Hi, #UTedChat! Havilah Jones, Tech Coach @alpineschools. My favorite movie about life as a teacher happens to also be my favorite Christmas movie! Danger in the Manger! https://t.co/xJveVZc3Gl
Q1 Teach to Live: Share your story for being in education. Even with all the negatives that we sometimes experience, what is your positive? What makes you a teacher? #UTedChat
Christine, 5th grade, @alpineschools . I love Mr. Holland's Opus! I had aspirations to be a music teacher as a kid. Unfortunately, no music ability. #utedchat
Hey everyone! Josh from #CSD. Have to be DPS. (Flash back to last week's conversation) Got me thinking about teaching literature when I was in high school. #UTedChat
A1: Education is the foundation society is built on! It's humbling to be able to be a part of something so important. We are on the front lines shaping our future! #UTedChat
A1: Making a difference for the one. The aha moments, when they come. The energy of my students, their power and potential. It's all worth it when they find their voices and stand up for themselves because they see that they CAN make a difference. #utedchat
Q1 Teach to Live: Share your story for being in education. Even with all the negatives that we sometimes experience, what is your positive? What makes you a teacher? #UTedChat
A1 I haven’t worked in a school setting yet, but working at a before and after school program I think it’s rewarding seeing the kids smile, grow, and giving thanks/appreciation #utedchat
A1: We all love seeing the “a-ha!” moments, I’m seeing some long awaited ones as I’m seeing some former fourth graders investigate colleges. ❤️🙌🏼 #utedchat
I stay for the kids. Teaching is a good opportunity to serve and have an impact on mankind, even if it's just my little corner of the universe. #utedchat
Q1 Teach to Live: Share your story for being in education. Even with all the negatives that we sometimes experience, what is your positive? What makes you a teacher? #UTedChat
A1 My thing is relationships. I love knowing the amazing people in education. I have worked with so many wonderful educators, and got to know so many amazing youth. These are people I would totally miss without this drive to teach. #UTedChat
A1 My thing is relationships. I love knowing the amazing people in education. I have worked with so many wonderful educators, and got to know so many amazing youth. These are people I would totally miss without this drive to teach. #UTedChat
A2: TIME is my biggest obstacle. There's never enough for all the things I should be doing. I juggle as best I can. Between school and other commitments, it's just impossible to do it all as well as I want. I have to be okay with letting some things go. #utedchat
A2: Time. There's never enough time. Dividing time between your kids (Ss) and your actual kids. It's important to set boundaries and limits so you can take care of both. #UTedChat
A2: Prioritizing. No matter what level it’s always hard for me to to decide what’s most important to teach, when to stop for teachable moments/community building, what to go back cover again, and when move on. #utedchat
Q2: Apathy. Either from my students or from the parents of my students. I just never give up... just keep swimming. Hoping that I can break through and ignite some spark. #UTedChat
Those habits and mindsets do change little by little though when educators see how the shifts can positively impact student learning #utedchat Model! Model! Model!
A2: All the extras, new stuff, and changes, especially when it's hard to see how it impacts teaching and learning. Taken slowly and in small chunks though, changes can be good. #utedchat
A1) My positive is hoping to be able to be the teacher that makes learning fun and watching them get excited about learning like I did and still do! #utedchat
Sometimes the fluff distracts us from the powerful stuff. We can't let ourselves get jaded when it comes to innovation, but it's hard to keep an open mind for everything new that comes down the pike. #utedchat We have to filter for our students.
Another obstacle I face is apathy. I’d rather have people argue with my ideas and methods versus the person who simply sits and doesn’t care. #UTedChat
I'm not a teacher yet, I'm still in college. But from what I've seen trying to make all the children feel welcome and valuable would be very hard. #UTEdChat
A3 A teacher's paycheck always comes years down the road. Last week, ran into a former student and was embraced in a hug before I knew who he was. LOL It was a great moment! #utedchat
Q3: I think I have made a difference in my classroom, school, and community... I try to be a positive force in the lives of my kids and my colleagues. A smile goes a long way. #UTedChat
I agree. I’d take the overly involved parents who fight me on every assignment and email about every hallway rumor, than the parent who I can NEVER get on the phone, never responded to emails, won’t answer the door if I do a home visit. How do I even help? #UTedChat
A3: I make a differences by sharing my successes and failures with any teacher who will listen and seeking their stories in return. whatever we can do to help make each other the best teachers we can be. #utedchat
Not that hard- Greet every student every day by name and let them know how much you care and that you're excited they came to school. It's about relationships! #utedchat
I'm not a teacher yet, I'm still in college. But from what I've seen trying to make all the children feel welcome and valuable would be very hard. #UTEdChat
A3: I think my favorite success story is a former parent of a student who volunteered in my classroom went back to school to become a teacher! Now she has her own classroom! 👩🏻🏫 #utedchat
I have field practice each week with toddlers and talking to them and really listening to what they have to say really makes them feel important and valuable and I think that is so important for young ones. #UTEdChat
A3 When I was a high school teacher my biggest impact was after school at a practice or event. Today, it’s still the same thing only now it happens on Wed. nights at #UTedChat
A3: I once was involved in mobilizing an entire school community to encourage the district to change course on a policy change. The effort succeeded and the best part was the student growth in the organization process as they found their voice and got results. #UTedChat
Even though it’s a challenge I think it’s so important to recognize the small successes each of has on a daily basis. Too often we only see the things we do wrong. #UTedchat
A3 part 2: Nowadays I've taken over the mentoring program in my school and I lead a department. Teachers are happy with lots of transparency and support. It's not enough to simply play the role of messenger. I am an advocate, I get results and they feel respected. #UTedchat
Q4 - Best Day Ever: Share your best lesson or day as a teacher. What made your day so great? What advice for success would you share with others? #UTedChat
A3: I think we each make a unique and lasting difference when we make decisions that we know are necessary, even if unpopular or not "part of the program." #UTedchat
A3 I hope to try and shed some light on students getting involved in community somehow. There’s one program I really enjoy volunteering for which is the Veteran Stand Down and I hope to spread that joy of giving back. #utedchat
A3 part 3: And sometimes you get rewarded at the strangest times and places - I was at a movie theater collecting signatures for #ourschoolsnow over Thanksgiving - several current students said Hi and a former student gave me a hug and let me know he's becoming a pilot. #UTedChat
There was one day at my field practice when the children came running up to me and hugged me and it just felt so good to know they wanted to see me and wanted me to be there. #UTEdChat
Agreed. I get excited when I plan a lesson that hits the standard, practices authentic historical skills, and when I feel like most students are engaged. When I see them talking about the lesson on their way out the door? That is when I know I've done good work. #UTedChat
A3: I like hosting after school clubs for Ss in the school. It's fun to bring Ss together who normally wouldn't come together (different grades/friends/neighborhoods/teachers/etc) for new and creative learning. #utedchat
A4 Best day ever! Whole graduating class (former 6th graders of mine) piled into my classroom after their graduation practice. Meant so much! I knew every kid had graduated! Students taught me power of moments! #utedchat#momentmakers
A3: One more. Having been an educator for over 40 years I see former students almost every where I go. I love it and they seem to love it too. #UTedChat
A4: A student last summer, who was a pretty poor student despite being brilliant, introduced me to his grandparents as the teacher who got him into school and politics. Then ruined the nice moment by starting a Trump v Clinton debate. #UTedchat
A4 This is one of those hard ones. One was when we were reading Count of Monte Cristo a couple years ago, and I threw philosophy at them and asked how different philosophers would approve/disapprove of Dantes' actions. Kids loved it and it just came together. #UTedChat
I know teachers need to vent, but I cannot stress how imp. it is to share the good. Always try to turn the conversation around, see the silver lining. #UTedChat#sharethegood
A4 hard to pick a single lesson or day. Overall I would say anytime Ss we’re collaborating and applying what they learned it was good. Advice: find time to talk to each student and get to know them, names matter #UTedChat
A4: Best Lesson Ever - Zero Sum Game. It's an activity I created (from scratch) where students get to role play international diplomacy in 20th c. Europe. They love it every time, and definitely come away with an appreciation for int'l diplomacy! #UTedchat It's a fun simulation!
Q4 - Best Day Ever: Share your best lesson or day as a teacher. What made your day so great? What advice for success would you share with others? #UTedChat
A4 My best lessons were generally ones that I was in the background while the students learned from one another. Less of me, more of them is always better! #UTedChat
A4 part 1 As much as I love getting thank you’s from the kids at my work, I think one of the best days ever was running into a parent at the store and them thanking me for being one of their child’s favorites and for caring for them. #utedchat
A4: super late to the party tonight!my best day ever was when a little autistic boy wrote that he wanted to be a teacher when he grew up, and teach next door to me! ❤️❤️ #UTedChat
A4: Taught a unit on the poetry of rock to my 7th grade magnet students. Loved it when two girls were so mad at U2 for switching from political commentary to love songs. Cool! #UTedChat
A4: Best Day Ever... I love when my kids finally believe that they can do math. I don't care what day of the week it is, but it's the best day ever. So many of my kids just don't have any confidence when it comes to math. When they finally "Get it" that's the best! #UTedChat
A4: My whole year last year was great - the class really came together well and we did some amazing stuff. Best day was when the kids organized a class reunion this year because they missed each other so much. #utedchat
A4) I am really excited to watch students grow in their knowledge of the subject by showing them that learning is fun and supporting their dreams in every way I can. The day a student comes back to see me (hopefully) will be one of the greatest days! #utedchat
A4: Hard to put a finger on. But every day I see a past student being more successful than they were when they entered my classroom is a great one. #UTedchat
A4 part 2 hearing things like thag from parents really helps you realize how much of a difference and affect you have on children and there’s no better feeling. #utedchat
A4: The day my students took over classroom troubleshooting/problem solving for me at our “Genius Table.” It changed all of our lives. 🙌🏼
Kidding. It was totally beating my students at basketball. #utedchat
A3: I think sometimes our greatest successes are the stories we never get to see. That’s what’s so awesome about education - we never know how much influence we might have. #UTedChat
A4: one time the drama teacher told me that the students requested I attend a dress rehearsal bc of my laugh. It was the BEST bc I was my authentic self and the students loved it. It's a good day when we can share what we love and who we really are. #UTedChat
Q4 - Best Day Ever: Share your best lesson or day as a teacher. What made your day so great? What advice for success would you share with others? #UTedChat
A5 I think most of teaching moments I regret is taking the safe road instead of trying something new. I never regret putting myself out there and being willing to fail! #UTedchat
A4 Part 2. Krystal reminded me. Worked with an autistic girl for 5 years from 1st through 5th. My last day at the school she brought me an origami frog with a note "Best Principal Ever" Still have it. #UTedChat
A5 I don’t have much experience with teaching yet as I’m only a student, but reflection is important because when you step back you can see what needs improvements for next time to benefit the students as much as possible each time you reflect #utedchat
A5: This is tricky. A student my first year asked me if I had regrets in life and I said "No." She looked puzzled. I explained that I learn from my mistakes and try not to repeat them. Still, I always want to better to meet ALL my students' needs: An ongoing struggle. #utedchat
A5 Sometimes I wish I could go back to my first students and have them in my classroom again- so much has changed! Reflection has helped me to make MANY shifts from traditional practices! #utedchat
A5: One of the best things about teaching in the secondary environment is that we usually have several chances to do things better. I use my mulligans on a daily basis. Sorry first period. It's all about trying to be a more perfect teacher. #UTedChat
A5 Having the mentality to look at a lesson and say what would I change if I could do it over is key to becoming the educator you aspire to be. When you are more brave ask Ss for their input #UTedChat
A5b: BTW I am so sorry for my 1st period classes, because they never get my A game. By the end of the day I usually have a really decent lesson, but it never starts off that way. This is something I need to work on more, perhaps reflecting on a more regular basis. #UTedChat
A5: If I could have a do over on anything, it would butting heads with a student. It never ends up to be a productive exchange. I'm getting better at turning them to the positive. #UTedChat
You have a headstart from most eds because you're connected! So as you reflect, always question the WHY? A lot of things need to change from what you experienced as a student :) #utedchat
I've gotten much better at being emotionally detached when students are having a hard time doing what they should. It works wonders. Getting angry gives them power in the situation. Never a good idea. #UTedChat
A5) I hope to see a student asking questions and I having all the answers ready! By reflecting it can show us what is effective and not effective and to throw out the in-effective can really improve the way we teach! #utedchat
By 7th I was out of gas, best lessons were 2-5. After that it felt like I was telling the same stories over and over and I couldn’t keep things straight in my head #utedchat
A6: how do I pick just one LOL moment?! Oh I know - a student told our class all about her mom’s C-section before school, then at SEPs told me all about dad’s surgery (aka a vasectomy 🙊😂) can’t make that up! #UTedChat
A6: I'll share an anecdote form an English teacher friend - they were discussing Shakespeare and the term ''harlot' came up as a ? T explained 'prostitute; was a synonym. S was still confused. T said 'Ask your mother.' Class in an uproar. Oops. #utedchat
Q6: #UTedChat Today: I made a portrait of my family using my Switch and the Mii function and it is my PC wallpaper. Well, I have a son who is part Filipino, so he is darker than us. The projector makes him orange. one of my kids said he looked like D.Trump. We all laughed!
A6: lol, I overheard a student ask his friend if Miley Cyrus was Billy Ray Cyrus' payback for singing Achy Breaky Heart, and I cried I was laughing so hard #UTedChat
A6: Discussing the word "variation" and a kid used the example of color - variations of green. One kid's shirt was neon green, another was grass green. My shirt was booger green. He couldn't figure out why we were all laughing. And no, I haven't worn that shirt since. #utedchat
A6: Severe behavior student was acting up. Behavior aide and I were trying to ignore. He said, "I'm going to flip the bird!" We looked back to see him aiming a large rubberband at her parakeet. #UTedchat
It's my 7th year teaching and it's taken me a lot of those years to not take that bait. Now I am more likely to drop down to their level and ask them what's going on. Building bonds #UTedChat
A6 playing ‘blow the roof off’ an activity where each Ss read off a 3 x 5 card that had all sorts of crazy and fun actions. Read in your best dinosaur voice, dance as you move to the front of the class, stand on your desk and read are quick examples of what we did #UTedChat
I was out sick for a couple months and the kids were all clapping that I had returned. An autistic boy stood up and shouted "No, I hate him. I want the other teacher back" I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. #keepit100#utedchat
A6 working with ages 5-18 I have so many I can think of! But one of the funniest was in one of the classrooms we have a guinea pig and one of the kids pointed at him and said “ms. Terrene why is that thing vibrating?” And all he was doing was scratching himself lol #utedchat
A6 Last week a kid raises his hand and legitimately asks what a mistress is. His friends lost it, and he didn't have a clue why. And we all got a good kick out of it afterwards. #UTedChat
