Online Reflection #3: Your Time to Blossom

Dear Lorylyn,

            First and foremost, learn what your relaxing niche is, and take hold of it with a death defying grasp. This is not to scare you, but you will be tested and you need know how to fight through it. (I would suggest PiYo, it has helped me tremendously.) You will be challenged in your ability to teach and plan, in your ability to take exams, in your ability to accept criticisms, and in your ability to reflect on your own. These challenges will follow you through your chosen career, so, as I suggested before, find that relaxing niche. You’ll need it.

            Relaxation and self- care will be crucial, and your internship is the key time to test the waters as you are lowered into the hectic life of teaching. Eat healthier, don’t give up your morning jogs, and do give up your late night excursions. Those are just some places to start, but don’t stop there because your health reflects in your spirit and your spirit is key in your class… you’ll learn soon enough.  

            As you test waters, don’t limit yourself to what is expected of you. Yes, it will be difficult to figure out the balance as is, but add an inch to every dip you take into the water. It is important to stretch beyond the expected because, as stressful as it may seem, it is only a fraction of what it means to be a genuine teacher.  Keeping that in mind, it is okay to be at your own level and at your own point. Don’t base your success on the progress and success of others because your success is your own.  Do what you can to experience more preparation, more interaction, and more real teaching experiences, this is what will make you more than just an intern. You are your own student and your own teacher.
(Here are six starting points to finding that balance: http://www.noodlenook.net/finding-a-work-life-balance/)

            You will be given many labels in your endeavor: student, student teacher, intern, mentee, and more. Ignore those labels, luv. You are exactly what you aspire to be, you are a teacher. You will feel the stress, the concern, and every piece of hair that falls away. You will feel the excitement, the hope, and the smile that constantly threatens a stern disposition. You will know what it means to be a teacher as you sacrifice your personal time and thoughts to the ideas that swell your mind: “this activity would be fun,” “I bet they would understand better if I used this tool,” “the kids would be so bored with this,” “how can I help them…,” such thoughts swarming constantly. Humor these questions, but make one question the sole inquisition of your role as an intern, as a teacher,

“Are you going to be a good teacher, or a great one?”

As you blossom into your future as a teacher, recognize there are no limitations to your learning as a teacher. Being a great teacher means you will recognize follies and set about to seek remedies, it means you will know the limits of your students and set about to challenge them in and beyond those limits, it means that you will make sacrifices and set about to know the balance of your personal life and your school life, it means so much more than being just a good teacher.

You are going to be fantastic. Know that.

Miss Bailey

Online Reflection #2: Daunting Mountains

As a teacher, the variation in my students not only affects my lesson planning, but my grading as well. As I climb the mountainous pile of my seniors' essays, chiseling it down four slivers at a time, I come to realize the drastic change in my grading process that I make for every different name that falls before my eyes. 

 

We are challenged, as teachers, to be as flexible as possible, yet still as structured and still leave our students just as challenged. So how do I overcome this feeling of letting one kid off easy, while another is lucky to get a C because I didn't have to adapt my grading for them?

 

This question bothers me, and the chiseling progress on my mountain slows with each second the question crosses my mind. Every student deserves a chance. Every student deserves to be challenged. Every student deserves the grade for the effort and content they put into their paper, but how do I vary that?  

 

As I struggle with my consciousness on grading fairly in this situation, I looked online for guidance and had a "No Duh!" moment. Bergenfield Public Schools put out an article titled "Grading in Inclusive Classrooms," and the main thing of this article that stuck out to me was the collaboration aspect. 

 

As teachers, we are trained to be adaptive and, in that ability to adapt, we have to be able to collaborate with others and be receptive. This coincides with co-teaching with members of the IEP team. They are there because they know these students, and they know what their effort and their work looks like. I should know it, being their teacher, but that does not mean I should not use that extra resource. 

 

The article bullets different ideas to look at while collaborating with and IEP team member about grading:

 

• Discuss the purposes of evaluation.

• Use a variety of evaluation techniques for documenting student progress.

• Use multiple measures in evaluating student progress.

• Align evaluation techniques with the desired outcomes.

• Consider alternative grading systems.

• Consider modifying existing grading practices.

• Maintain student confidentiality regarding accommodations and modifications in grading.

• Adhere to school and division policies and practices regarding grading.

 

Look familiar? Right! These bullets are what we practice every day with ALL of our students. So why was I having such difficulty? 

 

We differentiate our lessons and our activities based on our students, their personalities, their skills, all of it goes into account when we design our lessons…I needed to apply it to my grading too. One student’s effort differentiates from another student’s , but the important matter is that the student is showing progress and putting in that extra effort towards understanding the content.

Effort.

This is what I keep in mind as I grade, and, as I discussed this with my IEP co-teacher, that is a good start. I have been warned to still challenge, and not let the idea of effort overcome the need for the students to be showing progress, meeting content standards, and more.

There is a constant challenge when it comes to variation, whether it be in planning or grading, but that is part of what makes a great teacher. We go above and beyond for our students and for their success, so, yes, there will be times that we question what we’re doing. The important thing is that we have that ability to question ourselves, we have access to the resources to help us through those questions, and that there is almost always a resolution.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6skoblL-6DYRnBNTXZVN1RyRXc/view?usp=drivesdk

Online Reflection #1: Demolish the Barriers

When reading the four myths mentioned in Myths and Realities: Best Practices for English Language Learners, a consistent response occurred with each box that contained them, growing stronger at each…

Myth #1: “We’ve tried to get our parents involved, but they don’t seem to care about how well their children are doing in school; if they did, they’d answer our phone calls and come to parent-teacher conferences.”

Myth #2: “It’s impossible for us to involve parents of ELL students more as most of our teachers are monolingual English speakers.”

Myth #3: “It’s too much of a hassle and not worth the effort to visit students’ homes. Also parents don’t appreciate these visits as they think that they are being checked on.”

Myth #4: “It’s not worth sending home notices to families because the parents can’t read.”

We are always encouraged to get to know our students, their cultures, their home lives; we are told that this will make it easier to engage them in the lessons and activities that we introduce them to as they weave in and out of our classrooms, but does simply understanding these factors and implementing them take away that extra effort that these students and their parents are having to put forth to remain a part of our classrooms? To keep up to par with our communication attempts? If we’re at making any in the first place?

Reading Myths and Realities, by Samway, Davies, and Mkeon, made me want to delve further into these ideas of parent involvement that we develop as teachers. I wanted to know how to battle those perceptions in the same manner I’m sure ELL, low income, and other diverse students and families battle their way through the public school system.

In my search, I found a project that emphasizes numerous barriers between parents and teachers and how to approach each one with the best intentions in mind: Project Appleseed.

“Barriers to involvement exist for both schools and families. Some barriers are created by limited resources, while others originate from the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of families and school staff,” (Liontos, 1992).

My top four favorite barriers of the eleven listed on Project Appleseed being:

1) Lack of understanding of parents’ communication styles.

2) Teachers’ misperceptions of parents’ abilities.

3) Teachers believed parents didn’t respect them, challenged their authority, and questioned their decisions.

4) Lack of vested interest: Families don’t believe that they will have any impact.

Such similar barriers, such a vast array of opportunity for demolishment.

This idea of barriers parallels with the myths and ideas presented within Myths and Realities, and emphasizes even more on the issues of parent- teacher communication as a whole. Though the project does not focus specifically on ELL students and families, it allows tips and toolboxes for teachers and parents who want to demolish those barriers. Tips and toolboxes that can be adapted, just as we, as teachers, are always taught to do.

“Involving Parents and the Community” and Project Appleseed has my mind reeling with the false perceptions that have developed over the years. We are in a time of educational reform, so why limit it to the changes the government places on us? Why allow the falsities and barriers to remain and hinder the potential success of our students? It is not easy, and it will never be easy, but it is necessary that we reach beyond just our classrooms and into the world that our students come from through more than just adapting our activities and lessons. Approach their roots, starting with the people who planted them into the world.

If you are interested in taking a gander at Project Appleseed, here is the link: 

http://www.projectappleseed.org/barriers

Genre Reflection #2: The Issue of Perspective

Tip: Read from top to bottom along the right side, then bottom up along the left side. Start at the bold middle letter of each line for each reading. 

     

                   sreveilebsid eht egaruocnEncourage the discouraged

                       noitacude yfisreviDiversify learning

                            deveicnocsim eht dnatsrednUnderstand the misunderstood

                                     snoitatpada wen etaerCreate new ideas

                                                              llitsni ot eripsAspire to engage

                         noitoved sseleriTireless dedication

     noisserpxe fo modeerf etartsehcrOrchestrate freedom of thought

                          yhw rebmemeRemember why…

Blog Post #3 The Flowers Flourish when the Gardener Does

It is easy to know that a teacher's energy is a key factor in the energy of the classroom, just as a gardener's enthusiasm is key in the success of his or her garden. The difficult aspect is keeping that energy, so relied upon, throughout the entire day. All 5-7 different classes or different ups and downs.

How does one avoid falling under teacher memes such as this:

This is a concern I have had as I approach student teaching, let alone becoming a student teacher. That utter fear at burning out and letting my students down because of it. This concern took me to the inter web, and my guilty pleasure, Edutopia, where I came across a post titled;

"Twenty Teacher Tips for Beating Fatigue"

At first I thought this wasn't what I was looking for, this was just some advice on what she does to beat fatigue. I wanted someone to outright tell me how to be super teacher, she who never falters! One can dream, right? As I read it though, I realized it was a start to what I needed. A gardener would tend to their garden with tenderness, compassion, and excitement, but wouldn't let it consume them. An idea that aligns with teaching as well!

As I read through this post, there were four main points that really stuck out to me:

1) Notice the moments when you're not tired;

    -It is so easy to let the dull moments of the day to consume us, but we can't let those sunless moments or days that effect our gardens dampen all moments of our day. We need to aspire to our focus on those sun filled moments that leave the mind, heart, and soul brightened!

2) There is a future beyond the immediate fatigue;

    - Looking forward to that next lesson, next unit, or even next school year. It was our dreams and our excitement about knowledge that lead us into teaching, so we need to keep looking forward and look over those spells of fatigue. This will demonstrate to our students that there is more beyond the now as well! 

3) Talk with someone about something other than education;

    - Teaching is important to all of us, our lessons, our students, our work, it is consuming, but we cannot lose ourselves in it. That will burn us out faster than that first quarter passes. It is okay to not think about your teacher life 24/7, in fact, the more you allow yourself to think about things beyond the realm of education, the more experiences you gain access, thus more ways to make connections in the future. Though the main point is to give yourself a breather!! Fatigue is natural, but it doesn't have to grow into utter dread. 

4) Eat healthy and be healthy (A summary of multiple points);

   - A gardener who's body is fighting against them has an even more difficult fight with happiness and motivation. This gardener's flowers will pay the price. I'm not by any means saying one has to give up that Friday pizza, or taco Tuesday, but a healthy body, leads to a healthy heart, mind, and soul. This provides more opportunities for those sun filled moments and helps you be ready for the never ending span of students, assignments, and planning. 

These pieces of advice resonated with me, and made me think about my own life perspective a lot more as well. It is important that we, as teachers, flourish as people as well. Not just to maintain our energy, but to set that example to our students. The darker moments may be there, but they can make the sunlight for themselves!

Is fatigue unavoidable? Where does one start in their venture to beat out those drab moments? How do we flourish, so that our students will?

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-tips-beating-fatigue-elena-aguilar 

KATE Conference_The First Experience

Excitement. Trepidation. Anxiety.

I have survived my first Kansas Association of Teachers of English conference, a.k.a. my first KATE conference! It most definitely will not be my last. It was informative and an experience that I am happy to have had, and will be happy to relive. Having said that there was a bit of the experience that was slightly off putting.

It is understandable that there are only so many places that such a large conference can be hosted, but this was a conference for teachers. I have met very few teachers in my education career that don’t take notes and I found myself in multiple sessions WITHOUT tables! The rooms, not often large enough to hold tables, were slightly cramped at times, and the lack of space and places to write took away from the experience. In just the first day of the conference, my brain went into overload with the information filling every inch, and I cannot imagine not having had my notebook. Though I elbowed, bumped, and accidentally scratched multiple people in the process of my note taking, I know that it was worth it. I just wish it wouldn’t have been necessary for me to adopt the habit of apologizing for any potential harm that would come to my seat mates during the sessions.

"Please excuse any invasion of space and accidental harm that may come to you during my note taking of this session."

There was one session of the many I attended where the seats were comfortable, and tables at the ready for the obsessive note takers attending the conference. Not to mention, 15 plus people fit in the room comfortably!

 The seating also posed an uncomfortable situation come time for lunch. I realize that this conference is an opportunity to socialize and to meet people that I would possibly not have otherwise had a chance to meet, but I am also a person, a future teacher, that is bursting at the seams when I learn a surplus of new information. A surplus of new information that I want to share with my colleagues that I know well and that I know will be just as interested and excited as me. We sit in the sessions with new people, and learn new names and ideas at that point, but come lunch, it would be nice to be able to sit with people I know. I say this because, come lunch, a few of my colleagues and I sat awkwardly at the front table, one of us accidentally taking a seat and beginning to eat the food in a spot that someone else had been planning to sit, watching as the rest of our group spread out and sat silently at tables where the others seated chatted among themselves. Though it would be difficult with people coming in and out of the conference for the duration of the day, it would be a far more pleasant opportunity if, those of us who knew we would be staying all day, could have marked our seats so as to converse with each other over what we were experiencing in the sessions we attended.

                This is not to say my experience was ruined because the content was far more valuable than these minor complaints. The many ideas encountered, such as changing an argumentative into a narrative, using multi modal literacy, or using sports YAL to teach LGBTQ in a classroom, were immeasurable compared to the discomfort in the arrangement. I just believe that comfort is a key aspect in attendees’ attention in any situation whether it be in a classroom or in a conference full of teachers and future teachers alike.

I would still recommend the KATE conference to all teachers and student teachers looking to fill that role of being a forever learner and wanting to change and improve as each new year comes their way!

(Genre Reflection) Dear Miss Bailey: A Letter to My Future Self

Dear Miss Bailey,

            Hopefully you are at the point in your teaching that you look upon this letter and laugh, rather than cry as I feel like doing now. The struggle in balancing the firm expectations of being a teacher writhe through my mind and I fear that I will never become you. We learn that it is important to build relationships with them, our never ending mass of pupils, but to be careful in our natural mannerisms and terms of endearment that we have grown up using.  We learn that we must be cautious in our own, personal lives, for we represent something far more important than ourselves.

            I do hope that you have come to master this, for I am in utter fear.

            How am I to be firm in rules and policies, but not so much in a manner where I am “targeting” a student. We learn that we must be precise in our teachings, but flexible to cater to the multitude of different children that come through our door. How do I avoid being accused of racial stereotyping and avoid that dreaded phrase, “It’s because I’m black,” or, at least, how do I respond to it? I haven’t even come to understand how to cater to the needs of my future students without giving special treatment, or inadvertently singling one of them out. We read about methods of teaching, and how to apply one idea or concept in different manners, but we so little learn about how to interact with specific students, with specific problems, with specific demons. That one exceptionalities class did so little for me.

            I do hope that you have picked up some ideas along the way, for I am in utter fear.

            They often say that teaching is a never ending learning experience, and that a true teacher is a forever learner, but this idea scares me. I find it terrifying that I will not ever truly have the knack of teaching down pact, though I do know it is because with every new group of students, comes a new group of minds, personalities, and backgrounds. I feel silly for understanding, yet still fearing.

            I do hope that you have overcome this, or, at least, come to better accept it.

Best of wishes,

Just Lorylyn