October 31, 2007
I apologize to those of you who have been waiting for an instant report after my first day of teaching. There's so much to do (even now) that I barely have time to eat. Now I have survived two days and I'm going back for more! I teach over 100 kids every day- divided among 5 different classes, mostly freshmen and all very wound up. They're good kids... they've just been lacking proper guidance and management for the past month.
I feel like I'm in an episode of Quantum Leap where I've been dropped into a potentially dangerous situation, and I have to figure out what happened and fix it real quick before an impending disaster occurs. This MUST be harder that starting fresh at the beginning of a year - trying to figure out where the previous teacher left off, get to know the students and learn all the school's systems as fast as possible. I can barely manage to pull together enough activities for the next day before I hit my mandatory bed time. That's one thing I won't compromise, however, the past couple night have been so riddled with dreams of being unprepared for school and being caught in desperate moments that I wake up in a sweat every couple hours.
I leave before Savannah wakes up and get home just before her bed time. It's making me sad to realize how much less quality time I'll have with her and Kathy. My commute is wonderful, though. I took my bike on BART (our mass-transit train) which dropped me off within a couple miles of the school. From there, I discovered a smooth, scenic hike/bike trail that follows a canal directly to the school. It was so beautiful and refreshing as the sun came up, and I was amazed by the number of people getting out that early to exercise!
Well, that's it for now. I gotta get to my preparations! I'll write in more detail when I can spare the time. I really appreciate the good thoughts from those of you who responded to my last posting. Thank you!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A New Beginning
October 26, 2007
It's official: I have been officially accepted as an Earth Science teacher at Ygnacio Valley High School!
After the current school year began, I started losing hope of finding a perfect position and thought I'd be a sub until next year. One evening, about two weeks ago, I just decided to check the web site where all public school positions are posted, and up popped one for Earth Science! I figured, why not? It never hurts to apply, right? Well, I received a call from the principal at Ygnacio Valley High the very next day. I guess she liked my cover letter. It turns out that a someone who was trying out teaching for the first time decided it was not for him, and the school was anxious to find a replacement.
We got into a lengthy conversation the following Sunday afternoon, at the end of which, the principal asked if I wanted the position. I was caught off-guard, expecting a more formal interview, but she seemed to believe I had what they were looking for. It didn't require a second thought on my part!
There are a number of positive aspects to accepting this position:
--> My day starts with a "prep" period, so I don't actually start teaching until 9:00a.m.
--> I get to teach one period of keyboarding/computer applications
--> The school is rated just low enough that I qualify for a significant tuition-repayment program
--> With a full-credential, I get to participate in a teacher-induction program with my own mentor
--> I get my own classroom!
So, I expect to start teaching next Monday which coincides with the beginning of a new quarter. I'm fairly nervous and know there is more preparation to do than I have time for, but the most important thing is to have infrastructure and classroom procedures/policies in place. I really hope to make a fresh start on the right foot with my students, even though it's not the beginning of the year.
I'd appreciate any good thoughts you can send my way... :)
It's official: I have been officially accepted as an Earth Science teacher at Ygnacio Valley High School!
After the current school year began, I started losing hope of finding a perfect position and thought I'd be a sub until next year. One evening, about two weeks ago, I just decided to check the web site where all public school positions are posted, and up popped one for Earth Science! I figured, why not? It never hurts to apply, right? Well, I received a call from the principal at Ygnacio Valley High the very next day. I guess she liked my cover letter. It turns out that a someone who was trying out teaching for the first time decided it was not for him, and the school was anxious to find a replacement.
We got into a lengthy conversation the following Sunday afternoon, at the end of which, the principal asked if I wanted the position. I was caught off-guard, expecting a more formal interview, but she seemed to believe I had what they were looking for. It didn't require a second thought on my part!
There are a number of positive aspects to accepting this position:
--> My day starts with a "prep" period, so I don't actually start teaching until 9:00a.m.
--> I get to teach one period of keyboarding/computer applications
--> The school is rated just low enough that I qualify for a significant tuition-repayment program
--> With a full-credential, I get to participate in a teacher-induction program with my own mentor
--> I get my own classroom!
So, I expect to start teaching next Monday which coincides with the beginning of a new quarter. I'm fairly nervous and know there is more preparation to do than I have time for, but the most important thing is to have infrastructure and classroom procedures/policies in place. I really hope to make a fresh start on the right foot with my students, even though it's not the beginning of the year.
I'd appreciate any good thoughts you can send my way... :)
Friday, May 4, 2007
Now, that wasn't so painful...
May 4, 2007
Well, it's finally over. 3 years of night classes, meetings and papers topped with 15 weeks of unpaid student teaching, and I am finally free from the University of Phoenix. A year ago, I thought it was a wasted effort and that I would never achieve the masters degree that at first appeared so easy to reach. I never anticipated how much it would affect my family. We made a lot of sacrifices, and it cost us significantly more than the U of P would tell you when signing up. I could spend hours ranting, but others have pretty well summed it up on this site.
I had to cram a lot of material in the last couple weeks of teaching as the students were preparing for STAR testing, but we saved the last day for fun and celebrations. I picked up several dozen donuts early in the morning, and our master teacher brought apples and orange juice. Guess what the kids liked more?
We played some games, took pictures, and I spoke about my upcoming trip to Africa.
My mom has spent the past 3 years helping set up a new school in Ethiopia and invited me to come make a video documentary about the progress there. I explained to the students that education is a highly-sought privilege in Africa. My mom's school can only enroll about 200 new students each year, but easily more than 2,000 show up to register. If only our American children could understand what a luxury it is for them to have free, convenient, directed education, they might actually respect their teachers and care more about their grades. Think?
I learned a lot during this experience: how essential it is to be prepared, to be constantly observant of the entire class, to discipline effectively, to keep accurate grades, to keep track of policies and agreements, and how to arrange for a healthy work-life balance. It's amazing how much can happen in just 4 months, and I can see how quickly it can become overwhelming for new teachers. I feel more confident and capable, though, in being able to take on teaching as a career if that is what my future holds.
On the other hand, I feel stronger about teaching at a higher level such as ROP or Community Colleges where people choose to be there rather than getting stuck in classes they don't like because it's the law. Perhaps, if I find a position teaching about technology (video/internet), I will find like-minded students who are anxious to learn. So that's all for now. I may decide to continue this blog if and when I continue teaching. Until then, thanks for reading!
-Master Sierra-
Well, it's finally over. 3 years of night classes, meetings and papers topped with 15 weeks of unpaid student teaching, and I am finally free from the University of Phoenix. A year ago, I thought it was a wasted effort and that I would never achieve the masters degree that at first appeared so easy to reach. I never anticipated how much it would affect my family. We made a lot of sacrifices, and it cost us significantly more than the U of P would tell you when signing up. I could spend hours ranting, but others have pretty well summed it up on this site.
I had to cram a lot of material in the last couple weeks of teaching as the students were preparing for STAR testing, but we saved the last day for fun and celebrations. I picked up several dozen donuts early in the morning, and our master teacher brought apples and orange juice. Guess what the kids liked more?
We played some games, took pictures, and I spoke about my upcoming trip to Africa.
My mom has spent the past 3 years helping set up a new school in Ethiopia and invited me to come make a video documentary about the progress there. I explained to the students that education is a highly-sought privilege in Africa. My mom's school can only enroll about 200 new students each year, but easily more than 2,000 show up to register. If only our American children could understand what a luxury it is for them to have free, convenient, directed education, they might actually respect their teachers and care more about their grades. Think?
I learned a lot during this experience: how essential it is to be prepared, to be constantly observant of the entire class, to discipline effectively, to keep accurate grades, to keep track of policies and agreements, and how to arrange for a healthy work-life balance. It's amazing how much can happen in just 4 months, and I can see how quickly it can become overwhelming for new teachers. I feel more confident and capable, though, in being able to take on teaching as a career if that is what my future holds.
On the other hand, I feel stronger about teaching at a higher level such as ROP or Community Colleges where people choose to be there rather than getting stuck in classes they don't like because it's the law. Perhaps, if I find a position teaching about technology (video/internet), I will find like-minded students who are anxious to learn. So that's all for now. I may decide to continue this blog if and when I continue teaching. Until then, thanks for reading!
-Master Sierra-
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Inspiration
April 5, 2007
Sometimes, in the course of life's struggles, we seemingly stumble upon ideas that make a situation so much easier. Yet it might be something we have never heard of before or possibly would have not discovered if we were looking too hard. My favorite video teacher once described the term "stochastic process" as a random result - other than what we were striving to achieve which may, in fact, turn out better than intended. I also think of the phrase "Desperation is the mother of invention" when I feel struck by some new revelation.
This past week, I suddenly found myself losing my voice. The first thing that came to mind was, how could I possibly command the attention of my resource class without a strong, projecting voice? Well, I started out the class, letting the students know I was losing my voice, and I would appreciate their consideration to keep the volume down. That had a minuscule effect, and they were back to their rowdy behavior in no time.
As I tried to get through a PowerPoint, I could feel my voice giving out. So I asked a student to read it off the screen for me. It turns out, he was a student that others would listen to and caused many others to be quiet. That worked so well, I continued to call on students to read out loud for me, and we got through the lesson so much faster. I like to think they got more out of it, too.
As I mentioned before, trying to get the class to be quiet can easily take 10-15 minutes. And as soon as I begin to speak, they start talking again. So, one day, I had a spontaneous thought to call on individuals and ask them to get their table quiet. (They sit in groups of 3-4 around Chemistry lab-style tables). The request seemed to give them a sense of leadership and responsibility (at least in my mind), and it seemed effective the first few times I tried it.
On another day, when the class was being themselves again, one girl who is often an instigator of such behavior (and frequent heated arguements) voluntarily offered to read my lecture notes to the class. It was miraculous to observe how they all listened while she was speaking. Do they really respect each other that much more than the teacher, or was it just because they were afraid they would be called on to read next?
I do witness times of loyalty to fellow students, particularly when I'm cracking down on individuals for misbehavior. They will blurt out comments in defense of the one in trouble, even if they were at odds with that person the day before. Whenever I would see someone cheating on tests, I usually approach them quietly to see how they respond and to not call as much attention that could be embarrassing to them. However, whenever I do, someone is likely to create a distraction behind my back or call me from the other side of the room for a nonsense question. Even when they're failing, they all stick together.
Sometimes, in the course of life's struggles, we seemingly stumble upon ideas that make a situation so much easier. Yet it might be something we have never heard of before or possibly would have not discovered if we were looking too hard. My favorite video teacher once described the term "stochastic process" as a random result - other than what we were striving to achieve which may, in fact, turn out better than intended. I also think of the phrase "Desperation is the mother of invention" when I feel struck by some new revelation.
This past week, I suddenly found myself losing my voice. The first thing that came to mind was, how could I possibly command the attention of my resource class without a strong, projecting voice? Well, I started out the class, letting the students know I was losing my voice, and I would appreciate their consideration to keep the volume down. That had a minuscule effect, and they were back to their rowdy behavior in no time.
As I tried to get through a PowerPoint, I could feel my voice giving out. So I asked a student to read it off the screen for me. It turns out, he was a student that others would listen to and caused many others to be quiet. That worked so well, I continued to call on students to read out loud for me, and we got through the lesson so much faster. I like to think they got more out of it, too.
As I mentioned before, trying to get the class to be quiet can easily take 10-15 minutes. And as soon as I begin to speak, they start talking again. So, one day, I had a spontaneous thought to call on individuals and ask them to get their table quiet. (They sit in groups of 3-4 around Chemistry lab-style tables). The request seemed to give them a sense of leadership and responsibility (at least in my mind), and it seemed effective the first few times I tried it.
On another day, when the class was being themselves again, one girl who is often an instigator of such behavior (and frequent heated arguements) voluntarily offered to read my lecture notes to the class. It was miraculous to observe how they all listened while she was speaking. Do they really respect each other that much more than the teacher, or was it just because they were afraid they would be called on to read next?
I do witness times of loyalty to fellow students, particularly when I'm cracking down on individuals for misbehavior. They will blurt out comments in defense of the one in trouble, even if they were at odds with that person the day before. Whenever I would see someone cheating on tests, I usually approach them quietly to see how they respond and to not call as much attention that could be embarrassing to them. However, whenever I do, someone is likely to create a distraction behind my back or call me from the other side of the room for a nonsense question. Even when they're failing, they all stick together.
Going Unnoticed
April 5, 2007
Well, it looks like our actions got some attention. Frankly, bringing the vice-principal to our class barely phased the students. Some even made fun of him behind his back while he was lecturing them. But when the Science department chair person finally realized how serious the situation is, he decided to make some changes.
One important note to make here is that, when I was inquiring at schools to do student teaching, the vice-principal at this school was excited to tell me about a new "pilot" Earth Science class that would be great for me to get involved with. That was the major selling point that helped me decide to come here. What they meant by "pilot", though, was that they were pooling all their lowest-performing students with the worst discipline issues into one class! That is where I ended up.
So, it finally occurred to some people that if they really wanted measurable and accurate results from a "pilot" program, they probably shouldn't have a student teacher in charge. While my master teacher felt equally frustrated and didn't think he would be doing much better, I felt I was doing the students a disservice by not being strict enough to keep them in line. I believe this collection of students could potentially break any teacher, given enough time. My other master teacher said, "It's one thing to jump into the deep end, but this is like having your head held underwater at the same time."
So this turn of events was actually a relief to me, and I will be able to focus more on the Environmental Science class that is more respectful and conducive to learning. The end of my student teaching is approaching rapidly, and I hope to end on a strong note. Things are looking up!
Well, it looks like our actions got some attention. Frankly, bringing the vice-principal to our class barely phased the students. Some even made fun of him behind his back while he was lecturing them. But when the Science department chair person finally realized how serious the situation is, he decided to make some changes.
One important note to make here is that, when I was inquiring at schools to do student teaching, the vice-principal at this school was excited to tell me about a new "pilot" Earth Science class that would be great for me to get involved with. That was the major selling point that helped me decide to come here. What they meant by "pilot", though, was that they were pooling all their lowest-performing students with the worst discipline issues into one class! That is where I ended up.
So, it finally occurred to some people that if they really wanted measurable and accurate results from a "pilot" program, they probably shouldn't have a student teacher in charge. While my master teacher felt equally frustrated and didn't think he would be doing much better, I felt I was doing the students a disservice by not being strict enough to keep them in line. I believe this collection of students could potentially break any teacher, given enough time. My other master teacher said, "It's one thing to jump into the deep end, but this is like having your head held underwater at the same time."
So this turn of events was actually a relief to me, and I will be able to focus more on the Environmental Science class that is more respectful and conducive to learning. The end of my student teaching is approaching rapidly, and I hope to end on a strong note. Things are looking up!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Dealing with "Resource"
April 2, 2007
When I agreed to which classes I would student teach for these 15 weeks, I didn't exactly know what I was getting in to. So far, my two Environmental Science classes have been going as expected - a few challenges but pretty smooth overall. My afternoon Earth Science class, however, is a whole different animal.
I heard the term "resource" used occasionally when I was still shadowing the master teacher in the first weeks. I could sense his frustrations as he would try to talk over the constant social banter during class, and he had a way of calling out names of individuals who were particularly disruptive without losing a beat in his lectures. Never do I recall the class being entirely silent, and it never has been since.
In the weeks to follow, I learned that this entire class is sort of an "experiment" by the school to put all the kids with the most severe learning disabilities, behavioral issues and/or lowest grades together in one Science class. The product seems to be a devil's brew - a sort of evil concoction that could break all but the most hardened teachers. Some refer to it as a "hope and pray" situation while others simply say "good luck" with a smirk on their faces.
Each of the students in this class are supposed to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) on file for teachers to cater more effective learning styles to the students' needs. My master teacher said that sometimes those don't show up until the end of the year, though. He prompted me before I began teaching by saying everyone in this class has some sort of issue(s), so no matter how bad it seems here, things can be many times worse outside of school and at home.
He could easily send half the class to the office on any given day, but we should try to be tolerant and give them more help and opportunities to pass the class. So that is what I have done for the last 10+ weeks, and I have yet to see any difference it has made. I just come home more frustrated every day, racking my brain to image why kids could care so little about their grades - especially as Freshmen with their whole high school experience ahead of them.
About half of them currently have F's for the semester, but there is a spark of hope in about 3 or 4 students who actually pay attention and seem to be doing well. Frankly, I don't know why they are in this class. I sense their frustrations, too, when everyone else is bouncing around the room, talking so loud that I can't get through a single lesson in one period. At least those few are passing, and I hope they find better courses in the future.
Getting the class quiet... I have tried absolutely every strategy that has been shared with me, and I've come to the conclusion there is nothing I, personally, can do. Perhaps a Raider's football coach or military drill Sargent might get their attention, but I have stood with my hand raised until it lost circulation; I've had the class count down from 5 and made those who were still talking stand in the back of the room; I've even sent disruptive ones to the office. But, every time, as soon as we resume class and I begin speaking again, the conversations break out again. It's like that annoying game kids play or when there's a delay on cell phones - as soon as one person starts speaking, the other one talks, too. It's ridiculous! Sometimes, it feels like we spend entire periods, trying to get the class quiet.
So now we're cracking the whip. I spent last Friday instructing them about respect and responsibilities - while giving out referrals to anyone who interrupts. I've spoken with the Vice-Principal, tried his suggestions, and now we're having him come speak to the class. We'll see if anything changes after today...
When I agreed to which classes I would student teach for these 15 weeks, I didn't exactly know what I was getting in to. So far, my two Environmental Science classes have been going as expected - a few challenges but pretty smooth overall. My afternoon Earth Science class, however, is a whole different animal.
I heard the term "resource" used occasionally when I was still shadowing the master teacher in the first weeks. I could sense his frustrations as he would try to talk over the constant social banter during class, and he had a way of calling out names of individuals who were particularly disruptive without losing a beat in his lectures. Never do I recall the class being entirely silent, and it never has been since.
In the weeks to follow, I learned that this entire class is sort of an "experiment" by the school to put all the kids with the most severe learning disabilities, behavioral issues and/or lowest grades together in one Science class. The product seems to be a devil's brew - a sort of evil concoction that could break all but the most hardened teachers. Some refer to it as a "hope and pray" situation while others simply say "good luck" with a smirk on their faces.
Each of the students in this class are supposed to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) on file for teachers to cater more effective learning styles to the students' needs. My master teacher said that sometimes those don't show up until the end of the year, though. He prompted me before I began teaching by saying everyone in this class has some sort of issue(s), so no matter how bad it seems here, things can be many times worse outside of school and at home.
He could easily send half the class to the office on any given day, but we should try to be tolerant and give them more help and opportunities to pass the class. So that is what I have done for the last 10+ weeks, and I have yet to see any difference it has made. I just come home more frustrated every day, racking my brain to image why kids could care so little about their grades - especially as Freshmen with their whole high school experience ahead of them.
About half of them currently have F's for the semester, but there is a spark of hope in about 3 or 4 students who actually pay attention and seem to be doing well. Frankly, I don't know why they are in this class. I sense their frustrations, too, when everyone else is bouncing around the room, talking so loud that I can't get through a single lesson in one period. At least those few are passing, and I hope they find better courses in the future.
Getting the class quiet... I have tried absolutely every strategy that has been shared with me, and I've come to the conclusion there is nothing I, personally, can do. Perhaps a Raider's football coach or military drill Sargent might get their attention, but I have stood with my hand raised until it lost circulation; I've had the class count down from 5 and made those who were still talking stand in the back of the room; I've even sent disruptive ones to the office. But, every time, as soon as we resume class and I begin speaking again, the conversations break out again. It's like that annoying game kids play or when there's a delay on cell phones - as soon as one person starts speaking, the other one talks, too. It's ridiculous! Sometimes, it feels like we spend entire periods, trying to get the class quiet.
So now we're cracking the whip. I spent last Friday instructing them about respect and responsibilities - while giving out referrals to anyone who interrupts. I've spoken with the Vice-Principal, tried his suggestions, and now we're having him come speak to the class. We'll see if anything changes after today...
Thursday, March 1, 2007
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