Getting Back On Track

Off Track (from Flickr)
Off Track (from Flickr)

This semester has been a weird one for me so far. I’m shocked that it is already Reading Week. It does not feel like I’m that far into the semester. Maybe it’s because my head hasn’t exactly been in it. I can’t figure out why this is. But my tendancy to procrastinate has elevated to a whole new level. I’m lacking the motivation to push myself this semester and I guess this post is an attempt to figure out why this might be.

In my ECMP class, I definitely feel as if I am not putting forth an effort even close to my last semester. I find myself sitting in TweetDeck and reading and reading and reading all the great links shared those who I follow. I need to learn to either do this less or become more efficient at it. I also have been putting forth what I feel is a pretty pathetic effort when it comes to my blog. After reading all of this great content that everyone shares, I feel that what I have to say cannot compare in quality. Perhaps I need to start reflecting more on those items I read and maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. I hope to use this Reading Week to get into more of a blogging habit.

In my math classes (abstract algebra and Euclidean geometry) it is even worse. In abstract algebra, I have no motivation to do anything more than scrape by. I simply go through the motions because I know that I will never use this teaching my students. I also see no practical applications to real life, which is where I really lose my interest. The way I see it is that if there is nowhere that I will ever use it, why would I spend my time trying to learn it when I can be learning about things that will benefit me or my students in the future. As for Euclidean geometry, it will translate into my teaching somewhat, it is just terribly dry and class drags on way too long. I tend to get in a lot of doodling and iPod games once I’m halfway through that class. Currently, I’m not sure how to fix me in these classes.

My education classes are probably going the best. I take one class about teaching mathematics where my prof really pushes us to think critically and dig deeper into math. I really enjoy it, but the workload is non existant, we never have homework or assignments. Then my general education class is very repetitive. I don’t feel like we’ve learned anything new in the last two weeks. It seems as if we’re going unnecessarily slow and just filling in time.

I’m hoping this post will serve as a step in the right direction in an attempt to get back on track.

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Comments 2
  1. Aside from being required to do these things, it is pretty normal to wax and wane with interests. I find myself going from not reading books to reading 10 or 12 books in a month. Somedays I spend hours on Twitter and some days none.

    With respect to your college classes, has anything changed for you in the last 8-10 years? How many classes did you have that have no “real world” application? Remember, when you become a teacher it will be your job to reconcile the curriculm with real world application. You will have to find the way to make it relevant (even though you may not be able to convince all of your students.)

  2. You are definitely onto something regarding classes lacking real world applications. I am going to say that nearly all of the classes I took in high school and the majority that I have taken in university haven’t translated very well to the real world. I think if we can explain to students why what they are learning is important and show them that it serves more than simply passing a final exam, they will engage deeper and hopefully take control of their own learning.

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