Last week felt like I couldn't breathe -- so much grading, professional development classes & a bible study didn't leave much time for getting caught up.
Plus, my 11th graders are working on a video project that until Friday, I was completely freaking out about.
Here are things that I have learned this trimester as I have completely revamped how I teach and think about lessons:
1. Engagement is not flashy.
I thought I needed to have so many youtube clips and real-life things all the time to keep students engaged. Connecting our classroom to their lives is very important, but mostly I need to give them opportunities to engage in the process with me. For the types of classes I teach, that I means I try not to go longer than 15 minutes without students having a chance to talk to each other, work on something, or complete an activity that allows them to process what we are talking about. It has made a huge difference in how my classes feel.
Take a look at your lessons -- are you doing the work & practice when students could easily do that on their phones? For example, instead of giving students video clip examples of all 7 types of conflicts in a story (person vs person, person vs. nature, etc.), I gave them 3 and made them find 4 on their own. They're doing the work for me, practicing identification skills, & showing off things they like. It's a win-win.
About once a week I have a lesson that just clunks and sputters along like my '93 Pontiac that I had when I was 16. Those days are not great and they leave me frustrated for longer than they should as I try to figure out where the lesson broke down. (On the plus side, only 3 super sucky lessons a week isn't too bad!)
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| Such a beautiful car for 16-year-old me. My cool-ness has only been in decline since. |
I have some very needy students (let's call us the Hot Mess Brigade - HMB) this trimester, but I'm having a lot less classroom management issues because students are engaged in my lessons.
Having issues? Look at how often students get to participate in your lessons. Taking notes doesn't count! When do your students get to process through writing, talking, and creating, what you're trying to teach them?
Real talk, there are management issues, especially related to cell phones, that come up way too often in my room (calling a dean 3x in one week for ONE CLASS?!). But again, the general vibe is so much better than it felt my first two years because students aren't as bored, disengaged, or confused about what's happening because they have to participate frequently.
3. There is only so much you can do.
I've given myself cut-off times during the day. Some weeks it was 4pm or 7pm or 9pm when I said I was done with all the things, whether that was dishes, cooking, cleaning, grading, planning, or whatever, and then I got to hug my cats and zone out on TV or read or just lay down. I've been a better teacher and human for it. Sorry HMB -- that's why I take forever to grade projects but don't want to pull my hair out as often when you are crazy.
Obviously, that has included this blog -- the heavy reflections were good but overwhelming as I revamped all of my curriculum! Look for more posts this upcoming semester.
4. Give students more than they can handle.
My HMB has a major video project that we're working on. Our last essay was like pulling teeth... so I wasn't feeling too confident. I almost cancelled the project because I was worried that we would just 100% botch it because it was too ambitious for us even though I had worked to scaffold skills better.
Thursday was an okay day as students got used to cameras & played around, but not enough to assuage my fears. Friday, students were discussing the original premise of their videos (what?!), camera angles to use, acting, interviewing, smiling, working together, advocating for themselves... aka, totally engaged & stepping up their game. We have 5 more days, so we'll see how the end product turns out.
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| This is how students will make you feel when they surpass expectations. They look at you like that other dog, too. |
So, long story short, give students something a little above their heads, support them like crazy, and watch them surprise you & surpass your expectations.
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For those who are in their first two years of teaching, it gets better. So much better. You find your groove, you learn so much more, students respect you more, and the whole process smoothens out and requires less of your ENTIRE LIFE than it did your first year when all the things are straight up crazy.
