This is in response to some concerns about homework...My kids have homework almost every night. 90% of them do it 90% of the time. I stole this method from my "mentor teacher" at school. Each night students have to take cornell notes on the next section or outline the next section (and define all the vocab words). The next day, after the do-now they have an open-note quiz on whatever the homework was. All quizzes are 5 questions and fairly simple. I throw the quiz on the overhead (with a printout for my kid that can't see the board), tell them how to head their paper, say it is open note, but not open book...all books need to be under the desk (and I wait until every single book is out of sight, even the closed ones, even if the student is not taking the quiz), then I uncover the quiz. If a student was absent the day before, they head their paper, write "I was absent", and turn it in with the rest of the quizzes. This method is great for you because:
1. 5 random questions to grade each day, instead of all the homework
2. gives you an extra 5-10 minutes at the beginning of the period (takes up that time while you're waiting on morning announcements)
3. Breaks up block-schedule a little bit more (do now + quiz= approx. 15-20 min)
4. Kids who don't do their homework are forced to sit and stare at you for 10 minutes and see a zero each day to remind them that they didn't do it.
5. Teaches them good note-taking skills/organization, because they have to find the answers in their binders in the time you give them...I don't accept late quizzes when I take them up.
6. No make-up work. If a kid is absent, they are still responsible for the material, but they'll just have one less quiz grade (or double the next one)
The only homework I take up are review sheets, which I grade for completion, and I check those because it usually directly correlates to the kid's grade on the test and I want documentation.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Honestly
I think I've had an upset stomach since April. Some of it is personal stuff (marriage, moving back to America), some of it is academic (I stress about MTC stuff), and most of it is professional. I'm constantly on-edge. I find myself constantly wondering what would make it better. I really thought teaching would be a perfect fit for me...then why am I so unhappy all the time? Would it be better if I taught in a private school? My hometown? Overseas? Or should I just pack it up, chalk it up to life experience, and get a desk job where I work 9-5 and eat lunch with adults?
I'm lucky that people keep telling me what a great job I'm doing....it's nice to hear, but if I'm doing such a good job, why do I feel so bad all the time? I'm taking next Wednesday off. I've written my lesson plans so that I can. Officially, I have to take my husband to get his driver's license. Unofficially, I need a break before I snap.
I'm questioning my rules. I'm still enforcing them, but I'm wondering if they are really the rules I want. As I become more comfortable in the classroom (like maybe next year), can the hand raising go? Or will that lead to chaos? I gave my kids random group work on Friday that actually went really well. I let them choose their own groups, and it worked out better than when I assign groups (it was their own choice, so they had to work well together). I'm not sure that they learned the content as well as they would have from lecture, but they learned some public speaking skills, writing, picking out main points, and cooperation (They had to write a news story about "breaking events" in Europe in the 1700s--I stole the idea from my teacher's manual). I'm learning that when I let go of control slightly, they do a better job. Not that they can be out of control or not follow the rules, but I can give them a somewhat less-structured assignment and it works out ok. Maybe it's a disaster in the works...maybe it should wait until after Christmas...but there is a level of mutual respect there and as long as there are some boundaries, it doesn't have to be constantly scripted.
My new class was better on Friday. I gave a detention within 5 minutes of the bell and that seemed to scare them. Also, I gave my first student of the week and they seemed really interested in that. I also held them after the bell as an exercise in control. 1 student walked out and will be going to the principal tomorrow morning, but the rest were silent and seated.
I caught a kid cheating on my test Thursday. I wasn't sure until I graded his paper yesterday, but he definitely cheated. Somehow, all of my test "E"s except the original disappeared (it's possible I left them in the copier or something stupid)...I realized this fairly quickly, but it was no problem, because I had 4 other versions. The last class where I gave the test, I know exactly who had the one test "E" because I didn't want him cheating off his neighbor, so I gave him a totally different version. The kid sitting beside my desk had test "D" and then started to recopy his test (why do they do that?) and wrote "E" at the top. I noticed the mistake and told him to fix it. He fixed it, but when I got the test to grade, he had re-written "E". I gave him a zero for cheating. The sad thing is, he didn't even have all the correct answers for E. I have to be more careful about checking their looseleaf for cheat sheets and counting the tests after they turn them in....usually, I have about 15 other things to be doing though. Also, I think for my next test and 9-weeks test, I'll have 20 different versions and only give 4 to each class, so none of the earlier versions overlap with the later classes. Luckily my texbook comes with software that can do that automatically, it's just a lot of printing. (If anyone needs that, you can borrow the CD and install it)
I'm lucky that people keep telling me what a great job I'm doing....it's nice to hear, but if I'm doing such a good job, why do I feel so bad all the time? I'm taking next Wednesday off. I've written my lesson plans so that I can. Officially, I have to take my husband to get his driver's license. Unofficially, I need a break before I snap.
I'm questioning my rules. I'm still enforcing them, but I'm wondering if they are really the rules I want. As I become more comfortable in the classroom (like maybe next year), can the hand raising go? Or will that lead to chaos? I gave my kids random group work on Friday that actually went really well. I let them choose their own groups, and it worked out better than when I assign groups (it was their own choice, so they had to work well together). I'm not sure that they learned the content as well as they would have from lecture, but they learned some public speaking skills, writing, picking out main points, and cooperation (They had to write a news story about "breaking events" in Europe in the 1700s--I stole the idea from my teacher's manual). I'm learning that when I let go of control slightly, they do a better job. Not that they can be out of control or not follow the rules, but I can give them a somewhat less-structured assignment and it works out ok. Maybe it's a disaster in the works...maybe it should wait until after Christmas...but there is a level of mutual respect there and as long as there are some boundaries, it doesn't have to be constantly scripted.
My new class was better on Friday. I gave a detention within 5 minutes of the bell and that seemed to scare them. Also, I gave my first student of the week and they seemed really interested in that. I also held them after the bell as an exercise in control. 1 student walked out and will be going to the principal tomorrow morning, but the rest were silent and seated.
I caught a kid cheating on my test Thursday. I wasn't sure until I graded his paper yesterday, but he definitely cheated. Somehow, all of my test "E"s except the original disappeared (it's possible I left them in the copier or something stupid)...I realized this fairly quickly, but it was no problem, because I had 4 other versions. The last class where I gave the test, I know exactly who had the one test "E" because I didn't want him cheating off his neighbor, so I gave him a totally different version. The kid sitting beside my desk had test "D" and then started to recopy his test (why do they do that?) and wrote "E" at the top. I noticed the mistake and told him to fix it. He fixed it, but when I got the test to grade, he had re-written "E". I gave him a zero for cheating. The sad thing is, he didn't even have all the correct answers for E. I have to be more careful about checking their looseleaf for cheat sheets and counting the tests after they turn them in....usually, I have about 15 other things to be doing though. Also, I think for my next test and 9-weeks test, I'll have 20 different versions and only give 4 to each class, so none of the earlier versions overlap with the later classes. Luckily my texbook comes with software that can do that automatically, it's just a lot of printing. (If anyone needs that, you can borrow the CD and install it)
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Missing in Action
I have a soft spot for the boys in my class that are always in trouble. I have a couple in each class that I know I've talked about before that are so smart and have learned to behave in my class, but are constantly in trouble in other classes. I found out today that one of them moved back to Tennessee. Apparently, he's going to be a father soon and has been acting crazy recently, and getting himself into big trouble. Another one (the one who got called out of my class 2 weeks ago and I haven't seen him since) is MIA according to the vice principal. I tried to call his house today to check up on him, but can't find his student information form (Maybe he never filled one up??). He was the one who wanted to have class discussions and debates.
I have a few others who have left, all of whom have their own problems and need guidance, but I worry about these two because I know they'll do something stupid and get into real trouble. I just hope and pray that MIA boy shows back up in my class. No one knows where he is.
I have a few others who have left, all of whom have their own problems and need guidance, but I worry about these two because I know they'll do something stupid and get into real trouble. I just hope and pray that MIA boy shows back up in my class. No one knows where he is.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Advice anyone?
So...my new class is hell on earth. It could be for many reasons:
1. They haven't adjusted to me yet.
2. They had their routine changed in the middle of the year.
3. The extremely high percentage of "troublemakers" in the class (the vice principal knows 10 of the 18 kids by name from high frequency visits to his office)
4. It's the last period of the day and I'm tired
5. The Mississippi studies textbook would be more useful to start a fire than to teach MS studies
On Wednesday, I had a great lesson planned....then left all my stuff at home. Luckily, the period was only 30-40 minutes (60% day) so I pulled out a blank map and had them label the map to prep for the great lesson to come on Monday. Minor snag....I do a book check for a grade...less than half of the students had their textbooks with them...I give them zeros and berate them about being responsible....then realize that they can't do the assignment without a textbook. I decide to give them my second consequence (copying words from the glossary--I have many copies of these) and tell them they can work off their zero by completing the assignment. About half of the no book kids actually do the assignment. One of them apparently walked out of my room and said, "I'm going to get that b*tch" in such a tone that 2 teachers rushed into my room to make sure I was OK. I don't know which one it was.
I saw them again today. I thought they would bring their books in fear of a copying assignment. 3 kids had books. THREE! I allowed them to share books (which was a management disaster) because at some point work has to be done and I wanted to get them ready for the activity we're doing on Wednesday (No pressure, since Reggie Barnes is coming to observe my little hellions). I passed cotton around the class (that I stole from a field in Batesville) and kids were hitting each other with it, so I had to take it away. I gave a 15 minute lecture on behavior expectations and how if we can't act appropriately, we'll just do worksheets all day.
I have no resources to go with the textbook. The maps in the textbook don't have compasses, scales, etc. so when I want to teach kids that stuff, I have to draw it on. We are learning about dirt, and dirt is boring. We can't get through the part on dirt, though, because they are acting like idiots.
I don't think my management is consistent because there is SO much going on, it's out of control. I send 1-2 children to the office a day (out of 18!!) for stupid things that can't be stopped by "warning" or "detention" because these are not immediate consequences, so the behavior continues until we get to "referrall". They have no respect for me or my things (they got their marble jar dumped out because they put marbles in it while I was in the hall). I am constantly angry with them, which is not helping, but I don't know how to fix the problem. One problem is planning--we never work bell to bell, because I can't invent 100 minutes of activities to go with the crappy textbook, unless we do a chapter a day. I spend 8 hours a week making worksheets. Nothing I do or say seems to have any effect on their behavior. Help!
1. They haven't adjusted to me yet.
2. They had their routine changed in the middle of the year.
3. The extremely high percentage of "troublemakers" in the class (the vice principal knows 10 of the 18 kids by name from high frequency visits to his office)
4. It's the last period of the day and I'm tired
5. The Mississippi studies textbook would be more useful to start a fire than to teach MS studies
On Wednesday, I had a great lesson planned....then left all my stuff at home. Luckily, the period was only 30-40 minutes (60% day) so I pulled out a blank map and had them label the map to prep for the great lesson to come on Monday. Minor snag....I do a book check for a grade...less than half of the students had their textbooks with them...I give them zeros and berate them about being responsible....then realize that they can't do the assignment without a textbook. I decide to give them my second consequence (copying words from the glossary--I have many copies of these) and tell them they can work off their zero by completing the assignment. About half of the no book kids actually do the assignment. One of them apparently walked out of my room and said, "I'm going to get that b*tch" in such a tone that 2 teachers rushed into my room to make sure I was OK. I don't know which one it was.
I saw them again today. I thought they would bring their books in fear of a copying assignment. 3 kids had books. THREE! I allowed them to share books (which was a management disaster) because at some point work has to be done and I wanted to get them ready for the activity we're doing on Wednesday (No pressure, since Reggie Barnes is coming to observe my little hellions). I passed cotton around the class (that I stole from a field in Batesville) and kids were hitting each other with it, so I had to take it away. I gave a 15 minute lecture on behavior expectations and how if we can't act appropriately, we'll just do worksheets all day.
I have no resources to go with the textbook. The maps in the textbook don't have compasses, scales, etc. so when I want to teach kids that stuff, I have to draw it on. We are learning about dirt, and dirt is boring. We can't get through the part on dirt, though, because they are acting like idiots.
I don't think my management is consistent because there is SO much going on, it's out of control. I send 1-2 children to the office a day (out of 18!!) for stupid things that can't be stopped by "warning" or "detention" because these are not immediate consequences, so the behavior continues until we get to "referrall". They have no respect for me or my things (they got their marble jar dumped out because they put marbles in it while I was in the hall). I am constantly angry with them, which is not helping, but I don't know how to fix the problem. One problem is planning--we never work bell to bell, because I can't invent 100 minutes of activities to go with the crappy textbook, unless we do a chapter a day. I spend 8 hours a week making worksheets. Nothing I do or say seems to have any effect on their behavior. Help!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Poverty Blog
I spent the day covertly reading a book on poverty in between meeting with parent who actually live in poverty. Somehow I felt ashamed at my naivite for having to read the book and my arrogance at doing it on parent-teacher conference day. I kept it in my lap....
I was struck by a lot of different things in the book, one of them being that as a highly organized, "thinking map" oriented person, I was providing my students with life skills. Just teaching them how to read the textbook, pick out the important information, and organize it in some way is valuable. Maybe I knew this on a deeper level, but it makes me feel a lot better about time I considered "wasted" in my classroom while we learned how to take notes and fill in organizers.
Another ego-booster was the thought that just by being in the classroom day after day with my knowledge of middle class "hidden rules" I was being a role model and teaching them survival skills for school and work. As Woody Allen said, "85% of life is just showing up".
One part that made me feel less capable was the chapter on the three voices. I think I use the parent voice a lot in my classroom. I'm having a hard time deliniating between the parent voice and control of the classroom. For me, right now, they are one and the same. I can see by my kids' reactions to me that I am antagonizing them and creating conflict sometimes in the way I deal with situations, but sometimes my blood pressure just gets so high I kind of snap. I'm having a hard time remembering that these students have only been in my room for 45 minutes, so all the things I've repeated for the first 3 hours, need to be repeated again with the same patience. My poor fourth block bears the brunt of my frustrations.
The book also made me realize that I'm not doing enough with vocabulary. I know my kids' reading level isn't where it should be, but I never thought that it would be affecting their ability to process certain information because they lack specific terminology. I've moaned and complained about the district-required word-wall, but I think I can do more with it. These kids deserve more from me.
Overall, the book shed light on a lot of things that I understood subconsciously, but haven't really addressed in my classess. I'm hoping that between the book and the learning styles inventories, I can start focusing on what my students really need.
I was struck by a lot of different things in the book, one of them being that as a highly organized, "thinking map" oriented person, I was providing my students with life skills. Just teaching them how to read the textbook, pick out the important information, and organize it in some way is valuable. Maybe I knew this on a deeper level, but it makes me feel a lot better about time I considered "wasted" in my classroom while we learned how to take notes and fill in organizers.
Another ego-booster was the thought that just by being in the classroom day after day with my knowledge of middle class "hidden rules" I was being a role model and teaching them survival skills for school and work. As Woody Allen said, "85% of life is just showing up".
One part that made me feel less capable was the chapter on the three voices. I think I use the parent voice a lot in my classroom. I'm having a hard time deliniating between the parent voice and control of the classroom. For me, right now, they are one and the same. I can see by my kids' reactions to me that I am antagonizing them and creating conflict sometimes in the way I deal with situations, but sometimes my blood pressure just gets so high I kind of snap. I'm having a hard time remembering that these students have only been in my room for 45 minutes, so all the things I've repeated for the first 3 hours, need to be repeated again with the same patience. My poor fourth block bears the brunt of my frustrations.
The book also made me realize that I'm not doing enough with vocabulary. I know my kids' reading level isn't where it should be, but I never thought that it would be affecting their ability to process certain information because they lack specific terminology. I've moaned and complained about the district-required word-wall, but I think I can do more with it. These kids deserve more from me.
Overall, the book shed light on a lot of things that I understood subconsciously, but haven't really addressed in my classess. I'm hoping that between the book and the learning styles inventories, I can start focusing on what my students really need.
Reasons Why
Reasons why I hate teaching:
1. I never get to wear cute shoes.
2. I question my self-worth at least 6,000 times a day.
3. I've forgotten what it feels like to wake up after the sun.
Reasons why I love teaching:
1. Those magical moments (few and far between, but still worth it)
2. My mentor teacher
3. I'm the expert (at least for 100 minutes 3 times a day)
I had a revelation tonight over margaritas and mexican with my mentor teacher. My school has never had a PSAT prep program. My students are in the 10th grade. PSAT is 10th grade. PSAT opens the door to college scholarships and opportunities outside of Jackson. I may have a purpose here. I may have an extra-curricular program. As much as I suck at so many things, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's take standardized tests. I'm going to talk with my principal in the morning.
Also, I learned some things about how excited people are that I'm at the school. Apparently, very positive things are being said behind my back that I was not aware of. The administration is apparently excited. My department is apparently excited (and concerned that I've been so down lately). These things somehow make a world of difference and make next week seem exciting for the first time this year.
I may actually BE a teacher.
1. I never get to wear cute shoes.
2. I question my self-worth at least 6,000 times a day.
3. I've forgotten what it feels like to wake up after the sun.
Reasons why I love teaching:
1. Those magical moments (few and far between, but still worth it)
2. My mentor teacher
3. I'm the expert (at least for 100 minutes 3 times a day)
I had a revelation tonight over margaritas and mexican with my mentor teacher. My school has never had a PSAT prep program. My students are in the 10th grade. PSAT is 10th grade. PSAT opens the door to college scholarships and opportunities outside of Jackson. I may have a purpose here. I may have an extra-curricular program. As much as I suck at so many things, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's take standardized tests. I'm going to talk with my principal in the morning.
Also, I learned some things about how excited people are that I'm at the school. Apparently, very positive things are being said behind my back that I was not aware of. The administration is apparently excited. My department is apparently excited (and concerned that I've been so down lately). These things somehow make a world of difference and make next week seem exciting for the first time this year.
I may actually BE a teacher.
Monday, September 11, 2006
4,006,073 things to do....and I'm writing this blog.
It's 8:00pm. As soon as I finish typing this I fully intend to crawl into bed and read a novel completely unrelated to teaching. It's Monday and already I feel my sanity slipping away. How can I be SO behind ALL the time, when all I do is work? Large parts of it I feel like I bring on myself. I'm not the model of blinding efficiency we hear so much about. I haven't put anything in a plastic sheet protector in months...and you know how much I love those things.
I look around my school and wonder why I'm the only one running around like this. Other teachers are stressed, but not about their classes. No one else has rules, consequences, or rewards posted on their walls. No one seems to have a system for kids who have been absent. No one has student of the week. Why am I knocking myself out trying to make these things work...spending all the extra time on them...when apparently other people can make the world go round without them. What is the secret magic that happens when they close their doors?
For some of them the "magic" is apathy and chaos....and I don't want that. But in some of these rooms learning is taking place without the late night runs to walmart to buy 12 pairs of scissors and the midnight baking of brownies for B-1's reward. Every time I figure out how to make one process efficient, something new pops up.
My lesson today was horrible. It will be horrible tomorrow as well, because I'm not going to spend the hour necessary to make it better tonight. Wednesdays isn't looking much better. We have parent teacher conferences this week and I have 130 progress reports that can't be filled up until I finish grading all the things that haven't been graded. I have piles of stuff on my desk that need to be filed. I have lesson plans and overheads from the beginning of the school year that are somewhere in the bottom of a file cabinet. Each week I feel like I have to choose one thing....grading, lesson planning, organization, or sanity. I tend spend about a week on each one...and during that week, nothing else gets done. I also have Reggie Barnes coming next week to observe my brand new prep (today was my third day with them) out of some kind of wierd bad karma. We are learning about the different types of soil in Mississippi. If it's possible, I care less than the students.
So now I'm off to curl up in my warm bed...secure in the knowledge that tomorrow will be one day closer to my day off/parent teacher conference day and with the hope that the weekend will arrive sooner than the deadlines. I am smack dab in the middle of survival mode and I'm not sure I'll ever escape. We had a speaker today come and talk about lesson plans (during my planning period--which was so convenient) and all I could think the whole time she was there was, "How do I get your job?" Will there be a day when I actually feel competent at this?
I look around my school and wonder why I'm the only one running around like this. Other teachers are stressed, but not about their classes. No one else has rules, consequences, or rewards posted on their walls. No one seems to have a system for kids who have been absent. No one has student of the week. Why am I knocking myself out trying to make these things work...spending all the extra time on them...when apparently other people can make the world go round without them. What is the secret magic that happens when they close their doors?
For some of them the "magic" is apathy and chaos....and I don't want that. But in some of these rooms learning is taking place without the late night runs to walmart to buy 12 pairs of scissors and the midnight baking of brownies for B-1's reward. Every time I figure out how to make one process efficient, something new pops up.
My lesson today was horrible. It will be horrible tomorrow as well, because I'm not going to spend the hour necessary to make it better tonight. Wednesdays isn't looking much better. We have parent teacher conferences this week and I have 130 progress reports that can't be filled up until I finish grading all the things that haven't been graded. I have piles of stuff on my desk that need to be filed. I have lesson plans and overheads from the beginning of the school year that are somewhere in the bottom of a file cabinet. Each week I feel like I have to choose one thing....grading, lesson planning, organization, or sanity. I tend spend about a week on each one...and during that week, nothing else gets done. I also have Reggie Barnes coming next week to observe my brand new prep (today was my third day with them) out of some kind of wierd bad karma. We are learning about the different types of soil in Mississippi. If it's possible, I care less than the students.
So now I'm off to curl up in my warm bed...secure in the knowledge that tomorrow will be one day closer to my day off/parent teacher conference day and with the hope that the weekend will arrive sooner than the deadlines. I am smack dab in the middle of survival mode and I'm not sure I'll ever escape. We had a speaker today come and talk about lesson plans (during my planning period--which was so convenient) and all I could think the whole time she was there was, "How do I get your job?" Will there be a day when I actually feel competent at this?
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Big Picture Problems
So I feel like up until this point I've been focusing on tiny problems, the ones I could deal with. This week I feel like I've kind of taken a step back and can see the big picture now. I've noticed a few disturbing things...
The 10th grade Vice Principal (whom I respect) had a run-in with a child outside my classroom. C.D. and I had a run in the first day of school, but have been alright since. He knows he can't get away with anything in my class and I called his grandma the first week and complimented him on his changed behavior (after the first day incident). He respects me....he doesn't like me, but he respects me. Well, the poor child got placed in my new Mississippi Studies class. Now he has me A-4 AND B-1. The first day of Mississippi studies he was apparently VERY unhappy about this. I took him outside and talked to him and he calmed down and sat at least. Towards the middle of the period I sent him on a B.S. errand and after he came back he politely raised his hand and said, "If I do this, you're still going to talk to them after school right? This doesn't mean I'm staying." (I had promised him that I would see if he could get his schedule changed--I knew he couldn't, but what's the harm in asking?) I assured him I would and he started his assignment. Yesterday I was talking with the Vice Principal at lunch and mentioned the note I had sent to his office (with C.D.). He was shocked and appalled that I had sent him on an errand. Outside my classroom the day before was the "first time he had encountered the young man" and basically thought he was a horrible person. I kinda explained to him that he just needs a little extra attention....if he believes that I'm trying to help him, he's actually a great kid. The V.P. kinda looked at me funny but laughed.
So today, the bell rings and C.D. walks in my door, slams his books down on a desk he KNOWS is not his assigned seat and gets ready to throw a temper tantrum. I tell him to move desks. He starts to freak out. I ask him to come into the hall with me. They have just come over the intercom and announced "CODE RED" which means lock your doors and they assign anyone caught in the hall detention. In the meantime, I'm trying to calm down a kid who's really angry and wound up and fidgety and looking a little crazy. I don't know what I'm going to do with him, but he needs to either calm down or not come into my room. I decide to write him up because he's not calming down and he keeps saying he's going to go talk to the principal anyway, so I'm thinking "yeah, you can go talk to the principal, when I write you this referral". Well, I'm out there talking with him and the security guard yells to the VP that there are two kids outside my door (the other kid really was late to my class). And tells the kids to go down the hall to the VP (I'm STANDING RIGHT THERE!). I see the VP and kind of motion to him to come over (to help with the kid who has LOST his mind) and he starts lighting into C.D. I try to explain that he wasn't late, but I need help with something else, but he's halfway down the hall and won't come any closer for some reason (I guess someone might get away during the CODE RED). He completely ignores every word coming out of my mouth and takes the kid down there. The kid comes back later and asks for a note to explain that we were talking so he won't get detention. I write the note, the kid comes back and behaves for 60 minutes, I talk to him after class and tell him if he comes in angry like that again, I won't even let him in the room. He needs to leave his problems outside.
I learned a few things:
1. During a CODE RED, only the CODE RED matters...I was within 15 feet of a security guard and the VP with a kid VISIBLY freaking out, and got no help.
2. To the VP, there are "bad kids" and "good kids". A bad kid is ALWAYS doing something bad.
I've also realized over the past few weeks that those kids are the ones closest to my heart. I have one in each class period. They are some of the smartest kids in the school and probably have the toughest problems outside of my classroom, but in my classroom (after a few false starts) they know how things work...I've had 3 of them tell me how much they like my class and one actually acknowledged that he understood my rules and not to give up because kids will take advantage of me. Of course, that was yesterday afternoon and the police pulled him out of my class this morning. That almost made me cry. I probably won't see him for weeks now. I wonder what he did? All three of them spend about every other week suspended, but when they are in my room, they're angels. One of them actually came to tell me last week that he was suspended, that's why he wasn't in my class earlier. Is it strange that these are the students who make my day?
1st block today I noticed how when I have a better lesson plan (lots of connections to modern day events, pictures, music, different activities), the kids are better behaved.
3rd block today I learned that when the kids are horrible from the door, my lesson plan SUCKS, no matter how many pictures or CDs I have. A girl in 3rd block asked me when their marble jar would be filled up (A-1 and B-1 filled up theirs yesterday and today). I REALLY, REALLY had to keep from saying, "When hell freezes over." That class is still my bad class, even with the girl who called me a b*tch suspended...
The 10th grade Vice Principal (whom I respect) had a run-in with a child outside my classroom. C.D. and I had a run in the first day of school, but have been alright since. He knows he can't get away with anything in my class and I called his grandma the first week and complimented him on his changed behavior (after the first day incident). He respects me....he doesn't like me, but he respects me. Well, the poor child got placed in my new Mississippi Studies class. Now he has me A-4 AND B-1. The first day of Mississippi studies he was apparently VERY unhappy about this. I took him outside and talked to him and he calmed down and sat at least. Towards the middle of the period I sent him on a B.S. errand and after he came back he politely raised his hand and said, "If I do this, you're still going to talk to them after school right? This doesn't mean I'm staying." (I had promised him that I would see if he could get his schedule changed--I knew he couldn't, but what's the harm in asking?) I assured him I would and he started his assignment. Yesterday I was talking with the Vice Principal at lunch and mentioned the note I had sent to his office (with C.D.). He was shocked and appalled that I had sent him on an errand. Outside my classroom the day before was the "first time he had encountered the young man" and basically thought he was a horrible person. I kinda explained to him that he just needs a little extra attention....if he believes that I'm trying to help him, he's actually a great kid. The V.P. kinda looked at me funny but laughed.
So today, the bell rings and C.D. walks in my door, slams his books down on a desk he KNOWS is not his assigned seat and gets ready to throw a temper tantrum. I tell him to move desks. He starts to freak out. I ask him to come into the hall with me. They have just come over the intercom and announced "CODE RED" which means lock your doors and they assign anyone caught in the hall detention. In the meantime, I'm trying to calm down a kid who's really angry and wound up and fidgety and looking a little crazy. I don't know what I'm going to do with him, but he needs to either calm down or not come into my room. I decide to write him up because he's not calming down and he keeps saying he's going to go talk to the principal anyway, so I'm thinking "yeah, you can go talk to the principal, when I write you this referral". Well, I'm out there talking with him and the security guard yells to the VP that there are two kids outside my door (the other kid really was late to my class). And tells the kids to go down the hall to the VP (I'm STANDING RIGHT THERE!). I see the VP and kind of motion to him to come over (to help with the kid who has LOST his mind) and he starts lighting into C.D. I try to explain that he wasn't late, but I need help with something else, but he's halfway down the hall and won't come any closer for some reason (I guess someone might get away during the CODE RED). He completely ignores every word coming out of my mouth and takes the kid down there. The kid comes back later and asks for a note to explain that we were talking so he won't get detention. I write the note, the kid comes back and behaves for 60 minutes, I talk to him after class and tell him if he comes in angry like that again, I won't even let him in the room. He needs to leave his problems outside.
I learned a few things:
1. During a CODE RED, only the CODE RED matters...I was within 15 feet of a security guard and the VP with a kid VISIBLY freaking out, and got no help.
2. To the VP, there are "bad kids" and "good kids". A bad kid is ALWAYS doing something bad.
I've also realized over the past few weeks that those kids are the ones closest to my heart. I have one in each class period. They are some of the smartest kids in the school and probably have the toughest problems outside of my classroom, but in my classroom (after a few false starts) they know how things work...I've had 3 of them tell me how much they like my class and one actually acknowledged that he understood my rules and not to give up because kids will take advantage of me. Of course, that was yesterday afternoon and the police pulled him out of my class this morning. That almost made me cry. I probably won't see him for weeks now. I wonder what he did? All three of them spend about every other week suspended, but when they are in my room, they're angels. One of them actually came to tell me last week that he was suspended, that's why he wasn't in my class earlier. Is it strange that these are the students who make my day?
1st block today I noticed how when I have a better lesson plan (lots of connections to modern day events, pictures, music, different activities), the kids are better behaved.
3rd block today I learned that when the kids are horrible from the door, my lesson plan SUCKS, no matter how many pictures or CDs I have. A girl in 3rd block asked me when their marble jar would be filled up (A-1 and B-1 filled up theirs yesterday and today). I REALLY, REALLY had to keep from saying, "When hell freezes over." That class is still my bad class, even with the girl who called me a b*tch suspended...
Monday, September 04, 2006
Continuation
So briefly, what happened was that the counselor came in, yelled at my students and sent them away one-by-one. The students professed their love for me and wanted to be in another one of my classes. I was asked to come up with a list of honor students in 30 seconds (I've only seen these kids 9 times and one time most of them weren't there because of the pep rally). I took back their textbooks in a wierd chaotic decision by the counselor. He told me I could leave....I couldn't tell if he was trying to get rid of me or what....
I waited for my new class to arrive......and I waited.....and I waited. When they came on to give the afternoon announcements I gave up and went down to his office. Apparently the 9th grade counselor had gone home sick at lunchtime, so kids weren't placed in my class until we got back on Fri (which was B-day, so I'm still not sure who they are). Good news is: somehow feel less pressure and more fun about this class since it was thrown on me at the last minute (less expectations) and I've had a little bit of practice. Bad News: my babies have been thrown to the wolves and had their entire schedules changed, same for the new kids I'm getting, one prep becomes two, I don't know anything about Mississippi studies.
I waited for my new class to arrive......and I waited.....and I waited. When they came on to give the afternoon announcements I gave up and went down to his office. Apparently the 9th grade counselor had gone home sick at lunchtime, so kids weren't placed in my class until we got back on Fri (which was B-day, so I'm still not sure who they are). Good news is: somehow feel less pressure and more fun about this class since it was thrown on me at the last minute (less expectations) and I've had a little bit of practice. Bad News: my babies have been thrown to the wolves and had their entire schedules changed, same for the new kids I'm getting, one prep becomes two, I don't know anything about Mississippi studies.
Friday, September 01, 2006
And the gods smiled down upon me....
The gods had been kind to me. Then for some reason I felt the need to draw attention to myself in my last blog. "Hey, over here! Look at me! I'm happy!"
3rd block in the lunchroom yesterday:
(setting: My angels have just taken their first test today and are eating lunch. One more test to give for the day. Spaghetti and mashed potatoes for lunch)
Characters: Mr. M.-The counselor
Me
Mr. M. sits down next to me in the lunchroom.
Mr. M.: I'm coming to your fourth block today.
Me: Ok, I'm giving a test, so...
Mr. M.: Not anymore you aren't. I'm taking all those kids and putting them in other classes. You're going to teach Mississsippi Studies and World Geography that block.
Me: stunned O....K....
Mr. M.: Don't blame me for this. This comes from the higher ups. I just do what I'm told. Blah, blah, blah.
Me: Yes sir. I don't know what to say. I mean OK. Yes sir. So I shouldn't even give out my test fourth period? Just hold them until you come?
Mr. M.: Yeah. Just hold them. I'll be up there.
As he gets up I look at the teacher sitting at the next table. She gives me a look of pity. I tell my mentor and my department head. I try to eat my lunch.
The bell rings for fourth block. I run down to make copies of my student information sheets so that the little ninth graders will have something to do. I run back up to my classroom.
World History Students: Where do we turn in our review sheet? Is our test multiple choice? Look, Hey Ms. D., I've got that copying assignment for you (from Mr. ISS).
Everyone is in their seats. I close the door. I tell them what's going on.
Me: Mr. M. is on his way up here right now. They're going to break up this class. I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but if any of you are still in here when he finishes, then you have to take your test. So get out your notes, get out something to read, do something.
(To be continued)
3rd block in the lunchroom yesterday:
(setting: My angels have just taken their first test today and are eating lunch. One more test to give for the day. Spaghetti and mashed potatoes for lunch)
Characters: Mr. M.-The counselor
Me
Mr. M. sits down next to me in the lunchroom.
Mr. M.: I'm coming to your fourth block today.
Me: Ok, I'm giving a test, so...
Mr. M.: Not anymore you aren't. I'm taking all those kids and putting them in other classes. You're going to teach Mississsippi Studies and World Geography that block.
Me: stunned O....K....
Mr. M.: Don't blame me for this. This comes from the higher ups. I just do what I'm told. Blah, blah, blah.
Me: Yes sir. I don't know what to say. I mean OK. Yes sir. So I shouldn't even give out my test fourth period? Just hold them until you come?
Mr. M.: Yeah. Just hold them. I'll be up there.
As he gets up I look at the teacher sitting at the next table. She gives me a look of pity. I tell my mentor and my department head. I try to eat my lunch.
The bell rings for fourth block. I run down to make copies of my student information sheets so that the little ninth graders will have something to do. I run back up to my classroom.
World History Students: Where do we turn in our review sheet? Is our test multiple choice? Look, Hey Ms. D., I've got that copying assignment for you (from Mr. ISS).
Everyone is in their seats. I close the door. I tell them what's going on.
Me: Mr. M. is on his way up here right now. They're going to break up this class. I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but if any of you are still in here when he finishes, then you have to take your test. So get out your notes, get out something to read, do something.
(To be continued)
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