Posted in Reflections, Shout Outs on Jan 19th, 2009 No Comments »
Being a teacher forces you to acquire a dual identity. There’s the you that’s existed since the beginning, and the new alter ego whose name typically begins with a Ms or Mr.
I’ve found it difficult to merge the two worlds together. I especially find it difficult to share teaching stories with my non-teaching friends. You [...]
Posted in Other Contributors, Other Teachers, Reflections on Jan 12th, 2009 1 Comment »
Mr. M, who’s appeared on supteach? in the past has agreed to share another one of his posts! He teaches 4th grade at Watts and provides perspective on what it’s like to teach & interact with students in an urban setting.
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This year, when compared to the previous three, has been trying for the simple fact [...]
Posted in Methods, Reflections, The Achievement Gap, The Urban Setting on Jan 9th, 2009 4 Comments »
There’s power behind infusing tidbits or randomness into the classroom. Connection to academic content is unnecessary. Simply spend 2-3 minutes each day on something completely irrelevant but appealing. Buy your students’ attention. Steal their interest. Give them a reason to show up to class. Give them something to talk about. Give them something to remember. [...]
Posted in Reflections on Jan 7th, 2009 No Comments »
After today’s department meeting, I head back to my classroom to be greeted by a young lady I’ve never seen before. Walking inside, I see another student, short with glasses. I look to the front and see several marks on my whiteboard. The two have been at work.
I sit down at my desk and become [...]
Posted in Education Article Meanderings, Reflections, Struggles on Dec 14th, 2008 2 Comments »
A recent article from education innovation highlights similarities between the work conditions of teachers, students, and prisoners. Though the table’s a bit exaggerated, they do have a point…
One huge gripe I have against teaching is the constant workload. There’s always something that needs to be done. During the school day, I’m grinding non-stop from the [...]
Posted in Reflections, Struggles on Dec 11th, 2008 2 Comments »
Teaching continues to be up and down for me. This week, Monday made the other side greener than ever. Grass freshly cut and sparkling. Tuesday and Wednesday were up. Way up. I was happy with my lessons. They were engaging. I was liking my students, despite all the little antics. Hey man, they’re high schoolers [...]
Posted in First-Year, Growth, Reflections, Struggles on Dec 7th, 2008 5 Comments »
Teaching geometry during my first year felt like one long trial run. It was my first time teaching content, my first time encountering common misconceptions, my first time exploring what kind of lessons would be most engaging and effective. It was difficult to anticipate where we’d take a wrong turn, to pinpoint what works and [...]
Posted in Reflections on Oct 27th, 2008 No Comments »
The other day was not so great; it may have started with the lack of sleep the night before or just the immense responsibility that follows me like a shadow. By 2:30 pm on Thursday my patience had run low, my students were frustrated, and so was I. One student in particular was not engaged [...]
Posted in Reflections, Shout Outs, Struggles on Oct 19th, 2008 9 Comments »
October is not a good month for new teachers. October is the month you lose that initial adrenaline of “wow, I’m a teacher. I’m going to change lives” October is the month your ‘honeymoon’ period with students fades away. October is the month when students start to test you. Me: “Alright, you guys got that? [...]
Posted in Growth, Reflections, Struggles, Summer on Oct 3rd, 2008 2 Comments »
One major gripe I have with teaching is that it simply takes over. Of course, this is also a good thing. Our work brings purpose far greater than anything we’ve seen, requiring that we extend ourselves to heights we once never conceived. But at this moment, I’m bitter. From Monday to Friday, I’m none other [...]
