Well, it's been a rough month. To say the least. Prior to the break, the kids took benchmarks (the 2006 TAKS release tests). Their math performance was, uh, pretty bad. And the real test looms April 18-19. So for the next few weeks, 2/3 of my class is being pulled out for math. I'm under tons of pressure. And I haven't been especially eager to post.
It was good to get out for spring break, that's all I can say. Sorry for the lack of detail, and hopefully I will provide more soon, but yes, I'm alive. I've been posting therapeutically about world affairs, which is a welcome distraction, but I've had my hands full enough with the teaching that I haven't wanted to comment too much about it here... I hope everyone understands...
Monday, March 26, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
The month of February is gone! Good.
Well, it's been a crazy month. :)
We had writing TAKS on February 20, so everything until then was trying to make sure the kids were ready for it. Then there was Stanford all of this last week. The kids are tired and I'm tired of tests; it's ridiculous. We've given, as a grade level, four full-day writing benchmarks plus one each of reading and math, and that's just getting started, because we have two more each of reading and math coming up--that'll make 10 days of the year just giving full-day tests, plus the Stanford tests, plus whatever they do in class.
I had an assignment for my UST class--I had to interview a student. First question: "What do you do in school?" Answer: "We take big tests." Ridiculous. They're 10. Stanford is cruel. It's ridiculously long--it has something like 14 different sections. Horrible. It took until lunch Tuesday through Friday this week.
Otherwise, things are getting better as far as "teaching" goes. Unfortunately, I can't really teach enough since I have to be measuring the kids all the time. May as well just have daily standardized tests to assess what they learned in the hour they had left over the previous day. In meeting with my TFA director for Round 2 we decided that I had to emphasize teaching a clear sequence of steps to my kids. I tried it in math and it seemed to work--they got a 78 on the write-out-the-answer lines and angles test, as opposed to an average 79 on the multiple-choice decimals test. Then the next day, we explored the relationship between their "effort" on the in class assignments and their "achievement" on the test, which not surprisingly were correlated.
So for Round 3 we have decided that, frankly, I still have zero idea what I'm doing as far as reading is concerned. Their comprehension isn't getting that much better (most of them, anyway), according to the STAR measurement, which is basically a fill-in-the-blanks test with increasing difficulty of passages. Grrr. Apparently this is because I (1) am not knowing what to teach kids because (2) I can't assess them correctly because (3) I don't know how and therefore (4) I can't teach them effectively. So the goal is to fix that.
Things are looking OK for the field trip to San Antonio, except that I don't have too many kids going (only seven or eight total). That's too bad, but at least we were able to cancel the second bus which will mean we have a little bit of a cushion and I may even be able to carry over a couple hundred dollars to next year--when I will demand a commitment from parents at a BOY meeting, and try to have a trip that's shorter than three days (two days better!). Spring carnival is coming up and I have zero idea what the class is doing, though. I should figure that out!!
The class is, I'm sure, looking forward to our Wednesday and Thursday benchmarks. As am I. Sigh. Oh well, spring break is in a week!
We had writing TAKS on February 20, so everything until then was trying to make sure the kids were ready for it. Then there was Stanford all of this last week. The kids are tired and I'm tired of tests; it's ridiculous. We've given, as a grade level, four full-day writing benchmarks plus one each of reading and math, and that's just getting started, because we have two more each of reading and math coming up--that'll make 10 days of the year just giving full-day tests, plus the Stanford tests, plus whatever they do in class.
I had an assignment for my UST class--I had to interview a student. First question: "What do you do in school?" Answer: "We take big tests." Ridiculous. They're 10. Stanford is cruel. It's ridiculously long--it has something like 14 different sections. Horrible. It took until lunch Tuesday through Friday this week.
Otherwise, things are getting better as far as "teaching" goes. Unfortunately, I can't really teach enough since I have to be measuring the kids all the time. May as well just have daily standardized tests to assess what they learned in the hour they had left over the previous day. In meeting with my TFA director for Round 2 we decided that I had to emphasize teaching a clear sequence of steps to my kids. I tried it in math and it seemed to work--they got a 78 on the write-out-the-answer lines and angles test, as opposed to an average 79 on the multiple-choice decimals test. Then the next day, we explored the relationship between their "effort" on the in class assignments and their "achievement" on the test, which not surprisingly were correlated.
So for Round 3 we have decided that, frankly, I still have zero idea what I'm doing as far as reading is concerned. Their comprehension isn't getting that much better (most of them, anyway), according to the STAR measurement, which is basically a fill-in-the-blanks test with increasing difficulty of passages. Grrr. Apparently this is because I (1) am not knowing what to teach kids because (2) I can't assess them correctly because (3) I don't know how and therefore (4) I can't teach them effectively. So the goal is to fix that.
Things are looking OK for the field trip to San Antonio, except that I don't have too many kids going (only seven or eight total). That's too bad, but at least we were able to cancel the second bus which will mean we have a little bit of a cushion and I may even be able to carry over a couple hundred dollars to next year--when I will demand a commitment from parents at a BOY meeting, and try to have a trip that's shorter than three days (two days better!). Spring carnival is coming up and I have zero idea what the class is doing, though. I should figure that out!!
The class is, I'm sure, looking forward to our Wednesday and Thursday benchmarks. As am I. Sigh. Oh well, spring break is in a week!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Eight months gone by
It was at the beginning of June 2006 that I packed up and embarked upon this rather audacious adventure. While I’d gone to Europe myself in 2004, at 19, and started college at 17 in 2002, this was moving… permanently… to a new city and state, with absolutely nobody I knew. I took finals early, skipped commencement, and arrived at the Crowne Plaza after three days of driving.
This presented the potential for plenty to go awry, and certainly, there’s a lot that has been unexpected. But I can’t say that there’s been anything that hasn’t gone “according to plan,” because really, there never was a plan. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Coming in, I definitely saw this as a two-year commitment. I’m always willing to say that my options are open, and if you’re close to me, you know that I’ve been quite indecisive on many things over the years. But being here for longer than the two years wasn’t really in my intentions at all; this was time to decide what to study in grad school, learn a lot and help out in the meantime. To some extent, I guess it still is: I’m not going to be a teacher for my entire life (though, of course… I keep my options open). But I’m not any closer to knowing what I want to study as a graduate student. Given the fact that grad school’s a pretty hefty cost, and one that I’ll be shouldering this time, I’m not eager to start a program I’m unsure about.
I’ve always kinda been the “kid who was over his head,” socially if not academically. I’ll be 22 in March with almost a full year of work experience and two B.A. degrees. What that’s meant, though, is that it’s taken me longer to adjust socially, to figure out what the real expectations are, to read between the lines of my role. I’m not sure if that’s just my nature or if it’s due to being behind agewise throughout my life… perhaps both. Anyway, I figure there’s no reason to hurry this time. I want to learn to do something well, and actually do it for a while before getting rushed away for the next step in a breakneck life.
I did the right thing in joining TFA. As I’ve commented before, I do enjoy the teaching, when the kids don’t horribly frustrate me. I think it’s still hard for me to identify with where some of them are coming from… I just really haven’t had the same home life as they have and I still think of “home” as someplace where parents make sure you do your work. I don’t realize what these kids have been exposed to at their age. But I do feel like I’m doing something good. There are lots of bad teachers. I’m not at the bottom, and I think my kids can have success academically this year. What does that mean for their future? I’ve got no idea right now.
So, that adds up to this: yes, I’m seriously considering staying in Houston beyond two years to be a good teacher, to really get involved in the community, and try to turn some kids into good learners. That’s something my current students aren’t.
What has teaching taught me? Communication… I’m definitely still learning that lesson. But I’ve always been pretty timid and shy when I’m not comfortable. Then people get surprised by my forwardness. I tend to avoid confrontation, which makes things worse. I’m getting better at all of this, attacking problems head-on.
I can prioritize somewhat better, and getting better all the time. Still work to be done, to be sure. As for organization, I’ve certainly made strides. I may still seem physically disorganized, but there’s a method to it now, and I’m working towards environmental sustainability of my own physical environment, in the limited time I have when I’m not keeling over from exhaustion, preparing for class, or blogging/reading blogs (my main weakness these days).
So again… teaching has been the right thing for me… it will hopefully, on balance, be a good thing for my students… and I’ve met some amazing people in Houston who I know I will always be in touch with. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I’m a better person now, a more ready person, a more efficient person, and a more determined person, than I was when I left Seattle. And I’m happy for that.
This presented the potential for plenty to go awry, and certainly, there’s a lot that has been unexpected. But I can’t say that there’s been anything that hasn’t gone “according to plan,” because really, there never was a plan. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Coming in, I definitely saw this as a two-year commitment. I’m always willing to say that my options are open, and if you’re close to me, you know that I’ve been quite indecisive on many things over the years. But being here for longer than the two years wasn’t really in my intentions at all; this was time to decide what to study in grad school, learn a lot and help out in the meantime. To some extent, I guess it still is: I’m not going to be a teacher for my entire life (though, of course… I keep my options open). But I’m not any closer to knowing what I want to study as a graduate student. Given the fact that grad school’s a pretty hefty cost, and one that I’ll be shouldering this time, I’m not eager to start a program I’m unsure about.
I’ve always kinda been the “kid who was over his head,” socially if not academically. I’ll be 22 in March with almost a full year of work experience and two B.A. degrees. What that’s meant, though, is that it’s taken me longer to adjust socially, to figure out what the real expectations are, to read between the lines of my role. I’m not sure if that’s just my nature or if it’s due to being behind agewise throughout my life… perhaps both. Anyway, I figure there’s no reason to hurry this time. I want to learn to do something well, and actually do it for a while before getting rushed away for the next step in a breakneck life.
I did the right thing in joining TFA. As I’ve commented before, I do enjoy the teaching, when the kids don’t horribly frustrate me. I think it’s still hard for me to identify with where some of them are coming from… I just really haven’t had the same home life as they have and I still think of “home” as someplace where parents make sure you do your work. I don’t realize what these kids have been exposed to at their age. But I do feel like I’m doing something good. There are lots of bad teachers. I’m not at the bottom, and I think my kids can have success academically this year. What does that mean for their future? I’ve got no idea right now.
So, that adds up to this: yes, I’m seriously considering staying in Houston beyond two years to be a good teacher, to really get involved in the community, and try to turn some kids into good learners. That’s something my current students aren’t.
What has teaching taught me? Communication… I’m definitely still learning that lesson. But I’ve always been pretty timid and shy when I’m not comfortable. Then people get surprised by my forwardness. I tend to avoid confrontation, which makes things worse. I’m getting better at all of this, attacking problems head-on.
I can prioritize somewhat better, and getting better all the time. Still work to be done, to be sure. As for organization, I’ve certainly made strides. I may still seem physically disorganized, but there’s a method to it now, and I’m working towards environmental sustainability of my own physical environment, in the limited time I have when I’m not keeling over from exhaustion, preparing for class, or blogging/reading blogs (my main weakness these days).
So again… teaching has been the right thing for me… it will hopefully, on balance, be a good thing for my students… and I’ve met some amazing people in Houston who I know I will always be in touch with. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I’m a better person now, a more ready person, a more efficient person, and a more determined person, than I was when I left Seattle. And I’m happy for that.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Of teachers' unions and evaluations
The teachers' union is upset about the new performance pay system, which I believe focuses on (1) school test score improvement and (2) individual teacher test score improvement. Now, I am not sure if I am going to be screwed by this system, because my kids are transitioning and therefore will score lower, especially in reading and writing.
The union is angered enough that it apparently has asked teachers to stay out from after-school activities next week, to "show our value" or something of the sort. Having not been at the union meeting, I can't attest to the precise explanation. I'm going to stay in, as I want to work with my students... I'm there for them, and I don't want them to be hurt by an absence. (How much are "the students," in a broader perspective, hurt by the pay system perhaps lowering morale and unity among teachers? No idea, to be honest. But I'm still grappling with effectiveness and tutorials are one of the more effective places for me to work with them. I don't want to hurt the low ones right now. Perhaps when I am more effective in the classroom I will feel justified to do such things.)
Unfortunately, either way I act it is inevitably a personal statement. I don't honestly know what the right thing to do is right now. I don't know the history of the union's relationship with the district and the background to bargaining; I can't state for myself who's right and who's wrong. I don't even know who on my campus comes down on what side and who I would possibly irritate. Given that, I want to take the route that will be least harmful to the kids (in the immediate "my class" sense) while I get my bearings on the whole thing.
Another question is--can we implement a performance pay system in any other way, given current circumstances? I was pondering this... the only way I see to do evaluations, beyond test scores, is in-person reviews. While I like my principal and school and believe that evaluations would be fair, plenty of stories I hear suggest that this trust and the potential for fair reviews don't exist at many campuses, that is, the lack of good administration, in addition to preventing academic progress from students, also would preempt an efficient teacher incentive system and discourage good teachers. Independent review? Perhaps an idea worth looking into, but will the union go for it? I'm not optimistic.
And on the subject of evaluations: in evaluating my own progress as a teacher, there's lots of progress to be made. I've started reading Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe, and I think it will really change the way I approach curriculum. More updates on that to come as I progress.
The union is angered enough that it apparently has asked teachers to stay out from after-school activities next week, to "show our value" or something of the sort. Having not been at the union meeting, I can't attest to the precise explanation. I'm going to stay in, as I want to work with my students... I'm there for them, and I don't want them to be hurt by an absence. (How much are "the students," in a broader perspective, hurt by the pay system perhaps lowering morale and unity among teachers? No idea, to be honest. But I'm still grappling with effectiveness and tutorials are one of the more effective places for me to work with them. I don't want to hurt the low ones right now. Perhaps when I am more effective in the classroom I will feel justified to do such things.)
Unfortunately, either way I act it is inevitably a personal statement. I don't honestly know what the right thing to do is right now. I don't know the history of the union's relationship with the district and the background to bargaining; I can't state for myself who's right and who's wrong. I don't even know who on my campus comes down on what side and who I would possibly irritate. Given that, I want to take the route that will be least harmful to the kids (in the immediate "my class" sense) while I get my bearings on the whole thing.
Another question is--can we implement a performance pay system in any other way, given current circumstances? I was pondering this... the only way I see to do evaluations, beyond test scores, is in-person reviews. While I like my principal and school and believe that evaluations would be fair, plenty of stories I hear suggest that this trust and the potential for fair reviews don't exist at many campuses, that is, the lack of good administration, in addition to preventing academic progress from students, also would preempt an efficient teacher incentive system and discourage good teachers. Independent review? Perhaps an idea worth looking into, but will the union go for it? I'm not optimistic.
And on the subject of evaluations: in evaluating my own progress as a teacher, there's lots of progress to be made. I've started reading Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe, and I think it will really change the way I approach curriculum. More updates on that to come as I progress.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
And as for the war...
Over half of Houston students don't graduate from high school, according to a recent Chronicle article. Meanwhile, those that do earn, on average, $9900 more per year.
I asked my class to brainstorm what they would do with $9,900. One response I got:
"If I had $9,900.00 I would build a machine to make more money. With the money I make I would buy alot of tanks and my own ARMY. I would use the tanks to bring BUSH to IRAQ so he could be in ARMY"
I can't find the actual paper right now, so if I do, I will change whatever I got wrong, but that was about the gist of it. It cracked me up all day.
I asked my class to brainstorm what they would do with $9,900. One response I got:
"If I had $9,900.00 I would build a machine to make more money. With the money I make I would buy alot of tanks and my own ARMY. I would use the tanks to bring BUSH to IRAQ so he could be in ARMY"
I can't find the actual paper right now, so if I do, I will change whatever I got wrong, but that was about the gist of it. It cracked me up all day.
One crazy day
Wednesday, January 31, 2007.
This is on the heels of, Tuesday afternoon, a bunch of students coming and talking to me about how four boys in the class are giving them problems.
(1) Tired, I vaguely manage to stumble out of bed, not really eating breakfast, and I pull in the school gate at 7:57 as it is being locked. I have no idea what I am going to teach.
(2) The principal arrives for my official annual evaluation around 8:30. Remember, I have no idea what I'm actually doing on this day. Not entirely true, I guess... we always do a warmup and go over homework. When we finish that, we go to the ESL reading textbook and just do the next story, which I haven't read at all, and don't have the teacher's guide with me for.
(3) Principal, at length, leaves. I switch classes to my mentor's classroom while he comes in to talk to them about TAKS writing strategies and I have to watch his kids for half an hour.
(4) I return, and take my students to library. Rest!
(5) Taking them out of the library, librarian tells me she was tired of four of them screwing around (as am I), sent them to social worker, social worker has notes for home, they have to go to counseling for behavior problems. Okay.
(6) Social worker comes to my class. Asks what I did to follow up on yesterday. Did I speak to the principal? I say I have scheduled a parent conference for 4:30 but I didn't speak to the principal. Didn't know I was supposed to. She offers to take all of them--the boys and the complainers, so about half the class--to the office. I say okay.
(7) Lunch. Another respite.
(8) After lunch, I lose a bunch of people for various intervals while the office interviews everyone. Eventually, they all get sent back to my class in time for the end of the day. End of day goes surprisingly smoothly and I dismiss.
(9) Students come in after school for tutorials. One of the boys who got in trouble, [z] comes in and mumbles something to me about "[x] and [y] are in the office because they were looking at porno or something." Huh????
(10) About 10 minutes later, boy [x] comes into the room, crying, and puts his head down. I do feel slightly bad, but not horribly so. Boy [y] comes in about 5 minutes later, not quite as emotional. Eventually they join tutorials. I'm pretty sure those are suspension letters, but for what? They read the letters to themselves... yep... "Nivel III...Mirando revista pornográfica". Suspended at home for a day.
(11) [x]'s parents come in for the meeting (that I arranged yesterday). Things have changed quite a bit since then. I just say "ehhh... a lot more has happened today" and start to explain. Principal comes into the hall in the middle and explains. Etc, etc.
(12) At some point, I go home. Principal does inform me that [z] actually told on [x], [y] and the rest. heh.
(13) Today, I teach class and it goes really well! But the suspension was only one day... so here comes tomorrow.
On the bright side also, I got the results of the observation today, and somehow it went really well.
This is on the heels of, Tuesday afternoon, a bunch of students coming and talking to me about how four boys in the class are giving them problems.
(1) Tired, I vaguely manage to stumble out of bed, not really eating breakfast, and I pull in the school gate at 7:57 as it is being locked. I have no idea what I am going to teach.
(2) The principal arrives for my official annual evaluation around 8:30. Remember, I have no idea what I'm actually doing on this day. Not entirely true, I guess... we always do a warmup and go over homework. When we finish that, we go to the ESL reading textbook and just do the next story, which I haven't read at all, and don't have the teacher's guide with me for.
(3) Principal, at length, leaves. I switch classes to my mentor's classroom while he comes in to talk to them about TAKS writing strategies and I have to watch his kids for half an hour.
(4) I return, and take my students to library. Rest!
(5) Taking them out of the library, librarian tells me she was tired of four of them screwing around (as am I), sent them to social worker, social worker has notes for home, they have to go to counseling for behavior problems. Okay.
(6) Social worker comes to my class. Asks what I did to follow up on yesterday. Did I speak to the principal? I say I have scheduled a parent conference for 4:30 but I didn't speak to the principal. Didn't know I was supposed to. She offers to take all of them--the boys and the complainers, so about half the class--to the office. I say okay.
(7) Lunch. Another respite.
(8) After lunch, I lose a bunch of people for various intervals while the office interviews everyone. Eventually, they all get sent back to my class in time for the end of the day. End of day goes surprisingly smoothly and I dismiss.
(9) Students come in after school for tutorials. One of the boys who got in trouble, [z] comes in and mumbles something to me about "[x] and [y] are in the office because they were looking at porno or something." Huh????
(10) About 10 minutes later, boy [x] comes into the room, crying, and puts his head down. I do feel slightly bad, but not horribly so. Boy [y] comes in about 5 minutes later, not quite as emotional. Eventually they join tutorials. I'm pretty sure those are suspension letters, but for what? They read the letters to themselves... yep... "Nivel III...Mirando revista pornográfica". Suspended at home for a day.
(11) [x]'s parents come in for the meeting (that I arranged yesterday). Things have changed quite a bit since then. I just say "ehhh... a lot more has happened today" and start to explain. Principal comes into the hall in the middle and explains. Etc, etc.
(12) At some point, I go home. Principal does inform me that [z] actually told on [x], [y] and the rest. heh.
(13) Today, I teach class and it goes really well! But the suspension was only one day... so here comes tomorrow.
On the bright side also, I got the results of the observation today, and somehow it went really well.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Next year...
Is it bad to already be thinking forward to next year? I think it's a good thing. I am actually full of anticipation. I've already made the list of school supplies for parents and I'm planning out my class goals. The biggest difference: I actually know what I'm doing.
They tell you that "the first week is all procedures." I was like "what? I can't even think of two days' worth of procedures to teach." Now I get it--you might teach something, but you spend forever doing it and make sure the kids do it the right way. You set the disciplinary tone early too, something I couldn't do this year because I didn't have time! All the time was spent trying to plan for the class, which in retrospect was OK, but it would have been better if I had the kids following procedures, no matter how inane, than what I was doing academically (which wasn't very good anyway).
I'm also planning out units. My first three weeks, reading will be all in Spanish to get students accustomed to what we are doing. I don't think I had the Spanish skill to do that this year--but now I do. I know what to do for math and I have a better idea of what they will and won't know already. I know what texts I'm going to use, what they can handle and what they can't.
The disorganization of my kids will get a lot better. I already mentioned the school supplies; I know how they're going to be organized too--three binders, everything goes in a binder. As for my stuff, I'm going to spend the summer (taking classes and) putting it all into my own binders for organizational purposes.
Finally, I want to get parents more involved with occasional parent meetings. I'm hoping to plan a field trip for my class, and possibly others who are interested, to a college/university (Rice would be my first choice).
I guess I should add that this year is going fine! 15 of my 22 kids are on track to pass writing now, according to the benchmark, which is up from 6/21 in October. I think most of them can pass reading and math, too, as long as we get through the material in math. They're doing a better job at reading independently, too. I'm excited about what we can do together for the next couple of months.
Anyway, though, I'm ridiculously busy what with Mon/Tues/Wed tutorials, Sat morning tutorials, Wed night class, the occasional TFA or HISD professional development requirement, planning, and working for field trip fundraiser. Hence the lack of posting here or at the other show recently. I'm going to try to talk some more this weekend. Honest.
They tell you that "the first week is all procedures." I was like "what? I can't even think of two days' worth of procedures to teach." Now I get it--you might teach something, but you spend forever doing it and make sure the kids do it the right way. You set the disciplinary tone early too, something I couldn't do this year because I didn't have time! All the time was spent trying to plan for the class, which in retrospect was OK, but it would have been better if I had the kids following procedures, no matter how inane, than what I was doing academically (which wasn't very good anyway).
I'm also planning out units. My first three weeks, reading will be all in Spanish to get students accustomed to what we are doing. I don't think I had the Spanish skill to do that this year--but now I do. I know what to do for math and I have a better idea of what they will and won't know already. I know what texts I'm going to use, what they can handle and what they can't.
The disorganization of my kids will get a lot better. I already mentioned the school supplies; I know how they're going to be organized too--three binders, everything goes in a binder. As for my stuff, I'm going to spend the summer (taking classes and) putting it all into my own binders for organizational purposes.
Finally, I want to get parents more involved with occasional parent meetings. I'm hoping to plan a field trip for my class, and possibly others who are interested, to a college/university (Rice would be my first choice).
I guess I should add that this year is going fine! 15 of my 22 kids are on track to pass writing now, according to the benchmark, which is up from 6/21 in October. I think most of them can pass reading and math, too, as long as we get through the material in math. They're doing a better job at reading independently, too. I'm excited about what we can do together for the next couple of months.
Anyway, though, I'm ridiculously busy what with Mon/Tues/Wed tutorials, Sat morning tutorials, Wed night class, the occasional TFA or HISD professional development requirement, planning, and working for field trip fundraiser. Hence the lack of posting here or at the other show recently. I'm going to try to talk some more this weekend. Honest.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
TFA's Lone Star
...is a good thing. Went to San Antonio for the weekend and saw some useful things at workshops, and a couple friends from RGV who I hadn't seen in a long while. As a result I have an Amazon.com order in for Marzano's Learning Strategies, a book called Understanding by Design that hopefully is a great way to organize units, and Stephen Covey's 7 Habits (and I thought I'd never actually read that stuff...).
Also, got to see Jaime Escalante speak (he was the keynote), of the movie Stand and Deliver fame (he started a very successful AP Calculus program at a HS in East LA). He was a very nice man and he found every story amusing, which in itself was amusing and endearing. He did go on a bit long, and he tended to monotone a bit, but it was still awesome to see the guy, and apparently he did this just for TFA, so good on him.
For those of you who are already in the TFA cult, Aurora Lora (!!!) was the opening speaker. She was all right. She's reopening a closing, failing middle school in Portland, Oregon next year into an all-girls charter school. Should be interesting.
Also, got to see Jaime Escalante speak (he was the keynote), of the movie Stand and Deliver fame (he started a very successful AP Calculus program at a HS in East LA). He was a very nice man and he found every story amusing, which in itself was amusing and endearing. He did go on a bit long, and he tended to monotone a bit, but it was still awesome to see the guy, and apparently he did this just for TFA, so good on him.
For those of you who are already in the TFA cult, Aurora Lora (!!!) was the opening speaker. She was all right. She's reopening a closing, failing middle school in Portland, Oregon next year into an all-girls charter school. Should be interesting.
Explaining the lack of posting
I was working on a post, I swear.
Things are ramping up here... writing TAKS is in about exactly a month and the kids need to learn grammar, fast!! I am going to start teaching weekday after school tutorials (they had a different teacher before) plus we are starting Saturdays this week (yay!).
Which doesn't explain the fact that there hasn't been much on here and lots on the other site. Regarding that... well, I think it is helping me to stay sane to blog more on political issues. I think enough about my teaching to myself right now and I'm kind of back in that phase where blogging lots about it is just overkill for me given the pressure.
But I will try to keep it updated. Really.
Things are ramping up here... writing TAKS is in about exactly a month and the kids need to learn grammar, fast!! I am going to start teaching weekday after school tutorials (they had a different teacher before) plus we are starting Saturdays this week (yay!).
Which doesn't explain the fact that there hasn't been much on here and lots on the other site. Regarding that... well, I think it is helping me to stay sane to blog more on political issues. I think enough about my teaching to myself right now and I'm kind of back in that phase where blogging lots about it is just overkill for me given the pressure.
But I will try to keep it updated. Really.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
1/4 over (I wish my students knew what 1/4 is)
The semester is over.
Comparing now to the beginning of the year... well, my job has stayed the same. A lot of people's job titles have changed. Bilingual gives you stability, because they don't have anyone to take your spot. It probably also means that some bad teachers get more security.
I still need to do better at making sure the kids have the vocab they need to succeed. I need to do better at a lot of things. Their average performance on certain things is still very low--I know there need to be way more efficient ways. I know you can always improve, but I want to improve a lot, now.
Today I saw at least one kid reading the book I gave him for Christmas. Good. I got a lot of mugs--certainly something I can use. I think the only thing most of them could think about me is "he drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee."
I go in tomorrow to clean up, do permanent folders, and take care of a couple other tasks, and then we don't start again until January 3. Now, to do some Christmas shopping...
Comparing now to the beginning of the year... well, my job has stayed the same. A lot of people's job titles have changed. Bilingual gives you stability, because they don't have anyone to take your spot. It probably also means that some bad teachers get more security.
I still need to do better at making sure the kids have the vocab they need to succeed. I need to do better at a lot of things. Their average performance on certain things is still very low--I know there need to be way more efficient ways. I know you can always improve, but I want to improve a lot, now.
Today I saw at least one kid reading the book I gave him for Christmas. Good. I got a lot of mugs--certainly something I can use. I think the only thing most of them could think about me is "he drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee."
I go in tomorrow to clean up, do permanent folders, and take care of a couple other tasks, and then we don't start again until January 3. Now, to do some Christmas shopping...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Quick jolly comments
I hate holidays.
Anyway, tomorrow evening I have a final exam, which will be preceded by the merriment of the class holiday party. I got everyone from the class books--which hopefully are matched up well to their interests. Some are lightly used, some new. I hope they'll actually read them...
Today we had the school holiday assembly. Or, I should say, Christmas assembly. There aren't any other holidays. In fact, the kids sang some Jesus song (I don't know what it's called because I don't know what any of them are called) and there was actually a Joseph and Mary on stage, with a little plastic Jesus.
Ah, Texas.
Anyway, tomorrow evening I have a final exam, which will be preceded by the merriment of the class holiday party. I got everyone from the class books--which hopefully are matched up well to their interests. Some are lightly used, some new. I hope they'll actually read them...
Today we had the school holiday assembly. Or, I should say, Christmas assembly. There aren't any other holidays. In fact, the kids sang some Jesus song (I don't know what it's called because I don't know what any of them are called) and there was actually a Joseph and Mary on stage, with a little plastic Jesus.
Ah, Texas.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Holiday season
HISD is almost ready to dismiss... we have 3 1/2 more useless days. Many of the teachers say that there are too many distractions at school. I think they are right. I would like to be able to focus with my kids, but...
Last week we started giving the "benchmarks," that is, practice standardized tests (TAKS). However, they weren't real TAKS release tests (you can find those online, by the way, if you want to know what my kids are going to take). They were TAKSMaster, that is, by a private company, and they were way harder than the TAKS. It is useless for me to know that my class can't read them, because I already knew that. They scored 39 percent on reading and 50 percent on math (that math score actually makes me rather optimistic, because there wasn't a lot of variation, and once we get through measurement, fractions, and decimals, I think they will be closer to 70-80 percent on a test that was harder than TAKS). Still... had it been real TAKS it might have been worth my time. Giving these harder tests depresses them, depresses me, and wastes my week.
So tomorrow, we are doing it again, this time for writing. Their writing is gradually improving... they generally have good ideas, but struggle with execution and providing details. I am optimistic that, in the end, they will be OK with compositions. What worries me is the grammar. Their grammar is horrible and not really getting better. We are going to focus intensely starting in January, so hopefully they will get there, but...
Tuesday the After School Program is presenting their holiday songs, and Tuesday is a short day anyway because I have my horizontal team meetings, so not much I can do. Wednesday we have our holiday party, Thursday is early dismissal and ends the week. So basically they didn't learn all that much last week and won't this week either. They need so much work that it really worries me that this time is being wasted.
I'm sure I've got plenty of other thoughts right now, but I'll wait until I've had time to put them together in some sort of comprehensible order. Happy holidays!
Oh, and just for everyone... a shot of my classroom:
Last week we started giving the "benchmarks," that is, practice standardized tests (TAKS). However, they weren't real TAKS release tests (you can find those online, by the way, if you want to know what my kids are going to take). They were TAKSMaster, that is, by a private company, and they were way harder than the TAKS. It is useless for me to know that my class can't read them, because I already knew that. They scored 39 percent on reading and 50 percent on math (that math score actually makes me rather optimistic, because there wasn't a lot of variation, and once we get through measurement, fractions, and decimals, I think they will be closer to 70-80 percent on a test that was harder than TAKS). Still... had it been real TAKS it might have been worth my time. Giving these harder tests depresses them, depresses me, and wastes my week.
So tomorrow, we are doing it again, this time for writing. Their writing is gradually improving... they generally have good ideas, but struggle with execution and providing details. I am optimistic that, in the end, they will be OK with compositions. What worries me is the grammar. Their grammar is horrible and not really getting better. We are going to focus intensely starting in January, so hopefully they will get there, but...
Tuesday the After School Program is presenting their holiday songs, and Tuesday is a short day anyway because I have my horizontal team meetings, so not much I can do. Wednesday we have our holiday party, Thursday is early dismissal and ends the week. So basically they didn't learn all that much last week and won't this week either. They need so much work that it really worries me that this time is being wasted.
I'm sure I've got plenty of other thoughts right now, but I'll wait until I've had time to put them together in some sort of comprehensible order. Happy holidays!
Oh, and just for everyone... a shot of my classroom:
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Enjoying the experience?
I don't want to say yet that I fully enjoy being a teacher. I'm not very good at a lot of aspects yet, especially organization and record keeping, I'm inefficient, I'm not always the best at, really, any part of the job. But I am interested in the job. I don't mind the planning that goes into it (as always, my planning outpaces my execution). And it's something I could actually see myself doing.
Last weekend we went to the Renaissance Festival ("we" being myself and seven of the kids). Had a great time--they even had steak on a stick, something I've been casting about for for a while. This week we didn't have all the time we needed, but I managed to teach a few things. They're struggling a little bit with 2x2 multiplication but I think that they're mostly getting it. I'm finally getting a little more coordinated with the teacher who works with my students in tutorials.
At a TFA development event last week I met another 4th grade bilingual teacher. She said she is the only one in her ('05) corps who teaches 4th grade transitional (i.e. her kids are transitioning to English). In my corps there is myself and one other teacher I believe (my induction roommate). Possibly one or two more. It is a very difficult position... and we'll see what my results are like. That will probably determine whether I am back, and how much, exactly, I enjoy teaching...
Last weekend we went to the Renaissance Festival ("we" being myself and seven of the kids). Had a great time--they even had steak on a stick, something I've been casting about for for a while. This week we didn't have all the time we needed, but I managed to teach a few things. They're struggling a little bit with 2x2 multiplication but I think that they're mostly getting it. I'm finally getting a little more coordinated with the teacher who works with my students in tutorials.
At a TFA development event last week I met another 4th grade bilingual teacher. She said she is the only one in her ('05) corps who teaches 4th grade transitional (i.e. her kids are transitioning to English). In my corps there is myself and one other teacher I believe (my induction roommate). Possibly one or two more. It is a very difficult position... and we'll see what my results are like. That will probably determine whether I am back, and how much, exactly, I enjoy teaching...
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Status check... and only two weeks 'til a break
Well...
First of all, if you only read this blog, I sometimes post over on my other blog--but that's an explicitly nonteaching, all-my-other-thoughts place (if they don't get on Facebook notes, that is).
Second, in the spare time I have to blog, I often don't like to talk overly much about my teaching problems--I want to escape!
That is my explanation for why my blogging is so sporadic. As I've said before, I'm not too good at this whole thing, but sometimes I like to try and pretend that I can do it. :)
What's going on right now? Well... crazy stuff. My disorganization has caught up with me and I'm in the process of trying to make everything straightened up. Perhaps related, perhaps not, my kids aren't doing that well on the assessments we just gave them. That is, they really aren't doing that much better than they would at the beginning of the year, I don't think. Mitigating factors are perhaps the following:
(1) Their English still needs lots of work, and when it gets better, so will their math scores (since they'll actually understand all the problems);
(2) The subject I have taught in the most uniform fashion, English grammar, was their best subject on the assessment.
The biggest issue is that I still have such a range, and some of them are just so low that it's unbelievable. I thought the point of the bilingual program was that they would be phasing into English, and while a lot of them are, some of them are just not doing well. It's tough for me to teach anything in Spanish, too, since they are testing in English.
The other problem I think I have had this year is I have not asked enough questions or gotten enough help on my own. The approach my administration has generally had is "we are too busy to watch you" (not explicitly given, of course, but that's been the reality). This has been good insofar as I've escaped direct sanctioning for anything I've done or not done, but been very negative as far as offers for help are concerned. I'm making a concerted effort now to understand what resources I have and use them appropriately.
One thing I am doing to change my approach is moving to a more uniform, textbook reading format. I just don't think that I, or they, have the capability right now to extract large gains from independent reading. They'll still do it, particularly at home, but as for expecting that to be the bulk of their in-class reading as I have been trying for a few weeks, that is over.
There are more issues than that right now, of course, and everything is complicated, but that's about all the time I have right now.
First of all, if you only read this blog, I sometimes post over on my other blog--but that's an explicitly nonteaching, all-my-other-thoughts place (if they don't get on Facebook notes, that is).
Second, in the spare time I have to blog, I often don't like to talk overly much about my teaching problems--I want to escape!
That is my explanation for why my blogging is so sporadic. As I've said before, I'm not too good at this whole thing, but sometimes I like to try and pretend that I can do it. :)
What's going on right now? Well... crazy stuff. My disorganization has caught up with me and I'm in the process of trying to make everything straightened up. Perhaps related, perhaps not, my kids aren't doing that well on the assessments we just gave them. That is, they really aren't doing that much better than they would at the beginning of the year, I don't think. Mitigating factors are perhaps the following:
(1) Their English still needs lots of work, and when it gets better, so will their math scores (since they'll actually understand all the problems);
(2) The subject I have taught in the most uniform fashion, English grammar, was their best subject on the assessment.
The biggest issue is that I still have such a range, and some of them are just so low that it's unbelievable. I thought the point of the bilingual program was that they would be phasing into English, and while a lot of them are, some of them are just not doing well. It's tough for me to teach anything in Spanish, too, since they are testing in English.
The other problem I think I have had this year is I have not asked enough questions or gotten enough help on my own. The approach my administration has generally had is "we are too busy to watch you" (not explicitly given, of course, but that's been the reality). This has been good insofar as I've escaped direct sanctioning for anything I've done or not done, but been very negative as far as offers for help are concerned. I'm making a concerted effort now to understand what resources I have and use them appropriately.
One thing I am doing to change my approach is moving to a more uniform, textbook reading format. I just don't think that I, or they, have the capability right now to extract large gains from independent reading. They'll still do it, particularly at home, but as for expecting that to be the bulk of their in-class reading as I have been trying for a few weeks, that is over.
There are more issues than that right now, of course, and everything is complicated, but that's about all the time I have right now.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Only six weeks 'til Thanksgiving! (I think)
So... the time until Thanksgiving is counting down, very slowly. I'm sitting here compulsively avoiding my prep for tomorrow (because I really just don't feel like doing it). Really, 75% of the work I have to do just involves cleaning up my own stuff around school, and I can't do that until tomorrow morning. Of course, when I'm at school, I just compulsively delay doing that too. I really need this Thanksgiving vacation... now.
We're going to start reading a book as a class tomorrow; I've borrowed a set of books from another fourth-grade teacher. I think it will only take a week, because this is a pretty easy book. Our grade is loosely starting a "Middle Ages unit".
I have one dilemma that I'm facing. One of my students still isn't showing a lot of improvement in spelling. When I say "not a lot of improvement," really I mean that she still spells everything phonetically in English (as well as in Spanish when there is some question, e.g. with silent "h", c/z/s mix-ups, etc). The question here, then, is whether this is some sort of disability. She doesn't recognize sometimes that she's spelled some words wrong until it's pointed out, and she clearly is making an effort to distinguish spellings (on tests I see her sometimes writing out multiple possibilities as a backup). She's repeating the fourth grade already, but last year was her first and only year chiefly in English. I'm not sure what the best thing to do is in this situation--there's got to be at least a better way of having her practice spelling, but I don't know the process for obtaining the information, which means that I've got to do some research.
I got about two-thirds of a weekend, because I spent Saturday morning at school filling out some useless paperwork. So I'm going to leave this entry rather disorganized as it is. Don't tell my kids that the paragraphs are of grossly differing lengths--they'd lose their respect for me as a writer.
We're going to start reading a book as a class tomorrow; I've borrowed a set of books from another fourth-grade teacher. I think it will only take a week, because this is a pretty easy book. Our grade is loosely starting a "Middle Ages unit".
I have one dilemma that I'm facing. One of my students still isn't showing a lot of improvement in spelling. When I say "not a lot of improvement," really I mean that she still spells everything phonetically in English (as well as in Spanish when there is some question, e.g. with silent "h", c/z/s mix-ups, etc). The question here, then, is whether this is some sort of disability. She doesn't recognize sometimes that she's spelled some words wrong until it's pointed out, and she clearly is making an effort to distinguish spellings (on tests I see her sometimes writing out multiple possibilities as a backup). She's repeating the fourth grade already, but last year was her first and only year chiefly in English. I'm not sure what the best thing to do is in this situation--there's got to be at least a better way of having her practice spelling, but I don't know the process for obtaining the information, which means that I've got to do some research.
I got about two-thirds of a weekend, because I spent Saturday morning at school filling out some useless paperwork. So I'm going to leave this entry rather disorganized as it is. Don't tell my kids that the paragraphs are of grossly differing lengths--they'd lose their respect for me as a writer.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Backwards-planning my future
Well... guess I probably owe everyone a post. Thanks to those who have asked when my next post is coming. It's been a busy time, as always.
This weekend was a three-day weekend and I'm not returning to school tomorrow--I'm going to go ahead and barge in on a training that I'm on the wait list for. Bet a bunch of other people do the same. (To be fair, I believe I'm #1 on the waiting list).
Anyway, true to myself, this weekend prepping for the next week has been priority #2, after priority #1: keeping up with all the elections news. In particular, the Liberal "Super Weekend" in Canada, the presidential elections in Zambia and Brazil, and parliamentary polls in Austria and Bosnia. There will be no commentary, since this isn't where that goes, so moving on...
It's interesting to see how many people by this point are talking about their post-two year plans. Everywhere I go it's a topic of conversation. I think it comes up so much because of the frustrations that people feel about not being instantly good teachers; I'm certainly not saying I don't think about it, it's on my mind a lot to be honest (though my intentions still belong to me alone, and let it just be said that I'm open minded). But you can tell who really loves it so far and who's natural, and who's just pretty good (I'm in that group, I think), and who's struggling--there have been a couple who have left already.
Of those who are leaving, well, perhaps they were just misplaced. After all, I went into this wanting to teach high school social studies, not fourth graders. While I love my fourth graders, and I certainly don't deal with the same sorts of discipline and home issues that high school teachers have to, I certainly couldn't have taught pre-K; I would have quit. I just don't do 3-year-olds. (And luckily, I'm certified 4-8, so they can't move me down there).
So, how is teaching going, you ask? Fairly well, I think. I went in with all the ambitions to do everything that they tell us to in TFA, then got entirely off track because it's so freaking difficult. And now I'm coming back to where I should be: I'm developing a tracking system to make sure that students are meeting objectives, I'm backwards planning the rest of the time before Christmas (this is a TFA term for long-term planning and I'm not sure what the "backwards" part is), I'm getting my LPs done at home so there's no laptop at school, and, very gradually, my classroom is getting more organized and procedures are taking shape.
The one thing I'm a little worried about is parent contact, though I'm trying to pick that up a bit. I have trouble with a couple kids and I need to be talking to their parents more than I am (as well as everyone else's parents, in theory). I'm hoping that's not what's getting some kids to say "no" to the San Antonio/Austin trip is that their parents don't know me. So far exactly half of my class is going and a few aren't. I feel bad for those that aren't, but I also have the most socioeconomically disadvantaged class in the fourth grade (being the kids whose parents don't speak English, and who aren't GT--i.e. are from the immediate neighborhood), so perhaps it's just too much to overcome in any event.
So those are some quick reflections on life to date. Just prepping for the big dip in energy that's supposedly coming...
One last note: over the weekend I got set loose in Borders (my mistake) and bought a copy of the biography of Khrushchev, by William Taubman. I'm very excited.
This weekend was a three-day weekend and I'm not returning to school tomorrow--I'm going to go ahead and barge in on a training that I'm on the wait list for. Bet a bunch of other people do the same. (To be fair, I believe I'm #1 on the waiting list).
Anyway, true to myself, this weekend prepping for the next week has been priority #2, after priority #1: keeping up with all the elections news. In particular, the Liberal "Super Weekend" in Canada, the presidential elections in Zambia and Brazil, and parliamentary polls in Austria and Bosnia. There will be no commentary, since this isn't where that goes, so moving on...
It's interesting to see how many people by this point are talking about their post-two year plans. Everywhere I go it's a topic of conversation. I think it comes up so much because of the frustrations that people feel about not being instantly good teachers; I'm certainly not saying I don't think about it, it's on my mind a lot to be honest (though my intentions still belong to me alone, and let it just be said that I'm open minded). But you can tell who really loves it so far and who's natural, and who's just pretty good (I'm in that group, I think), and who's struggling--there have been a couple who have left already.
Of those who are leaving, well, perhaps they were just misplaced. After all, I went into this wanting to teach high school social studies, not fourth graders. While I love my fourth graders, and I certainly don't deal with the same sorts of discipline and home issues that high school teachers have to, I certainly couldn't have taught pre-K; I would have quit. I just don't do 3-year-olds. (And luckily, I'm certified 4-8, so they can't move me down there).
So, how is teaching going, you ask? Fairly well, I think. I went in with all the ambitions to do everything that they tell us to in TFA, then got entirely off track because it's so freaking difficult. And now I'm coming back to where I should be: I'm developing a tracking system to make sure that students are meeting objectives, I'm backwards planning the rest of the time before Christmas (this is a TFA term for long-term planning and I'm not sure what the "backwards" part is), I'm getting my LPs done at home so there's no laptop at school, and, very gradually, my classroom is getting more organized and procedures are taking shape.
The one thing I'm a little worried about is parent contact, though I'm trying to pick that up a bit. I have trouble with a couple kids and I need to be talking to their parents more than I am (as well as everyone else's parents, in theory). I'm hoping that's not what's getting some kids to say "no" to the San Antonio/Austin trip is that their parents don't know me. So far exactly half of my class is going and a few aren't. I feel bad for those that aren't, but I also have the most socioeconomically disadvantaged class in the fourth grade (being the kids whose parents don't speak English, and who aren't GT--i.e. are from the immediate neighborhood), so perhaps it's just too much to overcome in any event.
So those are some quick reflections on life to date. Just prepping for the big dip in energy that's supposedly coming...
One last note: over the weekend I got set loose in Borders (my mistake) and bought a copy of the biography of Khrushchev, by William Taubman. I'm very excited.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Labor Day relaxation
Well, the three-day weekend was definitely needed, even though I didn't do everything that I should have. Instead, I went to College Station to see the A&M football game thanks to a friend who went to A&M, we had an apartment barbecue on Sunday, and then today I lounged around and got around to planning parts of next week. Just in time, too, because real observations will be starting.
I haven't said anything yet about the saga at my elementary school. Turns out our outgoing principal overbudgeted at the end of the year. Significantly. By about 60 students. That means that of the four new hires (all TFA), two got let go, because they couldn't figure out a way to save money otherwise. It's a horrible situation. I was safe because I'm bilingual--they can't get rid of me since nobody else is certified (not that I'm "certified").
So... as for learning... they did a bit better at some things last week... I slowed down some instruction as well. Wednesday was early dismissal and parent Open House--all my conversations in Spanish, and they went all right, although I was mentally tired by the end.
And how is the rest of the corps? I meet up with them occasionally... saw a few at happy hour this last Friday. Some of the Pre-K teachers aren't doing so well. Understandable. I would have quit had I been assigned to Pre-K or K; I'm just not cut out for it. I'd be better used as a lumberjack. I feel luckier the more I talk to others and figure out the school situation that I'm in compared to theirs. I hope my principal survives... he's up all hours trying to get things figured out and put in place at our school. Sure, my textbooks are still coming late, and I have no idea how to teach bilingual, or teach in general, but I feel like the tools are there. So if I fail... well, we know who's responsible.
I was talking to someone the other day and she commented that all teachers should probably have that attitude--it's the only one that will really lead to success. I guess that's true. But it's very high pressure.
After my limited time so far, I've definitely concluded that the administration and the teacher are two major indicators of student success. Schools have enough money around here--the question is if there are competent people managing it and the teachers, and if the teachers believe in their students. Another thing I feel, as unpopular as it might be to say, is that there is a difference between communities as far as educational values and expectations go. That's not to stereotype, or lump everyone in--but I see a very respectful attitude in my community to teachers, as the parents are very deferential, and even my worst students aren't that bad. This is in sharp contrast to what some other teachers are experiencing.
The one place where more money would be useful would be in attracting teachers who don't need to be bribed to get good test scores and who are innovative and have fresh ideas. The problem is that by tying test scores to bonuses, everyone teaches to the test. We need teachers who understand and care about their students and don't need that incentive--then students will really learn. This is illustrated by the "professional development" events that we go to. They are, in general, a ridiculous waste of time that caters to the LCD which needs ideas pounded in their heads before they will accept them. The major piece of knowledge I learned at my certification class last week was: if 30% of your students are going to fail, then drag up a student who put in a lot of effort and give him/her a D so you don't get investigated.
If 30% of my students are going to fail, I'll shoot myself.
(So, higher standards for teachers, anyone? And higher pay to go along with it?)
Anyway, starting this week: Stuart Little. I'm trying to put together my own reading unit around it. We'll see how it goes...
I haven't said anything yet about the saga at my elementary school. Turns out our outgoing principal overbudgeted at the end of the year. Significantly. By about 60 students. That means that of the four new hires (all TFA), two got let go, because they couldn't figure out a way to save money otherwise. It's a horrible situation. I was safe because I'm bilingual--they can't get rid of me since nobody else is certified (not that I'm "certified").
So... as for learning... they did a bit better at some things last week... I slowed down some instruction as well. Wednesday was early dismissal and parent Open House--all my conversations in Spanish, and they went all right, although I was mentally tired by the end.
And how is the rest of the corps? I meet up with them occasionally... saw a few at happy hour this last Friday. Some of the Pre-K teachers aren't doing so well. Understandable. I would have quit had I been assigned to Pre-K or K; I'm just not cut out for it. I'd be better used as a lumberjack. I feel luckier the more I talk to others and figure out the school situation that I'm in compared to theirs. I hope my principal survives... he's up all hours trying to get things figured out and put in place at our school. Sure, my textbooks are still coming late, and I have no idea how to teach bilingual, or teach in general, but I feel like the tools are there. So if I fail... well, we know who's responsible.
I was talking to someone the other day and she commented that all teachers should probably have that attitude--it's the only one that will really lead to success. I guess that's true. But it's very high pressure.
After my limited time so far, I've definitely concluded that the administration and the teacher are two major indicators of student success. Schools have enough money around here--the question is if there are competent people managing it and the teachers, and if the teachers believe in their students. Another thing I feel, as unpopular as it might be to say, is that there is a difference between communities as far as educational values and expectations go. That's not to stereotype, or lump everyone in--but I see a very respectful attitude in my community to teachers, as the parents are very deferential, and even my worst students aren't that bad. This is in sharp contrast to what some other teachers are experiencing.
The one place where more money would be useful would be in attracting teachers who don't need to be bribed to get good test scores and who are innovative and have fresh ideas. The problem is that by tying test scores to bonuses, everyone teaches to the test. We need teachers who understand and care about their students and don't need that incentive--then students will really learn. This is illustrated by the "professional development" events that we go to. They are, in general, a ridiculous waste of time that caters to the LCD which needs ideas pounded in their heads before they will accept them. The major piece of knowledge I learned at my certification class last week was: if 30% of your students are going to fail, then drag up a student who put in a lot of effort and give him/her a D so you don't get investigated.
If 30% of my students are going to fail, I'll shoot myself.
(So, higher standards for teachers, anyone? And higher pay to go along with it?)
Anyway, starting this week: Stuart Little. I'm trying to put together my own reading unit around it. We'll see how it goes...
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Two weeks down
First two weeks are over, plenty of weeks to go. I lugged home some huge boxes of material this weekend so I can get started. There are some fun party events going on this weekend but I'm not sure where people are getting time to attend them... I work better when I work in small bits, so I'm taking the weekend to decompress mostly by myself, sleep, watch TV... that whole bit. And, of course, blog.
So I have a few kids who are a little bit troublesome. But I half blame myself for the difficulties I am having in controlling them. I haven't been able to do individual conferencing yet, or start helping my kids on an individual level, because I have to keep the whole class under control. Nobody knows what to do and they're awful at following directions on worksheets. Meanwhile I have to teach out of the textbook because I don't have anything else. I'm sure this is a fate that befalls many first-year teachers but I want to make things more exciting!
Even worse is the way things are working out for my lower-English students (especially the one who speaks zero English). She doesn't know what's going on during our discussions and it is a problem for her (and it would be for me, too!). I need to get her going on the Spanish reading program, which I just received at the end of last week. Hopefully I will be able to work out a plan where she can read by herself. I believe she is the only one in the class who will take the TAKS in Spanish. I have another kid or two whose English is very, very low, and for them I think I need to have them working with sight word flash cards to start off as well as getting lower-level readers so that they can better comprehend the stories they are reading.
All of them need a lot of extra practice. I am definitely not sure to begin where to talk about writing strategies. I am not sure what they can write. In our free writes, some of them can write a lot, some of them can't; it's a matter of vocabulary, I think. As much as my program director at TFA told me not to explicitly teach vocabulary, I'm going to start teaching spelling patterns and vocabulary explicitly next week because they need to recognize (1) sight words if they don't already and (2) patterns!!!!
So the schedule is going to get busier. This week we have a Wednesday open house instead of class in the afternoon. Thursday I have a training, and I won't be in class, which is really bad... I need to cover a lot of material on Wednesday (but they get out early) so I'll have to figure out how that is going to work....
More later, perhaps I can update on some of the ups and downs of the last couple weeks, but for now I'm captivated by the planning... :)
So I have a few kids who are a little bit troublesome. But I half blame myself for the difficulties I am having in controlling them. I haven't been able to do individual conferencing yet, or start helping my kids on an individual level, because I have to keep the whole class under control. Nobody knows what to do and they're awful at following directions on worksheets. Meanwhile I have to teach out of the textbook because I don't have anything else. I'm sure this is a fate that befalls many first-year teachers but I want to make things more exciting!
Even worse is the way things are working out for my lower-English students (especially the one who speaks zero English). She doesn't know what's going on during our discussions and it is a problem for her (and it would be for me, too!). I need to get her going on the Spanish reading program, which I just received at the end of last week. Hopefully I will be able to work out a plan where she can read by herself. I believe she is the only one in the class who will take the TAKS in Spanish. I have another kid or two whose English is very, very low, and for them I think I need to have them working with sight word flash cards to start off as well as getting lower-level readers so that they can better comprehend the stories they are reading.
All of them need a lot of extra practice. I am definitely not sure to begin where to talk about writing strategies. I am not sure what they can write. In our free writes, some of them can write a lot, some of them can't; it's a matter of vocabulary, I think. As much as my program director at TFA told me not to explicitly teach vocabulary, I'm going to start teaching spelling patterns and vocabulary explicitly next week because they need to recognize (1) sight words if they don't already and (2) patterns!!!!
So the schedule is going to get busier. This week we have a Wednesday open house instead of class in the afternoon. Thursday I have a training, and I won't be in class, which is really bad... I need to cover a lot of material on Wednesday (but they get out early) so I'll have to figure out how that is going to work....
More later, perhaps I can update on some of the ups and downs of the last couple weeks, but for now I'm captivated by the planning... :)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
It's official
I am a teacher.
I am a first-year teacher.
As such, I don't really have time to be on here blogging... I should either be sleeping or planning, by all rights. There is so much to talk about, though, after just four days. It's been amazing.
The kids are savvy. They undoubtedly can outpace me. What I feel unsure about is my ability to provide engaging lesson plans. I feel like they need a really hands-on experience that I am not very good at providing. Even so, they have been very well behaved. They all really, really want to speak English. I tried doing a lesson in Spanish the other day and they all wanted to switch to English. My Spanish certainly isn't perfect, but I think it was more their desire to get better at learning English.
They are motivated. I believe the community has a passion for learning. You can see it in the kids--their parents or family know they need to learn and have infused the children with that passion. It's the only way out of the neighborhood--and it is tough neighborhood. The kids probably know more than I do about many aspects of life, even at only 9 or 10 years. They reacted positively to our goal--what I have to do is keep enforcing it.
The kids have four aspects to the goal. They are going to fill out their passports, which I am using to track their progress in the objectives that are set out for them. They are going to get 100 AR points when the goal for them is 60 (one asked me today about it, he was reading the chart on the wall with that goal and said "but we are going to get 100?". And I said "yep, you can show them. Get 100!..."). Okay, they are all going to pass the TAKS, reading, math, writing. Writing especially will be a feat. More on that later. Their last goal is writing too--being "three point writers" on the four-point TAKS rubric.
This is crazy. I almost felt guilty after giving them this goal becasue I am so unsure of my ability to get them there. But that is part of it--now I am trapped and committed to doing it for them. They are such great kids. Even the "worst" of them, behavior-wise, just talk too much, don't follow instructions. They're not hitting people, throwing things, anything like that--at least not in my classroom.
I have a very wide range of abilities. Writing ranges from the kids who write a whole page in their morning journals to those who write a few sentences to those who write two sentences. They all want to get better, I can feel it, but some don't know where to begin. What they need is just lots, lots, lots, and more vocabulary. That means more reading and listening exposure, but at the correct level. And therein lies the vast challenge. I gave reading diagnostics today. I have (according to Cloze) kids who can't read English [that was obvious before, of course] and, on the other end, kids who are at a high fourth-grade English reading level. Somewhat of the majority is probably second or third grade level. And, of course, I have to teach to the two kids who don't really speak English and who, I assume, are going to be testing in Spanish (while working at improving their English too, so they will be ready to move on). At least the ideas are the same, but it will be an uphill battle.
They also don't like to open up. I get along with them fine--they respect me, I respect them--but it is difficult for us to get beyond that. They don't like giving public compliments. They don't share things, yet, with me, though they might in the future. Yet at the same time they come together around each other. One kid cried today in class. Some of the girls were trying to help him out and they said things like "everyone cries...". Nobody laughed. Nobody made light of it... even my "bad" kids, who aren't that bad.
Okay, I'm tired and still have plans to finish. But there is more to be shared later!
I am a first-year teacher.
As such, I don't really have time to be on here blogging... I should either be sleeping or planning, by all rights. There is so much to talk about, though, after just four days. It's been amazing.
The kids are savvy. They undoubtedly can outpace me. What I feel unsure about is my ability to provide engaging lesson plans. I feel like they need a really hands-on experience that I am not very good at providing. Even so, they have been very well behaved. They all really, really want to speak English. I tried doing a lesson in Spanish the other day and they all wanted to switch to English. My Spanish certainly isn't perfect, but I think it was more their desire to get better at learning English.
They are motivated. I believe the community has a passion for learning. You can see it in the kids--their parents or family know they need to learn and have infused the children with that passion. It's the only way out of the neighborhood--and it is tough neighborhood. The kids probably know more than I do about many aspects of life, even at only 9 or 10 years. They reacted positively to our goal--what I have to do is keep enforcing it.
The kids have four aspects to the goal. They are going to fill out their passports, which I am using to track their progress in the objectives that are set out for them. They are going to get 100 AR points when the goal for them is 60 (one asked me today about it, he was reading the chart on the wall with that goal and said "but we are going to get 100?". And I said "yep, you can show them. Get 100!..."). Okay, they are all going to pass the TAKS, reading, math, writing. Writing especially will be a feat. More on that later. Their last goal is writing too--being "three point writers" on the four-point TAKS rubric.
This is crazy. I almost felt guilty after giving them this goal becasue I am so unsure of my ability to get them there. But that is part of it--now I am trapped and committed to doing it for them. They are such great kids. Even the "worst" of them, behavior-wise, just talk too much, don't follow instructions. They're not hitting people, throwing things, anything like that--at least not in my classroom.
I have a very wide range of abilities. Writing ranges from the kids who write a whole page in their morning journals to those who write a few sentences to those who write two sentences. They all want to get better, I can feel it, but some don't know where to begin. What they need is just lots, lots, lots, and more vocabulary. That means more reading and listening exposure, but at the correct level. And therein lies the vast challenge. I gave reading diagnostics today. I have (according to Cloze) kids who can't read English [that was obvious before, of course] and, on the other end, kids who are at a high fourth-grade English reading level. Somewhat of the majority is probably second or third grade level. And, of course, I have to teach to the two kids who don't really speak English and who, I assume, are going to be testing in Spanish (while working at improving their English too, so they will be ready to move on). At least the ideas are the same, but it will be an uphill battle.
They also don't like to open up. I get along with them fine--they respect me, I respect them--but it is difficult for us to get beyond that. They don't like giving public compliments. They don't share things, yet, with me, though they might in the future. Yet at the same time they come together around each other. One kid cried today in class. Some of the girls were trying to help him out and they said things like "everyone cries...". Nobody laughed. Nobody made light of it... even my "bad" kids, who aren't that bad.
Okay, I'm tired and still have plans to finish. But there is more to be shared later!
Friday, August 11, 2006
60 hours to go
Wow. A lot is happening these days. In 60 hours--less than that, more like 56--I will have my kids in the classroom and will be attempting to show them that I'm not a pushover. Not smiling the first day is what everyone at my school recommends--I plan to follow such advice. I'm told they're pretty good kids, might have some English problems, but good kids.
So I haven't blogged on here since I started at my school. Guess I should probably talk about how that's going. I know that I promised to talk about orientation but that seems less relevant the more time goes by. Point being that most of the time wasn't necessary. We had district training the week after that, which made me wish for TFA again. The first day of district training was at a hotel where there wasn't nearly enough parking--I parked in a section of the lot full of broken boards, gravel and (apparently) rusty nails. Luckily my tires survived it. The rest of the week wasn't all that much better organized, and whatever was organized, we already mostly knew.
Started school last Thursday (the 3rd). I like my principal, he's new (and increasingly tired as school draws nearer), and the staff is pretty cool, though gossip is big here. I try to steer clear of that as much as possible. I will definitely be the guy who is not in the teacher's lounge at all. We have some pretty good resources at our school and everyone is very cooperative if you need something, although I have not received all that much in terms of concrete, hands-on things. I have a serious need for storage bins for supplies (and supplies, too). Some schools took their new teachers to go on a shopping spree at stores... ours didn't, although I get the idea that if I am going to order things, I should order them now. So once our principal's secretary gets back from vacation next Wednesday, I'll submit an order.
The school is fairly well equipped. I have a TV that I can use to play DVDs off the computer (the kids have 5 computers in my room and I have a new computer too--attendance and grading will be all computerized). That means I can do Powerpoint, to my delight, although I have to be careful since the TV isn't as big as a projector would be. However, as for materials, as I said I am short. I think the teacher who preceded me took a lot of stuff... I barely have any books or manipulatives.
The worst part of the whole thing is that my room has mold, which we found when we headed into it. The teacher next door was the first to notice it. The plan was to bump me to another building (where the 3rd graders are) but then they decided that they'd get it fixed in time and I could stay in my room with the 4/5 classes. Okay, but it's still not done... the boards are clean, but the furniture needs to be cleaned badly. So I haven't done anything in the room... I have stacks of things scattered around the other room, and I've been trying to prep posters and other things to put up. I've bought a world map, and a globe tonight, and I'm trying to get all the stuff I need together (though I'm pretty disorganized at this point to be honest).
The staff, as I said, is very nice and people offer to help frequently. My mentor has given me a lot of supplies that he didn't need (the best was the CD set of National Geographic magazine from 1880 to 2000!). Hopefully I will be able to count on some help to set up. The computer system (run by the district) has been annoying, though, and I didn't get a class list until today (well, I still don't really have the list, just the kids' ID cards). I'll have 20 kids, a couple of whom were retained, I believe, but most of whom were in the same class last year (I'm the only teacher with my specific position, and so is the teacher below me in the vertical alignment).
The thing I need the most is books. If you have some of your old childhood books or know people who do, please contact me--you know how if you're reading this blog--and talk to me about getting them down here. I'll take care of the costs.
I probably won't be on here again for a few days at least, so wish me luck with the kids on Monday... I need to finalize my lesson plans for them for Monday and Tuesday so that I can "interalize," as they say. And it's late out here, and I need sleep someday... so hasta entonces...
So I haven't blogged on here since I started at my school. Guess I should probably talk about how that's going. I know that I promised to talk about orientation but that seems less relevant the more time goes by. Point being that most of the time wasn't necessary. We had district training the week after that, which made me wish for TFA again. The first day of district training was at a hotel where there wasn't nearly enough parking--I parked in a section of the lot full of broken boards, gravel and (apparently) rusty nails. Luckily my tires survived it. The rest of the week wasn't all that much better organized, and whatever was organized, we already mostly knew.
Started school last Thursday (the 3rd). I like my principal, he's new (and increasingly tired as school draws nearer), and the staff is pretty cool, though gossip is big here. I try to steer clear of that as much as possible. I will definitely be the guy who is not in the teacher's lounge at all. We have some pretty good resources at our school and everyone is very cooperative if you need something, although I have not received all that much in terms of concrete, hands-on things. I have a serious need for storage bins for supplies (and supplies, too). Some schools took their new teachers to go on a shopping spree at stores... ours didn't, although I get the idea that if I am going to order things, I should order them now. So once our principal's secretary gets back from vacation next Wednesday, I'll submit an order.
The school is fairly well equipped. I have a TV that I can use to play DVDs off the computer (the kids have 5 computers in my room and I have a new computer too--attendance and grading will be all computerized). That means I can do Powerpoint, to my delight, although I have to be careful since the TV isn't as big as a projector would be. However, as for materials, as I said I am short. I think the teacher who preceded me took a lot of stuff... I barely have any books or manipulatives.
The worst part of the whole thing is that my room has mold, which we found when we headed into it. The teacher next door was the first to notice it. The plan was to bump me to another building (where the 3rd graders are) but then they decided that they'd get it fixed in time and I could stay in my room with the 4/5 classes. Okay, but it's still not done... the boards are clean, but the furniture needs to be cleaned badly. So I haven't done anything in the room... I have stacks of things scattered around the other room, and I've been trying to prep posters and other things to put up. I've bought a world map, and a globe tonight, and I'm trying to get all the stuff I need together (though I'm pretty disorganized at this point to be honest).
The staff, as I said, is very nice and people offer to help frequently. My mentor has given me a lot of supplies that he didn't need (the best was the CD set of National Geographic magazine from 1880 to 2000!). Hopefully I will be able to count on some help to set up. The computer system (run by the district) has been annoying, though, and I didn't get a class list until today (well, I still don't really have the list, just the kids' ID cards). I'll have 20 kids, a couple of whom were retained, I believe, but most of whom were in the same class last year (I'm the only teacher with my specific position, and so is the teacher below me in the vertical alignment).
The thing I need the most is books. If you have some of your old childhood books or know people who do, please contact me--you know how if you're reading this blog--and talk to me about getting them down here. I'll take care of the costs.
I probably won't be on here again for a few days at least, so wish me luck with the kids on Monday... I need to finalize my lesson plans for them for Monday and Tuesday so that I can "interalize," as they say. And it's late out here, and I need sleep someday... so hasta entonces...
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