I have to do a better job of engaging my students in the material. They have to do a better job of meeting me halfway by studying on their own time and taking ownership of what they do with their projects outside of class.
Anyway ... I'm tired today. Had a lot to drink and eat over the weekend, but still have plenty left in this month's budget. Plus, once I get taxes done I'll have that refund.
I've been in a weird state of mind lately where I constantly feel I need to do something, but don't know what it is or how to do it. I know I need to eat better and do more cardio and turn my sleep schedule around. But I think it's that there's just something missing from my lesson plans and interactions with my classes. The material is all there in a nice package, but what I try to do to spice it up is not working. I need to focus more on that without losing track of everything they need to know.
There's also the fact being in an authoritarian role has always felt off to me. Like I'm really having to put on a face that isn't mine. But I can't just start going into my stand up routines ... well maybe if I tone them down, I can. Hmmm...
I need to take a teaching seminar.
Anyway, it is raining here. I'm hoping I can use the peacefulness of the gray skies to catch some zs.
See you on the BaD side of tomorrow.
Hey man sorry to hear you are having trouble teaching. I think you'll get better at it though. U haven't been doing it that long. Maybe ask a teacher u admire about it?
Since ive run out of cigs to smoke I feel a little restless too. But it also feels goods in a way. Just uncomfortable!
When I was at PAX South, I attended a panel where the speaker was a teacher and she talked about how she uses ideas from video games to motivate her students, since video games are good at motivating kids. Her name was Ashley Brandin. Maybe you could look up her name and see if she has her speech online or something?
I'lllook her up. Her name sounds familiar.
I have thought about that, but my students are more into Beyonce than video games. They're college kids as well, so we try to structure things like a business in certain cases. But I could certainly work it into their heads that you gain strength and wisdom points by doing projects.
I think about teaching a lot, probably because I should be one, but I'm too shy in front of people. I can barely get myself to answer the phone at work. It's like an alergy to strangers or something.
But, I think about it a lot, even to the point of coming up with lessons in my head to explain certain points in books I've read, in case I had to tell anyone about it.
I listen to those Teaching comany lectures all the time and think about what makes those teachers so good.
Teaching Company lectures? These online?
I guess they're calling themselves The Great Courses now. I found a lot of these at the local library. I've been hooked ever since.
I wish I could give you some advice but the only teaching I've ever done was a bit of substitute teaching. I got them ingaged by making it a game, but since they were younger they thought it was fun. I guess you could find some common ground outside of the classroom, and maybe pick the brain of some of the profs in your dept.
I think the other profs are about to lock their doors given how often I ask them for advice.
Time to kick some doors down...or buy them a beer. Bonus: kick down the door and hand them the beer.