Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Why do I love blogging? Because now I have some awesome new friends.
When my iPod broke, Miss Teacha left a comment and suggested that I hook it up and try resetting it through iTunes. It worked!
My music is back. I am happy. Technology can be learned even by older people like me. I am so proud of myself and so thankful for my friend, Miss Teacha!
Oh my! I can't believe how hot it is here in Texas. Yesterday, one of my very important hard to replace keys came loose from my key ring and lodged itself in the car apparatus known as an emergency brake. I tried everything to retrieve it. In only a matter of minutes I was reduced to a wet, soaked human being.
The key is still there. It will probably be sold with the car in about ten years.:)
Today is a B day. (B day because my grandsons call me B, and I am boy sitting today.) Luckily I found a cool website to share with the boys. Smarty Games is a free site developed by a teacher. There are some great, educational games for the boys to play.
The good news is that we can stay inside. Oh, yeah!
I am sad that my iPod broke. It has a list of songs on it that can really inspire me to work, exercise, and just plain enjoy myself. One day I was jamming in my car, and for some reason, my iPod just stopped working. Woe is me! I need a little help here.
I would love to be tech savvy and be able to jump right in and know what to do! I'm not even sure how to set up a new iPod!
The point of this post is that I think that teaching students to be tech savvy is more important than teaching them how to take tests. As an adult educator, I break into a nervous sweat when the classroom computer refuses to cooperate right before a class. Oh, I am a great problem solver and test taker, but that doesn't help me even a little bit when the pressure is on for technology gone wrong. The back of my hair goes from halfway decent to limp and damp in a matter of seconds. Sure, I can teach the class without technology, but my adult students expect and enjoy the part that technology plays for demonstration purposes. Technology makes the class come alive.
Why are educators so set on keeping things the same? We are spending so much money just on testing. What if that money was invested in technology instead? Trust me, cutting edge technology would encourage more learning and career building skills than teaching strategies to figure out the right answers on a test.
Learning should be exciting. Students staying on top of new technology and gaining a comfort level with new applications makes good sense to me. It's possible to do it all. Even at my age I love learning as much about technology as I can. That doesn't mean that I will ever give up my books or newspaper (as long as it is still being published). It just means that I can include more in my life.
It's always exciting to find new blogs to read. Pat has outdone herself with the latest Carnival of Education. I have found some great links there. All I need now is a little more time to just sit back, relax, and enjoy!
If someone always seems a bit irritated, I refer to that person as a sourdough. These are the people that make it a struggle to be their friend. They might or might look on you with favor the next time they see you. Sometimes they don't even speak.
I've had students who fell into the sourdough category. They came in every day with a frown. Some people might refer to this as having a chip on one's shoulder. Debbie Downer on SNL always makes me laugh, because she humorously finds something negative about everything.
The video that has gone viral from the Sasquatch music festival 2009 brings a smile to my face every time I see it. A guy starts dancing all by himself and before you know it, others join in for an awesome dance party. He was not afraid to take a chance and do his own thing. How refreshing!
The message here is loud and clear to me. Being yourself is more important than always attempting to be what others expect you to be. Shy students are often intimidated by the more popular, outgoing set, and sit back in fear of doing something that will make them a topic of ridicule. Only as adults do some of these kids break out of their shells.
It doesn't stop with age. As adults, sourdoughs continue to look askance at those attempting to have a little zest in life. Now that I'm older and wiser, I ignore all sourdoughs. Too bad it took me so long.
I was kind of taken aback when my five year old grandson shook his head and said, "Bee, you're a loser."
"What?" I asked him in a shocked voice.
"You just lose everything," he explained. "Your keys, your cell phone, your shoes. You're always looking for something."
I was somewhat relieved after hearing his response. At least he didn't think I wasn't a winner.:) Then I started thinking about what he really meant. Why is it that I am always looking for something? For me, objects don't have a designated place. They can go anywhere. Then, let the search begin.
Oh, I try to be organized. I can spend hours just fixing things up and am really proud of myself. Standing back, I look things over and admire my work. Sadly, I know that it is only a temporary state. Within days (hours), the piles will start forming again.
The truly sad thing is that even when things are organized, I find myself looking for things. I guess I am the original biggest loser.:L
It's not every day that a tall young man looks at me and asks me to take off my sunglasses. Surprisingly, I did as I was told. My daughter and I were in line with my two grandsons to get into a baseball game. We were running a bit late. The young man just happened to be in line behind us.
He just grinned and said, "You don't remember me, do you?" At first, I thought he might be one of my son's friends. Then there was something special about his smile and expression, and I remembered his name. He was in my class about fifteen years ago. It was just a magical moment.
The smile on his face and excitement that I knew who he was just made my day. I learned that he has a job that he loves and is in the process of buying a condo. He grew from a shy little boy into a tall, handsome man. He is now confident and sure of himself.
The other cool part about the experience was that my grandsons got to meet one of my former students. I was able to tell them how much he had changed.
I am just so proud of him!
Understanding credit is crucial for young adults. As they enter the working world or college, students are bombarded with offers of credit. It all just seems so easy. Get a card and start shopping. Apply for a new card and get an instant discount. Before recent high school graduates can start enjoying their new purchases, they are faced with bills showing up in their mailboxes.
With all of the testing pressure and required objectives, lessons on banking, credit, and plain old common sense aren't at the top of anyone's list. Some students wind up graduating from high school without any knowledge about how to manage their finances, and easy credit can lead to disaster. Debt piles up on top of debt until the future seems bleak.
Young adults with credit problems are often unable to qualify for student loans. Getting ahead can seem impossible. SPENDonLIFE.com offers up to ten scholarships per year to students who find themselves unable to secure loans due to a history of credit issues and the current squeeze on credit with tough economic times. Scholarships range from $500 to $5000 for qualifying students.
The website offers hope for those who might otherwise give up on furthering their education. There is also a place for teachers to submit lesson plans about credit. It is refreshing that some students will be awarded scholarships and be given a second chance to achieve their dreams. Applications can be found and filled out on the website. Guidelines for eligibility are also listed for those interested in applying.
It is so important for educators to make the time to make students aware of the dangers of easy credit. Lessons on banking, budgeting, and how to manage credit should be taught every year starting in the fifth grade. In my opinion, this is more important than some of the other objectives.
I have become the texting queen. It's just so easy. Part of the fun for me is being creative with abbreviations. I can text quietly when it's inconvenient to talk out loud. Plus, I can send someone a quick message and know it will get there.
However, when I blog, it never occurs to me to use abbreviations. Students need to learn the expectations of their audience. If a student is writing a blog post, the teacher can let them know what is acceptable. It's kind of like chewing gum in class. Some teachers allow it, and others don't. Students have to learn that what really bothers one teacher is okay for another.
Yet, a lot of educators fear that abbreviations will replace correct spelling and sentence structure. Over time, I guess this is possible. My grandson recently asked me how people did their work without computers in the old days. My dad was an accountant, and I explained how he had to record figures meticulously in ledgers. I remember finding student averages before calculators were invented. It took forever to do report cards. The calculator made such a big difference. I could spend about five minutes per student, and I was ready to fill out one report card!!!
My point is that I can still average grades by hand with a pencil and paper if necessary. Students are smart and are able to learn more than one way to accomplish a goal. If a teacher wants students to write formally for a blog or paper, the expectations and requirements need to be set in place.
After all, students need to learn that employers are not all the same and that sometimes a nicely written report might even get them a promotion. In a different job, knowing a fast shortcut could save the employer lots of money. We must teach students how to be flexible in today's world.
My sister sent me this site in an email, and it is just too cool. You can type in any expression, choose a language, and with a simple click, a lady says it. It's even possible to change the effects and hear it said in a lot of unique ways.
I can think of all sorts of ways to use this site. Kids learning to read and spell will get a kick out of typing in words and hearing them pronounced.
If one is visiting another country, it would be easy to learn a few necessary expressions. For example, "I don't eat seafood."
Students learning a new language can type in words and expressions they use a lot and have fun saying them in that language.
Here's my best idea. If you think your husband isn't listening, type it in and see if he hears what you have to say when another woman says it.:) Try it in another language too. Just keep changing languages and effects until he pays attention.
Maybe you can comment and add on some even better ideas. Let the fun begin!
This year has just flown by for me. If someone had told me last May that I would be substituting this year, I would have laughed. "Never say never" is one of my new expressions. It goes right along with "Get over your fine self."
This school year I learned to view life from a sub's perspective. I decided to make a random list of a few things I learned.
1. Life is easier if lesson plans are easy to follow, and a teacher has updated seating charts and schedules.
2. Students in every grade consider a sub fair game. Changing seats and names obviously never gets old.
3. Usually at least one student per class will help you with technology or let you know if other kids are giving you incorrect information.
4. All students expect you to remember their names.
5. Expect to eat lunch by yourself. Always have something with you to do.
6. There are some really sweet students that want you to come back and sub again.
7. Kind words from teachers can make your day. (I wish I had been a little better about this when I was a regular classroom teacher.)
8. All teaching assignments are challenging in their own way.
9. Teaching P.E. requires a lot louder voice than mine.
10. It's pretty cool to run into students that say hello at the grocery store.:)
Summer is here with only a few days left to sub. I'm ready to put my feet up and take a break.
With all of the unusual celebrity children's names, it just seems like someone would have the name Elemeno P. How has this name been overlooked?
As a substitute teacher, I sometimes struggle with kids' names. There are just so many ways any name can be pronounced. so the hard part about substitute teaching is that kids really don't like it if their names are mispronounced. Possibly it's because it always gets a laugh from the class. I have even had students come up to me before class to make sure I will say their names correctly. They also expect me to remember their names when I show up to sub again. I only wish I had a memory like that.
Names really are important. I was talking with some friends recently about how angry I was when I heard about the Ugly Betty show for the first time. How insensitive it was for the producers to put the adjective "ugly" in front of anyone's name! Sure, I understand the concept of the show and actually watch it from time to time. However, if I had been young and in school when this show aired for the first time, my life would have taken a big hit. I was so unpopular that the words probably would have been written in red ink on the front of the school.
Speaking of not knowing names, I was delighted that one of my students recognized me at Walmart and took the time to say hello and introduce me as the "sub" to his mom. It was very nice of him to smile and say hello. It made my day! Of course, I didn't remember his name, but it didn't really matter.
It's interesting how words and expressions come and go. Is a mistake really that bad if you say you just made a bad choice? Somehow a bad choice seems to let you off the hook. Everything is okay. I just made a bad choice.:)
Calling one's classmates "friends" is another word that is taking off by leaps and bounds. It almost makes kids seem generic to me. Maybe all of the new privacy acts are having the desired effect. I must be nice to my friends. So, is a friend just someone you know? To me, friends are people that are special to me.
Our current generation of kids will have some great grist for the mill. Show up late for work, and blame it on making a bad choice. Everyone you meet or find yourself in groups with is a friend.
Adding a friend on Facebook? Just add everybody. We're all friends.
I hope all of my friends have a great Memorial Day weekend.
When I was a regular classroom teacher, I held onto my room, my grade level, and my subject as much as I could. Of course, principals upset my apple cart a few times, but for the most part, things didn't change all that much. Looking back, I'm not so sure that was a good thing.
Now that I'm older (smile, smile), I am getting a big kick out of trying out new things. Maybe it's because the fear is gone. If one thing doesn't work, I just move on to something else.
As a substitute, I have found myself in some unusual jobs. Some I like a lot more than others. I'm getting to view life from a lot of unique perspectives. I have learned that change can be a good thing.
Another thing I have learned this year is to get over my shyness with adults. As an adult educator on nights and weekends, I have learned to really appreciate teaching adults. They really want to learn, and for the most part, appreciate my sense of humor. I used to get so nervous when I had to speak at parent meetings or inservices. It feels great to overcome this obstacle. (I even learned that teaching adults is called andragogy.)
ADULTS LEARN DIFFERENTLY than young people. But more importantly, their reasons for learning are very different. Andragogy (Knowles, 1984), the theory of adult learning, attempts to explain why adults learn differently than other types of learners.
The message here is to let yourself experience and learn all that you can. It feels great!
A few years back I told one of my good teaching buddies that I was invisible to another teacher. They happened to be best friends, and he said he didn't believe me. Andy felt that his friend was nice to everyone. We let it go since there is always so much to do. My buddy and I worked on the same team, so we were together most of the day.
Finally, it happened. Andy saw it first hand. His friend passed me in the hall, and he didn't see me. No look, no glance, no acknowledgement. I was invisible to his friend. After that, Andy noticed that the same thing happened again and again. You see, I was not important to this particular teacher. He chose not to see me.
Last night as I watched the last Scrubs of the season, I was reminded of how it feels to be invisible. The janitor on Scrubs finally reveals his name. We learn that it isn't that he just didn't want to tell people his name. No one had ever asked. No one wanted to know. He was just the janitor.
How sad that we let wonderful people pass through our lives just because we consider them unimportant. Maybe they are old, ugly, poor, uneducated. For whatever reason, to us, they are not worth our time.
I have been invisible in some schools this year. I am a sub. For some teachers, I am not worth a hello or a conversation at lunch. They don't want to know me. Yet, there are others who have taken the time to look a little deeper. They invite me to sit at their table at lunch and say hello in the hall. It makes a big difference.