Dear 3rd MOD,
When I was growing up, I didn't want to teach - I wanted to become a doctor. I thought that this would be a good thing to do because doctors save and change lives. Also, I liked studying science, doing experiments and learning about the body so I decided that I should be a doctor. I also wanted to be a doctor because my parents wanted me to be a doctor. When you grow up in a traditional Asian household, your parents always want you to be something that makes a lot of money like a doctor or a lawyer. (In case you are wondering, a teacher is not one of those jobs! TRUST ME!)
While I went to college to study biology (so I could become a doctor... and save the world), I started to tutor students at Paint Branch Elementary School in College Park. The kids that I tutored were very sweet and really wanted to learn, but they didn't have anyone at home to help them with their homework so they had trouble with reading, math and sometimes science. All of my students worked very hard to do their homework with me and I think that a lot of them will do well in school if they keep trying hard.
The next year I decided that I wanted to try to teach a science class so I signed up to teach science after school at Chillum Elementary. The kids there were very excited about doing experiments and I had a lot of fun teaching them about how fun science can be. That same year I began to work at Northwestern High School once a week with tenth grade biology students. This was my first time not working with elementary school kids and it was really different. The students were bored most of the time and their teacher told me that he wasn't going to teach them a lot because he didn't think they cared. This made me feel really bad for the kids because some of them were interested and all of them were not getting a very good education in biology.
Their teacher told me that I should not become a teacher because you have to deal with kids who don't want to learn. But his kids did want to learn, he just didn't know it.
The next year, I went to work at Forestville Military Academy (FMA) where I helped to teach biology (I really like biology) and environmental science. The teacher that I worked with was a very nice lady, but she didn't like teaching at her school at all. She REALLY thought the kids didn't care and because of that, she decided that she didn't care. Some days she would not teach them at all. That may sound cool to you to have so much free time, but it made me feel sad for the kids because they thought it was cool too, but really... they were not getting to be as smart as they could be. And if you don't become smart, you don't know very much about the world and you can't get a good job to help the world become a better place.
After working at FMA I decided that I wanted to be a teacher in PG County. Why? Because where I grew up, all of my teachers cared about me and taught me everyday. My teachers believed in me and wanted me to become smart so I could grow up and help to change the world. This is when I realized that doctors are not the only people who change and save lives. Teachers do the same thing every day. You may not know it, but because of a teacher (not necessarily me), you are better and smarter today than you were yesterday. And you are closer to becoming an adult who can contribute to PG County, or Maryland, or the U.S., or the world.
The teachers that I saw in PG County didn't care about their students becoming smarter and I thought that that was TERRIBLE. So I said, I will become a teacher, I will help my students become smarter to get good jobs to help change the world to a better place. Students in PG County are really smart. I think that some of them could one day help cure cancer or become president, but they can't do that if they don't have good teachers who help them to be smarter and to learn how to work hard. (Even if you have a GREAT teacher and you don't work hard, you can't get anywhere good!)
That's what I think about you guys. You all are very smart and you all can do GREAT things. You might need a little help to learn how to work hard and be nice. But that's what I'm here for. All I'm asking for is that you guys help me help you, because I can't do it alone! We have to help you get to where you want to be together.
Are you up to the challenge?
Sincerely,
Ms. FF
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
What if...
there was not an administration and teachers split up administrative duties and decision making?
Just a thought. It seems that administration is often so far out of touch from the battle lines.
Just a thought. It seems that administration is often so far out of touch from the battle lines.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I am a Classroom Management Fail
It is week 12 of school.
I have two well-oiled classes and one absolute jungle.
S.O.S.
In my third period, there are 11 SPED students and the only thing between them and their greasy, deep-fried lunch is my class. It's a class that I don't teach in my own classroom, so I know that my moving is part of the problem. I can never get there before my students do, even if I leave early from my second period and have my paraprofessional wrap-up, because they have second period in the same classroom. I am trying to have them wait outside of class in order for me to set up the room as I'd like it to be, we'll see how that goes. They were not pleased with it today. As I like to say, cry me a river.
My other problem is that I have my only four "problem children" in this period. Together. One is extreme ADHD who has meds but either doesn't take them or the effects wear off by my class. I have gotten legitimate work from him for MAYBE seven days of class. Other teachers have a similar problem, but I think he's the worst in my class. (Do I get a prize?) Other is an ED child who has three modes: 1. Does work with a paraprofessional sitting with him, 2. Does no work but doesn't disrupt the rest of class and 3. Does no work and is openly rude and angry. Mostly it's 2's and some 1's, but we've had some doozies with 3. Child #3 also has three modes: 1. Works quietly and does his work, 2. Works with the para and does his work, 3. Disrupts the class by not doing any work, walking out of class, hitting (never too violently) other students. 2's and 3's alternate with miracle days of mode 1. Last child came from the well-oiled math class I teach and his only "real" concern is that he and child #3 don't get along (they were both suspended for fighting with each other in October). They used to be in class together (my second period), but they were separated due to behavior concerns. But my administration has since reversed that thinking and has decided it's okay for them to be in the class together. Yay.
Additional problems: four of my students don't focus on their work if they don't have a teacher sitting with them and two of my students are very eager to complete their work and need constant reassurance on their work (they also ask for help every time they aren't sure about how to solve a problem, which is often, because they refuse to read or use their notes). My last student is very sweet and really wants to learn, but he really does need individual help and lots of repetition.
I need to become the differentiation master NOW. My "problem kids" are taking the focus onto them. When they are not in class, things run so much better, but since they are going to be in class, I need to figure something (anything) out.
In a nutshell:
1. I hate moving classrooms. I am a mess and so are the kids because they get to be without structure for five minutes of class transitions.
2. I don't know how to help all of these kids at the same time.
3. I need a good classroom management system. The talkers are taking over my class and stopping others from learning.
4. Any and all help appreciated.
I am redoing the seating chart with the five kids who need teacher support in order to progress to the front because in other places of the class, they tend to not do their work. I am putting the "problematics" in the middle of the class with my two paras alternating between them. And the two eager beavers in the back where they can move on and will be forced to ask each other and ask themselves rather than myself.
I hope it's a step in the right direction!
I have two well-oiled classes and one absolute jungle.
S.O.S.
In my third period, there are 11 SPED students and the only thing between them and their greasy, deep-fried lunch is my class. It's a class that I don't teach in my own classroom, so I know that my moving is part of the problem. I can never get there before my students do, even if I leave early from my second period and have my paraprofessional wrap-up, because they have second period in the same classroom. I am trying to have them wait outside of class in order for me to set up the room as I'd like it to be, we'll see how that goes. They were not pleased with it today. As I like to say, cry me a river.
My other problem is that I have my only four "problem children" in this period. Together. One is extreme ADHD who has meds but either doesn't take them or the effects wear off by my class. I have gotten legitimate work from him for MAYBE seven days of class. Other teachers have a similar problem, but I think he's the worst in my class. (Do I get a prize?) Other is an ED child who has three modes: 1. Does work with a paraprofessional sitting with him, 2. Does no work but doesn't disrupt the rest of class and 3. Does no work and is openly rude and angry. Mostly it's 2's and some 1's, but we've had some doozies with 3. Child #3 also has three modes: 1. Works quietly and does his work, 2. Works with the para and does his work, 3. Disrupts the class by not doing any work, walking out of class, hitting (never too violently) other students. 2's and 3's alternate with miracle days of mode 1. Last child came from the well-oiled math class I teach and his only "real" concern is that he and child #3 don't get along (they were both suspended for fighting with each other in October). They used to be in class together (my second period), but they were separated due to behavior concerns. But my administration has since reversed that thinking and has decided it's okay for them to be in the class together. Yay.
Additional problems: four of my students don't focus on their work if they don't have a teacher sitting with them and two of my students are very eager to complete their work and need constant reassurance on their work (they also ask for help every time they aren't sure about how to solve a problem, which is often, because they refuse to read or use their notes). My last student is very sweet and really wants to learn, but he really does need individual help and lots of repetition.
I need to become the differentiation master NOW. My "problem kids" are taking the focus onto them. When they are not in class, things run so much better, but since they are going to be in class, I need to figure something (anything) out.
In a nutshell:
1. I hate moving classrooms. I am a mess and so are the kids because they get to be without structure for five minutes of class transitions.
2. I don't know how to help all of these kids at the same time.
3. I need a good classroom management system. The talkers are taking over my class and stopping others from learning.
4. Any and all help appreciated.
I am redoing the seating chart with the five kids who need teacher support in order to progress to the front because in other places of the class, they tend to not do their work. I am putting the "problematics" in the middle of the class with my two paras alternating between them. And the two eager beavers in the back where they can move on and will be forced to ask each other and ask themselves rather than myself.
I hope it's a step in the right direction!
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