TWS - Aleasha

What was the most challenging/horrible thing about the TWS?

I would have to agree with the previous post-the most difficult thing for me was to get the motivation to work on it. Had I not done most of the planning and charts over the summer in Social Studies than I would have been in big trouble. I think that the TWS could be greatly simplified and still be valuable and teach the things that it is designed to teach. The actual teaching of the TWS was not challenging, but creating an 80 or 90 page document that seems to repeatedly ask the same questions was challenging because I did not see the value in typing it up. I think it is important to create a unit, teach it, and assess it. However, the writing up of the TWS is what seems to be emphasized, rather than the actual teaching. I don't want to sound like a bum and complain about it because I understand there are things in school (and life) that may not seem fun, but we just have to stick it out and finish anyway. So I can now say that I finished the dreaded TWS and it really was not that bad.

What was the most valuable thing about the TWS?

Creating a unit and assessments based on an objective. Although, I could have learned how to do that without typing up a 90 page document:).

Stress level: This question reminds me of when the doctor asks you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-10. If you say it's only a 1, than he is going to tell you to suck it up and deal with it and probably to go home. If you say it is an 8 or 9, than you'll get into the doctor faster, you'll get some pain killers, and he will try to make it all better. So perhaps if I say my stress level was an 8 or 9 on the TWS, I will be helping future interns by reducing the amount of work that they have to do. If I say it was only a 1, than perhaps they will just have to 'suck it up' and do it as well. I will try not to read into this question to0 much and be as honest as possible. I did not stress out that much since I had already done most of it over the summer. It was a little bit stressful that last week when I had to finish it-I would say a healthy 5 on the stress scale.