DIVERSITY?

Do these photos look diverse? Maybe not to the untrained eye, or maybe yes to the trained eye. Diversity in my classroom goes way beyond the color of one's skin. The diversity that I see in in backgrounds, educational levels and maturity levels. One of these students will never see any grade less than an A in any class and the other has IEP modifications. Fortunately, this year I do not have to deal with language barriers or medical ailments causing major diversity issues such as some of those listed in our Chapter on Diversity, but the diversity in my classroom has a different twist...to teach the different levels of cognitive development in each class, everyday. I do have to take into account everyday the different levels of learning these students have. I have to keep in mind that the advanced student may get bored and the struggling student may not be getting it at all. Different methods I try using is group work with peer teaching and I also make different assignments to make sure each student gets enough or not too much material for their learning experience. This is a tough task, at least for me. I'm learning to balance my time and trying to balance lessons for each student. Trial and error is frustrating but it does pay off when you see the struggling student make an A on the same test you gave the advanced student. Makes it all worth while.

Teacher In Action

Welcome to My Room

Well, so far my principal has been in my room for evals 3 times. I actually teach better when he's in the room. I am not nervous and the kids act great (so far). My mentor has been in my room this week too. I like others observing me. I guess I feel that if I'm doing something that I don't know that I'm doing (crazy faces or something like that) that they would tell me. Do you think so??? Anyway, still haven't decided what I think about teaching yet. It's getting easier and my prep time is much less. Hopefully I will find out that I love it and want to teach forever. We'll see. Lindy

I DID IT!!!!!!

Today I figured out how to add links to my blog. Wow!! It really was simple. I missed the icon about adding blogs. I guess this is how our students feel when they learn something new or when they finally figure out a concept they had trouble with. As teachers, we have to keep trying to get them all to "figure" something new out. We must teach them to be responsible/accountable for their learning. I learned a few new teaching strategies yesterday in our Saturday meeting. I plan to use some of these in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully one of these strategies will click with the students and allow some of the students a new method of learning. Reading skills are a must and we must teach them to learn to read. We have a long road ahead of us and we must never give up. We sure don't want our students to.

Can you believe it?

Can you believe we made it another week? Well, I have to say it is getting easier for me. I'm still just one sentence ahead of my students but I'm finally getting the hang of getting ready for tomorrow. The students are getting to know me and how I want my class to run. Don't get me wrong, they are testing me every day, but I do feel they realize that they can't run me off that easily. I have tried to incorporate many different types of activities in the classroom to help keep them engaged. They HATE to take notes. I try to have lots of pictures in my powerpoint slides, and the pictures have to be of either something gross or something weird. They love gross and weird. Hey, if it gets them interested I'll try it. Anyway, another week has come and gone and I am still here.

Thank Goodness for Weekends

I was really looking forward to this weekend. Ready for a little time away from 10th graders. Don't get me wrong, they are not bad, they just absolutely wear me out. I think I like teaching, seems easier than I expected, but I am having some trouble keeping up with everything. I haven't assigned any homework. I've given a test and one graded quiz, with a few quizzes thrown in to get their attention. I did talk with another teacher who says he has not given his first algebra test yet. This made me feel better. I'm giving another test this Tuesday and will probably assign something for homework this week. I have had a couple of students ask me about their grades for the first 9 weeks progress report. This is when I decided to scrape up some numbers. I've used this weekend to do my school work-college work that is. I am about one paragraph ahead of these students and about 1 hour ahead of my own work. Thank Goodness for Weekends.

Survivor Woman

I started out with only a pencil and textbook in hand, then somehow I managed to compile 130 students into 7 periods of classes and gave target testing and Chapter 1 test all in the first 2 weeks. If that's not surviving, I don't know what is.

I can't believe that 2 weeks have passed. So far I really like teaching the subject and the students. I also worked at the hospital this Saturday and was worried at the patients coming in from Louisiana, fortunately, we did not get many the first day. I started wondering if I would have any students for Louisiana in my classes next week. Hopefully the storm will pass through quietly and these people can get back to their homes.

Anyway, I'm learning as much as my students and this is keeping me going 90 miles an hour. I feel more confident every day and know that I will be able to do this job.