The first week of school is complete. Eight days complete when you add in our first, short, three-day week. Already flying by!
First, may I comment on the dynamics of our year?
English Department: We are having fun. As I noted in the previous post, we have some newbies in our area (I so miss those who chose to take a different path this year). Why are we having more fun this year? I am different (see previous post)...and maybe we are all trying more? The end result, even after just one week...we gather to talk and laugh more. One of us always has a funny to tell, sometimes about our classes, sometimes about ourselves, sometimes others become the focus. Let me clarify...not mean fun...just fun. My Goal: Keep the fun, the camaraderie. Keep it all.
My Classroom: These are as good, if not better, than any or all the classes I have had before. Not sure how the counselors...or was it The Counselor...who arranged these class rosters, but the dynamics in each is just near perfect. Again, I am having fun...and the students seem to enjoy the class as well. Time flies. The bell rings. Next group arrives. (Have heard many positive comments about my classes this year...from the students themselves, from former students, from peers, from my daughter (who is not in my class this year...yay!). Love all this evidence. AND...still learning from bell to bell. Fun!
Outside Our Box: The most negative start to a year I have ever experienced. More negative than all the previous 24 combined. Not one bit of fun yet. None. Yes, enough said...that nicely sums it up.
Now, may we discuss a skill we are teaching in our new curriculum?
In both grades I teach, we have read selections that we analyze for central idea. Then, once that central idea is identified, students prove which technique the writer used to bring that central idea to fruition. For example, in "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," the poet uses alliteration, consonance, and repetition as the means to proving central ideas relating to his thoughts on love and life. In a speech read by the seniors, the speech writer's central ideas are supported through the techniques of ethos and rhetorical questions. Then, we write about the combination of those two: central idea na d
My Thoughts:
Finding the central ideas are not so difficult for students. Identifying the techniques, though, moves this task up Bloom's.
With this in mind...and knowing our sophomores, are a bit behind on this learning curve...we shifted the method this week, to my providing teacher examples for them to dissect in preparation for their identifying central ideas and techniques and writing about them first in their groups and then solo in next week's lessons.
Using Schafer's "chunk" method works beautifully for this (some teachers refer to this as an 8-sentence paragraph). I like to begin, though, with just the central idea and one "chunk":
Topic Sentence = Central Idea
One Chunk = 3 Sentences
Signal Phrase + Evidence
Commentary/Explanation = Why the "evidence" prove the Central Idea
Commentary/Explanation
For the seniors, this is a review. For the sophomores, we are at Ground Zero, as this is a brand new method for them. As I tell them, though, learn it now...then use this method for the rest of the year. Win-win!
This New Curriculum is not mine; therefore, I am on a steep learning curve as we attempt to remain a day ahead of the students. Thus, sometimes, as in this week, I have to pause, regroup, and come back the next day with a change in methods...from their writing, to my writing the examples, to my creating the models for them to mimic, to my setting them up for success.
Have I mentioned this new curriculum has resulted in my feeling like a first year teacher...too many hours in prep for texts I would never have chosen. But, alas, that is our direction...so now to that direction we will move. The perk? Yes, I am learning.
Now, to wrap my mind around "Civil Disobedience" and "The Palace Thief"...(no, I would never have chosen this second text. From my first initial read, I would say it is too negative...students cheat, teachers not seen in the best light...hummm...we'll see what I think after some analysis.)
What did you learn new in your classroom this week? Where are you on your leaning curve?
Three days down. Three great days! 25 Thoughts on Beginning Year 25...get ready...this list may take a line or two! (If you are a music lover, please consider playing this as you read...just to set the mood...to create a bit of background atmosphere.)
1. A New Curriculum. Yes, I feel like a "new" teacher. While in some aspects that may be all well and good (nice healthy binders!), for me, this means hours of preparation, reading and really learning the new texts and their backgrounds and contexts, for that's just how this brain of mine works. Case in point...finally went to bed at 12:30 AM on Friday morning...after working 4 1/2 hours on the next day's lessons. Yes, will have to develop a better plan for that! Learning something new does remind me of what my students must be experiencing as they sit in our classroom's chairs...:)
2. Two Senior Classes. I really like seniors, for life is just so close to being much more "real." These classes came to me knowing my reputation for being the "hard" teacher. I could see it on their faces. We had a short one-minute chat about that, during which I gave them a few facts relating to what we actually accomplished last year in class: such as, how many essays we actually wrote and how short they were. I have learned that something happens to memories the moment a student leaves my door until the re-telling comes out of their mouths! It is not lying. Just omission of key details. :)
3. Three Sophomore Classes: the most talkative bunch of kids I have had in a long time! These are the newbies in our building as we are a 10-12 campus. Doesn't take long, though, for that deer-in-headlight look to vanish as they learn routines and teacher expectations. Good kids...funny, inquisitive, energetic.
4. Journalism Class. 19 reporters! Oh, my goodness! The most I have ever had in this class. Ever. I am excited about what we will produce this year. My dream of growing this department might happen with this grouping of students. One of the students is a returnee. Definitely a plus.
5. My Room. We are "sail"-ing into learning. My decor has begun the transition from being predominately a cafe-style decor to now adding a few pieces of beachy-themed items. I really like it, as the darker colors are becoming lighter. LOVE the teal blue colors...little yellow...a hint of orange.
6. Began book talks on Friday...checked out three of the Talk of the Day. One non-reader took a book suggestion that I thought he might enjoy. Another drifted in...literally...(note to self: work on that protocol for classroom visits!)...and found one he wants to read. Five books checked out...yay!
7. 20 Minutes a Day: this is our new reading emphasis. I look forward to working with kids and finding something they want to read. As a teacher, I want to do a better job of talking with the students about the content of the books, and I hope to read a lot of the books with them...another reason the new curriculum cannot dominate so much of my free time. Hopefully.
8. Parenthood. I shared some pseudo-science (or is it? I do have 24 years of teaching experience and three kids of my own!) with some classes about how much smarter they are than their parents right now, that, yes, I understand they know more than their parents do. (Wish you could have seen the smiles around the room, for they really do believe this!) I did share that gradually over the upcoming years, their parents would gain in the "smart"-ness area, that one day, years down the road, their parents will actually be some the smartest people they know. BUT, the one exception to this was myself, for I know more about this curriculum topic than they do...yes, I am smartest person in the room. Now, to prove that to them! (When I asked if they knew the term sarcasm, they did. Good.)
9. Humor. These first three days have been fun because that is my decision. I enjoy what I do, I even like this age group (teaching the children on Wednesday evenings at church quickly reminded me where my true calling is!). If I can get a smile out of them during class, then we have accomplished one of my goals for each class this year. So far? Mission accomplished. :)
10. Technology. As all ten hard drives are in the technology hospital receiving new brain transplants (the nine journalism computers and my teacher computer), I have been operating on Plan B. May I just say I LOVE Plan A? Thus, for three days, I have not had my LCD projector nor my document camera nor access to the videos and music via YouTube, for Plan B (a mini computer connected to a much smaller flat-screen TV) does not accommodate all my "necessities." Just an important lesson and reminder: where there's a will, there's a way, though! So...Santa and His Helpers (aka, Mr. Clint and his tech guys) will walk in one day next week with my "new" hard drives, and, yes, Christmas will have arrived early for my journalism class...and for me. Thank you! :)
11. My Department. We have two "newbies" in our department, so much learning and interacting has occurred as we have helped acclimate them to our building and department. Good people, already friends...looking forward to a great year with them.
12. My Department, Part 2. Three of us are returnees, but, as noted above, with our new curriculum, we are all feeling a bit new, which has resulted in much more conversation, as our goal is to ensure our students are being taught the same skills with common assessments across grade levels. While they may learn differently, as teacher methods may vary some, the end result should be the same.
13. My Department, Part 3. A spin-off from #12, because of much closer collaboration, I will be working even closer with Mr. Turner and Ms. Hays with grades 10 and 12. I enjoy this, as, even though I have taught 24 years, I too want to be ever learning. I love to be able to say, "That's a good idea. Let's try that."
14. Book Club - Student Side. This summer I received a grant (Thank you, Citizens Bank!) to purchase $1600+ of new young adult novels to share with students in a book club format. I. Am. Excited. Yes! Working on that this weekend. Oh, where to begin...so many books! Thoughts? I did attend a workshop this summer and received a list, most of which I want to read. This will be fun!
15. Book Club - Teacher Side. Our BHS faculty book club will meet in about a week to discuss our summer reads (we had planned to meet this summer...had too many conflicts). This summer we read I Am the Messenger, Storm Clouds Rolling In, and Go Set a Watchman. NOW, to decide this fall's line-up of books! This, too, will be fun!
16. Book Club - Department Selection. Last year, we had a faculty-wide read...not sure if that will happen again, as the voices are already saying that money is tight. With that in mind, we have several books on our professional shelves that we could read and discuss (another "where there's a will, there's a way" moment), I would like to host one of these just for our department. With so many newbies in our department, this would assist in their learning some of what we have learned over the last several years. Or maybe we could "find" some money for such a book club...need to investigate that some. Thoughts on a teacher-friendly, engaging literacy read?
17. Bulletin Boards. They take me to a happy place. I love looking up ideas. I enjoy creating them. I like putting them up and standing their and looking at them. I am rewarded when I am designated one of the Bulletin Board Queens (thank you!). Crazy, uh? This may be the only area in my life when I would fit into the elementary scene. With all that said, I want to create more this year. I am happily determined to have more time to create such happy places this year. With that said, I no longer have bulletin boards inside my room, as it looks much like a living room would (lamps, easy chairs with pillows...and some tables mixed in), but I have claimed four in the hallways outside my doorway. Just call me crazy...and happy.
18. Fire Code. My room is now fire-code friendly. We learned the day before school started that we could not use any extension cords. None. Well....with 10 computers, two printers, one document camera, one LCD projector, a cart full of Chromebooks, 11 lamps, electric pencil sharpener, one TV, two strands of Christmas lights, and not nearly that many outlets...that math just does not add up! Remember, most classrooms were built before our love of technology arrived. (I do have more than some classrooms, as my room underwent a "redesign" a few years ago...thank you, again!) Not to go too graphic on you, but going "legal" required I spend some time crawling under computer tables, ensuring that all were either plugged directly into the wall or into a power-strip. What a challenge...a puzzle. One I had to work out with total silence in the room (no kids!) as my mind had to circuit like an electrical outlet. AND when I finished yesterday, I had exactly the number and the length of power-strips I needed (yes, power-strips do come with 15+ foot cords). Thank you, Teonia and Carla!
19. Early to Arrive. Let me preface this by saying The Daughter is an early riser and just insists we get to school early (Is there a boy involved in this decision? Hummm...to her credit, though, she has always been like this). Her mother is not. Remember, I am the one who can stay up to 12 or 1 working. Despite that, though, we have arrived at school no later than 7:20. This I like, as it gives me those minutes to plot and plan for a very busy morning.
20. RTI. To meet a state mandate, our building determined to create a slot of time to "respond to intervention." That slot now falls in a "new" class between our two 80-minute classes in the morning. (Yes, the mornings are a blur.) The intents of this class are many: primarily this time is designated to help those before they get too far behind (yes!), advisory, class meetings, pep rallies. All a good thing. Personally, though? I love the advisory concept. (We attempted such a program a few years ago, which did not accomplish as much of its mission as we organizers had hoped.) Here's to high hopes, though, that this one will succeed! I even created a wiki for this class. Of course, I did. If you know me, you probably laughed here. Thank you. :)
21. RTI, Part 2. I like my group of 17 RTI'ers...my 17 advisees. All sophomores, I will "grow" with them for the next three years. I am their teacher momma. :) Good, good kids! (Hummm, maybe this one should have been placed above with the rest of my classes!)
22. My Teacher Children. A change I have appreciated as I have matured (yes, 39 again!) has been "adopting" some of the newbie teachers. (BTW: I encourage your mimicking this model.) Two of them have had babies this year (let me clarify...their wives had babies this year!), so I am a Tam-Tam to two more baby dolls. They are just precious. The most recent was just birthed, born, and took over our worlds. Did I mention she is a baby doll? Just have to mention Baby Jack here also...our Little Man. I like their parents, too! Thus, with the teachers come more, in this case, daughters-in-laws. That's right...family does not have to be biological to be family.
23. The Daughter. I am in this district because of the power of The Daughter. She is a junior this year. Despite opportunities to leave over the years and maybe even grow professionally, I (with the Good Lord's insistence) have chosen to remain and appreciate these last years with her in school.
24. Tam Tam's Brennan. The day before school started, we had a girl day with our Brennan who began pre-school this year. Lunch and shopping...and hearing that little voice say, "Tam Tam." Ahhhhh...she is just precious. (Note: she is having fun and is ready to go again the next day. As I told Daughter Julie, yes, she will probably be a teacher one day. Maybe an English teacher? One can only hope...right?)
25. Community Pep Rally. A yearly tradition hosted together by our senior and junior high buildings, last evening we attended an event along with hundreds of others who are very proud of all our students involved in athletics. This year, The Daughter is an Athletic Trainer (no, mom, not a water girl!), a position that has required her being at school at 6:30 AM since the first week in August (might refer to #19 for more thoughts on that!). For this position, she was recognized last night. Yes, I took a photo or two...okay, maybe just a few...:)
26. (I know...this list does not add up to 25, but then again, I do not teach math!)..."Good class." Quote from a senior boy as he walked out the door on the first...with a smile on his face.
Three days of ELA professional development completed. Questions, decisions, discussions, dissenting voice, all a part of this year's implementation of a new curriculum within our district, who has chosen to utilize EngageNY, a curriculum aligned to Common Core, consisting of four modules with 1-3 units in each.
Some Positives:
Every teacher will know what the other teachers within each grade level are teaching; accountability is arriving.
A completed curriculum, with rubrics and other handouts ready. A huge three-ring binder...healthy, thriving with resources at our disposal.
Common assessments ready to administer, saving hours of discussion and decisions.
PLC time should be much more productive with students truly benefiting from these readied assessments, with the results becoming the focus of RTI.
Concern:
Only one...lack of teacher ownership. That, though, will be remedied at the year progresses, as these units, too, become ours, as choices not ours become just that.
Yes, a daunting task lies before us. No, we do not appreciate change (who does?), for units we worked diligently to create have now been placed on the growing stack of retired units; this curriculum is our fourth in what will be my eleventh year with this district. Thus, once again, I feel like a new teacher, facing the unknown, preparing for the hours of reading and learning (lacking much background knowledge for some of these focuses) that will have to occur this year to be adequately prepared for each class as I will now be teaching two grade levels, instead of just one. Yes, definitely experiencing that new teacher feel. In some ways that should be a compliment as this will begin my 25th year in education. Right?
Additionally, our state has withdrawn from Common Core/PARCC, going with ACT Inspire instead; therefore, we have that learning curve ahead also. More about as the year progresses...
Ever learning, though...that is a compliment my principal recently paid me when introducing me as a grant recipient for one of our local bank's education initiatives. Ever learning. Yes. I would hope that for everyone.
Despite these factors, I am determined to have more fun this year. At a minimum, I have four years to retirement, and I am very much looking forward to returning to that love, that excitement, that enjoyment. Because of that, I have a returned focus, I just have to have a good time this year, maybe be less "hard?" Yes, I have that reputation. In all fairness to my kids, no matter how ready they are for college, no matter how many of them return and thank me, this is just not fair to them...or me...to be the hardest teacher. More about this as the year progresses...
What challenges are you facing as the days quickly pass as the 2015-16 academic year races toward us?
