in which i learn to teach

I'm student teacher in a high school biology and integrated science classroom. I talk about new teacher stuff, science, and my own geeky interests. Plaid is my favorite color. c: - - - Tags: Student Teacher Teacher Tips Science Classroom Decor Neat Quotes Read Later(s) - - - I am . . . passionately curious teaching for social justice teaching science as culture in love with learning advocating literacy as empowerment believing in my students fighting the system. - - -

[plaidteachings]

Ecology resources

I'm planning a unit on ecology and conservation. I asked my students what they want to learn about and they said:

Preserving ecosystems

Oregon wildlife

Farmlands vs. wild (also pest control)

And oil

If anyone has any good resources (texts, videos, websites, etc), I would love to hear about them. They are in 10th grade, but most a bit below grade level in skills. Just keep in mind this is a low-tech school so interactive websites are really cool, but it would be something one person is demonstrating for the whole class.

[theinternetsanimals]

[420moshdad]

its a science lab in a science lab

[plaidteachings]

Cute overload.

I want this picture on my classroom wall.

[sheknowsblog]

[plaidteachings]

Maths make the world.

[englishgradinrepair]

"Valuing one’s depression does not prevent a relapse, but it may make the prospect of relapse, and even relapse itself, easier to tolerate. The question is not so much of finding great meaning and deciding your depression has been very meaningful; it’s of seeking that meaning, and thinking, when it comes again, ‘This will be hellish, but I will learn something from it.’ I have learned, in my own depression, how big an emotion can be, how it can be more real than facts, and I have found that that experience has allowed me to experience positive emotion in a more intense and more focused way."

Andrew Solomon, Depression, The Secret We Share (via englishmajorinrepair)

Interesting outlook.

[positivelypersistentteach]

is to make meals ahead of time, especially before the school year starts.

There are days that if I didn’t have food I could just reheat, I’d probably go without eating due to exhaustion.

I strongly suggest making big dinners in...

[plaidteachings]

Google Doc of delicious. 

[tomes-away-deactivated20170919]

Today I have great swaths of time to read.

[plaidteachings]

This passage alone gives me a great desire to read this book.

[laliberty]

Cops Beat a Deaf Man for Seven Minutes Because He didn’t Respond to Their Yelling

Pearl Pearson is a 64 year-old diabetic deaf driver who resides in the Oklahoma City area. On the evening of January 3rd, Pearl crossed paths with the wrong cops.

What’s the story?

At this time, only limited details can be provided since this case is under investigation.

1. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled Pearl over late in the evening on January 3, 2014. Pearl pulled over as he should.

2. Pearl’s driver’s license indicates he is Deaf. He also has a placard in his driver’s door that says, “Driver is deaf”.

3. Pearl pulled over and rolled down his window, expecting an officer to ask for this identification. An officer struck him in the face before Pearl had the chance to do anything.  As you can see, he was struck multiple times.

4. An interpreter was never provided while Pearl was under the care of law enforcement.  Not during the booking, hospital, or time at the jail  was an interpreter provided, even through Pearl requested one.

5. Pearl was left wondering “why” the the entire time.  He has no clue why  he was beat. Pearl and his family are still not sure, but are ready for some answers.

6. Pearl’s own son is a police officer, as was his son-in-law, who is now a deputy sheriff.  He respects law enforcement and knows how to respond when pulled over.  There is no reason for someone like Pearl to be hurt like this by those who are meant to protect and serve.

[LAL Note: "respect[ing] law enforcement" is not a prerequisite for proper treatment by law enforcement.]

Yelling at a deaf man to put up his hands will not do much, except aggravate an already aggressive police officer. This is a tragic scenario of ignorance and needless escalation of violence.

Eric Foster and Kelton Hayes were the two OHP officers that were involved in what an affidavit claims was a 7 minutes altercation.

Where is the dash cam footage from the units of Eric Foster and Kelton Hayes? Wouldn’t this clear up any inconsistencies in this story?

Naturally, it’s paid vacation time:

The two officers have been suspended with pay while the investigation into this incident continues.

This is hardly the first time a bully in blue attacked a deaf man for not listening. One other notable example: in 2010, a Seattle cop shot and killed a partially deaf man for holding a folded pocket knife he used for whittling when the man couldn’t hear orders to drop it. He wasn’t harassing anyone, he was just walking. The city of Seattle paid the man’s family $1.5 million. Which means, yet again, taxpayers were on the hook for the wrongdoing of state agents. 

[basicallyimcomplicated-deactiva]

Awful

[energizestudents-blog]

5 Ways to Make Your Classroom Student-Centered

Teachers looking to build on student interests and increase engagement should work on developing these five “teacher strengths,” says educator Marcia Powell.

Commentary poses five questions to help educators reflect on their teaching style and adapt it to give students more of a choice and voice in their learning.

1. How does the classroom environment promote interaction among learners—and how do you operate in that environment? 

2. What kind of assessments do you use? 

3. How do you respond to a lack of buy-in? 

4. Which is more important to you: compliance or knowledge? 

5. If learners weren’t required to come to your class, would they? 

[plaidteachings]

I need this in my classroom.

[youngadultatbooktopia]

[alejandrai]

2013

[plaidteachings]

Beautiful creature.

[liberatingreality]

[Science] is distrusted not because of what it can do, but because people don’t understand how it does what it can do — and that absence of understanding, or misunderstanding, of the power of science is what makes people afraid. … Just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean it’s bad for you — go figure out how it works! That’s why we need a scientifically literate electorate — so that when you go to the polls, you can make an informed judgment and you can draw your own conclusions rather than tune into a particular TV station to have your conclusions handed to you.

Neil Degrasse Tyson (via liberatingreality)

YES. THIS FOREVER.

This is what I tell my students who don't seem to care about science. They are going to be voting on these issues really soon and we don't need any more ignorant voters.

[plaidteachings]

Having trouble getting to work on Sunday.

My lesson plans for next week are due in my CT's email by 5:00 today. I know the skeleton of what I'm doing but there are some things I need to finalize.

I'm really excited about this unit because my CT allowed me freedom to plan my own thing outside of the normal sophomore biology curriculum. We're doing a unit on genetic engineering and bioethics. As a philosophy minor, ethics in science is something I hold in high regard. On the surface of the unit, we're looking at genetic engineering in the news.

But.

My real, true purpose of creating this unit is to build literacy skills in this low-income school where the majority of my 10th graders have an 8th grade reading level. 

Literacy in science. Literacy for empowerment. I want these kids from low-income backgrounds to develop the skills to advocate for themselves outside of high school. Literacy is essential for everyone.

[extraterrestial-wanderer]

No bees, No us. #Savethem #Bees

[justteach]

I’m watching a PBS show all about bees right now. Can we all appreciate he amount of work it takes to collect honey from bees? Seriously, this guy on this show right now? Incredible.

[girlwithalessonplan]

Sneakers is going gray! (He’s almost 8.)

[plaidteachings]

Oh my gosh, what a gorgeous feline. I'm a sucker for medium hair cats.

[dudeedu]

After my first full week, one challenge I’ve noticed with classroom management is giving attention to the kids on task. In a full room with 3 students off task, I find my attention being unevenly distributed to those 3 students. How do you find time to give attention to all…

[dudeedu]

I never mentioned anything about MS - I work with HS students, too. And they aren’t really a distraction to the entire class - just the other 2 or 3 friends in the classroom. I’m working on laying down the law, still - and a stronger tone.

[plaidteachings]

Oh, no, I was unclear. I didn't mean you were working with MS students, I just meant my classroom culture and quick reminders work better at the HS level in general.

One thing my classroom management instructor told us to do was to "ride the horse in the direction its going," meaning you should do curriculum negotiation with your students. Decide as a group what activities work best for them, what classroom policies they think are fair, and what content they want to study. Students are not going to change themselves for only your class -- it works much better to change the class to fit your students. I think doing small things like this when building a classroom culture and curriculum really help with behavior management.

[plaidteachings]

Time to start lesson planning.

...maybe lunch first.