Leading the Horse to Water...

I have come to the conclusion this week that there are students that, without a doubt, will not work independently. As the teacher, I ask them if they would like to come in after or before school or during study hall. I make accommodations so that their teachers will let them come visit with me.  However, at the end of the day if they do not take advantage of these extra times or even asking questions during class, then I am not sure what other steps I can take to get them to engage.

For example, this has been a constant battle with a particular student all semester. She does not understand the material so I help her in class. She still doesn't understand the material so I ask her to come in before or after school or during Focus period. She doesn't. She is allowed to retake any quiz or test without exception. She doesn't. Then both her and the parents ask the question, "Why is she failing your class?"

After allowing all the interventions and times I asked her to come in I began to document these times so that I could show the parents that this was happening. There is a point in my teaching that I have to say enough is enough. I am not sure what else I can do.

Like the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink."

Any suggestions out there?

"Tracking" Students' Progress

This week one of the highlights of my time was doing a special project with my Geometry class.  Right now we are learning about area for different shapes, but focusing mainly on circles. This activity goal was to find the area of the track. I used the announcement that the school board had approved a project where the track would be resurfaced. So we were going to see if we could come up with a close number to the company that is resurfacing it.

I split them into groups. Each had a different objective, in hopes that they wouldn't just copy each other's sheets. Find the area of lanes 1-4. Find the area of lanes 5-8. Find the area of the space inside the track. Find the area of all other parts of the black top.

With a sunny, 65 degree day to help us along, we walked out with tape measures (or yard sticks) in hand. They needed to take measurements and then come to a conclusion on what they needed to do with those measurements. Then we were going to see if we added all their areas together (tracks parts) we could get close to what the professional company came up with to resurface the track.

Besides having this be a good learning tool, this also helped with the morale of the classes. It was such a nice day outside and we were inside (with no windows). I think that they had fun doing it and I had fun hearing all the different ways they were going to measure long distances.

I think I will be doing this again in the future. Just to let you know, all three classes came close to the actual professional number. And one class even was within 10 yards!

The Energy Bus

This week all the teachers (and student teachers) were given a book to read as a part of staff development throughout the faculty.

The purpose of this "book study" was not just another thing to add to your to-do list, but it was more for the staff to power through these final weeks of the year where sometimes tensions get high and stress sets in. My initial thought was, "Great. Something else to add to my reading pile." However, I picked it up and it had a great deal of information to share.

Not only did it re-energize me to do my best as a teacher and professional, but also it re-energized me to still be a great student for our seminars, a great collaborator with the other math teachers and student teachers inside and outside of my building and a better coach for the track athletes.

I highly recommend adding this to your reading list. It's fairly short, but really it packs a punch. It seems like it is geared more toward the business side of things, but there are obvious and abundant applications for teachers and professionals in general. It is well worth your time.

Not only was this a book study and I'm guessing we will discuss it at our next PLC day, but also the principal is doing a great job of bringing this theory of an "Energy Bus" into the school. The basic premiss this book was written on are the "10 Rules For the Ride of Your Life." So each week from now until the end of the school year the staff is focusing on a particular rule. He has posted the "ticket" on each teacher's door as a constant reminder of the goal that week.

This week is "You're the Driver of Your Own Bus." This is basically saying that even though each of us have bad things that happen in our work, school or homes we can't let that define us, but instead we need to use that to motivate us to make a positive situation out of a perceivable negative.

Here's some more information on the book and the plan if you'd like: www.theenergybus.com

When the Household CEOs come to school

Monday and Tuesday this week each ended with hours of parent/teacher conferences.

The conferences were very interesting and insightful. I really enjoyed getting the chance to meet several students' parents. As parents were walking over to our table I tried to guess who their child was based on looks. I was getting pretty good at it by the end.

Since I am in a small school district several of the parents know the teachers, know each other and/or grew up within five blocks of the school. So the conferences we had were both a time to discuss the students, but also a time for my CT to catch up with old friends. I learned a lot about the parents in a short time, but there were several that gave me a more complete look into the life of a particular student.

The night did not go without its rough spots. A couple parents were upset with the grade of their students. My CT handled these situations much better than I could. All in all, I think the parents were frustrated that their students weren't getting the grade they wanted them to so they needed to let that be heard. It wasn't uncomfortable by any means, but it just took some time to calm them down and try to put a plan in place to best serve their students.

However, there were many great moments in the nights as well. One parent said that her student loved using the new technology in Math class which she thought would never happen. Another said that his student liked having the extra help with both my CT and I in the classroom to further their education and understanding.

Another benefit of these conferences was that I got to know the administration and other teachers significantly better during the "down" times of conferences. It was almost a sense of solidarity in which we were able to converse and laugh.  It was a good night and I'm glad I was lucky enough to be a part of this experience!

Substituting for Substitution

This week I got my first experience of having my own classroom. My CT was gone and I got to substitute. Ironically we were learning about solving Systems of Equations using the Substitution Method, so I thought that was pretty fitting.

Even though I have been with these students for almost nine weeks, some of them acted like I was someone completely new since they have never experienced me for an extended period of time without my CT in the classroom.

I have to admit, it was a strange feeling to know that if I failed at the activity or lesson there is no other backup besides my own creativity and quick thinking. However, I feel like that since I knew that I would be on my own without a "safety net" I over-prepared so I didn't have that terrible feeling of running out of lesson with twenty minutes left.

The students were great. Obviously they were thrown for a loop as well knowing that I was still learning how to teach, but they acted very respectful and some were helpful to hand things out or pick things up.

Surprisingly the day flew by. All in all, it was a good day. It was my first taste of how I want to run my classroom without any fear or nervousness of what my CT would say. So now that I have at least one day under my belt I feel much more at ease when I will have my own classroom.

The "D & F" List

The "D & F" List can be the source of much consternation for some.

I'm sure several schools have this in some form, but my school makes it very specific and accessible to teachers. In fact since I'm in such a small school, our PLC days (which are usually saved for teacher collaboration) focus on this list.

This list outlines each and every student that has a "D" or an "F" in one or more classes. This shows each and every class that a student is struggling in.

The community of teachers and administrators sees this list as a good indicator of other things going on in the students' lives. So in our PLC meeting time we discuss what we can do as teachers and mentors to influence the lives of these kids. Many times it is piecing information together from different sources and conversations to get a more complete picture of each student. It definitely opened my eyes to a much deeper sense of the socioeconomic undertones of the school and the community in general.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far...

Parents.

Sometimes I do not fully understand them, but at other times they are such a great gift to teachers.

While I haven't had Parent-Teacher Conferences yet, I feel like I have had a good amount of contact with parents.  Whether it was through questioning emails or while at basketball games or simply at the local gas station. I have had the pleasure of having great contact with several parents before the actual conferences.

This has been a great experience for me. It is so different being in a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone and if you are new you stick out in the crowd. At the last few basketball games I've been to parents have stopped and said, "Are you a teacher here?" I quickly explain that I am student teaching in math class. There are several different reactions to this, but most say, "So how's insert child's name doing?" It really has been like an informal parent-teacher conference at several of these games and fundraisers. Luckily my CT was there when the president of the school board asked me about his student.

One of the greatest moments that I have the opportunity to experience was when I got to congratulate a parent for her daughter getting an A on a recent test. I was surprised when the parent said she had no idea that her daughter did that well. It was great to bring an unexpected surprise to a parent about the success of their child. I look forward to more interaction with parents.

What interaction have you had with parents outside of conferences?

On the EDGE of Discovery

Caution: Technology May Interrupt ENHANCE Learning!

After attending the UNL TechEDGE Conference I have seen the importance of incorporating technology in my teaching and professional development.

This week I got the chance to review using the Nearpod app on the iPads.  I didn't feel completely ready to incorporate this into my class, after all, I am just beginning my own discovery with this plethora of new technology.  However, one thing that I thought is that I could possibly never feel totally prepared to introduce technology into my lesson plans.  So, I thought that the best way for me to get used to it would be to jump in with both feet. Sometimes you just have to jump in and be ok with failing, but learning what to do next time.

I started out class saying, "Today we are going to do a review over special right triangles."  I could hear the groans sweep across the room.  Then I continued, "However I want to try something a  little different. We are going to do our review on the iPads."  This is when their ears perked and they sat up a little straighter.  Even though the school has an iPad cart for everyone's use, usually it stays in the room that is its' "home base."  This usually means teachers don't take advantage of this resource.

The lesson went really well.  The students didn't totally understand the material that I was going to be quizzing them over, but I thought that this review style made them a little more eager to try to succeed rather than just sitting idly by.  The students really liked not only the app, but just the change of "scenery." I would say that this lesson was a success for me and I am excited to keep incorporating it into more lessons to come.

One of the greatest things about this was that my CT and I were planning out the next two weeks, with me being gone next week for the symposium she asked me if I could help her make a Nearpod review for Algebra and a Kahoot! review for Geometry. She said it went over so well with the students that she wanted to try her hand at it.  I feel like this is exactly what it means to be a support to your fellow teachers while collaborating.

Do you want to build a snowman?

This week, just like every week, has given me its fair share of valuable experiences.  Even as a teacher I am still learning every day.  This week there were three snow days and a late start.  The only real day of school that we had was on Friday (which we all can argue is not really a good day for teaching). It has been such a strange week.  I started reflecting on my experience with this question: "Are snow days a good or bad thing for a teacher?"  This question didn't come to me without any insight into my own experience.

While it can be argued by some teachers that snow days are always good because they provide an overworked employee with a spontaneous day off, I have to ask, "At what cost?"  It seems that a snow day or a personal day or a sick day can throw a wrench into your routine as well as throwing off your entire lesson plan for the week.  After these days off I felt like I had some things more under control, but they were more limited to my extra duties for college.  Things at my school were still giving me stress and lesson planning didn't stop and grading never got easier.  You would think a spontaneous day off should be a little more of a day off.

There are a couple things that I learned from this.  First, I do not think I would be willing to take a personal day if I had to make several sub plans to keep my classes going.  It wouldn't be my first choice.  Second, while snow days are fun and exciting for me as a student teacher or for some new teachers they can be great stressors since there is now more of a time crunch on your class.  Third, sometimes teachers just need to know when to walk away from school stuff.  I believe you can always make a lesson better and better and better, but there needs to be a point where I can say, "That's a really good lesson.  I know there are things I could improve upon or practice more, but I can look over it during planning period too."

With all this in mind I am thankful that I got all the time off so I could focus on things that aren't school related at all like friends and hobbies and exercise.  Now just looking ahead at next week it's a little daunting to think about how much we still have to cover, but I just have to believe that it will all work out.

Moral of the story: Don't spend an entire day off thinking about school..sometimes you just have to go build a snowman.

FOCUSing the Lens

Another exhausting and rewarding week has flown by. Some quick highlights of this week have been the basketball games, the UNL Tech EDGE Conference and the musical auditions.

Those are only some of the exciting things that I get to be involved in with the life of this school. One thing that I think sets this school apart from several other high schools I have been involved in or heard about is the addition of the "FOCUS" period.  This is not simply a home room or study hall, but it is almost like a mandatory time that the students need to make up tests, quizzes and assignments. In my mind this acts as a time when you would expect students to come in before school or after school. I have never had the opportunity to see this is action so coming from an outside point of view, I think it is a great idea. It replaced study halls that were occurring throughout the entire day and set it so that the students all had FOCUS during third period. This is also a time when they have the opportunity to go get breakfast. So it serves as a support for the kids who would usually go without food until lunch.

While I like having this class period for the students, there are some bad points to it as well. Many students see it as free time towards the beginning of the school day. It isn't meant to be that, but teachers don't enforce rules regularly across the board so some students see it a certain way while others get away with playing on their phones. It can become just a social event of the day and then the students don't get anything done that the period was originally set up for. While interviewing my CT she said that what used to happen was parents saw it as a time to take their kids out of school for appointments. Granted, this is probably a better time to do it rather than during class, but it started getting out of hand. Another down side to having FOCUS is that the administration would schedule pep rallies, meetings with seniors or a variety of other events during this time to save class time. However, that was not what the purpose of FOCUS was originally laid out to accomplish.

The best parts of FOCUS as seen by my CT is that the students have unlimited access to all the teachers since they know they will be available for questions or makeup assignments. Along those lines the teachers know that all the students will be available as well for them to call them in. Another use of the FOCUS time was for a chance for students to take an online class. Not many students take this option, but it still is a time for that opportunity.

Junior high students do not have a period like this. This is all due to scheduling and trying to work around the teachers' schedules. I feel like this is a great opportunity for the students at this school.

Designing and Planning Instruction

There have been many experiences so far with students, lesson planning, GRADING, etc. Even though this has been a great experience so far there are still many great moments to come (hopefully). It has been a pleasure to be able to observe and work with my CT. She has about 30 years of experience in both a big high school setting (10 years) and a small high school setting (20 years). She has an old school style view of respect and behavior. The kids respond well to this. They want structure and discipline and she is there to give it to them.

The biggest problem that I face as a future teacher is lesson planning. Where do I find the time to make up great lessons to help my students learn the material? It is quite a paradox. My CT has definitely helped me do this. Her lesson plans are differentiated for her 6 class periods. It is not a "cookie cutter" type of lesson nor does she ever get bored with what she is teaching. She enjoys challenging her students and making them think for the answer or through the process.

My lesson planning skills have been revised over the past couple weeks. Not dramatically, but at least I am starting to refine my thoughts. Not only do I want to make my thoughts concise, but I want them to be fruitful for the students to learn. The biggest challenges I face when lesson planning or developing a lesson is a starting point. I haven't seen these kids learn for several years (which my CT is very helpful for). I don't know what skills they have to begin so I have trouble beginning too difficult or too easy (boring).

One particular skill that I am striving to work on is the use of "wait time". I have a bad habit of asking a question and as the words are coming out of my mouth I think it is a poor question. So then I immediately re-ask my question in a different way. After the second question is asked I just feel that I am confusing the students so I just answer the question myself. Thus it begins a downhill spiral of boredom for the students because I'm not making them think.

I haven't had to do much lesson planning on my own so far. I am a little nervous to start using my own ideas and lessons, but I think that only by taking this step that I will be able to refine and improve my abilities in my future profession.

Extracurriculars: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Being in a small school presents many unique opportunities with it. While student teaching is still the main focus there are several peripheral experiences that I would love to get involved in and have already begun to dive into. Extracurriculars.

This word can evoke a sense of pride in some, while at the same time conjure up feelings of stress and being overcommitted. However, just like most things there are good points and there are bad.

Bad: Extracurriculars take a lot of time. From my short time here I have heard opportunities for participation in boys basketball, the spring musical, coaching track, a new graphic design club, Prom and many others. While I've been very cautious and picky with what I get involved in I have learned this simple lesson of time management. All these things take so much time and effort.

Good: Extracurriculars let students experience you in a different light away from the classroom. While it is great to get to see students everyday and build a professional working relationship with them, it is nice to get to know the students' interests and talents outside of the math classroom. This gives me a more complete view of who that student is as a person rather than just an ID number.

Ugly: Extracurriculars can get difficult to let go or hand over once a teacher has been doing them for so long. I'm sure that very few teachers are asked to give up extracurriculars since they are always difficult to fill in the first place. So when you volunteer for an activity it is sometimes volunteering to take on a career long responsibility.

I enjoyed doing several extracurricular activities when I was in high school, but the obvious point is that it is easier to participate in several activities rather than overseeing several activities. I'm still trying to find that good balance of giving my time where I know I have some freedom versus overcommitting to several different things and failing at them.

Destination: Small Town, USA

Starting out fresh and new in anything can be difficult and most times awkward. My first day at my placement was a little different. After meeting the administrators and fellow teachers, my CT and I got right to work! It left no time to feel awkward or out of place. We spent the morning in the regular teacher meetings, but the afternoon we got time to plan for the upcoming weeks and months with one goal in mind: MAKE THESE 16 WEEKS UNFORGETTABLE.

The fist day with students was a whirlwind. From my experience in big schools, for the most part, there were many things that were different. First, I've been placed in a farming community. The school population tops out around 250 students. We are C-1 in sports. Just from an external view of the student population it was much different. Walking into a school where camouflage is everyone's favorite color and cowboy boots would seem to be the students' shoes of choice. It's a very religious community that love their faith and make it a part of the school community.

From a more internal view of the students it seems that the students are much more polite than my dealings in bigger schools. They have a great respect for authority and each other. Even though the students are very different they all seem to get along and be part of intermixing friend groups. They like to talk to teachers in both academic settings and recreational settings. Also, unsurprisingly, every student has a relative somewhere in the school or in their grade or in each class period.

From a teaching point of view, there is your typical range of students. There are gifted students. There are students needing special assistance. There are students that hate math. There are students that love math. One thing I see is that across the board is that the students love to learn and even though they may hide it, they like to come to school each day.

I am excited to see what else this semester brings. It is already an adventure!