Teacher education

Frumteacher
September 18, 2007 at 1:09 am

I don’t think this graffiti artist had expected to do anyone a favour with this act Nice picture.

Reply

3 Comments.
Frumteacher
September 16, 2007 at 11:24 am

Oh dear… The letter does bring a smile on my face, I must admit, but I understand that this is not something to laugh about. Do you let him prove that he’s telling the truth, or are you going to do something else?

Reply

9 Comments.
mrschili
September 12, 2007 at 9:39 am

Hey, John! We agree right out of the proverbial gate! I think this is the first time ever! WOO HOO!!

There were actually a couple of lines in Deathly Hallows that made me stop and re-read – and I was reading aloud to the family, so it was all the more challenging. When I read aloud, my brain is about a line and a half ahead of my voice, and the spots that ground my gears really blew my cadence. There were a few things I was able to fix “on the fly,” but there were some that caught me up so short that I had to stop and really focus….

Reply

4 Comments.
Siobhan Curious
September 11, 2007 at 7:23 pm

Absolutely. They came to you because they trust you, and I think that as a teacher, this is the biggest gift we can ask for – that we be someone to whom a student can turn. You have made a difference to both of these women. You could stop teaching today and you would have already accomplished a great deal to make the world a better place.

Reply

mrschili
April 1, 2007 at 3:29 pm

Honestly? I got the gig through Monster.com, though I could just as easily have dropped my resume off at the front desk, which is what I’m planning to do at Slightly Larger Community College as soon as Mr. Chili prints off an updated copy of my resume.

In answer to your degree question, I’m not sure. I think the requirements may vary from state to state (or from college to college) but I believe the rule of thumb is that you must hold a degree higher than the one being pursued by your students. If one is teaching at a two year school, then, one would need a Bachelor’s, as the kids are coming out the other side of graduation with an Associates’. I HAVE a Master’s degree in English teaching, though I’m not sure the advanced degree earns me anything in the way of increased salary.

And yes – it’s a GREAT schedule that doesn’t interfere with my primary gig as Mommy (though the pay scale for both jobs is pretty meagre, but I’m not in either for the money)….

Reply

11 Comments.
CaliforniaTeacherGuy
March 18, 2007 at 9:45 pm

That comment about the “internet being a jew” really clobbered me. I am getting ready to leave for two weeks in Germany and the Czech Republic. High on my list of must-sees are three concentration camps: Dachau and Buchenwald in Germany, and Theresienstadt (Terezin) in the Czech Republic. As I was looking at photos on the Web sites of the respective camps today, I found tears welling up in my eyes because of all the people who met horrific deaths there. Those deaths were perpetrated by people who assigned disparaging labels to their fellow human beings. Such labeling is unacceptable. You know that, and I applaud you for “going after” the disparager.

Reply

mrschili
May 11, 2007 at 3:15 pm

She earned an 87 for the presentation. She didn’t make great use of her visuals (which was the point of the assignment) and she mostly read from an essay she’d written, so there wasn’t a whole lot of eye contact or other effective body language. Still, it was a better grade than she’d received for her first presentation, and it represented the improvement that she’s made since starting the class.

Reply

2 Comments.
mrschili
May 11, 2007 at 6:35 am

Honey, any fitness instructor who makes you FEEL like you’re fat, out of shape, and clumsy isn’t doing his/her job.

If you came to my class, I’d notice that you were a new face. I’d introduce myself and ask you if you’ve ever been to a step class before.

I’d explain that I’m left/right retarded and that I point a lot more than I give audio cues (becuase, well, I can’t tell my left from my right on the fly and pointing is more accurate than my voice would be).

I’d tell you NOT to get frustrated, even though you WILL, because no one gets the patterns in the first class and that you’re NOT allowed to just stand there, hands on hips, wondering why the hell you came in the first place.

I’d tell you that it’s more important to keep moving – I don’t care if you just up-and-down on the step for 40 minutes – just keep moving.

All these things are true and important, even though I am getting better at the left/right thing. I still SAY that I suck at it, though, so that people can blame ME when they screw up. I make a point of checking in with new people at least once during the class, and I seek them out when the class is over to make sure they had a good time.

If your instructor isn’t open and friendly and encouraging from the MOMENT you walk in the door, go find his/her boss. Seriously.

Reply