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1. Only use your first name (no last names, addresses, IM screen names, etc.)
2. Show respect and consideration of others when posting and commenting. This includes individuals, students, organizations, political parties, colleagues, etc.
3. Check all posts for spelling and grammar errors before posting.
4. Protect the privacy of others. Gain permission from other people before you write about them. Avoid sharing someone else's last name. Use job titles or pseudonyms when writing about experiences with your co-workers or students.
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6. Make sure you write about things that are factual.
7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.

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?

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Tough Week

This week has been a tough week but I hope it will get better. I love teaching and have to remind myself often how much I do love what I do, to keep me going. Some of my students have pushed me to that breaking point this week. I got rid of culinary club and our fundraisers in the morning because it had become me doing everything rather than my students. My mom was telling me that they call the kids we are teaching the "me" generation and I believe it. They want someone to do the work for them and then they get the results from it.

My students were selling sweet tea in the mornings and it was a huge money maker for us. I realized that I could teach these kids anything with food because our budget was no longer an issue. The problem became that I was the one getting there early to set up the tea station, I was the one helping make the tea, and I was the one that had to clean up afterwards. On Thursday, I walked back into my room from my morning duty and saw my students just standing around while the room was a disaster area with empty tea pitchers everywhere. That was my breaking point and I made Friday the last day for tea sales. The sad thing is the students don't seem to understand the consequences because I do not think that they usually have to deal with consequences. I think they will understand next week when we cook a very small amount of what we were planning to cook because we must now budget our money.

I care so much about my students but I realize that I cannot do things for them and expect them to learn. I hope that the rest of the semester goes better and that they will be begging me and promising me that they will work harder if I bring back tea. It makes my life easier if we do not have to budget so carefully.

1 comment:

Dr. M said...

Hi, Ginger - I'll bet they'll be begging real soon . . . make sure they know their expectations and keep after them to do it. You are finding that a great deal of our time goes into the tough love department as we have to constantly work with our students to get them to be responsible in our classes. Then when we get them broken in and really useful, they graduate and we have to start over with another group! You will learn how to make them accountable in a way that becomes second nature to you, so keep after it!