How to think!

Over the past several weeks I’ve heard my fellow student teachers talk about how they’ve had to “have the talk” with their students or, in other words, let them know who is in control of the class and discipline the students as to how they should behave. I haven’t really had behavior issues, although ,where I’m at the tolerance level is probably much higher than in other schools; but, I had to gain control of their minds this week and let them know that I expect mental discipline or at least engagement when they are in my classroom. I am referring to an Accounting I class that is first period. Yes, I remember my high school years and I didn’t want to do much of anything first period of the day. In some respects I think that all juniors and seniors should have some sort of phys. ed. class the first period of each day. That would allow them to wake up and start thinking! The class that I have has a combination of juniors and seniors. I picked up the class at the end of the accounting cycle attempting to teach them adjusting and closing entries and then the post-closing trial balance. My co-op has said that this has always been the most difficult concept for the students to grasp. That closing the accounts doesn’t make sense to the students and getting this concept through to the students can be very challenging. So, even though we had PSSA’s last week and the schedule was chaotic we came up with a plan and forged onward. I taught adjusting entries and I reviewed adjusting entries. We went over the work together problem and then the on your own problem. And we did the same thing with closing entries and even spent more time on closing entries because there is more to them than the adjusting entries. We reviewed, and worked on problems together, and we reviewed more. And I just kept looking out at blank faces. They were following what I was doing but their minds weren’t engaged in the process in order for them to know what to do on their own! How do you get them to think?! They were following but like sheep and not actually grasping the concepts. Wednesday morning I finished the class by asking what questions they had, what could I explain better, where is it even a little foggy. I got nothing. Everybody knew everything. I must be the most wonderful teacher! Wrong. It was then I decided that the only way to get them to engage their minds was to call them on it. So they had a pop quiz Thursday morning to start off the class. The complaining and moaning was almost comical. “Mr. Co-op said we’d never have pop quizzes in here.” “Is this score going to count?” Blah, blah, blah… They took the quiz amid all their grumbling. After the quiz I reviewed the adjusting and closing entries on the smartboard. And then I heard the comment, “I wish we could take that quiz now, I’d get 100 on it.” I said, “You’re on. Everybody put your papers away. It’s the same quiz. You’ll have 15 min. to do this.” LOL… their mouths dropped. How dare I, two pop quizzes in one class? I know the students were thinking “This lady is crazy!” And let them think that. They will get over whatever they are thinking now once they get the concept. But, they have to think! I have talked and spoon-fed them through the chapter too much. Now it’s time for them to engage the gears. I can’t do it for them; they need to do this on their own. I now know how the teachers felt when I was in school and I would hear them say, “You have to think!” The most valuable lesson here and in life is learning how to think. These students don’t yet know the pleasure and fun they can derive from thinking. They haven't learned how you can never be bored if you know how to think. So now I’m thinking about how to get them to think!

The thing I would change about this week is that I did not get to teach that class on Friday. It took all of my momentum away. My one co-op was out (yes, I have two) and there was no sub so I had to take his first period class. I was very disappointed because I felt like I let them down. The regular teacher was there to do the review. He told me that they wanted their quizzes back and to know their grades and that I definitely got their attention. He doesn’t think they’ll be as passive about learning from here on out. I was sad that I wasn’t there to pick them back up on Friday, to build them up and let them know that they all have the ability if they just think. But, I am hopeful that maybe it will work out even better for me to start off next week on a high note by building them up on Monday. I truly enjoy these classes and the students and want to give them everything I can but they have to do it on their own. If not, they’ll never learn to think and that is the best thing I can ever teach them!