Today I started the day by sitting in on Mr. Cohen's class. There are a couple quotes I want to write about or mention:
"When you think about funerals, the one person who they're for, isn't there."
"The main character is 145th street."
"This isn't Franklin Lakes."
"Mr. Cohen I got a brand new pen."
I'm also visiting another Ms. Ohle class, one that I haven't visited before. I love the confusion that surrounds me. When I'm not introduced formally to the class, they have a "who is she" aura about them. It's peculiar and really amusing. I come in, I write and I draw for the period. It's very interesting being an outside force to a classroom.
They seem to sort of get over the fact that I know the teacher, I'm older and bigger--but not quite old enough to be another teacher, and I only show up at random times. So what am I? Once they have looked at me, and tried to read what I'm writing in my notebook enough, they deem me something they know enough about or something they can let be part of the classroom. That isn't to say that they don't look over and see what I'm writing or drawing every once in a while.
Here's more about the class is run; Ms. Ohle puts up an agenda at the beginning of the class. No matter how free-form a teaching style or classroom is, there's always a need for some sort of structure--possibly only at this age, but more probably at every age, the only difference being the need or desire for learning being mutual (ergo: generally in college and above). At this age most students aren't really interested in learning what you teach them. With a few exceptions most want a good grade, to have fun, and a few other things that are slightly higher on the priority list. The trick of the agenda is to get them to stay on task and sometimes to dangle the things they want in front of them---until you trick them into being interested and learning.
If you don't get to someone isn't that reflective of his or her learning stlye and your teaching style? Shouldn't a teacher do everything a person can do to get to a student? What is failing as a teacher?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
back in the swing of things
it's been a while since i've been at my internship, because school was closed two weeks ago, and then I was sick the week after. So I'm just getting back to internship.
What I really like about internship is that I get to talk to my mentor a lot. He tells me about this artist that he takes a class with. He gave me a sample of the guy's work. It's really amazing. He makes these political comics. The one I have write now is about how america is divided into red and blue and how that affects us negatively. It's really witty, insightful and mostly really inspiring work.
Today I also sat in on Ms. Ohle's class, which was interesting. As a new teacher, she's still finding her rhythym, which is a really big part of the struggle of teaching, but also really fun. I also noticed a lot about how the kids work socially. At this age, it's strange how being interested in learning or in reading is considered uncool, and how students that seem the most tough, are actually really struggling to find the courage to be themselves.
On a lighter note, the kids are also a lot of fun. Kids have less inhibitition, so they tend to "tell it like it is" more often (which is hilarious) and laugh a lot more. I can see why someone would want a job where they coudl be in this company for a large part of their day.
Having sat in on a meeting with both my mentor and his mentee, I'm learning a bit about the grant process and how funding is requested for certain aims in the classroom. There are certain ways of going about requesting funds so that you can create what you think will help education. What I think is cool is the way that people ask is completely different. When a grant is requested, there are certain questions that one must address, but the way in which a person does that is slightly up to personal style as well as comfort. For example, my mentor has been at that school for a few years now, so he's not afraid to free-formly ask for what it is he wants, and state the goals of what he proposes. He's also not afraid to step on some toes for the sake of education, which I've noticed, in really good educators, remains the constant goal. Others, who are possibly not so comfortable, might simply present in a more standard fashion with something like a powerpoint or prepared words. I didn't ask, but I'm wondering what gets the job done.
I'm really enjoying my internship and looking forward to next week, when I can fingerpaint with the students. You might think this is kinda weird, but the classroom is about expression. The activity will consist of fingerpainting with ambient music playing. And then using the paintings to create a literary work, and continually shifting in media choice and playing with the idea of media. The idea is to get the students introduced to the idea that all forms of expression are inter-related.
It was really cool when I did it 4 years ago, so it should be a fun thing to return to.
What I really like about internship is that I get to talk to my mentor a lot. He tells me about this artist that he takes a class with. He gave me a sample of the guy's work. It's really amazing. He makes these political comics. The one I have write now is about how america is divided into red and blue and how that affects us negatively. It's really witty, insightful and mostly really inspiring work.
Today I also sat in on Ms. Ohle's class, which was interesting. As a new teacher, she's still finding her rhythym, which is a really big part of the struggle of teaching, but also really fun. I also noticed a lot about how the kids work socially. At this age, it's strange how being interested in learning or in reading is considered uncool, and how students that seem the most tough, are actually really struggling to find the courage to be themselves.
On a lighter note, the kids are also a lot of fun. Kids have less inhibitition, so they tend to "tell it like it is" more often (which is hilarious) and laugh a lot more. I can see why someone would want a job where they coudl be in this company for a large part of their day.
Having sat in on a meeting with both my mentor and his mentee, I'm learning a bit about the grant process and how funding is requested for certain aims in the classroom. There are certain ways of going about requesting funds so that you can create what you think will help education. What I think is cool is the way that people ask is completely different. When a grant is requested, there are certain questions that one must address, but the way in which a person does that is slightly up to personal style as well as comfort. For example, my mentor has been at that school for a few years now, so he's not afraid to free-formly ask for what it is he wants, and state the goals of what he proposes. He's also not afraid to step on some toes for the sake of education, which I've noticed, in really good educators, remains the constant goal. Others, who are possibly not so comfortable, might simply present in a more standard fashion with something like a powerpoint or prepared words. I didn't ask, but I'm wondering what gets the job done.
I'm really enjoying my internship and looking forward to next week, when I can fingerpaint with the students. You might think this is kinda weird, but the classroom is about expression. The activity will consist of fingerpainting with ambient music playing. And then using the paintings to create a literary work, and continually shifting in media choice and playing with the idea of media. The idea is to get the students introduced to the idea that all forms of expression are inter-related.
It was really cool when I did it 4 years ago, so it should be a fun thing to return to.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
first
The best part of watching the class, is when they share their work. The shyness, the outgoingness, it's really beautiful. The way a class works, it's like a little society, and I get to watch it and learn about how they move, go, and exist.
In some students, there's a real enjoyment of performance, others a passion for the writing. Anyway they operate, there's a real hustle and bustle that they are all involved in. They can't help but be part of and possibly even care about the action of the classroom. That's the teacher's hope at least, and I think in this classroom it really works.
In teaching there are certain phrases that help to take a comment without ignoring the student or making them feel stupid, all the while keeping everyone on task: "hold that thought one second..", "that's different from what i asked, but a very valid point, we'll come back to it", "okay okay that's good," "you're on the right track." It's really tricky to get this many young people involved in a discussion, when they are tired, and maybe not into what you're teaching. It's about presenting the information in a way that interests them. Ultimately, interest is the goal.
Interest comes from showing the students that the literary struggles in the novels are their own. Putting them in the text by showing them that what the characters go through, are what they go through. People love relatability. People love being the main character.
It's also very important that the students understand and are with the teacher as they explain things. You can't lose your students.
There are a lot of things that seem easy enough to do, which, are actually not.
Another thing is that a teacher tends to repeat what the students say, perhaps a little more intellectually, or bringing another aspect into it. That way, the person who said it, and those who are listening, might step it up to how the teacher is talking. It's like learning a new language, and seeing the two side by side might help to learn how to speak that new language; looking for certain things, how you read, how you observe.
There's a poetry activity in the class where they write a poem from three seperate moments (previously written on index cards) called an Index Card poem. Then, the students used the same tools to create a poem from a Mad-Libs-like template. Because the second one is a template of a previously prepared and very profound poem, when they enter their memories into it, it will be much better. Later, the two are juxtaposed. This changes how the students write because of their exposure to their own writing.
There's two posters with grids on them for an exercise they did. Becuase they made the charts themselves, the lines are not even, going up going down. As an artist, that kind of free line is very inspiring to me.
There is also a lot of persuasion involved to try to get what you want as far as cirriculum. And a sort of reputation to be built in order to be brave enough to ask for those things. In my first class, I talked to the teacher about lesson plans (for subs), literature and his own writing. I also got to read some of the stuff he and his classmates wrote. I love to read that stuff, plus it was about teaching, making it conclusive to my learning experience here. What I thought was really cool is one of his classmates (graduate studies) presents his work as a comic book. It was very inspriring and Mr. Cohen forwarded it to mr do I look forward to read the rest of it.
In some students, there's a real enjoyment of performance, others a passion for the writing. Anyway they operate, there's a real hustle and bustle that they are all involved in. They can't help but be part of and possibly even care about the action of the classroom. That's the teacher's hope at least, and I think in this classroom it really works.
In teaching there are certain phrases that help to take a comment without ignoring the student or making them feel stupid, all the while keeping everyone on task: "hold that thought one second..", "that's different from what i asked, but a very valid point, we'll come back to it", "okay okay that's good," "you're on the right track." It's really tricky to get this many young people involved in a discussion, when they are tired, and maybe not into what you're teaching. It's about presenting the information in a way that interests them. Ultimately, interest is the goal.
Interest comes from showing the students that the literary struggles in the novels are their own. Putting them in the text by showing them that what the characters go through, are what they go through. People love relatability. People love being the main character.
It's also very important that the students understand and are with the teacher as they explain things. You can't lose your students.
There are a lot of things that seem easy enough to do, which, are actually not.
Another thing is that a teacher tends to repeat what the students say, perhaps a little more intellectually, or bringing another aspect into it. That way, the person who said it, and those who are listening, might step it up to how the teacher is talking. It's like learning a new language, and seeing the two side by side might help to learn how to speak that new language; looking for certain things, how you read, how you observe.
There's a poetry activity in the class where they write a poem from three seperate moments (previously written on index cards) called an Index Card poem. Then, the students used the same tools to create a poem from a Mad-Libs-like template. Because the second one is a template of a previously prepared and very profound poem, when they enter their memories into it, it will be much better. Later, the two are juxtaposed. This changes how the students write because of their exposure to their own writing.
There's two posters with grids on them for an exercise they did. Becuase they made the charts themselves, the lines are not even, going up going down. As an artist, that kind of free line is very inspiring to me.
There is also a lot of persuasion involved to try to get what you want as far as cirriculum. And a sort of reputation to be built in order to be brave enough to ask for those things. In my first class, I talked to the teacher about lesson plans (for subs), literature and his own writing. I also got to read some of the stuff he and his classmates wrote. I love to read that stuff, plus it was about teaching, making it conclusive to my learning experience here. What I thought was really cool is one of his classmates (graduate studies) presents his work as a comic book. It was very inspriring and Mr. Cohen forwarded it to mr do I look forward to read the rest of it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
balance
There's definitely a balance to be established in every classroom. As much as Mr. Cohen is somewhat free-thinking (understatement of the year) and has a unique classroom (that's more of an understatement), there is still a structure there that I'm not sure I noticed when I was a student. With the classes that are not that cooperative, he reminds me of the how the waste time affects them. In teaching I don't think there's any room for shyness ( a person would get stepped all over). Two things that are hard to describe are the following:
1) The ability to speak in a way that they can understand while still inspiring
2) Striking a balance between structure and keeping interest.
There are a few technique that vary with the style of teaching but a few principles nontheless.
Today I got to sit in on Ms. Ohle's English classes. In another journal, I get to critique and compare the teaching styles of the two teachers, which is really interesting to me because I never thought of there being more than one way of effectively teaching.
So we've begun the journal, which I think should prove somewhat useful. I also got to sit down and listen to discussion between Mr. Cohen and Ms. Ohle about the commonts written in there as well as qualms about starting ina new school (ergo: discussion flowed to a lot of different things).
They read Oranges (which is a poem by Gary Soto) and then illustrated pictures to go with the reading. I'm really intro art and literature so I love activities that use each to enhance each other. It made for new interests and learning about perspectives of these kids. In hearing the mentor/mentee discussion, I saw certain things that might be modified in a lesson to enhance it like reading the whole poem--then in parts later, instead of beginning with reading it in parts--to prevent unwanted behavior (also singling-out or questions to reduce talk-backiness).
1) The ability to speak in a way that they can understand while still inspiring
2) Striking a balance between structure and keeping interest.
There are a few technique that vary with the style of teaching but a few principles nontheless.
Today I got to sit in on Ms. Ohle's English classes. In another journal, I get to critique and compare the teaching styles of the two teachers, which is really interesting to me because I never thought of there being more than one way of effectively teaching.
So we've begun the journal, which I think should prove somewhat useful. I also got to sit down and listen to discussion between Mr. Cohen and Ms. Ohle about the commonts written in there as well as qualms about starting ina new school (ergo: discussion flowed to a lot of different things).
They read Oranges (which is a poem by Gary Soto) and then illustrated pictures to go with the reading. I'm really intro art and literature so I love activities that use each to enhance each other. It made for new interests and learning about perspectives of these kids. In hearing the mentor/mentee discussion, I saw certain things that might be modified in a lesson to enhance it like reading the whole poem--then in parts later, instead of beginning with reading it in parts--to prevent unwanted behavior (also singling-out or questions to reduce talk-backiness).
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
a post
I had trouble deciding what internship I wanted to take. I could have done a somewhat unfullfilling job at another company, but I'm not interested in taking this opportunity to use any artistic talent I may have to touch up celebrity photos. Something about that just isn't my style right now.
When I decided to take the internship at my old middle school, I'm not really sure exactly what I wanted to get out of this. I know that teaching has always been something I may want to do with my life. I k new that Mr. Cohen affected the way I read and essentially think.
Today, I sat in on a few classes and talked to Mr. Cohen about what the general plan for my internship is. As in class, learning in this classroom will be expectedly be unorthodox and unique. One idea that may be really useful is the idea that Mr. Cohen proposed to create a study of the way he teaches and the way his mentee teaches. The plan is to study and self-study thw way a teacher instructs and the way a classroom moves, and to communicate the thoughts that come with that to one another.
I also got to sit in on a meeting with my mentor and a teacher he is currently mentoring. She's new at teaching so she asks about teaching methods and decisions. We are all going to work together. I ddin't realize how muc hidden insecurity there is in a first year or inexperienced teacher.
When I decided to take the internship at my old middle school, I'm not really sure exactly what I wanted to get out of this. I know that teaching has always been something I may want to do with my life. I k new that Mr. Cohen affected the way I read and essentially think.
Today, I sat in on a few classes and talked to Mr. Cohen about what the general plan for my internship is. As in class, learning in this classroom will be expectedly be unorthodox and unique. One idea that may be really useful is the idea that Mr. Cohen proposed to create a study of the way he teaches and the way his mentee teaches. The plan is to study and self-study thw way a teacher instructs and the way a classroom moves, and to communicate the thoughts that come with that to one another.
I also got to sit in on a meeting with my mentor and a teacher he is currently mentoring. She's new at teaching so she asks about teaching methods and decisions. We are all going to work together. I ddin't realize how muc hidden insecurity there is in a first year or inexperienced teacher.
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