Seeing the Light

The program is coming to a close, the sun is out and the enthusiasm of my cohort is coming back. It's a wonderful time of year.

It's amazing the ups and down the MAC program puts you through. You start the program with such nervous excited; however, that quickly turns to the severe realization that this year is going to be busy.

Now, almost a year later, the smoke has settled. We've fought hard and long, using each other as crutches at times to carry our battle worn minds and bodies over the hurdles of teaching full time while being students ourselves. But we are here and the nervous excitement has set in again. We begin looking for full time jobs and in my case realize how much I am going to miss my placement. My students have made a world of difference in my year as a student teacher. Each and every one of them will truly be missed.

As we begin to wrap things up I challenge my cohort to soak up every moment. I challenge my students to stay strong as they work hard toward the finish. I challenge myself to use what I have learned to best share my enthusiasm for science with my future students.

Southeast Michigan Science Fair!

I just returned home from the Southeast Michigan Science Fair with some incredible news. All my students performed incredibly well, including 1st, 3rd, and 4th place overall winners. I've never been so proud of them all. They worked incredibly hard and deserve all their accolades. It's moments like these that remind me of why I want to be a teacher. The hard work before the fair and the nervous waiting while the awards are being handed out all lead to the excitement of Monday when you get to see your students with their plaques, certificates, medals and huge smiles. They truly made my weekend and I thank them for that.

As the top winners move on to the next round in San Jose I wish them the best of luck. I hope their experience is one to remember and continues to motivate them in science and math. I look forward to hearing the great things that they will continue to do.

Live Blog Try Two

Online Science Labs

The other day my students used the school's laptops to complete several online labs. I would strongly encourage all science teachers (as well as other subject teachers) to look into online laboratories. Although I think there is something to be said for physically performing a lab, the computer based experiments were incredibly useful. The students seemed highly engaged and enjoyed being able to quickly change the variables and cover various labs. The company (the name escapes me at the moment) we used had every imaginable science laboratory you could think of. Students could analyze everything from quantum mechanics to stars and galaxies. Again, I strongly encourage anyone reading this to look into such a program, it will be worth your while. 

Clay Animation

MY students

I had an interesting experience the other day. On Tuesday (a day I was in my placement) my mentor called in sick. A substitute teacher and I ran the class and everything went smoothly. The students seemed to learn a great deal about the material and I learned a great deal about the students. At the end of the day my mentor called me to see how the day went and to inform me that he was still feeling ill and would not be in the following day. He asked me to put together a cheat sheet for the substitute teacher to follow for tomorrow's lesson and to leave general instructions for tomorrow's daily routines.

The following day I came in just for first hour to make sure that the substitute was able to get into the room and that she knew the events of the day. Soon, the students started streaming in for first hour. As they unpacked their stuff I began getting my things together to leave. However, I found it nearly impossible to leave them. I wanted to stay with them, hear about their evenings, and teach them the lesson for the day. Unfortunately I had other obligations and was forced to leave. The rest of the day I thought of my students. I worried about their days, about what they learned, and how they were feeling about having a substitute.

This was the first time I felt like THE students were MY students. I didn't realize how much the students meant to me. They really have become a central part of my life and I'm sure this feeling will only grow.