After three years, I've decided to jump back in.
Three years ago I gave it up in the midst of teaching, grad school, and getting married and life hasn't slowed down enough since then to allow it to happen. Until now.
I quit my job in business three weeks ago in order to pursue a crazy dream - to work in public interest law. I say crazy because this will be my fourth career shift since I graduated college five years ago, and my second go-around with grad school. When I look back on all the changes, they make sense to me, and I don't think I could have gotten here any other way, but its been a lot at the same time.
So for now, I'm back. This change has also meant that I've been gainfully unemployed for a few weeks, and I've had time to think for the first time in a long time, and finally have something to share. So look forward to more thoughts that can't be contained in 140 characters or less.
What about you? Have you had any crazy dreams you've decided to pursue recently? How's it panning out?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
It's all in the numbers
I'm convinced that having fewer students really makes a big difference in the classroom. I'm down to 26 students and the difference between 31 earlier in the year, and 27-28 more recently is noticeable. For one, there are fewer bodies to keep track of. For another, I now know all my students, I know their voices and can figure out who yelled out the obscenity when my back was turned and can figure out if they're playing with each other or about to fight, and can tell when they're lying or telling the truth (for the most part) so things are getting better.
For one, I'm able to do all the "student centered creative" lessons that I've read about in my classes. Today, after a field trip (yes another one, more on that later) I had my students write down what they learned on a post it note and then come up one by one and tell the class what they wrote and stick it on a poster. It sounds like a fairly simple idea, but when I tried similar things earlier in the year, it was disasterous. The pedagogical post-its became "kick me" signs, paper ball missles, or got used to pass notes instead of getting used for academics. When students got up to post their note, others would heckle, or yell out unrelated requests about needing to go to the bathroom or asking if there was an assembly on Friday. Basically, I would try the lesson, but it would end after only one or two students posted their notes and I would have to collect the notes and post them myself. Not really a "student-centered" lesson. But today, we had success. Several students came up to post a note, we were only interupted 6 times during the lesson, and we ended up with a poster reflecting some learning. Only 19 students, but a successful day.
In a lot of ways, the year is getting easier. One of the reasons, I think, apart from the mad bonding that's been occuring between me and my students, is that we've been going on field trips. Lots and lots of field trips. Last week we went on two--Tuesday to Akeelah and Wednesday to the Field Museum. This week we had one--to a health sciences musuem. Next week, there is no school Monday, and we have a trip to the Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday and a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo and a picnic on that Friday. No wonder things feel easier--we're rarely in school!
At first I was really critical of this plan--I've never heard of people going on so many field trips in such a short span of time--but I've seen that its been really good for our students. They haven't had recess all year and so they've been hungry for opportunities for social interaction and the chance to play in a time slot longer than our 20 minute lunch break. They're now a lot calmer during class because they've had, and know they will have, the chance to have fun with each other and relax.
Its also been really good for teaching them about the world. We just finished a unit on the Holocaust--and before the unit only 1 student had heard of Hitler and almost no one knew what it meant to be Jewish. But last Wedneday, on the bus to the Field Musuem, my students called out excitedly, "Ms. D we see Jews!" Being a little startled, I asked them what they meant, and they said they saw a bus with a star of David. Not wanting to squelch their excitement, but seeing this as a good "teachable moment" to talk about race, ethnicity, and difference, I explained that probably people wouldn't like them to call that out. They kind of said, "oh, okay" but a few minutes later got a better lesson in why they should be more sensitive, when a few students in a class of white students from another school were staring wide-eyed at my students. "Ms. D, why are they staring?" I explained that just like my students didn't see many white people or Jewish people on a daily basis, these students probably didn't see too many African American students on a daily basis. So, they're learning about race and identity and how to talk about it--perhaps in baby steps, but still moving forward.
I feel like I could write forever about all this! (But I won't). The highlight from today--we went to the Health Center and none of my parent chaperones showed up so my dad and my sister came at the last minute to chaperone the trip. My students loved getting to meet their teacher's "daddy and sister" and the boys especially loved being in the "men's group" and getting to do all the activities boys especially like, like crawling through pitch black mazes and learning about the science of burping (though the girls all enjoyed these same things too=). So the day ended up well--a great trip and a successful lesson at the end of it.
For one, I'm able to do all the "student centered creative" lessons that I've read about in my classes. Today, after a field trip (yes another one, more on that later) I had my students write down what they learned on a post it note and then come up one by one and tell the class what they wrote and stick it on a poster. It sounds like a fairly simple idea, but when I tried similar things earlier in the year, it was disasterous. The pedagogical post-its became "kick me" signs, paper ball missles, or got used to pass notes instead of getting used for academics. When students got up to post their note, others would heckle, or yell out unrelated requests about needing to go to the bathroom or asking if there was an assembly on Friday. Basically, I would try the lesson, but it would end after only one or two students posted their notes and I would have to collect the notes and post them myself. Not really a "student-centered" lesson. But today, we had success. Several students came up to post a note, we were only interupted 6 times during the lesson, and we ended up with a poster reflecting some learning. Only 19 students, but a successful day.
In a lot of ways, the year is getting easier. One of the reasons, I think, apart from the mad bonding that's been occuring between me and my students, is that we've been going on field trips. Lots and lots of field trips. Last week we went on two--Tuesday to Akeelah and Wednesday to the Field Museum. This week we had one--to a health sciences musuem. Next week, there is no school Monday, and we have a trip to the Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday and a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo and a picnic on that Friday. No wonder things feel easier--we're rarely in school!
At first I was really critical of this plan--I've never heard of people going on so many field trips in such a short span of time--but I've seen that its been really good for our students. They haven't had recess all year and so they've been hungry for opportunities for social interaction and the chance to play in a time slot longer than our 20 minute lunch break. They're now a lot calmer during class because they've had, and know they will have, the chance to have fun with each other and relax.
Its also been really good for teaching them about the world. We just finished a unit on the Holocaust--and before the unit only 1 student had heard of Hitler and almost no one knew what it meant to be Jewish. But last Wedneday, on the bus to the Field Musuem, my students called out excitedly, "Ms. D we see Jews!" Being a little startled, I asked them what they meant, and they said they saw a bus with a star of David. Not wanting to squelch their excitement, but seeing this as a good "teachable moment" to talk about race, ethnicity, and difference, I explained that probably people wouldn't like them to call that out. They kind of said, "oh, okay" but a few minutes later got a better lesson in why they should be more sensitive, when a few students in a class of white students from another school were staring wide-eyed at my students. "Ms. D, why are they staring?" I explained that just like my students didn't see many white people or Jewish people on a daily basis, these students probably didn't see too many African American students on a daily basis. So, they're learning about race and identity and how to talk about it--perhaps in baby steps, but still moving forward.
I feel like I could write forever about all this! (But I won't). The highlight from today--we went to the Health Center and none of my parent chaperones showed up so my dad and my sister came at the last minute to chaperone the trip. My students loved getting to meet their teacher's "daddy and sister" and the boys especially loved being in the "men's group" and getting to do all the activities boys especially like, like crawling through pitch black mazes and learning about the science of burping (though the girls all enjoyed these same things too=). So the day ended up well--a great trip and a successful lesson at the end of it.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Akeelah and the Bee
I'm not generally one to post about movies..but, wow. This movie is amazing. We took 16 classes from our school to see the movie today--the whole theater was packed with our students. I had expected a sort of feel-good-this-is-a-nice-change-of-pace sort of movie, one that I was glad to see with with my students, but might not see otherwise. What I didn't expect was to laugh, and cry and watch my students laugh, cry, cheer and then become inspired to learn how to spell.
The premise of the movie--a middle school student from Crenshaw in LA who is naturally good at spelling, Akeelah, goes to the regional bee and then the state bee, despite issues at home with her mom not wanting her to participate and several obstacles along the way. One of those is that she's black and almost everyone she sees on the spelling bee videos is white--and she gets teased for knowing how to spell from kids at school. The story is about her preparing for the spelling bees and learning she can do more than she thought at first.
My students LOVED the film. I loved the film. It was awesome to see a main character that's relatable (sp?) to them. Case in point--at the beginning of the movie, before they found out where Crenshaw was, I heard a few people say, "I think that's on the south side of Chicago." And it was cool to see their reactions, and see how they rooted for Akeelah and then talked about making a movie about themselves "Shawan and the Bee" or "Deandre and the Bee." I haven't seen them that interested in school in a while.
In the movie there is a great quote from a Nelson Mandella speech that just blew me away, about fear:
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,but that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?Actually, who are you not to be?You are a child of God.Your playing small does not serve the world.There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.It is not just in some; it is in everyone.And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously giveother people permission to do the same.As we are liberated from our fear,our presence automatically liberates others.
That's it for today...just random thoughts. Any thoughts on your side??
The premise of the movie--a middle school student from Crenshaw in LA who is naturally good at spelling, Akeelah, goes to the regional bee and then the state bee, despite issues at home with her mom not wanting her to participate and several obstacles along the way. One of those is that she's black and almost everyone she sees on the spelling bee videos is white--and she gets teased for knowing how to spell from kids at school. The story is about her preparing for the spelling bees and learning she can do more than she thought at first.
My students LOVED the film. I loved the film. It was awesome to see a main character that's relatable (sp?) to them. Case in point--at the beginning of the movie, before they found out where Crenshaw was, I heard a few people say, "I think that's on the south side of Chicago." And it was cool to see their reactions, and see how they rooted for Akeelah and then talked about making a movie about themselves "Shawan and the Bee" or "Deandre and the Bee." I haven't seen them that interested in school in a while.
In the movie there is a great quote from a Nelson Mandella speech that just blew me away, about fear:
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,but that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?Actually, who are you not to be?You are a child of God.Your playing small does not serve the world.There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.It is not just in some; it is in everyone.And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously giveother people permission to do the same.As we are liberated from our fear,our presence automatically liberates others.
That's it for today...just random thoughts. Any thoughts on your side??
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