Trials and Tribulations

A bit of a shaky first full week. In part, it is communication stuff. What I think a lot of teachers don't fully appreciate is that the special ed teachers in their class feel, at least I do, a bit like the students, you have to get used to a whole new teacher. While it is a co-teaching model, the classroom is still theirs. Their rules, their set up of expectations and routines, and I admit, I am a little tentative in new situations, actually a lot tentative. The week ended very positively with both of my colleagues, so I expect that since we're working through the kinks, the coming week will be better than the last one.

Partial Misfire

Since this is a blog about teaching, it will have to have some entries about successes, but also some gaffes. One of my co-teachers on Thursday asked me to teach Friday's math. I said great until I looked at the lesson and said, "shit." It is place value/base ten lesson that uses manipulatives--every ten bits can be exchanged for one skinny, and ten skinnies can be exchanged for one flat. Math is easier with visuals but I think this one has too many moving parts. I prepared the night before, and gathered most of the manipulatives in the morning, but I got busy gathering something else when I came back early from lunch, forgetting my priority which was to get more of the bits from the other 5th grade teacher. So, I wasn't ready, and that was inexcusable. Joanie also indicated that she didn't think I nailed the underlying meaning of the lesson. We didn't get to talk about it at the end of the day so we'll see what she has to say tomorrow. It is not the first impression I wanted to leave with my first math lesson in the class. Thankfully, the day before her answer was "great" when I asked her about my input in a writing lesson we taught in response to their note-taking in the President's address to them, but still.

Another Day of Infamy

Our school did today something we do very well, acknowledge national events. I'm sure many schools did a remembrance for September 11, but we also do them for Veteran's and Memorial Day, too. We couldn't do an outdoor get together because it was rainy. We usually gather around the circle outside of the school. We raise and lower the flag to half staff, which is actually a flag that has the names of all those who were killed. It's on a very vary visable wall all year, except it flies outside the school for the day. There's usually the pledge of allegiance, Claudia our ELL and classically trained singer sings "God Bless America" or one of the other athems, poems, and finally, Taps. Didn't do all of that today since we were inside, but it was moving, the whole school crowded in the auditorium, the aisles, in the doorways, and Taps was especially moving, made me tear up. I shared with one of my classes a button I made the night before the first anniversary, to remember a friend's cousin's husband who died that day. I told them I wear the button with his name on it every year all day, then put it carefully away. Hard to believe that it's eight years down the road. Still very much a part of what we are as a country now, not very far from our collective minds. Maybe that's more a thing here in the New York area than other parts of the country, though. I can still smell the smoke from that Sunday afterwards, after it blew north. It was the smell of wood, undectable smells and fuel. So many of our kids in school were'nt even born yet, and even our fifth graders might have only been three or so. But, we adults remember that terrible day, still so horrible after all these years, and we won't ever forget, or be the same, not should we.

Surprise strategy

I was co-teaching a lesson today in relation to yesterday's the Presidential speech. My co-teacher used the word destiny as one of the Pres' quotes was that "we all make our own destiny." I thought thay most kids probably didn't know what the word means, so I said, give a thumbs up if you're not sure what that word means. I turned out to be a great strategy since the kids can "save face" since it's not like their whole arm is raised for everyone to see. I'd seen one of my colleagues last year use the thumbs up strategy, but in the opposite form, give a thumbs up if you agree, or know about----, but not when they don't know something. It was after 2:30 when we did this lesson, and while my legs didn't hurt today as much as they did last night, they still hurt, the classroom was hot and I was tired, so where I pulled this strategy from is news to me.

Opening Day

Oh, my aching legs! If I could cut them off below the knee I might. My heels weren't that high and they were nice and wide, but I will wear flats for the next few days until my legs get used to being back at work.

It was a good first day. I really missed and like these kids in the two classes. At noon, most of the school watched a live broadcast of the Pres. Obama's speech to school children. One of my colleages, told the class that in 40 years of teaching, this is the first president to do so. There was some political backlash nationally since last week over it, some of a particular political mind set didn't want their kids "indoctrinated" in his beliefs. The socialist, and worse label has been tagged on him since before he was elected. In a nutshell, what he said was to listen to and respect your parents/caretakers and teachers, and respect yourself enough to stay in school and do they best you can, so that you can help solve the world's problems when you're older. Commie-pinko rhetoric if I've ever heard it. :) You know, the other side needs to stop it's hating, and to stop thinking like Fox Network robots..

All in all a really good day. I have some planning to do for tomorrow but we're still in rules/ropes mode so not a lot. Good thing, mostly all I'm up to is my tv, my sofa and a couple of aspirins. Still, it's great to be back.

Labor Day

Monday morning, the last day of summer vacation. It was a good long period to unwind and recharge, but I'm ready to go. As for Labor Day, here are some thoughts. It is so wonderful having a job to love. Back in my social work days, I was so unhappy that on weekends, I'd start to get that gnawing in my stomach on Sunday mornings, not even Sunday nights, at the thought of going back. Imagine, after being spoiled now with nine weeks off, I can't wait (almost) to get back? It's hard leaving the apartment so early, having constant stimulation for 6 hours, feet aching by the end of the day, but it beats, by far, what I used to do. Seventeen years in that other field, and I only got pleasure from it the first four or so. I enjoyed working with the young kids at the residential treatment center, and even with some of the old people in the nursing homes where I began my social work career. Then, that feeling ended, and I couldn't feel a connection with the people I treated. I guess that's the beginning of burnout. That's the key to enjoying teaching. Not every child will endear themselves to you, and there are some that are hard to like, but you've got to enjoy for the most part where you spend your day and who you spent your day with, whether they are kid or adult.

I've learned from my checkered employment history, that work is not just 6 or 8 or 10 hours a day. If you hate it, it consumes you. If you love it, you're alive.

But, since many working people have this day off, shouldn't they call it, "No Labor Day?" Just asking...

Conspicuous consumer blog redux

So, I am on-line now via a high-speed connection, one of a list of things I planned to do with my new salary. As it turns out, doing it with a bundled cable and phone service, I am actually saving money per month. I didn't notice the real differance of high speed until I downloaded some songs last night. A song used to cost about 8-10 minutes, now, about 10 seconds, and photos are significantly sharper.

While the high-speed guy was here for 6 hours yesterday, I did some work for school (this is a teacher blog, afterall). I figured out a way to combine the star chart idea with the metacognitive, rubric idea. I glued a star chart on the outside of a manilla folder for each of my students. I will also glue in a check-list for the first goal of being prepared for learning that we will discuss the first week. Inside, I will keep their completed rubrics so we can check their progress. I also made out a very, very skeleton schedule as to how I will divide the day between the two fifth grades, but I know that it will be revised many times before we have a good routine.

Another Auld Lang Syne

A nod to one of my favorite (and misunderstood) singer/songwriters, Dan Fogelberg for the title of this post, from his song, "Same Old Lang Syne." September 1st has always felt like new year's day to me, even more so since I became a teacher. Hating summer and hot weather, September 1, although it can still be hot for a few more weeks, gets me closer to that beautiful 6 week period from mid-September to end of October with the cool weather and changing leaves. As a teacher, it means that we're heading back to school, and even though I've never gotten used to leaving home before 7:30 in the morning, I can't beat how it feels to be with a group of kids.

Today was a perfect September 1. The weather no higher than 70 degrees, high sun, deep blue sky. Oh, the pleasure of putting on a light, hooded jacket! I did a little shopping, hoped to buy something or two new to wear, but I settled on just a pair of shoes, Then to Kensico Dam park to review a book of strategies for inclusion classroom students that I read last year. Looked like I highlighted good points last year, since they made a lot of sense to what I tried during the school year.

Tomorrow is the district-wide gathering to hear a welcome by the superintendant, the new Board of Ed president, and introductions of newly hired faculty, as well as the usually rousing speech by the head of the teacher's union, then back to our own schools and the agenda there. I can't believe it's starting again. I could have made better use of the two months off, but I accomplished some things. Re-charging the chief among them.

Sunday blog

Received in the mail Saturday my "contract" letter, the annual communication from the superintendant indicating our salary, our level, our step. In addition, it listed me as "masters plus 30." I set my eyes on this first salary goal early on, religiously taking grad credits each fall, winter, spring and summer semesters, plus whatever in-service credits were available.Initially, it was for salary only, figuring that since I didn't start my career until my 40's, I'd need to move up the salary ladder as quick as possible since 20-odd years goes quickly in many ways. But, as I moved on through the credits, and when I chose classes wisely, I found that I was learning from them as well. After my first year in this position, I also realized that I needed to raise my learning curve quickly. I've done what I've heard my colleagues do; to try to take away one or two things from each teacher course and put it into practice some way. But, I'm also thinking that all those Saturday and Sunday mornings I'd get up early to go to those all day classes, was worth it, when I see my salary increase beyond just the small percentage increase that we all get.

Back in the Saddle Again

Glad I went in yesterday. The school, which was a mess with furniture in all the halls when I was there in July, is all back to together. Joanie and I re-organized the books in her classroom library and as she said, it was a good thing for me to do since now I know what books are there so I can help the kids. Looked over her class list, a good group. Even though my 4th grade colleagues and I made up the class lists in June, we didn't know which teacher would be assigned to which group, the principal has final say, and besides, who remembers who we put with who? June seems a long time ago. Joanie will have 4 of my classified kids which means Fatima will have about 5 plus the two of the"504" kids. I wish the numbers were more balanced between the two classes, but I have limited say. I spent about 3 hours there. Saw one of my students and her mom at the copy machine, saw both of my 4th grade colleagues from last yr who each gave me warm greetings, said hello to the principal, had a chance to hang out with Joanie and talk. We didn't do much "kid" talk, her priority was getting the library in order, so we just talked about "stuff," getting to know eachother a little better than we generally do since I haven't worked that much with her since I got there in 2005. This will be the first time I'm with her as a "real teacher" not a TA. Couldn't stay longer than the 3 hours since I had a doctors appointment. Maybe it was a good thing. My legs were killing me last night, after only 3 hours on my feet, and I even had sneakers on! I better make sure the new shoes I referanced in an earlier blog are comfortable!

Back in the Saddle

Spent today at curriculum planning for the reading/writing program that the district has contracted with for the last 2-3 years. I participitated in it last summer, too, for three days. Luckily, it was only for today since it is a little monotonous. It was planning the first couple of weeks of units, mainly conventions for picking books, how to figure out a "just right" book, what's expected during reading conferances with the teacher. It's really nothing new to the kids, but it of course is aimed to start the year off right. I worked with two of the teachers from my school, one of whom I will be co-teaching with, a "old" pro with 40 years of teaching experience. I had a little trouble at first adding anything of value to the lesson templates we were using, but gradually, as usual, I caught on, and made some decent contributions. Whenever I do something like this, like participating in mentor training last week, it shows me that I have made a lot of progress, and am pulling things together. Joanie asked me if I wanted to meet her at school to help her set things up in the classroom, and of course I want to. It felt good to be asked, maybe I should have asked her?

Took out most of what I had in my credit union account to get me through until pay day. I was hoping I wouldn't have to touch it all, but oh well. That's why I put it aside all these months. Makes me feel good, almost like any pay day (although what I took out is less than half of what my pay check will be), knowing that there's sojme money in the bank, and that there's more money again in just two weeks. And it will be that way, barring any catastrophe, for the next ten months.

All in all a good day. It gave me a chance to see the first month of the reading units, helped Joanie see that I'm not a total idiot, got paid for the days work, and put money in the bank. I'm now at that point, I'm ready for school to begin.

Conspicuous consumer blog

Things I want to buy once the paychecks start coming in again, in no particular order:

a new mattress-current one is at least 10 years old and is shaped like a canoe. Actually, this is my #1 need, but will wait until around Veteran's Day sales

a digital voice recorder- no real reason why, other than my old one uses a tape that is wearing out.

a new answering machine- the one I have isn't old, but it's cheap and it acts that way

high speed internet connection- my dial up has been fine for the last 10 years, but it's time to upgrade

healthy food- down to my "hot dog" budget this late in the summer. Last year at this time, it was the PB&J budget. Equally cheap and equally unhealthy

new clothes- my other clothes are kind of cheap and I've been wearing them over and over

new shoes- see above

September 11 isn't a happy date, but the paychecks resume then.

Planning...finally

I finally today typed out some student rubrics I made up late in June. They are 4-6 questions aimed at helping my students think about how they are doing. It was a goal of mine last year to do more "metacognition" with them, but I hadn't figured out how to put it into practice beyond posing the stated goal at the start of lessons and at the lesson wrap-up. Late in the year (that's the weird and wonderful part of being a new teacher; wisdom evolves at its own time) I tried a rubric with some of my students in the last couple of weeks of school that was about their preparedness for learning and they seemed to like it. The great thing about this upcoming year is that I will be "looping" with my 4th grade students, that is being the inclusion teacher for them in the 5th grade. This works out great since I know them so well and so can hit the ground running. Since I did half day in the 5th grade two years ago, I know the curriculum so I know what they will need to know. I also know that as learning disabled students, they often are too passive, just waiting for the information to come at them, much of which does not stick easily. So, if they are thinking about whether or not they are ready to learn--do I have the materials I need, am I focused on the person talking, are my hands, feet and mouth quiet (yes or I can do better at this). The other rubric I will use after the first couple of weeks of school is "how can I show that I understand?"-my practice work is correct, my teacher said/wrote that my work is good, I could answer questions even if my teacher didn't call on me. I think all kids need to be more involved in their own learning, but this approach is especially true for LD kids, especially now that they are in 5th grade and more and more, they will need to be self problem solvers in and out of class.
I will also use "incentive pads" this year. They will earn stickers leading up to a prize for things like thinking outside the box, making connections between what they're being taught to something they already know, etc. Not for behavior though, which is often how incentive pads are used. When they are in small group instruction with me, good behavior is expected. Are they always good, "nah," but that will still be the expected norm and it can be acknowledged, but not rewarded.

No Swag for Teacher

The swag bag will have to remain a mystery. I figured that there would be a required amount that I would need to spend to get the Staples gift bag, and I was right--it was $25. Much of the stuff I'd need from office stores, I already ordered through the money that was budgeted to me for the upcoming year. I suppose that I could have rounded up $25 bucks worth of stuff to get the gift bag, but it's that tough part of the summer when most of the money I'd put aside in two dedicated "summer survival" bank accounts is down pretty low. As it is, the rent will have to wait until the first paycheck on the 11th, ten days late. So many people think that teachers get paid all year, but why would we, we only work 10 months. Some teachers have their paychecks re-budgeted so that they get a large lump sum at the end of June, I decided to have money taken out of each paycheck automatically, and I did pretty well with that. Next year, I'll have more money for the summer since I only had two survival accounts going since November, and did not increase the amount taken out for the credit union account until March. This year, they will both be up and running from the first paycheck on. I'll also be making a good amount more this year, having reached 30 post master's credits. So, it's all good, it's just hard and annoying watching every buck like a miser. Good for the character, I guess, and all in all, it beats those bad years of unemployment by far. So I'll be ok, swag bag or not.

Staples

What is it about free stuff that you might not even need? Why, it's free of course. Today is teacher appreciation day at Staples, apparently they have one every year. I'm assuming there's a discount, or just what they advertise as a "gift bag" for the first 100 teachers who show up. We know that all those worthless Hollywood stars get gift bags full of ridiculously expensive stuff. What would be in teachers' "swag bags?" Pencils, post-it notes, and who can ever have enough of those? Still, I'm curious (not to mention a hypocrite) and well, I am out of printer paper, and could use an 11 X 17 white board since I will be in two classes this year and don't want to carry the one I have from one classroom to the other, and they're selling it for $5. So, I'll show my teacher ID badge, and post-it notes, you're all mine.

Why this blog?

A couple of weeks ago, I saw the movie, "Julie and Julia." The reviews are correct, I would have been happier with just the "Julia" part, but so be it. The "Julie" part was a about a woman who blogged about doing all the recipes in a Julia Child cookbook in one year's time. A part of me thinks that blogging is dumb---who really cares what anyone has to say? Isn't it just 21st century self-absorbtion? The other part of me is this: I keep a non-online journal about nothing specific-just thoughts, books I've read, etc, so why not try on an on-line journal about something specific, in this case, the upcoming school year? Who knows, maybe I'll get some feedback for this blog, which I don't get (or need or desire) for my off-line journal. But that goes back to my original thought about blogging--who really cares what I have to say?

Blog#1

I think a lot of teachers feel as I do--that there's a point in August when we're ready to go back. That point hasn't hit me yet. I did go to Laskeshore today (the "teacher store")to pick up a lesson plan book and while doing so, another teacher came up to me to do the same, she asked, "it's sad isn't?" meaning that summer's almost over. Yes and no. I always look forward to September 1st even though it's still summer-time hot in the suburbs of NY where I live and work. I think it's a throw back to when I was a school loving kid. Anyway, I'm not excited to go back in a couple of weeks, but I will be. It will be an interesting year--the big tenure year for me. This excites me not so much that it means more job security, but rather, after a mid-life career change, two years underemployed and underpaid as a teaching assistant, and my disasterous first year in my master's level position, the one I'm in now, it will feel like a proud accomplishment. A lot to get through the next ten months, it's a long way off, but the journey begins with a single blogging step.