About why the Holocaust Conference was only worth 7 BTSA hours instead of 7.5 hours, what's going through my mind right now is this: I left my house before 6:00 am. I got to San Francisco at 8:15 in the morning and didn't leave until after 5:00. Also, I had to drive for more than three hours going and coming back. I had to pay fees and gas money getting there. I was gone all day away from my family and other work I needed to do. At this point, with the hours I'm doing this weekend, I'm going to have enough hours, (as long as she's letting me use the extra PD hours to make up for the network meeting. I still haven't heard back from her on that.,) but don't I deserve this silly .5 hours?
I guess what I'm trying to say is, it helps morale sometimes to get a little "cookie" here or there; a little acknowledgment that one has worked hard and gone above and beyond. I've learned that as a teacher this year. If I bend a little bit and give that student that small reward, or that extra point, or that extra chance at something, they will go that extra mile for me. I mean, it's their grade, but in my mind when they suceed, so do I. Similarly, I know thirty minutes doesn't seem like that much, really, in the grand scheme of things. But to me, if feels a bit like the grand canyon of no "cookies" right now.
One thing I've gained in this program is a better understanding of how my students feel when I give them work they don't want to do. Last year it was hard for me to relate to them and their complaints because my most recent time in school was while I was getting my Master's. I loved it! I love reading, writing, and getting to talk through topics with my peers. But, in BTSA I've been required to do work that seems (I'm being honest here) tedious, repetitive, and irrelevant,(i.e. drawing a picture of my classroom really stands out as a face in palm moment).
I see now why students cheat. I've wanted to cheat too, although I haven't. I've had to spend hours of family-time at Professional Development hours when I could have been mothering my child, lesson planning, grading, mopping the floor, or staring at the ceiling trying to recoup from the week. In truth, I've really, really resented this experience, and I've complained A LOT!!! (my family, co-workers, and friends all know all about it). It's sad
2 Comments on Give me a "Cookie", last added: 5/6/2012
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I thought of a new tactic! You can give her your lesson plans where you used the information. Isn't the point of professional development to affect the classroom? Maybe if she sees how you spent more time planning the lessons on the Holocaust, she'll give you the extra time.
I think I need .25 hours. I'm going to write an IEP reflection and that will give me one more hour. I think the problem is in how growth is measured. It's measured by hours rather than in how much I've changed or grown as a teacher. Oh, well. We know when we're being asked to write an answer to the same question three times in one module the focus is not on what we're doing right, it's about how much we can accomplish in the amount of time we're forced to spend on it. If that's the focus, fine, I can play that game. It's just sad. Thanks for the idea, Christina!!