Teaching

[kingrat]

So the teaching gig is going all right. But not great.

Issues:

The no curriculum thing is really a drag. I don’t think I’d want to be stuck with slavishly following an existing curriculum. But starting off with no curriculum has been difficult. I spend a couple of hours each day planning what to cover in the four hours in the afternoon.

Classroom management. Specifically, I really don’t know how to handle the differing speeds at which each of the students are picking this up. One student struggles with the basics of HTML syntax, while another wants me to teach him Javascript.

Teenage attention span. I swear they all have A.D.D. They all want to try out the fancy HTML/CSS toys and go way off track. Which is fine to a degree, as I don’t want them to learn the one true way of Web development. But they get themselves into dead ends from which they don’t know how to extricate themselves. Getting them individually unstuck takes up a lot of time.

And lastly, while none of these issues are really all that major, I don’t have a teaching support network. I have general support and encouragement from friends, but that’s not what I’m looking for. Specifically, what I wish I had is people who can answer questions like I’m trying to do X, how do I do it? and this happened, what do I do? People I don’t have to seek out, but who are already there. I don’t have a breakroom with other teachers, for instance. That would be awesome.

Still glad I took the job, but wishing I knew how to do it better.

crossposted from King Rat.

Comments

[evillinn.livejournal.com]

I know several teachers. One works with Junior High students, and may be the one most likely to discuss this kind of thing right now. You may know her - Corinne? You know other people that know her, at least.

Another friend teaches high school math, but she just had a really horrible year, and may not be the best person to bounce ideas off of. I can check in with her if you are interested in talking to her, though.

The other is Elizabeth, who teaches the first couple of English courses at Bellevue College. The problem there is that she just fucked her hand up pretty badly and isn't able to communicate on line very well.

With any of these folks, I'd be happy to try to plan dinner so that you can meet them in person and chat about things, if you'd like. I could try to get more than one of them together at once, if that would be better.

Let me know what you think, and I'll get on it ASAP, since I imagine time is of the essence.

[kingrat]

A hastily assembled group of folks I don't know too well that I'd have to chase down to meet and confer with isn't going to be the kind of support network I need. Which isn't to say I wouldn't talk to them, but I kinda needed this before I started. I sorta thought there would be more support from the staff than there was.

[evillinn.livejournal.com]

I figured as much, but wanted to put the offer out there, and it'll stand. I was thinking it would be of use more if you decide to continue with this endeavor.