Much to my amazement, school is still fun but the honeymoon phase is clearly over. The kids are getting quite chatty but they are still relatively easy to get back on track and respond well to what I've given them to do. I am finding two classes much more difficult then others. My grade 8 class has history with me and are falling into old patterns. I struggle to keep them focused. I've been handing out a fair number of DTs over the last few days. The other class that is annoying me is my smallest class I teach. They are grade 7s who have academic issues (one girl doesn't even speak english!) and they hate Language Arts. They are really hard to keep working and interested. The worst thing is that they are mean to each other. They are really picking on one girl but she is exceptionally obnoxious. I find her annoying and I only see her 50 minutes a day. I can't imagine spending all day with her. I find myself correcting behaviour and refereeing the pettiness that they are very hard to teach. I'll keep on working on them.
Other things going on in my life include:
1. Teaching sunday school. This was great fun. I actually got applause at the end. Teaching adults rocks.
2. Another teacher and I have decided to work out together. We have a fitness centre at work and so we've decided to make use of it. We are supposed to start tomorrow.
3. I've been losing weight and am now down 27 pounds. I'm pretty happy about that and am hoping to do some serious school clothes shopping when I'm in Vegas.
4 I've managed to have someone give me a quote on my grading but at the same time Mum and Dad found someone at the church who has a construction company and he would come give me a qoute as well. So now I'm back in limbo. I'm waiting for my second quote. I'll have to have something in place early next week though as we don't have much longer until it snows again.
5. I have all my required permissions and sub booked for Vegas. Getting very excited!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Creepy
This week has gone so smoothly it is eerie. My kids seem way better this year then last. I don't know if it is just a better bunch or if I have my act better put together. I've been asking around and everyone seems to think that they are okay kids but they are not as enthusiastic as I am. I actually thought today in the middle of my third block, "If every day were like this, I'd love this job!" I even had to boot a kid out of my room today and it still was a great day. Everyone is reminding me that this is the honeymoon stage and by the end of next week the kids will start showing their true colours but I recall struggling already at this point last year. I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch but I think this may be a better year for me!
One thing I've really enjoyed this week is having all the students from last year greet me in the halls, tell me they miss being in my class and asking about my summer. It is fun to see kids treat me like they actually have good memories and a fondness for me. I've never actually experienced this kind of first week before. It is great to feel like I really fit in. The students and staff know me and I have my place.
I did, of course, tick a few people off today in the staff meeting. Our principal showed us our staff survey results which were quite low. He asked us to discuss what we think is causing our staff to respond so negatively. I addressed one concern on the list that talked about teamwork and said I don't think we do enough as a department and that teachers who have been in the school for a while don't seem to want to work cooperatively with new teachers. I also said that there is a lot of negative talk and I think that can poison the attitudes around the building. I got scraped over the coals for that one. I was informed by one of the negative staff members that "holding in your complaints is what festers and poisons. You need to put your concerns out there or it will destroy you." I didn't get to defend my comments but my thought was that I'm all for venting. I'm a big venter/ranter when things drive me crazy but there are numerous staff that I have heard the same complaints from over and over and over. They rant, hang on to their anger and months later they are still ranting about it. That is poison. I always want to shout, "Let it go, man!" We'll see if my vocalness will come back to bite me later.
On another note, today I met with a few church folks and agreed to co-teach an adult Sunday School. A lady named Jane and I are sharing responsibilities. I'm teaching the first seven weeks and Jane is taking the next seven which gets us to Christmas. After Christmas a third woman may join us. I'm excited about it. I really like teaching the adult sunday school. They are attentive, responsive and supportive. I also like feeling that I am contributing to the church.
One thing I've really enjoyed this week is having all the students from last year greet me in the halls, tell me they miss being in my class and asking about my summer. It is fun to see kids treat me like they actually have good memories and a fondness for me. I've never actually experienced this kind of first week before. It is great to feel like I really fit in. The students and staff know me and I have my place.
I did, of course, tick a few people off today in the staff meeting. Our principal showed us our staff survey results which were quite low. He asked us to discuss what we think is causing our staff to respond so negatively. I addressed one concern on the list that talked about teamwork and said I don't think we do enough as a department and that teachers who have been in the school for a while don't seem to want to work cooperatively with new teachers. I also said that there is a lot of negative talk and I think that can poison the attitudes around the building. I got scraped over the coals for that one. I was informed by one of the negative staff members that "holding in your complaints is what festers and poisons. You need to put your concerns out there or it will destroy you." I didn't get to defend my comments but my thought was that I'm all for venting. I'm a big venter/ranter when things drive me crazy but there are numerous staff that I have heard the same complaints from over and over and over. They rant, hang on to their anger and months later they are still ranting about it. That is poison. I always want to shout, "Let it go, man!" We'll see if my vocalness will come back to bite me later.
On another note, today I met with a few church folks and agreed to co-teach an adult Sunday School. A lady named Jane and I are sharing responsibilities. I'm teaching the first seven weeks and Jane is taking the next seven which gets us to Christmas. After Christmas a third woman may join us. I'm excited about it. I really like teaching the adult sunday school. They are attentive, responsive and supportive. I also like feeling that I am contributing to the church.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Day 1 done. Only 199 days to go!
I actually really enjoyed day one of school. I felt organized and comfortable in my own room. I talked my face off. My jaw actually hurts. These poor kids had so much information dumped on them today they are probably still in shock.
First impressions, a few talkers but on the whole good kids. They seem brighter then last year's bunch which is good. I hope that I'll be able to do more with them then I could last year. I'd like to maybe even go on a field trip in the spring.
I think the routines I have in place and the fact I'm jumping on them a bit quicker will help with the day to day stuff. Tomorrow I see my one and only grade 8 class. I have taught 3/4 of these kids before so I may have a bit harder time not falling into old habits with them.
My roommate enjoyed the fact that for the first time in a couple of months, she was the last one to leave the house today. She likes it when my life is as busy and stressful as hers. Tomorrow she starts her first class though so her life is going to get one step crazier then mine.
First impressions, a few talkers but on the whole good kids. They seem brighter then last year's bunch which is good. I hope that I'll be able to do more with them then I could last year. I'd like to maybe even go on a field trip in the spring.
I think the routines I have in place and the fact I'm jumping on them a bit quicker will help with the day to day stuff. Tomorrow I see my one and only grade 8 class. I have taught 3/4 of these kids before so I may have a bit harder time not falling into old habits with them.
My roommate enjoyed the fact that for the first time in a couple of months, she was the last one to leave the house today. She likes it when my life is as busy and stressful as hers. Tomorrow she starts her first class though so her life is going to get one step crazier then mine.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Well, This is it!
Officially summer is over. I've had a fantastic time! Between the Amazing race, Summer Camp and Florida, I really couldn't have done much better. I didn't even come close to getting everything done that I wanted to but, alas, school has returned and time has run out. Golly, I really need to be independently wealthy so I can be a lazy slob just playing through life.
I've spent the last four days preparing for the next batch of kids. I'm teaching 4 classes of Grade 7 L.A. and 1 class of Grade 8 L.A. this year. I also have two classes of Health. It is a nice assignment. One of the best in the school actually. It is nice to have so much of one subject and grade level. It makes planning way, way easier. It also helps that this is a similar assignment as last year so I should be able to recycle much of my material. I have never taught the the grade 8 L.A. though. I talked to the teacher who has the most classes in the the subject and she has agreed to funnel everything she has got to me. We should be doing the same thing at the same time. This will be a huge help for me as again it is less planning and helps my one little class be consistent with the rest of the school.
I struggled with classroom management last year so I've spent much of the last few days really focusing on organizing routines and structure into the room. It is my hope that if I really have thought out how the transitions in the class will work that there will be much less chaos. The beautiful thing about grade 7s is they are new to the school and have no previous experience with me. That means I can implement all sorts of new things with them like I know what I'm doing and they won't know the difference.
I am nervous though. I really want to be an effective teacher but I fall short so often that I find the start of every new year a little nauseating. I'm always hopeful that this is the year I get it figured out and I'll really make a difference for these kids. This job is isolating and batters at you. It is difficult to get recognition and appreciation so your sense of accomplishement and even competency can really take a beating. I miss my homeschoolers who used to thank me after I taught them a lesson.
Tuesday, I officially go in to the fray as the students walk in the door! Pray for me!
I've spent the last four days preparing for the next batch of kids. I'm teaching 4 classes of Grade 7 L.A. and 1 class of Grade 8 L.A. this year. I also have two classes of Health. It is a nice assignment. One of the best in the school actually. It is nice to have so much of one subject and grade level. It makes planning way, way easier. It also helps that this is a similar assignment as last year so I should be able to recycle much of my material. I have never taught the the grade 8 L.A. though. I talked to the teacher who has the most classes in the the subject and she has agreed to funnel everything she has got to me. We should be doing the same thing at the same time. This will be a huge help for me as again it is less planning and helps my one little class be consistent with the rest of the school.
I struggled with classroom management last year so I've spent much of the last few days really focusing on organizing routines and structure into the room. It is my hope that if I really have thought out how the transitions in the class will work that there will be much less chaos. The beautiful thing about grade 7s is they are new to the school and have no previous experience with me. That means I can implement all sorts of new things with them like I know what I'm doing and they won't know the difference.
I am nervous though. I really want to be an effective teacher but I fall short so often that I find the start of every new year a little nauseating. I'm always hopeful that this is the year I get it figured out and I'll really make a difference for these kids. This job is isolating and batters at you. It is difficult to get recognition and appreciation so your sense of accomplishement and even competency can really take a beating. I miss my homeschoolers who used to thank me after I taught them a lesson.
Tuesday, I officially go in to the fray as the students walk in the door! Pray for me!
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