My Seventh Confession…

Confession #7: I SUPPORT any movie which highlights teaching.

There are a lot of movies out there that celebrate the teaching profession and a few that condemn it, but I like seeing them all.  It is nice to know that someone can make money from this profession- even if it is just an actor:)  Just joking, but I do like these movies because, good or bad, they tend to shed some light on the trials of being a teacher.  I want others to see how important the profession can be!  (I can even stand those movies about the “white savior” teacher who is seemly the only hope for the minority inner city kids to learn….sometimes- but that’s another blog)

So, needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the description for the movie, Detachment, at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Below is the review I wrote for the Film.  Let me know what you think!

Detachment

“You can see me? Thank you!” ~ Mr. Wiatt

I sat in the theater very excitingly awaiting this movie because, as a teacher, I encourage any movie that can highlight the impact teachers can make on the educational field and its students.  However, it was very clear, based on the abstractness of the director’s introductory musical performance that this movie may be about something entirely different.

Needless to say I was right.  Detachment was a movie about the psychological trials and demands teachers undergo on a daily basis with students, faculty, colleagues, and administration.  It does an excellent job of highlighting the shift in responsibility that has occurred over the last century.

The movie isn’t pretty.  It isn’t some story about an amazing teacher who transforms a class from failure to success.  Instead it is a real account of some of the lack of respect that teachers receive and the need for appreciation that students crave from adults.  Viewers walk away with good and bad depictions of teachers, but more importantly  incite into the real demands and the need for more respect in the educational field.

The movie is mainly about a substitute teacher names Henry Barthes.  Henry purposefully choose a career as a substitute teacher because he does not like to be attached to anyone in his life.  A new teaching assignment places him at a failing public school which alters his private world.   He develops a relationship with three different women: a student, a fellow teacher, and a teenage runway; who make an impact in his life.   The movie models a contemporary vision of people who become increasingly distant from others while still feeling the need to connect.

The movies stars Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents), James Caan (The Godfather), Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother Where Art Thou), William Petersen (CSI), and Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), but it is  Adrian Brody (The Piano) who carries the film on his able shoulders.  I recommend you check this out.

GRADE= B+

My Sixth Confession…

Confession #6 My favorite MATHEMATICS class to teach is Geometry.

Geometry is really a course that combines left-brain and right-brain thinking.  I mean, Geometry, really shows learners how mathematics is truly an art form.  With tessellations, different dimensions, and logical rhymes, Geometry is the type of math that should appeal to all mass and not scare anyone way.

The crazy thing is that most mathematics teachers shy away from teaching Geometry.  It makes no sense to me because it is THE BEST mathematics class to teach!  (Well, Euclidean Geometry is fun:). Advanced Geometry can get confusing cause it goes into Graph Theory.)

Geometrical proofs are just as fun as solving any brainteaser or logic puzzle.  Why be afraid of it?  Even Alice in Wonderland used reasoning proofs:

“Why is a raven like a writing desk”. ~ Alice in Wonderland

In honor of Valentine’s Day month, I have a treat for you.  I came across this video that truly signifies the love I have for Geometry.  It is a visual poem a group of students made for their class.

Look at it and let me know what you think:)

“Mighty is geometry; joined with art, resistless. ” ~ Euripides

My Fifth Confession…

Confession #5: I LOVE teaching online.

For the past six months, I haven’t been teaching in the classroom but instead writing day and night on my dissertation.  So, I decided to keep my teaching skills fresh by teaching online.  I figured that I could sharpen my technological skills and use technology to think of more innovative ways to teach mathematics.  The best part would be the fact that I would not be confined to one location.  I could teach my classroom from Chicago, Atlanta, New York or even Los Angeles- all the places I frequent on a regular basis.  It was a great idea.

Fortunately, I found a job with a wonderful university and began teaching around 40 undergraduate students total split between in two different classes, Basic Math/ Algebra and Geometry/ Statistics.  At first I was really shocked by the age of my students.  Some students were the regular age of undergraduates 19-21 but the majority of my students were 28 and older (even 61).  Through their bios, I discovered that a lot of my students went directly into the work industry after graduating high school because of preference or family obligations.  They were now coming back to school because they felt the job pressure to have degrees before they could be promoted.   In this day and age they were having a hard time getting further in their career with out a bachelor’s degree.  They were ecstatic at the opportunity of taking classes online because they were able to work anytime of the day or night.

Each online class I taught was very similar to my regular classroom.  I uploaded power point lectures, video clips, animations of problems, and once a week I went in the live white board section to answer questions.

Now everything isn’t always rosy.  I have heard some crazy excuses for not finishing homework assignments.

ie: “I’m in the hospital and I can’t get to a computer to do my work (but I guess you can only use it to send this email.”

ie: “My computer died and I had to use my friend computer to even send you this email (so why not use it to do your class work too)”

ie: “I know I answered all questions in the final, but it cut me off on the last question.  Can you reset it so I can take it again? (oh yeah, take the same test over again- that makes sense) “

But, all and all, I love my students and I am happy they have this method to use to obtain a degree:)  It makes me wonder, Is this the new frontier online classes?

What do you think?

“There exist limitless opportunities in every industry.  Where there is an open mind, there will always be a new frontier.” ~ Charles F. Kettering

Keep On Dancing

I really liked this message:) I plan to constantly dance my way through life:)

If you are feeling like you have gotten a little “off track” with your intentions this year, not to worry. Be gentle with yourself. Take a few minutes to read today’s post, and just remember to “Keep On Dancing”.

What I have noticed lately, is that things don’t always seem to happen for the reasons we think, and that can be perfect for us. I started several projects in the last few weeks, that did not work out the way I thought they would, or the way I wanted them to, thank God.

Because they did not work out, space was created for something much better to come into my life. And so, I was able to better understand, that it is not always about the end result of a choice or a project, but how taking that step to go for it in the first place, makes you feel.

What is important, is that you take some inspired action, because your vibration while you are doing something that excites you, and you are passionate about, is what will bring you the essence of what you wanted in the first place. It just may not come from where you thought it would. What is so freeing about all of this, is that it removes a lot of the fear around moving forward, fear that you may fail, be disappointed again, or even embarrassed. It gives you the courage to just step up to the plate and go for it, no matter what the outcome.

If you are feeling stuck, and afraid to take the next step, or any step for that matter, you will never achieve the life of your dreams. Life is not always about being comfortable. It is about moving forward, out of your comfort zone.

And the interesting thing about it is, that the more steps you take, the stronger and more confident you feel inside, where it really matters, and pretty soon you begin to realize that there truly is nothing that you cannot do, that anything is possible, just as long as you keep on dancing.

~Veronica Hay

Veronica Hay is the author of In a Dream, You Can Do Anything.An extraordinary collection of writings that will uplift you, motivate you, inspire you, and gently guide you along the inner path of your life.Go to: http://www.insightsandinspirations.com/ or feel free to email your comments about today’s message to: veronicahay@telus.net

Understanding Me

by understanding my past…
If the walls surrounding me could talk,
They would tell you my secrets.
And all the things that they hear
Would be open to the public.
They would tell you how all my hopes and dreams
Were once shattered to the ground.
If only the walls could tell you
Then maybe you would understand,
And you could see through my eyes.

If the walls sounding me could see
They would see all the tears I had cried
And all the sadness within my heart
But they would see me saying good-bye
Extending through all my pain and agony
And touching clarity and understanding.

If the walls surrounding me could touch
They would be reaching for me
Making me feel warmth and love
They would put their arms around me
Hugging me for acknowledgment
That someone cares about the little things
And giving me the taste of hope.

If the walls surrounding me could taste
They would taste the blood upon my pillow case
From when I died of unhappiness
It’s the blood from my heart that they would taste
And smell how horrible death is.

If the walls surrounding me could smell
They would smell something sweet
The smell of the perfume that shows my spirit lingers on
And that I live on in happiness
In a world full of love.

So, if the walls surrounding me had senses
They would understand me more than you
They would have seen my unhappiness and understood
They would have heard my cries of pain and not questioned
They would have touched me like no one had before
They would have tasted death and fought against it
But they also would have smelled a new spirit consumed with love

That lives on in a better place
Outside of these four senseless walls.

~Valerie Camille

(c) Dr. Valerie Camille Jones 2010

My Fourth Confession…

Confession #4:  I really believe that EVERYTHING you need to know in life can be learned in Kindergarten through media.

Every life lesson taught in school can totally be reinforced by a movie or tv show.  I mean, seriously, how much better would math be if it was explained to you through an episode of Glee!  This is why I purposefully create my lesson plans just to be able to incorporate a movie, tv show, or computer game.  How much cooler would YOUR classroom learning experience have been if you used computers every day during lessons?

What if answering questions in class didn’t demand for you to raise your hand, but instead you keyed in your response by remote like on a game show?  How many more homework assignments would you have completed if they were in the form of video games where you had to slay monsters and defeat bosses to get an A?

Shoot, I would have LOVED school!

The crazy thing is the technology is out there RIGHT NOW! I use it all the time in my classroom.  It just takes cool open-minded teachers to get folks to use these new systems.  But why aren’t more teachers doing it?  Now-a-days, technology makes the world go around.  Most of yall adults right now, could not go without your cell phone (and all of its many game/ social networking applications) voluntarily for more than 20 minutes without reaching for it and twitching from withdrawal:)

I personally think that all forms of media should be used to teach all the time.  It has already been proven for years that music, TV, computers, movies, etc can help with student retention.  I mean just look at SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK!  During the 70’s, that thing changed the educational game.  I mean, songs like “I’m just a Bill… on Capital Hill”

and “Conjunction Junction What’s Your Function”,

still stick with me to this day and helped me remember things much more than any boring lesson I learned in class.  My favorite, of course, was learning my multiplication tables from Multiplication Rock:)

Learning this way is genius!  Goodness knows I have my students create songs and raps to memorize information ALL THE TIME (quadratic formula rap) 🙂  All I’m saying is it confuses the heck outta me when I walked into classrooms and see teachers passing out worksheets and textbooks.  “Class, turn to page 58 and student 1 start reading aloud.”  SERIOUSLY!!!  You have a smart board, USE IT!  And even if your school can not afford technology, get off your lazy bum and plan an interactive game that teaches the concept.

Why aren’t kids retaining information? Maybe some of it is because classrooms are boring the crap out of everyone.  I would want to skip school and play with my PSP, Nintendo DS, Wii, Playstation, XBox, flat screen tv, ipad, or go on the websites on my computer too!:)

Just Sayin…

My Third Confession…

Confession #3:  In the field of education, I LOVE working with kids, but hate working with the adults.

I never thought the phrase, “More Money More Problems” could apply in the field of education.  In my naivety, I thought that kind of political drama only happened in the business world, ya know those 9 to 5 jobs.  I don’t know why I thought education was safe from adult issues.  I guess I really believed that everyone who choose the field of education did so because they didn’t care about the money.  I thought anyone who choose this dignified profession did so because of their love for children and their need to foster their education.  As I obtain this higher degree, I am learning that when people start making money (that they previously didn’t think they could make in this field) they really loose site of their purpose in education.  Why are folks just switching over and beginning to only think about themselves?  It really makes me very sad.

It seems like the higher up one moves in the field of education the more adult drama, greed, and spite grows throughout the system.  People loose site of the real focus of our work: THE KIDS.  The focus should not be on whether or not you like a particular person, one click of educators against another click of educators, or knocking others down to keep your job.  I know that times are rough right now and that the field of education is becoming more and more competitive.  But it really bothers me that I am finding selfish educators who are using their title or power to push their own personal agenda.  Especially when this agenda is not based on protecting the education of our students.

My two cents…

My Second Confession…

Confession #2: I WISH I could follow my students throughout their entire educational process…

I’ve been a school teacher for a long time.  I have had the opportunity to shape so many students mathematical lives.  But it saddens me that I only get to influence their lives for a one/two year period of time.  I wish I could stay connected to them to just see how they are doing.  I don’t know, maybe it’s my motherly instinct or something.  I do hear from many of my former students.  Most are doing fine, but some have actually passed away because of bad choices.  It makes me wonder if I could have been that positive role model they needed.

I really believe that God’s biggest commandment involves creating positive relationships with others.  I think that the way we handle our relationships with others surrounds our purpose of existence. God does not demand of me that I accomplish great things.  He does demand of me that I strive for excellence in my relationships.  I believe God has ordained relationships as the primary medium for learning. This is the main reason why my relationships with God, family, friends, co-workers, and students are so important to me.

Which brings me to my current dilemma… Through my current position, I have the opportunity to follow 100 students from elementary school through high school graduation and influence their educational process.  This is a teacher’s dream. But it traps me in New York City for seven years.  Unfortunately, my health issues prevent me from staying here in NYC.  I desire to be some where warm and connected through a church home.  So, Atlanta or Los Angeles suits me more than this city.  But what is best for my teaching purpose?  I’ve already moved once thinking of my own improvement and not the improvement of my students.  Is it really my responsibility?

I don’t know… I guess that’s why it’s called a journey.

My First Confession…

Confession #1: I LOVE teaching because I find kids more easy to relate to than adults….

I admit it, I’m a Toys-R-Us kid, which is probably why 1) I’m still single, 2) My best friend is my TIVO, 3) I enjoy taking my elementary school students on field trips cause its just as much fun as hanging out with my grown friends, 4) My doctoral dissertation centers around playing kid video games, 5) My favorite show right now is Phineas and Ferb, 6) I have a weekly craving for movie theater outings and a daily craving for candy… I could go on forever.

I’m telling you all this to prepare you about reading this blog.  If you are looking for some adult inspiring wisdom, some insight into single woman issues, or educational tips to improve children’s education… your probably not going to find it here. Just Sayin… I mean, I’m just an average girl living in New York “acting” like a grown up to make a living.  I CAN say that I believe God called me to teach and I am excellent at my job, which is something that everyone can’t say.

So… Welcome to my world:)