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FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!

Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Dumping Ground

Our department had several lengthy meetings last week. One topic on the agenda was to come up with a plan for getting students into our CTE programs who want to be there. Our classes have become a dumping ground. Many of my students tell me they did not sign up for my class. They were not consulted about their area of interest. They were just placed in the elective of the counselor's choosing. I fail to understand this practice. These misplaced students spend their energy disrupting the class in which they resent having been placed. Our students were told they could not change their schedules just because they did not want a particular class. Do any of you do anything special at your school that works to get students registered for the CTE program of their choosing?

Our school is on a traditional schedule. In one of the above mentioned department meetings we discussed our problem of just getting started on a lab when it is time to clean up and move on to the next period. We wonder how other schools with CTE programs manage labs with traditional hour-long class periods. We suggested asking administration to make our classes 2 periods long. Of course they will probably say, "No," but we can ask. I solicit input from any of you who teach in a traditional schedule and have labs to conduct.

It's a pleasure blogging with you.

2 comments:

Chad said...

I feel your pain. I have a number of students in one of my classes (seniors) that definitely don't want to be there and their poor attitude infects the other students. It also takes a lot of mental energy to deal with them on a daily basis. While my students weren't "dumped" into my class without their consent, most of them thought that the class would be easy and they wouldn't have to actually do much to get an "A" in the class. The counselors don't know enough about our programs to give the students an accurate picture. It's actually work, not a slack class.

The only time students have been removed from any of my classes is during the break after they failed the first semester.

JimB said...

At the sake of repeating Chad............... I, too, feel your pain. This spring semester was my first taste of being "dumped on". I spent the first week marking "no" on schedules because they hadn't completed the intro IA class last semester. Then an administrator proceeded to tell me to just "give them a quick review" because she has no where else to put them. and because of past video production teachers these "dumped students" think that they will watch movies everyday for an easy A. So if your schools solves this situation, PLEASE let me know.

My classes are 55 minutes long. And I know our lab excercises are very different, but if my students are shooting (video taping) around the school campus they have strict instructions to "tear down" and return their gear to the "cage" within the last 10 minutes of class. And if they are editing they save their projects and log off with 5 minutes left in the class. I know this doesn't help extend our class time, but it keeps a semi-well oiled machine/lab running somewhat smoothly.