Student teachers: to have or have not?

I've heard a lot of reasons to not have a student teacher. I've heard a lot of reason for having a student teacher. I can see both sides, especially in the core subjects, or in a critical class that has a state exam or is required for graduation.

Not to say that Spanish isn't an important class (like I'd want to invalidate my own job!) but I think there's no real reason to not have a student teacher if the opportunity presents itself.

Let's lay down the ground rules: You have to stay in the classroom and actually observe the student teacher. When I was in college, both of my cooperating teachers were the kind that would disappear and never actually observe me or offer any advice. I feel this was extremely detrimental to me and that my early career suffered for it. The first time I had a student teacher, I crossed my heart and promised her that I would sit in the class and observe her work and provide as much feedback as I could. And I have kept that promise ever since, even now with my fifth student teacher.

Hosting a student teacher is not vacation time. Looking back, I now get angry at my cooperating teachers for abandoning me, and mad at my young, naive self for not speaking up and asking for assistance. I don't want anyone to go through the same experience as me, and so I make sure they know that I will be there and I will be working with them to learn and grow. And I'm not gonna lie, it's a lot of work! Not only do I have to complete mid-term and final evaluations for the university, I have to give the day to day feedback. If a lesson didn't go so great the first time, you have to talk through what went wrong and discuss how to improve it. And the hardest part is not telling them what to do, but to let them figure out what could work better. And then, you have to sit through the next class and watch the adapted lesson, assuming you have that class level again. And if you have more than one prep, you have to repeat the process for that class too.

Sometimes, I can, in fact, slip away. Our department has a separate office, and if I have seen a lesson, it went well, then during the next class I may skip out on observing and go work on organizing the office. And believe me, it needs organizing!

Not an actual picture of the office, but there are striking similarities

I can not stress enough how important it is as a cooperating teacher to be present and observant. A student teacher with no feedback will have no idea whether or not they are doing well, or meeting school and state requirements, and they will not be able to come up with ideas if they hit a road block or discipline issue, etc, if they can even recognize one! If you're going to take on a student teacher, it's a fine balance of work to do, and work you can get done for the future. But it's totally worth it, in my mind!

End of the year reflection

Well, another year has flown by and I think I went most of the year without posting a single blog. Oops! But teachers, you know how it goes!

I have grown a lot this year, and it's not because it was forced on me (thank goodness!) but because I had the opportunity to! I had the most amazing group of students this year on top of small class sizes. Not having the stress of dealing with poorly behaved students combined with less grading to do opened the opportunity to assess and improve what I am doing in the classroom. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity, and proud that I really took advantage of it!

I have turned my classroom into much more technologically centered. This is mostly due to the fact that all my students were provided iPads by the school this year. This had both a positive and negative effect on my classroom environment. Yes, kids were playing games on their iPads when they should have been learning (nothing a little tap on the desk and a threat to take it away didn't fix), but, and this is especially true with my freshmen, they loved ANY excuse to use their iPad, even if it was - gasp - classwork!

One big thing that I changed, and that needed to be changed, was my Bell Ringers. For years, our school had SMART Boards, and I had adapted all of my lessons to this interactive tool. Then last summer, they took it all away and gave us a large flat screen TV with AppleTV. No more interactive activities. I just could not come up with a way to adjust my lesson plans to this change that I felt was satisfactory, and so for the longest time, I changed nothing, and I had opening activities with absolutely zero accountability. Then in April, I woke up one day and decided that making any change, even if I don't think it will be completely satisfactory, is better than keeping things the same. So, I changed the entire way my lesson plans are presented to my students - from a Notebook file to an MSWord document.

I was skeptical on the effectiveness of the change, going from something seemingly technologically advanced to something simpler, but sometimes simple is good. And this experiment proves that. The same information appears on the document as it did on the notebook file, but the Word document allows much more flexibility in the presentation. Everything is on one page, where previously I had separated them, so students can see the objective statement, the agenda for the day, and if they have homework that night as soon as they walk in the door. And last, but not least, a word document allows for a much greater flexibility in the Bell Ringer. I can post a link (and a QR code for easier access) to a Google Form Survey, or a code to a Socrative or Kahoot Quiz. Kids can log in and complete the activity while I hand back papers and take attendance, and then we can jump right in and start class.

I am really happy with the changes I have made this year and will continue to use next school year. I also want to continue this growth and hope that I continue including new and fun activities in my classroom!

Infographic Rubric and Project

I busted my butt doing research on a rubric for an infographic. I love infographics, and they really suit the way society gets information today, so I wanted to offer it as an option for a cultural research project. I just offered it for the first time and I was highly impressed with the results! Of course there were a few kids who just didn't get it, and subsequently got not so great grades. But there were two that really stood out to me, and I'll share them at the bottom of this post.

What's so hard for me in developing a rubric is to hit all the aspects of the project that are important without being nit-picky or overly specific that it puts the students in a corner. I really feel that I found that balance in this rubric!

Infographic rubric:

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Needs improvement	POINTS
Research (weight x2)	Includes a variety of information directly related to the topic. Information is accurate and informative.	Includes information related to the topic. There may be minor irrelevancies or unnecessary information.	Only some information provided, or a lot of information is inaccurate or irrelevant. Leaves the reader in need of clarification.	Out of 6
Design	Infographic is neat, organized, easy to follow, legible, and includes well placed pictures and information.	Infographic has some parts that are hard to follow, or a picture may be placed poorly, but otherwise can be understood.	Design is difficult to follow, a lot of pictures and information are placed poorly, the reader is confused.	Out of 3
Creativity	Infographic includes fun, legible font(s), colors that are easy to read, and images that directly relate to the topic.	Infographic includes some color, poor font choice, may be difficult to read in some parts, but overall shows some thought and effort.	Appears poorly done, either in a rush or with little thought or effort.	Out of 3
Graphics and Pictures	Images are directly related to the topic and enhance the learning experience.	Graphics are related to topic but do not add to the learning experience – only there to add color and dimension.	There are no images, images are not related to topic, or images are of poor quality.	Out of 3
Mechanics/ Grammar/ Spelling	Language is clear and informative. Spelling and grammatical mistakes are minimal and do not cause confusion.	There are several spelling or grammar mistakes that are mostly comprehensible. Mistakes do not detract from learning.	Spelling and grammar mistakes are incomprehensible and cause confusion.	Out of 3
Sources		Listed at bottom, easy to find. Wikipedia not cited.	No sources, or Wikipedia is cited.	Out of 2
On time		On time	Late 1 Day -10 Late 2 Days -20 Late 3 days -30 Late 4 days -40 Late 5 Days -50 6+ days late earns a 0.
				FINAL GRADE

Or view it here: https://goo.gl/70hTo9

The only problem I have found so far is when there is a case of plagiarism. I really didn't know where to take those points off, so I did it in the Research and Mechanics section. Of course, I could just grade it as if it weren't plagiarized and then take points off, or just give it a 0, but the student did design the layout and insert pictures, so some work was necessary. But each teacher has the flexibility to grade as they see fit.

It was really important that I showed a few examples to the students. The kids, upon hearing the word, didn't know what it was, but once they saw one, they then understood what an infographic was. I actually had a few infographics pinned on Pinterest that have to do with the Spanish language and language learning, so I showed them to the class when I assigned the project. 

Now, I will be sheepish and admit that since it was their first effort with this project choice, and it's cultural, I let them do it in English. So the examples are in English. But now that the trial run is over, it's obvious that most can handle writing it in Spanish. So next time, target language!

Anyways, I had two favorite projects from this experiment. I'm sharing them, with their permission and the names blocked out, to show how awesome they came out! The projects are the students' original submissions, with no corrections made on my part.

Okay, so yeah, it's a little short on info, but the look and the style is exactly what I expected! Sure, it's a bit amateur, but the kid is 14! Cut them some slack! I think it's great for the first time EVER doing one!

Here's another one. There are minor grammar errors, and they cited Wikipedia (tsk, tsk), but the format is awesome! (It's a scan so I apologize for the odd line on the right.)

I love how it's color coded, the info and pictures go back and forth, it's so easy to read and follow! And there's tons of information, they really put in a lot of effort!

Overall, I'm very pleased with the results. It's actually fun to grade these projects, unlike the boring research papers I used to assign. I am going to be using this project for years to come.

Game: Marker Boards

I think that using Marker Boards as a learning tool is one of the most versatile thing I have. Some kids love the marker boards, they can draw, write, erase, use the pretty colors, and yeah, it has this smell... I had a student who straight up told me, "They're not really a game." Well, yes, but the others don't know that!

I got my marker boards from Target a few years ago and they've help up alright enough. I bought them to replace older boards that the backs could be written on - but not erased. Sure, a few of them had silly stuff (a blob with "I am the orange potato God" written next to it, or "Miss W talks a lot," which, admittedly, I do) but after one of the boards had something highly inappropriate about me on it (yes, a direct attack. Rated X) I figured it was time to replace the boards. The boards I got had the wipe off finish on both sides - no more permanent messages on the back!

Low odor, HA!

I buy markers through the school. We actually do have a small budget to make purchases with. And I only need to buy new markers every 2-3 years. The erasers are the hard part. When I inherited my classroom, there was an old, smelly plastic bag filled with about a dozen red rags. Certainly not a class set. I ended up finding a bunch of cheap, thin gloves on sale (50 cents a pair!) and use those. I do wash the rags and gloves at least twice a year. Unfortunately, messages can be left on the gloves, but luckily the kids have been good and have just decorated them with designs or written their names. Washing them just fades their work, so I guess as long as it stays appropriate, we're good.

It's important to still have rags as an option. Some kids just can't imagine using the same glove as someone previous. But if I want them to participate, they have to erase with something. The rags were also used as a messaging system. I simply throw away the ones that were too inappropriate. I still have plenty left.

I use marker boards for everything. Vocab, grammar, drawing, writing, it handles it all. I offer it as an option for the end of chapter review day, and it's great because 2 of the other games I offer are games I can leave the kids alone with, and then I can lead those who want to play with the marker boards. Super easy! And kids actually do enjoy handing the supplies out. Well, it could just be that they love having control over whether someone gets the color marker they want.

Update 12/17/15: So, all of my students have iPads this year, so in lieu of marker boards, they use the Notability app ($3.99, but we all use it so much, the school bought a license and it's pre-loaded on the iPads.) Just make sure that they make the font size big so you can see what they wrote/drew even if they are sitting in the back of the room. And if they change the background color on the app, that they use a font color that stands out.

Notability App icon

Just like the scouts: Be prepared

One of my big pet peeves is when students miss time in my class for sometimes silly, little things. To be fair, I'm okay with kids getting a drink or using the bathroom once they finish their work and we're not going over it yet. But sometimes kids are just kids and for some reason or another, they have to get up, or take care of something. And it's always at an inconvenient time and usually disrupts class. Over the years I have supplied my room with items that allow students to take care of their problems without leaving the room, or at least minimizing their time away.

I know this is odd, but I really like that my classroom is very close to the bathroom, and they designed it so that the sinks are outside, so if a kid has to go to the sink, they can actually still hear me teach. I mean, as long as the 2 other teachers who are closer are not teaching as well, they can. And the drinking fountain is nearby, but not so close they can hear me, but it cuts down on the time they are away. Except that most of the students hate that fountain because it has low water pressure. But still, in theory, that helps cut down on time that they are away. There are times I will deny a kid the chance to go to the bathroom or get a drink, simply because we're in the middle of something important.

So, on to what I really want to talk about: my supplies. I learned quickly to keep my own stash of band-aids. I have to replenish it once or twice a year, but they're great for all the paper cuts and such. I keep a Tide-to-Go pen. Doesn't help so much during class, but I get regular enough requests for it that it's worth having around. I have saline solution. Funny story, a kid was complaining about his eyes burning after swimming. I played nurse and used the saline solution like eye drops and the burning stopped for 20 minutes. Not a permanent solution, but enough to sooth his eyes while I taught. I keep, ahem, feminine products. Easy for a female teacher to do, not so much for a male teacher. I invest in the nice, soft tissues. I buy them in bulk. In the winter, I go through a box every two days because sick kids, who I don't even teach anymore, come to my room and grab a handful of them. "They're so much better than the school's tissues." You know, the cheap, thin, scratchy ones? Torture on a sore nose. I have hand lotion, which I should probably use more often myself, as my hands get dry in the winter, then I get more paper cuts and I have to use the band-aids. I keep device chargers and I do let the kids use them, but the rule is the phone has to be up front and silent. I own both Android and Apple devices, so I have both sets of cords (though just the lightning cord for Apple, so older devices are out of luck.) But super helpful since our freshmen all have iPads and some don't always remember to recharge them at night.

I have the usual school supplies of paper, pens, pencils and cap erasers. Yes, cap erasers. High schoolers are obsessed with them. I keep the paper in two places in my room. Some classes will have the person closest to the box by the windows grab a pile and pass it around during class activities. Lazy but efficient, and cuts down on movement. Crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, masking tape, and for study halls, rulers and calculators. Although I'm down to 1 ruler. The cheap ones break easy. I keep my tape dispenser and stapler out on my desk, which they can use WITH PERMISSION (have you seen a kid empty a new role of scotch tape trying to patch up a three ring binder? Waste of time and tape.) The electric pencil sharpener is convenient, though some students need to work on the timing of its use.

I have practical items that might not be useful for class, but occasionally have been used. An English dictionary is great for debates, and sometimes we use it to discuss word origins. I have a map of the world, not just Latin America or Spain. Then again, I'm a geography nut and some of my students are too. But it's good for discussing world events, even if it's not really Spanish related. I can always cite NYS LOTE learning standard 2: Cross cultural awareness. Nothing says I'm limited to Spanish speaking countries!

Of course, I keep a few things hidden for myself. I benefit from the use of pretty much everything I have for the students. A manicure set has been my favorite recent addition. I break my nails so much during class, so clippers and a file are nice to have handy. I also have a secret chocolate stash. And Tylenol. Because, come on, as much as we love our students, sometimes you just get a headache!

Grading: Reward effort or accuracy in High School?

Grading is an issue within our department (7-12). The middle school teachers (and 1 HS teacher) grade homework based on effort. The rest of us in the HS grade based on accuracy. I can see the pros and cons of each way. Because my views on grading based on effort get a little heated, I will save those for last.

Grading based on accuracy, for me, is the only way to go. It does so much to help the students in the long run. Yes, a low homework grade might hurt their ego. They might get mad at you. My students constantly say that I'm "such a hard grader," and "Why can't you just be nice?" Well, I'm providing feedback so you can learn from your mistake. I always write the correct answer on a homework if they get it wrong. Why? So they can see it and read it and learn from it. If I didn't do that, very few are going to take the time to look up the correct answer, especially if they don't like their grade. I usually find those papers balled up on my floor after class. They can be mad, I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to teach them Spanish, and to make sure they learn it correctly. Progress can't be made if they are told they are wrong but not why it is wrong. If a mistake is made, they need to learn why it was a mistake. The majority of kids will learn from their mistake. Not all, but as long as some do, I am happy. I'll keep working on the others.

Another reason I grade based on accuracy is to show that I have high(er) expectations for my students. It takes a few weeks for them to get used to it after having teachers that grade for effort, but almost all of my students rise to the occasion. I find that the few who don't adjust were never committed in the previous years either. In high school, we have the task of setting them up for college, where a wide variety of expectations are held. I would rather over-prepare them than under-prepare them and give them a nasty shock when they start their freshman year.

On to the other point of view. Grading for effort is good for first time learners. I think it's a good idea in the first year of language learning. It helps those who don't quite get it to continue to feel encouraged, and it helps those students who are still struggling to balance the multiple class, multiple teacher schedule to figure out how to do it all. But here's the catch: if you see a consistent error within their homework or classwork, ADDRESS IT!!!! I concede, language learning is difficult for some. They just can't wrap their brains around it. I get it, that's why I don't teach science! So, grading for effort is acceptable for a period of time. However, I can't stress this enough, feedback must be given! If there is no feedback, even just a general, in class "Hey, guys, I noticed a lot of you were writing Ustedes instead of ellos, those mean two different things!" then they can't fix what they have learned incorrectly. Also, make sure they are writing down things that are related to what you are learning, don't just look for pencil marks. At the beginning of one year, I had a kid hand in a class writing activity. It started out using proper vocab and grammar, then it fell off and the kid just wrote some ramble in English about how I'm not going to be reading that part anyways so he was just going to write a bunch of his favorite words. Imagine his surprise when I handed back a ramble of my own about how expectations in the HS are different.

What I'm going to say next may offend some people. I take that risk. But I feel very strongly about these things. And I'm entitled to my opinion. My biggest beef with grading based on effort ALL THE TIME is because the teacher is "too busy." Now I will admit, sometimes I get swamped and I just leaf through an assignment - but just one assignment, and it happens only once or twice a year. In my experience, "too busy" too often means 'I can't finish it within my contracted hours, and I'm not giving up my non-school hours. EVER.' If that is your thought process, then please find another career. I get that teachers can't stay late every day, but once or twice a week isn't going to kill you. Nor is grading at home. Luckily, I can count on my two hands the number of teachers I have known with this mentality. The other definition of "too busy" is that the person really is too busy, being the adviser for 4 clubs, coaching 3 sports a year, and attending every single school function. On top of being married with kids. I love the enthusiasm, but if your personal and professional commitments prevent you from doing your job properly and providing the education and feedback the students need, then you need to change some things in your life. 

There are pros and cons to all sides of the great grading debate. I have my style and my reasons, and others have theirs. Please feel free to comment on your thoughts of the grading process. I'm always open to hearing what others have to say.

Rubrics - my downfall

I have to admit that I have not changed any of my rubrics in years. Lately, I have noticed that something is sorely missing in them. I'm not exactly sure what, though. I don't think they are specific enough, or are inconsistent.

On my rubrics, I have a grammar and spelling section that is set up one of two ways. Some are divided into how many mistakes are made (none, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, errors hinder comprehension, etc), and some are divided by how bad the mistakes are (excellent work, many errors but comprehensible, errors start to slow reader, etc)

I had to throw appropriateness into the rubric at one point when a couple of bold young men, let's say, decided to test how offended I would get to certain things. You would think that handing in something appropriate would be a given. I haven't really had a problem since. However, maybe my description of the assignment should be more specific and include that, because if you teach high school students, you know that they like to push the boundaries and have their own interpretations of things!

I also found that I didn't edit some things properly. For example, I offer the same type of project for 2 chapters, so I copied and pasted the description from the previous chapter, and I thought I made the appropriate changes in wording. I guess I missed a few!

Found this one with a basic search, and I like the concept! Off to a good start!

I am going to make the rubrics and projects my focus this summer for things that need to be improved. I assign a total of 15 projects to both preps, so I have my work cut out for me. I will start by researching rubrics and make sure that I am 100% sure that I know how to use them to my advantage, I will research what other people use, and ask my coworkers as well. Then I will develop new rubrics that hopefully I can use for years to come!