Last week, we begun mentoring certain students. Those students. I was initially not assigned any students to mentor, but I seem to have picked up two. One of them is a girl in my homeroom class who started off the year as #1 Goody Two-Shoes, but has since made the wrong friends. She is smart, and works hard, but she talks A LOT. And gets involved in a lot of drama. At the moment, she wants to switch homerooms because she doesn't get along with certain kids. I doubt they'll switch her, because she's not quite at the level of the higher class, but I have no doubt she'll settle into this class again. She's a sweetheart who has some bad friends. Although, there aren't a lot of 12-year-olds who make good friends. She does have this habit of talking, though. In fact, the day after she declared herself my mentee (one being mentored), I had to call home because she was talking all throughout my lesson. She cried at me. The next day she was my best friend again, spending a couple of periods in my room because she needed a break from her "friends". Whew. 12-year-olds are complicated.
My other mentee adopted me late last week. I didn't particularly think she needed a mentor, because she's usually a quiet girl, but she's been involved in some middle school drama lately. I invited her to my room at the end of the day, during my prep on Thursday. I asked her about herself, and heard more words from her than I had all year. She came here from Jamaica about a year ago, and her voice has that gorgeous singsong quality that can only have come from an island. She sings in her church choir. I'm excited to get to know her.
My weekend was surprisingly snowy, and my boyfriend got stranded in Charleston after a medical school interview. I had the sniffles. I played on the ambulance, but there were no emergencies. Not exciting, but I still love weekends. Weekends are better when you earn them.
My classes seem to be getting better. Each week, I "have" more students than the week before. There are challenges, especially when I lose my temper, but there is improvement there. Today I introduced SF to another class, and they were pretty excited. It's still really, really challenging, but it's getting better. Unfortunately, I've hit a bit of unmotivation this week. I need some motivation. Hopefully tomorrow will help. Tomorrow is training #2. Sub day. No kids. Sleep until 7:30. Nice.
I have a new reader, the only one who has ever been able to share a room with me. It lasted a whole year in college. She is rocking the business world in NYC (and bought me sushi).
Does everyone still make a wish when blowing away eyelashes? Last night, I realized that I wished that school would continue to get better. I think that's a good sign. Even subconsciously, I know I'm making progress.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Future?
It makes me really nervous that I'm already getting emails from TFA about job opportunities for the 2012-2013 school year. That's TWO YEARS from now. I certainly appreciate the networking opportunities, but (un)fortunately, the job openings are not close enough to possible boyfriend medical school cities, so I won't be applying immediately.
Yesterday, I tried one of the techniques right from my new book. It suggested that when you ask a student to do something, and he/she refuses, stare 'em down. It outlines exactly how to go from slow turn to withering stare to leaning over desk. I did it, and it worked! A girl who never even sat down when I asked, picked up a crumpled paper from the floor and threw it away all because I stared at her. She hated being stared down. It was great, and no words were exchanged.
Today, my voice went slowly away. I made it until the end of the day, but just barely. Believe it or not, I think I'm noticing progress with my students. Although I made some mistakes today, the students are more in control. Someone even came into my classroom during afternoon homeroom and commented on how quiet and well-behaved they were. At one point during the exam, I was even able to sit down and grade some papers! My class is slowly, slowly beginning to run itself. Sometimes.
The Tuesday off has made me extremely more relaxed. I feel almost in control. I did, however, look at the stack of half-done sub assignments from Tuesday that were going to be graded as a quiz...and threw them away. Don't look at me like that! It wasn't worth my time, and it would have only hurt their grades.
I talked a little bit about science fair (hereafter: SF) with my TAG-less 7th grade class. It seems like this is gonna work out. A couple of students had to make sure that they would definitely fail if they didn't do it, but a lot of them were interested. I also showed them some of a Blue Planet DVD (next in the Planet Earth series) and they LOVED it. I'll have to incorporate that into some of my other classes. I think the segment on tides will be good for CMT review on both Earth and Life Science.
Tomorrow, I introduce SF to my homeroom. Oh goodness! I hope it goes well! Also, I hope my voice comes back.
I was wiped out today, and instead of a usual gym workout, my mom suggested trying something new. I Netflixed a yoga video, and made it 10 minutes into it before becoming confident enough in my core strength to be bored. I'll get a good workout this weekend.
Yesterday, I tried one of the techniques right from my new book. It suggested that when you ask a student to do something, and he/she refuses, stare 'em down. It outlines exactly how to go from slow turn to withering stare to leaning over desk. I did it, and it worked! A girl who never even sat down when I asked, picked up a crumpled paper from the floor and threw it away all because I stared at her. She hated being stared down. It was great, and no words were exchanged.
Today, my voice went slowly away. I made it until the end of the day, but just barely. Believe it or not, I think I'm noticing progress with my students. Although I made some mistakes today, the students are more in control. Someone even came into my classroom during afternoon homeroom and commented on how quiet and well-behaved they were. At one point during the exam, I was even able to sit down and grade some papers! My class is slowly, slowly beginning to run itself. Sometimes.
The Tuesday off has made me extremely more relaxed. I feel almost in control. I did, however, look at the stack of half-done sub assignments from Tuesday that were going to be graded as a quiz...and threw them away. Don't look at me like that! It wasn't worth my time, and it would have only hurt their grades.
I talked a little bit about science fair (hereafter: SF) with my TAG-less 7th grade class. It seems like this is gonna work out. A couple of students had to make sure that they would definitely fail if they didn't do it, but a lot of them were interested. I also showed them some of a Blue Planet DVD (next in the Planet Earth series) and they LOVED it. I'll have to incorporate that into some of my other classes. I think the segment on tides will be good for CMT review on both Earth and Life Science.
Tomorrow, I introduce SF to my homeroom. Oh goodness! I hope it goes well! Also, I hope my voice comes back.
I was wiped out today, and instead of a usual gym workout, my mom suggested trying something new. I Netflixed a yoga video, and made it 10 minutes into it before becoming confident enough in my core strength to be bored. I'll get a good workout this weekend.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Puzzlement
I'm baffled. I gave my class a lab to do, and they did it. Almost all of them. And they were great. This was my eighth graders, a class I've had a lot of trouble with. A couple of strong personalities were absent today, but that's no excuse for such good behavior. I had them for a double period, which is usually a huge challenge for me. Today it worked. I spent the first period doing a review game with them, and it was a new game I was trying, but it worked. The second period, they did a lab! I gave each group a Matchbox car, ruler, and stopwatch, and I asked them to make a racetrack out of textbooks and calculate distance, time, and speed. And they did it! I turned my back for one second and they were all doing it! Well, mostly. One or two kids were not entirely helpful, but every single student contributed somewhat. Some usual characters were really into it, creating elaborate textbook ramps and then cleaning them up afterwards. It was great.
My homeroom class was actually good. I had to call several of their parents tonight after getting a list of misbehaving kids from the sub, but they were working hard today. I had them drawing pictures of plant and animal cell organelles from a textbook, adding in their own creativity. They enjoyed drawing. I should use their creativity more.
My later, difficult class was not so difficult. I did the review game with them, and although I didn't have 100% compliance, I taught a bunch of kids some stuff. Hopefully, it'll show on the exam tomorrow.
Lunch duty was another story, but let's not go there.
After school, our usual faculty meeting was an independent work session, so I decided to take the cornbread I had made for the meeting and walk around to classrooms, sharing it with teachers. I got to thank them all in person for being so helpful.
Another thing I got done this afternoon: I met with the principal, and the Wilbur Cross School Science Fair will be on Thursday, January 19! And I'm getting extra paper to make the packets! I'm definitely anxious, but now I know what my demon looks like.
I had a great TFA learning moment yesterday. TFA always emphasizes assuming that others have our best interests in mind, especially our colleagues, superiors, and students' parents. Yesterday, I received an email from the principal asking if I have been contacting students parents when necessary. My first response was frustration: what does she have against me? I'm doing my parent calls! I got all stressed out and everything. So, I wrote the nicest, most responsibly-worded email I could muster, about how I've been calling parents when I can and documenting it on an Excel file. I immediately got a response: Thanks for the update, let me know if I can do anything to help you enforce your classroom policies.
Oh. I guess she was being helpful, not accusing. I need to get over the whole teacher-hates-me view of the principal. She's a really great principal who could really use an assistant principal.
I spent the last two hours making parent phone calls. The substitute teacher yesterday left me a list of names, and I promised I'd call. I called 14 homes, spoke to someone about half the time, and left a few voicemails. Not bad for a day's work. I'm getting pretty good at it, too. Considering it was the thing I worried most about, it's not so bad. I can call someone to tell them that their child is lazy and disrespectful, but I do it in a way that makes them thank me for it. Maybe they just like talking about their kids, or maybe they just like me, but I've heard more nice things this afternoon than I do in a usual week.
And now, I'm going to drag my butt to the gym and then out for trivia. I've got a terrible sore throat and headache, but I THINK I feel better than I did the last couple of days, and that I'm getting better.
My homeroom class was actually good. I had to call several of their parents tonight after getting a list of misbehaving kids from the sub, but they were working hard today. I had them drawing pictures of plant and animal cell organelles from a textbook, adding in their own creativity. They enjoyed drawing. I should use their creativity more.
My later, difficult class was not so difficult. I did the review game with them, and although I didn't have 100% compliance, I taught a bunch of kids some stuff. Hopefully, it'll show on the exam tomorrow.
Lunch duty was another story, but let's not go there.
After school, our usual faculty meeting was an independent work session, so I decided to take the cornbread I had made for the meeting and walk around to classrooms, sharing it with teachers. I got to thank them all in person for being so helpful.
Another thing I got done this afternoon: I met with the principal, and the Wilbur Cross School Science Fair will be on Thursday, January 19! And I'm getting extra paper to make the packets! I'm definitely anxious, but now I know what my demon looks like.
I had a great TFA learning moment yesterday. TFA always emphasizes assuming that others have our best interests in mind, especially our colleagues, superiors, and students' parents. Yesterday, I received an email from the principal asking if I have been contacting students parents when necessary. My first response was frustration: what does she have against me? I'm doing my parent calls! I got all stressed out and everything. So, I wrote the nicest, most responsibly-worded email I could muster, about how I've been calling parents when I can and documenting it on an Excel file. I immediately got a response: Thanks for the update, let me know if I can do anything to help you enforce your classroom policies.
Oh. I guess she was being helpful, not accusing. I need to get over the whole teacher-hates-me view of the principal. She's a really great principal who could really use an assistant principal.
I spent the last two hours making parent phone calls. The substitute teacher yesterday left me a list of names, and I promised I'd call. I called 14 homes, spoke to someone about half the time, and left a few voicemails. Not bad for a day's work. I'm getting pretty good at it, too. Considering it was the thing I worried most about, it's not so bad. I can call someone to tell them that their child is lazy and disrespectful, but I do it in a way that makes them thank me for it. Maybe they just like talking about their kids, or maybe they just like me, but I've heard more nice things this afternoon than I do in a usual week.
And now, I'm going to drag my butt to the gym and then out for trivia. I've got a terrible sore throat and headache, but I THINK I feel better than I did the last couple of days, and that I'm getting better.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Happy 101!
I missed the 100th post, so now I'm celebrating the 101st. And you know what? It was a great day today.
A day off from students helped a lot with my stress levels. I had a full day training, and believe it or not, it was really useful. In fact, of all the PD I've had since I started this shindig in June, this was the most helpful. It helped that I had a couple of months under my belt.
We spent the entire day talking about classroom management. The program was run by a small Cuban man who sprinkled his speech with Spanish expressions, and made me realize that I don't often find native Spanish-speakers giving workshops and lessons. Hopefully, I'll change that, one student at a time. He was part of a UCLA classroom management program, that used to be a Brown classroom management program until money ran out there. The program has an office in Trumbull, and although he taught and administrated there, he grew up in Bridgeport. I wish he could talk to my classes about hard work and success.
The day was mostly marked by group discussions about what has worked and what hasn't, and I learned some new techniques to try, but we were given a lot of valuable advice as well. We were also given a book (Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching), which I've found immensely helpful since I read half of it this afternoon. It's written in the Idiot's Guide format, which involves humorous anecdotes, cartoons, and specific advice. It outlined specific scenarios that I've been unable to handle in my classroom (e.g. handling the "Explosive Student" and talking back), and gave advice on how to handle them. The book is most useful because it follows the following pattern:
1. Here's how to set up the classroom to avoid behavior problems.
2. If that doesn't work perfectly, here's how to solve small behavior problems before they get out of hand.
3. If that doesn't work perfectly, here's how to solve big behavior problems.
I have to admit that I skipped right to the solving behavior problems, because that is what I need help with right now.
The biggest piece of advice that the speaker gave us is to pick our battles, and pick ones we can win. My goal is to pick a new battle, one thing to improve on, every day or week or month. This week, I will take what I learned from the book about not showing frustration when kids are pushing my buttons. I will work on standing up straight, taking a deep breath, making eye contact, and NOT RESPONDING when they talk back. I will not get angry, not raise my voice, and not join in their childish banter.
He also gave us other suggestions, such as a great way to illustrate a multi-step process on a permanent poster that we can hang up during certain lessons or units, which I think will help in my Physical Science class.
This afternoon, I got ahead on planning. I also got an email reminding me about payday this Friday--I had forgotten! What a nice surprise! This will be my first "regular" paycheck, and it's a few dollars more than I expected. It's nice to know, but I bet the money will be going into my classroom anyway. I just ordered a copy of October Sky to help get my kids revved up about Science Fair.
As I learned from a chef on Chopped, "Don't forget the 7 P's: Proper prior preparation prevents piss-poor performance."
A day off from students helped a lot with my stress levels. I had a full day training, and believe it or not, it was really useful. In fact, of all the PD I've had since I started this shindig in June, this was the most helpful. It helped that I had a couple of months under my belt.
We spent the entire day talking about classroom management. The program was run by a small Cuban man who sprinkled his speech with Spanish expressions, and made me realize that I don't often find native Spanish-speakers giving workshops and lessons. Hopefully, I'll change that, one student at a time. He was part of a UCLA classroom management program, that used to be a Brown classroom management program until money ran out there. The program has an office in Trumbull, and although he taught and administrated there, he grew up in Bridgeport. I wish he could talk to my classes about hard work and success.
The day was mostly marked by group discussions about what has worked and what hasn't, and I learned some new techniques to try, but we were given a lot of valuable advice as well. We were also given a book (Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching), which I've found immensely helpful since I read half of it this afternoon. It's written in the Idiot's Guide format, which involves humorous anecdotes, cartoons, and specific advice. It outlined specific scenarios that I've been unable to handle in my classroom (e.g. handling the "Explosive Student" and talking back), and gave advice on how to handle them. The book is most useful because it follows the following pattern:
1. Here's how to set up the classroom to avoid behavior problems.
2. If that doesn't work perfectly, here's how to solve small behavior problems before they get out of hand.
3. If that doesn't work perfectly, here's how to solve big behavior problems.
I have to admit that I skipped right to the solving behavior problems, because that is what I need help with right now.
The biggest piece of advice that the speaker gave us is to pick our battles, and pick ones we can win. My goal is to pick a new battle, one thing to improve on, every day or week or month. This week, I will take what I learned from the book about not showing frustration when kids are pushing my buttons. I will work on standing up straight, taking a deep breath, making eye contact, and NOT RESPONDING when they talk back. I will not get angry, not raise my voice, and not join in their childish banter.
He also gave us other suggestions, such as a great way to illustrate a multi-step process on a permanent poster that we can hang up during certain lessons or units, which I think will help in my Physical Science class.
This afternoon, I got ahead on planning. I also got an email reminding me about payday this Friday--I had forgotten! What a nice surprise! This will be my first "regular" paycheck, and it's a few dollars more than I expected. It's nice to know, but I bet the money will be going into my classroom anyway. I just ordered a copy of October Sky to help get my kids revved up about Science Fair.
As I learned from a chef on Chopped, "Don't forget the 7 P's: Proper prior preparation prevents piss-poor performance."
Monday, October 24, 2011
Update
This made me smile. It requires some knowledge of Indian food and superheroes.
While it's fresh in my mind, I wanted to share what I've learned from a conversation with my TFA adviser tonight. I had asked to speak to him regarding the behavior problems I've been having.
First, he told me that where I am right now, with the frustration and the behavior problems and the roller coaster of classes, is normal. Not only that, but it will get better.
Also, he pointed out that if my classes vary so much from lesson to lesson, especially from seventh grade to eighth, maybe it's my lessons that need work.
That makes so much sense. I am trying to squeeze too many key points into one lesson, and they don't listen for all of them. I need a better hook for the lesson and fewer key points. I can then let them do independent/group work, and they'll understand it better. If they don't understand, they'll just complain, and not even try the work. I need to challenge them, but only enough so they don't notice.
I need to improve my lesson plans. This week, I want to make plans for the first part of Unit 3 for both 7th and 8th grade. I have high hopes.
He even said that he was surprised that I was having so much classroom management trouble, because it looked like I was good at giving clear expectations and consistent consequences last time he visited. :)
Also: the state of education in America.
P.S. "According to most sources, both spellings are acceptable, but my Webster's doesn't have a separate listing for "advisor" (with an "o"), it is merely an alternate spelling of the listed word, "adviser" (with an "e")."
While it's fresh in my mind, I wanted to share what I've learned from a conversation with my TFA adviser tonight. I had asked to speak to him regarding the behavior problems I've been having.
First, he told me that where I am right now, with the frustration and the behavior problems and the roller coaster of classes, is normal. Not only that, but it will get better.
Also, he pointed out that if my classes vary so much from lesson to lesson, especially from seventh grade to eighth, maybe it's my lessons that need work.
That makes so much sense. I am trying to squeeze too many key points into one lesson, and they don't listen for all of them. I need a better hook for the lesson and fewer key points. I can then let them do independent/group work, and they'll understand it better. If they don't understand, they'll just complain, and not even try the work. I need to challenge them, but only enough so they don't notice.
I need to improve my lesson plans. This week, I want to make plans for the first part of Unit 3 for both 7th and 8th grade. I have high hopes.
He even said that he was surprised that I was having so much classroom management trouble, because it looked like I was good at giving clear expectations and consistent consequences last time he visited. :)
Also: the state of education in America.
P.S. "According to most sources, both spellings are acceptable, but my Webster's doesn't have a separate listing for "advisor" (with an "o"), it is merely an alternate spelling of the listed word, "adviser" (with an "e")."
"Get out of my f**king face, b*tch."
That was how my morning started. At least he got a three day suspension. My students may have seen me tear up, though.
I had a meeting with my mentor this morning. She is the one in the school who holds me to the highest standards. She challenges me. She's like my mother: she comforts me when I'm sad, and she provides advice that I don't always appreciate at the time but is probably the best answer.
I took her advice in giving another one of my classes assigned seats. It took 20 minutes, and involved A LOT of arguing. Eventually, I got (almost) every student to stop groaning and go to their assigned seat. It ended up working pretty well, although I didn't feel like they were able to do the lab activity today, so I went a little overboard on worksheets.
After 2 preps, a lot of productivity, and a teary-eyed lunch, I was back in form. My first class after lunch was much better than usual. I gave them a review worksheet to practice before the exam this week, and I had more compliance than usual. I definitely had more than half the class on task (sometimes more, sometimes less), which is an improvement. This is a class that can quickly snowball into laziness and complaining. I ended up getting a few more kids than usual doing hard work.
My non-homeroom seventh grade class had donuts and a quiz today, and they did great on the quiz. As usual. It's the same quiz my homeroom had last week.
My last class was also not bad, although I had trouble keeping them on task. I was able to (for the most part) keep them in their seats and quiet, which is a start. Next I have to work on staying on task.
At some point during the day, my homeroom class had difficulty finding their way to class, and now they're not allowed to go anywhere without an escort. Is it my fault for starting their day off poorly, or are they really that difficult? I have to say, they were great during homeroom this morning, so I don't think it's me.
On Friday, I had a great career discussion with a student. He wants to be a basketball player, but I don't think it's the most likely future for him. I discussed with him the idea of working towards being a video game designer. He loves drawing and coming up with stories, but his writing could use work. I'm hoping that if he gets into drawing, he'll be less bouncy in class. I enjoyed speaking to him.
This weekend was wonderful. I found good (but expensive) sushi, but I don't think I'll be going there too often. I went on a lovely hike outside New Haven. I made INCREDIBLE banana bread, with pumpkin ale as the liquid and a little too much sugar. Yum. I also found the greatest ethnic supermarket and stocked up on various noodles and miso paste.
Tomorrow is the first day of my New Teacher Induction Program through BPS. Full day PD. I used to hate that sort of thing. Now I can't wait. No students for a full day!
Back to grading. I have some leftover miso soup to charge up for spin class tonight. Rough morning, good afternoon.
I had a meeting with my mentor this morning. She is the one in the school who holds me to the highest standards. She challenges me. She's like my mother: she comforts me when I'm sad, and she provides advice that I don't always appreciate at the time but is probably the best answer.
I took her advice in giving another one of my classes assigned seats. It took 20 minutes, and involved A LOT of arguing. Eventually, I got (almost) every student to stop groaning and go to their assigned seat. It ended up working pretty well, although I didn't feel like they were able to do the lab activity today, so I went a little overboard on worksheets.
After 2 preps, a lot of productivity, and a teary-eyed lunch, I was back in form. My first class after lunch was much better than usual. I gave them a review worksheet to practice before the exam this week, and I had more compliance than usual. I definitely had more than half the class on task (sometimes more, sometimes less), which is an improvement. This is a class that can quickly snowball into laziness and complaining. I ended up getting a few more kids than usual doing hard work.
My non-homeroom seventh grade class had donuts and a quiz today, and they did great on the quiz. As usual. It's the same quiz my homeroom had last week.
My last class was also not bad, although I had trouble keeping them on task. I was able to (for the most part) keep them in their seats and quiet, which is a start. Next I have to work on staying on task.
At some point during the day, my homeroom class had difficulty finding their way to class, and now they're not allowed to go anywhere without an escort. Is it my fault for starting their day off poorly, or are they really that difficult? I have to say, they were great during homeroom this morning, so I don't think it's me.
On Friday, I had a great career discussion with a student. He wants to be a basketball player, but I don't think it's the most likely future for him. I discussed with him the idea of working towards being a video game designer. He loves drawing and coming up with stories, but his writing could use work. I'm hoping that if he gets into drawing, he'll be less bouncy in class. I enjoyed speaking to him.
This weekend was wonderful. I found good (but expensive) sushi, but I don't think I'll be going there too often. I went on a lovely hike outside New Haven. I made INCREDIBLE banana bread, with pumpkin ale as the liquid and a little too much sugar. Yum. I also found the greatest ethnic supermarket and stocked up on various noodles and miso paste.
Tomorrow is the first day of my New Teacher Induction Program through BPS. Full day PD. I used to hate that sort of thing. Now I can't wait. No students for a full day!
Back to grading. I have some leftover miso soup to charge up for spin class tonight. Rough morning, good afternoon.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Fail
Today I failed in preparedness. I THOUGHT I was prepared, but I guess you learn something new every day.
My day started off with a double period of homeroom class followed by a single period the other 7th grade class, during which I was to be observed by the science department chairperson. I had a great lesson, which I sent her yesterday, that involved a few short video clips describing the needs of all living things.
I arrived at school extra early today, because I had a meeting with my mentor, and I needed to set up the microscopes for my homeroom class and to make sure everything is prepared for my observation. I turn on the computer, open the PowerPoint, click the link to the videos, and BAM. Website server error. No access to the videos.
No! No! No! I scoured the internet for another way to access them, and then started looking for alternatives. I found something close, but it was a tangentially related 25 minute video, not three perfect 5 minute videos.
At this point, it is a few minutes after I'm supposed to meet my mentor, and I run downstairs to the music room. She begins to comment on my tardiness...and I burst into tears. I think that I have officially presented myself to her as the kind of person who cries rather than takes criticism. I'm learning from my students. It doesn't help that I see her on Friday mornings, the morning of my busiest class day and at the end of the week. She hands me an Oreo and sends me back upstairs to call the science chair. I left a message and an email, and we agreed to reschedule. I need to be better prepared next time. Backups of lessons. I barely have time to make lessons in the first place! I need to spend some time working on a couple of backup lessons, though, for any reason.
And, surprisingly, my homeroom class was okay. They were great during breakfast, and slowly got fidgety over the course of two periods, but they LOVED the microscopes. Even the toughest kids. They thought the cells were cool/gross/interesting. That is why I do this job.
I could finish a description of my day, but that is where I want to leave it. Now I'm off to my massage appointment!
My day started off with a double period of homeroom class followed by a single period the other 7th grade class, during which I was to be observed by the science department chairperson. I had a great lesson, which I sent her yesterday, that involved a few short video clips describing the needs of all living things.
I arrived at school extra early today, because I had a meeting with my mentor, and I needed to set up the microscopes for my homeroom class and to make sure everything is prepared for my observation. I turn on the computer, open the PowerPoint, click the link to the videos, and BAM. Website server error. No access to the videos.
No! No! No! I scoured the internet for another way to access them, and then started looking for alternatives. I found something close, but it was a tangentially related 25 minute video, not three perfect 5 minute videos.
At this point, it is a few minutes after I'm supposed to meet my mentor, and I run downstairs to the music room. She begins to comment on my tardiness...and I burst into tears. I think that I have officially presented myself to her as the kind of person who cries rather than takes criticism. I'm learning from my students. It doesn't help that I see her on Friday mornings, the morning of my busiest class day and at the end of the week. She hands me an Oreo and sends me back upstairs to call the science chair. I left a message and an email, and we agreed to reschedule. I need to be better prepared next time. Backups of lessons. I barely have time to make lessons in the first place! I need to spend some time working on a couple of backup lessons, though, for any reason.
And, surprisingly, my homeroom class was okay. They were great during breakfast, and slowly got fidgety over the course of two periods, but they LOVED the microscopes. Even the toughest kids. They thought the cells were cool/gross/interesting. That is why I do this job.
I could finish a description of my day, but that is where I want to leave it. Now I'm off to my massage appointment!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Constantly Improving
Today started off with my principal walking in during homeroom, and calling me out for not controlling my class. Oy. I held back tears, and ended up having a not-too-bad anyway. I later spoke to her, and she gave me some good advice about reinforcing routines. I need to remember that students need routines - like breakfast is 8:50-9:00 - spelled out explicitly. I made some posters, gave my homeroom an earful about behavior, and am hopeful about tomorrow.
I showed a couple of classes Mythbusters to get them thinking about Science Fair, which I will formally introduce to them beginning next week. I'm really anxious about Science Fair, but I at least have the first couple of activities (finding a topic, creating a testable question) planned.
This afternoon, my sister and I had a very interesting conversation about education. She is a start-up founder in San Francisco, and approaches all problems with a libertarian-leaning entrepreneurial eye. She pointed out that Bridgeport spends about $13,000 per student, which is less than some districts like New Haven, but more than some nicer suburban districts. So why are we begging for copy paper? She suggested that the money could be better used in many other ways, especially emphasizing smaller classes. Where is all this money going? She also pointed out that there are plenty of brilliant people who would get involved in education if there was a little more money to pay. She also pointed out that if school were looked at from a business standpoint, rather than from a political one, things might get done more efficiently. As it stands now, very little progress is being made, and slowly. We need something faster. The example she gave is that before Facebook, nobody sat around and complained about the lack of social networking. We need innovative solutions to the education gap that aren't immediately apparent.
In my opinion, education policy is often misguided (e.g. NCLB), focusing on standardized test scores rather than students. I know it's a stereotypical teacher argument, but I think there are better ways to help children than taking so much time out of the school year to prepare for and take standardized exams.
Where are all of these good leaders anyway? As Superintendent Ramos is ousted with his ton-of-money severance pay, I want to know, where are these people that can run the schools?
While we didn't solve any major problems, my sister reminded me that there are solutions out there, we just haven't thought of them yet. It will get better. These kids will learn. (And in the meantime, I was given access to a library of science videos and related worksheets. Jackpot.)
I showed a couple of classes Mythbusters to get them thinking about Science Fair, which I will formally introduce to them beginning next week. I'm really anxious about Science Fair, but I at least have the first couple of activities (finding a topic, creating a testable question) planned.
This afternoon, my sister and I had a very interesting conversation about education. She is a start-up founder in San Francisco, and approaches all problems with a libertarian-leaning entrepreneurial eye. She pointed out that Bridgeport spends about $13,000 per student, which is less than some districts like New Haven, but more than some nicer suburban districts. So why are we begging for copy paper? She suggested that the money could be better used in many other ways, especially emphasizing smaller classes. Where is all this money going? She also pointed out that there are plenty of brilliant people who would get involved in education if there was a little more money to pay. She also pointed out that if school were looked at from a business standpoint, rather than from a political one, things might get done more efficiently. As it stands now, very little progress is being made, and slowly. We need something faster. The example she gave is that before Facebook, nobody sat around and complained about the lack of social networking. We need innovative solutions to the education gap that aren't immediately apparent.
In my opinion, education policy is often misguided (e.g. NCLB), focusing on standardized test scores rather than students. I know it's a stereotypical teacher argument, but I think there are better ways to help children than taking so much time out of the school year to prepare for and take standardized exams.
Where are all of these good leaders anyway? As Superintendent Ramos is ousted with his ton-of-money severance pay, I want to know, where are these people that can run the schools?
While we didn't solve any major problems, my sister reminded me that there are solutions out there, we just haven't thought of them yet. It will get better. These kids will learn. (And in the meantime, I was given access to a library of science videos and related worksheets. Jackpot.)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday
I actually like Wednesdays, they're usually too strenuous. Of course, it didn't help that I didn't sleep very well last night and there is no sunshine today, but I managed. I don't really feel like working now, so I'll get the blogging done.
Today, I noticed that there is an indirect relationship between the amount of learning that gets done and student engagement (see above). That may not be the best way to express it, but it's how I felt today. I need to use tricks to get the students engaged in the material, and then teach them before they realize what's going on. Today, for example, in the middle of a lesson on acceleration and deceleration, I showed an 8-minute YouTube video of "fails". It basically showed people falling for 8 minutes straight. It is a good description of acceleration as a change in speed or direction, and I had EVERY SINGLE STUDENT watching silently (except for laughing). Not a single student was talking, or distracted, or doing other work. I need to figure out ways to incorporate this into my lessons. I need to trick them into learning, because the lecturing style doesn't really work for them. I need to distract them with smoke and mirrors while I am reinforcing my key points. Gosh, I wish I had more time for planning.
I have a science department faculty meeting this afternoon, followed by a trip to the gym and maybe a manicure if I have time. Then it's home to plan, grade, and maybe relax if there's time. This is quite a challenging job, but it's worth it when my homeroom class does well on their quizzes.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
High/Low
This year, for the first time in several years, I have no cavities. Three cheers for dental health!
I'm coping with the stress a little better, especially by prohibiting thinking about school while in my bedroom.
You know you're a science teacher when...recent purchases have included iodine, toothpicks, onions, stopwatches, and toy cars.
I borrowed a couple of microscopes from my friend upstairs, used the iodine to stain some onion skin and cheek cells, and amazed my students. They loved it. I managed to, pretty successfully, have the class work on a cell packet while I took pairs of students and showed them the cells under the microscope. It really helps to SEE cells, rather than just talking about some abstract small thing. Perhaps why so many find chemistry so challenging?
My next class was not quite as good. I gave them a quiz, and they stared blankly at me. And complained. They seem to think that the class is too boring, so they don't learn anything. And it's my fault they don't pay attention when I'm teaching, because the class is too boring.
My first instinct was to take it personally. After a few minutes during lunch being upset in my classroom, I realized a couple of things (with the help of some colleagues and a supportive boyfriend). First, they're eighth graders. They should be mature enough to realize that if they don't do the work, they don't learn the material. I can't help everyone. I saw a few kids take the quiz seriously, so I must be doing something right. In addition, I need to make the class more interesting and interactive. Of course, if the kids don't cooperate, I can't do fun labs, but maybe I can plan the labs and give them another chance. I never made it really clear that if they don't cooperate in a lab then they lose ALL lab privileges. So, rather than giving them more worksheets to practice calculating speed, I went out and bought some toy cars and stopwatches. It was a lot of money, but the stopwatches will be useful in the future.
My homeroom took a quiz as well, and totally rocked it. I think that all except for 2 students passed. I think this unit is going well with them. It helps that I move slowly enough that almost everyone understands, but make it fun enough (i.e. do silly dances for them) that they don't get bored with the speed. I need to teach more slowly than I initially thought.
And then I got home and graded the challenging class's quizzes...and they weren't so bad! About 20% of students scored above an 80, and everyone who tried got at least 50. Nobody is failing who wasn't failing yesterday. In fact, only one student is failing that class, and that is because he sits in class and does absolutely nothing. I wish I could invest him, but I need to spend my time now with students who want to learn.
Now it's 7pm, time for me to sign off. Relaxing time and dinner time. Maybe beer time. Definitely clean teeth time. Also, this.
I'm coping with the stress a little better, especially by prohibiting thinking about school while in my bedroom.
You know you're a science teacher when...recent purchases have included iodine, toothpicks, onions, stopwatches, and toy cars.
I borrowed a couple of microscopes from my friend upstairs, used the iodine to stain some onion skin and cheek cells, and amazed my students. They loved it. I managed to, pretty successfully, have the class work on a cell packet while I took pairs of students and showed them the cells under the microscope. It really helps to SEE cells, rather than just talking about some abstract small thing. Perhaps why so many find chemistry so challenging?
My next class was not quite as good. I gave them a quiz, and they stared blankly at me. And complained. They seem to think that the class is too boring, so they don't learn anything. And it's my fault they don't pay attention when I'm teaching, because the class is too boring.
My first instinct was to take it personally. After a few minutes during lunch being upset in my classroom, I realized a couple of things (with the help of some colleagues and a supportive boyfriend). First, they're eighth graders. They should be mature enough to realize that if they don't do the work, they don't learn the material. I can't help everyone. I saw a few kids take the quiz seriously, so I must be doing something right. In addition, I need to make the class more interesting and interactive. Of course, if the kids don't cooperate, I can't do fun labs, but maybe I can plan the labs and give them another chance. I never made it really clear that if they don't cooperate in a lab then they lose ALL lab privileges. So, rather than giving them more worksheets to practice calculating speed, I went out and bought some toy cars and stopwatches. It was a lot of money, but the stopwatches will be useful in the future.
My homeroom took a quiz as well, and totally rocked it. I think that all except for 2 students passed. I think this unit is going well with them. It helps that I move slowly enough that almost everyone understands, but make it fun enough (i.e. do silly dances for them) that they don't get bored with the speed. I need to teach more slowly than I initially thought.
And then I got home and graded the challenging class's quizzes...and they weren't so bad! About 20% of students scored above an 80, and everyone who tried got at least 50. Nobody is failing who wasn't failing yesterday. In fact, only one student is failing that class, and that is because he sits in class and does absolutely nothing. I wish I could invest him, but I need to spend my time now with students who want to learn.
Now it's 7pm, time for me to sign off. Relaxing time and dinner time. Maybe beer time. Definitely clean teeth time. Also, this.
Monday, October 17, 2011
New Day
1. Spend more time at school, and do less work at home.
2. No thinking about school in my bedroom.
Those are my two new rules for staying more relaxed. So far, it is working.
This morning I met with my mentor, and learned a couple of important things. First of all, I can't actually ignore the bad students. In fact, I have to make them learn the stuff anyway, even if they are not cooperating enough to participate. She keeps written work to correspond with all of her activities, so when she makes students do the boring written work, they're actually learning the material.
Oh boy. Now I need to create a library of written work to correspond with all (okay, lots) of my lessons. In time, in time. I will add it to my long-term to-do list, which also includes reorganizing my exams and differentiating everything.
In the short term, she suggested that I rearrange my classroom. Now, instead of having six large tables with kids all around them, I have one giant U-shaped arrangement tables, with a smaller U-shaped table in the middle. I've put chairs all around the outside of the two Us (I'm aware that both "Us" and "U's" are acceptable, but I just don't like a non-possessive apostrophe). This way, the students are all facing me, and not each other. It also makes my class tighter, in that all my students are closer to me, but there is more room to walk around while teaching and while they are doing work.
And you know what? It works. My classes were generally better today. Not great, not perfect, but still better. It makes it easier for kids to watch me, and harder for them to talk to each other. While doing worksheets, they are better able to work with a partner, but less likely to work in loud groups. I can also keep track of all of them more easily. And the new assigned seats don't hurt either.
I've determined that either a) this is a good classroom setup, or b) students are thrown off by a new arrangement. If a) is the answer, than it should get even better from here. If b) is the case, I guess I'll be rearranging tables once a month. I hope not, though, it's exhausting.
My mentor also gave me some daisies for my desk (see above photo). It makes a huge difference in my day. It's like a little bit of artificial sunshine. I may keep flowers here permanently, to help fight the shortening days.
Only 2 parent phone calls tonight. I do need to go buy iodine, though, so I can stain some onion skin and cheek cells to show the kids in a microscope. I have a microscope activity planned tomorrow. I'll have two microscopes that kids can take turns using, while the rest of the class works on a packet about cells. It's halfway towards doing a lab, so we'll see how it goes. I would like to do more labs with them.
Next week is the end of the marking period (I think). After 1 quarter, about 85% of my students are passing. I think that's good? At the very least, it should help get another few students working hard.
I ended one of my classes early, and gave them paper to share their opinions about the class and about the unit (motion). A few of them commented that speed/distance/time is too much like math, and they don't understand how it relates to science. That's good to know. I need to make sure to reinforce how it's important to science. Now I'm surfing Mythbusters clips to find a helpful one that relates speed to science and technology.
It didn't hurt my day that I had a good weekend. My fire department raised over $15,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project. I got to go one one ambulance call. I ate a burrito and sushi. I spent several hours entering data into a stupid TFA tracker that my adviser gave me...and it worked out really well! Even though I looked at the Unit 1 Assessments and saw lots of failure, there was also a lot of not failure. Some objectives were really well mastered. Some weren't, but I already have ideas on how to weave them into future lessons. I actually feel like a not-terrible teacher. Maybe I'm not useless after all. I started this week feeling like a not-useless, not-terrible teacher.
Tonight will be my third of five spin classes. I can't tell whether I'll be sad when the Groupon runs out, or happy that it's done. It's hard work, but kind of fun. Kind of like teaching.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Kids!
Kids!
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
I listened to that song on the way to work today. It finally makes sense.
Though my day was good, and I had a good teaching week, it was very stressful. For the first time all year, I am starting to get really anxious. I think a lot of it has to do with science fair, a big annual event that requires me to drag 130 students into doing a full science experiment and creating a presentation board that looks nice enough for an administrative walk through. I've been told that it is the most challenging and least fun part of my year. It's a lot of work on my end, and I'm really nervous about putting it together. It will be sometime in January, which means I need to get the kids started NOW. I plan on meeting with the principal next week to choose a date and to find out what her expectations are.
I'm also anxious about my classes going well. Now that I get stuff done in class, I have to plan longer lessons and more practice. I get through lessons faster than I expect, but kids need more practice than I expect. I'm learning.
This week, three of my four nights were crappy-sleep-toss-and-turn nights. I need to sort myself out. I need to relax better and go to sleep earlier. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person that stresses about about not sleeping well, which leads me to sleep worse, which leads me to stress out, which...
This morning when I showed up to school, I wasn't feeling up to it. Fortunately, my mentor shoved a few Oreos in my face and I was able to start the day with a slightly chocolatey smile. Fake it till you make it, right?
Weekend weekend weekend! Tonight, I have a friend coming over to share in wine and cheese. Tomorrow, I have a long day at SCSU, followed by a fundraiser concert way back in Long Island that is hosted by my fire department to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Hopefully, on Sunday, I'll get some ambulance time.
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
I listened to that song on the way to work today. It finally makes sense.
Though my day was good, and I had a good teaching week, it was very stressful. For the first time all year, I am starting to get really anxious. I think a lot of it has to do with science fair, a big annual event that requires me to drag 130 students into doing a full science experiment and creating a presentation board that looks nice enough for an administrative walk through. I've been told that it is the most challenging and least fun part of my year. It's a lot of work on my end, and I'm really nervous about putting it together. It will be sometime in January, which means I need to get the kids started NOW. I plan on meeting with the principal next week to choose a date and to find out what her expectations are.
I'm also anxious about my classes going well. Now that I get stuff done in class, I have to plan longer lessons and more practice. I get through lessons faster than I expect, but kids need more practice than I expect. I'm learning.
This week, three of my four nights were crappy-sleep-toss-and-turn nights. I need to sort myself out. I need to relax better and go to sleep earlier. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person that stresses about about not sleeping well, which leads me to sleep worse, which leads me to stress out, which...
This morning when I showed up to school, I wasn't feeling up to it. Fortunately, my mentor shoved a few Oreos in my face and I was able to start the day with a slightly chocolatey smile. Fake it till you make it, right?
Weekend weekend weekend! Tonight, I have a friend coming over to share in wine and cheese. Tomorrow, I have a long day at SCSU, followed by a fundraiser concert way back in Long Island that is hosted by my fire department to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Hopefully, on Sunday, I'll get some ambulance time.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Money!
Doctor. Gym. Shower. Phone calls. Laundry.
It was a productive day, topped off with an email notification of a GIANT paycheck. It's all my back pay from while I was being paid as a sub, plus this paycheck. Party! (Or, pay credit card bills.)
Today went really well. I just don't understand. I think all the kids meet up every morning to decide how they will all behave. I finished plenty of material in class, and got some work done. Two of my classes had earned donuts today, and they absolutely loved that. In one class, as the 10-minute donut (Blogger doesn't think the singular "donut" is a real word) party was wrapping up, one of my quiet-but-struggling students asked for help with the Do Now. I reminded her of the speed triangle (shows relationship between distance, time, and speed), and she hurriedly scribbled in the right answers. Way to go! She got a phone call home for that one. She's been stepping up recently.
Another difficult student, who can't sit still, was participating today after I asked him to get up and model a football kickoff return. He showed the class a great example of why we need to consider instantaneous velocity instead of only average velocity (because velocity isn't constant--if it was, you'd get tacked pretty quickly--because you need to move out of the way of the other team). Afterwards, he was unusually engaged in the lesson.
Even my homeroom was good today. I showed them the characteristics of life dance again, and they loved it again. It started out the class well. At the end of class, the principal walked in and saw them behaving! That never happens!
I've heard mention that my blog sounds like a memoir. I guess that is what it is, but usually when someone sits down to write a memoir, they already know the ending. I don't know where this story is going. I get to read it along with you. That's the advantage of blogging. Or disadvantage. You never know if the ending is going to be really dull. (Personally, I'm hoping for the kind of dull that has white picket fences and a dog.)
Last night, trivia was a lot of fun. It's nice to get out now and then and do something else, talk about something else.
Now, I have wine and Chinese food.
It was a productive day, topped off with an email notification of a GIANT paycheck. It's all my back pay from while I was being paid as a sub, plus this paycheck. Party! (Or, pay credit card bills.)
Today went really well. I just don't understand. I think all the kids meet up every morning to decide how they will all behave. I finished plenty of material in class, and got some work done. Two of my classes had earned donuts today, and they absolutely loved that. In one class, as the 10-minute donut (Blogger doesn't think the singular "donut" is a real word) party was wrapping up, one of my quiet-but-struggling students asked for help with the Do Now. I reminded her of the speed triangle (shows relationship between distance, time, and speed), and she hurriedly scribbled in the right answers. Way to go! She got a phone call home for that one. She's been stepping up recently.
Another difficult student, who can't sit still, was participating today after I asked him to get up and model a football kickoff return. He showed the class a great example of why we need to consider instantaneous velocity instead of only average velocity (because velocity isn't constant--if it was, you'd get tacked pretty quickly--because you need to move out of the way of the other team). Afterwards, he was unusually engaged in the lesson.
Even my homeroom was good today. I showed them the characteristics of life dance again, and they loved it again. It started out the class well. At the end of class, the principal walked in and saw them behaving! That never happens!
I've heard mention that my blog sounds like a memoir. I guess that is what it is, but usually when someone sits down to write a memoir, they already know the ending. I don't know where this story is going. I get to read it along with you. That's the advantage of blogging. Or disadvantage. You never know if the ending is going to be really dull. (Personally, I'm hoping for the kind of dull that has white picket fences and a dog.)
Last night, trivia was a lot of fun. It's nice to get out now and then and do something else, talk about something else.
Now, I have wine and Chinese food.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Invalid Password
Well, this was the bad day I've been waiting for. Forces combined against me to make a long and challenging day, and it wasn't even 100% bad.
It was rainy and overcast, which never helps. As the days get shorter (2.5 months until solstice), it gets a little harder to get up in the morning. Last night I didn't sleep well, and it was the second consecutive night of tossing and turning. I woke up feeling gross and overtired, and of course my students noticed it immediately. They pushed every button I had, and I almost called it a day by the end of homeroom. I had to turn my back to the class, catch my breath, and yell some more.
Surprisingly, when I saw my homeroom again for science class, they were actually pretty good. After sending the instigator out of the room, we got some learning done. I taught them a little dance to show them the five characteristics of life (Living things: grow, are made of cells, reproduce, use energy, and respond to surroundings). They loved it, and even participated. Some scratch-and-sniff stickers sealed the deal (Miss, I'm working hard, can I get a sticker?).
Another class was shortened due to the half day and my morning double period was rough. I was feeling icky due to sleeplessness and it showed.
The afternoon was School Improvement from 1:30-4pm, which was both great and rough. We (everyone involved in the 7th and 8th grade) spent most of that time discussing how to make things better. It helped to know that everyone else is having the same problems with these kids that I am. We discussed ways to help, including an informal mentoring program on our own time, for the kids who need it most. We also planned a positive reward system for the middle school as a whole. One of the best suggestions was to take some of the toughest kids out of class to mentor elementary students. This would both give us a break, and make them feel empowered (hopefully, empowered enough to want to set a good example). We even discussed a plan to make dismissal go more smoothly.
I then went and worked with a couple of teachers in one of their classrooms, and learned a few things I could use to improve my classroom. I don't seem to be doing very well at taking control of the space, so that the kids respect that I am always in charge and that my rules always go. I need to set routines even better, and although I have made definite improvements lately, there is a lot I need to do.
Unfortunately, I went back to my classroom and found that I was unable to login to the school webmail and gradebook (invalid password/username combination). The IT guy had just left the office (3:59 pm). This means I can't finish my last 10 minutes of work today, or access a couple of phone numbers of parents. I had a great run of phone calls yesterday (75% connection rate, both good and bad calls, good relationships begun with parents), but am unable to continue tonight.
Tonight I'm taking a break. I might do some SCSU work, but I only have "maximum 2-3 paragraphs" to write. Otherwise, I have fish sticks in the oven and plans to meet friends for an early evening of bar trivia. I've been trying to get out and socialize for a month, and this is it. Like last night, I don't wanna go out, but I know it's good for me.
It was rainy and overcast, which never helps. As the days get shorter (2.5 months until solstice), it gets a little harder to get up in the morning. Last night I didn't sleep well, and it was the second consecutive night of tossing and turning. I woke up feeling gross and overtired, and of course my students noticed it immediately. They pushed every button I had, and I almost called it a day by the end of homeroom. I had to turn my back to the class, catch my breath, and yell some more.
Surprisingly, when I saw my homeroom again for science class, they were actually pretty good. After sending the instigator out of the room, we got some learning done. I taught them a little dance to show them the five characteristics of life (Living things: grow, are made of cells, reproduce, use energy, and respond to surroundings). They loved it, and even participated. Some scratch-and-sniff stickers sealed the deal (Miss, I'm working hard, can I get a sticker?).
Another class was shortened due to the half day and my morning double period was rough. I was feeling icky due to sleeplessness and it showed.
The afternoon was School Improvement from 1:30-4pm, which was both great and rough. We (everyone involved in the 7th and 8th grade) spent most of that time discussing how to make things better. It helped to know that everyone else is having the same problems with these kids that I am. We discussed ways to help, including an informal mentoring program on our own time, for the kids who need it most. We also planned a positive reward system for the middle school as a whole. One of the best suggestions was to take some of the toughest kids out of class to mentor elementary students. This would both give us a break, and make them feel empowered (hopefully, empowered enough to want to set a good example). We even discussed a plan to make dismissal go more smoothly.
I then went and worked with a couple of teachers in one of their classrooms, and learned a few things I could use to improve my classroom. I don't seem to be doing very well at taking control of the space, so that the kids respect that I am always in charge and that my rules always go. I need to set routines even better, and although I have made definite improvements lately, there is a lot I need to do.
Unfortunately, I went back to my classroom and found that I was unable to login to the school webmail and gradebook (invalid password/username combination). The IT guy had just left the office (3:59 pm). This means I can't finish my last 10 minutes of work today, or access a couple of phone numbers of parents. I had a great run of phone calls yesterday (75% connection rate, both good and bad calls, good relationships begun with parents), but am unable to continue tonight.
Tonight I'm taking a break. I might do some SCSU work, but I only have "maximum 2-3 paragraphs" to write. Otherwise, I have fish sticks in the oven and plans to meet friends for an early evening of bar trivia. I've been trying to get out and socialize for a month, and this is it. Like last night, I don't wanna go out, but I know it's good for me.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Long Weekend
That was a good long weekend. Too short, though.
I left school immediately after school on Friday, sat in traffic for a couple of hours, and arrived back home just in time for my parents to be leaving the house for synagogue. So, I grabbed some sushi and hung out at the firehouse for a little while. The sushi was delicious and the firehouse was quiet (of course, since I was there). I then headed back home to begin the annual 25-hour meditative fast of Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is the Jews' annual 25-hour repentance festival. It's not very fun and involves fasting from sundown to sundown. This year, I managed a nice and relaxing day, except for one exam that needed to be graded for my 7th graders. I watched TV, I relaxed, and I even went to synagogue for a couple of hours to spend time with my family. The fast was especially challenging this year, which means I probably need to feed myself better the rest of the time. I even thought about working out, but saved it for Sunday instead.
Saturday evening included my favorite Jewish occasion, the post-Yom Kippur break fast. It's all the joy of breaking a fast and breakfast-for-dinner and friends I only see once a year all rolled into one. It is always hosted by a long time family friend (Hi!) who always puts on a good party with PLENTY of food. There were bagels and lox, whitefish, two kinds of herring, blintzes, kugel, and all of the other things that helped me develop pride in my people.
Sunday brought regular meals and an overnight trip to Atlantic City with my boyfriend. I had fun and didn't lose too much.
School came rolling in this morning with the usual rowdiness of children. As usual, it's tough but manageable. I still feel like I'm making progress, but every time I begin to feel complacent with a difficult class or student, they come up with something now. Every time. Still, the trial-and-error process seems to be less full of failure than last month.
I began Unit 2 with my 7th graders today, asking questions like "What is life?" and "Why do we classify things as living or not?" I think they enjoy learning real content.
Today the principal stopped in my classroom while my homeroom class was being particularly rowdy. It was a little embarrassing that I needed her help controlling them, but lunchtime chatter with other teachers indicates that I'm not the only one who has trouble with them. I still worry that the principal doesn't think very highly of my management skills. I need to work harder on the little details, but sometimes I'm too distracted with the big details. Hopefully, the parent phone calls (good and bad) I've made today will help.
I've decided I'm going to introduce the Science Fair project to my kids sometime next week or the week after. Science Fair is a beast that all Bridgeport science teachers must organize, in which pairs of students complete and present science experiments. From what I've heard from last years' science teacher, it will be like pulling teeth from 126 individual students. Awesome.
The introduction to Science Fair will begin with an outline of the event and what is expected from them, as well as a timeline. I then plan on giving them a few examples of how to create your own experiments...with an episode of Mythbusters! I hope they enjoy that (I think I will, as long as they cooperate). I'm a little anxious about the whole Science Fair project, but I'm hoping for the best.
Tonight I'm taking my second of five spin classes. I'm only going because I signed up already and don't want to lose my money by cancelling late. I don't wanna go. I'm tired. It's hard. I don't wanna! I guess I'll go get ready for spin class.
I left school immediately after school on Friday, sat in traffic for a couple of hours, and arrived back home just in time for my parents to be leaving the house for synagogue. So, I grabbed some sushi and hung out at the firehouse for a little while. The sushi was delicious and the firehouse was quiet (of course, since I was there). I then headed back home to begin the annual 25-hour meditative fast of Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is the Jews' annual 25-hour repentance festival. It's not very fun and involves fasting from sundown to sundown. This year, I managed a nice and relaxing day, except for one exam that needed to be graded for my 7th graders. I watched TV, I relaxed, and I even went to synagogue for a couple of hours to spend time with my family. The fast was especially challenging this year, which means I probably need to feed myself better the rest of the time. I even thought about working out, but saved it for Sunday instead.
Saturday evening included my favorite Jewish occasion, the post-Yom Kippur break fast. It's all the joy of breaking a fast and breakfast-for-dinner and friends I only see once a year all rolled into one. It is always hosted by a long time family friend (Hi!) who always puts on a good party with PLENTY of food. There were bagels and lox, whitefish, two kinds of herring, blintzes, kugel, and all of the other things that helped me develop pride in my people.
Sunday brought regular meals and an overnight trip to Atlantic City with my boyfriend. I had fun and didn't lose too much.
School came rolling in this morning with the usual rowdiness of children. As usual, it's tough but manageable. I still feel like I'm making progress, but every time I begin to feel complacent with a difficult class or student, they come up with something now. Every time. Still, the trial-and-error process seems to be less full of failure than last month.
I began Unit 2 with my 7th graders today, asking questions like "What is life?" and "Why do we classify things as living or not?" I think they enjoy learning real content.
Today the principal stopped in my classroom while my homeroom class was being particularly rowdy. It was a little embarrassing that I needed her help controlling them, but lunchtime chatter with other teachers indicates that I'm not the only one who has trouble with them. I still worry that the principal doesn't think very highly of my management skills. I need to work harder on the little details, but sometimes I'm too distracted with the big details. Hopefully, the parent phone calls (good and bad) I've made today will help.
I've decided I'm going to introduce the Science Fair project to my kids sometime next week or the week after. Science Fair is a beast that all Bridgeport science teachers must organize, in which pairs of students complete and present science experiments. From what I've heard from last years' science teacher, it will be like pulling teeth from 126 individual students. Awesome.
The introduction to Science Fair will begin with an outline of the event and what is expected from them, as well as a timeline. I then plan on giving them a few examples of how to create your own experiments...with an episode of Mythbusters! I hope they enjoy that (I think I will, as long as they cooperate). I'm a little anxious about the whole Science Fair project, but I'm hoping for the best.
Tonight I'm taking my second of five spin classes. I'm only going because I signed up already and don't want to lose my money by cancelling late. I don't wanna go. I'm tired. It's hard. I don't wanna! I guess I'll go get ready for spin class.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Good Week
This was a really good week. I think I'm enjoying this job much more now that I'm teaching real science content. I got angry at my homeroom class this morning, but the quiet reading assignment I made them do went really well. I think I've definitely reached a new level in classroom management. I did have the principal, who is nervous about managing the school without an assistant principal, walk into my classroom at a couple of inconvenient and mismanaged moments.
Yesterday I had an interesting interaction with a student that was certainly unique to middle school. After I had given the exam to my homeroom, I sat next to a student for about 10 minutes and tried to convince him that even though his video game got accidentally thrown away during lunch, he can't refuse to do any work until he gets the game back. I eventually got him to take the exam home to finish.
Yesterday was also the assistant principal's last day, which shook up the kids a bit.
The TAG small class today was bigger than usual, because a couple of them dropped out of TAG, but I improvised a lesson on acceleration and instantaneous speed inspired by the students' choice of YouTube video, a 6 minute montage of clips from failblog.org. The kid who suggested the video is my most challenging, unmotivated student, and even he was engaged!
I had a visit from the science chairperson, who I think has taken a special liking to me. She loved the student work I had hung up and really liked my new consequences and daily routines posters. She even offered bring me some bulletin board decorations that she has left over from her teaching days!
My last two classes were given a worksheet I made up last minute, so they could have more practice calculating speed, distance, and time, after mediocre results on the exit tickets. I let them talk quietly while working, and I had about 90% of students on task in both classes! One of my chattiest girls rocked the worksheet, and then helped her chatty friends with it in exchange for a Jolly Rancher. Today was a really good day for some of my toughest students, which is shocking for a Friday. I think I'm growing on them.
Sent from my iPad :)
Yesterday I had an interesting interaction with a student that was certainly unique to middle school. After I had given the exam to my homeroom, I sat next to a student for about 10 minutes and tried to convince him that even though his video game got accidentally thrown away during lunch, he can't refuse to do any work until he gets the game back. I eventually got him to take the exam home to finish.
Yesterday was also the assistant principal's last day, which shook up the kids a bit.
The TAG small class today was bigger than usual, because a couple of them dropped out of TAG, but I improvised a lesson on acceleration and instantaneous speed inspired by the students' choice of YouTube video, a 6 minute montage of clips from failblog.org. The kid who suggested the video is my most challenging, unmotivated student, and even he was engaged!
I had a visit from the science chairperson, who I think has taken a special liking to me. She loved the student work I had hung up and really liked my new consequences and daily routines posters. She even offered bring me some bulletin board decorations that she has left over from her teaching days!
My last two classes were given a worksheet I made up last minute, so they could have more practice calculating speed, distance, and time, after mediocre results on the exit tickets. I let them talk quietly while working, and I had about 90% of students on task in both classes! One of my chattiest girls rocked the worksheet, and then helped her chatty friends with it in exchange for a Jolly Rancher. Today was a really good day for some of my toughest students, which is shocking for a Friday. I think I'm growing on them.
Sent from my iPad :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
More of the Same
My blogging may become less frequent as I share more of the same: this is starting to feel like a job, though an especially challenging and rewarding one. I can let it go at the end of the day.
There were rough moments, but I got things taught to multiple classes. My worst classes weren't so bad and my best classes were...okay. I've been having better luck with my new consequence plan, but I promised a phone call home to a student and can't reach his parents. Home phone is a wrong number and mother's cell is disconnected.
This afternoon, our faculty meeting was a party to send off our assistant principal, whom I will miss. I don't know how this school will run without her. The kids loved her AND feared her, in a productive way. She always offered advice and would always make time to listen. She knew what she was doing and will continue to be a role model for me. I may sneak into her new school or the church where she is a pastor, just to say hi, after a particularly rough week. Maybe her awesomeness will rub off on me. She shared, with a tear, that every day after she gave her 30-day notice, she hoped someone from Bridgeport would call her promising that she could keep the job despite job cuts. It never came.
As of mid-October, Bridgeport is cutting a lot of jobs. We may not get another assistant principal. Although our principal is great, she is already overworked. We may lose our art teacher. We may lose support staff such as the guidance counselor and school psychologist. We already only have the school nurse three days a week. This place is tough. I want to know who looked at BPS and thought, these kids have too much. Let's take some away.
On a happier note, my parents are driving up to CT tonight to take me out for dinner. I'm so excited! Food! Drink! Two more days until the long weekend!
There were rough moments, but I got things taught to multiple classes. My worst classes weren't so bad and my best classes were...okay. I've been having better luck with my new consequence plan, but I promised a phone call home to a student and can't reach his parents. Home phone is a wrong number and mother's cell is disconnected.
This afternoon, our faculty meeting was a party to send off our assistant principal, whom I will miss. I don't know how this school will run without her. The kids loved her AND feared her, in a productive way. She always offered advice and would always make time to listen. She knew what she was doing and will continue to be a role model for me. I may sneak into her new school or the church where she is a pastor, just to say hi, after a particularly rough week. Maybe her awesomeness will rub off on me. She shared, with a tear, that every day after she gave her 30-day notice, she hoped someone from Bridgeport would call her promising that she could keep the job despite job cuts. It never came.
As of mid-October, Bridgeport is cutting a lot of jobs. We may not get another assistant principal. Although our principal is great, she is already overworked. We may lose our art teacher. We may lose support staff such as the guidance counselor and school psychologist. We already only have the school nurse three days a week. This place is tough. I want to know who looked at BPS and thought, these kids have too much. Let's take some away.
On a happier note, my parents are driving up to CT tonight to take me out for dinner. I'm so excited! Food! Drink! Two more days until the long weekend!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Productivity
I think I actually made progress with my homeroom class today. Now, it's certainly not perfect, but I got about 10 solid minutes of instruction time with them today. I am having a bit of trouble with a different class, now that I have to cover material with them, but we're getting there. Definitely getting there.
I found out that my visit by the superintendent and principal wasn't quite as awesome as I had thought. I got my report, which included a lot of areas for improvement (management details, showing student work in the work), but they also commented that I improved since my first principal visit. I guess that's something, but I was hoping for more. I was told, however, that the report is standard for all teachers, and they didn't take into account that I'm new or have no idea what I'm doing (maybe more idea than that, but not much).
Otherwise, though, I've been super productive this week. I have called several parents, made a doctor appointment, made a dentist appointment, hired a maid service to clean my apartment next week, cleaned my apartment, cleaned my desk at school, and created an alphabetical-by-class filing system for every student that I have begun filling with their work.
I'm proud. After being reminded to take a breather once in a while, I told a teacher mentor/friend of mine that I was getting my nails done today. I'm glad I'll be held accountable to that.
Last night, I went to spin class. It showed me what it is like to be a student in a class where the teacher is way to excited and you're not quite sure if you're keeping up or not, and it reminded that there are things more physically challenging than teaching. Today I am sore. It was worth it, though, and I have 4 more classes paid for through a LivingSocial deal ($25, not bad). I discovered, though that without a coupon, each class costs $23. Not quite in my budget. Maybe there will be a Groupon for some other kind of exercise class when I use these up.
Tonight I have a TFA meeting in New Haven (~30 min from here). Once my dinner finishes cooking, I'll pack it up, get my nails done, and head to New Haven. These Tuesday TFA PD meetings are so stressful, but I guess I have to pay my dues. They did get me this sweet job.
(FYI: The boss at the last job I had, doing research in a lab in NYC, just got a long-awaited Nobel Prize. Congratulations to his lab, but I'm still happier here.)
I found out that my visit by the superintendent and principal wasn't quite as awesome as I had thought. I got my report, which included a lot of areas for improvement (management details, showing student work in the work), but they also commented that I improved since my first principal visit. I guess that's something, but I was hoping for more. I was told, however, that the report is standard for all teachers, and they didn't take into account that I'm new or have no idea what I'm doing (maybe more idea than that, but not much).
Otherwise, though, I've been super productive this week. I have called several parents, made a doctor appointment, made a dentist appointment, hired a maid service to clean my apartment next week, cleaned my apartment, cleaned my desk at school, and created an alphabetical-by-class filing system for every student that I have begun filling with their work.
I'm proud. After being reminded to take a breather once in a while, I told a teacher mentor/friend of mine that I was getting my nails done today. I'm glad I'll be held accountable to that.
Last night, I went to spin class. It showed me what it is like to be a student in a class where the teacher is way to excited and you're not quite sure if you're keeping up or not, and it reminded that there are things more physically challenging than teaching. Today I am sore. It was worth it, though, and I have 4 more classes paid for through a LivingSocial deal ($25, not bad). I discovered, though that without a coupon, each class costs $23. Not quite in my budget. Maybe there will be a Groupon for some other kind of exercise class when I use these up.
Tonight I have a TFA meeting in New Haven (~30 min from here). Once my dinner finishes cooking, I'll pack it up, get my nails done, and head to New Haven. These Tuesday TFA PD meetings are so stressful, but I guess I have to pay my dues. They did get me this sweet job.
(FYI: The boss at the last job I had, doing research in a lab in NYC, just got a long-awaited Nobel Prize. Congratulations to his lab, but I'm still happier here.)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Motion
Today was a good day, but I realized how hard the teaching part of teaching really is.
My classes were pretty good all day (although I didn't have my homeroom, so it was a biased sample). One of my classes went over the Unit 1 Assessment, but two of my classes started Unit 2: Forces and Motion. Today, the introduction, involved learning what motion is (motion is a change in distance to a reference point). That was a remarkably difficult concept to teach. It involved a lot of throwing a tennis ball around, and I still don't think I had sufficient mastery. I'll have to weave the idea into future objectives (how to calculate speed, the difference between speed and velocity). All in all, it was really fun to be teaching science. It's challenging, but it was fun.
One of my usual suspects was behaving exceptionally well today, sitting quietly and participating when asked. He even scored 100% on his exit ticket. On the way out of the room, I asked him for his home phone number so I could relay the good news to his mother. And then I left the number at school. Sorry! I'll call tomorrow!
Another class was visited by my school mentor, the music teacher. Unfortunately, it wasn't one of my better planned lessons. It was a lesson on my scientific inquiry rubric, and involved letting the students work in groups to grade a lab report using the rubric. I don't think they really internalized the rubric, but they did begin to understand how I grade assignments. I guess it's a start.
I also got to observe my mentor teaching this morning. She has a MUCH tighter handle on her class, but I noticed a few things. 1: She has a strict routine that she follows every day wither her students. They know what to expect and how to behave. 2: My trouble students also don't participate in her class, but she puts them off to the side and ignores them (and doesn't let them play the drums). 3: She has to remind her students constantly of the expectations. I should do that more.
In response, and on the advice of my TFA adviser, I am in the process of creating a poster listing the different parts of class and the expectations during them (Do Now, New Material, Group Work, Independent Practice, etc.). I also have redone my consequences list, leaving fewer chances for error. The students no longer have 5 points to lose. Now, they get 2 verbal warnings before receiving a phone call home. Hopefully this will get class moving better.
My new teacher training this Thursday was cancelled, so I'm trying to decide whether to move the lessons up or to keep Thursday as Mythbusters day. I may move that to Friday, but otherwise continue as planned. Or, I can keep the extra day to catch up for the 1-2 weeks that I am behind.
I think, I hope, I'm getting the hang of this. Now I'm off to my first-ever spin class. Let the sweating begin!
My classes were pretty good all day (although I didn't have my homeroom, so it was a biased sample). One of my classes went over the Unit 1 Assessment, but two of my classes started Unit 2: Forces and Motion. Today, the introduction, involved learning what motion is (motion is a change in distance to a reference point). That was a remarkably difficult concept to teach. It involved a lot of throwing a tennis ball around, and I still don't think I had sufficient mastery. I'll have to weave the idea into future objectives (how to calculate speed, the difference between speed and velocity). All in all, it was really fun to be teaching science. It's challenging, but it was fun.
One of my usual suspects was behaving exceptionally well today, sitting quietly and participating when asked. He even scored 100% on his exit ticket. On the way out of the room, I asked him for his home phone number so I could relay the good news to his mother. And then I left the number at school. Sorry! I'll call tomorrow!
Another class was visited by my school mentor, the music teacher. Unfortunately, it wasn't one of my better planned lessons. It was a lesson on my scientific inquiry rubric, and involved letting the students work in groups to grade a lab report using the rubric. I don't think they really internalized the rubric, but they did begin to understand how I grade assignments. I guess it's a start.
I also got to observe my mentor teaching this morning. She has a MUCH tighter handle on her class, but I noticed a few things. 1: She has a strict routine that she follows every day wither her students. They know what to expect and how to behave. 2: My trouble students also don't participate in her class, but she puts them off to the side and ignores them (and doesn't let them play the drums). 3: She has to remind her students constantly of the expectations. I should do that more.
In response, and on the advice of my TFA adviser, I am in the process of creating a poster listing the different parts of class and the expectations during them (Do Now, New Material, Group Work, Independent Practice, etc.). I also have redone my consequences list, leaving fewer chances for error. The students no longer have 5 points to lose. Now, they get 2 verbal warnings before receiving a phone call home. Hopefully this will get class moving better.
My new teacher training this Thursday was cancelled, so I'm trying to decide whether to move the lessons up or to keep Thursday as Mythbusters day. I may move that to Friday, but otherwise continue as planned. Or, I can keep the extra day to catch up for the 1-2 weeks that I am behind.
I think, I hope, I'm getting the hang of this. Now I'm off to my first-ever spin class. Let the sweating begin!
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