Sunday, April 5, 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020
Weird Times
I can't think about coronavirus or distance learning for one more second so I'm going to write about my garden. I learned last year that squash does not grow well in pots, so I will use the raised bed for the squash and cucumbers and leave the pots for the tomatoes. I can also fit the peppers and beans in the raised bed. I've heard that peas and beans do well when the seeds are sown directly into the soil so I think I will try that route this year. I'd like to try to grow broccoli this year but I haven't had any luck with broccoli in the past. I think my raised bed is good to go as far as soil--hopefully investing in good quality garden mix soil from the local organic farm will pay off this year too. I need to remember to keep on the lookout for the gross hornworms on the tomatoes because they decimated my tomato plants last year and it was really depressing. Are farms considered essential businesses? Will I be able to buy seedlings in a few months or should I start my own seeds in a few weeks? Maybe I can start seeds and keep my classes updated on their growth to keep things a little more interesting in my daily videos to them. Who am I kidding, none of them are watching my daily videos. I'm not much of a journal-er obviously but this did help me think about something happy for a few minutes. Now time to go harass students via email, thanks for reading.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Gut Level Reflection
Gut Level Reflection
Area 1: Classroom
Priority - continue building my classroom plant jungle
Action plan - keep bringing in plants from home and remember to water
Area 2: Planning
Priority - use last period planning time to get productive work done
Action plan - delete instagram app from phone
Area 3: Students
Priority - focus on learning about students' interests and backgrounds
Action plan - this will be a big component of my capstone project
Area 4: Co-workers
Priority - get better at writing thank you cards for the little things
Action plan - buy a stack to keep in desk
Area 5: Professional Practice
Priority - get involved with a club
Action plan - get SMILE paperwork done in order to start next year
Area 1: Classroom
Priority - continue building my classroom plant jungle
Action plan - keep bringing in plants from home and remember to water
Area 2: Planning
Priority - use last period planning time to get productive work done
Action plan - delete instagram app from phone
Area 3: Students
Priority - focus on learning about students' interests and backgrounds
Action plan - this will be a big component of my capstone project
Area 4: Co-workers
Priority - get better at writing thank you cards for the little things
Action plan - buy a stack to keep in desk
Area 5: Professional Practice
Priority - get involved with a club
Action plan - get SMILE paperwork done in order to start next year
Sunday, February 2, 2020
The "Teacher's Lounge"
In your experience as a teacher, when/where/how have you found yourself participating in “the teacher’s lounge?” Address your own awareness of, participation in, and avoidance of the deficit thinking that comes with the teacher’s lounge?
I feel as though most of the gossip and complaining that I hear in my school is in regards to higher administration or parents and is less about individual students. I think that most of the teachers that I work with understand that students identified as “problem” students who are disruptive in class are only they way they are because they are not getting the services they need, whether it be at school or at home. Therefore, most of the negativity that festers in the teacher’s lounge or copy room is about how the school is failing certain students by not providing appropriate services for students’ needs. Also, a good portion of the negativity is in regards to poor logistics (schedules, safety protocols that do not make sense, etc.) or miscommunication between teachers and administration.
I will admit that I am guilty of participating in the “teacher’s lounge.” I will complain or vent to colleagues that I am close with about how so-and-so is disrupting my class and my annoyance with the guidance department or administration for putting this child in my class when they so clearly need other supportive services before they would be able to be successful in my classroom. I do think that complaining just to complain can create a toxic atmosphere. However, complaining about issues but then also trying to come up with solutions is not toxic in my opinion. It is in our nature to always be trying to improve our situations and I think that working towards solutions for everyday annoyances with colleagues can be a good source of relationship building and collaboration.
Who do your students think you are? Who do you think your students are?
I believe that my students think I am a kind teacher and overall more lenient than most but can be strict when I need to be. They know that I love New Hampshire and Boston sports teams since I often make references. They probably think that I am a patient teacher in general but have my moments where my patience runs thin and I act a little crazy. I believe that they think they can email me or discuss in person when they have issues at home or school that are preventing them from doing well in class. My first period class probably believes that I am a hot mess since I am always running to make copies first thing in the morning, while my second period class thinks that I am always on the ball and ready to go.
My students are mostly 14 and 15 year old students who are in the midst of adolescence. They are constantly trying out different roles in order to discover their true identities. They are very focused on their social relationships which can often take precedence over their school performance. A good portion of my students are honors students who place an immense amount of pressure on themselves to get perfect grades. I believe that many of my students experience anxiety in some way. My students act stressed and tired on some days but are generally happy.
I feel as though most of the gossip and complaining that I hear in my school is in regards to higher administration or parents and is less about individual students. I think that most of the teachers that I work with understand that students identified as “problem” students who are disruptive in class are only they way they are because they are not getting the services they need, whether it be at school or at home. Therefore, most of the negativity that festers in the teacher’s lounge or copy room is about how the school is failing certain students by not providing appropriate services for students’ needs. Also, a good portion of the negativity is in regards to poor logistics (schedules, safety protocols that do not make sense, etc.) or miscommunication between teachers and administration.
I will admit that I am guilty of participating in the “teacher’s lounge.” I will complain or vent to colleagues that I am close with about how so-and-so is disrupting my class and my annoyance with the guidance department or administration for putting this child in my class when they so clearly need other supportive services before they would be able to be successful in my classroom. I do think that complaining just to complain can create a toxic atmosphere. However, complaining about issues but then also trying to come up with solutions is not toxic in my opinion. It is in our nature to always be trying to improve our situations and I think that working towards solutions for everyday annoyances with colleagues can be a good source of relationship building and collaboration.
Who do your students think you are? Who do you think your students are?
I believe that my students think I am a kind teacher and overall more lenient than most but can be strict when I need to be. They know that I love New Hampshire and Boston sports teams since I often make references. They probably think that I am a patient teacher in general but have my moments where my patience runs thin and I act a little crazy. I believe that they think they can email me or discuss in person when they have issues at home or school that are preventing them from doing well in class. My first period class probably believes that I am a hot mess since I am always running to make copies first thing in the morning, while my second period class thinks that I am always on the ball and ready to go.
My students are mostly 14 and 15 year old students who are in the midst of adolescence. They are constantly trying out different roles in order to discover their true identities. They are very focused on their social relationships which can often take precedence over their school performance. A good portion of my students are honors students who place an immense amount of pressure on themselves to get perfect grades. I believe that many of my students experience anxiety in some way. My students act stressed and tired on some days but are generally happy.
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