What Kind of Teacher?

My friend and I were having a conversation about the kinds of teachers we want to be. Teachers tend to be *known* for something, either "the crazy teacher", "the tough guy", "the easy teacher", or even "the good teacher". Who do we want to be? Is this a conscious decision on our part? Will our personalities, paired with our efforts and preparation, be enough to come together to form us as teachers? Or is there more? I think the most important thing to remember is that students *know* when their teachers care. They can sense when a teacher loves teaching, and they can sense when a teacher would rather be doing something else. It is important to let kids know that you care about them, their minds, and their characters. I think it's an extremely important aspect to teaching... showing students you care about them, and that you're dedicating your life to bettering theirs.

Saying Good-Bye

Did anyone else find it extremely sad to say good-bye to any of your students? I've definitely come to find my "favorites" in my classes, and I know that I will not have these students next trimester... and you know what... I'm pretty darn sad about it!!

How do you deal with this as a teacher? Do we let our favorites know they are our favorites? And how do we say good-bye? Also, is it ok to even form favorites, or does that say something about ourselves as teachers if we do find ourselves forming favorites? Does it say to us we're not viewing each child the same? I'm not sure. Just a thought.

End of Trimester Thoughts

This past week was the end of our first trimester at Romulus High School. I am trying to form an opinion regarding the use of the trimester system in schools. I did not have this experience through high school, and I'm wondering the benefits of it. What are the drawbacks?
From what I've experienced at Romulus, having trimesters is helpful in that it gives students longer periods. This is helpful in some subjects, I'm sure, but I don't think it is very helpful in mathematics. Students generally learn a new topic one day and practice those problems for homework. Depending on the material, they can come into class the next day and ask questions and have more practice. On the third day, they will again learn something new. This works well if the students have a long semester and can dedicate one whole day to review. However, in trimesters, they only have about 3 months, instead of 4-5 months to get through the required material. Their class periods are longer, but students generally can't learn something new and on the same day practice it and review it. Most students need to do the homework and come back the next day to review after a good night's sleep. Many students do not have math during the second trimester, since it is only required for 2 out 3 trimesters. So they don't have math for 3 months or so, then have to come back and spend so much time refreshing their memories about what they'd learn 4 months ago.
I talked with my mentor teacher about this, and his is not an advocate of trimesters for these reasons. I do not think that the extended time in class each day compensates for missing math completely for 3 months.

Cookie Monster! My first Claymation Movie!

SMEA Discussion!

New Technology Experience

How do I see myself using technology in my future endeavours? Hmmm....hopefully in a lot of cool new ways that I am not aware of yet! I really like using twitter, and I think it is a valuable tool to get information out quickly. Following the pros in my subject matter for teaching will be a life saver! I plan to use that as a key ingredient in planning some super cool lesson plans.

Also, I am starting to really love blogging. I think it is such a valuable way to record thoughts and ideas as an online journal. I am thinking about setting up a private blog just for myself:) I'm still getting acquainted with blogging, but hopefully I can become efficient with inserting pictures and cool links and stuff! My goal is to make all my blogs beautiful and inspiring, both for friends, fellow teachers, and myself:)

I see technology as a new doorway towards fun-filled adventures of sharing, laughing, inspiring, and working hard as I explore the world of teaching!! Here we go!!!

Learning with technology

I am slowly catching on to this brand new world of blogging and tweeting (is that what it's called?).  I am excited about learning how to grow in technological networking!  I think it will be a wonderful tool to use for insights and inspirations regarding teaching adventures!!  I hope I can stay with everyone!

My first real post

I think this was the first time I've actually thought hard about what I would want my future classroom to look like.  I purposely drew chalkboards and not whiteboards, but that's because I'm weird and think that more friction between the chalk and blackboard make it easier to write and produces better handwriting for me.  Whiteboards are too smooth! But like I said, I'm weird.

Anyway, I also included bookshelves in which I plan to fill with a lot of math related textbooks so that my students can look ahead to the cool stuff they might get to do in college.  I'd also put other non-school related books there as well because I'd like to inspire my class to learn about more subjects than math.  I'd hope that they would "check out" some of my books and give me feedback about what they've read.

I also drew and teacher's desk in which I put a computer.  That way, if any of my students would like additional resources related to a problem, we could just look it up!  A projector would also be in my room.  I would have moveable desks too, so that I could re-arrange my room periodically during the school year.

For the most part, deciding on the layout of my future classroom would be helpful if I saw my future classroom, but this activity got me really excited about being able to decide what to hang on the walls and stuff like that!  I also have a few green plants too!

Fr. John Riccardo Speaks to Graduating Class

"Typically at a graduation, someone not familiar with the university or the high school is invited to come and speak at "our house", whether in a gymnasium or a football stadium, auditorium, classroom, could be anywhere... and they come in and typically say what they have on their minds, to you the graduating class.  However, tonight is a little different.  Some one is still speaking to us, except we haven't invited Him to our house.  He has invited us to His.  We're in the Lord's house, and make no mistake... He has something He wants to say to you:  'You didn't choose me,  I chose you.  Every single one of you.'   In other words, you're here, you exist, you're alive... because He thought it was a good thing to make you, to bring you into being.  He has willed you into existence.  Just as Jesus said to the apostles and to every one of you tonight, by name... 'I chose you.'   There was a time when you were not, and then He chose for you to be.  And He did it with a plan.  He has a purpose for every single one of you, by name, tailor made... and He wants to show it to you.  His plan is that you will bear much fruit, whatever it might be.  Some of you will be teachers, some of you will be doctors, some of you will be lawyers, nurses, some of you will get married and have children.  He wants to reveal to you the plan.  God created you, as Jesus said in the Gospel, so that you might have joy.  Joy.  Be happy.  His desire for you is that you'll share in His own Joy."