I Will Never...

I don't know about most people, but God has this way of getting me to do things I never thought I'd do and making me think it was my idea until it's too late.  Two things I said I would never do:

1) Coach: I hate coaches. I know this insults some, but, starting tomorrow, I will be in that category so nobody else can complain. 
Now this one I KNOW has to be God's work.  Why would I say I would coach soccer?  First, the extent of my soccer knowledge is based on semi-participating in a couple soccer seasons, both of which I abhorred, by the way.  I'd rather eat grass than kick a ball on it (only semi- exaggerating, too).  Second, I don't DO sports and I most decisively do NOT do coaching.  But, through some covert process, God got me here and now I'm thinking, "Ok, what does a coach do?"  Covert ideas God used to get me to coach:
     a) I want to spend more non-teaching time with students.  I want to have fun and hang out and build relationship.
     b) If I run with the girls, the time can replace my gym time on Tuesday and Thursday, leaving me with no less time after school on those days.  No loss!
     c) I get to touch grass... kind of. And breathe the fresh air more... kind of.

2) Ever since my orchestra director in middle school pulled out a picture of her two dogs and introduced them as her family, I was determined not to refer to a pet as a member of the family.  If I don't have my own family, just skip the introducing the family step.  I'm so ashamed that this slipped out of my mouth a couple times.  "Prince, come to mommy," gasp, did I just say that?  This issue has been solved, though, because we have found our beloved Prince a real home with a genuine backyard and people who will be home more than a couple hours every day.

And so, if you ever catch yourself saying "I will never," realize that you might just be telling a lie. I did.

SoftAware

·      What software applications do you use regularly in your teaching practice? 

I felt mighty proud the other day.  That doesn't happen often because I think I'm a pretty ordinary person and ordinary people just feel ordinary most of the time.  BUT, today students were creating projects using the computers.  One group had several questions that I was actually able to answer.  After one answer, a student stated, "Wow, Ms. Orner, you, like, know everything."  Now, let me just say, I don't hear this very often.  I teach 3 subjects in middle school, which means, let's be honest (that's what I do), I'm not exactly an "expert" in all of them.  I teach. I'm not like, "the English person" or "the math person" or "that geography girl."  I'm "that middle school teacher."  And I like it that way.  When my students ask me questions about this, I tell them I only teach because I care that they learn about life.  In reality, Math, English, and Geography are great, but what I really get excited about is teaching greater life truths through those avenues. 

Getting back to the point. Even though my students aren't exactly technology gurus, I was thankful that, because of this wonderful "Technology in Education" class, I could help my students. They were really impressed with the whole "Creative Commons" business. In today's assignment one group was creating a glog and the others were working on PowerPoints.  The students had made glogs once before and fell in love with its cutsey creativity.  On a project about community, one student made a Christmas theme.  When asked why she used Christmas trees as her background, she responded, "Well, people like to get together with family and friends at Christmas time, so it's like community." I have such clever students.  Another one had some Nintendo characters as the background, but that explanation, or lack thereof, wasn't quite on the same level :)

If I had summarize what applications I use regularly in my classes, it would have to be narrowed the following:

- PowerPoint: I use them for the rare lecture to teach students how to take notes. Students also use them for projects.

- Wikispaces: I'm working on making this one more regular and beneficial, but it pops up in class often.

- Glogster: I use it as a project option for my students

- Microsoft Word: It's great for essays and, well, essays.

- Microsoft Excel: Once a year my math class pulls it out to make cool graphs.

- Youtube: self explanatory, I think.

- Allrecipes.com: Not sure if this counts, but when we have culture days in Geography, I use it to find recipes for the food I make.

- Grooveshark: It's great for motivating students to be quiet and listen to the music :)

Now the true colors of my knowledge are shown when I admit that I don't know how many of the items I listed are actually software applications.

·      What other software skills would you like to improve to increase your professional efficacy?  

Facebook. I want to teach the students to start their own fake protest (within the school) and spread their message to other students without using word of mouth. Unfortunately, Facebook is blocked here...I don't know why. [Long side note insert: At my school among the teachers we have a "Sarcasm Sign."  It's not actually a sign, one simply has to hold up the hands as if holding a sign.  This arm motion indicates that the speaker is using sarcasm...'cuz sometimes it's hard to tell (I think we got this from "Big Bang Theory").  Here I hold up a Sarcasm Sign about the comments above, just in case you couldn't catch the tone. End long side note]. After my experiment with Prezi, I'm not sure if I can add that to my list of skills I want to improve, unless improve means the outcome is at least two times better and the process at least ten times faster.  I suppose I should say that I want to work on making a podcast, but I don't, and that's that.  Even though I use it now, I would really like to improve the use of Wikispaces to make it more effective and engaging for the students.  Right now it is mostly being used as an avenue for them to see each others' work and for me to post documents that the students can view at home.

·      Propose an action plan to improve these skills.  

Ok, as long as I don't have to write a goal :)  My action plan (if you are reading and aren't interested in education, skip this part. It is serious and NOT funny, and thus boring unless you like to know what teachers do to improve their lessons with software applications):

In my next English unit in 7th grade the students will be reading "Crispin: the Cross of Lead."  As an introduction to this unit, students research 14th century England so they can understand the setting of the book. I want to research ways to use Wikispaces effectively and view example wikis for inspiration.

BORING PART OVER.

Used

All you people who have gone through mid-life crisis, let me tell you something:  you're a little late!  I feel as though the last couple months I've been going through mid-20s crisis.  
What is mid-20s crisis? It's when you stop, look at yourself, and say "now what?"  I ask "is this really what I want to be doing...forever... (which is a stupid question, really, because that's assuming that I get to plan my own life...and I don't).

So lately I've been kind of smoggy headed; not just because I live in Wuhan, but because there are so many things floating around up there, that no one thing has pulled through like it usually does. I like to think of myself as a person of vision.  And I guess I also like to think that "vision" is really just another way of saying "faith."  If you think about it, faith is trusting God: who He is and what He is doing (I'm so glad I can write the word "God" because I'm using my VPN and it's looks like somebody is writing this from California... muhahaha... censoring, I have you beat).  Vision is looking to that "something" that God is doing/going to do.  Vision is knowing God is working, but it doesn't necessarily mean we always know how, by what means, or to what end.  That's why I think the two, faith and vision, are tied together so closely.  This year, however, my vision has been a bit foggy. My faith was great, but for a while I lost sight of what God was doing.  I thought that vision meant I had to know what God was doing rather than being alert to see.  The last few months I've been so caught up in seeing way ahead (where am I gonna be in 5 years?) that I've lost sight of what I'm doing now; and what God is doing now. I've lost the vision that should come as a booster to faith, as though, if I can't see way ahead, what's the use in looking.


I am a teacher!  Yes.  But lately my sight has been on this side of teaching: standards, lesson plans, appropriate assessment, individualized lessons, etc.  I'm gonna be honest here (because what's the point of having a blog and just writing what everyone expects?) and say I had begun to dislike teaching... even dread teaching.  Gasp! My beloved profession and passion, unbeloved and dispassionate.  But why?


I lost sight of being used.  Let me say it again, because it's really important.  I lost sight of being used.  I lost my vision because vision involves looking for how God is using His people, and I wasn't looking for that because I have been more concerned about how God is going to be using me in 5 years.  I'm using the past tense here, but it makes it seem so far in away.  "Lost," past tense, as in, like 15 minutes ago I realized this.  Why do I dread going back to school?  Not because I'm not rested, not because I don't want to be with students (I love them!), but because teaching started to become standards and assessments.  Teaching was mysteriously transformed from a "how can I be used" profession to a what can I use to be a better teacher profession...standards... benchmarks... assessments... Sigh!  How have I let myself come to this?


So what is it about teaching that I love? I will recap here as a reminder to myself and so you can remind me when I forget later on:

• students: they make me laugh, they have "aha" moments, they teach me and stretch me and challenge me
• surrender: I'm sure there are other professions, but this one in particular is quite efficient in turning eyes to the only one who can bring real heart change and Who can provide real daily strength and wisdom
• holidays: honestly, I do like having summers "off", that's always nice, but it's definitely at the bottom of the list
• I don't have to sit at a desk all day: I get to talk to people...that's always good.
• Mostly just the first point and all that comes with it

Back to "being used."  If I want to regain my vision, I can only turn my sight back to being used.  Teaching involves planning and standards and assessments, but that is not the whole.  That is just a means.  I know I'm being quite daring in saying this, but I also believe one could, just maybe, be a good teacher without these things.  My mom was a good teacher of life and I know she didn't sit down with my dad when I was born and create a list of standards and benchmarks for each year of my life.  Things happen, people teach.  Now, I know we need standards and benchmarks, but maybe only just because my supervisor says (and his, and his, etc.).  They're good, but they're not the heart of teaching.  But I think most educators would agree with that...I hope.


All you out there who don't teach and think this doesn't apply to you, guess again.  Being used is the main message here.  I don't care what you do; God can use you.  When you get into the grind of "life" and "work" and all that jazz, remember to be used.  That's what life is about.  


This is my vision, make it yours: to be used.

Into the 21st Century

Scenario 1:

"Dearest students, today we will be beginning our non-fiction unit.  Exciting activities to come include reading your own choice of biography or autobiography (as long as the library has it), looking at print and non-print advertising, and writing...duh duh duuuuuuhhh...your own memoir.  This is one of my favorite units (along with all my other favorites) because I get to learn about your lives." 

Students groan.  Hands raise.

"But, like, what do we write about...ish?" 

"You write about you, about your life, about something you've learned from all you've been through.  You get to tell the world who you are!"

Raised hand. "But, uh, I haven't, like, really learned anything.  I'm only in middle school."

Teacher: "Exactly, and that's why...wait, what?!!!!  You haven't learned anything from life?  You live in China.  You've traveled the world. You speak three languages...and you haven't LEARNED anything?!!!" 

Teacher enters freak out mode.   

This 100% true story is brought to you by TFTFCS (Teachers for Twenty-First Century Skills).  Do I feel ready for a scenario like this in which students have to critically assess their own lives and find something they've learned?  No, it's like pulling teeth.  Teaching critical, creative thinking requires a whole lot of critical, creative thinking.

Scenario Two:

Johnny (whining): "Ms. Orner, Bobby isn't helping our group. He just sits there."

Bobby (angered): "I was, but then they said I wasn't doing it right, so I stopped."

Johnny: "Yeah, but you weren't doing it right and our group would have lost..."

Bobby: "Well, I liked mine bett....

Ms. Orner (holding hands up in pacification): "Now Johnny, did you hear what Bobby said?"

Johnny: "No."

Ms. Orner: "Bobby, did you hear what Johnny said?"

Bobby: "No."

Ms. Orner: "Arright, let's start at the beginning."

Am I ready to teach middle school students the social skills necessary to collaborate in groups and share opinions respectfully?  Only by the grace of God.

Scenario 3:

Studious Sally: "Ms. Orner, I'm trying to arrange these photos to make the letter 'M' for my advertisement.  I can't get the photos to touch so it is easy to read.  Can you help me?"

Need I say more?

How well prepared do I feel for 21st century teaching and learning? I don't know, maybe about as ready as any of the Joe Shmoe's out there.  Who ever feels ready for the future?  Probably only people who could use a little talking down.  I'm sure there's a personality label for those people.  I remember appreciating when Kris Allen won American Idol.  The station played back his first audition when they asked him if he was the next American Idol. He responded "well, maybe. I'm sure there are people out there better than me."  And he won. I, for one, really appreciate that.  Was he prepared for the future, probably not, but he won. And he did it with a realistic attitude.  I, with Kris Allen, will say, "I'm not ready, but here I come."

The great thing about teaching 6th and 7th grade is that I can assess how much my students retain from year to year.  Every year I am amazed at the difference between the two grades.  I swear there is some magical transformation that occurs during that summer after 6th grade.  Visualize with me:

Enter 6th grade classroom 4 minutes before the bell: 

Tammy, running into the classroom and sprawling all supplies on the floor, "Am I late?"

Jose, tripping over Tammy as he enters, runs to get his favorite seat and sits down.  He pulls out his eraser to play with for approximately 3 minutes and then looks up to the teacher: "Do I need anything for class?" Meanwhile, Tammy digs through her supplies to make sure she has all necessary items for the next 3 classes while Jose runs to his locker.  30 seconds later he runs back. "I can't find my locker key."  Jose searches while Tammy begins giving detailed account of all the time she spent on homework and all the reasons her assignments are late.  Bell rings.  Jose runs in and asks to go to the bathroom.

Enter 7th grade classroom 1 minutes before the bell.  

Susie: "Ms. Orner, what are we doing today?"

Luke, pulling out his homework, "where do we turn in our work, Ms. Orner?" "Don't forget we have a spelling quiz today...."

So I know, students are leaving my class changed.  Am I the magical ingredient? Not solely.  Are they ready for the 21st century?  No, but they're only in 6th (or 7th grade) and they have a year's worth of learning more than last year. 

And what are my challenges and strengths?  This is a slightly awkward question for a public post!  Dear world, I train my kids well to face the reality of the world, along with the joys and difficulties that come with it.  I help students dig deep to find their own creativity and intelligence.  Oh, and by the way, I face everyday wondering how I am going to answer each difficult question about life (and grammar [and even 6th grade math, let's be honest]).  And I pray to God for wisdom when Bobby and Johnny can't work in a group again and Studious Sally asks me about formatting and somebody used the wiki to invite a friend to a chat room.  And world, please understand, I do the best I can...one day at a time.