Required faculty meetings. Doesn't the sound of that just make you cringe?
It shouldn't.
I went to my first faculty meeting last week in regards to the school board approving a referendum.
In the last two years, Indiana has altered the way provide money for the General Fund.
Previously they used money from property tax, sales tax, and income tax. Now, dollars for the General Fund come from sales and income taxes alone, which has proven to be an unstable source of revenue.
Obviously, this is a big deal. And I would have missed out had I not attended with enthusiasm.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Why I teach...
School is more than just academics. It’s more than a calculus test. It’s more than building and using new vocabulary. It’s more than the ability to memorize dates or historical events.
For teenagers, it’s life.
It’s where they start and end their day. It’s where they eat. It’s where they make friends and form enemies. It’s where they begin defining and making sense of the world they live in.
To them, it’s everything.
And it matters. It matters to them. And as an educator, it matters to me.
I believe in my students. I believe they are capable. At times, I believe for them when they are unable to believe themselves.
I have seen and witnessed growth on so many different levels while student teaching at Carmel High School.
I have seen quiet students speak boldly. I have seen loud students listen. I have seen failing students pass. I have seen passing students helping others. I have seen lives changed.
Maybe teaching has less to do with test scores and graded papers than it has to do with continuously building positive relationships with kids who unknowingly need an adult advocate. Maybe it’s about caring even when you can’t see the end result.
Maybe it’s about witnessing the progress of one class or one student. One day at a time. 
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Put a smile on your face
Student teaching is going incredibly well this week. One thing after another is falling into place. I am feeling more and more comfortable in the classroom. I just can't stop smiling.
Just for fun, here is a list (no particular order) of my favorite student teaching moments so far:
1. Learning to be more assertive and a little more "tough." I'll always be a touchy-feely person but I am learning how have high expectations for students as well as myself.
2. Today I ran into a student outside of class. Her reaction? Jumping up in down with a short and high pitched squeal. How cool is that?
3. Celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday and talking about journalism in the 1880s and today.
4. My first faculty meeting. Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed it. It's neat to see the entire staff together.
5. I went to lunch with the theater teachers and we had a blast. It was nice to get out of the room and talk to other teachers. Not that my own teacher isn't great of course!
6. SSR: Sustained silent reading. At CHS, students get 30 minutes on Thursday and Friday during first period to read novels. I love it for two reasons. Books become a topic of discussion. Teachers also participate (or they should). It is a nice break while still benefiting students.
7. I love seeing my students on a daily basis. It is so neat to be in their lives consistently. While I did a lot of popcorn teaching in college, student teaching is a whole new world of continuous instruction and continuous demands.
That is all for now. But I am sure I am missing 100 other things I love. :)
Hang in there, student teachers. We are halfway done!
Just for fun, here is a list (no particular order) of my favorite student teaching moments so far:
1. Learning to be more assertive and a little more "tough." I'll always be a touchy-feely person but I am learning how have high expectations for students as well as myself.
2. Today I ran into a student outside of class. Her reaction? Jumping up in down with a short and high pitched squeal. How cool is that?
3. Celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday and talking about journalism in the 1880s and today.
4. My first faculty meeting. Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed it. It's neat to see the entire staff together.
5. I went to lunch with the theater teachers and we had a blast. It was nice to get out of the room and talk to other teachers. Not that my own teacher isn't great of course!
6. SSR: Sustained silent reading. At CHS, students get 30 minutes on Thursday and Friday during first period to read novels. I love it for two reasons. Books become a topic of discussion. Teachers also participate (or they should). It is a nice break while still benefiting students.
7. I love seeing my students on a daily basis. It is so neat to be in their lives consistently. While I did a lot of popcorn teaching in college, student teaching is a whole new world of continuous instruction and continuous demands.
That is all for now. But I am sure I am missing 100 other things I love. :)
Hang in there, student teachers. We are halfway done!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Calling the rents'
Friday, I called home to two parents.
I set a goal early in the week (6:30 a.m. Saturday morning) to communicate positive feedback to parents of students who are doing particularly well. To be honest, my goal was set only to have a third goal for the week.
It turned out to be an awesome experience and one I plan to continue.
If you are a student teacher, you are probably scared or unsure of what to say to parents even if you are calling to tell them their child is succeeding.
Here are some tips from my experience:
1. Say hello and introduce yourself
For example, I said, "Hi. Is this the parent of _____? (They said yes.) I said, "My name is Miss Gibson and I have ____ in my Newspaper 1-2 class.
2. Tell them why you are calling
For example, I said, "I am just calling to let you know ___ has really improved this week as far as speaking during class discussions and I really appreciate her feedback. I just wanted to you to know she is doing well."
3. Realize they will probably be shocked that you are calling for a GOOD reason
Be prepared to restate what you just said in different terms. I think I had to repeat myself twice to both parents because they needed a second time to comprehend what I was saying.
Calling parents was a wonderful experience. It really showed me that there are parents who want to be involved in their child's education and want to hear how their child is doing.
What would it look like if more teachers were proactive about contacting parents instead of reactive to problems when they occur?
Nothing short of amazing, I'll say.
I set a goal early in the week (6:30 a.m. Saturday morning) to communicate positive feedback to parents of students who are doing particularly well. To be honest, my goal was set only to have a third goal for the week.
It turned out to be an awesome experience and one I plan to continue.
If you are a student teacher, you are probably scared or unsure of what to say to parents even if you are calling to tell them their child is succeeding.
Here are some tips from my experience:
1. Say hello and introduce yourself
For example, I said, "Hi. Is this the parent of _____? (They said yes.) I said, "My name is Miss Gibson and I have ____ in my Newspaper 1-2 class.
2. Tell them why you are calling
For example, I said, "I am just calling to let you know ___ has really improved this week as far as speaking during class discussions and I really appreciate her feedback. I just wanted to you to know she is doing well."
3. Realize they will probably be shocked that you are calling for a GOOD reason
Be prepared to restate what you just said in different terms. I think I had to repeat myself twice to both parents because they needed a second time to comprehend what I was saying.
Calling parents was a wonderful experience. It really showed me that there are parents who want to be involved in their child's education and want to hear how their child is doing.
What would it look like if more teachers were proactive about contacting parents instead of reactive to problems when they occur?
Nothing short of amazing, I'll say.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Pardon the interruption...
Feb. 12, 2010 marked Abraham Lincoln's (201) birthday. It also marked my third (maybe fourth) two-hour delay in that past few weeks.
Throw in a snow day and President's Day and you have a pile of lesson plans that haven't been used yet.
When you get behind due to weather delays or other unwanted (in some cases, wanted) time off school, you have to make a series of choices in regards to student learning.
I talked to two veteran teachers, Beth Bloom at Amelia High School in Batavia, OH and C.E. Sikkenga at Grand Haven High School in Grand Haven, MI.
Sikkenga said he recommends young teachers look at cancellations as a gift and use them as a chance to recharge. I think we can all agree that a few extra hours of sleep can go a long way.
Secondly, Sikkenga said it is important to know your content and be aware of what is most necessary to teach.
He said, "A lot of effective teaching is not as much knowing what you have to teach so much as knowing what you don't have to teach. A lot of that comes from experience."
Bloom also said she recommends student teachers enjoy snow days and cancellations and to be flexible. While it can be challenging to meet deadlines and state standards when time is lost, eventually, Bloom said, "Everything still manages to work itself out."
Overall, I think it is important to plan effectively. This is something that has been a challenge for me so far. It's hard enough to plan for things to go well, let alone plan for potential problems.
But I think if I make planning a priority, I will see results that I am not seeing now.
Throw in a snow day and President's Day and you have a pile of lesson plans that haven't been used yet.
When you get behind due to weather delays or other unwanted (in some cases, wanted) time off school, you have to make a series of choices in regards to student learning.
I talked to two veteran teachers, Beth Bloom at Amelia High School in Batavia, OH and C.E. Sikkenga at Grand Haven High School in Grand Haven, MI.
Sikkenga said he recommends young teachers look at cancellations as a gift and use them as a chance to recharge. I think we can all agree that a few extra hours of sleep can go a long way.
Secondly, Sikkenga said it is important to know your content and be aware of what is most necessary to teach.
He said, "A lot of effective teaching is not as much knowing what you have to teach so much as knowing what you don't have to teach. A lot of that comes from experience."
Bloom also said she recommends student teachers enjoy snow days and cancellations and to be flexible. While it can be challenging to meet deadlines and state standards when time is lost, eventually, Bloom said, "Everything still manages to work itself out."
Overall, I think it is important to plan effectively. This is something that has been a challenge for me so far. It's hard enough to plan for things to go well, let alone plan for potential problems.
But I think if I make planning a priority, I will see results that I am not seeing now.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Bulletin board
This is my bulletin board for student teaching. It talks about where I am from and the things that are important to me. :)
Also, my kids just had a new issue of the newspaper. Check it out at www.hilite.org
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
So what?
So you're a teacher. You have a name badge, a desk, and a red (in my case, purple) pen.
So what?
Why should students trust you? What makes you credible to students?
Today I gave my students a reason - and I want to challenge veteran and rookie teachers alike to do the same.
Here's what I did.
Last summer, I worked for the BSU Daily News as a feature writer. I covered Muncie's dullest and Muncie's finest - from Farmer's Markets to murders.
One of my favorite experiences working for the Daily News stems from a simple walk to class one Tuesday morning. I had consistently seen an old lady smiling and waving at students as they passed by on their way to campus. It had become so familiar that it didn't occur to me that this grandma-looking lady was out of her element. I began to wonder, "Why in the world would she want to live in a college-dominated neighborhood?"
So I asked.
The result?:
Story: http://tinyurl.com/ydlttkx
Multimedia piece: http://apps.bsudailynews.com/files/grandma_neeley/index.html
I shared this with my newspaper staff today, explaining that I too have been "just a reporter." Every journalist starts somewhere - and I think it's important to show students where you've come from. They see the destination daily in your teaching but I would argue that isn't enough to earn the trust of a high schooler.
Try it. Let me know how it goes.
So what?
Why should students trust you? What makes you credible to students?
Today I gave my students a reason - and I want to challenge veteran and rookie teachers alike to do the same.
Here's what I did.
Last summer, I worked for the BSU Daily News as a feature writer. I covered Muncie's dullest and Muncie's finest - from Farmer's Markets to murders.
One of my favorite experiences working for the Daily News stems from a simple walk to class one Tuesday morning. I had consistently seen an old lady smiling and waving at students as they passed by on their way to campus. It had become so familiar that it didn't occur to me that this grandma-looking lady was out of her element. I began to wonder, "Why in the world would she want to live in a college-dominated neighborhood?"
So I asked.
The result?:
Story: http://tinyurl.com/ydlttkx
Multimedia piece: http://apps.bsudailynews.com/files/grandma_neeley/index.html
I shared this with my newspaper staff today, explaining that I too have been "just a reporter." Every journalist starts somewhere - and I think it's important to show students where you've come from. They see the destination daily in your teaching but I would argue that isn't enough to earn the trust of a high schooler.
Try it. Let me know how it goes.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Using travel time effectively
My house is 52.6 mi away from school so I have about an hour in the car on the way there and back.
This week I have been researching podcast resources to listen to on the way to and from school. I admit that I usually listen to music of my choice, but my goal is to listen to at least one podcast session a week. Here is why I challenge you to do the same:
INTASC (Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium) Principle 9 encourages teachers to seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
Podcasts are generally free and can be quickly downloaded on your Ipod. Also, you can search for specific areas of interest that meet your needs. If you are dealing with behavior issues, you can find a Podcast that talks about various methods of classroom management. If you simply need a fresh idea on how to differentiate a lesson plan, you can also find a Podcast about differentiated instruction.
There are plenty of free resources teachers can use to grow professionally. Especially as a student teacher, we can use every piece of advice that is offered to us. At the very least, we will hear how other teachers are doing things - and begin to challenge ourselves to be risk takers in the classroom.
Podcasts I recommend:
NPR Education Podcast:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=17350298
Save the Teacher! Podcast: (Check out the risk taking episode)
http://save-the-teacher.podomatic.com/
Teacher Created Materials Podcast:
http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/podcasts/
This week I have been researching podcast resources to listen to on the way to and from school. I admit that I usually listen to music of my choice, but my goal is to listen to at least one podcast session a week. Here is why I challenge you to do the same:
INTASC (Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium) Principle 9 encourages teachers to seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
Podcasts are generally free and can be quickly downloaded on your Ipod. Also, you can search for specific areas of interest that meet your needs. If you are dealing with behavior issues, you can find a Podcast that talks about various methods of classroom management. If you simply need a fresh idea on how to differentiate a lesson plan, you can also find a Podcast about differentiated instruction.
There are plenty of free resources teachers can use to grow professionally. Especially as a student teacher, we can use every piece of advice that is offered to us. At the very least, we will hear how other teachers are doing things - and begin to challenge ourselves to be risk takers in the classroom.
Podcasts I recommend:
NPR Education Podcast:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=17350298
Save the Teacher! Podcast: (Check out the risk taking episode)
http://save-the-teacher.podomatic.com/
Teacher Created Materials Podcast:
http://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/podcasts/
Monday, January 4, 2010
Great Expectations
I took a vitamin this morning around 5:45 a.m. As a college student, the last time my eyes saw that particular set of numbers used together I hadn't been to bed yet. Now, my alarm is set for 5 a.m. for the rest of the semester. What a change!
But there are good things about being up early. There are things to smile and laugh about during my one-hour drive to Carmel H.S.
Take today, for example. I woke up knowing the heat in my car wasn't working very well. (It blows cold air..yikes). So when I was halfway ready, I went outside to start my car, scrape off the ice, and brush off the snow. When I was done with my ice scraper I placed it on my hood, fully intending on grabbing it and throwing it in my car when I came back outside to leave. I forgot.
I drove 3.4 (GPS said so) miles with that ice scraper gently tilting off the passenger side of my car. It fell (no so gracefully) on a main road just as traffic was picking up. (Sorry, Muncie!)
Don't worry, I have another ice scraper. But the experience of my lost one has reminded me to smile the rest of the day.
And although my heat doesn't work, I am lucky - just plain blessed to have a car to collect the snow and ice to begin with.
We tend to think life is this awful place that is out to get us. It can be, I'll never argue that. But mostly, I think it's made up of awesome opportunities just screaming to be taken advantage of.
I really hope I take full advantage of student teaching. May I always remember to smile and remember how much I have been given so that I can give graciously in return.
But there are good things about being up early. There are things to smile and laugh about during my one-hour drive to Carmel H.S.
Take today, for example. I woke up knowing the heat in my car wasn't working very well. (It blows cold air..yikes). So when I was halfway ready, I went outside to start my car, scrape off the ice, and brush off the snow. When I was done with my ice scraper I placed it on my hood, fully intending on grabbing it and throwing it in my car when I came back outside to leave. I forgot.
I drove 3.4 (GPS said so) miles with that ice scraper gently tilting off the passenger side of my car. It fell (no so gracefully) on a main road just as traffic was picking up. (Sorry, Muncie!)
Don't worry, I have another ice scraper. But the experience of my lost one has reminded me to smile the rest of the day.
And although my heat doesn't work, I am lucky - just plain blessed to have a car to collect the snow and ice to begin with.
We tend to think life is this awful place that is out to get us. It can be, I'll never argue that. But mostly, I think it's made up of awesome opportunities just screaming to be taken advantage of.
I really hope I take full advantage of student teaching. May I always remember to smile and remember how much I have been given so that I can give graciously in return.
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