Today I received two drawings from two different students. One from a student in my 3rd period Bio class and I from a student in my 6th period anatomy class. I forget exactly what the boy in my Bio class drew but I think it had to do with them drawing their SMARFS today. Those are mythical creatures the students create to practice their learning of basic Mendelian Genetics. They learned about the genotype and phenotype and how genotype affects phenotype. This was an inquiry introduction to what we are talking about tomorrow which is probability and punnett squares. You remember the good old punnett squares, right?
I will have to bring those home so I can scan them and add them to this post. It was cute. I didn't really think I'd ever get drawings from high school students but it's nice that they bestowed gifts upon me. hahaha.
So...I really don't think the students get how this student teacher thing works. I feel like they think that I student teach at Eureka High and then become a teacher at Eureka High. One of the students (not actually mine, he's in 2nd period Bio) told me that he is going to re-take Bio just so he can have me as a teacher. I told him that he can't even if he does because I can't teach at Eureka High because there aren't any jobs available. He said, "That can be arranged." Hilarious.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Remind 101
I heard about Remind 101 from a couple of my teachers in my credential program but I hadn't really given it much thought when I heard about it because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to have enough control over my class to use it this spring. However, in light of the large number of students that have cell phones (I'm willing to bet in my bio class almost everyone has a cell phone that can get text messages and I know everyone has one in my anatomy class and even within that, they have smart phones) I think this could be a very useful tool.
This is a free service (you're charged by your phone company for text messages but most people have unlimited text plans) that I can set up to send students reminders at any time of the day I choose. I can even set reminders to be sent at a specific time (to the minute!) and day. I set up accounts for both of my classes. I can't wait to tell my students about them. It is so cool. So many of my students just don't use their planners and don't know when things are due and I am sure that they look at their phones very often....I really think it will help them to not have the excuse of "I left my planner in my locker" or "I forgot to look in my planner" or I don't like to use my planner."
It's so easy to opt in to receiving reminders. By the way, you can get reminders either as texts or emails or both. Students and parents can sign up. I think that I can get the parents more involved with this service as well and I could see some parents being happy to know what their child has due. This is a no-opt out technique because now when the parent asks what the student has for homework of if they need to study for their quiz, they can't say "I don't have any homework or a quiz." I also think that the email option is good if people don't have cell phones. I mean, it's obviously not exactly perfect but seriously, everyone has a cell phone or access to a computer with email. Ok, maybe not everyone but I feel safe saying that about my two classes.
It's also really cool because I don't need to know their invidual numbers or emails and they don't know my personal phone number. You just send a text to your classes' phone number (424) 277-6948 and in the text section where you type your message, you just write @class code (I created codes for bio and antomy) so it would be @3bioehs for 3rd period bio and @6ap for 6th period anatomy. They even have a remind101 app. I'm not sure what it does since I don't have a smart phone...
This is a free service (you're charged by your phone company for text messages but most people have unlimited text plans) that I can set up to send students reminders at any time of the day I choose. I can even set reminders to be sent at a specific time (to the minute!) and day. I set up accounts for both of my classes. I can't wait to tell my students about them. It is so cool. So many of my students just don't use their planners and don't know when things are due and I am sure that they look at their phones very often....I really think it will help them to not have the excuse of "I left my planner in my locker" or "I forgot to look in my planner" or I don't like to use my planner."
It's so easy to opt in to receiving reminders. By the way, you can get reminders either as texts or emails or both. Students and parents can sign up. I think that I can get the parents more involved with this service as well and I could see some parents being happy to know what their child has due. This is a no-opt out technique because now when the parent asks what the student has for homework of if they need to study for their quiz, they can't say "I don't have any homework or a quiz." I also think that the email option is good if people don't have cell phones. I mean, it's obviously not exactly perfect but seriously, everyone has a cell phone or access to a computer with email. Ok, maybe not everyone but I feel safe saying that about my two classes.
It's also really cool because I don't need to know their invidual numbers or emails and they don't know my personal phone number. You just send a text to your classes' phone number (424) 277-6948 and in the text section where you type your message, you just write @class code (I created codes for bio and antomy) so it would be @3bioehs for 3rd period bio and @6ap for 6th period anatomy. They even have a remind101 app. I'm not sure what it does since I don't have a smart phone...
Friday, March 29, 2013
Mendelian Genetics and more
Today is Friday, fianlly! yay! I just wanted it to be the weekend so I could sleep in and wrap up my work on my PACT. I am almost done and then I just need to carefully go through it for necessary edits. I also need to do an article review for my science teaching methods action research project because the presentation of our findings thus far is on Weds while I'm in Hawai'i. I also need to apply to more jobs as a few have deadlines in April and that is approaching on Monday.
In Bio, I was teaching a lesson about an introduction to Mendelian genetics and a student (so happens to be a member of my peanut gallery) raised his hand. When I called on him, he asked me if there is any way I can teach Chemistry next year. I told him that there are no jobs for me at all at Eureka High. This caused an outcry from the whole class! I said, I'm going to have to move. "What, where, we're all moving there!" Not even joking, those are exactly the words another student piped up with. At this point, Tera joined in and told that the students that is why I have been going to job fairs and that I'm going to be going wherever I get a job. So, then the student who first asked the question very seriously asked, "Can we get a class picture on the last day of school?" I assured him, that of course, yes we could get a class picture. I also told them that I would keep a blog of my first year of teaching and they could follow along with me and my first class. Then another member of the peanut gallery said, "No, we're your first class!" To that I said, true, and I already have a blog about you guys. Then they all wanted to know if they were in it. Then I told them that I would put up our class picture in my new classroom and then I thought about privacy rights and I said that maybe I couldn't put it up in my classroom. They were ready and willing to sign a petition (everything is solved to them with a petition) so they could be on my wall. But then Tera did say that it's probably okay if it's not on the internet so everyone calmed down and we went back to the lecture.
I'm going to miss those little boogers when I leave.
In Bio, I was teaching a lesson about an introduction to Mendelian genetics and a student (so happens to be a member of my peanut gallery) raised his hand. When I called on him, he asked me if there is any way I can teach Chemistry next year. I told him that there are no jobs for me at all at Eureka High. This caused an outcry from the whole class! I said, I'm going to have to move. "What, where, we're all moving there!" Not even joking, those are exactly the words another student piped up with. At this point, Tera joined in and told that the students that is why I have been going to job fairs and that I'm going to be going wherever I get a job. So, then the student who first asked the question very seriously asked, "Can we get a class picture on the last day of school?" I assured him, that of course, yes we could get a class picture. I also told them that I would keep a blog of my first year of teaching and they could follow along with me and my first class. Then another member of the peanut gallery said, "No, we're your first class!" To that I said, true, and I already have a blog about you guys. Then they all wanted to know if they were in it. Then I told them that I would put up our class picture in my new classroom and then I thought about privacy rights and I said that maybe I couldn't put it up in my classroom. They were ready and willing to sign a petition (everything is solved to them with a petition) so they could be on my wall. But then Tera did say that it's probably okay if it's not on the internet so everyone calmed down and we went back to the lecture.
I'm going to miss those little boogers when I leave.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Who cares if it's a choice?
Today in my science teaching methods course, we were talking about controversial topics. We got on the subject of AIDS/HIV and how it is becoming more prevalent in people ages 13-24 because of a lack of knowledge of it and the risks for contracting it. As many people are aware, it is more prevalent in men who have sex with men. OK so now we're on the homosexual topic. My teacher asked us how we would respond to a student who asked, "Why are people gay?" My immediate knee-jerk reaction was to respond with, "Why are people straight?" However the context of the question is that it was asked in an information-seeking manner.
We read this article:
http://www.nabt.org/websites/institution/File/pdfs/american_biology_teacher/2000/062-05-0326.pdf
I challenge everyone reading this blog right now to go to this link and read the study. It is written in pretty plain English and doesn't have too much embedded vocabulary. I think the implications are clearly understood without a biological background. If you think this is bogus, do your own research and comment below your findings refuting this articles claims.
When I get my teaching job, I am going to make a class set of copies of this article and if the question comes up or students are picking on other students for being gay, we're going to read this article not only to dispel any misconceptions but also to practice reading scientific literature.
We also talked about within this context, the difference between advocacy and information. It is important that in giving students information, you are not advocating something. For example, showing students a brain scan comparison of a meth user vs non-meth user is information but showing them a picture of an extremely emaciated person is advocacy. My job as a science teacher is to give my students the information they need to make informed decisions, not make their decisions for them. If you give them a right and a wrong choice, that's advocacy.
That's what I learned today and whether or not this research sways anyone's opinion who is reading this, I really don't care. I don't care becasue, even if being gay is a choice, who cares? M.Y.O.B. is what I have to say, not to my students but that's how I feel off the record of the classroom. How much does it really affect straight people? Also, if it's a choice, then when did you decide to become straight? When did you tell your parents you were straight? (see how ridiculous those questions are from the other side?)
We read this article:
http://www.nabt.org/websites/institution/File/pdfs/american_biology_teacher/2000/062-05-0326.pdf
I challenge everyone reading this blog right now to go to this link and read the study. It is written in pretty plain English and doesn't have too much embedded vocabulary. I think the implications are clearly understood without a biological background. If you think this is bogus, do your own research and comment below your findings refuting this articles claims.
When I get my teaching job, I am going to make a class set of copies of this article and if the question comes up or students are picking on other students for being gay, we're going to read this article not only to dispel any misconceptions but also to practice reading scientific literature.
We also talked about within this context, the difference between advocacy and information. It is important that in giving students information, you are not advocating something. For example, showing students a brain scan comparison of a meth user vs non-meth user is information but showing them a picture of an extremely emaciated person is advocacy. My job as a science teacher is to give my students the information they need to make informed decisions, not make their decisions for them. If you give them a right and a wrong choice, that's advocacy.
That's what I learned today and whether or not this research sways anyone's opinion who is reading this, I really don't care. I don't care becasue, even if being gay is a choice, who cares? M.Y.O.B. is what I have to say, not to my students but that's how I feel off the record of the classroom. How much does it really affect straight people? Also, if it's a choice, then when did you decide to become straight? When did you tell your parents you were straight? (see how ridiculous those questions are from the other side?)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Oh, Monday how soon you come around again...
Today was so hard to wake up. I got home from my drive back up from the bay a little bit after 12:15 in the am. I'm finally getting better. It felt like I was sick forever!
Today was kinda cool. I helped one of my favorite students with her math homework (really they're all my favorite, just some of them behave in ways I'd rather them not) . She's in Algebra I and I know that she struggles with it. We worked for the whole lunch period while I helped another girl who was absent all last week make up a meiosis simulation. After school, the girl with the math came back in and I helped her through almost all of her homework, another girl who was absent last week as well made up her meiosis simulation and I helped a 3rd student clarify the difference between haploid, diploid, chromosomes, doubled chromosomes, chromatids, tetrads, crossing over, and mitosis versus meiosis. I do feel for them on this unit, mitosis and meiosis together can be a little bit confusing but I think that the two go together. Sometimes I think that if my students were paying attention the first time I taught things it would be easier. I mean I re-explain it to them the same way and then they just "Ahhh...I get it!" Miraculous! Hahahahaha!!!
It was cool helping that student with her math homework because I was able to explain it all to her and she really seems to be getting it. I hope she does well on her test. I mostly just emphasized that you need to write down all the steps. When it says to use slope and a point on the line to make an equation in slope-intercept form, write slope-intercept form y = mx + b so you know what you're going for.
I also spent a lot of time, the entire evening, applying for jobs. Or at least making sure I know what each job I'm applying for needs. It's so much easier with all of it being online. However, staring at the computer is a problem! I applied for I think 7 summer school jobs in the central valley, east bay and south bay regions. I found a job in Vista, San Diego. I applied to Los-Gatos Saratoga Union (Saratoga High). I am almost done with my app for Palo Alto Unified (of course they can't use ed join like everyone else!) lol. Basically just searching and applying to as many places as I can. My job wish list on edjoin has 17 schools. Oh yeah, I applied to a job for Chico Unified yesterday that was due today. It says that the "district viewed" so that is sort of exciting. Even though obviously they're going to view all the applications...
Today was kinda cool. I helped one of my favorite students with her math homework (really they're all my favorite, just some of them behave in ways I'd rather them not) . She's in Algebra I and I know that she struggles with it. We worked for the whole lunch period while I helped another girl who was absent all last week make up a meiosis simulation. After school, the girl with the math came back in and I helped her through almost all of her homework, another girl who was absent last week as well made up her meiosis simulation and I helped a 3rd student clarify the difference between haploid, diploid, chromosomes, doubled chromosomes, chromatids, tetrads, crossing over, and mitosis versus meiosis. I do feel for them on this unit, mitosis and meiosis together can be a little bit confusing but I think that the two go together. Sometimes I think that if my students were paying attention the first time I taught things it would be easier. I mean I re-explain it to them the same way and then they just "Ahhh...I get it!" Miraculous! Hahahahaha!!!
It was cool helping that student with her math homework because I was able to explain it all to her and she really seems to be getting it. I hope she does well on her test. I mostly just emphasized that you need to write down all the steps. When it says to use slope and a point on the line to make an equation in slope-intercept form, write slope-intercept form y = mx + b so you know what you're going for.
I also spent a lot of time, the entire evening, applying for jobs. Or at least making sure I know what each job I'm applying for needs. It's so much easier with all of it being online. However, staring at the computer is a problem! I applied for I think 7 summer school jobs in the central valley, east bay and south bay regions. I found a job in Vista, San Diego. I applied to Los-Gatos Saratoga Union (Saratoga High). I am almost done with my app for Palo Alto Unified (of course they can't use ed join like everyone else!) lol. Basically just searching and applying to as many places as I can. My job wish list on edjoin has 17 schools. Oh yeah, I applied to a job for Chico Unified yesterday that was due today. It says that the "district viewed" so that is sort of exciting. Even though obviously they're going to view all the applications...
Saturday, March 23, 2013
VIP at the Job Fair
Today was the Santa Clara County Office of Education Job Fair. There were districts from Santa Clara, Saratoga, Mountain View, San Jose, Los Gatos, Gilroy present. It was a very productive event in all.
I had my packets all set for the 11 districts that had high schools. My packets included a cover letter, resume, printed ed join app, letter of rec from Tera, Ron (my supervisor), and Daryl (my Bilingual methods teacher), my letter of good standing (that I will finish my credential in June), CBEST and CSET passing cards with a business card on top. I left mom and dad's about 8:20 am and was pulling up at the County Ed Office just before 9am. A friend who is a fellow candidate in HSU's program is going for math and is from Campbell also went. We met up before going in and that was nice to walk in with someone. She really wants to work and live in Monterey (who doesn't?) but her mom dreams of her moving back home and working for the Union School Dist. like she does. She left the fair rather early, around 11am.
There were so many people there! It was overwhelming at first! A lot of people were multiple subjects and the Single Subject people were mostly Social Science and English. While I was waiting in line for the Morgan Hill School Dist, the lady in front of me was a Special Ed person and she told me that she knew a science teacher for Campbell Union Dist who was retiring and so I gave her my business card and also went and had a short (5 minute, 5 question interview) which I think went well. Morgan Hill didn't have a job but the lady actually "chased" me down (I was in heels so it was like a slow speed chase...) and pulled me back to get me an interview slot. She told the interview scheduler that I was "dynamic, interview her." I ended up cancelling that interview because I got one at the same time with Santa Clara Unified and they actually had an opening.
I waited for Fremont Union for about 30 minutes and had a short screening. The lady looked at my resume and wanted to know about PEERS (Switzerland research proj).
So back to my job interview...I stood in line for the Santa Clara Unified School District. Ok, so I'm at the front and the guy came to me, shook my hand and brought me over to the corner where he was interviewing people over a cow. Not a moo-moo cow, I mean, yes a moo-moo cow but a moo-moo cow replica (it worked as a table for him). He said, "I hope you're not afraid of cows." Of course, I said that I grew up in Livermore, so no, I'm not. lol. He looked at (my cover letter was on the top) and he literally only read where I wrote my address. He asked me, "Are you a lumberjack?" I promptly answered, "Yes, I am." Turns out, he went to HSU and even did his student teaching at Winship Middle School which I was able to say that it is reopening for the fall.
Get this small world thing....the girl standing right across from me, talking to a different recruiter was also and HSU alum (class of 2011 Enviornmental Science). The guy started talking about HSU and his wife went there, one of his girls, and and his son currently plays football there.
Summary: he gave me the final interview for the district of the day. I interviewed with the vice-principal of Wilcox High School. They have a biology opening. They even have a school garden! It was a good interview for a preliminary one.
So that's the long, short version of my day.
Oh, I completely forgot! Dad's friend, Lee, is the HR director for the entire county. I found him and got to talk to him for a bit. He even was walking by where I waiting for my interview and came by and personally congratulated me and wished me luck. I felt pretty cool, having the HR director of the entire county come by and personally wish me luck on my interview.
I had my packets all set for the 11 districts that had high schools. My packets included a cover letter, resume, printed ed join app, letter of rec from Tera, Ron (my supervisor), and Daryl (my Bilingual methods teacher), my letter of good standing (that I will finish my credential in June), CBEST and CSET passing cards with a business card on top. I left mom and dad's about 8:20 am and was pulling up at the County Ed Office just before 9am. A friend who is a fellow candidate in HSU's program is going for math and is from Campbell also went. We met up before going in and that was nice to walk in with someone. She really wants to work and live in Monterey (who doesn't?) but her mom dreams of her moving back home and working for the Union School Dist. like she does. She left the fair rather early, around 11am.
There were so many people there! It was overwhelming at first! A lot of people were multiple subjects and the Single Subject people were mostly Social Science and English. While I was waiting in line for the Morgan Hill School Dist, the lady in front of me was a Special Ed person and she told me that she knew a science teacher for Campbell Union Dist who was retiring and so I gave her my business card and also went and had a short (5 minute, 5 question interview) which I think went well. Morgan Hill didn't have a job but the lady actually "chased" me down (I was in heels so it was like a slow speed chase...) and pulled me back to get me an interview slot. She told the interview scheduler that I was "dynamic, interview her." I ended up cancelling that interview because I got one at the same time with Santa Clara Unified and they actually had an opening.
I waited for Fremont Union for about 30 minutes and had a short screening. The lady looked at my resume and wanted to know about PEERS (Switzerland research proj).
So back to my job interview...I stood in line for the Santa Clara Unified School District. Ok, so I'm at the front and the guy came to me, shook my hand and brought me over to the corner where he was interviewing people over a cow. Not a moo-moo cow, I mean, yes a moo-moo cow but a moo-moo cow replica (it worked as a table for him). He said, "I hope you're not afraid of cows." Of course, I said that I grew up in Livermore, so no, I'm not. lol. He looked at (my cover letter was on the top) and he literally only read where I wrote my address. He asked me, "Are you a lumberjack?" I promptly answered, "Yes, I am." Turns out, he went to HSU and even did his student teaching at Winship Middle School which I was able to say that it is reopening for the fall.
Get this small world thing....the girl standing right across from me, talking to a different recruiter was also and HSU alum (class of 2011 Enviornmental Science). The guy started talking about HSU and his wife went there, one of his girls, and and his son currently plays football there.
Summary: he gave me the final interview for the district of the day. I interviewed with the vice-principal of Wilcox High School. They have a biology opening. They even have a school garden! It was a good interview for a preliminary one.
So that's the long, short version of my day.
Oh, I completely forgot! Dad's friend, Lee, is the HR director for the entire county. I found him and got to talk to him for a bit. He even was walking by where I waiting for my interview and came by and personally congratulated me and wished me luck. I felt pretty cool, having the HR director of the entire county come by and personally wish me luck on my interview.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
"Taking the Day off" Thursday
I have been sick now since last Weds...I've just had this hacky, seal/dog cough thing. I lost my voice over the weekend/earlier this week it was really bad. I finally took today off to rest. Of course I couldn't just sleep all day so I actually made my day off rather productive. I spent most of the day preparing things for the job fair this weekend in San Jose. There are a ton of high schools in the Santa Clara County school system! I am also working on getting my resume finished up and looking fabulous...Quite the task! In addition, I was able to clean out my car. Impressively enough, I only had 4 jackets, a few loose papers, a chip bag, 2 diet coke bottles, a diet coke can, and lots of sand in all. That's from not cleaning out my car since probably the beginning of Feb. That would include 2 trips to and from the bay and many days of teaching, and a week of running a kids camp.
So my day off turned more into a work day but at least I got things done that I needed to. Still need to tidy up my room. Just odds and ends mostly a few clothes on the floor and that sort of thing.
So my day off turned more into a work day but at least I got things done that I needed to. Still need to tidy up my room. Just odds and ends mostly a few clothes on the floor and that sort of thing.
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