misscalcul8

8.18.2009

Week One, Day Two

(I've just decided on doing a running commentary of my first week in order for me to remember this for next year, to reflect, and in case anyone out there needs some ideas to steal. Hey wait, that's what this whole blog is for. Nevermind.)

Day Two went well.

I passed out books and had kids type in their name and book number into an Excel spreadsheet so they could learn to use the SMART board. Bad news is, I accidently deleted it. Oh well, I should have had a paper back up anyway. That's one lesson I hope I don't have to learn again.

I also introduced the discipline plan and had students sign it. Their first homework assignment is to bring it back tomorrow signed by parent/guardian. I didn't have too much complaining about any of the rules although some asked me if they had to sign if they knew they were going to break the rules. Yes. Also explained the responsibility sheet and students seemed skeptical but not opposed to the idea.

Then I presented my school supplies list and explained what each particular item was used for. (My sister is the one in the pictures.)

I then went through and answered every single question that the kids asked me on their index cards from yesterday. A lot of laughs and just a good time from answering. I could tell many kids were surprised that I did answer each one but the point of this activity was to build their confidence in the fact that I can and will answer any questions they had. I plan on showing all my classes the list of the most interesting questions so they can see what other people thought of as well.

I also explained to the students how the classes would work, how I teach, how much homework they'll be assigned, what classwork will be, how I do tests, how they can make up tests so that their grades will improve, etc. I had a lot of positive feedback and a lot of students said this might be the year they actually like/do well in/pass math. And I haven't even started teaching yet. I think this is all going a long way in creating a positive classroom culture and building relationship with them.

I'm still loving it but I'm challenged with how to transition into curriculum as well as how to better engage my lower ability students. It's definitely going to be harder than I thought but I want to do things right and well and I value excellence. Hard work is worth the satisfaction of a job well done and a student well learned.

I'm optimistic so far while at the same time weighted with the amount of work and the important decisions I will need to make.

But we're talking about people's lives here. It's important enough to do right the first time.

What's highly valued isn't easily won.

8.17.2009

First Days 2009-2010

Today was my first real day!

I did @paulbogush's Million Words for Students and @ddmeyer's Who I Am ( I created one just like it in Microsoft Word for us non-Mac people.)

At the end of Million Words, the kids get to ask me 3 questions about anything that I will answer tomorrow in class. I was surprised at how many kids couldn't think of anything to say. Seriously?

I had the expected questions about what is my phone number, when can we go on a date, do I have a boyfriend, etc but nothing inappropriate.

I wanted to share some of my favorite questions with you!

Would you date the principal for a million dollars?
Would you host a tv show if you had to wear a sombrero?
Who is the governor of Florida?
What is the fastest roller coaster in the world?
What is your biggest fear and why?
If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing?
Can you cut a straight line with scissors?
What is the meaning of life?
If the USA were struck by a nuclear missile and only you survived, would you be able to live and support yourself? And why?
If Barack Obama called you to tutor his child, how much would you charge?
Can you tell if someone is crying underwater?
Why does a dog get angry when you blow in it's face, but when you're driving it sticks it's head out the window?
Do you like eggplant?
Do you know how to fly a kite?
Do you like cheesecake with strawberries?
Were your parents strict on you having a boyfriend?
Do you talk about students behind their back?
Why did you want to be a teacher if you knew it would be crazy as all get out?

Creative. I like it.

The most common questions were, what is your favorite subject, what made you want to be a teacher, do you give a lot of homework, how old are you, and do you like teaching.

It was pretty interesting. Some kids said they had homework already while other kids said my assignment was the first thing they had actually done all day.

I let students pick where to sit and had them fill in the seating chart with the names they wanted me to call them. Most students went right for the back row but I made them scoot up. I already know all their names so it's really just for a substitute.

I did stand at the door and greet as they come in. I had instructions on what to do on the SMART board but a lot of them either didn't notice, didn't read it, or didn't believe me. I can see this will be an important routine to start.

The day went well, I had no problems. But on the inside I was feeling so retarded and like all my ideas were silly. I kept having urges to throw everything out and start over. But, by the end of the day I just tried to plan for tomorrow and not go crazy thinking ahead.

I can't wait to read all the words my students wrote to me so I'm sure there will be something interesting to post tomorrow!

8.14.2009

First Day

Today was my first day of teaching. Except I didn't teach. And I didn't have any students.

Our school just has homeroom for two hours while the teacher goes over all the paperwork stuff. I don't have a homeroom so basically, I just made an appearance. I haven't been nervous at all until right when they were introducing the new teachers. And I already know all the kids!

After that I just went to my room and did fun stuff. lol

So Monday will be the true test.

I think I'm ready. The whole first week I am doing intro stuff, learning about them, seating chart, book assignment, icebreakers, team building skills, etc. The next week is when it gets scary.

All my PLN playas gave me the same advice- Breathe, Smile, Relax. And take it one day at a time. If I wasn't organized, I don't know what I would do. I never understand how teachers even function without being organized.

I learned how to laminate this week and that hot glue is a teacher's best friend. The copy machine is already jammed (and it's my fault) but no one can figure it out. I checked every part possible and no success.

I forget that I'm a new teacher because I subbed and did summer school. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a new teacher and not know any kids or any teachers or anything period. Luckily, I'm very familiar with everything except the best way to teach.

Think I'll figure out this year? ;)

8.05.2009

Video Game Learning

I was reading this post over at Clif Mims blog and it really struck me.

How does playing video games mirror learning in the classroom?

I am no expert on video games and have never really played that many. I'm an old school Nintendo and Sega player. I've played my share of Rock Band and Guitar Hero but I've never played on a Wii or done most of what's popular now.

But from my limited experience, whenever you are learning or teaching someone how to play a video game, what is the first thing you do?

Hand them a controller.

You might explain what a few buttons mean but that's it.

You jump in and start playing, clicking crazily until you finally figure out what is going on.

Then you die.

Repeat.

Each time you figure out new maneuvers, new places to hide, new ways to score points, new ways to stay alive. And you keep playing over and over until you master it and move on to the next level.

How does this reflect what learning in the classroom looks like?

It doesn't.

In comparing teaching math to teaching video games, here is my analogy. First, I will explain the instructions of the game to you (I might have you read some of it out loud). Then, I will attempt to tell you how this game is relevant to your daily life (because it's not interesting enough for you to care). Next, I will play the game while you watch (sitting still and not talking). Then, I will give you a controller and let you play. Before you can finish the first level, class is over and your homework is to go home and master the entire game. Have fun!

I'm not sure I'm adequately conveying my point here. I don't know how to teach math in the way I would like to, like playing a video game. I think it's similar to problem-based learning. Let's just jump in and start playing but how do you do that with math? I don't know how to make solving math problems look as interesting as playing a video game but the skill set is the same: problem solving, logical thinking, manipulation of information, strategic thinking, elimination of unnecessary information, improving on each additional attempt, critical thinking, step-by-step solutions, etc. How do you make it work so that students want to try over and over again until they master it? How can we create a support team for students to go to and get "cheat codes" or play online like with video games?

Dan Meyer on his blog has started the What Can You Do With This? Series. He uses a picture or video to display something that poses what looks like an easy to answer question. Students can easily guess an answer without risking looking stupid. The questions are practically begging to be answered and the lesson easily transitions into answering the question, almost without the students realizing it's math. I would love to do that for every lesson but first of all, finding the media that will fit every lesson is hard enough. Second of all, I'm not sure I'm smart enough to even know how to use or solve the problem myself. Third, how could you make the course cohesive and flow nicely into each other? Fourth, although the students would be incredibly engaged and learning, how does this type of teaching prepare them for standardized testing? I know that interesting/engaging lessons and scoring well on standardized testing are not mutually exclusive, but it sure seems like it. For all the curriculum planners/consultants/writers out there, this is the kind of work we need you for!! Let's take one relevant piece of media, and build it into a lesson plan while at the same time incorporating things that prepare students for testing.

Obviously, this is not my idea at all and will take people much smarter than me to develop. But I love it. I'm obsessed with thinking about it. I can't even plan anything for this school year because I know it will all suck compared to what little I've seen and what I want it to look like. I'm stumped by my perfectionism. I could start planning lessons the way I learned in college but it is lacking in so much that I can't even rationalize doing that to my students. So in response, I've done nothing. Take that.

Do we ever have to explain video games relevancy? Do they have any? Regardless of the answers to those questions, we don't have to convince students to play them, correct? Some things we do because they are fun, entertaining, or just because we want to. How do we get education to look like that? How do we get students learning again? Jesse at Math Be Brave addresses similar issues in her post, "Why Does It Matter?"

I want to build my curriculum from the student perspective of "Would I enjoy this if I didn't have to do it?"

Of course they have to do it. But, you know...

8.03.2009

Home Visits

I was all ready to write a post about my home visits today but I don't really have anything to say.

I wasn't nervous to begin with and things went like I thought they would. I didn't have the parents sign all the right papers but I just felt like it was rude to keep interrupting the conversation to make them do paperwork. The parents were all friendly and probably would have talked for an hour or more if we would have allowed it. Not many complaints but the ones that did complain only mentioned certain people. (And I agreed on the inside with what they complained about.)

It was really interesting to find out that one shy student plants his own garden. He planted over 18 kinds of tomatoes, watermelon, and other things. I think his mom said 150 different things and he's done all the plowing, tilling, picking, everything. Amazing. Also that he likes working on lawn mowers and cars. He knows construction and how to lay carpet. Apparently he likes working with his hands and if he sees something done once, he can replicate it. Very interesting to know, especially considering he rarely speaks during class.

At another home, the girls (8th and 9th) hugged me when I got there and when I left. The mom wanted to be involved with the school even more than she already was and told us how she went to things at the school for her daughters' friends, even if her daughters weren't in it themselves.

Another grandma told us how she has 13 grandchildren and I'm under the impression that many of them have lived with her while she basically put them through school. I love to meet people like her who are pillars to their family.

So. Nothing too exciting to report besides I was encouraged by the way we were met with open arms. One lady was barbecuing and offered us pork steaks. Believe me, if I didn't have another appointment, I would have tore those up! I love steak!

In other exciting news, I met with the principal today and he informed me I will now be teaching Geometry, which gives me 15 more students and another prep. Joyous occasion. But the plus side is that in exchange, he split up my class of 21 hellions and so now I only have 10 hellions. The less hell, the better is what I always say. =)

I spent another 4 hours in my classroom and except for some posters I want to hang and this awesome clock I want to buy, I'm finished.

So without further ado...

Created with flickr slideshow.
Click here to see the before pictures.
All in all, a successful day.

Pages