Course Contract #2

What are you doing well?
I feel like I’m understanding most of the material. I can see how helpful the information is and how to apply it into the classroom. I’m doing okay with keeping up with the homework. I really enjoy the class discussions and get a lot out of other student’s comments.

What are you not doing well?
I’m reading too fast. I usually have so much to do in a night that I read with a focus on just filling out the study guide instead of understanding the material. I often have to remind myself that I don’t really get what I just wrote and I need to read over that section more carefully. I know I’m missing important things when I read this way.

I’m frustrated by the last test. I didn’t really know how to study for this kind of assessment and I don’t ever feel confident with the “best scenario” kind of questions (which makes me worried for the Praxis 2). I tend to over-think the factors that go into these type of questions. It really bothers me that I don’t know how to master this kind of information. I know I could do well with essay questions, but I find these much harder.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I am staying almost current with my homework. I’m not using Google calendar like I wanted to, but I am using the to-do list on my iGoogle page. I think I’m improving with my time management skills.

List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
I need to leave enough time to read carefully. I have got to mark my text as I read, so I can emphasize key concepts and relationships between ideas. If I don’t understand something I have to stop and slow down.

I’m at a loss at how to study better for the type of tests we are taking. I felt like I knew the concepts and my study aid was packed with terms and notes. I need to find out a good method so I am mastering the concepts to the point that I can feel confident with “best scenario” tests.

How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
My motivation is strong, but I’m pretty stressed out about getting everything done (I have a really heavy course-load this summer) and I just can’t panic. I am overly focused on performance since a big part of me wants to keep my current grade-point average and I care more about that than I should. I do know that what matters in the long-run is how much I know and can use, not what grades I got. In fact I’m the only person who cares about that. My students care if I know how to teach to the best of my ability. I just need to keep going and find the time to work carefully…and remind myself that I am near the end of this particular adventure!