What I Know for Sure about Teaching...

What I know about teaching is that it is a rigorous profession. Often times the general public sees the profession of teaching as one that can be used as one's Plan B, career-wise. As a 14-year veteran teacher whose original and primary goal was to make secondary-level teaching my career, I can sincerely say that teaching is an exciting, challenging, ever-evolving, and sometimes all-consuming profession.

Teaching is exciting and ever-evolving. The key is to view the career not only as one to have a direct impact on today's youth, but to seek to stay on the cutting edge of the profession by seeking to incorporate new technology and teaching strategies every year. For example, I have incorporated a class website for my students for the past 10 years. However, every year I have sought to add something new to the website, change its approach, incorporate more resources for students and parents in the quest to making education an interactive experience. Last year I incorporated unit homework/project assignments, video clips and class notes that could be viewed and downloaded by students and parents. This year I added the components of student blogging, student testimonials, and online quizzes and tests.

Teaching is challenging. Only a few other careers offers the challenge of being prepared to handle unpredictable behaviors and occurrences without even a moment's notice. To handle two or more emergencies, five or more interruptions, and keep your cool when technology has broken down in the first 2 hours of your work day is the norm for most public school teachers. To teach in an urban public school means that you tend to earn an honorary-degree in counseling and psychology in the first three months of teaching. What's more, teachers may not get a chance to decompress and collaborate with their colleagues regularly, so mental toughness is required for long-term success.

Teaching is all-consuming. There is never enough planning time, enough resources, enough funds, or enough of you to provide the level of education that you, as a professional educator, desire to provide for your students. There are always new programs, new instructional opportunities, new committees to grab your attention and energy to help make an awesome educational experience for your students. There is a slight problem, however. There is only one you and only 24 hours in a day. So knowing when to replenish yourself is important in such a profession.

As I begin the second half of the 2011-2012 school year, I urge students, parents, and community members alike to show appreciation for teachers in some way. Entering and remaining in the teaching profession is not for the faint of heart and requires much from a person's heart, soul, and physical being...and it's all for the benefit of students and the future of our communities!

Interesting CNN Article: "Does Class Size Matter?"

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/07/does-class-size-matter-2/?hpt=hp_c1

Getting Into the School Year Groove...

Without a doubt, it has already been a challenging year with a 5.6 earthquake on the first week of school and a hurricane during the second week of school, a multitude of schedule changes, false alarms, club meetings and project, faculty and departmental meetings, and being active with the local teachers' union.That's just to outline my professional life...not to mention my personal life. This explains my lack of new posts on my blog (forgive me!).

So it's has indeed been busy! However, I must say that this school year has been quite invigorating as I have been blessed to attend several meetings, workshops and have just met wonderful people who have inspired me and gave me wonderful tools to use in the classroom.

There is one supplementary instructional tool that I learned about that I believe that all secondary-level teachers should check into to enhance their students' thirst for learning: Edmodo. Yes...Edmodo. Edmodo is the academic equivalent of Facebook with practically the same format, color scheme, and functionality. I have already begun to use it and I am looking forward to assessing the increase in student interest and motivation.

So check out Edmodo at: www.edmodo.com! More posts are to follow as this school year is beginning to stabilize (I hope) and my "free time" visits haphazardly. :o)

Great Article on the Impact of Sleep

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/category/sleep/

Are We Creating a Short Attention Span Generation?

So are we creating a short attention span generation through conditioning? Are we shortening our youngsters' attention span by exposing them to hyper entertainment and then feeding it by constant motion instruction?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/9-mins-of-SpongeBob-can-cause-learning-problems-in-4-yr-olds/articleshow/9962884.cms

The Bureaucratic Gridlock

This scenario may be experienced by both parents and teachers. Have you ever noticed that when certain things are deemed "important" to an individual or group procedures are completed with the efficiency of a new and well-oiled machine? However, when certain things are deemed "not important" by the individual or group red-tape seems to abound. Suddenly, YOU need to complete procedures never before required, and YOU need to contact certain people to get the ball rolling. But then when you think about it, that ONE procedure that individual or group needs to complete that is pertinent to the entire process is somehow hampered at each attempt. In essence, nothing gets done and you're left exhausted and frustrated, but the individual or group who serves as the liasion seems to be taking all of the inconveniences and disappointments in stride. That's bureaucratic gridlock...designed to cause frustration and exhaustion.

Sometimes the purpose or intention of the individual or group is to maintain a sense of authority and control over someone who is professionally threatening to the individual or group, but sometimes the motivation for such practices is envy or resentment. The bottom line is that such imposed bureaucratic gridlock is unprofessional and is detrimental in the long-term. The perpetrator will cause the victim of such tactics to lose confidence in them professionally. The character traits that allow the perpetrator to justify that such tactics are acceptable will cause the victim to see them as not to be trusted - personally or professionally. The same traits also illuminate the fact that the perpetrator is not so concerned about doing their job well and being an asset to the department, school or institute they represent, but how they can manipulate others for their personal entertainment or as a way to be vindictive. Also individuals not directly involved may observe this behavior and take mental notes for future encounters and soon the perpetrator has established a professional reputation of bureaucratic gridlock, which most parents and teachers detest.

The bottom line is that the total elimination of such tactics and perpetrators may never occur within the school system. The culture of the school determines the frequency and level of such tactics. Therefore, once bureaucratic gridlock imposers are identified, you should educate yourself of established procedures and other resources for such circumstances who are truly professional and dedicated to doing their job well. In general, one should identify a network of true professionals within the school building from various departments and offices whom you can contact when concerns or circumstances arise.

Really, JCPenney?!? Really?!?

Mothers, I appeal to your sensibilities on this one. Sarena Chipman James was generous enough to share this article with me and it promptly generated a sinking feeling on the blatant disrespectful and ongoing perpetration and promotion of gender stereotyping. I'm outraged by such display of such horrible "fashion" taste that continue to downplay the importance of education to our young women.

http://www.goodenoughmother.com/2011/09/is-this-what-jc-penney-thinks-of-our-daughters/