To the Classes of 2017-2021

Dear Future Spanish Students,

I have been keeping this blog as an assignment for a class that I am taking. Even though I already graduated from college ( about 100 years ago), I am not smart enough to be your teacher yet. I have to take some more classes so I am "properly educated and prepared" to be your high school Spanish teacher. 

This final assignment is to let my professor know how I intend to use a blog in my own classroom. 

*****INTERMISSION******

I must thank my professor for a BRILLIANT idea. Using technology to reach adolescents is positively genius. Actually, it's only "genius" because I am old and we still think that technology is just so astonishing. But you kids don't know any different, so it's not genius to you, it's elementary. Not elementary school. Don't take it wrong. I mean, your response to me thinking that using technology for teaching is "DUH, Mrs. Packard!"
Anyhoo, Thank Dr. Ward for the idea. I enjoy writing a blog and wouldn't have thought of this on my own.

Now, as to how I intend to use it in my classroom. 


1. Weekly communication. I shall use my epic creative writing skills to engage students and give them a laugh. Humor sits well, young scholars, in easing the burden of homework/schoolwork.

2. Student writing. Teaching a language requires a lot of writing. I will require students to write at least weekly, and they can create their own blogs, as I did, making the process simple and easy, and a little bit fun. If FUN is not in their vocabulary, they can just have no fun, but they will still do the assignment. 

3. As a means of processing information. I processed a lot whilst writing. Students can write about what they learned, what mistakes they made, and enjoy putting pictures and stories for all on their blogs. The class will be able to maintain a sense of unity by sharing their blogs. Parents will be able to see what their students are doing first hand. And kids will have a permanent record of what they did.

4. A means of communication for parents if necessary. Can't have enough of that!


Thanks, Dr. Ward.

Now watch out classes of 2017-21. I will soon be infiltrating your classrooms. I've got my eye on you.

Oh, just grow up, already!

After reading and pondering the debate about teens lacking adult reasoning capacity, yet being held to adult consequences, what do you think this means for you as a teacher?

Teenagers want more than anything in the world to be grown up. the day they can drive is the best day of their lives. They want freedom. They want the opposite sex. They want excitement at any cost. They want to cry their eyes out when One Direction sings a love song (they know that it was written just for them) and bash their heads against a wall when Body Count comes on.

See below these fine adults that teenagers want to grow up to become.

If you don't think these guys are cool, you must be a hater.

 Teens are expected to behave like adults, but they are just not ready like the used to be (check out statistic of teenagers and their behaviors in 1950s if you have question). But they simply are not prepared anymore. regardless of the reasons---and I have my opinions---teachers must be prepared for this fragile time when they are expected to do so much but have so few skills and so little practice, and they must be there to teach them at every turn.

Top pointers for adults, especially teachers, to take in to account when dealing with teenagers:
1. Ignore most everything they do that is dumb. Which is almost everything. Most important word: IGNORE.
2. Acknowledge them whenever possible.
3. When they tell you a dumb joke, laugh with them.
4. Ignore their whining.
5. Hold them to high expectations.
6. When doling out the goodies, whether a movie or treat or pass on a quiz, be sure to connect it to a behavior.
7. When giving a punishment or negative consequence, be sure to connect to a behavior.
8. Don't dress like they do.
9. Like what they wear if you can possibly do it.
10. talk them through the consequences of decisions when they are trying to make them, do NOT tell them what to do.
11. Be there when they are making those decisions, don't be too busy.

So many kids today suffer from divorced homes, abusive parents, extraordinary social pressures which have increased in intensity, duration, and frequency incredibly since 1986, and a media that gives them mixed messages. they need powerful positive influences. They need a teacher to want to be engaged. they need someone outside of their own family to give a flying monkey's patootee about them.

 

Every shred of evidence that I have experienced and read in  my life, including every course I have taken during my undergraduate and teacher credential courses points to engagement as the single most important factor in teaching kids, even more than having a brain the size of Texas and degrees up the ying yang.
Teens need teachers to teach them how to be a fully functioning adult. They need to be taught when they make mistakes, not shamed or belittled. And this goes most especially for the frailer sex, the boys.