Teachers Lunch

Man today was something that I was proud to be a part of, the teacher lunch at Whitley County High School. Today I felt as if in some way I was part of the school, I know that I have been there going on 4 months but today I felt a part of the network. I sat and ate with the teachers and the student teachers and the front office staff. I have enjoyed my placement at WCHS, I really have. This has been the hardest thing that I have done to date, I have worked hard and have felt out of place and now as it is coming to an end I might even miss it. I am not real sure that I will miss the mounds of paper work but I will miss the kids as well as the teachers. I have made some friends with the staff here and I am looking forward to finding a school to call home. I am not sure if I will be able to fins a job here but I understand what it is like to be part of a school. We are all on the same team, school colors are important, you think that it is just a sports things but it is much more than that. The people at WCHS have made me feel at home, they have opened their school to me and for that I am grateful. It has been eye opening and I am looking forward to my next step.

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian Proverb

Presentations

Today we continued our work on PowerPoint, in my second period class we have been working on creating PowerPoint, this has been fun the interesting to see. Today we started another PowerPoint, the first time we worked in groups but this time they will work alone. The students in the class understand what they are doing, they best part of today is that I have one FMD student in my class that only sits in the class and types home row keys. Today as I was walking past him he said do you think it would be OK if I did this? I said what, what do you want to do? I like this can I do this today? John wanted to do the same work as the others in the class, he wanted to talk about what he was going to do over Christmas, since this is what the PowerPoint presentations will be over this time. I think that this is awesome, I was shocked when he asked, it kind of caught me off guard but I am looking forward to seeing the outcome.

The more you say, the less people remember.
Francois Fenelon

Job Hunting

I was talking today to people in the school about jobs, how they got their job how they would go about looking for a job in today's market. It is very interesting to hear all the different ideas from all the different types of teachers. The coaches say not to worry about it, they say that I will have no problem finding a job. The female teachers say make sure that you are not over qualified or they will look over you and take somebody that will cost them less and the front office say, well your field is not really open right now. I am glad that I have started thinking and talking about this with people who have gone through this type of thing, I am sure that all have it correct at least a little bit or somewhat. I want a job, I want to work, I want to get settled and finish the KTIP, how about you?

The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.
Seneca

Sent Away

Today I had to listen to my students talk about one of their classmates that just got sent away. This was not the first time that this happened, he was sent away before but only for a week now he is going to be gone till February. Curtis is the student's name, he was my favorite student, he was always smiling, we got along good, there was just something about him that was interesting. I talked to Curtis on Monday and he said that he had to go to court and more than likely he was going to get sent off, he said that his grades were really bad and that the judge was going to send him off. I have never had to deal with that, I never even heard of someone getting sent off when I was in school, this is all new. as Curtis was talking to me one of the other students in the class overheard him and said that he also had to go to court. So I had two students in the court system on the same day, I talked to them about it but I was blown away, I was just dumbfounded, this was all new to me. I tried to tell them that this was not good and it should not be a habit of theirs, they need to break the trend and figure it out and get back to being a teenager. What is going on these days? How do you deal with that?

Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.
Doug Firebaugh

Real Life

The kids today were in another land, they understand that today is Monday but there mind is already onto Thursday, I am afraid tomorrow will be worse. We have moved into our employment chapter and it is so funny to listen to what these students want to do with their life. I have no reason to crush their dreams, I want them to want great things but I try and tell them it takes a lot of work to get the jobs that they want. I ask them to dream big, I ask them to want good things down the road but I want to make sure they understand it takes work to get where you want to be. I am pretty sure that there are not many homeless people who want to live on the street. I show them what it takes to become different professions, we talk about how to better their self and I let them know that is all starts today and tomorrow and the next day. One of the students said he wanted to be a doctor, another student said if you were a doctor there is now way I would come to your office. Once I told him that, that was not very nice and to keep his comments to himself it made me think. Then I asked them what do you think about your peers matter, 10 years down the road even if you have changed and you move back to town people are going to remember the way you acted when they knew you. Be a good person, do the right thing and you will not have to worry about people not wanting to come to your practice.

The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success.
Henry Ward Beecher

Multicultural Post

At first glimpse you would say that WC HS is a lily white school and that there really is no diversity in the school system, but that could not be further from the truth. The skin color is the same but that is where the similarities stop, the parents raise their kids in different situations, the incomes of most families are below the poverty line. There is huge difference in the school even know they all have the same skin color and look about the same in a picture. Statistics are what make the world go round, the black verse white numbers are the only cultural difference most people see when that really has nothing to do with it. Appalachia is totally different then Lexington, KY, the white kids here and the white kids there to no even have close to the same life, but because they have the same skin pigmentation we bunch them all together and figure our stats. That is wrong on many different levels, the kids are the ones who suffer.
In the school I teach in there is maybe 2% is not white, but there is still a huge culture difference in all of my classes. Some kids live at home with both parents, some live with one or the other, some live with grandma and grandpa who are still under 50, some just move out totally and get married. Now after reading that last sentence don't you think there might be some cultural differences in WC HS. Try and look past the color next you do a survey, try and look at the kids and the living situation before you come to a conclusion on a child's life.

The education of circumstances is superior to that of tuition.
William Wordsworth

Resources at WCHS

Family Support
Cabinet for Health & Family Services
Christian Appalachian Project
Corbin's United Effort
Friendship Center
Mountain Outreach

KCHIP-Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program

Whitley County Adult Eduacation Learning Centers
Boston Elementary
Oak Grove Elementary
Pleasant View Elementary
North Elementary

Parenting Workshop
Grandparent Support Group


If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

Community Resources

I asked one question about who I needed to talk to to find this information to my student teacher and she said " Mrs. Centers, definitely her, if she does not have the information she will know who you need to talk to." She was right, Mrs. Centers had all the information that I needed, she had it all at her fingertips, she was more than happy to talk with me about the school and the community and what is offered to help the students as well as me as a new teacher. This was something that I found amazing, all I have heard since I have been here is how poor the community is and how it is hopeless, most of the kids will never make it because they have nothing. The question that I have is why are they parents not using this great system that they have set up right here, I am not sure what the percentage of kids in the school that use this but Mrs. Centers did tell me that every school in the county has a resource center in the school. People can not say they do not have opportunities, the opportunities are there if you seek them out.

Divide the fire and you will soon put it out.
Greek Proverb

Tough Love or Soft Smile

I always considered myself as a tough love teacher/coach, but today I tried the smile and pat on the back, it seemed to work on my three students in my first period. I have three male students in my first period class who really do not try and do their work, they always have an excuse of why they can't or won't do it but it is never their fault, today I tried something different, I was overly nice to them. I have always been fair but today I was really nice in everything I said and did to them, not in a sarcastic way just in an understanding way. I told them to do their best and if they need any help to just ask and I will be right over, even when they got off task I asked if they could continue working, please. I am not going to say it was easy, sometimes I just want to ask them what they plan to do later in life when they have to get a job, but I am scared to hear their answer. For the entire period they work well, when I would walk by I would tap them on their back and say, "Looks good, Good job, keep it up". I am not sure that I can be like that all year, they will never be able to keep up with the class but at least they have something to turn in when it is time.

Every man is a volume if you know how to read him.
William Ellery Channing

Not Even Trying

I have ran into the students who really have no desire to even try and learn. I have heard every excuse possible I think, I am not sure but they have tried some really weird ways of getting out of work. Today I gave the most ridiculous assignment to a couple of my students just to see how lazy they were, I told them all they had to do was copy (type)the questions out of the book (15 to be exact) and I would give them the answers and they would receive a 100%. All they had to do was type 15 questions in a 50 minute class, they did nothing for the entire class, they sat there and stare and the screen like it is going to do it for them. When I would walk behind them they would type a couple words but I guess when I would help another student they would stop. They turned in another students work. Tomorrow I am going to talk to them about it, the other students are taking to my style very well, today I gave them the answer book to check their work. They only checked their work, they did not copy the numbers, they only looked to see how to set up their worksheet. I am really happy with most of the class, they are understanding that I am understanding to a point and then at that point they do their work. I have tried the method out of Teaching with Love and Logic book by giving them some control. It seems to be working with most but not all. I am not giving up on the rest of the class just yet, I will try some more techniques.

In this world a man must either be an anvil or hammer.
Henry W. Longfellow

Class Tension?

I really thought that today there would be a feeling in the class but there was nothing, I think that one of the kids in the altercation was not there today but I think that high school age kids forget easy and move on. I think that tomorrow will be no different then today. I want my students to feel safe and that is one thing that I take serious, so if there really is a problem then we will make it work, no one should have to fear for their safety.

I spoke with one student today about her missing school, she said that her parents are going out of town and she has to go with them, I told her that she needed to stay in school so that she does not miss anything else. She needs to be at school, I hope her parents understand that and want her to get an education.

The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.
Seneca

1st Office Trip

I had to make a trip to the office today, there was an issue arise in my class that I was not aware of. I was on the floor walking around, explaining and answering questions. One of he boys in the room raised his hand, I was helping another student at the time so I told him that I would be there in a minute. When I got there he said that he needed to go to the counselor, I told him that was not a problem to go ahead. I never thought anything about it I went on teaching and answering questions. At the end of class I told the students to have a good weekend, I went to my next class to set up the board. About twenty minutes into class my teacher from first period walks in and says that I am needed in the office to explain a situation that happened in first period. At first I thought they were just kidding and and trying to get a rise out of me because I was in the room the entire time and I saw nothing happen, but they were not and off we went to the office. The teacher was asking my questions about what I heard and saw in the class and I told her that I did not hear of see anything that would cause us to have to go to the office. When we got to the office the student I allowed to go to the counselor was still there, they asked me if i saw anything, I told them no. I did say that I remembered this student ask to leave, I asked him if I was with a student when it happened and he could not remember. This student has been in trouble before, he is not the hardest working student in the class but I am not real sure what was going on. I left, they called that other boy involved to the office. They were going to call and keep us up to date but as the day pasted nothing has happened. I think this was a student who wanted to get out of class and saw a reason to miss one at least, I am not sure on that but it seems like it.

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.
Albert Einstein

Felt the Love

Today something happened that I am not sure would ever happen. I was sitting in my student teacher's room, I was not going to teach today in my first period class, I was going to give them an activity to do, there was a substitute today and I was going to grade papers with my ST. The kids from the class came across the hall and asked me if I could teach and not let the substitute run the class and just do the activity. The reason I was not going to teach was so that the others class would be behind. The kids asked my teacher if I could come teach and she said that they could come if I want to. The kids told me they would be good and work and not even ask questions. I felt flattered, I am not sure if they really like me teaching them or if they really do not like the substitute, but either way I felt pretty good about myself today. Another thing that happened today was picture day for clubs, since one of my class is considered a club they all had to go get their picture taken. I never thought about having my picture taken because I am just here for the semester but they were very adamant about me being in the picture. This really made me feel like part of the class, I know that I am only there part time but they have seemed to open up to me and try to make me feel welcome.

Happiness is not a matter of events, it depends upon the tides of the mind.
Alice Meynell

New Lesson

Making changes seem to bring out the worst in students, today we switched from Microsoft Word to Excel in Computer Applications. The students made it seems like the world was going to end, they did not even give it a chance and they were talking about how much they hate it and how they wanted to go back and work in Word. This was the first ten minutes of class, once I got them settled down and working they seemed to pick up the step very quick. At the end of class most did that they enjoy Excel more that Word. If that is so what is the deal with the backlash at the beginning all about? I am not sure what I could have done to prepare them, I told them the day before that we were going to be switching programs. In Teaching with Love and Logic it talks about not helping the student until they have at least tried but today they were not really interested in trying something new. I was up front with them, they knew we were going to change programs I think that is all I could do. Next time I might even talk about what we are going to switch to and why you might need this new program in daily life the day before we start.

The future depends on what we do in the present.
Mahatma Gandhi

Might be Working

Today was a major breakthrough, my student who refuses to work finally broke today. I put on the board that it was the last day to turn in work from the Word section of the book. We are going to start Excel tomorrow and I wanted to give the kids a chance to finish the work they have not got turned in yet. Ronald has not even open the book, today the first assignment he turned to was the knowledge check and I saw him staring at them with no action so I told him that if he could get the rest of the work finished I would give him a 100 on the knowledge check. I am not sure why he thought he could finish a weeks worth of work in a day but he did, he went to work and never stopped till the bell rang. In Teaching with Love and Logic it talks about giving choices, I gave him a choice and he finally understood that I was not going to beg him to work. He is not going to receive that 100 but he did earn some credit with me today. I think that kids are starting to understand my style and are working very hard, I have a couple females in the class who would rather talk to me that work and I am working on closing that down. I am not sure if I did something to make Ronald work or if he was just scared that he was going to fail, but either way he worked today and I liked it.

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.
William Feather

Teaching Words

I have been trying my best to use teaching word, in Teaching with Love and Logic on page 146 it talks about using teaching words. This words encourage students to do their best and to finish the job. I have made myself over the past couple of days try and work this into my daily talks with the students. I want a certain outcome, I want the kids to do what is expected but I want them to think that they are doing this on their own terms. This is hard, I am having trouble with getting the kids to want to do the work, they want to slack off and try and cram it all end at the end of the lesson. I am working on strategies to make them want to learn their information and move on to more advanced work. This is working with some in the class but others are just getting by. I want the class to be interesting but sometimes the work just seems to be busy work. I hate busy work! I want everything to have a purpose, I want the students to get something out of the lesson that they can use later in life. I try and tie everything into some real life situation but it seems that everyone want to sit in the couch and do nothing the rest of their life. The class is about 60/40, sixty percent want to learn and be positive and the other forty just wants to sit like a bump on a log. I am not giving up on them, I will just have to be more creative.

Take calculated ricks. That is quite different from being rash.
George S. Patton

School Spirit

It's Friday and the football team goes on the road tonight and has a chance to win the District Championship. The school seems to have very little school spirit, the teachers all have on t-shirts that support the team but other than that there really was not much going on. It seemed like earlier in the season the school did a lot more for the team. I am not sure what the games are like if it is not raining, there has only been two games when it was not pouring down rain. The weather tonight does not look good.

I had a student today tell me that he was never going to understand what we were doing. This is the same kid who sleeps most of the days. I went and woke him up and told he that he was not going to receive credit if he did not at least try and work through the problems. When he finally opened the document but did not really want to work alone, when ever he could not look of another computer he would raise his hand and say I don't understand. The people around him have got tired of him asking how to do things, they have stopped helping him because they understand that they will never get anything in return. I want the students to learn and I want them to turn in work but I want it to be their work.

Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult.
Hypocrites

Leadership

Today I added another topic on my collaboration plan, my student sleeps alot. I am not real sure what is going on at home, I want to ask but am afraid of the answer. I know that not all students have the best home life but I am really worried that there are more with bad situations then good one. I have to make sure that I think of that everyday I remind myself that I might be the only smiling face a kid sees all day. I have heard some crazy stories since I have been in the school, some of the stories are almost the same as the girl in the Teaching with Love and Logic who was afraid of the make teacher. I have to think and really make sure about things before I act or say. I want the kids to know that I am interested in what they do but at the same time I am not their buddy. I want to keep some boundaries up but I want them to feel safe and comfortable.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is not path and leave a trail.
Harold R. McAlindon

Back Under Control

It was not an issue today, they were back to their self toady, I thought about how to handle the situation for hours and it never came up. The one thing that I should have done was not get bent out of shape, I did not show that I was losing it but I could feel it happening. I want to make sure that the students understand that I am in control of the room not only so that they feel secure and safe. I do not think that the students felt anything like the power was shifting but I was not happy about what happened and how it happened. I am sure that I will not let this happen again. In the text book, Teaching with Love and Logic it wants to give up some of the power of the class but I will try in another way next time.

Do not forget small kindness and do not remember small faults.
Chinese Proverb

Lost Control

Today is the day that I was waiting for, I finally lost control of one of my classes. It is not as bad as you think but it was enough to get me thinking about where to draw the line with the students. What started as a joke turned into so much more. I would not let the students write their name with my dry erase marker, so at the end of the period I was cleaning up and before the bell rang I put the markers back on the board and was collecting papers. One of the girls in the class, (very outgoing) went and picked up the marker and walked back to me and put a red dot on my arm, I guess to show me that she could use it. OK, ha ha, very funny now give me the marker, she says no and tosses it across the room to another girl, well now I am frustrated, I have lost all control. In the book Teaching with Love and Logic it talks about giving up some of the control but I am pretty sure it did not mean in this way. I finally got the marker back but they said they were going to do the same thing tomorrow. We will see what happens, I am not going to let this continue, they are good kids but I don't want them to think that they run the room.

The secret of many a man's success in the world resides in his insight into the moods of men and his tact in dealing with them.
J.G. Holland

Back to the Grind

Today we got back in school, we have had a Fall Break and a Flu Break but today we got back to the business at hand. In all my classes today we went back over what we talked about the previous week that we had school, it seemed that the students remembered what we had covered before they left. I the students were tired in the first couple of classes, I asked what the problem was and they all said that they were not used to getting up that early. I have one student in my class who really has no desire to learn, he sleeps most of the time, when he is not sleeping then he is off task, what in the world do I have to so to make him want to learn? I asked my ST today and she said that is was up to me, I could handle it but if he made no progress then to write him up and he would have Saturday detention. I do not want to make him come to school on an off day I think that will shut him off even more. I am going to talk with him in the morning and find out what is going on with him and ask him how I can help. I want him to feel comfortable enough to ask for help if that is what he needs, but at the same time I am not going to allow him to fail without trying to help find a means for a change.

The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it.
Lord Bacon

Last Off Day 10-16-09

This is the last day of the Fall Break, I have one more day until I get back to the normal timetable. I want to stay with same topic, classroom control I always think about what will I do in that first fight, how will I handle it, will the class think that I have my room under control? These are questions that I ask myself. I want the kids in room to feel like I am in complete control of all activities in the room, they can say what they need to and not be judged by people in the room. I do not want to have my thumb on them so that they can not think, I do not want robots, I want creative beings. I know I am getting to deep but it is the truth, I can read from the book and they can repeat but what are we really teaching then? Not much, in my opinion. I want the students do see the reason behind doing the work, I want to be upfront with them to why we are doing certain activities. I do not want to give useless work that is not going to make an impact in any way. I want to teach things that matter and things that they can take with them.

Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.
Brian Tracy

Fall Break 10-15-09

I want to talk about something totally off the topic, I want to talk about finding a job. How do you find a job? I want to think that the harder you work and the more people who know that you are a go getter would pay off but no, it is all about who you know. I just want to wrap my head around this and maybe it will help if I put it into words. I have heard the you can get hired by the school board, I have heard that board does not matter the principal hires and fires. I want a job, but I would like to thank that I would be the one getting the job not someone else giving me the job. I know that I am off topic but I wanted to see what you guys thought and if there is anything you can do if you don't know someone in the system?

Back to the control in the classroom issue, I want control but I also want my students to enjoy my class and walk out learning something that might stick with them for the rest of their life. I am not looking to be the teacher of the year, the one teacher that all students want to take but the one who kids say he really teaches you what you need to know. I have had teachers who talk the entire class and then test you over something that is entirely different I do not want to be that guy.

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.
Vince Lombardi

Fall Break 10-14-09

Day three of the Fall Break for WCHS, I want to talk more about classroom control, I want to make sure that we cover this topic well. I want my kids to have fun, learn and maybe even ask questions. I think that high school students need to freedom to ask real life questions, such as how do I go about getting a car loan. I want my students to be able to act like adults when they leave high school. I know that it is not my job to make sure that all people who graduate be able to explain the loan system but I think it does take a village to raise a young person. If I make my students accountable for what they do in my class, then I hope they will take that with them when they leave and move on to their next venture. In Teaching with Love and Logic it talks about giving up some control and I know that is something that I struggle with, I am a micro manager and the this is something that I need to get better at, because I am not looking for control I am looking for cooperation.

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
Francis Bacon

Fall Break 10-13-09

I am on the second day of Fall Break and I am starting to wonder what to do since I am not in school. I am one of those creatures of habit once I get into a routine I want to stay that way if not my mind starts to wonder and I am not as tasked orientated. The thing that I have been thinking about is classroom control. I am going to be a teacher who likes to have a room that is under control, I do not want kids up moving unless it is productive and structured. I have been reading in the Teaching with Love and Logic book about giving up some control or losing it totally. I understand that thinking, I am a coach and I can make my guys do what I want because I have something that they want, "playing time". With regular students you do not have that power, there is nothing that they need from you besides a grade and what I have seen is that the grade to most means nothing. I want all my students to learn and to have fun in my class as long as they do it in the order. I want to have a relaxed intensity in my room, but when I need to reel them in there understand the boundaries that they can't cross. I hope that is this is simpler when you have your own room, it seems that the kids now still look for their full time teacher when asking permission.

The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success.
Henry Ward Beecher

Stay Positive

In the book Teaching with Love and Logic on page 129 it talks about how students are reminded on a daily basis where they fall short. Our jobs as teachers I think are to make sure they know what they are doing wrong but also to make sure they know what they are doing well. Some students may not hear a positive comment about them besides in your class, so if they do anything positive I think we need to try and comment on that as well. I have not been in the classroom that long but most of the kids seem to be good kids. In my homeroom we have a foreign exchange student from Brazil, he seems to fit in very well, he plays soccer and it looks like he has not had a hard time finding friends. One thing that I try and do is make sure that he is comfortable in his surroundings. He seems to understand the English language but sometimes misunderstands jokes. I want to make sure that the students around him show him what they mean when they are joking with him. Being on team makes his transition easier I think, he knows that there is people around him that will lookout for him. Transferring here to WCHS is a huge culture shock I am sure I want in to be a positive for him as well as the people he comes in contact with. Most people in this town will never travel to Brazil, I want the, to talk with him and find out what it is like there and how it differs from their culture.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin

Observation 2 in the Book

Today Dr. Gibson came to see me for the second time of the year. I am glad that we were in school, they rumor of the week was that we were going to not be in school Thursday or Friday. Dr. Gibson observed me in my Computer Applications class, the class was good, they really enjoyed the flyer activity that we did in class. During my class it seems that what ever I plan for it takes longer that I have allotted. If I want to complete 3 lessons we only get 2. I want to make sure that all students understand what is going on but I cannot take so ling that we do not get all the information in that I want.
In class there was one situation, on of the students would not stop talking, I told him over and over to be quiet and stay on task. After about the 5th or 6th time I leaned down and said if I have to tell you to be quiet and work again I will have to write you up. I do not want to have to write students up, I want to take care of the situation myself but sometimes you have to result to action from the front office. I found out today that my kids in my Computer Applications class got there because the got a "C" or worse in Computer Apps in middle school.
It talks about kids in the classroom in Teaching with Love and Logic that have had struggles in the past might give up when things get tough. I want my kids to understand what is going but at the same time I can't spoon feed them to the point where others in the class can't learn.

Life's a voyage that's homeward bound.
Herman Melville

Oh Boy! What a Day

Today was a weird day from the get go, all the kids thought we were not going to have school today so they brought in an attitude that they were not going to work at all today. The 2nd class of the day for me is the hardest working class that I have to date, and today they could not stay on track. Some of the students work ahead and that is fine but the other half of the class could not keep up. They were is a land that I have never seen, today they looked at me like I was speaking another language. I stayed on them, telling them why we need this information and trying to relate what we were doing to the real world but today they were only worried about what they were going to do on fall break. I am sure that this happens in all places and I am sure that I am guilty of doing this from time to time but this is the first time I have seen the majority of the class not want to work.
From what I have seen so far in my placement, teaching is about making a connection to your students. I want to have a connection but not so much that they want to call me over to make sure they are doing things right when they know they are. I would like to think that I am a likable guy but at the same time I want them to be able to complete their work without me having to say that looks great or good job. I am not saying that I don't want to praise them for their work but if that is all I do I can not teach the material at hand. In Teaching with Love and Logic I understand that is want a connection with the students but when do you draw the line and shut them off and continue to teach?

Arguing with a fool proves there are two.
Doris M. Smith

Wonder and Wonder

We were told that if the attendance is not better by today then we will not be in school for Thursday or Friday. Well today as far as I know attendance was down, kids are checking out of school it seems like every minute but as far as I know we are still having school. This is something that should not even be an issue, if the administrators say we are going to be out if "blank" happens then when "blank" happens we should be out. Right? I am new to the school system, I just follow along with what I am told to do but man that seemed to be the topic in every class and lunch period that I was in today. If rather or not we are coming to school is the focus of both teachers and students then what are we really accomplishing during that time we are there? I am not saying that I have an answer by any means but there has to be one out there, and it might curb the distraction somewhat.
The students have seemed to take to me somewhat, the ones that understand what I am doing seem to want to know more and the ones that do not like to work would rather me not show up. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 130 it talks about rescuing our kids from consequences far to frequently. I want to be positive and find something that each kids is good at but when they are not willing to put forth any effort I can not rescue them from the consequences. I want my students to be successful but I am not willing to give them anything, they have to earn what they get.

Hear the meaning within the word.
William Shakespeare

Back in the Groove

Today was our second day back from a week off because of the flu and I was told today that if attendance does not get better by tomorrow then we will be out for the next two days. The two other schools in the county have already called school off for the next two days. Two days does not sound bad but nest week is fall break, that means we will have missed 12 days and went 3. It is hard to keep a rhythm with the kids. In the last post I talked about my favorite quote, they don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I think that I showed a student in class today that I care about what he does and how he is progressing. This student knows his weakness and is really not interested in fixing it, he likes to have a reason why he can't do his work. Today I told him the only way that I would help him is if he first tried on his own. I was not going to just show him how to do things with out him making an effort and showing some work first. I am not sure if this will work for the rest of the semester but today he seemed to do more work. I understand that he does not type well and reads below level but I still want him to try and show me what he can do. This is out of Teaching with Love and Logic book, I am trying to show him that I want him to do the work, this will help both parties involved. If this works then I will try it on more and more students to see the outcome before I accept this as a good way to teach students who real do not want to work.

Never let life's hardships disturb you... no one can avoid problems, not even saints or sages.
Nichiren Daishonen

Were Back

Today I got to get back in the classroom in the capacity of a teacher, the students were not happy to be back but they seemed to have missed the structure of the day. We started the day off rough, we had two girls in the class yelling and screaming at each other, I am not sure what it was about because I was the second teacher to come into the room. My supervising teacher took them to talk with the counselor. I took control of the class and we started the class, I picked up where we left off from the previous lesson. The class seemed to understand where we left off with a small review of what we did before we were ran out of the school by the flu bug. One thing that I have seen in the school system is the lack of love for the kids. These kids might not have anyone at home, on page 128 of Teaching with Love and Logic it talks about one of are strongest desires is to be loved. These kids might give you a hard time but they just want to see how far they can push you before you push back. I want all my students to be successful and have a good time but I also want them to understand what it means to work. I know that school is not real work but most of the students I am around it is the closet they have been to a hard days work. I have a quote today that means a lot to me, and I think it should be the motto for all teachers and coaches.

They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Unknown

Grind it Out

Being in a grove is something that makes life understandable, when you get into a rhythm you can plan on what is going to happen during your day. When your rhythm is broken you start to wonder what is going to happen next, you need a schedule to stay in your grove. On Monday I hope to be back in my daily grove. Student and teachers alike need to stay in a rhythm, I would venture to say that when we get back to school next week the kids will be on their own page. I will have to remind them that they have had a week off and now it is time to get back to work. The one question I have is how the school will go about making up the days that have been missed? In The Field Guide to Teaching is takes about having a understanding about what the school is trying to do with its students. Having a relationship with the front office will allow you organize your plans to how the schedule is going to be set up.

You're happiest while you're making the greatest contribution.
Robert F. Kennedy

What to do, what to do

Four days out of school and we are not even to Fall Break yet, I am starting to see why teachers and administration can get frustrated when students are missing school. The one thing that I can't understand is how can one school in the county miss a week for illness and the other school ten miles away never misses a day? I have seen the students in both places now and I am not sure how it works.

I understand that illness is a real thing and that the school needs to have a certain percentage in school to receive the money from the state but I am not sure when you know when to call school off in advance and when to have it. Working with the teachers and administration is key, I have only been in the school for three weeks now and I can already see where you need to have an open line of communication to the front office. In The Field Guide to Teaching it talks about communicating with the people around you, you can not be a successful teacher without having good people around you. It takes a village to raise a child and also to mold a new teacher.

Look to be treated by others as you have treated others.
Publius Syrus

Still Sick

WCHS is still shut down as of today, luckily I have gotten into another classroom to see how things work in a different school and a different setting. One thing that I can say is that Williamsburg School is small, when you walk into the school and see all ages from kindergarten to 12th grade you are kind of taken back when you have only seen 9-12 grade students. I will not say that one is better than the other because they are just different. The kids really did not take to me because they must have known that I was teaching at Whitley, they knew that I was only there because of Whitley being out of school. In Straight Talk for Today's Teacher on page 9 it talks about having a good reputation, I am going to talk about that but more on the side of colleagues. I have been in two schools so far and with the illness the way it is I might be in more, I want to leave each school with teachers, students and administrators saying well he is going to be a good teacher. I want to the students to feel comfortable around me, I want them to open up and be able to talk things out and get a feeling for what they need to so to make the next step in their life.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
Charles Dickens

Sickness Continues

This is the second day that WCHS is out of school, one good thing about having two schools in the same town is that you can pick up other classroom time. I am going to pick up two days at Williamsburg High School, even know they are in the same county they are not running on the same sick schedule. I have watched and learned under four teachers so far this year and will probably see more rooms in other parts of the state if this swine flu does not come to a halt. I really enjoy seeing how different people teach and go about handling the same types of classes. I have spoke with a teacher in a private school in Owensboro that said I was more than welcome to come and teach in his class during out fall break. This helps me to understand what I want my class to be like when I have my own class. I will take bits and pieces from all that I have observed and hopefully make mine a great learning environment. This goes along with The Field Guide to Teaching and how to manage a class. Using a variety of what I have seen and what I think will work should make my class some what advanced in their learning .

People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest.
George Matthew Allen

Flu Bug Strikes

The flu has struck the Whitley County High School, there will be no school for the next couple days. I having been looking over the The Field Guide to Teaching and it seems that you must understand the system before you can receive a job. I hope this date a year from now I will be settled into my own classroom and know all my kids names and how they need me to help them and how they can help me. The book talks about to approach a class and how to deal with students and parents and our staff but one question that I have, is how to teach in a system that test driven. Some kids will never go to college, that should be understood, they do not want to go and have no business in that setting, but they are still tested in the same manner. I am not saying that we should scrap the tests because I am sure that it shows something to the people making the decision but maybe we need to modify the system. I have not looked into this in much depth but on the surface what I am saying makes sense to me. I think that basic life needs are being left out of high school learning, you might be able to solve a calculus question and not be able to balance your checkbook, now how smart is that? You might know how to make a divide atoms or read the periodic table but not understand how to buy a house or apply for a loan. I want the system to work, whatever that system is but I also want people to be able to function in society.

Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.
William Thackeray

The System

I have never seen so many kids sick at the same time. I have found out all about how the state pays the school. You have to have a certain percentage in school for the school to recieve money from the state. Would have never known but now that I'm on the inside I get the insdie information.

I have been asking around since I have been teaching to see how the system works and how to get a job, most of the answers I have heard is it is who you know. I understand that the world works that way but you have to be certified to teach and then know someone, hope i met the people that I need to.

In The Field Guide to Teaching I have learned that the principal is the person who hires the teachers in his/her school. Before I read that I thought that the superintendent was the person who put people in the schools. I am glad that I got to read this book so that I would not look like the idiot talking to the superintendent trying to find a job.

The essential thing is not knowledge, but character.
Joseph Le Conte

Parents?

I have not been in the classroom that long but I wonder why parents are not more involved with their children? I always heard that the only parents who come to Parents Night are the parents of the kids who do well but I want to know why? I understand that schedules conflict but there has to be some way that you can get more out of students. In Straight Talk for Today's Teacher on page 6 there is a equation that says, "student effort+effective strategies= success". The one thing that I am not understanding is why students will not give the effort.

I am sure that if I can ever answer that question then I will be writing my own book that will be a bestseller but it is frustrating to watch the future leaders of our country to sit motionless and not even contribute in class. All you can so is work to try and make one at a time understand that an education is needed.

The future depends on what we do in the present.
Mahatma Gandhi

Parents Day

Today at Whitley County High School was Parents Day. I think that parents day is a great thing that is not used by the parents of the students who really need the help. For some reason, I am not sure what they reason, but the parents of the kids who need to be there and talk to the teacher and find out why little Harold has a "F". This is my first ever parent day, I do not want to pass judgement because I understand that most parents work and can not get away but after listening to the teachers who have been there the only parents who ever come are the one's kids have an "A".
The school feeds the parents and the students, some teacher give bonus points if your parents come, what else is it going to take to get parents involved? in Teaching with Love and Logic on page 119 it says, " Parents who solve problems their children could have solved for themselves are likely to raise children who give up early". And one more, "Parents who work hard to make their children happy are likely to raise children who are unable to make themselves happy".
I hope this is not the case here in Whitley County, I just want to be able to understand that is the parents are not concerned about their child's education then why would the child ever worry about their education?

Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
George Dana Boardman

Some Students Don't Want to Learn

Today I saw the students who have desire to better their life. With this being my second day of solo teaching I guess the students felt comfortable enough to sleep in class. I had one student sleep for most of the class, I woke him up and he started to work but when I looked back to him he was out again. Not sure really how to keep them on task if they are not interested in learning. There were two girls in the back who yesterday talked most of the class, I would tell them to be quiet but it only would stick for a short time. Today I did not move the girls, I let them stay where they were but once they started to talk I went and told them that talk was not an option because it was distracting to others in the class. After they understood that they were going to be moved if they were not quiet, they began to do their work and keep the talking low if at all.

I have to get better at explaining the details, I take for granted that they know more than they really do. I am starting to see who in the class needs help and who understands the first time that I say something. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 75 it says, "Avoid the pain of insult to the sense of self-worth by putting blame anywhere other than one self." Blaming does not matter where it comes from or what it is about it is going to keep them from exploring if they can do work or not. That is my job is to eliminate the blame and work to teach the material ( I hope).

Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
La Bruyere

Computer Applications

Today I took over both of my computer applications classes, I was sole for the entire period. These two classes are back to back so I felt a lot more comfortable teaching the second period because I knew what questions the students were going to ask me. I can tell that the kids are used to a different style of teaching because it took them about ten minutes to get on track with me. I have two girls that sit in the back of the room who really had no idea that class was even going on, tomorrow they will not sit together, I am going to break them apart. Overall I think that both classes went fine, I need to put more directions on the board, I am killing myself just trying to answer questions. The book that I am using is really detailed so I can always refer them to the book so I do not have to spoon feed them everything. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 90 it talks about nonverbal body language, today I tried to stay positive and show the kids that I knew this material frontward and backward. I am very familiar with the material but as far as solving computer problems I am not, so lets just hope one does not crash and I have to find the material.

There go the people. I must follow them for I am their leader.
Alexandre Ledru-Rollin

Grade Repots Today

Today the grade reports came out and it was interesting to the see the reactions of the students. Some students were happy because they were doing better then they thought but the ones that I watched their reaction are the ones that you know are not doing very well. They look at the grades and with a sigh they just shrug their shoulders and laugh. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 89 it states, " We must attempt to understand a student's perception of events before we can effect real change." This is dead on accurate, these kids have no drive. They understand that their life is headed in a certain direction, more than likely it is going down the same road as their parents. What I would like to do is break the trend , find a way to make the students want to break the string of under achievement. I want all students to do their best and to make something out of their efforts. They need to know that they can change their destiny with hard work and setting goals. I do not want to give them anything because that does not teach them the way of the world, but I want to make sure they understand that they can be successful if they really want to be.

Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time.
Josh Billings

In School Testing Makes for a Long Day

Today we had testing, again, when you have the same group in the class for four hours it takes a toll on you. They are fine when they are working but when they finish it turns in to a madhouse. OK, that is overstating it but it is a lot different then the actual class setting. These test are to help them with the state testing, the juniors were all taking the ACT. This has went on for the past three days. Some students were not built for college, some are built for it but really have no desire to attend and the others want and need to go to college. I think that my job as a teacher is to get that borderline student who wants to be successful into a situation where he/she can be. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 90 it states, " It is important to keep in mind that your intention is to boost self-worth, not diminish it." I want all my students to be successful, I want them to enjoy their life but I want them to understand life is hard and it takes work to get there.

Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.
Henry David Thoreau

First Day of Evaluation

Today was my first evaluation day, I thought it went great. The kids were really good and let me get through the lesson. The meeting that Dr. Gibson and I had after the class was amazing, I found out what I was doing and what I needed to work on. I felt comfortable in front of the class, I know that I need to get better but that will come with time.

In Teaching with Love and Logic they talk about dealing with students with issues, the example they used was a female student who has had a home life with abusive males in her life. When the teacher came up and asked her to put her make-up away she went off on him. The teacher had no idea of her background and did not go about it in the wrong way but she still felt out of place.

This is an example that you have to treat all students as individuals, you have to find out about their background and treat them accordingly.

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb

What Motivates a Student

I have been asking myself, what makes a students not want to even attempt the work? What could I do to get the kids to want to do there work and to better thyself? Teaching with Love and Logic on page 79 it states: "people are motivated to enhance their sense of self worth." Well what if they don't even attempt? I know that they think they can't so they won't try but really I am not sure that goes for everyone. I have watched students listen to the assignment, open the book and look at the work, and shut the book and go about what they were doing. I just do not understand not even trying to better yourself. I hope to be able to get to some of these students while I am here but who knows.

I want to make students understand that there is a life that is going to happen after they graduate. This is something they need to understand, I want them to be able to function in the society we live in. They might not be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company but they will be able to function and buy a house and a car and pay taxes. I want them to have what they want, but I want them to want more.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller

Week 2. More Comfort.

Today went by very fast, I got to give the assignment to my Print Media class today. I came up with the idea and got to inform the class of what we would be doing. I took the class onto the University of the Cumberlands webpage and had them select an article to review. This class has been having a hard time writing a good article. The reason I had them look over other articles was so that they could start putting in their mind ways to write a good article. I want them to understand that you are telling a story to a reader who was not at the event. If you can make you first paragragh interesting then your reader will read the rest of the article. In Teaching with Love and Logic on page 26 they talk about letting your students make decisions. I let the students pick the article they wanted to review and to say whatever they wanted about it. Looking at published articles will help them to put their articles togehter in their mind before they put them on paper.

Seek the loft by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day.
Thornton Wilder

Field Trips are Cool

Today was my first experience of students outside of school, they can really change their feathers when you take them outside the walls of the building. I think that they are starting to come around to me being there with them. They want to know more about why I am there, they are starting to talk to me on another level.

Today I got to talk with one student in the class who has hard time staying on task. I have picked up what he likes in just the little time that I have been there but that one thing might help me make him a student who can at least function like most other students. I am not sure if that the way is should be done but if it works it works. I hope that I can make it work for both are sakes. I really think that this young man is smart but has no real desire to be in the school setting. I am not really sure about his background but I hope to find more out as time goes on.

Helping is what we are supposed to do and there really is no handbook or website that can walk you through all the situations you might encounter and that is something I keep realizing. I am trying to treat all the students as individuals because that is what they are, and sometimes that is hard for me to see when I am in the middle of something.


Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein

They Start to Ask Questions

Today was my third day in the classroom, and the students are starting to ask my questions about what I'm doing? I think this is good they feel as I am part of there class now and want to know what I will be doing in the class in the future. One of the male students asked today when I was going to start teaching them, and I told him in a couple days. Not sure if he was excited or not but he did say that he liked my tie.

The kids are coming out of their shells now and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not, today they seemed to be a little bit more loud, I think just to see if I would say anything, and of course I did. They are testing me to see how far I will left the go, what they don't know is that I have dealt with 50 baseball players on a day to day basis for the last three years. I feel that I can deal with 20-25 high schoolers at a timem but well see.


No man was ever wise by chance.
Seneca

No Wide Eyes Today

With today being the second day that I was in the classroom the students did not look like deer in headlights today. Yesterday they were not really sure why some bald guy in a tie was in there room, but today they understood.

I got to help today with some of the class work, nothing to big but I atleast could help when they would raise their hands. Grading papers for the first time was kind of wild, it was my job to say how they did and what they needed to correct. I have done this on the baseball field but never in a classroom setting.

The staff is great, they are helping me with whatever I need. I have lunchroom duty during fourth period and the teachers that have been there for awhile are showing me what to look for and who to watch out for.

I would say that working at Whitley County has been great to date.


A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
Charles Dickens

Day 1 of the Rest of My Life

I am not sure what I was expecting today but I was all that and more. I do not remember the hallways in school being that narrow or that full of kids, but I guess that is what happens with time away from the public schools.

I am working with a great bunch of people, they are making me feel at home with them in there rooms. The kids are not really sure what to think yet but I think they will come around the more that they see my face.

I would say that today went as well as a first day could go I am looking forward to getting in there and working with them tomorrow.

"By associating with wise people you will become wise yourself."
Menandar

Hello All

I am very surprised and overwhelmed that I have a blog. I never understood the reasons that someone would need one of these but now I know. I feel kind of important now. Looking forward to a new experience.