You can tell from the increasing array of categories on Scribbler's Den that I am struggling to pigeon hole my posts. So, to try and fix this, I am creating yet another category. The irony does not escape me. This new category is the Journal category and in it I will put the random events from my teaching experience. Enjoy:)
Walking into class the other day my eyes were drawn to the contents of a student's backpack. I don't normally spy on student belongings but I couldn't help myself. He was fiddling around in a zipped compartment and I think he was either turning his phone on or off. Phones attract my attention becuase I am a gadgetphile. Is that a word? Anyway I love gadgets.
What took me aback was that beside his phone was a packet of cigarettes! This student is just out of Year 9 and starting his first senior year in Year 10 (15 years of age). Way too young, in my mind, to be smoking. Later when I checked the contents of the packet I saw that he had rollies inside (roll your own cigarettes). Does this mean he is a practised smoker?
I am compelled to report an infraction of this kind to my administration and because of his remorseful attitude upon being busted I chose a member of the administration staff I thought would be fair to him. The ball is still rolling on this one so I don't yet know what the consequences of his actions will be.
I have two questions about this incident. Firstly why is he smoking when everything around him is screaming don't be an idiot. Media, his peers and staff would all advise him against risky behaviour like this. Is it attention seeking behaviour? It must be because he surely can't really be ignorant of the addictive qualities of smoking let alone the carcinogens his body would be ingesting.
Secondly I wonder at how his behaviour in class will be. Will he take out his frustration and anger at being caught on me? I hope he won't become a destructive influence in class but his tendency toward rebellious behaviour is clearly already manifesting itself.
In some of my classes I put a puzzle up on the board for students to try and solve. This is useful for when they finish an exercise early or if I need time to mark the roll. It can also be a filler if there is time left at the end of the session.
An example of these puzzles is 24 = H in a D
The answer is 24 = Hours in a Day
The first time you use these with your students I recommend you point out that both the number and the phrasing are clues. It is easy enough to make these brain teasers up and and tailor them to your particular subject area.
I have attached a document with a couple of dozen included that you can use in your classroom - download.
There are some culturally specific riddles and some are dependent on experience. For example Americans may find it difficult to get 13 = P in a RLT (13 players in a Rugby League Team) just as Australians will struggle to get 13 = S on the AF (13 stripes on the American Flag). Similarly, if you haven't read 1000 leagues Under the Sea then you won't get 1000 = L under the S.
I can guarantee that some of these will drive your students crazy. A favourite of mine is 200 = D for PG in M. Can you guess the answer?
If you want more documents like this then just type the following search string into the Google search bar - brain teaser filetype:doc Adjust 'brain teaser' and 'doc' to suit your needs.
My mother in-law was talking the other day about an experience she had when her son was in primary school. He was moved into a class where he had no friends. I am not sure if this happened mid year or at the start of a new one. Regardless he wasn't happy and neither was she. She ended up going to the school and requesting he be placed in a class where he had friends.
Now I really have no experience with the primary school sphere despite the fact I went to a couple when I was young. So I don't know if this course of action was a good thing or not - in that setting. In a high school though I would have reservations about this sort of request. Perhaps it is my teaching style or just my experience but I often see the dark side of having close friends in the same class.
Primarily friends can be a distraction. Many teenagers struggle to be organised and focused even without the influence of peer pressure and the need for peer approval. Add to this a desire to socialise and you have a brick wall standing between a student and learning. In a couple of my classes I have an issue where students constantly try to show their friends the fruits of their labour. This can be a good thing but not when it is every minute or so.
In a high school (secondary) subjects are also content based or even streamed by ability so a requests to switch classes are often viewed with care. Students at my school always try to work the system to be in a class with their friends. They are quite open about this with teachers and then lie openly when asked for their reasoning by administration.
in a high school class room socialisation with friends could quite possibly be last on the list of things to do - in my opinion. Lunch times and after school would be far more appropriate times. Am i being myopic about this? If any parents read this I would be particularly interested in your repsonses.
Teachers learn a lot of educational theories. We read a lot about learning styles and aptitudes. Seth Godin has written an interesting article that easily transfers over to the classroom experience and provides a different perspective on students. Here is an excerpt from the article;
A kid who has innate hunting skills is easily distracted, because noticing small movements in the brush is exactly what you'd need to do if you were hunting. Scan and scan and pounce. That same kid is able to drop everything and focus like a laser--for a while--if it's urgent. The farming kid, on the other hand, is particularly good at tilling the fields of endless homework problems, each a bit like the other. Just don't ask him to change gears instantly.
The theory is that we are all hunters or farmers. Seth is writing from a marketing angle but I think his article is worth a read with the classroom in mind too.
