How time flies
Spring Break certainly seemed to go by quickly . . . I did enjoy the break, although I wish I had had more time for "fun." I tried to be productive and I guess I was, mildly, although it still feels like the "to do" list is ever-expanding. Much like our universe, as Hubble discovered (yes, we're studying astronomy in Earth Science now; I'm such a nerd)
Speaking of E.S., I feel like I am constantly perplexed about the best approach for this class. After reading their evaluations, I learned that they really do hate taking notes, which I already gathered intuitively. I purposefully attempt to avoid this as much as possible, but sometimes it's necessary and an effective way to ensure that they get accurate information. There's such a spectrum of ability levels and I still find it difficult to design lessons that can stimulate the advanced students without overwhelming the ones who struggle. I was concerned that some of my activities and assignments weren't complex enough, and that I might be "dummying down" my instruction as a result. However, during a recent lesson as I circulated the room, one student lamented, "Miss M, this is like Honors'-level work," and a nearby student responded, "Yeah, and we don't get the extra 3 points!" I took the opportunity to tell them how I thought they were all very capable and competent of Honors' level work, which seemed to evoke a few smug smiles but didn't really do much in the way of motivation. I'm beginning to realize first-hand the importance of having high expectations; my mentor advised me to keep them high, adding that some students will always aim for less than what is expected, so if we continue to lower the standards, those students will subsequently be striving for less and less. Interesting perspective.
I recently thought back to a student teacher I had in high school. I remember certain people in our class were very sarcastic/rowdy, tested him often, tried to stump him with off-the-wall questions and then corner him into tangential discussions. Our main teacher later told us that the student teacher dreaded our particular class, and often had to make emergency trips to the bathroom to vomit before our class. I felt horrible when I heard that, but now I can somewhat empathetically relate. While I haven't emptied my stomach yet, I do have a certain level of "heightened awareness" (doesn't that sound nicer than nerves/anxiety?) before 4th period. Ah well... what goes around comes around, I suppose (not that I was ever directly responsible for my student teacher's discomfort, I might add).
Someday I should reflect more actively regarding the speaker I heard tonight on Intelligent Design theory. Very interesting and thought-provoking - and added a couple more books to my intended summer reading. However, I still need to get organized for tomorrow, and I really should try to start the week with a reasonable amount of sleep. Hopefully sleep will cure this annoying headache ... PowerPoint induced, most likely.
Speaking of E.S., I feel like I am constantly perplexed about the best approach for this class. After reading their evaluations, I learned that they really do hate taking notes, which I already gathered intuitively. I purposefully attempt to avoid this as much as possible, but sometimes it's necessary and an effective way to ensure that they get accurate information. There's such a spectrum of ability levels and I still find it difficult to design lessons that can stimulate the advanced students without overwhelming the ones who struggle. I was concerned that some of my activities and assignments weren't complex enough, and that I might be "dummying down" my instruction as a result. However, during a recent lesson as I circulated the room, one student lamented, "Miss M, this is like Honors'-level work," and a nearby student responded, "Yeah, and we don't get the extra 3 points!" I took the opportunity to tell them how I thought they were all very capable and competent of Honors' level work, which seemed to evoke a few smug smiles but didn't really do much in the way of motivation. I'm beginning to realize first-hand the importance of having high expectations; my mentor advised me to keep them high, adding that some students will always aim for less than what is expected, so if we continue to lower the standards, those students will subsequently be striving for less and less. Interesting perspective.
I recently thought back to a student teacher I had in high school. I remember certain people in our class were very sarcastic/rowdy, tested him often, tried to stump him with off-the-wall questions and then corner him into tangential discussions. Our main teacher later told us that the student teacher dreaded our particular class, and often had to make emergency trips to the bathroom to vomit before our class. I felt horrible when I heard that, but now I can somewhat empathetically relate. While I haven't emptied my stomach yet, I do have a certain level of "heightened awareness" (doesn't that sound nicer than nerves/anxiety?) before 4th period. Ah well... what goes around comes around, I suppose (not that I was ever directly responsible for my student teacher's discomfort, I might add).
Someday I should reflect more actively regarding the speaker I heard tonight on Intelligent Design theory. Very interesting and thought-provoking - and added a couple more books to my intended summer reading. However, I still need to get organized for tomorrow, and I really should try to start the week with a reasonable amount of sleep. Hopefully sleep will cure this annoying headache ... PowerPoint induced, most likely.
posted by Kat at
9:04 PM
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