6 posts from June 2008

One of my greatest concerns about my 1st year of teaching is how effective will I be at classroom management.  I'm not sure how effective I will be because I only have one student in summer school.  I really think that I will have issues with asserting myself as an "authority figure" in the school.  That is not to say that I will not be a great teacher, too nice, a softy, or incite behavior problems.  I just think that I will come off as a young black female who really isn't all that different than my students.  I think that they will consider me more of a friend than a teacher and that can turn into a serious problem!!  Just think about it...we listen to the same music, watch the same movies, etc. I feel as though I was one of them not too long ago--sitting in HS, running my mouth and getting into trouble.  The only real difference between my students and myself is that I have already gone through what they are going through right now and that I have matured a lot over the last couple of years. But after reading Reluctant Disciplinarian, I have come to the conclusion that I HAVE to come up with a way to clearly differentiate myself from my students!!

In Reluctant Disciplinarian I learned several important things.  I learned that I have to follow the "real" teacher rules.  I have to: (1) dress professionally--I think I have this one down; (2) give a "rules" speech--I need to work on this one; (3) be decisive--I could use some more work on this; (4) use the textbook; and (5) be direct and to the point.  Of all these rules, I think that the 5th rule will be the most difficult for me to achieve.  I tend to get distracted easily.  I go off on tangents that are not explicitly related to the objectives for the day.  I need to get this under control because I am sure that my students will pickup on this and use it to their advantage.

An interesting thing that I picked up on while reading Reluctant Disciplinarian is that Rubinstein disagrees with some of the things that we have been learning in class.  For instance, he says that a teacher should not begin a parent phone call with something positive about the student.  He says that parents don't appreciate you wasting their time with "indirect euphemisms."  He also says that incremental consequences do not really work and that writing names on the board can become a visual joke for the students.  I thought that these points were particularly interesting because they directly contradict what we have been learning in class!

Overall, I thought that the book was very good.  It was both comical and informative.  It shed some light on the things that people assume teachers know.  I would recommend this book to even the best of teachers.

I have had the honor of learning from and teaching with three of the most phenomenal 2nd-year teachers in MTC.  These fabulous educators are: Mr. Robert Bland, Mr. Chimaobi Amutah, and Ms. Molly Goldwasser.  They have taught me so much over the past few weeks that words can only begin to describe my gratitude.  They have inspired me to be the best teacher I can possibly be and have gone far and beyond their duties in assisting me with my "ineffective" lesson planning. I sincerely appreciate all that they have done for me and my fellow 1st-year social studies teachers.  They have created an environment where I feel comfortable teaching and where I am not afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. They have truly inspired me to bring, in the words of Ms. G, "my A game!"

With that said, this week's assignment is to list three teaching related strategies and/or tips that I have learned from the second-years.  So here it is:

Ms. Goldwasser has taught me what to wear and what not to wear--hence the shoes! She also has taught me that enthusiasm is key!

Mr. Bland has taught me how to come up with engaging/interactive activities; in addition to how to be a grand story-teller!

Mr. Amutah has taught me how to get a student to really think and how to constantly smile/laugh!:)

These are just a few of the things that I have learned from my 2nd-years.  As I tell them nearly everyday..."I'm just trying to be like you!"

    We were supposed to experiment with different questioning strategies for this week's blog.  We could either: (1) pass out notecards for the students to write down any questions that they may have and answer them the next class, (2) cold-call on students using sticks/name-cards, (3) ask students to discuss their answers to complex questions with a classmates, (4) ask a lower-level question and follow that question up with two higher-level thinking questions, or (5)  use one of the Four S's as alternatives to asking questions.
    I decided to use the Four S: SIGNALS; which is using gestures or brief utterances to refrain from taking control of the discourse.  Since I only have one student and we tend to discuss things a lot in my classroom, I thought that allowing my student to just talk and not taking over the discussion would be interesting.  In our discussion on the 1929 Stock Market crash, I asked him how he would feel if he lost everything in an instant.  He responded by saying that he would be angry and devastated.  I then explained to him all the lead up to that event.  We talked about people buying stock or margin and be speculators.  We talked about the banks giving out loans to people and not having enough money to give people after the stock market crashed.  In our discussion afterword, I asked my student how he would fell if he went to the bank to withdraw some money and the bank told him that they did not have any of his money.  He started telling me how he would basically lose his mind.  After he said this, I just stood there and said "mmm..."  He looked at me for a few seconds, waiting for me to talk but I didn't.  He responded by just continuing to talk and basically explain why he would feel this why in the context of the day's lesson.  He basically reviewed all the material we had learned that lesson without me saying a single word.  I was sooooo happy!!
    I think that this alternative questioning technique is great, but it may will only work for really engaging material.  Additionally, the class has to be genuinely interested in what you are discussing.  If they are not, this could potentially be a disaster.  It could also be discouraging if you say "mmm" in a negative/quizzical tone.  For instance, if you respond to a students comments with a questioning "mmm," they could interpret this as you saying that they are wrong; and they may shutdown.  But if you use the right tone and encourage your students to get involved in the conversation,  Signals can be a great way for you to assess your lesson and get your students thinking.
     I really liked this technique and I plan on using it more often to see if my student understands what's going on  in the class without my assistance.

    I really liked the book Delta Autumn.  I thought it was very interesting and informative, especially for new teachers like myself.  I really learned a lot from this book.  Essentially, I learned what to expect and how to prepare for and/or handle certain situations during my first year of teaching.  Although Delta Autumn is dedicated to first-year teachers, I think that it is a great resource for all teachers inside and outside of the Delta. The book discusses the history of education in Mississippi, classroom management, what to expect during the first day and week of school, what to do the first day and week of school, how to handle/teach students with special needs, teaching remedial reading, and how to teach specific subjects.
    The most interesting and informative chapter in the book is Chapter 1: "History of Education in the Mississippi Delta."  In my opinion, this chapter is the most important chapter in the book for two reasons. First, it provides an in-depth history of the region.  Chapter 1 gives a detailed and engaging history of Mississippi education from Plessey vs. Ferguson (1896) to Mississippi public schools in 1999.  Honestly, I was stunned when I read this chapter.  It was hard for me to believe that in 1982, some Mississippians were still trying to construct ways to keep schools segregated.  Unfortunately, this plays directly into the negative stereotypes that people have of Mississippi. It was hard for me to believe that people were still attempting blatant institutionalized racism just 4 years before I was born.
    The second reason why I believe that Chapter 1 is the most important chapter in the book is because it provides teachers with a basic understanding of the culture from which may of our students will be coming from.  I believe that it is essential for teachers to understand where their students come from in order to make a lasting impact on them.  Chapter 1 explains that children of the Delta are coming from a place where the impact of slavery/civil rights can still be felt. It gives some incite into the numerous challenges and cultural barriers that many of the students in the Delta have to fight to overcome.
    I believe that if a successful teacher needs to be able to identify with his/her students.  That way they are better able to impact, inspire, and motivate their students to learn.  In my own personal experience, the best teachers were not those who tried to teach me the most subject matter, but those who were able to motivate/inspire me to become a better student and want to learn. I think that they were able to do this because they understood where I came from and the baggage that I carried.  They understood that I was a smart, attitudinal, young, black, female who came from an abusive/broken home in Shaker Heights, OH.  I think that Chapter 1 gives teachers a basis for that type of understanding with Mississippi Delta children.  Chapter 1 explains the obstacles that they and their families face. If a teacher is able to understand this I think that they will be a better teacher.
    I also thought that the chapter on remedial reading and the subject-specific chapters were very informative.  In any social studies class reading is unavoidable.  It is one of the main ways in which students gain access to history. It is a skill that needs to be mastered in order to learn effectively in social studies. But unfortunately, there are a lot of children who cannot read well and that poses a serious problem.  I plan to definitely use some of the techniques for teaching remedial reading in my classroom.  I would also like to implement some of the activities and methods of teaching social studies into my summer school class and at Bailey in the Fall.
    I am really glad that I read Delta Autumn because I really think it will make me a better teacher!!

I actually learned to shoot a gun yesterday for the first time!! Thank you Austin, Mike, and Ryan!!  It was amazing. Lol. I shot a revolver, a 20 gage shotgun, and a 12 gage double barrel shotgun that nearly dislocated my shoulder! And I actually shot a pigeon down on my second shot ever!!  Now, prior to this I was hardcore anti-guns, probably because I come from a city that has high crime and guns normally always have something to do with it.  But Austin would be glad to hear that after my experience at his farm, I believe that guns are actually okay in the right environment...that is a controlled recreational environment.  I also got to go to my first bonfire, which was great despite the heat and the bugs.

I am so proud of myself for branching out and doing something completely foreign to me as a northern city/suburban gal.  I have never spent the day on a farm, warding off cows, shot guns, and sat around a bonfire near a pond.  It was great!!

Well, after much anticipation, I have finally made it to Mississippi (MS) and completed my first week of MTC!! :)