As usual, I did not achieve the things I'd hoped to over spring break. I have only myself to blame for my plans to overachieve and my capacity to underachieve. Here is what I had planned to do...
1. Clean house from top to bottom
2. Post a bunch of new blogs
3. Hem up towel scraps to donate to animal shelter
4. Rest
5. Spend time hiking
6. File taxes (I tend to procrastinate...)
7. Read ahead for all my classes
8. Visit friends in Iowa
and here is what I achieved:
1. Did a few dishes
2. Posted no new blogs
3. Broke sewing machine needle on first towel
4. Got sick
5. Took two great hikes at Three Creeks Conservation Area
6. Filed taxes
7. Did not read... for classes
8. Not only visited friends, but also got lost in Iowa and discovered the American Gothic House & its accompanying museum, hence the picture.
So it wasn't a total loss.
Also while in Iowa, I had a great opportunity to talk to my friend TJ about education. He's getting his masters in teaching, and while we were there, the local paper ran a front page story about best and worst high schools in Iowa. Unfortunately, the school he has been teaching in was the second-to-worst in the state.
We spent time talking about why that is, and his frustrations teaching there. The conversation ranged from a lack of teacher and parent expectations (TJ has been reprimanded for putting application questions on his tests, as multiple choice ones seem to be preferred in this school), to lack of student engagement. Why aren't they interested? Why don't they care? What would help?
Although when we left, TJ was still dangerously teetering on the edge of leaving the teaching world for good, and we hadn't answered our own questions, we had started asking them, and I got a chance to think a little bit more about my topic.
Progress? Maybe not astronomical, but I engaged my brain cells for at least a portion of the week on a topic that I found relevant, so I'll take it.
3 comments:
I don't know why the blogger thing took me to your blog when I hit "next blog" but it did. I really enjoyed reading your posts and hope you enjoyed Iowa. I've been lost in Missouri before. I was one frustrated with teaching and dropped out. Hope your friend finds peace.
!!
You totally got "nextblogged"!! I'm so jealous. Anyway, I was sure, just sure that I would get all blogged up before class. I tried. How I tried.
*this comment lacks substance, but not humor*
Sounds like your friend TJ needs to find another school district. Not all districts are alike. Finding one with new-to-teaching teachers, whether young or older, who are still excited about reaching kids, who still have ideals of changing the world one mind at a time, will fire him up again. Don't judge a profession on only two years and one school.
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