Anybody read Hobo Teacher? He has this quality that makes me wonder if he's for real (there is a picture on his page that I don't think has always been there), but I've been entertained by him for years--I guess since I found his teacher-ware on Cafe Press. That guys rocks! Plus, he kind of reminds me of a math teacher friend of mine.
His most recent post made me spew Pepsi out my nose. Gawd, how I needed a laugh after the first week of school!
August 31, 2007
August 30, 2007
Students With Serious Questions
After going over rules, procedures and other important stuff for nearly two days, I asked my students to write down questions they had. I did allow them to ask questions about me if they didn't have questions about the class. Most wanted to know how much work I planned on giving and if the class is going to be easy. Lots of duplicates of those questions. Most students are just trying to gain their bearings and figure out what to expect in this class and of me as a teacher and person.
I've made the questions and answers into a PowerPoint that I'll just run on a loop at the beginning of class for the next few days. I'd planned on answering questions in the specific class where they were asked, but here I've found myself at the end of the week, and we're pretty busy tomorrow. Well, I could talk at them more, but instead they are going to write some personality poems and tie up loose ends for the week. It's weird going to school for a week and then getting a 3-day weekend.
Here are the questions my students asked:
Are we going to be in these seats all year?
Are there going to be a lot of projects in your class?
How many projects are we going to do?
What kind of projects will we have?
Are we reading together or by ourselves?
Are we going to read a lot of book?
Are we going to have to do a lot of writing?
Will we have a whole lot of essay assignments?
Are we going to be able to come up with our own essay topics sometime this year?
How many essays will we have to do?
Why did we get to do a 350-500 word essay?
Will all essays be 300-500 words?
How much bookwork do we do? (Not counting reading?)
Will there be a lot of homework?
Will we have homework every night?
Is there homework on the weekends?
How are things graded?
When will we begin poetry?
On the supply list, do you want us to give you the bag of pens or do we hold on to the pens?
What is the funniest thing we will do in this class?
Are we going to do fun activities in this class?
Is this class spontaneous?
Will we work in groups?
What would we need our laptops for?
What are we going to learn?
What will we be learning and what will be reviewing from seventh grade?
Is this class going to be hard? Or is it easy?
Is this class easy?
Will this class be VERY challenging?
What is the hardest thing you will teach?
What kind of assignments will we be doing?
What kind of fuzzy Friday?
Are we going to do a Greek Mythology Project?
Are we going to study a whole lot of Shakespeare this year?
What is A of I ?
Will you help me if I need help?
What do you mean that this is reading, too? Will we read in class?
Why are we doing reading stuff here?
Do we have to read boring books this year?
Are we gonna do vocab books? If yes, when are we taking tests?
Who are they? Where are they?
Where is the emergency exit?
Why do you have smile faces on your door?
What else are you obsessed with besides smiley faces and why?
Why do you have all those little words on the board?
How many tests will we have?
When are we going to go on field trips?
Are you a happy person or do you get mad easily?
Will you be a nice teacher? How can you like teaching?
Did you really want to become a teacher when you were younger or did you want to do something else?
Do you have any pets at home?
Where were you born?
Where are you from?
Do you have a dog?
What school did you graduate college?
What is your first name?
What’s your favorite sport and why?
What is your favorite type of ice cream?
What is your favorite color?
How come your windows above the board are covered up?
Have you ever traveled to any other place out of the United States?
I've never done this before, but I think it has been quite valuable. I hope my students will be content and more ready to buckle down when their questions are answered. Frankly, I was SHOCKED that there were so many class/content related questions.
I've made the questions and answers into a PowerPoint that I'll just run on a loop at the beginning of class for the next few days. I'd planned on answering questions in the specific class where they were asked, but here I've found myself at the end of the week, and we're pretty busy tomorrow. Well, I could talk at them more, but instead they are going to write some personality poems and tie up loose ends for the week. It's weird going to school for a week and then getting a 3-day weekend.
Here are the questions my students asked:
Are we going to be in these seats all year?
Are there going to be a lot of projects in your class?
How many projects are we going to do?
What kind of projects will we have?
Are we reading together or by ourselves?
Are we going to read a lot of book?
Are we going to have to do a lot of writing?
Will we have a whole lot of essay assignments?
Are we going to be able to come up with our own essay topics sometime this year?
How many essays will we have to do?
Why did we get to do a 350-500 word essay?
Will all essays be 300-500 words?
How much bookwork do we do? (Not counting reading?)
Will there be a lot of homework?
Will we have homework every night?
Is there homework on the weekends?
How are things graded?
When will we begin poetry?
On the supply list, do you want us to give you the bag of pens or do we hold on to the pens?
What is the funniest thing we will do in this class?
Are we going to do fun activities in this class?
Is this class spontaneous?
Will we work in groups?
What would we need our laptops for?
What are we going to learn?
What will we be learning and what will be reviewing from seventh grade?
Is this class going to be hard? Or is it easy?
Is this class easy?
Will this class be VERY challenging?
What is the hardest thing you will teach?
What kind of assignments will we be doing?
What kind of fuzzy Friday?
Are we going to do a Greek Mythology Project?
Are we going to study a whole lot of Shakespeare this year?
What is A of I ?
Will you help me if I need help?
What do you mean that this is reading, too? Will we read in class?
Why are we doing reading stuff here?
Do we have to read boring books this year?
Are we gonna do vocab books? If yes, when are we taking tests?
Who are they? Where are they?
Where is the emergency exit?
Why do you have smile faces on your door?
What else are you obsessed with besides smiley faces and why?
Why do you have all those little words on the board?
How many tests will we have?
When are we going to go on field trips?
Are you a happy person or do you get mad easily?
Will you be a nice teacher? How can you like teaching?
Did you really want to become a teacher when you were younger or did you want to do something else?
Do you have any pets at home?
Where were you born?
Where are you from?
Do you have a dog?
What school did you graduate college?
What is your first name?
What’s your favorite sport and why?
What is your favorite type of ice cream?
What is your favorite color?
How come your windows above the board are covered up?
Have you ever traveled to any other place out of the United States?
I've never done this before, but I think it has been quite valuable. I hope my students will be content and more ready to buckle down when their questions are answered. Frankly, I was SHOCKED that there were so many class/content related questions.
My Children Are Off to a Typical Start
On the 4th day of school, the school nurse calls. My stepdaughter shut her finger in the restroom door. She'll live, but she might lose the nail. On the 4th day of school!
August 28, 2007
Teacher Stuff About Me
Kimberly over at Terrible Teacher tagged me for a meme last week. I'm not going to tag anyone, so if you'd like to give this a shot, be my guest!
Is School 2.0 about technology or pedagogy?
I think it's about pedagogy. To me, technology is a tool we use to help students think in different ways. Sure, education is going the way it is because of technology, but what's the theory behind our classroom practices? (I'm not really all that familiar with the term School 2., so I may not know enough to truly answer this question intelligently.)
What were 1-3 things you had to”unlearn” to become an effective teacher?
I learn from my mistakes or misconceptions all the time. I can't really think of any one thing I had to unlearn. I do think I've had to "learn" that there is not one answer or teaching technique that works for every student. Sometimes people try to sell you on one perspective or another that will be the end all to solve all your problems in the classroom. It sounds nice, but it's another theory. Theories are nice, but they aren't golden band aids.
Did you learn these poor practices in your teacher preparation program, or somewhere else? If so, where? Like I've indicated, I don't think I've necessarily learned poor practices. However when it comes to misguided theories that some things will fix everything of reach every student, I've learned those things in college, PD courses from the state, personal reading, and in my own schools.
Describe the philosophy of your teacher preparation program in 25 words or less.
Geez! I don't know. All the old pros have the answers, so let's study them. Is this where I can make my snide remarks about how I always wondered if what I was being taught would work outside of white suburbia? Yes, I used to ask those questions. Did the things I was being taught work? Some of them. Back to that nothing works for everyone. I was underprepared to work with the populations I have worked with for sure.
What age/grade level do you teach? When did you attend school at that level?
I teach grades 8-12. I was born in 1971. I'm an English teacher; you do the math.
When were you in your teacher preparation program?
Since I majored in education (at my school, I'm practically an anomaly among tons of alternatively licensed teachers), I'd say I was in the teacher program from the time I decided to become a teacher. So, that would be 1990--1996. I did my student teaching in the winter of 1996. It seems like so long ago.
Is School 2.0 about technology or pedagogy?
I think it's about pedagogy. To me, technology is a tool we use to help students think in different ways. Sure, education is going the way it is because of technology, but what's the theory behind our classroom practices? (I'm not really all that familiar with the term School 2., so I may not know enough to truly answer this question intelligently.)
What were 1-3 things you had to”unlearn” to become an effective teacher?
I learn from my mistakes or misconceptions all the time. I can't really think of any one thing I had to unlearn. I do think I've had to "learn" that there is not one answer or teaching technique that works for every student. Sometimes people try to sell you on one perspective or another that will be the end all to solve all your problems in the classroom. It sounds nice, but it's another theory. Theories are nice, but they aren't golden band aids.
Did you learn these poor practices in your teacher preparation program, or somewhere else? If so, where? Like I've indicated, I don't think I've necessarily learned poor practices. However when it comes to misguided theories that some things will fix everything of reach every student, I've learned those things in college, PD courses from the state, personal reading, and in my own schools.
Describe the philosophy of your teacher preparation program in 25 words or less.
Geez! I don't know. All the old pros have the answers, so let's study them. Is this where I can make my snide remarks about how I always wondered if what I was being taught would work outside of white suburbia? Yes, I used to ask those questions. Did the things I was being taught work? Some of them. Back to that nothing works for everyone. I was underprepared to work with the populations I have worked with for sure.
What age/grade level do you teach? When did you attend school at that level?
I teach grades 8-12. I was born in 1971. I'm an English teacher; you do the math.
When were you in your teacher preparation program?
Since I majored in education (at my school, I'm practically an anomaly among tons of alternatively licensed teachers), I'd say I was in the teacher program from the time I decided to become a teacher. So, that would be 1990--1996. I did my student teaching in the winter of 1996. It seems like so long ago.
August 27, 2007
Fleeting Thoughts for the First Day
If someone were to offer me a nice desk job where air conditioning could be consistently promised, I'd quite teaching tomorrow.
I wonder how the new teachers with their 2-inch heel black pumps faired today. One teacher with 2-inch heels told me that she was wearing them for the image. Seriousness. Power. Professional. Her friend had even higher heels on--things I've never seen a teacher wear. Her weekend job could be as a cocktail waitress. Impressive skills. Ah, to be young!
(I remember when I first started teaching how I used to "dress up" like a teacher. My costume included pointed toed flats, floral skirts, and beige blouses.)
Thinking of shoes, I wore a newer pair today, and my feet are killing me. What do I have that will go with my fancy flip flops?
How late can I sleep in tomorrow and still make it in time?
How soon until the weekend?
How am I going to make it through another year?
What am I doing tomorrow, anyway? Good thing it's written down somewhere.
I wonder how the new teachers with their 2-inch heel black pumps faired today. One teacher with 2-inch heels told me that she was wearing them for the image. Seriousness. Power. Professional. Her friend had even higher heels on--things I've never seen a teacher wear. Her weekend job could be as a cocktail waitress. Impressive skills. Ah, to be young!
(I remember when I first started teaching how I used to "dress up" like a teacher. My costume included pointed toed flats, floral skirts, and beige blouses.)
Thinking of shoes, I wore a newer pair today, and my feet are killing me. What do I have that will go with my fancy flip flops?
How late can I sleep in tomorrow and still make it in time?
How soon until the weekend?
How am I going to make it through another year?
What am I doing tomorrow, anyway? Good thing it's written down somewhere.
August 25, 2007
A Peak Inside My Classroom
Some other teachers posted pictures of their classrooms before school started. I enjoyed seeing how others organized their rooms, so I decided to post pictures of my classroom, too. Check out my whole classroom photoset if you'd like. Of course in my talkative manner, I've added comments and notes.
I am fortunate to have such a large room and all that goes with it, as I know many teachers do this job under the poorest of conditions. Heck, there are teachers in my own school who less than favorable conditions. I am truly blessed--even when the A/C isn't working. (Our principal joked earlier this week that we had more technology than air conditioning. It's pretty sad when you think about it.)
This is as good a year as any to take pictures of my classroom because after this year our poor old school is going where old schools go when they die. I'm not sure where that is. Our memories?
August 24, 2007
The Safety Illusion
A few readers left comments after my rant on teaching online responsibility instead of simply blocking everything that might be dangerous or questionable. If this is a topic of interest to you, check out Steve Dembo who has recently written about similar issues and has linked a story from Australia that shows the effectiveness of filters, er, uh, I mean the ineffectiveness of filters.
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