Keep it goin!

Yeah, I am aware we are done with the blogging, but I've decided to keep it going while I continue my student teaching next semester.

This past Sunday I didn't sleep due to an excessive amount of work, leaving me extremely irritable Monday morning. I haven't really complained about my novice teaching placement at all but I noticed so many things that bothered me Monday I have to let it out.

1. I am not going to repeat myself one thousand time, especially when it doesn't pertain to class at all. It's a waste of my time, the students' time, the tax payers' money, and good oxygen. While my CT was attempting to give a full 40 minute class period to first hour to study and review in groups for a test, he got caught up for 20 minutes answering the question, "What's your final like?" WHO CARES! Don't answer the question, simply tell them you will discuss that when the final gets closer, right now they need to focus on the test tomorrow. No, he had to go on and on...and on about the final and how he does it and why he does it the way he does it. By the time they got done discussing, the students had 15 minutes, not 40, to review. It gets better.

2. My CT allows students to use their notes on every exam. I pointed out to him that the students weren't learning at all, they had simply learned to adapt to his way of testing in a manner allowing them to get the most ideal grade. He agreed to not allow the students the use of their notes on this exam, giving them fair warning before the unit was started, allowing them to actually try and learn something. Monday morning, he handed each student a giant 5X7 note card, on which they could write anything and use that note card on the test. COME ON! It gets better.

3. In the last 15 minutes, my CT did a quick review since he talked for nearly 25 minutes. He started by saying, "Since I'm not allowing you to use your notes on the test, I'm going to give you specific topic areas which you will need to familiarize yourself with to pass the test." He proceeded to write TAXES...followed by a number of questions which just so happened to be from the test next to it...wow. It gets better.

4. Let's take a look at how his finals look. The final is worth between 80 and 120 points, depending on how the semester went. They are not allowed to use their notes. *Gasp* A breath of fresh air! But there's a catch. My CT provides a study guide. Cool. Worth 50-75 points...of extra credit added to the test. And I'm spent.

And there I was, sitting quietly by while the inside of my head sounded what it may sound like in a net of fish being dragged up to a boat if fish could scream. Don't take this the wrong way, my CT is a great guy and a wonderful lecturer, it's his assessment and evaluation skills that need a little fine tuning. A bad day to be a lowly novice teacher, but a great day to learn what not to do.