Spring Offers New Beginnings

After meeting with my classmates on Thrusday, I leaned things I had not seen about Robert from his work.  After seeing two of his classworks one of the most valuable things that I learned is that he was eager for spring to finally be here.  He had used the same quote from the book which was about the main character wanting the season of spring badly.  This made me be excited for spring this week, I was awaiting a change in him and it did come.  He has changed completely; he now looks me in the eye, is interested in his work and even compliments me on my wardrobe.  Every week I get to pick a quote of the week to put all week on the board and this week the quote that I picked was the very same one he had used on both of his classwork assignments...the one about the coming of spring.  I am happy that I got to learn more abou this student and that my classmates offered a different view on him.  I am excited that spring is here and that a season of changes has begun.

Student Made Test: What a Learning Experience!!!

After reading all of The Kite Runner, I was faced with the decision that students had to take a final test.  While talking to my teacher we developed a lesson idea called "A Silent Discussion;" in this lesson students were given a blank sheet of paper and had to ask two questions about the text.  Next students will sent their paper with the two questions to the person on their left (we will be sitting in circle fashion).  Students had have fifteen minutes to answer on of the two questions, they choose which one they wish to answer.  After the ten minutes students pass the paper once again but this time they can either answer the other question or ask a new question (they will have fifteen minutes to do this).  Once all students are done we went into discussion mode. 

Once in discussion mode we discuss the questions as a class.  Whichever student feels they have a question worthy of asking for everyone to discuss is welcomed to raise their hands and leave it for the group/class to discuss.  Students were told from the start that the questions they were developing were going to serve a purpose; these questions were going to be part of their test.

After trying out this lesson with my periods three and four we noticed that these questions were valuable and that our idea worked out.  We chose ten questions from period two and ten from period three and these questions developed by them and even some of them discussed in class were the questions that appeared on their book test.  Because they were told this from the start,they were willing to care about what they were doing and they took time, effort and thinking into what questions they were writing, answering and asking. 

Sitting down this week and correcting the number of book test I noticed that this was a fair way to beat the testing system and that it gave students a fair chance at having some power over their education.  I also asked them what they had thought about the test being made in this form after they finished taking it and they responded that it was the first time they did this and also that they really liked the way it was set up.  Many of them felt it was challenging but they also said that if you had read the book it was information you should have known.  I am glad that instead of making a test for them, I decided to have them develop their own test.

This experience is something I will take with me beyond student teaching and I feel that it has also been one of the experiences that has taught me a lot about education and the power of testing.

Hidden Within

When I first came to Central, I had this student who we will call Robert.  Robert was this student who used to wear different types of clothing everyday but usually khaki pants.  Every time he strolled into class it was usually with his sport gear.  He is about 5"7 and from a Spanish background.  Also he loved to give hugs.

In class he always participated and worked well with others; Robert was a social butterfly.  When asked to do something, Robert never complained and mostly he kept a smile on his face.

Two weeks ago that smile started fading and instead became a cold distant stare.  Whenever I try to make eye contact with him, he just stares off into space or pretends I'm not there.  If I ask him for homework that's due or try and talk to him about class work that we are doing he just ignores the fact that I'm there.

As the teacher I was first to notice his drastic changes in personality and as a student.  Lately I am not the only one noticing the changes because his peers have started to notice also.  If he has to work in groups, Robert will refuse to talk or work with anyone. His classmates complain that he is rude, especially after he has carried out some mean acts to students and myself.  Robert's aggressiveness and isolation is noticeable all around.

I tried talking to him in private and he walked away.  I resorted to asking the few students who he will kinda still talk to what was going on in his life.  One of the students told me that she heard his mother is depressed and Robert feels that depression is a sickness that you catch because someone has it and he believes that he currently is suffering from the same.  I guess Robert's depression or his idea of what depression does is what is not allowing him to be himself.

This week has been a bit different because we handed mid-quarter grades yesterday.  Since Robert has not been doing his work, he is currently not passing English.  He at least cared about the fact that he is not passing.  For the first time in about two weeks he finally looked directly at me and held a conversation with me.  It was sad that the "ice breaker" had to be a failing grade but at least I am not being ignored anymore.

I know Robert is a really smart person; I saw it before.  His work shows me that he is smart even though he isolates himself to do it.  I am hoping this is a temporary stage and that he goes back to the person I met before.  I know it is still hiding there within him; the Robert who could warm up the room with his smile and hugs.

Intrinsic Motivation and Payoffs

The past week showed me that thinking about ways to motivate students when it comes to learning can be crucial for some schools.  I mean after all isn't education competitive?  We live in a society that is competitive and sometimes education falls under that category. 

After correcting multiple quizzes and seeing all the low grades I started wondering how can I make them want to study?  What can I do to get them to want 100s? But then it hit me.  Monday I stood in front of the classroom and announced what was going to be the quiz incentive.  Every week when we have a quiz if you get 100, your name will be entered into a drawing.  At the end of the unit we will pull a winning name from each class and the prize will be movie tickets or a food card.  I was glad to see that students were excited!!!  It was the reaction I wanted.  As a college student,  I believe that my wanting to do good in school in my classes comes from intrinsic motivation, but I think high schools students haven't exactly developed that. That's where my idea of extrinsic motivation came from.   It is also a strategy to help them start thinking about college where good grades are rewarded in the form of scholarships.  This talk is coming because I can attest to that. 

To end my reflection on a high note, I discovered this week that planning a lesson is hard and difficult but also rewarding.  When students tell you they want to do the lesson again, it makes you be happy about all the effort and time you put into it.  This is an incredible feeling of success!!!  It makes the whole planning while thinking about your audience be that real.  This week ends The Kite Runner book but starts a new chapter...human rights.