Rubrics

         The class on rubrics showed me how hard they can be to make. I have to make sure I know what I’m expecting of the students. I also have to make sure I create it in a way that has real expectations. When we were in class and that oreo came in I thought “That isn’t chocolate chip”. It got me thinking about exceptional work that I might come across and not be able to appreciate through a rubric. I don’t think it was hard to come up with what we wanted the rubric to look like. The hard part was seeing that your expectations didn’t apply to some of the works that were presented.



                                        

         I realized that our rubric didn’t give all the cookies fighting chance and it helps me keep in mind that all of my students will be different. Not all of their work will be the same. I have to provide space for thinking outside of the box. Some of my students might create something ingenious that isn’t in the rubric and it should be recognized. I liked that one of the groups had extra credit points on the rubric. That could provide a chance to appreciate original work from my students

 

                                          

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         I believe there should be a variety of ways for a student to show what he or she has learned. I plan on giving options even if I have to create more rubrics. Every option has to have clear expectations. The goal is to have a rubric that can serve as a guideline for the students and give them a chance to prove what they’ve learned. I will definitely add an extra section to my rubrics that gives the students credit for creativity. I believe that a rubric doesn't spark creativity and it is something that should be allowed with every assignment. No one should be held back from being exceptional.

     

Breaking the Stereotype

                Tuesday the 8^th was an eye opener. Some of the comments the teacher panel made had me shaking my head on the inside. It was interesting to watch them disagree and not follow up their disagreement with a discussion. I thought; man these people need to set themselves free. I felt like all of them were holding themselves back from saying what they truly believe. I don’t want to turn out to be that way. I feel good about our class because we actually voice our beliefs.

 After they left it was nice to hear our perspectives and our expectations of what Central Falls High School was going to be like. This experience puts the CF stereotype to rest. I love it because I was proven wrong. I thought the students were going to be troublemakers. I thought there wasn’t going to be any respect in the school. I was so wrong. I feel that every teacher candidate needs to be exposed to an urban setting like CF. Student teachers should be able to come to their own conclusion of what Central Falls High School is worth instead of feeding into the stereotype. We have to come to the realization that not everyone is the same. I, as a Puerto Rican, was terribly mistaken. I know the environment these students come from and I made the mistake of stereotyping them as well. This experience has made me realize that not everyone behaves the same and that CF high is not a mirror image of the community.

I understand that bad behavior gets all the attention. The reality is that a gunshot, a scream or a punch catches more attention than a hug, a kiss or a compliment.  Violence is negative and loud, and love is positive and silent. It is easier to spot the negative than to see the positive. This is the reality that world faces and it is up to us to see the good in everyone. I’ve seen the good in Central Falls.