Wk4: Leadership/Publishing Project Feedback

I shared my research with two of my critical friends:

Susan Cameron: "Although I am not a teacher, I think you raise interesting points of achieving success for yourself as well as your students. I do not recall any of my middle teachers ever going the distance for their students. I takes a lot of work, but if this is your calling, time isn't an option. Great job."

Raven Smith: "A classroom teacher is a lot of work in itself. I understand that students are failing and dropping out but we cannot make excuses for their failures. I strongly believe that misbehaved children comes from the home and not how we teachers deliver content. Its easy to put the blame of teachers when your child is failing. I like the idea of being different and making class fun, however the reasoning shouldn't be because students are dropping out and failing or they are not being challenged enough. There are plenty of other schools that use the old method of teaching (desks in rows and lectures) that are very successful."

"For the project in general, I think the students reacted to it well, simply because it's different, but good job with the creativity. our students need it!!

Wk4: Leadership/publishing Project Part 2: How we deliver content

I have shared my project with two organizations I am currently affiliated with:

http://www.childrenofpromisenyc.org/

I am a Academic Specialist at this non-for-profit organization and I currently work with twelve thru nineteen year olds preparing them for the world ahead of them. I share my research with the founder (Sharon Content) and she thought it was amazing. Later that week Content had a meeting with all the other specialist and show my power presentation as one of the many tools everyone can use in their classrooms.

Although I am relatively new at this organization (ASA Institute), I have showed the very same presentation to my department chairperson and I received great feedback.

www.asa.edu

Wk4: Publishing/Leadership project

How can we improve the way one delivers content? Why is this important? Being an educator is more than knowing the content or having students read specific chapters. Its about how we send a message. The message that will stay with students, not for the duration of the course, but their entire life. This keynote presentation provides some of the tools that I have used to become a successful teacher. Please be advise that you can not use what you don't have...If you're not funny, do not tell jokes, if you're not great with editing, don't use video editing software.

Here is the link to my presentation/keynote

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ATkb4KSG5w35ZGM3OTc5NW5fMWc5Z2sybmZu&hl=en

Wk4: Comment to K. Burton's Post

This week's reading was timed perfectly. While the book overall is nice, this chapter spoke to me. I've realized I am a board; a catalyst to all the things I'm trying to accomplish at work, in my consulting work and most of all, in life.

B. Cross said...

We share the same fortune of the required reading, the final chapters spoke out. when you call yourself a board game, I think of the game of chess. For many reasons but to be more specific, the game of chess is the game of life. How we setup the game and strategically move, the end result will breath-taking. Interesting choice, this has been a great two months, it feels like I'm starting to get to know this class more and more, and too bad we're approaching the end.

Great post!!!!

Wk4: Comment to Collette's post

Chapter 10: You are the board and you can take away from any experience with playing the “fault game”. But most of all know that what you take away from a circumstance is up to you. Relationships are the key to all things and you should be approachable and respectful towards others without judgment. Basically, be positive and try to find the underlying reason behind things without pointing fingers or giving into anger.

B. Cross said...

Death is never an easy thing to talk about especially with young children. I think you handled it well and I also appreciate the way you share this personal situation with the class. Great job!!!

wk4: reading (Creating framework)

While reading this chapter, I could not help but think of one of my favorite movies to watch. The Last Castle, which is essentially about a convict who leads fellow, convicted soldiers to stand up and fight against the mistreatment of the military prisoners.

The framework that one can create is essential to any environment lacking a strong leader. People need a leader who can motivate crowds by the thousands and help bring all peoples together for a common purpose. However, individuals who would rather govern a docile group of people are threatened by such leaders.

The New Children’s Story made it abundantly clear that people will follow those who possess the quality of charisma. The young lady who had undergone the cancer treatment did not show and affects of the teasing she received but instead she embraced it and continued out in her way. Once the other children realized she wasn’t ashamed and she wasn’t affected by it, they all wanted to have her same empowerment.

Wk3: Free Post Teaching Middle School

Middle School can be a tough and trying time trying to tell eleven and twelve year old kids what you're teaching will benefit them in the long run. But how frustrating is it when everything you teach, falls on dead ears. You have incorporate the technology, played educational games, you even tried adding graphical art to illustrate your point, and still the students are disruptive and disrespectful. What do you do then? How can you change your class around for the better? Do you try and get a new class? Teach a new subject or perhaps teach older children.

At what point, as a teacher, when enough is enough and stop preparing for a lesson the night before? Is it a waste of time preparing for something that will end up failing? As teachers are we suppose to endure all the natural things tweens are capable and deal with it? Do we punish kids for being kids?

These questions are the thoughts of many of my colleagues at work and is it quite an overwhelming conversation. I hear that most of the time spent in the class is disciplining and moving chairs, rather than teaching content. How would you address this concern if a new teacher approached you? What would be your advice?