I love being in my classroom. Go ahead and call me a recluse. There's nothing like having everything organized and readily accessible. I have become the guru of organization this year. It's probably because the calendar pretty much runs me this semester. With taking 15 hours of college classes, running a gifted program for all grades, and taking on the responsibility of head teacher.......I need to be somewhat organized! With so much going on, no wonder I like being in my little sanctuary......eh......portable. Now if I could just get some air conditioning in there. EEK.
We are on a roll so far. I have completed tentative lesson plans thru December and am hoping to stick to my schedule. Unfortunately for me, I ALWAYS find thing I want to add and have the tendency to get a little off track! There just sooooo much I want to add and never enough time. Speaking of which, I was elated to find 20 precious copies of Old Yeller in my mailbox this afternoon. I've already decided how to break down the book and have students blog about what we are studying every Wednesday. I introduced them to their laptops yesterday and you would've thought it was Christmas!!! Perhaps this Monday we will get the accounts set up and ready to go by next week.
Last night I started my first class of the semester....School Law. I love my instructor and am fortunate to have him for tomorrow's class as well. He is an older gentleman and has such a great sense of humor. I enjoyed hearing about his journey thru education - he began as a custodian and moved all the way up the ladder. What an inspiration! The area of school law is so fuzzy to me and seems to cross boundaries, meaning boundaries of special education. I'm looking forward to digging into this subject and hoping that I can have more clarity by the end of the semester.
Speaking of fuzzy......the screen is kind of looking that way. It's late and I must report to my sanctuary in a mere seven hours.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
1st Day Jitters
To this day I still have that excitement in my stomach when the first day of school approaches. Now granted, I have been teaching summer school and making changes to my classroom as well as attending the famous "we didn't make ayp" meetings since last week. However, the first day of students returning is an entire different level of excitement. Except it didn't happen this year.
Instead of greeting all the new little faces this morning, I sit at home sicker than a dog and wondering how it went today. I'm sad because I couldn't be there but am *hoping* I will be able to go tomorrow. This nasty bug has gone thru all our family and even little miss ninth grader missed her first day of school as well. (She is currently snoring on the couch next to me with little groans every once in awhile. Poor baby.) And to think we spent so much time figuring out her first day of high school outfit last night!
I'm so looking forward to meeting everyone on my class roster! My head is spinning (literally.....ouch) about what I want to do this year for my 4th and 5th grade gifted students. I just ordered a copy of Old Yeller for each student and plan on emerging our little minds into the complexities of that book. Love me some 'yeller. The book has 18 chapters and I plan on creating quite the enrichment needed for these bright kiddos. However, I'm still debating on next semester's book........help! I was thinking about doing Where the Red Fern Grows and then doing some comparing/contrast to the two books by the end of the year. OR, maybe Hatchet? Got any good suggestions??
I'm also on planning to allow my students to BLOG this year! Yippee! We were able to purchase laptops for every student in my class and I'm thrilled that I can incorporate some technology into my lessons. So looking forward to all this.........
Back to get some rest. UGH.
Instead of greeting all the new little faces this morning, I sit at home sicker than a dog and wondering how it went today. I'm sad because I couldn't be there but am *hoping* I will be able to go tomorrow. This nasty bug has gone thru all our family and even little miss ninth grader missed her first day of school as well. (She is currently snoring on the couch next to me with little groans every once in awhile. Poor baby.) And to think we spent so much time figuring out her first day of high school outfit last night!
I'm so looking forward to meeting everyone on my class roster! My head is spinning (literally.....ouch) about what I want to do this year for my 4th and 5th grade gifted students. I just ordered a copy of Old Yeller for each student and plan on emerging our little minds into the complexities of that book. Love me some 'yeller. The book has 18 chapters and I plan on creating quite the enrichment needed for these bright kiddos. However, I'm still debating on next semester's book........help! I was thinking about doing Where the Red Fern Grows and then doing some comparing/contrast to the two books by the end of the year. OR, maybe Hatchet? Got any good suggestions??
I'm also on planning to allow my students to BLOG this year! Yippee! We were able to purchase laptops for every student in my class and I'm thrilled that I can incorporate some technology into my lessons. So looking forward to all this.........
Back to get some rest. UGH.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Philog #10
Don't you think that we want to be teachers because ultimately, we want to impact children, families, and communities? Isn't that the goal?
As far as impact to what teaching will do to myself - It seems like the longer I teach, the more I know my subject matter better and better. It's amazing how that works!! Teaching doesn't just impact my knowledge, but who I am overall. It takes discipline to be a teacher and it certainly isn't for the lazy (well, depends on who you talk to), or the fainthearted. It takes some guts to get before 20 (okay, it's 30 this year) fifth graders and have some sort of organized learning going on.
Teachers are a crucial part of the community. We chose a place to spend 8+ hours a day in hopes that we can make a difference in our student's lives. We tutor after school, give up lunch time to work with students, offer assistance in anyway possible, hand out essentials (toothbrushes, soap, food, etc.) and literally create a family unit every school year. This definitely impacts our community and what we are able to give to them.
Teaching is a service. I am not in this field to become rich, but to serve the children and families that darken my door every August. The dream I have is that they go on to better society and to become productive citizens in our country.
As far as impact to what teaching will do to myself - It seems like the longer I teach, the more I know my subject matter better and better. It's amazing how that works!! Teaching doesn't just impact my knowledge, but who I am overall. It takes discipline to be a teacher and it certainly isn't for the lazy (well, depends on who you talk to), or the fainthearted. It takes some guts to get before 20 (okay, it's 30 this year) fifth graders and have some sort of organized learning going on.
Teachers are a crucial part of the community. We chose a place to spend 8+ hours a day in hopes that we can make a difference in our student's lives. We tutor after school, give up lunch time to work with students, offer assistance in anyway possible, hand out essentials (toothbrushes, soap, food, etc.) and literally create a family unit every school year. This definitely impacts our community and what we are able to give to them.
Teaching is a service. I am not in this field to become rich, but to serve the children and families that darken my door every August. The dream I have is that they go on to better society and to become productive citizens in our country.
Philog #8
The article to me had a lot of insight. Being able to read about situations was absolutely heartbreaking to me. This happens all around us and I am saddened by the needs that are simply not being met. How do you reach out to families with low ses? Is there a fine line of enabling individuals as well? It's something that I often struggle with.
The strategies that I will use in my classroom is to just be more aware of the silent rules that are within a certain society. I also want to be sensitive to why projects and homework is not being completed. Being able to provide alternatives to children who don't have support and help at home needs to also be in my trick bag. I currently give an assignment for reading every single night. There are a few students who just don't do it. Reading this article made me stop and think about the "why's" on them not completing the assignment. Maybe there is no one home in the evening? Maybe mom is too stressed and doesn't want to be bothered?
I want to find other strategies so that I can help these students when no one else is there to offer the help. By reading this, I now understand the power that we have as educators to speak up and find ways to help our students who come from poor homes. Their voice is often silent because they are simply in survival mode.
The strategies that I will use in my classroom is to just be more aware of the silent rules that are within a certain society. I also want to be sensitive to why projects and homework is not being completed. Being able to provide alternatives to children who don't have support and help at home needs to also be in my trick bag. I currently give an assignment for reading every single night. There are a few students who just don't do it. Reading this article made me stop and think about the "why's" on them not completing the assignment. Maybe there is no one home in the evening? Maybe mom is too stressed and doesn't want to be bothered?
I want to find other strategies so that I can help these students when no one else is there to offer the help. By reading this, I now understand the power that we have as educators to speak up and find ways to help our students who come from poor homes. Their voice is often silent because they are simply in survival mode.
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