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Hard teachers

A science teacher that I worked with lately was super frustrated after the first few months of school and last week a student wrote on the board, "Ms. such and such is a B_ _ _ H." After parents calling and complaining about grades and kids not liking her because she makes them work, she decided she is going to be an easy teacher. Later in the week she brought in cookies for the kids.

I consider myself a somewhat hard teacher. I make the kids work and I think that they learn. I would say 50% of kids like me and the other half really don't like me. I can't seem myself changing my style of teaching though. One thing that I wanted to work on this year was being more understanding and compassionate towards kids. The thing is though, you never know if they are pulling a fast one. I want to prepare them for the future, not help them to get an A. I want them to be trained in responsibility and hard work, and most of them don't want to work and want the easy way out. It is hard to find that happy medium.

I felt bad for the science teacher and I feel that we are surrounded by "easy" teachers. I don't think the kids are really benefiting from these teachers in terms of what they will see when they leave high school. I will say that it is difficult to make the kids work hard and be liked. I'm going to keep working on it. I think we'll be appreciated down the road.

Ultimate decisions

In the end, I decided to use NING for 3 of my sections and moodle for one. I'm not sure if I will end up having them blog or what. So far, they have posted a biography (about me post) and posted their expectations and goals for the year. I like it all in one place so that they can all read what each other has written. I'll use it similar to the blog, but in an easier fashion, the students can see it as more of a discussion and read what each other has written.

So far, the beginning of the year is going well. Last year, I taught a different approach to geometry and this year I have needed to revise it a bit so that all geometry teachers are on the same page. It has taken more prep work but I think in the end, it will be best for the kids. Some of them are still struggling with bisectors/midpoints - what is congruent after you state there is a bisector or midpoint, etc. Algebra 2 started off with functions, and most kids that reviewed the material and studied really got it. Precalc started with the unit circle and is going smoothly, except for the kids who shouldn't be in the class in the first place.

Hope the beginning of the year is going well for the teachers out there.