This week, students have really started to look at the beginning of the American Revolution. Students became familiar with the Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and the Townshend Acts through reading and connecting the information to a role that they would play. Some students are loyalists, some are neutralist, and others are radicals. Some roles include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Earl of Effingham, a slave who was a neutralist, and the governor of one of the colonies. They each have a card with their role and what their beliefs and perspectives on issues were. This made students think critically about their position on the Revolution and consider whether they would comply with or rebel against the acts and decisions made by British Parliament.
It was a fun way to look at the American Revolution and the various perspectives involved. Students had to set aside their own beliefs and knowledge and focus only on what was on the card in front of them. It put everyone on a level playing field to some extent. It was certainly a more engaging way to learn about these events that I ever experienced - I had been subjected to a lecture and memorization of the different acts and their dates. For the most part, I would say that they engagement was really there. Students seemed genuinely interested and really considered how their individual would have reacted.
While this post is not lengthy, I got a lot out of the class sessions. I saw how Mr. Scott was thoughtful in handing out the roles. Roles that were more in the middle and unclear about how they may have reacted to the acts were not given to students who may have struggled with the assignment at a more basic level. This ability to differentiate on the spot was nice to see. It also showed me another way to promote engagement on a topic that could be boring to some of the students if it was taught in a different way. It gave me a new idea on how to teach a topic like this.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
Celebrating Atrocities: The Columbus Story
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen, Chapter Two (1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus)
I always knew that the Columbus story was misrepresented in history textbooks, but I never realized to what extent and how this carries over to other areas. I was baffled to read that "some textbooks even invoke the Protestant Reformation [in leading to the Age of Exploration], although it didn't begin until twenty-five years after 1492!" (Loewens, 32). As I continued to read, I became more horrified. Thankfully, I am reading this chapter before I have ever taught a lesson on Columbus and can now keep myself from perpetuating the myth that most textbooks have written.
My question following reading this chapter of the text is: why are textbooks practicing cognitive dissonance on something that happened over 500 years ago? I argue that it is cognitive dissonance as we have consciously taken a Eurocentric viewpoint in our academics rather than presenting students with the reality that not all of Christopher Columbus' actions - or even the majority of them - were honorable. Why can't we accept our history for what it is and accept that colonialism has a really nasty side to it including racism and treating human beings as if they were commodities or resources?
One thing I want to remember following this reading is that "American history textbooks treat Columbus [in a way that] reinforces the tendency not to think about the process of domination" as they celebrate the domination of Columbus rather than consider if that domination was a good thing for those involved and affected by it (Loewen, 35). Building off of this idea, one quote really stayed with me after reading the chapter:
"American history textbooks promote the belief that most important developments in world history are traceable back to Europe. To grant too much human potential to pre-Columbian Africans might jar European American sensibilities. As Samuel Marble put it, 'the possibility of African discovery of America has never been a tempting one for American histories'" (42).
This quote will be difficult to forget, and I agree with it. I think our textbooks and our traditional teachings have really focused on how discoveries affected Europe and America - but really only white Europe and America who reaped the benefits. We have to stop thinking and teaching in a way that only represents a privileged perspective and present real history. I'm not saying that fifth grade students need to hear about every detail on how Columbus encouraged the rape of native women among his lieutenants, but there certainly are details that should be taught at different levels to show that exploration was not all good (56). We can't hide negative details of events simply because it doesn't fit in with our picture-perfect narrative that we have created. We are not writing narratives and history isn't always pretty, so our textbooks and teaching should reflect that.
I also want to remember that even details that I figured would be standard across textbooks, such as details about Columbus and where he is from, aren't. I never expected this. Loewen outlines how there is disagreement among textbooks on where Columbus is from, what the weather was like for the travel, how long the exploration took, etc. simply because there isn't any evidence. So, how can we really know what happened with any degree of certainty on areas of the exploration that have no evidence or writing about them? If I am ever going to teach something out of a textbook, it would be important to research which aspects are disputed that way I don't give students the impression that something is absolutely true if it may not be.
Rather than discuss things that I disagree with or I find controversial, I want to leave a couple of quotes that hit home. They either had to do with the punishment and brutality that natives faced from the Spaniards, or the effect that the Spaniards had upon their population.
"When Columbus and his men returned to Haiti in 1493, they demanded food, gold, spun cotton—whatever the Indians had that they wanted, including; sex with their women. To ensure cooperation, Columbus used punishment by example. When an Indian committed even a minor offense, the Spanish cut off his ears or nose. Disfigured, the person was sent back to his village as living evidence of the brutality the Spaniards were capable of" (51).
"Spaniards hunted Indians for sport and murdered them for dog food. Columbus, upset because he could not locate the gold he was certain was on the island, set up a tribute system." (53). Likewise, they would cut off the hands of those who were not productive enough. Many turned to suicide, women turned to abortion so they wouldn't bring children into the world under such conditions. This is not a history that I ever read about in my history textbooks and was never taught in my classroom.
Their effect upon the population: "estimate of Haiti's pre-Columbian population range as high as 8,000,000 people. When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain ... took a census of Indian adults in 1496 and came up with 1,100,000" (54). Including children and those who escaped to the mountains, the population was more likely around 3,000,000 (55). Slave trade and labor policies that Columbus put into effect left about only 12,000 natives by 1516, less than 200 in 1542, and they were gone by 1555 (55). All of these atrocities are ignored by the textbooks that Loewen evaluated.
These quotes and this information presents the reality of the Columbus story. There were positive outcomes for Europe and those can certainly still be mentioned in classrooms and in textbooks, but we should also acknowledge the negative aspects of European exploration and exploitation as well.
I always knew that the Columbus story was misrepresented in history textbooks, but I never realized to what extent and how this carries over to other areas. I was baffled to read that "some textbooks even invoke the Protestant Reformation [in leading to the Age of Exploration], although it didn't begin until twenty-five years after 1492!" (Loewens, 32). As I continued to read, I became more horrified. Thankfully, I am reading this chapter before I have ever taught a lesson on Columbus and can now keep myself from perpetuating the myth that most textbooks have written.
My question following reading this chapter of the text is: why are textbooks practicing cognitive dissonance on something that happened over 500 years ago? I argue that it is cognitive dissonance as we have consciously taken a Eurocentric viewpoint in our academics rather than presenting students with the reality that not all of Christopher Columbus' actions - or even the majority of them - were honorable. Why can't we accept our history for what it is and accept that colonialism has a really nasty side to it including racism and treating human beings as if they were commodities or resources?
One thing I want to remember following this reading is that "American history textbooks treat Columbus [in a way that] reinforces the tendency not to think about the process of domination" as they celebrate the domination of Columbus rather than consider if that domination was a good thing for those involved and affected by it (Loewen, 35). Building off of this idea, one quote really stayed with me after reading the chapter:
"American history textbooks promote the belief that most important developments in world history are traceable back to Europe. To grant too much human potential to pre-Columbian Africans might jar European American sensibilities. As Samuel Marble put it, 'the possibility of African discovery of America has never been a tempting one for American histories'" (42).
This quote will be difficult to forget, and I agree with it. I think our textbooks and our traditional teachings have really focused on how discoveries affected Europe and America - but really only white Europe and America who reaped the benefits. We have to stop thinking and teaching in a way that only represents a privileged perspective and present real history. I'm not saying that fifth grade students need to hear about every detail on how Columbus encouraged the rape of native women among his lieutenants, but there certainly are details that should be taught at different levels to show that exploration was not all good (56). We can't hide negative details of events simply because it doesn't fit in with our picture-perfect narrative that we have created. We are not writing narratives and history isn't always pretty, so our textbooks and teaching should reflect that.
I also want to remember that even details that I figured would be standard across textbooks, such as details about Columbus and where he is from, aren't. I never expected this. Loewen outlines how there is disagreement among textbooks on where Columbus is from, what the weather was like for the travel, how long the exploration took, etc. simply because there isn't any evidence. So, how can we really know what happened with any degree of certainty on areas of the exploration that have no evidence or writing about them? If I am ever going to teach something out of a textbook, it would be important to research which aspects are disputed that way I don't give students the impression that something is absolutely true if it may not be.
Rather than discuss things that I disagree with or I find controversial, I want to leave a couple of quotes that hit home. They either had to do with the punishment and brutality that natives faced from the Spaniards, or the effect that the Spaniards had upon their population.
"When Columbus and his men returned to Haiti in 1493, they demanded food, gold, spun cotton—whatever the Indians had that they wanted, including; sex with their women. To ensure cooperation, Columbus used punishment by example. When an Indian committed even a minor offense, the Spanish cut off his ears or nose. Disfigured, the person was sent back to his village as living evidence of the brutality the Spaniards were capable of" (51).
"Spaniards hunted Indians for sport and murdered them for dog food. Columbus, upset because he could not locate the gold he was certain was on the island, set up a tribute system." (53). Likewise, they would cut off the hands of those who were not productive enough. Many turned to suicide, women turned to abortion so they wouldn't bring children into the world under such conditions. This is not a history that I ever read about in my history textbooks and was never taught in my classroom.
Their effect upon the population: "estimate of Haiti's pre-Columbian population range as high as 8,000,000 people. When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain ... took a census of Indian adults in 1496 and came up with 1,100,000" (54). Including children and those who escaped to the mountains, the population was more likely around 3,000,000 (55). Slave trade and labor policies that Columbus put into effect left about only 12,000 natives by 1516, less than 200 in 1542, and they were gone by 1555 (55). All of these atrocities are ignored by the textbooks that Loewen evaluated.
These quotes and this information presents the reality of the Columbus story. There were positive outcomes for Europe and those can certainly still be mentioned in classrooms and in textbooks, but we should also acknowledge the negative aspects of European exploration and exploitation as well.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Curriculum & Unit Planning
Social Studies for Secondary Schools: Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach by Alan J. Singer: Chapter 6 (How do you plan a social studies curriculum?) and Chapter 7 (How do you plan a social studies unit?)
The two chapters I read this week were fairly relevant to my coursework, particularly that about planning a social studies unit. The big things I take away from this is to be intentional and very clear in my curriculum and unit plans. The more clear that I make it for myself and the more time I really spend preparing and doing my research, the better the unit and lesson plans will be as long as I keep tabs on where students are at with their understanding and make necessary judgments as I go along.
Three Things I want to Remember
That our unit and lesson plans aren't the end of planning. We have to adjust during lessons, after lessons, before our next one, etc. We are constantly planning. And just because we put something into our lesson and unit plans it doesn't mean it has to happen. If it's no longer appropriate or necessary to include something, then we shouldn't spend class time on it. If we realize that something isn't going to work, then we don't do it. This is something that I know I struggle with in my lesson plans currently, and I need to be aware of it going into my teaching.
One of the questions that is listed to consider while unit planning: "Does this unit build on previous work and understanding?" Starting with this question will be huge because it really defines the time and scope of the unit from the start. If a lot of the unit is building off of skills that students have already become nearly proficient in, then we know we probably don't need to spend nearly as much time teaching those skills. Unless we are pushing them a lot further, then we don't need to spend quite so much time on that unit than we would with a unit with all new skills and proficiencies. It gives a great starting point.
Finally, one thing I want to keep in mind is the result of a lesson I recently taught. I recently had students read parts of the Constitution with the intention of having them find examples of natural rights and a separation of powers. Some students were able to complete the assignment, but others really, really struggled with it. This text gave me a good idea. "Sometimes, I provide students with differentiated text, activity sheets with a series of documents that were originally written, or have been edited, so that they offer a range of academic difficulty" (111). This would have been a great idea for my lesson, and it's something that I want to remember for the next time that I have students analyze potentially difficult historical documents.
Two Disagreements/Controversial Ideas
While this isn't something that I disagree with or personally find controversial, it is something that would certainly be controversial in some areas of the United States. On page 97, Singer mentioned one call "for a sweeping reorganization of the social studies curriculum because of is overwhelmingly male context. She recommends introducing women's culture into social studies by focusing on social interaction and human relationships, family and community building, the role of love and caring in different cultures, and movements for world peace." This change wouldn't be welcome to some individuals and this feminist approach probably would not be adopted in conservative areas.
Also in the curriculum chapter, there was discussion on a sample curriculum calendar. In the sample calendar, "at that time New York City had semiannual reorganization in high school, so social studies teachers had to have their classes in roughly the same place at the end of the semester in January" (99). To me, this is a terrible idea. Not every student learns at the same pace, and there is absolutely no way that every class in New York City public schools would be learning at a similar pace. That means that the curriculum is going to be slowed down for some groups that should be moving through content more quickly. Even worse, the curriculum is going to be moving way too quickly for other students when it should be slowed down so they could actually comprehend the content and skills that are being taught. By forcing them to be at about the same place, so many students are being cheated of an education that would be appropriate for them.
One Question I Have
I recognize that units focusing on content make chronology clearer for students as they go through a unit, but how do we make sure that students are able to make thematic connections between regions at the same time? The organization of content-focused units is appealing because there is a clear sequence of events, but just having an understanding of the order of events isn't enough for students in my opinion. How do we foster those skills if we have to teach in a content-focused unit rather than thematic?
The two chapters I read this week were fairly relevant to my coursework, particularly that about planning a social studies unit. The big things I take away from this is to be intentional and very clear in my curriculum and unit plans. The more clear that I make it for myself and the more time I really spend preparing and doing my research, the better the unit and lesson plans will be as long as I keep tabs on where students are at with their understanding and make necessary judgments as I go along.
Three Things I want to Remember
That our unit and lesson plans aren't the end of planning. We have to adjust during lessons, after lessons, before our next one, etc. We are constantly planning. And just because we put something into our lesson and unit plans it doesn't mean it has to happen. If it's no longer appropriate or necessary to include something, then we shouldn't spend class time on it. If we realize that something isn't going to work, then we don't do it. This is something that I know I struggle with in my lesson plans currently, and I need to be aware of it going into my teaching.
One of the questions that is listed to consider while unit planning: "Does this unit build on previous work and understanding?" Starting with this question will be huge because it really defines the time and scope of the unit from the start. If a lot of the unit is building off of skills that students have already become nearly proficient in, then we know we probably don't need to spend nearly as much time teaching those skills. Unless we are pushing them a lot further, then we don't need to spend quite so much time on that unit than we would with a unit with all new skills and proficiencies. It gives a great starting point.
Finally, one thing I want to keep in mind is the result of a lesson I recently taught. I recently had students read parts of the Constitution with the intention of having them find examples of natural rights and a separation of powers. Some students were able to complete the assignment, but others really, really struggled with it. This text gave me a good idea. "Sometimes, I provide students with differentiated text, activity sheets with a series of documents that were originally written, or have been edited, so that they offer a range of academic difficulty" (111). This would have been a great idea for my lesson, and it's something that I want to remember for the next time that I have students analyze potentially difficult historical documents.
Two Disagreements/Controversial Ideas
While this isn't something that I disagree with or personally find controversial, it is something that would certainly be controversial in some areas of the United States. On page 97, Singer mentioned one call "for a sweeping reorganization of the social studies curriculum because of is overwhelmingly male context. She recommends introducing women's culture into social studies by focusing on social interaction and human relationships, family and community building, the role of love and caring in different cultures, and movements for world peace." This change wouldn't be welcome to some individuals and this feminist approach probably would not be adopted in conservative areas.
Also in the curriculum chapter, there was discussion on a sample curriculum calendar. In the sample calendar, "at that time New York City had semiannual reorganization in high school, so social studies teachers had to have their classes in roughly the same place at the end of the semester in January" (99). To me, this is a terrible idea. Not every student learns at the same pace, and there is absolutely no way that every class in New York City public schools would be learning at a similar pace. That means that the curriculum is going to be slowed down for some groups that should be moving through content more quickly. Even worse, the curriculum is going to be moving way too quickly for other students when it should be slowed down so they could actually comprehend the content and skills that are being taught. By forcing them to be at about the same place, so many students are being cheated of an education that would be appropriate for them.
One Question I Have
I recognize that units focusing on content make chronology clearer for students as they go through a unit, but how do we make sure that students are able to make thematic connections between regions at the same time? The organization of content-focused units is appealing because there is a clear sequence of events, but just having an understanding of the order of events isn't enough for students in my opinion. How do we foster those skills if we have to teach in a content-focused unit rather than thematic?
Friday, November 4, 2016
Elections & Interviews
Today's practicum was a little different than usual. Because the election is on Tuesday, the whole middle school used the advisory block to run different election workshops. I decided to stay right with Mr. Scott because he was having students play a game called Win the White House. This game is run on an app on their iPads where they learn about the electoral college system. They create their own character who will run for President. They choose which political party they belong to, which issues they will focus on, etc. They participate in debates where they defend or attack certain issues, they run positive or negative campaign ads, and really go through the process of trying to win over each state. Within a couple of rounds, the students really began to understand the role of money and campaigning in addition to how swing states work and the entire election process. Watching them play this game made me realize that this technology is a great way of teaching students about the process. They didn't quite understand how it worked as far as getting those votes until they went through and played the game on their own. It's a great teaching tool, in my opinion.
Afterward, I spent my time outside of the classroom to interview the special educator that works with the team. In order to prepare for my Entry two, I spent a significant amount of time getting to know what services the district offers to students, learning about the identification and referral process, and generally just hearing about what a "typical" day looks like - although I quickly realized that there is no such thing as a "typical" day as multiple interruptions took place in what would usually be down time for her as a student needed assistance, the student support center needed to speak with her about a student's progress, and a phone call came in for her to the office, all within the first seven or eight minutes of our meeting. The interruptions were great, though, because it gave me more of a real look at what her job can look like sometimes because it really isn't realistic that she would have much free time when she has a caseload of over 20 students with IEPs and various students who are on 504 plans or receiving other assistance. In the next week, I will be spending more time with her and a special educator from the neighboring team to really get a feel for the services provided at the school.
It was a great morning. It was odd spending so much time outside of my classroom but I learned so much from my time with the special educator that gave me insight into the workings of Mr. Scott's room. I realized that many of the structures of the classroom were very intentional and were there to support the students who need services to allow them to stay in the classroom and be successful. Middle school students generally don't want to be taken out of the classroom and made to be different than their peers so I now have a better understanding that Mr. Scott was intentional in the format of some assignments and in breaking down to the smallest details that way the learning is accessible to all students. It seems so obvious, but it is so well done in his classroom that it is difficult to really even notice that such adjustments are being made.
Afterward, I spent my time outside of the classroom to interview the special educator that works with the team. In order to prepare for my Entry two, I spent a significant amount of time getting to know what services the district offers to students, learning about the identification and referral process, and generally just hearing about what a "typical" day looks like - although I quickly realized that there is no such thing as a "typical" day as multiple interruptions took place in what would usually be down time for her as a student needed assistance, the student support center needed to speak with her about a student's progress, and a phone call came in for her to the office, all within the first seven or eight minutes of our meeting. The interruptions were great, though, because it gave me more of a real look at what her job can look like sometimes because it really isn't realistic that she would have much free time when she has a caseload of over 20 students with IEPs and various students who are on 504 plans or receiving other assistance. In the next week, I will be spending more time with her and a special educator from the neighboring team to really get a feel for the services provided at the school.
It was a great morning. It was odd spending so much time outside of my classroom but I learned so much from my time with the special educator that gave me insight into the workings of Mr. Scott's room. I realized that many of the structures of the classroom were very intentional and were there to support the students who need services to allow them to stay in the classroom and be successful. Middle school students generally don't want to be taken out of the classroom and made to be different than their peers so I now have a better understanding that Mr. Scott was intentional in the format of some assignments and in breaking down to the smallest details that way the learning is accessible to all students. It seems so obvious, but it is so well done in his classroom that it is difficult to really even notice that such adjustments are being made.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Organizing My Lessons
Today I taught my second lesson of the semester. I learned a valuable lesson in how to get better in planning my lessons, particularly when they are content heavy.
The lesson centered around Enlightenment ideas - particularly the state of nature, social contracts, natural rights, and a separation of powers thanks to Locke and Montesquieu. When I really slowed down my brief lectures and our following discussions, I think it made sense to students. Where I really lacked in my planning and saw students struggle as a result was being unclear on where they should be taking notes or what they should do with the information. For next time, I think I need to bring graphic organizers and be super explicit in where the information should go. They were able to take notes today, but they didn't seem to understand where I wanted them to put the information. But I realized that I hadn't really considered the answer to that question before. I think this will get easier when I have my own classroom because there will be an organization structure that I create from the start and will stick to. Currently, I am aware of the structure but I wasn't sure if they should add it to notability or not or what Mr. Scott would like to do with their notes and stuff in the long term.
Moving forward, I'm going to really make a point to consider what I want students to do with the information. I'll be able to hand them a graphic organizer or be very clear that I want them to set up a page in notability rather than tell them to put the information wherever they want. I could tell after the fact that they wanted specific directions on where to put it. I also want to make my questions and directions much more clear. There was some time spent repeating directions or clarifying what I meant by the question that I wanted them to consider for a free write. If I am very intentional with my questions and make my directions really clear, I may still have a couple of questions but I think it would lessen. It wasn't a big deal today because I was able to handle them individually and it didn't take up class time really, but if it consistently happened, we would lose a lot of instructional time by just having to repeat myself or give alternative explanations.
All in all, I think the lesson went alright. They certainly had a better understanding of the content by the end of it. My only other area that I need to work on is classroom management. Again, this is something that will be easier for me in my own classroom with my own system but I noticed that things got a little out of hand when I was working with small groups or one on one. I need to find a way to manage what's happening on the other side of the room while I'm also occupied helping students on the other side. I know that will come with practice as well, though. As a whole, I can't complain. I was happy to see students open up to me even a little bit more and that they are excited when I come in to teach.
The lesson centered around Enlightenment ideas - particularly the state of nature, social contracts, natural rights, and a separation of powers thanks to Locke and Montesquieu. When I really slowed down my brief lectures and our following discussions, I think it made sense to students. Where I really lacked in my planning and saw students struggle as a result was being unclear on where they should be taking notes or what they should do with the information. For next time, I think I need to bring graphic organizers and be super explicit in where the information should go. They were able to take notes today, but they didn't seem to understand where I wanted them to put the information. But I realized that I hadn't really considered the answer to that question before. I think this will get easier when I have my own classroom because there will be an organization structure that I create from the start and will stick to. Currently, I am aware of the structure but I wasn't sure if they should add it to notability or not or what Mr. Scott would like to do with their notes and stuff in the long term.
Moving forward, I'm going to really make a point to consider what I want students to do with the information. I'll be able to hand them a graphic organizer or be very clear that I want them to set up a page in notability rather than tell them to put the information wherever they want. I could tell after the fact that they wanted specific directions on where to put it. I also want to make my questions and directions much more clear. There was some time spent repeating directions or clarifying what I meant by the question that I wanted them to consider for a free write. If I am very intentional with my questions and make my directions really clear, I may still have a couple of questions but I think it would lessen. It wasn't a big deal today because I was able to handle them individually and it didn't take up class time really, but if it consistently happened, we would lose a lot of instructional time by just having to repeat myself or give alternative explanations.
All in all, I think the lesson went alright. They certainly had a better understanding of the content by the end of it. My only other area that I need to work on is classroom management. Again, this is something that will be easier for me in my own classroom with my own system but I noticed that things got a little out of hand when I was working with small groups or one on one. I need to find a way to manage what's happening on the other side of the room while I'm also occupied helping students on the other side. I know that will come with practice as well, though. As a whole, I can't complain. I was happy to see students open up to me even a little bit more and that they are excited when I come in to teach.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Preview - Now and for the Future
My last two visits have given me previews. On Friday, it was a preview into what will be coming in the future as we move toward Personalized Learning Plans. Students that morning were working on preparing for their student-led conferences in addition to their PLPs. I have to say, watching this process was really valuable. Some students really soared through the process and could immediately decide on pieces of work from each class that they wanted to add to the presentation that they will show to their parents. It was kind of their first run through on finding evidence, much like they will with their personalized learning plans. As I said, this process went much more smoothly for some rather than others.
When they began work on their PLPs, one of the first steps was to create a couple of different goals. One goal would be academic, and couldn't be based upon grades. They could say that they want to boost their participation in class which may be proven by a boost in participation grades (if those are available in the classroom), but they were not allowed to say that their academic goal was to get a 95% in social studies. This goal wasn't terribly difficult for students to come up with. Some students focused on an area where they may be particularly weak and would write what they wanted to improve and how they would go about it.
The second part that they worked on was a personal goal. Many students really struggled with this one. Some had goals that may have been too short-term (one student had already seen his goal related to football not work out within a week of making it, leaving him in the position of having to create a new goal) and others were too large (like emphasizing their occupation goals post-high school or college). While none of these personal goals were bad, they just didn't fit the scope of the plan. These personal goals should be achievable within the next year or two, though they can work toward those larger goals like working toward entering their dream profession.
It was useful to watch this process take place because I was faced with having to give examples of personal goals that might inspire them to create their own. This worked with a couple of students, but it didn't work with other students that I did not know as well. This was a great lesson because it made me see how valuable it is to really know your students, particularly in the PLP world when student interests and goals become central to their education. Friday gave me a solid preview of what my life will be like as a teacher when I try to start the PLP process and get students to start thinking about their short and long term goals and plan out how they are going to achieve those goals.
Today, Wednesday, provided a preview for what I will be teaching tomorrow. Mr. Scott taught a different version of the same lesson I will be teaching to a different group of students tomorrow. It was really useful to watch him teach because it helped me to consider new questions that students may ask me. It also helped me to rethink how much time I may actually need to lecture and explain Enlightenment concepts to the seventh graders. By watching Mr. Scott, I was able to kind of come up with a back up plan in case aspects of my lesson don't really pan out the way I want them to. Watching somebody else teach the same content that you will teach in a different way is a valuable experience because I got to see what he decided to emphasize and compare it to what I thought was most important.
I am really looking forward to teaching my lesson tomorrow, although I am nervous because the content may not be the most interesting to students and it can be a little difficult to really grasp. Regardless, I think these students are up for the challenge and will rise to the occasion and we will all learn something new from it.
When they began work on their PLPs, one of the first steps was to create a couple of different goals. One goal would be academic, and couldn't be based upon grades. They could say that they want to boost their participation in class which may be proven by a boost in participation grades (if those are available in the classroom), but they were not allowed to say that their academic goal was to get a 95% in social studies. This goal wasn't terribly difficult for students to come up with. Some students focused on an area where they may be particularly weak and would write what they wanted to improve and how they would go about it.
The second part that they worked on was a personal goal. Many students really struggled with this one. Some had goals that may have been too short-term (one student had already seen his goal related to football not work out within a week of making it, leaving him in the position of having to create a new goal) and others were too large (like emphasizing their occupation goals post-high school or college). While none of these personal goals were bad, they just didn't fit the scope of the plan. These personal goals should be achievable within the next year or two, though they can work toward those larger goals like working toward entering their dream profession.
It was useful to watch this process take place because I was faced with having to give examples of personal goals that might inspire them to create their own. This worked with a couple of students, but it didn't work with other students that I did not know as well. This was a great lesson because it made me see how valuable it is to really know your students, particularly in the PLP world when student interests and goals become central to their education. Friday gave me a solid preview of what my life will be like as a teacher when I try to start the PLP process and get students to start thinking about their short and long term goals and plan out how they are going to achieve those goals.
Today, Wednesday, provided a preview for what I will be teaching tomorrow. Mr. Scott taught a different version of the same lesson I will be teaching to a different group of students tomorrow. It was really useful to watch him teach because it helped me to consider new questions that students may ask me. It also helped me to rethink how much time I may actually need to lecture and explain Enlightenment concepts to the seventh graders. By watching Mr. Scott, I was able to kind of come up with a back up plan in case aspects of my lesson don't really pan out the way I want them to. Watching somebody else teach the same content that you will teach in a different way is a valuable experience because I got to see what he decided to emphasize and compare it to what I thought was most important.
I am really looking forward to teaching my lesson tomorrow, although I am nervous because the content may not be the most interesting to students and it can be a little difficult to really grasp. Regardless, I think these students are up for the challenge and will rise to the occasion and we will all learn something new from it.
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