Friday, June 23, 2006

Lost & Found

This blog died. It died long ago. But I  loved it and I want it up and active. And I am a teacher and a nurturer, so  Ifeel that I can be successful is reviving it. Plus, it’s summer and I’m bored ;)

I found this post saved in my computer from mid-school year. It took me back to one of the many frustrations and revelations that I felt this year. I thought I would go ahead and share it. Later on in the summer, I’ll be back to share more stories, ideas, and info for teachers :)

Another day had passed in my classroom. Another boring day. I am bored. How could the kids be learning ANYTHING if I Am bored? I am doing all of the differentiated instruction bullshit and still I don’t feel like they are getting it!

I’ve felt like this time and time again. It always makes me mad that I feel like I want to be a great teacher, but I’m not. I think I do awesome working with kids, but am I effectively educating them in academic areas?

I know this is hitting me much harder this year than last because I have students with learning disabilities, but I am a no excuses kind of person, and I just can’t be happy doing what I do, knowing it’s not working, and continuing it that way.

I want to be a teacher like Ron Harmon (put in link to him). I want to reach kids in a way that will cause them to be better people AND learn how to make sense of what they read, or to master long division, etc.

It may seem obvious to so many, and it is preached in colleges across the world, but like a ton of bricks “Bring it to life” came to mind last week for me. You know, stop giving them the information and TEACH them the damn stuff!!!

My plan of action is to move, move, move more around my classroom. Plan quarters at a time (which I do now, but only the skeleton info) and gather all the details I can. I am going to make it a goal never to read and do the questions. That way, when I am lost for how to communicate something, I can have that as a fall back and it will only be once in a great while. Many of my students can’t read. I am going to plan my lessons around that. I am also supposed to be teaching the same 6th grade standards, so I am going to use the same books and just BRING IT TO LIFE so that a non-reader is getting the same info. I’ve decided to take a new perspective. I want my kids to know the standards and I want them to be able to carry a conversation with other kids and adults. I am going to TEACH them all that I know about the topics for their level. Then in the cracks I will reteach them reading and writing. My hope is that they learn to love new information and it starts to click enough to make something of themselves

Posted by Katherine at 16:13:15 | Permalink | No Comments »

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Getting better

The school year started out rough. It was just a lot of change and demands on me all at once. Today was ok. I didn’t get the chance to implement as many new things in my room as I wanted, but I made an effort to follow my rules and the day flowed well. I’m looking forward to the weekend to start thinking about the changes I’m going to make for the second quarter.

It dawned on my today that I have ZERO parent issues. In the past years of teaching I’ve had tons of parent involvement which sometimes led to parent issues. I also always had volunteers in my room. So strange not to have anyone in my room, emailing me, or calling regularly. I call them, but no one calls back. Just another different I guess. Not like last year when my principal had to get a restraining order on one of my student’s parents. Yuck. That was not fun at all.

Hoping tomorrow is a good as today!

 

Posted by Katherine at 01:30:46 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Rules for the teacher

All teachers new to my district have to attend new teacher meetings once a month. We just had ours for October last week. I was not looking forward to it. In all honesty, who ever is? The meetings thus far have been really good. I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas and I’m happy when I leave. It’s the getting there that’s hard. Also my biggest complaint is that I feel like they are always past the fact.  It’s October and we reviewed classroom management.

          This weeks meeting broke us down by grade level. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The worst way for me to spend my time is learning about how to deal with Kindergarten students when I teach junior high. I think it is important to understand children at all levels, but at an evening meeting in the middle of the week, I’m not up for it. I was glad to be surrounded by all junior high teachers and have a speaker who could focus on helping us specifically.

          From this meeting I walked away with the following:

§        Junior High students are at a transition in life, and much like a toddler, regress slightly before jumping into the next stage of life.  This reminder about the 12 & 13 yr old psyche was all I needed to hear to help me be able to tolerate my class until June. I was pulling my hair out and constantly saying to myself “Ohmigosh! It’s like he’s 3 years old”. Well, yes in fact it is. And thank you Mr. Presenter for reminding me.

  • I need to make rules for myself again, so that I can have control of my classroom. This one is a little weird to some maybe, but I often challenge myself with certain things in life like “No fried food until you’ve lost 5 pounds” or something silly like that. And thankfully, I have the willpower to do that. I make rules for myself in the classroom, too. This year’s first rule was “No personal email from work” That one lasted about a week, and then I rationalized that my email is my sanity and what principal would want an insane teacher? After my meeting I’ve decided on two new rules. Both a big challenge to me.    
    1. No personal email, unless it’s my lunch break or after school.

This rule will keep me focused and make me use my personal plan time for school, so I can have a life on the weekends.

  1. No sitting at my desk, unless it is a break or plan time.

I am a culprit for teaching and giving work, doing a once over to make sure they all understand and then feeling unneeded and not wanting to waste time go to my desk to work. BAD BAD BAD TEACHER! That is totally on the list of becoming one of those teachers that I said I would never be. Plus, staying away from my desk, will keep me away from my email, which helps me follow my other rule.

 

I used my rules on Thursday and Friday and already I enjoy my class more.

 

Do you have personal rules? What are they?

Posted by Katherine at 00:05:51 | Permalink | No Comments »

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Standardized Testing Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the start of three days of testing from my fourth graders. I hate the particular test AZ makes us administer. I think that we indeed need a way to measure the state’s achievement, but this it not it! I am forced to put two ELL children through the emotional turmoil of taking the AT LEVEL test. This year I pushed and pushed and made sure there were accomodations so that at least one of them won’t have his head pop off in frustration. For the other one, the one who has been in this country (from russia) for only 15 weeks and in school for 12 of them, I am relying on his mom and dad to explain that this test is not a big deal.

For the rest of them, I pray all year and especially once the test booklets are handed out, that they remember what was taught - even in the first weeks of school. I pray that we practiced enough. I pray that I taught them how to stop and think and pull on what they know from their “brain files”. I pray that they remember what words my classroom jargon represent in the real world and realize that I DID teach that and they DO know it. I pray that they don’t cry. I pray that they try.

For me, I pray that my principal realizes the immense amount of flaws in the process and that the written part is scored by another person - who may or may not have been having a good, alert day. I pray that my student’s parents take some of the responsibilty/credit depending on the scores sent home over the summer. Afterall, it is their encouragment that makes homework a failure or success.

Mostly I pray that my school, my class, fit right into the curve and go unnoticed

Posted by Katherine at 06:04:51 | Permalink | No Comments »

To Get Through

The time from Spring Break until the end of May (second week of June for me this year) seems to be the longest stretch of the year. It is without three day weekends and the weather is so nice it is near impossible to drag myself to “the cave” that is my classroom. Don’t get me wrong, I love my classroom, but it is in the back of the building and I am able to spend the hours of 8-3 without leaving the room (unless I have duty). At times, when I leave in the afternoon I feel like I am emerging from some deep cave.

Anyway, I found a prayer in one of my favorite teaching books, Chalkdust (credited on the side bar of this blog), that I wanted to share to help everyone get through until that last day.

In the Middle of a Long, Dull Stretch
Father,
I confess that the prospect of another day
stretching before me
is a burden,
rather than a joy.

I’ve lived these past few weeks
in a state of malaise,
going routinely about my work,
without those sparks of creativity and spontaneity
that makes life so exciting and satisfying.

The days are hectic,
crammed with pressure and demands,
but the hours pass slowly by - empty and barren.

Refresh me, Father.

Ease the tension that comes from broedom.

Show me how to bring vitality to a job that’s gone stale.

Restore to me the absorbing joy of an artist at work,
for truly good teaching is an art.
Oh, Father,
you have given me time,
and you have given me skill.
teach me to take delight in both,
using my time and my skill
to do something worthwhile,
to teach.

Posted by Katherine at 06:03:24 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thank God for my Aide

This week I realized that I rely on my classroom aide much more than I realized. She comes in Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the morning to work one on one with my new Russian student. I thank her every time and I am so grateful to have her. 

I am not sure what happened in this particular Thursday that brought it more to my attention that she was not coming. All I know is that I started saying things in my head that made me feel like a single mom.

I admire single parents. I know so many that make it work - and work well. I think that children are better off with two parents, but that is an ideal and not always true depending on the people involved.

Anyway, this Thursday I found myself with an exceptionally wild group of 10 year olds and overly excited Russian child with nothing to do. I felt like I was drowning. I didn’t know which way to turn. I found myself feeling desparate and repeatedly thinking, “J, where are you? I can’t do this on my own” and “Oh my gosh, how do single parents do this?” I was grateful when math time started and I was able to press on through the chaos. The moment was a flash in the day, but it was enough to make me want wait until I have some help before I become a parent.

Posted by Katherine at 06:01:44 | Permalink | No Comments »