Don't get me wrong, I am LOVING all the new technology: Google groups, Kindle reader, Chromebook, d2L (desire to learn online site), schoolology, dropbox, Wevideo,....etc. However, I have SIX classes. 1,2,3,4,5,6! In addition to 6 classes, I have a meeting 3 days a week with my AUSL MRCs (Mentor resident coaches) called Teacher moves. They say, for every hour of class, we should expect around 2-3 hours of homework. 25 hours of class x 3 hours per hour = 75 hours a week. SEVENTY-FIVE! I am relearning the art of skimming.
So what does my course load look like you might ask? Well, I have a Social Justice class with a bad ass professor who keeps it real. I could listen to him talk for hours. We are reading a text by Pauline Lipman called "The New Political Economy of Urban Education". It really digs deep into neoliberalism, race and education. Class discussions are still polite, but I can guess this will be my most fascinating class for debate. Ironically, she completely dismisses turnaround, which is reason we are in this program. I love the contra point of views. Then there's an Educational psychology class you know, Piaget and Vygotsky. Ironically, fascinating as well. Literacy for k-4 with a prof named Sunshine. You really just have to smile when you walk in her class. Technology in education with ironically a professor who does Ironman races. He's fabulous as well. His class has us immediately pushing our comfort levels with technology - video blogs due each week. Special education is an online class but we met once to meet the professor. She is a 25+ year veteran of CPS then moved on to teach at University level. It is fascinating to find out I am walking around using terminology that is extremely offensive to people living with disabilities. The terminology has changed. People first is the message. I encourage everyone to educate themselves on proper language, particularly if you have children. You are their window to the world. Last, our Resident teacher practicum. This is kind of like a capstone class but taken all year. It too is awesome as it wraps everything together and answers administrative or logistical questions about NLU/AUSL we may have. 3 days a week we have Teacher moves and discuss the brilliant Charlotte Danielson (teaching for learning framework for my CPS peeps) and Lemov's "Teach Like a Champion". We role play, discuss, design. It's brilliant. I was never this engaged while pursuing my MBA.
My cohort is amazing. We are all ELE MAT which is Elementary Masters of Arts in Teaching. There are also high school cohorts for MAT and Ele and HS cohorts for the MEd program. There are 28 of us. All bringing something awesome to the table. Different races, sexes, work experience, backgrounds...etc. Finance people (like me), waitresses, tutors, journalists, biochemical engineers, charter school teachers (uncertified), dancers. There's this one girl, Jahnna. She's is freaking brilliant. She was an attorney in her prior life. I think she told me she passed like 5 state bars. Anyway, she has read every non-fiction book known to man. Every book. When she raises her hand to contribute, it's always something incredibly relevant and interesting. While in our Social Justice class this week we were discussing neoliberalism and the effects on urban society and education. She straight faced looked at me and said, "you know, communism is great, if you just take away the people." I almost peed myself. Fabulous.
We are all getting used to each other, our ticks, agendas, passions. Its not like we have a ton of time to socialize, class is 9-11:30, lunch 11:30 -12:30 (during which time you must eat, get anything printed you need printed since the library doesn't open until 9, and potty break), class 12:30-3 and then T-TH Teacher moves from 3:15 - 4:30pm. On Tuesdays and Fridays, we have the 12:30-3pm slot as open study which is really for the online Special ed course "class time" which then brings with it the additional hours of work. I started a Google group last night because, well, because you know me. We are going to be spending a lot of time together so might as well have the ability to communicate when we need each other, right? (also I secretly was excited to get everyone I would need to communicate with on the google group and off the FB site) Plus, some people just don't have Facebook so the group is exclusive. Another girl Erin has written down all of our assignments in a neat calendar and another gal, Elaine, already suggested we exchange phone numbers and birthdays. (so I created a spreadsheet for that)
I am busy and tired but have never been so engaged in my life. We were charged with writing our "Educational Philosophy" this week. I know it's a living document and will change as I do over the next year and years to come, but here it is as of today. Thanks and props to Marni Levinson, Femi Spearman and Don Fraynd for things you all have shared with me over the last 5 years have been stored in my brain waiting to come out in this paper.
I decided
to change careers and pursue teaching so that I may change lives for the better. I believe that at times, I may be a small
component of that change, and other times, I may be the driving force. At my core, I hope and trust a teacher has
chosen the profession because s/he has a calling to educate our youth. We must educate not only in the
classroom, but outside of it as well; to turn our lives over to education,
knowing the rewards will many times be successes students have as adults,
and we will never see.
I believe
all children inherently can and want to learn.
It is our job and our responsibility to find a way to engage students so
that they are open to receive instruction. One way that I hope to
engage kids is through technology. In the 21st century, technology is a large contributor to
engagement and proper preparation of our students. As teachers we must work to stay one step
ahead in technology through professional development, research, mentorships,
and collegial observations. This will
allow us the best and most effective methods for delivering instruction.
Also, I believe students learn best in an
environment they find safe, which takes on many meanings. It is our role as teachers to provide this
environment and to remove or add anything that
is detracting from this desired setting.
Finally, I believe feedback from mentors, peers and students is the
best tool for perfecting the craft of teaching.
We as teachers must be
open to receive feedback and remember that it is not about us,
but about the students.
Most importantly, I believe we must see promise in EVERY student, even when
they cannot see it in themselves.
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