Rock-N-Roll

My first week of graduate school is nearing to an end and for some reason, I need to reflect on it. The classes aren't hard, per se, but they are unlike any classes I have ever taken in my entire scholastic career. My mind has been rumbled and jumbled by the amount of information they are throwing at us. Granted, it's all relevant information, useful and pertinent information to help us prepare ourselves for the onslaught of the upcoming year. Starting this fall, my partner and I will be thrust upon our own classes of students in 7th and 8th grade science. We won't be student teaching with a seasoned teacher. WE will be the teachers.

Our summer courses are supposed to prepare us for next year. So far, it's been very intense. We spend alot of time in class reading articles or chapters in the text, breaking up into groups, sharing our thoughts and ideas, which ultimately leads us to presenting our ideas and findings to the whole class. Overall, it's kinda fun, but can also be very overwhelming.

I had no idea there was so much to teaching. For every one teaching and learning strategy I'm aware of, there are 10 or more others.

We've also been learning about reading. Reading. Something I completely take for granted. Everyone can read. Reading is easy. Getting to the nitty gritty of content and concepts is when it gets fun. I don't know what I would do if I didn't know how to read something and pick it apart.

Did you know that the US is having a literacy crises? Kids can decode what they are reading, but they are lacking the tools to comprehend and digest what they read. When I read that statement, I was a little bit in disbelief. The kids know the words, but can't put them in context to derive a deeper meaning from the text. Wow. That's pretty scary....

With out understanding and comprehension, how can a student understand a complex system like the Kreb's cycle? Or the DNA replication/translation theory?

SO....one of our main objectives is to get the students to incorporate reading into our classes.

Holy moly!

*sigh*

It's going to be a rock-n-roll year for sure.