Taking my education seriously. Part 3

The semester is over halfway done now. Time is flying by. My work at Bethany Christian Schools and my school work is definitely keeping me busy. I continue to focus on the three goals I set for the semester. These goals were habits I had developed during college, the first time around, and I knew they would help me be successful again when I started the Transition to Teaching program.

1. Avoiding procrastination with reading and assignments.
2. Reading all of the material assigned to me and taking reading notes.
3. Leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute.

I continue to do very well with two out of three of my goals. I do not put anything off. In fact, this will be my last assigned blog entry for this semester. The original assignment of 5 areas with 4 entries each has been downgraded to 4 areas with 3 entries each. I was pacing myself so I could have everything easily completed by the Dec. 4 deadline and now find myself way ahead of schedule. I am not complaining though. It will be good to cross this off my list of things to do this semester and will allow me to start working ahead on a few larger projects that will be due towards the end of the semester.

I am taking two classes this fall and I've found that I do a great job of reading all of my assigned material and taking reading notes for one of the classes. The other class I am not doing as well with this. The difference is definitely that I have regular reading quizzes in the first class. I am losing motivation to do all of my reading in the second class because we do not have reading quizzes and the information is presented in class.

The third goal continues to go well. I become very panicked when I am running late and that in itself is enough motivation for me to leave early and get to class with time to spare. I have also used this time to look over reading notes and this has helped me be better prepared for reading quizzes as well as class discussions.

As the semester begins to wind down I will continue to focus on these three things. So far they have served me well.

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 4

I have continued my time with the 6th grade class at Bethany. I continue to be impressed with how the teacher is able to work with students who are at such different levels and have such a variety of needs. Bethany Middle School is 100% inclusion. These students spend all day together, there is no pull out. Bethany does not have the resources that the public schools do to pull kids out of regular classes. Because of this Bethany isn't able to accept students with the most severe learning needs, but they still strive to serve a wide range of students.

The only form of "pull out" I have seen has come from more of a behavioral standpoint. The student with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder has worked out a system with her teacher and the special services coordinator. At any point during the day if she feels like her emotions are building and she needs a break from the classroom she can get a pass by the door and go to the special services coordinator's classroom. No questions asked. The teacher is also able to send her at any point to his classroom as well. I have witnessed this happening on several different occasions. The teacher says, "I think you need to take the pass down to Mr. Mast's room" and without questioning the student does this. She leaves for 10-15 minutes, takes time to cool down and refocus, talks with Mr. Mast, and then returns to class. This method has seemed to work really well for everyone. There are just times when she needs distance from other students and her teacher.

I sometimes wonder why parents would send their students to Bethany when they could recieve so many more services at the local public school. I think sometimes parents worry about their children being in large schools. I think they also worry about the stigma that can be associated with students who are pulled out of classrooms for special needs. More times than not though the families who come to Bethany are interested in the Christian education component that is woven into the curriculum. I am a firm believer in Christian education, but I wonder how I would feel if I had a student with special needs. It must be such a difficult decision to figure out the best way to educate your children, especially one with special needs.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 4

Fall break has been a good time for me to recharge my battery. I had two days off at Bethany this past Thursday and Friday and now I have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off from Goshen College. It has been good to spend a few extra days at home and to put the books away for a few days. I told myself I would not do any schoolwork this past weekend and it was a good way for me to take a break and start re-energizing myself for the second half of the semester.

I have continued to focus on eating well, exercising, and staying current with all of my reading and assignements. This past weekend I did something I hadn't done in a couple of years though. My exercise routines most often include jogging or working out on my elliptical machine. On Saturday I got out an old pair of rollerblades and did 5-6 miles on them. It was a beautiful fall day. Sunny, but with a nice crispness in the air. The whole experience was a nice change of pace for me. I can easily fall into doing the same things over and over again with very little variation. It can be envigorating to do something new.

Getting political. Part 4

"What's so interesting about Congressman Ron Paul is, you appear to have a consistent principled integrity. Ah, Americans don't usually go for that..."
Jon Stewart, June 4, 2007

Our presidential election is just about two weeks away and my goal was to choose a candidate to vote for. After my initial disappointment of Ron Paul pulling out of the election, I thought it was important to make an informed decision between Barak Obama and John McCain. I have watched presidential debates, daily news programs, and read local newspapers.

Sadly after this entire process I do not feel good voting for either candidate. Both candidates are proposing increased government spending, which is a huge turn off for me. I want as little government intervention in my life as possible. I do not think socialized healthcare is the way to go, which rules Obama out and I am dissapointed neither candidate had the courage to disagree with the bailout plan. The natural business cycle has poor businesses failing and I think it is ridiculous that tax payers will be bailing out businesses who were greedy and giving loans to people who had no business taking them.

Although it is possible I will change my mind and vote for a presidential candidate in Novemeber my latest conviction is that I need to focus more on our local elections. As a concerned citizin I need to make sure there are strong people representing me in city councils, House and Senate seats, and as govoner. My belief is that the road to the White House is corrupt and does not allow anyone with integrity to advance past the preliminary rounds.

Before this presidential election I would not have considered myself a cynical person. That has changed though. Our current system is broken and in desperate need of repair.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in peoples minds." - Samuel Adams

http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/news/

Taking my education seriously. Part 2

At the beginning of the semester I set a three goals to hopefully help me be successful in my classes this fall. I decided I wanted to focus on three things.
1. Avoiding procrastination with reading and assignments.
2. Reading all of the material assigned to me and taking reading notes.
3. Leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute.

Now that I am six weeks into the semester I thought it would be a good time to reflect over how I am doing at reaching these goals. I feel I have been very successful with two of the three. I have been leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute. I have not been late yet. This has been very helpful because my morning class often begins with a reading quiz. Arriving with a few minutes to spare has allowed me to read over my reading notes and I have done better on the quizzes because of that short review time.

The second goal of not procrastinating has also been going well. I have gotten most assignments done early. I was even able to turn a paper in early last week. I do my best work when I am not feeling rushed so starting things early is a must for me. It also takes the pressure off when due dates arrive. Most importantly, working ahead keeps my stress levels in check.

The third goal is the one I am struggling with the most. I have not been reading everything assigned to me. I continue to take notes on what seems to be highlights, but recently I have started skimming material more than reading in depth. I think I have still been able to find the major points, but I am definitely not reading everything. Some of this is a time issue and other times I just am not interested in the reading that has been assigned to me.

Two out of three isn't bad, but I could definitely do a better job with my reading.

Learning to identify allies. Part 3

For my two classes this fall at Goshen College I have been assigned field placements at Goshen Middle School and Bethany Christian Middle School. I have enjoyed observing in both classrooms as well as getting to know two high quality teachers. I am also in the unique position of working at a school and interacting with teachers daily. Through my job at Bethany one of the things I have appreciated most is lunch time in the faculty lounge.

As a graduate of Bethany it took me the first year and a half to feel comfortable entering the teachers lounge. When I was a student the lounge was off limits to students, so that was part of the dilemma. The other problem is that I did not feel comfortable "lounging" with my former teachers. Now that I am past that stage I have found time in the lounge to be wonderful. The teachers at Bethany are very supportive of me. Most of them know that I am taking classes to get my teaching license and many will check in with me to see how my classes are going. They have been open to me observing in their classes and want to do whatever they can to help me.

I have a friend who teaches at West Noble High School. We got together last weekend and she was telling me that in her education classes she was told to avoid the teachers lounge. Her professors told her that nothing productive happens there and that teachers go there to complain about the administration. I do not feel like this is the case at all at Bethany. Teachers, administrators, and other staff members eat lunch together and it is a time to check in with each other and share ideas about how to best educate some students. I have felt Bethany to be a whole school of "allies" for me and my journey to teaching.

Getting political. Part 3

Last Thursday night I watched the vice-presidential debates between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. Figures from Neilsen Media Research's preliminary figures have this debate being the most-watched vice presidential debate in history. 69.9 million American viewers tuned in for the only VP debate before the November election. This was 17.5 million more viewers than who watched John McCain and Barak Obama's first debate a few weeks ago.

Prior to the debate there was speculation if Sarah Palin was prepared for this large of an audiance. Some believe she had blundered in an interview with Katie Couric a few weeks ago. From what I could see there were no blunders. I could not bring myself to watch the full 90 minutes of the debate. I even wondered if "debate" was the right word to describe what I saw. It seemed more to me like both candidates had memorized a statement about each topic. Health care, the economy, gas prices, foreign policy, etc. Both chose to answer some questions directly and to shy around other questions, never really answering.

I was dissapointed with how quickly both candidates attacked their opponents. Barak Obama started his run for president by promising to run a positive campaign. He has completely lost track of his original plan. The first things out of Joe Biden's mouth were attacks on John McCain.

In most cases I felt like both candidates were saying exactly what they thought voters wanted to hear. I think they promise way more than they can accomplish and that there isn't integrity to what they are saying. Probably the most interesting thing to me was to watch reactions from news stations the following day. One news station took comments from both opponents and rated how truthful they were. Both candidates made statements that were truthful and statements that were completely false.

The website below does a great job of looking at both candidates critically and calling them on their lies.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 3

Yesterday I did my first observations in a 6th grade class that of 17 students has one student with autism, one student with speech and language impairments, one student with severe ADHD who also has been diagnosed as oppositional defiant, and one "miracle" student who is Trisomy 18 - Mosaic. I spent a little over an hour in the classroom right after lunch. Right away it was evident that this was a class with a lot of energy! I assume that the time period after lunch is a struggle many days because students are coming in from recess where they were able to run and play. It is never easy to come back to class, calm down, and return to work.

I thought the 6th grade teacher did a great job of keeping the students interested and focused. She also transitioned well from one activity to the next. Each day after lunch the students have a classroom job they are responsible for. One student cleans out the hamster cage, another picks up trash from the floor, and another changes the daily "Grieser Teaser" on the board. The jobs rotate from week to week and they give the students a sense of ownership with their room. This activity also served as a transition time for students. They were able to move around, but they also began to recenter back into school mode as they worked through their tasks.

Next, the teacher read aloud to the class as they worked on illustrating original books. She kept their attention by asking questions as she was reading to make sure they caught important details. This time quieted students down and helped focus them for the rest of the afternoon. After this activity they were able to move into more traditional school work of a grammer worksheet.

In the hour I spent in the classroom the one student who jumped out at me was the student with
severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. She had difficulty sitting at her desk and remaining on task. Several times during the hour I observed she asked questions that were not related to what the class was doing. Her ADHD combined with an outgoing personality also made her a distraction to other students.

One of the best things the teacher did was continually have the students moving around. They did not sit still for long periods of time. The students took turns coming to the board to correct sentances, they worked in small groups around the room, and they had jobs that had them out of their seats. I think this strategy was helpful for the student with ADHD as well as the other students.

During my next observations I am going to be focused on paying attention to the other three students in her class with special needs.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 3

I continue to work on healthy habits and routines as a way to keep my battery "recharged." I feel like I am succeeding at all three of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the semester. I am eating three meals a day, I am exercising 5-6 times a week, and I am doing leisure reading every night before I go to bed.

The third goal has probably been the most fun. I have so much reading for each of my classes at Goshen College and most times it is heavy reading. To off set this I have started rereading books that I enjoyed in middle school and high school for my night time reading. My husband laughs at the "childish" books I am reading, but I have really enjoyed the easy reading and have been flying through books. In the past two weeks I have read an eight book mystery series that I first read in 7th grade.

The most exciting reread so far has been The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I remember reading this book for the first time on a road trip to Florida over spring break. I devoured the book the first time through and could hardly put it down to get out of the car for bathroom breaks and meal stops. I was inspired to read this book again after I observed a 6th grade class at Bethany where the teacher was reading the book aloud for her class.

This rereading has reminded me that there are great stories for all different reading levels. My love for reading should not confine me to age appropriate books.

Learning to identify allies. Part 2

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." - Henry Ford

I attended a Professional Learning Community meeting this morning at Goshen Middle School. Several times a month the 8th grade social studies teachers meet together to collaboratively plan lessons for the upcoming week. The teacher I am observing really values this time to work with colleagues and bounce ideas off of other teachers.

I was able to directly participate in this collaborative process this morning with two other students in my Middle School Curriculum and Instruction Class. We are all teaching our first lesson next Tuesday and we used the half hour slot of time to plan our lesson together. Our teachers had given us a rough idea of what we could do, but the three of us worked together to iron out the details. I quickly realized that in working together we were able to combine our best ideas and come up with a solid lesson plan for Tuesday. Our final project will be much stronger now than it would have been if we had worked separately.

I have been told that some teachers at Goshen Middle School grumble about the PLC meetings. They do not find them valuable or a good use of time. I am impressed with how my teacher has turned this mandatory meeting time into a valuable teaching tool. The PLC allows her to work with "allies" in her department. It also cuts down on prep time when teachers are able to work together and share ideas.

Getting political. Part 2

"Silence gives consent." - Canon Law

In my attempt to move beyond my disillusionment with the current political system and hopefully determine a candidate to vote for in November I have been striving to watch the news every weekday morning. I believe it is important to be an informed citizin and to vote in elections. Yet I struggle feeling like I will be forced to vote for the lesser of two evils instead of voting for a candidate I feel good about. I normally do not have the patience to watch the news but I have found that if I watch the news while I am working out in the morning I can get a good half hour of news in.

One of my goals is to not watch just one news station. I try to flip between two or three stations each morning. I have also been watching both local news stations as well as national programs like Today and Good Morning America. Hopefully this will give me a more balanced view of the news. The main topics on newstations the past few weeks has been the presidential campaign and the current economic situation.

I continue to be unimpressed as I listen to our two main presidential candidates and other politicians. All Republicans do is criticize Democrats and talk up John McCain and all Democrats do is criticize Republicans and talk up Barak Obama. I also remained smug when I heard both McCain and Obama talk about how bad of an idea the economic bailout would be and then 10 days later both had changed their tunes. My impression is that both candidates will say whatever they think voters want to hear. I do not feel a lot of integrity with either candidate.

I plan to watch the vice-presidential debates tonight on TV.

Studying effective teachers. Part 3

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." - Confucius

I have been continuing my observations at Goshen Middle School in an 8th grade US History class. I continue to be impressed with my teacher and how she works to make history real and relevant to her students. My teacher seems to be the most effective when she brings the students out of their seats and has them "doing" things.

Yesterday in class she had a wonderful study session planned. Her students were taking a test on the 13 original colonies the next day and to help them prepare she put together 13 study stations around the room. These stations all focused on one important concept they would need to know. My teacher used maps, diagrams, charts, and other tangibles at each station. During the course of the class period each student had to move through each station. They also had to have their worked checked before they could move on.

The simple fact that they were not sitting in desks all day helped to make the study session effective. Students can become very restless when they are stuck in a small space for extended periods of time. The hands on aspects also kept the students engaged. It was a great class period!