#teachsda

By Rabbi Zev Schostak

I have found that my 20-2 class hasn't been doing anything to show me that there is lasting learning.  I feel as though I am constantly overshooting them and making things more complicated for them as students who are struggling to start.  While this might be the nature of the beast when it come tiered levels in schools I think its too much.  This then leads me to realize that I need to scratch what I am doing and start over. Start at the bare basics.  That's the only resort I can think of.  Nothing less, nothing more. ' Doesn't this come up in life? You attempt to make a part of your life fit perfectly into another portion.  You might give up beliefs and standards along the way but at least it might work, right?  Not really. Sometimes, we need to take what we have in front of us, look at it, admit its not working and move to change our approach.  This could be in a job, in school, or even in a relationship. We must face the fact that things might not work. Even though they don't work the way we had wished, we move through and develop a new approach. A new way of creating a sense of balance or harmony again in our lives. Be honest with yourself when something isn't working. Decide to dump it or fight through with another approach. Sometimes the desired approach doesn't make it self evident as soon as we would wish.  Life is a journey and we might just need to take different means of transportation. 

1. Sometimes you should plan better for everything you could possibly for see.  This means avoiding the thoughts of "oh, it will be fine". 2. Sometimes, its just good to learn and move on to the next day.  Students still showed that they were learning if they desired to put forth the work.  As a teacher we should know that teaching is a two way street. You must be able to understand that even though we might put in a crazy amount of work into curriculum pacing, planning, prepping and grading it still comes down to if the students actually want to learn that day. It takes two to tango.  This isn't just with teaching, its in life.  We as people need to take the responsibility off of ourselves when we have done the work and others have not. Look at relationships, family, work, and even friends. If the work isn't being put in on the other parties side, something needs to change.  You must work to your best ability, reflect, and move on...

Too often we students find that History is what it's name suggests. The underlying reason for studying history is not to say that we study it to not repeat the past.  The reason I study history and the emphasis I want to put on my students is that we study history and social studies to understand what has led our world nations to this point in time, to comprehend what is happening around us now, and to determine what should be happening within a given society. We need to look at the world around us with a more critical mind and its up to good teachers to strive to push our students to do the same exact thing. 

So, day two. I realize that I should start drinking more coffee and that giving it up is a terrible idea. Its not as though I looked at the coffee sitting on the table and said that I don't need it. I just realized that I don't have time if I want to hit snooze twice starting at 6:15.  The classes went well and the students who were attempting to make a rap battle based on the underlying causes of the french revolution realized that there was no way that their group could finish it because they were so disorganized.  Yup! They realized it all on their own! That is one moment when teaching that you brag about.  When my 20-1 class wanted me to watch the tv show "Trialer Park Boys", I thought it would be dumb but I realized it was exactly what gives people sporadic brain damage. Absolute garbage. So I told the students today before they I got them working and it brought about a pretty good laugh.  I think they respect that I watched it.  When looking at students during Career Management class students continuously showed me that they were working on what they should be doing. They pumped out resumes and cover letters and truly impressed me. There is an odd mix of kids but each one shows me that they desire to accomplish something.  Each day I realize that I am supposed to be a teacher. I love the interaction, the jokes, and the pushes along the way that I can give them to truly work, through working they might love the learning.  I find teaching is not the random spewing of information that makes you a teacher but the one interaction that you have that brings a twinkle to their eye and a smile on their face.  Curriculum is vital to a school but hopefully we don't forget the child that the curriculum is being pumped into.