http://education.ti.com/educationportal/activityexchange/activity_detail.do?cid=us&activityid=5650

Gizmos – Online simulations that students can explore to add meaning and depth to their understanding!

http://www.explorelearning.com/

 StockMarket Webquest:  If you are not familiar with webquests (I am just getting familiar with them) they are awesome! Students get involved in real-world problems that require higher-order thinking skills (think Bloom’s taxonomy) and they really get excited about it!!

http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/pwann/smwq/index.htm

Finally, if you have never been to the Futures Channel site this is a must!  Real-world “stuff” on every subject (especially math) abound.  The students get to see real-world application and then do a “real-world” lesson to build their understanding and make connections.

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/index.php

These sites are worth looking into! Geri U.

Diminimus Island Instructions 

Decorative Back for Cards

Information Cards for Diminimus Island Activity

I think. 

            Chapter One of Dr. Jeffers book, Feel the Fear and do it Anyway, says, ‘I’ll handle it’ on the cover page. For most teachers, this has to be their motto. For every situation, every lesson, every student and every piece of paper that enters a teacher’s classroom, ‘I’ll handle it’ has to be the first thing said! Dr. Jeffers discusses how her first classes always start. The students are nervous to talk at first and after they all realize that they are in the same boat, they begin to feel a bond with each other. Many schools do get to the process with their teachers and many do not. If only all teachers would open and work together, the job of teaching and the process of teaching would work so well! Ellen Moir writes an article that address much of these same issues. She answers questions that teachers have, many times new teachers and deals with these same issues. She strives to keep teachers focused on the important issues for teachers and states how important it is for teachers to find a system of support in their school, (Moir, 2007).

            In chapter three of Dr. Jeffers book, she discusses prioritizing events in life. Many people do not know how to say no and this is such an important thing to do, especially when teaching. You really have to focus on the important issues and learn how to not fret over every detail. If you have a busy schedule and need to prepare for teaching, it is okay to tell people that you can’t do something. Being prepared in the classroom should take priority. So many teachers, especially beginning teachers, become so bogged down with paperwork tasks that they loose sight of the focus of the classroom.             Also, in chapter three, Dr. Jeffers discusses a pain to power chart. Jeffers suggests placing a pin in the chart to determine where you are in terms of being in control of certain situations. She says that awareness is half of the battle. I feel that this chart can be applied to effective teachers vs. ineffective teachers. Teachers that stay in the top half of the chart are more likely to be effective teachers. Those that stay in the bottom half of the chart are more likely to be ineffective teachers that blame others and take no responsibility for their actions in the classroom, This pain to power chart from Jeffers can also help teachers to continually reflect on their classroom practices.            Teachers have so many different roles throughout the day and encounter many different students with many different learning styles that it becomes very difficult to manage time. Many teachers want to do more but school day time restraints become an issue. There are also teacher liability issues with school systems.

http://www.edutopia.org/ask-ellen-new-teacher-urban-classroom

            Recent studies support the views described above.  A recently publicized Report of the Task Force on Civic Values at Princeton (2007) stresses that students exposed to opportunities related to civic involvement within a school setting at an early stage in their education often make commitments to civic activities beyond the traditional educational realm.  Engberg, Hurtado, Landreman, and Ponjuan (2004) assert that the students’ civic experiences, or lack thereof, during earlier educational processes predispose them to the formation of beliefs and practices that often render them unprepared to “negotiate conflict in diverse democracy.”  John Mohan (2006) notes that education-based civic activities have demonstrated educational benefits while having wider impacts in terms of politics and social engagement as well.

            During my initial year of teaching, I noticed a major lack of civic responsibility and involvement on behalf of the students at the school in which I teach.  With that in mind, I approached the school administration about forming a student council that would undertake several projects throughout the year in order to enhance personal, school, and community awareness among the students.  Now, over three years later and with administrative support, the DMS student council is larger than ever (I do not place limitations on the number of students that may serve), and the projects are proving to be larger and more beneficial as time progresses.  All of the projects undertaken by the student council are student initiated, and they are primarily funded by student-driven fundraisers.  All projects must be school or community based, and they must demonstrate some degree of civic duty or interaction on behalf of the students.  Since the inception of the student council, I have observed the students, may I remind you that they are middle school students, propose and carry out large school-based projects such as hosting a teacher appreciation day on an annual basis, an annual custodian appreciation day, encasing school bulletin boards, and many other projects.  While such projects may seem minute to the outside world, the increased senses of morale and responsibility generated by the student council projects within the school have had tremendous impacts on the students, faculty, staff, and school as a whole.

            As the chair of the DMS Relay for Life, I have also employed student volunteers as a means of enhancing the students’ involvement in both school and community affairs.  The involvement of the students has made the Relay for Life program at DMS the most successful Hall County school-based program involved in the initiative.  The student volunteers, many of whom are linked to the student council, hosts annual dances, mini-relays, and other fundraisers throughout the year in order to contribute to the Relay for Life effort. 

Considering the changes that have taken place within my school within the past three years, it is clear that civic responsibility and involvement is relevant at the middle school level.  As John Mohan (2006) notes, education-based civic activities have demonstrated educational benefits while having wider impacts in terms of political and social engagement as well.  Although it may be a bit early for me to proclaim that such notions are true of the students I have mentored with the student council and Relay for Life programs, I can state that early evidence suggests that many have continued their involvement in civic activities at the high school level.  Many of them currently participate in successful extra curricular activities, and several have chosen to become active members in service-based clubs such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Partners Club.  To me, this is clearly enough evidence to support the promotion of civic engagement at the middle school level.

Engberg, M., Hurtado, S., Landreman, L., & Ponjuan, L. (2004).  Students’ Precollege Preparation for Partcipation in a Diverse Democracy.  Retrieved  10/01/2007 from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ647388&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&accno=EJ647388

Making a Difference?  Student Volunteerism, Service Learning, and Higher Education in the USA.  Springer Netherlands (2006).  Retrieved 10/01/2007 from: www.springerlink.com/index/Y5T4H80866X30156.pdf

Report of the Student Task Force on Civic Values at Princeton (2007).  Retrieved 10/01/2007 from: http://pace.princeton.edu/pdf/STFCV_report.pdf 

Chapter One: Civic responsibility.  (couldn’t find original author)  Weeks, 1998.  Retrieved 10/01/2007 from:   

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04272000-18210021/unrestricted/ChapterOne.doc.

As I read the author’s message of personal power, expanding one’s comfort zone, and fear truths, I was reminded of a German proverb, “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.” Sure, we all experience fear, but I wondered what was my big, bad wolf? What is holding me back professionally? Do I really believe I can handle anything? The answer, I found, was complicated.

Teaching is my second career. Initially, after college, I was in the management program at a major bank, and I decided to resign and become a teacher. Yes, Susan Jeffers would have been proud. Afterwards, I joined one of the post-bac programs at N.G.C.S.U. and quickly became a teacher before I had even student taught. Therefore, I could easily empathize with Jeffer’s account of her first teaching experience and feeling like “I was being sent to the guillotine” (1997). Then, after five years of teaching, I fell into a rut and began to play the “when/then” game. Obtaining a master’s degree is a rite of passage for most teachers, but I conveniently found excuses as to why I could not return to school; the list of excuses was endless, and I will not bore the reader with them. In spite of those excuses, I returned to school. I realized that “the only way to feel better about [my fear] is to go out…and do it.” And as a result, the fear of returning to school passed.

My next steps are to set a new goal and expand my comfort zone. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, author Andrea Coombes wrote, “If you cannot have a clear picture and imagine what it is you see yourself doing, it’s going to be hard” (2007). Much like Jeffer’s message of personal power, Coombes believes that, if you have no goal, then you are going nowhere: no goals, no go. Of course, I wholeheartedly agree with the statement; however, this decision is my latest fear. Where do I go next? After seven years of teaching I realize I need another change. Do I need to switch grades? Do I need to switch schools? At this point, I am unsure. However, after our readings, I realize that I have started to pay the “when/then” game once again, and my vocabulary has moved more toward the pain side of the chart.

In closing, we all experience fear; it is a part of life. As Dave Berry once joked, “All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears – - of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark.” Yet, it is how we “hold” the fear that is truly important. For me, I need to realize Jeffer’s truth 4: “Not only am I going to experience fear whenever I’m on unfamiliar territory, but so is everyone else” (1997). Then, I need to make some important decisions.

Works Cited:

Jeffers, Susan (1997), Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Rider and Co.

Coombes, A. (2007, February 23). How to switch to a new career. Retrieved October 1, 2007, from The Wall Street Journal Web site: http://www.careerjournal.com

     I moved here five years ago from Moline, Illinois as a passionate dreamer.  I wanted to believe that I could change the world.  I attended Western Illinois University with a very progressive curriculum, whose efforts were to create the teachers for the 21^st century.  We were armed with the latest research

 based knowledge and pedagogy to fight our nation’s educational battle.  We were urged to find jobs in the South to begin this reform.  My husband (who is also a teacher) and I moved here to the most beautiful state on the earth, to begin our new life together and begin the reform.  Our efforts seemed to be met with obstacles from day one. This area is a drastic contrast from the progressive university life, which we were immersed in.  This is very traditional and highly conservative area with very strong ethics and morals.  But those are the probably the only two things, that I do not wish to change about this state.  It was obvious from day one, that most people did not share the same educational philosophy as I. 

     Actually, my fear did not start until after I moved here. It was after my first year of teaching.  The passage of NCLB had everyone up in arms.  The administrators had posted every teacher’s tests scores, and I felt as though we were being played against each other.  My fellow colleagues were now considered competitors, and the battle was for the highest CRCT scores.  The interesting thing, is in Illinois we do not have a test comparable to this, so I quickly realized the importance of that testing game.  My students were actually performing similar, if not better on these tests than some of the teachers that had more experience than me.  Great for me, but this system can create resentment among the other teachers, and that resentment was aimed at me. Someone who has been teaching for fifteen years does not want a mentor that is twenty years younger.  So, I began the pursuit for higher learning. I thought “maybe they will respect me if I have a Master’s degree.”  Dr. Jeffers (1987) had me realizing that “The fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow (p. 22).” 

     My other fears…as I move up degrees, I continually thrive on education and learning.  I absolutely love school and the challenges that it gives me.  That is why I love teaching!!  I have thought about pursuing a PhD, but then I start to feel the fear again.  I am the mother of a three year old, and I am concerned about the repercussions of a very intensive degree, and the impact it will have on my family.  I come from a humble background and was the first person in my entire family to pursue a college degree and later my sister followed.  I also fear that this will separate me from them.  I have a hard time talking about my passion with other people; most people do not know the real me.  The last thing, I want to become is someone in the ivory tower, you know the researchers, policy makers, professors, and administrators that seem so separated from the teachers, the classroom, and most importantly the students.  The reasons why I entered this profession are what I do not want to forget.  I am tired of being scared, I am tired of being passive and complaint, and I feel compelled to advance and make a change.  Please say you will join me!      

References

Jeffers, S. (1987). Feel fear-do it anyway. Fawcett Columbine.

After much reflection, I have come to a decision to determine exactly what it is I am afraid of.  I returned to school in my mid 30’s to pursue my bachelor’s degree.  I was afraid of the idea at first, but then my oldest son asked me, “Mom do you think you could go back to college before it is time for us to go?”  Since he was in Middle School, I thought I had better get started.  Initially the financial burden was a huge topic of discussion for my husband and me, but once I decided that I wanted to go, we made it happen.  I enrolled at Perimeter College intent on becoming a certified teacher.  I finished my Associates degree there and then transferred to the much larger University of Georgia in Athens.  I had a decision to make, would I enroll in the elementary program or the middle school program?  I thought about my options and although the elementary program was more competitive and harder to get into, I did not succumb to the pressure to follow that path.  I reflected instead on my own experiences and thought about where I felt I needed the most guidance as a young person.  I remember Junior High being a point in my life where I really needed someone to count on. 

After looking at the different Level 1 Fears I figured I had faced all of them and conquered quite a few of them (Jeffers, 2006).  I was getting older, but I did not let it stop me from entering into a much younger crowd to finish my education.  I had made several friends along the way who helped me to be successful.  I had been able to take advantage of the Hope Scholarship and did not have a huge debt to repay.  I had made major changes in my life.  I was not worried about being older and I had really asserted myself to make being a teacher happen for myself. 

So why am I still feeling like a failure and helpless to do anything about it?  I chose math as my content area, not because I was an awesome math student, but because I felt it would make it easier for me to find a job when I had finished my degree.  I also had loved math as a younger student, but when I reached a certain level in mathematics I was no longer allowed to ask why things worked the way they did, but instead was told to just memorize the facts.  One of the fears I initially faced as a teacher was that the students might be smarter than I was.  Some of them were and still are.  Yet as more changes rolled through with a new curriculum and performance standards, I made sure I knew what changes I needed to make to be prepared to teach my students.  I did not want to be a failure.  But still, I felt vulnerable.  I made friends with another math teacher that was very confident in her mathematical abilities and she and I worked together to be sure we were implementing the new curriculum in a way that was beneficial for the students.  We both went back to school and were excited to find a text that we believed would be a great help in our instruction with the new curriculum.  We presented an idea to our principal to share the texts with our fellow math teachers as a pilot school.  Unfortunately, we were rejected.  It did not stop us however, from sharing our enthusiasm; we just shared it with others.  Eventually, the county adopted the new text as the primary text for middle school in our entire county. 

I am afraid of failure of losing face with my students, but more so with their parents.  I think I am practicing avoidance and it is not a tactic that is working for me.  I know I need to face my fear and just face my parents.  I don’t have to have an engineering degree from Georgia Tech to be a competent math teacher.  But I still am afraid that these ultra professional parents are going to discover that I am not perfect.  I am not sure why I have this great fear; I know none of us is perfect.  I do not expect it in my students, why am I expecting it of myself? 

Just this week I have decided that I am going to take action and tackle these fears head first.  I am participating with other teachers within my community (cluster) to work on preparing any teacher that walks into a classroom to be prepared to teach the state mathematics standards to all of the students in our county.  I attended a Vertical Team meeting today where we did something extremely simple.  We made checklists for teachers using the latest state performance standards.  It does not sound like a difficult task, but it was.  Those fears came up again.  What if I am doing it wrong?  All of my peers in the county are going to see this.  I have decided that I need to put some faith in my fellow teachers and trust that we will do the right thing.  I know that the work we are doing right now will affect the teachers that follow us and I believe that we are going to make a difference (Osteen, 2004).

I have also decided that now is the time for self discovery.  I am going to take a look at a teacher blog http://www.phschool.com/cmp2/  for teachers that are using the same text books that we have adopted.  I hope to see that many of the challenges I am facing in my classroom are not isolated incidents, but that others are facing them also.  I plan to ask for help from my peers and even possibly those on the blog to make myself face the reality that change is good.  I know in The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz http://www.businessballs.com/thefouragreementsdonmiguelruiz.htm  says that the world is not all about me.  I will be impeccable with my word, I will try not to take things too personally, I will not make assumptions, I will do my best at all of my endeavors and I will become a better person because of it.

I am going to stop behaving like an infant who is unsure of themselves and start behaving like the adolescent that I want to be by living my life, taking chances, taking responsibility (okay this is more adult than adolescent), and being okay with myself if I am not just like everyone else.  I am the best and only me that I can be.

   Teachers are one of the few professional careers in which the individual is required to seek out their own continuing education in order to remain employed.  Teachers are also the only career I can think of that requires the individual to complete and pay for higher education in order to receive a pay raise.  Other professions give pay raises for performance on the job, while teaching gives pay raises for performance off the job.  This scenario can be problematic for those of us who do not have power over our fears.   I really related to the author’s friend, the self-made man’s attitude that “it never occurred to me that fear would prevent me from taking the risks necessary to get what I wanted.”  Like the author’s friend, I would just plow ahead and do whatever it would take to accomplish a goal – despite any fear.  I really believe this trait is the reason that despite mothering four children, needing to bring in a full-time income, caring for a terminally ill mother, building a new home, moving, facing health issues, and running a household I went back to school in order to pursue a teaching career.  As evidenced by my enrollment in this course, I have continued my education in order to obtain a master’s degree.  In addition, I am taking the necessary courses to complete an endorsement to my degree. 

  Although I am often filled with the fear of not being able to be successful due to possibly over extending myself, I am adopting the book’s philosophy for conquering my fear.  My new mantra will be “I can handle it”.  I do agree with the book in the idea that by my “doing” school in the midst of the rest of my life, my fear of not being successful in school is diminishing.  I also know that once I complete these programs and degrees, I will feel better about myself for going out and just doing it. 

  Another author I love who helps people overcome living ineffective lives is Stephen Covey.  His book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” parallels many of the principals found in Jeffer’s book, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”.  Covey’s idea of needing to be self-aware is linked to Jeffer’s idea that we must look inward to discover the real roots of our fears.  Jeffer’s sends her readers on a personal journey of constant self improvement and Covey preaches to his readers that they must continually “sharpen the saw”.  Read more Covey at:  http://www.stephencovey.com/press/articles.html.

  Following the advice of both authors will help me conquer my fears and enjoy life more.  It is a great exercise to revisit the principles for facing my fears, moving from pain to power, and continuously expanding my comfort zone on a regular basis.  By changing my perceptions, I know I can keep sharpening my ability to do things for myself! 

I am definitely afraid that I will fail at teaching and my failures will show through student achievement. I am particularly fearful of being seen as a failure by my peers. Each year, following the CRCT and EOCT my content area teachers meet to analyze and discuss our overall test results as a school, as well as each teacher’s classes. The idea of my students not doing as well, if not better than the other eighth grade students propels me to work hard and plan effectively. By doing so, I try to limit the amount of failure my students and I face.

My math curriculum is structured around discovery and collaborative learning. Throughout my day, each period both my students and I obviously experience failure and success through teaching and learning. Class periods will go by where students understand the lesson and all is going well. Then, I will work with a group of students who are completely lost. I do not always assume that I failed to teach them the proper background knowledge or that my delivery is wrong. I understand that there are many reasons for student failure, but I do feel responsible on some level as it is my job to give them the tools they need to be successful.

Susan Jeffers states, “All you have to do to diminish your fear is to develop more trust in your ability to handle whatever comes your way!” I agree that the idea behind this statement is true, but I have a hard time believing that I will get over my fear of failure through trusting my abilities. I don’t feel as though I have a hard time addressing the many problems or pressure throughout the day. I am very laid back for the most part and enjoy being flexible in the classroom, however, I simply do not like feeling as though I have done something wrong or hindered my students in any way. I know that I need to let my fear of failure go in order to move on, but actually doing it is another story. I would like to think that knowing that I do, as much as, I can on a daily basis for my students should be enough for me to handle my fear of failure, but it isn’t. I am away of this fear and I would like to work towards overcoming it. Hopefully, with experience and continual growth I will move beyond my fear of failure.

http://www.positivepath.net/ideasLM4.asp

References:Jeffers, Susan Feel Fear and Do It Anyway.

Martin, L Face Your Fears. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from Positive Path Network Web site: http://www.positivepath.net/ideasLM4.asp