1st official lesson

(this is from a couple of weeks ago....posting it now...!)

Today i gave my first official, top to bottom lesson. I felt nervous - last night, a little bit all weekend, and of course this morning. But once I got into it, everything seemed to flow fairly well.

The lesson was on writing a thesis. I think some 9th graders know what this means, but may not have a good grip on what exactly a thesis is, or what a good thesis is. They might also not know how to write one. This is a skill that should stick with the students for the rest of their academic careers - and beyond. I feel it's a really, really important lesson.

one thing i want to work on is finding really good, solid examples that are relatable and relevant to my kids. the examples i had were ok, but most of them were a little too heady for 9th graders. more importantly, i want to be able to have examples sort of in the forefront of my mind that i can spit out for them to make my points clearer. My coordinating teacher is a champ at this - she spits out really relevant, detailed, beautiful examples on the spot.

Not only was this my first official lesson, I was also observed by my clinical supervisor! I think this added to my nervousness a bit, but she is very approachable and nice, and despite my worries I was fairly confident about my lesson. The observation went well and she had very positive feedback for me, and said I am doing a great job. She did observe a few things that I'm really glad she mentioned:

• Acknowledgement/positive feedback: When students participated, I didn't always acknowledge their contributions. For example, one student gave an answer to my question, "what are the 3 parts of an essay?" He gave them, but I went very quickly to the next thing or person. Be sure to give specific acknowledgement so that students feel positive feedback from participation.
• When students asked questions, I repeated their questions for the rest of the class. Instead, I should have students turn to the rest of the class and pose their questions so that everyone can hear. This fosters community. My clinical supervisor described this as a sort of game - the ball easily volleys between student and teacher, but it doesn't often or always volley between students.
• Use more objective language so that students don't get mislead or confused. One example was "a thesis proves your point" as opposed to "a point".
• Don't feed the kids answers: instead of "why isn't this a good thesis?" say "is this a good thesis?" Again, more objective.
• Walk around more, look at what the kids are writing. Make sure it's making sense; highlight good notes or observations for the rest of the class.

Not bad for a first observation. I'm going to keep working on these items. Here's to my next observation....!

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First day!

I have officially survived my first day and half of student teaching!

So far, it's been good, if slightly awkward, as i think any job is when you first start out. i felt a little nervous when it came to introducing myself to the students. But my teacher does a very, very personal introduction. She basically tells the kids her life story. it felt almost a bit lengthy, but it's an important story, especially for the kids in my district to hear. she grew up in this town, she went to this school, almost dropped out - and now has a doctorate degree. i don't have quite that story, and mine felt kind of pathetic next to hers. but the truth is, i don't have to tell it when i get my own class.

my teacher is also incredibly dynamic. she has a very strong, direct, but caring personality. I'd like to develop a persona that has some echoes of that, but i know i am not completely like her.

anyways, i'm glad i don't have to do a super personal intro again. i don't think it's necessary, at least not coming from someone like me. i'd rather spend time driving home the message that i don't care who you are or were in the past. I don't care if you have failed classes or got in trouble last year. that's what's special about starting a new school year: it's kind of like real new year's: you can leave behind the old and start with the new. you can become anyone you want to be. i will not judge you for who you were last june. instead, help me to see you as you are today, and who you want to be tomorrow.

(philosophical stuff. corny? ha, don't know. i could even weave something about chinese new years into that story. like, i could describe chinese new years and why it's important to me, and how we wash our feet to get rid of last year's dirt. how every year is a new beginning.)

and i have all 9 graders right now, except for a creative writing class. they are really cute. it's also so endearing to hear my name over and over again. I think that might have been my favorite part of the day: hearing the kids call my name when they needed help or had a question.

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Student Teaching....!

I think I've been in denial, but it's almost here. That is... Student teaching!!!

On one hand, I'm super excited, and on the other, I'm nervous and wondering how I'm going to handle it. I wonder if I'm ready, but then again I think that's a pointless question because I feel like the best practice is to dive in and go at it.

I have contacted my coordinating teachers, and they've already been responsive and supportive. So at least I have that going for me.

There's a lot I have to get together over the next few weeks, and I hope I can do a good job of getting it done. I want to be able to walk into my school prepared and ready to go.

I just want to be credible, authentic, personable, but also respected. I want to be the best teacher possible.

.... Even if it takes some trips and falls to get there.

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Tip - Extract Pages from a PDF

Tech tips: sometimes they're really boring, but they can often be super helpful. This one's pretty simple, you probably already know it if you use Acrobat. It's useful if you have a large PDF document but only need one page from it and want to save it separately. For example, I needed a rubric from a Regents exam to include in a unit plan. This specific tip applies to Adobe Acrobat; your school computer lab should probably have it loaded if you don't have it on your own computer.

Extract pages from a PDF file

In Acrobat, select Document > Extract Pages

Then type in which pages you want to extract in the "Select pages to extract" box

I chose the "Extract Pages as separate files" to save the selected page(s) as a new file

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Hello again, and a few more interview tips

Ok #1: I know I'm probably the world's WORST blogger. Wrapping up the semester was a bit crazy, and then I basically zoned out for a couple of weeks. Forgive me.

#2. Final segment of interview tips. This one is a bit meaty, but I think there are some helpful last tips/perspectives that I know I hadn't considered before. I hope these help someone out there :) Enjoy.

What's an appropriate question to ask when called for an interview? The principals had a few responses to this:

- Don't ask too much

- You can ask about parking - i.e. is there parking available, where should you park.

- Ask the secretary's name; this shows consideration, and then you will be able to greet her by name when you arrive.

- That's about all you should ask - don't ask very much or anything else! 

- What should a candidate bring to the interview? One principal mentioned that he likes candidates to have already "walked" the community - that is, explored the community a bit and have a feel for what kind of place it is. You should also have a unit or lesson plan prepared, and bring all of the necessary materials with you. Also, a copy of your resume/cover letter; the interviewers should have already seen this, but bring a few extra copies in case they need them. 

- A note about portfolios/videos - All of the principals said that they don't really look at portfolios very much; you might want to bring it, and have one or two artifacts selected to share - e.g. a lesson you are particularly proud of, a letter from the children you student taught. But they will not pass around your portfolio and really look at it. Additionally, one of the principals said that she unfortunately has to throw out all of the videos she receives; she has no time to watch all of the videos she gets, and another principal added that if they're really interested in you, you'll either demo a lesson for them or they will come to your school and observe one of your lessons, if that's possible. 

- Once the candidate has left the interview, what should they do? Send a thank you note!!! The principals varied on whether they preferred hand-written or e-mail; some were fine with e-mail, some preferred hand-written. I know in the business world, the only way I could guarantee someone would actually receive my note was through e-mail; but, it's different in a school setting where the principal is sure to receive his/her mail. So I guess you just have to use your intuition to infer if they have a preference, or go with whatever you're most confident with. 

- Once you start working in a school, align yourself with the right people. There will be a lot of negative, jaded, bitter people. As a new teacher, do you really want to be like that? Find the positive, focused people and they will lead you the right way. The principals even said you might want to avoid the teachers' lounge - maybe eat there once or twice a week to get to know people, but know that there may be a lot of negativity there. 

- Guiding motto: "If you're about the kids, you can't go wrong." 

I think that FINALLY wraps up my interview tips from the Principal's Panel. I know it's so tough to get hired right now, but I think we have to stay optimistic. Hopefully these tips may help, and good luck to all interviewees!  

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Interview Tips for Teachers - Part II

I'm finally posting installment #2 of Interview Tips. It's loooooong, but I think it's worth it. See the first installment for more info as well as some background info. I'm labeling this for teachers, but most of these tips really apply for all interviews. Third and last installment to come, sometime this century. Enjoy!

Tips on the Interview Process
- You are being interviewed from the second you schedule an interview. All of the principals noted that if a candidate is pushy, rude, or dismissive when scheduling their meeting, their secretary is sure to say something about it.
- Be prepared for different interview styles. Some may be more structured, with a set of specific questions, or the interviewer(s) may ask one or two very open ended questions and allow a more candidate-led interview. Think about what and how much you say in either scenario; your potential employer is observing not only what you say, but how you say it. The panel all agreed that candidates who give seemingly never-ending answers, or blabbered on about anything and everything, came across as nervous and unconfident, not to mention boring. As one principal said, "sometimes it's better to say less than more."
- Also be prepared for both one-on-one and group interviews. You might be able to politely ask about this - for example, you may ask the secretary "With whom will I be meeting?" or, "I want to bring enough copies of my resume - how many should I print?"

- Do your homework. This was a key point that was underscored numerous times throughout the session. You must do your research ahead of time. This includes everything from knowing where the school is and how to get there to your personal views and beliefs about education. Here's a rundown of items mentioned:

• Name of the school, location, how to get there (Don't ask the secretary; use GPS or Google maps. Take a practice drive if you're unsure of the directions).
• The principal's name.
• General demographic of the district; general understanding of any specific issues or unique features of the school or district.
• Your personal opinions about "hot" or important education issues - e.g. open enrollment, academic eligibility for athletics, etc.
• School report card, mission, etc.
• Be aware/abreast of current reform issues. Be able to speak eloquently and knowledgeably of these issues and your positions on them.
• Likewise, be familiar with state and national assessment contents. One principal mentioned the website datawarehouse.com, which he said provides high stakes exam data and trend analysis. You might want to look at the district's performance on these exams.
• Be aware of various professional organizations, and join the appropriate ones for you.

- Be able to frame your responses to various questions within the context of the district; tailor your answers to fit into the framework of the beliefs of the district.

- Know why you want to move. If you are already employed at another district, be prepared to explain why you want to leave it. Always give a positive answer - no principal wants to hear you say "well my co-workers are a bunch of idiots." A better answer would be "I'm looking for more professional development opportunities."

- Know why you want to work at that school or district. What's in it for you? "Employment" is not an answer; find something unique about the school, or frame your answer in terms of your own personal and professional development.

- Interviewers will try to uncover your belief system. For example, at the end of the interview, you might be asked "Is there any topic you thought I'd ask you that I didn't ask?" All of the principals said they use this question to dig at something deeper about the candidate; however, they varied in what kind of responses they like to hear. One said to try not to answer this question: by answering it, you might be revealing too much about yourself, and implying that the principal wasn't smart enough to ask the question. On the other hand, another principal said that they want an answer from candidates, to know they were prepared for the interview, and to uncover what other issues/topics they are concerned with. So it's a toss up, but I think once again you'll want to say less rather than more; keep any answer you give succinct.

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Serious career goal...

...Become a Google Certified Teacher in the next 5 years.

Google's program for teachers is like everything I want to accomplish in teaching. Ok, ok - not everything. But it gets at a lot of it! One of the things I grapple with almost every day is how we could be so much more effective in working (including teaching/learning) if more people used social tools on an everyday basis. I think about this for myself - what if my school had a social network just for the school of education students and alumni? It would be a perfect networking platform, and an awesome space for people to share and learn from others who are experiencing or have experienced the same things. Of course this is Social Networking 101, but it doesn't currently exist for my school, and the key here is the commonality we would all share - i.e. our university. Could I create this myself? Yes. Will I? Well, if my school gave me some money! Maybe I should pitch it to our dean :)

Anyways, I also think about social platforms in how they can get kids excited about learning - sort of in disguise. For example, ever heard of GoodReads? Or WeRead, on Facebook? These are just networks for sharing books you've read. How do you choose books to read for pleasure? Usually, or at least often, our selections are based on the recommendations of friends and family, or other people you know personally. Well, GoodReads and WeRead had the bright idea to put that concept into a social network. I think this connection is even stronger for kids - kids love reading what their friends are reading, and they recommend books to each other all of the time. And kids spend most of their non-school time online. So mash those two things together, and you have a very powerful tool for promoting literacy.

I feel like, in general, education is a fairly "downlevel" sector - the funding and also the experience/knowledge just is not there to support and embrace technology in an everyday way. The technology use I've seen in classrooms is fairly isolated, rather than integrated into teaching. Ok, SmartBoards are pretty cool, and I like seeing some PowerPoints. But technology is SO much more than power points! That barely qualifies as "new media" and actually I would say it doesn't really qualify at all! What if we gave our kids the tools they like to use, and integrate them in smart, effective, and engaging ways in the classroom??? Money is a huge issue, but sometimes we have to dream before we can create reality.

So, I've provided just two examples of how social tools can help us in our everyday lives. There are infinite others out there. I guess some people will think this isn't all that important, but I believe it's the future of work: using social tools can help us all to learn and share with each other. Sounds hokey? Fine, but I truly believe in collaborative work, and I think we all engage in it quite regularly (in what ever sector you work in). I think becoming a Google certified educator would - number 1, be AWESOME, and #2, will give me the credibility to evangelize these tools in my district and my general region. So I am absolutely DETERMINED to do it!!!!!

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I <3 my library

I was at my town library today and decided to swing by the young adult section just to take a glance around. We have a great YA section with a large wall almost entirely dedicated to teen fiction. On a nearby table, I found these little cards with tons of categorized suggestions! Yippee! I scopped up one of each and went on my merry way.

I bet your town/county library has lots of YA suggestions too. I think I'm also going to begin harassing my younger cousins to fill me in on some of their favorite books.

(Did you notice my eyeball?... creeeeeepy.....hee hee!)

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Writing is Thinking

A little while ago I posted that one of my professors urged me: "Don't think. Write."

Yet in my literacy class, our mantra is "Writing is thinking." Engaging students in writing - any kind - is to get them to actively think about a topic. Their writing does not need to be perfect - grammar and spelling are not the focus. Instead, the idea is that if you have a student write about something, however informally, they need to think about that something to be able to do it.

After hearing both (seemingly conflicting) concepts, my first thought was, "Ok great. Which do I believe?" But the truth is I believe the two can exist in unison. I think the idea behind "Don't think. Write." is just to get ideas on paper. Just let your fingers move and allow the ideas to pour out. In this way, of course you need to think about a subject, but not get bogged down in whether your answer is perfectly worded, spelled, and punctuated. In doing so, students are inherently thinking through their understandings, beliefs, opinions, ideas, thoughts, etc., without the inhibition associated with worrying about how their writing sounds or what other people will think of it.

So really, it's: "Writing is thinking. But don't think, ok? Just write."

...Or the other way around? Ah anyways... you get the idea!

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Interview Tips for Teachers

Towards the end of last semester, the education club at my school organized a "Principals' Panel." I knew I wanted to go to this, but didn't really know what it was about: the poster just said "three area principals will be visiting; dress professionally!" Anyways, turns out it was good that I went: it was essentially a panel about interviewing tips, straight from the source. I took away a ton of advice from this event; here's Part 1 of my notes - focusing on what characteristics employers are looking for in prospective teachers.

Question: What qualities are you looking for in candidates?
- someone I can work with (i.e. get along with as a co-worker)
- speaks articulately
- really knows him or herself as a teacher
- I can have a working relationship with
- can grow
- is flexible, agreeable
- bright, articulate
- has command of content
        - has a specialty in content area
        - has the content of pedagogy; e.g. knows how people learn, how to design effective lessons
- passion, fire for the work
- strong belief in the power of public education
- an ability to design questions
- a willingness to learn
- "matches" or fits with the team
- ability to communicate orally and in written format
- acceptance: is willing to accept others for who they are
- congruence: means what they say, is able to prove they've done what they say they have (this was mentioned particularly regarding the interview setting, when some candidates are apt to embellish)
- empathy

Qualities especially emphasized were: flexibility, articulateness, agreeableness (able to work with the team), and content knowledge. I think it's interesting that these are not just education-focused - I believe these are all qualities that any interviewer in any industry will be seeking.

Installment #2 coming soon! Stay tuned :)

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Baby Talk

In one of my classes last week, one of the activities the professor had us do felt incredibly silly. She brought in some of her grandchildren's stuffed animals. Basically we had to pretend our little teddy bear was a baby, and that you were either the mother or father, and were teaching it how to speak.

This felt ridiculous.

We were in groups, and the "father" in my group was an older gentleman who had raised two children - in short, a pro a this. I eventually started telling our baby - whom we named Petey - a story about pandas (as "Petey" was in reality a panda). We also had observers in our group - who later reported that we had isolated our child because we set him on a desk and kind of just stared at and talked to him. Hello! Petey was a stuffed animal!

So, that was my evening. Well, part of it. The class is about how we use language to create meaning. Basically the lesson was that you can't "teach" children how to speak - they acquire language through need and development. We don't sit our kids down and try to teach them in formal lessons. Doesn't really work on stuffed animals, either. :)

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Don't think. Write.

I had my first meeting with my English methods class tonight [Um... last week]. This semester is looking to be a lot of free writing/journaling. Nice, but kind of new for me - believe it or not. My prof had us write "where I'm from" poems, after looking at some models. I had a tough time figuring out stuff that I would want to share as my introduction to the class, and yet still write something that actually sounded poem-like. The professor asked for some feedback on the experience after we had written and shared our poems. Most people shared comments like "this is great," "great way to get kids to share about themselves," all happy stuff about how nice this was. And I don't disagree, I really don't. But I did find the experience challenging. I shared my thoughts on how it was kind of an intimidating experience.

The professor had some good advice -- "Don't think. Write." I like that. But it's also hard, and I think the experience of understanding how this type of exercise can really be challenging is good to have in mind when asking students to do the same. We also talked about a bunch of strategies and other ways of approaching student writing in the classroom, including addressing confidentiality and creating trust. But I really want to remember those words of advice -- tempered with the personal challenge of feeling vulnerable in classroom writing and sharing.

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CST... CHECK

I passed my Content Specialty Test! Woohoo! 1 down, 2 to go. :)

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