So I found a bunch of old writing I did in grade 12 (2002)

And one of the things included 'tips for being a good teacher', so here it is people, straight from the teenage mouth:

ü      When a student is talking to another student, make both students stand up and tell the class what the topic was, (Teacher was talking about). If either student don't know what the teacher was saying get another student to fill them in (while still standing). <- This idea will some what embarrass the students who were talking by making them stand up and perhaps look foolish if they have no idea what the teacher was talking about. But if they DO know what the teacher was talking about then there is no point in punishing them for not paying attention. I as a student know that it is possible to do two things at once, and as a teacher my only goal is to make sure the students are listening.

ü      If  lesson is going to consist of mostly the teacher 'lecturing' the class then a 5 minute 'talking session' should be issued before or after the lesson is taught. If the block is a 'work block' (or consists of partner working) then no 'talking session' should be issued.

ü      Let students work in two's, three's, four's ect. in work blocks. But if the students to fail to keep the sound level down to a minimum, make them work up to the privilege again.

ü      Let kids earn marbles (when they are good), and when 100 is reached, a field trip is planned.

ü      Never tell students to 'shut up' it shows your anger weakness

ü      Point out the good things a class/student does more often then bad

ü      If a bad mark is given, always let the student know what to improve on and why mark was given.

ü      Always let student know what he/she is in trouble for, never punish a student for simply being 'annoying'

ü      Give bonus marks if a teachers mistake is found

ü      Never tell students exactly what you expect from them, then they know how to push your buttons

ü      Never jump to conclusions if a problem occurs (I.E. 'John stop talking to Sarah'…)

ü      Never blame just one person if two people are talking or 'causing a ruckus'

ü      Talk slowly when angry and DO NOT YELL

ü      Complement class work

ü      When average marks are high, let the class know and compliment them, perhaps a treat

You know what is sad.....

...is that I just looked at Rate My Teacher and saw some of my old teachers on there and they are STILL terrible. One teach in particular ALWAYS yelled at us and people are still saying she yells all the time! How can someone go to work EVERY DAY AND YELL!? Doesn't that tell you something is WRONG? How can you possibly live like that!?

I think rate my teacher is a great way to find out what students like/don't like about teachers. There is actually some pretty good helpful pointers on there!

English PLOs Translated

Differences in PLOs by Grade Level

A-    Speaking and Listening

A3- Grade 10- context, including historical and cultural influences

A8- Grade 10- relating reactions and emotions to understanding of the text, making inferences, explaining opinions using reasons and evidence

A9- Grade 9- making and supporting judgments, describing perspectives, identifying bias, contradictions, and non-represented perspectives

A9- Grade 10- describing and comparing perspectives, describing bias, contradictions, and non-represented perspectives, identifying the importance and impact of historical and cultural contexts

B-    Reading and Viewing

B1- grade 11- poetry in a variety of forms

B3- grade 10- with increasing complexity of ideas and form, such as….

B7- Grade 10- reflecting on predictions, questions, images, and connections made during reading, reviewing text and purpose for reading, identifying stylistic techniques

B9- Grade 10- identifying and describing diverse voices, describing bias, contradictions, and non-represented perspectives

B10- Grade 10- contextualizing ideas and information

C-    Writing and Representing

C3- Grade 10- Speculate and consider, argue and persuade

C3- Grade 10- Strengthen connections and insights, explore and adapt literary forms and techniques, experiment with increasingly sophisticated language and style

C2- Grade 11- analyse and critique

C10- Grade 10- contextualizing ideas and information

My teaching philosophy...

I'm not sure if I've shared this before but mine is:

"I dare you to try"

Kids these days are so afraid of failure that they are too afraid to try. But how will they ever feel a sense of accomplishment and self-worth if they don't excel at something new? I live for those feelings and it makes me the confident person I am today and that is what I want to share with my students. I do not want them to be fearful of others reactions when they express themselves, I want them to feel confident in who they are and what they think even if others do not agree. I want them to try new things without leaning on others for assistance- I want them to be their own person and my teaching will model this. My teaching style with encourage students to try and let them know that there is no such thing as failure if you make a mistake. In fact, I want them to know that mistakes are not a big deal and it's okay to be incorrect sometimes as long as you try until you get it correct.

I love this book!

I love this book! That's right, I said it... I love a book! I can't wait to teach this to my students. Each 'chapter' is its own new story which keeps students interested!

I don't know what else to say but READ IT! :)