A Garbage Man Told Me To Smile...

Last week, as I was walking to the subway, I passed a man who was bringing garbage into the walk in dumpster.  Just as I passed him I hear him say, “Smile, school’s over.  We’ll try this again sometime.”  I immediately tried to smile back and really laughed to myself.  It amused me because, with out knowing me, he sized me up right away.  I guess being a young white girl in a predominantly black neighborhood is a good indication that I don’t belong and I’m probably a teacher.  I guess he also figured that my grumpy/stressed face was due to having a long day with rowdy kids.  

He really hit the nail on the head.  That day and the day before were particularly stressful.  We had a teacher absent, and were going to have another one out in another day, so one of my breaks was gone.  I was thinking of what content I had to put on my tests that I was making for each subject for 2 grades and how I could fit them in time-wise due to standardized testing the week after and being unable to do content tests then.  The girls’ behaviors were not so good and just draining.  I was also trying to rush so I could meet a friend and make an early train home so I could have a life experience totally separate from work.  

I guess I’m not so good at hiding all these feelings on my face while trying to get home and away from work.  In reflection, it makes me sad to think that I can’t smile after a day of work.  I believe that I’m happy in my profession, and position of work, but if I don’t smile often, am I really happy?  I feel every day should make you smile once at least.  I think I do that when my students do something cute, funny, or achieve a personal success.  But shouldn’t the events of the whole day add up to be positive and not negative?  Maybe I’m not evaluating and assessing my day fairly.  One day I will have to sit down and make a list of the positives and negatives and see which column wins.  If I end with more negatives, then something has to change.  

Differentiation

Today I realized that I achieved differentiated instruction.  It’s something that I kind of overlook, but may kind of do with out knowing.  I know some of my lessons can reach different learners (ie: visual, auditory, kinesthetic), but another way emerged today. 

I gave a sheet in the math practice workbook to my 6^th grade students today so they could do more with putting decimals into fractions.  This allowed me to walk around and see how each individual was doing.  One student, who’s very bright, was way farther ahead of the others.  She completed the worksheet and got to the last 2 problems which had a combination of fractions and decimals that you had to put in order.  I didn’t really have an intention to do this part, but it occurred to me that it was something she could achieve.  I told her to either put them all into fractions or all into decimals and then order them.  She chose to put them into decimals and then she had to do the rest for homework.  She came in the next morning and said she wanted to show me.  She thought she put them in order but I realized that this skill wasn’t something she automatically knew.  I now know that I can have her look ahead and somewhat teach herself.  This is something that I’m going to look into because I have one or 2 more students that could be at this level.  Now I just have to work on differentiating for the lower level students. 

7^th and 8^th don’t exactly have this diversity.  Every student in those classes struggle with the material and I might only have to help the lowest students, which is something I work on anyway.  6^th grade seems to be my experimental group that I am really learning from. 

This differentiation makes me think of my own learning.  I am taking 2 graduate classes this semester and one I’m not a fan of and the other is pretty decent.  It could be the fact that I don’t like politics but I have some background in working with special ed.  In any case, I’ve found that the professor for politics is just not understandable to me.  Almost every class I wonder, “what was his point?”  He makes a powerpoint and usually reads off it and seems to make a statement or rhetorical question based on the slide.  I never really get his point, but others in the class sometimes can respond to him.  Sometimes I think it’s my lack of experience and knowledge of politics and other times I think it’s his teaching style.  It makes me reflect on my own teaching and I wonder, how many of my students just can’t learn from me and my style?  So again, how can I differentiate for my students?

A Case of the Mondays

I have found that out of all the days of the week, Mondays are the worst.  You would think Fridays would be, but for some reason my students find their energy for the start of the week.  This energy is not a good one.  I spend more time trying to get them to quiet and settle down, raise their hands, start and finish tasks, and just stop bouncing off the walls than I do teaching.  I guess it's the fact that they've had no structure for 2 days that the routine flies out the window.  

I have to create a new way to conquer this behavior.  I'm so sick of the phrases "stay in your seat," stop calling out," and "do this problem now."  I was thinking one solution might be to reward those doing the right thing.  I might make a spreadsheet or chart for each class where they can earn stickers for each day.  When they get 5 stickers they will get a prize (candy?).  If I have to correct them a student at all, that student will not get a sticker for the day.  My follow through will be most important here.

Any other suggestions for classroom behavior management?

Funny Things Overheard from 7th Grade...

So I sat in on the 7th grade social studies class today and I heard some embarrassing but funny things.  Here they are:

~The US imports igloo's from Antarctica.  (This one is my favorite.)

~Hawaii is not a US state and if a presidential candidate is born there he can not become president.

~The US imports Bacardi rum from Puerto Rico.  (Keep in mind they are 7th grade girls)

This last one reminded me about when I was teaching the same grade about absolute value in math, one girl remembered the name of it because she associated it with Absolute vodka.  I really wish I didn't hear them talk about alcohol.  

Random Thoughts on the Beginning of Year 2

I have finally completed my first 3 days with a full schedule.  It was really nice to start off the year with only the 7^th and 8^th grade and try to hash out the things I wanted to start differently this year.  The 6^th grade had their class bonding at the farm and I got to ease back into work life.  

Thank goodness for 2 free periods in the day this year!  I feel more relaxed and prepared.  

I had open house this week, which went smoothly, but I did set myself up for the 6^th grade parents to respond too much.  I asked them for their support in helping to keep the girls focused and calm.  I told them the girls were sometime rowdy, and unfortunately I didn’t think ahead of time on how to bring up the issue.  As soon as they heard this they said “Oh! No!  They know that is not to happen, so you just call me as soon as something happens!”  At least I know I have a great support team.  Some of the girls were in the room for this discussion and I saw them sink in their seats with their eyes down.  It’s been a work in progress for those girls.  They force me to raise my voice at them when they don’t listen to my stern commands to sit down and quiet down.  

After talking with one of my college friends (who now works with the 3^rd grade in my building) we realized a sad fact.  Some kids will only respond by correcting their behaviors when you yell at them.  It gives you a glimpse into what they probably hear at home.  As a teacher, you don’t want to yell at a student because you want to make school a safer and happier place for that student, but if they don’t listen to anything else, what else can you do?  

One of my 6^th grade students has shown improvement.  She has had behavior problems since last year and was recommended on probation to our program.  At camp and the farm she had some issues that have been addressed.  During summer school she had problems with calling out in class.  I have refused to answer students that call out in class and she has come to realize this.  She will correct herself and sit patiently until I call on her.  I praised her for this improvement by giving her an index card with a sticker and a statement of my praise.  She became excited and smiled when she read it and I’m hoping that this positive reinforcement will turn her around and shape her into the great student I know she can become.  This index card praise is a new thing that I am trying out.  I had done it once before for an 8^th grade student that I just did not get along with last year.  She has improved her focus and participation, which was a big step for her.  I’ve turned a new leaf with this student and have come to look at her in a new light.  

I’m hopeful that this year will run much more smoothly and my students, the parents and I will be much happier with the results.

Too Much Sex in the City

So as I sit in Penn waiting for my train ride home on this Friday evening with my majorly overpriced sandwich, I’m noticing the lasted fashion trend for the late teen/early 20s ladies.  Yes I fit that bill, but I never seem to get into the real trends of fashion (is that sad to say?).  There is this urge in me to go up to these ladies and ask them “What the hell are you thinking?”  They are decked out in their hug every curve and barely cover my butt black dresses, either strapless or spaghetti straps, and 4” heels.  Keep in mind, it’s the beginning of fall and it’s about 50 something degrees outside tonight.  I’m donning one of my pashmina scarves and ¾ length sweaters and feel like a total mom.  Working with my students has completely turned me into a 40 year old mom who has anxiety about what her daughter wears when she goes out of the house.  Except for me, my teenage daughter is every girl I see.  

I curse society for making sex appeal so outrageous.  Where did the days go when it was shocking to have a skirt just above the knee, or to have just a little bit of cleavage or your shoulders showing.  I wish all girls would learn the lesson that no guy is going to respect you at some bar or club when you’re dressed in what looks like one of those bathing suits from the 50s.

Was that the inspiration for these new dresses?  One girl in particular stood out to me and I decided to analyze her.  She was not very slender and her curves were just not in the best places.  She was wearing one of these dresses and it made me think either she’s completely full of herself and thinks she’s hot, or she’s insecure and is trying to hide it by being overly “sexy.”  I’m leaning towards the latter.  It’s these types of girls that worry me.  They are the ones that need a reality check and a make over with someone who can find clothes that fit them properly and that accentuate one area of the body that will make her and others feel she is attractive.  It’s possible that I watch too many Oprah and Stacy and Clinton makeovers. 

This whole thing about sex appeal reminds me of a billboard I saw one day with a friend of mine that really disturbed her.  I believe it was for Calvin Klein.  It had one girl topless sprawled over a guy on a couch with another guy slumped against the couch sitting on the floor, and two other guys laying around as well.  They all looked disheveled and it’s possible that they were about to kiss or at least you would assume that something was about to or just did happen.  It was hard to realize that it was advertising jeans. 

I guess in a world where “sex sells,” we’re never going to win the battle over our youth being too sexy.  All I can do is work with the girls I teach and hope that I can influence them to love themselves and their bodies enough not to desire this look of over exposure.

1 Day Down...

So I got through my 2nd first day of school as a teacher!  It felt so much easier this year.  What a difference it makes after finishing a year of teaching.  I have to say that it really helped being with the girls for 4 weeks over the summer as well.  I didn't have to do all the get to know you stuff but instead I jumped into my expectations and such that I put on my syllabus.  Yes, I made a syllabus for my middle school kids.  This was actually a great idea and I'm having them keep it in a binder that will have their tests and graded work so I can refer to it all year if needed.  

My class sizes are so small this year.  I have 11 6th graders (only 9 have showed up so far and we might lose one more), 12 7th graders (who are my homeroom girls and are awesome!), and 15 8th graders.  Luckily, in the 7th and 8th grade classes the kids that caused the major issues in those classes have moved on to other places.  This leaves us with classes that are very cohesive groups that are doing fairly well.  8th is still in the distracted and talkative mood that they were last year, but me and my colleagues are really trying to nip that in the bud.  7th grade is just kicking butt.  The only issue I had was them talking to each other too much about the topic I was trying to discuss with them during homeroom.  So at least they were on topic, they just wouldn't let me talk, but that got better towards the end.  They are the class that is following the rules the most and really standing out as role models for others.  I got really lucky with the homeroom choice.  6th is really struggling.  We have some students in that class that are just immature, and rightfully so.  It's going to be a task to try to mature them into middle school students that are responsible for their own actions.  

One of my goals this year is to keep in contact with parents more.  I decided to send home a Parent Contact and Info Sheet asking parents to tell me the best way to contact them and also some questions about the student's work at home.  I included questions about if they have a quiet space, if the parent has a chance to help the student, and how long they see the student doing work at home.  I wanted to get the parent's perspective on their student's work ethic at home so I can better understand how to help the student in school.  

So here starts my year of adjustments, learning and teaching!