Week 14
Well, Week 14 in the books! This will be my last student teaching blog. I have to be honest, writing those words feels pretty awesome!
This week, the students and I continued our investigation into ancient Greece by exploring the many facets of Athens! I divided lessons for Athens into the following themes: values, Athenian democracy, education of Athenian boys and girls, and cultural achievements. For values, we read "The Funeral Oration of Pericles" and highlighted evidence from the text that demonstrated what the people of Athens valued. This lesson played right into the next day's lesson introducing Athenian democracy.
To introduce Athenian democracy, I wrote the following word or words on individual index cards: woman, male, male (not-free), metic, male (14,15, or 17 years old), and parents born in (I used a variety of city-states other than Athens). I had the students pick an index card. Then, I led a quick review discussion about the values of Athenians that we had discussed the previous day: freedom, government, equality, justice, among others. I instructed all the students to stand up. On the projector behind me read the question: Who was considered a citizen of Athens? I rolled the first requirement onto the projector: Must be born in Athens. I told the students to look at their cards: if their card read "metic", then they were foreign-born and had to sit down. Then I rolled out the next requirement: Parents must be born in Athens. I told the students that if their card read that their parents were born in another city-state, they had to sit down. The next requirement was the individual had to be a free male. I told all those who held a card that read "woman" or "male (not-free)" had to sit down. The next requirement was the individual was at least 18 years old and had completed their two years of military training. I instructed the students if their cards read that they were males under the age of 18 or they had not yet completed their military training, they had to sit down. To the few students left standing, I congratulated them, tossed them a piece of candy, and told them they met the requirements to be considered a citizen of Athens. Then I asked the students what they noticed about who was considered citizens and how that compared to the Athenian values wen discussed the day before.
It turned into a really awesome discussion and the students made a TON of connections. After the discussion, I said to each class "Athenians DID value freedom, equality, justice, and government- but ONLY for those considered citizens." It was a really cool way for them to start thinking about the set-up of Athenian democracy that we spent the rest of the lesson diving into. My cooperating teacher said he was throwing that activity into his tool-belt for lessons!
Another cool lesson for this week embodied the theme of the "cultural achievements" of ancient Greece. I grappled with how to demonstrate to the students the infinite ideas that stemmed from ancient Greece- especially how Athens was the cultural powerhouse of the Ancient Greek world- and how those ideas STILL influence America and the rest of the Western world. So, I came up creating museum exhibits! I created 5 exhibits: math and science, Greek drama, philosophy, medicine, and art and architecture. I used 5 columns in the hallway to display the exhibits which included photos and text describing the contributions and origins of each topic. I set it up like the information tablets that one would see at a museum exhibit with the pictures above it. Each column in the hallways contained one exhibit. I gave the students a graphic organizer to identify and describe each exhibit and an index card with a number 1-5 on it. The number on their index card was the number exhibit they would begin at. I timed them at each exhibit, then they moved to the next one until they saw all 5 exhibits. Using the numbers enabled me to separate students into different groups that I knew would have a hard time focusing with their friends and might lead to behavior problems in the hallway. It turned out great! Once we were back in the classroom, I had students discuss the main ideas of each exhibit, and then discuss which exhibit they thought was the most influential to modern American society. Lastly, I had the students write me a paragraph explaining their choice. It was actually a lot of fun and the discussion was awesome! They were into it and started debating with one another. It was one of those proud-teacher moments when I couldn't help but sit back and listen to them discuss and debate with a huge smile and pride beaming on my face.
Aside from lessons, I learned a lot this week. I stopped being so insecure about teaching high school students and just started teaching in my style with my personality weaving through the lessons. Well, high school kids have sincerity radars- and it worked. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot from each other this week. I have a lot to offer as a teacher, but they have a lot to offer as students! I had to manage some behaviors this week, but the students and I worked through it together and our class is better for it. I had an observation this week, and some of my students actually took the time to say some really kind things about me and my teaching to my college supervisor. It meant so much to me. Of course, they had to tell me they did it. They said, "Don't worry, Ms. P! We talked you up!" When I laughed and asked what they said, they responded (in true teenager fashion) by explaining that they usually hate student teachers, but that they actually really like me and are learning a lot. I asked them "Well, did you mean that?" They said they did, and that they don't say things they don't mean. I believe it! It was really nice to have some feedback from the students though and made me feel a lot more secure in what I'm doing and how I'm handling the classroom and lessons.
Schmidt Chapter 12
What are your plans for being a lifelong learner? How has Chapter 12 enlightened your ideas?
My plans for being a lifelong learner are just that- learning for the rest of my life. Furthering my learning in my content area by researching different topics that connect to what I am teaching, attending conferences to learn new ways to teach, but the most important idea that enlightened my ideas connected to being a lifelong learner from the Schmidt chapter was collaborating with other teachers. Just talking to other teachers- same grade level or not- and seeing what they are doing in their classrooms that the students really responded to. Then I can begin building grade-level appropriate lessons from a foundation of awesome ideas from other teachers! Our colleagues can be our best resource- whether sharing ideas or bouncing ideas off of, and I take that idea with me into my teaching career!
Signing out- for the LAST time (hopefully)!
Lisa P.
This week, the students and I continued our investigation into ancient Greece by exploring the many facets of Athens! I divided lessons for Athens into the following themes: values, Athenian democracy, education of Athenian boys and girls, and cultural achievements. For values, we read "The Funeral Oration of Pericles" and highlighted evidence from the text that demonstrated what the people of Athens valued. This lesson played right into the next day's lesson introducing Athenian democracy.
To introduce Athenian democracy, I wrote the following word or words on individual index cards: woman, male, male (not-free), metic, male (14,15, or 17 years old), and parents born in (I used a variety of city-states other than Athens). I had the students pick an index card. Then, I led a quick review discussion about the values of Athenians that we had discussed the previous day: freedom, government, equality, justice, among others. I instructed all the students to stand up. On the projector behind me read the question: Who was considered a citizen of Athens? I rolled the first requirement onto the projector: Must be born in Athens. I told the students to look at their cards: if their card read "metic", then they were foreign-born and had to sit down. Then I rolled out the next requirement: Parents must be born in Athens. I told the students that if their card read that their parents were born in another city-state, they had to sit down. The next requirement was the individual had to be a free male. I told all those who held a card that read "woman" or "male (not-free)" had to sit down. The next requirement was the individual was at least 18 years old and had completed their two years of military training. I instructed the students if their cards read that they were males under the age of 18 or they had not yet completed their military training, they had to sit down. To the few students left standing, I congratulated them, tossed them a piece of candy, and told them they met the requirements to be considered a citizen of Athens. Then I asked the students what they noticed about who was considered citizens and how that compared to the Athenian values wen discussed the day before.
It turned into a really awesome discussion and the students made a TON of connections. After the discussion, I said to each class "Athenians DID value freedom, equality, justice, and government- but ONLY for those considered citizens." It was a really cool way for them to start thinking about the set-up of Athenian democracy that we spent the rest of the lesson diving into. My cooperating teacher said he was throwing that activity into his tool-belt for lessons!
Another cool lesson for this week embodied the theme of the "cultural achievements" of ancient Greece. I grappled with how to demonstrate to the students the infinite ideas that stemmed from ancient Greece- especially how Athens was the cultural powerhouse of the Ancient Greek world- and how those ideas STILL influence America and the rest of the Western world. So, I came up creating museum exhibits! I created 5 exhibits: math and science, Greek drama, philosophy, medicine, and art and architecture. I used 5 columns in the hallway to display the exhibits which included photos and text describing the contributions and origins of each topic. I set it up like the information tablets that one would see at a museum exhibit with the pictures above it. Each column in the hallways contained one exhibit. I gave the students a graphic organizer to identify and describe each exhibit and an index card with a number 1-5 on it. The number on their index card was the number exhibit they would begin at. I timed them at each exhibit, then they moved to the next one until they saw all 5 exhibits. Using the numbers enabled me to separate students into different groups that I knew would have a hard time focusing with their friends and might lead to behavior problems in the hallway. It turned out great! Once we were back in the classroom, I had students discuss the main ideas of each exhibit, and then discuss which exhibit they thought was the most influential to modern American society. Lastly, I had the students write me a paragraph explaining their choice. It was actually a lot of fun and the discussion was awesome! They were into it and started debating with one another. It was one of those proud-teacher moments when I couldn't help but sit back and listen to them discuss and debate with a huge smile and pride beaming on my face.
Aside from lessons, I learned a lot this week. I stopped being so insecure about teaching high school students and just started teaching in my style with my personality weaving through the lessons. Well, high school kids have sincerity radars- and it worked. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot from each other this week. I have a lot to offer as a teacher, but they have a lot to offer as students! I had to manage some behaviors this week, but the students and I worked through it together and our class is better for it. I had an observation this week, and some of my students actually took the time to say some really kind things about me and my teaching to my college supervisor. It meant so much to me. Of course, they had to tell me they did it. They said, "Don't worry, Ms. P! We talked you up!" When I laughed and asked what they said, they responded (in true teenager fashion) by explaining that they usually hate student teachers, but that they actually really like me and are learning a lot. I asked them "Well, did you mean that?" They said they did, and that they don't say things they don't mean. I believe it! It was really nice to have some feedback from the students though and made me feel a lot more secure in what I'm doing and how I'm handling the classroom and lessons.
Schmidt Chapter 12
What are your plans for being a lifelong learner? How has Chapter 12 enlightened your ideas?
My plans for being a lifelong learner are just that- learning for the rest of my life. Furthering my learning in my content area by researching different topics that connect to what I am teaching, attending conferences to learn new ways to teach, but the most important idea that enlightened my ideas connected to being a lifelong learner from the Schmidt chapter was collaborating with other teachers. Just talking to other teachers- same grade level or not- and seeing what they are doing in their classrooms that the students really responded to. Then I can begin building grade-level appropriate lessons from a foundation of awesome ideas from other teachers! Our colleagues can be our best resource- whether sharing ideas or bouncing ideas off of, and I take that idea with me into my teaching career!
Signing out- for the LAST time (hopefully)!
Lisa P.
What a great idea for demonstrating how citizens and democracy worked in Athens! I'll bet your CT will end up taking a lot of ideas from you. I applaud you for loosening up and being yourself. It really is the only way to teach, and you're right about students being able to spot sincerity.
ReplyDeleteFor continual learning, you might also think about getting a masters.