We can't expect students to know about things they've never been exposed to. Maybe that doesn't sounds like an amazing revelation, but it is indeed the root of the one problem that I've heard teachers define as being the least fixable: motivation.
When I was younger, my brother and my dad watched sports on TV on occasion. I used to go to professional baseball games as a rare treat, but even then I was mostly just in it for the snacks. ;) As I was getting older, I didn't have the right body attributes necessary to make me very skilled in P.E. based sports nor was I befriended by those who shared any interest. In fact, it wasn't until I was 24 years old that I began to associate with people who actually took a vested interest in the sports world. I started to play a baseball simulation game and engage in conversations with coworkers only to find that I actually LOVE learning about sports. I like the numbers and the talent and the fan sociology behind it all. I find myself making the occasional sports analogy and all of a sudden I'm using a vocabulary that was once very much foreign to me.
Some people are intrinsically motivated. That is a lucky character trait that I feel blessed to have. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that, throughout life, I learned the things that I was supposed to be motivated in the way most people do: I was exposed to them. I watched "proper" ambitions modeled and followed suit. How was I supposed to know that I should like sports when my physical attributes did not suggest an aptitude and there was no clear model in my life who felt the need to sit down and explain to me their significance?
This is the exact same barrier that faces our students. There will always be those who, regardless of their situation, will seek out information for themselves. As for the rest of them, there needs to be guidance...lots and lots of guidance. If our students are not exposed to technology, how can we raise up those few students who will become instrumental in it's advancement? If students are only exposed to academics, who will become masters of their craft in arts and athletics? There are so many things that I am good at that I didn't even know existed when I was younger (especially around the time in life when I was asked to choose a career path). It is our responsibility as educators to pull from every single resource that we can get our hands on, so that students can reach their real potential and attain the motivation necessary (because they were inspired by something) to invest themselves in something that they are passionate about.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Monetary Value
The complaint that teachers are not paid enough can be heard far and wide on any given day. I tend not to engage in the discussion because 1) I put very little value in money and the need to gain more of it and 2) the worth of my job has always exceeded it's monetary value.
At some point though, you have to be practical. Without divulging too much of my own financial situation, let's just say that on a teacher's salary it is actually IMPOSSIBLE for a single young teacher with 4 years of undergraduate loans to pay rent/mortgage on their own in the Chicago suburbs and still be able to eat at the end of the day. I have run the numbers a million times and I can not grow something out of nothing. It is for this reason alone that I am adopting roommates this summer.
Roommates are fine, pinching pennies is fine...but what about everything else? What if there is an emergency? A hospital bill or a car breakdown? I'm pretty sure that I need my health to teach and a car to get to school every day. And even more than than, what about living life? Experiencing new things, going new places, and (inevitably) paying for them?
My friend and I have been trying to plan a trip this summer. We don't ask for much, but it is important to both of us to go to a Spanish speaking country to further our Spanish skills (which is a direct benefit to our students and parents upon the return of a new school year). We have a limited window of time in which to go (because financial constraints dictate my need to teach summer school) and limited funds on which to travel. We even looked into service projects in other countries where you can stay with a host family and found their costs to be almost twice as much as a regular vacation.
The point is, my story is not different from any one else's. In fact, I'm sure others have incurred unfortunate expenses that I couldn't even dream of. But money is not important to me. If someone else needs it and I have it, I don't bat an eyelash in offering it. I just want to be able to live life...and the monetary value applied to teachers doesn't cut it.
The problem:
1. Good teachers will feel devalued and believe less in the importance of what they do.
2. Good teachers will not be able to further their education (whether it be through travel or graduate level courses) which directly impacts the students they teach.
3. Good teachers will burn themselves out taking on second jobs or working all summer.
4. Good teachers will walk away.
At some point though, you have to be practical. Without divulging too much of my own financial situation, let's just say that on a teacher's salary it is actually IMPOSSIBLE for a single young teacher with 4 years of undergraduate loans to pay rent/mortgage on their own in the Chicago suburbs and still be able to eat at the end of the day. I have run the numbers a million times and I can not grow something out of nothing. It is for this reason alone that I am adopting roommates this summer.
Roommates are fine, pinching pennies is fine...but what about everything else? What if there is an emergency? A hospital bill or a car breakdown? I'm pretty sure that I need my health to teach and a car to get to school every day. And even more than than, what about living life? Experiencing new things, going new places, and (inevitably) paying for them?
My friend and I have been trying to plan a trip this summer. We don't ask for much, but it is important to both of us to go to a Spanish speaking country to further our Spanish skills (which is a direct benefit to our students and parents upon the return of a new school year). We have a limited window of time in which to go (because financial constraints dictate my need to teach summer school) and limited funds on which to travel. We even looked into service projects in other countries where you can stay with a host family and found their costs to be almost twice as much as a regular vacation.
The point is, my story is not different from any one else's. In fact, I'm sure others have incurred unfortunate expenses that I couldn't even dream of. But money is not important to me. If someone else needs it and I have it, I don't bat an eyelash in offering it. I just want to be able to live life...and the monetary value applied to teachers doesn't cut it.
The problem:
1. Good teachers will feel devalued and believe less in the importance of what they do.
2. Good teachers will not be able to further their education (whether it be through travel or graduate level courses) which directly impacts the students they teach.
3. Good teachers will burn themselves out taking on second jobs or working all summer.
4. Good teachers will walk away.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Literacy Centers Have Made All the Difference
I have a group of 3rd graders who have just been close to impossible to handle this year. Luckily, my 4th graders have been magically delightful so it has definitely cushioned the blow. However, I got to this point where I would literally dread the hour and fifty minutes devoted to 3rd grade literacy after lunch time.
The solution? Literacy Centers.
Those of you who are wise and fabulous are going to tell me that you already knew how amazing literacy centers could be and that the following information is way too basic, but for those of us who are young and new and could use a push in the right direction, here are some simple guidelines for success:
1) Read with EVERY child. Some literacy center models have the teachers work with only the lower groups (or spend more time with them). I split my time into 3 twenty minute sessions. I see every student every day for "Read with the Teacher" time. It gives the students a chance for individual attention and instruction catered to their level. I have students who never participate during whole group instruction who are the shining stars of their small groups.
2) Group students wisely. I know there are a lot of philosophies about grouping students. What has worked for me has been a combination of grouping based on skill level and personality. This takes a good understanding of each of your individual students but it is worth taking the time to figure out. Students who work well together are more productive when asked to accomplish independent and small group tasks.
3) Always have a Creation Station. One of the literacy centers should be an extension of the story which asks the students to push the boundaries and create something new. The story from this week, for example, was a folktale from China. The students were asked to do internet research and create a map of China and research facts and the language in order to create their own presentation about the country and culture. During the mythology unit we read the story of "Arachne the Weaver" and the students learned how to weave with yarn and handmade "looms". These creations apply a real life aspect to stories that the students might not otherwise connect with.
The solution? Literacy Centers.
Those of you who are wise and fabulous are going to tell me that you already knew how amazing literacy centers could be and that the following information is way too basic, but for those of us who are young and new and could use a push in the right direction, here are some simple guidelines for success:
1) Read with EVERY child. Some literacy center models have the teachers work with only the lower groups (or spend more time with them). I split my time into 3 twenty minute sessions. I see every student every day for "Read with the Teacher" time. It gives the students a chance for individual attention and instruction catered to their level. I have students who never participate during whole group instruction who are the shining stars of their small groups.
2) Group students wisely. I know there are a lot of philosophies about grouping students. What has worked for me has been a combination of grouping based on skill level and personality. This takes a good understanding of each of your individual students but it is worth taking the time to figure out. Students who work well together are more productive when asked to accomplish independent and small group tasks.
3) Always have a Creation Station. One of the literacy centers should be an extension of the story which asks the students to push the boundaries and create something new. The story from this week, for example, was a folktale from China. The students were asked to do internet research and create a map of China and research facts and the language in order to create their own presentation about the country and culture. During the mythology unit we read the story of "Arachne the Weaver" and the students learned how to weave with yarn and handmade "looms". These creations apply a real life aspect to stories that the students might not otherwise connect with.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Changing the Grade
Yesterday, my dear friend, Grammatically Delicious Designs in North Dakota wrote the post, "I Hate Grades." I had so much to say about this, that I decided to respond via post. So GDD this one's for you!
Grades (of the A, B, C variety) have long been these arbitrary letters assigned to a student based on their ability to match a certain set criteria, some of which the students have never actually been presented with. The deficiency lies in the fact that these grades do not assess students on the most important factors: effort, progress, and comprehension.
There are several things to consider when discussing how grade implementation should change. I'm going to talk from the point of view where we will not be able to eliminate them any time soon and instead, focus on creating meaning for grades.
One of the biggest problems is that the students (and parents) don't understand the grades, their purpose, and how they effect them. Grades have never been explained in a way that they can really put any value to. In my classroom, however, we use grades as a way of measuring progress in the subjects in which it is easy to do that. Math, for example, is fairly cut and dry (and even still, my students are given points for demonstrating comprehension of the process even when the answer is incorrect). When students receive grades, they chart them on a simple bar graph. We talk (several times over the course of the year) about what it means to show progress. This becomes very important in determining a final grade for them.
I also have the luxury of working with the WIDA standards which are the guidelines for assessing bilingual students in the state of Illinois. Those standards specifically state that I am allowed to measure students based on what can be expected of their own personal ability. That means I am not measuring a student against their classmates or against the state's version of the perfect 4th grader. Instead, I am monitoring progress and effort and making decisions as I see fit. I can refer back to the standards at any point if someone were to contend my grades and I would be willing to bet that other teachers in other states could use their own standards to back up their grading system as well.
Finally, I use goal setting as a major tool in instruction/assessment. Not only does it give students something to aim for, but it makes it clear to them whether or not they are progressing. This takes a bit of work and time to conference with each individual student. However, the results are the my students understand what is expected of them and what they need to achieve for themselves (not compared to everyone else).
Grades (of the A, B, C variety) have long been these arbitrary letters assigned to a student based on their ability to match a certain set criteria, some of which the students have never actually been presented with. The deficiency lies in the fact that these grades do not assess students on the most important factors: effort, progress, and comprehension.
There are several things to consider when discussing how grade implementation should change. I'm going to talk from the point of view where we will not be able to eliminate them any time soon and instead, focus on creating meaning for grades.
One of the biggest problems is that the students (and parents) don't understand the grades, their purpose, and how they effect them. Grades have never been explained in a way that they can really put any value to. In my classroom, however, we use grades as a way of measuring progress in the subjects in which it is easy to do that. Math, for example, is fairly cut and dry (and even still, my students are given points for demonstrating comprehension of the process even when the answer is incorrect). When students receive grades, they chart them on a simple bar graph. We talk (several times over the course of the year) about what it means to show progress. This becomes very important in determining a final grade for them.
I also have the luxury of working with the WIDA standards which are the guidelines for assessing bilingual students in the state of Illinois. Those standards specifically state that I am allowed to measure students based on what can be expected of their own personal ability. That means I am not measuring a student against their classmates or against the state's version of the perfect 4th grader. Instead, I am monitoring progress and effort and making decisions as I see fit. I can refer back to the standards at any point if someone were to contend my grades and I would be willing to bet that other teachers in other states could use their own standards to back up their grading system as well.
Finally, I use goal setting as a major tool in instruction/assessment. Not only does it give students something to aim for, but it makes it clear to them whether or not they are progressing. This takes a bit of work and time to conference with each individual student. However, the results are the my students understand what is expected of them and what they need to achieve for themselves (not compared to everyone else).
Monday, March 23, 2009
Keep Trying
"Sometimes the beauty is in the attempt."
We have all tried something and failed. When I say "tried" in this instance, I mean put everything we had, our entire hearts and souls, into something that we cared about. This happens in the classroom and probably even more often in life, but the message holds true for both: Sometimes the beauty is in the attempt.
When I went away to college, I went to a small private school in a big city. It was probably the most emotionally heart wrenching year of my life. Thinking about the way that I survived that year actually makes me feel grateful for the trials of late, because I'd never wish to be back in that place again. Regardless, when I really think about it, I learned more about myself and my strengths that year than I ever had before. I even made positive experiences for myself that I look back on and smile. I challenged myself in ways that I never had before, and when it came to the end of the year I had the courage to know that it was time to walk away.
As far as being able to stick it out and stay at that school, I failed. But I learned about myself, had some memories that I will always cherish, and ended up in a better place because of it.
Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves when we fail ourselves or our students. But failing always yields something. Take comfort in the fact that, when you've truly given your all and it doesn't work out, it's not your fault. If you choose to accept failure and learn from it, the attempt can be more powerful than it's outcome.
We have all tried something and failed. When I say "tried" in this instance, I mean put everything we had, our entire hearts and souls, into something that we cared about. This happens in the classroom and probably even more often in life, but the message holds true for both: Sometimes the beauty is in the attempt.
When I went away to college, I went to a small private school in a big city. It was probably the most emotionally heart wrenching year of my life. Thinking about the way that I survived that year actually makes me feel grateful for the trials of late, because I'd never wish to be back in that place again. Regardless, when I really think about it, I learned more about myself and my strengths that year than I ever had before. I even made positive experiences for myself that I look back on and smile. I challenged myself in ways that I never had before, and when it came to the end of the year I had the courage to know that it was time to walk away.
As far as being able to stick it out and stay at that school, I failed. But I learned about myself, had some memories that I will always cherish, and ended up in a better place because of it.
Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves when we fail ourselves or our students. But failing always yields something. Take comfort in the fact that, when you've truly given your all and it doesn't work out, it's not your fault. If you choose to accept failure and learn from it, the attempt can be more powerful than it's outcome.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tiempo Libre
As a teacher, there is no end of work to be done. You could take work home every evening and weekend for the rest of your career and still find things that to be planned and graded, better ways of presenting what you already have, and new information that needs to be incorporated. So, in the small amount of free time that you have, there are only two reasons to pick your extra curricular activities based on:
1) Am I passionate about it?
2) Will it encourage personal growth?
Being a teacher can be very draining. At the end of the day, there is very little time to replenish your energy. Unfortunately, you still have to live life. What I would encourage, is picking activities in your life that will be a boon. Most of the time, those activities do require energy, but they are also rejuvenating.
A while back I chose to join a Spanish Language Meetup. It is a group of people of varying ages, ethnic backgrounds, and social status who get together once a month to speak in Spanish over dinner. Last night, on a Friday night after a full week of school, I was exhausted. What I know, however, is that this meetup incorporates many of the things that I am passionate about including, communicating, meeting new people, the Spanish language, and experiencing culture. I went despite my yearning for a quiet night of television, and it was such a blessing. My conversational Spanish is getting so much better. I talked to several native speakers during the evening and even joined a couple of them at a bar for pool afterwards. Talking and laughing in Spanish was the most natural thing in the world to me. In remembering how hard I worked to get to this skill level (for the sake of my students and their parents) it is something that I am very proud of.
If you're feeling argumentative today, you may say "No teach, sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do and it is just a waste of time and energy." I will argue back and say that I don't really believe that. For example, if you don't want to go to your mother-in-law's house for Sunday brunch but you do anyway, it is because you are passionate about family. If you don't want to go to the grocery store but do anyway, it is because you value life. If you don't want to go to the gym, but do anyway, it is because health is important to you.
If you find yourself doing something and really wondering what the point is, cut it out, it's not making you a better person. If you find yourself missing something that made your life better, or that could, get it back. There are two reasons to use that precious little extra time we have in the day: because you are doing something you are passionate about, or because it is encouraging personal growth (and very often, it is doing both).
1) Am I passionate about it?
2) Will it encourage personal growth?
Being a teacher can be very draining. At the end of the day, there is very little time to replenish your energy. Unfortunately, you still have to live life. What I would encourage, is picking activities in your life that will be a boon. Most of the time, those activities do require energy, but they are also rejuvenating.
A while back I chose to join a Spanish Language Meetup. It is a group of people of varying ages, ethnic backgrounds, and social status who get together once a month to speak in Spanish over dinner. Last night, on a Friday night after a full week of school, I was exhausted. What I know, however, is that this meetup incorporates many of the things that I am passionate about including, communicating, meeting new people, the Spanish language, and experiencing culture. I went despite my yearning for a quiet night of television, and it was such a blessing. My conversational Spanish is getting so much better. I talked to several native speakers during the evening and even joined a couple of them at a bar for pool afterwards. Talking and laughing in Spanish was the most natural thing in the world to me. In remembering how hard I worked to get to this skill level (for the sake of my students and their parents) it is something that I am very proud of.
If you're feeling argumentative today, you may say "No teach, sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do and it is just a waste of time and energy." I will argue back and say that I don't really believe that. For example, if you don't want to go to your mother-in-law's house for Sunday brunch but you do anyway, it is because you are passionate about family. If you don't want to go to the grocery store but do anyway, it is because you value life. If you don't want to go to the gym, but do anyway, it is because health is important to you.
If you find yourself doing something and really wondering what the point is, cut it out, it's not making you a better person. If you find yourself missing something that made your life better, or that could, get it back. There are two reasons to use that precious little extra time we have in the day: because you are doing something you are passionate about, or because it is encouraging personal growth (and very often, it is doing both).
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Call It A Game
I have had some requests in the past for advice about unmotivated students. I will tell you truthfully, I have very few pointers on the matter. I have encountered more than one student whose self worth has been beaten down by their environment, their parents, even other teachers. These are the students who really believe that they'll never amount to anything so it is not even worth trying. In order to reach those students, first and foremost, I try to make all of my learning relevant to them and their lives. If they can see a real world purpose, I've often succeeded in motivating them to learn it.
Sometimes though, you just have to lie. Did I say that? I meant...stretch the truth. ;) I have conned my students into learning a million times by doing something so very simple: Calling it a game!
Students who have not succeeded in school because they simply don't care need an extra push. The second you put them on the spot and give them a team that is relying on them, their attitude changes.
Now, I didn't tell you to let them play games all day (because I'm pretty sure that would at least make you their favorite teacher, but might not be the motivational tool you're looking for). Instead, make them learn and call it a game. As always, I'll provide examples!
1) Vocabulary Silent Ball: The students were very tired of standardized testing the other day but they really needed to review their vocabulary for the next day's test. Instead of "studying" I let them all sit on top of their desks and throw a ball around. The second I called "Stop" the person holding the ball had to define a word. If the couldn't, they had to sit back in their seats and play continued until the last person on their desk became the "winner". They practiced vocabulary intently for 25 minutes in this way.
2) Animal Adjectives: My third graders are learning about adjectives but they hate anything that looks like I might make them write. Today, I gave them each a secret card with a picture of an animal on it. They had to write ten sentences describing the animals which they would present to the class. The student who could guess the animal first (without seeing the card) using the clue won a sticker. (And guess what? They all wrote complete sentences using adjectives and did their best jobs because they had to read them in front of an audience.)
3) Group Math Quiz: I asked my students to complete a word problem worksheet on Valentine's Day. Instead of having them work quietly at their desks, I let them work in groups. Usually this leads to some students working and some students sitting there doing nothing. To solve this, I made it a competition, each child would be graded by an opposing team member so each was responsible for having the correct answers thereby forcing each group member to participate in the process.
4) Show me your work: Every day in math class, the students learn a concept and practice several examples of the same concept. If I can tell they are getting tired of the repetition, I will give them individual dry erase boards. They have to solve their problems on their own and then when I yell "show me your work!" they hold the boards up. I split the class in half and award each of the two teams points based on how many people in their group answered the problem correctly.
Every one of these games sounds pretty boring to me. The kids are just doing the same work that they always would only there are points involved. Let me tell you though, they come to class begging for the "games" and they sure do learn a lot.
Sometimes though, you just have to lie. Did I say that? I meant...stretch the truth. ;) I have conned my students into learning a million times by doing something so very simple: Calling it a game!
Students who have not succeeded in school because they simply don't care need an extra push. The second you put them on the spot and give them a team that is relying on them, their attitude changes.
Now, I didn't tell you to let them play games all day (because I'm pretty sure that would at least make you their favorite teacher, but might not be the motivational tool you're looking for). Instead, make them learn and call it a game. As always, I'll provide examples!
1) Vocabulary Silent Ball: The students were very tired of standardized testing the other day but they really needed to review their vocabulary for the next day's test. Instead of "studying" I let them all sit on top of their desks and throw a ball around. The second I called "Stop" the person holding the ball had to define a word. If the couldn't, they had to sit back in their seats and play continued until the last person on their desk became the "winner". They practiced vocabulary intently for 25 minutes in this way.
2) Animal Adjectives: My third graders are learning about adjectives but they hate anything that looks like I might make them write. Today, I gave them each a secret card with a picture of an animal on it. They had to write ten sentences describing the animals which they would present to the class. The student who could guess the animal first (without seeing the card) using the clue won a sticker. (And guess what? They all wrote complete sentences using adjectives and did their best jobs because they had to read them in front of an audience.)
3) Group Math Quiz: I asked my students to complete a word problem worksheet on Valentine's Day. Instead of having them work quietly at their desks, I let them work in groups. Usually this leads to some students working and some students sitting there doing nothing. To solve this, I made it a competition, each child would be graded by an opposing team member so each was responsible for having the correct answers thereby forcing each group member to participate in the process.
4) Show me your work: Every day in math class, the students learn a concept and practice several examples of the same concept. If I can tell they are getting tired of the repetition, I will give them individual dry erase boards. They have to solve their problems on their own and then when I yell "show me your work!" they hold the boards up. I split the class in half and award each of the two teams points based on how many people in their group answered the problem correctly.
Every one of these games sounds pretty boring to me. The kids are just doing the same work that they always would only there are points involved. Let me tell you though, they come to class begging for the "games" and they sure do learn a lot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)