Week 6: Wrap Up

It's hard to believe that a couple of months ago I had no idea what Civco was.  Yes, I saw the building as I drove through town, but I never really gave it much thought.  Now I marvel at the many things that take place inside here.  What an eye-opening experience.  While here, I have had highs (collaborating with a great group of people and seeing some data come to life) and some lows (finding other things to work on while waiting for data to input).  All of those experiences though have really challenged me to stretch as an educator and reflect on how I can improve my classroom.


Before I list some of the changes I'd like to make in my classroom for next year, here are some of the results from the survey I gave earlier in the week.  I had the engineers that I have been working with take it in hopes to get a better understanding of their view of high school and the real world.

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Survey Results:

What was the number one thing you felt your pre-college education did to help you prepare for college?

Learning the basic building blocks of math to the point that I felt confident in my skills was crucial in order to master the fast-paced college environment.


Writing may seem less crucial for a science/math major, but knowing how to write well can set you apart from your classmates (in a positive way). 

Challenged me to think for myself but also helped guide me toward the right direction on how, not what, to think.

What could your pre-college education have done to better prepare you for college?

Been better with teaching how to look for/apply to college, how student loans work/how to apply for them, how to find/apply for scholarships, etc.

I think the major differences for me between high school and college was the deadlines. It is a unique experience not having someone question why you did/didn't do your homework, or having to turn your completed study guide in.  Even if you do have weekly homework assignments due (many majors do not require this, rather it is completing reading and taking a quiz), you still have the challenge of getting the semester projects, midterm/final exams completed while managing everything else.

Giving slightly more emphasis on Microsoft Office Suite programs would have been helpful, primarily Excel.

What was the number one thing you felt your pre-college education did to help you prepare for the job force?

It was a safe place to make mistakes before entering job force.

The group projects, time management, organization skills, and any work with Microsoft Office programs were probably the most valuable for the job force.  Having a skill set in Microsoft programs is vital for any job, and it is much easier if you don't have to start out from scratch.  

As frustrating as group projects can be in school, they are even more necessary in the 'real world'.  Also, you are always accountable for your time in the work force, even if you report to someone, so tracking and staying aware of how you use your time is very important.

What could your pre-college education have done to better prepare you for the job force?
Pushed or required more advanced job experience (I was pretty clueless about what people with college degrees did).  Basic overview info on what jobs are out there and what education you need for them would have been helpful.

I think giving the students visibility of how the knowledge they're learning in classes directly relates to the knowledge you use everyday at work would have been a big help. I know I had a hard time, in high school AND college, understanding how anything I was learning would ever be applied to the real world.  Likewise, if it won't apply to the real world (example: multivariable calculus requirement for industrial engineers), explain WHY the course requirement is there (to push your brain to work a little bit harder than you think it can, to show that you can problem solve beyond the level that most people can, etc.).

Resume writing in school would have been very helpful, especially at the end of Junior year before all the college applications are due.

How to think more creatively when solving problems. Often times the answer will not a straight solution like the ones presented in classrooms..

Now that you are in the work force, what would you like to see your future co-workers excel at?


Being energetic to accomplish (finish) problems especially unclear/difficult problems.  Finishing is important.

Group work.  Although you get a lot of practice in this through college, it never is the type of group work that you experience at work. For example, you generally work on a project where all individuals have the same knowledge of the subject matter (i.e. you are all in the same class, so you all know as much as the others regarding that class subject).  At work, you are working with all types of backgrounds--individuals that didn't complete high school, chemists, finance majors, engineers, marketing specialist, etc.  Therefore, in a school project when someone isn't upholding their end of the deal, you can do their part for them (we always resent this person, but they don't completely prevent you from completing the assignment), whereas in the work place, you simply cannot move forward with your project until you hear back from them (because you either don't have the knowledge to make the call, or don't have the authority). To understand how to be responsive to people in a timely matter is one of the most important things I've come across.

I think that communication is key - no one can truly know what they need to improve on, help with, or continue doing unless they have some feedback.

I would like to see co-workers who are good problem solvers and creative thinkers. A lot of people can analyze a problem but to find the best solution you have to be able to think on your own and try to find the best way to go about your problem.

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So, lots of information in those responses!  I think a lot of their comments resonate with what I have been writing about.  I blogged earlier that I was considering letting up on the reigns in my class a little and having students take some control in their learning.  I think this would promote student independence and encourage them to foster some time management and organizational skills. Another area that was mentioned multiple times was group work (and communication works hand-in-hand with it).  I tend to shy away from assigning group work (perhaps from experiences in high school where I got stuck doing all of the work), but perhaps I need to figure out a way to make it effective.  I think there are valuable skills to be learned while working in groups; communication, responsibility, and commitment.

So, what do I see changing in my classroom for this upcoming year??  Let's see:

1. Sharing the experience (and the blog) with my students.  Encouraging them to try one of the internships/ job shadows our school offers.
2. Assign students topics and have them design the lesson/materials needed to teach that topic.
3. Work on organization and time management skills.  Such as, we are starting the chapter today and taking a test in 8 days.  We will be studying this many sections.  You need to read the text and complete the homework in those 8 days.  How will you do this?
4. Provide time for students to write and reflect on what they're learning.  This might be in the form of a journal or some other record keeping device.
5. Bring businesses into the classroom.  (See my Week 5 post)

I'm also kind of thinking of using the first 10 minutes of class (I am on block scheduling, so I have the time) for some of these events.  Hopefully I'll think of a catchy name to call it.  But here is a possibility of what we'd do each day of the week during those 10 minutes.

Monday- Organize/Plan for the week

Tuesday- Journal (Either on a topic I give or some math connection they choose)

Wednesday- Present a new career and math connections

Thursday- Real World Problems they can solve

Friday- Standardized Test Prep

If you have any other thoughts or ideas for me to incorporate, please let me know!  It's hard to believe that in 5 short weeks I'll be in my classroom with a bunch of kids staring at me- ready to learn.  I better get busy!