Last Day

Day 11- May 24 2010 8am-3:30

Today was a really relaxing day for me. I got up and bought some candy for the kids as a farewell gift. When I got to school the first block of 7th graders were starting to review for their exam next week. We went over what will be on the test and how they should be studying. This will be the first time they take an actual final exam. (They had mid-years, which are basically exams as well.) The 7th grade advanced class also went over what would be on their final exam. They however were much more studious and got straight to working on there very long review packet. They also went over the practice "red test" that they were given over the weekend. The 8th grade then came in and started getting to work on their cartoons. Some of the groups are starting to put it all together and they are looking fantastic. After class I decided to finish up some grading on the 8th and 7th grade honors courses. I enjoy grading because when they come ask for the grade I give them step by step explanations of what they did wrong and how they can improve. The one-on-one explanations really help the kids understand their mistakes. I also started to work on gathering materials for my final project, which I am very excited for. I can't wait to present to everyone what I have done over these past few weeks. Last class of the day was my 8th grade honors course. Most of them starting their test, while those who decided to take it early worked on their practice "red tests." The kids were stunned when 5 minutes after they handed in their tests I went over what they got wrong on them. The day ended with some heartfelt goodbyes and tears (on the inside.) Working at LFCDS has truly been an experience I will never forget!

Weekly Reflection 2

I think these weekly reflections are hard for me because I don't enjoy blogging without pictures or meaning. I realize that this is supposed to be a time for me to reflect on how last week went as a whole, but I feel that everyday I am reflecting through my blog. I talk about the kids, my goals, and how I plan on completing them. That is the very purpose of this weekly reflection. I came in to this project not really knowing what I was in store for, whether it be crazy kids, or disliking teaching. I ended up coming out (well almost out) understanding different learning styles and how to effectively cater to their needs. I also know how to control a class and how to teach a group of kids with different disciplinary needs. I learned a lot about what a teacher does behind the scenes of class time, whether it be constantly running to meetings or preparing for the next classes. Not only did I learn these obvious things, I also learned that teaching is tough, it's rewarding, and most of all I love doing it. Something that I tell people just from seeing it, is that people don't teach for the money (obviously) they teach because they love it. They want to make a difference, even if it is just for one kid. That means the most to them. I hope that if those teachers are reading this blog, they will understand how much I appreciate all they have done for me. It may not have been all good times, but I know and appreciate that you stuck with me and helped me no matter what. I will grow and learn from those who have taught me and I think that is why I succeeded as much as I did at LFCDS. I can not wait to graduate and head to college where I will further my passion for teaching.

Day Ten- May 21, 2010 8am-3:30

Today was an interesting day. It was super hectic around school because it was "Head for a Day" day. This is where an 8th grade students gets to see what it is like to be the head of the school. They also get to change some rules, for instance it was free dress today. They 8th graders usually go on a trip around 12 and get a half day of school. However their beach plans were rescheduled due to weather, which also meant we had our 8th grade honors course today when we weren't expecting them. We started out the day with the 7th graders who did more work with "Hands on Equations." The 7th grade advanced class then came in and were welcomed by my tough lesson plan. I made a quick lesson on solving rational expressions and also made a packet for them to do over the weekend as homework. After the lesson some of them need to finish up a big test they were taking.

The 8th grade class came in and worked on their projects, which are starting to really come together. Some of the kids still haven't grasped the fact that the math is more important than the cartoon, while others have projects that are both educational and fun. During my first planning block Mr Sperling and I went over how we grade. It apparently wasn't as easy as I thought, but I really enjoyed it. What we went over was also really interesting, not only in the mechanics, but also the emotional part of grading. Something interesting he said was that when you go back and look at the final grade does it accurately depict what they are doing in class? If not then maybe you were to nice, or too harsh. You must always stay consistent when grading and always be fair. When I started to grade I constantly was second guessing myself, wondering if I was too harsh or not. I quickly got in to the flow of grading and before I knew it I was done with the class' tests.

It was such a thrill when they all came rushing in wondering what their grades were. Going through the tests with them was also very interesting. They all were excited to see their grade and to also understand what they did incorrectly. During lunch Mr Sperling and I went over what my Senior Project presentation will be like when I get back. We came up with some interesting ideas, which I'm really happy and excited about. When the 8th grade honors came in to class we gave them some options. Some of them chose to take the test today rather than monday, while others chose to take a practice "red test." Monday will be my last day and I'm excited to be closer to graduation, but sad to leave LFCDS. I will definitely miss the school, the faculty, and the kids.

Day Off

Today was my day off from work because Mr Sperling had a "articulation meeting." This is where the local area school math teachers talk to the local high school math teachers about placement. They go over what they all are teaching in 8th grade and what is to be expected by high school teachers when they move up. After we went over to Mr Sperling's house to talk about how LFCDS's math movement plan was going to change. They are adding more levels of difficulty and this new system will make it so they can challenge more kids rather then having a group of kids who are not challenged academically at all. It was a short day and a nice one. No pictures were taken so this is a pretty boring post. Tomorrow will be a good day because I will be teaching the 7th grade honors course the concept of simplifying ration expressions. It is a tough thing to teach, but with the day off, I have managed to create some good tactics. Wish me luck!

Experiential Learning at It's Best

Day Eight- May 19, 2010 8am-4pm

Today was the day the entire 8th grade class went to Six Flags for a physics project. The day started with me taking a group out on the playground to calculate the high of the climbing net they have. This was a way to refresh their memory on the law of sines I taught them last week. The activity went great and everyone was getting it pretty fast. The only problem was we weren't getting the right answer!! What could be wrong, everything was right formula wise... Ah yes, who could possibly not realize that the calculators were in radians not degrees, how foolish of us. The kids got the answer we were looking for and we headed back in for a quick meeting before we jumped on the busses. When we walked through the park to our first destination everyones nostrils were wide open taking in all the scents. There was cotton candy, popcorn, and my personal favorite funnel cake.

The kids quickly jumped on some rides and started taking down all the calculations. The heights of the towers were accurately read by using law of sines (the one I taught them.) It was really interesting for the kids to actually experience what force was and how the G's were effecting them. Also, the rides were fun and exciting which made the kids even more excited about the material. If you let them actually experience the rides and just the act of being there then they will most likely learn more. Some may consider an amusement park to be only a distraction to students, but I don't believe this is true. When they are in small groups and have a chaperone that knows the material then they will get lots of work done and still have time to have a little fun.

There really isn't much to say on this blog because not much happened besides riding roller coasters and doing some physics. It was truly an amazing time at Six Flags and I'm really glad that I got to be apart of the experience. So since there isn't much to say, I will make up for it in pictures. Well it isn't a huge amount, but it should do the trick!

How Do We Focus The Mind?

Day Seven- May 18, 2010 8am-3:30

Woke up late today! That didn't start the day off on the right foot, but I managed to pull off my morning routine in half the time, which is pretty impressive on my part. Although, today my coffee had sugar in it, rather than my normal sugar with coffee. Despite this minor setback I walked into my first 7th grade class ready to go over their riddle sheet on multiple step equations. The riddle sheets are an interesting tactic in trying to encourage kids to do their homework. I think the point of the riddles are to engage students by giving them a reason to actually solve the equations. Even though that is why they were created, in my opinion, they get the same job done, but in a different way. For instance I think it engages the students not because they want to solve the riddle for a laugh, but rather to laugh at how bad the riddle is and complain about it the next day. Bottom line, homework is getting done and I don't think they even realized it was work.

The 7th grade honors course had a challenging homework that stumped most, but once we went over the concept of squaring the equation to get rid of the square root "protecting" the variable they understood immediately. Which is typical of the evil geniuses in the class. They also took a practice "red test" which is a challenging final test of their knowledge on solving equation concepts. The 8th grade honors class caught up with the 7th graders and did exactly the same thing today. However, Mr Sperling was late to our last class because of a meeting so I stepped in for a little. Gaining control of a group of ~15 students is way more difficult than I thought, especially when there are trouble makers in the class. I attempted to get them to settle down and start class by getting out their homework. Many listened and quickly got out their homework and sat quietly while others continued to talk and not get their homework out.

This is where I get confused. I know I'm not their friend I'm their teacher, I need to gain control, I need to make them listen, but do I yell? Do I single one out? Do I embarrass them by comparing them to students who are doing the right thing? There are so many ways of getting kids to quiet down, but I don't know my style yet. I hate being the disciplinary because I remember being that age and not wanting to learn, not wanting to pay attention. I guess what I want to happen is for the kids to respect me enough as a person to gain their attention without any hassle. For some this is actually a reasonable request, while others don't quite grasp it.

I find myself giving mini inspirational talks to the individual who then understands that they should start focusing if they want to go somewhere in life. Somewhat harsh, but it tends to do the trick, one student even started doing his homework and showing his work. (He is smart enough to be in the advanced class, but doesn't do the work, who does that remind you of?) Now with the improvement there is no doubt he will be moving up next year. Maybe my inspiration gave him that extra kick in the butt to challenge himself, which I regret not doing myself.

Teaching in a New Age

Day Six- May 17, 2010 8am-2:30

Something that really interests me in the world of teaching is technology. I feel that in recent years technology has made its way into classrooms and has had a huge impact on the way teaching is done. For LFCDS it is very important. All the classrooms are hooked up with a projector and a computer that you can use to project any image you so chose.

Whether it be a website that helps kids understand a concept more, or a program used to project notes up on the screen, technology is important. Back in the times when blackboards and whiteboards were the only form of note taking it was tedious for teachers to re-teach and rewrite every lesson. Now with computers you can write out a lesson and easily access it when ever you need it. Whether it be 10 years from when you made it or the next day when someone asks if you can go over the notes again, it is always there. The computer notes are a huge impact on the way Mr Sperling teachers, and how many teachers teach. When the lesson has been made you can reuse these lessons for the next year, making planning less of an issue for a lot of teachers. You can also send out these notes to kids who missed that day or just want to reread them.

I'm not saying technology is all good, in fact I personally think that it is starting to get overwhelming. Some students, at least in my mind, would just not take notes knowing that the teacher will send it to them later. Why waste my time right? Wrong! Most educators know that the best way for kids to understand something is to have them hear it, write it, speak it, read it! These are so critical in teaching that if we get rid of the writing it, it could really take away from the students learning experience. Although, with balance and diligence we can create a system where we can both harness the power and ease of technology, while keeping the simplicity and old-fashioned-ness of past teachers.

Quick wrap up of the day. The 7th grade advanced class came in to class ready to learn some calculus and they did a fine job. I gave them a quiz right off the bat to both scare them a bit for fun and to help them understand that it isn't so intimidating after all. I gave them a basic critical thinking quiz that had to do with finding the derivative. Then I also did a brief 10 minute lesson further explaining how we find derivatives and why we find them. It was quite interesting and the asked some thought provoking questions. The 8th grade honors course learned how to convert a quadratic equation into vertex form by using CTS! Pretty awesome stuff, stuff I didn't even know I could do.