Today, the seniors had to take a writing test for graduation. While they took the test, the freshmen and sophomores took practice tests in order to prepare for their junior year. I sat over a class of sophomores during this time period. It was…interesting? Imagine a group of kids, many of whom that I do not know at all, stuck in a room for a couple of hours taking a test that they believe does not matter at all. It was quite the adventure.
Before the test, I outlined my expectations: no cell phones—if I see it, I take it; if you do not want to give it to me, then you can go down to the office and eventually give it up and have to pay to get it back. No talking. No food or drink. Pretty standard stuff that they hear just about every day. Somewhere, somehow, they decided that it was too much to ask.
Like I said, I did not know the kids. I did not know most of their names, and I could not call their parents since I had no phone numbers (believe me, just because you ask a student for the number, that does not mean you will get the right one). I also knew that I could not put half the class out. Therefore, I relied on a series of calling people out in the hallway, telling people to stand outside, and moving people to different seats. I will, however, give a few highlights:
• A student decided she did not want to give me her cellphone, and I had to walk her all the way to the infractions room. I told them that she was not to leave without giving up her phone and being required to pay for it in order to get it back.
• A student got up, and I asked him what he was doing. His response: “Ain’t none of your business.” I pulled him outside to have a conversation.
• This same student told me to “shut up” later on. I sent him down to the infractions room, and another teacher called his mom later.
• A student asked me, “how did you get that thing on your forehead?”
• I had to put multiple students out of my classroom that just walked in from God knows where. All I know is that they had no business being in my class room.
• A student told me she hated me as she walked out the door. I smiled and told her to have a nice day.
It was not the best couple of hours of my life, but I got through it. I stayed on them, kept reinforcing my expectations, and took nothing personally. Do not take it personally—it will tear you up inside.
On the other hand, my social skills period went well. The students enjoyed the period, and I got really excited when talking about leadership and authority. We were talking about who gave Barack Obama his authority as President. One student answered, “Congress?” Another student, “the Supreme court?” “No!” I responded to both. “From whom does the President get his authority?” I asked again.
Finally, one student says, rather hesitantly, “From me?” “Yes,” I said. Then another student, “From me!” “Yes!” “From me!” “Yes!!! Anybody else?” “From him?” (pointing). “Yes!” At this point, I was standing. Then, jumping up and down, I started screaming and pointing: “From you, and you, and you, and you, and from me!!!” “Mr. Seegars, why are you always acting like you’re in church?”
I must say, something did take hold of me. I was so excited in that moment, and I got swept up in a wave of emotion that consisted of love and hope for my students. And, yes, I did take that personally.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Let's play tag?
I went back up to Cambridge/Boston this past weekend, and I had a delayed flight late last night; consequentially, I was pretty tired when I got to school this morning. I was even too tired to make myself some lunch, so I stopped at McDonalds before work and bought two sausage biscuits to be my midday fuel—this, however, will definitely not become a habit.
I spent about half the day teaching and the other half of the day doing paperwork and conducting a parent/student meeting. Tomorrow I am going to have to focus only on paperwork. A student from one of my math classes asked me today, “When are you coming back?!” I told her that I was coming back very soon, and I missed being in there with them. I was ambivalent about the exchange because I was happy that they wanted me back; however, I was sad that I had not been there.
In my last period (social studies) class, it was an adventure as usual. Today’s adventure started off with a student asking me, “What are you looking at?” when he saw me looking at him. I was like, “what?” And asked him to repeat what he said—he then repeated it. “Step outside,” I said immediately.
We had a conversation, and then we returned to the classroom. Later, on we had to leave again—then he decided he wanted to play a game of tag. That is, he wanted to run around the school have me chase him. While he ran, I walked at a fast pace and called out to the hall monitors to catch him. He finally ran out of breath, and I took him down to talk to my department head. I called his mom after school and set up a parent conference. I hope it helps.
I had a talk with another student after school. It was the one who jumped at me the other day. It was a good discussion, and I can see that he really wants to work on his behavior. I told him I do not expect him to be perfect, but that I want to see steady improvement each day. I know that it won’t be easy, but I’m optimistic that we will get some good work done together.
I spent about half the day teaching and the other half of the day doing paperwork and conducting a parent/student meeting. Tomorrow I am going to have to focus only on paperwork. A student from one of my math classes asked me today, “When are you coming back?!” I told her that I was coming back very soon, and I missed being in there with them. I was ambivalent about the exchange because I was happy that they wanted me back; however, I was sad that I had not been there.
In my last period (social studies) class, it was an adventure as usual. Today’s adventure started off with a student asking me, “What are you looking at?” when he saw me looking at him. I was like, “what?” And asked him to repeat what he said—he then repeated it. “Step outside,” I said immediately.
We had a conversation, and then we returned to the classroom. Later, on we had to leave again—then he decided he wanted to play a game of tag. That is, he wanted to run around the school have me chase him. While he ran, I walked at a fast pace and called out to the hall monitors to catch him. He finally ran out of breath, and I took him down to talk to my department head. I called his mom after school and set up a parent conference. I hope it helps.
I had a talk with another student after school. It was the one who jumped at me the other day. It was a good discussion, and I can see that he really wants to work on his behavior. I told him I do not expect him to be perfect, but that I want to see steady improvement each day. I know that it won’t be easy, but I’m optimistic that we will get some good work done together.
Friday, September 25, 2009
One day at a time...
Today marks the end of my seventh week of teaching. I did less teaching than usual this week (since I had to basically do paperwork all day); however, I did get to do a little work with my social skills class because I needed to test their reading and writing levels.
Yesterday, some of the students decided they did not want to cooperate in that class. I walked back into the classroom with about 5 minutes left, and I saw one student pacing back and forward. I asked him to sit down, but he said that he could not sit down because he had to use the bathroom. I then told him that he needed to sit down and wait until the end of class.
Now, at this point, he was leaning over a desk and not looking at me while I was speaking to him. I said, repeatedly (about three times), “you need to sit down.” Finally, he jumps up at me as if he were going to hit me and yells, “MAN WHAT?!” The other students began to laugh.
I was not laughing. In fact, I looked at him, thinking to myself: “Calm down, Lumumba. Just calm down.” The students kept laughing until the saw my face. I asked him, rather slowly, “Are you out of your mind?” Then he tried to walk away. I called out to him to come back and told him that he needed to stay after class. The bell rang about 30 seconds later, and all the students began to leave. He started to walk out the door, saying that he was not going to stay. I looked at him sternly and said, “That is not a decision you want to make right now.”
Maybe it was something about the tone of my voice, or the glare in my eyes, or my body language—but somehow, he could really tell how serious – and furious – I was, so he came back. Meanwhile, one last girl was taking her time getting her stuff together until I agitatedly told her to hurry up and do whatever she needed to do later. I wanted all the students out except for him.
As soon as she left, I lowered my voice to an almost whisper, and said, “Don’t you ever do that again.” I repeated this about 10 times with my voice going up and down. I do not think I have ever been so visibly angry with a student. I told him that he was never to physically threaten a teacher like that again. He remarked, “Yeah.” And I shot back, “Now is not the time to say ‘yeah’ to me.” And he responded, “Yes Sir.” I told him to leave, and then I called his parents.
He saw me today, and made it clear that he was mad at me for “snitching” on him. I laughed and told him that it was my job to tell everything—the good and the bad.
On a different note, I really feel like I have been making a connection with the students. Specifically, I have enjoyed learning more about the students on my caseload and presenting myself as an advocate for them, as opposed to somebody who just wants to get them in trouble. Being able to work with students and their families on a more individual level is, I think, my favorite part of being a special education teacher. I see them for the kids they are during their moments of weakness, and I delight in their moments of strength as I marvel at their ability to persevere through incredible challenges. Put simply, they inspire me. I demand their best, and I can give them no less.
The student that jumped at me has also volunteered to read the affirmation in front of the class. The girl that I almost gave up on gave me a hug today in the hallway. A student who once threatened to “beat my a**” now asks for help regularly and greets me in the hallway.
There are ups and downs, but what must stay constant is my sense of purpose. I am not in the classroom to be a dictator. I am there to fight an enormous problem, the achievement gap, one student at a time—one word, one math problem, one smile, one tardy, one tutorial, one class, one parent conference, one progress report, one life at a time.
It is this sense of purpose that sustains me. When a kid jumps at me, I may get angry in the moment—but I know what this kid can be. Forgiveness, compassion, perseverance—all are necessary for this line of work. I love my job.
Yesterday, some of the students decided they did not want to cooperate in that class. I walked back into the classroom with about 5 minutes left, and I saw one student pacing back and forward. I asked him to sit down, but he said that he could not sit down because he had to use the bathroom. I then told him that he needed to sit down and wait until the end of class.
Now, at this point, he was leaning over a desk and not looking at me while I was speaking to him. I said, repeatedly (about three times), “you need to sit down.” Finally, he jumps up at me as if he were going to hit me and yells, “MAN WHAT?!” The other students began to laugh.
I was not laughing. In fact, I looked at him, thinking to myself: “Calm down, Lumumba. Just calm down.” The students kept laughing until the saw my face. I asked him, rather slowly, “Are you out of your mind?” Then he tried to walk away. I called out to him to come back and told him that he needed to stay after class. The bell rang about 30 seconds later, and all the students began to leave. He started to walk out the door, saying that he was not going to stay. I looked at him sternly and said, “That is not a decision you want to make right now.”
Maybe it was something about the tone of my voice, or the glare in my eyes, or my body language—but somehow, he could really tell how serious – and furious – I was, so he came back. Meanwhile, one last girl was taking her time getting her stuff together until I agitatedly told her to hurry up and do whatever she needed to do later. I wanted all the students out except for him.
As soon as she left, I lowered my voice to an almost whisper, and said, “Don’t you ever do that again.” I repeated this about 10 times with my voice going up and down. I do not think I have ever been so visibly angry with a student. I told him that he was never to physically threaten a teacher like that again. He remarked, “Yeah.” And I shot back, “Now is not the time to say ‘yeah’ to me.” And he responded, “Yes Sir.” I told him to leave, and then I called his parents.
He saw me today, and made it clear that he was mad at me for “snitching” on him. I laughed and told him that it was my job to tell everything—the good and the bad.
On a different note, I really feel like I have been making a connection with the students. Specifically, I have enjoyed learning more about the students on my caseload and presenting myself as an advocate for them, as opposed to somebody who just wants to get them in trouble. Being able to work with students and their families on a more individual level is, I think, my favorite part of being a special education teacher. I see them for the kids they are during their moments of weakness, and I delight in their moments of strength as I marvel at their ability to persevere through incredible challenges. Put simply, they inspire me. I demand their best, and I can give them no less.
The student that jumped at me has also volunteered to read the affirmation in front of the class. The girl that I almost gave up on gave me a hug today in the hallway. A student who once threatened to “beat my a**” now asks for help regularly and greets me in the hallway.
There are ups and downs, but what must stay constant is my sense of purpose. I am not in the classroom to be a dictator. I am there to fight an enormous problem, the achievement gap, one student at a time—one word, one math problem, one smile, one tardy, one tutorial, one class, one parent conference, one progress report, one life at a time.
It is this sense of purpose that sustains me. When a kid jumps at me, I may get angry in the moment—but I know what this kid can be. Forgiveness, compassion, perseverance—all are necessary for this line of work. I love my job.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
There's a Lily in the Valley
Because of the flood, we had the day off yesterday. It was good to have a break, although I am definitely keeping the families that had tremendous damage to their homes, as well as those who lost loved ones, in my prayers.
Today was another day of paperwork, although it definitely had its funny moments. While going through the red folders, a coworker of mine sang to herself next to me. Now, if you know me, you know that I tend to burst out singing randomly. Since I am new to the job, I have been trying to contain myself so that I don’t seem like a crazy guy singing through the hallway.
This restraint, for better or worse, has been rather unsuccessful. I can be heard singing alone in my classroom, in the middle of a lesson, or even while walking down the hall. So when I heard my coworker singing, I joined in without even thinking. Pretty soon, I began leading a rendition of “Lilly in the Valley”:
“There’s a Lily, my God, in the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Oh, oh, Lily—in the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Lily! In the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Amen. Amen. Amen!”
It was a ton of fun, and I remembered how much I miss singing in a choir. I also have not touched a piano since I left Harvard. I am planning on starting voice lessons again, but I have not gotten around to completing my research for a teacher.
Today, I met with one of my inclusion teachers in order to discuss the students in our class. It felt so great to be able to focus our conversation around data. Even though all the numbers are not good, the data really helped direct the discussion. Furthermore, the data helped me to be more confident in myself when suggesting solutions. Although I am usually a pretty confident person, I have had problems being confident with some of my co-teachers. One of the difficulties of inclusion is that I feel like I was going into another teacher’s “territory.” It is not necessarily something the co-teacher says; rather, I think it has a lot to do with me still acclimating to a new environment. But with the data, and after building a relationship with the teacher and students, I have been able to (better) understand my place in the classroom and feel more comfortable advocating for my students.
After work, I went to a workshop at the TFA office focused on mental health and dealing with stress. I think it was very helpful. I feel the need to sing again, to play the piano, or get on some sort of stage and perform. The title of this blog alludes to how happy singing and performing has made me. I love teaching, but it has definitely had its toll on me at times. It is so easy to feel inadequate and overburdened.
I cannot work the same way I did in college. I cannot operate on extremely little sleep like I did in college. I cannot stay up all night, take a nap in the middle of the following day, and then get back to studying. I have to be full of energy with each lesson and with each student.
I need to sing again.
Today was another day of paperwork, although it definitely had its funny moments. While going through the red folders, a coworker of mine sang to herself next to me. Now, if you know me, you know that I tend to burst out singing randomly. Since I am new to the job, I have been trying to contain myself so that I don’t seem like a crazy guy singing through the hallway.
This restraint, for better or worse, has been rather unsuccessful. I can be heard singing alone in my classroom, in the middle of a lesson, or even while walking down the hall. So when I heard my coworker singing, I joined in without even thinking. Pretty soon, I began leading a rendition of “Lilly in the Valley”:
“There’s a Lily, my God, in the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Oh, oh, Lily—in the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Lily! In the valley.
Bright as the morning star.
Amen. Amen. Amen!”
It was a ton of fun, and I remembered how much I miss singing in a choir. I also have not touched a piano since I left Harvard. I am planning on starting voice lessons again, but I have not gotten around to completing my research for a teacher.
Today, I met with one of my inclusion teachers in order to discuss the students in our class. It felt so great to be able to focus our conversation around data. Even though all the numbers are not good, the data really helped direct the discussion. Furthermore, the data helped me to be more confident in myself when suggesting solutions. Although I am usually a pretty confident person, I have had problems being confident with some of my co-teachers. One of the difficulties of inclusion is that I feel like I was going into another teacher’s “territory.” It is not necessarily something the co-teacher says; rather, I think it has a lot to do with me still acclimating to a new environment. But with the data, and after building a relationship with the teacher and students, I have been able to (better) understand my place in the classroom and feel more comfortable advocating for my students.
After work, I went to a workshop at the TFA office focused on mental health and dealing with stress. I think it was very helpful. I feel the need to sing again, to play the piano, or get on some sort of stage and perform. The title of this blog alludes to how happy singing and performing has made me. I love teaching, but it has definitely had its toll on me at times. It is so easy to feel inadequate and overburdened.
I cannot work the same way I did in college. I cannot operate on extremely little sleep like I did in college. I cannot stay up all night, take a nap in the middle of the following day, and then get back to studying. I have to be full of energy with each lesson and with each student.
I need to sing again.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Driving in a flood, Tyra Banks in a bathing suit, and Compassion
It’s flooding down here. The rain came down this morning. Some people could not make it to work or school. It was not uniform around the city. It was not that bad where I live, but it was terrible north of the city. The cafeteria at my school was actually flooded. They cancelled all of the extra programs after school so that the students could get home. The rain was pretty bad when I left. A normal, 20-minute commute turned in a one and a half hour drive home. The rain was terrible. The freeway was flooded at my exit, so I had to get off an exit early. The rain came down so hard that I could barely see.
It was a terrible storm. I can look outside of my window right now, and it’s amazing—I can see the sun peering through the clouds. I can see its rays shining through. After a terrible storm that has even taken some people’s lives, the sun shines.
It would be too trite to craft a metaphor comparing this weather to how I feel about my life, my students’ lives, and the lives of many people around the world and our struggles; therefore, I’ll just leave the story for what it is. The sun is quite beautiful right now.
As I said in my last post, I have to spend this week doing paperwork for special education. That said, I have to give busy work to give to the students in order for them to stay occupied. I actually needed to give my social skills class a reading diagnostic that I began a while ago but did not finish, so I went to part of that class period today. Since I was giving some people a test, I needed something that the students could work on individually and that seemed interesting. They had to write an essay. But after that, I had them make a collage about their “ideal day.” I had them cut pictures out of magazines.
Now, I do not have that many magazines; therefore, I had to get a bag of magazines from somebody from TFA. I was incredibly grateful—especially since I’m too cheap to actually go buy magazines. Today, however, I learned an invaluable lesson: always preview the magazines that somebody gives you for your class.
As I was explaining the assignment to my students, I noticed a magazine with Tyra Banks in a bathing suit on the front cover. “Ummm, we’re not going to use this one…” I said, as I fumbled to remove the magazine from the bag without the other kids seeing it. One of them must have seen it since he kept asking me to use the magazine—he remarked rather emphatically, “I can’t make a collage of my ideal day without that picture!” I could not help but laugh. These students are hilarious sometimes.
Today, one of the students in the class led the affirmation. When I asked for volunteers, a few students raised their hands, so I was happy to see that they wanted to get involved with it. I hope the message is starting to set in!
Along different lines, as I was going through the files of students on my caseloads, I saw some of the things my students have been through. And I realized one thing my students definitely need from me as a teacher. Yes, they need me to be motivated, hardworking, and firm. But, on top of all that, they need me to be compassionate.
Why should a student believe that I am there to help her when she cannot even trust me? Why should a student not think that I am just another adult on a power trip if I do not show him that I actually care about his ability to do well? I do not want the students to think that I am just another adult abusing his position—another man bent on exercising control over others in order to cope with his own sense of inadequacy.
No, I have to be compassionate. If I do not care, they will see right through me. The end result is not how well I look in front of an administrator or an evaluator. It is, instead, how I look in their eyes. It is whether or not I can motivate them to find their true potential. Even as a teacher, I cannot reach my true potential until I connect my instruction with their true needs. I need them just as they need me.
“I am because we are.”
After a storm and after relentless rain, the dawning of the sun is quite beautiful.
It was a terrible storm. I can look outside of my window right now, and it’s amazing—I can see the sun peering through the clouds. I can see its rays shining through. After a terrible storm that has even taken some people’s lives, the sun shines.
It would be too trite to craft a metaphor comparing this weather to how I feel about my life, my students’ lives, and the lives of many people around the world and our struggles; therefore, I’ll just leave the story for what it is. The sun is quite beautiful right now.
As I said in my last post, I have to spend this week doing paperwork for special education. That said, I have to give busy work to give to the students in order for them to stay occupied. I actually needed to give my social skills class a reading diagnostic that I began a while ago but did not finish, so I went to part of that class period today. Since I was giving some people a test, I needed something that the students could work on individually and that seemed interesting. They had to write an essay. But after that, I had them make a collage about their “ideal day.” I had them cut pictures out of magazines.
Now, I do not have that many magazines; therefore, I had to get a bag of magazines from somebody from TFA. I was incredibly grateful—especially since I’m too cheap to actually go buy magazines. Today, however, I learned an invaluable lesson: always preview the magazines that somebody gives you for your class.
As I was explaining the assignment to my students, I noticed a magazine with Tyra Banks in a bathing suit on the front cover. “Ummm, we’re not going to use this one…” I said, as I fumbled to remove the magazine from the bag without the other kids seeing it. One of them must have seen it since he kept asking me to use the magazine—he remarked rather emphatically, “I can’t make a collage of my ideal day without that picture!” I could not help but laugh. These students are hilarious sometimes.
Today, one of the students in the class led the affirmation. When I asked for volunteers, a few students raised their hands, so I was happy to see that they wanted to get involved with it. I hope the message is starting to set in!
Along different lines, as I was going through the files of students on my caseloads, I saw some of the things my students have been through. And I realized one thing my students definitely need from me as a teacher. Yes, they need me to be motivated, hardworking, and firm. But, on top of all that, they need me to be compassionate.
Why should a student believe that I am there to help her when she cannot even trust me? Why should a student not think that I am just another adult on a power trip if I do not show him that I actually care about his ability to do well? I do not want the students to think that I am just another adult abusing his position—another man bent on exercising control over others in order to cope with his own sense of inadequacy.
No, I have to be compassionate. If I do not care, they will see right through me. The end result is not how well I look in front of an administrator or an evaluator. It is, instead, how I look in their eyes. It is whether or not I can motivate them to find their true potential. Even as a teacher, I cannot reach my true potential until I connect my instruction with their true needs. I need them just as they need me.
“I am because we are.”
After a storm and after relentless rain, the dawning of the sun is quite beautiful.
Friday, September 18, 2009
No, I'm not an assistant teacher--I'm a real teacher. I also like donuts and the Jackson 5.
It was such a long week, and a ton of things happened. Since I haven’t written since Monday, I’m basically just going to list some of the things that happened and reflect on them at the end.
Actually, now that I’m trying to write, the whole week is such a blur, that I don’t really think I can go day by day. I actually could delete all of this, but I think this incoherence demonstrates the state of mind I’m in as well as how much happens in one week. Let me just list some things that happened:
• On Wednesday, a student was not doing her work in class, and I told her that she needed to get back to work. She then remarked that class was over. “No,” I replied, “Class ends at 3:15, and it’s only 3:00. You need to get back to work.” Her response: “You ain’t the teacher. You’re just the assistant teacher. The assistant. Now What?!” I went into the hallway and told a hall monitor to take her out of my classroom. That was that.
• Also on Wednesday, I got to meet with parents of two of my students. Both meetings went really well. One of the parents was from a student in my social skills class. After talking, I suggested that it might be helpful if she comes and actually sits in the classroom during the next class period. She said that she could make it Monday—I’m looking forward to that.
• Also on Wednesday, I had a meeting with my TFA Program Director. As always, it was quite helpful, and we went over some of the things I need to be working on and prioritizing. Mainly, I am going to work on ensuring that my students in my inclusion classes are not getting left behind and that I am tracking their data and using it to make informed decisions.
• Thursday was particularly crazy. We had a meeting scheduled during the day for the Special Education department. The district is really coming down hard on our folders for our students (basically, the collection of legal documents that catalog important things regarding our students’ disability, the evaluation of those disabilities, and the education plans for them). Needless to say, we were told that we have to focus on this for the next week. I really need to finish a reading diagnostic in my class on Monday, so I got permission to go to that one period. Other than that, I will be doing legal paperwork for the next week while at school.
• After school, I spent time at the TFA office tracking data and meeting with my PD, who had observed my class that day. The meeting was useful, and we discussed how I could better integrate social skills and literacy into my social skills class. I’m really excited about that class.
• I was tracking my data for my math 1 inclusion test, and the numbers were looking weird. Therefore, I stopped after a while in order to wait to ask my co-teacher today. Sure enough, I had been working with the wrong test. FML. The good news: I have the correct test now, and I don’t think it should take me too long since I’ve already kind of gone through the process and have a system for myself.
• Today: I did paperwork all day. I have Pandora on my phone, so we listened to my Jackson 5 radio station for a good part of the day. After my phone battery went down too much, another teacher turned on his iTunes. A different teacher brought donuts for everybody (Krispy Kreme!). After fumbling through how to look through the folders, I started to get a lot more efficient towards the end of the day. I will be seeing the folders a lot throughout the year, so I’m happy to see that I’m getting better at working with them.
I think that’s mostly it. There were ups and downs as always. Some of the students who I’ve had problems with are starting to warm up to me. I think the positive system is working more and more. I think the tickets worked especially well for the students when they were actually able to turn them in for things; therefore, I think the concept of the tickets will be less abstract for them in the future.
As I said, I started tracking my data this week—it does not look too good. The good news, however, is that the data will help me to pinpoint the things that I need to do better. I am still optimistic that it will be a great year. Although I am not excited about how effective I have been so far, I am excited about how effective I can become by learning from my mistakes and continuing to work hard and more efficiently.
In other news, I am the co-faculty advisor for the new mock trial team at my school. We had our first meeting this week. I’m really looking forward to it and will talk more about it as it gets underway.
So yeah, the week was quite busy. There were some tough things, but I had plenty of moments when I realized how much I love being able to work with these students. Both exciting and challenging, these kids give me a definitive reason to get out of bed each morning.
Actually, now that I’m trying to write, the whole week is such a blur, that I don’t really think I can go day by day. I actually could delete all of this, but I think this incoherence demonstrates the state of mind I’m in as well as how much happens in one week. Let me just list some things that happened:
• On Wednesday, a student was not doing her work in class, and I told her that she needed to get back to work. She then remarked that class was over. “No,” I replied, “Class ends at 3:15, and it’s only 3:00. You need to get back to work.” Her response: “You ain’t the teacher. You’re just the assistant teacher. The assistant. Now What?!” I went into the hallway and told a hall monitor to take her out of my classroom. That was that.
• Also on Wednesday, I got to meet with parents of two of my students. Both meetings went really well. One of the parents was from a student in my social skills class. After talking, I suggested that it might be helpful if she comes and actually sits in the classroom during the next class period. She said that she could make it Monday—I’m looking forward to that.
• Also on Wednesday, I had a meeting with my TFA Program Director. As always, it was quite helpful, and we went over some of the things I need to be working on and prioritizing. Mainly, I am going to work on ensuring that my students in my inclusion classes are not getting left behind and that I am tracking their data and using it to make informed decisions.
• Thursday was particularly crazy. We had a meeting scheduled during the day for the Special Education department. The district is really coming down hard on our folders for our students (basically, the collection of legal documents that catalog important things regarding our students’ disability, the evaluation of those disabilities, and the education plans for them). Needless to say, we were told that we have to focus on this for the next week. I really need to finish a reading diagnostic in my class on Monday, so I got permission to go to that one period. Other than that, I will be doing legal paperwork for the next week while at school.
• After school, I spent time at the TFA office tracking data and meeting with my PD, who had observed my class that day. The meeting was useful, and we discussed how I could better integrate social skills and literacy into my social skills class. I’m really excited about that class.
• I was tracking my data for my math 1 inclusion test, and the numbers were looking weird. Therefore, I stopped after a while in order to wait to ask my co-teacher today. Sure enough, I had been working with the wrong test. FML. The good news: I have the correct test now, and I don’t think it should take me too long since I’ve already kind of gone through the process and have a system for myself.
• Today: I did paperwork all day. I have Pandora on my phone, so we listened to my Jackson 5 radio station for a good part of the day. After my phone battery went down too much, another teacher turned on his iTunes. A different teacher brought donuts for everybody (Krispy Kreme!). After fumbling through how to look through the folders, I started to get a lot more efficient towards the end of the day. I will be seeing the folders a lot throughout the year, so I’m happy to see that I’m getting better at working with them.
I think that’s mostly it. There were ups and downs as always. Some of the students who I’ve had problems with are starting to warm up to me. I think the positive system is working more and more. I think the tickets worked especially well for the students when they were actually able to turn them in for things; therefore, I think the concept of the tickets will be less abstract for them in the future.
As I said, I started tracking my data this week—it does not look too good. The good news, however, is that the data will help me to pinpoint the things that I need to do better. I am still optimistic that it will be a great year. Although I am not excited about how effective I have been so far, I am excited about how effective I can become by learning from my mistakes and continuing to work hard and more efficiently.
In other news, I am the co-faculty advisor for the new mock trial team at my school. We had our first meeting this week. I’m really looking forward to it and will talk more about it as it gets underway.
So yeah, the week was quite busy. There were some tough things, but I had plenty of moments when I realized how much I love being able to work with these students. Both exciting and challenging, these kids give me a definitive reason to get out of bed each morning.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Nope--I'm still not a student
Today marked the beginning of the sixth week. It seems as if each Monday, I have to get reacquainted with waking up at 6am. Therefore, I was quite tired when I got to school. After a cup of coffee, however, I found my groove. I found myself thinking, “I love this job!” when I was working with students in my first block class. I also really enjoyed my physics class today. Everything was going pretty well.
I have stopped wearing my badge since I figured most people were recognizing me as a teacher. I also wore a full suit a couple of times, so I felt like I looked a little bit older. Yet, a few times today, I was walking through the hallway (with just a tie and my trusty clipboard), and students looked back at me and said, “I thought you were a student.” Maybe it’s time to bring the badge back? Maybe I’ll just throw on a blazer tomorrow…
I could not get through the day without at least a little drama, though. Of course, it came from my last period class, which happens to be an inclusion Math II class (for mainly sophomores). I had to go get one of the assistant principals to talk to a girl in my class who was being openly defiant (basically, I asked her to do something, and she refused). Besides that, the class was a little rowdy, but they still worked hard the entire period. I got some time to really work with students, and they seemed to be catching on and getting excited when they got the answers correct. Those are the moments that really make my day.
So, all in all, it’s a Monday; therefore, I’m really tired. I also have a ton of more work I need to do. I’m still trying to find my rhythm. But, it was a good day, and I hope the week continues well.
I have stopped wearing my badge since I figured most people were recognizing me as a teacher. I also wore a full suit a couple of times, so I felt like I looked a little bit older. Yet, a few times today, I was walking through the hallway (with just a tie and my trusty clipboard), and students looked back at me and said, “I thought you were a student.” Maybe it’s time to bring the badge back? Maybe I’ll just throw on a blazer tomorrow…
I could not get through the day without at least a little drama, though. Of course, it came from my last period class, which happens to be an inclusion Math II class (for mainly sophomores). I had to go get one of the assistant principals to talk to a girl in my class who was being openly defiant (basically, I asked her to do something, and she refused). Besides that, the class was a little rowdy, but they still worked hard the entire period. I got some time to really work with students, and they seemed to be catching on and getting excited when they got the answers correct. Those are the moments that really make my day.
So, all in all, it’s a Monday; therefore, I’m really tired. I also have a ton of more work I need to do. I’m still trying to find my rhythm. But, it was a good day, and I hope the week continues well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
