The Importance of Keeping promises and Leaving accurate sub notes- Subbing History- March 10

Today while subbing I learned the importance of keeping your promises and leaving accurate sub notes. I was subbing for a history teacher who, of course, left me a test to administer. (I understand that it is easy to leave a test for subs, as there is no teaching involved, but if there is a problem that comes up, the sub has little to no authority to make decisions regarding the test. This was a test over World War II. Towards the beginning of class a couple of students asked if they would be allowed to use their time-lines. The teacher had not left any indication that the students would be able to use any materials on this test, but the class insisted that he told them they could use it.

Up until now I would have trusted the class and allowed them to use it, but I recalled a conversation I had had with Deana about a sub that allowed the class to play cards because the class told the sub that their teacher allowed them to do it. Deana was very unhappy with the sub and asked why the sub would believe the students. I then decided that I would ask someone, the para who is usually in the room, but as her student was absent she decided to work in the resource room. She said that the students were not allowed to use the time-lines.    

At this point I am feeling a little confused. I informed the students that they would not be able use their time-lines. Let me tell you, there was a tidal wave of hate headed my way. Many students indicated that they were going to fail this test now, and it was all my fault because I decided that they could not use their time-lines. I tried to tell them that their teacher did not let me know about the time lines and that its safer for me to just say no. They were not happy with that answer. I emailed one of the paras that I know is in his class to ask if they knew if the students were allowed to use the time line on the test. The para said no, but the students were so insistent, I told them I would leave a note letting their teacher know about the discussion, which made them feel better, but they still seemed very upset, so I emailed their teacher. He emailed me back, thank goodness, and said that they were allowed to use it in the test. He felt really bad about not leaving me a note, but it still put me in a bad position. Students either don’t like subs or use them as an excuse to behave badly, why do teachers make subs jobs harder on them then it has to be?

I had probably one of the worst classes I have ever experienced. It was a class full of boys with only two girls. There were only like 4 students in the whole class that did their work quietly on their own. After the test the students had some worksheets to work on. They needed the books to work on them and they were supposed to work alone. They also needed to be quiet because other students were still working on their tests. This was a problem because the students felt that they should be able to work in pairs. They wouldn’t understand, and they kept making noise. I separated the students that were in the wrong seats, (I think from now on I will take attendance from the seating charts asking the students to raise their hand when they are called so I know who they are and that they are in the right seats)and that helped some, but then some students opened the classroom door, combat-rolled into the room, then left very quickly. I decided not to make a big deal out of it, hoping the students would follow my lead, but that was too much to ask for. During the passing period, the teacher next door, who was showing a movie very loudly, apologized for the class stating that it was impossible to control them, It would have been nice for the teacher to have left a note of warning. I guess what I am taking away from this experience is that as a teacher you need to leave detailed sub plans, because without them you are just making your sub’s job harder.

Subbing- Physical Education March 8th

Today I subbed for a physical education teacher at one of the junior high schools. They were taking their boating licence course so I mainly just watched the students as a highway patrol, water patrol officer taught the class. I wonder why we teach this and not other things, like CPR. I know that in order to drive a boat you need to have a licence now, but its not like we take time out of gym to get your drivers licence, a lot more of those students will be driving a car than driving a boat.

I also taught adaptive PE, a class for special education students. This was interesting because it was different from any PE class I ever had in middle and high school. The students worked the first half of the class on the treadmill or the elliptical, then they switched and worked on weights. The students were so supportive of each other while they were doing the weights, encouraging their peers to finish their reps. We need to find ways for students to encourage each other in mental tasks as well as physical tasks. Why is it that students only encourage their peers when they are running or lifting weights, when students need just as much encouragement to finish a chapter or write a personal narrative. I think that the journals Nancy Atwell talks about in “In the Middle” might be a way to do this. This is a way for students to encourage each other to read. If a student mentions that they are having a hard time getting into a book, maybe another student can encourage them to keep at it.

Day One and Beyond by Rick Wormeli

 I thought I should begin with the general and then read the more specifically geared books. Day One and Beyond is an all encompassing book for middle level teachers. There are tips and tricks along with some thought provoking questions of how do I want my classroom to work. Reading this now was great because I have already had a classroom and I have an idea of what works for me and what doesn’t. As the title would suggest Wormeli begins at day one. He gives suggestions on ways to successfully start out the year: get to know you activities, the ever present paper work and even “gasp” school work. I think that Wormeli has taught most subjects but it seems that he is primarily an English teacher. Many of his suggestions are geared towards the English classroom.
    One of his first pieces of advices is to teach subject material on the first day of class. He states that children are excited for school that first day, but the endless forms and hoops that we jump through kill the excitement. We need to balance the hoops and academics. He also suggests that you give academic homework the first day of class; this sets the tone for the rest of the year and gives them responsibility.
    Surprisingly Wormeli suggests that you do not introduce yourself first thing. He says he usually waits till the second or third week to go into any real details about himself. He states that this puts the focus of the classroom on the students, not on the teacher. However, it is very important that you do tell the students about yourself early in the year. They need to be able to relate to you.
    He also suggests that you ask the student how they learn best. This can help you plan your lessons. The students are getting to know their learning styles, but more importantly it can teach them to advocate for themselves. Along with this he suggests that you have your students complete learner profiles. Kimberly had the students do this, but I never really payed attention to it. I should have studied the way my students learn so I could learn to use that to my advantage. My 7th hour was probably very body kinesthetic, If I would have incorporated more movement into every day learning, I probably would not have had so much trouble keeping them under control. Wormeli stresses that you need to incorporate this information in your lesson planning.
    A problem that I had with one of my classes what that they didn’t like each other very much. That could have been due to a lack of a community feeling. Wormeli suggests that you give the class group problem solving tasks. Let the students explore their roles in the group, let them depend on each other to get something done.
    One big theme throughout the book is to put as much responsibility as possible on the students. One issue my colleagues and I saw at our high school was that the students are very dependent on the adults in their learning. The students are needy and have a sense of entitlement. They don’t like to think on their own; getting them to do this is like pulling teeth. What Wormeli suggests make sense, put as much responsibility on the students as possible, and they will step up. It makes them feel as if they have a voice in their education. Let the class come up with the classroom rules; it’s their classroom. Give the students choices as much as possible, This will make them independent and allow them to be leaders, especially in their own education.
    Next Wormeli focuses on Discipline. He suggests that you make the student tell you what he/she did wrong. He says that students begin with denial, stating that the did nothing wrong or they try to distract you with what others have done wrong, but you need to redirect them to what they were doing when you pulled them aside or out of the room. Get the student to reveal all of the details to you, then give the student a summary of all they did and ask if it is correct. piece by piece the student my not realize what they did was wrong, but the big picture may help them understand. Make the students take responsibility for their actions. Wormeli also makes the student think about how their actions affected their or their peers’ learning.
    Wormeli also states that we should be able to prevent misbehavior by planning ahead, making sure that the lessons are geared towards adolescent minds and keep them busy. This is where I think I had problems with behavior, not that my lesson plans weren’t at the students’ level, but that I didn’t have enough going on to occupy them. It will probably be exhausting at first but I need to keep the pace up, while still making sure that all of my students are on board with me. If I keep the students moving, physically and or mentally then they have less time to create problems. Also making sure that the lesson is geared towards every student will keep students from feeling left out, left behind or ahead of the group. I think that student choice is one of the best ways to do this, offering assignments/lessons that include student choice, where the choices are of varying levels assessing the same thing.
    Wormeli
    Overall I really like this book and I can see myself referring back to it time after time in the future.

Wednesday, February 23- Subbing- What is inappropriate behavior in class? And what changes between Junior/ Middle school and High school?

Wednesday, February 23- Subbing- What is inappropriate behavior in class? And what changes between Junior/ Middle school and High school?

Today I was subbing at a middle school for the first time. Up until now I have spent most of my time at the junior highs, grades 8-9. Today I am working with 6^th graders and I am in an English class all day; it’s been so long. I have enjoyed teaching other subjects, but its nice to be back to information I am more familiar with.

            This classroom was the most welcoming classroom, and it didn’t even have windows for natural light! There was a reading nook with big comfy chairs, a couple of lamps, and some pillows. There was a wall of bookshelves filled with books organized by genre. There was carpet and I think a rug. The room was a little cluttered, but it made it feel lived in instead of messy. It was nice. I think I like 6^th graders. They can be very witty, but they aren’t completely full of themselves yet. I was surprised at the levels some of these students were reading at, they were carrying around huge books and they willingly read when ever there was free time (something I have noticed at the middle schools and junior highs). One thing I don’t love about the 6^th graders is that they can be mean to each other. Some of them are becoming aware of hygiene and the bullies can use this against other students. One student in particular was very vocal about a student’s zits and another student’s possible nose picking habit. I told him that it was inappropriate, but he continued doing it. I should have sent him to a safe seat, another classroom, or even the office, but I wasn’t sure what was appropriate. Later I was working in the office, and two of the students that were just in my classroom were there writing up the incident. I was so proud that they were willing to stand up for themselves, but I felt really bad that I didn’t do more to prevent or stop what was going on. I need to work on what I am going to do when something like this happens again. I don’t think I have experienced this with the other grades I have taught.

            On a happier note I was introduced to a class I have sadly never heard of before, recreational reading. I don’t know if every student takes this or if it is an option, but it is a class were students read what they are interested in and submit journal entries and projects related to what they are reading. Even though they may not be reading the best material they are reading, and they still have their normal Language arts class that includes the more academic readings. I think most of the students were really enjoying what they were reading and the school is obviously a community of readers; every student had a free reading book, or had just finished it and needed to go to the library to get a new one. My question is, what changes when these students get to High School. Very few students at the high school carry free reading books, what can we do to encourage recreational reading in the upper levels?

Tuesday February 22, subbing- When to walk away...

Today I learned a valuable lesson: When to walk away.

I was subbing for a high school English/ ISS/ Plato teacher.  I.S.S. and Plato really didn’t take much thought, the students pretty much do what they are supposed to do. I haven’t decided what I think about Plato yet. Its nice that the students get to learn at their own pace, and it allows them to take classes that aren’t offered when they are able to take it or that they have failed previously. What isn’t great about Plato is the fact that there is no one up their teaching the information, there are very few activities that cement the information in the student’s brain, and a student has to get a “b” to pass the class so they can retake tests and assignments as many times as they need to in order to get a good grade. On the other had, since students are able to work at their own pace, they always have something to do, they don’t have to wait for the other students to catch up to them and this means they don’t misbehave. Idle hands and all that you know.

The English class took a little more thought. It was a small class full of students that didn’t fit in with the regular English class; it covers the same material, just in a different way. This class was not offered last semester, but it was really needed. The students were taking a post-test formative assessment, but there were only enough computers for half of the class to be on the comp. at the same time. While one half was on the computers, the other half was starting a new unit by looking up vocabulary and applying it to a poem. I think this was probably supposed to be closer to Valentines Day originally so the teacher had them using a Shakespearean Sonnet, “My mistress’s eyes….”

This was a good activity, it walked the students step by step through analyzing the poem, they had just looked up the definitions for the terms so they should know what to do, but these students need a lot of help. They want you to hold their hand. I think there were two things I would change about this lesson. I wouldn’t have had them working on the poem when the classroom needs to be quiet so students can take a test. Poetry is scary for most students and starting them out like this is like throwing them out in a lake and telling them to sink or swim. Which leads me to the second thing I would change, I wouldn’t start out with a Shakespearean sonnet. Not only is poetry scary, Shakespeare is ultra scary. And asking them to work aloe on a poem that they are not comfortable with is just reinforcing their beliefs that they hate poetry and that it’s hard. It would have been cooler if it was right around V-day but because of snow days that wasn’t possible. I would start with song lyrics from a popular song. This would show the students that they really are familiar with poetry, they listen to it and recite it every day. You can still do rhyme scheme and interpretation. The students may not be able to look for iambic pentameter, but for the first day of poetry working on your own is that really necessary?

My lesson of the day happened when it was time to switch gears halfway through class. A student had been working on the vocabulary, but when it was time to switch to computers for the post test, he didn’t want to take the test. There was an article to go with the test and he was a lower level reader. He claimed that he didn’t know half of the words in the article and that he was going to fail the test. I discussed this with him calmly telling him that we needed the data that he would provide, and that it was okay if he didn’t do well, but he wouldn’t take that as an answer. After a little while the Para caught my eye and told me to walk away, so I did. Right after I walked away the student got up and began working on the test. I was shocked! We are told what to do in these situations and what works and why, but I guess my stubborn mind has to experience it for my self in order to accept it. Looking back I recall being told to just walk away, that the students are just wanting to get a rise out of you and that if you don’t engage in the conversation then they will back down. Well today, thanks to the Para, I finally learned that. I can be told what to do, but that doesn’t mean I have learned it, I have to experience it first hand for it to click, and I need to remember this when I am teaching my students.

Subbing Feb 17th- Para

Today I subbed as a classroom para. This was in the junior high in the self-contained classroom. I had worked with some of these students before, but I was surprised at how some of them were reluctant to work with me. One student just flat out ignored me, then later I was supposed to give him his spelling test and he ignored me again. His teacher then told him that he had to answer my questions and to stop being rude, but I was still surprised. I had helped this student with his ceramics class a couple of weeks ago and he was fine, but today he wanted nothing to do with me. I guess these students are just extremes of the students that are in the regular classes. Sometimes students  get frustrated and they just don’t want to work with you, but they aren’t as obvious as the sped students. As a teacher I need to be more observant of my students to understand why they are acting out they way they are. I didn’t know this student very well so I wasn’t able to figure out why he wouldn’t work with me, but it reminds me that every student has a reason for what they do. Maybe this student just wasn’t comfortable working with me and so he didn’t want to talk to me. Sometimes when a student does something we just write it off as not important, but what is going on in the student’s life is important to them and it can really affect the way they interact day to day. 

By the end of the day most of the students were comfortable working with me. One student who seemed frustrated when I was helping him with his math engaged in a conversation with me while we were waiting for his bus. In one of their classes they talked about Dr.'s visits and towards the end of the class I realized they were practicing having conversations, that these students aren't used to having conversations.

Subbing Feb 16th-Math

I subbed math today. This was the first time that the para was actually helpful to me. She told the class that they were being too loud and that they know that was acceptable behavior. She also helped when I was a little confused with the notes. The other para’s I have had have just sat in the corner and pulled their students aside if they needed to. This para has showed me how valuable a para can be to the whole class. When I interviewed to be a sub one topic that came up was what to do with the classroom Para. I said that I wouldn’t totally depend on a para, but that they are actually in the classroom day in and day out and that they know the students. I don’t think that I have depended on the paras in my classroom enough. This is something that I need to work on, the balance between not depending on my paras enough and depending on them too much.

            Also the teacher I subbed for had me use the doc cam, a classroom tool that I need to use more. She had notes for the class that was fill in the blank. The class was familiar with the topic and they were to fill in the blanks as we went, and I would right down the answer after a student had provided me with the correct answer. I need to practice writing so that my hand is not in the way while I write.