It has been many months since I last posted and much has happened worth mentioning. After jumping through many bureaucratic hoops at the beginning of the summer, I was able to apply for the job of my dreams. Many of you have heard me herald the innovative school in West Philadelphia as one of the most exciting things happening within secondary education. Yes, I am once again talking about the School of the Future, only this time, I am not talking to you as a fan-boy outsider but as a dedicated full time educator whose efforts to get hired at this school did not prove to be in vain.
There is so much I would like to share about this place, in this posting but would fill pages upon pages (the proverbial page obviously) with everything that is going through my head. For this reason, I will keep this posting brief and only concentrate on informing you about the path I have been on these past few months.
As I said before, after certain expeditions through jungles of red tape I was finally able to apply to the School of the Future (or as we call it in house, SOTF). The application was interesting. It took a number hours for me to complete because it essentially asked you to construct a project to be used within the curriculum. As I am currently building the actual curriculum, I now understand the purpose of that exercise; you cannot effectively teach at this school if you can only think in terms of your area of certification. That is, if you can only think of teaching math in the traditional way without being able to connect each topic to a real world problem and also not being able to connect it easily to other subject areas then SOTF is not a good fit.
I was eventually called in for an interview which I had heard was very different from typical interviews. There was three different parts of the interview. It started with a typical Q and A with a group of people (Educators, Learners and Parents) asking me an inordinate number of questions, some of which had 5 parts to them. This took about two hours to complete. I actually have no memory of what I said. I think I was on auto pilot after about an hour. The second part was a group interview where you work with other candidates on a certain task. You were given instructions to complete this task, some of which were missing and others were wrong. I cannot speak about the task I participated in because of a nondisclosure form I signed. What was bizarre about this was that I was the only candidate that day and was asked to complete the task as if I was working within a group. It was weird. The final part which I think was somewhat impromptu, was a face to face interview with the principle (chief learner). We spoke for another hour and a half about the interview, the school and any questions I had. I must have done well because I was offer a position on the spot.
I was hired in July and started work on August 1. After training, professional development, new learner orientation, chaos and curriculum development, it is now time for the second year of the School of the Future to begin. Are we ready? I'm not. All that I can say is, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Reprobating the Reprobaters
So, a characteristic of mine is to frequently stage, what I call, a silent protest. Whether it's not wearing a tie or not using "proper" etiquette, I always feel the urge to go against the grain when I find some convention utterly ridiculous. Today, I turned in my application to the school district to teach and one of the sections was an essay where I had to pick one of 5 questions to answer. I picked this one:
Most people would probably tell me to do whatever I have to do to get a job first and then you can be provocative but that just isn't my style. I like to challenge authority and fight institutionalized behavior. If these silent protest keep me from getting a job at a particular place then I didn't want to be there anyway. Here is my essay.
How Information Technology (i.e., computers, Internet) Can Be Integrated into the Instructional Process and Curriculum.The reason why I brought up my silent protesting is because when it comes to the topic of integrating technology in the curriculum, I have observed that most people haven't a clue. Not only are they clueless to how this can be done effectively, but they also aren't very familiar with the technology already out there. For most educators technology is PowerPoint and graphing calculators, both of which are either discouraged or over rated. I chose this topic to write on because I am confident that most of the people who read it will have almost no idea what I am talking about. And I even go as far as to criticize these very people for what I perceive to be inhibiting real change.
Most people would probably tell me to do whatever I have to do to get a job first and then you can be provocative but that just isn't my style. I like to challenge authority and fight institutionalized behavior. If these silent protest keep me from getting a job at a particular place then I didn't want to be there anyway. Here is my essay.
We have quickly entered into a new era of information technology, and the new generation of young people growing up in this era encounter and process information in a very different way than previous generations. For a few years this cultural schism has been known as the digital divide. To me, this represents a fundamental difference in the vehicle by which information is transferred to an individual. It was not long ago when children were essentially isolated from the outside world with most information being filtered by their parents. This new world in which we live, with information literally at one’s finger tips, completely opens this outside world to just about everyone. Instead of small amounts of filtered information, there is virtually an unlimited amount of completely unfiltered information. To some, this drastic change represents the complete degradation of society. But there are those of us who wish to embrace this information beast and who are trying to tame its chaotic nature in order to create new educational methods that will not only prepare our young people for this quickly changing world but also to begin to realize some of the ideals that education once believed in.
The new era of Web 2.0 offers assorted online applications to enhance the traditional style curriculum. Using these applications, students could practice and hone their skills in a new and possibly more creative way. One of the most important skills that educators can help foster in young people is that of information analysis. It is a shame that many institutions are going as far as banning resources such as Wikipedia for not being as "scholarly" or "reliable" as other sources. It is true that the internet has virtually unlimited amounts of information (both good and bad), but we as educators should be prepared to develop strategies and methods to make sure that students learn how to sift through the mounds of information. By only giving them "reliable" sources, we are missing a golden opportunity for genuine education. This new digital age may help students think critically while using different information resources within different mediums. Any tool designed to assist in this process should not be immediately reprobated.
Wikipedia is also one of many community based resources that represents a cooperative model of creative innovation that progressive curriculums strive to develop. MySpace, YouTube and blogs are all examples of opportunities educators have to create real and meaningful learning communities dedicated to creative and critical thinking. Superficially, these resources allow students to finally have a voice and an outlet to demonstrate their individuality and then even receive feedback from peers. At a deeper level, these new technologies provide a foundation for inventive people to collaborate and recreate (not reform) education from the bottom up.
Access to information is only half the battle when trying to understand the digital divide. After individuals access information, they need to have outlets to disseminate their perspective to others. We now have the technologies to do this quickly, efficiently, and over different mediums. Whether through video, audio, or text, Web 2.0 offers many free and easily accessible applications to disseminate our own personal perspectives. It is becoming easier for teachers to share their experiences of different teaching methods and reflect on why they may have worked or why they may not have worked. They can even upload and share resources used in their classrooms. However, many educators that are on the far side of the digital divide criticize these new modes of communication. They place blame on either the technology or the user for abusing what they believe to be the accepted social conventions of communication. This inhibits any possible innovation in education if an entire institution holds the same perspective. If we can find educators who ask how these new technologies can enhance education, rather than who assert how they hinder them, then we can start to see genuine evolution in education. Imagine digitally connected classrooms in which students collaborate with their peers from other schools whether across town or across an ocean, students and teachers alike sharing their perspectives and working online with others, giving and receiving feedback. Technology, at its core, is about opportunity – opportunity to change and to create tools to help us shape a better world. What could be more appropriate for education?
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Wake Up Call
There are aspects of teaching that I need work on. Classroom awareness, differentiation of instruction, management of classroom time are just a few. There are some aspects that I believe I do considerably well compared to even the most experienced teachers. Critical thinking, Socratic questioning and guided discovery lessons are the big ones.
But this past we was a wake up call that deeply wounded my teaching self efficacy. What do you do when the students don't take you seriously? Obviously the answer is to establish your authority at the beginning and be consistent. The problem arises in both my situation and when you didn't effectively do that at the beginning. So now you are left with a classroom full of students that don't have any respect for your authority or your teaching.
As I said in a previously post, my coop was out all week and I was left to teach all 5 classes all week. I went into this week with a positive outlook due to probably my most successful lesson to date last Friday. That quickly changed on Tuesday when I found out that the students in every single class seemed to believe that because their "real" teacher wasn't there they had free reign over the classroom. The bad part about it was that they were right. I was completely unprepared for these challenges and was never able to get a footing. I couldn't keep their attention for more than a few minutes at a time. There were some students that were completely uncontrollable.
Let me be clear that nothing crazy happened. The classroom wasn't nearly as bad as some of the classrooms I have observed but a significant amount of time was dedicated to something other than instruction. When I tried different types of intervention the most effective yielded only temporary moments where I held the classes attention. I think what my coop said when I called him really makes sense. I was telling him about my difficulties and he said that my hammer was him. Without him around, I was left with very little to control the classes. I am not familiar with disciplinary procedures nor to I think I could use them effectively. I don't have the reputation or the "look" that some effective teachers seem to possess. The reputation that I have is that I am new or green which in many cases can be identified as a push over or easily manipulated. I have no plan for handling this until I can have my own classroom with my own rules that I can enforce from the beginning.
Here is an example:
Everyday day this student would stand in the doorway and look at or interact with people in the hallway. This would be before the bell would ring and would continue after the class has begun. Usually, I am inundated with questions or permission slips for the first few minutes. My coop says that I need to get more assertive at the beginning of the period and get people in their seats. So this student would stand in the doorway, doing whatever he was doing and would not respond to my demands that he take his seat. He never tried anything like that while my coop was here but this student seems to notice that he was able to act differently with me and he was absolutely right. Now, I could have threatened him with something like a loss of points of a write up. In both of those cases I have absolutely no clue. My coop has ultimate control over the grades and I am working within his point system and I think the discipline process is not only futile but ultimately counter productive with most students.
I don't know. Maybe I could have or should have tried a more authoritative approach but he truth is that I am uncomfortable with that system. It's complicated and rife with paperwork and process. I made many mistakes this week and set myself back in all of the classes. For the first time, I feel anxious about what I have identified as my calling. I have seen so much success and have learned and developed so much that this week was that much harder. I have an intense feeling of emptiness where there was once passion and enthusiasm. I believe it is temporary but it makes me wonder if teaching can be what I want it to be or if I am just living in a dreamworld.
But this past we was a wake up call that deeply wounded my teaching self efficacy. What do you do when the students don't take you seriously? Obviously the answer is to establish your authority at the beginning and be consistent. The problem arises in both my situation and when you didn't effectively do that at the beginning. So now you are left with a classroom full of students that don't have any respect for your authority or your teaching.
As I said in a previously post, my coop was out all week and I was left to teach all 5 classes all week. I went into this week with a positive outlook due to probably my most successful lesson to date last Friday. That quickly changed on Tuesday when I found out that the students in every single class seemed to believe that because their "real" teacher wasn't there they had free reign over the classroom. The bad part about it was that they were right. I was completely unprepared for these challenges and was never able to get a footing. I couldn't keep their attention for more than a few minutes at a time. There were some students that were completely uncontrollable.
Let me be clear that nothing crazy happened. The classroom wasn't nearly as bad as some of the classrooms I have observed but a significant amount of time was dedicated to something other than instruction. When I tried different types of intervention the most effective yielded only temporary moments where I held the classes attention. I think what my coop said when I called him really makes sense. I was telling him about my difficulties and he said that my hammer was him. Without him around, I was left with very little to control the classes. I am not familiar with disciplinary procedures nor to I think I could use them effectively. I don't have the reputation or the "look" that some effective teachers seem to possess. The reputation that I have is that I am new or green which in many cases can be identified as a push over or easily manipulated. I have no plan for handling this until I can have my own classroom with my own rules that I can enforce from the beginning.
Here is an example:
Everyday day this student would stand in the doorway and look at or interact with people in the hallway. This would be before the bell would ring and would continue after the class has begun. Usually, I am inundated with questions or permission slips for the first few minutes. My coop says that I need to get more assertive at the beginning of the period and get people in their seats. So this student would stand in the doorway, doing whatever he was doing and would not respond to my demands that he take his seat. He never tried anything like that while my coop was here but this student seems to notice that he was able to act differently with me and he was absolutely right. Now, I could have threatened him with something like a loss of points of a write up. In both of those cases I have absolutely no clue. My coop has ultimate control over the grades and I am working within his point system and I think the discipline process is not only futile but ultimately counter productive with most students.
I don't know. Maybe I could have or should have tried a more authoritative approach but he truth is that I am uncomfortable with that system. It's complicated and rife with paperwork and process. I made many mistakes this week and set myself back in all of the classes. For the first time, I feel anxious about what I have identified as my calling. I have seen so much success and have learned and developed so much that this week was that much harder. I have an intense feeling of emptiness where there was once passion and enthusiasm. I believe it is temporary but it makes me wonder if teaching can be what I want it to be or if I am just living in a dreamworld.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Substitutes
About two weeks ago my coop was out for a Thursday and Friday. I was my first time without him at least in the building so it was an exciting time for me. Because of liability issues there needs to be a teacher of record for each class and since I am not a teacher, there needed to be a substitute. It was an easy job for whomever it was going to be considering that I was the one doing all the teaching.
I met her after the "homeroom" period and she seemed like she was going to be fine. This is after she screwed up and forgot to escort the seniors to their assembly. It was just a miscommunication on someone's part that didn't result in anything bad accept the seniors were a little bit late.
The kicker was when during my first period algebra class when her cell phone went off. Now, things happen and we all forget to turn our cell phones off from time to time. So after a bit of chastisement from the students I thought it was going to be fine. Then.....THEN she answered the phone and had a not-so-quiet conversation for about...6 minutes. If THAT wasn't bad enough, she then proceeded to make another call. I don't think I have even experience something that rude in a movie theater. I had no idea how to respond and for about 5 seconds I was so flabbergasted that I think I just stood in front of the classroom with a blank stare on my face. The worst part of this experience which may be more sad than bad was that she was a classroom teacher for over thirty years in this same school. What in the world was she thinking?
Once again, this week, my coop was out for a surgery and there was another sub assigned to my classroom. She ended up being OK. Her intentions were good and she tried to help wherever she could. But my first impression of her was, to say the least, not very positive. During the first day she was here during the first period she did something completely inexplicable. I was doing a simple lesson on solving polynomial equations. On my first example when I got to the step where you have to set each factor to zero and then solve to find the root I was reviewing the Factor Theorem which says that in a factor x - r, r is a solution to the polynomial.
I then see her get up and approach me. She politely asks for the chalk and then goes on to teach for about 10 minutes while I was just standing there like an idiot. A student told me afterward that the look on my face was priceless. I don't know which look I was giving but I remember thinking that I wanted to tackle her. The funny thing is what she ended up teaching. She showed them that if you set the factors equal to zero and then solve for the variable you would end up with the root. Not only had we been doing this very same method for a few chapters but I was about to show the same thing while comparing the connection between this and the Factor Theorem.
I don't know. Maybe I looked like I needed help. At least she was trying to do something conducive to teaching as opposed to the crazy cell phone lady.
I met her after the "homeroom" period and she seemed like she was going to be fine. This is after she screwed up and forgot to escort the seniors to their assembly. It was just a miscommunication on someone's part that didn't result in anything bad accept the seniors were a little bit late.
The kicker was when during my first period algebra class when her cell phone went off. Now, things happen and we all forget to turn our cell phones off from time to time. So after a bit of chastisement from the students I thought it was going to be fine. Then.....THEN she answered the phone and had a not-so-quiet conversation for about...6 minutes. If THAT wasn't bad enough, she then proceeded to make another call. I don't think I have even experience something that rude in a movie theater. I had no idea how to respond and for about 5 seconds I was so flabbergasted that I think I just stood in front of the classroom with a blank stare on my face. The worst part of this experience which may be more sad than bad was that she was a classroom teacher for over thirty years in this same school. What in the world was she thinking?
Once again, this week, my coop was out for a surgery and there was another sub assigned to my classroom. She ended up being OK. Her intentions were good and she tried to help wherever she could. But my first impression of her was, to say the least, not very positive. During the first day she was here during the first period she did something completely inexplicable. I was doing a simple lesson on solving polynomial equations. On my first example when I got to the step where you have to set each factor to zero and then solve to find the root I was reviewing the Factor Theorem which says that in a factor x - r, r is a solution to the polynomial.
I then see her get up and approach me. She politely asks for the chalk and then goes on to teach for about 10 minutes while I was just standing there like an idiot. A student told me afterward that the look on my face was priceless. I don't know which look I was giving but I remember thinking that I wanted to tackle her. The funny thing is what she ended up teaching. She showed them that if you set the factors equal to zero and then solve for the variable you would end up with the root. Not only had we been doing this very same method for a few chapters but I was about to show the same thing while comparing the connection between this and the Factor Theorem.
I don't know. Maybe I looked like I needed help. At least she was trying to do something conducive to teaching as opposed to the crazy cell phone lady.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Those who can DO. Those who can't......
TEACH.
Boy do I hate that expression.
I agree that teaching is easy. Certification is a piece of cake. PRAXIS exams are a joke. Graduate school for education is comparable to taking 5 steps without tripping. When you actually get in the classroom, all you really need to do is read from the text book and copy examples on the board. All the work is done for you. While students complete their dittos, you can sit at your desk and browse the newspaper. Oh yeah, you also get summers off....SWEET! This must be why teachers are paid slightly more than professional lawn growth observers.
Teaching well, on the other hand, is just a bit more difficult. Here are some of the things a good teacher needs to do to be successful.
Create authentic teacher/student and student/student dialogue.
Develop creative and meaningful lessons.
Relate content to students' prior knowledge and experience.
Foster a positive learning community based on trust.
Constantly improve on classroom instructional techniques.
Maintain structured but light classroom atmosphere.
Discipline without creating conflict.
Teach to everyone without teaching to the middle.
Challenge the high achieving students.
Help the low achieving students.
Motivate the unmotivated.
Inspire the uninspired.
Intrigue the unintrigued.
The Less High Falutin
Assign appropriate classwork.
Assign appropriate homework.
Grade classwork.
Grade homework.
Create effective tests.
Grade tests.
Assign big creative projects.
Spend lots of time grading big creative projects.
Calm class down when they get loud.
Wake class up when they fall asleep.
Correct students without yelling or being negative.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of behavior.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of lack of ability level.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of lack of effort.
Take roll.
Complete weird roll sheet.
Looking out for misbehavior while I'm delivering the lesson.
Looking out for confusion while I'm delivering the lesson.
Think about the delivery of the lesson while I'm giving it.
Improving on my delivery of the lesson.
Improvise.
Answer questions.
Ask questions.
Respond positively.
Answer the door.
Answer the phone.
Make copies.
Check calculators after every period.
etcetera.
These are a few of the things good teachers do constantly to ensure their success and the success of the students. This is by for the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life. The fact that I am successful at it makes me believe that I have truly found my calling.
For those of you out there that think anyone with a half a brain can teach, I hope you are in the minority because the less emphasis our society places on education and the struggles teachers endure, the more we are facing a danger of this country being marginalized by the success of some developing nations.
Boy do I hate that expression.
I agree that teaching is easy. Certification is a piece of cake. PRAXIS exams are a joke. Graduate school for education is comparable to taking 5 steps without tripping. When you actually get in the classroom, all you really need to do is read from the text book and copy examples on the board. All the work is done for you. While students complete their dittos, you can sit at your desk and browse the newspaper. Oh yeah, you also get summers off....SWEET! This must be why teachers are paid slightly more than professional lawn growth observers.
Teaching well, on the other hand, is just a bit more difficult. Here are some of the things a good teacher needs to do to be successful.
Create authentic teacher/student and student/student dialogue.
Develop creative and meaningful lessons.
Relate content to students' prior knowledge and experience.
Foster a positive learning community based on trust.
Constantly improve on classroom instructional techniques.
Maintain structured but light classroom atmosphere.
Discipline without creating conflict.
Teach to everyone without teaching to the middle.
Challenge the high achieving students.
Help the low achieving students.
Motivate the unmotivated.
Inspire the uninspired.
Intrigue the unintrigued.
The Less High Falutin
Assign appropriate classwork.
Assign appropriate homework.
Grade classwork.
Grade homework.
Create effective tests.
Grade tests.
Assign big creative projects.
Spend lots of time grading big creative projects.
Calm class down when they get loud.
Wake class up when they fall asleep.
Correct students without yelling or being negative.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of behavior.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of lack of ability level.
Keeping from getting frustrated because of lack of effort.
Take roll.
Complete weird roll sheet.
Looking out for misbehavior while I'm delivering the lesson.
Looking out for confusion while I'm delivering the lesson.
Think about the delivery of the lesson while I'm giving it.
Improving on my delivery of the lesson.
Improvise.
Answer questions.
Ask questions.
Respond positively.
Answer the door.
Answer the phone.
Make copies.
Check calculators after every period.
etcetera.
These are a few of the things good teachers do constantly to ensure their success and the success of the students. This is by for the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life. The fact that I am successful at it makes me believe that I have truly found my calling.
For those of you out there that think anyone with a half a brain can teach, I hope you are in the minority because the less emphasis our society places on education and the struggles teachers endure, the more we are facing a danger of this country being marginalized by the success of some developing nations.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Evaluation #2
Lesson plan is detailed and well written. Assessment is aligned with objectives.
Calculators are used during entire lesson.
No behavior management problems. Students worked throughout the class period.
Make sure you wait until you have students attention before you give directions.
Started with quick pre-class work which was reviewed.
Randomly placed students in groups to complete worksheet. Students given quiz at the end and told groups their grade would be the average of the group.
Moved around classroom and worked with different group, answering questions.
Questions on worksheet are open ended and students need to use critical thinking skills to respond.
Good interaction between students in groups.
Most students were actively engaged and stayed on task during the entire class period.
Able to informally assess student understanding of concepts.
Would have been helpful to go over directions of quiz together - before they started. May have wanted to review worksheet with class and then given quiz.
(A) excellent B good C satisfactory D fair F poor
Calculators are used during entire lesson.
No behavior management problems. Students worked throughout the class period.
Make sure you wait until you have students attention before you give directions.
I'm not sure why this happened. It seems obvious that you shouldn't give directions to a group that isn't paying attention but I tried to anyway. I guess I was thinking that the directions would get their attention but that is definitely a bad way to get attention.
Started with quick pre-class work which was reviewed.
Randomly placed students in groups to complete worksheet. Students given quiz at the end and told groups their grade would be the average of the group.
I don't really like random groups but strategically placing students in groups is a lot of work which I am not yet prepared to do. I think it is important that I get better at the more fundamental aspects of teaching before I try to develop the more intermediate ideas.
Moved around classroom and worked with different group, answering questions.
Questions on worksheet are open ended and students need to use critical thinking skills to respond.
The worksheet was what I call guided discovery. The questions lead the students to develop the concepts of the lesson. In this case the concepts were properties of logarithmic functions. No group was able to independently derive the general form of any of the properties. I had to walk each group through the process of how to go from data to patterns to relationship to general formula. On one hand, it is disappointing that the students weren't able to see it but on the other, this is exactly what I mean when Italk about modeling critical thinking. I believe that if this activity is done enough then the students will eventually learn how to do this independently.
Good interaction between students in groups.
Most students were actively engaged and stayed on task during the entire class period.
Able to informally assess student understanding of concepts.
Would have been helpful to go over directions of quiz together - before they started. May have wanted to review worksheet with class and then given quiz.
The problem was that there just wasn't enough time for this activity to really sink in. I took the advice of some who said that my first activity was loaded with concepts and I cut down to the fundamental concepts. These students' critical reasoning ability is so under developed that they couldn't be adequately guided through these concepts during a full class period even when they were working at a phenomenal level.
(A) excellent B good C satisfactory D fair F poor
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Wonder of Structure
Yesterday I attempted a self guided lesson where students work in groups to learn different concepts. I created a worksheet that had very strategic questions to lead them to specific conclusions but was still open enough that they had to apply critical thinking skills. In my first class, I instructed them to complete the worksheet in 20 minutes and then I would proceed into a lecture to connect the different concepts. After 20 minutes, out of 5 groups, not one was even close to finishing. I am entirely confident that most of the work could have been completed within that time, especially when I was going around helping each group. The problem was that I would get to a group and ask questions which I had prepared before hand but once I would leave, that group refused to do any work. The activity ended up taking 35 minutes up to the end of class. I would spend about 1 minute helping each group before I would move on. Since they only work done was when I was at a particular group, each group would work 1 minute every 5 minutes. Thus, out of a 35 minute activity each group probably only worked for 7 minutes.
However, without giving up I tried to tweak the lesson. They had no motivation to complete the worksheet so for my second class, I gave an incentive. There were 4 questions, each worth 2 bonus points. If I had to help a a group more than once for a particular question they could only receive 1 point for that question. If they are at a standstill in the group, I wanted them to try to figure it out themselves. Not one group asked me more than 1 question on a problem. After 20 minutes, I checked each group's work. They were all completed and the lowest score was a 5 and I could actually finish the lesson.
After talking with my cooperating teacher, he thinks the structure and incentives made a difference but also the quality of the students. I don't know what I think but I wished I would have had the incentives in the first class.
However, without giving up I tried to tweak the lesson. They had no motivation to complete the worksheet so for my second class, I gave an incentive. There were 4 questions, each worth 2 bonus points. If I had to help a a group more than once for a particular question they could only receive 1 point for that question. If they are at a standstill in the group, I wanted them to try to figure it out themselves. Not one group asked me more than 1 question on a problem. After 20 minutes, I checked each group's work. They were all completed and the lowest score was a 5 and I could actually finish the lesson.
After talking with my cooperating teacher, he thinks the structure and incentives made a difference but also the quality of the students. I don't know what I think but I wished I would have had the incentives in the first class.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
A Bit of Coaching
The following is an exchange of emails between me and a math coach I met from a professional development session.
Hello Joe,
I teach my first lesson today and was wondering what you thought of it regarding the discussion we had.
Thanks
Tom
Tom
I think you have a lot here for one class. There's a lot of information and a lot of thought that goes with it. I think the students will get lost and frustrated. I think the folding activity is good.
Activity I had used were:
Having the class show exponential growth.
Shake one students hand..... Instruct them to shake Two more students hands and so on. Record the # of students who have shaken hands after each event.... That way the students see exponential growth in the class.......
You could do the same with passing along a secret to two students, they pass to two and so on......
If the class creates an activity then you should have an opportunity to dialogue with the students about what is happening. Let the students write what they think is happening and then guess what will happen after 5 events, 10 events etc....
It is when you can get the students voices going and dialogue about the work happening that the students will really understand the concept. If you get caught up in lecturing and giving out factoids you will lose them, they'll sleep or try to do what you ask like good students but they won't get it....
Authentic classes thrive on democratic dialogue. That is what you want to create. Always allow learning to be open to debate. Students need vigorous discussion in the class for education to be active and challenging. Teacher talk depresses students. Teacher monologue limits their speech and development.
Teacher talk will also depress you. Teachers thrive on responses to their labors, and silent classes weaken our moral. Without lively student participation, we risk declining into burnout.
Be bold and challenging. The students have been conditioned into cogs so getting them to participate is difficult.... don't give up though...
1) I sent an e mail to two students. Each student then sent an e mail to two other students
How many e mails were sent after this happened 2xs, 4xs, 10xs,,,, 20xs.....
Try to let the students discover the equations.... I'm sure that what you are working towards with the folded paper..
To make the activity even more authentic tell the students a secret... or pass along a hand shake. These get the class really involved in the process and students can see the process of exponential growth.
Joe
Joe
I would love to do these activities but they don't want it. Wherever I try to do something clever or engaging they look at me like I'm stupid. They wouldn't even fold the paper let alone actually shake hands. Students scoff at me when I give them critical thinking problems. They have confused looks when I relate it to real world situations. A typical educator would just tell me that I must be doing it wrong but I have yet to see it work in a typical inner city high school.
This could be because they aren't used to these types of activities and due to the fact that I am a stranger in the classroom. Also, I am still not convinced that there is enough time in the curriculum. Everything I did today was outlined in the guidelines book. I would love to be able to expand it and go into much greater depth but it seems to be completely unrealistic.
Thanks for all your comments. With your permission I would like to post your email in my online student teaching blog. And I will keep trying different things.
Tom
Tom
These kids are only responding to you in the only language they know. We have conditioned them to do what they are doing. You are now seeing what American educational systems are doing. As a student teacher you are experiencing the normative behavior of the class, teacher talk, student listen. The kids want you to talk while they sit and do little or nothing.
Yes our institutions discourage experimenting and may even punish teachers who rock the boat. Teacher talk can be the path of least resistance. This is not unique to the urban school. It happens everywhere. Most teachers talk and students listen. Dialogue is discouraged.
You are receiving on the job training, burdened with class size, poor recourses, restrictions of required test, texts, and syllabi. You lack any power at all. Only the students have less power than you. It's all run from the top down.
Creating authentic is dangerous, but it is also the greatest thing that has happened to my teaching. It has rejuvenated me and my calling. Today I believe from the bottom of my soul that the only true education happens when authentic dialogue happens in the classroom.
So where to go from here. I would suggest that you tell the students how you feel about the activity that you did. Let them know you are disappointed with the outcomes and that request that they tell you honestly what they felt. You might want them to write it first and share it with one another to get it going. A lot of times this gets them started talking. You must be prepared for honest answers though that may hurt your ego. If you do allow them to speak honestly, without insulting or embarrassing them. They will rise. Your class will rise.
If you can create dialogue in your class you will be able to teach them anything.... but the dialogue must come first.
Joe
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Evaluation #1
The following are comments made by my supervisor on an evaluation form during my first lesson. In italics are what I will try to do to improve.
Lesson plan extremely well written. Good objectives, shows knowledge of standards. Informal assessment being used.
Using calculators appropriate for lesson and allowed students to see concept.
You used a lot of critical thinking concepts in your lesson but didn't allow them to be fully developed.
Students well behaved, no management problem. It appeared that only a portion of students were actually involved in a lesson.
Idea of handing out personal "notes" is a good idea.
Make sure you talk to the entire class, you were taking responses mostly from right side of room.
You need to give students time to catch up with you. You presented some of the material too quickly. Give them time to respond.
Try moving around the room to check on their work. See if they are able to follow along.
You did ask for questions but no one raised any you moved on. It might be good to ask some and call on random students to see if they comprehend.
Classwork question was a great critical thinking question. May have been good to have pairs work together to solve.
A excellent (B)good C satisfactory D fair F poor
Lesson plan extremely well written. Good objectives, shows knowledge of standards. Informal assessment being used.
Using calculators appropriate for lesson and allowed students to see concept.
You used a lot of critical thinking concepts in your lesson but didn't allow them to be fully developed.
This criticism is hard to talk about. How can I allow them to develop the concepts more? It's is to say it but helping me do it is another story. I guess I could allow more time for my intro activity of folding paper. The concept was that exponential functions grow or decay at increasing or decreasing rates. When folding a piece of paper in half over and over again, the thickness increases slowly at first but since the thickness doubles every time, at some point it explodes. If I put them in groups and let them collect data themselves they may have been able to see the increasing thickness even after you could no longer fold a piece of paper.
Students well behaved, no management problem. It appeared that only a portion of students were actually involved in a lesson.
I agree that I can affect a larger group of students if I create a classroom of active learning but there is no way that I can get to everyone. Education needs to change drastically if we are going to reach all students.
Idea of handing out personal "notes" is a good idea.
This is a response to my idea of making up notes (my way) and then having blanks that they fill in as I lecture. This idea is from Mr. Shilingo, my high school physics teacher.
Make sure you talk to the entire class, you were taking responses mostly from right side of room.
When I am teaching, I am constantly trying to think about where my lesson is going, how am I going to ask some question or how much time do I have. Eventually, I need to sort of go on auto pilot where my focus is on the entire class rather than my lesson. Also, I am going to write names on small slips of paper and ask questions to specific students picked randomly.
You need to give students time to catch up with you. You presented some of the material too quickly. Give them time to respond.
I have been working on this by pausing after I do an example or by asking if I need to slow down.
Try moving around the room to check on their work. See if they are able to follow along.
I love moving around the room while I teach but the classroom I am in is definitely not setup to allow me to do this easily. The room is packed with desks with two teacher desks in the front of the room, severely limiting my mobility. My room would be setup much different. I would like to have my desk in the back or off to the side (so it's not the focus) and I would like to have the desks pointing inward either like a v of a horseshoe. This would give me the mobility I need while creating a different environment where the teacher can move in and out of the spotlight.
You did ask for questions but no one raised any you moved on. It might be good to ask some and call on random students to see if they comprehend.
I will probably use slips of paper with the students' names written on them and randomly pick on students to answer questions. When I try this now, I don't really get any responses.
Classwork question was a great critical thinking question. May have been good to have pairs work together to solve.
Pair sharing is almost impossible to do in these classes. They have no clue how to move into pairs or why it is even necessary. With rigid structure it takes too much time and without the structure they either don't move or they end up discussing with many more people.
A excellent (B)good C satisfactory D fair F poor
Friday, February 16, 2007
Today...
...I rolled my eyes at a student.
I have a tendency to become over bearing and even condescending when talking about a passionate subject but I have always noticed that when I am speaking to an audience from a certain level of authority, I can adopt a comfortable demeanor. It is how I am able to successfully teach people about things I am knowledgeable about. I think the problem arises when I speak to peers and I am under the assumption that they should be as knowledgeable about a particular subject or that their arguments should be as good as mine or better. If this is not the case, sometimes I can be pompous.
However, I have the ability to take on a nonthreatening persona when I stand in front of a class, I think, because I am under a different assumption that these people have a desire to enrich themselves even if they generally don't show it. I know this isn't wrong or even too ideal; Students, under certain circumstances, can accomplish some pretty extraordinary feats. It's this assumption that I am able to have undaunted patience to try different things to spark their interest. If I am successful at this then my job is easy and incredibly rewarding.
The problem, that I noticed today, is that it might not be an unrealistic assumption that causes me to be condescending. I think it has something to do with openness or effort. Openness is essential for people to embark on mutual discovery of different perspectives. Passion can be involved but only when there is a sense of reciprocity where I want to hear what you have to say, not so I can disagree but so I can compare your perspective to mine and others in order to investigate logical implications. This is in the hope of discovering new ways of thinking about a subject that might make more sense than it did before. I like to think of it in terms of the literal meaning of the word philosophy, 'the love or pursuit of truth.' All too often people close up because they feel their ideas were attacked just because of some disagreement or strong counter arguments.
Effort, on the other hand, is important for me to recognize in a person because it represents their internal motivation or will to improve themselves and the world around them. If I encounter a situation where I perceive that another person just doesn't seem to care, try to see other perspectives, gives up when faced with positive confrontation or gives up when faced with confusion, I first feel a sense of deep frustration because I see it as an attack on my passion for meaningful conversation and then judge them because I feel they are wrong to give up. Sometimes, my reaction to feeling hurt is to take a negative demeanor where I patronize them.
Today...I had the opportunity to create a lesson that I feel very strongly about. They lesson was on one problem but it was a problem that was about finding a well reasoned strategy and then justifying it. I introduced this new kind of math problem to them by saying that too often math is left in a vacuum where relevancy is rarely discussed or poorly discussed. Problems arise everyday and some have solutions and some seem to not have any solution or many solutions. I started the lesson with a simple question: "What is a problem?"
During my third lesson two female students, that often express their negativity during class, made a few comments that struck at the heart of my passion and enthusiasm. When they moved into a group activity one expressed that she "didn't know what the hell I was talking about" and that she didn't understand why I was talking about "social sciences." I tried to explain to her that I was trying to broaden the class to encompass many different ideas and to bring in other subjects. She did not hide her disapproval. While presenting a possible solution to the problem I asked a question which was more of a rhetorical question to highlight an important part of the problem. They both made comments about how confused they were and how much they thought what I was doing was stupid. I rolled my eyes. Being frustrated, I asked if they would have rather I started the new chapter and went to a lecture style class. Expecting that they would choose this type of lesson I was understandably surprised when they voiced their opinion to start the new chapter. Not able to continue with the solution I addressed the whole class positively about why I believed that what I was doing was important. I needed to take my frustration and vent it in a way where students were not attacked. It worked (at least for me) and I continued the lesson.
Why do I believe they were so unhappy with the lesson? I think they don't want to be challenged. They have gone their whole lives never being challenged in school. High school is merely a necessary step to get past in order to go to college or start working. They don't want to exert that type of effort. They want me to give them answers so they can regurgitate it on the test. Too bad they can't even do that very well. I want to get them in a room and shout, "What do you want from me?" They were not open to a different kind of lesson and they didn't want to expert much mental effort to figure out a real math problem. This got to me. But after reflecting I have come to this conclusion: We failed these students. I believe that if I show them something different, if I show them what math is really about, then they will eventually come around and start being engaged in their learning experience.
I have a tendency to become over bearing and even condescending when talking about a passionate subject but I have always noticed that when I am speaking to an audience from a certain level of authority, I can adopt a comfortable demeanor. It is how I am able to successfully teach people about things I am knowledgeable about. I think the problem arises when I speak to peers and I am under the assumption that they should be as knowledgeable about a particular subject or that their arguments should be as good as mine or better. If this is not the case, sometimes I can be pompous.
However, I have the ability to take on a nonthreatening persona when I stand in front of a class, I think, because I am under a different assumption that these people have a desire to enrich themselves even if they generally don't show it. I know this isn't wrong or even too ideal; Students, under certain circumstances, can accomplish some pretty extraordinary feats. It's this assumption that I am able to have undaunted patience to try different things to spark their interest. If I am successful at this then my job is easy and incredibly rewarding.
The problem, that I noticed today, is that it might not be an unrealistic assumption that causes me to be condescending. I think it has something to do with openness or effort. Openness is essential for people to embark on mutual discovery of different perspectives. Passion can be involved but only when there is a sense of reciprocity where I want to hear what you have to say, not so I can disagree but so I can compare your perspective to mine and others in order to investigate logical implications. This is in the hope of discovering new ways of thinking about a subject that might make more sense than it did before. I like to think of it in terms of the literal meaning of the word philosophy, 'the love or pursuit of truth.' All too often people close up because they feel their ideas were attacked just because of some disagreement or strong counter arguments.
Effort, on the other hand, is important for me to recognize in a person because it represents their internal motivation or will to improve themselves and the world around them. If I encounter a situation where I perceive that another person just doesn't seem to care, try to see other perspectives, gives up when faced with positive confrontation or gives up when faced with confusion, I first feel a sense of deep frustration because I see it as an attack on my passion for meaningful conversation and then judge them because I feel they are wrong to give up. Sometimes, my reaction to feeling hurt is to take a negative demeanor where I patronize them.
Today...I had the opportunity to create a lesson that I feel very strongly about. They lesson was on one problem but it was a problem that was about finding a well reasoned strategy and then justifying it. I introduced this new kind of math problem to them by saying that too often math is left in a vacuum where relevancy is rarely discussed or poorly discussed. Problems arise everyday and some have solutions and some seem to not have any solution or many solutions. I started the lesson with a simple question: "What is a problem?"
During my third lesson two female students, that often express their negativity during class, made a few comments that struck at the heart of my passion and enthusiasm. When they moved into a group activity one expressed that she "didn't know what the hell I was talking about" and that she didn't understand why I was talking about "social sciences." I tried to explain to her that I was trying to broaden the class to encompass many different ideas and to bring in other subjects. She did not hide her disapproval. While presenting a possible solution to the problem I asked a question which was more of a rhetorical question to highlight an important part of the problem. They both made comments about how confused they were and how much they thought what I was doing was stupid. I rolled my eyes. Being frustrated, I asked if they would have rather I started the new chapter and went to a lecture style class. Expecting that they would choose this type of lesson I was understandably surprised when they voiced their opinion to start the new chapter. Not able to continue with the solution I addressed the whole class positively about why I believed that what I was doing was important. I needed to take my frustration and vent it in a way where students were not attacked. It worked (at least for me) and I continued the lesson.
Why do I believe they were so unhappy with the lesson? I think they don't want to be challenged. They have gone their whole lives never being challenged in school. High school is merely a necessary step to get past in order to go to college or start working. They don't want to exert that type of effort. They want me to give them answers so they can regurgitate it on the test. Too bad they can't even do that very well. I want to get them in a room and shout, "What do you want from me?" They were not open to a different kind of lesson and they didn't want to expert much mental effort to figure out a real math problem. This got to me. But after reflecting I have come to this conclusion: We failed these students. I believe that if I show them something different, if I show them what math is really about, then they will eventually come around and start being engaged in their learning experience.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Observer Effect
The observer effect shouldn’t be confused with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It is the idea that the act of observation of a given event fundamentally changes that event. The observer, in a way, becomes part of the event, therefore making it impossible to observe the desired event. I thought about this recently while preparing a lesson for a review of the PSSA (state assessment). This test is called a benchmark which is used by the federal government (No Child Left Behind) to determine if the school is making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Students essentially need to constantly improve their scores on state assessment exams in order for their school to continue operating without any federal interventions or regulations.
The key word I used was benchmark. I would define a benchmark as a test to assess some predetermined level of quality or it may be used to compare the results of one test to others who have taken the same test. There are benchmark programs for computers where you run it and get an arbitrary score which is compared to other computer users who run the same benchmark. The significance of the test is seen through the comparison. You can see how different hardware configurations can result in higher or lower scores which may affect which pieces of hardware consumers want to purchase. A benchmark within education is a state test which is compared to previous tests by the same school to determine if that school achieved a level of predetermined progress. The idea is that each school needs to be constantly improving their test scores.
The problem with benchmarks is that people tend to construct unrealistic scenarios where benchmarks produce a higher score without providing an accurate measure of performance. Nvidia, a popular graphics processor manufacturer, came under fire a few years ago because it programmed specific instructions into the processor code which allowed certain Nvidia graphics cards to score higher on a popular benchmarking program. This is called benchmark inflation. Unfortunately, this now occurs in education. Nvidia inflated its scores to sell more graphics cards which make them more money; Schools try to inflate scores because they don’t want any federal regulation which, in many cases, results in them losing money. If tests scores of a school do not meet AYP (annual yearly progress) then that school goes under review by the federal government. This review process may result in any number of interventions.
Schools try to inflate scores by both aligning their curriculum according to the test (i.e. changing the year in which algebra II is taken – Alg I, Geometry, Alg II, PreCalc) and by specifically allocating lessons used to prepare students for the tests. Every Monday a class period is used to review problems that may appear on the PSSA. Every Tuesday a 15 minute practice PSSA quiz is given to the students. This is over 1/5 of the curriculum spent on reviewing for a benchmark. How is this not a disservice to the students? And how is this supposed to accurately measure students’ ability?
The goal of the federal government with NCLB is to assess how effective schools are and then hold educators accountable for any failures that may occur. Their mandates for state assessment exams are an attempt to observe the effectiveness of the public education system. This observation is fundamentally changing the system. High accountability is forcing schools to change strategies and build new curricula around these state assessments. We are no longer observing or assessing the original education system, hence, the Observer Effect. Could this be their goal? Maybe but how then are we to determine how effective the assessment exams are? Who determines the quality of the assessments? How are we to assess the assessments which assess the assessments…?
The key word I used was benchmark. I would define a benchmark as a test to assess some predetermined level of quality or it may be used to compare the results of one test to others who have taken the same test. There are benchmark programs for computers where you run it and get an arbitrary score which is compared to other computer users who run the same benchmark. The significance of the test is seen through the comparison. You can see how different hardware configurations can result in higher or lower scores which may affect which pieces of hardware consumers want to purchase. A benchmark within education is a state test which is compared to previous tests by the same school to determine if that school achieved a level of predetermined progress. The idea is that each school needs to be constantly improving their test scores.
The problem with benchmarks is that people tend to construct unrealistic scenarios where benchmarks produce a higher score without providing an accurate measure of performance. Nvidia, a popular graphics processor manufacturer, came under fire a few years ago because it programmed specific instructions into the processor code which allowed certain Nvidia graphics cards to score higher on a popular benchmarking program. This is called benchmark inflation. Unfortunately, this now occurs in education. Nvidia inflated its scores to sell more graphics cards which make them more money; Schools try to inflate scores because they don’t want any federal regulation which, in many cases, results in them losing money. If tests scores of a school do not meet AYP (annual yearly progress) then that school goes under review by the federal government. This review process may result in any number of interventions.
Schools try to inflate scores by both aligning their curriculum according to the test (i.e. changing the year in which algebra II is taken – Alg I, Geometry, Alg II, PreCalc) and by specifically allocating lessons used to prepare students for the tests. Every Monday a class period is used to review problems that may appear on the PSSA. Every Tuesday a 15 minute practice PSSA quiz is given to the students. This is over 1/5 of the curriculum spent on reviewing for a benchmark. How is this not a disservice to the students? And how is this supposed to accurately measure students’ ability?
The goal of the federal government with NCLB is to assess how effective schools are and then hold educators accountable for any failures that may occur. Their mandates for state assessment exams are an attempt to observe the effectiveness of the public education system. This observation is fundamentally changing the system. High accountability is forcing schools to change strategies and build new curricula around these state assessments. We are no longer observing or assessing the original education system, hence, the Observer Effect. Could this be their goal? Maybe but how then are we to determine how effective the assessment exams are? Who determines the quality of the assessments? How are we to assess the assessments which assess the assessments…?
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Prompt #3
What is your greatest teaching challenge?
What are effective teacher behaviors?
What does effective teaching mean to you?
Well from a student's point of view I think effective teaching would very unique to each student. Given that, effective teaching is meeting all student's needs. I'm not sure to what extent I agree with this statement but teaching is one of the more altruistic positions where teachers need to be dedicated to the students. My teaching aspirations define what I think effective teaching is. I want to be able to give students an understanding of mathematics that reaches much further than content. If a teacher is able to use content to teach and model ethics, leadership and engagement while being understanding and entertaining then students are given an experience rather than a boring place to go during the day.
Effective teaching behaviors are those in which teachers maintain a structured class while also creating an environment where students have the reasonable opportunity to be engaged. I say reasonable because a traditional classroom does not provide an atmosphere where students can be inspired. Some students are able to succeed but their motivation has nothing to do with the class. These students are naturally curious and engaged and need little instruction. Other students need to be shown that engagement in the classroom can occur. It is almost like they need to be taught curiosity. This is what I mean by provide a reasonable opportunity. You could also think about it as providing a reasonable choice. Students choose to be engaged in the classroom. If you were a student, would you enjoy your lessons or would they be boring?
This will be my greatest challenge, trying to provide these engaging lessons. These students haven't experienced this type of instruction. They don't understand what it means to think of mathematics outside of the textbook. To them, its a subject not an idea. To them, its necessary instead of interesting. To them, it can't be fun. With everything teachers need to do, how can we be expected to constantly develop creative lessons. These lessons require time to do research and effort to adapt personal style. In a typical day, where the curriculum is rigid and content focused and with only one prep period, how is this to be done?
What are effective teacher behaviors?
What does effective teaching mean to you?
Well from a student's point of view I think effective teaching would very unique to each student. Given that, effective teaching is meeting all student's needs. I'm not sure to what extent I agree with this statement but teaching is one of the more altruistic positions where teachers need to be dedicated to the students. My teaching aspirations define what I think effective teaching is. I want to be able to give students an understanding of mathematics that reaches much further than content. If a teacher is able to use content to teach and model ethics, leadership and engagement while being understanding and entertaining then students are given an experience rather than a boring place to go during the day.
Effective teaching behaviors are those in which teachers maintain a structured class while also creating an environment where students have the reasonable opportunity to be engaged. I say reasonable because a traditional classroom does not provide an atmosphere where students can be inspired. Some students are able to succeed but their motivation has nothing to do with the class. These students are naturally curious and engaged and need little instruction. Other students need to be shown that engagement in the classroom can occur. It is almost like they need to be taught curiosity. This is what I mean by provide a reasonable opportunity. You could also think about it as providing a reasonable choice. Students choose to be engaged in the classroom. If you were a student, would you enjoy your lessons or would they be boring?
This will be my greatest challenge, trying to provide these engaging lessons. These students haven't experienced this type of instruction. They don't understand what it means to think of mathematics outside of the textbook. To them, its a subject not an idea. To them, its necessary instead of interesting. To them, it can't be fun. With everything teachers need to do, how can we be expected to constantly develop creative lessons. These lessons require time to do research and effort to adapt personal style. In a typical day, where the curriculum is rigid and content focused and with only one prep period, how is this to be done?
Monday, February 5, 2007
First Full Day
Last Thursday, I taught 3 algebra II lessons which my cooperating teacher planned. It was basically a review of a section on complex numbers and the quadratic equation. It was nothing special. Half the lesson was showing examples on the board and the other half was a worksheet. The only criticism I received was that I talk to the board too much, meaning, I should be talking to the class while looking for confusion or disruptions. It’s an interesting criticism considering that while I teach I consciously think about looking at the class. It is interesting when you think about the things you do subconsciously that undermine the things you try to do consciously. This makes me wonder about my voice inflection. I try not to have a pattern or a habit with my voice. I always try to be loud and sometimes a little crazy. But I may have an inflection pattern or, dare I say, a repetition word.
On Monday, I developed a lesson and taught 4 algebra II classes. It was a review for the practice PSSA quiz on Tuesday. I tried to set it up in three parts. I used the first 15 minutes to model how to complete the problems. Then I gave them a practice quiz which they were to complete by themselves in 15 minutes. For the remainder of the period, I had them pair up and check their answers while completing on quiz with both names of the partners. There were many problems, the main being that a large number of students have absolutely no motivation to do quality work. Even though I model how to solve each problem on the board, they refuse to write very many steps down. Many asked questions when not understanding but an alarming number of them refuse to even ask for help.
Another issue is a procedural one. I said they could work in pairs but I knew that it wouldn’t work like I wanted it to. I say it was a procedural problem because the cooperating teacher did not establish it at the beginning. If I were to have assigned partners there would have been a problem. If I were to have said, “turn to your left…” there would have been a problem. They ended up working with many people and most people turned in their own quiz. I could have either concentrated on making sure people were working correctly or help with questions. I don’t know how to make this any better for upcoming lessons.
On Monday, I developed a lesson and taught 4 algebra II classes. It was a review for the practice PSSA quiz on Tuesday. I tried to set it up in three parts. I used the first 15 minutes to model how to complete the problems. Then I gave them a practice quiz which they were to complete by themselves in 15 minutes. For the remainder of the period, I had them pair up and check their answers while completing on quiz with both names of the partners. There were many problems, the main being that a large number of students have absolutely no motivation to do quality work. Even though I model how to solve each problem on the board, they refuse to write very many steps down. Many asked questions when not understanding but an alarming number of them refuse to even ask for help.
Another issue is a procedural one. I said they could work in pairs but I knew that it wouldn’t work like I wanted it to. I say it was a procedural problem because the cooperating teacher did not establish it at the beginning. If I were to have assigned partners there would have been a problem. If I were to have said, “turn to your left…” there would have been a problem. They ended up working with many people and most people turned in their own quiz. I could have either concentrated on making sure people were working correctly or help with questions. I don’t know how to make this any better for upcoming lessons.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Prompt #2
Critical Thinking
I was asked to define critical thinking as a journal prompt for my seminar class. It was an interesting question because this is one of my 3 paragons of teaching and at first I was at a loss of words to define it. The first thing that came to me was that the answer to a question isn’t immediately known. This came from my ‘how to teach problem solving’ class. I think I said this because when you are given a problem to solve and the method for solving it is already known, then solving it merely becomes an exercise rather than an activity. There is no curiosity or discovery involved when completing exercises.
I then expanded on that statement by saying that, given this problem, one has to sift through related information in order to develop a well reasoned explanation that leads to a reasonable conclusion. If anyone knows my background then it is apparent what inspired this definition. This is basically a corner stone to philosophical thought. If you think about it a typical mathematical problem and a philosophical problem have the same basic components. The only difference is that the math problem has a definitive answer. The path to each conclusion is much the same. In both cases, one must justify the answer or conclusion with reasonable evidence. In a math problem the reasonable evidence is seen in the strategy used to solve it and the process of implementing the strategy. Both types of problems have flaws which are uncovered by close scrutiny. These flaws are essentially the use of faulty logic. Both mathematics and philosophy are governed by the strict rational framework of logic. One might argue logic’s intimate relationship with physical reality but I can save that entry for a later date.
Active Learning
To gain an understanding I think a discussion on passive learning may be helpful. Passive learning usually occurs in a traditional classroom where lecture is the predominate instructional strategy. The class is strongly teacher directed which means that the teacher is seen (by the students) as the sole proprietor of all learnable information. Passive learning describes how students learn in this setting. They listen to information given orally which they either copy in their notes or try to memorize. Now, I am not saying this is a bad strategy. Depending on the teacher, I really like lectures. There is definitely something that appeals to me when I listen to someone that is knowledgeable and impassioned. The reason why passive learning is not desired in the classroom is because it is usually ineffective for most students. An atmosphere of passive learning is usually one in which does not inspire engagement in the content. Only students that bring motivation or interest to the table are able to engage.
So is active learning the opposite? I don’t really know. I know how I define it but who knows what kind of highfalutin language theorists use. To me active learning can almost be taken very literally where students play an active role in what they are learning. Taken to an extreme it defines curricula where students pursue their own interests within an educational framework. It is about autonomy and self-determination. A more realistic or even pragmatic definition might describe an atmosphere where students are more involved in the lessons. Instead of lessons where lecture drives the instruction, activities are planned that use analogies and other relationships to illustrate abstract concepts. I feign from using the phrase “real-world” examples because in mathematics, real-world examples or applications are not realistic at all and most realistic applications are far beyond any level of high school mathematics. Discussions, Socratic questioning, cooperative learning, differentiated instruction are just a few strategies that could be used to create an active learning classroom. The teacher tells less and intrigues more; it is getting students to learn through questioning and curiosity. The teacher stops teaching and starts guiding students through their education while being a model of a good learner.
I was asked to define critical thinking as a journal prompt for my seminar class. It was an interesting question because this is one of my 3 paragons of teaching and at first I was at a loss of words to define it. The first thing that came to me was that the answer to a question isn’t immediately known. This came from my ‘how to teach problem solving’ class. I think I said this because when you are given a problem to solve and the method for solving it is already known, then solving it merely becomes an exercise rather than an activity. There is no curiosity or discovery involved when completing exercises.
I then expanded on that statement by saying that, given this problem, one has to sift through related information in order to develop a well reasoned explanation that leads to a reasonable conclusion. If anyone knows my background then it is apparent what inspired this definition. This is basically a corner stone to philosophical thought. If you think about it a typical mathematical problem and a philosophical problem have the same basic components. The only difference is that the math problem has a definitive answer. The path to each conclusion is much the same. In both cases, one must justify the answer or conclusion with reasonable evidence. In a math problem the reasonable evidence is seen in the strategy used to solve it and the process of implementing the strategy. Both types of problems have flaws which are uncovered by close scrutiny. These flaws are essentially the use of faulty logic. Both mathematics and philosophy are governed by the strict rational framework of logic. One might argue logic’s intimate relationship with physical reality but I can save that entry for a later date.
Active Learning
To gain an understanding I think a discussion on passive learning may be helpful. Passive learning usually occurs in a traditional classroom where lecture is the predominate instructional strategy. The class is strongly teacher directed which means that the teacher is seen (by the students) as the sole proprietor of all learnable information. Passive learning describes how students learn in this setting. They listen to information given orally which they either copy in their notes or try to memorize. Now, I am not saying this is a bad strategy. Depending on the teacher, I really like lectures. There is definitely something that appeals to me when I listen to someone that is knowledgeable and impassioned. The reason why passive learning is not desired in the classroom is because it is usually ineffective for most students. An atmosphere of passive learning is usually one in which does not inspire engagement in the content. Only students that bring motivation or interest to the table are able to engage.
So is active learning the opposite? I don’t really know. I know how I define it but who knows what kind of highfalutin language theorists use. To me active learning can almost be taken very literally where students play an active role in what they are learning. Taken to an extreme it defines curricula where students pursue their own interests within an educational framework. It is about autonomy and self-determination. A more realistic or even pragmatic definition might describe an atmosphere where students are more involved in the lessons. Instead of lessons where lecture drives the instruction, activities are planned that use analogies and other relationships to illustrate abstract concepts. I feign from using the phrase “real-world” examples because in mathematics, real-world examples or applications are not realistic at all and most realistic applications are far beyond any level of high school mathematics. Discussions, Socratic questioning, cooperative learning, differentiated instruction are just a few strategies that could be used to create an active learning classroom. The teacher tells less and intrigues more; it is getting students to learn through questioning and curiosity. The teacher stops teaching and starts guiding students through their education while being a model of a good learner.
Premature Lesson
Today, I was asked to teach a calculus lesson for another teacher. For the past few days we have been having a discussion on how to best present “area under the curve.” Being my favorite topic in all of mathematics, I agreed to teach it. The teacher was unsure how to connect the sigma notation with the sum of the areas of the rectangles. In fact, I was having trouble developing a method of breaking the concepts down to a level that these students would be able to understand. Earlier in the day I had a mathematical epiphany while taking a leak. I was having a problem relating i into the sigma notation. The solution was simple. The i represents which rectangle of which you are attempting to find the area in the summation.
I observed the class before and I knew some of the students. Since this is an AP Calculus class, the students were all highly motivated and easily engaged. They also like to have a lot of fun which made my job extremely easy (the classroom management part anyway). I was surprised that I was actually a little nervous right before I started the lesson but as soon as I started speaking I remembered how teaching felt over the summer and I immediately became acclimated. The lesson went very well and it was fun interacting with students who knew how to both have fun in the classroom but doing it while participating in the lesson.
A few criticisms:
In general, I have noticed that students in this school do not know how to take notes. Their teachers never required it so they never developed the habits. This calculus class was filled with intelligent students that didn’t know how to take good notes. I knew this going in and tried to implement a strategy. One thing I noticed while I taught in the summer is that when my notes on the board are organized and accurate, that has a direct positive effect on the students’ performance. The first step in teaching how to taking notes is to model good note taking behaviors and force the students to write what you write. I attempted to do this. I put together organized notes on my clipboard and intended to given them an example of good notes. The quality of my notes quickly degraded. One reason is because I need more chalkboard practice. Notes on loose-leaf don’t translate the same on a chalkboard. The other reason is the organic style in which I try to teach. You can’t always plan on how to reach different learning styles. Sometimes you need to think on your feet to be able to break a concept down. The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is a complicated, multitiered concept that is difficult to see the big picture. Just because you can follow each step doesn’t mean you can see the whole thing when it’s complete. Throughout the lesson I needed to explain a step by making related notes. I so became disorganized. I gave good explanations and was able to relate ideas but I was unable to model good notes.
This topic is neat because you see so many different ideas (i.e. summations, limits, factoring, simplifying, graphs, etc) and building this extremely elegant math concept which eventually because a simple operation (integration). If you can’t neatly show these concepts flow together on the chalkboard, then the lesson is not nearly as effective as it could be. I need to keep this in mind. It is an easy tangible improvement that can be made with practice and reflection.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Leadership In The Classroom
If I could form a hierarchy from my educational philosophy, at the top would be critical thinking, ethics and leadership. I believe that the teacher plays a vital role in fostering these ideas in the classroom. Through modeling the teacher is able to develop good habits that form the foundation to a student’s intellect. Leadership is a difficult concept to model because of its inherent social nature. Group dynamics, physical atmosphere and even the very activity have very complex effects of the development of leadership roles. How can you model good leadership? Well it is obvious that there are some fairly evident leadership aspects of teaching. Trust and communication play a huge role in the classroom as also they do in groups. The teacher is the leader of a class. He must develop his learning community where its members are all oriented to a common goal of content mastery. A good leader also has an intuitive sense about what his team needs to be successful. Teachers must acquire this skill in order to meet the individual ability levels and learning styles of the students. I still am not sure if this is effective in developing leader in the classroom but it’s a start. The following is an idea that is the start of something that, I think has potential.
To work, a group activity has to have structure and, in my opinion, some quirkiness. It has to be developed through routines and procedures. When the teacher declares that it is time for a group activity, the students need to know what the procedure is. It has to be memorable to be effective. The following group activity model was designed to create an opportunity for leaders in the class to develop while also providing a light peer structured atmosphere for the students.
The idea is to have this be the default group activity model. Students will be placed in groups. These groups will stay the same for a period of time. For each group activity, there would always be a new group of leaders. Each group would be given a letter for its name but the military phonetic alphabet would be used. For example, the A group would be called Alpha. The leader for that group would be called Alpha leader. I think this has the right amount of quirkiness that the students would find enjoyable and easy to remember.
Each time the leaders would be chosen based on some criteria known only to me. It might be the highest scores on a recent test or the lowest scores. It might be the most improved students. Whichever reason, the ideas is to give everyone the opportunity to hold the position while also allowing some students to hold it more. It is these students who will become the leaders of the class. I would like to hear feedback about this idea. I don't know how I feel yet about some students getting more opportunities to hold the position. I could see an argument being that someone may want it but I might not feel that they are not a leader. This might affect their self efficacy and have negative effects on their performance.
Somehow, I would want leaders to be evaluated whether it is extra credit or an actual grade. It doesn't have to be this way but I want to establish some incentive for not only being a leader but also being a good leader. This also needs to be worked out.
So what would the leaders do? Well, like any good leader, they would be focused on the success of their group. In this case, learning a particular concept or completing an assignment would define the primary goal of the group as well as the leader. These would also be the objectives which would be assessed. The leaders would also be responsible for ensuring that their entire group understand all concepts. If not then they would assist the student, assign someone in their group to assist the student or make sure the student gets the appropriate help. The leaders would be responsible for delivering any directions given to them by the teacher.
These are just some thoughts but hopefully I can bring this together into something more concrete. I believe this is a good start on developing a more student directed classroom rather than a teacher directed on.
First Lesson Preview
Soon enough, I will be delivering my first lesson in the front of a class. The topic will be the first section of a chapter on exponential functions. This lesson will be a bit of an experiment and a good representation of what my philosophy explains. Many people look at the philosophies and theories of education as unpractical or even useless but what I think they don’t realize is that their applications are subtle at best. Good teachers, if one was to really analyze them, use these abstract concepts to create an effective learning environment. For example, a teacher that is authoritative but yet keeps a light atmosphere may do this because it’s his style but what he may not realize or ever think about is that his style creates an nonthreatening environment, which is a big idea in the theories. When I think about theories and philosophies I don’t think about how to create the ideal classroom; I try to look at my lesson and see the value in what I am doing. Outlining how your instructional strategies use theories allows you to see the value and then reflect on its benefit. To put it simply: We don’t take theories and philosophies and create a teaching technique. We reflect on our teaching technique and try to think about it in terms of the abstract concepts with a hope to improve.
I am not doing anything special or new in my first lesson but my explanation might be unique. Like I mentioned before, effective teachers seem to be able to pull mathematics out of the vacuum in which it is placed. This doesn’t mean saying, “I can figure out how much to tip a waiter by using this simple algebraic equation.” To me, this is a huge misconception that dominates mathematics education. I interpret “real world application” as taking a complicated concept like a function and presenting it to them in a different way than the text might explain it (e.g. drawing on the board of a machine that takes raw materials as its inputs and outputs something useful). This gives the abstract a more concrete nature which is easier understood by minds that haven’t developed certain capacities of thinking.
Exponential growth falls under this category.
So what I am going to try is the paper folding problem?
I will use an actual sheet of paper for this lesson.
How thick is a sheet of paper? t inches
If I fold it in half how thick? 2t inches
In half again? 4t inches
Again? 8t inches
I will then have students approximate the measurement. It should be around 1/8 of an inch.
How thick would it be if you could fold the paper 20 times in half? 50 times?
They will most likely guess a few inches where the answer is the size of the Liberty One building for 20 times and to the sun for 50 times.
This is a common activity but the value is extremely unappreciated.
One instruction strategy that I am interested in is Socratic questioning. This strategy is used to expose underlying assumptions of the target. Once they are exposed you then undermine what they think they know by proving their assumptions false. If done effectively, the surprise that occurs is enough to engage them in the concepts.
The sequence is the following: t 2t 4t 8t 16t 32t …
Factor out a t: 1 2 4 8 16 32 …
Some famous mathematician once said that mathematics is about pattern recognition. What is the pattern? The thickness doubles every time.
We could also say that the thickness t is doubled every time the paper is folded in half.
t x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x ….
If the paper is folded 5 times how thick is it?
t – no folds
2t – 1 fold – 2t
2(2t) – 2 folds – 2^2t
2(2(2t)) – 3 folds – 2^3t
2(2(2(2t))) – 4 folds – 2^4t
2(2(2(2(2t)))) – 5 folds – 2^5t – 32t – 32 sheets of paper
This introductory activity is about engagement and relationship. Some students may be able to look at a graph of an exponential function and understand that it grows very quickly but this activity illustrates it by using tangible examples.
I am not doing anything special or new in my first lesson but my explanation might be unique. Like I mentioned before, effective teachers seem to be able to pull mathematics out of the vacuum in which it is placed. This doesn’t mean saying, “I can figure out how much to tip a waiter by using this simple algebraic equation.” To me, this is a huge misconception that dominates mathematics education. I interpret “real world application” as taking a complicated concept like a function and presenting it to them in a different way than the text might explain it (e.g. drawing on the board of a machine that takes raw materials as its inputs and outputs something useful). This gives the abstract a more concrete nature which is easier understood by minds that haven’t developed certain capacities of thinking.
Exponential growth falls under this category.
So what I am going to try is the paper folding problem?
I will use an actual sheet of paper for this lesson.
How thick is a sheet of paper? t inches
If I fold it in half how thick? 2t inches
In half again? 4t inches
Again? 8t inches
I will then have students approximate the measurement. It should be around 1/8 of an inch.
How thick would it be if you could fold the paper 20 times in half? 50 times?
They will most likely guess a few inches where the answer is the size of the Liberty One building for 20 times and to the sun for 50 times.
This is a common activity but the value is extremely unappreciated.
One instruction strategy that I am interested in is Socratic questioning. This strategy is used to expose underlying assumptions of the target. Once they are exposed you then undermine what they think they know by proving their assumptions false. If done effectively, the surprise that occurs is enough to engage them in the concepts.
The sequence is the following: t 2t 4t 8t 16t 32t …
Factor out a t: 1 2 4 8 16 32 …
Some famous mathematician once said that mathematics is about pattern recognition. What is the pattern? The thickness doubles every time.
We could also say that the thickness t is doubled every time the paper is folded in half.
t x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x ….
If the paper is folded 5 times how thick is it?
t – no folds
2t – 1 fold – 2t
2(2t) – 2 folds – 2^2t
2(2(2t)) – 3 folds – 2^3t
2(2(2(2t))) – 4 folds – 2^4t
2(2(2(2(2t)))) – 5 folds – 2^5t – 32t – 32 sheets of paper
This introductory activity is about engagement and relationship. Some students may be able to look at a graph of an exponential function and understand that it grows very quickly but this activity illustrates it by using tangible examples.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Mr. Shilingo - Prompt #1
In my seminar class, I was given a journal prompt. I thought the topic might be appropriate to include in this blog. My professor basically wants to know who was my favorite teacher and why. I mentioned in the previous entry Mr. Shilingo, my high school physics teacher. That was one of my most enjoyable classes I have ever taken. I remember always being able to pay attention almost to the extent that he could be called captivating. As I try to remember why, I compare my self as a student back then to students that I am being exposed to. One thing that definitely sets me apart from students here is the level of curiosity I had. That is what appealed to me in that class. He was so knowledgeable and I was convinced that he knew his material very well. There is an important distinction to be made between some teachers. Some teachers know their class well. Some know their subject well. And some teachers are brilliant and have a well rounded perspective many of the arts and sciences. The latter teachers are the ones that inspire. They can take a subject and connect it to other subjects in a subtle way but a way which convinces the students to pay attention. Mr. Shilingo was such a teacher. However, just because I was captivated doesn’t mean he would be successful in an urban setting. Students here need something else. They can't get inspired because it seems like they don’t know how. They are missing something very essential for the foundation of the idea of “love of learning.” Maybe it is basic skills or discipline. Maybe its about expectations. Whatever the reason, being inspirational isn’t enough.
One thing I would criticize Mr. Shilingo for is his zero tolerance for students that don’t seem to be motivated. If you know me then you know I think students are left with the responsibility of choosing to be engaged but scolding an unmotivated student is not going to suddenly motivate them. It might make you feel better because you are venting about your frustration but it doesn’t work. I want to be as captivating as he was while also being able to control frustrations and figure out something that might positively affect students’ motivation.
One thing I would criticize Mr. Shilingo for is his zero tolerance for students that don’t seem to be motivated. If you know me then you know I think students are left with the responsibility of choosing to be engaged but scolding an unmotivated student is not going to suddenly motivate them. It might make you feel better because you are venting about your frustration but it doesn’t work. I want to be as captivating as he was while also being able to control frustrations and figure out something that might positively affect students’ motivation.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Observation #6
Algebra II
Poster on the wall: “Profanity is a public display of personal stupidity.”
The warm up is simply copying the homework from the board.
He recognizes students verbally that are engaged in each task.
5 people came in late.
They are pretty chatty. Speak out loud.
Solving by substitution.
Refused to allow someone 15 minutes late.
Teaching while students are copying notes.
While asking for the opposite operations, 3 students gave wrong answers to which he responded with verbal chastisement. I don’t think you have to be nurturing and fill your room with butterflies and flowers but if you want a successful community of learners, trust is a necessary key. I doesn’t seem like a good idea to ever scold a student because of a wrong answer. Don’t confront ability, confront responsibility. That’s kinda catchy.
The class was interrupted by someone at the door (assuming a staff member) that must have said that the student he refused entry earlier had to be admitted. He explained to the person that he shouldn’t have to stop class to accommodate students that come late. He then went on to say that this conversation was just a further disruption to the lesson. I agree to a certain point that interruptions of a lesson could inhibit the effectiveness of the lesson but by first refusing to open the door for the student created a disturbance in the class. Students were focusing on the student at the door. Then, this choice led to another lengthy interruption by a staff member. Rules are important but only when they are necessary.
One female student is taking an active role in paying a attention and taking notes but is constantly being disturbed by the male student in front of her. He frequently turns around and talks to her. I believe it is a sorry attempt at flirting. Not only do I want to throw a book at him, but I think the female student is about to punch him.
The phone rings which is someone that is calling about the previous student that he wouldn’t admit. This is now a longer interruption because he is once again explaining that interruptions are detrimental to the lesson, not realizing that he holds a bulk of the responsibility in these interruptions.
There are a few students that seem to enjoy shouting out answers. These students seem to get most of the focus. It is almost like he is coasting; taking the easy way by allowing his questions to get answered by students that are overtly enthusiastic. These students, although enthusiastic, give answers that are frequently wrong. It seems as though you should attempt to foster an environment where students have time to think about a question and then formulate an answer. This is a procedural issue.
This teacher reminds me of my favorite teacher in high school, Mr. Shilingo. He had the same quirky personality. He was very enthusiastic and seemed to be just as knowledge able. He had almost a zero tolerance disruption policy. He seems to make it work and I think he is actually a very good teacher.
Poster on the wall: “Profanity is a public display of personal stupidity.”
The warm up is simply copying the homework from the board.
He recognizes students verbally that are engaged in each task.
5 people came in late.
They are pretty chatty. Speak out loud.
Solving by substitution.
Refused to allow someone 15 minutes late.
Teaching while students are copying notes.
While asking for the opposite operations, 3 students gave wrong answers to which he responded with verbal chastisement. I don’t think you have to be nurturing and fill your room with butterflies and flowers but if you want a successful community of learners, trust is a necessary key. I doesn’t seem like a good idea to ever scold a student because of a wrong answer. Don’t confront ability, confront responsibility. That’s kinda catchy.
The class was interrupted by someone at the door (assuming a staff member) that must have said that the student he refused entry earlier had to be admitted. He explained to the person that he shouldn’t have to stop class to accommodate students that come late. He then went on to say that this conversation was just a further disruption to the lesson. I agree to a certain point that interruptions of a lesson could inhibit the effectiveness of the lesson but by first refusing to open the door for the student created a disturbance in the class. Students were focusing on the student at the door. Then, this choice led to another lengthy interruption by a staff member. Rules are important but only when they are necessary.
One female student is taking an active role in paying a attention and taking notes but is constantly being disturbed by the male student in front of her. He frequently turns around and talks to her. I believe it is a sorry attempt at flirting. Not only do I want to throw a book at him, but I think the female student is about to punch him.
The phone rings which is someone that is calling about the previous student that he wouldn’t admit. This is now a longer interruption because he is once again explaining that interruptions are detrimental to the lesson, not realizing that he holds a bulk of the responsibility in these interruptions.
There are a few students that seem to enjoy shouting out answers. These students seem to get most of the focus. It is almost like he is coasting; taking the easy way by allowing his questions to get answered by students that are overtly enthusiastic. These students, although enthusiastic, give answers that are frequently wrong. It seems as though you should attempt to foster an environment where students have time to think about a question and then formulate an answer. This is a procedural issue.
This teacher reminds me of my favorite teacher in high school, Mr. Shilingo. He had the same quirky personality. He was very enthusiastic and seemed to be just as knowledge able. He had almost a zero tolerance disruption policy. He seems to make it work and I think he is actually a very good teacher.
Observation #5
This was my first observation of my cooperating teacher.
The first 15 minutes of this class was also spent practicing for the PSSA exam. There was a huge difference between this class and the previous Algebra II class. Students were absolutely quiet during the quiz.
Class was started on time with clear directions.
His style wasn’t really textbook but it seems to work with the students. Not only is he able to sustain a light learning atmosphere with little disruption, he reaches most students.
He has a very teacher directed style with a lot of student interaction. He calls it “chalk and talk.” It’s a little different than a lecture and much more effective.
He is exemplifies someone who is friendly but not the student’s friend. He is able to joke with the students while maintaining a very authoritative manner. Given that I will eventually be teaching his classes, I have very satisfied with both his teaching style and the quality of his students. I wanted to try some different instructional strategies with them and the fact that he has developed good behavior habits in his classes will make my experience much more valuable.
The first 15 minutes of this class was also spent practicing for the PSSA exam. There was a huge difference between this class and the previous Algebra II class. Students were absolutely quiet during the quiz.
Class was started on time with clear directions.
His style wasn’t really textbook but it seems to work with the students. Not only is he able to sustain a light learning atmosphere with little disruption, he reaches most students.
He has a very teacher directed style with a lot of student interaction. He calls it “chalk and talk.” It’s a little different than a lecture and much more effective.
He is exemplifies someone who is friendly but not the student’s friend. He is able to joke with the students while maintaining a very authoritative manner. Given that I will eventually be teaching his classes, I have very satisfied with both his teaching style and the quality of his students. I wanted to try some different instructional strategies with them and the fact that he has developed good behavior habits in his classes will make my experience much more valuable.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Observation #4
This class was an algebra II class with a young energetic teacher.
12:31 PM - Bell Rings. Class Begins.
The first 15 minutes was spent completing a practice test for the PSSA (state assessment exam). From what I understand this is a mandatory part of the curriculum. The idea is that students fail at taking state exams because they don’t know how to take the tests. Now, I am not wild about concentrating on content but concentrating on how to take a test seems ridiculous.
From the start, I could tell that he was very friendly with his students, constantly joking and poking at them. The class atmosphere was light and jovial. His style seems to contain a lot of his personality which works. He counters his leniency with a loud and commanding voice.
During the quiz, students were talking almost as if it was group work. As far as I could tell there was no cheating just casual conversations. Not very realistic testing atmosphere.
He started by announcing the agenda for the period. The topic was the quadratic formula.
Allows obscenities.
There is a lot of chatter but many students seem to be engaged.
When the teacher confronts a student about behavior, the student laughs and jokes with the teacher. If this works for him, fine but if students don’t take your authority seriously then there is nothing you can do if it gets out of hand.
As he makes rounds helping students, others scream his name when they need help. There is no procedure for them to get attention.
Overall the class was effective given the abilities of the students. He seems to make this style work because of his personality. I think he is able to relate to the students while still retaining some authority.
12:31 PM - Bell Rings. Class Begins.
The first 15 minutes was spent completing a practice test for the PSSA (state assessment exam). From what I understand this is a mandatory part of the curriculum. The idea is that students fail at taking state exams because they don’t know how to take the tests. Now, I am not wild about concentrating on content but concentrating on how to take a test seems ridiculous.
From the start, I could tell that he was very friendly with his students, constantly joking and poking at them. The class atmosphere was light and jovial. His style seems to contain a lot of his personality which works. He counters his leniency with a loud and commanding voice.
During the quiz, students were talking almost as if it was group work. As far as I could tell there was no cheating just casual conversations. Not very realistic testing atmosphere.
He started by announcing the agenda for the period. The topic was the quadratic formula.
Allows obscenities.
There is a lot of chatter but many students seem to be engaged.
When the teacher confronts a student about behavior, the student laughs and jokes with the teacher. If this works for him, fine but if students don’t take your authority seriously then there is nothing you can do if it gets out of hand.
As he makes rounds helping students, others scream his name when they need help. There is no procedure for them to get attention.
Overall the class was effective given the abilities of the students. He seems to make this style work because of his personality. I think he is able to relate to the students while still retaining some authority.
Observation #3
This observation was a lot of fun. It should be filmed and sold as a tutorial about how not to teach. I have never even imagined a teacher this poor. It is a miracle he still has his job. This was a Geometry class which was probably comprised of mostly sophomores. One might have mistake this classroom as a zoo.
Before the bell rings students are literally running around and screaming.
11:34 AM - Bell rings. Class Begins.
11:44 – Teacher attempts to begin class.
A student walking past me utters in a not so quiet tone, “I’m impressed you still have your job.”
The warm-up begins.
There is a written objective on the board but it is never reviewed.
After being told multiple times to take his earphones out, a male student persists in listening to music. At first he tries to hide it with his hand but eventually pays no attention to the teacher’s requests to have them removed.
One student yells, “Shut the f*ck up!” No consequence.
The teacher then singles out and chastises a student about not completing an assignment. 15-20 seconds is utilized on this instructional strategy.
After another attempt by the teacher to get compliance from the student about his earphones, the student blatantly ignores each command. No consequence.
Across the room I can hear students talk in a surprisingly disrespectful manner about the teacher. I am sure he can hear them, at least I hope he can.
At this point, the teacher is merely talking to himself. No one from what I can tell is paying any attention. He calls students to answer questions while they have obscenity filled conversations. Students refuse to answer or cannot answer and he just continues on.
There are notes being passed all over the room.
After one female used an obscenity, the teacher responds, “A pretty girl and a foul mouth don’t go together.”
Student throws a paper ball at the teacher. No consequence.
12:26 – Students completely out of control. One student attempts to leave the class room while the teachers back is turned.
12:30 – Class ends.
The problem with this teacher is that he obviously tries to be a friend to the students. He is a lenient teacher that did not establish authority. If you don’t establish it at the beginning, you will lose control. Students are not your peers. Don’t try to be friends with them. Just be friendly.
Before the bell rings students are literally running around and screaming.
11:34 AM - Bell rings. Class Begins.
11:44 – Teacher attempts to begin class.
A student walking past me utters in a not so quiet tone, “I’m impressed you still have your job.”
The warm-up begins.
There is a written objective on the board but it is never reviewed.
After being told multiple times to take his earphones out, a male student persists in listening to music. At first he tries to hide it with his hand but eventually pays no attention to the teacher’s requests to have them removed.
One student yells, “Shut the f*ck up!” No consequence.
The teacher then singles out and chastises a student about not completing an assignment. 15-20 seconds is utilized on this instructional strategy.
After another attempt by the teacher to get compliance from the student about his earphones, the student blatantly ignores each command. No consequence.
Across the room I can hear students talk in a surprisingly disrespectful manner about the teacher. I am sure he can hear them, at least I hope he can.
At this point, the teacher is merely talking to himself. No one from what I can tell is paying any attention. He calls students to answer questions while they have obscenity filled conversations. Students refuse to answer or cannot answer and he just continues on.
There are notes being passed all over the room.
After one female used an obscenity, the teacher responds, “A pretty girl and a foul mouth don’t go together.”
Student throws a paper ball at the teacher. No consequence.
12:26 – Students completely out of control. One student attempts to leave the class room while the teachers back is turned.
12:30 – Class ends.
The problem with this teacher is that he obviously tries to be a friend to the students. He is a lenient teacher that did not establish authority. If you don’t establish it at the beginning, you will lose control. Students are not your peers. Don’t try to be friends with them. Just be friendly.
Observation #2
This was an Algebra I class with, presumably, an experienced teacher. She was 35-40 years old and had a thick eastern European accent. She really didn’t seem like a bad teacher but from what I observed, she struggles. From my one time observation I would say that because she is an authoritarian, students show very little respect and take no heed of any directive. The students were blatant with their disregard for her authority.
10:36 AM - Bell Rings. Class Begins.
She has a typical lesson plan: Objectives on the board and a warm-up.
Class on algebraic inequalities.
Many students not paying attention to her directions. One student is having a conversation on a cell phone.
2 students verbally disrespecting her after they arrived late. She calls security to remove them from the class.
10:43 – Checking homework.
When she answers questions, she has a tone of frustration which causes tension.
10:53 – Done checking homework.
Her accent makes it very difficult for me to understand her. Imagine what the students feel like.
When she calls on a student to give an answer, she usually finishes the answer. She seems to be rushing.
Reflection
It is important for students to reason through an problem and give their answer. If it is right try to highlight how they achieved it. If it is wrong either allow another student to assist or model the answer for them. This allows them to see how they should answer your questions.
11:05 – Students calm down. 3 students with their heads down. It seems that she is so boring that students no longer even have the energy to misbehave.
11:29 – Class ends.
10:36 AM - Bell Rings. Class Begins.
She has a typical lesson plan: Objectives on the board and a warm-up.
Class on algebraic inequalities.
Many students not paying attention to her directions. One student is having a conversation on a cell phone.
2 students verbally disrespecting her after they arrived late. She calls security to remove them from the class.
10:43 – Checking homework.
When she answers questions, she has a tone of frustration which causes tension.
10:53 – Done checking homework.
Her accent makes it very difficult for me to understand her. Imagine what the students feel like.
When she calls on a student to give an answer, she usually finishes the answer. She seems to be rushing.
Reflection
It is important for students to reason through an problem and give their answer. If it is right try to highlight how they achieved it. If it is wrong either allow another student to assist or model the answer for them. This allows them to see how they should answer your questions.
11:05 – Students calm down. 3 students with their heads down. It seems that she is so boring that students no longer even have the energy to misbehave.
11:29 – Class ends.
Observation #1
My first official day was spent observing other math teachers throughout the school. It was a fascinating experience, being exposed to great teachers and people I can’t bring myself to call teachers. Seven teachers with seven different styles of both teaching and classroom management ranged from order to chaos to ordered chaos. I observed many things; Things that they do well and things that if I do I would hope someone punches me in the kidney. I am not sure if I learned anything new but I definitely witnessed styles that are widely discussed in educational literature.
Observation #1
This was an Algebra I class with a first year teacher. I was surprised to learn that she had not student taught but that this was an internship that was necessary for certification. She is a young woman, with no experience, teaching freshman at an inner city Philadelphia high school. Given this, she really didn’t do that bad. She was definitely struggling but no more than I would be. Here is some of what I observed:
8:42 - Bell Rings
At the bell there were 9 people.
The students were told to continue working on whatever they were previously working on.
After one minute no specific task had yet been given. We learn that at the beginning of every class, students must be given specific directives. The quicker they get on task the easier it will be to introduce new material.
After 3 minutes only 2 people were doing anything on paper.
Shortly after I counted 16 people.
At 6 minutes, the warm-up material was being done by most of the students. This is when the warm-up should be completed.
The topic (from what I can infer) is Algebraic operations on inequalities.
When explaining the concepts she uses a lot of ambiguous language like “this” and “that.” “You are trying to figure out how to get rid of this.”
8:58 – One student is using and electronic device. Two students are talking loudly about basketball. The warm-up is still occurring.
A staff member (security?) enters the room and asks a student for an ID number and then told another student to take his hat off. This happens in the middle of a lesson.
9:13 – I am not sure what is supposed to be happening.
I noticed that she says the word "right" after just about every sentence. It is really bothering me.
One female student stands up and decides to walk around.
Refection
I believe people cannot construct new knowledge without having certain basic skills. We learn these basic skills from other people. As a teacher, if you expect your students to take information and then construct new knowledge you need to model both good behavior and effective academic practices. Specifically, if solving an algebraic equation, you need to model how you want them to write it, which steps you want them to complete, and how neat you want them to be. Once you create that routine for them then they will have those basic skills to organize their thoughts to facilitate critical thinking.
The teacher’s use of the chalkboard is poor. How can a teacher expect the students to keep a neat and organized notebook when the teacher is disorganized at the board?
9:23 – New material begins
Student throws a paper ball across the room, missing the trash can. No consequences.
9:35 – Students are done. No one is doing work anymore.
9:39 – Class ends.
This teacher really isn’t a bad teacher. I think the problem was that at the beginning she was unable to establish authority. Now that she is comfortable with being in the front of the classroom, it is too late. Students have a standard they will continue to follow. If something upsets their expectation, conflicts will surely arise. She will be fine next year.
Observation #1
This was an Algebra I class with a first year teacher. I was surprised to learn that she had not student taught but that this was an internship that was necessary for certification. She is a young woman, with no experience, teaching freshman at an inner city Philadelphia high school. Given this, she really didn’t do that bad. She was definitely struggling but no more than I would be. Here is some of what I observed:
8:42 - Bell Rings
At the bell there were 9 people.
The students were told to continue working on whatever they were previously working on.
After one minute no specific task had yet been given. We learn that at the beginning of every class, students must be given specific directives. The quicker they get on task the easier it will be to introduce new material.
After 3 minutes only 2 people were doing anything on paper.
Shortly after I counted 16 people.
At 6 minutes, the warm-up material was being done by most of the students. This is when the warm-up should be completed.
The topic (from what I can infer) is Algebraic operations on inequalities.
When explaining the concepts she uses a lot of ambiguous language like “this” and “that.” “You are trying to figure out how to get rid of this.”
8:58 – One student is using and electronic device. Two students are talking loudly about basketball. The warm-up is still occurring.
A staff member (security?) enters the room and asks a student for an ID number and then told another student to take his hat off. This happens in the middle of a lesson.
9:13 – I am not sure what is supposed to be happening.
I noticed that she says the word "right" after just about every sentence. It is really bothering me.
One female student stands up and decides to walk around.
Teacher: “sit down.”
Student: “I’m getting some paper.” Then she proceeds to ask the female sitting directly next to her for paper.
Refection
I believe people cannot construct new knowledge without having certain basic skills. We learn these basic skills from other people. As a teacher, if you expect your students to take information and then construct new knowledge you need to model both good behavior and effective academic practices. Specifically, if solving an algebraic equation, you need to model how you want them to write it, which steps you want them to complete, and how neat you want them to be. Once you create that routine for them then they will have those basic skills to organize their thoughts to facilitate critical thinking.
The teacher’s use of the chalkboard is poor. How can a teacher expect the students to keep a neat and organized notebook when the teacher is disorganized at the board?
9:23 – New material begins
Student throws a paper ball across the room, missing the trash can. No consequences.
9:35 – Students are done. No one is doing work anymore.
9:39 – Class ends.
This teacher really isn’t a bad teacher. I think the problem was that at the beginning she was unable to establish authority. Now that she is comfortable with being in the front of the classroom, it is too late. Students have a standard they will continue to follow. If something upsets their expectation, conflicts will surely arise. She will be fine next year.
First Impressions
My cooperating school is a typical inner city comprehensive high school.When someone mentions “inner city,” it is usually followed up by stereotypes of gangs, drugs and weapons. This is a terrible misconception as most inner city high schools are fairly tame but exist under the threat of drugs and violence. Because of these threats, many schools must implement drastic security measures to protect students and faculty. You should not judge a school based on what type of security measures students must be subject to as they enter the school. Being a typical inner city school, my school must suffer through other hardships that might not be comparable to drugs and violence but can be extremely detrimental to the learning environment. Lack of funds, a dearth of willing young teachers, seemingly jaded administration and a large population of poor under educated students. I am confident that these problems all have a solution but politics inhibit any real reform (more on that later).
The last two days were a series of unfortunate events that reinforced my initial presumptions of what this experience was going to be like. Thursday was supposed to be my first official day of student teaching; however because of miscommunication between student teaching coordinators at Temple and administration at the school, I was unable to start. The school did not receive my background clearances that I submitted to Temple because Temple was a little behind on their paperwork. This may be a boring entry to read but I write it because it shows the significance of the bureaucratic nightmare public education seems to be. This not only happened on Thursday but also Monday as well. I would wake up at 5:30 AM, drive thirty minutes, and arrive at the school at 7:30 AM only to be promptly turned away at around 8:00 AM. Who's to blame?
Here are the different perspectives:
A question: What would your demeanor be like towards a student teacher coming to your school? One would think that one would be very open and adopt a very helpful or welcoming demeanor. One would think. However, this assistant principal was just a little bit intimidating and dare I say, cold. Not only did I feel awkward being in a new place, not knowing what the heck I was doing but my initial exchanges with this person left me with such apprehension for my placement. At no point was I welcomed or greeted in a congenial manner. Her first statement was that I was not allowed to be in a classroom with students. As other staff arrived that held some interest in my being there she continued to make me feel less and less comfortable. As I turned to leave, she beckoned to me with a warm “Oh and by the way…” Hopeful, I turned and faced this cuddly person as she finished her goodbye, “…welcome to (hope rises) the Philadelphia school system.” It’s a good sign when people are that forthright with their bitterness.
That was the first day. On Monday, I actually was able to speak at some length with the math coordinator at the school and get some idea of what I will be doing. My first impression of her was fairly easy to establish. I could tell that she was passionate about her job (at least some aspects) and that she was probably pretty good at it. But she did not try to hide any bitterness she has for the administration or any other teachers. In fact, she held no qualms for speaking negatively to me about other teachers.
While we were walking down the hallway after we first met, she asked me why I wanted to be a teacher. Her tone was not of curiosity but of sarcasm because of a discussion we were having about school bureaucracy and other nuisances teachers must endure. I am on a positivity kick lately so I tried to turn the negative conversation around. I responded with, “There is nothing I would rather be doing.” Now, in her defense, I want to make clear that she is very well meaning and one of the good guys in education but her immediate response was a bit disconcerting. I was bombarded with a loud bellowing laugh like I was the headliner for some twisted educational comedy show. Not knowing how to respond and being somewhat speechless, I looked down and waited for her to change the subject, however, she continued her laugh concurrently repeating, “Just wait.”
I wish I could say that that was the last of what seems to me to be incredibly inappropriate outbursts, but it was not. While we were in her office, we were exchanging some background information about ourselves. I shared with her that I was a former computer engineer graduating from Drexel in 2005. Her look of surprise wasn’t unlike the usual responses from people when I tell them about my academic transition. So she asked, “Why would you ever want to get out of computer engineering?” I am assuming that her question was in regard to the assumption that the technology field is relatively lucrative to education. I answered honestly, “We don’t need more engineers; we need teachers.” People sometimes mistake me for Robin Williams. That’s how funny I am. All that I can say is that she enjoyed that answer.
I believe that she really didn’t intend to mock me in any way. She probably thinks I am a typical “idealistic teacher” that once in a classroom, I am going to get run over by a truck. I am not saying she is wrong but one thing I constantly try to do is envision myself in the classroom while simultaneously remembering how I felt in the classroom as a student, when I felt my worst. I think this gives me a good benchmark on what to expect from myself and from the students. I would agree with her that I am very idealistic about education but my approach is about pragmatism. She did reminded of a goal I used to have: “Never lose your idealism because it is what made you into what you are.”
The last two days were a series of unfortunate events that reinforced my initial presumptions of what this experience was going to be like. Thursday was supposed to be my first official day of student teaching; however because of miscommunication between student teaching coordinators at Temple and administration at the school, I was unable to start. The school did not receive my background clearances that I submitted to Temple because Temple was a little behind on their paperwork. This may be a boring entry to read but I write it because it shows the significance of the bureaucratic nightmare public education seems to be. This not only happened on Thursday but also Monday as well. I would wake up at 5:30 AM, drive thirty minutes, and arrive at the school at 7:30 AM only to be promptly turned away at around 8:00 AM. Who's to blame?
Here are the different perspectives:
The assistant principle, in a very matter of fact manner (I am being nice), said that she could not allow me to be in the classroom with students if she did not see my clearances. These clearances are for criminal backgrounds and child abuse histories. She said that she doesn’t feel comfortable with me interacting with students.
The Temple coordinator said that he spoke with the assistant principal and assumed that everything was set. After I described my second attempt at entering the school, he informed me, with a profound Machiavellian style, that people with power tend to enjoy enforcing said power. It was weird.
The math coordinator at the school said that the assistant principal was “very anal.” The way I see it is that the AP likes to follow protocol. There were many students whose paperwork was being processed during the first few days. I am assuming at other schools the powers that be used a little reasoning and decided that if Temple considers these student teachers to be worth of placement then they probably do not have any problems with their clearances. You might think that being annoyed with the AP is justified by I have other…issues with her.
A question: What would your demeanor be like towards a student teacher coming to your school? One would think that one would be very open and adopt a very helpful or welcoming demeanor. One would think. However, this assistant principal was just a little bit intimidating and dare I say, cold. Not only did I feel awkward being in a new place, not knowing what the heck I was doing but my initial exchanges with this person left me with such apprehension for my placement. At no point was I welcomed or greeted in a congenial manner. Her first statement was that I was not allowed to be in a classroom with students. As other staff arrived that held some interest in my being there she continued to make me feel less and less comfortable. As I turned to leave, she beckoned to me with a warm “Oh and by the way…” Hopeful, I turned and faced this cuddly person as she finished her goodbye, “…welcome to (hope rises) the Philadelphia school system.” It’s a good sign when people are that forthright with their bitterness.
That was the first day. On Monday, I actually was able to speak at some length with the math coordinator at the school and get some idea of what I will be doing. My first impression of her was fairly easy to establish. I could tell that she was passionate about her job (at least some aspects) and that she was probably pretty good at it. But she did not try to hide any bitterness she has for the administration or any other teachers. In fact, she held no qualms for speaking negatively to me about other teachers.
While we were walking down the hallway after we first met, she asked me why I wanted to be a teacher. Her tone was not of curiosity but of sarcasm because of a discussion we were having about school bureaucracy and other nuisances teachers must endure. I am on a positivity kick lately so I tried to turn the negative conversation around. I responded with, “There is nothing I would rather be doing.” Now, in her defense, I want to make clear that she is very well meaning and one of the good guys in education but her immediate response was a bit disconcerting. I was bombarded with a loud bellowing laugh like I was the headliner for some twisted educational comedy show. Not knowing how to respond and being somewhat speechless, I looked down and waited for her to change the subject, however, she continued her laugh concurrently repeating, “Just wait.”
I wish I could say that that was the last of what seems to me to be incredibly inappropriate outbursts, but it was not. While we were in her office, we were exchanging some background information about ourselves. I shared with her that I was a former computer engineer graduating from Drexel in 2005. Her look of surprise wasn’t unlike the usual responses from people when I tell them about my academic transition. So she asked, “Why would you ever want to get out of computer engineering?” I am assuming that her question was in regard to the assumption that the technology field is relatively lucrative to education. I answered honestly, “We don’t need more engineers; we need teachers.” People sometimes mistake me for Robin Williams. That’s how funny I am. All that I can say is that she enjoyed that answer.
I believe that she really didn’t intend to mock me in any way. She probably thinks I am a typical “idealistic teacher” that once in a classroom, I am going to get run over by a truck. I am not saying she is wrong but one thing I constantly try to do is envision myself in the classroom while simultaneously remembering how I felt in the classroom as a student, when I felt my worst. I think this gives me a good benchmark on what to expect from myself and from the students. I would agree with her that I am very idealistic about education but my approach is about pragmatism. She did reminded of a goal I used to have: “Never lose your idealism because it is what made you into what you are.”
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Introduction
This blog will be used in many different ways. Its main focus will be my observations and reflections of my student teaching experience, hence, the title. At times this will function as an outlet for my many thoughts and ideas within my first significant educational experience. From time to time, I may even vent my frustrations and disappointments of this experience and those people involved. This is by no means meant for entertainment but it is my attempt to illustrate, through my observations, what it is like for a new teacher struggling in a field little appreciated for its difficulty. This my attempt to document what I learn as I try to develop my own philosophy of education and individualized teaching style.
As an education student, part of our program is dedicated to student teaching which is basically an apprenticeship. For one semester, I will be shadowing whats called a cooperating teacher which is a teacher with more than three years of experience. During this time there is a period of observation after which I start to "take over" classes. This means I will be responsible for that class as if I were the actual teacher. Grading, classroom management, curriculum development and lesson plans are just a few of the functions a classroom teachers must master. This is not without any assistance. The cooperating teacher's role is to assist and evaluate throughout the process. Hopefully, this will prepare me for what I expect to be a fulfilling career choice.
Part of my reasoning for wanting to create a blog is that I want people to have access to my experiences. One of my fears is that this experience will destroy my idealism and motivation. I am in a rough school where, in my opinion, very little learning seems to occur. I want to be able to discuss this with others instead of allowing the negative experiences kill my idealism. I hope that when other people read this it will inspire them to think more about the importance of education and how difficult it is to teach in some environments.
As an education student, part of our program is dedicated to student teaching which is basically an apprenticeship. For one semester, I will be shadowing whats called a cooperating teacher which is a teacher with more than three years of experience. During this time there is a period of observation after which I start to "take over" classes. This means I will be responsible for that class as if I were the actual teacher. Grading, classroom management, curriculum development and lesson plans are just a few of the functions a classroom teachers must master. This is not without any assistance. The cooperating teacher's role is to assist and evaluate throughout the process. Hopefully, this will prepare me for what I expect to be a fulfilling career choice.
Part of my reasoning for wanting to create a blog is that I want people to have access to my experiences. One of my fears is that this experience will destroy my idealism and motivation. I am in a rough school where, in my opinion, very little learning seems to occur. I want to be able to discuss this with others instead of allowing the negative experiences kill my idealism. I hope that when other people read this it will inspire them to think more about the importance of education and how difficult it is to teach in some environments.
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