December 1, 2007
Before the break, I was striving to meet with a couple fellow science teachers so I could get a better sense of what I need to accomplish and how to pace my classes for the rest of the year. We weren't able to coordinate it until the day after break, though, so I've still been teaching and planning day-to-day. Looking at our calendar, not including breaks and holidays, it appeared I had 25 weeks left and 24 chapters in our text. It seemed practical - spending 1 week per chapter, but they just informed me in our meeting that there is a state exam in April for which my students basically need to know EVERYTHING to answer questions in every content area. That only leaves me 16 weeks!!!
Fortunately, as a first year teacher who started a quarter through the year, they said nobody expects me to finish in time. That takes some pressure off, but I still feel it's unfortunate for the students who are not learning as much and will be penalized on their grades for something beyond their control. On the other hand, I'm still struggling to pull back the reins on the three classes that were on the loose before I started. Some of my strategies have worked for most of each class, but there are still the few who refuse to do what I ask and have no fear of consequences. I took the time to call a few parents this past week, but the mother of the one I was most concerned about said she gets the same response from all her teachers.
So what do you do when the parents have completely given up and offer no support? The natural reaction for teachers is to get stricter and meaner the more students misbehave and disrespect their authority. Even the Principal and Vice Principals I have spoken with say I shouldn't lighten up - I just need to follow protocol and continue to file reports and referrals when necessary. But somewhere deep inside, I feel like there is a possibility of winning them over by showing I care and that I am there for them. I know it requires more "tough love", and I have to work harder to not let them get away with things. I'm just willing to put a ton more energy toward that style than to pretend to be someone I'm not. Does this make sense? I hope somebody will stop me if I'm about to make a terrible mistake...
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thanksgiving
November 18, 2007
Wow, a whole week off! Now that's a reason to give thanks for the holiday. I still have restless dreams filled with teaching anxiety and wake up at 6:00 a.m. - my mind racing with all the things I need to get done which makes it impossible to sleep in on these days I have off. It's different, too, while my wife and daughter are away. She's been on the road for the past week with her Celtic band. So, without the incentive of someone to come home to, I find myself staying later at school and going to bed later at night. I do get more work done, but I know I need to look after my well-being.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for all the support from my friends and family. Your encouragement and reassurance that I am doing the right thing is immensely uplifting and empowering. There is so much uncertainty in teaching and yet so much that is expected of my performance, it's easy to feel like I "carry the weight of the world on my shoulders". Every morning, Kathy wakes up just enough to give me a hug and say, "One day at a time", and sometimes she'll send me text messages while I'm teaching with words of endearment or humor that can have a profound affect on my attitude and presence.
When we parted ways last Monday for this week-and-a-half apart, I felt more emotional than I have for a long time. Partly because I'll be missing my wife and daughter, but it also occurred to me just how much I've depended on their love and support to get me through this challenging time in life. I don't know if or how I could survive this experience without them. I feel like an egg sometimes. I know I have a "soft" heart and feel sensitive inside, but it requires a very hard shell to protect myself in front of all the students who will take advantage of any weakness they find in a teacher. They definitely try to push one's buttons and test my limits, but once I "crack", it's all over.
Well, I better make use of my time now. So, here's to wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving along with ladles full of my gratitude for all the ways each of you has reached out and offered support to people like me in times of need and uncertai
nty - with many happy returns.
Gobble Gobble!
Wow, a whole week off! Now that's a reason to give thanks for the holiday. I still have restless dreams filled with teaching anxiety and wake up at 6:00 a.m. - my mind racing with all the things I need to get done which makes it impossible to sleep in on these days I have off. It's different, too, while my wife and daughter are away. She's been on the road for the past week with her Celtic band. So, without the incentive of someone to come home to, I find myself staying later at school and going to bed later at night. I do get more work done, but I know I need to look after my well-being.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for all the support from my friends and family. Your encouragement and reassurance that I am doing the right thing is immensely uplifting and empowering. There is so much uncertainty in teaching and yet so much that is expected of my performance, it's easy to feel like I "carry the weight of the world on my shoulders". Every morning, Kathy wakes up just enough to give me a hug and say, "One day at a time", and sometimes she'll send me text messages while I'm teaching with words of endearment or humor that can have a profound affect on my attitude and presence.
When we parted ways last Monday for this week-and-a-half apart, I felt more emotional than I have for a long time. Partly because I'll be missing my wife and daughter, but it also occurred to me just how much I've depended on their love and support to get me through this challenging time in life. I don't know if or how I could survive this experience without them. I feel like an egg sometimes. I know I have a "soft" heart and feel sensitive inside, but it requires a very hard shell to protect myself in front of all the students who will take advantage of any weakness they find in a teacher. They definitely try to push one's buttons and test my limits, but once I "crack", it's all over.
Well, I better make use of my time now. So, here's to wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving along with ladles full of my gratitude for all the ways each of you has reached out and offered support to people like me in times of need and uncertai
nty - with many happy returns.Gobble Gobble!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Two Weeks
November 9, 2007
Well, I'm still surviving one day at a time, but most things are running smoothly so far. I'm fortunate to have an especially supportive department that meets every day during lunch to share ideas on lessons and strategies for classroom management. My teaching coach meets with me for an hour each week and is really knows his stuff. There are so many technicalities/legal details to know about teaching as well as diplomatic ways of relating with students and parents, I feel like he may as well be my lawyer and confidential sounding-board. So, no matter how overwhelmed, stressed or disillusioned I may get, it's reassuring to know I'm not alone.
That said, I am still struggling to pull in the reins on these classes that have been running wild since the beginning of the year. I'm gaining respect and appreciation from those who obviously want to learn, but there's always that challenge of engaging those who could care less about science or school all together. They seem to do all they can to prevent a teacher from conducting the class so that they don't have to do any work. Looking at their grades for the first quarter, though, it's obviously affecting them personally. Every day, I've tried a different strategy to get their attention, make lessons more dynamic, and impose more consequences or rewards for their behavior.
At the end of the first week, I took a seat and let out an enormous sigh. I opened the blinds next to my desk (which are usually closed to prevent distractions to students) and found a beautiful scene before me. My room is on the edge of campus, looking across a grassy field and a stream that runs perpendicular to the building. A great white heron was perched on the bridge across the stream, and the setting sun was illuminating the majestic Mount Diablo in the near distance. According to a sign at the summit, it is possible to view the second greatest surface area seen from any peak in the world, exceeded only by the 19,340 foot (5,895 m) Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Nice conversation piece for Earth Science.
I suddenly felt filled with peace and purpose that I haven't found in any other position since I left Mammoth Lakes 8 years ago. Finding this teaching opportunity feels like a spiritual connection - one that was created just for me and that I was guided to apply for just at the right moment. After all the years I talked about wanting to become a teacher and throughout the process of earning my masters, there was always a certain doubt whether it would actually happen. It wasn't until this very moment that I was struck with such excitement and disbelief, realizing I finally made it!
Well, I'm still surviving one day at a time, but most things are running smoothly so far. I'm fortunate to have an especially supportive department that meets every day during lunch to share ideas on lessons and strategies for classroom management. My teaching coach meets with me for an hour each week and is really knows his stuff. There are so many technicalities/legal details to know about teaching as well as diplomatic ways of relating with students and parents, I feel like he may as well be my lawyer and confidential sounding-board. So, no matter how overwhelmed, stressed or disillusioned I may get, it's reassuring to know I'm not alone.
That said, I am still struggling to pull in the reins on these classes that have been running wild since the beginning of the year. I'm gaining respect and appreciation from those who obviously want to learn, but there's always that challenge of engaging those who could care less about science or school all together. They seem to do all they can to prevent a teacher from conducting the class so that they don't have to do any work. Looking at their grades for the first quarter, though, it's obviously affecting them personally. Every day, I've tried a different strategy to get their attention, make lessons more dynamic, and impose more consequences or rewards for their behavior.
At the end of the first week, I took a seat and let out an enormous sigh. I opened the blinds next to my desk (which are usually closed to prevent distractions to students) and found a beautiful scene before me. My room is on the edge of campus, looking across a grassy field and a stream that runs perpendicular to the building. A great white heron was perched on the bridge across the stream, and the setting sun was illuminating the majestic Mount Diablo in the near distance. According to a sign at the summit, it is possible to view the second greatest surface area seen from any peak in the world, exceeded only by the 19,340 foot (5,895 m) Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Nice conversation piece for Earth Science.
I suddenly felt filled with peace and purpose that I haven't found in any other position since I left Mammoth Lakes 8 years ago. Finding this teaching opportunity feels like a spiritual connection - one that was created just for me and that I was guided to apply for just at the right moment. After all the years I talked about wanting to become a teacher and throughout the process of earning my masters, there was always a certain doubt whether it would actually happen. It wasn't until this very moment that I was struck with such excitement and disbelief, realizing I finally made it!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Barely Breathing
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!
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!
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.
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