tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post7802037978655847242..comments2024-03-21T05:30:03.220-04:00Comments on Science teacher: Poopeddoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-20940144474090874592008-10-05T07:35:00.000-04:002008-10-05T07:35:00.000-04:00@BettyThe boys do look happy--I was searching for ...@Betty<BR/><BR/>The boys do look happy--I was searching for "manure" in the archives ("poop" didn't work), and that image turned up. <BR/><BR/>The plaid vest is cool--I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it, I was so focused on the stuff in the wheelbarrow. Now that I'm paying attention, the clothes on these children are very similar to what my students wear today.<BR/><BR/>And you're right--the children need processing time. They also need to learn how to process information. I have spent the past week focusing on how to approach critical thinking questions. I had not realized how many kids did not grasp key words in the question--analyze, predict, explain, etc.--I though t they were just reading the questions too quickly.<BR/><BR/>I now interpret "Yeah, I misread the question" as "I didn't know how to read the question" instead of "I was too busy playing Death Race to be bothered to read the question." I know the latter is sometimes true, but ignoring the former is just bad teaching. I cringe as I realize how little I know about this business.<BR/><BR/>@Tracy<BR/><BR/>I've got to find a copy of that book--closest thing we have around the department is "How to Poop in the Woods", for the seniors who go on the wilderness trip.<BR/><BR/>Last year I took the 100% approach--my kids did better than I had anticipated, but could have done better than they did. Even if their scores had broken all records and put our school into the Guinness Book of Records for best scores ever, I failed.<BR/><BR/>Why? Too many got turned off. Kids are curious. Science should feed that curiosity, teach them how to learn more about the universe. Many (most?) "facts" crammed into their noggins in biology will be discarded by biologists in a generation or two, and that's OK.<BR/><BR/>And thank you for the kind words.doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-78308525999850024442008-10-04T23:33:00.000-04:002008-10-04T23:33:00.000-04:00I have a book in my classroom called The Scoop on ...I have a book in my classroom called The Scoop on Poop. The kids love it.<BR/><BR/>I can't believe we are only in Oct and we are already spinning toward the end of year assessments. I say we because that's where my head is at in both History and Math. (didn't end up teaching science after all...)<BR/><BR/>...spin me right round, baby, right round...<BR/><BR/>And the kids. We're stuck in that tension between them getting it and them losing it as we spin on to the next thing. <BR/><BR/>I've got to remind myself that if they know 70% of what they need to know really well, and I mean knowing as in understanding, they'll be fine. They'll be guaranteed to at least pass,if not do well. Much better than the crap shoot that comes with trying to cram 100% of it into their brains without being sure they know it.<BR/><BR/>It's late. Time for bed. <BR/>Thanks for another great post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-79029399341019958252008-10-04T22:54:00.000-04:002008-10-04T22:54:00.000-04:00The school boys certainly look happy. I think the...The school boys certainly look happy. I think the plaid vest is pretty cool too. I agree that information is frequently tossed at students so quickly that they forget most of what they hear. They need more time to process the information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com