Comments on: What Kind Of Teacher Were You……. http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:57:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tracy Rosen http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-584 Tracy Rosen Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:33:32 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-584 I only started teaching 12 years ago... ...I created my own books to help older kids read (not knowing they were called low-level high-interest) ...I made all of my own worksheets - written by hand! and I used a lot of them. I felt that unless there was something tangible my students could hold, receive a gold star for, show their parents - then I wasn't doing it right. I still get glimmers of that... I also remember always trying to find different ways to get students interested, aware, and to help them 'get it.' That hasn't changed all that much :) I only started teaching 12 years ago…

…I created my own books to help older kids read (not knowing they were called low-level high-interest)
…I made all of my own worksheets – written by hand!

and I used a lot of them. I felt that unless there was something tangible my students could hold, receive a gold star for, show their parents – then I wasn’t doing it right. I still get glimmers of that…

I also remember always trying to find different ways to get students interested, aware, and to help them ‘get it.’ That hasn’t changed all that much :)

]]> By: JenWagner http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-583 JenWagner Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:41:52 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-583 Hi Maureen -- Thank you for your comment. I understand what you are saying -- that "in your bones" you knew what to do, and how to do it. But I like what you said too about always growing, always changing. Sometimes it is hard to have the vision -- or to be the vision (which I am dealing with right now!) I thank you for comment, and for your honesty -- I know others understand and feel the same way. Jen Hi Maureen –
Thank you for your comment.

I understand what you are saying — that “in your bones” you knew what to do, and how to do it.

But I like what you said too about always growing, always changing.

Sometimes it is hard to have the vision — or to be the vision (which I am dealing with right now!)

I thank you for comment, and for your honesty — I know others understand and feel the same way.

Jen

]]> By: Maureen http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-582 Maureen Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:55:28 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-582 I was teaching Kindergarten 15 years ago. I spent every minute possible finding new ways to teach K-Kids. I made games, manipulatives, was always on the go. I loved my job. Today, after spending the last 5 years teaching science (gr 1-3) and computer (6-9)...some things have changed. I feel like I am always behind. I feel like I won't ever catch up. I also worry about what exactly to teach (gr 6-9)not so much in the lower grades. Things in technology are changing ever so fast, what do I focus on? How do I assess? Do I need to teach keyboarding and the office suite? Should I teach programming? Should I focus on new technologies? How I can I use my very limited time with these kids to give them all the tools they will need to be successful? I don't know if I would be feeling this in Kindergarten. I knew in my bones what to do and how to do it. Would the changes in the world of education have affected me as much? I think as a teacher I am always growing, always learning. My role has changed, whether it is due to the grade level, or the subject matter. I no longer have all the answers and don't always have the vision to see the road map. I was teaching Kindergarten 15 years ago. I spent every minute possible finding new ways to teach K-Kids. I made games, manipulatives, was always on the go. I loved my job.

Today, after spending the last 5 years teaching science (gr 1-3) and computer (6-9)…some things have changed. I feel like I am always behind. I feel like I won’t ever catch up. I also worry about what exactly to teach (gr 6-9)not so much in the lower grades. Things in technology are changing ever so fast, what do I focus on? How do I assess? Do I need to teach keyboarding and the office suite? Should I teach programming? Should I focus on new technologies? How I can I use my very limited time with these kids to give them all the tools they will need to be successful?

I don’t know if I would be feeling this in Kindergarten. I knew in my bones what to do and how to do it. Would the changes in the world of education have affected me as much?

I think as a teacher I am always growing, always learning. My role has changed, whether it is due to the grade level, or the subject matter. I no longer have all the answers and don’t always have the vision to see the road map.

]]> By: murphysclay http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-581 murphysclay Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:34:25 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-581 aaahh yes, 1993-1994. It was my first year of teaching art, grades 7-12. I was 23 years old and by Christmas ready to pull my hair out and looking at a permanently created crease between my brows. But as spring came closer my confidence grew and the corporation distributed one box unit pc to each classroom for the first time. You are correct Jen. It was the beginning of what we know today as the “heat seeker” in the building. I was the one pushing for more training, more integration into my curriculum, more student based peer teaching….more more more. It has been exciting to see the art software progress from ascii to abstract images based on simple dots to gradations with smooth transitions, to photographs and photorealism. aaahh yes, 1993-1994. It was my first year of teaching art, grades 7-12. I was 23 years old and by Christmas ready to pull my hair out and looking at a permanently created crease between my brows. But as spring came closer my confidence grew and the corporation distributed one box unit pc to each classroom for the first time. You are correct Jen. It was the beginning of what we know today as the “heat seeker” in the building. I was the one pushing for more training, more integration into my curriculum, more student based peer teaching….more more more. It has been exciting to see the art software progress from ascii to abstract images based on simple dots to gradations with smooth transitions, to photographs and photorealism.

]]> By: Jenny Luca http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-580 Jenny Luca Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:13:30 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-580 I think you're right -I've always been looking for ways to make learning interesting; now that technology is offering so much this is the ship I'm sailing! I think you’re right -I’ve always been looking for ways to make learning interesting; now that technology is offering so much this is the ship I’m sailing!

]]> By: mrsdurff http://projectsbyjen.com/blog/?p=291#comment-579 mrsdurff Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:02:29 +0000 http://jenuinetech.com/blog/?p=291#comment-579 Scrabulous - figures! Fifteen years ago in my first teaching position I followed what I had been taught in undergraduate education. I went by Hunter's lesson plans, I used too many worksheets, used centers, had live animals in the classroom, & thought computers where not necessary in k12. My thinking is a bit different now. I have a graduate education but even more importantly I wake up every morning with the expectation of learning from my PLE. In January 2007, I had begun blogging, knew about podcasting, and was learning to webcast with webcastacademy. I remember saying to people, okay teach me about RSS, I'm ready. Thinking there was a time when I was not ready boggles the mind, but I guess in my ignorance I could only handle so much. I guess it is important that we all remember a time when we couldn't do it all. When we are leading people remember when you could not learn another thing, even Really Serious Stressrelief! I remember student teaching with a teacher who is still in the same place, literally and intellectually. She prepare 15-20 worksheets for students per day, re-using the same ones every year. I got an 'A' then, but I'm sure I would fail now. As my current principal says, I'm disruptive. I do remember accidently letting a tree frog loose in 5th grade once, the student who dove for it, retrieved it, and how loud I screamed..... Scrabulous – figures! Fifteen years ago in my first teaching position I followed what I had been taught in undergraduate education. I went by Hunter’s lesson plans, I used too many worksheets, used centers, had live animals in the classroom, & thought computers where not necessary in k12. My thinking is a bit different now. I have a graduate education but even more importantly I wake up every morning with the expectation of learning from my PLE.
In January 2007, I had begun blogging, knew about podcasting, and was learning to webcast with webcastacademy. I remember saying to people, okay teach me about RSS, I’m ready. Thinking there was a time when I was not ready boggles the mind, but I guess in my ignorance I could only handle so much. I guess it is important that we all remember a time when we couldn’t do it all. When we are leading people remember when you could not learn another thing, even Really Serious Stressrelief!
I remember student teaching with a teacher who is still in the same place, literally and intellectually. She prepare 15-20 worksheets for students per day, re-using the same ones every year. I got an ‘A’ then, but I’m sure I would fail now. As my current principal says, I’m disruptive. I do remember accidently letting a tree frog loose in 5th grade once, the student who dove for it, retrieved it, and how loud I screamed…..

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