Letter to Myself (Blog Post 4)

Dear Aleisha,

One of the things I've learned from this year is that all the worry, the stress, the sleepless nights over things like student teaching, the KPTP, various milestones and tests, and searching for a job, is pretty much worthless. When it's all said and done, you made it (hallelujah!) and the anxiety didn't help you any. All that time that you spent worrying could have actually been put to better use. But that's okay; next time, you'll know better.

It feels like just yesterday we were walking into the middle school to start student teaching, worries and wonders aplenty. Approaching the last day of student teaching, the last day with my students who I have come to know and love, my emotions are all over the place. I thought that I would just be excited to be done; I'm finding that I'm also saddened. Part of it--I'm sure--is the melancholy of leaving my school, my MT, and my beloved students. A larger part of it--and here's the philosophical side of us coming in--is probably due to the amount of change that is approaching. We're looking at the end of student teaching, the end of classes with people we've gotten to know over the last two years, graduation thus the ending of our time at college. We're looking at a lot of endings. But with endings always come new beginnings: a new job, a new school, new colleagues, new students to get to know and love. To borrow from the words of Semisonic: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"; and that's the really exciting part.

The practical part of me, the one that is less emotional about all of this--and certainly less sentimental--is screaming at me to give you some advice for your first year of teaching and beyond. This first piece relates back to the emotional, sappy portion of this letter and that is: don't take the small amount of time that you have for granted. We had a good friend once tell us, "You'll never be in this moment again, so enjoy it and stop wishing for what comes next." She is so smart! So, when you're frustrated and ready for the year to be over, your students are driving you to just this side of crazy town, remember: you will never get that time, that moment back with those people. Enjoy it, invest in those people and opportunities, and the rest will take care of itself...or we will when we get there.

This next part is one you're going to need to read, and re-read, and, well, re-read. I can not emphasize this enough: ask for help. We have a tendency to go it alone, thinking that we can do it ourselves, refusing to ask for advice until the last possible moment. Don't do that! There are people around you that are so much smarter than you and they would probably love to dump their smarts all over you and your classroom. Let them. You have a lot of learning left to do, which means you have to allow others to teach you. Also, shut up and listen once in a while. We talk a lot. Listening takes more work, but is more worthwhile so do it.

While you're listening and asking others for help, make sure you ask the right others for help. We've heard it a million times from classmates and instructors, but it is so true: avoid those teachers who are negative! We've done a pretty good job of that during student teaching--so kudos to us--but make sure you continue that through your first year. The last thing we need is a negative person squashing down all of the "shiny, new-teacher enthusiasm" we have going for us. Remember why you're a teacher--essentially why you do what you do--and I think you'll be okay.

Remember those little victories--when a particularly challenging student told you that you're their favorite teacher, when a student who thought they couldn't write wrote an amazing poem, when the lights go on and a student figures out that reading isn't lame and it isn't boring and it isn't stupid--and that Mom told you to write them down in a journal and you didn't? Well, do it next year. Keep a journal of every victory, even the small ones--especially the small ones--to look at when you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and like what you're doing doesn't matter.

It does matter. And it always will. 

--Aleisha

Experimenting with Classroom Management

                Classroom Management. The two words that every interviewer on every panel (at least in my experience) throws around. “How do you manage your classroom?” “What is your classroom management style?” “What do the words ‘Classroom Management’ mean to you?” As a student teacher and a prospective teaching candidate, these are questions and phrases that I hear often. I hear it in interviews, in class, and in my own classroom. While I’ve formed an idea on what classroom management looks like in my own and future classrooms, sometimes I still have trouble actually managing my class. I’m talking behavior, movement, shouting out loud, throwing things, and a whole host of other problems.

                I have one class in particular that is especially difficult—cannot teach effectively for ten minutes—difficult. I often feel at a loss as to what to do and experience a sinking feeling, no, a drowning feeling. My thoughts during this time tend to go something like this: “What are they doing?” “How in the world am I supposed to teach right now?” “What do I even do?” and even, “That’s it. Teaching is not for me.” These thoughts can really bring the whole tone of the day down, not to mention the tone of that class period. Feeling negativity toward my students can turn my day from great to terrible in a matter of minutes.

                So, I began thinking…and thinking led to some research…which led to some experiments. As I began to reflect on my previous experiences with this class, I began to search for effective ways to keep my classroom under control. I sifted through many articles, most of which said similar things, things that stressed preventative measures. Preventative measures are wonderful, and I’m sure they are effective, if you know how to use them prior to a problem. This, however, was not the problem I faced. The problem I had was one where I had tried preventative measures and I was at a point where I needed some intervention. Down the rabbit hole of Google research I went!

                I found an article by Pete Lorain, an author of articles on middle schooling and other educational issues, that outlined how to deal with particularly disruptive students. Lorain suggests that as teachers, we should deal “immediately with the challenging student”, “establish that [you are] the teacher…in charge”, and reassure “the rest of the students that they [are] in a safe environment.” These are steps I started to incorporate into my classroom management plan. I could tell a difference—my students seemed to feel more at ease in my classroom and disruptions became less frequent. One of the most effective things I’ve started doing came from an article written by Terri Tar. Tar suggests “giving students permission” and making it “clear to students that they too are responsible for their learning environment and that each of them has the right to politely and calmly request that their classmates stop behaving in a disruptive manner” (Tar). This has helped students manage their peers’ behavior as well as their own. I’ve found that disruptive students respond well to correction or requests from their peers.

                Upon reflection at my last observation by my supervisor, I realized that the majority of the problem occurred while students entered the classroom while I was monitoring the hallway. I couldn’t be in both places at once—I’ve never wanted to clone myself so badly!—so I decided to move my students to where I was. I made them line up outside of the classroom. Kindergarten style. The first few days of this new procedure was still challenging. Over these first few days, I had them move their line inside the classroom and stand in line at the back of the room. If they had trouble with that, I had them repeat the procedure. I am pleased to say that I only had to have them repeat that procedure once. I call that a win! Now they line up and enter into the classroom without a problem. This ensures that my class starts on a positive note and is ready to get to work!

                Because I’ve implemented these strategies, my classroom management is shaping up to become something I’m quite proud of! I definitely now have answers for those inevitable questions about classroom management and, more importantly, my students have a better learning environment.

The True Genius of Educational Legislation

That is the true genius of educational legislation,
A system of flaws; a complete dependence upon governing bodies;
That we can stop paying teachers
And know that our students will still get taught;
That we can cut the budget, cut out art programs,
Without too much complaint from the masses;
That we can regulate and standardize curriculum
Without any checks or balances;
That we can expect students to learn and grow
Without an actual plan or any funds to support them
And that our kids might just become
Productive members of society
---At least most of the time.

*Modeled from an excerpt of Obama's democratic address

Planning my Life Away (Reflection #2)

                The hardest part of my student teaching so far has been figuring out how to plan. I feel like there are days when I plan too much and days when I don’t plan nearly enough. It’s a delicate balance and several have assured me that I’ll strike my own balance eventually. Eventually seems to be a long time coming.

I’ve watched multiple teachers as they plan their units and lessons. I’ve seen multiple ways to plan out activities. I’ve read the research and the tips from textbooks and online sources. I have scoured articles for best practices and techniques. Marzano suggests to “start with the end in mind” and “identify declarative knowledge” (Marzano). Todd Finley suggests that I start by asking, “is the unit aligned with standards, objectives, and guidelines?” (Finley). Ellen Ullman suggests that I “come up with an active objective” (Ullman). It seems that everyone has a different opinion on how to plan effectively.
               

I’ve learned that no system is perfect and that I have to create my own; a system that works uniquely for and with me. I started to pose questions for myself about how I wanted to plan both units and daily activities. These questions included: What do I want my students to learn? What do I want my students to do? How does this fit into the larger unit? And How do I want my students to prove their success? These questions along with others have led me down the rabbit hole that is lesson planning.

To answer these questions, I’ve honestly done a lot of trial and error. The best way for me to plan is to start with the end. I figure out what I want my students to get out of the unit, the big picture, and try to plan from there. I find texts that go with our overall theme and figure out what standards I can address with them.

It seems a little backward at first, but I’m getting the hang of it. I take a lot of notes in random, various places. I do a lot of my planning in power points. And I ask questions. A lot of questions.

As I continue my student teaching adventure, I am excited to find out more about myself, my teaching style, my students and their needs, and my planning style. I definitely plan on keeping up with the questions and trying new things until I find out what works for me and my students!

In pieces (Blog Post 1--Poem)

In pieces

I will let myself down.
I will wake up tired
and fall into bed, exhausted.
I will forget my friends;
messages left unread, unsent, misunderstood.
Or my friends will forget me,
moving along in the same routines
while I adjust and re-adjust and re-adjust
to a new schedule wrought with new challenges, new heartbreak.
Someone will leave their lunch tray
behind during tutoring and ground
their gum into the carpet, teeth imprints still visible.
My students will hate me, refusing
to follow rules, to work, to learn.
I will be entirely unequipped
and unqualified to teach my students
anything at all.
No matter how much research I do,
how many articles I read, I'll always fall short. If my students don't
leave my class
completely unprepared for life,
they'll leave my class at least unprepared for
the next grade level, unable to write a complete sentence, identify parts of speech,
and without any sense of how to behave
in any social setting whatsoever.
There are tales of men, and women.
Tales of men who are courageous, willing, strong.
Tales of women who overcome obstacles with
strength, dignity, and grace.
These men and women harbor a deep secret
within their hearts.
Through the struggle and the fear, these men
and women
tuck bits and pieces of their lives away.
Some pieces stay lodged in their hearts, their minds, their journals,
to remind them of the victories.
Other pieces are dislodged and discarded; not forgotten--
instead unremembered.
Every hug, high-five, shout-out across the hallway;
every smile, joke, story told
is a piece to be tucked away.

How To Succeed in Miss Bryan's Classroom (Genre Reflection 2)

Succeeding in seventh grade English class can be difficult. There are all sorts of rules and expectations. To ease the stress, I have complied ways to be successful in this English class; common sense clearly is not enough.
            First, forget all the assigned reading. Spark Notes: Your new best friend. Put minimal effort into your work. Fume when you get less than an “A.” Forget to turn assignments in. Then, insist that the teacher lost ALL of your work. When you find it in your locker, blame the janitor. Certainly, YOU didn’t leave it there. Of course not.
            Take a nap during class. Sleep right through it. Then become enraged that your teacher won’t repeat instructions once you have woken up. Be annoyed. Annoyed that you even had to wake up. Annoyed that you have homework. Annoyed that you, once again, must sit through this class.
            While you are sitting through the most boring class on the planet, feel free to chat up your classmates. Loudly. Distract everyone around you. Throw crumpled up paper. At the trashcan. At your classmates. At my desk. At me. Better yet, shred your assignment sheets into confetti and throw it up in the air yelling, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Then, look confused as to why you are receiving a detention.
            Clearly, this is the way to be most successful in this class.

The Art of a Thank You

               I have been having some trouble keeping my students under control. The change of the season tends to bring with it the chaos of the classroom. My students talk while I’m talking, are rambunctious, loud, walk around the room without permission, and throw things across the room.

            Everything in me is screaming to stop writing this—no one needs to know about the disorder in my room! Don’t let others know that sometimes you have next to zero control over your students!

            I knew that this couldn’t last, and that I needed to do something about it. I thought about motivation and decided to see if handing out candy to those who were “on-task” would help encourage those who were not. I talked with my mentor teacher and we tried it. The students who were given candy seemed appreciative, but the other students didn’t seem to notice.

            My mentor teacher and I talked about how the experiment hadn’t curbed the off task and rowdy behavior. We discussed the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. This is when I decided to try a more intrinsic approach.

            The next day, as students filed into the classroom, I took a mental note of who had gotten their bell work out. When the bell rang, I walked around the room, thanking the students that had their bell work out and were ready to work. Almost immediately, a student at that table pulled out his work and exclaimed, “I have my bell work out!” This happened again and again until everyone was on task. I decided in that moment to thank a few other students, and then come back and thank him.

            This occurrence astounded me. Students would rather have my appreciation than candy? What? Who are these kids? But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Middle school is a tough age, where kids are constantly searching for approval: from their parents, their friends, and their teachers. How easily I forget that!  I am so glad this experience reminded me of that.

            With this in mind I decided to write my students thank you cards after a particularly successful class period. (They wrote for the entire class—and they were quiet!) As my students tore open the envelopes to the cards inside, I watched. I watched as my students read the cards rapidly, with excitement. Multiple students thanked me, and over the course of the next few days I noticed the cards tucked into the covers of their binders, the pockets of their folders, and the pages of their agenda books.

            I now tell my students “thank you” as often as I can. It has made such a difference in my classroom and in the environment in the room. My students are more open to discussion, to my direction, and to working with each other. It’s amazing what a simple “thank you” can do.