Creating Independent Learners

Of the thousands of things that have surprised me as a first year teacher, one of the most surprising is how "needy" some of my students can be. Many of my students need affection, attention, or additional support because of their age or because of a situation at home. Many need a pencil (EVERY day), extra paper, better organizational skills, etc. Although these needs are very real, the neediness that I'd like to discuss here is solely academic.

There are some of my students who rarely need to be reprimanded or "re-directed." They seem to have a sixth sense about what's coming next and what's expected of them - sometimes their sixth sense can be in overdrive, but nevertheless I consider this group of students very independent. Other students require my undivided attention - I'm constantly checking to see that they're on task, constantly asking them to focus in class, or constantly re-explaining directions. We might explain the difference between these groups of students as a difference in maturity.

In addition to the differences in a student's focus and drive, I also see a difference in their test taking skills. When given a test or a quiz, most of my students work straight through. Sometimes they read directions and sometimes they don't, but they answer each question in sequence and often never look back. However, some students read and re-read each question very skeptically as if I'm trying to trick them. (Perhaps I should note here that I try to make my tests very black and white. I have had to learn how to write tests simply by writing them, so there have been instances where my directions are vague or ambiguous, but I'm not including those instances in this discussion.) Then, after re-reading, they come to my desk and ask, "Mrs. Gosnell, do you mean that I should insert restatement of same directions the student has read?" And I reply "Yes, student Y, I do mean that you should insert restatement of directions the student has read." This could partially be due to test anxiety, but I find it hard to believe that is the case in every situation.

Finally, I've found that many students would much rather me tell them the answer than to a) go look for it, b) figure it out alone, or c) repeat to me what we've just learned (and often what's still written on the white board). Option "c" is what really gets to me! I suppose that I expected this last sort of dependence (also known as laziness), but unfortunately that does not make it any less frustrating.

How do I teach these students independence without leaving some of them "hanging out to dry"? How do I  force them to work alone without some students not working at all? How do I allow them time to think on their own without many of them simply waiting for "the smart kids" to answer? Where's the balance?

The Gosnells Move to Boston: My Fears

June 1 is five weeks from today. This is our "leave Arkadelphia date." The plan is to spend time with each of our families throughout the month of June and then #theGosnellsepicmove2013 (thanks, Brittany!) will take place at the end of June or the first week in July. As we get closer, it's becoming more real, more exciting,  and definitely more scary!

I have so many ideas for my Math classroom. The end of the year brings a lot of reflection and many "Oh, I should have..." moments. It makes me excited for next year because I want an opportunity to implement my ideas and to start afresh having a full year behind me! My passion for teaching is stronger than ever, but my fear? What if I don't get a teaching job?

Our families have been incredibly supportive and we are so thankful. I am beginning to realize all that we may miss out on by living away from them. Jody, our only nephew, called me "Aunt Becca" last weekend... If you think I could have kept my heart from melting, you're crazy. This kid is precious. But he's going to grow up while we're away and I'm sorry that we'll miss it. In addition, each of our siblings are currently single. Are we going to miss out on "the dating stage" when they find someone they want to be with?

My best friends from college live in the Dallas area. Less than an hour away from each other. Even now I don't get to see them nearly as often as we feel necessary, but I know that those moments will be even farther between after I move. My best friends from high school live in the Memphis area. I expect that one will be engaged while we are away and how am I supposed to plan a bridal shower from Massachusetts?

**Sigh** Despite these fears, I have confidence that we are following God's leading through this. He has been faithful every step of the way. I trust that His faithfulness will continue and that the joy of obedience to Him will far outweigh the struggle.

Thursday Thanksgivings (a few hours early :))

• Meal planning - I haven't stressed about what to make for dinner, we haven't gone out to eat just because "we didn't have anything in the house," and we haven't wasted food! I'm so pumped! I'll probably devote an entire post to this soon.
• Benchmark is over! My 7th and 8th grade finished testing a couple of weeks ago, but it still feels great to have it behind us.
• Coming home early - I left the school yesterday at 3:40! It was such an awesome feeling (and one that I don't enjoy often enough).
• E-mail from G-C (Gordon-Conwell) housing - We haven't nailed down a moving date yet, but we finally found out that our new apartment will be available on June 22!
• Adam - So in love with this man and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to give thanks for him!
• Job Confidence - I know without a doubt (even on the hard days) that I love teaching and I love my middle school-ers!
• Parents - Thankful for healing and their support.
• In-laws - I'm blessed! I look forward to the time we spend with my second family and they are so good to me!
• The Presence of the Lord - We are about to move 25 hours away from everything I've ever known. I have so many questions about what our new life will be like, but I am so grateful that the Lord will go with us and before us. Many things will change, but I know His presence will be constant and sure.

The Gosnells Move to Boston: Part 1

It seems like I have waited forever to make this announcement... Adam and I are moving to Boston!

Not too long ago, I wrote When God Closes a Door.... At that time, we had begun to look pretty seriously at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. Adam had ceased work on the applications for other schools and I had even looked into a couple of job openings there. I also resigned from my present job during this time. Then we received a letter informing us that Adam had not been accepted to Beeson. So we were back to the application process and my job applications were put off once more.

Shortly after, Adam was accepted into Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in  South Hamilton, MA (roughly 35 minutes North of Boston). As we began to learn more about the school, God began putting the pieces together. Adam received a Trustees scholarship before we had even begun to apply for scholarships. We were able to get on the priority housing list, which meant a reasonable rent for on campus housing, as opposed to Boston's high prices. G-C (Gordon-Conwell) offered to put us up and provide meals if we could get ourselves there for a visit.

We began looking into flights and then found out that Adam's dad could help us out with frequent flyer miles, so last Thursday we took off! We drove to Dallas as soon as I got off of work on Thursday and then flew to Boston on Friday morning. We spent Friday afternoon touring campus and meeting with Admissions as well as Financial aid. I was very anxious when we went to bed Friday night. I prayed that God would bring peace and that His direction would be clear. On Saturday morning, I truly felt like a burden had been lifted. God provided peace, confidence, and assurance.

Since making this decision official, I am looking into two job openings. One of the teachers that I was under during my student teaching reminded me that she is from the Northeast and mentioned that we could possibly meet when she visits there during the Summers. One of my co-workers shared with me that she lived near Boston and spoke of how wonderful the Summer weather is. Etc, etc. Isn't God good?!

Lesson Planning

***I've discovered Slideshare and I'm really excited about it! I can now upload documents or slideshows and then post them to my blog. I figured out the uploading on my own and then my sweet husband helped me to post it here. Super cool!***

During college, lesson plans became the bane of our existence as Education majors. We spent many hours throughout those four years griping about the department's format, whining about the purpose of writing 500 of them (I'm exaggerating a little :)), defining and redefining "Extensions" (I still don't know what those were supposed to be!), "helping" each other "make up" material, etc, etc. A few of us coped by copy-and-past-ing sections from previous plans written; others re-invented methods and madness for each new plan.

Lesson plans are part of life as a teacher. Perhaps you consider them a necessary evil or your "teaching bible" for the day. Maybe you write out a daily script or your plan is a list with steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. Some teachers write their plans and never need to look at them again; others have it with them throughout the entire lesson. No matter how you slice it or dice it, you have some sort of plan. (I understand that sometimes that plan is "WING IT AND PRAY", but we're going to ignore that option for the sake of the blog topic!)

I've decided that learning to write lesson plans in college is a "You've got to know the rules to break them" philosophy. We practice including LOTS of details in a lesson plan. We expose ourselves to state standards and even national standards. We learn the rules.

Now I like to think I'm out in the real world and I can break the rules! I still write a pretty detailed plan for every lesson, but I created my own format and it works for me. With time, I hope the details will decrease. As my teaching style grows, I expect the format to change and that's okay. I'm taking this teaching gig one day at a time! Here's the format that I'm using currently...

Lesson plan.template from Rebecca Gosnell

Spring Break: A Daily Account

• Saturday, March 16 ... We left Arkadelphia around 8:30 and headed to Branson, MO where we met Adam's parents and brother. After lunch, the guys headed to laser-tag / go-karts, while the girls hit the  outlet mall! We attended the Sights & Sounds Theatre production of Joseph that evening. It was a wonderful show and I love seeing the Bible come alive!
• Sunday, March 17 ... A little more shopping and eating before we bid farewell to Adam's family. Adam and I attended the Dixie Stampede for dinner. Watching the horses was my favorite part! It made me feel like a little girl again. After dinner and the show, Adam and I visited an antique store and then went to Applebee's for drinks where we played Phase 10. It was a very simple way to end our evening, but it became one of the highlights of our trip.
• Monday, March 18 ... A short time in Branson that morning, a drive back to Arkadelphia, and a movie/pizza night :)
• Tuesday, March 19 ... Tuesday was a pretty laid back day. We cleaned our apartment, ran a few errands, and took a long walk.
• Wednesday, March 20 ... We left Arkadelphia just after 8 (we were very proud of ourselves!) and drove to Arlington, TX. We met up with our friends, Nathan and Meagan, who graciously hosted us! Nathan's pastor took the four of us to visit Dallas Theological Seminary that afternoon. The evening was spent talking and playing games. Such a fun time!
• Thursday, March 21 ... Nathan and Meagan took us to Mr. B's Burgers (voted best burgers in the world, by owner) for lunch. It was delicious! We played Euchre for most of the afternoon and then Adam and I headed back to Arkadelphia. I drove in Dallas traffic and didn't kill us (or anyone else!). On our way back, we met up with more sweet friends, Trevor and Marissa and Marissa's parents!
• Friday, March 22 ... The epitome of a lazy day. Very little productivity, lots of sleep, no showers, microwave meals, tv, reading, etc. It was fabulous!
• Saturday, March 23 ... Today we are continuing our laziness with less vigor. I have to finish preparing for school next week and we have to get rid of the new ant problem in our shower :/ We've also been invited for dinner at Kevin and Erin's place, so we're looking forward to that this evening!
• Sunday, March 24 ... Tomorrow we're planning to attend church and then prepare for the week to begin. We'll also attend church tomorrow night to begin Easter week!

Did you get a Spring Break? Did it include travel, friends, and laziness like ours did?!

What They Can't Teach You About Teaching

Teaching is exactly what I pictured and yet very different at the same time. I cannot begin to count the times I have thought "I have no idea what I'm doing..." or "No one told me how to handle this!" or "I just made 95% of that up on the spot and I'm not sure it was right." I hope I'm not the only one :)

I feel that I have been taught much more than I have taught this year. My principal is incredible and he often says, "I think you're getting better every day!" But there are many days when I think "You might not say that if you had been in X period." Nevertheless, I can say that I am not the same teacher or even the same person that I was on our first day of school last Fall.

I have come to believe that there are aspects of being a teacher that simply cannot be taught. My professors tried to warn me of this in their own way, but living it out can be somewhat shocking! These are a few things that I think you cannot teach someone about teaching.

• Discipline ... Oh sure, people give you ideas and help you write your "Expectations and Consequences," but no one can truly prepare you for the first time a student lies to your face or challenges your authority in front of the class, etc, etc.
• Writing and Grading Quizzes/Tests ... Is this question worth 2 points or 5? How much do I count off when a student rounds to nearest whole instead of the tenth as instructed? How long will it take my students to complete a test? If several students fail, did I teach the material well enough or did I make the test too hard? BLAH.
• Conversing with parents ... I have been blessed with mostly supportive parents, but it is never an easy conversation when you must say "Your child is failing math." And no one can dictate your reply when a parent asks "Why does my child only have an 89%?"
• Physical health / Voice training ... Vitamin C and washing your hands won't keep you 100% healthy when you're with kids all day. Trust me, I've tried. In addition, talking/standing for almost 6 hours a day can wear on your body in general if you're not careful, but it's the worst when you're sick. This is not a "suck it up and lay low" type of job.

Finally, no one can fully teach you the amount of love that you will experience both for your students and from them... No one mentions the disappointment you'll feel when they let you down or when they don't perform well. No one can describe the way you'll cheer for them and work for their success. "My kids" (i.e. my students) are wonderful and terrible. They're good and bad, clever and ridiculous... And I love them because they're mine.