#RuralEdChat is a chat that focuses on the needs of the rural educator. This chat has been revised by Tammy Neil (@MathNeil), John Martin (@edventures) and Natalee Stotz (@nataleestotz).
Hi! We kind of have a thaw going on up here in WI too. It's been so nice but trying not to get too attached! Thanks for joining us tonight for #RuralEdChat
Happy that @nataleestotz is here from our #ruraledchat moderating team. Tonight's topic is based on some inspired conversation with Natalee and @TG_Neil
We are beginning the year by reflecting a bit. Tonight's chat is inspired by some conversations about how our past experiences make our way into our current practices. #ruraledchat
A1: remembering just how hard it is to learn something. I took calculus twice in high school, and still didn't ace it when I took it again in college. #RuralEdChat
This was English for me. Spirit crushed in 6th grade, didn't really recover until an amazing teacher in 11th. For 5 years, I hated it, which didn't help me get better. #RuralEdChat
Math didn't make sense to me, a social studies guy. Mrs. Cichacki @Hamburg_Super helped me pass 12th grade math! She is my #mathhero. @SidneySupt Anna Rossi is the best math teacher who I worked with! #ruraledchat
In reply to
@937Nathan, @LindaAragoni, @Hamburg_Super, @SidneySupt
A1: I struggled with math and for years believed I couldn't do it. Had a very fixed mindset. In recent years I've tried to develop more of a growth mindset & be mindful of the language I use around my students regarding my struggle. #RuralEdChat
Oh yes!! It’s really difficult to be aware. I take some comfort in understanding that we can do our best to not intentionally wound or harm. The adults in our childhoods might not have been intentionally hurtful, either. Wounding is part of most human relationships. #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@nataleestotz, @try_rebooting, @SJ_Grubb
Lecture Lecture and Lecture #ruraledchat Worksheets, photocopied worksheets. I'm waiting to talk to a publisher to get a book out about teaching #InterestingFacts
A2: passive classes/lectures. I try to make my classes as active as possible, with the kids doing the work. Some kids would rather I dump info in their head. Not happening. #RuralEdChat
Too bad we can't get a do over! I would take back my first two years and be more patient and less insistent that students answer book based questions #ruraledchat
In reply to
@robinhosemann, @nataleestotz, @try_rebooting, @SJ_Grubb
Right!?! Never once in my professional life has my boss said, "that wasn't right, but you know, too late now, try harder next time." There may be limits for edu, but its certainly not always "1". #RuralEdChat
I often marvel that the Ss I had my first few years of teaching not only turned out okay, but still really like me! I look at the teacher I am now compared to then and feel like I should apologize to those Ss! #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@CaseyJ_edu, @robinhosemann, @try_rebooting, @SJ_Grubb
And yet, people think that if we don't hold Ss to hard fast deadlines and punish them with grades, that we're not preparing them for the real world. #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@try_rebooting, @CaseyJ_edu, @PhDStudents
Oh my goodness, yes! Deion, Matthew and Josefina, if you're out there, you have my deepest gratitude for that wild first year. I learned so much from you. #RuralEdChat
In reply to
@nataleestotz, @CaseyJ_edu, @try_rebooting, @SJ_Grubb
I have in 20 years never seen a "hard deadline" except in government and Education. In the real world life is fluid. It requires planning and time management. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, it was built and rebuilt and rebuilt #ruraledchat#sschat
In reply to
@nataleestotz, @try_rebooting, @PhDStudents
Oh yes! OMG Time waste for the students and me! Much better to give options- larger project w/ feedback or do 10 hw assignments. #ruraledchat#literacy#sschat
In reply to
@robinhosemann, @nataleestotz, @SJ_Grubb, @try_rebooting
You are so right! I still cant spell correctly! Yikes Sentence structures and diagramming still makes #nightmare#spellingbees are bullying! #ruraledchat
In reply to
@nataleestotz, @SJ_Grubb, @robinhosemann, @try_rebooting
A3) I'm in the middle of a shift with the acceptance that many students in my school will not go on to college, and how to contextualize what I teach and encourage future learning based on that. #RuralEdChat
I've tried to change how I talk to my HS students about their post-secondary plans to communicate that not going to college is okay. Lots of paths to success & fulfillment. #RuralEdChat
We want to thank you for reflecting here with us tonight. Our experiences, influences and practices are rich. It's really neat to see how we've arrived at our current place in our work and how we continue to evolve. #ruraledchat
My biggest struggle is the students who would really do well in college, but don't make any plans to go. It can be a tough sell, and sometimes, their live situations prevent it. Easily my toughest experience in education. #RuralEdChat
If you have time for a moment of pause and mindfulness, take a few breaths and honor yourselves as important educators in your communities. #RuralEdChat
