I came upon this blog about Best Teaching practices. by James Sigler who I already follow on Twitter. This started me thinking about my teaching practices and how I am a constant "self doubter" when it comes to classroom management. It is noted in some of my observations and I am a constant critic of myself when it comes to the class management piece of my job. No one ever tells you what it is going to be like. There is no training that can really prepare you for the classroom from you know where! It is that miserable combination of students who feed off of each other, who yell across the room, who get out of their chair without asking, who shout out when they should be quiet, you know the ones right?? Well, I am taking my lack of classroom management and going to a training Tuesday on how to deal with difficult students and their behavior. Secretly, I am hoping it helps me with my own children who are 16, 13 and 11! Two for the price of one.
So, when I read the above blog post, I think I do a lot of the tasks mentioned, but I try to be a little laid back in the classroom style that I run. I think that computers should be fun, hands on, interactive, and cooperative. It should be a place where you are not just figuring out how to change margins on a word processing document, but why you might want to change the margins so you can conserve paper and print on one page. I want the kids to figure it out or ask each other for help.
I think I am pretty good at coming up with the projects, which I think are what the kids would like, but I am not so sure they all are of the "higher" order thinking that is mentioned in the new Blooms Taxonomy. I aspire to work towards making all of my lessons based upon Understanding by Design principles, which all touch upon a part of Blooms, but I just have never had the time to convert them all over to that high quality! Plus link them all to the standards for ICT as well as any GLE standards for the school goals.
I am hard on myself, I know that. I think being a computer teacher (or part of the Unified Arts department) is another issue in itself. Sometimes the kids and possibly, I am not pointing any fingers, but the core teachers even look at us as less. We are the right brain teachers who are trying to help our students be creative, think outside of the box. I am reading Daniel Pink- A Whole New Mind right now. Hopefully this will shed some light on the creativity reasoning.
I think I like teaching students. I am pretty sure I enjoy middle schoolers. I like them, I know that, because I keep going back. The discipline is difficult though, and I know I am not a follow througher.. if that is such a phrase! I will keep you posted after my seminar to see if I can find some help. I would hate to have to change jobs again in my life, since I am almost 40 now! :) I wish I knew exactly what I want to be when I grow up.
3 comments:
Hey, can I get the first link. It goes to an untitled page for me. The article/blog sounds great. I could certainly use it with my own kids as well. I wonder if part of the problem is that you have only 12 weeks with each group of students. Not a whole 8 months to remind students of your rules or they don't see you everyday to get a sense of your "style" so to speak. I am wondering how I am going to deal with such classroom management issues when I become employed. I can tell you that during my 6 week and 4 month long term sub positions, that I didn't think I had it at all in my 6 week assignment and just when I thought I was starting to get it right with my 4 month assignment, the year was over. Have you ever met a teacher who hasn't struggled or questioned their classroom management style or wonder what they could do different. That is with the exception of a certain 8th grade math teacher I know. But even he has day's where he's tossing them out in the hall left and right. They are so hormonal and much more immature every year it seems. Oh the challenges us teachers and parents face. Nice topic.
Thanks for sharing!
I love that book and will be interested to hear your thoughts on it here when you've finished it.
Some day I hope to find what I want to do as well. I've been in education for 9 years now, and in 9 years I have only taught in the same grade in the same classroom once. My resume makes me look like I can't hold down a job. 4th grade teacher at this school, 4th grade teacher for 2 years at that school, then 5th grade, 6th grade and tech director at another school, then elementary tech, K-12 tech, and this year TRF (Technology Resource Facilitator). Part of me wonders if I quit my job this year because I knew that next year I would do the same job again if I stayed. I'm not one to stay in a position or in one place for that matter. 9 years 4 schools and heading on to number 5 next year.
Find what you love and do it! Right now my love is technology. It's my job and my hobby and there is no line between the two. But if something new comes up I'll go that route as well. Sometimes I wish I could just be happy "where I'm at" but that's not me...I'm always thinking and looking to do more, to change something, to improve something, or to learn something.
We all have a niche...we just need to find it. :)
Kim,
Thanks for the link to my blog. I'm glad you read it and found it useful. I started out teaching middle school for 2 years. I decided it was not for me. I changed to elementary and loved it. Like Jeff said, you have to choose what you love. Sounds like you need a good, solid classroom management plan. Harry Wong is a great expert to consult on classroom management. You're on the right track pedagogically with Danial Pink. Creativity and design are a great way to get your students engaged with technology. Good luck
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