In on the ground floor

Building, creating, linking, making - with my own hands.

For the past few days, I've been doing some exciting - and apparently VERY cutting edge - stuff with a group of secondary math teachers. Basically, we are writing highly targeted, standards based, leveled assessments to give to students in order for them to understand where they are at, where they need to go, and how they (and us) can get there.

There's way more detail involved of course, but I'm talking here about the chance to even do something like this. To be in on the ground floor of something awesome. To make decisions with other like-minded professionals. To be challenged and to ask ourselves questions that probably don't have answers.

And I'm stoked. Because this is exactly the type of thing I wanted in a teaching position when I was job hunting a little more than a year ago. Getting a wish granted so directly has only ever happened to me once before: when I was in the second grade and I wished for a dog, and my dad brought a Chow Chow puppy home the next week.

On a similar note, last week I sat on an interviewer panel for a math position at my school. Please note: I AM ONLY A SECOND YEAR TEACHER. Yet, my principal, the AP in charge of taking care of the details of hiring, and my department chair all valued my opinion enough to let me have a say like this. I keep getting told how awesome I am for my school. And here I am, thinking I'm the one who got lucky.

Maybe we are both lucky. Maybe that's what it takes to have an ideal employer/employee relationship.

Weird things

I think I just taught my worst lesson in front of my principal today. It was disjointed, disorganized, rather haphazard (see Monday's post).

But I kinda had fun. I think the students did too. Quote:

Me: So, tell me what P.S.T. stands for.

Student: Pacific Standard Time!

I had to laugh. I think my principal did too.

Note: P.S.T. is my short-hand for Perfect Square Trinomials.

Don't tell my admin...

Three wheelin', free wheelin'.

...or my department chair, or my BTSA mentor, or my old CT's, or any of my pedagogy professors, teachers, and, most of all, my students:

I have not created a solid lesson plan in a week, starting with the first day we came back from spring break (aka last Monday).

And it has been AWESOME.

Hm, that sounds kinda weird. Let me explain.

What I mean by "not created a solid lesson plan" is that I have not written something like this in my plan book:

~ warm up
~ homework check
~ new lesson: 10.6 Solving quadratics by completing the square
~ in class practice: problems 1, 2, 3, and 4
~ homework assignment: page and problem #s

I know what I'm doing today, but I don't have a very clear idea of what I'm doing tomorrow, or the day after. I kinda let that sit on the back burner until today is done before I figure out what needs to be done tomorrow.

Some people may consider that as "planning," but certainly not the old me that plans literally down to the minute of what goes on. Things that I should be doing, things that my students should be doing, the outcomes and expectations, objectives, procedures, the standards, list of needed materials, and how it's connected to previous and/or future lessons. I'm the type of person who keeps journals like:

10:46 am - Wash face and eat breakfast of toast and oranges
11:21 am - Leave for post office and bank
11:32 am - Arrive at post office, drop off packages, leave for bank.

Really. I am not joking. I should be officially diagnosed or something.

But something happened during spring break, when I was sitting outside in my backyard, enjoying the sunshine and humming birds and the blue, blue sky, with my plan book and pencil in hand (n00bie lesson #1: always, Always, ALWAYS plan in pencil!) that something inside me snapped.

I put down my pencil.

I closed my plan book. Haven't opened it since.

I showed up last Monday. I relied on my pedagogical practice, my content knowledge, my knowledge of my students, the routines I set up, and my decision making skills. I had a vague idea of where I needed to take my students, but other than that, it was a flight by the seat of my pants.

And it was GOLDEN. I felt so free and unconstrained by an agenda or a list of goals. I could take a teachable moment and go with it. I never realized there were SO FREAKING MANY teachable moments in a day. I enjoyed my time with my students, and it was fun.

Granted, I know this isn't the most sound method of teaching. Which is why I know I'm going to return to solid planning sooner or later (later?). I also don't want to forget what it's like to walk into a classroom with 35 people staring at you and BE IN CONTROL WITHOUT STARING AT A POST-IT LIST OF PROCEDURES ALL THE TIME.

It's great. The lesson plan as my best friend? Nah. My well-honed and practiced skillz are my best friends!

Mac::Utilities::Grapher::AWESOME

Yesterday, I showed my Algebra 1 classes how to graph parabolas on Mac's Grapher utility. It was so much fun! Dept. Chair at my school doesn't like to use technology all that much - even though she DOES have an ELMO (uses it like an overhead by the way - she doesn't believe me when I told her you could put the ELMO any where in the room and it'll still project onto the screen ::shrug::).

Going to let them play with Grapher next week to discover the patterns between the graph and equation of a parabola. Gotta make it really structured though. Every time I've used the mobile lab, some stupid kid always ends up doing something they aren't supposed to do.

Comfort teaching

I admit, there is a certain type of teaching style that I feel the most comfortable presenting. I like routines, I like patterns. It helps me to keep track of the content I'm supposed to teach, student behavior, and the methods of presentation to maximize student focus and learning retention.

It may not be the best way - I'm working on perfecting it. It may not be the most effective at the time - working on that too. But I tend to fall back to this style when I'm stressed about other things, distracted, or just plain tired. Like I said, routines are good for me.

Today was one of those routine days. It's only the second day back from winter break, but it feels like we never left for it in the first place. Where was my wonderful vacation? The snowboarding? The cookie baking? The good-food-eating? The glorious ten hours of sleep each night and waking up at the luxuriously late hour of 8 AM?

Apparently, routines are good for students too. Well, I knew that, but I re-learned its importance today. I was only half-present in the classroom, but things still ran smoothly. Students got work done. We corrected misconceptions. We had some laughs and some fun. We practiced new things and it was mostly due to the routines I spent the first two months of the school year setting up.

In a way, this is sort of like seeing the fruits of my labor. I was a poor teacher today, but I must not have been so bad over the past four months or else today would have gone much worse than the few minor glitches, which are normal when dealing with 35 people at a time anyway.

Also today, the 7th/8th grade math teachers presented a DATA walk to the rest of the teaching staff. We were phenomenal, thankyouverymuch. It was a thoughtfully done presentation. And I'm really lucky to be part of this school.

Winter Talent Assembly

Today, I was T-Boz. My students will never think of me in the same way again.

Also, my hair ROCKED.

Happy Winter Break!

Hard ass b*t*h

If they give you spice, then spice back!

My 4th period class is the most headache inducing class EVER.

I think I've solved the problem though.

How? Why?

There are literally 8 girls in this class of 29 students. The girls are angels. The boys, not so much, to put it in light terms.

I can't let the boys be jerks and get away with it.

So I cracked down on it today. Cracked down hard. Like the DEA on a crack house.

Don't really know if it worked or not, but it sure made me feel much better about teaching them tomorrow.

Technology rocks

Shiny!

I was at a loss as to what to do for my pre-Algebra class' block period this week - we were a day behind in lessons, and the students were getting WAY tired of taking notes from me, which was a mutual feeling on my part as well - until a sudden inspiration hit me: make use of that fancy, new mobile lab! Why would I spoon feed the material to students if definitions and examples can be found online?

So I did. I whipped out a structured organizer, copied it, assigned laptops to pairs of students, and we all had a grand ol' time enjoy the power that is Google Search for a very mundane (and very minor) lesson of getting definitions and examples of the properties of addition.

Most importantly, (at least on a logistical level) it ate up 30 minutes of a 95 minute block period that can sometimes seem like forever in pre-Algebra.

The next level is to bring that structured organizer into the digital realm as well. How?

Can't help but smile

Student: Hey Ms. B!

Me: Yes?

Student: You're my favorite math teacher this year!

Me: I'm your ONLY math teacher this year.

Student: But you're my favorite!

You killed a family all because of the wrong inequality sign

Please don't kill the cat cookies.

I was showing first period how to write and solve an inequality that represents this situation:

The maximum load that a truck can hold is 1500 pounds. How much more can the truck hold if it already has 780 pounds of cargo?

And thus, the following conversation:

Student: How come the inequality sign can't be the other way around?

Me: Because then the cargo would weigh more than the maximum capacity, and then the truck driver would get pulled over by the police and get ticketed, then the truck driver would get in trouble with his boss and lose his job, and then the truck driver wouldn't be able to buy food for his family, and then they would starve.

Student: And then they die?

Me: And then they die - all because of the wrong inequality sign.

Student: Whoa.

Spirit Week!

Oh boy.

This week has been one of the most exhausting, frustrating, fun, and productive weeks ever. It's as if everything exploded and barfed out masses of butterflies, which are very, very difficult to catch and contain again.

First: Spirit Week. I have never seen so much hype over a middle school football game. EVER. Battle of the Valley is even bigger than the high school football games. And of course, we won! There is a trophy involved. It has a chicken on it. This fact alone gives my school bonus +1000 points.

Second: I got two new students from the Academy class. Academy, as some teachers say, is an elite-named course for non-elite students. So far, these two seem really eager to learn, and they ask a lot of questions.

Third: Oh. My Freaking. Pooh. Cow. My colleague Ms. H, the geometry teacher - and a very good teacher - has noted in the past that 8th graders are like kindergartners on hormones. Never have I fully felt the impact of that description until this week. They are needy, they are random, their are easily distracted, they are funny, they are gross, they are messy, they forget things A LOT, they are smart, they learn fast, and they remember the most obscure things that will ever come out of your mouth. They will also latch onto those obscure things and ignore all else.

Fourth: It is wonderful to be caught up on paper work, caught up and AHEAD in lesson planning, caught up on every single little detail involved in daily teaching. I've found my groove, after two months of school, and it's working well. I'm happy. But I worked like there was no tomorrow. Certainly at this rate, without a break, I will burn out.

Fifth: Evacuation drills are a pain in the ass.

Happiness is....

Yellow is a happy color.

...when Shut-Down Kid is able to complete a worksheet all by himself, turn it in, AND write me a thank you note. I just had to give him a sticker AND a piece of candy. There was no way I was going to let this opportunity slide without positive reinforcement.

...when I teach extraordinarily well, full of energy and excitement, which led to a very hard-working, very chatter-free 6th period.

...when the awesomely l33t PTA provides delicious Italian food for lunch.

...when an old friend says some really kind words. Thanks old friend! =)

I wish I took a picture of the thank you note. Next time.

How is it possible?

Turtle wants to go home.

Q: How is it possible that - being sick - I feel worse at home than I do while teaching at school?

A: Adrenaline, probably. Ugh. I hate being sick. Nyquil is my best friend. The worst part of being sick this time was that having a fever on top of the heat totally wiped my brain of any functioning brain cells. 6th period yesterday was basically an operation of instinct, habit, and sheer force of will.

Q: How is it possible that I've got all the supposedly "bad" kids under control, being responsible, and engaged in class, but the "good" kids are not so much?

A: My training under UTEC, probably. And maybe also because I believe in my students - and the "bad" kids are the ones that have rarely ever had a teacher believe in them. Although you would think it would work with the "good" kids too.

Q: How is it possible that I'm loving this job so much, when only a scant year-and-a-half ago I was seriously thinking of quitting to become an accountant?

A: Miracles happen.

Hilarity in math

I gave out my first chapter test of the year to my Algebra 1 students on Friday.

That same afternoon, I stayed at school grading them.

I laughed my head off at this answer. XD

That is all for today. Everyday has leaned toward the good teaching day much more than not. I'm happy with that.

Magic

It really has been magic this past week and a half. Nothing is perfect, but everything is running smoothly with only minor glitches here and there. I can't ask for more productivity when teaching 150 students every day.

Today, I'm just savoring this moment: when I look forward to each day in the classroom. When I'm happy to teach, and I'm happy to work, and my teaching is effective most of the time, for most of the students. If my first year continues like this, I'll be satisfied.

I'm also very proud of myself for not bringing work home. I spend 10 hours at school already anyway. I should be able to get everything done without having it follow me around like a lost cat - and I am!

Magic, I'm telling you. Magic.

Blocked

As relaxed as napping bunnies.

I have never experienced block period schedule until now. Didn't have it in high school personally. And those four hour labs in college don't count.

I'm not sure what to think about a block schedule though. I like it, and at the same time I don't. I like the freedom of doing something that isn't restricted to the traditional 49-ish minutes. It takes the routine out of the week and adds something fun, social, and verbal/artistic/whatever to math.

I don't like it because sometimes, those block periods seem So. Freaking. Long. Also, it takes me forever to memorize the bell schedule. I have a hard enough time remembering the regular bells, let alone a whole new set of them during the week. I've had the bell times posted on nearly all four walls of my classroom, plus on the overhead projector, plus on my desk, plus in my Data binder, plus saved on both my school computer and my own laptop. I still have yet to remember the entire schedule.

Today was the first block day. I passed out textbooks and the students recorded damages. We went over the homework, did warm-up problems, and the students took notes and did in-class practice on the lesson. I gave them about ten minutes of in-class homework time (to make sure everyone knows what to do, and to answer questions that might pop up). Then we did a Get It Together activity - the "What Went Bad?" one. It's a medium difficulty word problem, and I scaffolded it MAJORLY by creating a graphic organizer for the students to fill out in their teams.

It was fun to listen to all the discussion and logical arguments they had. Some were quite heated. It also gave me a lot of insight on who was a natural leader and who liked to be in the background.

The productivity continues. I'm so amazed at how well behaved these kids are. I've gotten a lot more buy-in to my classroom than I've ever had before, even with Mr. B's one-in-ten-years classroom. I like to think that is partly me, although it's still too early to tell.

Yatta!

Lobster roll! Yatta!

Yay! My district email is up and running!

Yay! I can log in to the school scheduling system!

Yay! I'm going to spend a good portion of the weekend putting up my Teacher Web page!

And last but not least, in 6th period today:

Me: The homework I am passing out today isn't due until Wednesday, since Tuesday is a block period day, and I won't see you for 5 days.

Student Sitting Smack in the Front Row Right Under My Nose: YES!

Me: *spins around and glares at him* You sound WAY too happy about that.

Everyone: *laughs*

It's been light-hearted for the most part. I still need another layer of teaching to get my lower students more fired up about math. I already have a list of potential tutoring students. And I'm keeping up with the paper work, even if I do have to get to school early and stay late.

Swimming

Yep. Mr. B was right. If I don't keep up with the paperwork, it'll be crazier than a band of monkeys on Prozac.

Third day was great too - not as good, nor as smooth as the second day - but overall, good. Productive. I have to think of some other things for my Algebra Readiness class to do before the actual lesson - they are all blowing through the homework during in-class work time like nothing else. Which should be a good feeling, and they need that kind of thing every so often, but not every day.

I've been staying until 5 or 5:30 every day this first week, and getting to school two hours early. Today, I pretty much spent 12 hours at school. I've done that before, and I swore I would never do that again. But surprisingly, I don't leave school emotionally and mentally drained. I'm still tired - oh, I am SO sleeping before 9pm today! - but it's not the type of tired that continuously sucks the life out of you. It's more like I-did-a-lot-of-work-and-it-was-fun-and-we-all-accomplished-something-so-it's-time-to-go-home type of tired. The good type of tired.

I hope my students are feeling the same. Overall, they are performing well on informal assessments, and they are going about math with confidence. Trying to maintain this level, gotta mix it up with other things too. It's not going to last at this pace, I know it. They will get antsy with the same old routine.

Golden

Oh. My. Freaking. Pooh. Cow. WHY was I so obstinate about getting a single subject credential? WHAT on earth was I doing in elementary when I don't even like little kids that much? WHERE have you been 8th graders, and WHY have I not taught more of you sooner?

You get my jokes.

You get sarcasm, and appreciate it.

You don't have to go to the bathroom every. Freaking. Minute.

You get logic. You're reasonable.

You can read my messy handwriting.

Most of you don't have helicopter parents anymore.

Today was the most golden teaching day ever. Better than yesterday. Better than ANY day I've ever spent teaching. Sure, I got to school two hours early. Sure, I stayed two hours late (aka something I promised myself never to do again after Spring 2009). Sure, I have swamped myself in paperwork right off the bat.

But boy, is it worth it. Even Devil Kid was an angel today. Not saying I'm letting my guard down. I'm just saying he hasn't shown any reason to make me want to wring his skinny little neck out, or put him in detention until he's 80. I WILL NOT let my guard down.

I'm so exhausted, but I'm so happy right now.

Bring it on

Notes on Day 1:

- Nervous up to the first bell, but after that, not at all! It's a nice feeling, to be confident in what I'm doing.

- Apparently, I have "The Devil Kid" in my 2nd period class. I say: bring it on, Devil Kid. Bring it on.

- I need to figure something out for advisory period. It was a blank 10 minutes that lasted forever today. What should I do? Math puzzles? Ten-minute brain joggers? It's only for the first week, after that, there will be a video from the CCTV circuit playing.

- Ok. I think I want my filing cabinet back. Hm.