My Teaching Experiences

This week went better than last week. I think that having the classroom entirely to myself for the three days that K---- was gone helped me gain a sense of ownership over the classroom and my students. I finally feel comfortable with 99% of their names - I'm still having problems in third period with K---- and M----, who look enough alike to be confusing, in fourth period with R---- and C----, who look nothing alike whatsoever, and of course remembering which K---- in eighth period is K---- C. and which is K---- M. and in seventh which J---- is J---- A. and which is J---- G. and also in seventh remembering which of the three N---- is which. But I'm getting there. I'm also becoming better versed in the students as a whole. I know who I can rely on, who goofs off, who shouldn't work with whom, who needs extra time on assignments and who should really be in an advanced class.

I administerd, collected and graded my first quiz today; it was on the first six chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird. I have to admit: I thought they would fare much better than they did. Each class averaged a C. I know that's about perfect according to the bell curve and all, but I think the bell curve is a bunch of baloney. K---- doesn't, though, so she's pleased as pie with the scores.

The problems I've encountered so far that I did not anticipate strike me as odd problems to encounter. First of all, students in nearly every class were confused about the difference between "theme" and "prediction." I had nooooo clue HOW they confused those two terms until I was talking about the difference in third period. Someone defined "prediction" for me as what you think happens next in the story and someone else defined "theme" for me as what the story is about. So, obviously, they saw both terms as linked to events in the novel. Got it. Then, later, I told them to read chapters four through six. At the end of the second day I had students exclaiming stressed phrases at me, saying that they didn't know they had to read chapter six as well. They thought they only had to read to chapter six. Arg. Finally, looking at the quizzes, I realize that they have no idea when or where TKAM takes place. They researched the Great Depression. I drew a timeline on the board when we read the first chapter. I drew a map on the board for the same chapter of Alabama and pointed out all the key places that they would need to know while reading the novel. I even made jokes about how since I would fail out of art school they needed to just understand that they were looking at an accurate and detailed map of the state. Grr.

I've started handing out Pride cards liberally. They're a positive reinforcement deal that the school does; when a student receives a Pride card, they put it in a treasure chest in the library. Periodically, there are drawings from the treasure chest for pretty cool prizes. I gave one yesterday to the rotten kid everyone wants to send to Fort except for me because I think he's a great kid and have zero problems with him in my class. Today I stapled them to all quizzes that received an A. I plan to give them out as often as possible.

My Teaching Experiences
I'm a graduate student at Boise State University just starting to work with the school districts. This no-frills blog is my account of my experiences in the school setting. Archives: January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007	Friday, February 09, 2007 This week went better than last week. I think that having the classroom entirely to myself for the three days that K---- was gone helped me gain a sense of ownership over the classroom and my students. I finally feel comfortable with 99% of their names - I'm still having problems in third period with K---- and M----, who look enough alike to be confusing, in fourth period with R---- and C----, who look nothing alike whatsoever, and of course remembering which K---- in eighth period is K---- C. and which is K---- M. and in seventh which J---- is J---- A. and which is J---- G. and also in seventh remembering which of the three N---- is which. But I'm getting there. I'm also becoming better versed in the students as a whole. I know who I can rely on, who goofs off, who shouldn't work with whom, who needs extra time on assignments and who should really be in an advanced class. I administerd, collected and graded my first quiz today; it was on the first six chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird. I have to admit: I thought they would fare much better than they did. Each class averaged a C. I know that's about perfect according to the bell curve and all, but I think the bell curve is a bunch of baloney. K---- doesn't, though, so she's pleased as pie with the scores. The problems I've encountered so far that I did not anticipate strike me as odd problems to encounter. First of all, students in nearly every class were confused about the difference between "theme" and "prediction." I had nooooo clue HOW they confused those two terms until I was talking about the difference in third period. Someone defined "prediction" for me as what you think happens next in the story and someone else defined "theme" for me as what the story is about. So, obviously, they saw both terms as linked to events in the novel. Got it. Then, later, I told them to read chapters four through six. At the end of the second day I had students exclaiming stressed phrases at me, saying that they didn't know they had to read chapter six as well. They thought they only had to read to chapter six. Arg. Finally, looking at the quizzes, I realize that they have no idea when or where TKAM takes place. They researched the Great Depression. I drew a timeline on the board when we read the first chapter. I drew a map on the board for the same chapter of Alabama and pointed out all the key places that they would need to know while reading the novel. I even made jokes about how since I would fail out of art school they needed to just understand that they were looking at an accurate and detailed map of the state. Grr. I've started handing out Pride cards liberally. They're a positive reinforcement deal that the school does; when a student receives a Pride card, they put it in a treasure chest in the library. Periodically, there are drawings from the treasure chest for pretty cool prizes. I gave one yesterday to the rotten kid everyone wants to send to Fort except for me because I think he's a great kid and have zero problems with him in my class. Today I stapled them to all quizzes that received an A. I plan to give them out as often as possible.