SCIENCE

Homework?

February 16, 2009 • 2 Comments

Over the past few weeks, I have seen a dramatic drop in the amount of homework completion. Collecting an assignment this past Friday I saw a less than 50% turn in rate! Especially with mid-terms coming out soon, I find myself frustrated that so many of my students have a grade lower than they are capable of.

I wonder where this behavior is coming from. It can’t be from a lack of effort on my part, can it? I feel like I am constantly chasing after late work, and find it frustrating that so many students just don’t seem to care. For those students that aren’t intrinsically motivated, what can we do as teachers to help them? What should we be doing as teachers to help those students, and at what point do we leave it up to them? As teachers, we don’t want to see any of our students fail and we try everything within our power to help them, but at what point do we say, “enough is enough,” and leave them to their own devices?

Category: Uncategorized Tagged: homework, student motivation

Too much to do…too little time!!

February 6, 2009 • 6 Comments

TGIF!! I don’t know about the rest of you out there in teacher land, but I have been feeling lately like there just isn’t enough time to get everything done. With huge stacks of papers to grade (and enter into our “wonderful” grade-book program), lessons to plan, copies to make, one-on-one time to find with certain students, working towards my masters, and anything else that I have forgotten to add (because I’m sure that there is), I just don’t know how I’m going to get everything done without neglecting something. Unfortunately it has lately seemed like it has been my family.

Last night was the first time in quite awhile that I just sat down and spent some time with my daughter. We had dropped my son off at his cub scout den meeting, and since it didn’t make sense to drive all the way home just to come right back, we stayed. She had brought her coloring book and crayons. I had planned to do some reading to pass the time, but as I looked at her head full of blonde curls bent studiously over her work, I quickly changed my mind. Pulling up a chair alongside her, I joined in the multitude of coloring goodness! It was the most fun I have had in weeks!

So now I sit here, looking at the stack of things that I have to get done, wondering when will I next be able to sit down and color with my daughter……..or build with legos with my son. Spring break? Summer vacation? Or can I somehow find an easier way to manage all that needs to be done so that I can enjoy my family time sooner than that?

Category: Uncategorized

Online resources

February 5, 2009 • No Comments

As teachers, we all understand just how important it is to have a wealth of resources at our disposal. Using online material can a very powerful tool regardless of the subject/grade taught. Some of the resources I have used in the past can be found listed below. I have grouped them into two main categories; general education (those sites that can be used by anyone) and science education (those sites that are specific to my teaching area).

General Education:

-Free crossword maker

http://www.puzzle-maker.com/cw

-Word search builder

http://www.pedagonet.com/words/fs.wordfinder.php

-Google translator

http://translate.google.com

-Teacher tube (“you tube” for teachers!!)

http://www.teachertube.com

Science Education:

-Newton’s apple

http://www.newtonsapple.tv/index.php