Last Post! My Least Favourite Phrase...

Ok. I am a happy person. And many of these blogs have been very happy, with the exception of one or two rants.

Here is one more.

Ok, less of a rant than that multiple choice one, because I've mellowed on this topic a little now, but two years ago? It would have fired me up. Now, it just concerns me.

I've wanted to be a teacher since the 11th grade, and consider myself more passionate about teaching than just about anything than I can think of. I gets me excited just thinking about having my own class.

So naturally, one of my least favourite things I have ever heard, is this following statement during a conversation.

**The scene is set. Dave walks up to an old friend, someone he hasn't seen in a while.

Dave: Hey (insert name here)! What's up?! How's life? What are you taking at school?

Person: life's good, school's hard, I'm taking History (or geography, or english, sometimes Biology)

Dave: Oh really? What do you want to do after you are done school?

Person: Not sure actually, I've thought about teaching, to keep my options open.

"I've thought about teaching, to keep my options open"

This, concerns me. To do this job, to do it PROPERLY, you NEED to be passionate, you NEED to be willing to go to the end of the earth and back for a student, all students, but especially those with exceptionalities.

Somebody who is only considering teaching to keep their options open, do they have to drive to do this job the way it NEEDS to be done?

I question it. And with the job market already super saturated, and without an entrance interview, somebody "keeping their options open", with high marks, and a way with words (on an entrance essay or something), will graduate in five years with the same qualifications.

And I don't know if they want it as bad as me. And I think that in a classroom, I think that it makes a difference.

Team Hoyt!

Talk about inspiring!

Prof. Sandhu is on a roll!

Two weeks after the incredible Stephen video, and the contrast with the mothers with Autistic children comes another sad/difficult story (Ashley) contrasted unbelievably with the incredible story of Team Hoyt!

I sent my Dad a link to their site, and a link to a similar video to the one in class. Just something you want to share! Interestingly enough, without getting into too much detail, my brother was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia years ago, and while he seems to have grown out of the symptoms, my dad told me that at the time, he considered trying to do something similar (at 50 my dad still does triathalons... crazy man).

I guess while it is definitely related to teaching, it has more to do (for me at least) with possible parenthood. I just found the dad to be incredible. Just his attitude that no disability was going to get in the way of him trying to raise his son the same way he raised his others. What a beautiful soul.

Also, a big win for assistive technologies in that story, the ability for Richard to communicate has given him a life that 50 years ago he wouldn't have had access to.

Feel good stories to end classes are awesome!

Autism, and Beyond

Incredible class today. Really moving, and stimulating.

Obviously, what hit me the most was the video of Stephen, the "Human Camera".

I intend to show the video to just about everybody I know. It was THE COOLEST video I've ever seen.

(As a sidenote: I went to Rome in grade 12, and that is EXACTLY what it looks like. So. Cool.)

But what I came out thinking today had to do with something that was said in class. Find something that Stephen likes to do, celebrate it, use it, promote it, and have it be a reward. And that really helps him.

But, I have things I like to do, don't I? Don't you? Yes, Stephen is Autistic, and has an incredible ability that I can barely fathom. But we all have those things that we enjoy just a little bit more, things that we secretly like that we are good at.

Maybe as teachers we should spend more time trying to tap into those things for ALL of our students, not just Human Cameras.

Just a thought I guess.

Versatility of an Idea

Amazingly malleable things, ideas are. Beautiful really.

Just completed finishing touches on my modified lesson plan. The IEP I was given was for a gifted student.

This assignment made me very happy. Making modifications as a teacher really shows your ability to adapt, to be creative, and to be fun in the way you tailor to specific needs, all the while enhancing the experience of everyone in your class.

Also, I was amazed how versatile an idea can be. The lesson I used was originally thought up by me while working in a workplace essentials level grade nine/ten class. (Sidenote, my FAVOURITE class to work with).

And yet, with some modifications, changes, I was able to make that lesson into not only a lesson that would be enjoyable and beneficial to an ACADEMIC class, but to modify it further for a gifted student

(Pats self on the back)

Joking. Sort of. I just love it. I think it works too, so thats exciting.

Guess we will see!

Trickery, Tomfoolery etc. Why?

Ok. Rant time.

Trying to help a young lady who is a friend of my cousin. She is in first year chemistry and struggling with it. As a chemistry major and an aspiring teacher, I'm a logical choice to help. But thinking back, and looking at QCARD confirms it, I did terrible in first year Chemistry.

Wait, what?

I know right? And its not like I was the stereotypical first year student. I didn't party much, and I did go to class, even paid attention! Much of the material was similar to that of grade 12 chemistry (where I nearly had the highest mark in the school).

So what gives?

Multiple. Choice. Tests.

First year classes are full of them. I have no particular problem with multiple choice (most of the time). It allows you to assess knowledge/understanding quickly and over a wide range.

But the way it was done in Chem 112 was the way I have a problem with it.

Firstly, all of the questions were calculations. Normally, with calculation questions, you get marks for showing your work. Obviously in multiple choice tests, this is not possible.

But that wasn't even my biggest problem with the exams.

It was the fact that they TRIED to make us do poorly.

I'll explain. When you don't HAVE to show your work (ie-aren't getting marked for it), you usually do most of the questions right on your calculator. You would punch in the numbers, hit the equals sign, look down at the question, see the number on your calculator on the page, circle the answer, and move on!

But wait, you forgot to add a minus sign. But your answer was still there. Funny enough, if you'd accidentally divided instead of multiplied, that answer would have been there too. If you'd made some other silly math error, that answer was there. Oh, and of course, the right answer.

If you get an answer, and its one of the options, why would you think that you've made a mistake? More importantly, does making a silly math error mean you don't know the chemistry concepts? Does it mean you should get NO MARKS for the knowledge you have pertaining to that question?

Just sillyness. Make one of the answers the answer. The rest, random. That way, if you made a silly mistake, you can go back, FIND your mistake and LEARN from it.

Novel concept I know.

Rant. End.

(Longest rant ever, sorry about that, had more to say, thought I should end it)

Let's Debate the Debate!

Ok, not a debate if I'm the only one talking.

So the day came! The one where it was MY turn to lead the class in discussion, and boy, did we get an opportunity.

The topic: Giftedness

The style: Debate.. but what else?

It is without question the most controversial of exceptionalities. Everyone has their own opinion on it. Me personally? I think we should treat gifted students the same way I think we should treat all students; celebrate, and use their abilities, and push them to the limits on the this things they find most difficult.

But maybe thats just me.

Mainly, I liked that our topic and style blended so well together (not to mention doing debates with gifted students is a great idea... higher thinking!)

Overall I liked the debate as a teaching style. I obviously would have liked to do it in my own classroom, give the students some time to research their own points (so that they had ownership over them), but I think it worked well.

For sure my favourite aspect was the four mini-debates, giving everyone a chance. In class, we were able to do it because we had the three of us and Prof. Sandhu, but I'm unsure how I could make that work when I'm the only one in the room.

EA's? Peer helpers? Student teachers? Resource?

I guess I don't have to worry about it to much yet. Cross that bridge when I get there!

The gift of Choice

And I'm not talking multiple choice.

I'm talking CHOICE. On a test, on an exam. Exams are behind me, and once again, I find myself constantly thinking;

What have I learned this period that will help me be a fantastic teacher?

And I've got a dandy; Choice.

Its so simple really, just an extension of differentiated instruction, but it gives the opportunity for SUCCESS on tests, and thats something that really interests me.

For my third year advanced organic chemistry class, all tests/exams were a)open book (another discussion for another day) and b) featured choice.

What I mean is, each exam section would say, pick 3 of the following 5 questions and answer them, or answer 2 of the following 3 problems. And it was genius, on so many levels.

Firstly, it gives students the opportunity to answer questions about the material they find most interesting, giving them a chance for success.

Secondly, eventually we learned that this was the way our prof did his exams, and we knew that if we accidentally forgot to study one certain aspect, and a question was asked about it, it would not be the end of the world. This took much of the stress out of the "lead up" to the exam, and allowed me to enter with an eased mind.

Thirdly, it allowed him to make short exams. 4 problems, answer three. There was no need for him to add unnecessary questions to dilute the test (such that a student not knowing one would lower their mark substantially)

And lastly, from a teachers perspective, it would spice up the marking a little bit, with not every test looking the same.

I thought it was great, and intend to give it a try.