First of all, let me say that I am having a hard time navigating through this new blog website. I guess change is difficult. There have been a few changes since I have visited this site. Let's see....
1. I'm the new Sponsor of Student Council
You would think that the "student council" would be inclusive to all students in the school- Wrong! Apparently, only a select group of students (class officers) are allowed to be on student council. First of all, these are already those students that are involved with any and every activity; therefore, their dedication to the council is limited. This is really the first year in a while that the student council has been active in anything. I'm trying to get the students motivated; however, I don't want to be the one giving orders. I want them to create ideas and come up with a plan. Let's just say the ending to this story is uncertain as of now.
On to another topic....
2. I have been much more productive with getting graded materials back to my students. This year has been a year of productivity. In addition to the mountains of additional work I have to do, I have surprisingly been more productive with handing back materials. I think this is due to quality of the assessments I have now. No longer is there just busy work for independent practice, but there is meaningful work that is designed to make them think. This only comes with more experience. **Disclaimer: I am not saying that everyday is like this. Overall, most of my work is graded in a timely fashion and my assessments are more valuable than they were last year.)
3. Positive Phone calls home make me happy! :)
I began making positive phone calls home yesterday and literally went through half of my students. I only go to speak with half of the half, which was essentially a quarter. :) Wrong numbers and disconnected phones was the main problem. However, that information was obtained from the office. Once word got out that I made positive calls home, students couldn't wait to give me their "real" numbers. This just goes to show that everyone likes a little praise sometimes. I know that my students are often ignored and only have teachers calling for negative purposes, but I will make an attempt to call ten parents daily. Not only does this reward the students but I get some personal satisfaction out of making students feel good about themselves.
Note to Self.... Keep going!
04/26/2011
The Last Few Words I Have Left
When I first entered the MS Teacher Corps, I honestly thought this teaching gig would be a nice job while I figured out what to do with the rest of my life. However, teaching has proved to be the most challenge job and experience I have ever encountered. For the past two years, my views have been challenged and I have a completely new outlook on life, education, as well as race. I’ll begin with my new outlook on Education.
I’m an Economics major and thought that my passion for community development was what the country needed. That is true; unfortunately, I must look at the entire picture and identify those things that make a great community. Often educated citizens and great schools that continue to produce generations of concerned, well-educated students determine a great community. In return, the foundation for success with community development coalitions can be laid. I have a new passion for education because with education, goals can become possible.
During my first year, I can honestly say that I made classroom gains in student achievement but I wanted to make gains outside students’ lives too. Rarely did I have any students visit me after school other than for tutoring. Students respected me and knew that I respected them, but I didn’t take the time to know them on individual levels. I changed that a lot this year and now I have students visit before and after school to just have a conversations.
As a teacher it is important to teach students the importance of education, but sometimes I think it is so easy to forget that we are actually teaching people and not machines. People that are often moody, irrational, outspoken, loud, disruptive, but people that can be sensitive, open to new ideas, talented, outgoing, and vessels just waiting to be filled with any knowledge that can be absorbed.
I have been a part of several organizations and clubs but I’m never one to get attached to people. I can say, this is the best group of individuals I have ever met in my life. Having only lived in two cities in my life, Clarksdale, MS and Oxford, MS, I have not been exposed to a lot of diversity. I have formed friendships that will last past these two years in Teacher Corps and look forward to visiting my friends that decide not to continue in my pursuits of educating future generations. I’m so blessed to have been placed at North Panola and don’t think I could have survived anywhere else. My NP family has kept me sane, and have been there through the highs and lows and would not trade them for anything.
I have heard the teacher’s poem about “You know what I make…?” Well here is my version based on my two years of teaching…
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math. And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference!
What about you?
My version.
You want to know what I make? Sometimes I wonder too? I make minimum wage while working over 70 hours a week.
I make it to Mexican Thursday to hang with the NP Crew…
I manage to make it out of bed at 5:30 am to drive to work
I make kids question about cursing down the hall…
I make them whisper when they are talking back to me under their breath for telling them to pull up their pants and tuck their shirts in.
I make them write, write, write,…. and then they realized they were on the wrong topic….
Then they erase, erase, erase … and write again…
I make them show all their work, and then they lose the scratch sheet…
I make them believe in themselves, when no one else is there…
I make them pass the state test proficient when they themselves thought they were basic…
I make them volunteer (Student Council) and realize that helping others indeed helps them too.
I make them understand that if you have an education, a good heart, and are willing to work hard… there is nothing that can stand in the way of reaching their goals.
A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Author Unknown
04/07/2011
Letter to the new MTCers
My task was to write a letter to the incoming first years….in the mist of hearing students yell through the hallway… I decided to sit at my desk and write them a letter before the deadline of 8am set in….
Dear First Years!
Rest up! You will need all the strength that you need in order to make it though the summer and the next two years of your life. The summation of my two years can be summarized in the following song, "Nobody told me that the road would be easy, and I don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me."
You are about to embark on a journey that will be the most difficult experience you have ever voluntarily taken. If you think that you know it all, you don't. If you think that you know how to deliver a great lesson, be open to criticisms. If you are certain you can lesson plan, you haven't seen the MTC style lesson plan. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but in my opinion, teaching is hands down the hardest profession. You must learn from your failures and successes, your strengths and your weaknesses.
Stay close to your fellow MTC family daily. I promise you, your sanity will thank you for it. Teaching will physically, mentally, and emotionally drain you on a daily basis. Talking and staying close with your friends will help you through this process. Remember to take a break. My first year, I can remember wanting to make an impact so much that I completely neglected other areas in my life. There will always be work to get done, do not get completely overwhelmed with what is currently happening STOP and take a break.
I would insert some classroom advice here but you will get plenty of third party advice during summer school. There is no one correct way to be successful. It is the small daily battles that help us win the war on education. Welcome to the War and in the end, we will be victorious!
You will laugh, cry, fail, succeed, push yourself, disappoint yourself, disappoint others, neglect healthy eating habits, stay up late nights, have early mornings, spend money, hopefully save money, answer plenty of e mails, form bonds, learn lessons, think in a completely new way, relate to these students more than you ever thought possible and connect their lives with yours.
04/06/2011
2nd go around..... maybe a 3rd?
Reflection is an art for me. As I read my blogs from the first year, I find myself saying, “Oh, I remember that… and that feeling..” And I know that I felt that way because I have completely changed some of my routines so that I don’t have to go through those feelings again. My official time in the MS Teacher Corps is quickly winding down. I have less than 16 days left until my students take the state test and possible less than two months left as an Algebra 1 Teacher.
I will take the rest of my 400 words to share some thoughts from last year and how those thoughts have changed this year.
“How am I suppose to get these students to pass an Algebra 1 State Test when they don’t know how to add or subtract?” The lack of knowledge that a student brought to my classroom was my biggest frustration. This year I was determined not to let the same frustrations occur. I had to tell myself that I wasn’t my student’s fault. Poor teaching in those early years and lack of caring is was put them in the state they were in. I learned that there was a perpetual cycle taking place that was damn near impossible to break for most of the students that I teach. This bring me to my next point: “I do make a difference.” Making a difference was something that I thought was impossible, but it’s those small success stories that help me make it through the long days. Initially, I expected to make this grand impact in the school system, and soon found out that it was in much worse shape than I had expected. I was disappointed in myself and somewhat depressed because I has such high expectations and only reached the tip of the ice burg in terms of making an impact. As a second year teacher, I have opened up more to my students and let them know my personality. Students know that I mean business but know that I’m still approachable. I have also gotten more involved with extra-curricular activities this year and it helps with getting to know the students better. I have several students that just come and talk to me after school instead of just tutoring. I have found that the greatest reward is seeing a student that thought he couldn’t do something, actually achieve a goal. I have vowed to myself to help those students that need the extra help and to have patience with those students who need extra help to master an objective.
Teaching is a progression of knowledge from both ends. The students should progress in knowledge and the teacher should progress in experience. Overall, I would say I’m a better Ms. Shawp than I was last year. And I just might be the best Ms. Shawp in year 3 … …
03/03/2011
1. I only have 3 months left in this program and have absolutely no clue what my next move in life will be. I'm not sure if I want to continue teaching or if I should move on to another career path. I find myself claiming ownership over my classroom. I think to myself, “I don’t want anyone in my classroom, rearranging items and changing the rules and procedures I have set in place.”
2. I am still seeking other options for next year. I haven’t fully committed to teaching; therefore, I still need to see what other options are out there fore me.
3. At times, I get really discouraged when students can’t remember simple topics or materials and think to myself was it me and my delivery of the material or are they really not trying. Frustration seems to come quicker than it normally would.
4. There is a lot more pressure on me this year than last year. The school district wants results but I don’t teach and prepare lessons for the district. I do those things because my class is one of the classes that determine whether or not my student obtains his diploma and graduates from high school.
5. For the remainder of the year I would like to incorporate more student-centered projects and get the students excited about taking the Algebra 1 Test at the end of the year. I’m working on sponsors for a pizza party and a few more prizes as incentives for students.
6. There is a new upcoming class of new first year teachers. I’m sure they are eager to teach and inspire this new generation of students. I’m not sure if I have another year worth of teaching left in me. I love my students and think that I’m reaching most of them, but I’ve had two long years and am not sure if I’m strong enough for a third one. Each of my classes has their own personality and I enjoy teaching them and wait for those “ahh haaa” moments like they appear on the Oprah show.
I’m not sure what the future may hold for me but I am sure that I have made an impact in my school and with my students. Despite the foul language that I hear on a daily basis, the disrespect, the noise, the inefficiencies, the struggles, the triumphs, I have survived and the upcoming class will survive too.
As my experience with the Mississippi Teacher Corps comes to an end, I’m reminded of the reasons why I joined this program myself. Initially I joined the program to impact the youth of Mississippi and close the gap in education that exists between the middle class and less fortunate. I soon found out that the system was in much more trouble than I had ever imagined. I was very optimistic about outlook of our educational system but that optimism eventually died in the process of teaching my students how to add and subtract in the calculator because I had given up hope on them learning how to do it without help. The first semester of my first year had to be the hardest of my life. To want my students to succeed and creating lessons and worksheets that promoted student learning and achievement was halted. I was completely worn out and students were also worn out because they weren’t used to thinking at all. The hardest thing is trying to get students to think because they have just been told the answers or told what to do for so long. At some point I began to think where did this child lose his ability to think for himself logically. I don’t think that my optimism ever fully recovered and that comes to the main point of this blog… why should you join the Mississippi Teacher Corps? and Why shouldn’t you join the Mississippi Teacher Corps.
Reasons to join:
1. If you want to make a real difference on a small scale. (I’m by no means limiting the potential impact that you will be able to make, but honestly, do the best that you can while knowing that you will not impact every student.
2. You will meet some spectacular students. (There are always those stars among the students. You will be able to see those students that excel far beyond the classroom and wonder what has this student obtained in his life that the others were lacking.
Reasons not to join:
1. You want the prestige and paycheck of being a teacher. (You will work far more hours than you have ever imagined in your life. You will not be appreciated nor recognized for your hard work. The core or SATP Area Teachers will have the focus of the school and the pressure will be on.)
2. You want this job as a resume builder
06/21/2009
Questioning Techniques
The art of asking the right, effective questions is something that I am constantly trying to improve. At the start of summer school, I found myself asking several questions, but they were mainly "yes" or "no" questions. I have learned that questions should be deeper than this. I am constantly trying to form higher level questions for my students, but this remains a challenge while teaching 8th grade math. This is something that I will continue to work on for the duration of summer school. That being said… I decided to write about another technique I used in my classroom. :)
With the addition of 4 new students in our classroom, the cold calling technique was a success. I enjoyed not having to think of people to call on, I could just pull a card and say the person's name. This technique was a success because it made the students follow the lesson and make sure they understood what was being taught. I think as teachers, it is easy for us to get in the habit of calling on the student that knows the answer so that the lesson can run smoothly and our objectives are met. However, it's important to reach every student in the classroom, even the struggling students. This may slow down the lesson but it's necessary. With the help of this technique, I was able to clarify a concept to one particular student whom I thought understood the lesson. It made me re-evaluate my teaching methods and motivated me to use different techniques in my lessons to reach all student's learning styles.
06/14/2009
Delta Autumn
This book holds a wealth of information for first year teachers in the MS Delta. Historical information outlined in the first chapter was the key. Listing historical information and events that have helped contribute to the current educational crisis in the MS Delta will give me a better prospective of my role as a teacher. Student's bring their problems to school and it was good to see some suggestions on how to handle certain situations.
In my opinion, the first week of school is the most important. It gives the students a brief glimpse into the rest of the year. The list of questions in chapter two are valuable because it's easy for me to become consumed in the big picture of teaching, that small tasks that I need to know can become easily over-looked. I can use the list as a checklist when the school year begins to help keep me on track.
The repeating of the importance of classroom management techniques was continued in this book. I loved the break down of the different types of punishments, varying from writing a poem to making sleepy students stand up in the classroom. Keeping students disciplined in my classroom is very important because it shows that I am in control of my classroom if problems arise; however, if a student is completely out of hand, I know that sending him/her to the office is the best thing.
Overall, this book is a wonderful resource to use as a reference throughout the year. Tips broken down by subjects in the back gave me information about teaching strategies and resources that are useful for teaching summer school and will be useful for me this upcoming fall.
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