Rules For Posting To This Blog and Weekly Blog Question

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.
5. Watch your language. Use politically correct and non-offensive language.
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?

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

"Smiling Faces" Open Mic

Teaching is a great career choice for me. Teaching is more than just providing instruction to students, but it should also be an environment where students feel safe to share experiences, to ask questions, and feel respected by their teacher(s). It is my job as an educatior to serve as a positive role model, facilitator, and listener to ensure success in their learning environment and to see the smiling faces when they achieve their goals.

Several of my students competed in State competition in Athens, Georgia on March 14-16th in various projects. They were a little nervous at first, but they remembered the various strategies and skills used in the classroom to minimize some of their fears. It is my job to build a positive learning community where everyone tries their best, encourages others, and responsible for their actions as well as attituides.

If any of these components is missing, the dynamics of the classroom environment are tarnished and the self-esteem could be crushed.Additionally, the support of other professionals and parents are necessary for students to achieve their goals. Once all of these items are in place greatness in the learning environment increases and the smiles on students faces are embraced.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Best job ever........

I think I have the best job ever, being a high school teacher.  I remember back when I was in ninth grade in high school and I got to take Cosmetology.  Mrs. Bishop was my teacher and I loved the class.  She was my inspiration to become a teacher.  I love being able to teach my students everything that I love about the Cosmetology field.  Students really pick up on your enthusiasm and want to learn.  Students have told me that my class is the reason they have stayed in school, that makes my day.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Open Mic

In my 2nd year of teaching It has been hard to teach 3 different classes and keep up with NTI. I have learned to become more organized,muilt-task, and Work smart not hard. I have found that my student has become my motivation to push through and keep going. I am so happy that the end of the year is almost here and NTI is almost over as well. It was great meeting all of my NTI classmates and we have created a life long relationship with each other thanks to you all.

Open Mic

Someone recently asked me whether I liked teaching or nursing better. To be honest, I can't say that I have taken much time to compare the two in regards to which I prefer since I have started teaching, so it took me a few seconds to give her a thoughtful answer. I love nursing, and after being a nurse for over 10 years now, it has become a part of who I am. By the same token, as I become more comfortable with my new role as a teacher, it has also become a part of me. I feel like being an HSE teacher has given me the best of both worlds. I will always love nursing and healthcare, and I can honestly say that I love teaching. Right now, teaching is my passion, and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to pursue my passion. I love the fact that I get to help young men and women develop into responsible young adults, and more specifically, young healthcare professionals.

Open Mic...The Mic Sounds Nice!

As the end of my first full year approaches, I have a mixed set of emotions.  I feel as if I have accomplished some things, but not nearly as much as I wanted to.  I believe that I am too hard on myself, because I look at other teachers and they are happy to get by with just a fourth of what I do. The fact is, I probably want more for my students then they want for themselves, and I feel a bit defeated.  I am glad however that I am close to finishing one full year, as well as nearing the end of the NTI program.  I owe the students for my experience at NTI, because had it not been for them, I would not have a clue as to what a "set induction" is.  I am not sure at this point that I will teach another full year, as my career takes me to the next phase, but I am very grateful for the experience as well as my new NTI family.

OPEN MIC - I SURVIVED!

Next Friday March 22, 2013, will bring to a close my "Teacher Practicum" at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, GA. It has been a great and challenging experience to say the least. It has been many, many years since I myself have been in a high school class environment, and I can only say that teachers today are dealing with a new breed of student. Yes, students of today play the same games and try the same tricks that we did back in the day, however, with the addition of multimedia, style trends in clothes (sagging pants, etc), teachers of today face new challenges. Before taking the NTI program, I had been teaching adult students for over 25 years, so coming into today's high school environment was somewhat of a shock to me. But I survived! Part of my survival has been due to my past teaching experience, strong sense of discipline, leadership and military background; but the most beneficial survival techniques that has helped me over the last two months at McEachern High school has been what I have learned through Dr. B. and Dr. M. in the NTI program! Everything that has been covered in the NTI course came to pass during my teaching experience at McEachern. I must say that this program is a MUST for anyone going into the career tech field. The observations by the instructors is the "icing on the cake"! Their critiques are extremely helpful in fine tuning the "student teacher" until the rough edges are smooth. Thank you for smoothing out my rough edges and helping me to be a better teacher in the Career Tech class environment!

Open Mic: My greatest fear to date...

Who knew I would end up teaching and it be the greatest way I could have decided to spend my time with food? There is not much that can be understood when entering this position (CTE) to really make an informed decision. I went on love of food, desire to transfer knowledge and the fact that so much is at stake with the age group we teach, specifically in regard to career choices that I could help influence (either away or towards the food service industry). I still say, this is the life!

However, when I was told I would have to take them on field trips! Oh my goodness, I thought that maybe I had chosen the wrong thing. Am I going to have to give this up because of field trip requirements. Being responsible for students during the school day in a confined space...that I can do. I almost could not bare the thought of being responsible for children that I am not the parent or guardian of - overnight. Despite having raised 6 children of others and my 3, I'd like to think those 9 have prepared me. No, I don't think so.

Here we are, days away from Skills USA State Competition. 3 days, 2 nights and 10 kids, not to mention they will be going in so many different directions in the midst of hundreds of students. I can't help but think...how did my band director do it? 6 bus loads of us he and 2 other instructors plus chaperones. There are so many things to be concerned over. Their overall well being and safety of course...their virginity (if they still have it). Surely all will go well.

Now I understand why the masking tape was so important to our band director. He placed it on all the hotel doors at night to ensure all of us were in all night. Under no circumstance was the door to be opened unless they were knocking to check on us. So much can happen during the night...I'm still not sure I will sleep well, but surely I will get used to it. Besides, we've chosen the best kids...right? Maybe my Mother Hen instincts are a bit too heavy.

I welcome any and all suggestions!

Falbe: Open Mic


This week I took my students on a field trip. This is my second year taking my engineering classes on a field trip to Standridge Color Corp. to show the students the true potential of the equipment in our lab. The students work with the equipment that fits on a tabletop and cut plastic and steel but when they go on the trip the equipment is ten to twenty times bigger and is cutting stainless steel and aluminum.  Standridge is a company that produces plastic color pelts, sleeves, and silk. They produce material for diapers, Mountain Dew bottles, the soles of Nike shoes, nurse gowns, and many other things that contain plastic. The companies ask for specific types of plastic, then Standridge produces it in pelts, and the company melts it down to the product.
The most impressive thing about the company is that they build and maintain all their equipment on site so they don’t have to rely on outside factories to build parts. Standridge buys the materials and uses the same machines that we have in the classroom to replace broken parts. The students are always surprised at the size of the equipment and its what it can do. The company also has water jets that have the capability to cut through 6 inches of stainless steel.
Overall the field trip helps give the student an idea on what the equipment in our classroom can do. Last year we went on the trip and one of my students brought his resume and got a job at Standridge and is working there his senior year as a senior. They started him off at $15.00 an hour and he has been promoted since he started. I also had another senior start in January at the same rate. The company believes in hiring high school level employees because it allows them to be modeled easier than college level.   Overall this was a great experience for my students. I think in CTAE it is so important to expose the students to the applications of the classroom lessons, and field trips seem to be a great way to do this.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Work smarter not harder.....

I know you have heard that before. "Work smarter not harder".  I sit here looking at a laundry basket full of index cards each student has done as an assignment and think why do I do this to my self?    I have some great meaning full projects but grading them takes way too much time.  I do understand why so many teachers " covet" the scantron machine.   It's takes no time to grade and record tests that way.  However it's pretty hard to mix it up and assess different levels of blooms taxonomy if you only do scranton type assessments.  Time management is still such a challenge for me.



Thank you NTI!

I take this opportunity to say thank you to the NTI program and my fellow classmates for making me a better teacher.  I had some teaching experience prior to entering the world of high school and CTE however it was always with adults.  I have taught at the technical school level and also in hospital systems, but not high school other than an occasional time or two as a guest. Teaching the younger student is definitely in my opinion harder to do. The high school student sometimes comes in with the attitude that “I have to be here and don’t want to be.” or “The counselor put me here.” or that “My parents said I had to take this class.” The difference with technical level teaching is that the student has invested money into their education therefore has a more vested interest in learning. I find that in teaching high school students there is not “currency” to motivate them other than those few students that do care about their GPA. This presented a challenge for me that almost made me give up last year. I came into the system just before the holidays in 2011, and by the time the school year ended in May of last year, I had decided I would not come back.  The subject of taking teaching courses through NTI came up and I thought why not give it one more try.  I am glad I did! I have learned how to deal with the high school learner by not trying to change their attitudes and beliefs but by changing my own.  I had to take an inventory of what was working and not working for me and integrate what I have been taught by NTI over the past year. What I have learned in my opinion is invaluable and will guide me to being more successful this year and every year I stay with teaching. So, having said this,  thank you Dr. Burns, Dr. Montrois and Ms. Chillis for sharing your expertise and advice. Thank you to each of my fellow NTI classmates as well. I have learned so much from your shared experiences and shared learning!  I think that the NTI has given me a gift –

Never Teach Insecurely (again).

Friday, March 15, 2013

Living the DREAM


When I was a teenager I often wondered why ANYONE would want to be a teacher. During many events in my post high school career I reflected on who had the most impact on my life outside of my family. It always turned to a group of people and included in this group was my teachers who made me feel special.

My last duty station/ assignment in the NAVY was as a instructor at NATTC Pensacola Florida, I realized then how much responsibility a teacher/ instructor holds daily. My legacy was to mold the future military members and to influence the future.That was the moment I fell in love with teaching.

On Friday my first grade teacher was visiting the high school, she is now retired from teaching but still stays involved with students. I stopped and talked to her for a minute, it didn't take long for us to be surrounded by her former students. As I listened to the stories and people sharing memories I realized that individually I was not special to her, but that I joined a group that was very special to her, her students. When I retired from the NAVY she saw me in town and told me I needed to become a teacher, I told her my dream was to teach CTAE and specifically Transportation (automotive) I did not want to let her down but I knew I would be retired again before the automotive teacher left. Within two years the automotive teacher became very ill and retired.The rest is history.

Tonight when I went to Ingle's I was stopped by several former students and a former student's Mom, each one wanted to share with me what was going on in their life. Somehow they felt accountable to me, I don't really understand that,but it is very humbling.

I am still amazed at how much impact that my teachers had on me and will never forget how we mold the future daily.


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Nashville Bound

I got back this past Saturday from Athens, after having spent three days with my HOSA students at the State Leadership Conference. This is one of the things that I have really enjoyed doing with my students. It has been overwhelming at times and I wish I were more organized with the logistics of all of the activities, but inspite of my shortcomings, the students have excelled. It was really nice being outside of the classroom environment and instead of the role of teacher, I felt like more of a mentor or even a cheerleader. All the students who went had some kind of role to play and they were so serious about doing their job or competition well.  It really made me proud of them and for them. One of my teams placed third in state in the CPR/First Aid competition. This means that they get to compete at national HOSA. That trip is in Nashville this summer, and I get to go with them. Opryland here I come!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Experiencing NTI Program first

I always like it when we have open mic. I can discuss any topic that I think is relevant to the program. I had a class last week and was giving instructions to the students. I found myself doing reflective responses once the directions were given out. After I was done explaining to the students what they will be doing, I'm asking for a volunteer to repeat what I have just said. It's surprising who listens and pays attention and who doesn't. I think this process is a useful tool to reinforce what's being conveyed and that the students understand simple instructions.

Blessed

Wow!! Ever since I started teaching at Douglas County, I have been told “give it three years, it will get better”. Yes, I still have students that have the need to move on. They just do not understand that the program has changed.  I only have two and one-half months and this group will be Pathway Completers.  I really believe I have done everything needed to help them, and yes, I have seen changes in five of these students.  Of course, I ask, why could I not make a change in all of them? It makes me sad that I could not reach all of them.  But, I am happy to say that, I do not think it will take three years to get the program to meet my expectations and have in place the appropriate needs in order for my students to achieve success. I do understand that there will always be needs for changes.  There are going to, at various times, be needs to do some things different. I realize, at this time, there are changes that are necessary to improve this program for the coming year.  My plans are to make the required changes in order to improve our program.  I have truly been blessed!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

A Better Quote May Be.....

When I have students do poorly on a test I always contemplate the "why."  The thoughts that go through my head include both the student and myself: did they study, did they take notes, did I teach effectively, were my test questions clear. I have felt as responsible and sometimes more so when a student has bombed a test.  With a little more experience under my belt I have become more confident in myself and realize that if a student bombs a single test, I need to evaluate my assessment. If a student fails my class, then they have failed themselves, usually as a result of poor work ethic. While not all assessments are perfect, I think that most teachers, even with little training, do a fair job of assessing their students knowledge and that the greater challenge is not asking the wrong question but of asking a questions that is too simple to answer and involves little to no critical thinking. I'm not sure in what context Drucker offered his opinion, but in relation to student assessment, I think the better quote may be, "The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking questions that take no more than regurgitation to answer."

Knowing what to ask...


In reading this quote, I thought about teachers and students. It can go both ways, although it is much more aggravating when dealing with adults (who are teachers - especially in meetings). I thought about questions that are asked before the information is given or questions that are asked when the information has been clearly given. I guess this would relate more to engagement and management. You have to engage the students and keep a well managed classroom. Ensure the faculty or students are given the information. Ensure the information is reviewed. Ensure time is allowed for any clarification. Then, one has enough information to know which questions to ask for a greater depth of knowledge. How do you know what type of questions to ask without some basic knowledge on a subject? If you are not attentive and obtain the basic knowledge, you (teacher or student) put yourself in a position where you have no idea what to ask.

Saturday, March 9, 2013


 “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” (by Peter Drucker)

I had one interpretation of this in mind when I first read the phrase and then had a more in-depth interpretation of this when I took another moment to reflect on this in regards to the Health Care Science pathway I am responsible to teach. As a new high school teacher I spend a lot of time developing lesson plans, tests, labs and more. Without prior knowledge that there was an actual model of evaluation, I feel that I did a pretty good job of teaching and then evaluating at all the levels but I have learned through trial and error of content test development that I have not always hit the target. I am now guided by knowing that if I pay attention to the information (purpose), judgment (important outcome) and decision (ultimate goal) levels of evaluation that I will be able to develop better testing tools for my students.  I realized “the error of my ways” at times when upon grading a test I had produced that I periodically had questions that almost all the students failed. This made me realize one of two things. Either I had not taught the material well enough or had asked a wrong question. When reviewing with the students the test itself after grading, I have found more times than naught that I had asked a wrong question. The result then was a wrong answer. Drucker’s quote has pointed out to me that an important key to evaluation is to make sure that I am evaluating what I am teaching and asking it at the student's level of interpretation and understanding - not mine.

Fried Chicken (post for March 3 2013)


As I read the question for the blog this week I thought about teaching high school. In the classroom a slip of the tongue is very hard to recover from. You always have at least one class jester that is ready to make something innocent into the funniest thing they have ever heard. Even when you thought no one was paying attention suddenly the rooms fills with laughter. It can be especially difficult when you have a diverse demographic and words have different meaning in another culture.

We use questions to check for understanding, provoke thought and maintain interest in the subject. We have to know what answer we are looking for and the potential answers too. A friend sent me a joke that explains it well. I will share it with you below.

A Little Boy Fried Chicken And His Teacher

Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal was, and I said, “Fried chicken.”
She said I wasn’t funny, but she couldn’t have been right, because everyone
else in the class laughed.
My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken
is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher probably loved animals very much. I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef.
Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal’s office. I told him what
happened, and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was.
I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she’d asked the other
children. So I told her it was because you could make them into fried
chicken.
She sent me back to the principal’s office again. He laughed, and told me
not to do it again. I don’t understand. My parents taught me to be honest,
but my teacher doesn’t like it when I am.
Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.
I told her, “Colonel Sanders.”
Guess where I am now..

Never ask a question that you do not want answered. Who said teaching is easy? Gotta love it.

Friday, March 8, 2013

"Respect and Connectedness"

“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.”

As I read this qoute, I thought about how my students in the area of Culinary Arts develop creativity, intellectual skills, communication and critical thinking. Truly, cultural and technology influences those questions students have when it relates to their chosen pathway. I always tell my students there are no wrong questions when you do not know something. The truly dangerous mistake is not asking the question, in my opinion.

In my class, I provide all students to actively engage in discussion and maintain an environment conducive for learning, engage students with instructional materials that are meaningful and relevant. Therefore, know questions are incorrect and their are know wrong answers. This creates a deeper learning strategy and encourages students to learn from different points of view and real life experiences.


Serious Mistakes

What the quote implies made me think about the idea that in order to avoid a hazardous situation, one should enlist some deep thinking. From an educational perspective, this can be a two-way street. In order to understand what a student needs to improve on are different from the things that we reinforce. How do we know what to remediate if we don't ask the right questions from our analysis? If we miss the opportunity to target the material that students struggle with and not the things they already know, then we don't address the shortcomings that they will encounter as they progress through their academic and occupational careers. This is why we can't rely on our students to ask all the quesitons. We also can't rely on outside sources to complete the picture. We may have to combine our questioning with some further examination and assessment. I agree with the quote as being a key component to the educational well-being of a student. I do also fee that this is just a component and not a whole.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Serious Mistakes vs. Wrong Questions

“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” After thinking on this for a while, I  believe that what he meant here is that the answers that students give, are often based on the information received from the teacher. If the teacher is putting out inaccurate information followed by asking students the wrong questions, how can anyone expect the student(s) to give a correct and accurate answer. It simply can't be done. This can be related to the ole saying: "Practice Doesn't Make Perfect - Perfect Practice Makes Perfect"! If you practice something the wrong way, the end result will be wrong! You may be able to do the task "Perfectly" but Perfectly Wrong! However, if you practice the task perfectly, the end result will be a perfect task. In short, the teacher controls the learning environment and what students ultimately learn whether right or wrong.

Wrong Questions

Uncertainty is everywhere and can lead us into a future that is undefined.   In order, for our students, to make tactical decisions with great confidence and success, we must make sure that they have the understanding and knowledge regarding the subject we teach them daily. When asking a question and it is not clear, how can we expect students to understand and learn what has been taught? As teachers we must be sure that our students are clear as about the expectations being asked of them. In this case, we must make sure that our questions are clear and understandable. I realize everyone at one time or another does not present understandable questions. The only way to correct our wrong questions is to mend the manner in which we ask our wrong questions.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

FalbeMarch3rdBlog

Peter Drucker stated “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question".  When I think about this quote in the context of the Engineering curriculum and Engineering department I wonder what wrong questions we are asking. One thing that I think is important in CTAE is that we ask ourselves what do the students truly need to know to really make this a career. I have found that in CTAE there is a fine balance between teaching enough content, and providing enough real world experience. If we don't teach enough content they will not be able to pass the industry test, but if they don't have enough experiences they will not be able to function efficiently in the work force.  I think that sometimes when we are making lessons plans we are only asking what does my curriculum map say I need to teach, or what do I really like teaching? I think better questions would revolve around what do students need to learn? Why? How can I teach it to them?

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Mistakes


I believe that it is talking about making sure that your questioning fits the answers or outcomes that you are looking for.  You may lead someone in the wrong direction when teaching if your questioning doesn't fit how you taught the subject.  There can be several different ways of doing or viewing something, but if you're going to test or question then the question must go along with the majority of the answers given.  I think this goes with what we are learning about how to set up tests for how we taught the subject matter.  Basically, how we teach a subject and then evaluate it.  They should be the same.  I hope this makes since.


The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.”
“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” As I thought about this quote i think he is saying that we ask the wrong question for the anawer that we would like to recive. The result of the wrong question would be get a uneducated answer or no answer at all. When this happen you have to say to yourself did i ask a question above there level of thinking? or Was that just a bad question? You have to take in consideration whats the age group of these kids (9th,10th,11th,12th). When you do not take in consideration the group that you are teaching you may over teach and lose students.

Asking the wrong question

I can totally relate to this posting. Recently I had a client that was alergic to a certain type of color. She was getting a relaxer and a demi-permanent color all within the same service, which is perfectly normal. Before performing the service, I asked her if she was allergic to color, she stated that she wasn't. So, we conducted a patch test, which involves mixing a small quantity of tint preparation and applying it directly to the skin for a period of 48 hours. According to her, there were no problems with the patch test. There were no signs or irriation on her skin. It was't until she recieved the full service that she started to experience massive itching. She went to her doctor to get her scalp evaluated, and we found out that she was allergic to demi-permanent colors. She could get semi because it contains no or very low peroxide or ammonia. I only asked her about color and I should have broken down the different types of color and what's in them so that she could have given me a more thorough answer.

Monday, March 4, 2013

"....asking the wrong question.”

"...... asking the wrong question.” After pondering the quote a bit I think my understanding is that if ask a poor question you can't be surprised by a poor answer.  However the worst is ...." crickets".  When you ask what you think is pretty simple question and you hear nothing at all. Did I phrase that wrong, did we not go over this,  are they sleepy.....  Where did I go wrong?  It's helpful, however,

.....Asking the Wrong Question

I had to read this quote several times to understand what the author was trying to say.  When I think of my students, I recall asking them time after time, "are there any questions before I move on?"  I wait patiently, scan the room, and then move forward. The questions do not begin to roll until I assign a task, something as simple as writing three sentences based upon their understanding of the lesson that was covered for that day. I decided to try a different approach, and I began offering small rewards for asking questions.  Not only do I reward students for asking questions, I offer a reward to another student for giving the correct answer.  "Rewards" can be something simple such a bag of fruit snacks, or 5 points added to a homework assignment.  I have always been told that there is no such thing as a "dumb" question, but I digress to say that not asking questions, for lack of a better term is a little "dumb".  As a learner, it takes me a while to understand concepts, and I may have to ask a question to get clarity. I realize that my students are often teased or ridiculed when they ask questions out loud, so I placed a little box on my desk that they can drop questions in and I respond to them independently which I have found helps as well.  My belief is the more questions you ask, the more answers you receive, which adds up to the "more you know".

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Perceived Roles

       In my time as a high school student, I perceived guidance counselors to be school staff members that gave advise to students regarding personal or discipline issues. Therefore, I felt I never had a need to apporach a counselor, as I had no discipline issues and when I wanted personal advise I would speak to my friends of adults I felt I could trust. Seeking "professional" help provided by the school would more than likely made me feel officially troubled. Later I found that guidance counselors were primarily gave academic advise, such as establishing student schedules, and shaping their academic careers based of the student's personal interests and class availability. I have also experienced a bit of frustration with our school's counseling office, as I felt like a dumping ground for students who simply needed a class to report to and others who just trandfered from another school. I hold my rpogram in the high esteem it has maintianed over the years, and I fully intentd on promoting and even furthering that status. I felt as though for someone to place a student haphazardly into the program was doing me and the student a diservice. I know they are doing their job as someone who has to fit them in where they can get in, but the frustration was still there. In conclusion, I guess my perception of guidance counselors has been cast in a nonfavorable light. I am hoping that after completing this module and interview, that my perception and understanding of the roles of guidance counsleors will be enlighted.