also the experience/knowledge just is not there to support and embrace technology in an everyday way. The technology use I've seen in classrooms is fairly isolated, rather than integrated into teaching. Ok, SmartBoards are pretty cool, and I like seeing some PowerPoints. But technology is SO much more than power points! That barely qualifies as "new media" and actually I would say it doesn't really qualify at all! What if we gave our kids the tools they like to use, and integrate them in smart, effective, and engaging ways in the classroom??? Money is a huge issue, but sometimes we have to dream before we can create reality.

So, I've provided just two examples of how social tools can help us in our everyday lives. There are infinite others out there. I guess some people will think this isn't all that important, but I believe it's the future of work: using social tools can help us all to learn and share with each other. Sounds hokey? Fine, but I truly believe in collaborative work, and I think we all engage in it quite regularly (in what ever sector you work in). I think becoming a Google certified educator would - number 1, be AWESOME, and #2, will give me the credibility to evangelize these tools in my district and my general region. So I am absolutely DETERMINED to do it!!!!!

I <3 my library

2010-03-16T22:22:00.003-04:00

I was at my town library today and decided to swing by the young adult section just to take a glance around. We have a great YA section with a large wall almost entirely dedicated to teen fiction. On a nearby table, I found these little cards with tons of categorized suggestions! Yippee! I scopped up one of each and went on my merry way.

I bet your town/county library has lots of YA suggestions too. I think I'm also going to begin harassing my younger cousins to fill me in on some of their favorite books.

(Did you notice my eyeball?... creeeeeepy.....hee hee!)