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by English Teacher
Nov 22, 2011
There's a really good new book about a first-year teacher that used some interesting, unconventional strategies for getting through to his students. Very motivating, inspiring. A lot of people in my district have read it. It's on Amazon, Searching For A Savior... By Donovan. Great read!
Hello everyone! I am currently in student teaching at National University. I successfully completed one semester of student teaching in one of the school's in Garden Grove Unified School District. My area of specialization is English Language Arts.
Starting from the first day of school to November 16, 2011, I had some positive and some ne...See MoreHello everyone! I am currently in student teaching at National University. I successfully completed one semester of student teaching in one of the school's in Garden Grove Unified School District. My area of specialization is English Language Arts.
Starting from the first day of school to November 16, 2011, I had some positive and some negative experience with my Master Teacher. My Master Teacher will sometimes make comments about my performance, and make suggestions for improvement in front of students. There were several times when a student was in the room, she would talk to me about my performance, which I think is inappropriate. I wanted her to talk to me in private after school. Sometimes she will talk to me about my performance in a polite manner, while other times she will talk to me in a manner that is not professionally appropriate.
I discussed my experience to my university advisor, and my seminar teacher, who is in charge of overseeing everything, both tried to communicate with the principal and my Master Teacher to resolve issues between us, however, the problem got worse. I was told that GGUSD requested that I not show up at the school, and that I will be given a Plan B. My advisor, seminar teacher, supervisor, and some other person will be meeting together to discuss a Plan B for me. Plan B means that if you do not meet the requirements, you may be kicked out of the program. My seminar teacher said that the Plan B will be for me to take a few courses in English speaking and grammar, and ESL courses.
Before this all happened, my Master Teacher told me from the beginning that she thinks that I am not prepared to become an English teacher because I lack English speaking, and writing skills. Also, she sent an e-mail to my advisor that she is concerned that I will not become a good role model to the students because I lack English skills. I have spent the majority of my student teaching observing in the classroom, and she has only seen me teach eleven times. There were several of times when she just all of sudden ask me to jump in and teach, expecting that I am prepared and knowledgeable to teach the materials. I was very uncomfortable with the situation, and was afraid that I will make a mistake, which I have made a few minor mistakes. She tells me that I am not knowledgeable of English because of the few minor mistakes that I have made during the times when she had me jump in and teach without preparation on my part.
In addition, I am being criticized by my supervisor that I am not knowledgeable because the e-mails that I have made to my advisor and seminar teacher. He said I made numerous mistakes; however, when I look back at my saved e-mails, there were only a few minor errors in grammar because I was e-mailing them at nights or on days when I am tired. I do not know what will happen to me yet, but I hope that things work out well for me. I have spent close to $28,000 of federal loans, and $5,500 of alternative loans to help pay for my student teaching, and to help with my living expenses during student teaching. I shared my concerns with everyone about my expenses, and how I am going to pay for the few classes that they might require of me to complete Plan B.
I personally am not an perfectionist, but it seems as though people expect me to be a perfectionist because I am going to be an English teacher. I wonder how many English teachers in the world think they have excellent grammar with no errors, and think that they know everything about English? English is a complex subject, and there are too many components to deal with in English besides grammar. In fact, most English teachers do not spend to much time on grammar because the CSTs do not cover too much on grammar. I am so frustrated with the student teaching process, and so is my family.
My mother has been supportive of me since the beginning of student teaching. I know there were multiple days when I came home crying, and explaining to her about my struggles in student teaching. I have told her about my experience with my Master Teacher. When I asked my seminar teacher if my mother can attend the meeting after they have written a Plan B for me, she told me no, and she do not think the other people will allow for her to come. She said it is mainly about me, and explained my mother is extremely concerned about my welfare. She told me that I need to take responsibility of my own education, and that my mother needs to leave me alone. I kind of got a negative view about my seminar teacher after the conversation because any family member will be concerned about what happens to another family member.
Ever since the middle of my student teaching until now, I am currently on anti-depressants. I am increasingly sad every day about the whole situation, and fear for my future. I will wait for the Plan B, or if I will have a Plan B, because they have two choices to kick me out or let my show improvement.
Hello everyone! I am currently in student teaching at National University. I successfully completed one semester of student teaching in one of the school's in Garden Grove Unified School District. My area of specialization is English Language Arts.
Starting from the first day of school to November 16, 2011, I had some positive and some ne...See MoreHello everyone! I am currently in student teaching at National University. I successfully completed one semester of student teaching in one of the school's in Garden Grove Unified School District. My area of specialization is English Language Arts.
Starting from the first day of school to November 16, 2011, I had some positive and some negative experience with my Master Teacher. My Master Teacher will sometimes make comments about my performance, and make suggestions for improvement in front of students. There were several times when a student was in the room, she would talk to me about my performance, which I think is inappropriate. I wanted her to talk to me in private after school. Sometimes she will talk to me about my performance in a polite manner, while other times she will talk to me in a manner that is not professionally appropriate.
I discussed my experience to my university advisor, and my seminar teacher, who is in charge of overseeing everything, both tried to communicate with the principal and my Master Teacher to resolve issues between us, however, the problem got worse. I was told that GGUSD requested that I not show up at the school, and that I will be given a Plan B. My advisor, seminar teacher, supervisor, and some other person will be meeting together to discuss a Plan B for me. Plan B means that if you do not meet the requirements, you may be kicked out of the program. My seminar teacher said that the Plan B will be for me to take a few courses in English speaking and grammar, and ESL courses.
Before this all happened, my Master Teacher told me from the beginning that she thinks that I am not prepared to become an English teacher because I lack English speaking, and writing skills. Also, she sent an e-mail to my advisor that she is concerned that I will not become a good role model to the students because I lack English skills. I have spent the majority of my student teaching observing in the classroom, and she has only seen me teach eleven times. There were several of times when she just all of sudden ask me to jump in and teach, expecting that I am prepared and knowledgeable to teach the materials. I was very uncomfortable with the situation, and was afraid that I will make a mistake, which I have made a few minor mistakes. She tells me that I am not knowledgeable of English because of the few minor mistakes that I have made during the times when she had me jump in and teach without preparation on my part. Moreover, I have been treated with disrespect, and degraded of my abilities because I am a second language learner, and am bilingual. I was born in the United States, and I have spoken two languages when I was one years old, according to my parents. Basically, I am treated as if I was trash, and that my educational background means nothing. My Master Teacher laughed at me once during a conversation because she felt I should know everything, since I have a Masters degree.
In addition, I am being criticized by my supervisor that I am not knowledgeable because the e-mails that I have made to my advisor and seminar teacher. He said I made numerous mistakes; however, when I look back at my saved e-mails, there were only a few minor errors in grammar because I was e-mailing them at nights or on days when I am tired. I do not know what will happen to me yet, but I hope that things work out well for me. I have spent close to $28,000 of federal loans, and $5,500 of alternative loans to help pay for my student teaching, and to help with my living expenses during student teaching. I shared my concerns with everyone about my expenses, and how I am going to pay for the few classes that they might require of me to complete Plan B.
I personally am not a perfectionist, but it seems as though people expect me to be a perfectionist because I am going to be an English teacher. I wonder how many English teachers in the world think they have excellent grammar with no errors, and think that they know everything about English? English is a complex subject, and there are too many components to deal with in English besides grammar. In fact, most English teachers do not spend to much time on grammar because the CSTs do not cover too much on grammar. I am so frustrated with the student teaching process, and so is my family.
My mother has been supportive of me since the beginning of student teaching. I know there were multiple days when I came home crying, and explaining to her about my struggles in student teaching. I have told her about my experience with my Master Teacher. When I asked my seminar teacher if my mother can attend the meeting after they have written a Plan B for me, she told me no, and she do not think the other people will allow for her to come. She said it is mainly about me, and explained my mother is extremely concerned about my welfare. She told me that I need to take responsibility of my own education, and that my mother needs to leave me alone. I kind of got a negative view about my seminar teacher after the conversation because any family member will be concerned about what happens to another family member.
Ever since the middle of my student teaching until now, I am currently on anti-depressants. I am increasingly sad every day about the whole situation, and fear for my future. I will wait for the Plan B, or if I will have a Plan B, because they have two choices to kick me out or let me show improvement.
Another thing, I keep on getting multiple answers from my advisor and seminar teacher about what the principal and my Master Teacher says about my performance. First, they told my advisor, that I do not interact with the teachers and other school workers well. Second, they told my seminar teacher that I lack knowledge in English. The principal only observed me two times teaching the class. In addition, I have been graciously kind to assist the school during urgent situations, and also have helped my Master Teacher with several tasks, such as making copies, posting student work on the walls, and other things. I tried to be polite and kind to everyone, but end up being kicked out.
I was student teaching to get Spanish certification.. but I dropped out. I did that because I got a 2 page note saying I was a total f*cking b*tch, the kids would swear at me when I asked them to get out a piece of paper, when I asked How are you in Spanish they'd say "bad because of you, b*tch", etc. (The teacher was no help, the principal made it...See MoreI was student teaching to get Spanish certification.. but I dropped out. I did that because I got a 2 page note saying I was a total f*cking b*tch, the kids would swear at me when I asked them to get out a piece of paper, when I asked How are you in Spanish they'd say "bad because of you, b*tch", etc. (The teacher was no help, the principal made it worse by doing things like telling me NO ONE could know about my letter and complaining I told the university, and the university was only marginally helpful.) I was in middle school.
So I taught in Ecuador as a gap job.. but I couldn't get a work visa so I left after 3 months. There I had students of all ages (from 3 to 19) and almost every sngle student adored me!! When I left I was mildly bruised from large boys picking me up to hug me, students who caused me constant headaches and had failed wrote glowing evulations of me, parents begged the school to get me the visa somehow because their kids were distraught, teachers told me their students were crying because I was leaving (in their classes classes) etc. But I wasn't in any way a super teacher! It did help that I was teaching English to Hispanics and I know Spanish, but I had severe classroom managentment issues-- as in chairs flying out of windows. That type of behavior is the norm in this school, but the principal also told me that my disipline needed to be greatly improved.
Here's my question :).. Do students--especially middle schoolers-- collectively decide that they either love or hate you? I am wondering if one year being worshipped but the next year being constantly sworn at is the norm in teaching secondary age students.
Thanks!
by Tolo Taylor
Dec 10, 2011
Hello, As a very experienced teacher of History, English, RS, Geography, Business Studies and Media (it was originally just History, but it seems like I have taught everything!), over the years I have made a log of every new lesson activity that I have ever used and developed. I have found this log to be extremely useful as before I plan a lesson, ...See MoreHello, As a very experienced teacher of History, English, RS, Geography, Business Studies and Media (it was originally just History, but it seems like I have taught everything!), over the years I have made a log of every new lesson activity that I have ever used and developed. I have found this log to be extremely useful as before I plan a lesson, I quickly refer to it to see which of these generic activities I could use to quickly create a very stimulating and diverse lesson. There are 100 lesson activities that serve as a template to use for ANY lesson - including Primary school lessons as I have used them just as religiously during my intermittent projects in primary schools. The kids love them! These activities range from the simplest activities such as gap-fills to more complex interactive rating and assessment exercises. There are some really fun and buzzy activities! I have consequently decided to produce a lesson -planning pack which fully explains how each activity can be used in a lesson. Alongside this, I have also created a compendium of brilliant PowerPoint template activities - simply type over them! Quite honestly, this makes lesson planning infinitely easier and I am so glad that I've done it. It occured to me that every teacher would want a copy of this and thus, I'll be honet, I thought I could make a little pocket money from this at the same time.
Thus, if you are interested in the pack of 100 activities and PowerPoint templates, then could you please download them from this direct paypal link: [link removed]
Alternatively, you could go to the front page of [link removed]
Click below for 80 complimentary teacher articles that may be of interest:
by Tolo Taylor
Dec 29, 2011
These are ready to use or follow the instructions to create your own. VERY COOL!
by Tolo Taylor
Dec 30, 2011
Hi
Use these as they are or follow instructions to create your own.
Go to teacheractivities.co.uk
Thanks
Not a day goes by that I don't think back to last year, in teachers college, and thank God I am even alive to tell the tale. Everything is fine now. I have a teaching job that I love. But last year, things looked very, very bleak to me indeed.
It was, without a doubt, my darkest hour. In some jurisdictions, mentor teachers hold your entir...See MoreNot a day goes by that I don't think back to last year, in teachers college, and thank God I am even alive to tell the tale. Everything is fine now. I have a teaching job that I love. But last year, things looked very, very bleak to me indeed.
It was, without a doubt, my darkest hour. In some jurisdictions, mentor teachers hold your entire future in their hands - and some take great liberties and enjoy playing God. They feel insecure about themselves and their teaching, and so take it out on you. It makes me sick just thinking back to what I had to go through last year to get to where I am today.
I had one mentor teacher who would have LOVED to fail me. She was just waiting for me to give her a reason, which I didn't. That didn't stop her from cruelly badmouthing me to everybody, while I was bound to silence by law. The students favoured me over her, often asking her if I could teach them instead of her. She used to yell at me in front of the students. I became clinically depressed and nearly suicidal. It became physically onerous to smile. It took a whole lot of medication to get me back to where I could function normally the following semester.
I just remember, at my final evaluation, when she was really enjoying herself justifying the black mark she had just put on my teaching record based on a 'gut feeling'. I had a moment of clarity. All semester I had been sucking up to her, scared of losing her as a reference. Then it dawned on me that I could never use someone like that as a reference. She was unpredictable. There was no telling what was going to come out of her mouth. I remember beginning to smile. And that smile disturbed her greatly. Behind that smile was the realization that, "Yes, you tried really hard to ruin my life, but I DO NOT NEED YOU. I do not need you to live. If I cannot live this way, then I will find another way to live."
And here I am. I HAVE A TEACHING JOB, merely months later. I did not need her reference. Good riddance.
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On 11/22/11, English Teacher wrote: > There's a really good new book about a first-year teacher > that used some interesting, unconventional strategies for > getting through to his students. V...See More