As department head I was invited by the principal to attend junior commencement. The event took place on Wednesday afternoon in the gym. I arranged to have my classes covered through our "on call" system where teachers who cannot be in class get a colleague to cover their class in the cafeteria area designated as the study hall. This is arranged through the office and is common practice.
Five of my students were being honoured with awards that afternoon. The rest of my group was in study hall doing seat work under the supervision of the designated on call teacher. As I sat on stage, after having presented the award for my subject area, I began to feel strangely uncomfortable. Though I was pleased to be present to honour the five top acheivers of my class, what about the rest of my students who are not as successful and who are not receiving the benefit of meaningful teaching as they sit in the study hall?
I felt compelled to discreetly exit the stage (as other colleagues had done) so I could spend the time with the students who most needed assistance with their learning, but finally decided it would not be fair not to be fully present and engaged in the ceremony (the principal was on the stage a few chairs away from my seat).
Did I make the right decision?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
A response to September 12th, 2011 -Thank you Rosie
Blog Response: A Teacher’s Bad Dream:
I can relate. I too find that the stresses in my everyday life often times play out in my dreams. The latest is one, which I haven’t had since University. In it, I am a high school student again, taking an exam for which I do not know the answers. The intense feeling of anxiety is sometimes so great that I often wake up out of breath.
In my case, I believe that my fear of becoming a new teacher and all it’s uncertainties has taken over my subconscious. Consciously, I am aware that I am capable enough to learn the skill of teaching. I believe that with practice, I will be an effective teacher. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be here. However, I believe that my fear of not being competent enough or knowledgeable enough is at the forefront of my subconscious thoughts.
Having reflected on it numerous times, I have concluded that there is a positive side to my otherwise unpleasant and unwanted recurring dream. It is that having the dream keeps me focused on my goal. It motivates me to stay on top of things, manage my time, and ensure that I am prepared. That anxiety and fear that I experience in my dreams is a constant reminder of what can happen if I do not strive to do my best. In other words, it keeps me on my toes.
When Caring is Hard
The other day I received a call while I was teaching from the office: "Please go to Room 143 at 1:20 and assist in the Associated classroom area. They need extra support".
I opened the door and nearly tripped over a book case. Another teacher was between the door and the book case observing a tall special needs student throw things all over the floor from the book shelves, desks, counter tops....He wasn't visibly emotionally upset, but the teachers had learned from experience not to try to stop him. Some of the ladies had been struck in the face. Two teachers were wearing jackets with shoulder and breast pads just in case....
The matter is being assessed by Board of Education staff, the school administration, the Special Education Head of department in consultation with the parents. Currently the matter is being discussed in terms of solutions for the safety of other students and staff and the education opportunity for this young man.
Sometimes care seems elusive in the classroom when behaviours are out of control. The flailing student does have a right to be in school, but how do we care for him and ensure the safety of others at the same time?
I opened the door and nearly tripped over a book case. Another teacher was between the door and the book case observing a tall special needs student throw things all over the floor from the book shelves, desks, counter tops....He wasn't visibly emotionally upset, but the teachers had learned from experience not to try to stop him. Some of the ladies had been struck in the face. Two teachers were wearing jackets with shoulder and breast pads just in case....
The matter is being assessed by Board of Education staff, the school administration, the Special Education Head of department in consultation with the parents. Currently the matter is being discussed in terms of solutions for the safety of other students and staff and the education opportunity for this young man.
Sometimes care seems elusive in the classroom when behaviours are out of control. The flailing student does have a right to be in school, but how do we care for him and ensure the safety of others at the same time?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Too Much Prep
Every effective teacher preps lessons well. There is a link between careful planning and a student's learning. However, there are times when I wonder if my prep is outweighing the value of relating to my students:
1. I can be so planned that I teach content and miss connecting with my students.
2. I can overplan and lack the flexibility to teach in the moment.
3. I can drive through the curriculum and hide behind the content, missing the opportunities to be real with my students.
There is another way to go about this. I can be fully planned (and more often than not, overplanned) and then relax, using what is relevant for the day in the situation and according to how my students are responding. If I don't get through everything I've planned, chances are that I've made the content more connective and meaningful to the students. So teaching less content but relationally has more value than teaching a lot of content without understanding where the students are emotionally, socially and cognitively.
Do you overprep, underprep, or prep just enough to allow for spontaneous, open spaces?
1. I can be so planned that I teach content and miss connecting with my students.
2. I can overplan and lack the flexibility to teach in the moment.
3. I can drive through the curriculum and hide behind the content, missing the opportunities to be real with my students.
There is another way to go about this. I can be fully planned (and more often than not, overplanned) and then relax, using what is relevant for the day in the situation and according to how my students are responding. If I don't get through everything I've planned, chances are that I've made the content more connective and meaningful to the students. So teaching less content but relationally has more value than teaching a lot of content without understanding where the students are emotionally, socially and cognitively.
Do you overprep, underprep, or prep just enough to allow for spontaneous, open spaces?
When do we stop prepping?
All effective teachers need to prepare their lessons. If there is content to be reviewed in order to know it enought to teach, we do it. If content is not an issue, we still need to think about how to deliver it in a way that will reach our particular group of students.
But how much prep is too much? The answer for me is when I lose my focus on the students themselves, that
But how much prep is too much? The answer for me is when I lose my focus on the students themselves, that
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Teacher's Bad Dream
I had a dream two weeks before school started up again. I was in my classroom staring at my lesson plan -vacant, a blank page! I felt disoriented, tense, unable to focus on what activity to do with the students.
I've had many similar dreams over the years. What's going on in my subconsciousness? Is it that I haven't prepared adequately in advance? Probably not. Does this lost feeling come out of reliving moments when I've had to reassess what I've planned and in the heat of the moment -thus creating a moment of insecuirty and stress?
The fact is, I always feel I need to be in control of what I'm teaching, when and how. Circumstances -an unresponsive group, time left over, a hot afternoon sometimes dictate otherwise. Perhaps it is the unpredictability of teaching that haunts me. You never know for sure how things will go. The dream played out what I was most afraid of....
I've had many similar dreams over the years. What's going on in my subconsciousness? Is it that I haven't prepared adequately in advance? Probably not. Does this lost feeling come out of reliving moments when I've had to reassess what I've planned and in the heat of the moment -thus creating a moment of insecuirty and stress?
The fact is, I always feel I need to be in control of what I'm teaching, when and how. Circumstances -an unresponsive group, time left over, a hot afternoon sometimes dictate otherwise. Perhaps it is the unpredictability of teaching that haunts me. You never know for sure how things will go. The dream played out what I was most afraid of....
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