VOIGHTclass 2.3

I was approached by my colleague, the same one my previous post mentioned, with a question regarding my thoughts about publishing my writings.  I was a little taken aback; it is flattering to think that someone could think so highly of my writings, especially since I’ve just been sitting down here typing with little to no pre-writing except for thinking in the car or whatever.  I also made me feel a little guilty that I haven’t kept up with my pledge of a weekly rumination – perhaps that’s why I’m on again tonight.

Then I start thinking, heck, it would be pretty sweet to be a published author – but what would the title be?  I mentioned in an early post that I spend a lot of time thinking while I drive home from the cabin; in fact, I pondered the idea of calling this category “front seat reflections” or something like that.  As I was thinking a moment ago, perhaps a good title would be “Reflections in the Windshield.”  There might be some deep symbolism there.  My ruminations are focused on my reflections – looking back at the things I’ve done, my beliefs about various topics, and more.  The term reflections symbolizes the need to look back, however, I don’t look back with regret or despair or nostalgia.  I look back for the purpose of moving forward – the direction through the windshield…hmmmmm….

Okay,  a quick google search didn’t turn up anything on “Reflections in the Windshield” (at least on the first page) so I’m claiming it!

Nevertheless, I then started thinking about what genre this work would fit.  I mean it could cover a lot of stuff on learning and education but I think the lessons I’ve learned through teaching are more pervasive than that.  Would it be a self-help book – sort of a personal fixer upper.  I sort of like that, I like fixing things but fixing people is an entirely different story.  I’ve been trying to fix my wife for almost 10 years and haven’t gotten anywhere!  JUST KIDDING – I love you dear, you don’t need fixing, you are a saint compared to me.  I am the one that needs fixing.  Maybe fixing isn’t the right word but I’m focused on my growth here and nobody else’s.  I just hope that somebody can make a connection with a story or two and it causes them to think twice about something.  Maybe that is the ticket though, focus on fixing yourself – after all you are the only person you really have control over anyway.

Alright, thanks for allowing me to amuse myself for a moment and again, I’m TOTALLY kidding about my wife.  I’m super lucky to have her and should thank her right now for allowing me to exist in her presence.

(A side note – I met my wife in 9th grade, same age as my students are now! weird)

If you’ve been following this website over the course of recent weeks, you are aware that I will be mentoring a student teacher in the coming weeks.  I met Mr. Kaylor for the first time today and as we discussed our mutual expectations for his experience, I implored him to constantly ask questions of not only what I am doing but why.  In doing so, Mr. Kaylor will challenge me to reflect upon what is happening in my classroom and allow me to re-think the reason things are done the way they are.  We all need a challenge in life to stay fresh and I am viewing this upcoming mentorship as an opportunity to challenge myself to become better.  Not all of us are great at finding our own challenges in life.  On the other hand, many of us are challenged in many aspects of life; but I am not just talking about difficult times.  I’m talking about the experiences or people in our lives that cause us to step back and re-evaluate the status quo.  We all need someone to be a challenger in our lives.

I was made aware of this today as I discussed my practice with another teacher in my department.  She has begun to inquire my thoughts on a host of issues related to the experiences we are having as teachers in our district.  Perhaps she sees me as one who can challenge her.  The best news is, in the process of helping her cognition, it allows me to continue the process of self-reflection I began several years ago.  It is a win-win situation for us.  I am looking forward to challenging her, the student teacher, students, and others I may come in contact with throughout my service as a teacher, a father, a husband.

A challenger can be any number of people we come in contact with on a regular basis; heck, it could even be a chance encounter with a stranger.  Every opportunity we have to be questioned should be looked upon as an opportunity for growth.  Some of us might recognize these behaviors in a boss, spouse, friend, or teacher.  I can only hope that each of us has at least one person in our lives that drives us to dig deeper and make progress.  Challengers allow us to reflect, learn, evolve.  It is those challenges that allow us to move beyond the status quo.  W. Edward Demming said, “Change is not necessary, survival is not mandatory.”  I want to do more than survive, I want to grow – in all areas of my life.

Of course, if we are to grow as people with the aid of a challenger, we must first be accepting of the challenge in the first place.  I understand that my students probably have not yet had a profound experience with being challenged and the subsequent growth experience.  I believe they will over time.  However, for this to happen, we must accept that we are not perfect; we must understand that how we perceive ourselves is not the whole reality.  I struggle with this all the time.  We get in a routine of doing things the same way because, at some point, we decided that was right or comfortable or easy, repeated over time our habits become right in our minds.  It takes a challenger to smack us with a dose of reality once in a while.

As my students are reading this (???), I hope the begin to look at challenging times as something more than a temporary experience that needs to be tolerated.  Each experience with a challenge or challenger can and should be valued for what it is, an opportunity to reflect, develop new skills, or reaffirm our beliefs.  Here’s to the challenges and challengers among us.

Learning Targets:
92122 – explain how the rearrangement of atoms in a chemical reaction illustrates the law of conservation of mass
92123 – Describe a chemical reaction using words and symbolic equations
92124 (HP) – relate exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions to temperature and energy changes

DO NOW:
Grab a pair of goggles and pick up a few sheets of scrap paper from the front desk.

Homework:
STUDY for the test – many resources (videos, answer keys, study guides, practice tests, etc…on the Foundations of Chemistry Page)

Wednesday and Thursday in Class:
Students will spend the rest of this week observing several chemical reactions.  These reactions will allow us to review the concepts of balancing, naming, energy, reaction type, and more.  It is important that students consider what is happening in the reaction vessel rather than simply just watching a cool thing happen!

The test is on Monday! (sections 6.3, 7.1,7.2, and 7.4; HP also has 7.3 and 7.4)

Learning Target:
92123 – describe a chemical reaction using words

DO NOW:
Take out your notes packet and open to the “types of reactions” – read

Homework:
Read sections 7.2.  (The test covers 6.3, 7.1,7.2)

Today in Class:
Students will be introduced to the concept of reaction types.  Again, patterns will be extremely important in helping us to identify the correct type of reaction.  Describing the reaction type is another method of describing reactions using words (our learning target).  Over the course of this week, we’ll finish up our notes and continue to practice identifying these concepts in preparation for our test on Monday!

Learning Target:
92124 – relate exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions to temperature and energy changes

DO NOW:
Open your notes packet to the section on Reaction rates and energy – read

Homework:
none – except study!

Today in Class:
Students will be introduced to energy and its relationship to chemical reactions.  Every time we make and/or break bonds (chemical reactions) it involves energy.  Energy is the “currency” of the universe.  As observers, we need to understand the relationship between the reactants and products to determine the overall gain/loss of energy in the reaction.  This allows us to classify reactions as endothermic or exothermic.  As students observe a chemical reaction, we need to focus on what is happening to the energy.