I am so thankful to have another teacher in my family who has experienced some similar situations - the only difference is she teaches Kindergarten. She and I went out for a movie and dinner this past weekend, and she had mentioned to me how she wishes she could help her little ones find meaning with learning. Kindergarten is tough; for some of these children it's their first experience being immersed into a school environment. My cousin struggles with the lack of parental participation in her class. She worries for her students, because at their young age, it's vital for them to have an excitement for learning. I expressed to her my concern for my students now and in the future for finding meaning in their education. She gave me one of the most amazing ideas for a high school classroom. Her brother, who is a nurse, was required to create a poster for their "Wall of Why". His instructors told them that at points the [nursing] students will be completely fed up with the program, they will have really bad days, and they will make terrible mistakes; however, through this they need to remember the sole meaning as to why they are there. Therefore, they were required to create a poster with pictures, anything to be posted on their "Wall of Why" to remind them of what their purpose is, what their goals are, where they want to be at the end of the nursing program. Can someone say light bulb!
So, of course, I'm game for creating a "Wall of Why" for my students - the end is hard to see for high-schoolers, they need to be constantly reminded of their goals, their purpose in school and where they want to be after high school. I would be more than happy to sacrifice a wall of decorations, or even blank hallway space for a wall of purpose. I've even thought that a "Wall of Why" would be great for a teacher, maybe not a wall, but something to remind us of why we're teaching. A "Wall of Why" could be used for anything, healthier lifestyle, being a better person, teaching, or anything else.
Written purpose is much stronger, powerful and permanent than a thought of purpose that only lingers. The Mark Twain quote above would be great to add to the "Wall of Why", as well as the quote to the right.
I personally have struggles sometimes with making excuses and refusing to "find a way." I know that there are certain things that I am not good at doing, (i.e. test taking, staying committed to losing weight) but I know that in order to become a teacher I have to pass the Praxis test, in order to be healthy I have to work my body, and eat healthy foods. I have to find that purpose, and determination to be the best that I can be - why would I expect less of myself, or of my students? Hopefully you'll be inspired to create your own "Wall of Why", or "Paper of Purpose", this could be a great first day of school lesson plan - the best part is that their purpose is on the wall year-round, so when a reminder is needed, they can go to the "Wall of Why" and read why they are there.
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson as for those of us trying to find motivation to be healthier... "The best things in life make you sweaty." - Edgar Allen Poe
(The authorship of this quote is questionable, but hey! I always need motivation to go exercise - haha!)
Find meaning in your life - dream until your dreams come true. Live long and prosper, friends! Ms. Aden
I'm sure we all appreciate these extra days of being off for the crazy amount of snowfall! However, I look at my lesson plans and start to fret - how and when are we going to make up for the time lost? In the midst of my concerns though, I sit back, relax and enjoy the small break I have been given.
A friend shared this picture with me and I thought it was hilarious! Only in Kansas... "Hey, Toto... Can you say Blizzard of Oz?!
Our in-service on Monday went really well, the department heads had discussed some interesting information with us about schedule changes, funds, reading lists, etc. While this large department meeting was going on, I had contemplated and thought about the interview I had on Monday. The principal had told me that if I were to get the job, I would be the only member of the English Department. As the day progressed I thought about the advantages and disadvantages of being a single unit department; the freedoms I would be allowed, but, then again the extra responsibility. In a high school of seventy students though, this may not be such a bad thing. I think of the rapport I could build with the students and their families. Also, the community is small, which is appealing to me.
Anyway, after our meeting, we gathered as a whole school and met. On our in-service day we also had the pleasure of grading persuasive writing assessments which was excellent practice! I'm thankful for all of my experiences student teaching thus far.
While interviewing on Monday, the principal was looking at my resume, and I was glancing at it and -- wow! It's amazing to think of all the things that have been accomplished within my four years of college. My Co-op experiences, work history/teaching experiences made my resume look great, and the principal was pleased with it, too. On the bright side, there are many exciting things coming up! I will finally be able to start my Urban Legends paper/project lesson when we return back from our break and I am so excited to finally get started on it. My freshmen are almost done reading Animal Farm and will be reviewing and testing on it when we return. My AVID students are also doing a research project, and we will begin reviewing Outlines, etc. soon. It feels good to know that I get the opportunity to do what I love everyday for the rest of my life. I have surely learned that teaching is difficult, and I know there will be many more obstacles to come my way, but I am flexible and willing to do what is necessary for the sake of my students.
As I stay snowed in tomorrow, I plan on getting a lovely head start on my KPTP, and adjusting my lesson plans for the week to come. I hope to finally finish The Hobbit which has been an excellent leisure read, and study more for an upcoming test. In between all of my proactive behaviors, I would love to take a nice, long cat-nap. I hope you all enjoy your snowed in days.
Donuts are wonderful - they're like teaching. We teach our students to be well "rounded", and we pray they're always sweet; however, running the donut shop can be a difficult process.
"The art of teaching involves more than just following the curriculum and producing the results. Teaching is a craft the requires the craft [of] a donut shop, we must be able to set up shop in any location and practice our art. Our ability to influence a student doesn't come off a shelf, sold by the dozen, but it comes in our ability to show each person that we care enough about them to understand their individual needs. Teachers are individuals with varied strengths and weaknesses, and part of our art is learning to shine through our strengths without letting the weakness bring us down." - Teaching Underground
Well, this week was definitely interesting. I took over our AVID class, and introduced them to a research project over four modern issues (juvenile crime, discrimination, race relations, and poverty). The students have been given one of the four topics, and now they're free to go whichever way they want with the topic. Some are having extreme difficulty with this freedom; however, I reminded them when they get into college their paper topics may not be clear cut. As for my darling freshmen class, we began reading the beloved book, Animal Farm. I have really enjoyed teaching both classes, the freshmen are still "fresh" in the sense that some are eager to learn and help the teacher when possible. Thank goodness for this!
This past week was definitely not perfect, I was called a name that was used in a derogatory manner, but the situation allowed me to assert and show my role as an authority to my students. As a teacher, I learned that I have to take every predicament at face value. There's always a reason for everything, and this situation, though disheartening (and it made my blood boil just a little bit) taught me that I can't take everything personally. Plus, my day was going fantastic before this situation occurred. It was like almost completing a the last rep of a bench press, and then someone comes screaming in my face calling me nasty names, and I just wanted to toss the bar and give up. However, I just keep on keeping on for the sake of my sanity and for the sake of the learning environment and my students. I will say though, after a rough day there are some wonderful ideas to vent - for instance, work out. There is nothing better than taking frustrations from the day out on the treadmill, or the weight machine while listening to Florence + The Machine belt out a melody that makes your heart explode with the release of anxiety, stress, and frustration. Although, I'm sure I looked like Homer in this picture (above), I felt great afterwards! (But awfully sore the next day.) I guess my advice to you is to find something to help release the worries and anxieties that the day brings.
Also, listen to some Flo, talk about some serious pipes! Shake it Out!
Have an excellent week my friends! Good luck on your interviews tomorrow at the interview day and as always,
