Group Work vs. Individual Work by Mike Siekkinen

When determining your classroom setup and how your students will be seated, there are a number of things to consider. Deciding how students are seated (singly, in pairs, groups-group size?) as well as if assignments will be done together or individually will yield different results. The following are some thoughts from a teacher in the trenches vs an educational “expert” who does not teach. I teach middle school, primarily 8th grade, so these thoughts are based on my experience.

Individual seating and assignments






Pros

• You can see precisely what a student can or can’t do.
• See what a student knows and doesn’t know.
• Usually “quiet" instruction/work environment (some like this/some don’t)
• Many students would rather work alone and provide an individual product.

Cons

• No student collaboration (no exchanging ideas).
• No social interaction (can be a positive or a negative).
• Some students like working with others vs individually.

Groups Work (pairs or small group)






Pros

• Get a more rounded project or assignment as more eyes on the assignment.
• Encourages cooperation among students.
• Students work toward common goal.

Cons

• Students tend to be social, so often can get off task.
• One student can dominate and provide all the answers.
• Don’t necessarily get to see what an individual student knows.

I use a combination of both seating arrangements, depending on what I have students doing. When working with groups, I make expectations very clear on conduct and enforce proper behavior working within a group. I explain that in a group or partner situation, talking should be related to the assignment and work they are doing, not a social time. Even with this explanation, consistent monitoring needs to be done (walking around the room, visiting with students, checking where they are in the assignment, etc.). Students can quickly get off track and forget why they are together and it can become a very social environment. You will get a feel of your students over time and decisions about group size and how often you have students collaborate will become easier.

Dr. Mike Siekkinen, a retired U.S. Navy submariner, became a teacher as a second career. He teaches history at St Marys Middle School as well as Adult and Career Education at Valdosta State in Georgia.

On Idleness by Andy Jobson

It’s funny how quickly bad habits can set in.  After a few weeks of summer lethargy, I found myself struggling to use my time well in pre-planning this year.  That’s when I recalled Samuel Johnson’s essay “On Idleness,” which I have often shared with seniors.

Johnson presents an amusing assessment of a vice which, though not as widely disparaged as pride, may nonetheless be just as problematic.  He argues that idleness can often be hidden in ways that pride or wrath may not.  My students love the description of the truly idle, who rise from bed merely to find their way to the couch, who exercise just enough to get tired so that they can sleep again, who “exist in a state of unruffled stupidity, forgetting and forgotten… and at whose death the survivors can only say, that they have ceased to breathe.”

The real value of the essay, though, is its analysis of the ways we hide our idleness.  We do this by staying busy on the non-essential things.  Maybe we invest

hours of time in preparing our workplace, sharpening pencils and straightening stacks.  Maybe we fill the day with “petty business,” staying busy but not productive.  Hobbies can be entertaining ways to spend time, but Johnson notes his own tendency to while away the hours on something that truly just prevents him from addressing priorities.  One vice I especially have to fight is the fancy that I am engaged in important business when having conversations with fellow teachers. Of course I can learn a lot from them, and sometimes it is time well spent, but it can also be a way of hiding from the work I really have to do. 

I’m probably in the minority of teachers who waste time this way, but I have found his gentle humor helpful in redirecting me when I am tempted by the trivial.  Have a great (and productive) year!

An educator of 22 years, Andy Jobson has taught government, economics, and U.S. History. Currently teaching English literature at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, GA, he’s also been an administrator, a STAR teacher twice, and taught elementary school with Teach for America.

Things to Discuss on the First Day of School by Mike Siekkinen

The first day of school is often a busy, scary and sometimes disorganized event, especially for new students (and teachers). Having a list of items to discuss with your students can help keep you organized and in control. Having a list also ensures that students will get the required information about school rules, times and class conduct. Here is my list for the first day. This can be modified to fit your individual circumstances. Hopefully you find this useful.

• Gum/snacks/ food
• Trash (where and when)
• No clock (I don’t use one in my class)
• Entering procedures/ exiting procedures
• Lunch (time and prices)
• Weekly schedule
• Text books
• Upcoming events
• Cell phones
• Field trips
• Buses
• Agendas and hall passes
• Required supplies
• Chromebook use/misuse
• Fire drill procedures/ intruder drills
• My desk/ your supplies
• Classroom temp.
• Substitute teachers (how to act)
• Restroom breaks
• Late work/ due dates
• Class binders
• Homework
• Turning in work (where and how)

Dr. Mike Siekkinen, a retired U.S. Navy submariner, became a teacher as a second career. He teaches history at St Marys Middle School as well as Adult and Career Education at Valdosta State in Georgia.

Introducing...Bulletin Board Battle...Enter If You Dare!!!

Ghosts, witches, and zombies, oh my! Be on the lookout for bats and broomsticks that fly! Join the cool ghouls and take part in our Bulletin Board Battle! Submit a photograph of your “spooky” bulletin board decorations on our social media pages. Winner gets a $50 gift certificate to reallygoodstuff.com.

For full rules, click here.

Stop Copying Me - by Lindell Long

What's the saying? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That may well be, but for students, copying without giving credit to the author is plagiarism.    

 Why do students plagiarize? With today’s technology, anything can be found on the internet with a few key strokes. No more using a card catalog, 

pulling dozens of books to find a sentence here, or a sentence there. Now, a student can find entire articles, even complete term papers, posted online. What took hours of research in the past now takes a mere few minutes. Some students don’t even bother to reword the article, choosing instead to cut and paste and be done. Of course, knowing our students, we recognize work that is not theirs. Asking a student to define a word in the article and he cannot is a sure clue.
 
There are many programs that are used in high schools such as “turn it in,” ”plagtracker,” and “plagiarism detect” and yet the student still turns in work as his own. We can attribute this trend in native English speakers as laziness, wanting to appear smarter than actuality, and/or the pursuit of a good grade, but what about the non-native-English speaker?

Why do ESOL students so frequently plagiarize? Often, they have no idea that they have done anything wrong. Unless it is thoroughly explained, students do not equate this action with cheating. In some cultures, copying someone else’s work is considered a sign of honoring the individual. Recognize this practice and then explain that within this culture where they currently live, doing so with writing is not acceptable. The first step to preventing plagiarism is to explain and demonstrate what constitutes the action.

 Most of the time, the ESOL student does not possess the vocabulary to express his thoughts, so he copies a passage that expresses his idea better than the student can. Providing necessary vocabulary and using frames will greatly help the student. Put examples of how a response can be worded and reworded to help the ESOL student. Having discussions about the subject is also very helpful. Write the thoughts on the board that the students have expressed. Seeing their words helps with vocabulary and spelling.  

Working in small groups is a safe alternative for students to express thoughts without feeling inadequate.

As students discuss possible wording, hand each group a small paragraph and ask them to list the important words in each paragraph. Practicing taking a paragraph apart and inserting their own words gives students the tools needed to paraphrase. Helping students build their own sentences and then paragraphs gives students a sense of accomplishment which will instill confidence to keep trying these methods. This will help them avoid plagiarism in the future.

Have you had issues with plagiarism in your classroom? How do you deal with it?

Lindell Long teaches ESOL at Clover Middle and High Schools in Clover, South Carolina, a position she’s held for the last 18 years. She’s married with 4 children and so many pets her family fears she’ll bring home a stray yak one day.

Back to School Dreams by Andrew Jobson

Back to School Dreams

I don’t usually remember my dreams, but the time of year is approaching when some of my most vivid dreams have occurred.  I remember one where I was back on stage for my senior play, Oklahoma! Unfortunately, I could no longer remember my lines—I was very surprised to find myself on stage and wondered how on earth I had gotten there.  Of

course, all eyes were on me, and I stumbled through “It’s a Scandal, It’s an Outrage” as best I could, but it was extremely embarrassing. However, at least one other dream topped it. In this one, I was standing in front of a classroom of teenagers, and I found myself trying desperately to think of what I was supposed to be teaching.  Once again, I felt as though I had dropped into another dimension with no preparation. To further my distress, I realized a few minutes into the dream that I had somehow forgotten to wear slacks.

That was probably the dream that helped me figure out what was going on.  (Some of you may be saying at this point, what took you so long?)  Why did these dreams tend to occur in late summer?  Because I was worrying about getting back up in front of a classroom and not being prepared, of having my weaknesses exposed.  Such dreams were a spur to throw myself back into planning after a few months doing something else.

I’m not sure whether to be grateful for these dreams, or not. Thankfully, they seem to have diminished in more recent years. Of course, maybe that’s just because, after twenty years in the classroom, my memory is getting weaker rather than the dreams.

Sleep tight!


An educator of 22 years, Andy Jobson has taught government, economics, and U.S. History. Currently teaching English literature at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, GA, he’s also been an administrator, a STAR teacher twice, and taught elementary school with Teach for America.