NTI Strategies- Ruth

This is my first year teaching.  The strategies that helped me most were with classroom management and seating.  I arranged my desks so that there are four rows on each side and I could walk down the middle.  This makes it easy for me to walk over to students and make sure they are on task, when they are I commend them.   I am also able to use the proximity method when students are talking or doing other things that are not appropriate during class time.  Taking the first two weeks to go over class procedures and expectations was also extremely helpful.  Another useful strategy I learned was modeling behavior.  I find that this is very useful with both grade levels that I teach.  I also practice being consistent which is hard, but I am managing.  Another strategy that really helps is having the agenda posted for the students.  I didn’t really think the students were paying attention to it, but one day I didn’t put anything up and one student came to me and asked about it. He said, what we are doing today, I didn’t see anything written on the board. Overall, the summer NTI class strategies have   proved to be extremely useful.

The diminishing principle.

During the first two weeks of school I had to seriously scan my brain for some of the fabulous tools that I gained over the summer at NTI to erradicate a behavior to prevent it from becoming a norm. I had a student who was continously using the "N...." word out loud in the class as he addressed or spoke of other students. The first strategy that came to mind was the diminishing principle  strategy. I spoke to the student away from the other students and explained that I could not tolerate that word in class and hoped that he would respect that and also learn to respect himself enough to not use the term. I told him that he used the word over 3 times and that I would work with him on stamping it out. I told him the next day he would be allowed 2 slip ups and the day after 1, By the end of the week my expectation was to not hear the word again. By the end of the week, I had a smile on my face when I realized that there was no sound of that word. The following week, he did slip up and begin to say the word but it came with an immediate appology.
happy Dr. Fingall

Strategies Implemented - Chasity

One of the most beneficial portions of the summer NTI program was the lesson planning. As a result of NTI I began the semester with several weeks of lesson plans ready to go.  I begin each class with a set induction.  The set induction is grouped with the mandatory writing prompt for our school.  I use a variety of resources for this portion of class because it sets the tone for the entire class period.  My students look forward to the writing prompt/set induction because I spend a considerable amount of time searching for interesting videos, articles, audio, etc. to get my students interested in the lesson for the day.  My content area has been a hot topic in the media; therefore, my class serves as a safe haven to discuss sensitive issues.  The set induction/writing prompt allows students to gain knowledge on relevant legal issues, voice their opinions, and respectfully disagree with the opinions of others.   The media is notorious for reporting issues in a one sided manner.  My students look forward to learning the “real deal” when they start each class.   I also use the set induction throughout the class period to remind students of the relevance of the topic that we are discussing.  I have also found the transfer in/out to be a useful tool.  Students are able to organize the content through meaningful recalls of information and they are always aware of what we did and where we are going. 

Strategies Implemented in NTI - Casey 9/8/14

     So far this year, I have utilized the syllabus I wrote in the classroom. The first two days, we went through my syllabus. I posted the syllabus on my teacherpage, and my students can refer back to my website as they need to view my syllabus. Knowing what they can expect week-to-week and even day-to-day limits the questions, "What are we going to do today?" My classroom rules are posted on the wall right next to the front door, and I refer to them often. My three favorites are, "Be respectful of myself, others, supplies, and the teacher, Ask three....then Mrs. Fleury, and Use positive and professional language at all times." My 6th grade lesson plans are entirely completed, so I feel like I am ahead when they arrive. I feel incredibly prepared, especially in the classroom. I have implemented, "Please repeat the directions back to me" in the classroom, and it amazes me how much that limits their questions.
     As far as behavior and classroom management goes, I know it requires experience to react appropriately, but I have seen great improvement in how I manage behavior and the classroom, as well. My "next-door-neighbor" was absent one day and a special needs student had his phone out, so his parapro tried multiple times unsuccessfully to take up his phone. The substitute teacher tried, unsuccessfully to take up his phone. I was walking in at this time to check on the sub and make sure all was going well when I walked into this situation. I walked up to the student and explained to him that he had two choices, he could give up the phone or go up to administration. Without questioning me, he gave up his phone reluctantly. The parapro and sub were please and impressed, my coworker was impressed, and my administration told me I had good intuition in the situation.
     To summarize, I feel much more prepared this year, and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to improve and learn through NTI.

Things that are working

I learned so much this summer.  There are several main concepts that are working for me.  At the start of each class period, I have a "Question of the Day- Bell Ringer" posted for my students to answer with a 5 sentence paragraph.  The Question does not necessarily relate to the subject matter of the class that day, but it is a question that engages my students to write.  This activity assists me greatly in performing intial housekeeping for the class period.

Another concept that is working for me is to utilize the rubric of I explain it, you explain it before the students engage in an assignment or activity.  The students know what they are expected to do and are able to refresh or inform their classmates of the assignment/activity.  They are able to ask three and never have to ask me.

What are some strategies or products that you have implemented from our summer NTI that made your semester begin more smoothly and more managable than last year? If this is your first year, what is working well? Remember to post and then to comment on another classmate's post. Grading criteria is located in your course syllabus


The start of this school year has been much smoother than last year thanks to the strategies a
that I learned in NTI this summer. I have been much more relaxed and confident because I am more prepared. The leson plans that I prepared have allowed me to have more time to focus on the nuts and bolts of the lesson.

I have  utilized many of the strategies from the summer. I use the set induction everyday and it helps to engage the students before the lesson begins. I have used the transition techniques that Dr. Burns demonstrated to move the class into small groups and to move from station to station in lab. After giving instructions, I will ask someone to repeat them to the class. All of these strategies have helped to make the start of the schoolyear much less stressful.

9/08/2014 Question of the Week...Jennifer W.

What are some strategies or products that you have implemented from our summer NTI that made your semester begin more smoothly and more managable than last year? If this is your first year, what is working well? Remember to post and then to comment on another classmate's post. Grading criteria is located in your course syllabus.

We have been back in school for a little over four weeks now and I have implemented several things that I learned during summer NTI. The first is the use of a daily objective. The students no longer come in and ask "what are we doing today?" They are able to look at the board for the day's objective and then know what they are expected to learn. I've also implemented the rule ask three then me. This has worked well because I have students who are notorious for coming to me with questions I've already answered, now they are paying more attention because they don't want to have to ask their classmates what to do because they weren't paying attention.
Thanks to the many group activities we participated in during the summer NTI session I've learned to facilitate different learning strategies in my classroom. One topic that can be boring not only for myself but for my students is healthcare government agencies. I had the students get into groups and each group had to research the assigned governement agency then create a poster. Once the posters were created the students did a gallery tour and had to take notes on the other posters. This made them more engaged in their learning and avoided a long boring lecture.
I look forward to this semester of NTI and all the new material I will learn. This class has been so beneficial in making me a better teacher. I know I still have a ton to learn and I look forward to doing so in this class.

Week Sept. 8th Elissa NTI

9/6/14
Hello! Welcome Back!
Where do I start? This program and especially this summer has changed who I am as a student, teacher, and a person. I have become much more relaxed and can focus more on the lessons I am teaching rather than putting together things at the last minute. I have taken more control of my classroom and lab and as for being the only teacher it has been wonderful.  I am using technology more to break up lecture and classwork. I keep students engaged by letting them watch the video then afterwards we debrief and they fill out the questions, this way they are not just concentrating on the questions while they are supposed to be watching the video. My classroom rules and procedures are posted and I refer back to them when needed as well as the syllabus that all students and their parents signed the first week of school. I have implemented almost everything that we learned this past summer into my classes and the strategies have impacted all 198 of my students I believe. We have already started cooking and this month are catering  3 events because lessons plans have been running so smooth! The strategies we learned all are a different approach to the different learning styles we have at Riverwood and in my Culinary classes. One of the best lessons I learned was the repetition from a student of the directions  I give for the class period. This way I do not have to keep repeating myself and one or more than one student gets to take ownership of what the plan is for the class. Lessons plans that we wrote this summer have reduced my stress by 80% I just wish I had had enough time to complete them all! Changing the grading system this year was another bonus for my CTSO FCCLA our culinary club participation or (assignments if they are not a member)  it is 5 % of their final grade. Last year I had 36 members it was something fun but was not incorporated into the grading nor was it organized. Now since it is a requirement for a grade and  to show ACF (Industry Certification) that we are an active chapter I have 197 active members.They are doing great things already for the school, program, and community. I have also been worried about leaving on maternity leave February - May but as I am teaching the other classes I am writing lesson plans as I go. This helps me see what worked and what did not work and how I can improve. Transferring in and out of the lessons in the beginning and the end of class also help me and the students stay on track for the week.
Elissa

What I've learned

Throughout the duration of this year of NTI I have learned so much that I can take with me in my teaching career. The main topics that I can use right away are the objectives that we can set everyday. Before NTI I had an idea what objectives were but I could never clearly put them on paper. However with the lessons we had from the NTI instructors and our handbook I now know how to use effective and clear objectives for everyday lessons. Something else that I can take with me is the use of "proximity" when my students are talking when they are not supposed to. This is a great way for me to keep teaching my lesson and not looking too obvious in terms of attending to the talkative student. Another lesson which I learned that I have used that has been effective is the "It may not be important to you," and the "It concerns me when." These are two ways that I can express my displeasure in a very professional manner. Students know that they don't want to disappoint their teachers and when they do, they don't want to hear a very un-professional lecture or speech. These two methods are professional and they will get my point across quickly. There were a lot of things that I learned about myself during this process. However the one thing that I learned about teaching is that I know that I can be a very effective teacher!! One thing about my teaching career is that I always worried that I wouldn't know how to be a teacher. Knowing the material that you are supposed to teach is not an issue, it's whether or not a teacher can get the information to the student effectively and clearly. That was the one thing which I struggled with, but after NTI, I feel a lot better! NTI has been a very helpful program. It showed me that planning and teaching can be in order and that it can be done in a way that it can be enjoyable for any teacher. My belief is that if a teacher is having fun, then the students will have fun!

what I have learned

I have learned so many things from not only Dr.Burns and Dr. Chillis, but also from my class mates. I have learned that classroom management is one of the keys to learning and teaching. Some of the best things I have brought out of NTI are the small things. I make my students repeat directions back to me, ask three then me, and the parking lot. These are just a few of the little things i have used since learning them in NTI. I have also discovered that not only did i not know how to make up a test, i didn't know how to grade it either. I have enjoyed this time getting to know everyone and gaining so much valuable knowledge. NTI was worth all the time and effort.

We have learned so many things......

We have learned so many things these past three semesters about teaching, students, CTE, etc. What is one thing you learned about teaching that has really helped you improve and grow? What is one thing you learned about YOURSELF as either a teacher or a student? One thing that I've learned about teaching that has really helped me to improve and grow is managing my class better, and not assume that all students are familiar with how to do things that I perceive as second nature. As for class management, I learned that by simply planning an engaging opener and not spending much time on lecturing can help create an effective learning environment. Another bonus for me, as simple as it may be, is having students repeat the directions after giving instructions on assignments. I didn't realize how much you can alleviate confusion, miscommunication and save time by having students repeat the instructions. It helps me to know whether or not they understand the directions and what's required. As a student at NTI, I've learned to put myself in my students shoes. For example, some of my students tend to be lethargic after lunch and need a stimulation to gear their minds to learn again. While taking classes last summer at NTI, we were given the opportunity of taking one hour lunches. Upon returning to class, I too at times felt tired and wanted to take a nap but still had to press into working on assignments. This scenario helped me to be more understanding towards my students who tend to work slower than others after lunch. I also learned how to have mercy on students who may need an extension on assignments. I didn't really give my students a lot of flexibility when working on projects. Giving strict deadlines to students was my way of preparing them for the real world, but negating the fact that life happens. I now have a different perspective towards students who need extensions on assignments provided they have valid reasons.

Growth and Improvements

We have learned so many things these past three semesters about teaching, students, CTE, etc. What is one thing you learned about teaching that has really helped you improve and grow? What is one thing you learned about YOURSELF as either a teacher or a student? I've learned so much about teaching it's hard to pinpoint the one thing that I learned about myself as either a teacher or a student. I'd have to say that I have a new sense of appreciation for teachers, especially being a teacher. In high school I was a horrible student… I mean HORRIBLE. I was always talking over the teacher, rude and disrespectful, and lazy as you know what. I have definitely changed my ways. I have learned that respect goes both ways and to appreciate a great teacher like Dr. Burns. I have seriously cared about my grades and projects. I have given my school work my everything. That's new for me. I think that it's different when you actually care about your profession and the studies that pertain to it. I feel extremely proud of myself and my accomplishments.

Settle for something less…?? Really

Lee Iacocca stated, "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could have." Do you agree or disagree, and why? I have to beg to differ. Although teaching at times can be a complete honor, the paperwork and data collection has gotten out of control. Teachers are losing time to actually TEACH, which is the main reason we accepted the job in the first place. If I wanted to collect data or constantly do paperwork I would've gone into the business industry and I'd probably be making more money. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and I love the kids but some of the other stuff is draining. I could be happy working in other careers but I wouldn't feel as rewarded as I do teaching. That is the best part. But I don't know that I'd completely be settling for less in another career. I can find happiness in anything I do. I loved being a graphic designer, I'd consider it again if teaching ever fell through.

Being a Student Again

When I accepted the job at my school two years ago, the first question they asked was, “Would you be willing to go back to school and get your certification?” I calmly answered “yes” but on the inside I was absolutely beside myself with anxiety. I remembered what school was like for me, and repeating that experience was not something I was looking forward to. Let me introduce you to young Taylor, the student. Her priorities, in order were: boys, friends, boys, extra-curricular activities, part-time job, boys, and making good grades. If you ask any of her past teachers how she was as a student, most of them would tell you she came to school to focus on her social life first, and her academic life second. I was never a discipline problem (except for breaking dress code), I made good grades (except for Chemistry Honors), and I was a pretty likable person. My biggest problem was memorization and test taking. I could finish worksheets, classwork, homework, and projects just as well, if not better, than any other student, but the second I had to sit down and take a test, I lost everything I had learned. When I was preparing for NTI I was so nervous that I was going to do poorly. I kept saying, “I am not smart enough for this”. I was afraid that because I struggled with some aspects of learning, I would have a really hard time teaching children. I also knew that I focused too much on everything but class, and I would face the same obstacles as college. I made a promise to myself when I started taking the class, and that promise was to do things the right way from the beginning. I was going to focus on my grades first, and all the extra stuff second. I learned that I am not a bad student at all, and when I put my mind to something, I can really excel at it. I learned how antsy I can get when sitting in a desk, and how much I crave hands-on projects, so I try to model my class after what I would want as a student. If I knew then, at my interview, what I know now, I would shoo away that anxiety and prepare myself for an amazing experience at NTI where I met some great friends and learned invaluable information that will make me a better teacher.

The Most Important Thing

This is really hard for me. We have learned so much this year. I think naturally I possessed a few skills that are important to being a successful teacher. I am organized and I think leading by example speaks so much louder than do as I say, not as I do. For that reason, lab and classroom management came easy for me. I am a hands on learner that needs step by step explanation so task analysis helped me put into words information I need to transfer into a skill set. I am pretty in tune to the affective domain of learning because I understand the need to feel safe in my work environment. If I had to narrow it down to the most important thing it would have to be writing assessments. I took for granted the tests that were provided for me were quality assessments. After all, they were written by professionals so they have to be good, right? I will be spending this summer creating assessments for each unit that I teach. There may be some questions I can use but the formatting will have to be changed. I also learned that essay questions do not necessary mean paragraphs and the ease of grading depends on a good answer key. The assessment piece struck a huge cord with me. I have been frustrated on more than one occasion after assessing a unit. Now I have the tool box to create meaningful assessments that will be a better judge as to my teaching abilities. As far as personal growth, I think this course has made me more well rounded. I don't have tunnel vision as much as I did before beginning NTI. The past three semesters have taught me to look for the big picture (teaching, informally assessing, remediating, and formally assessing in all THREE domains of learning).

April 22 Quote

Lee Iacocca stated, "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could have." Do you agree or disagree, and why? I am not sure how I feel about this quote. There are too many factors that are not mentioned for me to have a definitive opinion. So with the info I have before me I am going to give it my best shot. Here goes. I believe society should have a higher regard for teachers than it does. Not only are we (teachers) charged with educating students in our content area, we are expected to "raise" them morally. I take the responsibility very personally. I treat my students as my children and hope I leave a footprint on their life that instills honesty, integrity, and a good work ethic. The part of the quote that bothers me is "the rest of us would have to settle for something less..." I don't think professions such as doctors, scientists, pastors, etc. is settling for less. Even those that do not hold a teaching certificate are capable of teaching. Most moms should have a "degree" with all of the skills they are responsible for teaching their children. How to get dressed, how to eat with a fork and spoon, tying your shoes. If children didn't get those basics, we would all be running around naked, shoeless, and messy faced. See how this quote has me torn?

What I have learned so far...

I remember my first day of school and that very first talk I had with my second period class. It was an amazing feeling to know I would be leading these young minds through an exciting journey. Little did they know that it would be an exciting journey for them and for me as well.

I have learned so much this past year. I am excited about where my journey will go from here. I have learned that every student learns differently and they are all at different levels. I have learned that each one of my students come from different backgrounds and different walks of life. I have also learned that my life experiences, my delivery of the content, and how I can connect with each one on their own level.

Most of all I have learned that I love my job. I absolutely love being a teacher. I know this is only my first year but it is my hope that I can only get better from here. I want to look back ten years from know and be able to measure just how much I have improved.

Mr. H

What I learned about me over the last 11 months.

The one overwhelming fact I have learned about myself over the past 11 months is about me as a student. Coming into this Georgia State/ NTI experience, I was seriously fearful of going back to school. Terrified is probably a better word.

My last experience with college was 20 years ago. It was July of 1993 and I was about to complete my final course. I still remember answering the final question of my last college final. I placed the pencil down on the desk and said to myself, “I will never do this again”! School was always a struggle for me. I didn’t really figure out how to study until I was a junior in college. On top of that, I was lazy and immature. Mix all that together and the cocktail you get is a stout serving of “terrible student”. Fast forward to today and now I know there was no reason to be fearful.

What I know about me the student now is I can succeed in any school setting. My years since college have taught me how to pay attention, pick up on important things, become the most prepared for whatever the situation and don’t settle for average achievement. The corporate world taught me that. I also know that success as a student is also highly dependent on the teacher. Dr. Burns taught me that! I don’t know if I will ever take another college level course, work towards a masters or even a doctorate. However, I do know as I put this “pencil” down for the last time in this class I am not scared to “do this again”.

"In a rational society"

Wow. How do I write a response to that Lee Iacocca quote without showing, at least some, bias? Let’s give it a shot. I agree with Mr. Iacocca, for the most part. Our society is continually replenished by our children and theirs. In this replenishment, our cultural and societal norms are taught, exhibited and refined. If the very best individuals from every possible professional discipline are charged with passing down what works and what doesn't work from one generation to the next, then society should continue to flourish. In “a completely rational society”, that is

We all know we don’t live in a world like that. By that I mean you may be great at something, but, you may not have the ability to teach it effectively. It takes a special kind of person to be a teacher. They must possess skills such as time management, human relations, excellent communication, mental toughness, stamina, content knowledge, patience and passion, just to name a few. Yes, the “very best of us” may possess many of those traits, but, that may not make them a good teacher.

Testing Failure

Suppose a parent of one of your students called you today to complain about his/her child's poor performance on your classroom tests. The parent concludes by asking you, "Just how sure are you the fault is in my child and not in your tests?" How would you respond to this parent? What would you think about? Justify your response. There are several things I would take in consideration here. The first thing I would do would be to look at the students performance on classwork assignments to see if the student was performing at a rate much higher that that of the testing. The second thing I would do would be to see how the grades of other students at the same level are performing on the same tests. I would also schedule a conference a meeting with the student, parent, and myself to get to the bottom of the problem. Kids may go home and tell their parents anything to cover themselves but face to face with both parties you are more likely to get the truth. The student could be struggling with test anxiety, I know as a teenager I hated testing more than anything else. It literally made me sick to my stomach. If the classwork grades are high and show understanding of the unit, and the other students in the class are struggling on test grades, I would definitely take a second look at my testing. I would have coworkers and maybe my supervisor take a look at the test as well to see if I was missing something. I would also ask the students what they are having trouble and see if I can correct the issue. After what I've recently learned, I do realize I may need to look over my tests and make many changes to better them.

Lee Lacocca

I agree somewhat with this statement because I don't believe that you can say that the best people would be teachers and the rest would have to settle for something less. I believe that there are some brilliant people who aren't teachers. Many people such as clergy, carpenters, business owners, coaches etc are brilliant people. I honestly take offense when he said that everyone else has to settle for something less. Mr. Lacocca is giving the impression that every other job is not as good as being a teacher. Without the "other jobs," teachers wouldn't have supplies and resources to be great teachers. I believe that is an unfair statement to say that all the rational people should be teachers. I do however agree that teaching and passing civilizations from one generation to the next is a very high honor along with being a parent. I take pride in teaching because it's the only job that I can think of that has more responsibility than any other job in terms of preparing the next generation.

The Importance of Teaching...

I agree with Lee Iaoccoa referencing teachers in high regard. However, I don’t agree with the part about everyone else having to settle for something less. I think we all came from different professions prior to teaching and I know, I for one, felt that I had a very important job serving and protecting citizens. I think there are many jobs that are often looked down upon because they don’t bring in the highest salaries or are considered esteemed such as doctors and lawyers. But too often, people forget that they entrust 13 years of a child’s life and the most impressionable ones at that, to a teacher and when they are in trouble, they need a Police Officer or EMT. No matter what we are called to do in life, I think we all play a valuable role in being productive citizens.

I also agree that teachers do not get the credit they deserve. This is by far the hardest job I have ever had. Teaching takes a lot of effort and time or blood, sweat and tears if you will and often for little pay and hardly any recognition. I salute all of us in the profession and recognize our importance in making a contribution to this generation in hopes that it will be passed on. 

Tests and Parents...

When considering this question posed by a parent, I would first look at the grades on the test for the entire class. I have given tests before and saw that the majority of my kids failed and I have gone back and did some re-teaching before re-assessing the students.  I know my students that really do well because they put forth the effort and are very conscientious of their work, so when they struggle, I know there is a problem and I use their performance along with the entire class’ scores to gauge the problem. If the result indicates that I may not have done a good job covering the material, I have no problem going back over the content. In addition, now that we have done the last few weeks lessons, I feel much more confident in my test development and I feel I would be able to support the fact that my tests follow research-based testing strategies. I can’t say I would have felt that way before. Nevertheless, I think I would be prepared to answer the parent’s question confidently at this point in my teaching career. 

Be the best and "raise" the best

I would say, for the most part, I agree with the statement "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could have." My husband and I were just talking the other night about how much a responsibility teachers have to help mold generations. We were discussing the things our teachers were allowed to do, versus the restrictions on teachers now-a-days, and how we understand when our parents start stories with "back in my day..." When you really think about it, the vast majority of our students have limited access to adults: their parents and their teachers. Not only are we responsible for doing our job and teaching them the subject matter assigned, but we are also an example of how human beings should act. Think about it, if little Bobby only hears me, his teacher, an adult he spends several hours with per week, constantly complain about my job, gripe about low pay, use the phrase "that's not my responsibility", etc., then little Bobby will think that is how you are expected to act as an adult. This is especially true if his parents or other family members act the same way. It breaks my heart when I hear teachers counting down the days until the next break or until retirement. I firmly believe that if you don't love what you do, do something else. I have made my husband promise me that as soon as I dread coming to school and spending time educating these kids, that he better give me a good shaking and tell me to go do something else. I feel that I was selected for this job because I was among the best at what I do, and all teachers should be held to that same standard.

Lee Iacocca...

Lee Iacocca stated, "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could have." Do you agree or disagree, and why? In general terms, everyone at some point regardless of their profession are teachers. You can teach by your lifestyle, what you believe in, or simply sharing words of encouragement. As a profession, I agree in the sense that holding the position as a teacher is indeed a honor. You witness the development of a student's mind that you actually took part of. As for the statement, "...the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could have", I totally disagree. Every job, profession and craft out there is necessary which benefits everyone. If we didn't have garbage men to pick up our trash which in my eyes is of the upmost importance in sanitizing our neighborhood, could that be viewed as settling for less? I beg to differ.

Suppose a parent.....

Suppose a parent of one of your students called you today to complain about his/her child's poor performance on your classroom tests. The parent concludes by asking you, "Just how sure are you the fault is in my child and not in your tests?" How would you respond to this parent? What would you think about? Justify your response. My response to a parent who is questioning my tests as a result of their child's failure would depend on the child's academic performance in class. If I had several of my well scoring students who failed the tests, then yes, without a shadow of a doubt, I would go back and revisit the structure and format of the test. However, if the student has not done well on any previous tests, does not participate in class, homework scores are down and so forth, then the student would be in question. In most cases, students test differently. It could be that the student needs another way of testing. Provided none of the cases described above pertains to this student, then I would out a solution with the parent to restructure the test.

Lee Lacocca's quote revisited

Lee Lacocca's quote... I realize in my response to Trenton that I may have gotten a lot deeper than I wanted to. I can break down my thought process even more and say that this quote, in my humble opinion of a true pipe dream. Now before you get on the defensive, let me explain.

When I think about society and where it's priorities are in the current state of affairs I could easily tell you that it is not anchored in rational thought. When the best of the best of society are movie stars and musicians and athletes, where does that put the position of the teacher? While I believe Lee's quote is optimistic, it is far flung in this day and age. I mean how many times have you turned on the television and actually saw a special newscast or special report on amazing teachers? I can answer that one for you... Just last year I saw my FIRST ever news story that dedicated like two hours to the best of our struggling teachers. I find it funny how society only pays attention to it's most powerful trendsetters and innovators when there is violence in a school or a shooting.

Don't get me wrong, in the end, I agree with this quote from Lee Lacocca. When taken in the context of how it was stated...  "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers".. That statement alone defines the barriers of what is being said. So until we become a completely rational society, teachers will be teachers, and athletes, musicians, and movie stars will be the heroes to the multitudes.

Mr. H

Lee Iacocca

In processing the quote from Lee Iacocca, I find myself a bit divided. I do agree with the statement, my biggest struggle falls between the "completely rational society" and "the best of us would be teachers". The first portion, about the rational society, we shall never live in a completely rational society, at least not without humanity evolving from unanimous spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. The second portion, the best of us would be teachers, I am torn on because I do believe that the best would be the ideal ones to pass along the knowledge to the next generations, but who would that leave to bring about progress and stability to this ideal society. I suppose if the society was "completely rational" we could use the "best" of the oldest generation, much like the tribal elders of past, that educated the generations of the ways of life. Now, after picking apart the statement, I would have to say that, overall, it is a very complimentary statement. I have pledged to myself to try to uphold my part to not only educate, but to expand curiosity and open thoughts and perspectives during my time as a role model. I hope to live up to Mr. Iacocca's statement, whether I'm one of the best or not and rational society or not, it is my obligation.

bad test

I would first have to see the percentage of pass and fail. If the fails where to high it may be the test, or I didn’t teach it well. But if this parents child the only one, or one of the few that failed I would have to say it was not the test itself. You would also have to know the student. We all have the students that want to play everyday and not pay attention. If this student fell into that group I would be happy to show the parent the class work ethics chart I keep. The parent could when and why the student lost points, and therefore was not paying attention. This is not to say that this would work every time but it certainly helps to have your bases covered.

Proper Testing or Student Performance

Suppose a parent of one of your students called you today to complain about his/her child's poor performance on your classroom tests. The parent concludes by asking you, "Just how sure are you the fault is in my child and not in your tests?" How would you respond to this parent? What would you think about? Justify your response. I would respond to the parent positively. I would be a little offended, but I am able to take criticism. It could possibly be my tests. Or it could be a combination of both my tests and the student. I would offer a conference to discuss issues in detail. I am already aware of all of my student's academics abilities, personalities, and peer interactions. I keep all of my student's work and I am able to show parents their child's work. I'd let the parent know I offer tutorials on Thursdays. I'd offer the parent to come sit in on a class session. I would try to the best of my ability to resolve the situation in a positive manner.

Am I at Fault?

Suppose a parent of one of your students called you today to complain about his/her child's poor performance on your classroom tests. The parent concludes by asking you, "Just how sure are you the fault is in my child and not in your tests?"

How would you respond to this parent? What would you think about? Justify your response.

 

This is a very interesting question. Two weeks ago, I would have been able to stand firm on the opinion that the fault was neither in my teaching nor my tests but in the child. After taking a look at the rules for creating effective tests, I realized that many of my small mistakes can affect the student learner. I haven’t always taken the time to outline the objectives that I will teach and match them up with the questions that I put on the test. My multiple choice answers were not always in columns. As I reflect upon this, I can recall students placing the wrong answer on the line or even circling the wrong answer. For many students, we just called it a “careless mistake” with my knowledge as the teacher that they knew the information. However, that mistake may have been the difference between a letter grade.

 

As far as a response to the parent, I will probably suggest that this be a conversation we have the student together. This will give me an opportunity to listen to the student’s feedback on their previous exams. It may be best to take an exam that the student did poorly on and go through the correct and incorrect answers while having the students to justify the incorrect answers. This would provide the student to explain any questions that they may not understand or acknowledge that they knew the answer but may have circled the incorrect answer. I would hope this will give me an idea of whether it’s the knowledge of the student or my exam.

 

Testing Conference

This is a very tricky topic just because there are so may angles that the parent, student, and teacher could debate. The one thing I would try to do as early as possible is to schedule a parent meeting with both the child and the parent(s) to see if all three or four of us can get a clear understanding of my expectations, the test itself, and a solution. One thing that I would assure the parents before the conference is that it is nobody's fault why the student failed the test, all of this would be discussed during the meeting. Once we figure out all of the factors which may contribute to the low grade, then we can start discussing what happened. One reason why I would want the student to be present is that if the student really struggled during the test, I would want his or her opinion of how the test could've been written differently so that the student can understand future tests better. Something that may happen that could be unexpected is that a child may have a learning disability to comprehend certain types of assessments and that might require further testing. In my opinion it's a win-win situation for everyone that is involved. The final thing I would do in this parent teacher conference is I would ask the parents if they understood the test as well. If the parents see the test, then they can get a better understanding of the structure of the test and what is expected. The bottom line is, I don't want to play the blame game, I want to come to a solution so that everyone involved is happy. I feel that there is too much blame going on now, and no solutions being offered. I believe having a face-to-face conference is the best way to come to a solution.

Test or student, who or what is at fault?

This situation has a lot of layers to it and should be analyzed before any decisions are made. If a student is consistently performing poorly on tests (notice this is multiple so there may be a pattern) I take a look at the overall performance on each test by the entire class. If the class performance closely mirrors the one student’s, then yes, there may be a problem with the test. However, if the rest of the class is outperforming the one student on the test(s) then, most likely, the problem is not with the test.

Hopefully, you have this information ready when you talk to the parent. I would be well prepared to communicate all details about that particular student’s efforts in class and how he or she compares to their peers. I would also have an action plan ready to suggest to the parent if they do not offer one first.

In the end, professionalism will be the most important factor in the teacher’s conversation with the parent. Being prepared, polite and proficient should allow the situation to be resolved easily.

Testing confrontations

I must say that I have not had this situation arise yet and I hope it never does. I have, however gotten a few parent phone calls and emails about their child’s progress in my class. I have more students that simply won’t do the work assigned to them than I have students who do poorly on tests. I do, however, have a robust plan in place if such a moment arises.

The good news is that by using a learning Management System called Edmodo, I am able to stay in direct contact with students (And their parents/guardians if they choose to sign up for a parent account)and it is a one stop shop for due dates, deadlines, study guides, helpful links, etc. This is by far, my biggest defense to such issues. Once a parent sees exactly what their child is doing, or NOT doing for that matter, this usually quells even the most protective of them. Once they can see first-hand that the fault lays with their child and not with me, then that takes the wind out of their wings so to speak.

As far as the testing results go, the good news is I adhere to ALL IEP and 504 accommodations , along with providing study guides and ample warning on the content of each test/quiz well before it actually occurs. It also helps that I always give my quizzes on Fridays nearly every week of the semester so there can be no confusion as to how or why a student did not do well on the test.

Mr. H

Who's fault?

Before my students are given a test or a quiz we review the entire thing the day before. I make it clear to all my students to pay attention to the review and to take notes. After the students take the test or quiz I count to see how many students passed. According to that number I am able to tell if the students understood me and the test. If majority of the students did not pass, let’s say 55%, then I will reteach the material and give them a different test or quiz.

Test Justification

In the event of a parent confronting me about a test grade and confronting me on the accuracy of the test, I would have to take a number of things into consideration. The first thing would be the percent of students that did pass the test. If the class has an overwhelmingly high number of passing grades (higher than 50%) then I would bring that to the attention of the parent. The next factor would be how long we had been covering the material for the test and if the students were given a study guide. If the test was over a topic that had only been covered for a short time and the student in question had been absent a lot, then I might be lenient with the allowance of a re-take. Also if the students had been given a study guide, often they are, I would not be as lenient with the allowance of a re-take. I also would explain to the parent that before each test begins I go over what each portion of the test is, the directions for each section, and what is expected for the format. Any student with a question is to ask at that time. I would always take any criticism openly and be flexible with students. I do make all of my own tests, and my students all know that I am not a person that lives a life with no error. So, I would take a parent complaint very seriously, step back, and evaluate my test and it's content.

Who's Fault is it?

I would say that overall I feel pretty confident that the material on my tests is covered in class, and as a whole we review for tests. I do not believe in trick questions, relying on the students to “just figuring it out”, or hanging my kids out to dry. There are a lot of factors that would have to play in to my response to the parent such as: the student’s effort on other assignments in my class, the student’s attendance record (which I never had a problem with before this semester), the student’s overall grade, and their note-taking during lessons. If all of those factors were in favor of the student, then maybe I would have to step back and re-evaluate my tests. I can also add, that in school I feel that I was always a good student when it came to classwork, homework, and projects, but I really struggled as a test taker. Maybe we could look into a possible pull out group for the student, or we could break the test down into sections so it wouldn’t be so overwhelming. So after all my rambling, I guess I would say my simple answer is that initially I would not put all the blame on my tests, but after ruling out other factors, I would consider re-writing my tests (which this unit is teaching me I already need to do).

Where lies the blame?

Before this unit on test writing I would automatically assume it was the fault of the student. Perhaps the little darling didn't study or slept during the review. However, after learning how to actually "write" a test and not rely on the ones supplied to me I would certainly have a different opinion. Maybe. If I had written the test and the child failed and the parent called here are my thoughts: 1. I would reflect on the child's daily performance and share his studious behavior or lack of studious behavior with the parent. 2. I would explain that we reviewed the material in class the day before the test (something I always do, usually in a game type format) 3. I would also show the parent the study guide the student had available for use in preparing for the test. 4. Lastly, I would explain that the test material represents the content taught and that modifications are made as necessary (IEP, etc.) If it was a hands on skill, it was a hands on test. If knowledge based, written test. In addition to that I would also show the parent the material I used to create the test so they understand I am not pulling random questions out of a hat.

Quotes and Thoughts

After reading through the "open mic" posts I thought perhaps we should be philosophical with this post. I have selected two quotes, hoping you will gleen some inspiration. Please post what comes to mind after reading these quotes. "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) To me this quote almost makes me feel as if the failures and mistakes that every new teacher makes are okay, the mistakes ensure growth. We must take the failures and build on from there. It's not easy to look your failure in the face and say, "okay, I screwed up… but let me have another shot at it! I'll do much better next time." But in the event that you do take that discouragement and make it your motivation success is right around the corner. This can also be used to help motivate your students but my first though was how it related to me and my struggles. "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) To me this quote makes me feel realistic, to realize that success in one thing does not ensure success in everything you will encounter. But the success can get to your head, it can make you feel as if you can't be taken down, you won't lose. We all know that is unrealistic. You have to remember to stay humble and do your best in everything you do but not to get discouraged if you do encounter a failure. And to definitely not let the success get to your head. Stay real my friend. :)

Philosophical Post

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) All the people who I consider to be successful have experienced failure. Those failures were a blueprint for them on how to gain success on their next attempt at whatever they were pursuing. Even if they decided to change what they were pursuing, they always used the previous failure to gain success at their next endeavor. When people attempted to discourage them, they used those words of doubt to steer them towards their next success. "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I don't 100% agree with the quote. I personally think success without some failures can seduce people. I know that if I hadn't experienced some failures along the way I wouldn't be as cautious as I am with certain career and life decisions. I think both quotes can take on the perspective of what the reader considers successful.

Success

I like both of these quotes, there is so much truth in them. To truly understand something, one must find it's faults and understand what doesn't work before understanding what does. That is a point that I try to drive home to my students. One of the first steps in engineering a product is failure. Only after evaluating and understanding that failure can you progress from it. I believe that is why so many students find my class "easy", not that the tasks are simple or the work is simple, but I feel that if they are putting forth the effort to learn they will pass. I understand that not everyone can be be completely successful in the numerous areas that I cover, so failure at the task does not mean a failing grade. I believe, failure is the true form of progress, that is why the saying is 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.

It is okay to fail

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I love the fact that we learn from mistakes. I am always telling my students that it is alright to "fail" at something, because that's how we grow. I am a bit of a perfectionist (shocking, right?) but sometimes I enjoy when I mess something up in class, like spell something incorrectly on a Powerpoint, or tell the class how to do an editing trick that doesn't work. I enjoy making mistakes in front of them, because it shows them that I am human, and I hope it makes them feel better for their own mishaps when they see that I am messing up as well. If we always do everything correctly, and we always get exactly what we want, how can we ever expect to get better or improve? If we always succeed, the one time something doesn't go our way, we could be devastated. I agree with the quotes, that show us it is alright if we fall down, because we will learn how to get up and try again. Plus, life would be boring if we never had any roadblocks or obstacles to overcome.

Inspirational Quotes

The following quotes that you shared have inspired me in ways I didn't expect.

 "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie)

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates)

 Both of these quotes made me feel better about my current situation as a teacher. I know I am new at this, but this week was particularly hard for me. I had two IEP meetings back to back and the first one was just so sad. I was in a room full of people, counselors, fellow teachers, psychiatrists, and the parents of this student. To see him so unwound and not willing to come to school really hit me hard and made me really see the side of one of my students I had no idea about.

The second IEP was polar opposite of the first. The second IEP meeting I had was one that made me feel really good about being a teacher. It was a student with definite reading issues but he is one of my best students. He is so respectful and a pleasure to have in class. Comparing him to the previous student was like comparing apples and oranges.

When I got home that night all I could do was think about the differences between the two students. It’s like it was in that moment I realized just how hard it is to be a true teacher. Understanding that this journey as a teacher will be filled with such difficulties and success make it bittersweet for me. And while I know I won’t reach every single student that walks through my door, maybe through my failures with them they will be my successes with those students I am able to reach.

Mr. H

"Success from Failure"

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie)

I love this quote. I agree 100% with Mr. Carnegie on this philosophy. Dale Carnegie is one of the authors I most respect. His book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has guided me through my development as a professional in the corporate world and as a budding teacher in the world of education. In fact, this very book is still used by many companies to mold their leadership and management teams even though it was written in the 1930s. I have been through many of these classes and can attest to their immense worth.

The quote above is a restatement of the human fight or flight philosophy. What Mr. Carnegie is attempting to cast light upon is that people can improve themselves if they learn from their disappointments and allow them to motivate them forward to success. Some people will embrace the challenge of failure and use it to motivate them into becoming better at whatever they failed at. At the same time, some people will quit or give up when failure occurs. If you don’t quit after a disappointment, learn from it, then you should eventually be successful.

Everyone experiences disappointment throughout their lives. How you handle each situation helps shape you into the person you are. Are you going to let letdown change your direction (flight) or will you get up and try again with more experience under your belt (fight)? Dale Carnegie wanted people to be the latter of those two. In this philosophy, you become a more successful and influential person with each step forward after disappointment, especially if you learn from it.

Success/Failure

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I can definitely adhere to Dale Carnegie's quote about developing success from failure. It's one thing to hear how failure leads to success and it's another to actually encounter it. I recall my first week of teaching an absolute flop and somewhat being a failure. However, without that first try, I wouldn't have been able to find stamina and courage to continue on as I eventually found some success. Success for me was being able to connect with the students as a human and not just a teacher, whereas the first week was primarily focussing on learning the career of education while learning about the students. I also agree with Bill Gates quote about success being a lousy teacher and the illusion it can portray of never losing. Well, I know as a teacher, it's not always a win win situation. You have your battles and you have your wars. I have simply decided to place my energy where it fits best and that's to see my students become successful.

Inspirational Posts

I can definitely relate to Dale Carnegie's most out of the two quotes. "Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." When you are discouraged about something that you are passionate about or love and it is not working out, I honestly believe that is when you find out what type of person you are. I believe that in life, the best lessons a person can experience is under adversity. How are you going to respond, what is your attitude going to be like, will you give up easily? Those are the types of feelings a person will have when failure happens and when they are discouraged. Over a period of time and life experience, a lot of feelings of disappointment and self-doubt won't be as prevalent if you learn to take that experience as a learning tool and to not sit in your own self-pity. The second quote is also a good quote because it talks about the people who haven't gone through much adversity. I believe this applies more to the person who didn't have to work as hard to get to the top because I believe that if someone sacrificed everything they had and struggled for their entire lifetime to get to where they wanted to be, so I don't believe that success is a lousy teacher. I believe that success is a great teacher if the person worked for whatever they want because I believe they would've experienced disappointments and struggles to get to where they had to. I don't necessarily agree with this quote.

Beauty from Ashes (or scrapped knees)

After reading through the "open mic" posts I thought perhaps we should be philosophical with this post. I have selected two quotes, hoping you will gleen some inspiration. Please post what comes to mind after reading these quotes. "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) As I read today's topic, I stand in total agreement. I have had many successes in my career but what has formed me as an individual are a few failures that taught me great lessons. You all know me well enough to understand that I like to be the best at what ever the assignment has been given. I am somewhat of a people pleaser and that side of me will not allow me to quit. My pawpaw used to say "aint no hill for a climber" when I would share my problems with him. I didn't quite get it at the time, but now I understand. He wasn't saying that my problem wasn't a big as I thought it was, he was saying if I am determined enough the problem is just the PATH to get me where I want to go. If I sat down when things didn't go my way, I would never get where I am going (total failure). If I pressed onward, the result would be all the more sweet (total success). There have been many times I have scrapped my knee getting up that hill but the view is breathtaking when you crest the horizon. If I never fell, scrapped my knee, and kept going I might have never seen the beauty that was waiting...

Thoughts on Success

When I read these quotes, my football players instantly came to mind. If we were to always win our games, we would never have those teachable moments that are built from reviewing film from week to week, game after game. Although winning is great, don’t get me wrong. However, the sense of accomplishment that the players feel after working really hard and growing throughout the season is something that can only be experienced by failing first and then succeeding.

So as I was reflecting about my football players, I see how this relates to my classroom experience. I am one of the students that has been really discouraged this year, I have been very open about it. Much of my discouragement has come from influences that are outside of my control, however, some are within my control. I will use my first evaluation by Dr. Montrois as an example, it was good, but he gave me several tips to make it much better, such as sharing the workload with my students so that I am not trying to do it all by myself. The next time he returned, I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I had improved. Had it been perfect to begin with, I would have not have had those learning opportunities. So in this regard, I completely agree that success is developed from failures. And perhaps, I should take the advice I would give my own players… never give up, nothing is ever accomplished without hard work, sweat and tears. 

When they get it!

I guess i am going to talk about the kids that really make it rewarding to come into school everyday. We all have those kids that really seem to want to get into what you are doing. The ones i seem to really enjoy are the ones that don't do well in core classes but are "star students" in the shop. Many of them struggle with the first nine weeks of all book work, but once we get into the shop they begin to shine. These students make me smile, because shop class may be the first success in school they have experienced in school. I was that kid when I was in school. I had a shop teacher that really helped keep me in school. I was not the ideal student in high school, but Mr Griffen put me on a land judging team and made me be apart of something. Once I was in, I was hooked. I love to see these kids get in SKILLS and learn something in the shop that will be with them for a life time. They may not be a carpenter or construction worker but they will still have skills to use for a life time. Some days I wonder if I am getting to anyone and then I see a kids in the shop working and using skills I know they have learned.

Fundraiser turned Successful

As a CTAE teacher, you have so many ways on how to use creativity with your students. At the same time, our schedules and demands can weigh on us as if we teach core classes. In this case, I decided not to focus on deadlines but concentrate on what matters the most with students and even entertainment all teachers. Last Friday, my students put on a fashion show that turned out to be so successful. It was a fundraiser and an entertainment event all wrapped up in one. The students participated as models, singers, dancers and we even had a student comedian. To my suprise, more than six hundred students bought tickets and attended the event. Everyone enjoyed themselves to the point when the show was over, no one wanted it to end so soon. This event allowed me to incorporate the interest of everyone on a whole including the students, teachers, faculty and staff. Day after day, compliments are still coming in. I didn't realize how much of an effect this show had. I was glad to be a part of a show that helped to ease the minds of everyone while allowing creativity to take its course. In the end, we all won. Aside from schedules and demands, I truly enjoyed this part of my teaching.

A Positive Free Style about teaching

It seems so easy, when given the chance, to speak out negatively, so I would like to speak this week in a positive manner generally about a career as a teacher. This job has been like no other before it. I have had so many new experiences that I would have never gotten anywhere else. Not every one of them has necessarily been a pleasant one, but they all have created a level of growth and knowledge that where little or none existed prior. I have always enjoyed leaning, I love exploring and discovering new things and this is really a great field for doing so. Being a teacher allows you to experiment with social behaviors and with what does and doesn't work in the classroom. It also allows time to learn perspectives of younger generations and different mind sets. The other learning side of this career, is the subject matter. The subject I teach is so broad that there are so many places of exploration to delve into. It would be relatively impossible for an individual to be an expert in, machine tool, robotics, welding, engineering, chemistry, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, AC and DC theory, programming, and so on. With that said, I have years of knowledge to absorb, and nothing but incentive to do so, in a comfortable, conducive atmosphere. What better way to spend a day, spreading knowledge, learning, and infecting others with the passion to move forward in life. I do believe that I love this job.

Open Mic….

I'm here to vent… Let me just tell you guys about our SkillsUSA Adventures. We took 23 amazingly talented kids to Atlanta for the SKillsUSA State Championship and I was sure we'd bring home some type of medals but we didn't. Not one, but 3 kids to be expelled. We have worked with these kids for months, stayed after school several times a week, prepped them during class, had countless talks about expectations, behavior, and the way that our school is represented. I don't know if it's some March Madness or what but we had some serious issues. The first night we started the night off by going over rules and expectations before giving the kids some downtime to themselves. They knew the rules, but leave it to teenagers to push the envelope. We had 3 advisors present and monitoring students all through the night. I have a hard time sleeping so I was up until 2:30 that morning checking on the students but that didn't stop them from being sneaky and breaking not only our rules but SKillsUSAs rules. We had a female student sneak into another schools boy room. This is a nightmare no advisor, parent, chaperone, wants to have to deal with. All students involved were sent home. It's hard not to be disappointed when you expect so much out of these kids. It's not like we open the bus door and let the first 23 on go to championship, these are kids we teach, kids we respect and trust, kids that normally make us proud. I felt that i did everything possible to prevent this but this was totally out of my hands but it's hard not to feel guilty and disappointed. After a long morning dealing with the situation we had competitions for the rest of our students. We had to suck it up and push forward, guiding these kids to where they needed to be. If you've ever been to State you know how hectic it can be…imagine running on a few hours of sleep. Sadly, the chaos wasn't over. The very next night we had 2 of our other kids sneak off to the balcony to smoke. Really, At this point I'm ready to lose my mind. I seriously wanted to cry. We spent the rest of the night and morning dealing with that situation. The kids were upset, parents upset, and advisors all upset. It was a nightmare. I don't know if this is normal teenager behavior or what but I wouldn't wish that kind of weekend on anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids because stupid mistakes really messed up the rest of the year for them. All 3 students involved were expelled for the rest of the year. Have any of you had to deal with trouble like this?? Please tell me I'm not alone in this...

Open Mic

I have to say that even though this is my second year, I feel that I am not doing as good of job as I was last year. Perhaps it is because I took on additional coaching responsibilities or perhaps it is because I am trying to balance the additional work from NTI with my already overwhelming tasks. Or maybe it is because since I have been going through NTI, I am learning all the things that I didn't do the first year. No matter what the reasoning, I am frustrated. This is a frustration that is making me reconsider education altogether. Maybe you all have felt it at one time or another over the past year, but teaching is not easy and I am really second-guessing if this is for me or not. For example, I was notified last week at the last minute that I have to be out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for S.L.O. Training. So, of course I didn't have time to prepare during the day to be absent three days, and I don't have time after school because I am coaching. I spent all day yesterday at a track meet, so this afternoon I had to go to school and prepare my substitute plans and make copies. Needless to say, I am exhausted and being out of the classroom only creates more work. So, I am highly anticipating Spring Break for a mental break. I appreciate everyone listening to my rant..

Open Mic

This has been a really busy year for me and it has taught me some valuable lessons. Two lessons which I learned very quickly are, I implement everything I have learned this year in terms of the NTI material, and two I have to learn to balance my time better. All of the ideas and lessons I have learned throughout the NTI courses are exceptional, however it's probably going to take this summer for me to go over every lesson plan to figure out how I'm going to implement certain things from the NTI classes. I will say that the lesson plans, the rubrics, and the organizational materials I have used from NTI have worked brilliantly! A lot of my students have said, "This looks different from the past rubrics we have gotten." I replied, "Yes they are, as a teacher you have to continuously work to become better, just like students, you have to always work to become better students and not become complacent!" When I said that, it put my reasoning into perspective for a lot of my students. The second lesson I learned is the never-ending chore of trying to balance my time more efficiently. One thing about career tech classes is that they include so much more than other core classes such as math and history. The reason why I say that is because there is so much more skills challenges, professional preparation, and lessons outside of the classroom which are involved that we have to get across to our students. I will say that I enjoy prepping my students for these activities but it is very time-consuming. Although it is challenging to fit everything into my schedule however, I wouldn't have it any other way!

SkillsUSA competitions

This is was our first year trying to compete in SkillsUSA and we learned a lot. Unfortunately, we were unable to go to the State competitions due to funds and we didn’t do well in the regions competitions. But as I mentioned we learned a lot from these experiences and next school year should be a different story. We now know what to expect in the Regions competition and we are starting a few fundraisers this school to help build up our funds for next year’s State competitions. If anyone went to the State competition could you help us out and give us some information on what to expect, we would really appreciate that.

Open Mic

It's open mic so I just want to vent. At my school, whenever we (the teachers) want to do something, whether it's a field trip, fundraising opportunity, "out of box" classroom strategy or even something that is required like teachers getting their required professional development hours, the initial answer is always no. This is the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced in a professional work environment. Everything is always "policy and procedure" this or "district policy" that. Most days I'm optimistic but sometimes I get really down. I want to help the kids and give them new and real world experiences, of course while covering all the standards. Case in point, some of our CTAE students attended a district-wide health and wellness symposium at Atlanta Metropolitan State College this past Wednesday. The field trip had to be rescheduled because it was originally scheduled to take place during our 2nd Snowpocalypse. Our CTAE department notified us (after the district notified them) that we did not have to resubmit the field trip paperwork, we only needed to have the students and parents complete a new permission slip. My administration did not allow this. I wasn't made aware that I had to resubmit all the field trip paperwork until the Monday before the trip. On this past Monday I had to drive to 3 separate locations and retrieve signatures because interoffice mail would not have gotten the paperwork to the necessary offices before the field trip. It was storming rain and very chilly on Monday. I really wanted my students to attend the symposium so I did what was required from my administration to make that happen. I feel resubmitting the paperwork was very unnecessary, especially since the district did not require it. Why must potential road blocks be placed in front of us, while attempting to help the students?

And now for something completely different............

Okay, since its open mic, I am going to take this opportunity to tell a funny CTE story which occurred in my class recently. Let me set the scene for you. As teachers, we all know how tough the time period AFTER lunch can be. Full tummies and sitting in class many times can be a bad mixture for a teenager. Upon returning from lunch, my class sat down to complete a reflective writing assignment they had begun before the lunch bell rang. I was concerned that many of the students had not finished the five paragraph task before going to stuff their faces so I was mentally prepared to “help” any students needing a little push once we returned.

What I was not prepared for was the puddle of drool that had formed on the desk just under the mouth of one of my students! He had obviously succumbed to the tryptophan in his lunch-time turkey sub and had made the mistake of laying his head down on the desk. Sleep won, he lost. So this is the state I find him in, near comatose and likely dreaming of running with puppies through fields of flowers. Luckily, I was not nearly as incapacitated as he and was able to make a quick decision to save the day.

The note I wrote on the dry erase board was simple. “When you read this, slowly, quietly make your way out into the hallway in small groups”. As the students read the note and realized the situation, they gladly complied. Some crept like ninjas others moved with the stealth of a world class secret agent. Within a few short moments, my room was emptied of students, save one; my drool manufacturer was still fast asleep in his comfy desk.

It wasn’t long before he emerged from the classroom, book bag slung over his shoulder and moving with a sense of urgency. The look on his face told us everything we needed to know, he had no idea what time it was or what period/block we were in. Insert howling laughter here. He was a good sport about it and was able to laugh along with the rest of us. I did make him clean up the puddle though.

Open Mic - Caring TOO Much

I am going to take this open mic post to use as my own personal therapy session. Over the past few months I am facing a similar dilemma over and over again: caring too much! I was told by a veteran teacher, “Once you start caring too much, that’s when you start getting into trouble” and I have begun to see that take place in my life when it comes to my kids. Without going into too much detail, I have a student who has become very attached to me and even calls me “mom”. Her mother has acknowledged that her daughter responds better to my directions than her own for some reason, and has asked me to have one-on-one chats with the student on several occasions about issues they are facing. I don’t mind helping out, but the other night my substitute parent role got out of hand when I was asked to get involved in something I wasn’t comfortable with. Long story short, DFACS ended up getting involved, and I feel guilty for not doing more to help the situation. Those close to me have told me to step back and realize that there is nothing I can do. In a two week span I had to deal with a student who was sent to alternative school, a student who was arrested, a student who is threatening to drop out, and a student who confided in me that her mother is dying. I love these kids as if they were my own, but I feel that is starting to get me in trouble. I worry about them constantly, I try to “save” them from their problems, and I talk about “my kids” all the time. I know that I am a caring individual who wants to solve everyone’s problems, but that very fact is becoming my own issue. Am I being too whiny? Does anyone else feel my pain? How do I turn off caring too much?

Open Mic Post

Last night I was able to participate in my first 8^th Grade Parent night at the high school. Needless to say it was a great experience to see so many parents, future students, but most of all community members. This was especially unique to me because I got to see how all the different programs offered at the high school are represented.

There were several booths out and displaying highlights and articles/ some project-based items. This gave the teachers of different clubs, sports, and organizations to showcase their programs to appeal to next year’s upcoming freshman class.

The best part of this night was that I got to participate in representing SkillsUSA with our Special Education for CTAE liaison. It was a great experience and very informative to both myself and several parents/students. Explaining the many successes of this organization was an occurrence I soon won’t forget.

Mr. H

Everyday is a learning curve.......

I am really not sure if I should say this out loud and I hope it is not a disappointment to our fearless instructor, but I tell you what, I feel like everyday I am reevaluating myself and my plans for instruction. Y'all know me and to say that I am an overachiever is an understatement so this is a real struggle. Maybe this is what is supposed to be like as an educator, constant evaluation/reevaluation so that we do not get stagnant. More often than not, I feel like we are in the 9th inning with bases loaded and I strike out... can I get an amen??? Can someone give me some pointers on how you handle these overwhelming feelings of "is this ever going to get easier"?

Theorem 15

We are returning to history and Prosser this week. Please comment on Theorem 15: "The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized." I do agree with theorem 15, vocational education should be fluid. The administration, or delivery, should just "go with the flow". The time frame an instructor uses to deliver instruction should be fluid and should be determined by the class dynamic. For instance, my students were without instructional time for 2 weeks because of the weather. Although the students were familiar with information, they had lost the "why?" component of the unit and had difficulty connecting everything together. I decided to increase the instructional time for those 2 units. Increasing the instructional time allowed the students to gain a higher understanding of the unit content and increase the amount of information they were able to recall. Increasing instructional time describes now vocational education should be fluid. We have end of pathway assessments (EOPA) in our programs and for some pathways those do not cover a greater understanding of the course content. For instance, the EOPA for the physical medicine is not specific to my pathway. The EOPA is general for introduction to health care and is not specific for our pathway. I personally feel as though this is a "flaw" in the system and further proves Prosser's theorem 15 that vocational education should not be rigid or standardized.

Theorem 15

I strongly believe all successful teachers have the ability to be “elastic and fluid” within their classrooms as there are always unexpected distractions and delays. As for CTAE teachers, they must be a degree or two more flexible within their subject areas because these will change more than most core classes.

In CTAE areas such as Sports Medicine or Video Broadcasting or Business, industry standards will change often. Sometimes these changes are even year to year. Teachers of industry must be up to date with what is going on in the working worlds which mirror their classes. If not, they may teach outdated material or procedures.

Core classes will rarely have the amount of industry reflective changes we in CTAE do. For example, 2+2=4 isn’t going to change. Neither is water freezing at 32 degrees. But, the way you wrap a sprained ankle or how best to interview for a job is more opinion based and will most certainly change over time. Because of these changes, CTAE teachers must be “elastic and fluid” across all aspects of their teaching.

Theorm 15

"The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized." This quote can be interpreted many ways but I believe it out of all of the ways it could be interpreted, I believe the one thing that is universal about it is elastic and fluid. One thing that I know for sure in a work-like environment is that something is always changing. That's why I believe that the learning experience for CTAE classes should be "elastic." The way I would interpret the word elastic in this example is being able to constantly change but to never lose a beat in a methodical work place. An example of this would be if there is a certain way to edit a piece of video that has been done the same way for five years, but could be completed another way in half the time, that is being more efficient or elastic without losing a beat. The last part of the quote said "rather than rigid and standardized." I believe this is not a good way to complete anything because standardized to me means a routine without thinking. Change is always good, even if it's during a transition period such as a new boss, or location for a new job. It seems like rigid and standardized means that something is hard and nobody is going to change it because that's the way it's been for a long time. Vocational education should have multiple ways for something to be taught because students are always looking to be challenged and find new ways to complete something,

Theorem 15

Theorem 15: "The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized."

I believe in this statement. The difference between what we do in the vocational field and the standard classroom are two totally different beasts. If you think of a traditional classroom setting you tend to look at it as a place of rules and boundaries, procedures and policies that are the norm for way of life there.

When you take a moment and really look at all of the vocational offerings in our department, then you really see just how robust and dynamic it is. On any given day, even in my structured lab environment, I have two to three different activities going on simultaneously. This leaves little room for a rigid and standardized atmosphere when students are learning at different levels and experiencing a variety of dynamic stations.

This is not to say that there does not need to be structure and rules. We must still have an overall control of our environments no matter what is going on, but the idea of being efficient in proportion to the tasks at hand maximizes the learning opportunities for our students.

Mr. H

Prosser Theorm 15

I know that I often times feel like meeting certain criteria as a teacher can feel rigid and standardized, but one of the luxuries of my job is that I get a sense of freedom in my classroom when it comes to teaching my course. I agree that vocational, or career and technical education, should not be set to a standardized way of thinking. Careers as a whole are always changing and always evolving, so I think it is our obligation as educators to make sure our curriculum meets those changes. In my two years teaching, I have noticed that comments are often made along the lines of “but you teach a fun class”, or “the kids want to take your class”. I know that teachers don’t mean this as an insult, but it can feel like they are saying I am not good at what I teach, that instead, the curriculum is drawing the kids in. Even if that is the case, how lucky am I to be able to teach a “fun” class that is always changing and always evolving!

Administrative guidance will typically have a rigid, firm stance, leading by example. In the Career and Technical Education fields there is a constant moving target in the classes, labs, CTSOs, and industries. If things stayed the same in all of the fields of industry and areas of society, we could easily stay firm and rigid, but in order to grow and progress we must change. I believe I would have to agree with Prossers' Theorm 15. The fluidity and elasticity of the administration is key. If their had not been a small deal of "elasticity" in the requirements from me at the administrative level in these first two years as an educator I would not have been able to maintain. I am thankful for the WONDERFUL administration that I have. When faced with any change, question, or option in reference to my program, they have nothing but good input and an open mind.

Prosser Theorem 15

I believe there is a lot of truth to this because we as CTAE teachers need to be able to teach to the standards of our industry. The only way we can do that is if we stay current with what is happening in the industry, therefore we must be flexible and adapt when necessary. For example, if there are new laws put on the books that change a process or procedure in law enforcement, I need to be able to make changes in my curriculum to address those changes. I also asked my wife who has been in CTAE for 12 years now, what her thought on this is and she said CTAE is famous for changing the standards bringing up the point that we are currently rolling out new standards and that this was done just a few years ago as well. If we are preparing students for the demands of the workplace, then we must change as the business and industries change. It only makes sense to do this to keep viable and meaningful programs that truly prepare students for a seamless transition into post-secondary schools and/or the workplace. 

Elasticity and Fluidity

When I read Prosser's Theorem 15, I almost laughed. I totally agree that in CTE a certain level of flexibility and flow are necessary to achieve success in and out of the classroom. I chuckled because of the lack of flexibility and flow I feel on most days. Let me explain. We are forced to include differentiation in our lesson plans so that the needs of ALL students can be met. Differentiation mirrors Prosser's Theorem 15. We are flexible in that we understand students learn differently. We do not expect them to "fit" into one particular style of teaching strategy so we plan using several teaching strategies. The hope is that every students' strength is acknowledged in the course of the lesson by this type of flexibility. I chuckled because although I have to differentiate for my students, nothing is differentiated for me. I am forced to "fit" into a specific style of planning that is not conducive to my learning style. I feel as though flexibility and fluidity are thrown out the window and the cookie cutter expectation is the only acceptable method of planning. I truly believe that if teachers could experience the flexibility and fluidity that Prosser dreamed of for students test scores would rise, classrooms would run more efficiently, and teachers would be less frustrated at the end of the day!

Rewards and Challenges

Like teaching, counsels has its own rewards. Part of the duties of counselor rule is too have students complete and not drop out. Too keep a student from dropping out the student would completed an IGP. The Counselor would review the plan with the student, evolve other teachers and Administrators in an effort to get the student to finish school. Where it be with his/her home school or an Alternative school. So in this situation the at-risk student has two options for completing school. The worst case is the student drops out. Some other rewards are when you open a person up to something new such as CTAE and then run with it and succeed. The great reward for anyone in education is to see students succeed and the student comes back and says thank you, the light comes on moment. The real challenge to any part of education is not want to give up on a student.

Changed Impressions

Previously I stated that counselors were more like shirks (Psychiatrist) than anything else. After completing the required reading they have some additional responsibilities. They may include but is not limited to student scheduling; IGP (Individual Graduation Plan) development; IEP (Individualized Education Programs); SST (Student Study Teams); Consultants to special education teachers; and mat serve as administrator if designated the principal. This may seem like a lot but the Guidance Counselor does have some additional resources themselves such as Social workers and Community outreach if necessary. The school Guidance Counselor also to meet deadlines set by State and Federal government. No wonder why my High School Counselor was always stressed out.