Teacher Donna T

     One of the topics we mused on in EDU434 last Monday was the concept of giving students a little downtime during class.  The folks at my table felt that using every single minute of class time for instruction is often counter-productive.  There is a growing movement to extend this idea beyond the classroom and reduce the amount of homework to make room for downtime (see http://stophomework.com/teenagers-drastically-need-more-downtime/71)  I agree whole-heartedly that downtime is important for students.  Just as importantly, I think it extends beyond students - teachers need downtime too.  Humans do.

     My ‘action reasearch’ this week involved unplugging myself from the computer and doing zero school-related work for two days.  That is unprecedented since the day I started teaching, and it felt absolutely great!  Forty-eight hours of bliss.  I spent quality time with my daughter painting and rearranging her room - she had outgrown the pink and peach flowers and went with a cool aqua/lime color scheme.  I talked to my son about college experiences and my newly-engaged step-daughter about marriage.  I walked hand-in-hand with my husband and marveled at the neighbors’ holiday light displays after dinner.     

     The bliss had to end today.  Instead of getting up at 5am to nail Black-Friday deals, I got up at the same time to grade papers and do my 434 lesson plan rubrics.  The good news is that after recharging my batteries the past two days, I was fairly clear-headed and way more productive than I would have been otherwise.  Lesson learned - I need to make down-time a priority for myself as well as my students.   

Filed under: Professional Development on November 28th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

     I pulled out my U of R “Program of Study” today to figure out which class to register for in the Spring.  It hit me like a ton of bricks that I am supposed to graduate a year from now.  Yikes – how did that happen???  The endpoint seemed so far away when I started down this path towards a masters’ degree.

     It also hit me that between now and January 2010, I need to choose a thesis topic, do research, come to some novel conclusions, and write it all up in a document with flawless APA formatting.  That seems overwhelming at this point.  I know that people manage to do it all, but how??  So many topics, so little time.  I’m sure I will figure it out eventually, but sage advice would be appreciated……

Filed under: Professional Development on November 22nd, 2008 | 2 Comments »

     As a new chemistry teacher, I’ve been very fortunate to have 2 veteran peers who helped me tremendously in my first year and continue to do so in my second.  Although we don’t interact on a daily basis, I’ve come to count on both of them for suggestions and pearls of wisdom when I need inspiration or stress relief after a tough day.

     This week I learned that one of the veterans, Ms. Gibraltar, will be moving out-of-state.  Her husband was offered a new job opportunity that was too good to pass up.  My initial reaction was joy for Ms. Gibraltar and her husband, and panic for the rest of us.  How would the school, how would I get along without her?  What changes were in store? 

     After the panic subsided ( this took several days ), I felt a little differently.  Having survived and thrived through many changes on the road of life, my more logical side told me that things would be OK.  Sure, we’d all need to learn more about the lab files, the chemical storeroom, AP chemistry, how to repair gas valves, where to buy supplies, etc. etc. etc.  Maybe that was not a bad thing? 

     We all tend to resist change because it is uncomfortable.  Like it or not, though, change is life’s constant.   In many ways, it is what sustains and energizes us.  Change nudges us to grow.  I keep telling myself to embrace change - “When you are through changing, you’re through” (Bruce Barton). 

Filed under: Professional Development on November 15th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

On the day after an historic presidential election, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of student Barack Obama was in high school.  Was he anything like Albert Einstein, who was labeled as “slow” in his early school years?  Were there any clues he would become our country’s first African American president?

 Based on the information I’ve been able to find, there was something special about “Barry” Obama as far back as 1979.  He played a lot of basketball.  His high school team was called the Punahau Rat-Ballers, and they won the state championship with the help of #23.  Coach Chris McLachlin remembers that Obama wasn’t the best on the team, but he probably worked the hardest.  “I remember him being, probably, in the gym when he wasn’t supposed to be. When there wasn’t a teacher but he went there anyway, he just had to shoot.”  (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3082803&page=1 ) 

Obama didn’t have a traditional mom and dad type of family.  His grandparents played a big role in his upbringing.  In his memoir, “Dreams From my Father”, Obama reflected that his high school experience was a turning point in his life.  It was during that time that Obama honed his most important talent: his ability to communicate.   “He could beat anybody in a debate and we wouldn’t even realize we got beat because we’d end up agreeing with him,” his high school friend Dan Hale said. “He would be very straight to the point and then he’d just have a way of just getting people to agree.”

So, who knows?  Maybe that debate that you set up in your classroom this week will nudge another budding president on his/her path.   We really are fortunate to live in a country where all things are possible.

Filed under: Professional Development on November 5th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Tomorrow, I will be out of the classroom for the first time this school year in order to participate in a professional development session.  Leaving my students in the hands of another teacher feels a little bit like leaving my son in daycare for the first time.  Will they be OK?  They are in the middle of an important quantitative lab - will the data turn out?  Will the students who have been absent for a few days survive without me to help them catch up?  Of course the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’.

There is a quiet pool of very accomplished substitute teachers out there.  They are amazingly versatile - filling in for all different subjects, all different grade levels -  at the drop of a hat.  Each one has their own story - some are retired veteran teachers, others are just starting out, still others had careers in other areas & are ’subbing’ on a temporary basis.  They don’t always get the respect they deserve, but I sure am glad they are there. 

I substituted for 3 months before teaching full-time.  It was a fantastic learning experience.  I expected to enjoy middle school more than high school - it turned out the other way around.  Good thing I figured that out before taking a full time job!  I also picked up all kinds of tips from other teachers - the little things like color coding classes to keep schedules, papers and attendance records separate, talking to students at their eye level,  creating a ‘while you were out’ folder for students who miss class, etc…..

Subbing gave me new confidence to deal with unexpected surprises - fire drill on the first day at a new school?  no problem…just follow the crowd.  Class without any lesson plan?  Not to worry - bring a DVD just in case - An Inconvenient Truth always managed to spark good debates.  Students who give you a false name just to test you?  - look them straight in the eye - they usually start laughing uncontrollably.  

The point of all of this rambling is to put in a plug for showing appreciation to substitute teachers.  Try to leave a map of the school so they can find the bathroom.  Be sure to prepare lesson plans that someone can follow in a hurry - they normally only have a few minutes before the bell rings to figure things out.  Most of all, talk to your students ahead of time about showing respect toward the substitute teacher - they surely deserve it.     

Filed under: Professional Development on October 29th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Math teachers have Pi Day on March 14th (yummy!); but, nothing beats the fun that chemistry teachers have on Mole Day, October 23rd.  Mole day was conceived to celebrate Avogadro’s number, 6.02 x 10^23, the number of atoms/molecules in a mole, in a fun way.  It falls at a point in the typical high school curriculum when students need a little break from intense problems and calculations.  

My high school has a very special tradition of celebrating Mole Day with 45 minutes of chemistry demonstrations.  The students get very fired up about this - the closest thing to a science pep rally that I’ve ever seen.  The demonstrations include a methanol cannon, a methane rocket, liquid nitrogen transformations of balloons and fall flowers, can crushing by temperature change, and a grand finale of methane explosions.  (All of these are demonstrations are done with appropriate safety precautions. )

Because of block scheduling, the mole day demonstrations span 2 calendar days in order to reach all chemistry students.  There is a tremendous amount of preparation involved, and the entire chemistry department works cooperatively to pull it off.  At the end of these 2 days we are pumped up with enthusiasm, and also very tired. 

This year, a retired chemistry teacher and one of the founders of the mole day tradition, returned to our school to help prepare and deliver the demonstrations.  I had the privilege of working with him and observing his ‘chemistry’ with the students.  It was amazing!  Although he has been out of the classroom for 7+ years, he seemed to hold the students in the palm of his hands.  They were well-mannered and extremely interested in what he had to say.  It was inspiring for me to be part of this.

I can’t identify any one specific thing that “Mr. Mole” did to manage the class and ignite their enthusiasm.  I can say that he was very patient and had a smile on his face the entire time.  Maybe his enthusiasm and positive attitude were contagious.  He also spoke softly and slowly, exuding confidence and wisdom.  He made eye contact with each of the students.  Although he did not know their names, he managed to make each one of them feel special.  He questioned in a way that went beyond recitation of facts - challenging the students to apply their knowledge to new situations.  He praised participation sincerely, and never criticized.  He told stories that connected chemistry concepts to the demonstrations, and he also told stories just for fun.  I suppose it was the combination of all of these things that make him such an outstanding teacher. 

Last week I was concerned about how I was going to complete our upcoming EDU486 assignment that requires us to draw on one or more community members.  Fortunately for me, a very talented community member just walked into my classroom.   Happy Mole Day!   

Filed under: Professional Development on October 24th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

I am part of a generation that was told we had to learn the metric system because surely the United States would be using nothing but metric by 1980.  Then 1990.  Then 2000.  Well, it’s 2008 now, and the enthusiasm for the metric system died.  What happened?

Most of my students come in to chemistry (10th-11th grade) with no idea how to convert from meters to kilometers.  Use of the metric system is included in the middle school math science & technology standards.  It is Mathematics Standard 3, Key Idea 5: 

 For some reason, the metric system is getting lost in the sea of other priorities.  I wish I knew why. 

There is no way a student can succeed in chemistry without being comfortable using the metric system.  So, on October 10th, National Metric Day, I started a quest for mastery of the metric system.  I tried a couple of ways to teach metric literacy and conversions.  One lesson involved measuring the classroom with a meter stick, and then converting meters to centimeters.  That was marginally successful.  The next one involved pure “drill” using worksheets - that seemed to help, but many students continued to make errors such as    “1 cm = 100meters” instead of “1 meter = 100 centimeters”.  My most recent attempt was using something everyone can relate to - money.  I had the students compare a pile of 100 pennies (”centi’s”), to a pile of 10 dimes (deci’s) to one base unit (a dollar bill).  A few more lightbulbs went on - still not 100% of the class.

After 3 separate lessons and several homework assignments, I’m a little disappointed in my students lack of mastery of the metric system.  Although many are metric wizards and are eager to move on, there is a significant population that remains metrically befuddled.  I guess I would not make a good math teacher!  Anyone have a tried and true Metric System lesson that they would like to share?  Inquiry-based or non-inquiry based - whatever works is welcome. 

Filed under: Professional Development on October 16th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

     I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately thinking about how people think and learn.  In teacher-speak, this is called “developing an epistemology”.  I also spent some time learning how to pronounce epistemology recently.

      First off, I have to say that I don’t think it is possible to come up with a model for how ALL people learn;  just as there is human diversity in culture, skin color, gender, favorite ice cream, etc…. I believe firmly that there is diversity in learning style.  On the other hand, I also believe it is worthwhile to create a model of how MOST people learn, in the interest of improving how we teach.   So, I decided to summarize my own model of learning in the form of a top ten list, with apologies to Jay Leno:

(10)  We begin learning the day we are born (maybe sooner?), and continue learning our entire lives.

(9)  We learn by connecting information from our 5 senses to mental models of how things work.  Some people learn best through their eyes (visual learners), others through their hands (tactile), ears (auditory), etc. 

(8)  Our first mental models “stick” the best; once formed, they can be difficult to change.  This is sometimes called the “law of primacy”.

(7)  We learn by modifying our existing mental models of how things work when new experiences conflict with the existing models.  This is sometimes called a ‘discrepant event’.  We try to fit the new experience in with a “new and improved” model.  My favorite example of this is the Rutherford experiment in chemistry, which changed how scientists view the nature of the atom.

(6) We learn by experience; what we learn is retained best when the experience is connected with an intense emotion or sense. 

(5) We can only learn when we are ready to learn; our basic creature comforts (nutrition, security, etc.) must be met first.  Maslow’s Triangle is a great visual model of this idea.

(4) In addition to basic needs, we need a base level of knowledge on which to build the new knowledge.  If the new knowledge is too far beyond our existing base knowledge, learning cannot occur effectively.  If the new knowledge is within our grasp, we are in what is sometimes called the ‘zone of proximal development’. 

(3) We have to have some type of motivation to learn.  This can be an intrinsic motivation or perceived benefit to learning or an extrinsic motivation.

(2) We retain what we learn through practice; lack of practice can lead to loss of learning.

(1) The best way to learn anything in depth is to try to teach it to someone else. 

Filed under: Professional Development on October 8th, 2008 | No Comments »

     After watching Harvard graduates unable to rig up a simple circuit and seemingly clueless as to where the cellulose that makes up the mass of plants comes from, it is pretty clear to all of us EDU 434′ers that science education has room for improvement.  Much of the current research points to assessment of prior knowledge as key to improving the effectiveness of teaching.  (I’ll spare you the citations)

     Soooo,,,, let’s suppose we teach 75 kids each day.  At the start of a new unit we make use of the current research and assess ‘current state’ conceptual models of each student.  In today’s diverse classroom, it seems reasonable to assume that there are at least 75/3 or 25 unique conceptual models in the minds of our students at the start of the lesson.  Is it humanly possible for a single teacher to address each of these 25 models with tailor-made differentiated lesson plans in real-time?  If anyone sees how to do this, please shout out.  I don’t - at least not yet. 

     But, as the mom of a video game aficionado, I have seen tailor-made scenarios programmed into gaming software.  The playing field changes to become more challenging as the skill of the player develops.  Why isn’t the education world screaming for similar software?  It could assess the ‘level’ of a student and adjust the lesson to stay within the student’s zone of proximal development.  The software development would require a large team of programmers and teachers to pull off; but that initial investment should be recouped quickly as armies of teachers deploy it in the classroom.

     Is this type of software out there already and I just haven’t seen it because only a few privileged schools can afford it?  It just seems like a natural fit for education - maybe we all should be studying C++ and Javascript in addition to all of the learning theory.  Food for thought…  

Filed under: Professional Development on October 1st, 2008 | 1 Comment »

     In my first year of teaching Chemistry I was fortunate to have a ‘planning block’ (i.e. free time) every fourth day during second period.  I say fortunate because, as it turned out, another experienced Physics teacher who was teaching General Chemistry for the first time had the same free period.   This common planning time was a true gift and we took full advantage of it.  

     The Physics teacher (let’s call her Ms. Tesla) and I came up with what I consider to be some very creative and enjoyable lessons.  One of my favorites was a “Flaming Foods Lab”.  Students built a primitive calorimeter, measured the energy content of foods like potato chips & marshmallows, and then calculated how many stairs they would need to climb to burn off the energy in each food.  The room smelled pretty bad for a week or so, but the kids really engaged with the lesson and learned some practical chemistry and physics along the way.  I also enjoyed the camaraderie and emotional support from another teacher who was going through many of the same experiences as I was - with the wisdom of a few years of experience under her belt.

     I was reminded of how powerful co-planning can be when working with the Science Stars Physics Team this week.  Dylan, Kathryn & Mike kicked off the Science Stars season with a series of creative stations on different forms and transformations of energy.  Each member of the team contributed ideas to the overall plan, and the results were great. 

     Unfortunately, my free period this year does not coincide with any other science teacher’s.  So, I’m going to have to work extra hard to make time for co-planning.  I haven’t quite figured out how and when to make this happen, or even who to make it happen with; but, I’m sure it is important to do - for my own benefit as well as my students’.     

Filed under: Professional Development on September 27th, 2008 | 2 Comments »