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What Did You Do For Your Education/Career Today?

I pretty much decided I was going to accept my... acceptance to my masters program. Picked out my classes yesterday. Not extremely thrilled at the offerings, but what can you do?
 
Ah, haven't done much for weeks due to severe illness, but literally right before, like the day before, I got sick, I finished writing an 18 page paper on societal stimulant and illegal drug use/laws that I submitted to a journal. Crossing my fingers that I get published and possibly paid (top 3 submissions get a couple hundred bucks).

I want to be a writer, and If i get paid here, well, first time I get paid to write anything. Very exciting, can't wait for mid-April when I hear back.
 
I rested, then did my lesson plans for the next week. Love all my classes bar one, who aren't that bad, just a bit trying.
 
I worked my job so I can pay off my car that gets me to and from classes. Which will eventually take me all the way to Vermont where I'll go to school.
 
SUPPORT RALLY!!! Where: Meet at RCTA office 3556 Central Ave. Riverside CA When: Monday March 15, 2010 Time: 4:30 p.m.-Wear black to show your support or pink if you are a school employee who received a pink slip -Bring signs or banners. I will be there in pink AND black. We are getting truly fucked over.
 
Studied a couple more hours for the LSAT today for the test which i will take in 79 days... which till take me to a tier 1 law school... (lol... t14 is a "reach")
 
Like hundreds of thousands of other teachers - today I picked up my pink slip at the post office.

Hurray for America's failing education system.
 
I sat with an air of respectful wonderment as the Dear Leader of my venerable institution held forth upon the subject of himself for 120mins, addressing myself and about twenty other staff, applauded when necessary.

Definitely looking for a raise next week;)
 
^Are you teaching English overseas?

I am presently having a lovely conversation with a friend who has 5 more years experience in my field than me. It is both cordial and professional, as all things should be. :)
 
ugly said:
are there any teachers on the board? i need to make sure my students get good scores on the CSTs (California Standards Tests) and i could use some advice because my job depends on the students' performance and the students really don't care at all. i teach, and i teach, but they don't learn. there's a disconnect....
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have you taught them test taking strategies such as how to stay focused for a long period of time and good breathing techniques to stay calm? what age are they?

i try to make sure my lessons have a hands on, auditory and visual part to them. that way they target all sorts of learners and repeating the concept helps students retain it. i also turn students into "experts" and let them help teach the other students.
 
are there any teachers on the board? i need to make sure my students get good scores on the CSTs (California Standards Tests) and i could use some advice because my job depends on the students' performance and the students really don't care at all. i teach, and i teach, but they don't learn. there's a disconnect....
Click to expand...

It is illegal to base teacher performance on those test results. (yet I bet they'll try to do it anyway)
 
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animal_cookie said:
have you taught them test taking strategies such as how to stay focused for a long period of time and good breathing techniques to stay calm? what age are they?

i try to make sure my lessons have a hands on, auditory and visual part to them. that way they target all sorts of learners and repeating the concept helps students retain it. i also turn students into "experts" and let them help teach the other students.
Click to expand...

I have tried to teach test taking strategies but those are not covered in the Standards for English so any time I am not covering a Standard I get reprimanded. The problem for me is that lack of funds at our school, to the point where I don't have an overhead projector for visuals, I don't have an LCD projector for visuals, I can't get any copies made for hands on work... it is basically just me and the white board trying to make sense out of the standards for the students day after day. They get sick of it. They get bored. So do I.
 
Aweman.. I can't imagine teaching in that kind of environment. I feel your pain. =(

I have a lot of freedom, a beautiful classroom, but no supplies or manipulatives and no budget for anything.. =(

Atleast I don't have a script or administration breathing down my throat though.. I can't even imagine..
 
aanallein said:
It is illegal to base teacher performance on those test results.
Click to expand...
It may be "illegal" but it is happening everywhere in California, make no mistake. Test results make you or they put you out of work. The new laws that just passed state that funding will go to the schools with the highest CST scores and other schools will be left to fend for themselves. I cried when I read it. I'll try to find the link.
 
Ya I could see how schoolwide scores could impact funding which would in turn cause more layoffs. They shouldn't ever be used to personally evaluate teachers though but I know that they are. I go pulled out by administrators because my scores were the highest in the district and they wanted to know why. Then the next year they were pretty bad in 1 subject and great in another and medium in a third. It's all random..
 
ugly said:
I have tried to teach test taking strategies but those are not covered in the Standards for English so any time I am not covering a Standard I get reprimanded. The problem for me is that lack of funds at our school, to the point where I don't have an overhead projector for visuals, I don't have an LCD projector for visuals, I can't get any copies made for hands on work... it is basically just me and the white board trying to make sense out of the standards for the students day after day. They get sick of it. They get bored. So do I.
Click to expand...

can you get creative with how you are meeting the standards? i might have an activity that is very loosely centered around a standard while still doing things how i want. the most frustrating part of my job is how heavily the school relies on direct instruction (word for word scripts) and aligning those to multiple standards (the lessons tend to be very repetitive and focus on one thing).
 
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