Educaiton Innovation

what is one "innovation" you would implement in the public school system in order to boost achievement/success?

I think that If I had to implement one innovation to public schools it would be identifying students interests and starting them on a major in high school. I teach earth science and I find it hard to believe that my students will actually use their knowledge of rocks in the future. While this is interesting information for them to learn that they could benefit from it is not for the most part, going to be vital for them in their professional careers. While I can still instill in them the idea of thinking science is a good thing for most of my students to take but is it really necessary to teach rocks to student who wants to be a mechanic. I believe it would be more wise to try and get these kids a head start in their careers and hook them up with internships while in high school then to force them to take subjects that they will never need. I believe it would be wise to set up a program similar to something like Australia where students are tested in high school to see if they go on to a school similar to how the USA is set up or to a school that is set up like a trade school. While I don't believe that we should test the kids but I do believe that we should attempt to identify students interests and strong points and foster these strengths. If I had to implement anything into public schools in the USA it would be the introduction of majors in hihg school.

Happy Likert Scale

On a scale of 1-10

part 1: how happy are you?
I think I am at a 7 right now. Work is hard and stressful and I HATE getting up early but I have a job, family and friends so things could be worse. I dont think I am really cut out for teaching high school so that is why I am not a higher level of happiness. Plus I got a ticket recently and have to go to driving school so that is lowering my happy scale

part 2: how unhappy are you? (the first 2 don't have to add up to 10)
I think this is mostly dependent on how my classes are behaving. For the most part I think a 5. I have been very tired lately as I get up every day at around 5:15. I think most of my unhappiness is due to the fact that I always feel tired. I also don't find time to work out very much and this tends to make me some what sad. I also am stressed about what I will be doing next year and if I will get into a graduate school program.

part 3: how neutral or "checked out" are you?
Some days I feel very checked out but on other days I feel totally into teaching my kids. I don't know if this is because I can see the finish line in sight or if its just me and teaching. I think things would be different if diddnt think I was going to stop teaching after this year but since I do have that end in sight I believe I do have this "just get through this" feeling.

part 4: how happy would you LIKE to be? (and what are you willing to do to get yourself there?)
I would like to be a 10 who wouldnt! I think I need to find something I love to do and do it. I believe I am willing to take the steps to being completely happy weather that be quiting teaching or teching more.

Educational Reform

I think that a major step in educational reform should be getting rid of the tenure position at schools. I feel for the most part or at least at my school some of the worst teachers are the so called "veterans" of the teaching world. They can be terrible teachers but are protected at there job because they have taught for a while. On the other hand, some of the best teachers at our school are veteran teachers also. This proves to me that even when you have been teaching for a lone time you can still be an excellent teacher or a terrible teacher. I feel like we are one of the only professions where if you are bad at your job you can still keep it if you have been teaching for a long time. In most jobs if you begin to slack off at your job you get the boot but not in teaching. I also feel that many people who cannot cut it in their first professions end up in teaching because of the job security and this is how you end up with a ton a terrible teachers working. If this tenure position was thrown out and a performance pay system was set up I believe you would be able to get rid of bad teachers and retain and pull in better teachers who can actually help our students. Why shouldn't we go to a performance pay style. In any other job when you are good at your job you can get raises but in teaching it is highly dependent on how long you have taught for. I believe we should be able to pay good teachers very well and the bad ones lower as this may create an environment where teachers try very hard to help thier students. I feel that sometimes teachers good or bad get lazy in teaching but if thier pay could be tied to how well they are doing I think it would create a more competetive environment at the schools.

Alone activity

So since I am a bit behind on these blog post things I have not actually gone out and done an activity alone that I would normally do in a normal setting but I have always wanted to go see a movie in a theater by myself. I have always thought it is kind of weird to see people by themselves at the movies but I had a friend recently that went to see a movie by himself and actually really enjoyed it. He said that it was surprisingly relaxing and that he plans on doing it again. I think for my activity I will do alone that I normally do alone will be going to a movie soon by myself. I hope that it will be as relaxing and fun as my friend said and I hope I just don't feel like a weirdo being at a movie by myself. I figure it might be nice to not have to worry about if the other people I am with are enjoying the movie and not have to answer questions during the movie so I am actaulyl kind of looking forward to this.

Activities

So recently Brian May introduced me to the sport of rock climbing. Ever since the beginning of this year Peter Hansen, myself, Brian May, Colin Havercamp, and Jacklin Seagul have been frequently going to climb whether that be indoor climbing or excursions outside to actually climb real rocks. We have started to make a tradition out of climbing at the indoor rock gym every Wednesday. I really have love climbing it is not only extremely challenging physically (I don't think I have ever had sorer fore arms and back than after climbing) but it is also a mental workout as well. You are constantly solving problems in order to complete climbs. I have found this is a great release from the stresses of work as I can concentrate on something other than my classroom. I tend to not even think about my classroom when I am climbing. Some other things I like to do with other people are hiking, camping, playing soccer and since it is currently winter I love to snowboard with my friends. I also love to find time to spend by myself and decompress from constantly being around people. I really enjoy to find time to read or watch movies by myself. I also find it more relaxing to go to the gym by myself then with other people as I can do my own thing and not worry about others around me. I have noticed I enjoy being alone a bit more now that I am a teacher and I think this has to do with the fact that for most of my day I am surrounded by children asking me questions and so forth.