Tuesday March 4, 2008

First class today, I was able to teach the grade 9 math class.  We just started the unit on data analysis and probability.  The students are a bright group who are a pleasure to teach.  Trying to keep the students interested isn’t too difficult, they are an inquisitive bunch.  Tomorrow is World Math Day, so we will spend the class competing against students from around the world.  I sure hope they enjoy this friendly competition.

Second class we worked on Information Processing 10.  I continued where my co-op left of, with excel.  Not much happened here, except the one student is falling behind as he missed yesterdays work.  It will be interesting to see if I am able to get him caught up before the students begin working on their large assignment.

As I continue to work with the students, I am beginning to learn their names.  That was my target today, to remember their names.  With names such that are traditional to the Arabic countries, I have a more difficult time remembering them.  I am sure I will get them all soon, it just takes a lot of focus and practice.  Thank goodness for seating plans.

Have the Students Changed That Much?!

YES!!! Most definitely children have changed.  Not only has their attitude changed, but the way they think has changed, as well.  I am a new teacher, new to the way kids think, act, and respond to schoo.  However, I am not new to how kids act outside of school, on weekends, at the arena and on the court. They have not changed all that much.  It is really sad to think that education has become something of entertainment for the kids.  The idea of being separated from their cell phones, having to sit still in class, listen, make notes and even have homework is almost astonishing to them.  The words, “this can be completed as homework” has always caused the students to groan and say, “aw! I hate homework.”  But now there is the added phrase “…but Mr. Smith never gives us homework.”  To which we always respond, “well, I am not Mr. Smith, am I.”  Sometimes I wonder if the students say these comments to try and get us to feel sorry for them, to make us think that we are putting too much on their plates.  I have heard somewhere along the way, students should have a half hour of homework for every class they have.  If they have six classes, that is three hours of homework.  Well, I am sure students do not have a half hour of homework for every class they have in a day.  But they may have homework in half of those classes.  

Now the point of this particular entry is more to give me the opportunity to voice my own opionions and to help me see what my perspective is on the topic of students and their work ethic.  Where I stand now, I can definitely say the kids have changed, they seem to be not as hard working as they use to be.  This is an overall picture.  However, I do know there are still students who have a work ethic that is even better than mine was in high school.  

I still have not come up with any conclusions, but if this topic has spurred you to write on it, please do not hesitate to write me.  One great thing about education is the collaborating between colleagues and other professionals that share the same interest.  Maybe we can begin to make sense of this new shift in student work ethics and how we, as teachers, can help them to find that work ethic that we feel has been lost.

Education is sharing!!!

Ok, every teacher out there gets excited when they find something they can use in the classroom.  I just read the blog of someone I have added to my reader–Karen Janowski.  She was writing efficiency and uploaded a file with keyboard short cuts that can help our lives, as well as the lives of the students a little easier.  I have found many lists of these shortcuts, but none that seem to capture the more useful ones.  Go check out her blog, EdTech Solutions:  Teaching Every Student and see what other goodies she can help you out with.

The Things we Learn from Our Kids

Today, we were returning form the provincial Pass, Punt and Kick competition with our two sons.  It is amazing the different conversations kids will have with you.  There was another student in the vehicle with us and he was kind of complaning about one particular student at school and couldn’t understand why they were they way they were.  Of course, as teachers we could not tell this kid what kind of a background the other student came from.  But when he responded with the fact that parents of this other child were not very good parents, it opened the door for a learning lesson for all.  This, of course, led to the fact that parental support is so necessary in a childs’ life.  Then Cameron, our youngest, says “oh, kind of like sneakers (runners to those who live out west).  All of a sudden I realized that YES, parents are like sneakers.  Good parents try to give you support in the places you need them.  Because every foot is different, the support is going to be in a different place depending on the owners feet. Does this sound familiar…parents are to give support in the areas a child needs it.   When they are new, they are shiny and clean and if they could talk, they would be soooo proud of what they do.  As the runners get older, the owner must respect them or they will wear out quickly and not be of any use.  UM….as a parent, I can definitely agree this sounds like parenthood. And of course…as the runner gets older, they require more attention…sometimes shoelaces need to be replaced, soles have to be reglued and the appearance is definitely not like it was when they were new.  Lol, this definitely sounds like me  :) 

I guess, I have to look at teaching in the same manner.  We are all like a pair of sneakers whether we have children of our own or not.  If I am going to be the support my students need, I have to find out what their needs are, mold my delivery of material to their requirements and still let them have the freedom to be who they choose to be, even if I do not agree with it.

Hmmmm, we can learn so much from others if we just open our eyes and ears to listen long enough, even if it is from a boy who is only 10 years old.

Oh, what a day….but we all have them once in a while!!!

Well, lets begin with the facT that I was running just on time today.  Normally, I try to give myself a 15 minutes window or cushion when getting ready and leaving for school. I aim to leave around 7:30, but sometimes I do not get to leave until 8:00, which gets me there just in time.  Today was one of those 8:00 days…I am passing all my usual road companions going in the opposite direction, listening to my ipod and yes…checking my phone for messages.  Ok, so I may do this, but I know I am not the only one.  After all, i do recieve texts from some of you.  Well, here I am cruising at a comfortable pace just north of Denzil when a strapping young buck (barely had his antlers) came prancing out of the ditch on the opposite side of the road.  I see him, he sees me.  I have three choices.  1.  Hit him square with the front of my car and risk the chance of having a permanent set of horns as  hood ornament (symbol of a true red neck), if I survived.  2.  Swervivng to the left to make my way down the the embankment which the buck just came up or 3.  Swerving just enough to miss hitting him square on and take the brunt of the hit to the side of the car.  I selected choice number three.  It seems ironic I even had time to weigh these options before, but I distinclty remember making the decision.  Well, my dear deer friend went to meet his maker today.  Not before leaving a few strands of fur in my windshield trim and door handle.  Not only did he leave these small gifts, he also left more permanent reminders….like the broken windshield, both the front and back panel dents and my doors with the new decorative “etching” effect.  

After calling 911 to report this as I was not sure if I would have to attempt to break the neck of my new friend to quicken his passing or have an RCMP come and shoot the poor buck, a kind man in a transport truck stopped to help me out.  Well, the deer died not long after landing on the road and my new friend in the truck pulled the carcus to the side of the road.  I am sure it was quite a scene….me in my high heels and looking like a teacher, all dressed up, hauling a dead deer along the road.  

I got to school, just in time, wrote in the announcement book about volleyball practice being cancelled, got my stuff settled in the class and started into my IP 10 lesson where the speakers did not want to cooperate while showing the class a screencast I did and a Youtube video.  Well, the rest of the day went off quite well. Until….

I was rushing to get out of school and get back to Macklin so I could go visit the SGI (provincial insurance) office to get things rolling on my car.  I put all my stuff in the back seat of the car, pulled my keys and cell phone out of my jacket pocket which I left in the back seat, thossed the keys and phone into the front seat and closed the back door.  Went to open the front door and you can guess what happened.  When I tossed the keys, something must have hit the lock switch on my keychain because now the car doors were locked.  And, NO, I do not have a magnet box under the bumper of my car with a spare key.  Luckily the custodian is a savior of sorts.  He happens to have a pretty cool tool (slim jim) at his house.  We worked for a bit on it to no avail, but really, the act of car theft really is a gift not given to all.  So I decided I would call Canadian Automobile Assurance (CAA) to come to the rescue.  It turns out we did not renew our membership this summer.  I do remember having this discussion with my husband, but didn’t realize it had not been renewed after all.  So I called the only towing company in the area that would have one.  It turns out it costs $85 for him to come to Luseland from Kerrobert (15 minute drive) to unlock my door.  So, I began the chase of looking for my husband.  When he is finally located it turns out he is on the school field blowing things up (in the name of chemistry) and could not hear his cell phone or feel the vibration over the “explotions”.  When he does get the message, he calls me at the school and agrees to drive to Luseland (1/2 hour drive) to come unlock the door.  While waiting for Paul, I make another attempt to unlock it with the cool tool.  One of the other staff members comes out of the school and says her husband is a mechanic and he might be able to help.  She gives him a call and one of his partners comes down.  Within 2 minutes, he manages to stick a wire through the door and window and unlock the door.  Poor Paul, he was about 6 km out of town.  

Well, I am not sure if there really is a moral to the story.  Is it…don’t drive faster than the speed limit, don’t even think about using your cell as you drive, always have a spare set of speakers in the computer lab, never put your belongings in the back seat of the car and throw your keys to the front before closing the back door, all women need to carry a long piece of wire (copper coat hanger) in ther purse or always keep a spare key under the bumper by the radiator.  I really do not think any of these are the issue here.  The real issue is how you deal with the little things that come your way.  At the end of the day, my students learned all the concepts I wanted them to learn, the IP 10 kids still managed to have a great time in class, my one accouting student wrote a great test (only 2 points lost),  and my children had a great day at school (well except for the one with the bad social studies mark).  Most importantly though is I was able to be part of all of these activities.  I never wonder whether I would be missed if something happened to me….many other teachers have been doing what I have been doing for many years and will continue to do it, there are always replacements.  But, I would have missed being part of my childrens’ lives.  I know we have all heard the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff”.  But really, I am telling you….DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!!!!  At the end of the day, if you are still alive and well, your family is home safe, you are trying to make a difference in your students’ lives and you know what it is like to be loved and to love in return, I am here to tell you….the small things really do not matter at the end of the day….you matter, your students matter and your family matters….PERIOD!

I have to admit, I have never had to worry about when my next meal was let alone if I was going to be able to buy food for my children. This is something most of us take for granted. As a teacher working in rural Saskatchewan, we do not see poverty. We do sometimes see questionable forms of parenting, but not poverty. I am not sure what I would do if I lived in a place where healthy food was a luxury. Having lived in Northern Ontario for a few years on a reserve, we did see many children come to school without breakfast. Parents chose to spend their money on other things and not on the necessities of life. When parents did have an little more money, the children would be given a portion of the money to spend on what ever they wanted. Some did make wise choices and selected foods that were a little more healthy, however, more often than not, junk was the food of choice.

As educators, we do not have to be told the effects poor eating habits have on a students scholastics. One mineral which the body requires for concentration is iron. Low levels of iron can be linked with a decreased ability to concentrate, especially in class (see Benefits of Iron).

How does this affect educators? I really am not sure exactly how I can help. I am only one teacher, working as an intern in a small school. Lack of food is hardly an issue in Luseland. As an intern, I am paying to work and so money is spent wisely around our house right now. I am not financially capable of donating funds to the many organizations that fight against poverty. One thing I do know is that while living in Ontario, our family had an open door policy. Many students knew they could come to our place for shelter, food, even a listening ear. This policy is still in place here in Macklin. I, most likely, will not have to open my house too often to a student who requires a meal, but I still have to wonder how I can help fight against this issue. For the next 30 + years, I will be part of many students lives. I may not be my students favorite teacher or win the “teacher of the year” award, but I will be an example in the lives of all those students I do come in contact with. They will be learning from me, by example. Poverty awareness is something that is not taught in my math classes and I most likely will not be bringing it up on regular basis in my computer classes. But through conversations with my students, teaching students the need to be aware of issues which may not affect them directly, and by encouraging them to pursue excellence in everything they do, maybe I can help my kids realize they play a part in the fight against poverty by the actions they choose.

It seems ironic this Poverty Action Day is being held the day after Canadian Thanksgiving; a day when families all over this country; whether born here, immigrated citizens or people visiting this country for a short time, can have the day off from school and work to commemorate the long journey and difficulties endured by settlers when they came to the New World. Many churches use this day to give thanks to God for the bounty provided during harvest or the many blessings which have been received. No matter how we look at Thanksgiving Day, it should be a day when we take time to think about the many luxuries we have in Canada and to also take the time to remember there are many other people who are less fortunate than us. It should encourage us to think about what part we play in the global community and how we can help fight the battle of poverty not only in the third world countries but in our own back yards.

Blue Day 2008

I have not had much time to do any sort of blogging lately….internship, lol. Yesterday, on twitter, Alec wrote about a site where educational “twitter freak’s” could have access to a list of educating twitterer’s (is this even a word) from around the globe and their twitter names: Just Tweet It . One person who has been added on my list is a fellow educator from Australia. Today he blogged on Blue Day 2008. You can read more from Matthew on his blog An eLearning Experience. Just what is Blue Day? This is a day that has been set aside to raise awareness of anxiety and depression. It is also known as World Mental Health Day. How many of us know someone who is taking medication for a mental illness or for anxiety? some of these may be students of yours, others may be acquaintances. Have you ever wondered if any of your colleagues are popping these pills? Well, for those of you who are new to the profession, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but teaching isn’t all roses. We get into the profession with hopes of helping students to “find themselves” and to help them become contributing citizens in a global community. That does happen. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles along the way. From the time a teacher gets up in the morning until they shut the bed side table light off at night, they are continuously being bombarded by the many stimuli which envelop our lives. This is a day in the life of a typical teacher.

6:00 am – alarm clock rings. You grab a swig of coffee as you let the dog(s) out to go pee. As you turn around to go and start your day, you step on the cat’s tail, spill your coffee and hear the wonderful sound of a cat who has just had his tail amputated. Over the next 2 hours, you unload the dishwasher, put another load of laundry on, check your email and get the kids up. While you are just hopping into the shower, you get a call from a colleague who realizes they have a parent meeting at 8:30 and they are unable to do their hallway duty. They want to switch days with you. Of course you agree, after all, we help each other whenever possible. One of your kids has just come to you to say they have to have $25 to pay for a special activity the school is taking their class on. You were suppose to have had the money in yesterday. You continue to get your make up on, while you “lovingly” tell your son the need to be more responsible.

8:30 – Ok, you are at school. Finally, you are excited that you are going to have somewhat of a scheduled day with one prep just before lunch. Oh no, the secretary asks if you can go into the band class during your prep. The only substitute music teacher available to take over the class cannot come in today. For some reason, she has yet another migraine. There seems to be a correlation between grade 9 band and when this sub is “sick”. You are wondering if maybe you should try this sometime, but then you remember the reason you entered into the profession….to help students.

I hope by now, you are getting the idea here. It seems every teacher has the same life, it is full and I mean overflowing full with activity. If it isn’t a meeting with a parent, it is the computer systems being uncooperative. We keep telling ourselves that we are actually suppose to be able to multi-task. This is true, but not to the extent that we are doing today. As we continue to fill our lives with all these stimuli, our nervous system goes into overdrive and eventually it becomes worn out, tired, exhausted. All that is left for it to do is to slowly shut down some of the necessary functions in order to survive. This may not be an exact replication of what happens, but this is how I have come to think of it. Our body can only handle so much stress before it says “no more”. Think of our nervous system as a car. It is shiny and new when it first comes off the assembly line. As the new owner takes it off the car lot, they promise they will take care of it. Those car washes, periodic oil changes and supreme gasoline help to ensure this car stays in great shape. Eventually, the owner lets their children drive the car. Oh my, they sure know how to test that cars capabilities; taking it over the back roads, through the gravel pits and even trying to bury the needle on a straight highway. The next time “Mom” or “Dad” take the car out, they notice the alignment is off and all fluids are down and there is so much garbage in the car, they decide it is time they set up some more boundaries or rules. But, these rules are not always respected by all drivers. Eventually small things begin to go wrong; the gas gauge is never right, the right blinker timing light is off and there is a rattle every time it goes down the main drag. Oh, and who can forget that second gear grinds every time Jenny drives the car. You can see how eventually the car just is not going to work very well any longer or at is optimal level. That is how our bodies act after we have ignored the signs of stress or over-activity. Our nervous system can only handle so much, then it begins to break down.

Knowing now that we are part of a very special profession, a profession that shapes the minds of every young person in our community, does it not make sense that we have to take care of ourselves so we can help others effectively. At one time mental health was something that was used to describe those who were in a mental institution. Thankfully, it no longer has the negative stigma of something bad. Mental health deals with more than just the hospitalization of those who are not able to live outside of a protected environment; it deals with every human being on this planet, how we view ourselves, how we take care of ourselves physically and mentally. For more information on signs of anxiety or depression take the time to through the Canadian Mental Health Association and read the section Understanding Mental Health.

Even though Blue Day is celebrated once a year, it is something that should not be forgotten. Become aware of the signs of depression and anxiety. Be sure to take necessary steps to ensure your mental health is not being jeopardized by your everyday activities. Finally, be aware of your students needs and capabilities and encourage them to work past their weaknesses with a positive attitude.

First Weekend Free!

So, here it is Friday and I am staying home this weekend.  What am I going to do???  Well, I know it will involve a lot of planning Ihave recently dropped my math 9 class in order to get accounting into my time schedule.  I have a very large group for accounting a whole group of 1.  Yes, that is one student.  I do enjoy handling small groups, but hey….this is crazy.  I have got to change my planning and my focus a bit.  I guess classroom management will not be that much of an issue.  If it is, then maybe I should rethink the vocation of teaching, lol.  

Now that I am getting closer to the “three week block”  I feel like I am running around the school to make sure I have four teaching areas for this time.  It looks like I will have math 10, accounting, IP 10, maybe IP 9 and possibly team teaching with my co-op on math 9.  I guess time will tell.

Enjoy this weekend folks.  OH, and if you have tree pruning to do, this weekend might be a good time to do that.  That will be my activity during my planning break.

One Month In!

So we have been working in our internship positions for about one month now.  Well, almost a month.  Things are going smoothly, except for the situations for which I have no control over.  Since being in Luseland, I have managed to get my drive to school down to 20 minutes, if I have to.  Since my husband is the football coach in Macklin, he has practice at 6:30 am.  This means, I get to wake the boys up and make sure they are out of bed before I go flying down the hiway.  Day 1 of football practice, I managed to get myself a warning.  The local officer was kind enough to remind me of the speed limit and that I really should be more careful.  Well, today was another close call. I usually get up at about 6:00 so I can take the dogs for their walk.  I let them run, as I walk at a pace to the beat of my music in my ipod.  Well, today, when I wistled for them to come back to me so I could grab their leashes, they decided they were all of a sudden deaf…Yes a deaf dog.  Not likely.  They should be able to to hear the shrill of my wistle, lol.  Anyhow, off i go home, without the dogs.  I get myself showered and decide that I have time to straighten my hair today.  As I am in the bathroom, the new kitty decides my legs make a nice tree to climb.  Well, when you were nylons, it does nasty stuff to them.  When they are black nylons, it does even worse stuff, you can see the snags much better.  Just lovely.  So, now it is 7:30, my hair is straight, my nylons are looking less then new (which they were this morning), two dogs are still missing, plus Ben and Cam are thinking maybe bed is a better place to be than at school.  I get a call on the house phone…surprise surprise.  One of Paul’s students informs me he found the dogs and they are tied up at his place.  Off in the truck I go.  I find them, manage to drive home and keep the puppy with dirty paws off my lap, run into the house, brush my teeth, grab my breakfast, kiss the boys goodbye, go to the closet to grab my jacket and…..well, puppy thought she needed to leave a little gift right in front of the closet for me.  Yup, you guessed it, I stepped in puppy poop.  Not a happy camper now!!!! So the next 10 minutes I spend, cleaning my shoe and getting the floor cleaned, while Ben and Cam look at me like I have lost it.  Well, I am beginning to feel like I have.  So finally, by 8:02, I manage to get in my car and head for the 1/2 hour drive.  Needless to say, I managed to do it in less.  My speed is questionable.  As I passed through the small towns before Luseland, it was at a higher than normal rate.  But as I approached Luseland, from previous experience, I slowed down to the speed limit.  Thankfully, I did!  Our dear friend CST. Tyler (not sure of his last name) was on the road protecting the great town of Luseland.  Moral of the story here is….get your planning done the night before.  I am ready for the day, have my test made up, classes prepped and still managed to spend 5 minutes before class blogging.  For all you interns out there, don’t leave the important stuff to the last minute; you do not know whose dog you will have to look for, whose poop you will step in and you can be sure the police are around the corner waiting to get you.  Have a great day!

Life is Learning and Learning is Life!

Life is Learning and Learning is Life!

Well, the week went fast, that is for sure.  I find I am really enjoying my time in the school.  The students are great, the staff are great and the atmosphere is great.  I am now coaching junior girls volleyball, so I guess my girls are great too

For my first practice, I had to lay down some rules.  Rule number one:  I HATE DRAMA!!! I know this is difficult for some people to understand (joking), but drama is the biggest mood killer on a team.  With junior high girls, drama seems to be an everyday occurance.  I am not sure why, but I think it is built into their DNA.  So first day, issues I had to deal with were:

• Can we listen to music now – they lost the music privilege because talking seemed so much easier to do than listening during instruction time
• Do we all have to do this – Well, no, I thought I would be a little mean and make everyone else do it and you can stand on the sides and watch to make sure you are doing it correctly
• Are we going to have an A and B team – NO, we are not competing against our team mates in league
• Will we be going to any tournaments – Yes, that is a given.  This is junior high volleyball, not adult recreation.
• Oh, by the way, the grade 7 girls are not that good, so can they sit on the bench when we are playing or do they HAVE to play every game? – Well, lets see what the answer is to that one….yes, they will be playing!  I thought this was junior high volleyball and not the Olympics!

Ok, so you have an idea of what junior high girls can be like.  This is only a taste of what was asked in the first half hour of practice.  Oh my, I have some training to do. 
Over all though, the girls are doing very well.  Even those grade 7 girls who supposedly “are not very good” did great.  In fact, after watching the first half of practice, the grade 7 girls seemed to be a bit better at some skills like listening, following orders, mirroring the skill wee were working on and just having fun without the drama.  I would say, these girls are definitely staying on the team. 

Now that I have gotten that out of my system, I can begin to focus on my planning for next week.  My goal for the weekend is to have the first unit of math written up, the second unit in math written up and begin working on the next class that will be added to my schedule, IP 10. 
Have a great weekend everyone, and by the way….if you realize you have a “drama queen” for a daughter, see if you can go back to the doctor who did the delivery and ask for a refund or and exchange.  There really should be a “life time warranty” against that. 

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