Matt’s blog

I understand that many new teachers get caught up in the ideologies of education and the purposes for which they drag themselves to school everyday.  Let me take this time to overly simplify the situation.  In colleges and universities they will tell you what they think and the people from the state dept will throw their two cents in.  Their opinions are not any more worthy than the dali llamas is.  No offense to the dali.  Your job is to try to make their life better and you do it becuase you have a deep desire to help others.  Its called love.  You teach out of love.  Cant say that in colleges or state agencies becuase its not quanititive or measureable, but neither is any of the good stuff in life like laughter, joy, and friendships.  Most successful adults could not pass my 5th grade final exam so why is it important to learn about the Civil War or about U.S..presidents from over a century ago?  I dont know and dont ask me.  Curriculums change, society changes, people change.  My job is to teach stuff, my mission is to teach them to think, and my reason is becuase I care.  Strip away all the beaucracy and just look at your students.  They are kids.  Be a good role model, show them that people care about them, and teach them that learning is important and that they can be achievers.  Teach them how to think.  Do it because you love them.  If you dont then quit.

I understand that many new teachers get caught up in the ideologies of education and the purposes for which they drag themselves to school everyday.  Let me take this time to overly simplify the situation.  In colleges and universities they will tell you what they think and the people from the state dept will throw their two cents in.  Their opinions are not any more worthy than the dali llamas is.  No offense to the dali.  Your job is to try to make their life better and you do it becuase you have a deep desire to help others.  Its called love.  You teach out of love.  Cant say that in colleges or state agencies becuase its not quanititive or measureable, but neither is any of the good stuff in life like laughter, joy, and friendships.  Most successful adults could not pass my 5th grade final exam so why is it important to learn about the Civil War or about U.S..presidents from over a century ago?  I dont know and dont ask me.  Curriculums change, society changes, people change.  My job is to teach stuff, my mission is to teach them to think, and my reason is becuase I care.  Strip away all the beaucracy and just look at your students.  They are kids.  Be a good role model, show them that people care about them, and teach them that learning is important and that they can be achievers.  Teach them how to think.  Do it because you love them.  If you dont then quit.

Took off yesterday for absolutely no reason.  If I am are going to bail one day for personal reasons and I can pick anyday then I always pick Thursdays.  Today I am giving tests in each class.  I read the tests outloud and the students can only mark their answers when I am finished reading the question, the answers, and the question again.  After we are done I take the tests up and I reread the test and the students aswer the questions out loud.  Then I do a short review of the material.  Makes for a short day.  The biggest problem is having students make comments about the test while I am reading it.  I now just count five points off everytime somebody says something at all.  Anyway we have one week left with finals all the way to Friday of next week.  The longer you teach the quicker the year goes by until you start feeling like there is not enough time anymore instead of what am I going to do to fill the time in...hahaha.