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I was out of town on tuesday but on thursday of this last week I went and observed at Salem High School. The teacher there was chewing out the kids because they were getting lazy. The kids were supposed to be doing the video school news for the school but they were simply taking clips from ESPN and CNN. One thing the teacher did that I thought was probably effective was he was realistic, he showed them examples from other schools of what he was hoping for approximate, he was also in a good mood. I think if a teacher needs to reprimand his class, his demeanor should still be friendly or else the students may think that the teacher is attacking, rather than correcting. I thought the teacher we observed did a great job of doing just that. We only got to observe one period because of a school assembly and the only thing that happened during that hour was the reprimand so it was fairly one dimensional.

There is, however, one more thing I'd like to comment on. I talked with a few of the students at the end of the period and I found out that the classes range from freshman to senior and some students take it all through high school. I really really like that. I like it because one of the things I'm looking forward to as a tech teacher is to have students multiple times through high school so I can really get deep into material with them. I'll have a chance to be able to not only teach them the subject but get them to a point where they can really run with it. They can become proficient in the subject by the end of high school.

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I couldn't attend class on tuesday and on that thursday the class took the tests in the McKay school which I completed a year ago for el ed.

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The week from October 4-October 8 we had a lecture about the different standards that the nation uses for teachers. Geoff informed us that we will be evaluated according to those standards by our professors as well as the teacher for whom we student teach. I really like that principals look at that when they interview. I think it is a better indicator of the educator being hired than a gpa offers.

I also went to observe at Timpview High School. I observed the metals teacher who was giving a demo to his students about their new project they were starting. It was really good to be able to watch someone teach a hands-on project, especially because I'll probably be teaching shop. He played around with the students a little bit, but still demanded some respect. He had a lounge where kids could come talk with him if need be, which students used. He was in his 50's yet he would make jokes that he thought would make the freshman laugh, but he couldn't make himself laugh at those jokes. Maybe he had heard himself make those jokes too many times. Because he seemed to bring his humor down to the freshman level, I don't think he seemed as personable to the kids as he could have. If I were a student in his class, I think I would enjoy it, look forward to class, maybe learn some skills, but I don't think he'd have a good chance of being a very influential teacher for me.

As I was walking away from the high school I thought about how much I liked Timp's campus. It was really very nice, and the atmosphere seemed so much different than a junior high. I liked it a lot more. Now--I never had school spirit at my own high school, I was just waiting for college, but I could feel some tuggings to be proud of timp and I saw how I could become very attached to a high school I taught at. I liked the teacher, and I don't think I'd want to be him exactly, but if I did turn into him... it wouldn't be the end of the world. Now contrast that with the feeling I felt when I first walked out of an elementary school as an el ed major. Way different. When I left the elementary school I thought- I never want to be either of those male teachers I just met. Ever. That was probably the main reason I looked for a different major. I was definitely made to be a high school teacher.

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Last week we went to American Fork Junior High where we observed Jess Carter along with his colleague, Cory Reitzel. It was very interesting to compare and contrast the two different styles of teaching. We observed Mr. Reitzel first, who was teaching typing. His students were all very focused and working hard. They were inputting into excel and when they got the correct input, the cell would turn green. I liked this because it gave the students something to work for. They were working for the green, and it kept them motivated. Part way through, Mr. Reitzel let the kids have a five minute break and play online typing games. They then returned to work and could play those games again once they were finished. I remember from my Junior High days that those typing games were a great motivator for me. I really liked his class.

The next class we observed was Jess Carter. Jess was very different from Mr. Reitzel. Mr. Reitzel, although he was around the same age as Jess, was much more down to business. He had told us that if you give Junior High students an inch, they'll actually take a mile. We saw that in Mr. Carter's class. Jess gave the kids an inch, and they took a mile. There were kids running all around the class, one kid moved his chair from the back of the room up to the front. On kid kept his hand up the entire class period just to be obnoxious. They loved Mr. Carter, and I'm sure they look forward to his class, but I think they view him as a friend more than a teacher. I think that makes class enjoyable, and I'm sure that helps some kids learn some things, but it really didn't feel like he had much control. The candy he offered to the kids controlled the class, and Jess controlled the candy. But I didn't see much control by Jess himself. It seemed like a poor way to handle a class. As I said before though, the kids loved the class. There has to be a way to keep control of the class without forfeiting all the fun. I think the way to do it may be to let them go, but reign them back in quickly.

Jess did do very good at knowing each of his student's names. I really liked that. I am big on calling people by their names. For me-when I was in school-the difference between a teacher I didn't connect with versus a teacher that I did was whether or not he/she always called me by name.