Reflecting

So... our class is over, and technically, I guess I don't have to write anything more on this blog. Though, I think I may. I've never been a blogger before this, but there is something soothing about being able to speak frankly and openly on issues that concern me or may face me in the future. I think that a blog is an excellent tool to help a teacher get inside students' heads and let them know what's really plaguing them day to day.
In a high school environment, I can see this as a great tool that students would really enjoy. There are always some risks involved with open internet things such as this, but assuming the right issues were addressed, it could be a great way for students to express themselves. This was a great process and I'm glad I took part.

My greatest fear about becoming a teacher

Sure, many people are afraid of misbehaving students, preparing students for standardized tests, or the horrible possiblity of a student having a pretty intense crush. Those are all fears of mine as well, but nothing scares me more than... getting up early and functioning in class. I am one of those "non-morning people" who cling to their cup of coffee first thing in the morning much like leech to skin.
The reality of the situation is that I am going to have to change my habits, one hundred percent. I will have to become the kind of person able to go to bed at 9:30 or 10 and wake up at 5 or even earlier. The thought of getting up earlier to run has even crossed my mind, I'm usually much more on my toes post-jog. However, that brings on the worry of crashing mid-day.
I know that switching over to a teaching lifestyle is going to be tough. No ifs, ands or buts, I'm not a morning person. But accepting the fact that my hours have to change is the first step, and I'm sure student teaching next spring will be the greatest learning tool I can have.

Sick Days...

As I left class today feeling miserable, a real fear came into my mind. In high school, I was one of those kids, always picking up viruses, suffering from allergies and sinus trouble, and the occasional asthma attack. I ended up missing quite a bit of school.
In a high school environment in the future, I can only hope that my poor immune system will have stepped up its game. I know that it's stronger than it once was, if it wasn't I would've been sick all semester with my roommate. In all honesty, how many sick days for a teacher are too many? And how many days do you go in feeling borderline... should I stay in bed or try and suck it up? What happens to the class if I really need to leave?
With so many questions on the issue, I get a bit afraid of getting sick, ever. I don't want to be the teacher whose never there (though I write lesson plans that are intended for anyone to be able to teach)... I can't assess my students properly if I'm not regularly in the classroom. Though I may be over reacting, the fact that I have a tendency to get sick makes me nervous... and I have to be exceedingly careful not to use up time off.

The praxis... again

So, I expressed concerns about the Praxis in the past. And I quite frankly felt more anxiety waiting for the results than I ever did leading up to the exam itself. And finally A MONTH after the exam, I received my results. I needed a 162 to pass to be certified as a Secondary Education Teacher in the State of New Jersey.

I GOT A 189!

I am thrilled that the process is over with and unless the state moves the standard to 190 or higher, I will never have to take it again.

Friday's Lesson

So... despite having taught in class on numerous occasions, Friday received the least amount of interaction of all of them.
I went in thinking, I've got a fun, visually, musically pleasing lesson that will get the class talking. But when I first started speaking, just after the first video, the lifeless faces of the class shocked me. I lost my words for a moment. But I kept plugging through. Then when it was time to ask the class to brainstorm, still no one seemed awake. I felt like I was pulling teeth getting one or two responses.
Quite frankly, it made me feel awful. What had I done wrong? Talking with Dr. Luongo and Mrs. Millite (sp?) after class made me realize, it may not have been my lesson format, or even the way I presented it. There are days when the first class in the morning is still going to be asleep. And at least I kept going... I suppose that was something.
The lesson made me realize that as a teacher you can't bat 1.000 with lesson plans. It's much more about the trial and error. That's why it's important to reflect on individual lesson plans, so the next year around you can make adjustments to fit your class better.

Higher Education

The reality of being a secondary education teacher means we must prepare students for oh-so-dreaded standardized testing but ultimately for higher education. Aside from the burden of preparing students for the rigorous academic expectations, having knowledge about financial concerns and the reality of applications is essential.
As an English teacher, I will certainly offer my services with writing essays, even making it a part of the curriculum. It is, after all, a persuasive essay.
A high school teacher must be aware of the problems that face students looking at higher education, the potential that they may not be able to attend because of financial concerns. The article included is all about the potential of decreasing the costs. High school teachers can be the first line of information for students about college. Not every parent is thinking about this matter. So having a teacher there who knows the ropes can help, a lot. Hearing that the amount of money a student spends on their education does not necessarily equate the value of the education received. Encouragement from a high school teacher can be the first step in the right direction for a student.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/education/edlife/essay.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Dyslexia in Different Parts of the World

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080408/ap_on_he_me/dyslexic_differences



Being a bit of a psychology dork, on top of having a great curiosity about reading disabilities, I was intrigued by this article. New research shows that different parts of the brain are impacted in different parts of the world in regards to dyslexia. In places like the US where much of the language is learned through phonics, there is a different part of the brain affected than those learning whole word, like many in China.

Music in Schools

I was blessed to go to a high school where music was held as indispensable, but I have been sad to find this is not the standard. More and more boards of education are cutting music from schools and the children suffer for it. Music can be the only acceptable way for some students to express their feelings.
I remember freshman year and the first concert following September 11. A lot of students were full of hate and fear over the event. My choral director asked us to write a phrase to capture the sentiment of the concert following the horrific occurrence. I recall my quote was put on the back of the program, not because of it's linguistic prowess, but for what it captured. "Sometimes all you have to do is sing the bad out of your heart."
Music can be the only way to release feelings without risk of harming another. When students lose music in their schools, they risk not knowing it's power. As one of my choral directors always told my women's choirs, "Music is the only thing, that I know of, that can make a small child laugh and bring tears to the eyes of a grown man."
With this understanding, I go into my future classroom with the hope that, even if I am in a school without a defined music program, I can show them that outlet. The appeal to the musically intelligent benefits every student.

For more information on how to keep music in schools please visit: http://www.savethemusic.com/

Exam Preparation

Fulfilling the requirement of the state, I will be taking the Praxis Exam on the ides of March. Though I have been a fairly good test taker in the past with SATs, etc, I am genuinely nervous about this test. Maybe because it really hasn't been brought up in my classes, as how to attack it. I hope that everything turns out alright, but even with my practice book in hand, I don't feel confident.
I'm sure that many students, regardless of age feel this way without a proper review. Perhaps I'll devise some flash cards to help myself review. For this exam, it's all on me, but in the classroom, a great deal of the review has to do with the teacher. Do I want to pass out a review sheet, do a jeopardy game, leave my students to their own devises? This can often be a challenge for teachers because they don't want to spoon feed their students, but they also do not want them to fail their exam.
Since most of my exams will be literature based, most of the questions that they will see will come from class notes, class discussion and reading questions. Using the knowledge they have from these, I will (hopefully) ask a question that requires application.
When it comes to reviews for vocabulary... sometimes a good old fashion game of pictionary/charades can be exactly what they need to have the meaning burned into their memory. For me, it will always be one of my male classmates awkwardly moving at the front of the class, attempting to mime carrying something "unwieldy" that makes that word a part of my vocabulary to this day.

Boredom in the Classroom

Maybe it's just that I'm frustrated at the redundancy of some of my classes, or that I feel like I'm doing a lot of busy work, but I'm finding myself in a place I was in during school. Boredom. Without sounding pretentious, I am an Honors student, and I have been since middle school. There were definitely days when my mind was wondering millions of light years away, not because the subject matter was "boring" per se, but that the pace was too slow.
As teachers, we write lesson plans, and on these lesson plans, we include accommodations for students with special needs. How about the students whose special need is an acceleration in the class? Often times the kids who are ahead of the game get tethered back with the rest of the class. Why should they have to be stifled? Shouldn't there be accommodations for them as well?
With this thought in mind, I will try to really create a solution for my students who have already surpassed their peers within the class, and want something more. Even if they don't want something more, they certainly don't want to be bored. It can be a hard thing to balance, trying to plan to the majority, but I know it's something I'll have to consider in the classroom.

Coach/Teacher Relationship

With deep ties to athletics, I feel it is only natural that I would want to coach where ever I end up teaching, whether it be for soccer, cross country or track and field. But remembering some of the relationships that students had with their coaches, I've got to wonder what kind of barrier can I create to ensure that I'm Coach Power on the track or field and Miss Power in the classroom?
I recall one soccer coach from my high school who had an unnaturally close relationship with his girl athletes. They were all in love with him, and no doubt this translated into his classroom, there didn't seem to be a separation. Worst of all, he was so close in age to his athletes it was hard to keep a line, and rumors started swarming about a relationship with one of his former athletes following her graduation. Though no one can say with certainty besides himself and the girl, the suspicion likely got back to the administration and he wasn't back at my school the following year.
I know that I plan to create a clear division between my coaching and teaching, with the understanding that I am the same person in either arena, but just because I know my athletes on a more personal basis, I will treat them the same way in the classroom that I treat every other student. Through coaching, inevitably, I will learn a lot about my student-athletes on a personal level, that simply being their teacher I probably wouldn't. However, I cannot allow my knowledge of their personal lives deviate my teaching style or treatment of the individual student.
Another point on the subject is the clear violation of rules when it come to elite athletes and poor grades. Regardless of what team I coach for, the first day of practice, they will all hear my speech on the importance of academics. There is a reason the word student preceeds the word athlete. I have never forgotten that important lesson through all of my years of schooling to this very day.

NJCCCS

As part of a project for Principles and Techniques, I was required to look up the National and New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. I read the list and agreed that these standards seem more than reasonable, and set up excellent guidelines for students entering college. However, as I went down the list, I realized with surprising frequency, that these standards are NOT being met.
Now, that's quite an indictment I realize, however, in many cases of even students I have met in this and other colleges, standards such as "3.1.12.D.2: Use appropriate rhythm, flow, meter, and pronunciation when reading" this standard generally is NOT met. We all have our troubles with reading outloud on occasion, but overwhelmingly, even in some of my English Literature Class (predominantly composed of English Lit Majors) students stumble, studder, read too quickly, etc. Clearly the message on that standard didn't get through.
Even the content knowledge of students, in regards of analysis and evaluation of figurative language in a text (3.1.12.G.7) is lost by the time many students enter college. I can recall a few of my standard literature core classes when a professor needed to explain what irony was. This is a requirement to graduate from high school! And yet many students don't know it.
It's definitely good to have guidelines to live up to, but frankly, are they? Setting up standards only works if they can be assessed. I know that having read these standards, I will do whatever I can to truly drive them home for my students. It's not about getting them half way there... it's getting them to go farther than required.

Barack Obama

Sorry for those who are entirely sick of hearing about the election, but seeing as it is Super Tuesday, I think it's certainly called for. Also... before anyone says, isn't this blog about education, let me remind you, our next president is going to have a lot of say in whether or not the ultimately flawed "No Child Left Behind" is going to remain the standard. Also, our next president may have a say in whether or not excellent teachers should be able to be rewarded for their excellence, which is why I present: Barack Obama, the first candidate I've been excited about in my entire life.
Barack Obama is a strong advocate for reform on N.C.L.B., since it's just a series of unfulfilled promises, and financial shortcomings. Putting more emphasis on early education (including Pre-K) he is attempting to change the unreasonable amount of high school students (6 million) who read below their grade level. And rather than keeping the focus entirely on passing standardized exams, students can go to classes to do what they should be, learning.
Believing in merit based wages for teachers is going to keep those teachers who get the job done to stay in the classroom, instead of seeking a higher paid profession. It will also help to weed out the teachers who are there because they are simply tenured and slipping.
I could go on forever about his brilliant ideas for American education... but I don't really have the time. If you have any questions or want more information about his ideas, please check out his website specifically about education:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

GO OUT AND VOTE... IT'S YOUR CIVIC DUTY!

Montessori Schools?

Growing up I knew many kids who had attended Montessori schools for nursery school and kindergarten, and most turned out to be excellent students, but sometimes socializing took a back seat, to such an extent that a few needed to transfer out of public school in my town. There seemed to be benefits to it, but there were definite drawbacks.
My roommate is a teacher at an afterschool Montessori school near the waterfront. Having worked with these kids for quite sometime, she hopes to send her future children to Montessori school. Shocked by this, because of my own background with students going through the program, I asked why. She reminded me of the infinite benefits that particularly creative children can gain in such an environment, with offerings in the arts, drama, and creative play. I could see that being true in some respect, but the pure and simple fact that a teacher isn't allowed to use the word "kids" in reference to his or her students, made me question the whole thing.
Censorship in the classroom is exceptable to an extent, but restricting words, besides the obvious profanities, I think is ridiculous. This sets students up for failure should they ever leave this environment, and they inevitably will. Putting a child in a bubble doesn't teach them enough.
Perhaps I only feel this way because of the way I was raised, where learning from experience and other's experience was held with the utmost respect. To censor a child or what they hear means they aren't exposed to it in the classroom at first but when they get older they will inevitably hear it. So what's the point of building a fantasy world for a couple years of a child's life, only for them to be exposed to reality in a short amount of time?

Are Basics the Best Approach?

In a recent article in the Hartford Courant (one of the local papers back home) an explanation of the proposed plan for one of the elementary schools in Hartford was explained. The school was to become one of more than 1500 in the country under the title and philosophy of "Core Knowledge." Much like the highly praised Montessori schools, classrooms are driven by a philosophy. However, unless the "touchy-feely" Montessori schools, Core Knowledge schools will train their teachers what they ought to teach and in what order. It will develop basic knowledge often overlooked at schools, which are often to drill-oriented, especially when it comes to standardized testing (known as the Connecticut Mastery Test or C.M.T.s).
I think this whole idea is ingenious. It is bringing the focus back to real knowledge instead of throw away facts that students know for a day and forget as soon as it's not going to be tested. Students will be learning "poetry, fiction, sayings and phrases, science, math and music" as well as having an extensive background in history. So many students have no understanding of these subjects simply because a school was too busy with exam drills. These tests are often geared towards students with a particular background (i.e. the wealthy). Students from lower income families (like the ones attending Millner), will gain a leg up by having this essential basic knowledge.

If you have any interest in the matter, you can find the information at ProQuest:
MILNER STUDENTS WILL BE EXPOSED TO 'CORE KNOWLEDGE'RACHEL GOTTLIEB FRANK. Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn.:Jan 22, 2008. p. B.1

Allow me to introduce myself...

Hi Everyone:
Here's a little bit about myself. I'm a Junior at SPC with a major in English literature, and minors in psychology, classical civilization and secondary education. I love to stay involved on campus which is why i'm in too many activities for my own good, including (but not limited to) cross country and track and field, chorale, argus eyes, pauw wow, irish american club... I'll stop there for now. And on a completely unrelated note, I am the proud Godmother of my niece, Fiona Marie.