The end is near...

The final week of summer classes is finally here!!! Horray! I have enjoyed my classes this summer but it has been a bit overwhelming. I look forward to my student teaching experience in the fall and am very thankful that I have completed all of my other classes.
As far as blogging goes, I'll have to admit that I don't think I will continue. I do however write in a journal every night. I'm a traditional person and I like to keep my thoughts and ideas private. I like the idea of blogging and see how I might use it when I get my own class. I will definately encourage my students to use it. Since children are so technologically driven these days, I'm sure it will be a success.

Parents????

As I sit by the pool I wonder were all the childrens' parents are. I have seen very small children running wild by themselves. I have also seen children diving into the pool were it is way to shallow. It makes me extremely nervous! I feel like I'm the lifeguard or something. lol. I can't help but watch in hopes that no one will get hurt.
I know that I don't have any children of my own now and I shouldn't pass judegement on others. It just seems that there is a lot of adults drinking and a lot of children running around like wild animals.

Family Vacation

This week my husbands family is visiting. They have a condo in orange beach at the Caribe. I love love love going there. There is like 9 or 10 pools, a lazy river, slides, etc... I really need some time to relax and collect my thoughts. I am excited there are only 3 weeks left of school but feel rushed to complete all my assignments. I plan to catch up on all the assigned readings this week though.

Oh and I just got my student teaching assignment. I am so excited to be in kindergarten at Cahaba Heights Elementary in Vestavia Hills!

House hunting

Presently I am in Birmingham looking for a house to rent. This process has been horrible! I can not find any houses that meet my standards. The problem is that I find a house in a good neighborhood but the house is tacky or I find a nice house in a bad neighborhood. It is extremely frustrating. I have so much school work to do as well as find a house here, rent my house in Daphne, pack all our belongings, schedule movers, get everything moved and settled in Birmingham, all in the next 3 weeks. My husband is absolutely no help because he has been working away from home the last couple weeks and will only be home 4 nights in the next 3 weeks. I'm a little stressed if you can't tell.

Dressing the part...

Some schools seem to have more strict rules on teacher attire than others. My personal opinion is that if you are going to expect respect from you colleagues and students then you should look professional. I hate going to a school and seeing teachers with no make-up on, hair up in a pony-tail, in a t-shirt and blue jeans. They have made absolutely no effort to get up and get ready for work. I feel it is a disgrace to other teachers for these few teachers to make no effort. Now don't get me wrong on Friday if teachers want to wear a school t-shirt and jeans fine but it shouldn't be a habit. I feel that dressing the part not only makes teachers feel more confident but also makes administrators and parents feel more confident that their children are at least in the hands of someone who gets up early enough to look good. Just my personal opinion:)

Relating to others

My fourth of July weekend was awesome. My husband and I went to Sandestin where we stayed at the Hilton spa and resort. They had an awesome fireworks show and many other amenities that we enjoyed. While laying out at the pool on Saturday I began talking to a woman who was about my age. We had a lot in common so we ended up having dinner together with our husbands Saturday night. Throughout the day we learned about each other and our commonalities. She was also a student getting her masters degree in secondary education. She taught at a high school in upstate New York. Hearing the adversities and problems she faced made me realize that teachers everywhere are facing similar problems we are facing in Alabama. After discussing all the negative issues that are out there we began talking about the many advantages and privileges of teaching. It was really nice to meet someone who I shared so many career and educational prospectives with.

Holidays!!!

As the weekend approaches I think of how wonderful it will be to have a teachers schedule. I look forward to being off every weekend, holiday, snow day, etc... I know that I will be working on stuff for school from home but the idea of working 198 days a year is fabulous. Some people think that it's so easy to be a teacher and they are so lucky to have summers and holidays off. What I want to ask them is.. could you handle being around children whom you are trying to encourage, love, and teach monday through friday from 8 till 5? I think not! Teachers need a break so that they don't get discouraged. I know that while in the middle of the semester I always look forward to having a break from school work. However, I am ususally rejuevenated and ready for the next semester to start when time comes around. I hope that this cycle will continue when I start teaching. I know each year I will be eager for school to start and end:)

Building classroom community

My class has been talking about building a sense of community within the classroom. I feel this is a very important topic. I hate to see classes that are divided and believe me there are. Unfortunatley I worked in a school were racism is still a very touchy subject. The girls didn't have issues but the boys definately do. I think that in these situations it isn't always the childrens fault. They come from homes were moma and daddy think and talk in such ignorant ways and so the children come to school and model the parents' behavior. This is hopefully where we can come in and encourage friendship, understanding, and a sense of community. I hope to make it very clear that those types of behaviors will not be tolerated in my class at the beginning of the year. Right after making that statement I hope to give the students multiple opporutnites to work with different groups so that they learn about each other.

Collaborating with colleagues

In most of our classes it has been encouraged to collaborate with colleagues. It is a form of best practice and simply just makes sense. However, I have seen very little collaboration in the schools I have worked in. That doesn't mean that it doesn't occur but I have never witnessed it or even seen a trace of it. I think it is extremely important to work close with the entire school faulty and administration. In order to provide the best possible environment for our students we must work together. Specifically those teacher who teach above and below you. I think it is essential that we understnad how the students have been learning and progressing as well as what they are expected to know at the next level. I hope to establish a good working relationship with my colleauges.

Lesson plans

Why oh why do we have to create these horrific lesson plans? I can not for the life of me understand why it is necessary for us to create the lesson plans that our professors assign. I have never seen a classroom teacher write a lesson plan that is a fourth of what we are expected to create. I understand that it is important for us to know the objectives and how to apply them in a classroom. Does it really matter though how we format the lesson plan? Instead of spending hours upon hours creating these extensive lesson plans it seems more applicable to research lessons that match each objective. We could write about the objective and how we plan to implement it in the class. I just feel there is better ways to spend our time in college than developing these dang lesson plans.

I have two due this week. (lol) I guess I'm just venting:)

Basal or not?

Teachers are expected to use the basal reading programs that are assigned to them. Some administrators even go into the classroom during the allotted reading time to ensure teachers are using them. So, my question is why, as education majors, do we not see them in our curriculum. We have no training on how to best benefit from the basal programs. We are expected to be creative and include other literature when time permits but we have no practice doing so. I personally have substitute taught and have flipped through the teachers editions. They do seem very easy to follow and I'm sure we can each figure them out relatively quick. However, if this is the primary form of teaching children to READ, shouldn't we be introduced to them in college and learn how to make the best out of them?

Observations

I enjoy seeing videos or hearing of situations where the teacher gets observe her students. I love the idea of teachers being able to be the facilitator of the lesson instead of the lecturer. Unfortunately, in the schools I have observed in, teachers don't have to do observe their own students. It seems that as soon as the bell rings its a race to see how fast they can accomplish their days lessons. The only time I can remember seeing a teacher actually observe her students was in a second grade class. The teacher actually went around the room watching and discussing how each of the students were adding and subtracting. The students seemed to work hard because they knew Ms. *** was coming to them next and they wanted to please her.
I hope to be able to find time in my class to work individually with each of my students. I think observation is a great way to self reflect on the kind of teacher you are and how you should improve your instruction.

Addressing behavior problems

One thing I am worried about is addressing behavior problems. I can get really aggravated at a student and threaten to take away their recess. By recess time I'm already over it and don't execute my threats. I know this is horrible classroom management. I am assuming this attitude will change when I get my own class. Sometimes I just feel that we expect our students to be quiet during class, be quiet in the hall, silent lunch, whisper during small groups, etc... and when recess comes they should all get to release some energy. I know some schools don't allow students to have recess, at least not the older grades. I am totally against that. I think allowing students to have a 20-30 minute break is detrimental in their ability to focus in the class. Students enjoy being able to run and play and socialize with their friends. They look forward to it all day. I hope not to use recess as a strategy for behavior problems. I am researching other strategies and hopefully incorporate one of them in my class.

Meeting the students

I am extremely excited about my first teaching job. Hopefully it will come in the spring or at least by next fall. Getting to meet my first group of students is going to be exciting and intimidating. I hope to meet each of them individaully along with their parents. Before school starts I would really like to get a good grasp on who my students are, where they come from, and set some individual goals for each of them. In meeting with the parents I feel I will get a better udnerstanding of the students and whaqt thier home life is like. I feel this will be beneficial for me as well as the students. I think students will be more comfortable with me if they know I have met their parents and hold some form of communication with them. I also think parents will have a better understanding of what is going on in the classroom if they meet me and feel comfortable contacting me with any question or problem.

Finally....a JOB!

Ok so now that we've gotten through school, met the right people, and finally found a job, what are the first steps in preparing for the new year? Since I have not went on this journey as of yet, I'm predicting what I will do. First, I plan to meet with the other teachers at my grade level. I hope to work with professionals that are helpful and encouraging. I would like to get to know them and see how well we can work together. I would also like to meet with the teachers at the grade level below and after my grade. For example, if I'm teaching second grade, I would like to meet with the first and third grade teachers. I think it is good to know where your students are coming from and where they will be going.
Next, I'll reveiw the student and teacher handbooks for my school and begin getting my classroom mangament plan in order. I hope to be well organized and have all the expectations posted in my room upon student arrival. I also plan to allow my students to create some rules of their own so that they feel they are part of the process.
Then, I will reveiw the curriculum and textbooks that I am provided with. Hopefully my classroom library will be age appropriate and will work well with the curriculum I am preparing to teach.
Hopefully I will get a job well before I am expected to start so that I have plenty of time to research and plan for a very successful year.

A more positive note:)

After reviewing my two previous post I realize how negative my writing is. I want to take this opportunity to explain that I am extremely excited about my career as a teacher. I guess I'm using the blog to express my frustrations. I understand that there are many obstacles teachers face. I plan to meet them head on and overcome them in someway. I suppose my frustration began when the recession started effecting education. I just do not feel that education should be put in jeopardy. If teachers are being laid off then who is taking their place or is their job being illiminated and another teacher has to pick up the work load? I never imagined when I chose to go into education that I would ever have trouble finding a job. I suppose that's what a lot of college students across the board are saying though...

Finding a job...

Ok so now we have our degree! So what do we do with it? Teachers are being laid off and there aren't any jobs out there. That seems to be the consensus from people I have talked to. However, I just went on the Alabama state department of education’s website and there are 816 jobs that are posted. Of course there aren’t any listed for Baldwin or Mobile counties. I have spoke with administrators that admit that they have to post these jobs for a certain amount of days but most of the time they are already filled when they post them. It’s really aggravating when trying to find a job and the few that are advertised are already filled. Fortunately for me, I am moving to Birmingham and there are a lot of advertised vacancies there. Unfortunately, I know no one there and am scared that it will be difficult to get in front of a principal. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Obtaining a degree

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of obstacles teachers face is obtaining a degree. In order to be certified in teaching we have coursework, pre-sequence placements, and student teaching. I have had several different majors and none of them have been so demanding outside of classwork than teaching. I understand that observation and student teaching are necessary but it is very difficult to manage time if you are taking 12 hours of classes, having to observe at least 15 hours a week, have a job, have a husband, and bless all the people who have children and are going to school.
I have substitute taught in many schools in various grades. The experience from subbing has been far more valuable than any classes or observations I have done. I agree that we must be equipped with knowledge when we enter the classroom and completing coursework allows us to have a deeper understanding. I just wish that somehow we could spend less time taking courses and more time in the schools.