November 12, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry was written.
Today was my last official day. I plan to go back after Thanksgiving, but I don't need anymore hours. I only got to stay for one class, and it was geometry. She was reviewing proofs with them. They (like most geometry students) have really struggled with proofs. To give them more practice, she passed out a worksheet and had them choose the ones they didn't understand. Then they did the proofs together as a class. It was really great to see the "Ah Ha" moments when they understood something. To hear comments like "Oh, now I get it" or "I can really do this Mrs. Screws" was encouraging. It's moments like these that teachers live for.
One student kept saying that she just couldn't do proofs--that she was too stupid to do them. I really liked the way Mrs. Screws handled this situation. She asked the girl to pick a proof she was having trouble with. Then she walked her through each step to figure out each part. By the last few steps, the girl was really holding her own. She seemed much more sure of herself after this exercise. I hope that I will be able to help students out like this. Mrs. Screws really made a difference today--especially for that one student. She gave her confidence, and sometimes it's confidence, not math skill, that makes the difference.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Lesson 2
November 7, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry was written.
I taught my second lesson today. I was really rushed to get to Walhalla because I had class all morning. I got to school during Mrs. Screws' lunch break. I used the time to get all my materials and thoughts collected. I was really nervous! I think I was so nervous because I knew I had to video myself. I was completely comfortable with the material, but knowing Dr. Manizade would be critiquing every point of my presentation made me a little unsettled. Talking with Mrs. Screws didn't really help (as usual), but I said a little prayer before the kids came in that really helped.
I was surprised at how well the first class responded to me. I think they were curious as to how I would handle the class, and their curiosity kept them in line. We hit some unexpected snags in the lesson, though. The lesson required that the students have prior knowledge of "isolating a variable." I know Mrs. Screws has gone over this topic several times, and I went into the lesson thinking they would have no trouble solving equations for a specific variable. Boy was I wrong! This really surprised me, but I was able to think fast and use student input to help me. When they struggled with this topic, I didn't have another example to model for them. So, I had a student make up an equation for me. He then had to tell me what steps to follow to solve the equation for one variable. I hope his classmates listened to what he was saying because he struggled in areas I know are common. Hearing a classmate struggle and discover the right method is good way to learn. It also shifts some of the burden of learning to the students.
This did mess up my timetable, though. I really ran out of time. I didn't get to all the examples I wanted to, and they didn't have much time to work in groups. This was really frustrating. Looking back, the only thing I could really take out would be the discussion about independent and dependent variables and science class, but I really liked this discussion! I think it helped them understand what it meant to have these types of variables in math class. We're supposed to activate prior knowledge and tie into their schema, right?
I think things would have gone better if I had access to a dry erase board or even a chalk board. I had to use and overhead projector, and I really hate them. I despise having to turn the lights off at the front--and in such a big class, the kids at the back have a hard time seeing the screen. It also is more time consuming. I kept having to change transparencies, find clean ones, get out of the way so they could copy, and walk back and forth around the tables to get to the projector. I think having a dry erase board may have made things simpler and faster.
In the second class, I was more prepared when they didn't know how to isolate a variable. I picked a student to verbalize the steps (the student I picked was acting up and not paying attention). He had a lot of trouble, but according to his classmates, he got further in the problem he solved with me than he usually does. Maybe that means I helped at least one person. And, his classmates would have had to have been listening to tell me that--so maybe the learned something too.
I left rather discouraged, but to my surprise, I got a rather encouraging e-mail from Mrs. Screws this afternoon. I have included it because it is so atypical of what I have experienced this semester and because it made me feel much better about my lesson.
"I just wanted to tell you again that you did a great job today. Please keep in mind, it is very challenging to meet the needs of all students while keeping them focused on the lesson you are teaching. As a teacher, the concepts I think are so obvious are the concepts that some students will struggle understanding. I just keep trying my very best and hope I am meeting the needs of the majority of my students. The one thing I try to remember is that my students are young and they need consistent guidance from someone who cares. I care about the success of my students and I also care about your success. Please let me know if I can help you in anyway. Teaching is a very challenging career, but I can see that you are ready for the challenge. Again, I thought you did a wonderful job today."
Note: This post was made after the journal entry was written.
I taught my second lesson today. I was really rushed to get to Walhalla because I had class all morning. I got to school during Mrs. Screws' lunch break. I used the time to get all my materials and thoughts collected. I was really nervous! I think I was so nervous because I knew I had to video myself. I was completely comfortable with the material, but knowing Dr. Manizade would be critiquing every point of my presentation made me a little unsettled. Talking with Mrs. Screws didn't really help (as usual), but I said a little prayer before the kids came in that really helped.
I was surprised at how well the first class responded to me. I think they were curious as to how I would handle the class, and their curiosity kept them in line. We hit some unexpected snags in the lesson, though. The lesson required that the students have prior knowledge of "isolating a variable." I know Mrs. Screws has gone over this topic several times, and I went into the lesson thinking they would have no trouble solving equations for a specific variable. Boy was I wrong! This really surprised me, but I was able to think fast and use student input to help me. When they struggled with this topic, I didn't have another example to model for them. So, I had a student make up an equation for me. He then had to tell me what steps to follow to solve the equation for one variable. I hope his classmates listened to what he was saying because he struggled in areas I know are common. Hearing a classmate struggle and discover the right method is good way to learn. It also shifts some of the burden of learning to the students.
This did mess up my timetable, though. I really ran out of time. I didn't get to all the examples I wanted to, and they didn't have much time to work in groups. This was really frustrating. Looking back, the only thing I could really take out would be the discussion about independent and dependent variables and science class, but I really liked this discussion! I think it helped them understand what it meant to have these types of variables in math class. We're supposed to activate prior knowledge and tie into their schema, right?
I think things would have gone better if I had access to a dry erase board or even a chalk board. I had to use and overhead projector, and I really hate them. I despise having to turn the lights off at the front--and in such a big class, the kids at the back have a hard time seeing the screen. It also is more time consuming. I kept having to change transparencies, find clean ones, get out of the way so they could copy, and walk back and forth around the tables to get to the projector. I think having a dry erase board may have made things simpler and faster.
In the second class, I was more prepared when they didn't know how to isolate a variable. I picked a student to verbalize the steps (the student I picked was acting up and not paying attention). He had a lot of trouble, but according to his classmates, he got further in the problem he solved with me than he usually does. Maybe that means I helped at least one person. And, his classmates would have had to have been listening to tell me that--so maybe the learned something too.
I left rather discouraged, but to my surprise, I got a rather encouraging e-mail from Mrs. Screws this afternoon. I have included it because it is so atypical of what I have experienced this semester and because it made me feel much better about my lesson.
"I just wanted to tell you again that you did a great job today. Please keep in mind, it is very challenging to meet the needs of all students while keeping them focused on the lesson you are teaching. As a teacher, the concepts I think are so obvious are the concepts that some students will struggle understanding. I just keep trying my very best and hope I am meeting the needs of the majority of my students. The one thing I try to remember is that my students are young and they need consistent guidance from someone who cares. I care about the success of my students and I also care about your success. Please let me know if I can help you in anyway. Teaching is a very challenging career, but I can see that you are ready for the challenge. Again, I thought you did a wonderful job today."
What does it mean to mentor?
November 6, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry was written.
Today's visit to Walhalla was to meet with my teacher about the lesson I am teaching tomorrow. Both she and I would prefer that I teach the next section, but the timing did not work out right. I am very concerned about making the lesson captivating. I'm afraid I will lose the students within the first few minutes of class because relations are not particularly exciting. To keep them engaged, I have planned a few activities that I hope will keep their attention as well as help me help them learn.
I mentioned a few of the plans I have for tomorrow to Mrs. Screws, and she didn't seem too thrilled by some of them. I think my plans to let them do group work concerned her. I don't think she trusts me to control the class. It is really discouraging to hear that she doesn't have faith in me. I know I have a lot left to learn, but it would be nice to know that someone believed in me.
It's been this way all semester--she is always very negative. She always tells me all the "dirty" little secrets of the teaching profession and how hard it is. Then she justifies her comments by telling me that she wants me to know what I'm getting into. I appreciate her honesty, but as my mentor teacher, I think it would be nice if she said something positive. Isn't she supposed to encourage me and give me helpful insights into teaching? To me, a mentor should be someone positive. A "glass half full" type of person. Mrs. Screws is a pretty good teacher, but her negativity is a bit of a downer. If she's so unhappy in this job, why does she do it? It's not like she doesn't have other choices.
If nothing else, I have learned that I need to stay positive if I'm going to survive student teaching. But, I'm not satisfied with just surviving. Surviving doesn't benefit my students or me. I want to thrive. I want to succeed. I want to wake up looking forward to the day--not dreading it. This is going to be a challenge with Mrs. Screws, but at least I know now what is facing me.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry was written.
Today's visit to Walhalla was to meet with my teacher about the lesson I am teaching tomorrow. Both she and I would prefer that I teach the next section, but the timing did not work out right. I am very concerned about making the lesson captivating. I'm afraid I will lose the students within the first few minutes of class because relations are not particularly exciting. To keep them engaged, I have planned a few activities that I hope will keep their attention as well as help me help them learn.
I mentioned a few of the plans I have for tomorrow to Mrs. Screws, and she didn't seem too thrilled by some of them. I think my plans to let them do group work concerned her. I don't think she trusts me to control the class. It is really discouraging to hear that she doesn't have faith in me. I know I have a lot left to learn, but it would be nice to know that someone believed in me.
It's been this way all semester--she is always very negative. She always tells me all the "dirty" little secrets of the teaching profession and how hard it is. Then she justifies her comments by telling me that she wants me to know what I'm getting into. I appreciate her honesty, but as my mentor teacher, I think it would be nice if she said something positive. Isn't she supposed to encourage me and give me helpful insights into teaching? To me, a mentor should be someone positive. A "glass half full" type of person. Mrs. Screws is a pretty good teacher, but her negativity is a bit of a downer. If she's so unhappy in this job, why does she do it? It's not like she doesn't have other choices.
If nothing else, I have learned that I need to stay positive if I'm going to survive student teaching. But, I'm not satisfied with just surviving. Surviving doesn't benefit my students or me. I want to thrive. I want to succeed. I want to wake up looking forward to the day--not dreading it. This is going to be a challenge with Mrs. Screws, but at least I know now what is facing me.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
What to do when the students just don't get it?
October 26, 2007
Mrs. Screws gave a quiz to both of her geometry classes on Friday. They were UGLY! First, grades had to be in, and she needed to include the quizzes. So, she did it on scantron, and I'm just not a fan of multiple choice math tests. Second, both classes did horrible. I would guess the average was around a 50. These were HONORS classes! Why did they do so poorly?
But, alas, this isn't the reason for my post. There is no way for me to know why they struggled because I wasn't present when the material was covered. My question is "What now?" Does she need to take more time to re-teach the material, or should she just press on? Should she let them make corrections or just scrap the quiz completely? Should there be a curve? Something clearly went very wrong, and I want to know how it should be fixed. I don't have answers for these questions. I have a few ideas of what I would do, but what do I know?
I'm going back tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how she handles the grades. I know some of the students are very conscientious, and they will be quite displeased when they see their grades. I see this being a very hard situation with no good answers, but I know it is one that I will face next semester. I would like to have some sort of game plan before it becomes an issue. So, I'm open to suggestions. What would you do?
Mrs. Screws gave a quiz to both of her geometry classes on Friday. They were UGLY! First, grades had to be in, and she needed to include the quizzes. So, she did it on scantron, and I'm just not a fan of multiple choice math tests. Second, both classes did horrible. I would guess the average was around a 50. These were HONORS classes! Why did they do so poorly?
But, alas, this isn't the reason for my post. There is no way for me to know why they struggled because I wasn't present when the material was covered. My question is "What now?" Does she need to take more time to re-teach the material, or should she just press on? Should she let them make corrections or just scrap the quiz completely? Should there be a curve? Something clearly went very wrong, and I want to know how it should be fixed. I don't have answers for these questions. I have a few ideas of what I would do, but what do I know?
I'm going back tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how she handles the grades. I know some of the students are very conscientious, and they will be quite displeased when they see their grades. I see this being a very hard situation with no good answers, but I know it is one that I will face next semester. I would like to have some sort of game plan before it becomes an issue. So, I'm open to suggestions. What would you do?
Monday, October 8, 2007
My Mini-Lesson
October 8, 2007
I did my mini-lesson today. I think it went pretty well. The kids caught on well to the key idea (what you do to one side of an equation, you must do to the other). I thought they were somewhat involved when I presented my concrete example of what they were about to do. Right now, though, they seem pretty bored. They are just taking notes. They don't want to participate, and she's have trouble eliciting responses from more than just a handful of students.
She blew through the notes to get to the examples. Some of the kids are having trouble. I wonder what I could have done differently in my lesson/example/activity to make these example problems make more sense.
Some areas for improvement I do see:
-I should have written the equations as I was going so they could make the connection between balancing a see-saw and balancing an equation.
-I should have asked if anyone had any questions.
-I should have pursued the "why" behind: y+5=8 gives y=3.
The second class went a lot better since I had the time to reflect about what I needed to change. The kids were rowdier, but I think their genuine curiosity about me made them behave a little better and listen when I told them to quiet down. They are currently not being so well behaved for Ms. Screws. She's already had to hand out a couple of warning slips.
I do wish the vocabulary I used would have tied better into her lesson. I now know for future team-teaching that both parties should discuss vocabulary. She used very unusual terms and methods, so I wasn't expecting them.
Things I should have done differently:
-I should have prepared a few more "unknowns."
-I should have put a few more questions on their assessment quiz.
-I should have given them an equation that resulted in a negative value for the variable.
I did my mini-lesson today. I think it went pretty well. The kids caught on well to the key idea (what you do to one side of an equation, you must do to the other). I thought they were somewhat involved when I presented my concrete example of what they were about to do. Right now, though, they seem pretty bored. They are just taking notes. They don't want to participate, and she's have trouble eliciting responses from more than just a handful of students.
She blew through the notes to get to the examples. Some of the kids are having trouble. I wonder what I could have done differently in my lesson/example/activity to make these example problems make more sense.
Some areas for improvement I do see:
-I should have written the equations as I was going so they could make the connection between balancing a see-saw and balancing an equation.
-I should have asked if anyone had any questions.
-I should have pursued the "why" behind: y+5=8 gives y=3.
The second class went a lot better since I had the time to reflect about what I needed to change. The kids were rowdier, but I think their genuine curiosity about me made them behave a little better and listen when I told them to quiet down. They are currently not being so well behaved for Ms. Screws. She's already had to hand out a couple of warning slips.
I do wish the vocabulary I used would have tied better into her lesson. I now know for future team-teaching that both parties should discuss vocabulary. She used very unusual terms and methods, so I wasn't expecting them.
Things I should have done differently:
-I should have prepared a few more "unknowns."
-I should have put a few more questions on their assessment quiz.
-I should have given them an equation that resulted in a negative value for the variable.
Paper Grading
October 5, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I graded and graded and graded! I didn't really get to observe anything because I spent the whole time grading papers. Thankfully, I didn't miss too much. The majority of the class time was spent re-doing the tests from the day before that they did poorly on. The Geometry class actually got to re-do all the ones they missed for full credit! Then, if they still missed some, they got to correct those for half-credit...and this was a multiple choice test! Too many freebies for an Honors class if you ask me.
In Algebra 1, Ms. Screws had forgotten to prepare the lesson. She thought they were just going to go over the test. So she had to do Verbal Sentence to Equations on the fly. She got it ready during lunch, and I got to write the example problems on her touch screen. I really liked using the touch screen--no messy chalk dust, overhead marker stains, or dry-erase board smudges.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I graded and graded and graded! I didn't really get to observe anything because I spent the whole time grading papers. Thankfully, I didn't miss too much. The majority of the class time was spent re-doing the tests from the day before that they did poorly on. The Geometry class actually got to re-do all the ones they missed for full credit! Then, if they still missed some, they got to correct those for half-credit...and this was a multiple choice test! Too many freebies for an Honors class if you ask me.
In Algebra 1, Ms. Screws had forgotten to prepare the lesson. She thought they were just going to go over the test. So she had to do Verbal Sentence to Equations on the fly. She got it ready during lunch, and I got to write the example problems on her touch screen. I really liked using the touch screen--no messy chalk dust, overhead marker stains, or dry-erase board smudges.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Discipline and Definitions
September 28, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
The Algebra 1A class took a test and I graded it. Some students did really well--others did rather poorly. Also, those students who finished early had nothing to do while they waited for their classmates to finish. This proved to be too great of a temptation to talk. I think Ms. Screws should have planned an activity for after the test to keep them busy. Instead, she was forced to keep calling them down and threatening to give them zeros for "cheating."
In Geometry, Ms. Screws started with some vocabulary review--supplementary, complementary, acute, and obtuse. She gave really good word associations to help them remember the definitions.
For example:
Supplementary Angles - supper time is at 6:00 which is 1800 military time. Therefore, supplementary angles sum to 180 degrees.
Complementary Angles - hotels serve their complementary breakfast at 9:00. Therefore, complementary angles sum to 90 degrees.
During the question and answer time, I felt like she was leading the students. She never asked questions that made them think outside of the box. The questions were generic, and you could tell what answer she wanted them to give. I don't think these questions were profitable for learning.
I'm also rather concerned about one of the students. She looks perpetually sulky (more than the normal teenager) and I'm not sure if she's getting anything out of the class. She sits right in the front, and I think Ms. Screws looks over her. Maybe she's just bored. Maybe confused. I'm not sure, but she's not paying attention or taking notes.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
The Algebra 1A class took a test and I graded it. Some students did really well--others did rather poorly. Also, those students who finished early had nothing to do while they waited for their classmates to finish. This proved to be too great of a temptation to talk. I think Ms. Screws should have planned an activity for after the test to keep them busy. Instead, she was forced to keep calling them down and threatening to give them zeros for "cheating."
In Geometry, Ms. Screws started with some vocabulary review--supplementary, complementary, acute, and obtuse. She gave really good word associations to help them remember the definitions.
For example:
Supplementary Angles - supper time is at 6:00 which is 1800 military time. Therefore, supplementary angles sum to 180 degrees.
Complementary Angles - hotels serve their complementary breakfast at 9:00. Therefore, complementary angles sum to 90 degrees.
During the question and answer time, I felt like she was leading the students. She never asked questions that made them think outside of the box. The questions were generic, and you could tell what answer she wanted them to give. I don't think these questions were profitable for learning.
I'm also rather concerned about one of the students. She looks perpetually sulky (more than the normal teenager) and I'm not sure if she's getting anything out of the class. She sits right in the front, and I think Ms. Screws looks over her. Maybe she's just bored. Maybe confused. I'm not sure, but she's not paying attention or taking notes.
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