Teaching tips and comments

TEACHER TIP # 1:When 2 students demonstrate they can't work together and must move, I have them roll a big pair of red dice - lowest number has to move and tranquility is restored to the table.

Most triumphant lesson, most dreaded lesson taught and missing videotapes

This week, Brandon suggested we discuss most triumphant lesson taught and most dreaded lesson taught.

I would like to know where all the missing videotapes of your teaching have gone. EVERYBODY OWES ME AT LEAST ONE!! You have to help me keep in touch with you and your teaching. I care about you and your experiences but you have to do your (required) part as well. Blog on!!

Taylor Mali on what teachers make

Getting your portfolio together

I saw two of you after the student teacher meeting this past week and know you are getting your portfolio materials together. Let's cheer each other on and tell what you are putting in and/or highlighting for the reader to make it useful and organized. Uploading files and pictures to this blog is also encouraged!

Perkins CTE Act proposed cuts

From my ACTE email

February 28, 2011

On February 19, the House passed its FY 2011 appropriations bill, H.R. 1, by a vote of 235-189. The bill cuts the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act by $102.9 million by completely eliminating the Tech Prep program, and makes deep cuts to other education and workforce development programs as well. However, there is still hope for stopping these cuts!

The Senate is expected to begin working on the bill this week, and Senate leaders are in the process of developing their own funding proposal for the rest of the fiscal year. While the Senate proposal will contain spending cuts, the cuts will likely not be as deep as those proposed by the House in H.R. 1. Negotiations will then be required to work out differences between the House and Senate FY 2011 funding bills. Continued advocacy is needed to ensure the Senate bill does not include a cut to Perkins.

Both chambers are working against the clock as the current funding bill expires on March 4. To buy more time for negotiations on the year-long bill, House Republicans have introduced a two-week funding extension that would keep the government operating until March 18. While this bill does include $4 billion in cuts, it does not cut Perkins funding! This is good news and is a sign that advocacy efforts are paying off. The short-term continuing resolution (CR) represents only a fraction of the cuts included in the House-passed H.R. 1, but may serve as an important piece of future negotiations, so it was important that Perkins cuts not be included.

The House is expected to consider the short-term CR early in the week, and while Senate leaders initially expressed opposition to the approach, reports now indicate that the bill could be passed in the Senate before the end of the week. At some point before March 4, the two chambers and the president will have to agree on this bill or an alternate funding extension, or the government will shut down.

The debate around the short-term extension has the potential to cloud work on a year-long bill, but we must remain vigilant on the broader legislation. It is crucial that you continue to fight for a restoration of funds to Perkins! Although the process has moved to the Senate, the House will still be involved because both chambers have to agree on the final bill. Visit www.acteonline.org/saveCTEfunding.aspx for more information about what you can do and encourage others to join your advocacy efforts!

Contests of skill between cowhands

Rodeos were initially an aspect of open-range ranching in the late nineteenth century, contests of skill between cowhands. Although the rodeo eventually became a professional sport, it began as an amusement of working cowboys. Rodeos and roundups alike brought together people who led socially isolated lives and were festivals in which horsepeople proud of their occupation and expertise displayed fancy riding and expert roping. Cowboys played card games on blankets spread out in the firelight, exchanged songs, and occasionally engaged in "augering" matches, contests in story telling.Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/rodeo#ixzz1EcyLT1ev

What skills have you developed, cowgirls and cowboys? What kinds of fancy riding and expert roping have you accomplished thusfar? Take a few minutes to "auger" in wriitng about teaching,schools and students.

Open comment about life as a student teacher

Okay, what's really on your mind?

Weeks 4 and 5: Active learning

You may have noticed that Patrick has not been on the blog lately. It seems that his school connection has blocked commenting on blogs and his home connection is down (but soon to return). Like all of you, he is busy and hasn't had the time to stop at a library to post. When I chatted with him today, he told me about a lesson he had taught earlier in the day. It featured a think-pair share and a jeopardy game on the Smartboard. Patrick can tell you his own story of how it went, but I'd like you to share what you are doing in your classes to keep up the active learning. Feel free to attach lesson plans or pictures and comment by Thursday, February 3rd.

Week 3 Starting to teach

As I visited you last week, I noted that everyone is beginning to teach. What is that like? What are you and others doing, feeling and saying about your teaching? This is basically an open comment week, so go for it! (If you haven't already decided which defiant student(s) or behaviors you are going to target from the first assignment, go back and do that as well.)

The 2011 crew

The 2011 Crew

Week 1: Ideas for dealing effectively with defiant students

Alissa shared that she had a defiant student in her yearbook class. Others of you could see that you might have this same kind of challenging student in your classes.

Take a look at the site below and the strategies suggested. Each of you should select a student or group of students you could use these strategies with and describe the student's characteristics briefly. Next week, let us know how things are going. Be sure to share the site and your plan with your cooperating teacher.

http://www.interventioncentral.org/index.php/challenging-students/146-working-with-defiant-kids-communication-tools-for-teachers

We decided that everyone needs to post by Sunday at 7 p.m, now changed to Thursday, 7 p.m. Thank you!!