tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post113453345569619302..comments2024-03-13T21:26:03.011-07:00Comments on Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: Collaboration TimeDarrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-1134589421245777872005-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:002005-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:00I don't drink beer, but a keg might help liven thi...I don't drink beer, but a keg might help liven things up a bit. Or make them more bearable. Or something.Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-1134571129745749902005-12-14T06:38:00.000-08:002005-12-14T06:38:00.000-08:00My political ideas aren't the issue here. My issu...My political ideas aren't the issue here. My issue is with beating a dead horse, H202 (hehehe), repeatedly complaining over and over and over and over again about things outside of our sphere of influence. Every teacher in the state lives with the late April standardized testing date--live with it. It's not the smartest time to give such tests, but we're under no unfair burden compared to everyone else.<BR/><BR/>It's not political, it's common sense. And following the rules (standards) that our elected state officials, elected school board officials, and hired bosses tell us to follow? It shouldn't take a political conservative to believe that following the rules is necessary, even for adults.Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-1134570299946845492005-12-14T06:24:00.000-08:002005-12-14T06:24:00.000-08:00What a disappointment. We have collaboration in th...What a disappointment. We have collaboration in the morning one day a week (on a modified block). I meet with two teams of teachers to review where we're at, check in for the week, swap information. We often meet outside of the collaboration period because we do collaborate together on units, specific assignments, and tests.<BR/>Every few months (there's a schedule that is secret to me) we have a day where there are optional meetings (how to teach using cornell notes; methods for instruction of rhetorical devices; community-building the classroom; how to manage the difficult student).<BR/>I won't say that collaboration is perfect, but I do rely on a fixed time to meet with colleagues. This is, at least, how my school has worked out its collaboration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-1134548960537498782005-12-14T00:29:00.000-08:002005-12-14T00:29:00.000-08:00To call this a 'goatscrew' is to do a disservice t...To call this a 'goatscrew' is to do a disservice to many friendly quadrapeds.<BR/><BR/>You're right -- the useful kind of collaboration occurs naturally, and still happens when need be. You want an ambiguous case of sines technique? Just ask -- I've got one that works great . . .sometimes. <BR/><BR/>But to say that it 'appeared smart'? To shorten periods one day a week by 20%, then increase the others by less than 2%, claiming that instructional time hasn't been affected? To add the time for collaboration/training without having any plan in place for what a) should be done, b) can be done, or c) what the actual goals were? You give them to much credit. This is the classic example of what's wrong with public education: there is a large class of educator, both union and administrative, whose sole function is to create new things to try so that their positions can continue to be funded without their having to actually educate. If they work, its actually a bad thing, because then they don't need to come up with anything new.<BR/><BR/>Dan<BR/><BR/>P.S.: I nabbed the web site session for Thursday, not because I have any interest in creating a website, but because I vowed to drive a railroad spike through my temple before i ever sat through a power point lecture again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-1134536544354624442005-12-13T21:02:00.000-08:002005-12-13T21:02:00.000-08:00Hmmm sounds like you don't get along as well as I ...Hmmm sounds like you don't get along as well as I thought with the rest of the math department. I find it interesting in my Calculus class with Mr. Baker how he usually explains how Mr. Dunkum might be teaching a certain subject. Usually it's nothing big or just a different name for a technique but he tries to tell it to us just so we know what's going on next year in BC. Also in summer school I learned completely different things then what you taught in your class. Mr. Westover seems to work with you on occation. I think you might just have to give up on some of your more hardline political ideals and thoughts on standardized testing and just try to see if you can deal with the other teachers rants. I really think there should be some correlation between the classes but everyone has their own style and method, even you. Good luck working on that, it would be nice to not have to deal with relearning an entire subject just because one teacher spends more time on a certain section. I'm leaving this Anonymous but to make sure if you haven't already figured it out, 2H2O2 -> 2H2O + O2.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com