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