Comments on: Beginning Winter Break

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 07:07:00 +0000

Thanks, Jennifer. I wonder if evaluating the difference between student expectations and personal expectations would change the homework some teachers assign.

Teachers are the absolute worst students ever! When students don’t do their homework, but I honestly forgot to re-read it too, there’s not much I can do to give them a hard time about it. We all fall prey to those habits because they are natural habits to fall into, that’s why students do them.

I really don’t know if teachers who expect their students to read 50 pages a night do the same. I can tell you that I don’t. I regularly fall back on my knowledge of the last time I read a story when we discuss it in class. I have a pretty good memory and a quick glance at the story usually refreshes me, but I don’t take studious notes or “interact with the text” every time I assign it. If I can’t manage to take that time, how can I expect my students to? Should I expect my students to do more than I do each night?

By: Jennifer C

Jennifer C — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 05:02:00 +0000

Excellent point about our expectations of our students vs what we expect of ourselves. I notice that I tend to fall prey to the same habits anger me about my students. Ever look around at a faculty or department meeting? Most teachers look as bored and distracted as students do in class. Or how about teachers taking classes? I know I’m famous for procrastination so how can I admonish my students for it?

By: Debbie

Debbie — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:16:00 +0000

That’s a big list, Todd. I actually spent some late nights the last few days before break grading and returning papers. I still have a ton to do, but not at much, and I left it at work. If I’d like, I can go in tomorrow or Friday and grade; I can also skip it. Grading isn’t my concern, though, planning is.

When I went to a conference a few weeks back, the teachers were talking about teaching the 7 Habits to their freshmen. They said that teaching it to the students helped keep themselves on their toes and made the classroom more “fair” and equitable, and that made a big difference. The first habit - be proactive - is the worst for me, and I’m still working on it.