Lesson Planning: Outdated and Unnecessary or an Important Part of Teaching?

WEBVTT

00:00:16.243 --> 00:00:20.223
Balancing Act podcast. I am Jamie Wonko here with Mr. Joseph Vitale.

00:00:20.323 --> 00:00:24.483
I mean, I could not be more excited because today, ladies and gentlemen,

00:00:24.783 --> 00:00:28.363
uh, we would like to thank our sponsor. That's right.

00:00:28.723 --> 00:00:34.523
Uh, teacher's insurance plan of New Jersey. Uh, we officially have a sponsor for our podcast.

00:00:34.983 --> 00:00:37.383
Um, we're just going to jump right into it and talk about this.

00:00:37.463 --> 00:00:39.463
Like, you know, we started talking about it over the summer.

00:00:39.663 --> 00:00:44.503
We are super, super excited to have, uh, teacher's insurance plan of New Jersey

00:00:44.503 --> 00:00:51.843
here with us as the primary sponsor for season three of the Balancing Act podcast.

00:00:52.063 --> 00:00:53.183
Jamie, how excited are you?

00:00:54.023 --> 00:00:56.963
Who are we?

00:00:58.363 --> 00:01:04.583
I know. I mean, we have like little hidden gems in and around our sets.

00:01:04.863 --> 00:01:10.783
And we are just so excited to be working with the team from Teachers insurance plan.

00:01:11.163 --> 00:01:17.623
And, you know, and it's just been such a really fun month, you know,

00:01:17.723 --> 00:01:21.183
just kind of between us keeping this secret. And we did it.

00:01:21.283 --> 00:01:24.103
And now it's out. It comes out of the bag. It is.

00:01:24.303 --> 00:01:29.063
So teacher's insurance plan, auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings

00:01:29.063 --> 00:01:33.343
and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania employees.

00:01:33.343 --> 00:01:36.903
So if you are a New Jersey or a Pennsylvania employee, you should look into

00:01:36.903 --> 00:01:39.683
teacher's insurance plan of New Jersey because, gosh darn it,

00:01:40.063 --> 00:01:44.363
they are supporting two New Jersey educators doing this podcast.

00:01:45.563 --> 00:01:51.283
Yes, and I'm really happy to announce that I am not just sponsored by,

00:01:51.423 --> 00:01:53.223
but I am also a customer of.

00:01:53.523 --> 00:01:57.443
And so that was part of our journey as well. I have a new driver.

00:01:57.763 --> 00:02:01.863
We added our son to our insurance plan. And, um, and so I have some,

00:02:02.183 --> 00:02:07.183
you know, personal testimonial for the company and, um, and everything that,

00:02:07.323 --> 00:02:09.523
um, that had, it has brought to us.

00:02:09.683 --> 00:02:13.503
And, uh, and so my insurance plan usually comes up, uh, every September.

00:02:13.923 --> 00:02:18.183
And, uh, and so I, you know, made some calls and, and did some pricing and,

00:02:18.443 --> 00:02:19.583
you know, all the adulting.

00:02:19.723 --> 00:02:23.603
Cause sometimes, like I say, I can't want to, I can't want to do the adulting.

00:02:23.763 --> 00:02:26.603
But you did want to do the adulting this time. That is for sure.

00:02:26.863 --> 00:02:29.723
I couldn't have, it couldn't have been any easier, honestly. Awesome.

00:02:29.723 --> 00:02:35.003
Yeah yeah uh so which that just kind of happened while all this conversation

00:02:35.003 --> 00:02:42.243
behind the seams was happening so to chris and to emma and you know also to nick ferroni and to um.

00:02:43.403 --> 00:02:46.743
Uh, sorry, Eric LeGrand, who, you know, I reached out to and was like,

00:02:46.803 --> 00:02:48.923
Hey, they're, they're in New Jersey.

00:02:49.103 --> 00:02:51.963
We're in New Jersey. Maybe we should have a conversation about working together.

00:02:52.523 --> 00:02:55.963
And, uh, we, we brought it back to where it all started, bringing it back,

00:02:56.183 --> 00:02:57.803
big ups to Eric LeGrand Coffeehouse.

00:02:57.963 --> 00:03:00.723
That's right. Um, which is where we went and we had a little meeting.

00:03:00.883 --> 00:03:04.383
Um, and it's just been a great experience to, to kind of get this rolling.

00:03:04.583 --> 00:03:08.403
And, you know, it, it allows us to further invest in ourselves to get this message

00:03:08.403 --> 00:03:11.563
out to as many teachers as possible, which was our goal from the very beginning.

00:03:12.343 --> 00:03:17.283
And our new The tagline is, who are we? Because we, I don't know how this happens.

00:03:18.163 --> 00:03:21.863
It is really, you know, that idea that you manifest something and it,

00:03:21.983 --> 00:03:27.123
you know, the sky's the limit, as they say. Yes.

00:03:27.863 --> 00:03:32.703
And Jamie is not only a, what's the hair club for men tagline?

00:03:32.823 --> 00:03:36.163
I'm not always a member, I'm also a client. Isn't that what it was? Yes, of course.

00:03:36.663 --> 00:03:39.183
Yes. Not that you're in the hair club for men, but now they're like,

00:03:39.283 --> 00:03:44.243
you know, Teachers Insurance Plan in New Jersey. is also teacher's insurance plan of Jamie Wonka.

00:03:44.523 --> 00:03:48.363
Yes, and I will say if you're ever at an event and you see the,

00:03:48.563 --> 00:03:52.923
so we did go to teach at the beach, which was a really cool thing that they had done back in July.

00:03:53.203 --> 00:03:55.243
That is true. Because, you know, being from New Jersey and hey,

00:03:55.343 --> 00:04:00.223
why not go to Point Pleasant? And it did happen to be like 147 degrees that day.

00:04:00.463 --> 00:04:04.003
Yes. And so one of the things that they were passing out, like they had like

00:04:04.003 --> 00:04:08.623
this little fan, they had a highlighter, you know, teachers love free stuff. We love a giveaway.

00:04:08.963 --> 00:04:14.903
I mean, who does not love a swag bag, right? So, um, so they gave us these magnetic

00:04:14.903 --> 00:04:21.983
whiteboard erasers and I have to tell you, it is everything to me and my students.

00:04:22.263 --> 00:04:27.083
And, um, I, you know, I may as, uh, you know, being sponsored with them,

00:04:27.243 --> 00:04:31.803
I may have gotten two more. Um, Joe gave me his, thanks Joe.

00:04:32.143 --> 00:04:35.883
And, uh, and I have to tell you, so if you're at, if you're going to go to NJEA,

00:04:35.943 --> 00:04:40.083
the conference and they are giving out some stuff, head up the teacher's insurance plan table.

00:04:40.083 --> 00:04:42.943
Uh and uh and get one of those erasers because

00:04:42.943 --> 00:04:48.643
boy and i mean you never know you might just see two amazing podcasters walking

00:04:48.643 --> 00:04:53.183
around that convention too uh it's true it's coming up it is true i mean we

00:04:53.183 --> 00:05:00.323
may not be the eye candy that nick ferroni offers but speak for yourself um.

00:05:01.245 --> 00:05:06.925
Yeah, for sure. But as we've said before, we are a delight. We are a delight. That is very true.

00:05:07.145 --> 00:05:11.145
But no, I mean, all seriousness aside, like, you know, we're going to have some

00:05:11.145 --> 00:05:12.765
ad reads at the beginning and at the end.

00:05:13.025 --> 00:05:15.565
I'm sure we're going to- All joking aside. All joking. Yeah.

00:05:15.645 --> 00:05:17.885
All joking aside. We want the seriousness. Damn it.

00:05:18.725 --> 00:05:22.945
I never want the seriousness. It's been a day. We are recording and I did stations today.

00:05:23.145 --> 00:05:27.725
And when I do stations, it is like- You should check and not do stations on

00:05:27.725 --> 00:05:31.545
a recording day. Yes, because I have done all the things today.

00:05:32.985 --> 00:05:35.765
And so I'll get into that in just a little bit.

00:05:35.885 --> 00:05:42.025
But, you know, all kidding aside, it's really great to have,

00:05:42.305 --> 00:05:45.765
you know, a group of people that, you know, just having some conversations and

00:05:45.765 --> 00:05:48.285
everybody drink. I said that word.

00:05:49.245 --> 00:05:52.165
You've already said it four times, so people are plastered. Yes,

00:05:52.345 --> 00:05:54.285
they're already sheets to the wind, people.

00:05:55.745 --> 00:05:59.025
It's just great. It was great to sit down. I know that there's going to be some

00:05:59.025 --> 00:06:03.405
other things in the work for us that haven't even happened yet with the team

00:06:03.405 --> 00:06:05.605
over at Teachers Insurance Plan in New Jersey.

00:06:06.045 --> 00:06:08.625
You know, we're still working with human content. Our shows are still on there.

00:06:08.725 --> 00:06:12.745
So this allows us to get our message out to more people and we couldn't be more excited.

00:06:12.925 --> 00:06:18.205
So here we are. Um, and, and we appreciate everybody that's going on the journey

00:06:18.205 --> 00:06:19.345
with us and believing us.

00:06:19.565 --> 00:06:24.185
And, uh, it's, it's amazing to be able to bring this message to as many people as we can.

00:06:24.385 --> 00:06:28.865
So that's right. Cause we live it every day. We are, we are there with the children

00:06:28.865 --> 00:06:36.965
of 2025 doing the thing day in and day out and in and out. Yes.

00:06:37.325 --> 00:06:39.565
Uh, so there's, there's a lot going on.

00:06:40.805 --> 00:06:44.545
So again, I was talking about how we did stations And talk about a case of the

00:06:44.545 --> 00:06:49.725
can't, don't want to I get to the end of the day And it is so,

00:06:50.884 --> 00:06:56.404
I felt like a plate spinner today more than anything because there's there were

00:06:56.404 --> 00:06:58.604
like interactive things that I was doing and walking around.

00:06:58.864 --> 00:07:02.544
And this was like the first time we were really into it in regards to stations. Right.

00:07:03.124 --> 00:07:07.384
So it was really getting them. So if you don't let's just preface this with

00:07:07.384 --> 00:07:10.944
if you don't know what stations are, some people use that term as centers.

00:07:10.944 --> 00:07:13.484
There's birds of a feather, right?

00:07:13.664 --> 00:07:19.284
So it is the idea that students are going to be in groups and they are going

00:07:19.284 --> 00:07:23.784
to be traveling around the room as a way to kind of get them up,

00:07:23.884 --> 00:07:28.124
get them moving, exposed to a lot of material in a short period of time.

00:07:28.124 --> 00:07:36.664
This is an excellent tool that can be used if it is set up correctly and also pre-planned.

00:07:36.764 --> 00:07:38.984
It does take a lot of pre-planning on the part of the teacher.

00:07:39.224 --> 00:07:45.004
And although it can be exhausting, you can really hit a lot of notes in just

00:07:45.004 --> 00:07:50.984
one hour of time with stations or centers or, you know. So is there another

00:07:50.984 --> 00:07:53.224
name for them? I feel like there's one more name that I'm not.

00:07:53.904 --> 00:07:58.924
I can't think of it all. Yeah. But either whatever it is. So you did that today with seventh grade.

00:07:59.624 --> 00:08:02.824
Yes. So I have a co-teacher with me in the morning.

00:08:03.144 --> 00:08:06.744
So, you know, there's two of us. So, of course, it's a lot easier.

00:08:06.944 --> 00:08:10.364
We have one person working in interactive map and the other person is kind of

00:08:10.364 --> 00:08:13.104
rotating around and going to each of the stations. There's one where there's

00:08:13.104 --> 00:08:14.884
like they're actually talking about things.

00:08:15.024 --> 00:08:17.584
That's one of the stations where like there's questions, there's prompts and

00:08:17.584 --> 00:08:20.924
they're supposed to talk about it. So, but today was more yesterday and today,

00:08:21.064 --> 00:08:24.904
the two days that we did this was more about like setting up the expectations

00:08:24.904 --> 00:08:26.624
for when we do this in the future.

00:08:26.824 --> 00:08:31.504
Like, here's what this is going to look like each and every time we do this. Yeah.

00:08:31.824 --> 00:08:36.364
So there's just a lot of like modeling and going through everything.

00:08:36.364 --> 00:08:37.684
It's like, okay, we're going to transition.

00:08:37.864 --> 00:08:41.064
What does that look like? And then everybody's moving and doing,

00:08:41.384 --> 00:08:45.284
you know, going from one place to another, staying with their group,

00:08:45.424 --> 00:08:47.504
getting them to work as a team, getting them to realize like,

00:08:47.584 --> 00:08:49.384
hey, I'm going to pick these groups at random sometimes.

00:08:49.644 --> 00:08:52.204
So you're going to have to work with every single person is going to work with

00:08:52.204 --> 00:08:54.344
every single person in this room at some point.

00:08:55.384 --> 00:08:57.684
That's a difference, I think, between the way you do stations,

00:08:57.684 --> 00:09:04.224
the way I do stations, because I choose the stations groups and they never change

00:09:04.224 --> 00:09:06.504
unless there's some sort of major thing that happens.

00:09:07.264 --> 00:09:10.284
I specifically choose and set up the groups and then keep them,

00:09:10.444 --> 00:09:11.404
those groups for the year.

00:09:12.124 --> 00:09:18.384
Yes. I have one class that I may do that with, just because there are a lot

00:09:18.384 --> 00:09:23.224
of needs in one particular class that I think it might just be easier to set

00:09:23.224 --> 00:09:27.004
up consistent groups each and every time and say, Hey, guess what?

00:09:27.084 --> 00:09:29.584
These are the people that are going to work together. Because when I do it at random...

00:09:30.287 --> 00:09:33.927
We all know what happens. I can't. And how many stations do you have?

00:09:35.027 --> 00:09:38.227
I have five. And they're what? 10 minutes each?

00:09:38.627 --> 00:09:43.807
Just about. Like 12 to 13 is what we were sweet spot today. That's kind of where it was. Oh.

00:09:46.207 --> 00:09:51.347
And this was also an activity where this time we have five. Maybe next time there'll be six.

00:09:53.407 --> 00:09:55.787
You also gave me a great piece of advice that we should have.

00:09:56.007 --> 00:09:59.387
It can't be 12 minutes each because that's more than the hour we have.

00:09:59.387 --> 00:10:02.807
Well yeah sometimes it goes two days so oh

00:10:02.807 --> 00:10:06.467
whoa oh that's bold yeah it

00:10:06.467 --> 00:10:09.487
works i could never it works for us it does

00:10:09.487 --> 00:10:12.387
no it does work for us because it allows us to like

00:10:12.387 --> 00:10:16.007
reset come back the next day it's also a little bit easier this year because

00:10:16.007 --> 00:10:19.587
of the way our schedule is like last year we we tried to do everything in one

00:10:19.587 --> 00:10:23.907
period and we managed it but this time we kind of expanded things a little bit

00:10:23.907 --> 00:10:29.147
and gave them more um you know stuff to discuss and talk about which i think

00:10:29.147 --> 00:10:30.327
actually worked pretty well.

00:10:30.747 --> 00:10:36.387
That's great. And what's so great about doing it is that there are so many interpretations

00:10:36.387 --> 00:10:38.787
and finding what works for you.

00:10:39.027 --> 00:10:42.307
I mean, I've seen people do like three and they're 15 minutes each,

00:10:42.487 --> 00:10:46.087
or, you know, I just, um, I'd rather have it like rapid fire,

00:10:46.347 --> 00:10:49.787
shorter periods of time and have them all done in one day.

00:10:49.927 --> 00:10:52.667
But because on the next day I always do review of it.

00:10:52.987 --> 00:10:55.987
Um, but carrying it over to the next day is a completely

00:10:55.987 --> 00:10:59.407
different approach that you know i'm sure works great yeah also

00:10:59.407 --> 00:11:05.727
this year we did that because uh of our schedule we go four periods in a row

00:11:05.727 --> 00:11:10.067
um the way the seventh grade is so everything's already set up everything's

00:11:10.067 --> 00:11:13.047
already there i don't have to like set it up break it down next class is coming

00:11:13.047 --> 00:11:15.807
in i don't have to worry about that i could just like and then at the end of

00:11:15.807 --> 00:11:17.947
the second like the end of.

00:11:18.729 --> 00:11:23.709
Period five at the end of the, the, my teaching time before I go for my prep,

00:11:23.729 --> 00:11:26.289
I could just move everything, break it down.

00:11:26.489 --> 00:11:30.529
And then it's, there's a, there's a computer class in my room at the end of

00:11:30.529 --> 00:11:31.629
the, at the end of the day.

00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:35.989
So it really doesn't matter if stuff's like quote unquote in the way,

00:11:36.109 --> 00:11:38.309
because she'll just manage because it's a small group of kids.

00:11:38.409 --> 00:11:41.409
So I don't have to worry about it where before I had so many other,

00:11:41.409 --> 00:11:46.869
like the classes that were in my room that shared my room with me were also very large.

00:11:46.869 --> 00:11:52.069
So I had to move everything because things would either go missing or they'd

00:11:52.069 --> 00:11:56.329
be misplaced or broken, uh, stuff like that.

00:11:56.469 --> 00:12:00.289
So unfortunately, you know, there's, there's incidences like that that will happen.

00:12:00.609 --> 00:12:03.449
Um, but you're right. There's a lot of pre-planning that goes into it.

00:12:03.809 --> 00:12:09.729
Um, which I don't mind doing cause I think it, it allows me to be purposeful

00:12:09.729 --> 00:12:12.429
with the choices that I make and allows also allows me to cover like,

00:12:12.689 --> 00:12:15.529
again, like you said, like more material in a shorter period of time.

00:12:15.869 --> 00:12:19.069
Yeah. And I think it's great, too, because then you have access to smaller groups

00:12:19.069 --> 00:12:23.649
of students and you can see, you know, are they getting it? Do they understand? What's their focus?

00:12:23.909 --> 00:12:26.809
What do you need to spend a little bit more time going over again?

00:12:27.089 --> 00:12:30.309
What are they, you know, what's the takeaway from that? Also teaching,

00:12:30.329 --> 00:12:35.129
like, the social skills and life skills and just conversational ability is so

00:12:35.129 --> 00:12:39.169
important because, as I say, human with the humans, please.

00:12:39.769 --> 00:12:43.029
They're having less and less opportunities to human with the human.

00:12:43.029 --> 00:12:48.169
So anytime we can give them that in a safe space and sometimes really planned out.

00:12:48.289 --> 00:12:52.229
I mean, I've even done stations where I've had to give them the topic that they're

00:12:52.229 --> 00:12:57.809
talking about because they can't come up with something to discuss.

00:12:58.149 --> 00:13:01.369
Okay. Yeah, we always give them some kind of structured. Right.

00:13:01.629 --> 00:13:04.509
I mean, when I and of course, in my long tooth history of teaching,

00:13:04.789 --> 00:13:09.789
I would that is absolutely something I would not have had to do 15 years ago.

00:13:09.789 --> 00:13:13.749
You know, present a topic for which kids to sit around and discuss,

00:13:13.749 --> 00:13:16.629
they would have found something to talk about.

00:13:17.189 --> 00:13:21.949
Yeah. You know, it's getting better. I mean, we're kind of climbing out of the COVID hole.

00:13:22.069 --> 00:13:26.149
So I do find them to be much more communicative and finding things to talk about,

00:13:26.289 --> 00:13:29.449
but pointed conversation, not nonsense.

00:13:30.209 --> 00:13:34.009
Yeah. So we give them like questions to discuss. So one thing that I actually

00:13:34.009 --> 00:13:38.589
really liked that, that you suggested was we do a station where it's like some

00:13:38.589 --> 00:13:42.329
kind of graphic that they're coloring yeah so they might color like like uh.

00:13:43.314 --> 00:13:48.874
The American flag or the Mount Rushmore or something, but we want them to be

00:13:48.874 --> 00:13:53.414
discussing while they're coloring for some reason, for some reason that really

00:13:53.414 --> 00:13:57.594
breaks down the wall when they're all kind of doing that.

00:13:58.014 --> 00:14:04.534
Um, I've actually enjoyed those stations the most because I sit and I talk with

00:14:04.534 --> 00:14:07.294
the students about like what they, what they feel, what they think,

00:14:07.434 --> 00:14:11.654
how they are, you know, putting the, the material together.

00:14:11.654 --> 00:14:14.314
So it's good for me to gauge what their understanding is at that point.

00:14:14.494 --> 00:14:17.614
Of course, there are kids that always are not going to contribute,

00:14:17.854 --> 00:14:22.774
but I try to make sure that everybody has some kind of say in what goes on,

00:14:22.834 --> 00:14:26.414
that there's some kind of discussion or closing activity that goes with it.

00:14:26.874 --> 00:14:30.614
But because of that, it's high energy.

00:14:30.854 --> 00:14:35.154
It is a day where it is like, go, go, go all the time, all the time.

00:14:35.914 --> 00:14:41.034
I also have tried to look at my schedule, which is going to lead into what we're

00:14:41.034 --> 00:14:41.794
going to talk about today.

00:14:42.674 --> 00:14:45.794
Like when I look at what I'm doing for each particular week,

00:14:45.794 --> 00:14:51.094
I've been trying to look at how can I find a day in this week where I then put

00:14:51.094 --> 00:14:56.034
the after stations or after some kind of short lecture or whatever,

00:14:56.194 --> 00:15:00.414
how do I put this on the students to be more independently working so then I

00:15:00.414 --> 00:15:04.194
can refocus myself and maybe work in smaller groups with some kids that are

00:15:04.194 --> 00:15:08.914
struggling language wise or do some things that, you know, maybe need to be

00:15:08.914 --> 00:15:11.154
done maybe while they're working on something digital.

00:15:11.474 --> 00:15:14.794
I can, you know, grade something that needs to be done really quick and multitask.

00:15:14.994 --> 00:15:18.854
So, which leads us into our talk about, you know, lesson plans and whether or

00:15:18.854 --> 00:15:20.694
not they're, they're purposeful and meaningful.

00:15:21.614 --> 00:15:24.014
Yeah. What about jobs within stations?

00:15:25.688 --> 00:15:29.388
So, like, in each group, do you have assigned jobs?

00:15:30.348 --> 00:15:33.888
I normally walk around. I try to choose a different kid each time.

00:15:33.908 --> 00:15:36.508
And I'm like, okay, you're the group captain. At the end of the period,

00:15:36.508 --> 00:15:39.568
when we collect everything, you're going to make sure everyone's name's on their

00:15:39.568 --> 00:15:41.768
paper and collect everything and bring it up to me.

00:15:42.308 --> 00:15:45.028
You're going to make sure that this person's going to make sure that the colored

00:15:45.028 --> 00:15:48.988
pencils at each station are, they're, like, the cleaner upper, if you will. Yeah, yeah.

00:15:50.528 --> 00:15:53.988
So, I don't, it just depends on what I'm covering. But yeah,

00:15:54.088 --> 00:15:57.968
there's normally some jobs that need to be done. What are some of the ones that you do?

00:15:58.188 --> 00:16:05.788
I think that that's why I keep the job. I keep the groups the same because then the jobs are the same.

00:16:05.948 --> 00:16:09.628
And if they want to switch within themselves, they can.

00:16:09.928 --> 00:16:14.308
But the jobs, it's usually scribe, the person whose turn it is to write,

00:16:14.808 --> 00:16:19.088
time manager, the person who tells them like, you know, we have 30 seconds left.

00:16:19.248 --> 00:16:20.268
We're going to get ready to move.

00:16:20.528 --> 00:16:24.368
I always have someone who's collecting. Yeah. So, you know, there's just sort

00:16:24.368 --> 00:16:30.188
of this, you know, I also like, you know, it gives them a little bit more, I think,

00:16:30.808 --> 00:16:38.668
control and they feel, you know, empowered in that situation to kind of start

00:16:38.668 --> 00:16:41.268
taking care of you there a little bit and then take care of whatever the job

00:16:41.268 --> 00:16:44.088
might be that they have. and so it's easier.

00:16:44.148 --> 00:16:47.568
The job names are the same, but they can switch within.

00:16:47.948 --> 00:16:51.968
But even the way that I have them turn in papers is the same.

00:16:52.328 --> 00:16:55.948
And there's only one person that's allowed to, you're the material or supply

00:16:55.948 --> 00:16:58.928
person or you're the collector or that kind of a thing.

00:16:59.608 --> 00:17:02.608
And they're different. I mean, I've used different jobs and different titles

00:17:02.608 --> 00:17:08.088
of jobs based on whether it's we're doing literature circle groups or there's

00:17:08.088 --> 00:17:11.588
different titles of different jobs for different types of group work.

00:17:11.588 --> 00:17:15.108
But I have found that a lot of teachers are like, I hate group work.

00:17:15.108 --> 00:17:21.328
And I feel like a lot of that could be tied into like lack of structure within the group work.

00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:26.339
I agree, you know, and so I feel like the more structured it is and the more

00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:32.499
consistent it is with expectations, the easier it is to, you know, manage it.

00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:35.719
And then, of course, by like January, February, it should get better.

00:17:35.919 --> 00:17:41.039
It should look better than it would, you know, the first couple of times. It's it can be a rough go.

00:17:41.239 --> 00:17:44.139
But, you know, and then, of course, with that being said, you know,

00:17:44.239 --> 00:17:46.759
I do allow a lot of choice.

00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:49.979
You can, you know, for this one, you can work with anybody that you want.

00:17:49.979 --> 00:17:54.439
For this, you can work by yourself because there are a lot of Lone Rangers who

00:17:54.439 --> 00:17:57.279
really do enjoy being by themselves.

00:17:57.619 --> 00:18:00.859
And sometimes you just, you know, if you have three or four classes where you've

00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:06.799
had to do group work, sometimes it's just like, you know, you want to be quiet and that's fine.

00:18:07.439 --> 00:18:12.079
Yeah. So it sounds like you were, you know, almost like a pseudo kindergarten teacher today.

00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:16.419
There was some of that. I imagine that's how busy their day is.

00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:18.799
Yeah. And at the same time. All day.

00:18:19.179 --> 00:18:24.359
Yeah. At the same time, there was, you know, there was some drama in some groups

00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:26.679
just with a couple of things.

00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:29.239
There's kids that are like, I go to the bathroom. I'm like, no, no, no, wait.

00:18:29.479 --> 00:18:33.159
Like we already and we have this thing called turnstile where I can look and

00:18:33.159 --> 00:18:36.239
be like, OK, when's the last time you went to the bathroom? Oh, you went.

00:18:36.679 --> 00:18:40.059
It's the beginning of period five and you went the end of period four.

00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:45.139
We're not going right now. The only day I do that is station day,

00:18:45.159 --> 00:18:49.019
because there if you are out of the room during station day,

00:18:49.019 --> 00:18:53.259
unless it is an absolute emergency, you are missing something that you now have

00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:54.439
to make up. You're behind.

00:18:54.819 --> 00:18:58.399
So that's always a challenge for me. I try to tell them like,

00:18:58.479 --> 00:19:02.099
look, one of the expectations is we need to try and stay in the room as much

00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:03.979
as possible for this activity.

00:19:04.159 --> 00:19:07.619
If you have an emergency, if it's like, I seriously got to go, then go.

00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:10.959
But if it's like, oh, I'm just bored with this, you got to try and push through

00:19:10.959 --> 00:19:15.279
because now we're talking about something I talk to my students about often

00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:16.459
being focused and intentional,

00:19:17.139 --> 00:19:21.599
during the school day while they're in class because I have them for that hour

00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:24.599
and I want that hour to be as purposeful as I can make it.

00:19:25.454 --> 00:19:32.854
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So when we talk about lesson plans and lesson planning,

00:19:32.954 --> 00:19:34.794
there's all sorts of stuff on online.

00:19:34.934 --> 00:19:38.414
There's now, you know, people are using ChatGPT, people are using Magic School

00:19:38.414 --> 00:19:42.354
AI, people are, you know, why do we still have to do these? Why do we have to submit them?

00:19:42.914 --> 00:19:48.314
And I think that is a larger discussion that are also decisions that are not

00:19:48.314 --> 00:19:51.094
ones that are ours, right?

00:19:51.294 --> 00:19:54.814
They're above our pay grade. Like so many things that affect us.

00:19:54.954 --> 00:19:56.474
Like so many things that affect us. Yes.

00:19:56.974 --> 00:20:01.514
But I want to know what it looks like for you when you're planning out your

00:20:01.514 --> 00:20:06.714
lessons or your units and what strategies you use that you think are effective

00:20:06.714 --> 00:20:12.314
or the ones that you think that are tedious and we shouldn't have to do them anymore.

00:20:15.654 --> 00:20:22.694
Well, we have a lesson planning system that we use. And I have to say,

00:20:22.854 --> 00:20:28.034
I don't mind the new system that we use. It's called Atlas.

00:20:28.414 --> 00:20:31.514
And I like, I think it's very user-friendly.

00:20:31.974 --> 00:20:38.174
I think that there is a lot of like, I hate to say like willy-nilly standards

00:20:38.174 --> 00:20:42.574
selection, but there are hundreds of standards.

00:20:42.754 --> 00:20:47.854
And, you know, they are in a lot of cases already built in or with Atlas,

00:20:47.914 --> 00:20:51.534
at least we We had, you know, some curriculum work done for our school districts

00:20:51.534 --> 00:20:56.074
that people then inputted and said, OK, you're teaching the Neolithic era.

00:20:56.314 --> 00:21:00.354
Here are the standards that go with it. So it's not like we have to sort through

00:21:00.354 --> 00:21:05.914
hundreds of standards in order to find the ones that are applicable to that particular lesson.

00:21:07.014 --> 00:21:07.894
I do...

00:21:09.619 --> 00:21:15.079
Obviously recycle some of my lessons from things that I've done before.

00:21:15.579 --> 00:21:23.019
And I will get in or hook into something new or different, depending on the

00:21:23.019 --> 00:21:27.319
group of students that I have, depending on, you know, what I think is going

00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:29.619
to work best with them or for them.

00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:32.599
Or, you know, that would be how slow or fast I'm going.

00:21:32.719 --> 00:21:39.339
Because pacing, I think, is always a particular area of difficulty with with middle schoolers,

00:21:39.659 --> 00:21:43.619
you know, you just never really know how long it's going to take to do something

00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:46.859
that you thought wasn't going to take as long, or maybe they're done,

00:21:46.999 --> 00:21:48.299
right? We always have those fast finishers.

00:21:48.399 --> 00:21:52.739
But as far as lesson planning, you know, when it comes to the objective,

00:21:52.739 --> 00:21:55.239
when it comes to the standard,

00:21:55.579 --> 00:22:02.299
when it comes to, you know, those parts of it, I don't know that I think that

00:22:02.299 --> 00:22:06.719
that really like informs my teaching as much as,

00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:10.859
you know, what is it that I'm actually doing? What are we really doing? Right.

00:22:11.099 --> 00:22:16.319
So I do have, obviously I, I follow the rules. So I have my lesson plans.

00:22:16.459 --> 00:22:21.179
I, you know, obviously know the objective, what I, you know, hope to accomplish.

00:22:21.699 --> 00:22:26.139
And of course, all of the steps, but for me, like the meat is the,

00:22:26.239 --> 00:22:30.459
the important part of it is those steps of what exactly is it that we're doing?

00:22:30.899 --> 00:22:34.439
What are the kids doing? How are they doing it? What does it look like?

00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:37.519
And then, of course, what is their final product?

00:22:37.899 --> 00:22:43.359
So, you know, recently, what's become, I mean, and who knows if this is new, old, different.

00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:47.179
I hear people a lot like, and the exit ticket, and the exit ticket,

00:22:47.299 --> 00:22:48.459
and the exit ticket, you know.

00:22:49.139 --> 00:22:51.819
That's a, you know, a new like, oh, you have to have an exit ticket.

00:22:52.339 --> 00:22:54.459
And, you know, And so I don't know.

00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:59.539
I don't always buy into like some of like what the like trendier things may

00:22:59.539 --> 00:23:06.399
or may not be because I do like believe down deep down in my being that good

00:23:06.399 --> 00:23:10.459
teaching is good teaching and it doesn't always have to be something that's like a la mode.

00:23:10.459 --> 00:23:15.739
But, you know, it doesn't look the same. It's always different.

00:23:16.199 --> 00:23:20.359
Would I mind if someone said you never have to do lesson plans again?

00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:26.359
Nope. Yeah. Do I think it would mess me up? Nope.

00:23:27.659 --> 00:23:33.279
Not even a little bit because I always have my own list of what I'm doing,

00:23:33.479 --> 00:23:38.439
how I'm doing it, my plan for the month. I like to have a full outlook ahead.

00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:42.019
I like to know what is coming up within the next few weeks.

00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:47.879
I like to know what is coming and what I hope to have done by a certain point.

00:23:47.879 --> 00:23:53.859
So I always, I've always sat with a piece of paper written, and this is the

00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:55.839
lesson, this is what we're going to do, then we're going to focus here,

00:23:55.919 --> 00:23:59.819
we're going to go, no matter if I'm teaching language arts or if I'm teaching

00:23:59.819 --> 00:24:02.459
social studies, it doesn't matter for either of those.

00:24:03.849 --> 00:24:10.209
Yeah. So a couple of things. Number one, I'll go back to Atlas for a second. Right.

00:24:10.609 --> 00:24:15.589
The one thing I don't like about Atlas is kind of what you were just talking

00:24:15.589 --> 00:24:18.809
about in regards to like, oh, I recycle things and go back.

00:24:19.089 --> 00:24:21.069
And I do, but I don't.

00:24:22.669 --> 00:24:26.489
Because just like you, I like to do different things every year.

00:24:26.969 --> 00:24:31.289
I like to do new activities. I like to try different things because honestly,

00:24:31.309 --> 00:24:36.269
it's because of boredom. I just find doing the same thing all the time,

00:24:36.269 --> 00:24:37.769
it just gets a little bit tedious.

00:24:38.229 --> 00:24:40.589
So I like to try different activities where like, you know what,

00:24:40.669 --> 00:24:42.069
let's do this one station-wise.

00:24:42.209 --> 00:24:44.809
Let's talk about the parts of the Constitution with different stations,

00:24:44.809 --> 00:24:48.269
or let's do a video with this one, or let's do a project or whatever.

00:24:48.349 --> 00:24:49.129
So I always look at things.

00:24:49.229 --> 00:24:52.649
But I think the most difficult thing for me this year is I can't go back,

00:24:52.669 --> 00:24:57.989
and I asked, I can't go back to the previous year and see what was posted.

00:24:58.129 --> 00:25:01.309
Now, some of our lessons already posted for this year from last year.

00:25:01.309 --> 00:25:04.129
Don't know how but it just went in there but they're

00:25:04.129 --> 00:25:06.949
not in the order that i did them so the reason i want

00:25:06.949 --> 00:25:09.989
to go back and look is simply because

00:25:09.989 --> 00:25:15.089
i want to see what order i did those activities because i also took some notes

00:25:15.089 --> 00:25:19.869
like oh do this one before that one next year or this took longer this took

00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:26.869
longer than you know than a previously done because when we switched from going

00:25:26.869 --> 00:25:28.909
to 90 minute blocks to one hour periods.

00:25:29.189 --> 00:25:32.809
Like that year was crazy, right?

00:25:32.989 --> 00:25:37.109
And if you walked into my room tomorrow and looked at my plans that are posted

00:25:37.109 --> 00:25:39.349
on Atlas, I am where I said I'm going to be.

00:25:40.390 --> 00:25:45.630
Because I use those as a roadmap. I also think as we talk about this,

00:25:45.710 --> 00:25:48.670
James, I'm thinking about like, that's probably how we learned.

00:25:48.910 --> 00:25:57.130
Like we learned to do our planning that way because that's the way things were back in the day.

00:25:57.450 --> 00:26:01.430
My goodness. I can't believe I'm saying this. They were also 77 pages then.

00:26:01.990 --> 00:26:05.350
Yeah. Remember like one lesson plan was like eight pages long.

00:26:05.550 --> 00:26:08.510
It was, it was flat out ridiculous. The amount of time that you would,

00:26:08.610 --> 00:26:12.510
I mean, when I say flat out ridiculous, And then you get one snow day and you'd

00:26:12.510 --> 00:26:14.950
be like, oh, my God, I have to do this all over again. And you'd be like.

00:26:15.330 --> 00:26:18.570
And Jason still has to do an anticipatory set.

00:26:19.490 --> 00:26:24.550
Remember the anticipatory set? Like in that terminology, his are still like pages and pages long.

00:26:24.830 --> 00:26:28.330
It's so interesting, like how different it is, like district to district.

00:26:28.630 --> 00:26:33.030
I'm sure state to state. I did see recently there was even like districts that

00:26:33.030 --> 00:26:35.510
are banning the use of teachers pay teachers.

00:26:36.130 --> 00:26:41.050
And the theory is because your curriculum should give you everything you need.

00:26:41.710 --> 00:26:44.890
Well, yeah, that's great. So you don't need to supplement it with anything.

00:26:45.070 --> 00:26:48.170
Oh, that's great. But that's a whole other conversation for another time.

00:26:48.350 --> 00:26:50.390
Of course, but it's the same idea.

00:26:50.630 --> 00:26:57.410
So if Atlas is not, I don't know. Also, it's another thing that we haven't gotten tons of training on.

00:26:57.710 --> 00:27:02.810
So, you know, there is, you know, can you copy and paste them? Can you reuse them?

00:27:02.990 --> 00:27:05.910
Do they automatically post? somebody was just asking me the other day,

00:27:06.030 --> 00:27:08.130
like there was something that was written like at the top.

00:27:08.210 --> 00:27:11.670
I said, she said, well, why is that there? I don't know.

00:27:11.910 --> 00:27:14.710
And I don't know. And I did some, you did it.

00:27:14.830 --> 00:27:17.470
I did some of the curriculum building over the summer and here's,

00:27:17.530 --> 00:27:20.830
and here's the thing. And I'm not, you know, I'll just say it.

00:27:21.110 --> 00:27:27.930
There is nobody that you can go to for an answer because I think everybody is, uh,

00:27:28.150 --> 00:27:32.170
the expression I'd always used to use in regards to explaining technology in

00:27:32.170 --> 00:27:34.630
certain school district is building the plane while we're flying it.

00:27:34.790 --> 00:27:36.210
Like that's literally what we're doing.

00:27:36.590 --> 00:27:39.230
We're building this stuff. And then every year we're revising,

00:27:39.350 --> 00:27:44.230
we're revising, we're revising. And there doesn't seems to be any clear.

00:27:46.061 --> 00:27:50.481
Hey, you got to do it this way. Like even to the point where I tried to make

00:27:50.481 --> 00:27:53.041
it where we had a new geography curriculum this summer.

00:27:53.181 --> 00:27:56.421
And I said, okay, so we have a sixth grade geography elective,

00:27:56.541 --> 00:27:58.981
a seventh grade geography elective, and an eighth grade geography elective.

00:27:59.161 --> 00:28:00.781
Okay. They should all look the same.

00:28:01.381 --> 00:28:06.141
They should all be structured the same because not every school in our district

00:28:06.141 --> 00:28:07.941
is going to offer it at all three levels.

00:28:08.181 --> 00:28:10.321
So let's say you have seventh grade geography.

00:28:10.961 --> 00:28:14.121
You're going to need to go back to sixth grade geography and teach those kids

00:28:14.121 --> 00:28:16.181
about latitude and longitude and maps and whatever.

00:28:16.341 --> 00:28:19.061
So you're going to need to pull that unit from sixth grade into seventh grade

00:28:19.061 --> 00:28:23.421
and then skip something in seventh grade that you either don't want to do or

00:28:23.421 --> 00:28:27.521
don't feel as relevant or like there's certain things that need to be adjusted.

00:28:27.701 --> 00:28:30.901
So I made sure that when we built it and there were different people building

00:28:30.901 --> 00:28:34.601
different grades, that it's like, it's all got to look the same. Follow this template.

00:28:34.761 --> 00:28:37.741
It's going to look like this in the end. But we don't, I don't think we do enough

00:28:37.741 --> 00:28:41.421
of that where it then becomes more user-friendly, right?

00:28:41.901 --> 00:28:46.161
I went to the point last year or two years ago where I went up to the vice principal

00:28:46.161 --> 00:28:48.781
who checks our lesson plan. So I was like, Hey, look, here's what I'm going to do.

00:28:49.881 --> 00:28:53.941
I'm going to plan for Monday through Thursday, but I'm going to leave Friday

00:28:53.941 --> 00:28:59.501
blank because I just found myself like I would, I would be doing like the first

00:28:59.501 --> 00:29:03.281
month in September planning five days, but then we wouldn't get to what we're doing on Friday.

00:29:03.461 --> 00:29:05.621
I'd push it to Monday and then everything else would be moved off.

00:29:05.721 --> 00:29:10.061
And then because it wasn't as user friendly as our previous system,

00:29:10.061 --> 00:29:13.521
I was finding it like things were getting jumbled together. Things were missing.

00:29:13.781 --> 00:29:16.101
They were pushing one lesson that I moved all the way to the end.

00:29:16.221 --> 00:29:17.441
And then I had to move everything down.

00:29:18.061 --> 00:29:21.541
It was just too fast. So I said, I'm just going to leave it like that.

00:29:21.641 --> 00:29:25.601
And I said, you know, I'll just push things into Friday once I get there.

00:29:25.721 --> 00:29:28.081
But it's like, are you okay with me just planning the four days?

00:29:28.201 --> 00:29:33.401
Because like, I'm still trying to get a handle on a one hour period versus a 90 minute block.

00:29:33.761 --> 00:29:38.321
Because it takes some adjustment. And I have not and I have not been doing this for 10 minutes.

00:29:38.801 --> 00:29:44.261
So I feel like it takes a lot of time, effort and energy to make sure that it's

00:29:44.261 --> 00:29:46.461
done right. Like I still am.

00:29:46.701 --> 00:29:52.241
I don't want to use the word struggle, but I still grapple with being able to

00:29:52.241 --> 00:29:57.481
plan my units out effectively and covering all the material I need to cover, which is impossible.

00:29:57.681 --> 00:30:01.801
Well, you can't. No, it's impossible. And nothing is better evidence than asking

00:30:01.801 --> 00:30:07.561
the children what they know, which is nothing, which is sad.

00:30:08.541 --> 00:30:13.021
Correct. After a full year of civics...

00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:18.119
How many kids can define the word patriotism. Yeah.

00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:24.599
I know. It goes one and the other. Which is very frustrating because it's not

00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:30.079
like, and I've taught all three levels of our curriculum for social studies

00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:31.499
in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.

00:30:31.879 --> 00:30:36.999
And I am sure that there are kids who go off to the high school and they get

00:30:36.999 --> 00:30:41.679
World History Part II and the teachers ask them questions and they have absolutely no idea.

00:30:41.679 --> 00:30:46.619
And it's so vocabulary heavy. So when it comes to the lesson planning,

00:30:46.859 --> 00:30:57.459
the idea of covering 20 plus chapters in a book is never going to happen when

00:30:57.459 --> 00:31:00.579
their basic knowledge of the word civic,

00:31:00.979 --> 00:31:03.299
civics, civic duty,

00:31:03.899 --> 00:31:06.379
the patriotism. patriotism.

00:31:06.719 --> 00:31:14.099
I mean, those things are really, really difficult concepts for them to handle and understand.

00:31:14.619 --> 00:31:19.839
So, you know, and then I often wonder, too, it's like if I took all of your kids.

00:31:20.459 --> 00:31:25.659
Right, that I had that I have now that had you last year and I had you come

00:31:25.659 --> 00:31:29.279
in and you stood next to me and I said,

00:31:29.879 --> 00:31:33.799
OK, you tell me what this word, this word, this word means all words that you

00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:38.119
would have covered with them or terms and topics, would they know the answer

00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:40.279
because they're triggered and they see you?

00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:45.079
And is it some sort of a memory like within their brain ability to know or not

00:31:45.079 --> 00:31:47.279
know based on the person that's asking them, right?

00:31:47.379 --> 00:31:49.859
That very well could be, you know, frame of reference.

00:31:49.999 --> 00:31:53.159
I mean, I've read that like very, very successful schools who do really well

00:31:53.159 --> 00:31:56.619
on state tests make sure that like the teacher that taught them that material

00:31:56.619 --> 00:31:59.379
is the teacher that is with them when they take it.

00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:04.659
Yes. And I do know this also from trying to have social studies kids write.

00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:11.079
They act as if they don't know how to write a paragraph when we know that they

00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:13.919
can do it. It's just like, this isn't my writing class.

00:32:14.899 --> 00:32:19.639
That's why, like, last year when our school district talked more about,

00:32:19.819 --> 00:32:22.639
you know, they had us learn a little bit about Collins writing.

00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:25.539
Collins writing, which I know you were familiar with already from a language

00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:29.239
arts perspective, but I was not. I wasn't because Colin's writing wasn't part

00:32:29.239 --> 00:32:32.599
of it when I taught language. Oh, that's right. Sorry. No, that's okay.

00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:36.279
It's a great program. It's a great program. And I actually was like,

00:32:36.419 --> 00:32:39.499
very like, okay, wait a minute. All right. I could do this. Let me be more specific.

00:32:39.999 --> 00:32:43.219
From a social studies teacher point of view. Yes. Yes.

00:32:44.090 --> 00:32:51.130
For ways to introduce writing in our curriculum with our students in a easy

00:32:51.130 --> 00:32:53.830
punch in out practical way.

00:32:54.610 --> 00:32:59.110
It's a great program. It's a great program. I agree. Um, but it's also common

00:32:59.110 --> 00:33:03.150
language. So when you say, Hey, we're going to do a, a level one writing or

00:33:03.150 --> 00:33:07.310
tier one writing, I'm escaping me what it was. Cause my brain is mashed potatoes from today.

00:33:07.770 --> 00:33:12.770
Um, it's, uh, it gives like the kids know, oh, this is the kind of writing that

00:33:12.770 --> 00:33:14.190
we're going to do. So I really like that.

00:33:14.370 --> 00:33:18.890
I think that everything that we're doing in social studies should be supporting

00:33:18.890 --> 00:33:20.670
what they do in language arts, right?

00:33:21.070 --> 00:33:26.790
But some of the writing that we do in a history class is different than what

00:33:26.790 --> 00:33:32.190
they do in a language arts class, because we might be doing DBQs or the DBQ

00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:35.690
project to prepare them more for, you know,

00:33:35.790 --> 00:33:39.090
the AP classes that they may decide to take,

00:33:39.230 --> 00:33:44.870
the writing that goes with that, the type of writing that it is where you're identifying, you know,

00:33:45.370 --> 00:33:49.570
the most important ideal from the Declaration of Independence.

00:33:49.810 --> 00:33:53.190
Well, they're all important, but which one is the most important, right?

00:33:53.350 --> 00:33:57.550
Craft your argument knowing that you're trying to convince me that this one's

00:33:57.550 --> 00:34:00.910
the most important, but in order to do that, you have to know the weaknesses

00:34:00.910 --> 00:34:04.790
of the other arguments. You can't go into it saying, like, this one's the most

00:34:04.790 --> 00:34:08.050
important because I think so. No, that means nothing.

00:34:08.830 --> 00:34:12.630
I want you to use the data and the resources that you've been given to prove

00:34:12.630 --> 00:34:14.250
to me why this is the most important one.

00:34:14.370 --> 00:34:17.930
And I do little activities with them where I have them choose something that,

00:34:18.310 --> 00:34:22.370
like, you know, since I'm a Star Wars nerd, I'm like, there are nine movies

00:34:22.370 --> 00:34:26.630
in the Skywalker saga of Star Wars. Which one is the most important to the story?

00:34:27.010 --> 00:34:29.950
Right. And then we talk about which film. Then we talk about Harry Potter.

00:34:29.950 --> 00:34:34.570
We talk about you know um things like that we talk about like um,

00:34:35.277 --> 00:34:40.277
Which one of Taylor Swift's albums are the are the most, you know,

00:34:40.437 --> 00:34:42.577
important to her musical career?

00:34:42.777 --> 00:34:46.017
And I have them craft arguments surrounding that. 1989. Reputation.

00:34:46.477 --> 00:34:49.917
Yeah. Oh, by the way, it's Empire Strikes Back or You're Wrong.

00:34:50.977 --> 00:34:55.917
That's usually my answer for that was going to be lightsaber. Lights.

00:34:57.577 --> 00:35:01.817
It's Empire Strikes Back. OK, lightsaber. And Lea Buns.

00:35:01.817 --> 00:35:05.037
If I see two things are going to happen, I'm either going to start talking about

00:35:05.037 --> 00:35:08.597
this and you're going to start snoring or I'm going to start talking about this

00:35:08.597 --> 00:35:13.377
and my wife will hear it and come downstairs and start playing like Oscar speech

00:35:13.377 --> 00:35:14.857
walk off orchestra music,

00:35:14.857 --> 00:35:17.817
which is what she does to me when I'm talking for too long.

00:35:17.957 --> 00:35:23.977
I almost did it to you a few minutes ago. I know you probably you probably did.

00:35:24.077 --> 00:35:30.197
It's like it's like, you know, someone's got to hook me off the stage.

00:35:30.937 --> 00:35:36.277
But no, that type of writing is different than what, not in all cases,

00:35:36.297 --> 00:35:39.177
but in many cases, that type of writing that we do in a social studies class

00:35:39.177 --> 00:35:40.137
is different than in English.

00:35:40.137 --> 00:35:46.397
So how do you feel about lesson planning when it pertains to groups of teachers

00:35:46.397 --> 00:35:53.277
that teach the same grade and subject area who live by planning together?

00:35:55.117 --> 00:36:01.537
I'm okay with it. what I do find difficult is when there's a new person and

00:36:01.537 --> 00:36:07.457
they automatically have to be folded into that system.

00:36:07.957 --> 00:36:11.457
Where what if they're not that kind of person?

00:36:11.597 --> 00:36:15.597
I'm not saying that that's the case in some of the experiences that I've had,

00:36:15.677 --> 00:36:19.877
but what about if that person comes like, yeah, I don't do things like this.

00:36:19.877 --> 00:36:23.777
I do it on my own and I plan it myself and I want to take ownership of the things

00:36:23.777 --> 00:36:25.537
that I'm teaching and I want to adjust what we're doing.

00:36:25.717 --> 00:36:30.177
But like, I also get where they're coming from. That's a very challenging way to plan.

00:36:30.537 --> 00:36:35.057
It is a really, there are charms to it that I think are really nice.

00:36:35.177 --> 00:36:40.337
Like with the, oh, how many students do you have? And then they photocopy, you know, 300. Yeah.

00:36:41.177 --> 00:36:47.257
What I can't get sometimes is there's such a rhythm to different classes.

00:36:47.457 --> 00:36:53.157
So even for me as a teacher, I can't do it the same in every period that I have. Correct.

00:36:53.537 --> 00:37:02.297
So what I can't get is the idea that you are doing something or teaching in

00:37:02.297 --> 00:37:06.297
a style that isn't really maybe authentic to you,

00:37:06.417 --> 00:37:10.877
which is I think sometimes the difficulty that people have in general when it

00:37:10.877 --> 00:37:15.137
comes to looking at other people's lesson plans or trying to understand,

00:37:15.137 --> 00:37:19.497
you know, what someone has written or the idea of something, because it's just not.

00:37:20.190 --> 00:37:25.750
Who they are or, you know, and I do think that the kids feel that and can kind

00:37:25.750 --> 00:37:28.790
of tell like that it's forced in some way.

00:37:28.950 --> 00:37:32.630
Um, but you know that, and so that's always my question with it,

00:37:32.650 --> 00:37:39.530
but obviously there, they must have, um, now my department, my grade level, we don't do that.

00:37:39.930 --> 00:37:44.470
So, you know, we are like freewheeling and footloose and fancy free,

00:37:44.550 --> 00:37:48.470
like everybody does and everybody shares. And, you know, if you had a question

00:37:48.470 --> 00:37:50.430
about like, Hey, how do you do this? or, hey, how do you do that?

00:37:51.110 --> 00:37:56.950
But I've seen other departments in grade level specifically in subject areas do that entirely.

00:37:57.510 --> 00:38:01.870
And I, and I, so I think it's interesting, you know, we should ask our listeners

00:38:01.870 --> 00:38:06.550
for sure to let us know what their feeling is about lesson planning.

00:38:06.850 --> 00:38:09.730
And, you know, do you think it's beneficial to the classroom?

00:38:09.930 --> 00:38:12.070
Do you think that it is necessary?

00:38:12.930 --> 00:38:17.210
And, you know, and, and how has that changed? And what does that look like for you over the years?

00:38:17.210 --> 00:38:24.230
If I'm an administrator and there's young staff members, like I'm having them do detailed plans.

00:38:24.230 --> 00:38:29.350
I'm making sure that I check in to see like, okay, are they...

00:38:29.350 --> 00:38:34.790
But you can write a 30-page lesson plan and not execute it. Oh, yeah.

00:38:35.490 --> 00:38:40.110
You 100% can. I'm not saying they need to be long, but they do need to have...

00:38:40.110 --> 00:38:41.290
Even if they write them out.

00:38:41.930 --> 00:38:49.230
Yeah. That's, see, that I think is wherein lies my, with it.

00:38:49.530 --> 00:38:54.790
Because someone can have like beautiful plans and they cannot execute them. Okay.

00:38:55.270 --> 00:38:58.530
You know what I mean? No, I do. I don't always know that I think that those

00:38:58.530 --> 00:39:02.170
two things are connected.

00:39:03.707 --> 00:39:09.807
Okay. That's, I guess, therein lies the issue that I have with them. I'm not against them.

00:39:09.927 --> 00:39:14.127
It's just sometimes even turning them in seems like, how do you know?

00:39:14.407 --> 00:39:18.707
Well, I guess part of it's a CYA thing, right?

00:39:18.887 --> 00:39:23.307
Where your supervisor has to know what you're teaching in case you're not doing

00:39:23.307 --> 00:39:24.687
what you're supposed to. Right.

00:39:25.067 --> 00:39:29.787
But the curriculum is already given to me. And, you know, there's people who

00:39:29.787 --> 00:39:32.407
are using a book from like three years ago.

00:39:33.007 --> 00:39:35.727
So yeah, they're not even using. Yeah, I guess it's just because it's like this

00:39:35.727 --> 00:39:41.127
flawed system that I don't know if I think it's like moving the agenda forward in any way.

00:39:41.267 --> 00:39:44.947
But I don't know if that's you know, I'm not out of the classroom. I'm in the classroom.

00:39:45.087 --> 00:39:49.927
Right. So my point of view is not wide enough to kind of know I can only hear

00:39:49.927 --> 00:39:54.847
and observe what I, you know, think my peers are talking about or what other people are saying.

00:39:54.847 --> 00:40:00.247
So I could be completely wrong. But I do know that is my biggest pet peeve and

00:40:00.247 --> 00:40:04.347
someone who has had a lot of student teachers, as I have, and a lot of junior

00:40:04.347 --> 00:40:05.807
field and a lot of senior field.

00:40:05.967 --> 00:40:11.187
And I'm watching them write these plans and then not being able to actually execute them.

00:40:11.487 --> 00:40:12.907
Yeah, that's number one. Or number

00:40:12.907 --> 00:40:16.667
two, once they actually get into a classroom, they're not doing that.

00:40:16.907 --> 00:40:22.667
No one's ever doing that. The door closes and you are building the plane as you're flying it.

00:40:22.787 --> 00:40:27.047
You are figuring it out as you go because it is a it's a it's challenging.

00:40:27.227 --> 00:40:30.407
Yeah so i mean what's the best option we

00:40:30.407 --> 00:40:33.307
don't know uh we don't know we're just

00:40:33.307 --> 00:40:36.627
here to kind of hash it out and say like hey what do you guys think listen

00:40:36.627 --> 00:40:39.347
if they said tomorrow in our district you don't have

00:40:39.347 --> 00:40:43.587
to turn in lesson plans anymore i'd still be doing them not the same way that

00:40:43.587 --> 00:40:47.747
i do them now but i'd be looking at what what is okay so what is the standard

00:40:47.747 --> 00:40:51.127
i'm looking at what is the objective i want to achieve today and what activity

00:40:51.127 --> 00:40:54.727
am i going to do to meet that objective that's that's the legitimacy of what

00:40:54.727 --> 00:40:57.987
I do each and every day. I don't know if I'd look at the standard.

00:40:58.967 --> 00:41:02.627
Um, that we probably would still have to teach it. I get that.

00:41:02.787 --> 00:41:05.967
I get that. But there's like, but that's also like our,

00:41:07.056 --> 00:41:11.616
Are we moving the needle when we're, you know, teaching to the standard or writing

00:41:11.616 --> 00:41:14.436
the objective on the board or all those other things that we have to do?

00:41:14.496 --> 00:41:16.476
Everybody talked about that nonsense. Yeah.

00:41:17.216 --> 00:41:22.216
Which, you know, put your learning target on the board. It doesn't it doesn't move the needle.

00:41:22.636 --> 00:41:26.736
OK, you know what moves the needle when I say, hey, we're going to turn to page

00:41:26.736 --> 00:41:28.596
six or seven in our textbook.

00:41:28.776 --> 00:41:31.956
And everyone's like six, seven and everyone freaks the hell out.

00:41:32.076 --> 00:41:34.616
That moves that moves the needle in my classroom.

00:41:35.016 --> 00:41:37.396
I'm still trying to figure out what that means. Hey, listeners.

00:41:39.036 --> 00:41:45.116
Anyway, as I again, it's it's it's it's something that I would still do that

00:41:45.116 --> 00:41:47.996
I find necessary and valuable, but I've also been doing it for.

00:41:48.916 --> 00:41:52.396
Yeah, I mean, obviously, it's just a part of our job and that's what we do.

00:41:52.456 --> 00:41:55.156
And you do your job and you do your job well and you check, check, check, check, check.

00:41:55.156 --> 00:41:59.936
So I'm not, I know they're not going anywhere, but I do think in TeacherVille,

00:42:00.056 --> 00:42:05.396
there is often a lot of discussion around lesson plans, the validity,

00:42:05.676 --> 00:42:08.716
the way that they're done, the way they're turned in, who's checking up,

00:42:09.236 --> 00:42:10.196
you know, those types of things.

00:42:10.196 --> 00:42:13.516
It seems to be a hot topic. No, it absolutely is.

00:42:14.356 --> 00:42:17.656
It's definitely something that we, you know, we'll keep talking about.

00:42:17.656 --> 00:42:23.376
I really would like to almost revisit with our pod squad friends, the, uh, the TCNJ, um,

00:42:24.575 --> 00:42:28.755
soon-to-be graduates. The NJAEA pod squad.

00:42:28.815 --> 00:42:33.155
The NJAEA pod squad, but our TCNJ friends. Shout out TCNJ. Go Lions.

00:42:34.315 --> 00:42:42.135
Accept our kids, please. So I'd be wondering, like, what exactly are they teaching

00:42:42.135 --> 00:42:45.515
them at the college level? Because I don't know what that is.

00:42:46.695 --> 00:42:49.755
I know you've had some student teachers. I don't know how many you've had recently,

00:42:49.755 --> 00:42:54.215
but even recently post-pandemic, What are they having those kids,

00:42:54.375 --> 00:42:59.235
quote unquote, do as they are preparing to enter the classrooms on their own?

00:42:59.675 --> 00:43:02.235
Yes, we'll have to find out. We'll have to dig a little bit.

00:43:02.335 --> 00:43:03.355
We have some college connections.

00:43:03.515 --> 00:43:08.195
We'll have to see what does that look like as a teacher teaching or as a professor

00:43:08.195 --> 00:43:12.075
teaching students, you know, to become teachers, educators in the future.

00:43:12.075 --> 00:43:15.375
And what do those lesson plans look like now? Yeah, absolutely.

00:43:15.855 --> 00:43:22.015
Yeah. So look, hey, you know what? Jamie, I appreciate you. Joe, I appreciate you.

00:43:22.135 --> 00:43:26.735
And not only do I appreciate you, but I appreciate our season three sponsor.

00:43:27.735 --> 00:43:32.375
I'm getting, am I like the king of the segue now? Our season three sponsor,

00:43:32.575 --> 00:43:35.995
Teacher's Insurance Plan, auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings

00:43:35.995 --> 00:43:39.855
and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania employees.

00:43:40.115 --> 00:43:44.595
Special thanks again to Chris and Emma and everyone at Teacher's Insurance Plan

00:43:44.595 --> 00:43:47.215
of New Jersey that is taking a shot on us and sponsoring our show.

00:43:47.215 --> 00:43:50.115
And thank you so much teacher's insurance plan for

00:43:50.115 --> 00:43:53.695
saving my family 50 on our monthly

00:43:53.695 --> 00:43:59.455
bill she's not only a member not only a member but i'm also a client that's

00:43:59.455 --> 00:44:06.935
right that's so true 50 i mean what am i gonna do with my other 50 uh save it

00:44:06.935 --> 00:44:11.435
for college food buy food yeah exactly all right we'll see everybody next time.