Courtney Langton
Courtney is an aspiring high school teacher.
Her teachables are History and English, but she's happy to teach anything that doesn't involve numbers or formulas.
Her particular interest is in promoting gender equity and anti-oppression both in and outside the classroom.
She writes a detailed To-Do list every morning, and enjoys nothing more than a good book and a plate of bacon on a rainy Saturday.
Jonathan Wong
LINKS: Blogger
Canadian Chalkboard
Coffee, Calculations and Colombia!
Mewlings
Progressively Unnecessary
TeacHer Finance
It's Not All Flowers and Sausages
So You Want To Teach?
Classroom Confessions
Teach Hub
Web English Teacher
Blogging the Renaissance
ARCHIVES: June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 March 2010
I had a short discussion with my friend on dress codes for practicum. Here is what we came up with. Labels: about us, dress code, practicum
Tie = Dress shirt with a tie
No tie = Dress shirt sans tie
Polo = Polo shirt
Being at prac for 4 weeks, 5 days a week (4 days for the week post-Thanksgiving):
Week 1 (Mon-Fri): Tie - tie - no tie - no tie - polo
Week 2 (Tues-Fri): Tie - tie - no tie - polo
Week 3 (Mon-Fri): Tie - no tie - no tie - no tie - polo
Week 4 (Mon-Fri): Tie - no tie - no tie - polo - cat/bear/witch/costume
Thanksgiving threw off our rhythm a bit. So did Hallowe'en. The point is that we were shooting for getting progressively more lax horizontally (day by day) and vertically (week by week).
We're at T-minus 7 days until our practicum starts, and odds are many of our readers are in the same boat. As you're scurrying around making pesky phone calls, packing your stuff for a month, and frantically grabbing books off of the Education Library's shelves, take a few minutes to scroll through the incredibly useful links we've managed to track down in the past few weeks. And of course, comment if you've got great websites to add! Labels: anxiety, books on teaching, classroom decor, creative solutions, curriculum, English as a Secondary Language, going above and beyond, History, link, our job is awesome, practicum, resources
When we first started blogging here at class-dismissed, we promised that we would take time, every so often, to honour some of our own teachers. So I thought I'd take some time now to do so. Interestingly, this first tribute is actually to a peer rather than someone like Dr. Morrison (though I should probably find some time to pay tribute to him at some point). This is how it came about: Labels: amazing people, inspiration, music
I've always enjoyed singing as a recreational activity. I mean, I never deluded myself into thinking that I was all that good. I knew I wasn't tone-deaf (obviously, being a musician in other capacities) but I also recognize a good voice when I hear one and I know I don't have a spectacular voice by any stretch of the imagination. I always wondered about whether or not a good singing voice is something people are born with or if it's something we learn. So as you can imagine, my music ed teacher piqued my interest when she told us we would be partnered up, one-on-one with one of our classmates, and that we would practice our teaching technique by teaching each other. Enter Kate, who would teach me some beginner techniques in singing; I, in turn, would teach her some beginner techniques in playing the drums. Yeah, that last part was interesting - I didn't think I would be called upon to put my drum-playing skills into use in music ed class.
We've had 2 lessons so far (and we're going to have our last one next Tuesday). To be honest, I think I'm getting more out of her lessons than she is from mine. I know that she's definitely getting better at playing the snare but if she wanted to truly utilize what she's learned, she'd have to do a lot more practicing, just to get to a point where playing the snare would be of any practical use to her. Such is the learning curve of learning an instrument. 3 short lessons won't be enough to be of any practical benefit except maybe in the sense of inspiring someone to continue learning/practicing.
Vocal training, though, is a little bit different. And that's mainly because I've been "practicing" all my life, in the sense that I've been "singing" - to use a refined term for what I do when I chant along to songs I like - for years and I will probably continue to sing for years to come. And in these 2 short lessons I've had thus far, I have noticed a marked improvement in my voice, just from applying certain techniques Kate has taught me. From breathing correctly, to posture, to sound-generation, to embouchure, to using my hands to mimic rib expansion... I've never had anyone point these things out to me before. But man, what a difference they make.
Now, I'm not saying I've suddenly turned into a great singer, but I have definitely made some strides, and I think that Kate deserves a lot of credit for that. There's a term in education called "scaffolding," where a teacher is always challenging you in such a way that calls for you to improve without making you feel like you're called upon to do too much at a time - and she has done exactly that in the 2 lessons I've had so far. When I think about everything I've done at the faculty of education, those lessons were definitely the highlights of this past week. When you look forward to going to a class at 6:30 PM on a Thursday night, that says something. So I take my hat off to you, Kate, even though you didn't really have a choice in the matter.
Due to a very nasty viral fever this weekend and four, yes FOUR big assignments all due on Thursday which I have yet to find time to work on, this will be a pretty intensely hectic week. I do have my lesson plan from "The Drum," which makes a very interesting juxtaposition to Jon's lesson plan from the same short story, but I won't have any time to post it until Thursday afternoon. Same goes for two consecutive Gleecaps (*sob*) and several other interesting discussions I had in mind for this week. Boo! Labels: about us, anxiety, big questions, comments, creative solutions, finding a balance, lesson planning
A few days ago, Courtney and I (as well as the rest of our English class) were instructed to plan a lesson in 30 minutes based on a short story (which I can't seem to find on the internet) we were given. So no prior preparation or knowledge of the text. And did I mention we had 30 minutes to do this? I think our professor wanted to see how well we could do in a pinch. And how well did we do? I'll let you be the judge. Here is a verbatim copy of what I wrote down:
Title of the story: The Drum
Motivation: What happens when we give meaning to something? When something, big or small, becomes important to us or holds significance, we tend to notice details about it. And the way we think about these details can oftentimes reflect the overall significance it holds for us. For example, if you showed me a car, I might just see a car. But to someone for whom cars are a hobby, he or she might notice details about the finish, the model, the year, the hood ornament or anything other number of things. What are some other examples? What are some things you take a particular interest in? (10 minutes)
Procedure:
1. Read the story silently (5 minutes)
2. Read aloud (2 minutes)
3. Generally speaking, what's actually happening? (2 minutes)
4. If nothing is really happening, why is the story so long? (3 minutes)
5. Close reading, in groups, partners, or self. Look for adjectives, descriptors, metaphors, and other fun parts of speech. How do they contribute to the story? (10-15 minutes)
6. Reconvene: What did you discover, if anything? Was it boring? Interesting? Why or why not? Would it be any different with a different subject, i.e. a pretty girl, an iPhone, a concert? (10 minutes)
7. What happens in the last paragraph? Why is it different? (pending time constraint, this might be considered extra material)
Substantiation:
Assignment: Write 2 short stories/paragraphs. One about something you find like or find important, the other about something you find absolutely no interest in. Synthesize the differences.
Awhile ago, we posted on reasons for teaching English: Part 1 and Part 2.
Our English professor made a comparison between students' reactions to a science class vs. their reactions to an English class. And the thing that struck me the most about the comparison is that English students very often learn "about" something. It was interesting to realize how often the preposition "about" seems to find its way into descriptions of English class. And it's interesting because it indicates that what often happens is that we simply slide into providing factual knowledge [when we haven't got a clue as to what else we're supposed to be doing]:
"We learned about short stories."
"We learned about Shakespeare/Hamlet."
"We learned about Lord of the Flies."
Well that is just fantastic. Because we all could use a little more knowledge "about short stories".
But for those of them who don't really care "about short stories" or "about Shakespeare," it might be important to remember not to fall into the trap of vigorously teaching content as if it were the be-all and end-all of knowledge. As educators, we'll be teaching subjects that, presumably, we take a personal interest in (or at least, took enough interest in for us to be willing to devote 4 years of undergrad to its study), and oftentimes, we forget that just because we thought it was "fun" to memorize Hamlet's entire 35-line soliloquy, doesn't mean our students will find it equally "fun" (shocking, I know) or meaningful in any way. It's probably important to remember that content is good, but what's more important is how you use content as a vehicle through which you teach skills and other areas of knowledge that are more universally applicable.
A few tips we got from our professor were:
1. Remember to teach for a reason.
2. What do they get to keep?
3. How will they benefit from what they are about to learn?
It might also be helpful to think about other types of responses that you hope to generate when your students are asked what they learned in your class. For example...
"We learned that..."
"We learned how..."
"We learned why..."
Students should be able to take something away from your class aside from a general and temporary increase in knowledge about a subject they probably don't care very much about. I mean, that's what substantiation is isn't it? When we ask ourselves and our class, "Why is this important?" It might not be a bad idea to ask ourselves that question at the end of every class, just to check that what we've taught actually carries importance beyond our own egocentric opinion of stuff that interests us.
One of our much-lauded favourite bloggers, Duke Fandango, recently reminded me of one of the unique joys of being a teacher. Though we are authority figures, the kids we teach often tend to kind of forget we're human beings with functioning ears sometimes. They'll say anything off-the-cuff or totally out of place right in front of us because, in their amygdala-dominated brains, they sort of assume we either don't listen or don't understand them. This leads to many moments of hilarity for us. Labels: History, our job is awesome, overheard in the classroom, students, teacher blog
Check out Scholastic's list of Top 20 Teacher Blogs-- they've organized it by category, making it even easier for us to find interesting, relevant blogs about teaching. I know I'm going to check out the Best Student Teacher blog first! Labels: inspiration, our job is awesome, resources, teacher blog
This week, we're gearing up to start completing and handing in lesson plans in some of our curriculum classes. For half the Teacher Candidates, this task is simple. Those of us in ConEd have written many lesson plans before. All we really need to do is continue tweaking our strategies a bit and practicing writing lesson plans for different subjects. Consecutive students, on the other hand, may never have even seen a lesson plan before they walked into class last week, let alone have written a plan or executed any kind of lesson. Lesson Plan: Achieving Gender Equity in Sexual Education PPL 4O - Grade 12 Healthy Active Living Education Purpose: To address the assumptions, stereotypes and double standards often present in sexual education for students. Goal: To promote students’ awareness of the issue and help them develop strategies to avoid making sexist or heterosexist judgments in relation to sex and sexuality. Focus: Questioning the images being promoted by popular culture; critical analysis of prescribed gender roles; self-reflection and self-awareness in relation to sexual identity and sexual activity. Specifics: 75 minute class. Include review of last week’s lesson. Assign project. Leave 5 extra minutes in case discussion gets carried away. Part A: Review and Introduction 15 MINS Review - Name 4 methods of contraception and describe their function - How is HIV/AIDS transmitted? (2 or 3 examples) - What are some factors that contribute to healthy pregnancy and birth (2 or 3 examples) - What is Canada’s legal age of consent to sexual activity? (http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb993-e.htm#CURRENT%20LAW(txt) Quote of the Day (for discussion) “Sex education may be a good idea in the schools, but I don't believe the kids should be given homework.” -Bill Cosby Discuss: -What does this suggest about the attitudes towards sexual education? -What sorts of arguments would you make to convince someone that sex ed does not encourage promiscuity? *Play devil’s advocate in this situation. Remind students of adults’/parents’ concerns and that they may be having trouble recognizing that their children are becoming adults. Emphasize the fact that mature behaviour and decisions in other aspects of their lives will show adults that they are trustworthy and responsible. Introduction Now that we’ve covered the facts of contraception, pregnancy, and STIs, we will be examining the more abstract and complex issues connected to sex and sexuality. Main Teaching Points (write on board) These are pretty big topics to tackle in only one class, but a good background in these issues is crucial. I encourage you to explore further on your own! Your project will also provide you with a more extensive study of your chosen focus. Part B: Sex Ed in the 20th Century (The Crazy Stuff Your Grandparents Were Taught) 10 MINS We’re very lucky to be living in the time and place we do. Canadian students are given access to scientific, correct information about sex and taught about relationships in addition to the biology of sex. However, this is a fairly new phenomenon. As recently as the 1990s, students were taught that they must conform to specific gender roles and given little to no information about sex and forced to glean their knowledge from television, magazines, and hearsay. *Ask whether any students have anecdotes about the misleading information their parents, grandparents, etc received as youth. *Be sure to explain that a lack of sexual education did not mean that no one was having sex back then or that most people didn’t know how it worked, but that they believed some silly myths and there was more of a risk of preventable STIs (VD, to them) because they did not have the same access to or knowledge of contraception. Show examples of the seemingly ridiculous myths about sex and sexuality that were perpetuated throughout the 20th Century. ü Time Magazine, “Kids, Sex, and Values.” May 24, 1993. Nancy Gibbs. § “Nowadays sexuality is the way you look, the way you wear your hair. It’s all physical, not what’s inside you.” (53) § “Parents have told Miedzian that they will not let their boys watch TV’s Mr Roger’s because of his gentle demeanor.” (54) § “Other parents have told me that they’re afraid not to have their sons play with guns because they’ll grow up gay.” (54) ü Pamphlet from 1973 - “Growing up: facts about sex for boys and girls” : Family Planning Federation Canada § “If continued long enough, the habit of masturbation may make it less easy to enjoy a full sexual relationship later on in married life. But most people stop the practice once they are married, if not before. They find it is a poor substitute for proper loving.” (10) § “Usually the boy is more easily stimulated to sexual excitement and his feelings are more difficult to control.” (11) § “[A woman’s] climax is not very easily reached and often it does not occur until she has settled into marriage for some time—sometimes not even then. But it makes little or no difference to whether she becomes pregnant or not.” § “But most people grow out of [homosexuality] as their relationship with the opposite sex develops. Homosexual conduct between men is against the law in this country.” (11) Final Question: Do you think any of these myths, misrepresentations or stereotypes still exist today? Even remnants of them? Part C: Abstinence-Only Education (The Double Standard) 20 MINS (Short Lecture Portion) Unfortunately, the answer to those questions is yes. One of the most disturbing examples of this is the double standard that exists for boys and girls when it comes to expectations surrounding sex and sexuality. You would have noticed from the pamphlet especially that girls were perceived as more rational and less concerned with personal pleasure. For the boys, it seemed that they could not control their “urges” and should be excused them. Essentially, this sets up a system of blaming girls for things like rape. Even now, it’s a widespread belief that boys think about sex more often, look at porn more often, the list goes on. Many girls think they’re abnormal for thinking about sex too much, and many boys think they’re abnormal if they feel they’re not thinking about sex enough! Most strikingly, however, is the fact that women, especially those in U.S. States that teach abstinence-only education, are being taught that their sexuality is a commodity and that their virginity doesn’t belong to them. Abstaining until marriage is a personal choice that many teens do choose, but it is being marketed almost exclusively to girls. The decision not to have sex should be one made by examining personal beliefs and values and weighing benefits and risks, not because young women think they will be damaged goods, blemished, or unwanted otherwise. Watch video clip. Ask the students to jot down a few of their impressions of what is happening in the video, paying particular to the gender roles being shown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2VqOXZd84&eurl Divide into pairs. (Students choose, so they can feel comfortable with their peers) Discuss the impressions you wrote down during the movie. How is a purity pledge beneficial to a student? How might a purity pledge be detrimental to a student? Present different perspectives to the rest of the class (write them on the board). They will probably bring up a lot of important points, but make sure certain issues are mentioned if they don’t think of them, for example: - the effect on girls’ self-image: when/if they do have sex, they may feel that it is shameful and wrong. - Males are also receiving subliminal ideas, especially about their roles as the “active” participant who must take charge and even be having a lot of sex to be considered a man. No matter what you choose, make sure it is an informed choice that is physically and emotionally healthy for you. Remember that stereotypes and outdated ideas about the roles of men and women are just that- outdated. We now live in a society that should be able to accept the same behaviour in men and women. The next time you are about to gossip about someone, ask yourself whether you are treating the situation differently because of the person’s gender. Always look critically at the things that you take for granted! We’ll get back to the issue of sexism for your assignments, but first we are going to all-too-briefly discuss heterosexism in popular culture. Part D: Heterosexism in Popular Culture (Your Role Models) 15 MINS Activity Brainstorm as many famous TV/Movie (heterosexual) couples as you can in 1 minute. Shout out examples in 1 minute. Then, name as many famous TV/Movie gay/lesbian characters as you can in 1 minute. Shout out examples. We simply don’t see very many non-normative (in other words, people who seem different from the majority) images of love and sex in our day-to-day lives. That doesn’t mean it’s not a perfectly natural and acceptable thing not to ‘fit in.’ I want to show you a quick, wonderful video clip now before we go on to the assignment. This video was produced by two women in the Midwestern United States in response to what they felt was inadequate sex ed in schools. A lot of kids in the States have only this show to turn to. There are a lot of other episodes they’ve done in response to viewer questions, but we’re going to watch their show on homosexuality: http://midwestteensexshow.com/2007/09/26/mtss-episode-7-homosexuality-part-1/ (Approx. 8 minutes) Sometimes adults don’t give kids enough credit- there are certainly a lot of kids who, faced with inadequate information, go looking on their own. However, there’s an even bigger number who, since they’ve been told that birth control doesn’t work so don’t have sex, forgo contraceptives altogether and wind up with babies, diseases, and (especially for girls and queer individuals) a powerful sense of shame. Part D: Assignment! 10 MINS Due: Next class Media Critical Reflection Overview In this class, we have discussed the sterotypes and assumptions made in relation to sex and sexuality. In order for you to get a broader idea of how these misconceptions are at work in society and to encourage you to question what you take for granted in popular culture, you will write a 3-4 page response to a representation of teen sex or sexuality. Curriculum Expectations In this assignment, you will: ü Identify the stereotypes and assumptions being made in your chosen representation. ü Identify instances where this representation subverts assumptions of teen sex and sexuality (in other words, when it didn’t conform to the stereotype) ü Discuss the impact this representation has on teens. ü Pay special attention to how characters communicate in relationships, how teen sex and sexuality is treated by adults, and how things are different for men and women. Process 1. Choose a representation of teen sex or sexuality. It can be an episode of a television show (ex. That 70s Show, Ugly Betty, Family Guy), a magazine article (ex. Seventeen, Maxim), a book, a song, a blog, anything you feel you can effectively respond to. 2. Jot down your initial impressions. 3. Consolidate these impressions into a clear, critical analysis of the factors described above. Product As mentioned, you will hand in a 3-4 page (double spaced, 12-pt font, standard margins) critical response. Feel free to write informally (using “I” and personal anecdotes is fine) but keep in mind this is still an academic assignment. Resources used: Feministing.com Moran, Jeffrey P. Teaching Sex: The Shaping of Adolescence in the 20th Century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002. Valenti, Jessica. Full Frontal Feminism. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2007. __________________________________________________________________ Is there anything you feel I missed in this lesson plan? I'm sure those of you who are real, live teachers rarely use a lesson plan this formal, but do you have any tips from your Teacher Candidate days? Let us know! Labels: about us, books on teaching, curriculum, diversity, homework, lesson planning, Phys Ed, resources, sex ed
Now that Glee has finally starting again, we're going to fulfill our promise and start doing recaps of each episode. Like I mentioned earlier this summer, the show touches on a lot of issues that are familiar to teachers and we wanted to add those issues to our discussions on this blog. As well, we'll be doing recaps of Tony Danza's new reality show, Teach, when it premieres later this year-- mostly because I love Who's The Boss, but also because he's going to be teaching in a Philadelphia high school. Another show about teaching, the animated Sit Down, Shut Up, might also make an appearance here, though it is a lot more on the satirical side so it may not be quite so relevant to us. Either way, it's a banner year for teacher sitcoms! Labels: Gleecap, idealism, teen angst, television
We learned a few interesting things about the human brain last week so we thought we'd share some of the more interesting bits here.
So apparently, they isolated the parts of our brains that are responsible for instinct and reason. Instinct is generated from this little bit of your brain called the amigdala while reason comes from the part of your brain called the frontal lobe:
*photo source: http://mural.uv.es/teboluz/index2.html
You'll have to excuse the fact that it's not in English. But as you can see, there's that little red bit there - the amigdala - that's responsible for most of your more instinctive urges and behaviors. Not exactly the biggest part of your brain but, then again, we as humans tend to stifle that part of us from a young age so I guess it shouldn't come as a complete surprise. Nor should it surprise anyone that that frontal lobe bit - known as "lobulo frontal" in, I think, Spanish - is so large, considering how much we put into reasoning things out.
So apparently, part of the reason why teenagers are so bad at controlling their emotions is because our frontal lobe doesn't fully develop until we're much older. The amigdala, on the other hand, is one of the first parts of our brain to come online so it's been around and kicking for much longer than the frontal lobe.
You might ask, then, shouldn't younger children have even less developed frontal lobes than teenagers? Well, that's probably true. That's why young children sometimes behave in ways that indicate a blithe disregard for self-preservation. But I think we're less fearful of younger children because their amigdala is probably telling them more consistent things. Teenagers, on the other hand, what with having hormones and all, probably fluctuate wildly when it comes to emotions so their amidgala is probably working harder than usual. And with their frontal lobe not in its peak form, it probably can't keep up with the rapid changes in what the amigdala is telling the rest of your brain to do.
So there you have it. An oversimplified precis of what we learned in our short psychology lecture on the brain. So just remember: the next time your students act out in your class or in the halls, blame their underdeveloped frontal lobe!
We also learned that people are incapable of taking in more than 10 minutes worth of information before needing time to process it and that the human brain doesn't function well as the day goes on. But they also scheduled a 3-hour night-class into my week so I don't know whether they actually believed what they were saying about that stuff.
Ever since I decided to study music (and by extension, teach it), I always felt that I was in way over my head. Music Ed. was no exception yesterday. The only thing that kept me from launching myself into a flurry of self-doubt was the knowledge that I have gotten this feeling before every single music class I've ever taken in university. This is not an exaggeration. I don't think there has ever been a music class I have taken where I was able to walk out on the first day and think to myself "I think I can handle this course."
So you may ask, how did I manage to survive my undergrad? Well, it was mostly a product of first year impulsiveness. Back then, I knew that the simple fact that I was a bachelor of arts (not music) student meant that I would always, to some extent or another, start off a few steps behind everyone else. And being an impulsive (and, some might argue, idiotic) first year student, I must have decided to approach it as a challenge to overcome or some zealous variant of the "we will prevail!" mentality.
Also, I like music. Have I mentioned that? High school music was one of my favorite courses.
Anyhow. To my surprise, I actually managed to prevail, not only through first year, but in every year after that! And by fourth year, it was too late to change my second teachable subject, even if I had wanted to. I mean, to say that I was "stuck" teaching music would be a misnomer because it's not as if I don't like music and don't desire to teach it. I just always had doubts as to my ability to do so effectively. But I suppose this year will be telling.
Nothing from us until tomorrow evening, but I wanted to point you all toward one of our favourites, Duke Fandango. He's just written a fantastic post on tips for the teacher trainee. Labels: going above and beyond, link, list, practicum, teaching abroad, tips
I found the day exhausting too, and not only because I wound up falling asleep sometime after 2:30 this morning and then woke up on my own at 6:30, an hour before I had to be awake. Labels: about us, anxiety, finding a balance, practicum, Queen's, reassurance, teaching abroad
I had one class today... and I'm exhausted.
I also helped a don put up the 12 zodiac signs on her floor ceiling using paper stars and tape. This may have contributed to said exhaustion.
I also recognize, though, that a lot of the exhaustion just comes from the fact that today was the first day and that we were all taking in a lot of new information. Nothing was really all that unexpected except for the registration process (where I was told I needed a new student card and then informed that I didn't). I've been racking my brains, trying to think of something else to say that would be interesting but I'm drawing a blank. But I also thought I should at least drop a line to say that the first day went as expected. I did not react in any sort of extreme fashion, which I suppose was good. No arms were waved.
We start our very first day of teacher's college tomorrow! Eeeep!!