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?

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

To be or not to be....what am I doing in Cosmetology?

In a perfect world we would all have students that could not wait to get into our classrooms and learn what we are teaching. Too bad Eve ate the apple... I find myself comparing my program to what it was 25 years ago when I was enrolled in the same course (same classroom too). I make myself crazy when I do that. Times have changed, students have changed, I am learning to change. I think that is the key to a successful program. We no longer live in a world that is driven by people that want to make their own way, work hard to achieve their goals, or even work at all. The kids today have a sense of entitlement. They act like everything should be given to them or that they should be able to have what the next guy has even if they didn't do anything to earn it. In my program I would say that about 20 percent of the kids really want to do hair, 60 percent or higher thought it would be an easy "A", and the rest just needed a slot filled on their schedule and my class just happened to have an opening. It can be disheartening if you concentrate on the numbers. I am learning to concentrate on the kids. If I can make them feel like they are more than a number and help them to find success in my classroom (even if it is not where they want to be) I am adding to their life skills and hopefully changing their mindset from entitlement to pride of ownership. CTAE is the perfect place for a child to be successful. Not everyone is designed to attend college but that does not discount their value in society. We need folks to cut our hair, change our oil, build our house, fix a leaky faucet and so forth. If we as educators in the CTAE program embrace that there is a possibility we can have the kind of CHANGE our society truly needs. A workforce that wants to work and takes pride in what they do. Of the 20 percent of kids that really want to be in my program, I would say only 10 percent of them are naturally talented. It is my job to take the other 90 percent and teach them the value of the skill set I offer. They may not BE the best, but I can teach them to DO their best. If that is my goal, with time I am certain the "numbers" will reverse themselves and I will wind up with more students that want to learn and less students that are just filling a space on the roster.

2 comments:

Terry said...

It actually sounds like you have done a good job of “marketing” your class to the student body. You have undoubtedly figured out the trick of getting the word about your class out to the kids that may be interested in taking your class. You seem to have a pretty good percentage of kids in your class that actually want to be there. By growing your program in this manner you can ensure a high number of kids that want to be there. That will definitely make teaching the subject easier and more fun.

LRS said...

If all teachers would take time to realize that it's about teaching students to give their best effort, to focus on goals and achieve them then I believe that students would change. I see so many kids fly through school only because the grade was given to them that it's become hard for them to "WORK" to earn it. It's sad but thank God teachers like you set the right example. They strive to build students up and train them the best possible for individual students. Those kids are incredibly lucky to have you as a teacher. You should give yourself a little more credit because I know that you are adapting to change perfectly. I see it in your teaching style, the trendy hair style you keep, and as a friend.