I didn't post last week because I was really irritated at my coworker. I honestly didn't want to blast her all over my blog because I was upset. I still am upset... but I think I'm over it a bit.
Well, this week, I started pulling back from teaching 4 periods to just one now. I'm still teaching my 7th graders Beowulf. We took our post-test this week. I am simply shocked and blown away. One of my students who completely failed the pre-test (and cried during the test) got 100%, even on the essay portion. I could have cried. This student reminds me of how I was in 7th grade. She's absolutely the cutest thing ever. She tries to hard in school. She talks a lot and loves a lot. I just love it.
I'm still dealing the one coworker that annoys me. She just talks and talks and talks and I just... can't relate to anything she talks about. She's inappropriate in the way she dresses around students. She talks about relationship issues at inappropriate times. I just don't want anything to do with her, but I work with her now. If I don't pray for her, no one will. So, I pray for her.
I realized how much my faith in Christ has really formed the way I teach. I guess that's just how Christ is within me.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Strengths-Finder, oh my.
(Ps. I accidentally put these on my OTHER main blog instead of this one! WHOOPS! But here, enjoy!
The Clifton StrengthFinder measures those who take the test on 34 different categories. I've taken the test 3 times now, all because of Nyack College. ;) Here they are. Tell me what you think!
1. Adaptability
"People who are especially talented in Adaptability prefer to 'go with the flow.' They tend to be a 'now' people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time."
----------- I honestly didn't think I was going to have this be my first trait, but after further self-reflecting, I realized, "Yeah, I am adaptable!" I am a "go-with-the-flow" type of person. It's not that I don't plan or I don't have structure; I just perform best when things are much more flexible. This is very beneficial in the classroom because, as much as you can PLAN lessons, you can't micromanage. Things happen and it takes a real teacher with the ability to adapt to the surrounding to make things work.
2. WOO
"People who are especially talented in the Woo love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person."
------------ I completely agree with everything in this strength. I have the ability to win people over. I have many friends. I get a lot of people on my side. That has never been a difficult thing for me. In the classroom, I believe this is vital, especially with how I want to run my classroom, simply because I want my students to feel comfortable to come to me for any help and be on board with what's going on inside and outside the classroom.
3. Positivity
"People who are especially talented in the Positivity have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do."
------------ Again, this is another strength I knew I possessed. I have always had the ability to excite others and get them on board with whatever is going on. I know that inside the classroom, as a student, I responded much better to a teacher who was positive rather than negative. I want to be that positive teacher.
4. Strategic
"People who are especially talented in the Strategic create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues."
------------ I don't really know what this strength is. I thought everyone is strategic. I thought everyone could come up with plans and proceed. It's confusing and weird. Then I thought how efficient it would be in the classroom. I was very excited that I can be strategic in my classroom, thus bettering the function and learning process.
5. Activator
"People who are especially talented in the Activator can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient."
------------- This is true within myself. I feel like this ties in with all the other traits as well. Also, Activator reminds me of a robot. I don't think of myself as a robot.
The Clifton StrengthFinder measures those who take the test on 34 different categories. I've taken the test 3 times now, all because of Nyack College. ;) Here they are. Tell me what you think!
1. Adaptability
"People who are especially talented in Adaptability prefer to 'go with the flow.' They tend to be a 'now' people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time."
----------- I honestly didn't think I was going to have this be my first trait, but after further self-reflecting, I realized, "Yeah, I am adaptable!" I am a "go-with-the-flow" type of person. It's not that I don't plan or I don't have structure; I just perform best when things are much more flexible. This is very beneficial in the classroom because, as much as you can PLAN lessons, you can't micromanage. Things happen and it takes a real teacher with the ability to adapt to the surrounding to make things work.
2. WOO
"People who are especially talented in the Woo love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person."
------------ I completely agree with everything in this strength. I have the ability to win people over. I have many friends. I get a lot of people on my side. That has never been a difficult thing for me. In the classroom, I believe this is vital, especially with how I want to run my classroom, simply because I want my students to feel comfortable to come to me for any help and be on board with what's going on inside and outside the classroom.
3. Positivity
"People who are especially talented in the Positivity have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do."
------------ Again, this is another strength I knew I possessed. I have always had the ability to excite others and get them on board with whatever is going on. I know that inside the classroom, as a student, I responded much better to a teacher who was positive rather than negative. I want to be that positive teacher.
4. Strategic
"People who are especially talented in the Strategic create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues."
------------ I don't really know what this strength is. I thought everyone is strategic. I thought everyone could come up with plans and proceed. It's confusing and weird. Then I thought how efficient it would be in the classroom. I was very excited that I can be strategic in my classroom, thus bettering the function and learning process.
5. Activator
"People who are especially talented in the Activator can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient."
------------- This is true within myself. I feel like this ties in with all the other traits as well. Also, Activator reminds me of a robot. I don't think of myself as a robot.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
And so it begins...
Well, it's mid-placement. It's time to fill out those evaluations. It's time to do mid-assessments. It's time to be slapped in the face with the reality that my placement at Rockland Country Day School is almost... over. I really love this place. I love all the students. I love the atmosphere. I love the free coffee. Everything is rather... enjoyable here. It is almost... over.
This week, I made one student cry. We took a Beowulf quiz/test on Friday. I passed out notes and had in class discussions. I enabled each of them to succeed; however, they did not do as well as I had hoped. The school is trying to implement tests like the state-testing (which, it should be clear how much I LOATHE them.) The students don't seem to understand ... how to take tests.
Next week, I need to review "how to take tests."
With the 9th graders, we are going over narratives. I'm unsure where to start... except, to use a storyboard. I am having a difficult time differentiating 7th and 9th... as both grades have equal "interest" in literature and are currently bringing minimal effort to homework.
Next week, I begin teaching more grammar to the study hall. They're taking their PSAT this week as well. It'll be interesting, to say the least.
This week, I made one student cry. We took a Beowulf quiz/test on Friday. I passed out notes and had in class discussions. I enabled each of them to succeed; however, they did not do as well as I had hoped. The school is trying to implement tests like the state-testing (which, it should be clear how much I LOATHE them.) The students don't seem to understand ... how to take tests.
Next week, I need to review "how to take tests."
With the 9th graders, we are going over narratives. I'm unsure where to start... except, to use a storyboard. I am having a difficult time differentiating 7th and 9th... as both grades have equal "interest" in literature and are currently bringing minimal effort to homework.
Next week, I begin teaching more grammar to the study hall. They're taking their PSAT this week as well. It'll be interesting, to say the least.
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