« Home | Day 27: I'm very excited (and my hubby has nothing... » | Day 26: Survivor - Teacher Edition » | Day 25: Less is more : the win-win strategy » | Day 24: More lemons please! » | Day 23 - part 2: He's laughing at me - and I don't... » | Day 23: The devil is in the details (and in some o... » | TV Night » | Day 22: 10 things I learned this week... » | Day 21: The big skeleton in my closet... » | Day 20: How to torture the teacher - this group de... » 

Monday, October 03, 2005 

Day 28: The leopard who wouldn't change its spots...

"Teaching" and "being a teacher" are two different things.

It's been 28 days now, and I don't quite feel like a teacher yet. I wonder if I ever will.

I feel like I stepped into a very well known character (Mrs Teacher) but my acting skills are not the ones all the other teachers seem to have. I won't be happy standing in front of these girls and lecturing in the traditional fashion for much longer.

It's hard to admit, but I'm getting bored already - and I feel terrible for the students who would have to endure another 152 days of lectures and tests only.
This is how the idea of introducing project management and a year-long technology project came about. I'm still very excited about this - I can't wait to tell the students about it (and I will be crushed if they tell me they'd rather have just theoretical lectures).

However, this crazy idea of mine has spread like cancer to my biology class (how ironic is that?). I am now imagining ways to speed up the theory part of each module to have them carry out little projects.

My first idea is a poster competition. Technical posters allow us to summarize and highlight information while presenting it in a standard format (a poster) that is easy for all to read and understand. Use of images and graphics enhance the words, allowing in fact to minimize the verbiage and maximize the learning effect through the impressions they create.

Poster presentations are a classic in the biotech industry (and many other industries as well). I don't have a single artistic molecule in my body and can't draw to save my life, BUT I would love to see all the artistically gifted girls who are bored with biology create something that will tie their gift to biology.

There has to be more to all these things in our body than names and functions. Or at least, I'm hoping to find a cooler way to look at them and learn about them.

Just like a leopard can't change its spots, I can't become a "real teacher". I haven't decided whether this is good or bad - just admitting it to myself (and all of you!) is enough for today...

Like you, I definitely cannot lecture for a full period. Even in my AP Government class, I don’t lecture all the time. It's not me. Besides, I find the students are willing to learn in a variety of ways that gets me to exactly the same place.

Honestly, anyone can put notes up for a period and lecture. A good teacher figures out how to teach without lecturing.

Of course I'm not a teacher, but I think the poster idea is great. And, with computers, drawing is not a necessity. It will be fun and a learning experience.

Post a Comment
My Photo

About me

  • I'm Lolita
  • From Canada
  • Challenges... don't we all love a good challenge? University, married life, a mortgage, kids, keeping my sanity while we cruise through life at 100 MPH... why not try my hand at teaching for a year. After all, a school year is only 180 days - anyone should be able to survive 180 days, right? Well, I'm about to find out - follow my journey and enjoy my trials and tribulations as I embark in this 180 day rollercoaster ride of teenage hormones and drama, spiked with discipline, homework, exams and surprises I'm sure...
My profile

Check this out

Powered by Blogger
and Blogger Templates