The Reluctant Disciplinarian.....

"The Reluctant Disciplinarian." My initial thoughts of this title were somewhat interesting, I guess. Although I heard this book was a fun read, I did not want to read it because I've never seen myself as a reluctant disciplinarian. If anything, I discipline my class too much (which really isn't possible). The information in the book was very useful, nonetheless. The anecdotal evidence was a great explanation of how dynamic the process of classroom management is. So far this summer, I haven't had any discipline issues. But the classroom environment is much more controlled because of the presence of other teachers and the overall consistency of the summer school staff. That will not be a luxury that I am allowed to enjoy once I have my own classroom. My class already understands that I don't play games with them and I am very consistent with doling out consequences. The advice in the book included a lot of information about "dressing the part." I totally agree with that because the students immediately see you as someone who is a professional and is at school to work and get things done. I think the most interesting aspect of the book was the talk about the "teacher persona." I am the king of stoicism at this point. The kids all say that "Mr. King is mean!" They don't say this because I do or say mean things; they say it because they cannot get a read on me. They know that I very rarely smile, and I am never hesitant with consequences. Nevertheless, I don't want to be seen as the unapproachable teacher. I want them to feel like they can come to me if they have a question about anything. That's why the author's quest to find a good balance, or as he stated, "his journey to being a human," really struck a chord with me. I'm not anticipating many discipline issues that are a result of my poor classroom management, what I am anticipating is a year-long trial and error exercise where I try to figure out how much of my personal self to invest into my students and the interactions we have.

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Freewrite: STEP CLUB!!!

So, we had to sign up for a club to be a part of for the summer school. Step Club immediately piqued my interest because I stepped in high school. When I volunteered, I got a few looks from some people like, "Why is DK signing up for step club?" Yeah, the football and baseball player likes rhythm and step. I have to keep it versatile! Nevertheless, I was excited about step club. One of the biggest influences on my excitement was the cloud of skepticism that hovered over the step club. There were some who didn't want the step club to even happen this year. Our second-year teacher had to plead to get the step club for this summer. I, along with the other four teachers, drilled the steps in the Northgate Courtyard the day before summer school started so that everything would be put together when we presented it to the students. 

At the onset, we met some major opposition from the students. Apparently they signed up for step club thinking we could just dance or play around. This was a rude awakening for some because they thought they would have a free period. Being the only male teacher in the group, I took the position of being the "in-house police" for the club. That involved some detentions and punishments; I had to make sure that we established an atmosphere of work and respect. The next obstacle was the ridiculous amount of social referencing. All the students do is talk about how much of an individual they are, and then they always look around to see who's watching them, and what they think. The boys didn't want to seem "girly." And the girls were worried about how they looked in comparison to the other girls. Next, everybody said, "that's too hard!" "we can't learn that stuff!" It took about a week of serious prodding to break the kids' barriers down and show them that they can learn something new and look good while doing it. The kids finally began to learn the steps and gain confidence while doing it. They even began to start helping each other because they knew that there was a collective growth aspect to our club. Plus, they also had their Friday presentation looming and they did not want to embarass themselves. 

On Friday at the end of the second week, we took the kids out to the front of the school to step for all passers-by. They started slowly, but picked it up as more people stopped to watch because they did not want people to make jokes or talk about them. We brought them into the area by the lunchroom and they performed very well. The Photo Club took pictures and the kids felt great about themselves.

We are now learning new steps and implementing some fun things for our performance on Friday. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

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The First Three Weeks of Summer School

Ahhh, the refreshing feeling of coming to school everyday! I was so excited to start summer school, like everyone else. But I was excited for a different reason. I've been clamoring for the opportunity to get back in the classroom and teach again. I hadn't had a chance to teach since the summer of '09; I taught 10th grade English, Public Speaking, and Leadership classes. My experiences last summer confirmed my passion for teaching, so I couldn't wait for my first piece of the action in a whole year! I knew this situation would be remarkably different from what I was used to, but I came in with an open mind; and after a couple of days, a HUMBLE HEART. The first couple days were consumed with testing, so they were pretty boring. Once I finally had the opportunity to see the second-years and the team teacher model, I got the gist of how things go in the MTC Summer School. 

My first lesson was pretty good, I think? I taught about text structures (cause and effect, comparison and contrast, problem and solution). I must say that it was a lot to try to cover in one lesson, especially my first one, but I felt like I did a good job. My biggest struggle dealt with teaching to the objective. I got a lot of feedback which included lots of suggestions for improvement, but wasn't bereft of positive reinforcement. I was glad to have some positives to counterbalance the negatives. 

My first formal evaluation was not very good, but it was definitely a learning experience. The comments I received were very helpful and really helped me focus on what I was lacking in the most. That day, my team teacher and I outlined what we would focus on for the rest of the summer. 1) I had to make sure I was gearing my lesson plan towards my objective. I learned that sometimes that means planning backwards so that my objectives and activities line-up. 2) I had to work on my assessment techniques so that I could really gauge what the students are understanding. Moreover, clear and effective assessment techniques would help me in making sure that my objectives were on point.

With a new focus in mind, I worked really hard to implement the new plan and prepare the best lessons I possibly could. For the second week, I took on the literature unit that focused on Plot Structure. This was a daunting task, but I feel like I rose to the occasion. I had my three best lessons, by far, on Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. I had a real sense of accomplishment at the end of that unit. My confidence was pretty high.....and then. 

I tried to play a review Jeopardy game on Friday. The class setup was not conducive to an effective game, but the kids were very involved. Even though the classroom management was my worst yet, I took solace in the fact that the kids were so competitive with an English review game. I felt like they were more than prepared for the test and the seemed to enjoy the game overall. I attempted to do a review game without it being modeled by an experienced teacher and that experience humbled me.

My goal going into the third week was to rebound from the review and teach more effective lessons. I feel great about my lessons on Simile/Metaphor, Author's Purpose to Inform/Persuade. My second formal evaluation was remarkably better and that was very encouraging. 

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Alternate Questioning Strategy

So, I had the opportunity to teach the literature unit this week. Instead of teaching the previously planned book, Alabama Moon, I decided to teach a short story entitled "Jell-O." My task was to teach plot structure. This included five major parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. With so much to cover in a week, I wanted to make sure that I devoted enough time to each plot structure before I employed the use of an alternate questioning strategy. Although I don't use cold-calling, I have been calling on the students who don't normally participate. I think I called on every student in the class during my lesson on Resolution on Thursday. I was happy with myself because I found a way to get everyone involved and still cover the material thoroughly. I decided earlier in the week that I wanted to use the "Muddiest Part of the Lesson" technique. Using this technique at the end of the unit would be good for both me and the students. This technique is good because students have to write down whatever was not clear for them in the past week on an index card. Immediate feedback is good for the students because it makes them feel like I care about their feelings and am willing to make changes so that the next lesson I teach can be better. Immediate feedback is good for me because I am so new at teaching that implementing recommendations from students so early in my training will make me more perceptive and sensitive to their particular needs as a series of lessons goes on. 

That being said, I did not get the response I was hoping for. Some of the students wrote down a few things, but the overall response was that everything was clear. Now, I could take this in two completely different ways. I could say, "DK is a ridiculously effective teacher already, and he has it figured out!" Probably not the case though. I think the students really wanted to just move on to the Jeopardy review game for the day. Despite the message from me that their suggestions would help me make sure that I am tailoring my lessons towards their needs, they simply put that everything was clear. It did make me feel good to see some students put that "everything was great." It made the time and effort put into lesson plans seem worthwhile because they really understood the information and enjoyed the periods that I taught this week. I think the best way to take this lack of information is this way: "DK needs to build a better rapport with the students so they feel very comfortable letting him know when they don't understand or want something to be done differently." If I look at it through this lens, then I can continue on the journey to build a strong bond with the kids. This perspective will keep me humbled and focused on what the kids get out of this experience. I will employ the use of the alternate questioning strategy again this summer. Hopefully, I'll have more of a response from the students, which will mean that I have found a way to make them more comfortable with me.

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Delta Autumn: Warnings, Advice, and Admonitions

   Delta Autumn is a very interesting book because it provides a background that has helped shape my thinking about the total situation that I am about to get into. I initially balked at reading the book because I thought to myself, "I'm not teaching in the Delta!" I immediately saw the relevance once I started reading; we are all being placed in high-needs areas, which means that these problems plague all of the schools we are placed in. Although I had an idea of how challenging this experience could be before I came to Mississippi, I have gained a lot of perspective about what lies ahead. Delta Autumn will be a tool I use to try to prepare myself as much as possible, but I know that ultimate perspective and appreciation of this task will not come until I have first hand experience and total immersion in the academic and cultural community of Byhalia. Delta Autumn is a great supplement to all of the material I have read about teaching in Mississippi.

   The entire book is full of useful information and little nuggets of wisdom. Nevertheless, I was most interested in the chapter about teaching secondary English. Since I will be teaching English at Byhalia Middle School next year, this chapter piqued my interest the most. I had an opportunity to teach 10th grade English last summer at the Memphis Grizzlies Academy, and I thought that I had experienced the worst reading and grammar in America. Once I taught my first lesson in the Holly Springs summer school I realized that the reading and grammar skills of these Mississippi students were far worse. The operative word used in Delta Autumn is "abysmal." I was shocked and appalled at the lack of basic mechanics and the absolute misuse of some of the simplest functions of the English language. I was immediately oriented to how difficult it will be to teach English in this area. 

   The book gives warnings the types of errors that I will normally see when it comes to writing and composition. The students basically reproduce what they've seen and heard all of their lives. That said, it will be absolutely important that I acknowledge that and focus on setting small goals to work on one problem at a time. I must say that I think it will be extremely hard for me not to want to correct all aspects of their assignments. But, I understand that I will be introducing so much new material to them. Moreover, if I take the time to structure assignments where they understand exactly what I am looking for, then I can systematically, over time, cover as many aspects of the English language as possible. 

   The best advice from the teaching secondary English chapter was about varying the dominant voice in the classroom. "Be willing not to be the teacher once in a while." I know this will come once a certain atmosphere has been established and classroom management is under control, but I think this will be important for me. I like to run the show and really control all aspects of the classroom. I think that implementing this skill will be important in my development as a teacher and a person. The less I stress about control, the more I can focus on some of the finer components of teaching like creativity and differentiated instruction. Furthermore, I think that alternative teaching tools  will be very important while teaching English because the tasks of reading and writing will not seem so overwhelming. Change of pace and varied mediums will keep the students engaged and give them a sense of ownership and responsibility in the classroom.

   Delta Autumn is a great guide for first year teachers because it lends insight to the realities of teaching in Mississippi. It warns against trying to save the world or fix every problem with one lesson. It gives advice about how to keep yourself sane, how to inspire confidence in your students, and how to create a culture of success in your classroom. It also admonishes first year teachers not to take this responsibility lightly, or discount even the small victories. I am so excited about what is going to happen in my classroom for the rest of the summer and next school year. Delta Autumn will continue to be a book of reference and solace for me.....

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My First Week in MTC

   Whenever a new opportunity is on the horizon I develop a set of expectations. Most of the time, those expectations are very wrong. The first week of MTC was different though. I expected for the other MTCers to friendly and supportive; and they were. It was great to find people of similar passion and motivation because there was an automatic sense of family and community. We established a great rapport from day one. That rapport made the first day jitters go away. I was so ready to start this new experience that I was not nervous at all. I was very excited about learning as much as I could because I knew that my opportunity to teach was coming so quickly. I learned so much in the first week. I already have a greater appreciation for classroom management plans and lesson plans. 

   Dr. Mullins shared a wealth of knowledge with us on the first day. Mississippi history is so rich and educational. Through Dr. Mullins' tour, I really got a lot of perspective. Moreover, I already felt like I was becoming a part of the North Mississippi and Delta communities. In addition, I really got a sense of the culture here at Ole Miss. Learning about the events that helped shape the university was eye-opening for me. James Meredith's story is particularly touching to me. Although I knew the story, hearing it again with much more detail really gave me insight into just how important his actions were. 

   My favorite part of the first week was the deficit model workshop with Buck. Growing up in a school system that is similar to the one I will be working in, I understood the effects of deficit thinking. The group scenarios were fun and informative because they forced us to identify our subconscious feelings. Moreover, they forced us to think critically about how to best handle what we are sure to be faced with during out first year of teaching. The question "Who Failed?" was stirring to me. First of all, I thought about how many ways failure can be operationally defined. Next, I thought about what was considered failure where I was from. Then, I thought about the factors that contributed to a student's, or a school's failure. So, I thought of a question; "If one fails, does everyone fail?" I think the answer to that question is yes. I want to make an impact at my school where everyone feels accountable for everyone. If that can be established, then I think that the amount of failure will go down and bring more success.

 

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Derek's Blog

This is my first blog.

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