Sleep now, read later

It's back to life as a student, which isn't nearly as bad as I thought. I guess 16 years of schooling kicks in pretty quickly & eases the transition from teacher to student. However, I feel like we keep revisiting the same issues, only through the perspective of our student teaching internships. A useful exercise, I suppose.

Hearing from a panel of teachers was instructive - they seemed to give good insight & helpful info, but I felt like they represented prototypical schools. Two were from a nationally ranked high school, and the other came from a well known magnet school, and all were females. I think it would have been helpful to include a male teacher, and at least one teacher from a school in a lower SES neighborhood. As 1st year teachers, most of us won't be heading into ideal situations like the ones these teachers represent.

I did find myself disagreeing somewhat with one of their comments. In her advice for the 1st day of school, one teacher highly recommends asking for a handwriting sample, claiming that this can easily help you identify your LD students right away. While that may be true in some cases, I thought it was shaky advice. Two of my students who could barely read had beautiful penmanship. On the other hand, one of my best students had atrocious handwriting. If I had judged these students' academic levels on the basis of their handwriting alone, I would have completely misidentified them. I can understand how a writing sample might help a teacher to recognize learning disabilities, but handwriting is not always so indicative, at least from what I have experienced so far. Which, granted, isn't much, but... Anyhoo...

I'm not sure when to freak out concerning a job. Everyone has told me, "Oh, you'll definitely find a job; science teachers are so needed." And yet, ... nothing so far. What more do they want? I have a a science degree, lab/research experience, and (almost) a Master's degree. I don't know if I'm being impatient, not assertive enough, too picky, or a combination of all three. I even branched out and decided to consider middle school as well, since I haven't had much success finding high schools that want Bio teachers. I'd even settle for Chem (ugh) or Physical (bleh) or Earth Science (yawn) at this point, but Physics - no thanks. I think I'd rather sub or work at Ann Taylor before attempting to teach Physics.

I was happy to discover that tonight is not the season finale of Alias ... I get to enjoy it another week. I probably should have been reading, but I find "homework" mildly insufferable after enduring 6 hours of class. I should sleep now ~ otherwise, I'll never get E. to the airport in time for her flight.

Very amusing

For the last year of my life, the MAT program has repeatedly emphasized the importance of high teacher expectations. I even have the citation memorized - National Research Council, 2004. Learning experiences are maximized when they are characterized by meaningful relationships with caring teachers who maintain high expectations. Santrock (2005) agrees, claiming that high teacher expectations are linked to higher student achievement. Clear enough, right? I'll even go so far as to say I witnessed this during student teaching.

I realize that differences of opinion are inevitable, but this quote seemingly contradicts everything we've been taught. I'd like to think that my professors display high expectations; they certainly seem to believe we're capable of cranking out a bazillion last-minute assignments (mostly because they forgot about the requirement, if you ask me). Thankfully I don't think Yost, Sentner, or Forlenza-Bailey are employed at my university, or I'd have even more of a problem with their statement: "...many teacher educators hold strong beliefs that preservice teachers are incapable of higher thought." Straight from p. 46 in the Journal of Teacher Education, 51(1) 39-59, as pointed out to me by a fellow MATer.


I'd like to think that my professors disagree. Granted, I'm not a philosophical genius, but I can analyze, think critically, and reflect quite well, thank you. I know that quantity does not ensure quality, but it may take a small forklift to transport my portfolio to the car this afternoon. I think I'm speaking in behalf of our entire program: the meager selection of dividers & sheet protectors at Staples seems to indicate that we're all at least capable of enough higher thought to complete the requirements (endless analysis & reflection) for this program.

Perhaps I should read the entire reference before I get completely wound up. If anyone's incapable of higher thought, I think it's probably people making decisions for the SOE. I should restrain my true thoughts on the matter, but I wholeheartedly disagree with their decision to fire a certain professor. We've all learned more from him in one year than we ever learned from all of our undergraduate professors combined. I know I'm not alone in that view. And the million-dollar instructional lab that he built & designed & stocked . . . it's all going to be wasted, when it could have been used beautifully to carry out the research upon which they seem so fixated. I'm glad I entered the program when I did. I really feel that next year's science cohort will receive a sub-standard education, and I'm not even sure I can really recommend this program as strongly to other aspiring science teachers anymore. But apparently I'm not capable of higher thought, so I must be missing the point.

I'm procrastinating. I need to choose 5 principles to discuss & defend, and decide whether or not to "upgrade" to the next size binder, for the 3rd time.

Disturbing, on numerous levels

I'm not trying to melodramatic (although it usually doesn't take much effort), but student teaching definitely changed my life. I can't enjoy milk anymore. I keep remembering a rather eloquent description of corporate-owned milk production that I heard during lunch one day. I was fairly well-informed about growth hormones, etc., but according to one very green educator, modern dairy cows are subjected to forceful milking procedures and consequently experience frequent udder infections. As a result, milk is usually contaminated with pus & blood ~ "as much as a drop of pus per glass of milk," if the broken record player in my head is correct.

Dear me. Some foods just taste better with milk. Or at least, they once did. The good news is, I'll be saving money, since milk is so ridiculously expensive these days.

The researcher in me wants to find verifiable proof of this information from reputable sources . The student in me realizes that this assignment is not priority, at the moment.

And wouldn't pasteurization eliminate pus anyway? I shall endeavour to find out. Then again, the presence or condition of pus is only part of the issue.