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Jun. 6th, 2009 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charisstomaOne more day and I'm off til August. *sigh* 2 down, 2 more to go.
An English teacher has really impressed. Class novel was used as the basis for a pseudo court scene. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiff, judge, witnesses, and jury. Oh and one must not forget the defendant who was chewing gum and got called for contempt of court. Loved the fact that the witnesses had to swear the truth the whole truth according to the events of the book with hand on said book.
Four times the court met and conducted trial with the defendant judged guilty 3 of those 4 times. Fourth time had a smart defense counsel. The jury was made up of peers which meant that they'd read the book and made up their minds that the defendant was guilty. This was pointed out with questioning of the jury by the defense who then asked the judge for an unbiased jury. Prosecutor was unprepared for the task as all the facts were previously know to everyone involved. Evil defendant walked and was ruled in contempt of court for too much glee.
Last days of the school year and the teacher had them still involved. Very impressive.
Think the winning defense attorney is going to be
An English teacher has really impressed. Class novel was used as the basis for a pseudo court scene. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiff, judge, witnesses, and jury. Oh and one must not forget the defendant who was chewing gum and got called for contempt of court. Loved the fact that the witnesses had to swear the truth the whole truth according to the events of the book with hand on said book.
Four times the court met and conducted trial with the defendant judged guilty 3 of those 4 times. Fourth time had a smart defense counsel. The jury was made up of peers which meant that they'd read the book and made up their minds that the defendant was guilty. This was pointed out with questioning of the jury by the defense who then asked the judge for an unbiased jury. Prosecutor was unprepared for the task as all the facts were previously know to everyone involved. Evil defendant walked and was ruled in contempt of court for too much glee.
Last days of the school year and the teacher had them still involved. Very impressive.
Think the winning defense attorney is going to be
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*JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-06 11:10 pm (UTC)Re: *JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-06 11:58 pm (UTC)Our school district has 'applied learning',the new fad in teaching here in the Fort Worth area.
Some of our teachers have had students do brochures, power points, or some other presentation of the place (as in which planet)they chose as a vacation getaway with the things to do and see there, what they'd need to take with them, estimated time of travel and such.
Another had them do a presentation of their choice detailing why their section of "The Human Body Company" should not be downsized or terminated(reproductive dept. was not amongst those available for consideration for obvious reasons, these are middle schoolers).
They've planned road trips to places in the U.S. calculating where to stop for rest, fuel, and sightseeing. They needed to estimate cost and mileage.
It's a fun place but the end of the semester and year is painful as they put together their portfolios for oral presentation to their parents.
My daughter's school was a very early version,I think. The lessons/projects/papers were handed in, graded and returned. At semester's end there was a portfolio of all these items with table of contents listing the grade given for each item. The teacher didn't keep a record of the grades but threw the responsibility on the students to keep and present the graded items in a final product which the teacher then graded. It wasn't as student directed as 'applied learning' but they could redo projects to raise their grades. Emphasis was on learning the material.
Teaching evolves.
*gets off soap box*
Re: *JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-07 12:46 am (UTC)So, I definitely know teaching is evolving! What's so incredibly frustrating to me this year is that I love this style of teaching and have a gift for planning and implementing units the kids really enjoy (ah! modesty), but at my new school the principal is perfectly happy with letting the English dept. head trap us forcefully in the 80s. The first thing I was ordered to do last year was a library unit of worksheets from the late 70s! It's insane!
It's especially nuts because the rest of the SCHOOL isn't like that, much less the system. We're in a military town with huge diversity, and it's so bizarre that only one department at one school is allowed to be in this horrible cycle of mediocrity. Our science and math departments have implemented awesome new programs based around labs. And then...there's us.
*sigh*
So I join you on your soap box!
Although I do believe in keeping up with my kids' grades...because I have some parents who won't buy any supplies!
Re: *JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-07 01:42 am (UTC)Re: *JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-07 02:25 am (UTC)I've wondered what teaching the cream of the crop is like. In FL I taught mostly the kids of either prison guards or inmates, and here I teach everything from the nearly-homeless to the very wealthy. I do enjoy the diversity; I just wish that I could teach the way I want (and the way that's research-based!). I've been moved to a new classroom faaaar away from the other English teachers next year (so my old room could be converted to computer lab - very secure, no windows!), so I'm hoping I can sneakily do what I want without being spied on like I was this year!
Re: *JEALOUS*
Date: 2009-06-07 03:11 am (UTC)The AL students are a nice cross section of the U.S. Hispanic, Black, White and this year Chinese (she was from the international school and just shifted over). They're the cream because of their attitude. They may come into this school with problems but the method of learning seems to work for them and it shows in the academic achievement.
Of course there's always the shaving cream balloon fight that happened with the 8th graders on the last day of school... We don't usually have problems like that. The poor city cop on campus is bored out of her mind normally.
You sound like you're happy where you are and I hope that the classroom relocation works. Do the work sheets as take home and teach the concepts as you want in class? Maybe the dept. head will retire soon and why would a dept head not be in class teaching instead of spying. I wonder sometimes at the inefficiency in certain areas.
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Date: 2009-06-07 12:37 am (UTC)Angie
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Date: 2009-06-07 01:49 am (UTC)I wouldn't be surprised if she became an attorney but a she's sweetie. So maybe law in a nice side of the field. Don't mind me. Attorney as relative = less than best individual.
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Date: 2009-06-07 01:51 am (UTC)Angie
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Date: 2009-06-07 03:13 am (UTC)It's the charis edition.