R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Posted by: dateacher on: October 24, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
I feel like I may have written a blog post about this, but it bears repeating especially since it’s a big issue for me this calendar year (will explain). Also, it’s been a while since I blogged and I’ve missed sharing my thoughts on teaching and learning.
So – RESPECT – I am not certain when I lost control of things, but I know that I have, and I’m not sure if I can get it back or if I even want to get it back. I teach two sets of students. I teach a total of four courses – two to returning students and two to new students. The program has 2 starts in an academic year…one start in August and another in January. It’s the most recent January start that has me frustrated.
Maybe it’s not as bad as I think it is – maybe more students from this generation are this way – maybe this is acceptable behavior in the 21st century of teaching, but it shouldn’t be.
I’ve been reading: How to Turn Around a Toxic Classroom, and am enlightened by some of the tips. One of the tips was put into place at mid-term by the professor. After having these 8 students since Jan ‘09 and since they only have another 7 weeks in my courses, I’m not entirely sure I really want to get control back. I may just want to get rid of them! And, no, it isn’t fair to lump them all together but that whole guilt by association is working against a couple of them.
I will, however, be implementing these tips for all classes come Jan ‘10. I will be the leader, I will have control, and I will have respect. That respect goes both ways too…to get it, you must give it!
Plugging away
Posted by: dateacher on: October 7, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
So sometimes this blog takes a turn from the obvious – my teaching and the students learning, but it manages to stay on course (no pun intended) even when I venture off topic.
Today I sit at home sick. Sick….sick….sick…..
Teaching has stopped – but hopefully learning continues. They know what they need to do to keep up with the work, I hope they are doing it!
Different Strokes
Posted by: dateacher on: September 2, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
We’ve heard the saying ‘different strokes for different folks.’ This seems to be my way of thinking about the ‘folks.’ In this case, the ‘folks’ are students – they are, of course, all different, but I’m having a hard time so far this semester getting into the groove of my returning students. These ladies have a totally different mindset from me. Maybe it’s the age difference, maybe it’s the difference in life experiences, or maybe it’s the “different strokes.”
My biggest obstacle right now seems to be class meeting time – start time in particular. Once they are in the classroom, they are a somewhat captive audience (Note: somewhat – that’s a whole other blog post). It’s getting them in the class.
I teach at a community college – so these students live either at their parents’ home or in apartments. I believe they are all responsible for themselves no matter where they live. I’m hoping that at age 20-something if they are living at home they are not relying on mom or dad to get them up…but with enrollment up 15% at the college that means parking spots are at a premium…which means you need to get to the school early to get a spot. These students haven’t, it seems, figured this out yet.
Survivor
Posted by: dateacher on: August 28, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
Week 1 is in the books for the 2009-2010 academic year, and I survived! This year is going to be very interesting. I am starting my 3rd semester. I don’t have my safety net this year – who the group I call “my girls.” The first group of students who entered during my first semester of teaching are “my girls,” and they have all graduated from the program. More students will come into the program and more will graduate, but that first group will always hold a special place in my heart.
Every student is different and every group is different. Not that I don’t welcome questions during class – but I don’t welcome conversations between students unrelated to the topic during class. One of the classrooms I teach in this semester is set up so that the students sit very close to each other. 4 tables set up in square formation – 16 chairs, 9 students – close quarters. Should be interesting.
If I survive this semester…next semester well – that’s a whole new ballgame a couple of my classes could possibly have 15+ students in them – and that could be even more interesting!
Stay tuned.
Busy Me
Posted by: dateacher on: August 20, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
So for about the last month my life has been crazy, and it’s only going to get crazier. Monday is the first day of classes for my teaching job (my “real” job). It’s been nice to have about 4 months off, but truly, it’s time to go back to work. I’ve seen enough TV & movies; I’ve read enough bad news. I’ve even planned as much as I possibly can for the start of my second year teaching.
This semester I will be teaching 4 courses for sure, and maybe a fifth course online. I say maybe on this fifth course because enrollment has to be at the right number for the course to stay available. Honestly, I’m torn on this course. I did a lot of planning for this course over the summer, but with 4 other courses I’m not sure how working in an online course is going to jumble my schedule. I’ve taught the other 4 courses the previous two semesters so I know the subject/topics, but the online course has me worried. And, I don’t know how to explain that worry.
On top of this, I got a call from a friend who has a friend who needs help with the computer system in his new office. I konw the system this new dentist has so it’s not that big a deal, but I’m thinking what if this turns into something more than just a few tutorial sessions. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. It’s not like I have a ton of free time to devote to working a second job in a dental office – I only have Wednesday afternoons and Fridays that I don’t physically have to be at the college.
Wow…busy me.
Certified
Posted by: dateacher on: July 22, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
So on Monday of this week, I finally took my Certified Dental Assistants exam. Preliminary reports are I passed. Final reports are not due for 4 to 6 weeks. My final report is: I never want to take that test again. I will go to the ends of the Earth to get the 12 hours of continuing education credits required annually to maintain the certification.
I say I finally took it because the only reason I was ever going to take it was if it was required for a job. Well, to teach dental assisting it’s required, so I took it. Six years after completing the same program in which I now teach – and I have advice for my students – do not wait that long…take it soon after finishing the program while all the information is as fresh in your brain as possible.
Certification and education – I believe both are essential to a great dental assistant.
Lifehacker
Posted by: dateacher on: June 24, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
Great day I love the blog Lifehacker right now so much I want to scream it from the tallest building I can find. But, since I’m stuck inside at work for another 38 minutes, I’ll announce this on my blog instead!
Lifehacker rocks! A lot of the time the tips on there are things I don’t understand but today they have an amazing post Tweak Facebook To Display Only Updates You Care About. Really – where was this 6 months ago? I so could have used this tip months ago!
Read Lifehacker – it has things that can make life so much easier!
It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Posted by: dateacher on: June 22, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
Mister Rogers was right, but I’m not going to ask you to be my neighbor, though there are a couple houses for sale in my neighborhood, and I have a feeling by seeing the clean up going on there will be a couple more soon. So if you’re looking for a new house…
Anyway…that’s not the reason for the post today…the reason is that it’s a beautiful day where I live. I’m outside enjoying this beautiful day as I type too. The pup seems to be enjoying it as well, he’s asleep at my feet right now. Sitting and enjoying it now…soon to find myself in the hammock though!
Ah, summer!
Adding space and letting go.
Posted by: dateacher on: June 20, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
We didn’t really add space to our house, but we did reorganize an entire room – which turned the whole house into a disaster area, please explain this someone! By reorganizing this room it feels like we’ve added space because consolidating things and realizing there was a ton of trash in that one room we were able to find even more space. We also found that 3 pieces of furniture in our home essentially became clutter. Right now, those 3 pieces of furniture are still in our house but hopefully soon they will have a new home. We have a couple people considering purchase of the items, if those fall through then they will be donated to Goodwill.
I used to find it hard to let go of things, but recently I’ve found that living simply is a happier way to live and having only those things around that make me happy is living simply.
Now it is time to get the paper trail under control and to get my side of the home office in the order I want it. That could take me all day.
Summer Lovin’
Posted by: dateacher on: June 16, 2009
- In: Open Wide
- Comments Off
Had me a blast….
Well, I was having a blast, and then I decided I wanted a new kitchen floor. I think we do the strangest things for money. I think I’ve done a strange thing for money…put myself into a stressful situation. As if I didn’t already have enough on my plate this summer – house projects, school projects, and just relaxing – I added a temporary 7-week job totally unrelated to my August-May career.
Now my daily house projects are slipping away from me, I’m tired (all the time), and I feel that I’m loosing grip on my school projects. It’s been a week on this temporary summer job, and I need to know how to get the organization back that I had at one point.
One good thing about this temporary job is that I am able to get some work done on my dental assisting school projects, the one bad thing is it’s your typical 8 hour a day job and when I get done at 5pm I’m even too tired to cook dinner. How do people do this 8 hour a day thing…how did I used to do this? Has teaching for one academic year really made me unable to work a 40 hour work week? Trust me though – teaching is more than a 40 hour a week job – even after I leave the college I have work I have to get done at home. A big problem is I feel there is no place for me to do this at home. I used to have a desk in our family room, but that room got too cluttered. I tried using the dining room, but that room tends to become a dumping ground and the dining room table IS NOT an adequate desk – plus there is no storage in there and when we have people over I have to move all my stuff out so we can entertain. My husband promised me he’d share his home office – but that room is about as big as our walk-in closet and shoving 2 people in there just isn’t going to happen. Our guest room, viable option except that it needs to be a guest room as well.
I’ll stop my complaining now and get on to figuring out how to work around this problem…first I need to get right with the want I laid on myself in taking this summer temp job…a new kitchen floor will be totally worth it in the end, especially if I can also get new family room carpet/flooring out of it too!
Flickr Photos
|
