Break It Down! School Breaks Needed!

Having just spent 17 days out of school (yay!), may I suggest that these breaks are needed...quite much so. 

Unless you are a parent...as they seem to appreciate teachers even more during such breaks!  Hummmm...are schools really just a state-paid-for babysitting system?  No!  Well, that certainly is not the true intent...although this does seem to be a perk for many parents. 

Schedule makers, we are!  Attending school on a regular basis does assist in our adopting a routine.
Mondays get us going until Hump Day on Wednesday, after which we glide into Friday afternoons with a smile on our faces...until Sunday evening when begin to dread the routine...that begins again on that Monday morning.

Slowing Down and Breathing

A classroom of 25 students is a classroom of various learning styles, multiple intelligences, and special needs. Some of which are obvious; some of which are disguised.  Regardless...all must be addressed.  Soooo...how does a new teacher accomplish this feat?  How does a veteran teacher meet the challenge?

Breathing.  It just helps this whole process!

2017...And Eight Newbies

Yes.   Such contradictions.

Initial Thoughts on Being a Teacher Cadet Teacher

Exciting!  I so enjoy working with those who aspire to be teachers.  This, I have been privileged to do for several years, first, working with students through Lyon College in the Secondary English Methods class and now through our high school and local community college UACCB via the Teacher Cadet/Introduction to Teaching Class.  Last year's group included seven very inspiring young prospects; now this year, eight more have joined this prestigious group!

Why I Want to Teach

Not until my second semester of senior year did I ever presume to be a teacher, hoping to one day be one of those ladies that sit in the windows at banks and receipt money.  Then, about springtime in 1985, the idea was planted, cultivated, and came to harvest with my receiving the first of three degrees in education.  That fall, I began what has now become a 27 year career in education, having now taught English, journalism, debate, drama, and now this Teacher Cadet class to what must be nearly 3000 students.  Very awesome.  Very blessed to have been able to accomplish what I was born to be.

I teach to better prepare a person for life after me, whether that be high school, college, or on the job, as I also teach teachers in professional development classes.  I teach to inspire all of them to be more than what they were before they entered my class.  I teach to ensure success in their literary endeavors and with working with students using accomplished and mastered methods.  I teach to encourage all to be better writers and more avid readers than they once were.

Please go here to read more about those who inspired me to be.

Initial Thoughts on Education

Trends come.  Trends go.  In my previous twelve years here, I have witnessed at least a half a dozen shifts in curriculum.  Thus, one must be willing to change. To give up.  To expect less.  To never give up.  To expect more. 

Oxymorons.


All realities.

Here's what I know:  Education should be a blend.  When one goes too far to one side or the other, yes, the other side gets left out.  I firmly believe that no one method will ever solve any problem or concern. 

Here's what I know:  No one teacher style is ever the right one.  I do firmly believe that a teacher should always be striving to learn what his/her style is and then always, always, always work to better that method to ever become who he/she was born to be.

I am living what I was born to be.  I am beyond blessed.

Thoughts about The Eight Newbies

Interestingly, most of these plan to teach junior high or high school; whereas, last year's group were all elementary!  Therefore, as the year progresses, I can see myself modifying some assignments to better fit their chosen curriculum areas.

I am very much looking forward to working with these young teacher wanna-be's!

My Philosophy of Education

Just as every child progressively learns, sometimes uniquely, other times comprehensively, throughout his/her educational career, so should every educator be ever learning about his/her curriculum or grade level and growing with the times and trends, for not to be learning is to become stagnant, a condition that ultimately costs the best for our students.

The responsibility of education lies not in just one single entity but within multiple sources, from the drivers who transport the students, to the ladies who prepare the foods that nourish body and mind, to the teachers who work minute by minute, hour by hour, with these future citizens, to the support staff and administrators who make the decisions that better facilitate the positive learning environment, to the families and communities that provide the encouragement and support for the well-rounded learning experience that each child needs.  It takes a village.

Choose at least four of the following:

• ·         Students
• ·         Teachers
• ·         Administrators
• ·         Support Staff
• ·         Families
• ·         Communities

Concluding Thoughts

Puppets 101, Part 1

The first BIG project in the Teacher Cadet class is to create puppets.  Cute!  Fun! Can't wait!

But.

Getting the cart before the horse seldom moves anyone anywhere!  Before those puppets can be created, a storyline, a purpose, a conflict must be developed.

Think.

Think.

Think.

THE STORYLINE.

My puppets will be punctuation marks that act out the script of the conflicts those punctuation marks often encounter.  For instance, being an exclamation mark takes so much energy!  Lots!!  Too much!!!  Stop!!!!

THE STORYBOARD.

Using sticky notes, each is asked to create a storyboard that reflects characters, conflict, setting, and plot.  I have used this method before in an extended Enrichment Session I hosted last year during RTI time where the enrollees created Superheroes using HeroMachine, and then storyboarded their plot for that newly created hero...or vice versa, depending on how each's creativity flowed.

This utilizes the Covey's premise of beginning with the end in mind.  Before creating those puppets...and let's face it, creating puppets can take intense talent and time..the basic idea has to form, shapes must come into being, for no one has time to create a puppet that gets written our of the story and will not be used.

THE PUPPETS.

Pinterest and I have been contemplating the basic structure of my puppets.  As of now, I. Just. Do. Not. Know.  That results in a bit of stress for me, for I need their shapes to begin to form so that the vision, the backbone of this newly created world may further take shape, be birthed into existence.

More about that soon...just as soon as these birthing pains result in the lives of my puppets.  Ouch!

Stay tuned!

The Beginning of the New

Initial Thoughts on Being a Teacher Cadet

Exciting!  I so enjoy working with those who aspire to be teachers.  This, I have been privileged to do for several years now, first, working with students through Lyon College in the Secondary English Methods class and now through our high school and local community college UACCB via the Teacher Cadet/Introduction to Teaching Class.  This initial group includes seven very inspiring young prospects with whom I look forward to leading, guiding and learning.

Why I Want to Teach

Not until my second semester of senior year did I ever presume to be a teacher, hoping to one day be one of those ladies that sit in the windows at banks and receipt money.  Then, about spring in 1985, the idea was planted, cultivated, and came to harvest with my receiving the first of three degrees in education.  That fall, I began what has now become a 26 year career in education, having now taught English, journalism, debate, drama, and now this Teacher Cadet class to what must be nearly 3000 students.  Very awesome.  Very blessed to have been able to accomplish what I was born to be.

I teach to better prepare a person for life after me, whether that be high school, college, or on the job, as I also teach teachers in professional development classes.  I teach to inspire all of them to be more than what they were before they entered my class.  I teach to ensure success in their literary endeavors and with working with students using accomplished and mastered methods.  I teach to encourage all to be better writers and more avid readers than they once were.

Please go here to read more about those who inspired me to be.

Initial Thoughts on Education

Trends come.  Trends go.  In my previous eleven years here, I have witnessed at least a half a dozen shifts in curriculum.  Thus, one must be willing to change. To give up.  To expect less.  To never give up.  To expect more.

Oxymorons.

Yes.   Such contradictions.

All realities.

Here's what I know:  Education should be a blend.  When one goes too far to one side or the other, yes, the other side gets left out.  I firmly believe that no one method will ever solve any problem or concern.

Here's what I know:  No one teacher style is ever the right one.  I do firmly believe that a teacher should always be striving to learn what his/her style is and then always, always, always work to better that method to ever become who he/she was born to be.

I am living what I was born to be.  I am beyond blessed.