Last week marked the beginning of a series of firsts. Not only did 7th block begin last week, but I also started my first online class and began to transform my in-person college experience to an online one. Instead of having morning coffee with one of my roommates, getting ready for my chapter's Big Little …
Voting isn’t fair
If you’ve spent any time talking about American politics recently, you’ve probably heard about how the electoral college gives priority to certain voters or how some states make it harder for some people to vote than others. You may have even signed a petition promoting a national popular vote or rallied to enfranchise citizens who …
Week 1: Redefining Norms
Everything I thought I knew about the world has changed. CC moved entirely virtual, the Olympic Committee postponed the 2020 games to 2021, and Costco ran out of toilet paper, which, up until two weeks ago, I thought was technically impossible. In a way, the effects of this COVID-19 pandemic remind me of my first …
The Classroom Culture
Kathy stands at the front of our circle of chairs around the board room table. It is the last day of class and despite the laughing, there is a sense of sadness in the room. We all are going to leave for spring break the next day and may never convene in the same room …
Looking Back on Block 6
Hi Everyone! This past week has been pretty hectic given all the coronavirus news, but I wanted to recap the end of my block. The last few days in Gothic were packed. We finally finished our quinzhee and carved it all out so it could fit 5 to 6 people comfortably. We also hiked to …
30 Hours and Connections
Our last day of class observation has come and gone. 30 hours of K-12 class observation under our belts. Looking back on the past week I did not know how the class would end. It had been a rollercoaster of laughing and professionalism and overall block pandemonium. We spent week 3 doing more of the …
The First Half!
I began this class the moment I left my room on the first day. I believe the walk to class counts as a part of the experience. On a first Monday, you don’t know what to expect. You are about to plunge into a class that will completely define your life for the next three …
Experiencing Classrooms
“The block is halfway over” says Kathy as she starts Wednesday's class. I am taken aback, it feels as if the class just started and now we are closer to the end than the beginning. The week was a whirlwind of 4th grade class observations and discussions. Monday and Wednesday were typical days in a …
Intro to K-12 Classroom Culture: Week 1
A week in the Classroom Another first Monday, the students sit around a conference table with the hopes and worries for a new block written in front of them. It is the smallest class I have been in with only 9 students to fill the air space. The professor, Kathy Greene, comes in dressing with …
Breaking Trail
On Monday Morning we made the four hour trek to Gothic, Colorado, a small town with a year round population of four just north of Crested Butte. Gothic was a small silver mining town founded in the 1880s, but rebranded itself with the establishment of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in 1928. While the …