Observing the lives of over-achievers

So the classes I'm teaching for this student-teaching business are all "Honors." I had never heard of Honors Spanish--that kind of thing certainly wasn't around when I was in high school (though I recently saw that my alma mater is in fact now offering Honors language classes). Aside from giving me what is likely poor preparation for classroom management in the real world, I have learned some other things from these classes: namely, what it is to be a high-achiever.

During one class, I asked them to pass in a paper that went with a class activity--just designed to keep them on task, really. If they had something on there, they were going to get full credit. I was hurrying them to hand it in so we could move on, and took the paper of one boy who hadn't finished a couple of questions. "If you didn't finish, don't worry," I was saying. But as I took the paper away from him, he reached out after it, moaning in the Spanish he could muster: "No!!" he said--obviously distressed, reaching towards me the way you see people in movies reach out to a child who is being torn away from them. "Lost points!!" That was the moment I realized the students I was going to be working with were a little different.

I am not one of this crowd--I never was a 4.0er. So I've been learning from these students. Here are two patterns I've noticed about being a school-super-achiever.

1. Every point counts

These students will come to me the next class after I post the grades to an assignment (or, like in one case, send messenger with a note about the grade). Sometimes I post the assignment but don't get to filling in all the grades. This makes them freak out. Anything that could be construed as an error? It get asked about it immediately (like I said, the next class period at the latest). The mentor teacher I'm working with has a policy that they can re-do any assignment, making corrections. How many points would students need to miss to be motivated to keep working on the assignment, you may ask. Well, for some, the difference of one point is enough to go back over it. One point.

2. They advocate for themselves

This is related to the "every-point-counts" policy. A characteristic of these high-achieving students is that they ask. They ask about grades (as noted above). They come in before they miss a class (for, you know, things like out-of-state snowboard and skiing competitions, DECA competitions, debate tournaments, family trips to Germany, etc.) or right after. They raise their hands and ask me to explain again the things they don't understand (and correct the mistakes I make while teaching). They ask to go over the homework if it was particularly difficult. In short, they know how to advocate for themselves in class.

3. They're involved

As noted above, these students are busy and generally stressed out. They are involved in other advanced classes, in clubs, and so on. The Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate class (which I'm not allowed to teach) has two Sterling Scholars in it. In that and another class, there are a couple of students who have helped organize a rally against climate change. In Spanish 4, one day a girl was carrying an application to Harvard when she came into class. This kind of stuff isn't exactly a secret their success like the other points are. Still, a fair observation about the characteristics of this group.

4. They have family support

One night for homework, students wrote sentences using some grammar form about stuff their parents tell them, I think. I don't remember exactly. One of the students wrote something like: "Get good grades, or your parents will be mad." Another student came in after school briefly. Talking to him, it turns out his parents wanted him to go to this school for the International Baccalaureate program. A couple of students have Spanish language tutors. The parents of these high-achievers obviously have high expectations. I think that really does help them achieve like they do--but that it ads pressure at the same time, of course.

Things that Make Me Happy

So, the last month or so has been stressful. I had no idea it would take up pretty much all my time to come up with lesson plans. It's taxing to be constantly examined as well, constantly getting "feedback." I've had some other odds and ends to work on at BYU, too, and then my computer crashed. It is fixed but still not back to normal...

I was feeling pretty negative about life but decided I need to try to be more positive. So I'm including a few things that have made me happy recently. 

• "Shampoo" by Elvis Perkins. I listen to a lot of music lately. Sometimes loud, and at wee hours of the morning to keep me awake. This song came up on Pandora the other day, and I have been obsessed with it since then. I don't know why. And don't ask me what it means. I don't think that's the point. (Hope it isn't!)

 

• Mates of State. Along the music theme, I discovered this last night from the band. Mates of State is a husband and wife team, they quit their jobs as a cancer researcher and elementary school teacher to be independent rock stars full time. I also took a look at this group's blog last night--I read it every few months or so. It just delights me that one post will be about finishing an album or a big tour, and then the next is about what to do with kids all day when everyone's snowed in or making Halloween costumes. They're a family, and just happen to be rock musicians, too. 

• Reading the good word. Honestly, sometimes it's harder to stay consistent with scripture and gospel study than it is at other times. Lately, it's just been a pleasure to read. Something that's been especially beneficial lately is Richard G. Scott's October 2010 talk "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character."

• Doctor Who. Should I admit this? During last Summer term, one of my roommates convinced me to sit down and watch an episode with her. It took convincing, too--I remember the older version coming on late at night on PBS and it really freaking me out. The newer series have just been fun to watch--though if I do alone late at night with all the lights turned off, I find myself looking over my shoulder when the episode finishes and I walk down the dark hall to bed...

More Machines...

More about technology.

I was hurrying to school this Friday morning. I had stayed up late again but still not quite managed to get everything totally ready. There were still a couple of handouts on my computer. We were going to be reading part of 100 Years of Solitude in Spanish 4 (but the English translation, since I didn't have a copy in Spanish--lucky students), and I had some handouts about background information for them to look at in groups. Apparently my teaching is too teacher-centered. This is frustrating, because I feel like I try to get them to do stuff. Like printing out little bits on the United Fruit Company, magical realism, and the environmental impact of banana plantations in South America for them to read one of these and report to their group about.

This didn't happen, though. I got to school and while they were doing some exercise in partners, I opened up my computer to transfer and print the handouts. The screen looked like a stone, but lit up. I restarted it--same results. My computer...had died.

I took it down to the Apple store when school got out. I pulled out of my bag for the "genius" at the "Genius Bar" at the back of the jam-packed store. The "genius" said, "I haven't seen one of these in awhile." He scanned something and pulled up the purchase date: July 2005. He explained that Apple doesn't service computers that have been discontinued for five years or more, and that I just barely snuck in under the wire.

It's getting shipped off to Kansas or something and should be back in a couple of days with a new graphics card and something else and hard drive. Suck as much life out of it as possible...

Extraordinary Machine

Before I left Korea, I wanted to get a flash drive. Korea has such beautiful electronics--I have pictures of a refrigerator displayed in front of an appliance store, and of the rice cookers from our apartments. I would tell people how beautiful their cell phones were as a way to start a conversation. "There isn't anything like that in the US," I would tell them, and it's true. I came back and found we have smart phones that can do amazing things. But with surprising colors, sparkles and lights, graphics and flower designs, their phones (like their refrigerators and rice cookers) are beautiful.

So I wanted to get a flash drive. These were also cheaper in Korea, and had huge capacities (at least compared to what I had seen...). So when my parents came to get me, we spent some time at Kyobo Book Store, and there, I found a flash drive.

And it is beautiful. It has an 8GB capacity. It is the size of the tip of my thumb, brushed red metal. It came attached to a little string so I could hook it to my cell phone, and a little chain to add it to a keyring. When I hold it, it makes me think of a rosary.

(Is that sacrilegious? Or just geeky?)

I never really had a need for a flash drive until I started student teaching. Going back and forth between my computer and the one in the classroom, I use one now pretty much every day. And at the end of the day, I take it out and stick it in my pocket.

Or, that's what I did until I washed the pants with the Korea flash drive in the pocket this last week. I don't put flash drives in my pocket anymore.

I was sad. Tonight, though, I thought I would just stick it in the computer and see what happens.

And it worked.

So, a lot has happened since my last post. I've been thinking about my blog, and trying to think of significant/interesting/poetic things to write about. I'm just going to summarize what I've been up to since I last wrote.

--I left Provo. This included the following events:
+Finals
+The Provo Tabernacle burning up the day before I left. I kept waking up to helicopters and wondering what on earth was going on.
+Moving furniture six inches out from the wall to check out of the apartment. This was apparently a new part of the check-out process. Items found behind said furniture included used tissues, a necklace, a pocket-sized hymn book, and a framed picture of Joseph Smith. This was BYU, after all.

--Christmas. It was lovely. My sisters and their families were in town, which was the best part. That, and the tee shirt my dad gave me. It has Che Guevara wearing a Che Guevara tee shirt.

--New Years. At this point, it was just me and my parents. We hiked Ensign Peak (I should really include photos...) in the snow, and it was a beautiful way to start the New Year. After this Korean New Years tradition, we proceeded to a family New Years tradition, and went to a movie. We saw The King's Speech. It was excellent.

--I have a new ward.

--I started student teaching.
+For the first two weeks I just observed. This actually wasn't that pleasant. To be honest, I got bored. Plus I didn't know what to do with myself.
+I did some bits of lessons. I lead the reading for my first go at something in front of the class. After, I was convinced they hated me, were bored, and that I probably actually didn't know anything.
+I've started teaching whole classes. Up until this point, I was thinking things like, "So, what is my plan B? I know I've been fixated on becoming a teacher for a few years now, but..." Since I've been teaching more, though, things are better. I really do enjoy it when I'm doing it. I was surprised at how much I care for the students. I was also surprised at how exhausted I was after I taught the whole day today.

--I'm trying to finish the thesis for the Honors program. Mostly, the last little while of working on it has been me wishing I knew more math.

Successful Activities

I was a Family Home Evening group leader this semester for church, which meant I was responsible for organizing some sort of spiritual enlightenment and activity once a week for a group of people I go to church with.

There were a couple of things we did that went well, so I'm going to share them.

Creating

I think one of the biggest worries of people my age is what to do with your life. So, one week, we started by reading a few quotes from this amazing talk about finding your life's calling.

Then we watched a video that my sister Emmy posted on her blog awhile back. A "Mormon Message" about creating. Because that's what we're doing. Even homework is creating, and creating is divine.

Then, for the activity, we sculpted ice cream. (Do you see a theme?) For the treat, we ate ice cream, but not the same ice cream that was sculpted.

We bought ice cream in cartons, so you can just peel away the carton, and then bring out the figure within it (with spoons, knives, and other kitchen implements). The theme was Disney characters.

This is Lumière (Beauty and the Beast)

This was supposed to be Simba, but the way it turned out, we decided it could be a character from Brother Bear.
Mater, from Cars. (Sideways--sorry about that.)

Bridge

I learned a few things during this past General Conference. One of them was that we just need to keep being consistent and doing the little things. Another was a story told in Neil L. Andersen's talk. He talked about how we need to not get offended about little things. He told a story about how Parley P. Pratt had been offended when he was doing what was right but was "judged unfairly." When it happened, Joseph Smith told him, "Parley...walk such things under your feet...[and] God Almighty shall be with you."

That phrase stuck with me: Walk such things under your feet.

So, for a family home evening lesson, I passed out a little piece of scrap paper to each person, and a sticky note to each person. I found the whole Parley P. Pratt story in his autobiography posted online, and read bits of it.

Then, I asked each person to write a challenge to faith. I told them it could be a personal challenge, an offense, a commandment, whatever had challenged their faith. And that no one was going to read these.

I then asked them to take the sticky note and write on it one thing they learned in General Conference that we should do. This might be following the prophet, praying, reading the scriptures, etc. (And that we would be reading these)

I had set two chairs facing each other, and told them that this was our "bridge of faith." I asked them to crumple their scrap paper and throw it under the "bridge," and then stick their sticky note on the bridge. We talked about how doing things to develop faith--the things they had learned to do at General Conference--can help you overcome the things that challenge your faith. To "walk them under your feet."

And then I asked if anyone wanted to cross the bridge. A few of the guys did it.

"Um, excuse me..."

So I biked to school this morning. I always bike to school, on the eBike that I got from my cousin (thanks to my parents). I had just got onto lower campus and was going up a hill to get to my class.

I was also running late, and was trying to go quickly. Another bike came up beside me, and the girl riding said something to me. I was listening to my iPod, so I couldn't quite here her. (I assumed it was a comment about my bike, since a surprising number of strangers ask me about it. In fact, that's the only thing people talk to me about while I'm riding a bike.)

I took out an earphone, and what she was saying was, "Did you know there's a bra hanging off your backpack?" The answer to this question was obviously no (in fact, I just about ran into her at this point). I stopped, took off my backpack, and--sure enough--there it was, hanging from a bottle of water I had in one of the water bottle holders.

Yep.

I tried to replay in my mind the people I had gone past. I couldn't remember passing anyone I recognized--besides the nice Jehovah's Witness man who stands at the entrance to campus and passes out copies of The Watchtower most mornings. I tried to think of where it all broke down. What was the fatal decisive moment? Was it buying a bottle of water the other day (I had felt guilty for that, plastic bottles ruining the earth and all). Was it not putting all of my laundry away last night? Was it getting up to late to not be in a hurry this morning? The implications of what would have happened--possibilities of riding through campus with a bra hanging off my backpack, of walking into class with it--also went through my mind.

And so I want to emphasize my gratitude to that girl on the bike, who saved a bit of my dignity. She instilled in me a resolve to tell people the things they don't realize, whether they have food in their teeth or toilet paper stuck to their shoe. I, in turn, urge you to do the same.

The awkward people of the world will thank you.