Derek Jeter is NOT a good captain.

I am a Yankees fan. I was probably one before I was born. However, there is nothing anyone can say that would make me believe Derek Jeter is a good captain for the team. I believe and he has shown he is too much of a competitor to put aside his own goals/feelings for the good of the team. And the facts that the Yankees have not won a world series since Jeter became captain and that the year he was made captain was the very last year we made it to the playoffs speaks for itself! After giving it some thought I have decide I will be nominating Jorge Pasada for the captain position. While older Jorge would bring a quite strength to a team that he has always shown his loyalty to.

Technology in the Classroom

I consider technology a growing and important part of education. I do believe that the more you use it the better off you will be. By using it in your classroom and by making sure your students use it you are preparing them better for the future. I do know from my observations at the school that not all teachers are willing to learn to use technology in their classroom some seem very set in their ways. This observation helps me understand what some administrations are facing, how can a school evolve if teachers are now willing to evolve with it. I also feel a sense of companionship with the teachers. It is amazing how much more teenagers seem to know then I do. However, I am usually always willing to learn, if there is one thing I hope for in my future career it is that I do not lose the openness I have to try new things.

Teacher Image

There is a young new teacher at the school I student teaching at. I bring this up because she has a very alternative look. Her hair has the teased thing going on and her eye makeup is very loud. She also has two very visible tattoos. I can't help but wonder how she looked at the interview for her position. For as long as I can remember I've wanted a tattoo but I've never gotten one because I was afraid of what it would do to my career options. I can remember asking an administrator once what they thought and they said that teachers were held to a higher standard and so a teacher with a visible tattoo gives the wrong image they advised me against getting one. This new teacher makes me wonder if the image of teachers is evolving it also makes me questions if that is a good thing.

Graduation

Graduation is around the corner and I am experiencing a lot of anxiety about it. I can't help but wish that I was not graduating this year but a couple of years from now or a couple of years back. This is definitely not the market to be looking for a job even if I do have a masters. It is so funny to look back and remember all the things people said about future teacher shortages. As far as I can tell there are too many of us!! Students who graduated from my program over a year ago are still searching for jobs. It is really nerve racking for me because I do not have a plan. I know I am just one of many giving this rant right now so while I don't feel alone I do feel overwhelmed. It's enough to make me depressed.

A fifth grader speaks out against homework.

A fifth grader is taking to the media in order to speak out against homework. A New York student wrote an essay on the practice of homework comparing it to slavery. His creative essay brought public interest back towards the question of homework's usefulness. I find the boy's points interesting and certainly humorous, it is a young child debating what many of us in the education field have still not figured out. The amount of studies on homework and achievement are countless yet when put all together inconclusive. Some studies have found a trend in homework and student achievement while others, well, they agree with the kid.

Check out the video here.

Homework, cont'd

I student teach two types of American History class, honors and regents. For each type of class there is a different attitude towards homework. In honors homework is assigned more frequently and it is rare that a student does not complete their homework. In regents homework is never assigned and when it is there is a good chance students will not be handing it in. I wonder at this. Doesn't it make more sense to given homework to regents' classes because they are the ones who suffer the most with the material? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to them? Or do we give it to honors to provide them with more work because it is supposed to be harder? I feel that this is one of those tricky questions about homework that no one can agree on the answer to.

Writing Skills

As Social Studies teachers working on students writing skills is not usually our main goal. However, I am a firm believer that English and Social Studies are two subjects that are easy to integrate and so should be. One of the most eye opening things for me lately is the difficulty many of the students I am interacting with have in essay writing. Some students do not seem to understand the basic principles in putting together their thoughts to form a composition. Students also appear to be intimidated by writing. I am not sure what to do. At this point in instructing high school upperclassmen do I cut my losses and leave the teaching of essay writing to the English teachers given the amount of material I have or do I take the time to inform students how to create an essay. I believe that I should perhaps inform students what I am expecting from them on an essay and what the state is expecting from them on their regents exams. This would probably be the best strategy when it comes to essay writing in social studies but that leads to a larger question. What about grammar and spelling mistakes? Do I take the time to correct those on written responses every time I see them or do I let it go because this is Social Studies and content and ideas is what matters? I feel that this is a position I will continue struggling with.