A fast note on something I've learned recently.
I hate to grade papers. It's such a pain.
But these are the things I've learned about grading papers.
1) You don't actually have to grade every paper and input the grade. Just call it "participation grades" and give them a blanket grade for the week. I think this works particularly well in FACS where there are some handouts that I do that don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer. I just want them to be engaged.
2) Grade as you go. I'm 2 1/2 weeks behind and it is miserable and I want to shoot myself. I should be grading things every day. But I'm just a slacker. Sigh.
3) Rubrics are awesome. Even if you use a toned down version of a rubric. I gave my students an 80 point project last week, and I broke it up. 15 points for pictures, 15 points for spelling and grammar, 10 points for looking nice, and 40 points for content. I didn't break it down any more than that, but it's given me enough wiggle room that I know where to go with it. I think otherwise, I would give everyone 78/80.
4) Make sure your students know how many points different assignments are worth.
One day, I'm going to get really on top of things and I'm going to make a packet of papers for each unit. That way I can grade packets at a time in stead of papers at a time. I think it will have to wait until after this first quarter though. Sigh.
Good news though, things are getting easier. Lessons are getting easier, management is getting (a little) easier, and I'm getting a better idea of where I want to be going with my classes. Tomorrow I'm starting a sewing unit with my 6th graders and I have no idea where we're going. My expertise was always in foods. So it's a little challenging, but I can do it. I'm also teaching labor and delivery to my 8th graders. I'm excited to see their faces when we talk about delivery. *Insert maniacal laugh here*
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
i'm officially cool
Great news. I'm officially a cool teacher. Already this afternoon I've had students stop by TWICE to say hi. It's probably the fact that I have the mechanical babies and they just want to see the babies. Either way--I'm taking it as "I'm awesome".
I can't believe that I'm almost finished with week three. This has been so challenging. I have spent way way way too many hours at school working on lesson plans and getting things ready. I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I will never be as prepared as I'd like to be. To be honest, I've heard that from a lot of teachers, and it's just starting to sink in to me.
It's so disappointing when you know that you need to teach something well, but it just backfired on you. Like today. My students have been in the kitchens for a few days making Pasta Salads. They ate the salads yesterday, and it was a sigh of relief, because it was so hard to get them made and ready. But they did it, and I was proud. I evaluated some things that I've taught--and they have no idea how to follow a recipe. Or maybe they know how to follow a recipe, but I've walked them through everything, so they aren't succeeding at it. Anyways, today I planned a lesson that really should have only taken 15 minutes, but it took ALL PERIOD. We were planning the labs for next week. By now the students have read the recipe and know what they have to do. Hopefully things will go better next week when we make fruit pizzas. We'll just have to see.
In other news, I've finally gotten my $1,000+ computer modules up and running. I was planning on having my 7th graders use them today, but there were lots of kids who left to go play football, so we cooked instead. My 7th graders do much better in the labs--but they were taught last year by a more experienced teacher. It will all come with time....
My 8th graders are neck-deep in human sexuality. It's such a hard subject to teach. It terrifies me, to be perfectly honest. But we watched an incredible movie for the last two days, and the result was mostly positive. All I want from my students is for them not to get pregnant during high school. I would be so happy if they would not get STDs and not get pregnant outside of marriage, and I would be overjoyed if they all waited to have sex until they got married. It breaks my heart so often when people say that teenagers are just "animals" and they all are just horny and have sex all the time. They are so much more than that. I hope that my girls have self-confidence and self-respect enough to wait. I tried to teach them today, but I don't know how effective I was. I did the best I can. Tomorrow is STD day. After that, we're going to move out of human sexuality....mostly because I'm terrified of angry parents, but also because I don't know what else to teach. We're going to talk about fetal development next week which is always super interesting. I'm stoked.
I'm off now to go watch the 8th grade volleyball team. My girls did their cheer for me after lunch today. And I'm here, so I might as well watch them play. I figure---when you have to teach sexuality, you should do everything you can so your students will trust and respect you. That way they will listen to and follow what you have to tell them. So....go team!!
~The Teacher
I can't believe that I'm almost finished with week three. This has been so challenging. I have spent way way way too many hours at school working on lesson plans and getting things ready. I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I will never be as prepared as I'd like to be. To be honest, I've heard that from a lot of teachers, and it's just starting to sink in to me.
It's so disappointing when you know that you need to teach something well, but it just backfired on you. Like today. My students have been in the kitchens for a few days making Pasta Salads. They ate the salads yesterday, and it was a sigh of relief, because it was so hard to get them made and ready. But they did it, and I was proud. I evaluated some things that I've taught--and they have no idea how to follow a recipe. Or maybe they know how to follow a recipe, but I've walked them through everything, so they aren't succeeding at it. Anyways, today I planned a lesson that really should have only taken 15 minutes, but it took ALL PERIOD. We were planning the labs for next week. By now the students have read the recipe and know what they have to do. Hopefully things will go better next week when we make fruit pizzas. We'll just have to see.
In other news, I've finally gotten my $1,000+ computer modules up and running. I was planning on having my 7th graders use them today, but there were lots of kids who left to go play football, so we cooked instead. My 7th graders do much better in the labs--but they were taught last year by a more experienced teacher. It will all come with time....
My 8th graders are neck-deep in human sexuality. It's such a hard subject to teach. It terrifies me, to be perfectly honest. But we watched an incredible movie for the last two days, and the result was mostly positive. All I want from my students is for them not to get pregnant during high school. I would be so happy if they would not get STDs and not get pregnant outside of marriage, and I would be overjoyed if they all waited to have sex until they got married. It breaks my heart so often when people say that teenagers are just "animals" and they all are just horny and have sex all the time. They are so much more than that. I hope that my girls have self-confidence and self-respect enough to wait. I tried to teach them today, but I don't know how effective I was. I did the best I can. Tomorrow is STD day. After that, we're going to move out of human sexuality....mostly because I'm terrified of angry parents, but also because I don't know what else to teach. We're going to talk about fetal development next week which is always super interesting. I'm stoked.
I'm off now to go watch the 8th grade volleyball team. My girls did their cheer for me after lunch today. And I'm here, so I might as well watch them play. I figure---when you have to teach sexuality, you should do everything you can so your students will trust and respect you. That way they will listen to and follow what you have to tell them. So....go team!!
~The Teacher
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
failure.....
Wah! I failed at my goal of last week! I posted only once. Not on Wednesday NOR Saturday. And I am sorry to say that this will not be a long post either. It's 10:20 and I need to be in bed 45 minutes ago because I need to be up early tomorrow morning.
This week has been wonderful. Lots of work--but I feel like I'm getting somewhere. I'm learning a little more about lesson plans, a little more about classroom management, a little more about discipline. I've had students take the mechanical babies home for the 3-day weekend (they begged to take them home for an extra day!), I've had flops of lesson plans, I've had great lesson plans, I've had failed computers, successful lab days, and two observations. I'm surviving. Exhausted, behind, and almost burnt-out, but I am surviving. And I'm getting better. I've gotten home at a decent hour most days this week. Very exciting!! I'm lucky that I'm single right now--I spend 14+ hours a day at school some days. (Some days I only spend 11 hours at school)--and I'm lucky to be single and not have a family to take care of. I can dedicate my time for my student. I hope that it is not always the case--I need "me" time. I went to my parents house this weekend for Labor day, and it was so rejuvenating. It was hard to come back again. But I did, and I'm enjoying it.
I've started teaching human sexuality to my 8th graders. Let's talk about terrifying. I'm most terrified that a parent will call me and yell at me for teaching sexuality to her daughter. I will be changing my disclosure document to have an opt-out clause for next time--I debated putting it in this time, but decided against it. I wish I hadn't, I'd feel much better knowing that I had that security. So I keep crossing my fingers and praying that no one calls to yell at me. It's not like I'm teaching it inappropriately--mostly I'm just showing a video (Pam Stenzel's "Time to wait for sex".....BEST MOVIE EVER) and they have to write a response. But I'm still terrified.
It is officially time for bed. I'm not ready for tomorrow....but then again, I'm never ready. One day I'll get caught up. One day.
~The Teacher
This week has been wonderful. Lots of work--but I feel like I'm getting somewhere. I'm learning a little more about lesson plans, a little more about classroom management, a little more about discipline. I've had students take the mechanical babies home for the 3-day weekend (they begged to take them home for an extra day!), I've had flops of lesson plans, I've had great lesson plans, I've had failed computers, successful lab days, and two observations. I'm surviving. Exhausted, behind, and almost burnt-out, but I am surviving. And I'm getting better. I've gotten home at a decent hour most days this week. Very exciting!! I'm lucky that I'm single right now--I spend 14+ hours a day at school some days. (Some days I only spend 11 hours at school)--and I'm lucky to be single and not have a family to take care of. I can dedicate my time for my student. I hope that it is not always the case--I need "me" time. I went to my parents house this weekend for Labor day, and it was so rejuvenating. It was hard to come back again. But I did, and I'm enjoying it.
I've started teaching human sexuality to my 8th graders. Let's talk about terrifying. I'm most terrified that a parent will call me and yell at me for teaching sexuality to her daughter. I will be changing my disclosure document to have an opt-out clause for next time--I debated putting it in this time, but decided against it. I wish I hadn't, I'd feel much better knowing that I had that security. So I keep crossing my fingers and praying that no one calls to yell at me. It's not like I'm teaching it inappropriately--mostly I'm just showing a video (Pam Stenzel's "Time to wait for sex".....BEST MOVIE EVER) and they have to write a response. But I'm still terrified.
It is officially time for bed. I'm not ready for tomorrow....but then again, I'm never ready. One day I'll get caught up. One day.
~The Teacher
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