Dead Horses

At the risk of beating a very, very dead horse, let's talk some more about the IMP. Okay, so maybe we're beating a very, very dead IMP instead. I can see how the project was effective in allowing us to use the tools we had been introduced to for evaluating texts and applying that to a lesson plan sort of setting, but I'm not sure that showed me much about what I hadn't already learned in being introduced to the evaluations in a previous reading assignment. Though, I will recognize that that is probably because I was working with Looking for Alaska which essentially has its supplemental materials all picked out based on several materials that the author has supplied/created in response to his book being taught in schools.

Overall the project was useful, but tedious.

As for Wednesday's class, we essentially reviewed some of the vocabulary teaching techniques that we had taught the week before, recognized that we were having loads of trouble recalling information (because there is so much of it and so little time to process--especially when added to other coursework) in regards to the main points of vocabulary instruction (rich and robust instruction, repetition/multiple exposures, explicit instruction, placing words in context, connotative/denotative meaning instruction, etc.) Then, before our activity could really get under way, class time was up and it was time to go.

Which makes analyzing and connecting things this week exceedingly difficult since I don't think we reached the meat of what we were supposed to do on Wednesday.

In not reaching what we were supposed to do on Wednesday, I can only imagine that this is reflective of what is entirely possible to happen once we are teachers. Perhaps our students will be suffering from a great deal of frustration from their other courses or personal problems or extra-curriculars or perhaps some horrible combination of the three that they won't be productive in our classes or in learning what we have to say to them. So then, the question arises as to how we would deal with that and handle it in our own classrooms. Do we barrel on with the lesson even though our students clearly aren't receptive for whatever reason? Do we review previous material to try and get our students back on track?

Or do we reevaluate or alter our lesson to accommodate our students' needs? Do we sit down and ask them what's going on and try to figure out if there isn't a solution that's mutually beneficial for everyone? Yes, this will take up valuable class time and may place us in an uncomfortable position if we find out that our course is one of the sources of grievance, but perhaps doing so will allow us to better prepare for future lessons--perhaps incorporate more entertaining strategies or methods that introduce a level of fun or de-stressing back into the classroom. Perhaps we need to modify the assignments schedule in order to work with our students to have reasonable time requirements for extra-curriculars, work, and other courses.

Having stalls, rough days, and days where things don't get accomplished is inevitable. But I think what we decide to do with those stalled days is going to determine how effective we are as teachers. For me, I hope I can be the kind of teacher who can meet my students half way on days like Wednesday. I hope I can at least find out why our day or lesson is stalling and work with my students to find some sort of solution. As a student, those are the teachers I often respect most, so it's only fitting I should try to be that teacher.

I hope I didn't beat too many dead horses.