Paul:
Began as teacher (social studies) and became principal; has ability to become a superintendent.
Getting a job:
Know: Educator Effectiveness, SLO, PPG, PLC, Smart goal
We are in a world of accountability; responsibility to the common core. Understand the above vocabulary. Be able to have a dialogue.
Obama - race to the top; no longer No Child Left Behind - evaluate students and educators using federal criteria (states come up with models). (Below: WI)
Educator Effectiveness Model: 50 SLOs/Smart Goals and 50 evaluation by supervisors; understand the Danielson models (The Framework, 6th ed.). PPG for self. (Collaborative SLOs)
Teachscape- uploading artifacts
Looking for a job:
Get license and substitute; get your name out there! Different students and settings.
Where you look: state of Wisconsin job site, large districts will post positions on website
Four things: Cover letter (Correctly label and address!! tells them if you can write - very important for schools today, state objective, where you heard about the job, 'please consider me a candidate for', 'I am certain that', support statements), resume (clear and concise; first: degree, license; then education and student teaching; two page resume; talk about exhibitions in cover letter), transcript (official or unofficial depending; from all schools), letters of recommendation (total:3; cooperating teacher, administrator if experience, 2/3 should be education based.), Application
Portfolios: use to enhance what you are saying (know where it is); may not be used during first interview. Both personal and student work.
Send in about a week in advance, be patient! Wait for the call.
Receive call a week in advance of interview day.
Interview: PREPARE; apply to every position (never turn down interview), remember questions from previous interviews and prepare based on them, repetition, it's okay to be nervous!, okay to say, "can I think about that for a minute", always have an answer - prepared to learn, be nice to the secretaries, show up 15 minutes before the interview, have questions ready for the interview team, know the district (I noticed that... can you tell me about that? Your staff must do a great job; large population of minority? Do you have any programs...? What kind of software are you using for that course? Questions about position and district - do not talk about salary or benefits)
Second interview: prepare for teaching lesson, interview team observe teaching, meet superintendent, never burn a bridge.
Final phone call:
Accept the job or take a little time to consider
Understand salaries and benefits; compensation? Save money (TSA, 403B plan)
Know your HRA, add to it!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
308 presenters: Special Ed and At-Risk Students
Today we had two presenters: Shanna M (At-Risk Students) and Becky M (Special Ed) both of whom worked with high school students at the same district.
Becky spoke first about her experiences as a Special Ed educator; she spoke about cognitive, learning, and physical disabilities that she had experience with through work. She was recently hired at Stout to work with students on campus and loves her job because she feels that she is always learning about students needs and different disabilities. I thought she said some great things about these students, even how to address them and their disabilities. Becky said that all of these individuals are students who happen to have a disability. They are not LD students, but rather students with learning disabilities, etc. I think that this is a simple and effective way to address their needs in a may positive way. She also said that disabilities are deceiving and that you cannot make assumptions; each individual has very specific needs that may not be apparent based on the physical appearance of a students. This is definitely important for us to understand as future educators because we do not have much experience with special needs before we start working with students. Becky also read a poem to us about having a child with special needs, it was a hard to hear it. It's important to remember that these individuals have difficult lives and so do their families. She reminded us that it is important to be empathetic rather than sympathetic. Becky also spoke to us about accommodations (same final product) and modifications (similar final product) and when/if they may be appropriate. It may also be important to teach things like what paying attention looks like and to consider where these students are seated and how the environment affects their attention. She made it very clear that it is important to get to know each student and what their individual needs are.
Shanna then spoke to us about the at-risk students that she works with through the program at her district. She made it clear that these students have the capacity to function highly and are generally found in grades 5-12; these are the students who are at risk for not graduating on time. Part of her job is to counsel these students and talk them through issues that they are having at home or in their lives. She searches for the cause of their issues and how they can get the student through their struggles. Shanna focuses on the fact that these students are not victims and that "life sucks, what are we going to do about that?" She's looking to empower students rather than focus on their struggles. I think that she has a great approach to assisting these students; they need to feel safe and be given the power to take care of themselves. Shanna also told us that she has a difficult time getting parents involved, many of them have bad memories of high school and are not interested in coming back, even for their child. It's not that they don't love their child(ren), it's that they don't know how or what to do. This district also has a unique program that is imbedded in mainstream education rather than just puts these kids somewhere. Her ultimate goal is to get these students back into general education classes so that they have a chance at attending college or at the very least receiving their GE degree from high school. Shanna told us that it is important for us to not feel sorry for these students, but rather than we should help them move forward with their lives. I couldn't agree more. She also told us that when we have these students in our class we should know that punishment isn't a big deal for these students, they are comfortable with this. We should also be aware that they care about success, even if they say they don't.
I think these talks were really important for us to hear; as art education students we will have many of these students in our rooms but have little experience working with them before we leave Stout. We need as much information to reference as possible for when we inevitably work with these individuals.
Becky spoke first about her experiences as a Special Ed educator; she spoke about cognitive, learning, and physical disabilities that she had experience with through work. She was recently hired at Stout to work with students on campus and loves her job because she feels that she is always learning about students needs and different disabilities. I thought she said some great things about these students, even how to address them and their disabilities. Becky said that all of these individuals are students who happen to have a disability. They are not LD students, but rather students with learning disabilities, etc. I think that this is a simple and effective way to address their needs in a may positive way. She also said that disabilities are deceiving and that you cannot make assumptions; each individual has very specific needs that may not be apparent based on the physical appearance of a students. This is definitely important for us to understand as future educators because we do not have much experience with special needs before we start working with students. Becky also read a poem to us about having a child with special needs, it was a hard to hear it. It's important to remember that these individuals have difficult lives and so do their families. She reminded us that it is important to be empathetic rather than sympathetic. Becky also spoke to us about accommodations (same final product) and modifications (similar final product) and when/if they may be appropriate. It may also be important to teach things like what paying attention looks like and to consider where these students are seated and how the environment affects their attention. She made it very clear that it is important to get to know each student and what their individual needs are.
Shanna then spoke to us about the at-risk students that she works with through the program at her district. She made it clear that these students have the capacity to function highly and are generally found in grades 5-12; these are the students who are at risk for not graduating on time. Part of her job is to counsel these students and talk them through issues that they are having at home or in their lives. She searches for the cause of their issues and how they can get the student through their struggles. Shanna focuses on the fact that these students are not victims and that "life sucks, what are we going to do about that?" She's looking to empower students rather than focus on their struggles. I think that she has a great approach to assisting these students; they need to feel safe and be given the power to take care of themselves. Shanna also told us that she has a difficult time getting parents involved, many of them have bad memories of high school and are not interested in coming back, even for their child. It's not that they don't love their child(ren), it's that they don't know how or what to do. This district also has a unique program that is imbedded in mainstream education rather than just puts these kids somewhere. Her ultimate goal is to get these students back into general education classes so that they have a chance at attending college or at the very least receiving their GE degree from high school. Shanna told us that it is important for us to not feel sorry for these students, but rather than we should help them move forward with their lives. I couldn't agree more. She also told us that when we have these students in our class we should know that punishment isn't a big deal for these students, they are comfortable with this. We should also be aware that they care about success, even if they say they don't.
I think these talks were really important for us to hear; as art education students we will have many of these students in our rooms but have little experience working with them before we leave Stout. We need as much information to reference as possible for when we inevitably work with these individuals.
3/5 - Wed
Today was a day 2 with Mrs. W and her students.
3rd grade: 30 students/90 min
This class is behind due to snow days and the change in rotation that ensued; this means that these students are in the same place that the last group of third-graders were. They are continuing their sarcophagi and Mrs. W had them gather around the central table for a demonstration. While waiting for their attention, Mrs. W said, "eyes on me please, I'm waiting for two people." I think this worked well because it gave these students the opportunity to quiet down without being singled-out. I spent the hour helping these students catch up to the other classes, this was a great group of students to work with. I think that Mrs. W does a great job with cleanup; depending on the age she either demonstrates or reminds students how to properly cleanup after a project. Mrs. W reminded these students that they "know where markers go" and motivated them by saying, "you all did an awesome job today, let's do an awesome job cleaning up too." This was really great, I'm going to use this for my lesson. It compliments their work for the day as well as motivates them to clean up well after themselves.
2nd grade: 18 students/90 min
This group of students was also behind due to the snow days; they were trying to catch up with their castle books. These students began their stained glass windows today (fabric paint and project paper) after a demonstration. It was easy to catch this group up due to the small class size. Although this was a difficult aspect of the lesson, the small number meant we could quickly work our way around the room to help all of the students efficiently. These small classes are a dream to work with! When it came to cleanup and dismissal, Mrs. W said, "I'm looking for tables that are seated and ready to go." Instead of telling students be be quietly seated, she gives them the option as a group of students at each table to quiet down so that they can be dismissed.
3rd grade: 30 students/90 min
This class is behind due to snow days and the change in rotation that ensued; this means that these students are in the same place that the last group of third-graders were. They are continuing their sarcophagi and Mrs. W had them gather around the central table for a demonstration. While waiting for their attention, Mrs. W said, "eyes on me please, I'm waiting for two people." I think this worked well because it gave these students the opportunity to quiet down without being singled-out. I spent the hour helping these students catch up to the other classes, this was a great group of students to work with. I think that Mrs. W does a great job with cleanup; depending on the age she either demonstrates or reminds students how to properly cleanup after a project. Mrs. W reminded these students that they "know where markers go" and motivated them by saying, "you all did an awesome job today, let's do an awesome job cleaning up too." This was really great, I'm going to use this for my lesson. It compliments their work for the day as well as motivates them to clean up well after themselves.
2nd grade: 18 students/90 min
This group of students was also behind due to the snow days; they were trying to catch up with their castle books. These students began their stained glass windows today (fabric paint and project paper) after a demonstration. It was easy to catch this group up due to the small class size. Although this was a difficult aspect of the lesson, the small number meant we could quickly work our way around the room to help all of the students efficiently. These small classes are a dream to work with! When it came to cleanup and dismissal, Mrs. W said, "I'm looking for tables that are seated and ready to go." Instead of telling students be be quietly seated, she gives them the option as a group of students at each table to quiet down so that they can be dismissed.
2/26 - Wed
Today was a day four of their rotation; I spent 8:30am-1:00pm working with Mrs. W and her students.
3rd grade: 30 students/90 min
These students had not yet voted for the paintings that would be sent in to the duck stamp contest, so Mrs. W clearly demonstrated and asked, "can I trust all of you to be quiet in the hallway? Is there anyone that can't be trusted to be quiet?" I thought this was really great, it meant that the students agreed to behave in the hallway as they were dismissed by table. Mrs. W also told these students that she was proud of their work and that she would not have hung them in the hallway unless she believed that they were their best works. Mrs. W then asked the students if they remembered how to safely come and stand around the supply table, the students said yes and they gathered around. She then modeled how to both correctly and incorrectly attach the next pieces of their sarcophagi. I then assisted students with the next step for the remainder of the hour. These students worked hard during class and were really excited about the project; I asked them if they liked it and they all said yes. I think that Mrs. W does a great job of asking questions that guide them towards success, I've carefully written down her questions and am planning on incorporating some of them and similar ones into my lesson; I really think they're powerful.
2nd grade: 14 students/90 min
This class seemed so small after working with 30 students; this class was beginning their stained glass aspect of their castle books. Mrs. W asked these students, "What does good mean?" and "How many of you like a challenge?" She uses questions to get them thinking and involved in learning and to motivate them in their art making. She also asked, "How can I learn from my mistakes?" Mrs. W is really teaching these students not only how to make art, but how to live and be successful in society/other classes. This aspect of their book was difficult for many students; I spent the remainder of the hour explaining the process and walking through it with them individually. Other students did not struggle for a moment. I helped with this part of the project in another class, but with 30 students. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming in there with 30, but 14 students seemed much more approachable and reasonable. It was much more difficult to teach a difficult lesson with 30 student than 14.
Kindergarten: 30 students/45 min
Mrs. W began the class with, "Good afternoon, Kindergarteners!" and the students replied, "Good afternoon, Mrs. W!" This class was beginning a new project today, they were starting their cuckoo clocks. This project is introduced with a short video about German cuckoo clocks, "who can remind us of what I expect while we watch a video?" Although there were so many of these young children, they seemed to behave well during this introduction. Mrs. W then asked questions about the video, "I will call on students who raise their hands." She then introduced the concept of telling time using a children's book that was projected onto the screen. Students were surprisingly receptive to the concept of telling time. We then began the first steps of this project after a demonstration that engaged students with questions and demonstrations of both correct and incorrect methods. "Does that look like I did a good job? What about now?" I think this is a really great way to engage students rather than just lecture to a group of 30 five-year-old children. This gives them the opportunity to really listen to what is being said. I feel like I've already learned a lot about working with young children through my shadowing of Mrs. W. She is an exceptional educator who really cares about the quality of education that her students receive.
3rd grade: 30 students/90 min
These students had not yet voted for the paintings that would be sent in to the duck stamp contest, so Mrs. W clearly demonstrated and asked, "can I trust all of you to be quiet in the hallway? Is there anyone that can't be trusted to be quiet?" I thought this was really great, it meant that the students agreed to behave in the hallway as they were dismissed by table. Mrs. W also told these students that she was proud of their work and that she would not have hung them in the hallway unless she believed that they were their best works. Mrs. W then asked the students if they remembered how to safely come and stand around the supply table, the students said yes and they gathered around. She then modeled how to both correctly and incorrectly attach the next pieces of their sarcophagi. I then assisted students with the next step for the remainder of the hour. These students worked hard during class and were really excited about the project; I asked them if they liked it and they all said yes. I think that Mrs. W does a great job of asking questions that guide them towards success, I've carefully written down her questions and am planning on incorporating some of them and similar ones into my lesson; I really think they're powerful.
2nd grade: 14 students/90 min
This class seemed so small after working with 30 students; this class was beginning their stained glass aspect of their castle books. Mrs. W asked these students, "What does good mean?" and "How many of you like a challenge?" She uses questions to get them thinking and involved in learning and to motivate them in their art making. She also asked, "How can I learn from my mistakes?" Mrs. W is really teaching these students not only how to make art, but how to live and be successful in society/other classes. This aspect of their book was difficult for many students; I spent the remainder of the hour explaining the process and walking through it with them individually. Other students did not struggle for a moment. I helped with this part of the project in another class, but with 30 students. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming in there with 30, but 14 students seemed much more approachable and reasonable. It was much more difficult to teach a difficult lesson with 30 student than 14.
Kindergarten: 30 students/45 min
Mrs. W began the class with, "Good afternoon, Kindergarteners!" and the students replied, "Good afternoon, Mrs. W!" This class was beginning a new project today, they were starting their cuckoo clocks. This project is introduced with a short video about German cuckoo clocks, "who can remind us of what I expect while we watch a video?" Although there were so many of these young children, they seemed to behave well during this introduction. Mrs. W then asked questions about the video, "I will call on students who raise their hands." She then introduced the concept of telling time using a children's book that was projected onto the screen. Students were surprisingly receptive to the concept of telling time. We then began the first steps of this project after a demonstration that engaged students with questions and demonstrations of both correct and incorrect methods. "Does that look like I did a good job? What about now?" I think this is a really great way to engage students rather than just lecture to a group of 30 five-year-old children. This gives them the opportunity to really listen to what is being said. I feel like I've already learned a lot about working with young children through my shadowing of Mrs. W. She is an exceptional educator who really cares about the quality of education that her students receive.
Interview Question # 8
On a scale of 1-10 how organized are you?
I would consider myself an 8.5; I work very hard to be
organized as a student and as a professional. I think that clarity is part of
my personality and therefore I feel a necessity for organization. I think this
can be seen in my lesson plans and even in my personal art work, I like to feel
a sense of control/intention over material and content because I feel that
without it, important aspects can be overlooked.
There will always be things that happen beyond expectations
– prepare for unexpected.
If you are prepared your students will be.
Communicate to students and parents that you care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)