Thursday October 3 2013

It never occurred to me that so many students would skip today simply to get out of turning in their final projects. I mean, I had a few students in mind that I figured would pull that stunt, but I never imagined it would be as bad as it was. It's just really frustrating to realize that I gave the students 4 in class work days as well as a weekend to work on their projects. They had access to my email so that they could ask me questions at any point during the project, even if we weren't in school, and I was constantly circulating during these work days offering help and advice where/ when needed. I'm not sure what else I could have done to motivate students or to further support them. I don't think I feel like I didn't bring my "A Game,"but I can't help but wonder where/ what I did wrong.

The presentations I did see today had a wide range of preparedness and how well done they were. I saw some projects that were above and beyond what I had asked for or expected and then other projects were sub par, where as little effort as possible was put in just to be able to turn something in. I have a long weekend of grading ahead of me. Woohoo.

Wednesday October 2 2012

My observation by my field instructor went really well today. I was marked proficient in everything that applied. I was pleased. It really put me back in the mind set of a student though. I was previously starting to feel more and more like a teacher and then with being observed I felt like a student again. I just want so badly to do well in this placement and during this time. However, I was not as nervous as I thought I would be.

During my conversation with Cathy afterwards I identified the problem of the students taking everything so literally and not being able to see past what is in front of them. I asked Cathy how I can help them move past this and she was a bit uncertain as well, but noting that it would be more than a one day lesson (which I figured myself).

Tuesday October 1, 2013

Get ready, teach, BSU class, grade/ plan, sleep, and repeat. This has become my life. I realize this will be my life for many, many years to come, but I struggle to make sure that I insert moments that I can still enjoy without feeling bad about it. For example, I went to see my parents this past weekend, but then Sunday I was so stressed out over everything that needed accomplished I almost regretted seeing them.

It was difficult making the call today as to whether to give the students an extra day of work or not. A vast majority students were not done with there project and another half of those students had been using the in class time wisely and honestly deserved the extra day. Then there were those who had been goofing off and didn't deserve the day. You reward one, you reward them all; punish one, you punish all.

Monday September 30, 2013

The more I interact with the students the crazier I think they are. It feels like they often times forget that I am an authority figure and talk to me in ways they probably should not. However, some of it is my fault as I slip up and let it happen sometimes. It's hardest to maintain the line when I am walking around and they are working on something independently or as a group; probably because there is less classroom structure during this time.
Overall, though, today went as well as could be expected. Everyone seemed particularly chatty, though it is homecoming week; that might have something to do about it. (Which I thoroughly enjoyed the costumes today as well as the carnival that went on.) I am having a tough time trying to decide if I should give them the extra work day or not for their projects. Some of them really need it and have honestly been working hard. Others have been goofing off the whole time, abusing the time they have been given. I guess tomorrow will be the telling point...
One final thought, while I was not overly surprised, as I have gotten to know the students pretty well, I was still taken aback when it somehow became my fault that they had low grades (which they saw when I handed out  grade check) and it was my responsibility to provide them a way to raise their grade to what they want it to be at. Guess they should have thought about that earlier in the semester!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Today was the first work day students received to work on their final projects. While everyone grumbled and complained about the work and did not want to do the final project, the participation and willingness, especially in my last two classes, surprised me. Since I gave them three options and each option required a different kind of creativity each student was able to find a project that they could excel at and would not mind doing. There are still a couple of groups that I am going to have to prod along to ensure they stay on task and having something to turn in at least.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The class independently created timeline of events for Macbeth, then we reviewed it as a class, and finally I introduced the final project for Macbeth. The students were super concerned about whether they received a grade for the timeline or not since I did not collect it. I originally was not going to put any points on it, because the purpose of the activity was to give them some extra support to be able to better complete their final project. Somewhere along the way they picked up the idea that everything they do needs to be rewarded with a point value and go towards their grade.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Today was presentation day. The students had to get up in front of the class as a pair and present the work that they were working on the previous day. Again, a lot of them grumbled because they don’t like talking in front of the class. For those who I know particularly hate speaking in front of the class, I try to be encouraging while they speak and make them feel at ease. I also instruct the class to be on their best behavior and make it part of their grade to encourage the good behavior.