I am a teacher

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Hi!! I'm here to share my routine with you!!!
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How to Make a Good Impression During Your Student Teaching - 5:02 AM, Dec. 6, 2005

You need to think of your student teaching experience as your first job. Your work ethic, your willingness to do new things and your ability to get along with others are attributes that you want everyone to know that you have. When you go to find a job, the references principals usually call are people you student taught with. That's why it is extremely important that you make a good impression on those you work with.

	Get in touch with your cooperating teacher as soon as you get the name. Be eager to get together to find out what units you might be able to start planning.
	Always be on time; in fact be early. If an emergency comes up call your cooperating teacher as soon as possible.
	Don't ever call in sick if at all possible.
	Be careful what you say in the teacher's lounge or when with other teachers. Find a happy medium as to how much to say. Too much or too little may hurt your impression.
	Don't complain about students or other teachers. Keep positive!
	Smile and introduce yourself to people you don't know. This can be difficult, but it is an easy way to impress teachers and administrators. (Imagine a teacher saying, "Oh, I know who you are talking about, I met her/him at the copy machine! She/he seemed real nice." That won't happen unless you are assertive enough to introduce yourself! Do it!)
	Network with as many teachers as you can. Get to know them, ask to copy their units, behavior plans and anything else they will offer you. Being willing to get ideas from others shows you excitement about being prepared for a real teaching job.
	Hand write a thank you note to your cooperating teacher when you are done student teaching. Remember, no matter how positive or negative the experience was, the teacher gave up his/her class so you could have your first taste of teaching . A sincere "thanks" will go a long way.

Problems - 11:46 AM, Aug. 30, 2005

I've been specially worried about one of my students. He's been distant, doesn't pay attention to class, he seem sad, I don't see him playing with other kids and he's grades are going lower every day. I called his mom and she told me she and her husband are getting divorced, so that's probably what's bothering him... His mom is coming to the school tomorrow after class, so we can see what we can do to help him. It's hard to see a child suffering.

Do you believe what happened the other day? - 5:06 AM, Jun. 26, 2005

I saw this photo online and I couldn´t resist posting it.... have fun (I bet they did!)

Some Poetry - 9:34 AM, May. 3, 2005

O Captain! My Captain!
by Walt Whitman

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths-for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning:

Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse or will;
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won:

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Dead Poets Society (1989) - 9:19 AM, May. 1, 2005

An inspiring and beautiful movie, that I just loved to watch and share it with my students.The movie tell the story of an unconventional New England prep school teacher that inspires his students with poetry and encourages them to embrace life. Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Actor - He was outstanding!

The stress pays off after all... - 9:07 AM, Apr. 29, 2005

Guess what? My students realized they weren't very nice to me the other day, so they gather up and bought me flowers to apologized! Isn't this the nicest thing?! Sometimes I feel so good to have them in my life... I work hard to be the best I can be, but the stress really pays off!

Hard Day - 9:02 AM, Apr. 27, 2005

Today just wasn't a good day... I couldn't sleep very well and my students just wouldn't stop talking and disturbing the class. When I was going home, my car ran out of gas and I had to call for help. After all this, I still have to correct a whole bunch of tests...

Motivating Students - 8:50 AM, Apr. 24, 2005

Rule 1: Emphasize the most critical concepts continuously. Reiterate these concepts in lectures and assignments throughout the course. Include questions relating to these critical subjects on every exam, thus rewarding students for learning, retaining, and, hopefully, applying this knowledge in a variety of contexts.

Rule 2: Provide students with a "visual aid" when possible to explain abstract concepts. A significant proportion of today's’ students are visual learners. For these students, a simple diagram or flowchart truly can be more valuable than a thousand words in a text or a lecture.

Rule 3: Rely on logic when applicable. Point out to students which information is merely "fact" that must be memorized and which course material is based upon "logic." Show students how to employ logical thinking to learn and retain new information. For example, in the double-entry bookkeeping system, "debits" equal "credits," and debit entries cause assets to increase. These are "facts" or features of the system; they are not based on logic. However, once the student accepts the system, logic can be used to operate within the system. Continuing the example, if debit entries increase assets, it is logical that credit entries will cause assets to decrease.

Rule 4: Use in-class activities to reinforce newly presented material. After a new concept or subject has been presented via text reading, lecture, or class discussion, allow the students to put the concept into action by completing an in-class assignment. These assignments can be short, but they must be developed to ensure that the students understand the critical concepts underlying the new material. Typically, the most learning takes place when the students are permitted to work in small groups, to refer to their text and notes, and to ask questions of the instructor while completing the assignment. If these in-class assignments are part of the course grading scheme, class attendance also improves.

Rule 5: Help students create a “link” when teaching something new. If the student can “link” the new material to something already learned, the odds of learning the new material are greatly increased. Examples of possible “links” include: prior material learned in this course (e.g., the critical concepts described in Rule 1), material learned in prerequisite courses, and “real-life” experiences of the students outside the classroom.

Rule 6: Recognize the importance of vocabulary in a course. Students often struggle with new vocabulary in many courses, especially introductory ones. To succeed in these courses, students must become comfortable with the new terminology. As subjects are presented, new and/or confusing terms should be identified and introduced to the students. Present “real-world” definitions and alternative terminology, in addition to textbook definitions. One way to help students assimilate the course vocabulary is to create a “living” glossary on the instructor’ website where new terminology is added, explained, and illustrated throughout the course.

Rule 7: Treat students with respect. Patronizing behavior may be expected in primary school teachers, and “drill sergeant” strategies may be effective in military book camps. However, most college student will not respond well to these techniques. Give students their dignity, and they will give you their best efforts.

Rule 8: Hold students to a high standard. If students are not required to maintain a specified level of learning and performance, only the most highly motivated students will devote the time and effort necessary to learn. In contrast, maintaining high standards not only will motivate student learning, it will also be the source of student feelings of accomplishment when those standards are met.

Profession - 8:46 AM, Apr. 22, 2005

Well, even now that my classes are improving, I'm not sure if that's what I wanna do for the rest of my life. I don't know, I don't feel complete if you know what I mean. Being a teacher is a challenge, but maybe is not the right challenge for me... I guess I better talk with someone about it and decide what's best for me. What do you guys think?

Feeling better - 8:41 AM, Apr. 20, 2005

I had an apointment with a psycologist and it turns out that was all that I needed: Someone to talk to and let all of my problems flow out of my mind... I feel a lot better now, even my classes are improving, I decided that the best way to reach my students was trying to be friends with them. Little by little things are working out...

If you want to be a teacher... - 11:30 AM, Apr. 19, 2005

by Louis Scdmier, Professor at Valdosta State University..

If you want to be a teacher, you first have to learn how to play hopscotch, learn other children games, learn how to watch a snail crawl, read "Yertle the Turtle", and watch "Bullwinkle".

If you want to be a teacher, you have to blow "she loves me, she loves me nots" with a dandilion or pull the indiviudal petals of a daisy, wiggle your toes in the mud and let it ooze through them, stomp in rain puddles, and be humbled by the majesty of a mountain.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to fall in love each day.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to paddle a canoe, take a hike, or just get out.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to fly a kite or throw a frisbee, make sandcastles, love people, and listen intently to the rustle of the leaves or the murmur of the brook or the whisper of the breeze.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to dream dreams, play games, talk to the flowers, catch fire flies, admire a weed, walk barefoot in the rain, hold a worm, and see what is yet to be.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to think silly thoughts, have a watergun fight, have a pillow fight, swirl a tootsie pop in your mouth, burn sparklers at night, and see in a tree more than a mass of atoms or so many board feet of lumber or something that's in the way.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to skip as you walk, laugh at yourself, smile at others, hang loose, always have an eraser handy, concoct an original recipe, and inspire.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to fix a bird's broken wing, tweek the neck of a deflating baloon, do zany things, play with a yo-yo, and lose yourself in the quiet scenery to find yourself.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to feed the pigeons or squirrels, sing in the shower or tub, smell the flowers, watch a spider spin it's web, play with finger paints, and do a belly flob in a pool.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to bring joy into everything, watch in awe a sunset or sunrise, ride on a swing, slide down a slide, bump on a seesaw, and respect even a cockroach as a miracle of life.

If you want to be a teacher, you have to ride a bicycle or roller skate or ice skate, and live today. If you want to be a teacher, make all those marvelous feelings and images an intimate part of you and bring them into the classroom with you and share them.

If you want to be a teacher, as you have to put aside your formal theories and intellectual constructs and axioms and statistics and charts when you reach out to touch that miracle called the individual human being.

;( - 11:10 AM, Apr. 4, 2005

But the biggest problem I have is money!!! I'm thinking about starting a new college course...

I wasn't born to be a teacher!

What can I do???

Welcome!! - 11:05 AM, Apr. 4, 2005

Hi!

I'm an English teacher.

Some times I just want to kill all of my students!!

My classes are a mess, I don't know if it's my fault or not!

Help meeeee!!!