tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post1146708260268962334..comments2023-05-22T10:24:47.725-04:00Comments on Re-Learning To Teach: Day 99: My Day With Max RayJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-90987170612795410162014-03-01T06:42:36.593-05:002014-03-01T06:42:36.593-05:00I'm late to this party and am catching up on y...I'm late to this party and am catching up on your blog. Here are the things on my mind...<br />1. Thank you for sharing your struggles. I often feel that my lack of classroom management negates my plentiful knowledge, love, and good intentions. I'm going to try to go easier on myself and try to embrace the impact I have on the ones who are "present".<br />2. I love love love that being yourself is part of your measure of success (and Max noticed too). <br />3. I have never thought about distractions that way! I bet any admin who pops in wouldn't get it either, but it'd be a good discussion to have.<br /><br />Thank you for being real with the world of math teachers. Not sure how you got that Max in your room for the day, but can you send some of that to ND?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00517538673562160836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-69027496028579577742014-02-13T08:55:47.313-05:002014-02-13T08:55:47.313-05:00I was telling my wife that I think one of my stren...I was telling my wife that I think one of my strengths as a teacher is to be able to take a good idea and run with it for miles. I'm not great at coming up with the initial concept, so I am deeply appreciative that you were able to give me that.<br /><br />When the 7th desk fit, especially without us checking it first, it made the entire lesson come together both for the kids and for me.<br /><br />I know I spammed this all over Twitter, but I am so glad that you were able to come and watch all of my classes. I know that I interact differently with different groups of kids and it was nice to have someone watch and give feedback on a day rather than just a moment.<br /><br />I know that a ton of teachers don't like to be observed and I think the way we have the observation system makes it difficult for teachers to ever admit weakness, or anything short of mastery.<br /><br />I crave the feedback, especially now that I'm actually interested in being a better teacher instead of just pacing time.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-23429073102513841512014-02-12T18:29:47.223-05:002014-02-12T18:29:47.223-05:00Here are my top ten things about the day:
10. The ...Here are my top ten things about the day:<br />10. The way you talk my sketchy idea for a lesson and turned it into a real lesson, that matched your kids. <br />9. The way you had them continue to practice the scale model concept on the iPad cart, bookshelf, and heater thingy was really useful because it helped the idea sink in more. I always move on way too fast and don't give enough time to repeat, rehearse, and practice. <br />8. The way, when we switched gears to thinking about the appropriate scale for the park, you let the kids throw out possible scales and played each one out until the *kids* figured out that the park wouldn't fit on the graph paper using that scale. To me, that's what's meant by "it's okay to be wrong, it's okay to make mistakes, we can learn from them." The kids didn't even have that "oh, I might be wrong," idea because it was so clear you were in testing ideas mode. I love that!<br />7. The banter you had with the students. It was hilarious and seemed to work for them as well as you. And you were so clearly yourself with all three classes.<br />6. How super engaged the kids were at Estimation 180. And good at it to. I'd say I was below the median in estimation in your class. And I saw them using context clues and reasoning too -- estimating how many copies of Rolling Stone fit in Charlotte's Web, ruling out too big and too small answers, etc. Very cool.<br />5. Vanilla milk.<br />4. Our talks about all the factors that effect the classroom... and all the ways classroom teachers can still have an effect on their classrooms (argh I still never know whether to use affect or effect)<br />3. That you blogged about it! That you blog about everything! (Psst Jasmine should do that too!)<br />2. The moment when the 7th desk fit perfectly, just like the scale model predicted. Also the moments when the students knew that the scale model and the park project had to do with the problem of trying to fit 31 life-sized desks onto a Smartboard drawing, and the moment when the student suggested using the squares on the walls, and when she measured her desk using those squares.<br />1. That you welcomed me into your classroom with open arms and liked having me there and knew that I was smiling because the kids were so familiar and fun to be around, and watching you teach was super fun and I was having a great time thinking about all of the things that are hard about teaching and all that we've learned and have yet to learn.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />MaxMaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16935784635103701185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-17613829286927558192014-02-12T13:28:28.879-05:002014-02-12T13:28:28.879-05:00It's not always easy, and I worry that I'm...It's not always easy, and I worry that I'm not as honest as I would like to be, but having it be public tempers my words. It doesn't really censor, but makes me aware of what I write.<br /><br />I find it very cathartic.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-35158556962232237892014-02-12T09:28:34.836-05:002014-02-12T09:28:34.836-05:00I'm really interested to see how the lesson wo...I'm really interested to see how the lesson works today with the other pre-algebra group. I won't have Max here to reassure me, but I'll imagine him sitting on the desk, smiling enigmatically.<br /><br />You go to bed too late! And I wake up too early...Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-71813603851031635622014-02-12T09:21:36.400-05:002014-02-12T09:21:36.400-05:00In my classes with more disruptive students, this ...In my classes with more disruptive students, this will be at the forefront of my mind. I wonder how long it will take students' behavior to improve when they realize that I and the other students are ignoring them.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-43868766063545313602014-02-12T09:00:17.439-05:002014-02-12T09:00:17.439-05:00You are welcome to come any time you can make it. ...You are welcome to come any time you can make it. You could ask your boss if you could take a "professional day" to come and observe!Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-29046043220613065172014-02-12T08:58:52.725-05:002014-02-12T08:58:52.725-05:00I think it's important to know if I'm bein...I think it's important to know if I'm being distracted, or if I find a certain behavior annoying and it should be addressed, but I realize that it may only be taking away from the learning environment if I let it.<br /><br />This is shocking to me and I don't know how to reconcile it. Maybe I should be polling my students.<br /><br />"Can you learn while she's singing? Yes? Then I'll ignore her too."Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-75195356211967602362014-02-12T08:49:16.271-05:002014-02-12T08:49:16.271-05:00It was wonderful to get some outside perspective t...It was wonderful to get some outside perspective that came in the form of "Let's try this" rather than "maybe don't try this."<br /><br />If you can get a Max Ray into your class, I would highly recommend it!Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309915942161862912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-69747731198601436322014-02-12T06:55:07.146-05:002014-02-12T06:55:07.146-05:00Wow! I know that blogging more would help me to de...Wow! I know that blogging more would help me to deal with my frustrations, but I'm yet to learn how to share the struggles that way. Thank you for paving the way! Jasminehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14163491309269691356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-1391974806076090752014-02-12T03:16:41.911-05:002014-02-12T03:16:41.911-05:00What an awesome day!! That lesson you had after lu...What an awesome day!! That lesson you had after lunch sounds f@*!king life-changing! I love how you refused to race through any of it, and made them come up with the whole CONCEPT of using a miniature model and why to do it. That's great! And the epiphany about distraction is also great--and something I can totally relate to. Yay Tuesday!<br /><br />Alright. Time for you to wake up and for me to go to sleep. Any celebration planned for Day 100?Darko Mittmerichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04277138678915717582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-82730209204101066032014-02-11T21:26:20.935-05:002014-02-11T21:26:20.935-05:00"I assumed that because someone was distracti..."I assumed that because someone was distracting me, that it detracted from the educational environment. This was clearly not the case today."<br /><br />What a thought-provoking statement. Definitely something to consider when addressing student behavior. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04901249193001256803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-45995070843275800752014-02-11T20:46:24.229-05:002014-02-11T20:46:24.229-05:00<3 If I was going to have a single day off for...<3 If I was going to have a single day off for the rest of the year, I would totally come to your classroom. Maybe I will have to take a mental health day when IEP season has me drowning. <br />JamiDaniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02049355240683205794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-14372349693631941622014-02-11T19:33:49.771-05:002014-02-11T19:33:49.771-05:00"After the class, Max and I had a talk about ..."After the class, Max and I had a talk about those students in relation to the others. He told me that my engaged students, while perhaps distracted, were not derailed by the ones who were talking. And interesting thought struck me that had not before today.<br /><br />Just because I am distracted in my teaching does not mean that my students are distracted in their learning. They were able to tune out the annoying kids and I had never noticed that. I assumed that because someone was distracting me, that it detracted from the educational environment. This was clearly not the case today.<br /><br />I wonder how much learning time has been wasted by my wanting to squash distracting behavior for the benefit of others rather than simply teaching."<br /><br /><br />This is epiphanic!! Just because I am hyper-sensitive to distraction, doesn't mean my students are! Put on the blinders and charge ahead! Thanks, Max and Justin.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11341562843233653636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363356760450940988.post-60959916482273002072014-02-11T19:24:39.617-05:002014-02-11T19:24:39.617-05:00Yeah!! Sounds like a great lesson. The kids learne...Yeah!! Sounds like a great lesson. The kids learned without even knowing they were learning. Thanks for the comments about being distracted and thinking that the students must be distracted also. I often do that, and I think I annoy the students who are paying attention by spending too much energy on the ones who aren't. <br /><br />How wonderful that Max was available to be a part of your learning today. We all need that input at times. <br /><br />Keep up the good work. <br />TeriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com