The Urban Intelligensia

Educational Perspective - Runaway Month

Wow!  Can you believe September is almost over?!

Readers,

Share your reflections on the month of September - especially if you're a teacher and/or writer (or both).

Ciao for now!

Educational Perspective - A Serious Addiction

Ok....I've just about had it!  Technology has a strangle hold on today's youth. From DVD players to video games and cell phones to Ipods, kids today are under a dangerous spell.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not some oldster fuddy duddy who is still stuck in the days of 8-track tapes and computers the size of refrigerators.  When I was a teen, we had addictions as well, especially to music and music players. We didn't have Ipods, but we did carry our tunes around and we did bring them to school. The difference is that we knew to put our electronic devices away during class time.  We didn't have the teacher telling us every 5 minutes to do so and we didn't dare take them out when we had work to complete.  That is so NOT the case with today's students.

I've been teaching for almost 7 years and have watched the progression of technology in my classroom. Back in 2002, beepers were still popular but being pushed aside for cell phones with beeping/paging capabilities.  CD players were still popular but once the Ipod hit the scene, the CD players started to disappear.  Now you can do just about everything on your cell phone from calling to internet searches to playing music.  Technology has come a long way in such a short period of time.  And they're making millions off of our kids.

But kids don't care about money, mom and dad will deal with the bill. Just get me the latest sidekick cell phone, handle held PSP system and Ipod and it's all good.  Unfortunately, it's going all bad in the classroom.  Today, my 3rd period class, my biggest offenders when it comes to sidekick usage were blatantly disregarding my repeated warnings about putting the phones away.  I mean come on!  I have signs posted outside my classroom.  I tell students to put away their phones as they enter the classroom.  I have notices posted in the classroom and I have signs taped to the desks. What more can I do? Today I almost took some phones away and while that got some students to leave them alone. Others were doing whatever they could to use their phones -from putting them on their laps to hiding them in their binders, notebooks and folders.  It's ridiculous!  They can't be off the phones for one period?!

Well, now it's time to get tough.  First, letters will be sent out to parents about the electronic devices. Second, in class, the students will receive a final warning from me about the devices.  After that, I'm no longer wasting my breath.  Those devices will be their downfall.  If they want to be on them, it'll be at the cost of their grade.

Ciao for now!

Educational Perspective - Honeymoon's Over

Good evening, readers!

Well, September is not even over yet and the kids are already "not alright". Let's see...where do I begin?  How about the students that cut my class on Friday?  Yes...let's start there.  My last period class and as we all know, the last class of the day is usually the lightest.  Boy, was that an understatement!  Out of a class of about 21 students, I had about 10 show up.  The class was so small, they filled only three tables!  Now I know, one student had a legit reason for being out, but the rest...no valid excuses....oh well...my response?  See you next year.

Don't get me wrong...it's not that I don't care - I do.  Butthe problem is that I care too much. This is my 7th year as a teacher (who it will be come June) and every year I stress myself out trying to get these kids to do right by themselves and come to class.  I don't take it personally that they cut..I'm just disappointed when they do.  Most people just chalk it up to youthful rebellion.  What's a class missed here and there, right?  Wrong!  Before the sudent knows it, he is well past the 4 unexcused absences for the term and definitely dancing past seven...think of the missed lessons...the incomplete assignments and the very act of being in class and making an effort - all of that - GONE.

Today a student in my 2nd period told me to my face that "she didn't want to do the work" and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.  It took everything that I had not to go off on her.  How dare she come into MY classroom and totally disregard the work!  granted, she doesn't have to be in love with the assignments - but she must respect that it's part of her education and get it done. What does she and her talkative classmate do?  Wait until classmate finishes the task and copy from her. Right in front of me and then get an attitude when I speak on it. The nerve! But I held my nasty sarcasm in check and try to reason with the lazy teens.  My advice fell on half-dead ears. They really didn't want to hear what I had to say.  They were going to do what they wanted and whatever for my opinion on the matter. Oh well.  See you next year.

Ciao for now!

Education News - Tips on Engaging Your Students

Good morning, readers!

As we move further into the school year, the students are settling in to their classes, getting to know their teachers and making new friends. Unfortunately, once the kids become comfortable with their surroundings behavior issues arise.  The students start testing the waters and pushing the boundaries.  Teachers, whether veterans or novices, need to have firm rituals and routines in place while the students are still in their "honeymoon" period.  Once that period is over, if procedures aren't in place, the teacher will have classroom management issues.

Here's today's educational tip - How to Engage your Students

As we all know, learning can be fun but sometimes it can be routine (i.e "boring" to the students). In order to minimize classroom behavior issues, most teachers know to keep their students busy with the day's lesson from beginning to end.  But the students must be engaged in relevant, meaningful work.  "Busy" work will not help the students learn if it's not connected to the lesson.

What I do to complete my lesson, is to have my students involved in an activities where they can use many tools - writing, speaking, listening and thinking.  For example, we're doing a review of the Parts of Speech.  This week's focus is on Verbs and Adverbs.  I had my students create Verb collages. I brought in old magazines and newspapers and had the student cut and paste pictures of people or things in action.  This reinforces the lesson on Verbs.  The activity took about 20 - 30 minutes and kept the students busy with relevant work.  In addition, the students could read the magazines as they searched for pictures and discuss the pictures that they found. 

If you want your students to be engaged with the work, you need to think outside of the box.  Students like variety and new approaches to old material. The Verb collage was an idea I got from a colleague and it really worked in class.  Another activity was Verbs in Postcards.  I brought in postcards and distributed them to the students.  In their notebooks, they were to make a list of actions that were happening in the postcard or could happen. It was another engaging activity as my students studied their cards in earnest.

If you have tips, please post here at my blog.  I'll be sure to share them!

Ciao for now!

Educational Perspective - The Ways of Teachers

Good evening readers, writers and educators:

We've completed the first five days of school and it looks like the honeymoon is over.  My girls are  starting to settle in and bond.  They're beginning to get use to the routine of things which is both good and bad.  It's good because they understand the expectations and it's bad because they're becoming buddy, buddy with each other. Now the laughing, giggling and excessively, loud talking has taken over in my classes.  I'm maintaining control but how long can I do this?  I'm exhausted already!

This brings me to the ways of teachers.  In speaking with my colleagues today, they all have different approaches to running their classrooms.  One has the "tell it like it is"  approach. another has the prim and proper approach, and still another colleague has the "throw the hands up in the air" approach. My approach is to be a little detached from the situation.  I've been teaching for over 6 years and I have seen a lot during that time.  Some of it's been good, some of it;s been bad and some of it has been downright ugly.  Many would have quit this professio years ago, but I'm still here.  I know I have exceeded many people's expectations of my survival in the profession.

But I am here and I will persevere!

My Writing Retreat - Turner's Pond

Good evening, readers, educators and teachers,

As written yesterday, I would share with all of you the place that will be the setting for my inspiration, my reflection and my writing - Turner's Pond in Milton, Mass.  I had been to the pond only a few times before today.  It is a beautiful place, quiet and serene.  Unlike in NH, I must share this peaceful place with a flock of ducks who sit and/or swim on the pond's shore. 

The ducks are so used to human visitors that they hardly stir when I and my five-year old son arrive. He is eager to play at the pond's edge and frolic amongst the ducks.  Even my son's energetic antics only cause a few of the birds to move away.  The rest remain where they are and look at him with curiosity or ignore him altogether.  My son is in his element - he has an audience.

As my son enjoys the pond, I sit on a nearby rock and survey the scene.  The water is still and a lone duck can be seen in the distance.  It gently bobs on the water surrounded by lily pads.  Closer to shore, the ducks are now scurrying a bit as my son runs about the water's edge. The birds are too quiet for his taste.  Some of the ducks quack in mild protest and move to either the right or the left of my son.  They're still close but far enough away that my son dares not follow (I didn't want to explain why our son is soaking wet to his father).

We spend a good half an hour at the pond.  The cool morning is turning into a hot one and it's time to go.   We walked to the pond from our home and while it's close by car, it's a good walk from our house. I look at the pond once more before we leave.  Iam blown away by its beauty.  This is where it can I hapen I think.  This is where I can get my thoughts together.  Right here. Turner's Pond.