Welcome to our feature presentation…

The Life of a Young Teacher in the

21st CENTURYCLASSROOM

Lindsey IsaacsNovember 25, 2008

EDT 427A BField Assignment II

400 E. Withrow St. Oxford, Ohio 45056

513-265-0457

(the names used in this project are not real but do represent real people and situations)

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Welcome to the high school in the year 2008.The building and technology might be different

than schools used to be, but teaching remains the same.

The Meet and Greet

From: Isaacs, Lindsey Rae [mailto:isaacslr@muohio.edu] Sent: Friday, November 07, 2008 11:16 AMTo: Robben, JenniferSubject: field experience Hello, My name is Lindsey and I'm the Miami student that is going to be in your classroom for the next two weeks.  I just wanted to touch base with you before I show up on Monday morning.  I just found out today that I'm going to be at ____ High School so I have a few questions.  What grades do you teach?  Should I pack a lunch?  and What time does school start?  I look forward to working with you!  See you Monday.Lindsey R. IsaacsNew Member EducatorPhi Mu--Beta Etaisaacslr@muohio.edu513-265-0457

Hi Lindsey,I’m happy you’ll be joining my classes for the next two weeks. I’ve listed some information below that I hope is helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know—I’ll be checking e-mail all weekend.

         School Day: Our school day runs from 8:00-2:48. Because of traffic, I’d recommend arriving between 7:30 and 7:45

         Parking: Please park in the RED lot. I’ll secure a temporary parking pass on Monday.

         First Day: Please check in at the front desk for a visitor’s pass—I’ll send a student up to escort you to my room, 515

         Lunch: My lunch time is 11:00-11:35. If you plan to stay during that time, I recommend packing lunch---the time goes by quickly!

         Class Schedule:1                    English I POD –50% regular ed/50% special needs

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2                    English I POD—50 % regular ed/50% special needs3                    Composition Workshop—remedial writing course4                    AP English5                    Plan6                    AP English7                    AP English

Enjoy your weekend,Jen RobbenEnglish Teacher

The Week at a Glance

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayQuiz over chapters 1-6 TKAM**

NO SCHOOL—Veterans Day.

Begin Lit. Circles—3 groups over chapters 7-8

Lit. Circles continued—use wrkst as a guide for chapter 9

Finish Lit. Circles chapter 10-11… review for quiz on Monday

**To Kill a Mockingbird

The Laboratory

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1, 2, & 3. There are computers found in the corner of the room that students have access to on a daily basis. They use it to surf the web, research for projects, and check their school email. Students can email their teachers from home to ask homework help, too.

4. The Smartboard has taken the place of the classroom and even the whiteboard in the 21st century classroom. This board is used as a projector, writing surface, and computer screen. Teachers can project their word document notes on the screen and then use a marker to write on it to add additional notes during class. At the end of the class, the teacher can print the document from the Smartboard include the notes she wrote on it with the marker during class.

5. There is still a whiteboard in the classroom. It is mostly used for posting daily schedules, homework assignments, and weekly notes. It is not a key tool in instruction.

6. The room has a divider that can be taken down to make the two rooms connect. By adjoining the rooms teachers can co-teach and utilize the entire space to show a movie or give a large presentation.

The Smartboard is the newest technological tool for teachers. They have to take classes on how it works. It acts as a touch

screen and a whiteboard. Whatever is written on it can also beprinted out after class. It is very beneficial to the classroom when used correctly.

Still a few Glitches to Work Out

Student: Ms. Isaacs, the screen just went blank.Ms. Isaacs: What, oh? Okay. Hold On.Student: The light isn’t blinking on the LCD. Ms. Isaacs: What’s the LCD? Oh, the projector. Could someone tall push the reset button for me… Joe? Student: Oh! Oh! There is was. Student 2: Can I go to the bathroom?Ms. Isaacs: Everyone please sit down in your seats and start to read chapter eight. We are going to discuss and take notes over it in a minute. I would use this time to make notes for discussion… especially those of you who didn’t read last night.

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… Ms. Isaacs restarts the computer and reboots the notes onto the Smartboard…

Student: Do you know what you are doing Ms. IsaacsStudent 2: Do you want me to go get Ms. R? Ms. Isaacs: Ladies and gentleman. There is no reason for any of you to be talking because you should be reading. Please be patient with me.

…After ten minutes of lost class time…

Ms. Isaacs: Okay, I know this is a crazy thought, but we are just going to use the old-fashion white board to take notes today. Does anyone want to volunteer to be my note taker up here? Student: Me! Me! Ms. Isaacs: Okay guys, thanks for being patient. Turn to page 68 and tell my something significant that happened with Scout.

Friday Field NotesNovember 14, 2008

It is finally Friday! This week has been exhausting but very productive. The students are wearing black and red today for spirit points. I took a tally of all the students wearing spirit gear during homeroom and handed out raffle tickets for Ms. R. At the end of the quarter they win a HD TV if their name is drawn from the raffle pot. I think is good motivation to improve school spirit.

Today here is a substitute. I don’t think Ms. R is totally comfortable with me teaching her classes yet—especially 3rd period because they are out of control. I told the sub I could help whenever needed but they are just silently reading. I am surprised how well they are reading considering its Friday and they are antsy. If they aren’t reading they are faking it really well.

Next week we are doing literature circles all week. I will have my own group of kids everyday. I’m looking forward to getting to know the students better and interacting with them in small groups. I’m exhausted today. Couldn’t go to sleep last night.

“I Can’t Get No Motivation”Sung to the tune of “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones

I can't get no motivation, I can't get no motivation. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no.

When I'm teachin' in my room and that students comes up to my deskand he's tellin' me more and more about some how hard his homework is and how I’m supposed to fire his imagination. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say.

I can't get no motivation, I can't get no motivation. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no.

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When I'm gradin' with my TV and that essasy keep on to tellin me how lazy my students can be. Well I can't be a teacher' cause he they won’t learn and give some effort to me. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say.

I can't get no motivation, I can't get no effort with action. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no.

When I'm listenin' round the lounge and I'm doin' this and I'm signing that and I'm tryin' to make some sense that tells me why my students learned helplessness 'cause you see I'm on losing streak. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say.

I can't get no, I can't get no, I can't get no motivation, no motivation, no motivation, no motivation.

To Do for Wednesday… 5:30am Wake Up

o Showero Review Lesson

High School for Observation Nap 2:00pm Class Work Out Call to confirm

Marcum Center—Jan. 20 Dinner with Kelly Call Mama about Friday Homework

o Chapter 9-10 TKAMo Read Case Study

9pm Committee Chair Meeting Bed Early!

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School spirit is another aspect of today’s high schools.Tradition is valued by all who know that is it key to preserving the

values the school was founded on. It also helps keep a positive atmosphere in the classroom.

The Hypocritical Teacher

What I’m Saying What I’m Doing What I’m Thinking“Billy, put your cell phone away please. You shouldn’t even have it out past 8am. “

Giving the ‘come on now you know better’ look.

I hate the cell phone rule. I know every student in my class has their cell phone in their pocket right now.

“Billy, I already told you to put it away once. I don’t want to have to take it away.”

Hand on hip. Annoyed look on my face.

I really don’t care that he has his work out. It’s not like we’re taking a test.

“BILLY! Not only have you refused to listen to me… now you are using your cell phone to distract other students. Give it to me.”

Reaching out my hand. Rolling my eyes.

I want to know what they are laughing at! But it is inappropriate to look through a students phone.

After class… “Billy, what were you laughing at one your phone.”

Holding his phone behind my back until he tells me.

Was it appropriate? Am I allowed to ask these questions?

“Okay, well… if I see it again I’m going to take it the first time. And I am going to tell Ms. R that you have already violated the cell phone rule this

Giving him back his cell phone.

I wonder if Hannah texted me back yet? I should check my phone between bells. Haha.

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week.

iTeach—playlist

She Works Hard for the Money—Donna Summer Hot for Teacher—Van Halen We Don’t Need No Education—Pink Flyod Stacy’s Mom—Fountains of Wayne We are Family—The Hit Crew R.E.S.P.E.C.T.—Aretha Franklin Schools Out—Alice Cooper Don’t Stop Believin’—Journey Hit me with your Best Shot—Pat Benatar Whatever it Takes—Lifehouse Don’t Laugh at Me—Mark Wills Fighter—Christina Aguilera

Miami Education Student vs. Miami Business Student

English Education Major Finance/Business Major

-mostly papers as assessment -2 hours long objective tests as

Assessment

-internship built into program -internship in the summer -hard working

-average GPA 3.5** -average GPA 2.9** -intelligent

-wakes up at 5am to observe -wakes up at 2pm for class in

-motivated Laws Hall**

-newly renovated building (McGuffey) -brand new building (not - important finished yet)

-knows they are going to make a -thinks education majors are difference in the world -the future of taking the easy way out America

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-starting salary out of college $30,000 -starting salary out of college $60,000

**these facts are not accurate and are exaggerated to make a point and fit a stereotype

Each morning students meet in a homeroom class. The same homeroom meets every morning for four years with the same teacher.

At graduation, their homeroom teacher hands them their diploma. This is standard practice for high schools—it helps build a sense of community.

How to Grade Practice OGTs

1. Have the students come in an hour late. Teachers meet regular time in media center.

2. Group teachers together five to a group by their content area. Give each group the key their section of the test to review it before starting to grade. Give them roughly seven minutes to discuss.

3. Each teacher takes a stack of tests and starts grading. Each group of teachers is grading their content area on the test. There was no writing practice test given.

4. Teacher look at each other and laugh at some students answers. They don’t know whose test they are grading so they are poking fun at the answer not the students.

5. Go as fast as humanly possible because you only have an hour to grade 1200 students’ tests.

6. Complain the entire time about how stupid standardized tests are. Remind everyone that NCLB will probably be changing now that Barack Obama is the president-elect.

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7. When the bell rings, scurry off to class to teach the students and continue to dread the real test in March.

Cliff Notes—A Guide to Special Education

Chapter 1: Mrs. R’s classroom is half regular students and half special ed

students. The special ed students are on individualized education plans that have specific directions to how a teacher should teach them and the least restrictive environment they can learn in. When Ms. Isaacs walks into the classroom for the first time to observe, she can’t tell which students have IEPs. Everyone looks the same and are bouncing around the room before 1st period.

Once the bell rings, Mr. M enters the room and takes a seat in the back corner. He is giving specific attention to select students in the classroom. He is also helping Mrs. R teach by interjecting throughout her lesson and clarifying points that may be confusing. Sometime he just repeats what she says to the students quietly as they take notes.

One day, the students took a test over chapters 1-6 of To Kill a Mockingbird. At the beginning of class Mrs. R announced, “Friends of Mr. M go to the Media Center and friends of Mrs. R stay here!” The students knew what she meant and proceeded to follow her directions. They took their tests in their prospective locations and continued on with the rest of the academic day when the bell rang.

Analysis:Mr. M is the special ed teacher. He has a undergraduate degree

is Social Studies education and a masters in Special Education. He co-teaches class with Mrs. R and aides the students with IEPs to provide them with the least restrictive learning environment. The other students in the class also benefit from his teaching because many times he clarifies part of the lesson for the entire class while he is helping the special ed students.

When they took the test, the special ed students (friends of Mr. M) go to the media center to receive special instruction and additional help on their test. This is part of their IEPs. Of the 12 special ed students, 5 need the test read aloud to them and the other 7 are allowed to work in small groups with extended time.

When working with special education students it is best to speak clearly, stay on task, and keep directions simple. Many of these students are anxious and dread school on a daily basis. It is important to keep the information relevant to their lives. When giving directions, don’t overwhelm them with small tasks—stick to the main point of an

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activity. By following these guidelines special education students can have success in a regular classroom.

From Student to Teacher

Once there was a little girl who wanted to be a teacher. She wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember. She loves writing on her mother’s chalkboard, taking attendance, organizing files, and all the other things she thought teachers did. She was always a studious and meticulous student throughout her grade school years.

Every morning, on her way out the door, she would go into her parent’s bedroom and kiss her father goodbye on the head. He would turn over and sleepily grumble, “Have a good day babyboll. Learn a lot.” He said this phrase to her nearly every morning for thirteen years.

Now, that little girl is grown up. She goes to college and is studying to be a teacher. During her field experience the school she was observing was closer to her Cincinnati home than it was to Oxford to she spend the nights at home with her family. The night before her first big lesson she was preparing and kind of practicing/discussing her ideas with her mother (the former English teacher). Her whole family heard and joked with her that she couldn’t really be teaching a class tomorrow.

As she gathered her things and headed for the door the next morning, she went into the kitchen where her dad was eating breakfast and kissed him on the forehead while shouting, “BYE!” over her shoulder. As she hurried down the hallway she heard him say, “Have a good day babydoll. Teach a lot!” She stopped in her tracks and realized that this was just one of those moments in your life when you realize you are accomplishing your dreams. That is a morning she will never forget.

Ms. Isaacs

I am a teacher. I must work my hardest everyday to help my students achieve to their highest potential.I look forward to affecting the lives of hundreds of boys and girls.I hope to have the patience and strength to deal with whatever this career throws my way.I want to get involved in the school and community I am a part of.I believe that teaching will be the most rewarding experience of my life. I know how exhausted I will be during my first few years as a teacher.

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I embrace the chance to go out and show the world what I can do.I need a job in the Cincinnati area so I can stay close to my family.I will never forget the first time I heard a student refer to me as Ms. Isaacs.I am a great teacher.

Thank you for attending and I hope you enjoyed the show.

End Notes

Title: I tried to incorporate different genres that showed my life in and out of the classroom. One of most difficult aspects of the field for me was combining the schedule and lifestyle of a teacher while still living in Oxford and having a college life. My friends who were not education majors didn’t understand why I was slamming doors and turning their music down when they came home at 1am and I haven’t seen 5am on my alarm clock in years until this semester. I feel like these are challenges that are going to continue into my first few years teaching and are typical for young teachers.

From Teacher to Student (page 1):

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This short narrative actually occurred during my first experience but I was an “Ah Hah!” moment for me and really reassured me that this was something I was passionate about. It might seem like an abrupt and kind of random beginning but it was very significant to me as I tried to portray through the short story.

The Laboratory (page 4):

This is what my teacher’s classroom set up looked like. I thought it was a good visual to give readers. I also included a brief description of certain parts of the classroom that were no self explanatory. I titled this piece “The Laboratory” because this is where the teaching experiments are crafted and played out.

The Hypocritical Teacher (page 8):

This thought-process genre was perfect for this reoccurring trend I saw in the classroom. Even more so than when I was in high school, every student seems to have a cell phone. Not only do the students have phones but the teachers also have phone. I would see the teachers take away or punish students for having phone out and then turn around and check their phones or even make calls from their phones between bells. I don’t necessarily think that the teachers shouldn’t use their phones or that the students should be allowed but it is just an issue that isn’t going to go away in classrooms and I am going to have to face in the future. I don’t know the solution, I just know what I was thinking when I was teaching and saw a kid with a phone and thought I’d share it.

How to Grade Practice OGTs (page 10):

One morning while I was observing at the high school level students had an hour delay and teachers met early to grade practice OGT tests. I was allowed to sit in on the process and, even though I was much slower than they were, grade a few tests. The process was tedious and kind of disappointing because teachers continuously made fun of poor test scores and complained about how they hated standardized testing. I wanted to include a creative genre that explained my frustration yet fascination with the process. Cliff Notes—A Guide to Special Education (page 10):

This was a genre that I took a risk on. I wanted to give a short, to the point explanation of the characteristics of special ed students because many teachers don’t want to study learning disabilities, they just want to understand them. This is how students view books sometimes and

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that is why they use cliff notes. Therefore, I provided a short example of what a section of cliff notes might look like for a special ed class. My brother is a 14 year old 7th grader who is mildly mentally retarded and I have taken the time to learn about learning disabilities. I have found that, like many books, there is no short answer to how to deal with these students and teachers need to understand from the beginning that they are going to have to learn with the students and adjust as they go. I hope this genre presented the idea in a way the resembled what I wanted to say—that there is no easy answer.

Repetend

The idea of pictures came to me one day when I was observing her classroom and realized I could connect her decorations to my teaching and incorporate then in my future classroom. The captions are there to show how they are related to the 21st century classroom. They are meant to portray the idea that the technology and architecture can make the school look different but the ideas of community and values are still prevalent as well.

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