Genre Reflection #3

How To Control Your True Feelings When Dealing With Pubescent Freshmen

            Prior to entering the class, assume your students are all compliant and excited about your lesson and your CTs. Upon entering and observing the first day, assume students are just having an off day…shaking off the summer freedom. They won’t be back-talking and unruly by week two. When week two starts and the academic reading begins, they may still be talkative and unruly. Gently and pleasantly remind them of the expectations. When week three rolls around and they start pulling out their phone like its lunch, ask them to put it in their bag and go back to their schoolwork. They’ll eventually see your reasoning when you tell them that The Odyssey is more important than SnapChat. When you go home frustrated every day, decide to talk to your CT about it. She has been teaching for a while and probably has some amazing advice. Breathe a sigh of relief when she tells you that this is one of the most challenging Honors Freshman courses she has ever had. She tells you she is just as annoyed and frustrated by them and her other Honors Freshman English course is the exact opposite. After processing what she’s said, you begin to feel better. You realize it’s better for you to get the experience now in your student teaching semester. It’s better to see the realities of teaching before you get your own classroom. And that is why student teaching is beautiful. 

The LGTBQ influence (Blog Post #3)

I was baffled by what I was going to discuss in my final blog post because much of what I have discussed before has remained the same. However, this weeks readings got me thinking about what LGBTQ influences my school and classroom has. I've noticed while walking the hallways that there are many fliers around school promoting different clubs and activities that students should be involved in. However, I don't ever recall seeing any fliers for a Gay/Straight Alliance club or any type of LGBTQ club. While I haven't been in many teachers classrooms, I don't see any Ally posters around or anything that shows teacher support of LGBTQ teens. Upon scanning my CT's classroom library, there doesn't appear to be any novels that contain LGBTQ characters, settings or situations. I haven't had a chance to look at the school's library but I would be surprised to see such novels there. It shocks me that  a school that supports diversity and differences in individuals fails LGBTQ students in these respects. This realization also makes me wonder if other schools in 259 fail as well. What have you all observed in your placement?

Genre Reflection #1

New Teacher, Relatable Dreams

Hope for enlightenment

Excitement for the future

Directions are given

Students start their work

 

A face looks up

“Miss, I don’t understand…”

Finally a chance to make a difference

A quick answer, then a trip around the room.

Hoping someone else needs help.

A glance at the clock.

Now only 5 minutes left.

 

The mad dash to finish first.

Put their homework away.

Run to the door.

The collective groan that they must

Remain

In their seats can be heard

‘Round the school.

Reminders and loud voices

They just want to leave.

And all we want to do

Is hope they walk away one ounce

More enlightened.

Online Reflection #2, or Help!

So many things have happened since my last blog post both good and bad. I have a couple of experiences I want to relate and seek advice from you all on. My first experience deals with the first time my CT was gone and it was only me and the sub with the class. Since I had spent the majority of the time with the class and had more experience with them, the sub essentially let me take over. The class was supposed to be reading silently by themselves but they kept acting out. They weren’t able to focus on their reading at all and I constantly heard conversations about their friends, what happened last night and what they were planning on doing later that day, but nothing about The Odyssey. I quickly got frustrated with the class, I think I hid it pretty well though. By the end of class, they were up out of their seats moving around and I constantly had to ask them to sit down. My main question with this situation is if you guys have any suggestions as to how to control that kind of situation. I’ve visited briefly with my CT about what happened and she gave me a few suggestions but I’d love to hear other pieces of advice. Obviously the same suggestions aren’t going to work every single time which is why I would love lots of suggestions for how to control a situation like this that could happen in the future.

                I had a question that I posed for today’s Socratic seminar but never shared it but I’d like to hear some of your thoughts. Interestingly enough today’s reading from Bomer was focused on something that I’ve been thinking about for a while, especially while observing the students in my classroom. In most of chapter four he focuses on what we can do to initiate outside reading from our students and help them to become lifelong readers. I have a few ideas as how to facilitate this but I am extremely curious as to what other ideas you have. I feel like students frequently feel like we are assigning them the most boring books or that we read these types of books all the time, not realizing that we aren’t constantly reading “the canon”. I don’t think any of them realize how important it is to be a lifelong reader for so many reasons but at the same time, telling them those reasons won’t be a good solution either. I know I shared the idea of using outside reading as an extra credit opportunity but I’d love to hear any other methods, activities, or strategies you might have to facilitate their lifelong reader status.

Online Reflection # 1, or Wandering the Halls

My first three weeks at my cooperating school have been fantastic. As I stated in my previous blog post, my CT is very welcoming and open to me being in her classroom, which is somewhat of a first for me. We are currently gearing up to start The Odyssey tomorrow and she has been letting me teach small portions of the major lesson each day to get my more familiar with the classroom and with the students. I have learned all of their names which are a big help as well.

Upon reading the first chapter of Randy Bomer’s textbook “Building Adolescent Literacy in Today’s English Classrooms”, I instantly realized that my CT operates on the workshop method.  Bomer says that “A workshop structure (Atwell 1986; Bomer 1995; Rief 1992) takes its name from its similarities to spaces where people work on projects across time” (Bomer 13). Bomer goes on to explain that in the English classroom, students can expect to come back every day and pick up where they left off on a writing assignment. My CT doesn’t necessarily take it quite this literal. She does a lot more reading and connection activities than writing. However, the students can expect to know where they’ll start in their reading, based on where they left off on the previous class. One thing that she does that Bomer advocates is making sure they are connecting while at school. He says, “the defining feature, the only nonnegotiable element of a workshop classroom, is that time when students actually engage in literate behavior-right here on campus!” (Bomer 13). She does a lot of in class reading and note taking exercises. Today she explained to me that she does this for two reasons. One, so that she can make sure the reading actually gets done and two, so that she can monitor their progress, understand and development of the text. It’s much harder to do these things when the students constantly take home their homework.

I also got to walk hall duty with my CT today and helped her to hand out tardy detention slips. I was quite surprised that many kids were still walking in thirty minutes after the school day had started! We also met today to discuss “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding and what role I would play in planning around 4-5 days at the beginning of the unit. She shared with me her plans and worksheets from last year when she taught it but said I was free to change or add any projects/activities/team building exercises I thought would be fun. I feel blessed to have been placed with such a wonderful teacher and mentor and I cannot wait to continue this semester with her and with the freshman!

What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali

Here is the cartoon version of What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali that I found on Pinterest! And the link because this picture came up somewhat small. http://imgfave.com/view/3833042

It's only the beginning...

Hello all! My semester at WSU has gotten off to a fantastic start but most importantly so has my placement at a Wichita area school! I love my CT. She has the best relationship with her students, a fine line between being authoritative and friendly. I am observing Honors English Freshman. I was lucky enough to be invited into her classroom on the first day the class met and got to experience and observe her first day practices. We are wrapping up some getting-to-know you exercises and will be beginning The Odyssey soon. She seems very willing to let me teach some lessons and co-teach as well. I look forward to this semester being one of growth and experience. I have not had a large amount of experience in teaching thus far and am excited about becoming more familiarized and comfortable in teaching and running a classroom. My CT seems like a fantastic teacher to be placed with for the whole school year and I look forward to working with her and with these kids all year!

All About Me!

Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Curley. I am almost 23 years old and I am in my fifth year at Wichita State University as a double major in Secondary English Education and English. I am finishing up my last year in school and look forward to having my own classroom and beginning my professional career. When I'm not studying or honing my teaching skills, I enjoy reading (obviously), watching movies and TV shows (all types), cooking, and spending time with my friends and family. In the future I hope to go on and get my Master's Degree in American Literature and possibly even my Ph.D, should I feel that brave. Stay tuned in for updates on my explorations in the classroom!