(no subject)
My first tutoring session was broken up into three parts. The teacher informed me of WASL testing that was coming up next week and the amount of prep work involved. I was assigned to work with one student had been skipping frequently for the past week named Tommy. I helped him outline a paper and the subject was his favorite person. He chose himself. The teacher did not enjoy his choice and I personally did not either. This was probably due to both of our beliefs that he was not taking the assignment seriously. One-on-one tutoring is so much easier compared to three-to-one or a classroom setting because other students do not interfere with each other and disruptions are handled quickly. I noticed Tommy was also a bit nervous dealing with me (his writing hand was trembling), the next time I saw him he had already established an air of familiarity with me.
I began with feeding him main ideas to write about himself but they were all superficial. Hoping he would choose something more meaningful to himself besides his hairstyle and the things he owns, I kept asking him questions about what type of person he was. The answers he gave may have reflected the relevance he felt with the assignment-which was little. Either way, he finished a rough draft. He felt accomplished. I felt accomplished. However, I still feel the classroom as a whole was a foreign place to me.
I don’t remember middle school being like this at all.
My own academic career was filled with ambitious students and never did the teacher have to explain to us “you’re not stupid” with the a few students responding individually “do you think I’m stupid, Ms. W” Middle school also differed from mine, in that, the teacher’s class was 100% minorities. W herself was the only white person. This leads me to infer a few things about the authority she can utilize by being white, by being an adult, and by being a woman. All of these elements together may help her earn the trust of the students which sharply contrasts Mr. C’ math class which I will discuss later.
The behavior of each student was mostly calm, with slightly louder-than-six-inch voices throughout. The standard for discipline seems lower than it should be. Many students curse loudly and met with no verbal warnings (disciplining profanity to this degree may send nearly a third of the class to the principal’s office or whatever disciplinary procedure they have). Many students are extremely quiet and meek. Learning is definitely most comfortable within the umbrella of peers surrounding them but this also means students together will fall behind in work since the risk of being noticed is lower. Also students “finished” with their WASL work roam around freely, sit in the teacher’s chair and play music on the computer. Free time during WASL week is abundant. As Wickstead mentions, the WASL preparation has students beyond their attention thresholds.
Tommy was fully capable of completing his essay but he is like every other student in the class and needs motivation relevant to him. Or possibly the “good grade” motivation on a larger scale is not clear to him. These students know school is important, but truancy is a problem and doing the work when they show up is a problem, and the standards across the board drop when the majority of the instructors undermine their own authority.
On Friday, after Ms. W’s class went to read to elementary school students while I went to an Honors Math class being substituted. At least that is what the students told me. They seemed very focused despite the teacher giving them free time. The sub had little to offer in the mathematics department so I helped them with algebra. Trying to explain multi-step processes of algebra was extremely difficult and the WASL problems are oddly presented. Not much help here to be given. Students listened to iPods, flirted and were surprised at every other problem that I could not remember immediately how to answer the math problems (I eventually figured them out, though the wording is odd). Tutoring two students, one struggling and one very knowledgeable but both friends, was obnoxious. One would always interrupt saying she knows the answer and the other would still be stuck after my explanations. I’m sure her friend could tutor her but motivations again point toward fun and probably the weekend.
On Friday and Monday, I met with Mr. C for math. The second I introduced myself he warned me that this period was his roughest class. He was probably right. Students never stopped talking while he introduced me. One student made a remark about being a UW student. I sat in front to possibly help with their high-tech overhead and drawing out the math equations. Speeding up his teaching, I thought. The teaching was drowned out by students interrupting, sleeping, and roaming around freely during lecture, tardiness.
I attempted to follow along, but I was extremely distracted by one student asking me personal questions, the overall demeanor and my lack of a relevant role. Mr. C proceeded to ask the class the questions despite how his lecture carried. I could tell he couldn’t go in-depth with the explanations of each question but this class, I can only infer, reflects the school’s overall standard dropping for discipline. If one teacher becomes lenient, the rest are forced to create the same leniency. The respect for Mr. C as an adult is nearly nonexistent. His teaching style seems to just be move-it-along, next question. He is visibly agitated. He suggested I tutor two or three students on my own. I am not looking forward to it, but I hope to accomplish something.
I began with feeding him main ideas to write about himself but they were all superficial. Hoping he would choose something more meaningful to himself besides his hairstyle and the things he owns, I kept asking him questions about what type of person he was. The answers he gave may have reflected the relevance he felt with the assignment-which was little. Either way, he finished a rough draft. He felt accomplished. I felt accomplished. However, I still feel the classroom as a whole was a foreign place to me.
I don’t remember middle school being like this at all.
My own academic career was filled with ambitious students and never did the teacher have to explain to us “you’re not stupid” with the a few students responding individually “do you think I’m stupid, Ms. W” Middle school also differed from mine, in that, the teacher’s class was 100% minorities. W herself was the only white person. This leads me to infer a few things about the authority she can utilize by being white, by being an adult, and by being a woman. All of these elements together may help her earn the trust of the students which sharply contrasts Mr. C’ math class which I will discuss later.
The behavior of each student was mostly calm, with slightly louder-than-six-inch voices throughout. The standard for discipline seems lower than it should be. Many students curse loudly and met with no verbal warnings (disciplining profanity to this degree may send nearly a third of the class to the principal’s office or whatever disciplinary procedure they have). Many students are extremely quiet and meek. Learning is definitely most comfortable within the umbrella of peers surrounding them but this also means students together will fall behind in work since the risk of being noticed is lower. Also students “finished” with their WASL work roam around freely, sit in the teacher’s chair and play music on the computer. Free time during WASL week is abundant. As Wickstead mentions, the WASL preparation has students beyond their attention thresholds.
Tommy was fully capable of completing his essay but he is like every other student in the class and needs motivation relevant to him. Or possibly the “good grade” motivation on a larger scale is not clear to him. These students know school is important, but truancy is a problem and doing the work when they show up is a problem, and the standards across the board drop when the majority of the instructors undermine their own authority.
On Friday, after Ms. W’s class went to read to elementary school students while I went to an Honors Math class being substituted. At least that is what the students told me. They seemed very focused despite the teacher giving them free time. The sub had little to offer in the mathematics department so I helped them with algebra. Trying to explain multi-step processes of algebra was extremely difficult and the WASL problems are oddly presented. Not much help here to be given. Students listened to iPods, flirted and were surprised at every other problem that I could not remember immediately how to answer the math problems (I eventually figured them out, though the wording is odd). Tutoring two students, one struggling and one very knowledgeable but both friends, was obnoxious. One would always interrupt saying she knows the answer and the other would still be stuck after my explanations. I’m sure her friend could tutor her but motivations again point toward fun and probably the weekend.
On Friday and Monday, I met with Mr. C for math. The second I introduced myself he warned me that this period was his roughest class. He was probably right. Students never stopped talking while he introduced me. One student made a remark about being a UW student. I sat in front to possibly help with their high-tech overhead and drawing out the math equations. Speeding up his teaching, I thought. The teaching was drowned out by students interrupting, sleeping, and roaming around freely during lecture, tardiness.
I attempted to follow along, but I was extremely distracted by one student asking me personal questions, the overall demeanor and my lack of a relevant role. Mr. C proceeded to ask the class the questions despite how his lecture carried. I could tell he couldn’t go in-depth with the explanations of each question but this class, I can only infer, reflects the school’s overall standard dropping for discipline. If one teacher becomes lenient, the rest are forced to create the same leniency. The respect for Mr. C as an adult is nearly nonexistent. His teaching style seems to just be move-it-along, next question. He is visibly agitated. He suggested I tutor two or three students on my own. I am not looking forward to it, but I hope to accomplish something.