It's hard to believe that the third trimester is almost half way through! I'm looking at summer on the horizon-I have to squint to see it, but it's there! Part of me is excited for the break and the relaxation, but not all of me. There's a lot of uncertainty in the next couple of months.
Right now I'm focusing on all the good. My lesson plans are taking less time to create and seem more natural. My students are engaged in the material and I feel as if the various balls we all must juggle as teachers are staying in the air. Perseverance pays off!!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
What a Nice End to the Trimester!
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my anticipation of the fetal pig dissections and how I thought they might go. I was a little excited about the whole process, although I had my reservations. Well, now we're done dissecting and what an experience that was! I heard 15-20 times a day how much the pigs smelled and how gross they were. For the first time this trimester students weren't bringing food into the classroom, (easy to see why!) It was interesting to see which students had aversions to the pigs and which ones were okay with getting their hands dirty while exploring. The students who could get past the smell and see the experience as a unique opportunity to learn, really seemed to get something out of it! I think it was fun for them to get to see and feel organs and a body structure that is very similar to our own.
During the dissections, I took pictures of the kids working and the pigs in their full glory. By the time we were done I had about 50 pictures of the whole thing. Going with a well-advised suggestion of one of my co-workers, I used these pictures to have the kids make a quick video out of their experience. On their last day of class, I loaded the pictures onto two different computers and split the kids into groups. Using Animoto, an online program that mixes photos with text and music to make a video clip, my students were able to build some really cool videos of their dissections in about an hour and a half. The students had to pick 12-20 pictures of the dissected pigs and use them to present the excretory, circulatory, and respiratory systems. They broke the photos up into the correct body systems and introduced them with text about the system's parts and functions. Then they got to pick some music to coordinate the video to.
On Gallery Night, a night that showcases student progress and achievement to their families and the community, one of the videos was chosen to represent the A & P class. A couple of the girls presented it, and overall it was received very well! The idea of watching pictures of a dead pig with all of its body parts sprawled out being jazzed up with techno music may come across as a bit odd, but it really was a neat way to display their knowledge. The students enjoyed making the videos and now they have a final product-and all the memories that come with it-to put into their portfolios!
During the dissections, I took pictures of the kids working and the pigs in their full glory. By the time we were done I had about 50 pictures of the whole thing. Going with a well-advised suggestion of one of my co-workers, I used these pictures to have the kids make a quick video out of their experience. On their last day of class, I loaded the pictures onto two different computers and split the kids into groups. Using Animoto, an online program that mixes photos with text and music to make a video clip, my students were able to build some really cool videos of their dissections in about an hour and a half. The students had to pick 12-20 pictures of the dissected pigs and use them to present the excretory, circulatory, and respiratory systems. They broke the photos up into the correct body systems and introduced them with text about the system's parts and functions. Then they got to pick some music to coordinate the video to.
On Gallery Night, a night that showcases student progress and achievement to their families and the community, one of the videos was chosen to represent the A & P class. A couple of the girls presented it, and overall it was received very well! The idea of watching pictures of a dead pig with all of its body parts sprawled out being jazzed up with techno music may come across as a bit odd, but it really was a neat way to display their knowledge. The students enjoyed making the videos and now they have a final product-and all the memories that come with it-to put into their portfolios!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
More Fuel for the Gas Tank
The second trimester is winding down and the kids are, as tends to be the pattern, getting antsy. I don't blame them really, but I find myself having very little patience for their excuses and attitudes.
I'm quite new to the teaching profession. It was not much more than a year ago that I decided teaching was my niche and I wanted to pursue it fully as my livelihood, instead of just teaching a class here or there. A career has never felt more right to me than teaching does, but lately I'm not enjoying it. I feel like my gas tank is on empty and the next gas station is MILES away. It's sheer willpower that's fueling me on right now, and even that is running low. I'm not naive enough to think I'm one of the only teachers to experience this. I do, however, wonder what it will take to get me to the next gas station. I'm too stubborn not to get there, but it's starting to look like I may be walking a mile or two with the ol' gas can.
This profession is SO demanding and sometimes I just get overwhelmed. I'd really like to know what I can do to minimize the stress and maximize the learning. I've tried talking to some of my fellow teachers, but I think it's something I'm just going to have to figure out on my own. So, that walk to the gas station? Well, it may not have been what I had planned, but it'll work. I'm just getting some exercise with the gas I need.
I'm quite new to the teaching profession. It was not much more than a year ago that I decided teaching was my niche and I wanted to pursue it fully as my livelihood, instead of just teaching a class here or there. A career has never felt more right to me than teaching does, but lately I'm not enjoying it. I feel like my gas tank is on empty and the next gas station is MILES away. It's sheer willpower that's fueling me on right now, and even that is running low. I'm not naive enough to think I'm one of the only teachers to experience this. I do, however, wonder what it will take to get me to the next gas station. I'm too stubborn not to get there, but it's starting to look like I may be walking a mile or two with the ol' gas can.
This profession is SO demanding and sometimes I just get overwhelmed. I'd really like to know what I can do to minimize the stress and maximize the learning. I've tried talking to some of my fellow teachers, but I think it's something I'm just going to have to figure out on my own. So, that walk to the gas station? Well, it may not have been what I had planned, but it'll work. I'm just getting some exercise with the gas I need.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Barrel of Monkeys or Bucket o' Pigs??
Anyone for bacon? How about dead piglets? Anyone? Well, believe it or not, I know quite a few people, teenagers actually, who are excited about the young swine-but not because they get to eat them. Trust me, NO ONE wants to eat these mini bacons. They're preserved in a solution similar to firmaldahyde that doesn't smell quite as bad, but definitely isn't going to be on the market as an air-freshener anytime soon. Still, my science kids are pretty geared up to get the chance to cut into them and do some exploring. I'm a bit anxious too, in an odd sort of way. I don't like the idea of something dying for science, but I'm not about to let their death's be in vain.
This whole mini bacon exploration is going to be at least a little exciting. There's nothing that helps cement your memories and data together like some good old exploring. I still remember the dissection I did in college, which was on a cat. I had issues with that because cats have been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. Yet, once I shoved the idea of the specimen in front of me being someone's beloved Fufu out of my mind, I was able to proceed with the mind of a scientist. Not surprisingly, I learned a lot about anatomy. I have the same hopes for my students.
Ya know, it's funny now looking back to the beginning of the trimester when I had my reservations about teaching anatomy and physiology. I wasn't sure how I could captivate the kids' interests and I needed a bit of refreshing on the content. Now, I'm proud to say, I can look back at this trimester and smile. I truly have had a good time teaching my students about body systems and functions and I think they've had fun too. I wish this class was an entire year instead of only a trimester. There's just so much to learn about and so many ways to tackle that learning. I'm thinking about having the kids play a little with Animoto once I've photographed their work. Then they'll have a solid product to put into their portfolios on this class-a product that they can really show to others to explain their exploration.
Teaching science has been quite the experience for me. I would have laughed at you if you'd told me I'd be educating our youth about A&P a few years ago. Now, I think about how just this afternoon I was carrying 2 large buckets full of preserved specimens out of my car and into one of our buildings. The image makes me chuckle, because I never would have thought I'd grow from playing "Barrel of Monkeys" to hosting a game of bucket o' pigs.
This whole mini bacon exploration is going to be at least a little exciting. There's nothing that helps cement your memories and data together like some good old exploring. I still remember the dissection I did in college, which was on a cat. I had issues with that because cats have been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. Yet, once I shoved the idea of the specimen in front of me being someone's beloved Fufu out of my mind, I was able to proceed with the mind of a scientist. Not surprisingly, I learned a lot about anatomy. I have the same hopes for my students.
Ya know, it's funny now looking back to the beginning of the trimester when I had my reservations about teaching anatomy and physiology. I wasn't sure how I could captivate the kids' interests and I needed a bit of refreshing on the content. Now, I'm proud to say, I can look back at this trimester and smile. I truly have had a good time teaching my students about body systems and functions and I think they've had fun too. I wish this class was an entire year instead of only a trimester. There's just so much to learn about and so many ways to tackle that learning. I'm thinking about having the kids play a little with Animoto once I've photographed their work. Then they'll have a solid product to put into their portfolios on this class-a product that they can really show to others to explain their exploration.
Teaching science has been quite the experience for me. I would have laughed at you if you'd told me I'd be educating our youth about A&P a few years ago. Now, I think about how just this afternoon I was carrying 2 large buckets full of preserved specimens out of my car and into one of our buildings. The image makes me chuckle, because I never would have thought I'd grow from playing "Barrel of Monkeys" to hosting a game of bucket o' pigs.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Technology is for the Dragons...
Last week I had my first meeting/training session for the E2T2 technology grant I'm partaking in. Our first session was long, but informative and interesting. I was introduced to several new products or tools that I can use in my classrooms. I haven't decided yet which resource or resources I want to use, or even which classes I want to implement them in, but I am getting excited about what's out there on the world wide web! The sites I'm most interested in are GoAnimate.com and Glogster. GoAnimate is a site that lets you design your own characters and cartoons and Glogster is like an online poster site. Both of these sites I could work into my art classes pretty easily, but the Glogster might be a nice tool for science as well.
Overall, I'm just excited to be a part of the E2T2 grant. It's going to make me a more educated and well-rounded teacher and it's giving me the opportunity to connect to the next generation on their playing field-the internet. It's going to take extra time, effort and energy to get all parts of this grant done, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe it was well worth it. And the newbie bringing technology to the dragons? It's about time I teach my students some new ways to operate in cyberspace.
Overall, I'm just excited to be a part of the E2T2 grant. It's going to make me a more educated and well-rounded teacher and it's giving me the opportunity to connect to the next generation on their playing field-the internet. It's going to take extra time, effort and energy to get all parts of this grant done, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe it was well worth it. And the newbie bringing technology to the dragons? It's about time I teach my students some new ways to operate in cyberspace.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
First big observation
Happy New Year!! I can't believe we're about half way through January already! Time flies when you're busy...
Well, I had my first observation last week that counts towards my salary. It was a little nerve racking, but that was just because I knew it was coming and wanted to get it over with. I'm comfortable with my mentor teacher, who did the observing, and I felt really good about the lesson afterwards. The kids were well behaved and engaged for the majority of the lesson, (which can be a trick since our lessons are 100 minutes long). The class also seemed to go by quickly.
I met with my mentor today and discussed my progress and evaluation. It seems my self evaluation and his evaluation were pretty much on the same page. This, of course, is a good sign because it means that I'm fairly self aware of my strengths and weaknesses. It was also good to hear that I'm making a lot of progress! Seems teaching and me work well together!
Anyway, I'm just relieved to have one of the BIG ones over with...
Well, I had my first observation last week that counts towards my salary. It was a little nerve racking, but that was just because I knew it was coming and wanted to get it over with. I'm comfortable with my mentor teacher, who did the observing, and I felt really good about the lesson afterwards. The kids were well behaved and engaged for the majority of the lesson, (which can be a trick since our lessons are 100 minutes long). The class also seemed to go by quickly.
I met with my mentor today and discussed my progress and evaluation. It seems my self evaluation and his evaluation were pretty much on the same page. This, of course, is a good sign because it means that I'm fairly self aware of my strengths and weaknesses. It was also good to hear that I'm making a lot of progress! Seems teaching and me work well together!
Anyway, I'm just relieved to have one of the BIG ones over with...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New Teacher Orientation & Back to School
Alright, new year, new start-right? This week has definitely been a shot-gun start to long distance race; I'm off and running. By the time I'm done with this week, I will have taught all of my regular classes, attended 4 meetings, started doing work on the technology grant and got my first "for pay" evaluation. You can say that I've hit the ground running!
Our new teacher orientation meeting last night (one of the 4 meetings I mentioned) went really well. They tend to go by rather quickly and this one was no exception. What was kind of nice was that the first part was review for me. The teachers installed a program on their laptops that I've been using diligently since September. That made me feel pretty good because I am usually not one step ahead of the game when it comes to technology. I even showed one of my fellow new teachers one of the lessons I've done on Active Inspire. It was refreshing to be able to help another teacher. It only goes to prove that we can all provide useful tips, regardless of our levels of experience.
The other part of our meeting was about assessments vs. grading. We went over the difference between the two and how they are often mistakingly interchanged. I think I'm going to try and focus more on the learning aspect of my students' progress vs. the achievement aspect. This is tricky to do, for numerous reasons, but is attainable. I think I can work towards doing this by comparing their work on their daily reflections throughout the trimester. I can also see their progress through their assignments, although those may be a little harder to compare. In addition, I need to just keep it in the back of my head that what we as teachers truly care about is improvement and learning. Grades should reflect learning, not the student's ability to fill out a paper correctly or regurgitate information.
Anyway, back in the saddle-cheers!
Our new teacher orientation meeting last night (one of the 4 meetings I mentioned) went really well. They tend to go by rather quickly and this one was no exception. What was kind of nice was that the first part was review for me. The teachers installed a program on their laptops that I've been using diligently since September. That made me feel pretty good because I am usually not one step ahead of the game when it comes to technology. I even showed one of my fellow new teachers one of the lessons I've done on Active Inspire. It was refreshing to be able to help another teacher. It only goes to prove that we can all provide useful tips, regardless of our levels of experience.
The other part of our meeting was about assessments vs. grading. We went over the difference between the two and how they are often mistakingly interchanged. I think I'm going to try and focus more on the learning aspect of my students' progress vs. the achievement aspect. This is tricky to do, for numerous reasons, but is attainable. I think I can work towards doing this by comparing their work on their daily reflections throughout the trimester. I can also see their progress through their assignments, although those may be a little harder to compare. In addition, I need to just keep it in the back of my head that what we as teachers truly care about is improvement and learning. Grades should reflect learning, not the student's ability to fill out a paper correctly or regurgitate information.
Anyway, back in the saddle-cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
