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TeacherGAF |OT| Learn Something New Every Day
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Wafflecakes
Member
Depending on what you are looking for there may be jobs as a paraeducator. Those do not require a degree in teaching, but it would mostly be with at-risk kids.
obin_gam
Member
Nice! I haven't figured out the details yet, like how the correspondence should be organized and stuff, but I'm guessing it would be a fairly straight forward thing with emails, and maybe some skype conferences if the technical stuff works
Hey TeacherGAF!
I'm doing the last part of my student teaching right now, and just had my first full lesson in this period. Obviously, something funny happened.
Started the lesson out by talking about different mottos the kids had prepared at home. The first few mottos were like "if you don't try, you can't win" etc and were just fine.
I asked one more kid and his motto was "school don't matter". I corrected his grammatical mistake and said "school DOESN'T matter" and elaborated further by saying "school DON'T matter is something a black person could say", OBVIOUSLY referring to the grammatical form of him using "don't" in the sentence like it is sometimes used in AAVE. I thought the reaction from the class was weird, as I didn't even realize what I had just said until later on in the lesson, and I had to apologize and correct myself that THE ONLY THING I was referring to was the grammar.
I'm doing the last part of my student teaching right now, and just had my first full lesson in this period. Obviously, something funny happened.
Started the lesson out by talking about different mottos the kids had prepared at home. The first few mottos were like "if you don't try, you can't win" etc and were just fine.
I asked one more kid and his motto was "school don't matter". I corrected his grammatical mistake and said "school DOESN'T matter" and elaborated further by saying "school DON'T matter is something a black person could say", OBVIOUSLY referring to the grammatical form of him using "don't" in the sentence like it is sometimes used in AAVE. I thought the reaction from the class was weird, as I didn't even realize what I had just said until later on in the lesson, and I had to apologize and correct myself that THE ONLY THING I was referring to was the grammar.
obin_gam
Member
Seriously? I'm glad the class reacted weirdly, shows at least they are not racists. Did you get reprimanded by your supervising teacher later?
And you do realize your apology wasn't actually an apology right? You instead implied black people have bad grammar in general.
You got it all wrong, as the class did.
AAVE is a legitimate dialect in English, and the usage of "don't" instead of "doesn't" is a phenomenon that happens in that dialect. I didn't get reprimanded, but she was glad that I corrected my mistake.
I definitely did not imply anything about bad grammar. Just pointed out a phenomenon.
terrisus
Member
So if you have black students in the class, if they said/spelled it that way, would you mark it correct?
Why not just say, that's not how we say it in the language that we are using/teaching?
And, wow, if I said something like that in the school I did my student teaching in (which was probably 95% black/Hispanic/Indian/various other nationalities, I probably would have gotten kicked right out of there >.>
Yes, AAVE is a language with its own particular nuances, but "That's how a black person would say it" when correcting someone's speech definitely isn't the way to go about bringing up that matter.
Why not just say, that's not how we say it in the language that we are using/teaching?
And, wow, if I said something like that in the school I did my student teaching in (which was probably 95% black/Hispanic/Indian/various other nationalities, I probably would have gotten kicked right out of there >.>
Yes, AAVE is a language with its own particular nuances, but "That's how a black person would say it" when correcting someone's speech definitely isn't the way to go about bringing up that matter.
I said that in AAVE you could hear someone say it like that. It's a completely different thing than to say "that's how a black person would say it".
EDIT: Maybe something just got lost in the translation. If someone pronounced "about" as "aboot", would saying "that's how a Canadian could say it" be considered racist? Merely pointing out a phenomenon in the language.
EDIT2: I think it might be worth pointing out that the whole unit we're examining revolves around different varieties of English, so I thought it was good to point out and talk about AAVE for a little bit. I didn't know it was a touchy subject.
terrisus
Member
That's just a matter of accent, not different word usage.
And, if it's a matter of needing a particular pronunciation of it, I would think the focus would be on how to pronounce it, not "That's how a Canadian would say it," which, yes, would sound awkward at best as well.
EDIT: This edit was after I had made my post,
Ah, that's a different matter then. The original post just came across as if it was just a typical English lesson, not something specifically focused on different varieties of English.
Yeah, I did say "some black people in America" and then went on to talk about what AAVE is.
So yeah, maybe I could have worded it a bit differently and just said speakers of AAVE (primarily black people, but obviously not all black people), but I thought that was self-explanatory after I started talking about AAVE
In Finland, kids aren't taught any particular way of pronunciation. Most of the book manufacturers use British as a guideline, but kids can pronounce words in the way they have chosen to talk English in, which is primarily American-English due to the media.
I'm not quite sure what you mean with your last sentence.
EDIT: actual quote instead of paraphrasing after consulting a friend
Lavalamp1138
Member
I think it's good that you took the time to bring up AAVE for clarification. I remember reading about it but totally forgot it existed for a while.
terrisus
Member
Yeah, I did say "some black people in America" and then went on to talk about what AAVE is.
So yeah, maybe I could have worded it a bit differently and just said speakers of AAVE (primarily black people, but obviously not all black people), but I thought that was self-explanatory after I started talking about AAVE
In Finland, kids aren't taught any particular way of pronunciation. Most of the book manufacturers use British as a guideline, but kids can pronounce words in the way they have chosen to talk English in, which is primarily American-English due to the media.
I'm not quite sure what you mean with your last sentence.
EDIT: actual quote instead of paraphrasing after consulting a friend
Basically just that ascribing a particular method of speaking to a group of people ("That's how a black person would say it," "That's how a Canadian would say it," etc.) comes off poorly. Since, as you said yourself, obviously not all people who are of a certain group say it that way, and likewise not all people who say it that way are of that group.
To be more specific, there's a difference between:
"That's how a Canadian would say it"
and
"That is how it would be said with a Canadian accent"
And, similarly (and what I was going off originally):
"That's how a Black person would say it"
and
"That's how it would be said in AAVE"
I agree, and completely get what you mean. Sorry if I explained myself poorly!
terrisus
Member
No worries =)
Blue Ninja
Member
Subbed! Currently studying to become an English and History teacher.
Lavalamp1138
Member
Haha you'd think that sort of situation would make you feel smarter by comparison and thus more confident.Lost some motivation today
Studying is easy, but studying with stupid people is the worst thing I can think of.
reggieandTFE
Member
My wife teaches in a public Montessori classroom on the South side of Chicago where 100% of the kids get free lunches due to income levels. She's at the school for 9 hours a day and then does 1.5 hours of planning a night and 3-4 on Saturday and Sunday. But the Fox News people told me that teachers are lazy and wouldn't last in the private sector!
Cloud Strife
Member
Sooo where I'm from (Canada) a B.Ed is now two years as opposed to one. Thinking about applying to a Masters in Education instead from UofToronto because supposedly it caters to non-B.Ed students as well providing certification to teach.
The Masters is two years, should I go for it? Assuming money is a non-issue.
The Masters is two years, should I go for it? Assuming money is a non-issue.
Where in Canada are you from? I just did mine a couple years ago at SFU and the teaching certification (practicum etc etc) and the BEd were in three semesters.
Cloud Strife
Member
Ontario. Getting my BA (Hons.) in History at Queen's and they are offering the regular B.Ed in three semesters as well (Fall/Winter/Summer).
So the Pros would be a Masters or finishing quicker with a B.Ed from those two options.
How does she like Montessori? My son just begun 5k Montessori.
Bassmastergeneral
Member
I've been substitute teaching for the past 3 years and am feeling kind of fed up with it to be honest. I really like teaching but there are absolutely no job opportunities where I am (eastern Canada). There are just way too many trained teachers and education programs adding to the pile every year.
Cloud Strife
Member
Yeah (fellow Canadian), I'm definitely going to have to move where the jobs are when I'm done.
Lost some motivation today
Studying is easy, but studying with stupid people is the worst thing I can think of.
Funny enough I may be a arrogant shit but I found most of my fellow classmates in my primary school teaching course aren't the brightest bunch, and I can only imagine at least 20-30% of my course (which is pretty big) making it as teachers.
Wafflecakes
Member
Assuming that the economy keeps improving, the teaching market will be HOT for the next 10 years. There is already starting to be a significant shortage in some states.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
As a male English teacher involved in secondary education, I'm basically already in the realm of cryptozoology.
Connor2029
Member
Middle School Math Teacher here. Been teaching for the past 7 years in a low, very low income area in San Bernardino, Ca.
It' a tough gig... thinking about leaving the profession.
It' a tough gig... thinking about leaving the profession.
terrisus
Member
Fab. So I was 10 years late on the last shortage, and 15 years early on the next shortage.
We must be neighbors (sent you a PM). I teach middle school math in a San Bernardino Catholic school. Been here almost 15 years. Also thinking about making this my last year as I'll have a degree in another field by the end of March.
Wafflecakes
Member
7am-8:30 PM with parent teacher conferences is rough.
At least my students like my class though, so they are mostly happy meetings!
At least my students like my class though, so they are mostly happy meetings!
Lamiafusion
Member
Not really a teacher but I get to be around some incredible ones...I'm working on the production of the Online Masters of Computer Science degree at GA Tech.
Middle School Math teacher, here, also. KC, MO. 2 years in charter school hell, last 5 years in a functional urban district, >80% Free and Reduced Lunch.
Definitely a tough job. What's made you consider moving on, if you don't mind my asking?
Teach 4th grade. International schools. Trying to move up to 6th though, want to try something new.
Parent Teacher conferences tomorrow, I can still remember when that would make me terrified, now it's just more of an annoyance. An important annoyance. Like flossing.
Parent Teacher conferences tomorrow, I can still remember when that would make me terrified, now it's just more of an annoyance. An important annoyance. Like flossing.
I'm a Special Education tutor at a middle school, but I'm certified to teach Social Studies. I currently work 1 on 1 with an autistic student who is mostly non-verbal with their responses (the student scripts all the time though). Most days are good, but the days when my student gets angry are rough. I get hit a lot. I'm happy to see this thread though.
I'e been doing the english-teaching-in-japan gig for I guess about two months now and my respect for teachers has gone up tenfold. I know it's not actual teaching as such - honestly, I have no idea what it is really - but just being in a similar environment (albiet in a different culture and educational attitudes etc) is crazy stressful. I think back to my own high school days and think, man, what little shits we were.
Lavalamp1138
Member
Had this amazing lesson planned out and now we're hunkering down in the hallway for the foreseeable future until the Tornado Warning gets lifted.
Planning an English lesson. This is all I've got so far: http://youtu.be/ZPpdSzyDtL0
Wafflecakes
Member
Ugh. Making really in depth and engaging lessons for AP students is so draining.
Going in I thought I would hate middle schoolers, but I far prefer them so far.
(My school is small and k-12)
Going in I thought I would hate middle schoolers, but I far prefer them so far.
(My school is small and k-12)
obin_gam
Member
Joyous me! Next week all the kids at my school are getting chrome books and dedicated Google Drive accounts! Have been setting up "Google Classrooms" for my four English groups, and learning how to use it. The "hand in papers tech" is really neat!
If you havent already - check it out: http://classroom.google.com/ it's like a dedicated feed for your class (which doesnt look totally unlike the feeds of facebook or twitter), from where you can send or share assignments to everyone in the class, you can also set deadlines and grade the papers right there on the site. Supposedly they set it up this fall, so the project is only a couple of months old and a lot of other features seem planned. (One annoying thing I have found is that there can only be one teacher per Classroom. So if you are more than one mentoring a class you'll have to draw straws )
If you havent already - check it out: http://classroom.google.com/ it's like a dedicated feed for your class (which doesnt look totally unlike the feeds of facebook or twitter), from where you can send or share assignments to everyone in the class, you can also set deadlines and grade the papers right there on the site. Supposedly they set it up this fall, so the project is only a couple of months old and a lot of other features seem planned. (One annoying thing I have found is that there can only be one teacher per Classroom. So if you are more than one mentoring a class you'll have to draw straws
)Wafflecakes
Member
Thinking about spending my own money on a document camera. My school spends no money whatsoever on technology. I have an ancient projector.... and that is about it.
I didn't realize we had a teaching thread!
I'm certified for Secondary English, 7-12. I did my student teaching with 9th and 12th grade. I've had two long term substitute positions, one for a trimester in 6th grade and one for 2 months in 8th grade that just ended recently... so I've had experience pretty much with every age student in my certification area, for the most part. I'm back to being a regular substitute for the time being while I continue my job search.
I much preferred my time teaching some college level classes while I was student teaching at a high school, but middle school has been alright in my time there. I just enjoy the literature we use in the high school a lot more. Middle school is still more literacy preparation for tackling more complicated literature.
I'm certified for Secondary English, 7-12. I did my student teaching with 9th and 12th grade. I've had two long term substitute positions, one for a trimester in 6th grade and one for 2 months in 8th grade that just ended recently... so I've had experience pretty much with every age student in my certification area, for the most part. I'm back to being a regular substitute for the time being while I continue my job search.
I much preferred my time teaching some college level classes while I was student teaching at a high school, but middle school has been alright in my time there. I just enjoy the literature we use in the high school a lot more. Middle school is still more literacy preparation for tackling more complicated literature.
Leeroy3101
Banned
Joyous me! Next week all the kids at my school are getting chrome books and dedicated Google Drive accounts! Have been setting up "Google Classrooms" for my four English groups, and learning how to use it. The "hand in papers tech" is really neat!
If you havent already - check it out: http://classroom.google.com/ it's like a dedicated feed for your class (which doesnt look totally unlike the feeds of facebook or twitter), from where you can send or share assignments to everyone in the class, you can also set deadlines and grade the papers right there on the site. Supposedly they set it up this fall, so the project is only a couple of months old and a lot of other features seem planned. (One annoying thing I have found is that there can only be one teacher per Classroom. So if you are more than one mentoring a class you'll have to draw straws
Google Docs works well for jigsaw reading assignments. I love the google tech.
Do any of you read works by Diane Ravitch or Jonathan Kozol? They're champions of major education reform.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
I teach Math (major) and English (minor). Glad to see this thread.
With each new incoming crew of freshman, I notice that their reading comprehension and writing skills are plummeting noticeably. I am really looking for resources on how to improve that deficiency.
When I started teaching nearly a decade ago, students were entering high school with reading/writing skills averaging around the 9th-grade level. Recent standardized tests are showing that the average is around 7th-grade, which is insane.
With each new incoming crew of freshman, I notice that their reading comprehension and writing skills are plummeting noticeably. I am really looking for resources on how to improve that deficiency.
When I started teaching nearly a decade ago, students were entering high school with reading/writing skills averaging around the 9th-grade level. Recent standardized tests are showing that the average is around 7th-grade, which is insane.
obin_gam
Member
I'm so proud of my pupils now.
We've started with a semester long (or as long as they want it) project of sitting in groups and recording vlogs for a lesson a week. The whole point is for them to practice speaking and discussing in English.
Some of the vlogs are really professional looking and it's so much fun to review and grade them
As it always is with assignments with this much freedom, not every group takes the assignment as seriously, so I'm gonna have to stop or change some of the groups, but overall - doing vlogs have shown to be a great device!
We've started with a semester long (or as long as they want it) project of sitting in groups and recording vlogs for a lesson a week. The whole point is for them to practice speaking and discussing in English.
Some of the vlogs are really professional looking and it's so much fun to review and grade them
As it always is with assignments with this much freedom, not every group takes the assignment as seriously, so I'm gonna have to stop or change some of the groups, but overall - doing vlogs have shown to be a great device!
obin_gam
Member
Last Week Tonight talks about Standardized Tests: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6lyURyVz7k
What does TeacherGaf think of standardized tests? (Or just tests in general?) We have a version of these in Sweden as well and I personally think they're worthless. The only thing they evaluate is how good a kid is at performing under pressure and if they had a bad night, haven't eaten, or is just in a bad mood a day during one of these tests, it will ruin the kids results completely. I get a better overview of what the kids know and understand by being in the classroom and talking to them during the lesson, than by reading test scores.
What does TeacherGaf think of standardized tests? (Or just tests in general?) We have a version of these in Sweden as well and I personally think they're worthless. The only thing they evaluate is how good a kid is at performing under pressure and if they had a bad night, haven't eaten, or is just in a bad mood a day during one of these tests, it will ruin the kids results completely. I get a better overview of what the kids know and understand by being in the classroom and talking to them during the lesson, than by reading test scores.
NyMartin90
Member
I'm about to finish my first year of teaching 9th grade. It was rough. Get to move with the kids to 10th next year though
Like the hat?
Banned
Still trying to decide if I want to go for elementary education. Would still need another year of school. I love the thought of teaching children, but I can't say that it doesn't make me nervous, especially being a large hairy white guy.
My wife has been teaching HS for like 15 years.
My wife has been teaching HS for like 15 years.
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