A Short Review

I have been reading short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In college, I had to read My Kinsman Major Molineux and remeber it being quite graphic. About a month ago, I found a collection of his short stories in my classroom, inherited from a previous teacher. My first thought was "This can't be appropriate reading for Jr. High students." I decided to read some of the stories and see for myself.

I still think it isn't age appropriate, but I discovered that Hawthorne was actually a decent writer. His stories deal with some pretty dark themes (satanic worship, sick scientific experiments) and are pretty densely written. They are not light reading. But the characters are unique if not a little one-sided. The themes Hawthorne explores are more complex as are his plots.

In short, while I wouldn't recommend these stories to my students, I would recommend them for readers who are looking for an unusual perspective. Now I guess I have to read The Scarlet Letter.

Playing Hookie?

Everyone likes a day off of work once in a while. Teachers are allowed several sick days per year, depending on the district contract. You may think that we would take full advantage of this, especially considering how stressful our jobs can be.

But being absent is often more work than it's worth. Firstly, one needs to write out plans for the sub. Of course, teachers have lessons planned already, but usually it is just an outline of what they want to cover for that day. All the details are in their head, and it can take an hour or more to write them all out in a way that someone who is unfamilliar with the curriculum can follow.

Next is the preparation of the materials. If one knows ahead of time that they will be out on a particular day, they can take whatever time they need to prepare photocopies and set out textbooks and any other materials where the substitute can easily find them. However, if you wake up sick one morning, you may have to go in to work just to get everything ready. You may as well just stay there and save your sick day.

The most frustrating part of being absent is coming back. One can't be sure of what condition the classroom will be in, how much if any of the lesson plan was completed and what kind of note was left by the sub until returning the next day. I have returned after a substitute has covered my class to find things stolen, broken and vandalized. Recently, I found that my American flag at the front of my room had a large rip or cut in it. Most subs do attempt to follow the lesson plan, but many times they don't get it all accomplished. I have often found a note saying "...Then I let them work on homework with their friends." I wonder how much homework got done. So, the teacher ends up wasting the next day reteaching what should have been taught the day before, and the whole schedule is thrown off.

Sometimes it is necessary to take a day off, like when attending a conference or jury duty. Other times, it's just nice, like after six weeks without holidays. But it is always a trade-off. The teacher has to decide if spending six hours away from the students is worth practically the same amount of time in preparation and recovery.

Helicopter Parents

You have probably heard of the term "helicopter parent." It is used to describe a parent who is always hovering around their child, ready to take charge if the child has a problem. Teachers do complain about this kind of parents for two reasons.

Firstly, they're annoying. But more seriously, though they are trying to help their child, they can often slow their maturation. If Mommy or Daddy takes care of everything for them, they never learn to solve their own problems.

The most depressing situation is when a helicopter parent has an unmotivated, slacker child. I have one such in one of my classes now. The mother spends so much time seeking help for her son, and he takes no advantage of the opportunities she secures for him. It seems to me that she thinks he's doing poorly in school because the teachers aren't providing him enough help. In reality, his grades would be much better if he didn't sleep in class so much.

I wonder how this kid will turn out. He's headed for failure, yet his mother sticks up for him. Will he live at home for the rest of his life, getting fired from a series of minimum-wage jobs? Or will the mom eventually recognize the pattern of his failures and beign to hold him responsible?

Classics Review, Part Two

I just finished Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Even Ms. Austen said that it is not as interesting as Pride and Prejudice, and I agree. I did, however, enjoy reading it. It is a love story with a large cast of characters. All of these characters have romantic interactions and love triangles. In fact it could be described as one big love septagon. Toward the end there is a major plot twist, and some characters have a happy ending.

I feel that this would be a more enjoyable book if the main character were more likeable. Fanny is a young lady who comes from a poor home, but is raised by her rich aunt and uncle. She is perfectly grateful and well-mannered. She is moral, reliable and smart enough. But she has none of the wit or human flaws of an Elizabeth Bennet.

So, if you loved Pride and Prejudice, read Mansfield Park. You'll probably enjoy it, but don't expect to be blown away. If you didn't like P&P, you won't like this book. If you haven't read P&P, go read that!

I'm not sure which Classic novel to read next. If there are any that you recommend, or if there's something you've been interested in, but want me to find out if it's any good first, comment or email me your suggestions.

44¢ a pack

In an earlier post, I described our district's push on academic vocabulary this year. When the assistant superintendant visited our site to give us the mandated list, she mentioned that any materials we would need for academic vocabulary instruction would be provided for us. We were directed to submit requests to our department chairs, who would compile a list and submit that to our principal, who would compile those into one master list for our site and forward it to the assistant superintendant.

All I really wanted were some index cads. I had already purchased a few packs to get me started and envelopes for my students to keep their cards in (with my own money). I had actually expected that I would be responsible for supplying them for all my students for the whole year. I was excited to hear that the district would provide some for me. So, I calculated how many total index cards I would need and sent my request to my department chair.

Two weeks later, I hadn't heard a thing about it from anyone. I asked my department chair if she had sent the request to the principal, and she said that she had, but had heard nothing about it either.

Two weeks after that at a department meeting, we realized that none of us had yet recieved any of the requested materials, and the department chair said that she would ask the principal about it.

Two weeks after that, I was called in for a meeting with the principal regarding my yearly evaluation. Before I left, he asked if there was anything I needed. I asked if he had heard anything about our vocabulary supplies. He said that he had sent all of the requests to the assistant superintendant but had not heard back from her about it. He offered to purchase some index cards for me as he was already sending in an order to Office Depot and said they should arrive in two to three days.

Over a week has gone by since the last discussion, and still I have heard nothing and recieved nothing. Today, I sawthe principal in the workroom, so I asked if my index cards had arrived yet. He responded, "Oh, I hope I didn't give those to another teacher." He said that he would order me some more right away, and they'll probably be here in two to three days. We will see.

In the meantime, I am comletely out of index cards. I have purchased multiple packs, three times. I borrowed two packs from another teacher the last time I ran out. I could just buy enough to last me the year and request reimbursment, but Im still waiting on a check for highlighters I bought the week before school started.

I truly believe that everyone involved in this is well meaning. They want to help us be good teachers. They are just so disorganized as to be totally ineffectual in that goal.

A & Q

I have asked you to ask me anything. So here are some answers for you.



Badass Geek wants to know: I've always wondered how the classroom experience feels different when you are the one teaching, instead of the one learning. Is it different, for better or worse, than you expected?



I guess the main difference between being a student and a teacher is everyone else in the room. As a student, I was only ever responsible for myself. If I put in the effort, I learned what I needed to know and got good grades. If I didn't, I didn't. As a teacher, I am now responsible for all of my students learning: those who are trying and those who definately aren't. I need to find ways to keep my students engaged and motivated. The biggest surprise for me has probably been the total apathy of some students.



Anonymous wants to know: Do teachers really have teachers pets? Or students you are glad to have in your class?



Teachers certainly have some students that we enjoy teaching more than others. It is usually not the smartest students, but the better behaved ones. I try not to let that affect my teaching or grading style. I may let them know that I appreciate their behavior, and I certainly will discipline students who are disruptive. One thing that people may not expect is that I also really like some of my less studious pupils. Some kids are really funny, but just don't know when it is appropriate to joke around and when it's not. I try not to encourage them.


If you have any other teaching questions, comment or email me, and I will answer them here.

Q and A

A couple of other bloggers whom I follow have recently had Q&A sessions with their readers. I thought it was a great idea. No one included a trademark or patent pending in their posts, so I think I will pilfer it.

So... if you have any burning questions about me, about teaching, about my blog... comment or email it to me, and I will answer them here. If you have questions about anything else, I will ponder it, do an internet search, if necessary, and try my best to answer it for you.

In Which I am Almost Too Angry to Write

I am sooo ticked off. At the end of last year, we teachers were told by administration that we would need to create a list of 30 vocabulary words to use for the whole school throughout the year. Over the summer, as we met to work on benchmark tests, the Language Arts department decided that we would just go ahead and make a list and a calendar and share with everyone else. We even went above and beyond, and came up with over 70 words to give us a word a day with regular review periods, lasting until state testing.

Now, the administration has given us a list of 60 words that we must use. Why the heck did they tell us to make a list if they were going to dictate a list to us? Of course, I am sure that they originally did want us to make up a list, but then changed their minds. But that is rude and ridiculous. They are showing no respect for all the work we did or our knowledge of what our students need. It makes me so angry!

The Classics 101

I love to read. My total favorite genre is sci-fi, but having been an English major and now being a Language Arts teacher, I have had to read a lot of "the Classics." And you know what? I actually like them. I mean, they are classics for a reason. But I also like to read them, because it makes me feel smart. I know that everyone wants to feel smart, educated and in the know, but not everyone has the time or inclination to read books written centuries ago. And since I am a teacher, I thought I could teach you all something about the Classics.

I have just finished reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It is loooooong! As you can probably guess, it is about a man named David Copperfield. It is actually about a baby, boy, teenager and man named David Copperfield. The story starts the day he was born and continues to describe everything that hapens to him until (by my best estimate) his late twenties. Aside from being long, it is a good read. It has a lot of drama, some action and quite a bit of humor.

It is really about the emotional growth of Copperfield, through many trials and hardships. As a youngster, he has a horrible string of bad luck, with an evil step-father, the death of his mother, and abandonment at a young age. Yet, he endures, and his basic goodness and moraltiy is formed. After that, he has some good fortune for a time, living with a kind aunt. Throughout all of this he meets the characters who later come together in unexpected ways to create situations in which Copperfield must show what he has become and stand up for what he believes in. He still is not perfect. He marries the wrong girl, not out of any wickedness, but simple inexperience. By observing others around him, he realizes his mistake, but is honest and good, so he stays with her until she dies young. This gives him a second chance. In the end, he uses what he has learned to make the right decision the second time around, and there is a happy ending.

So now, when you are a part of a conversation that turns toward David Coperfield, you will be able to follow along and perhaps chime in, without makng the mistake of saying, "Did you see the time he made theStatue of Liberty disappear?" If you have any specific questions about the book, or if you have read it and want to add to what I've said or offer a completely differing opinion, please comment. And stay tuned, coming next: Mansfield Park.

Budget Problems

You may have heard that California is having a budget crisis. It's true: our schools are broke. We do not even have enough money for such essentials as textbooks. In fact we may not get new books until 2016. No, I'm not exaggerating. The state board of education is not requiring schools to buy books between now and then.

Yet today at our weekly staff meeting, we all recieved training in a new internet educational program that the district has subscribed to. What's worse is that, as usual, no one on staff was asked if we wanted this or would be willing to use it. I had never heard of it until last week. Had anyone asked me, I would have strongly suggested that we don't waste our money on it. The program is set up with tests and games to review each of the state standards. It is made to be used online, but teachers can also print out the tests for students to do on paper. In our district, most students do not have internet connections at home, and I only have four student computers in my classroom. So, I would have to mainly use the print function and give students worksheets. But if I'm going to do that, I might as well use the materials that come with our curriculum. If students do use the program online, the teacher can view a report of results for individuals or for the class, but the interface and information layout did not seem all that helpful.

If this program is not madatory, I will not be using it. I am afraid though, that since the district paid for it, they are going to expect me to show them results. This is on top of the academic vocabulary program that they are requiring us to start this year and the graphic organizer program we implemented last year. I guess with all of these programs that they've spent thousands on we won't have any time to open those outdated textbooks anyway.

Today was the second day of school. I guess the first two days have been successful. I was pretty much ready to go each morning. The students in my first two classes have been really well behaved. As with last year, I'm not totally sure if they are well behaved students, or if they're just a bit scared of me, because it's the first day. I try to be pretty strict the first couple of weeks to set the tone. My third class is my RI class and again they seem like they will be the most trouble. I do not think they will be as difficult to handle as last year's class. They mostly do whatever I ask of them, but they are quite talkative. I do have that class right after lunch, so they just need to learn to settle down.

This year, I have my prep period at the very end of the day. It is so tiring. I have one fifteen minute morning break and a thirty minute lunch, but I don't really get a rest. I have to run to the restroom, scarf my lunch and get ready for the next class. By the time I have my prep, I'm too tired to really think about what I have to get done for the next day. The good thing is, though, I can clean up and organize my room during seventh, so I can leave right at 3:00.

I really think I'll have a pretty good year. Sure, there are some things I would change. But I know there are plenty of people who have way suckier jobs than I.

Update

I know that it has been forever since I posted, so I feel like I should let you all know what is going on. And that is... not a whole lot. I have actually been staying pretty busy, but it is nothing exciting. In the middle of July, I spent a week at a training on ELD (English Language Development) instruction. Most of the information was just review to me. I did pick up a few strategies that I will use in the classroom, especially for teaching vocabulary. The next week, the Language Arts department from my school got together to get started on our pacing calendars for the year and to create benchmark tests. I would not call it fun or exciting, but we did get quite a lot done. The best part of all of this was that I am getting paid for it. Then, yesterday I went to a one day training on a program for teaching writing. Most of the teachers at my school already use it, so I just wanted the introduction to understand what it is about and to pick up the terminology, so that I can review with my students what they have learned in previous years and how it relates to current assignments.

The new year is coming up pretty quickly. We have two days of in-service on the seventeenth and eighteenth. Then the first day of school is on the nineteenth. The way the schedule stands now, I will have two, two-period classes of 8th grade ELA, then one of eighth-grade-only RI. My prep period is scheduled for the last period of the day (BOO!). But that could change anytime until about the first week of September.

I don't think I will have any exciting tales to relate for the next two weeks, but I will post after the first day of school to let all of you know how it goes.

Summertime and the Living's Boring

I am so BORED! Remember when you were a kid, and you just couldn't wait for summer to come. The first few days were awesome: you got to sleep in, watch cartoons and snack all day long, and you could stay up late. Then on about the third day, you realized that summer is booooring!

The same is true for me, even as an adult. I had been so looking forward to having time off, to relax and do whatever I want. The problem is I've relaxed, I've done everything I wanted to do, now I have six more weeks to fill. I've read six books in the last three weeks (usually, it's about the other way around) I've watched a bunch of videos, I've mowed the lawn and cleaned the house. Right now I'm watching The Empire Strikes Back on TV. It might be entertaining, except that I've already seen this movie about thirty times in my life. I can't even think of anything to do for the rest of the afternoon, let alone for six weeks.

Checking Out

Many non-teachers, including myself until last year, probably do not know what teachers do on the last day of school. It's nothing exciting, but I am here not just to entertain, but to educate. So, allow me to give you the inside scoop.

Let me start by saying that, obviously, I do not know what every school everywhere is like. I have worked in two schools, so I will assume that what is true of those two schools is true of most schools. If I'm wrong... well I'm not that concerned.

On the last day of school, each teacher is given a checklist of items that need to be completed. The list includes such things as turning in hard copies of grades and attendance, cleaning the classroom and inventorying computers and other "technology" in the classroom. After each item is completed, a specfic person (e.g. principal, custodian, counselor) will intitial the page.

Most of the items can be done or begun in advance and do not take that much time to complete. The more frustrating part is getting the required personnel to initial. They are often unwilling to check anything off before the designated time, even though there are twenty-plus teachers who need their attention. Then they become difficult to track down. If the head custodian needs to check rooms for cleanliness, he could be in any classroom. And if he comes by five minutes before I'm ready, he won't wait, and he may not be back for an hour.

Maybe it's not that bad, but it seems like an interminable waste of time, because it's the last day, and, just like the students, teachers can hardly wait for summer vacation to begin.

What Can Brown Do For Me?

I haven't been very good about keeping up with my posting. And now that it's summer, there's not much going on to write about. So, I've decided to relay a few anecdotes that occured previously in the year, but that I was too lazy to write about.

I had read online about a lesson plan for book report sandwiches. Towad the end of the semester, I read a short novel with my RI class. I wanted some project to review what they had learned that they might find interesting. I thought about the book report sandwich and went back online to get the directions.

The way it works is students get several pieces of construction paper: white, red, green, yellow, pink and two brown. Each piece is cut to look like a different part of the sandwich. They need two browns to look like the two slices of bread. On each piece, the students write specific information such as character descriptions, a plot map or evaluation.

A few days before I actually tried this activity with the class, I was preparing all the necessary materials. I looked through my piles of construction paper and found every color I needed except pink and brown. That was no big deal; I stopped at Target on my way home that afternoon and bought a pack of assorted colors. The next morning during my prep, I pulled out the colors I needed and counted enough for my students. Then, I remembered that I would need twice as much brown. I pulled the rest of the browns out of the pack and counted them. I was about six pieces short.

I could have just made do with another color, but I wanted my students to have brown bread if possible. So, I sent out an email to the whole site, asking if anyone could spare six pieces of brown construction paper. I didn't think anyone would reply to me the same day, and I wasn't sure if anyone would even have brown construction paper, much less if they would be willing to share. The response I got was overwhelming.

That same day I recieved three emails in the affirmative and one phone call. Plus four teachers sent students over with some brown. None of them sent just six pieces. They sent full stacks and packages. One of them wasn't sure exactly what I needed, so she sent two packages: one light brown and one dark brown.

I asked if anyone wanted theirs back, but no one did. So, I took out as much as I needed (plus a little extra) and sent the rest to the art teacher.

Graduation

Last night was the graduation ceremony for the eighth graders at my school. I presented an award to one of my students for academic achievment. I would have attended anyway, because this was the first group of students that I've had for a whole year to graduate. Most of my students did graduate. From my regular Language Arts classes, about 80% walked in the ceremony. From my Reading Improvement class, it was only one out of four.

The ceremony was nice, and it was probably the shortest graduation ceremony I've ever been to. It was an hour and five minutes, which is pretty good for a class of 150+ students. There were many awards to give out, but each presenter spoke for less than a minute. There were four speeches, and they were fairly short also. The students were really well behaved too.

This morning, we had a minimum day of school. The actual diplomas were passed out today, so the students all showed up. But we had to submit grades yesterday to verify who had met graduation requirements. So, I had all my students with nothing to teach. I brought a couple of videos and let them pick. It felt like a wasted day, but I had some entertainment.

Can't Teach an Old Teacher New Tech

I am a member of the Language Arts department in my school. There are six other teachers in the department. All of them are female, and all of them are older than I am. In fact, aside from me, I would guess that the youngest is close to forty. The others are all older than my parents. This means they have a lot of teaching experience, and a lot of experience dealing with most other issues at a school. The one area in which I am considered the expert is technology.

They all know how to use email and our online attendance program. Where they have the most trouble is with the assessment tracking an analysis program we have, called Edusoft. Edusoft is a subscriber service that allows teachers to create scanable answer documents for tests, then scan those tests to be corrected and analyze the results in a thousand different ways. Our school has two scanners that can be used with the Edusoft program. One of them is housed in my classroom. So, I have teachers coming in throughout the day to scan their tests.

At first, only one other teacher in my department really knew how to use the program. (I learned at the school I was at last year.) So, each time someone would come in, they would ask me to show them how. And then, by the next time they had something to scan, they would have forgotten what to do, and I would have to show them again. Eventually, they mostly seemed to remember what to do, but still asked an occasional question. For example, one teacher still asks me each and every time she comes in whether the answer documents need to be face up or face down in the scanner tray.

So, it was just the occasional question, and I could keep working on whatever I was doing. Until the computer that the program is on contracted a virus. The tech guys from the district office came to clear it up, but the scanning program still is having issues. I have figured out the little tricks to make it work. I've explained my strategies to the other teachers, but they cannot seem to remember them, and each time it won't scan, they ask me what to do.

So, one day last week, I was showing one of the ladies again how to turn it off, switch off the scanner, turn the computer back on, switch the scanner back on and wait for the two to connect. When we turned the scanner back on, it started printing. There had been a print job pending, and the computer had been waiting to send it. We looked at it when it printed out, and it was the results of a test that one of the other Language Arts teachers had scanned. Then, it started printing again, it was another copy of the same results. We figured that when it hadn't printed out the first time, she must have hit print again. Then again... and again... and again... twenty-one times! Twenty-one copies of the exact same two-page results printed out!

I am no computer genius, especially compared to my husband. And I'll admit that in the past, I have probably been guilty of hitting print again if it didn't work the first time. Maybe someone who wasn't used to working with computers would think that doing it one or two more times might make it work even if it didn't the first two times. But twenty-one times! It didn't work at all the first twenty times, but apparently she thought, "Well maybe if I click on this picture of a printer again..."

Wardrobe Malfunction

I have never been esteemed for my fashion sense. And that's fine by me. In high school, I avoided the styles and brands that the popular girls were wearing. I wear clothing that appeals to my own personal aesthetic. Over the years, I have tweaked and updated my wardrobe to include items that fit my sense of style and help me look professional... I think.

But there is one aspect of attire that I have not yet mastered: dressing for the weather. I don't look at weather forecasts on TV or the internet. This is partly because they often seem to be wrong and partly because I just don't. I haven't worked it into my routine. So, I just sort of guess what the day's weather will be like. This guess is based mostly on the previous day's weather. This may work well in some parts of the world, and here in the Central Valley, it works pretty well during the summer. It can be unreliable, though, particularly during fall and spring.

For example, on a particular day, we had not had any rain here for a few weeks. The day prior to the day in question had been on the cool side, chilly even, but I would not qualify it as cold. So, when dressing for work that morning, I put on a sweater and did not bring a jacket. Well, it turned out to be rainy and windy all day, and I was wet and freezing.

Another example: it had been warming slowly but steadily for a few weeks, but then breezes picked up, and most of this week was cool but comfortable. So, yesterday morning, I picked out a long sleeve, black knit-top. There was no more wind. Yesterday was quite warm, and I was toasting.

For some people, not being dressed appropriately would not be a problem. I, on the other hand, have to encounter the weather several times a day. The school I work at is quite old. It has two original buildings and the rest are portables. Even the classrooms that are in actual buildings all open to the outside, without any halls. So, to go from any place to any other place on our campus, one needs to go outside. I usually go to the front office a couple of times a day. Once in a while, I go to the teacher's lounge for lunch. And at least once or twice a week, I go to another classroom to talk to or borrow something from another teacher. And every time I go somewhere, I have to go back outside to return to my room.

So, I don't really know what the answer is. I could let my husband pick out my clothes. He seems to be able to predict the weather better than I can. Though, he will wear a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops regardless of what it is like outside. If you have any suggestions to help me out, post a comment, and I will be grateful. This isn't an urgent need I have, but just something that I should figure out, so that I don't spend the next thirty years of my career being miserable.

Super Great News!

I received two good reports in one day.

It has been uncertain for quite some time as to who would be staying and who would be leaving next year. The confusion was caused by the California budget (or lack thereof). At first we weren't even sure if we were going to get paid this month. The State Comptroller sent the money, but anyone who filed their taxes early had to wait for their rebate so we could get a paycheck. After that was settled, we weren't sure if we were going to get funding next year for the class-size reduction which requires the district to employ so many teachers. Now that the state has a budget, the district has a budget, so they know what they can and can't afford. There will be lots of cuts next year, but no positions are being cut. Last night, the principal presented the names of temporary teachers to the board and made recommendations as to whether each should be re-elected for next year. All of his recommendations were approved, and I get to keep my job!

I posted previously about the upcoming testing season. It was upcoming then; now it just keeps coming. Today is the second half of the Language Arts writing proficiency #2. Last week seventh graders took the state writing test. This along with all future CST tests and test prep academies take place during homeroom, which is my reading improvement class. Some students had to be moved around so that each classroom would have either all seventh or all eighth graders. I was lucky enough to have all my students go to various locations, and I was a runner. It was announced today that we are going to keep these room assignments for all test prep academies and all CST tests this year. I don't have to plan for test preps. I don't have to be responsible for testing materials. I don't have to spend two or more straight hours with those students. I'm sure they're just as happy not to spend two straight hours with me.

I'm really not sure which new piece of information is more exciting.

Testing Time

It is here: testing time! The main portion of the CST's don't begin for us until the end of April, but we've got plenty others to keep us busy until then. On Thursday, my regular Language Arts students had a reading proficiency test. They take this test three times throughout the year (the exact same one, I don't know why) and have to pass it at least once. In two weeks, my reading improvement class has their third writing proficiency. They have four chances to pass, while the rest of the school only has three. Then, the next week, they have their third reading proficiency. Again, they have an extra chance over the students in regular Language Arts. That same week, Language Arts students are taking their second writing proficiency. The week after that, only seventh graders (which most of my reading improvement class are) have the STAR writing test. And from there it is only a few weeks until STAR testing for everyone.

Interspersed through all of this are four test prep academies for the whole school. This is when an extra period is added to the day and all are shortened by five minutes. That period comes between first and second and is used to prepare students for STAR testing in various ways. That means that on these four occasions I have my reading improvement students for two straight hours. We had our first academy yesterday. The students did not handle it well. First period went alright, and so did the academy. Our test prep assignment was to graph scores from the two previous years tests and set a goal for this year. The students were actually pretty involved even though it was difficult for most of them and I had to go around to each one after each step and reexplain it. But I let them use colored pencils to make their graph, so they all participated. The problem came when we got back to second period. The schedule had not been previously released to students, so it was a surprise to them that they had to stay with me for a whole other forty minutes. They were not happy about that, and by then, they were getting quite tired of working. Two of them just refused to do any work throughout that whole period. And I have three more of these to do in the next two months.

Back to Work

This week is our first week back from winter break. It has been a busy week. On Monday, we had a full-day in-service. Tuesday was the first day the kids came back. Wednesday, I had my support provider observe first period for BTSA (new teacher training) and district and county administrators observe second period as one of their semi-annual school walk-throughs. This afternoon we had a staff meeting. Tomorrow my support provider is observing first period again.

Happily, my RI class is doing a lot better. They still chat too much and pass notes, but they haven't been really rude or defiant. There hasn't been any cursing or fighting. I am not sure yet if it is because it's the first week back and they haven't gotten bored with school yet or if my new seating arrangement is actually working. It is my smallest class, and I have them spread out around the room as much as possible. I hope this will limit the amount of talking and their ability to annoy each other.

My regular Language Arts classes are still doing fine. I took them to the library on the first day back, so it was an easy day. In my afternoon class, I reviewed the library rules and told them to head over. I was the last one out of the classroom so I could lock the door behind me. As I was leaving, I saw one of the instructional aides walking by, so I talked to her for three or four minutes out in front of the library. When I went in, all of the students were sitting down at the tables and it was dead silent. They just watched me walk in and didn't say anything. I'm not sure if they were trying to be funny or if they thought I wanted them to do that. I just started laughing and said, "Don't you want to get books?" Then they got up and looked around at books, and I just stood there laughing at them. I thought it was hilarious, but maybe it was just one of those things where you had to be there.