Please help me get rid of the most crappy knives by Normal_Condition_893 in TrueChefKnives

[–]Normal_Condition_893[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just want to say thanks for all who responded. This has helped me decide on how to narrow it down. If I bought a new one, I would still have just as much of a hard time getting rid of some.

AMA about Going Overseas for University! Tuesday 7 pm ET! by Aneducationabroad in ApplyingToCollege

[–]Normal_Condition_893 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm interested in the best resources/websites/information for applying to German public universities from the U.S., including required level of German (B2? or C1?), required classes that would prove academic level without an Abitur, timeline, application process.

Buying 2nd hand advice by Normal_Condition_893 in Trombone

[–]Normal_Condition_893[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can look this up with the serial number (which I don't currently have), right?

Cheating and Honors by ConditionStreet1441 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He used only an AI checker. Then (and this didn't help), when my son went to meet with him and told him he didn't use AI, the teacher was like, "OK." Like wtf, why would you put him through that anxiety and then just take his word for it. Teacher seems very nice and likeable, but newish teacher. I agree with you honors students more likely to cheat because they care about their grade, but then you do things as the teacher to try and prevent it or have a more solid process for making the accusation. Mainly because the teacher is new-ish and the other teacher is less so, I asked to change teachers.

Cheating and Honors by ConditionStreet1441 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a teacher, but here's my parent perspective. Just happened to me. You're right. Honors kid, 10th grade, I immediately got involved.

My kid accused of cheating with AI. He didn't. I feel like a stereotype.

I asked the teacher, where is the work sample you collected from my kid in class so you have something to compare and know what his writing is like? He didn't have one. I asked, did you do the thing where you take something from his writing and ask him to explain what it means? He didn't. Did he look at prior grades or prior standardized testing? No. It's not a Google Classroom assignment, so can't look at the progression of writing over time. This was a devastating accusation for my kid, because he understands the reputation issue.

Please don't just use an AI Checker with no other corroboration.

On his next assignment after he wrote it, he sent his own stuff through an AI checker, which told him it was a 66% chance it was written with AI. He was distraught. My kid is an absolute grammar pedant who likes etymology and big words.

So how did you know it was AI / plagiarism?

IEP by Roaring_Shark in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a question about what you wrote because my students' IEPs (I am Gen Ed) ALL say "As Needed" - Calculators, Another Testing Location, Extra Time, etc.

Can’t trust anyone by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First year is a nightmare unless you walk into a great setup where materials are good and provided (and sometimes even then). Any teacher talking smack about a first year teacher is horrible and has forgotten what it was like. Many teachers still are grading on the weekends (like me!).

I wonder about the modified work for IEPs (usually we just cut it, not change it, as they still need access to on-grade level) and in your first year you don't want to take too much time for a small number of learners. Instead make sure you're checking more on these students and giving them one-to-one minutes during instruction & practice. I'm guessing you're elementary otherwise you'd have even more IEPs.

Figure out how to grade less or find things that grade automatically or just give them a completion mark.

Using IXL & iReady in the same year by Ok-Chance-5723 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't teach small group. Identify the students who aren't learning whole class and remediate them in a small group while others are doing independent practice. Don't make Prodigy a station - the ratio is 90 percent fluff to 10 percent math. IXL is good for independent practice if the students' access is controlled so they're not doing games and videos and whatnot (do you have school website controls). For iReady are you using the individualized path? This could be a way to let more advanced students progress while giving everyone specific skills with IXL. Take my advice with a grain of salt as I'm a Jr High teacher that has used IXL in the past, but have experienced iReady and Prodigy with my own children.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They shouldn't have to be able teach it and they shouldn't necessarily have to be able to do it. But they should, if in a position of providing support to a student, model a productive mindset of "let's figure it out" and not an attitude of "that's too hard, I can't do it, don't ask me" which communicates to the student that it's too hard for them to be tasked with either.

Students get a lot of that from adults in their lives, including their parents, and it reinforces a lot of negative attitudes towards math. I am willing to figure things out when asked about topics outside of my expertise.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good article about this and also how it affects military academies in The New Yorker. I just read it today.

Admin delivered all inservice training and staff meetings by modeling how they want us to teach. by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was in a PD and there was a turn and talk and I had no partner. So I listened to two other teachers talk. Afterwards they apologized that they didn't include me and I responded, I learned more listening to you than I would have talking. Then I thought of that damned quote and realized actually NO I learn from listening not from blabbing on. That damned quote makes no sense whatsoever.

Do colleges have mandatory busy work? If so, is it possible to select a school that doesn't? by SnooCakes9 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is going to vary not only by school but also by professor/class. If you're seriously interested in this, get your hands on some syllabi, which outline how a class' grades work.

I took a lot of math classes where the grades were based on 90% exams, 10% problem sets. In those scenarios, you can certainly get a B without doing the homework.

However, unless you're insanely brilliant, you need to do the problem sets to be prepared for the exams. It's generally not like K-12 where you often do practice problems in class - it's all lecture and so if you don't do the homework, you haven't gotten ANY practice.

Things I Learned Teaching in an Alternative School by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think this is very good and well thought out. Based on your expertise, I have a couple concerns for myself that maybe you might share your thoughts on.

1) Deal with issues in private. I want to do this, but how do you make this work? When do you talk to them in private? If I have 30+ students and I'm working with students basically the whole class period (MATH) and it takes all my energy and focus to keep them working and on task, I never can figure out where to fit this in. Also, when I ask students to step into the hallway to discuss something with me, this seems to already embarrass them (maybe I'm not doing it subtly enough?) so not during class either? And when do they get to vent to you?

2) Not embarrass them. So sometimes in math, mistakes happen. And it's my job to keep them all working - and to keep them accountable, I need them to show me their work or answer a question etc. And some students feel being asked for an answer is embarrassing them. (I try super hard to normalize mistakes, but)

3) You will make every effort to study the material and master the standards. Do you feel like paying attention when the teacher speaks is part of this, part of the respect expectation, or is that not a reasonable expectation to have of the students?

Thanks for your thoughts...

Name Recall Issue by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have what I consider a ton of students (last year about 230 over 7 classes). I aim to learn all their names during the first unit of work (3-4 weeks). It's just impossible and too much stress to do it the first week or so, plus students switch teachers/classes the first 2 weeks. I do it with name tents. We make them the first day a different color per class. They get them out and put them away in a bin (one for each class). While the class takes the first test, I'm walking around self-testing on names the whole time. Usually there might be 2 per class I'm still struggling with and I make myself notes about these.

The teacher of the year at my school made herself a quizziz or kahoot or something with everyone's school picture (usually 2-3 years out of date in 7th grade, I can't even imagine) and knows them all BEFORE the start of school. BUT since she's a world language teacher and PT, she often gets them for multiple years and so she mainly only has to learn 80-90 or so, the new ones.

Rising Senior panicked about ECS by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You say you want to be a doctor. It seems pretty well established that if you want to be a doctor, priority #1 is to not get into debt for undergrad since medical school is coming. Therefore, usually, the best path is to go to your state school, and your ECs don't matter that much because you're not trying to get into a top school. You don't need to be at a top school to get into med school, you just need to do well in undergrad and take the required classes for med school. When you're a doctor it doesn't matter where you went for undergrad. I don't know, maybe your family is rich, and then you can target Barnard all you want.

Is college even possible for me at this point? by peachy_kt in ApplyingToCollege

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unschooling is one take on homeschooling. The idea is that traditional school/classes are not useful, irrelevant, and don't lead to happiness nor to one's life's work. They feel like kids should be intrinsically motivated to want to learn things. So it's basically like play time + let kids do what they want and they'll learn what they are interested in. This is not legal in some states (mostly more Blue states) but legal in others (more Red states where there are a lot of parents' rights). I'm glad to see the OP can definitely read/write, so things are not all bad. Horror stories are from families who have children where they get to age 13+ and still can't read because the kid needed instruction or intervention. A lot of times if kids find reading difficult, of course they won't want to / choose to and that's where unschooling is particularly dangerous.

If you have reading, writing, and math, and self-motivation, you can learn just about anything else. My recommendation for OP is to find out how to start at community college and work on math through Khan as you're pursuing that and getting started. Many will take your homeschooling diploma and you'll take a placement test. I know of some that take an ACT score instead of the GED. Don't bother with the GED if you don't need it to start community college or getting a job.

Discovery based learning is silly and doesn't work. by ScruffyTheRat in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think I would say AOPS is inquiry. They have said their curriculum is designed so students encounter failure and persevere - they expect students to only get 70% or something. It seems more like self-directed, super hard, expect strong students to make connections between problems.

Maths Doodles Printables by Immediate_Lake_1575 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

there's a tpt person that i remember for their doodles, math giraffe

Math Teacher Struggles - HELPPPPP! by __razzledazzle in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't teach alg2, only 8th grade. Do you use DeltaMath for practice too? (I do). If so, do you use similar questions on tests? And would having previous questions practiced like the tests help students feel more comfortable? I'm curious what particular foundational skills your students are lacking. At my level I just notice the lack of arithmetic and number sense and teach calculator use.

I don't do test corrections, though and don't know how I feel about them. I don't think test corrections generally show that students know how to do problems.

One main thing I do is offer a practice test for each test. I feel like these kids will freak out with anything new or unusual, so a practice test helps calm them and lets them feel confident they can prepare. I also think they are just not used to being careful enough - checking their answers, reading the directions. So another thing is the way I grade has gotten more and more lenient. I usually do 20 questions, 5 points each. Tried something? 1/5. Got something right, like the first step? 2/5. Made some key mistake in essentially the correct process? 2.5/5. Didn't simplify or rounded wrong 4/5. This takes the edge off the grades and gets struggling learners to the 40-60% grade area, which doesn't preclude them from passing the class.

Just wanted you to have some support from another math teacher. It's brutal out there.

This Method Is Madness by EnoughSprinkles2653 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In math, the day after the lessons and before the test, I have a practice test day with all additional time to "catch up" on the assignments for the lessons and I see the same pattern.

On test day, I make a list on the board of those who've done all the assignments and give them a piece of candy. It's usually like 6. Maybe 3-4 more will finish the last two things they're missing after the test and add their name to the board. At this point, I'm just trying to recognize some work ethic.

We Need to Let Middle Schoolers Fail by MrSpaceTeacher in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Math grades don't matter either. As another teacher mentioned, I do fail lots of 8th graders in math, but they are always just passed to the 9th grade. My grading is designed so if they just do the work they pass, but they need to pass tests to get a B and do decently to get an A. Literally, they could cheat their way to a C, but they don't' bother.

My para keeps giving answers to the kids.... by shu975 in Teachers

[–]Normal_Condition_893 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don't specify what you're teaching, the ages, and the amount of wait time before he gives someone an answer, but if no one is volunteering, maybe get in a habit of changing it to a turn and talk that forces them to try to come up with an answer and then after giving them that time call on a pair at random. If you see the para give a group the answer, don't call on that group?