Group Teach 2

This was my week to teach with my group and I was really nervous. We really didn't have a good book to teach out of and I felt like I was going in blind. Not that my group was not helpful, they were, it was just that I didn't really know what to do with this book. It was full of lesson plans and things that might help you have students write about their community, but it there was really nothing we could find to pertain to this class. We finally just chose a lesson and went with it.

I definatly thought we could have done better on day 1. It just seemed like it was rocky the entire way through until we got to the discussion. Day 2 was awesome I thought. It was great to break out of the normal routine and do something that was fun. It was also really educational for me because I have always known that there were differences facing kids as they came into classrooms, but this activity helped me to understand why they felt the way they do. To finally get to see how frustrated people get and how the feeling of hopelessness comes about, it made me gain a much deeper respect for the differences that I will face walking into a new classroom every year.

Group Teach 1

I thought this group was really well prepared and set a high standard for the rest of us. They knew what they were talking about and answered every question as if they were experts on the subject.

The activity that they had us do was fun and it broke up the monotony of the two hours. The issue itself was an awesome unit because I had never done a multi-genre piece before. It actually has me excited to do that project in 301.

Overall, it was a great topic and I think that group did a spectacular job, especially going first.

Christensen - Chapter 8

This is a very sensitive subject for me. I absolutely hate the idea of tracking. I think it is the most degrading thing that can happen to a kid, yet schools are still doing it. It is not fair to a kid who got one bad grade to be pushed aside and be told that they are not good enough. It was embarassing for me as a student put into the lower English classes because I did not have the grade in 8th grade to get into Honors English I. Because I didn't get into Honors I, I couldn't get in Honors II, III, or AP. On top of that, every student has the ability to bring something to the table. Just because a student cannot write an essay as well as the next, that doesn't mean that they cannot read and analyze as well as another. Tracking is not fair and sets kids up for failure.

Christensen - Chapter 7

The way that Linda got her students motivated to do a portfolio, I feel, was very innovative. She took something that a student understood and made it into the reason that they had to do a portfolio. And I think I agree with her in her expectations of a portfolio. I have never been a big fan of portfolios because I have always found them very pointless. They have never really seemed like much except for a waste of my time. However, when she talks about giving time to actually reflect and not just assume that they will, that makes the world of difference. As I was reading, I thought, yeah, I could have actually gotten something from that if someone would have taken the time to explain that to me.

Christensen - Chapter 6

I think this was a pretty awesome chapter. Being that I am a Political Science major and a huge believer that our history textbooks lie and only tell the easy stories, I thought that it was awesome that an English teacher was making students get involved. I know that this is just one simple part of our history, but by making students be aware of something that affected every single one of us in some way, I feel that students will be more motivated to challenge their History teachers and go out on their own and learn the truth. I feel that History is one of the most important subjects we teach in schools and for an English teacher to be taking this stance is something that I think should be mandatory in every class. It creates a passion within the students, which is exactly what is missing in our schools.

Christensen Talk - Questions

1) What type of advise would you give to first year teachers that cannot get their students to interact in the classroom?

2) What is the most rewarding thing that has happened to you as a teacher?

3) How do you balance your personal life with your work life and how does teaching affect your family and personal relationships?