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?