As part of my introduction to Prensky while I was on campus I decided to write a poem about technology. It is currently a PowerPoint presentation that in a few weeks I plan to turn into a YouTube video, but for right now I thought I would share it here in verse form. I hope you enjoy it.
The Lost Classroom
By: Randon Ruggles
I am part of a Lost Classroom and I refuse to believe that
We can change this
I realize this may be a shock but
“Schools are preparing students for the future”
Is a lie, and
“Learning can only happen from the front of the classroom”
So at the beginning of every semester the Digital Immigrant
teachers will tell their Digital Native students
They will be ignored
My school will know that
We will have the right mindset because
lecture
is more important than
learning
I inform you of this
At one time
Students were engaged in the classroom
but this will not be the case in the future
The Immigrants are unwilling to change
Experts say
Classrooms of today are similar to those of 100 years ago
I do not believe that
We will engage our students
In future classrooms
Lack of technology will be the norm
No longer can anyone say that
Teachers truly care about their students
It will be evident that
My profession has ceased to change
It is improbable to assume that
There is hope.
And all this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.
There is hope.
It is improbable to assume that
My profession has ceased to change
It will be evident that
Teachers truly care about their students
No longer can anyone say that
Lack of technology will be the norm
In future classrooms
We will engage our students
I do not believe that
Classrooms of today are similar to those of 100 years ago
Experts say
The Immigrants are unwilling to change
but this will not be the case in the future
Students were engaged in the classroom
At one time
I inform you of this
learning
is more important than
lecture
We will have the right mindset because
They will not be ignored
So at the beginning of every semester the Digital Immigrant
teachers will tell their Digital Native students
“Learning can only happen from the front of the classroom”
Is a lie, and
“Schools are preparing students for the future”
I realize this may be a shock but
We can change this
and I refuse to believe that I am part of a Lost Classroom.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Prensky Presentations
As part of my undergraduate program at Wartburg I am required to complete a major undergraduate research paper / thesis of sorts. In May I will defend this thesis in front of a group of faculty at Wartburg and will hopefully publish this paper in the following year. That being said, it has been a large undertaking for the past four years of my life in which I have dedicated a large amount of time, energy, and finally hard work into a document that is still to be finished. The whole paper is about technology in K-12 education and how I, along with others, have recognized a shift in the past few years. Now the education field stands at a crossroads of indecision. Do we embrace the new technology and change how we teach our students or do we continue to teach in the “old ways.” I propose and strongly suggest that we change and suggest some practical ways to begin to engage students in K-12 classrooms today.
That being said, when I started the research process for this project a while ago one name continued to come up time and time again. That was the name of futurist, educator, speaker, writer, and consultant Marc Prensky. As I read his latest articles and stayed up on his work throughout the past few years I determined that he was leading the way in educational technology. In my work with faculty at Wartburg, as the Senior Educational Technology Assistant, I knew that Prensky’s work was one that the faculty needed to read, digest, and apply. So I got this idea in my head that Prensky should come to Wartburg and speak to the faculty, hold a panel discussion with the students, and then also work with area educators to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum. It was an idea that I had been throwing around in my head for a year before the ocean parted and an opportunity came up at Wartburg for him to speak. However, the stars did not align and it was not possible for him to come at that point. So I kept trying and spoke to the Dean of Faculty about the opportunity for him to come to campus and speak. She was hesitant at first, but I think I made my case pretty strong about Prensky asking questions and really stimulating discussion about technology being integrated into the curriculum. So this time it worked out and Prensky was able to come to campus and speak and what was even better was that Wartburg flew me back, from Colorado, to assist with the whole two-day event.
I helped to pick him up from the hotel, introduce him to various groups that he met while he was on campus, and even had the privilege of introducing him and a group of my peers in a panel discussion on one morning. I was by his side at the President’s table for lunches and dinners and assisted him with smaller necessities, like Internet. Finally, I walked him out to his car as he headed back to the airport. All in all it was an awesome trip, not only for me, but I truly think for him also.
What Prensky did while he was on campus was to ask the questions to the campus. How are we engaging our students in the classroom? How are we allowing students to be a part of the process in planning the classes, the technology, and the campus as a whole? How are we crossing the Digital Divide between Digital Immigrant, those that were born before digital technology and the Digital Natives, those that were born with digital technology at their finger tips? How are we teaching in a new constructivist manner that really engages the students in their learning? Prensky asked a lot of questions, but then he also gave a lot of answers too. They were answers that I had heard before, because I have read all of his material, but ones that took on a new meaning in my life.
The context when learning a new skill or listening to a discussion for the third or fourth time always makes it so that learning can exist continually. So as a student teacher in a classroom of laptops and Digital Natives, I really took what he was saying to heart and started to apply it into my classroom right away. Others, especially the faculty, were a little hesitant as to what Prensky was saying and suggesting for them to do.
One important idea that I took away was that college professors do not need to have any sort of teaching degree to actually teach in college. They need to have no teaching classes, no experience, no anything but a Masters degree and / or a PhD depending on where you are at. That’s it. So there is no surprise that students complain even more, or at least I think so, about the quality of teaching in a college setting than they do about the teaching in a high school setting. I mean we talk about the Digital Divide like there is a large problem in K-12 education, and there is, but I think an even larger and untapped divide exists within the college and university setting. These professors are older, more experienced, and generally have little to no experience actually teaching (except maybe for the small percentage that have done some form of TA or other experience). That raises the question of, so who is teaching them how to be teachers? Who is teaching them to be the people that inspire our children on to success now that they have finished high school? Who is teaching them the newest and greatest technology so that it can be integrated into their curriculums? Who is challenging them to become better year by year and class by class? I know the structure of the college or university is different, but it is one that like the K-12 profession is evolving. Like I mentioned in a previous post, as a high school educator right now I am worried for the future. Worried that my students who are engaged in the classroom, who are using technology in the classroom, and who are exciting about learning because it is relevant and rigorous and it is about relationships will not be served, satisfied, or even close to happy with the education that they will receive in a college or university setting. So then, how do we change this? I think the first part is exactly what Prensky did, ask the question. The second, third and fourth steps still need to be figured out. If I were to suggest a few ideas, it would be conversation with students, support from administration, and a change in paradigm of teaching to a more constructivist approach.
Someone or a group of people need to challenge these universities and colleges to change, but who that individual is has yet to be determined. Prensky did that for Wartburg, but who else carries on his mission, vision, and ideas into the future has yet to be determined.
Overall, my trip was really successful. I was able to see my roommate, my friends, have about fifteen other meetings on top of the whole Prensky stuff and still manage to get back in time to teach on Friday morning. It was a whirlwind trip, but one that I that was very successful. Having Prensky on campus was really good for Wartburg and it was amazing to see the lives that he impacted while he was there. Not only the ones that were present at his keynote and other sessions, but the lives of the students that will get changed as a result of his comments during those two days. What is even crazier to think about is that it all started with one student, a love for technology, and a strong desire to make a difference in the world around him through an influential speaker. What is even crazier to believe is that individual is me. However, I don’t want the credit or the fame, but I do want to start to see a change happen in the world of education - A change that will benefit the students of today and most of all the students of tomorrow.
That being said, when I started the research process for this project a while ago one name continued to come up time and time again. That was the name of futurist, educator, speaker, writer, and consultant Marc Prensky. As I read his latest articles and stayed up on his work throughout the past few years I determined that he was leading the way in educational technology. In my work with faculty at Wartburg, as the Senior Educational Technology Assistant, I knew that Prensky’s work was one that the faculty needed to read, digest, and apply. So I got this idea in my head that Prensky should come to Wartburg and speak to the faculty, hold a panel discussion with the students, and then also work with area educators to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum. It was an idea that I had been throwing around in my head for a year before the ocean parted and an opportunity came up at Wartburg for him to speak. However, the stars did not align and it was not possible for him to come at that point. So I kept trying and spoke to the Dean of Faculty about the opportunity for him to come to campus and speak. She was hesitant at first, but I think I made my case pretty strong about Prensky asking questions and really stimulating discussion about technology being integrated into the curriculum. So this time it worked out and Prensky was able to come to campus and speak and what was even better was that Wartburg flew me back, from Colorado, to assist with the whole two-day event.
I helped to pick him up from the hotel, introduce him to various groups that he met while he was on campus, and even had the privilege of introducing him and a group of my peers in a panel discussion on one morning. I was by his side at the President’s table for lunches and dinners and assisted him with smaller necessities, like Internet. Finally, I walked him out to his car as he headed back to the airport. All in all it was an awesome trip, not only for me, but I truly think for him also.
What Prensky did while he was on campus was to ask the questions to the campus. How are we engaging our students in the classroom? How are we allowing students to be a part of the process in planning the classes, the technology, and the campus as a whole? How are we crossing the Digital Divide between Digital Immigrant, those that were born before digital technology and the Digital Natives, those that were born with digital technology at their finger tips? How are we teaching in a new constructivist manner that really engages the students in their learning? Prensky asked a lot of questions, but then he also gave a lot of answers too. They were answers that I had heard before, because I have read all of his material, but ones that took on a new meaning in my life.
The context when learning a new skill or listening to a discussion for the third or fourth time always makes it so that learning can exist continually. So as a student teacher in a classroom of laptops and Digital Natives, I really took what he was saying to heart and started to apply it into my classroom right away. Others, especially the faculty, were a little hesitant as to what Prensky was saying and suggesting for them to do.
One important idea that I took away was that college professors do not need to have any sort of teaching degree to actually teach in college. They need to have no teaching classes, no experience, no anything but a Masters degree and / or a PhD depending on where you are at. That’s it. So there is no surprise that students complain even more, or at least I think so, about the quality of teaching in a college setting than they do about the teaching in a high school setting. I mean we talk about the Digital Divide like there is a large problem in K-12 education, and there is, but I think an even larger and untapped divide exists within the college and university setting. These professors are older, more experienced, and generally have little to no experience actually teaching (except maybe for the small percentage that have done some form of TA or other experience). That raises the question of, so who is teaching them how to be teachers? Who is teaching them to be the people that inspire our children on to success now that they have finished high school? Who is teaching them the newest and greatest technology so that it can be integrated into their curriculums? Who is challenging them to become better year by year and class by class? I know the structure of the college or university is different, but it is one that like the K-12 profession is evolving. Like I mentioned in a previous post, as a high school educator right now I am worried for the future. Worried that my students who are engaged in the classroom, who are using technology in the classroom, and who are exciting about learning because it is relevant and rigorous and it is about relationships will not be served, satisfied, or even close to happy with the education that they will receive in a college or university setting. So then, how do we change this? I think the first part is exactly what Prensky did, ask the question. The second, third and fourth steps still need to be figured out. If I were to suggest a few ideas, it would be conversation with students, support from administration, and a change in paradigm of teaching to a more constructivist approach.
Someone or a group of people need to challenge these universities and colleges to change, but who that individual is has yet to be determined. Prensky did that for Wartburg, but who else carries on his mission, vision, and ideas into the future has yet to be determined.
Overall, my trip was really successful. I was able to see my roommate, my friends, have about fifteen other meetings on top of the whole Prensky stuff and still manage to get back in time to teach on Friday morning. It was a whirlwind trip, but one that I that was very successful. Having Prensky on campus was really good for Wartburg and it was amazing to see the lives that he impacted while he was there. Not only the ones that were present at his keynote and other sessions, but the lives of the students that will get changed as a result of his comments during those two days. What is even crazier to think about is that it all started with one student, a love for technology, and a strong desire to make a difference in the world around him through an influential speaker. What is even crazier to believe is that individual is me. However, I don’t want the credit or the fame, but I do want to start to see a change happen in the world of education - A change that will benefit the students of today and most of all the students of tomorrow.
The R.M.S. Titanic & My Life
As I was growing up I had a love for, and still do, studying the R.M.S. Titanic. That was the world’s largest ship, in 1912, which ran into an iceberg and sank in the middle of the ocean causing a massive loss of life due to the lack of lifeboats. Well the main problem with this ship and its mighty collapse was not the fact that it was built well, because for the most part (an historians probably disagree with me here) it was, but rather that they ran into an iceberg. Icebergs are unique things only displaying about twenty to twenty-five percent of their mass above the water line. That being said, there is so much more under the surface, hence why the Titanic sank, but it is the same way with people in my life.
In the Language Arts office for the past few weeks it has been really awkward at times – specifically between Anne and me. For some reason, because we both have had writing conferences and she is always busy at work, which is a good thing I think you need to be, but we have had some awkward moments where I have not gotten a chance to run my lesson plans by Anne or after school we have not gotten to debrief. Then when I left to go to Iowa (look at the next couple of posts here) there was a lot of tension about me not getting things to her on time and not following through on other things that I said or wrote that I would do (which are both completely my fault). Basically what I am getting at is that there was a little bit of a miscommunication and a time of awkwardness between us. Honestly, at times it did really upset me because I struggled with the fact that I was not doing the right things or that I was not making her happy (which I know is not the end all in life, but in student teaching at that time it seemed like it), but it was mainly me just stressed out and getting upset about things that were going on at school. I could have taken the initiative and gone over to Anne’s desk and approached her about my stuff, but at the same time I did not feel like that was ok for some reason. So as I left Colorado and went back to school I was frustrated with the situation and mainly with me – because it was my fault and no one else’s.
Although, then as I sat on the plane heading back to my home away from home, to Wartburg College, I started thinking about something that Kristin, my other cooperating teacher, told me before I left. She said, “Randon, remember that Anne has a lot going on in her life and she is a little stressed out right now.” That’s when it hit me – I was making the same mistake that the Titanic did. I was totally discounting everything under the surface, the other 75 percent of Anne’s life. Not only is Anne an amazing teacher, but she is planning a wedding, trying to finish graduate school, being a mother, and a whole host of other things that I do not even know about.
So I was taking her disappointment with me at face value, which at some point was true – she was upset and disappointed with me – but at the same time, she has a lot of stress in her life and I needed to take that into account too. That is not to say that like Anne, I think we all only see part of the person we are working with. I mean I am student teaching, working for Wartburg in a number of capacities, volunteering with the women’s soccer team, completing three other college courses, planning multiple events in Iowa from Colorado, trying to maintain relationships in Iowa, living here in Colorado by myself for the first time, trying to find a job, consulting with other school districts about their technology use, and doing all the other things that I am trying to do all at once.
What we see or know on the surface is probably like 25 percent of the person. I needed to start taking that into account with Anne and being a little more patient with her and understanding that how busy I am and the stressors in my life are very similar to Anne’s. She was upset at me for a good reason, but at the same time I need to understand that in everyone’s life there is a lot more that does not meet the eye.
I think that I knew this before, but now it has been a realization that makes sense and is something that I can apply to my life in tangible ways. So the past few days I have been patient and waited, and Anne and I have had some good conversations about teaching.
The mistake on the Titanic caused a massive loss of life, and this mistake by me caused a minor rift in my relationship with Anne that I think is on the way to healing.
In the Language Arts office for the past few weeks it has been really awkward at times – specifically between Anne and me. For some reason, because we both have had writing conferences and she is always busy at work, which is a good thing I think you need to be, but we have had some awkward moments where I have not gotten a chance to run my lesson plans by Anne or after school we have not gotten to debrief. Then when I left to go to Iowa (look at the next couple of posts here) there was a lot of tension about me not getting things to her on time and not following through on other things that I said or wrote that I would do (which are both completely my fault). Basically what I am getting at is that there was a little bit of a miscommunication and a time of awkwardness between us. Honestly, at times it did really upset me because I struggled with the fact that I was not doing the right things or that I was not making her happy (which I know is not the end all in life, but in student teaching at that time it seemed like it), but it was mainly me just stressed out and getting upset about things that were going on at school. I could have taken the initiative and gone over to Anne’s desk and approached her about my stuff, but at the same time I did not feel like that was ok for some reason. So as I left Colorado and went back to school I was frustrated with the situation and mainly with me – because it was my fault and no one else’s.
Although, then as I sat on the plane heading back to my home away from home, to Wartburg College, I started thinking about something that Kristin, my other cooperating teacher, told me before I left. She said, “Randon, remember that Anne has a lot going on in her life and she is a little stressed out right now.” That’s when it hit me – I was making the same mistake that the Titanic did. I was totally discounting everything under the surface, the other 75 percent of Anne’s life. Not only is Anne an amazing teacher, but she is planning a wedding, trying to finish graduate school, being a mother, and a whole host of other things that I do not even know about.
So I was taking her disappointment with me at face value, which at some point was true – she was upset and disappointed with me – but at the same time, she has a lot of stress in her life and I needed to take that into account too. That is not to say that like Anne, I think we all only see part of the person we are working with. I mean I am student teaching, working for Wartburg in a number of capacities, volunteering with the women’s soccer team, completing three other college courses, planning multiple events in Iowa from Colorado, trying to maintain relationships in Iowa, living here in Colorado by myself for the first time, trying to find a job, consulting with other school districts about their technology use, and doing all the other things that I am trying to do all at once.
What we see or know on the surface is probably like 25 percent of the person. I needed to start taking that into account with Anne and being a little more patient with her and understanding that how busy I am and the stressors in my life are very similar to Anne’s. She was upset at me for a good reason, but at the same time I need to understand that in everyone’s life there is a lot more that does not meet the eye.
I think that I knew this before, but now it has been a realization that makes sense and is something that I can apply to my life in tangible ways. So the past few days I have been patient and waited, and Anne and I have had some good conversations about teaching.
The mistake on the Titanic caused a massive loss of life, and this mistake by me caused a minor rift in my relationship with Anne that I think is on the way to healing.
The Groove
As with many things in life it is a lot easier to continue forward when you are in a groove, a rhythm, a routine of sorts – the same is true for teaching. So after about eleven weeks of teaching day by day and coming in before anyone in the department (because I think better at school in the morning then I do late at night in my apartment) and probably leaving school (after soccer) after about everyone in my department I think that I have gotten into a groove.
It is really hard to explain, this groove, but I feel like I have a good handle on the school, the staff, who to go to and for what reason, how to make phone calls home, how to handle tough situations in the classroom, and just really feeling comfortable in front of the students (not that I wasn’t before, but just that it is a lot easier right now because I know them). From there it has been really feeling like a valued member of the department and of the school – from CSAP proctoring (which I did not have to do, read on and you’ll find out why), to soccer, to administration members saying hello – Arapahoe has become a comfortable and good place for me to student teach. Now it has also become a much better place for me to teach now that I have balanced and put together my life, teaching, and everything else into a groove. It feels good. I am happy, energized, comfortable and now ready to finish out the last couple of weeks of student teaching.
It is really hard to explain, this groove, but I feel like I have a good handle on the school, the staff, who to go to and for what reason, how to make phone calls home, how to handle tough situations in the classroom, and just really feeling comfortable in front of the students (not that I wasn’t before, but just that it is a lot easier right now because I know them). From there it has been really feeling like a valued member of the department and of the school – from CSAP proctoring (which I did not have to do, read on and you’ll find out why), to soccer, to administration members saying hello – Arapahoe has become a comfortable and good place for me to student teach. Now it has also become a much better place for me to teach now that I have balanced and put together my life, teaching, and everything else into a groove. It feels good. I am happy, energized, comfortable and now ready to finish out the last couple of weeks of student teaching.
The Joy of Soccer…The ABK Way
For the past eleven weeks I have had the privilege of assistant coaching on the women’s varsity soccer squad at Arapahoe High School. I have been the crazy goalie coach that drives the “Rugglemiester,” aka the silver minivan that I get the privilege of driving around town, and sometimes participates in practice with the women. For the past few weeks we finally started game play and won our own pre-season tournament, a tournament that has been going on for the past twenty years. This team of women, the coaching staff, and the overall ABK (Arapahoe Ball Kickers) program has been impressive from the start. The fact that we started coaching and getting ready for the season nine to ten weeks before tryouts was incredible. Not to mention the intensity, desire, and will that these students have for doing their absolute best on the field.
And it has all paid off in the fact that we won that tournament without a number of our starters, who were at a national recruiting tournament. From there we did receive our pre-season rankings and let me say they were impressive – I knew that ABK was good, but this good was like out of my league. The women’s soccer team that I am working with started out the season ranked number one in the state of Colorado and number five in the country. And here I am, a student teacher with a passion and love for goalkeeping trying to coach their goalies on to success.
And either I have done a good job, doubtful even though I have tried, or the defense and my goalies have done a good job keeping balls out of the net – because we have only allowed one goal the whole year, five games. It is not everything, but it is at least a start.
Being a part of this team has been a privilege from the beginning. I knew that AHS had a soccer team, but then I looked and found out how good they actually are. It was impressive to me, when I arrived, that they did not have a goalie coach, but I was excited about my opportunity to fulfill that void for them, at least for a while. So I have worked hard teaching, meeting with students after school and really putting that part of my student teaching first, and then I go out to soccer whenever that has all gotten over. But it has been a journey and one that I have been honored to be a part of.
In eleven weeks you begin to learn the ropes and really get a handle on the rituals and the excitement surrounding ABK soccer. The pre-game meetings, the visualization that happens, the chants, the parents, the booster club, the overall program and its strength. It has been impressive to be a part of and in three weeks, when I have to leave and go back to Iowa to graduate, I know it will be hard to leave these women. The women who for the past roughly fifty-five practices I have gotten to know and appreciate - these women are driven, they want to win it all, and they know that soccer is not the end all in life, but for right now they make it a priority because they want to represent themselves, their families, their school, and ABK well. So they press on in pursuit of their goals in the only way that they, and now me, know how – the ABK way.
And it has all paid off in the fact that we won that tournament without a number of our starters, who were at a national recruiting tournament. From there we did receive our pre-season rankings and let me say they were impressive – I knew that ABK was good, but this good was like out of my league. The women’s soccer team that I am working with started out the season ranked number one in the state of Colorado and number five in the country. And here I am, a student teacher with a passion and love for goalkeeping trying to coach their goalies on to success.
And either I have done a good job, doubtful even though I have tried, or the defense and my goalies have done a good job keeping balls out of the net – because we have only allowed one goal the whole year, five games. It is not everything, but it is at least a start.
Being a part of this team has been a privilege from the beginning. I knew that AHS had a soccer team, but then I looked and found out how good they actually are. It was impressive to me, when I arrived, that they did not have a goalie coach, but I was excited about my opportunity to fulfill that void for them, at least for a while. So I have worked hard teaching, meeting with students after school and really putting that part of my student teaching first, and then I go out to soccer whenever that has all gotten over. But it has been a journey and one that I have been honored to be a part of.
In eleven weeks you begin to learn the ropes and really get a handle on the rituals and the excitement surrounding ABK soccer. The pre-game meetings, the visualization that happens, the chants, the parents, the booster club, the overall program and its strength. It has been impressive to be a part of and in three weeks, when I have to leave and go back to Iowa to graduate, I know it will be hard to leave these women. The women who for the past roughly fifty-five practices I have gotten to know and appreciate - these women are driven, they want to win it all, and they know that soccer is not the end all in life, but for right now they make it a priority because they want to represent themselves, their families, their school, and ABK well. So they press on in pursuit of their goals in the only way that they, and now me, know how – the ABK way.
Obtaining Control
So if you have followed me in this journey for a while you know that I have had some issues with my ninth grade class and overall classroom management. Well Anne and Kristin, at the suggestion of their friends and other coworkers, went out and bought me The First Days of School. I went through there and read the section on classroom management and then started to apply some of the ideas to my classroom and also take from there some of the overall ideas and apply those to all my classes. Needless to say, it has gotten better, but it is not completely there yet.
So I rolled out the three strike policy a few weeks ago. The students receive a warning for anything that they are doing that violates the class policies (i.e. talking while I am talking, not raising their hand to add to the conversation, etc.). With a warning I make sure that the students understand what it is they are receiving it for, otherwise they are really confused in the end. From there, if the student continues a certain behavior that is unacceptable they receive one strike. If the behavior continues after one strike, then it goes to two strikes. At two strikes the student is sent out into the hallway and the parents/guardians get a phone call. At three strikes the students are sent out into the hallway and a referral is filed with the student’s assistant principal. These strikes accumulate by the week and so far only one person has gotten to the second strike.
The struggle has not been if the students will follow the policy, but instead how will I enforce it. The first few days were really rough because students all across the class were receiving strikes and it was hard to get them back under control. However, then the students began to realize that they did enjoy the class a little more structured when they could actually add to the conversation. It was hard for me, really hard, to be consistent with all the students. Some students added to the conversation constantly, and because they were doing that they were receiving more strikes. However, those that just sat there the entire period and did not always add to the conversation did not receive any strikes – just because they did not say or do anything in class. So then I ended up punishing those students that were making my class the special, conversational place that it was. Then these students got upset because they really felt that they had a place in the class, and that they were actually adding to the conversation. So that was a tough challenge between making these students feel like a welcomed and valued part of the class and also that they needed to follow the class policies like everyone else. So for a few weeks, and still to today, it has been a tough road to run. Handing out strikes and then explaining to the students why they received a strike while others did not – the consistency piece needs to come and it has over time. The class has started to come back, but I still need to come up with a good way to get back their attention after doing an activity with them or having them work in pairs.
The struggle, now, has been not how strict I want my classroom – because right at the beginning the class was dead silent all the time. Which for some might be a good idea of a classroom, and for me it really felt that I had control; however, it was clearly obvious that the students were not enjoying the classroom. I needed to be a little hard, especially at the beginning and I do need to continue that as I move into the last two weeks of student teaching, but how hard do I really need to be? How much conversation can I handle in one class? How much talking to a neighbor can I handle, especially while I am teaching? What if the student is checking with another student about the assignment for tomorrow? Then that is constructive learning, but at the same time it is while I am teaching and that does not make sense. So now I need to maintain a balance, but I need to come up with that balance in my classroom first. This is the balance between what I will allow and what I will not allow, the balance between students talking and me moving them away from their friends, and the balance between students talking and adding to the conversation by raising their hands and those that add to the conversation without raising their hands. I think that this balance is something that I have not figured out yet, but it is something that I need to continue to formulate and figure out in these last two weeks.
Yesterday in class I had a great conversation, multiple times, with one of my most troubled students that I have had a tough time with throughout my student teaching. Furthermore, my students followed my directions, for the most part, and they participated in the class discussion. Yes, they were typical ninth grade students and did not always stay on task and were chatty, but all things considered (the last period before Spring Break), they were good. They respect me, at least I think so, more than before, and they are trying, and I am trying, to regain control of this classroom.
We have made a step in the right direction and they are coming back. We are still a little way from where I would like it to be, but then again my goal has now become to get them finally to the point where Anne and I have them under control with one week left in my experience.
Reflecting on this experience, if I were to redo everything again, I think it might have been helpful to see Anne teach this class once or twice at the beginning before I took it over. I am only a student teacher and really had no idea, what so ever, how to deal with a group of ninth grade students sixth period. That way I think that I could have seen her style of teaching with them. However, at the same time I have learned, grown, and really evolved into my own teacher through this experience. There have definitely been really tough days, days when I have had to figure it out and really motivate myself, and other days when I know that I could have been better. Trying to define what this class is like, the classroom management part of it specifically, has been one of the biggest challenges of my short student teaching, but probably the most important one for sure.
I have grown, they are coming back, and I will continue to grow and obtain control for the last two weeks of student teaching. Thank you to everyone for their thoughts, suggestions, and overall words of encouragement these last few weeks as I have dealt with this challenge. Now I will try and figure out the balance…yet another challenge…yet another growing opportunity.
So I rolled out the three strike policy a few weeks ago. The students receive a warning for anything that they are doing that violates the class policies (i.e. talking while I am talking, not raising their hand to add to the conversation, etc.). With a warning I make sure that the students understand what it is they are receiving it for, otherwise they are really confused in the end. From there, if the student continues a certain behavior that is unacceptable they receive one strike. If the behavior continues after one strike, then it goes to two strikes. At two strikes the student is sent out into the hallway and the parents/guardians get a phone call. At three strikes the students are sent out into the hallway and a referral is filed with the student’s assistant principal. These strikes accumulate by the week and so far only one person has gotten to the second strike.
The struggle has not been if the students will follow the policy, but instead how will I enforce it. The first few days were really rough because students all across the class were receiving strikes and it was hard to get them back under control. However, then the students began to realize that they did enjoy the class a little more structured when they could actually add to the conversation. It was hard for me, really hard, to be consistent with all the students. Some students added to the conversation constantly, and because they were doing that they were receiving more strikes. However, those that just sat there the entire period and did not always add to the conversation did not receive any strikes – just because they did not say or do anything in class. So then I ended up punishing those students that were making my class the special, conversational place that it was. Then these students got upset because they really felt that they had a place in the class, and that they were actually adding to the conversation. So that was a tough challenge between making these students feel like a welcomed and valued part of the class and also that they needed to follow the class policies like everyone else. So for a few weeks, and still to today, it has been a tough road to run. Handing out strikes and then explaining to the students why they received a strike while others did not – the consistency piece needs to come and it has over time. The class has started to come back, but I still need to come up with a good way to get back their attention after doing an activity with them or having them work in pairs.
The struggle, now, has been not how strict I want my classroom – because right at the beginning the class was dead silent all the time. Which for some might be a good idea of a classroom, and for me it really felt that I had control; however, it was clearly obvious that the students were not enjoying the classroom. I needed to be a little hard, especially at the beginning and I do need to continue that as I move into the last two weeks of student teaching, but how hard do I really need to be? How much conversation can I handle in one class? How much talking to a neighbor can I handle, especially while I am teaching? What if the student is checking with another student about the assignment for tomorrow? Then that is constructive learning, but at the same time it is while I am teaching and that does not make sense. So now I need to maintain a balance, but I need to come up with that balance in my classroom first. This is the balance between what I will allow and what I will not allow, the balance between students talking and me moving them away from their friends, and the balance between students talking and adding to the conversation by raising their hands and those that add to the conversation without raising their hands. I think that this balance is something that I have not figured out yet, but it is something that I need to continue to formulate and figure out in these last two weeks.
Yesterday in class I had a great conversation, multiple times, with one of my most troubled students that I have had a tough time with throughout my student teaching. Furthermore, my students followed my directions, for the most part, and they participated in the class discussion. Yes, they were typical ninth grade students and did not always stay on task and were chatty, but all things considered (the last period before Spring Break), they were good. They respect me, at least I think so, more than before, and they are trying, and I am trying, to regain control of this classroom.
We have made a step in the right direction and they are coming back. We are still a little way from where I would like it to be, but then again my goal has now become to get them finally to the point where Anne and I have them under control with one week left in my experience.
Reflecting on this experience, if I were to redo everything again, I think it might have been helpful to see Anne teach this class once or twice at the beginning before I took it over. I am only a student teacher and really had no idea, what so ever, how to deal with a group of ninth grade students sixth period. That way I think that I could have seen her style of teaching with them. However, at the same time I have learned, grown, and really evolved into my own teacher through this experience. There have definitely been really tough days, days when I have had to figure it out and really motivate myself, and other days when I know that I could have been better. Trying to define what this class is like, the classroom management part of it specifically, has been one of the biggest challenges of my short student teaching, but probably the most important one for sure.
I have grown, they are coming back, and I will continue to grow and obtain control for the last two weeks of student teaching. Thank you to everyone for their thoughts, suggestions, and overall words of encouragement these last few weeks as I have dealt with this challenge. Now I will try and figure out the balance…yet another challenge…yet another growing opportunity.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Job Fair – Round One
So today I ventured out to a new experience, one that I had heard a lot about but not experienced – the job fair. So this morning I got up and put on my Sunday best and headed out to a school and into the dog pen. I got here, along with a lot of other people, a little early and got registered. Then I stood in line and waited, and waited, and waited some more for the doors to open. Then finally they did and all of us, I would have to guess somewhere around 550 teachers, educators, and support staff all searching for a job.
So there I was, a student teacher thrown into a huge gym full of people. Armed with my resume and a smile I approached my first school district to talk to them. Of course there were lines, but some places were worse than others. Last night I made my short list of schools that I was interested in, so I started off there. The format is that prospective educators have about two minutes to impress the representatives of the district with the few words and ideas that you have. So that’s what I did, I said a few things about student teaching, technology, finishing my degree program, and then trying to ask a question to keep the conversation going. From there they would probably tell me, at least at most places, that they do not have any openings right now. So I would hand them my resume, tell them thank you, and then move on.
That’s what I found in a lot of districts, but in just a few I had a little more luck. If you make it past the first round of interrogation and approval, then they grant you a thirty minute interview later in the day. At first I started to wonder if I would even get any interviews. I kept getting turned down by school district after school district, because of a lack of openings. As I was waiting in line I met a friend who chatted with me for a while and then she encouraged me to throw my plan out the window. My short list, what did it really matter? Of course, make sure that I hit those schools, but other than that I have nothing holding me to Denver. Why not go around to every table and get my information out. So that’s what I did, I hit them all up. Mostly I got turned down, time and time again. One school district in particular would not even look at student teachers. Which, I think is good for the students and parents in their district, but some student teachers are fantastic and I think worth looking at – I am included. However, I guess I somewhat understand the policy. That was frustrating; however this market is hard. The jobs are few and far between, so I kept trying. Then I finally got a huge break with a large district outside of Denver and that made me really excited. From there I tried a few other places and then started getting the line, “We would love to interview you today, but our sheet is already filled up.” They only have so much time to interview so many candidates, it makes sense, but I feel like they fill them on a first come, first serve basis, which I believe they are leaving out some quality candidates. I was excited, though, because even one school district told me, “We’re really interested and if anything opens up today, like someone does not show up for an interview, I will call you.” That was really nice to hear. In addition, I also got an interview at a smaller district that will serve as a preparation for the larger school district. I was able to schedule it right before too, so that was a good thing.
All in all, there were a lot of people, a lot of standing in line, and very little progress. A few interviews, that was good, but overall I’m still not ready for school on Monday and this ate up my day. I understand that finding a job is really important, but I want to make sure that it is worth my time. Many of these districts were like, did you apply online? To which I thought; No, if I had time I might take you up on that. Which leads me to the kicker – It will be this week when I carve out time for me to actually get on the computer and actually get things situated. I am watching a few other school districts and a few other jobs around the state and this week I have to make time to start applying.
So my first interview was with the really small school district. It was good to go in there, see what questions they had, and then move from there. They strongly encouraged me to apply to their open position.
My second interview was with an interviewee that was really excited to meet me and interview me. My interviewer was really impressed with my resume and “everything I had done in my short life.” She said, “It was one of the best resumes I have seen in a while,” which made me feel good about my accomplishments and that my resume was attracting attention. From there she asked me a few standard questions about education, teaching, and then she asked me about publishing relevant material. I took that and ran with it. I showed her how my students were publishing to Wiki spaces, blogging, Fishbowling in class, and really publishing to the world. I also told her about how we are using cell phones in the classroom and really trying to make the content that the students write worth while to the students and publishable to the world. From question three on, I do not think she went back to the “prepared questions.” Instead, we just had a chat about engagement, technology, teaching, and middle school students. At the end of the interview, my interviewer strongly encouraged me to apply for a recent posting of an opening at 7th and 8th grade. I was a little hesitant at first to even think about and acknowledge teaching middle school students, but then my interviewer told me a little bit more about the school district and how it is growing and how it passed a very large bond last year. To that end, they will be hiring many teachers and spending a lot of money on technology and a brand new P-20 school that will open in 2011 I believe. So it was a great interview that actually went over time, but made me excited for teaching and the prospect of a job in the near future.
This whole career fair thing is very daunting at first and even seemed like part of it was not worth it, but I really felt that at the end of the day I had two good jobs to look into and start applying to. I had built up confidence in my skills, resume, and presentation, which all was very helpful, and I had even had some interview experience. Now off to the search for the online applications and the time to fill them out. The search continues, but all in all it was a good day.
So there I was, a student teacher thrown into a huge gym full of people. Armed with my resume and a smile I approached my first school district to talk to them. Of course there were lines, but some places were worse than others. Last night I made my short list of schools that I was interested in, so I started off there. The format is that prospective educators have about two minutes to impress the representatives of the district with the few words and ideas that you have. So that’s what I did, I said a few things about student teaching, technology, finishing my degree program, and then trying to ask a question to keep the conversation going. From there they would probably tell me, at least at most places, that they do not have any openings right now. So I would hand them my resume, tell them thank you, and then move on.
That’s what I found in a lot of districts, but in just a few I had a little more luck. If you make it past the first round of interrogation and approval, then they grant you a thirty minute interview later in the day. At first I started to wonder if I would even get any interviews. I kept getting turned down by school district after school district, because of a lack of openings. As I was waiting in line I met a friend who chatted with me for a while and then she encouraged me to throw my plan out the window. My short list, what did it really matter? Of course, make sure that I hit those schools, but other than that I have nothing holding me to Denver. Why not go around to every table and get my information out. So that’s what I did, I hit them all up. Mostly I got turned down, time and time again. One school district in particular would not even look at student teachers. Which, I think is good for the students and parents in their district, but some student teachers are fantastic and I think worth looking at – I am included. However, I guess I somewhat understand the policy. That was frustrating; however this market is hard. The jobs are few and far between, so I kept trying. Then I finally got a huge break with a large district outside of Denver and that made me really excited. From there I tried a few other places and then started getting the line, “We would love to interview you today, but our sheet is already filled up.” They only have so much time to interview so many candidates, it makes sense, but I feel like they fill them on a first come, first serve basis, which I believe they are leaving out some quality candidates. I was excited, though, because even one school district told me, “We’re really interested and if anything opens up today, like someone does not show up for an interview, I will call you.” That was really nice to hear. In addition, I also got an interview at a smaller district that will serve as a preparation for the larger school district. I was able to schedule it right before too, so that was a good thing.
All in all, there were a lot of people, a lot of standing in line, and very little progress. A few interviews, that was good, but overall I’m still not ready for school on Monday and this ate up my day. I understand that finding a job is really important, but I want to make sure that it is worth my time. Many of these districts were like, did you apply online? To which I thought; No, if I had time I might take you up on that. Which leads me to the kicker – It will be this week when I carve out time for me to actually get on the computer and actually get things situated. I am watching a few other school districts and a few other jobs around the state and this week I have to make time to start applying.
So my first interview was with the really small school district. It was good to go in there, see what questions they had, and then move from there. They strongly encouraged me to apply to their open position.
My second interview was with an interviewee that was really excited to meet me and interview me. My interviewer was really impressed with my resume and “everything I had done in my short life.” She said, “It was one of the best resumes I have seen in a while,” which made me feel good about my accomplishments and that my resume was attracting attention. From there she asked me a few standard questions about education, teaching, and then she asked me about publishing relevant material. I took that and ran with it. I showed her how my students were publishing to Wiki spaces, blogging, Fishbowling in class, and really publishing to the world. I also told her about how we are using cell phones in the classroom and really trying to make the content that the students write worth while to the students and publishable to the world. From question three on, I do not think she went back to the “prepared questions.” Instead, we just had a chat about engagement, technology, teaching, and middle school students. At the end of the interview, my interviewer strongly encouraged me to apply for a recent posting of an opening at 7th and 8th grade. I was a little hesitant at first to even think about and acknowledge teaching middle school students, but then my interviewer told me a little bit more about the school district and how it is growing and how it passed a very large bond last year. To that end, they will be hiring many teachers and spending a lot of money on technology and a brand new P-20 school that will open in 2011 I believe. So it was a great interview that actually went over time, but made me excited for teaching and the prospect of a job in the near future.
This whole career fair thing is very daunting at first and even seemed like part of it was not worth it, but I really felt that at the end of the day I had two good jobs to look into and start applying to. I had built up confidence in my skills, resume, and presentation, which all was very helpful, and I had even had some interview experience. Now off to the search for the online applications and the time to fill them out. The search continues, but all in all it was a good day.
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