MOTI (Moment of Teacher Impact)

I coined a new phrase this week. I experienced a "MOTI" otherwise known as a Moment of Teacher Impact.

Not long ago I wrote here about how proud I was of the debate my Economics students did. Well, this past week it was my Intro to Business students that just blew me away and left me laughing.

We started a new term a week ago and since it technically began on a Friday and finals had just ended the smart folks in my department planned to get students involved in the term "activity" right off the bat. There is an investing game teachers (and anyone) can play at http://www.marketwatch.com/game and a classroom of students can compete to earn the most money. So last Friday I set my two Intro classes up with $100,000 in investment "Cash" and let them loose picking stocks and learning the ropes of the stock market. [Side note: I meant to do 10,000 but the extra zero butted itself into the game...results should be the same, although perhaps a bit more dramatic and varied depending on what really happens to the market].

Anyway, by Wednesday of this week, my students were SO competitive! Most of them went for stocks of corporations they were familiar with. The two biggest purchases were for Google and Chipotle. Turns out, both of those companies saw massive jumps in the market earlier this week after releasing positive earnings reports.

The MOTI for the week came in my Homeroom, where I have 2 students from Intro plus a few of the other business teachers' Intro students. They all had their smart phones out and the Marketwatch app and were checking their position against others in the game. "Hey I'm in 2nd place!" "Hey, Ms. B., I dropped 3 places in the last twenty minutes! Help!" They had conversation for nearly 20 minutes straight about stocks and the market. I was sitting at my desk just tickled!

Before the bell rang on Wednesday, one of my students said to another, "I think this is the most adult conversation I have ever had."

This made me a laugh hysterically. I told the kids how proud I was that they were using their knowledge from the game and the Investing unit we had just completed and were talking about it. And to tell the truth, by Friday they spend the entire Homeroom period doing the same thing.

Now, if I can just get them all to be playing the market long term instead of trading stocks every day....

We shall see by the time December rolls around and the game concludes!

[Side note #2: I am also playing and am currently in 37th place out of 62. I am playing the long-term game. I don't know that it will make the point I want it to in just 2 months' time but we shall see!]

Have a great wrap on October everyone. Go learn something and have a conversation.
(Then let me know what it is you learned!)
KB

Week Three & the Friday FlyOver

I am writing this with just mere minutes left before I go to bed. It has been a long week. I can't believe I am saying that when it is only the second full week back at work with students. Although, it is technically my fourth week back working.

As I mentioned previously, I am really loving my job, the people and most of all these students. I am working as hard as I can to plan ahead and get things copied more than a day ahead of time and really feel like I am a pro. But with new curriculum it isn't always possible. Or with random interruptions to planning.

For example, I have organized my students in Economics to run a debate. It was supposed to have happened today but in 60 minutes I had hoped to give them yesterday to work as teams and develop their arguments and rebuttals, picture day intervened. I found out just before first period that nearly 1/2 my class was scheduled to take their pictures during my 2nd hour Econ class. That meant I had to adjust the schedule. In the end, they didn't have enough time to really plan, instead using much of the time to catch up their classmates who rolled back in one at a time. (I have to hand it to them, I dismissed the ones who were scheduled with a pleading request that they return as quickly as possible and not delay and chit chat. They did just that. Talk about ethical, responsible and respectful!) So I agreed to let them use 1/2 of today's shortened class period to prep and run the debate tomorrow. In all honesty, it will probably run better because they feel better prepared.

I certainly hope this is the case because my first informal evaluation is also occurring during that debate. I have given them all the tools they should need and have explained the process and amount of time each side has for each argument and rebuttal. I told them their only homework (beside their weekly essay due on Fridays) was to practice not speaking when someone else was! I'll have to update you on how this goes.

So as I sit here praying that all goes well tomorrow and for a little Spiritual Guidance should it not, I am also aware that that is just one part of my Friday. I am aiming to leave my house by 5:10am tomorrow. What?!? Yep. 5:10am. That is about 15 minutes AFTER my alarm normally goes off.

My high school has been given the chance to be on the local morning news. Our interim principal has been revving the students (and, via email, the staff) to participate and get there early tomorrow. The goal is 5:45am for everyone. The students will be forming words on the football field as the news helicopter flies overhead a few times during the 6am hour. I am excited to participate and see the kids get excited about the honor. I'll then want to take a nap by the time lunch rolls around at 11:45!

Tomorrow night is our first home football game. I'm also aiming to attend that, as well. It was tradition at Urbana and I love supporting my students and school. I'll be exhausted, glad the "informal" is over and glad that Labor Day is this weekend, allowing an extra day of rest. I am going to need it!

If you live in Chicagoland, check out ABC7Chicago.com or watch at 6am tomorrow. I'll be one of those folks in a white shirt. And perhaps a coffee in hand.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
KB