First Day of School: Genre Reflection #2

Attentively stand on the outside of your classroom.

 

breathe.

Granted your classroom also has a door, which it should. . . unless...unless you were assigned to a room without one, orrr because of your need to be "supervised." 

Do not be afraid to utilize this large piece of wood.

wood. is. your. friend.

trees are your friend.

 

breathe out.

Or maybe not, because you so conveniently participate in the act of killing trees.

Leaving Tucan Sam and his bird cousins the Blue-yellow and Scarlett Macaws homeless. Lemurs without a place to swing. and spiders without a place to make their webs--all because you needed to 
PRINT. SOMETHING. OUT.

...but--who likes spiders anyway?               

              

f o c u s.

This door can and will momentarily become your backbone as you wait for the students who may or may not already hate you and as you encounter (and I mean make eye contact with) the veteran teachers who will also be in the hallway waiting for their students. 

BUT are simultaneously gawking at you as if you just did a hit-and-run on a blind puppy and stole the oldest teacher in the buildings parking spot, then continued to deliberately step on every line and crack you could on your way into the building thinking about your poor mother.

smile and nod. smile and nod. say "good morning" and nod.

"As you enter the classroom, 

go ahead and find your name on the corresponding desk"

they hate me. I won't let them sit by their friends and they hate me.

Stay grounded. It is best to implement this structure now.

Quickly rehearse your introduction in your head:

"Hiiii guys! my name i-- no, too friendly. "Hello students!"-- not friendly enough.

"HOLA, HOWDY, Hi'ya, Hey Ya'll" no, no, no and no!

breathe again.

Once the bell rings, walk into the classroom confidently & by NO means trip.

Seriously. If you are clumsier than a baby giraffe getting out of a cramped clown car then walk in along the edge of the room, so you can use the walls as support.

Now that you are standing at the front of your class, take a moment to look at your students. I mean reaally look at them.

look.

These are the lives you will touch in the year to come. These are the students who will later tell their family, friends and peers about you and your class years later. Good OR Bad.

smile. breathe. speak.

"Hello class, My name is Ms. Manns and I will be your teacher and student this year! I am excited to get to know all of you and learn new things alongside you as the year progresses."

f o c u s. breathe in. breathe out. look. smile. I can do this. I will do this. WE can do this.

How to Combat Senioritis: in students AND student-teachers.

As of late, and I am sure just like the rest of you, I have been unable to shake the ubiquity of this Fall semester’s tasks. At times I become so increasingly overwhelmed that I have embarrassingly resulted to calculating certain assignments in order to determine if I could do without them or do them with little effort and still pass (of course I am not brave enough to follow through with this idea, but a little dreaming never hurt anyone right? *insert a nod of agreement here*).  

So what does my inability to focus and “get ‘er done” have to do with my placement? Well as many of you know, I am currently pre-student teaching for a class of high school Seniors and everything I am feeling now as a Senior in college, I felt as a Senior in high school. Now I know that every student is different, and for some, even the idea of being diagnosed with “senioritis” is outrageous and believed only to be an excuse used to justify laziness in students; however, as a recently self-diagnosed student and teacher-to be, I believe in this concept completely and also believe that symptoms can be found in most other grades (and ages). Which leads me to the point of saying that whether you actually believe in this concept or not, it is safe to say that in most classrooms there will be distracted students, there will be unmotivated students, there will be students who cannot wait until school is over, and students who forget that learning can be fun. I also believe that teachers, just like students can also encompass these traits.

Many of us have had teachers of our past educational experiences that we would describe as “checking out before their time” or "retired, but still hired" meaning that their heart (and mind) was just not in it anymore. And it is most likely this was not our favorite teacher. I recently found an article which listed 8 tips for battling senioritis, and of the tips geared towards students I found to applicable for teachers as well.

Disclaimer: Check the link at the bottom of article to view the “student related” tips. The Teacher tips are tips I produced from my own beliefs.

1. Remember that grades still matter.

Teachers: Just because the semester is coming to a close do not devalue the course work you have originally planned for students to complete. This is not fair to your students, and is certainly not fair to you.

2. Think of yourself as a college-student-in-training.

Teachers: Your students still need your support now until college. Do not cheat them on “real life” expectations they will need to abide by when going to college.

3. Nix bad habits before they start.

Teachers:  Just because you are anxiously waiting for the semester to come to a close, does not mean that HW assignments (and those alike) necessarily have to be thrown out.

If you do decide to get eliminate an assignment, be sure that it does not become a religious habit that your student will anticipate to occur.

→ they may not do the assignment on a day you want to collect it, because in the past you never collected (or graded) it.

4. Focus on earning college credit.

Teachers: Again, similar to #2, College and real life preparation is expected  of teachers. The preparedness of students  is essential seeing as how they are/will be individuals expected to cohesively interact with all types of people.

5. Keep yourself challenged and stimulated.

Teachers: Set goals!  Set an objective you would like to be tested, and create a new and inventive way to achieve this.

6. Set specific goals for yourself.

Teachers: Set goals that are non-school related!

e.g: After grading 1st, 3rd, 7th hour essays, I will treat myself to a movie or a nice dinner out.

7. Take it one day at a time.

Teachers: Do not overwhelm yourself with thoughts of tasks that need to be completed. Instead create a list of things you need to get done and take the utmost satisfaction in crossing the item off of the list.

e.g: If I have essay that needs to be done, I’ll set the goal of writing one paragraph/page a day. (*WARNING*: Do not do this if you are a procrastinator).

8. Last but not least, have fun!

Teachers: YES! Have fun! remind yourself why it is you went into this profession in the first place and enjoy those moments.

http://www.collegecountdown.com/blog/in-the-classroom/8-tips-for-how-to-avoid-senioritis-in-high-school.html

Happy Blogging! <3 Destinee Manns

KATE Conference 2014: Christmas for English Teachers

KATE Conference 2014: ReThink, ReConnect, ReNew. 

During the course of my educational experience at Wichita State University I have learned so many valuable concepts and ideas that I have either implemented already in my placement or have made a mental note to use in my future classroom. From textbooks, I have learned the do's and don'ts of teaching, various instructional strategies that would best benefit an individual student, and how to create a lesson plan. The 2014 KATE conference was ironically one of the most exhausting, yet exhilarating functions I have ever attended.

From the very start I was inspired when keynote speaker, Dr. Howard Pitler stated the various types of teachers (Traditionalists, Sophisticates, Warm Demanders, and Sentimentalist). I was relieved to finally learn that there was a title for the kind of teacher I have always aspired to be, and more importantly, that it was okay to be this kind of teacher. As of now, I consider myself a Sentimentalist and I hope that with more experience inside the classroom that I eventually become a Warm Demander. Dr. Pitler's statement that "kids do not care what you know, unless they know that you care" is the epitome of everything I stand for and a message I plan to always relay to my students, after all, we are people FIRST and students second.

Of the various sessions I attended where I learned how to integrate History, Art, Music, and even learned how to use Literature in cross-curricular instruction, one of my favorites was held by Eileen Wertzberger in the session, The Power of Discourse: Engaging Students by Activating their Voices.  Unlike the other meetings I attended, this was spontaneously set-up as a round-table discussion. I learned some amazing techniques to promote student involvement and strategies to combat shyness in students. Outside of promoting active students, this presentation also covered several innovative ways to share the importance of the content we are teaching and how it applies to their lives outside of the classroom. Because Mrs. Wertzberger was so inviting, I felt comfortable sharing my own ideas, and experience within the classroom.

Taylor Mali:

My involvement with Taylor Mali was by far the highlight for me during this conference.
Seeing him in his element, working with the poetry students during our workshop, and watching how he constructively criticized each one of my students' poems and their performance was awe-inspiring. The students loved every minute of it and It was obvious that their eagerness to learn and better themselves had increased. Not only did I appreciate what he did for my students, but I found myself (more times than I can count) saying "oh my gosh, that is so true!" or "I've never thought about it in that way." During a workshop that was designed to teach, inspire, and satisfy the needs of our High School students was so profound that I also benefited.
 
Taylor Mali continued to amaze me during lunch when I found out that he, just like myself, eats salad, cake, and pasta! ;) He then went on to share poems with us that were related to our aspirations of becoming English teachers, but I was most appreciative of his poems that conveyed memories of his personal life. There is something comforting about knowing that someone as great and influential as Taylor Mali also has a life. Not a life filled with touring, teaching, and sharing poetry, but a life filled with pain, heartbreak, love, accomplishments, and disappointments. He is a man who is hysterically funny and inspiring to teachers and students everywhere.

This years KATE conference was better than I had anticipated. Everything I learned was completely invaluable and I feel so privileged to have had this opportunity! I look forward to my involvement in the conferences to come and excited to reconnect with all of the awesome Kansas teachers again.

Happy Blogging!
 From a completely renewed student-teacher,
Destinee Manns.

RULES TO LIVE BY: inside AND outside of the classroom (Genre Reflection)

          We live in a society where people are afraid to truly be themselves out of the fear of not being accepted. I know this because I too am guilty of this feeling; however, this is not because I want to be accepted by everyone else, but because I am not even accepting of my own flaws and afraid to face them head on.

        There comes a point where you have to learn to remember the good things instead of dwelling on the negative things you cannot change and to know that no matter what, it is O-K. The following is a list of things that I plan to live by and to introduce to my students.

It's okay to be so overly optimistic, even if it means always trying to find the good in a person or a situation that seems to always let you down. -- In a way, this is making you stronger.

It's okay to tell someone NO! -- If it something you don't agree with or that doesn't benefit you, do not be afraid to voice it.

It's okay to give compliments, AND to receive them. -- One small act of kindness can be life changing in some circumstances. Not to mention, it's nice to feel bubbly inside.

It's okay to love food more than you love people. -- Seriously. I condone a gluttonous lifestyle.

When it rains, cuddle under the covers and indulge in your favorite treat while watching your favorite movie or reading your favorite book.

Take risks, set goals, and follow them through until the end. You will be rewarded with a sensational amount of gratification.

Be creative. Life is more interesting this way.

Cry. I mean really cry.  It's healthy sometimes.

30 second dance parties can instantly better your mood. ESPECIALLY when dancing with a two year old.

There is no wrong way to interpret any song or piece of literature. REMEMBER THIS.

Do not be ashamed of feeling heartbroken because you have finished reading your favorite series and will no longer be able to read about your book-boyfriend. --This applies to TV series as well.

Do not be afraid to change your mind. What are the chances of getting everything right the first time around anyways?

Remember to floss your teeth and clean out your ears, -- These are two of the best feelings anyways....and putting in a fresh pair of contacts.

also remember absolutely everything you were taught in Kindergarten!
Share
Don't hit others
Clean up your own mess
Wash your hands before you eat.
Remember the Golden Rule, If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
LOOK! - everything you need or want to know is there somewhere.

and last but not least, a quote from one of my favorite poems:

"Think of what a better world it would be if we all- the whole entire world- had cookies and milk around 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together," -- Robert Fulghum, All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten 

Where is the Line? and is it okay for me to cross it?

Follow up:
For those of you who asked me to do a follow up on my experience and involvement within the classroom I am happy to report that these last two weeks have certainly progressed from where I was in my last blog post. Although there are still times when the class is independently working and does not need any help, my cooperating teacher has been very inviting and enthusiastic about including me into classroom discussions, activities, and the "behind the scenes" managing power points and grading tests. I look forward to the relationship between the students and I progressing and that they become comfortable enough to ask me questions about school related content or telling me how their weekend/day was.

As I began to think about what I wanted to teach my class for the upcoming unit-plan I realized that I had become more consumed worrying how the students would behave while I taught my lesson and less consumed with thoughts of how they would benefit from said unit-plan. Immediately, I became a little anxious about teaching the class. Not only am I still getting to know the students but now I am at a standstill wondering how or if it is my place to discipline/redirect students during my time in front of the class. Because this is a Senior class they possess many of the stereotypical traits for this age range. They are talkative, more socially advanced (referring to content), and some seemed to have already "checked out" for the year/day. As I have said once before my cooperating teacher seems to get along great with the students, is very fun and converses with them in a manner that is familiar to them. However, as a person on the outside looking in, I see this student-teacher relationship backfiring at times. There are times when the class in constantly talking while she is lecturing or explaining instructions, and other times when students are using their cell-phones. The most recent incident that surprised me was when she was giving instructions on the essays they would be correcting. One of the students then stated "are you dead A miss?" My cooperating teacher then said that she did not understand his question and then proceeded to give notes on the essays when the same student said "I said are you dead a**. I don't want to," Some of the students laughed and my cooperating teacher ignored it and went on to the next slide. As our Wong and Wong textbook from Core 1 explained how establishing good classroom management practices from the very beginning resulted in fewer behavioral issues you will deal with later on, I am unsure on if it is my place to say something to students if they do happen to be disruptive during my scheduled teaching time. Once I teach my lesson this will be the first (beginning) experience I will have as the teacher, and since it is not my classroom I am not sure what to do?

         What do you guys recommend I do? I am already plan to talk to my CT about my concerns, but I am curious to know what you guys would do in this situation? Would you feel comfortable semi-disciplining students?

Happy Blogging! <3

Getting to know my students -- Online Reflection #1

        Hello my fellow teacher-ee's! 

        Now while trying to brainstorm on what issues or concerns I was going to blog about I initially had a hard time coming up with something because I felt like it was still a little too early to really voice any major concerns. See, I am at a school that has blocked scheduling, and for some of you, you may have already been with your students for 2 going on three weeks, while I have only been with 2 classes, each of them for one week.

Then it hit me! The timing/start of a new placement is crucial for how the rest of the semester may play out.

          Throughout my time in the Education Program (going through Cores 1 & 2, and now 3) I always make a note, whether it is mentally or literally about techniques, rules, or lessons that I plan to incorporate in my future classroom. Now as you are reading this you are probably thinking "yea! me too!" or "doesn't everyone do that?" because I also have these thoughts, but surprisingly I am finding it a bit challenging to do this at my placement school. When we are teachers I assume that it will be easier to dictate the course of the class because we will "be in charge" and we will have been with the students from the very first day and everyday afterwards; which I believe is an essential part of building personal relationships with students. This initial meeting is the point in which the teacher explains their expectations for students and class as a whole, tells students a little bit about herself and allows the same opportunity for students asking questions like "what do you want to get out of this class?", providing opportunities to get to know the teacher and their peers. Bomer further agrees with my feelings by suggesting in his text Building Adolescent Literacy in Today's English Classrooms, "that the best possible beginning to a school year just might involve finding out about students as literate people, while also building a relationship with a listening attitude" (p. 21). I have missed out on that first initial meeting point (where they met their teacher and started the class) and I'm a little unsure on how to "make up for it."

        While in my placement it is hard for me to try and build those meaningful relationships with the students because there is really not a lot of down time. Of course, when the opportunity presents itself I engage with students (for example: One of my students was reading a recreational book and I quickly just asked her to explain what it was about), but like I have mentioned before we mostly talk about the assignments. I often hear the stories you guys tell about how you have conversed with students about the music they are currently listening to, the latest dances, and so on. I guess one of my main concerns is not being able to further connect with students, so then my question becomes: What do you guys suggest I do in this situation without digressing from classroom content? What steps have you taken to build that relationship with your students? and Who else is having this same issue? (I sure hope I'm not the only one). 

Thank you so much in advance!!

Always Happy Blogging, Destinee Manns <3

Word Count: 556

My Promising Semester Goals

At the start of each semester I always mentally prepare myself for what is to come. I tell myself that this year I will do THIS, and I will do THAT, and if I do THIS and THAT allllll semester I will not only be productive, but the amount of stress I will endure will be so little that it does not completely take over me and cause me to shut down...

 I buy brand-new pens and pencils, notebooks, highlighters, folders, and a planner so that I can efficiently write down events and assignments in a way that will keep me organized (and stress-free) all year. Unfortunately, this did not happen last semester. I bought all of my necessities and yet, last semester was absolutely THE MOST TRYING SEMESTER I have ever endured. So because of my experiences last semester I decided that it was obviously because my planner was not big enough (crazy, I know), so because of that I have bought a notebook sized Calendar and Planner. 

My goals for this year include the following:

1. Be organized, Stay organized-

I always start off very organized and I am diligent in writing notes for class, doing assignments, or in my planner, but I often go astray and become sloppy and un-organized (hopefully my HUGE planner will help with this). 

2. Be more active in my CT's classroom-

I always find it hard to be "active" in the classroom, because I like to mirror my CT. Sometimes she will explain an assignment and then sit down at the desk, so I too, sit down at the desk. 

3. Create more meaningful relationships at my assigned school- 

I see my CT everyday, but I think it would be nice to have more positive/professional relationships with other faculty members. 

4. Pass my PRAXIS exam!

I am so nervous about this. 

5. GRADUATE!!!!

I'm not sure there is much else to say about this one! ; )