Queen of the Quadratic

Running Start

2010-09-06T11:31:00.003-05:00

Two weeks down, 34 to go. My students seem to be pretty motivated this year so far. I am a little concerned about the lack of background knowledge a great many of them have, but I plan to push them hard until they either buckle down and learn the basics or decide that they are in over their heads and select another course to take instead.

I've already caught a couple of students who are perfectly willing to cheat their way through, which is really not okay with me, so their grades will be taking a hit in this first marking period. It will be well worth it if they learn that they must learn the math to earn a credit with me.

Private tutoring is picking up also. A former student contacted me on Friday and asked if I'd be available to help him with a refresher for the first portion of College Algebra. We met and I worked with him and he was so impressed with the service, he asked for a few extra cards to hand out to his classmates at the college. I hope I'll hear from a few more. College students are often much more motivated than high school kids. It's amazing what an effective motivator money is.

The math team met on Friday for the first time this year. We have quite a good group so far, and the other coach says she has several good prospects in her classes. She has access to the cream of the crop incoming freshmen whereas I only deal with the average older kids en masse. I do get a couple of "diamonds" in my group, but they are often the laziest diamonds and not much interested in doing math for fun even if they are really good at it.

The principal and I have begun to see somewhat eye-to-eye now. I'm beginning to see the benefits that his influence has had on our student body despite the great deal of stress that it put us all under and he has begun to recognize that my goal is to continually improve my *game* in the classroom to the effect that my students will leave with enough confidence in their abilities to chase their dreams despite whatever math requirement might be attached to it. Since I can now understand his point of view, I've actually found myself rationalizing what's happening in our school to other teachers who were carrying ill-feelings about it. Essentially, I've become his ally. Strange how human/working relationships evolve.

...And now, to get back to enjoying Labor Day.

Testing Week

2010-04-25T13:01:00.003-05:00

The only benefit I see in state testing week is that I can actually spend a couple days over the weekend reading a novel. It has been a lovely treat.

It will also afford me some time in the evenings to read and play games with my children.

I just realized there is another benefit! Once this week is over, I can go back to teaching real math again! I hate this little annual reprieve from educating that I have to endure.

Here's what really bothers me about this testing... The material they are being tested on is what they were to have learned 2 to 3 years prior to taking my course. The format in which it is presented is such that the reading of the test is more difficult than the mathematics. Due to this, I can't say that the data collected really reflects whether or not a student knows mathematics or if they just can't read but really have a gift with numbers and couldn't show it. (I am not claiming that illiteracy is tolerable, but why should that be such a major player on a "math" test).

Then, they take this data and use it to "measure" my worth as a teacher. SO, test my students on material that I am not directly responsible for teaching them in a format that masks whether or not they can perform any mathematics and then determine whether or not I'm a proficient teacher on this measure... Sounds reasonable, right?

In addition to this, the fact that the students' education is disrupted mid-stream so that we can re-address these topics for whatever time period the administration sees fit (the time we were to spend on it was mandated to increase by 50% this year over last year). When this week closes, I'll have to spend another couple days to refresh the new information that I was teaching just before the upset so I can finish the unit that I started (which is a crucial topic for the subsequent courses).

Why do I keep teaching in public school? I really wonder....

Frustration...

2009-09-05T07:49:00.003-05:00

We have a new principal. He started with us in the middle of last year because someone in central office decided February was a fine time to retire, and this set off a chain reaction for promotions, one of which was our previous principal, and our new one.

This one is a young man and this is his first principalship which means his leadership skills are a little unpolished. He is not abrasive in nature, is actually very likable, but is also full of ideas and theory and making changes occur.

Now, with that said, I'd like to mention that I am not opposed to trying new things. What I think is going on though is that we are being mandated to enact too many changes at once. It is causing a great deal of stress for the staff (and myself).

One of his new requirements is that we meet with our 'teams' weekly to discuss curriculum, instruction, successes/failures, how we taught this, how we're gonna teach that, etc. The 'team' consist of all individuals who teach the same course, and it sounds like a wonderful idea.

Here's the problem we're finding in my team. There are three 'levels' of the course that we teach and there are only 5 teachers who teach it. One teacher exclusively handles the lowest level, two handle the average group, and two handle the honors group (one of these two is also our department coordinator which means that she has to attend some of the other meetings occasionally too). At our last meeting, the dept. coordinator was not in attendance, which left the other honors teacher sitting as the minority while the regular and low-level teachers tried to discuss what needed to happen. It turned into a non-productive session very quickly were we started talking about how we need the freedom to make professional decisions regarding our students needs without also catering to the other teachers' students.

So, in our meeting notes, I included some snippets from this discussion and suggested that the 'team' be fragmented by level, as the courses do not mirror one another for a majority of the year. I'm not certain that anyone is reading our meeting notes, but we shall see.

Yesterday, I had a bit of an altercation with a kid as well. As he was leaving my classroom (he is enrolled in a floating teacher's class that occurs in my room daily), he was blatantly breaking one of the school policies regarding cell phone use during the school day. I took the phone out of his hands and directed him to follow me to my desk. He immediately started telling me that I had disrespected him by snatching the phone out of his hands like that. I ignored the comment and instructed him to write down his information with instruction to make it legible so they could return his phone to him in the office. He then tries to take the phone out of my hand, so I move it away from him and invite him again to write down his information. He tries to bargain with me (all the while I have a new class filing in and they have a test scheduled for this day) asking me to write him up INSTEAD of taking his phone, and I informed him that there was no option on the consequences and the phone was going to the office and I asked him yet again to write down his information. I put his phone in my desk drawer (he watched) and then he reached across me to try to get it out all the while talking and telling me that "they" can't take his phone because he bought it with his own money (precisely how this was supposed to influence me, I am unsure).

At this point, my class was filing in, a couple new students arrived, and I was tired of dealing with this guy, so I told him he needed to leave now and I would obtain his information from his teacher and turn the phone in. He wouldn't leave. I gave him at least three opportunities to leave with my blessing, and he wouldn't leave, so I told him I was going to call an escort for him and he could go to the office, and he still didn't leave. I made the call.

Another new student arrived, I got the three new people situated, the bell rang to begin class and I had to get my kids started on their tests, so I took the phone out of my desk and held it in my hand while I instructed my kids in the preparation for the exam session and handed out the test and formula chart. It took about 10 minutes total for the escort to arrive. They had sent a campus police officer to collect him, so I stepped out into the hall for a moment and briefly explained the situation to him. The kid followed me out and interrupted my sentence to say that I had "disrespected him when I just took the phone out of his hands". The officer, clearly annoyed with the kid, took the phone from me and told the kid that they could discuss it in the office, and off they went.

I am a little worried about what after-effects there might be from this altercation. The kid will be in my classroom with another teacher for the duration of the year unless he gets in enough trouble to get sent to alternative school. I fear that he might want to get me back for this.

I'm going to follow up with the officer and see what the outcome of the situation was, and then I may try to have a little conference with the kid during the only class that I know he is in (during which time I don't have a class) to talk with him about the rules and my function as an employee of the school, so he understands that my motive had nothing to do with 'getting' him, but rather maintaining the school rules, as is my job.

UIL Mathematics

2009-01-10T23:10:00.002-06:00

Had a meet today at a local high school. Two of my kids placed in mathematics (5th and 4th place). One placed third in number sense. I expected another to place in number sense as well, but he is out of practice apparently so he made careless mistakes.

We had a good time between tests playing games. I always enjoy spending time with those young men and women. They are so bright, and inquisitive. I wish they were all like my math team.

It would be a dream come true

Like a little cheese with that....

2008-12-12T18:33:00.002-06:00

WHINE?

I have a kid who whines about everything. He didn't do well on either of the tests this marking period. I gave an extra credit opportunity last week and he didn't turn one in. He came to me today (progress reports went out) and asked what he could do to bring his grade up. I asked if he had done the extra credit and he said, "I didn't know how to do it." I asked what he had done to try to understand and he said that he was too busy for that. I told him to go ahead and do it and turn it in to which he reiterated that he didn't know how. I informed him that he needed to learn how to do it. He then got a little snotty and asked if I could just give him something else to do!

My response, "I refuse to work harder so you don't have to. I've made an offer. You can either take it or leave it."

He huffed and walked away, then later in the period asked me to help him understand it.

This kid has whined about everything all year long. He is bordering on being kicked from my class as he is apparently not happy and making me equally unhappy. He has an excuse for everything and apparently feels like everyone else should do everything for him.

To make matters worse, he is in the class period that I have with the most dead-beats and slackers I've ever seen compiled in a single room. That class always leaves me in a rotten mood. Lucky for me, the next two classes are delightful bunches with great work ethics and melodious personalities. If that class were my last of the day, I'd never have a pleasant evening.

Update: Open House

2008-09-27T08:43:00.003-05:00

I didn't have enough time to produce a presentation for open house. I do have a fairly decent teacher web page with a lot of good resource links and document links and information about tutoring times, test make-up times, contact information, etc, so I simply pulled up my webpage and walked them through the grand tour. I have a really nifty presentation device that we call an "echalkboard" (though that isn't the official name) that comes with some nice software that allows me to display anything on my computer and then write over it (without damaging the integrity of the original document/webpage/photo/whatever). Many of the parents in attendance were mesmerized by my toy, so that helped fill the time. During the 13 minutes each that I would've had for lunch and conference, I intended to grade a few papers, rest my voice, etc, but that plan was foiled by ONE parent each stopping by because they were in a later class and wanted to get home earlier to catch some TV show. So instead of making six additional presentations for open house, I had to make 8 additional presentation. Frustrating.

I had one lady ask me about whether it is the student's responsibility to come to me if he/she is struggling. I responded in the affirmative, but that question has been haunting me ever since. What would be the alternative? I simply can't imagine a feasible other option.

My plan to deter the impromptu parent conference was a failure. The ones that wanted to have a chat about their specific kid just stayed after the original presentation and asked me. They want to know things like "What is his/her grade at present?" (which is available on the web in real time at their convenience), or "What are your tutoring time?" (clearly discussed in my presentation for them during the class period) or "Susie has practice after school on day x and day y and her brother has practice on day z, so she can't stay after on any of those days. She has practice every morning too. Do you have any *other* tutoring times?" Say WHAT??? This one, I hear every year and it never ceases to amaze me. I offer EIGHT tutoring times per week, and these people don't think that's enough because it doesn't fit neatly into their athletic schedules. Did it ever occur to them to hire a private tutor? Isn't that what you should do if you *can't* make it to any of the FREE tutoring times?

On the brighter side, most of the parents that came did not try to put me on the defensive but offered support for anything that I might need to help their children succeed. I also had several of my students from last year come by with their parents because the kid wanted mom to meet "My favorite math teacher ever." That felt really good!

One of my current students (also a student of mine two years prior) said his mom thought I was the best math teacher too. Wow.

Open House

2008-09-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

Starts at 7 PM. We shuffle the parents through all 8 periods, spending 7 minutes in each class with 6 minutes for them to get from one class to another. I thought.... "I'll prepare a presentation that lasts roughly 7 minutes to prevent these people from trying to corner me into an impromptu parent conference. So, I put together my presentation.

I have conference and lunch back to back, so I thought I'd have a few minutes to grade papers, relax, catch my breath...etc. Since I was in my room, I had ONE parent show up for each my conference and my lunch period who wanted to get home a little early to catch some TV show (groan). So, in addition to the 6 presentations I gave throughout the day for my actual classes, and the six presentations I gave to the people that arrived at the right time, I had to give 2 personal presentations. Do some quick math.... 14 presentations in a single day!

My plan to avoid the on-the-spot conference was also a failure as those that wanted to have that just hung around after it was time to go to the next class to ask me about the kid's grade/behavior/weaknesses/or whatever.

I really abhor this practice. It is simply cruel to make us do this every year.

Good News

2008-09-19T20:27:00.002-05:00

I ran into a former student who had returned to campus (for what I haven't a clue) and she said, "I think about you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." So I asked her what math course she was taking currently and she said it was college algebra. She told me that it was easy for her because (so far) it is just the things she learned in my class in high school (2 years prior). She also said that others in the class were really struggling and she just couldn't believe it!

I invited her to come speak to my current lot of students (though I think I've got a good bunch this year). She politely declined, but thanked me for providing her with the background and the rigor she needed to succeed in college.

Homecoming and Tests

2008-09-19T20:12:00.002-05:00

Perhaps homecoming is not the best day to give a test. One of the senior guys in my precal class was wearing a mum on each bicep while taking his exam. Each time he needed to erase, his arm made a tinkling sound and I couldn't help but laugh (as quietly as was humanly possible).

The girls were heavily weighted down with mums too. Several of them, mindful of the level of concentration going on in the room, were walking VERY slowly to minimize the noise. One girl decided that she didn't care one way or the other and walked briskly to my desk to turn in the first section of the test. Though I thought it was hilarious, I decided to say, "SHHHHH" loudly to which she apologized profusely. I had to confess I was joking.

The whole situation was hilarious. I'm sure I'll forget about homecoming being a less than desirable day for an exam by next year : )

One Down, Thirty Five To Go

2008-08-30T08:26:00.002-05:00

Survived the first week. My students this year have not shown any semblance of misbehavior (aside from caving in to their *needs* to text message all the time). I have four sections of Algebra 2 and two sections of Precalculus.

Over the past week, I've watched my Algebra 2 classes grow (even though they started large to begin with) and at the end, the admin started moving the kids around to try to keep the classes from bursting at the seams. They are now creating another section of the course that they will give to another teacher whose classes were rather small. They will combine her courses and give her a new one.

In Precalculus, several of the students have already decided that the course is too hard and wanted to drop. Considering we haven't done anything that isn't a review yet, it's likely a good decision. The ones that remain seem to have a pretty decent grasp on their backgrounds and a willingness to ask questions to help aide their success.

My Algebra 2 classes are eerily quiet. I'm not sure if they are scared of each other, me, or the math being flashed before their eyes. Perhaps they are frightened. Perhaps they are simply mesmerized. (HA)

My math team is also growing. Two of my students from last year (who are taking precal dual credit - not with me) have decided to join. They came to our meeting yesterday even though the boys that I've been training for 3 years couldn't make it due to other obligations (band, orchestra, tennis, etc.) I also invited a Russian foreign exchange student to join and she said that she is interested, but couldn't make it yesterday due to a transportation problem. It will be fun to work with her and learn about the differences in the math she learned in Russia. I can tell already that her background is very strong.

The first week was highly successful and I feel very good about the year to come. I believe it will be my best year yet.

Summer Program Ending

2008-07-31T07:27:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is graduation for the kids in the summer program. Those that received the highest marks will be honored amongst all the groups (the program was hosted at 6 or 7 area colleges/universities). Tomorrow will be the first time I see any of the kids from the other campuses.

The site director has asked me to return next year. I had already decided that I want to do it again (perhaps every summer). The only thing that could improve my experience would be better communication on the part of the site director. I was often in the dark about what the schedule was for a particular day, or when I was expected to do certain things. Had I known earlier, I could've planned for them to keep things *just so* as I like them.

Despite this minor annoyance, I want to return to the same site with the same site director and the same other instructors. The program assistants may or may not return. One of the program assistants is the daughter of one of my esteemed colleagues at the high school where I work. She is actually the reason that I took this job. I do hope she returns next summer. She was quite amazing with the kids.

Two weeks more before inservice begins. Next weekend, I'll be taking my family to the coast. It's an annual thing that we all enjoy.

Fun with the Family

2008-07-19T12:25:00.002-05:00

Last week, my out-of-state family came to visit and we all went to a local amusement park for a day of thrill rides and general fun. While there, I saw one of my former students operating one of the rides. I recognized her, but it was rather late in the day and she was running on autopilot (no longer "seeing" any particular person). I didn't say anything because I was enjoying the anonymity. I decided to upgrade the tickets for my family to season passes so we could return and enjoy another day (or ten) at the park. In the hospitality center, the young lady helping me asked, "So how's your summer going?" I thought the question a little on the personal side, but answered that I was having a wonderful summer anyway. She then continued, "You don't remember me?", so now I was on the spot and I glanced at her name badge for help. I looked again at her face and said, "You changed your hair a LOT." though I still couldn't place her. She gave me another hint or two about who she was and I finally came around. I felt bad about not recognizing her, but she really did look very different with her hair cut.

I plan to return with my family in about 10 days. We'll have a short day at work (just to finalize grades and such) and then we can enjoy another day at the park.

Summer Job Bliss

2008-06-30T16:16:00.002-05:00

I took a position teaching a course called "Logic" on one of the college campuses here in town. The students range from entering 7th grade to entering 9th grade and have enrolled in this program by choice (for the most part). The students are absolute angels. They aren't always the best behaved (especially the just past 6th grade group) but they are SO smart. I didn't know there were so many kids like that out there!

I'm having a wonderful time with this position and the pay is phenomenal. I teach only three sections and it's all the same course. The kids do the homework and they come to tutoring. I'll be giving the first test tomorrow and I think they are going to do wonderfully.

This summer job is a dream job. I think I'll make it a regular summer occurrence.

Gratitude

2008-05-15T19:22:00.002-05:00

Today, one of my students who has struggled all year (but never gave up!) brought me a little purple envelope with my name on it today.

Inside was a thank you card. She thanked me for providing her with the opportunity to learn even though she had never felt comfortable with math in her life. She also said that she had learned a LOT this year.

What a treasure! I'll be saving that one in my "hope" file.

Student visitors

2008-05-13T06:23:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I heard from another teacher that I student I had four years ago (as a junior) had come back to visit and get advice from our "career center". The other teacher said that he had tattoos all down one arm. She stopped to chat with him for a moment and learned that he enlisted in the marines right out of high school. Six weeks after enlisting, he was deployed to Iraq!

She asked him what he thought about our school now and he said, "This place is heaven. When I was here, I had no idea."

I wish he could talk to all of our students.

Being missed

2008-05-08T19:53:00.002-05:00

Over the past two days, I've been out in curriculum planning meetings. Since I was not on-campus, I was also not there for the after school tutoring I normally do.

I returned today and manned my post in our school's tutoring center. The kids made me feel really important and greatly missed during my absence.

With tomorrow being "Teacher Appreciation Day", I feel like I've already gotten the best gift possible!

Will the world hear it?

2008-05-03T12:21:00.005-05:00

New York Times Article (04/25/2008)

Since I began teaching, I've wondered what the logic was in teaching a concept through "story problems". I've always understood the logic of calling on students to perform a concept on a story problem, but teaching it that way seems utterly ridiculous.

Now there's some research to support my intuition.

Call a Stone a Stone

2008-04-27T09:44:00.004-05:00

Recently, I commented on another blog about some frustrating experience dealing with students who have IEPs. Upon a second visit to the blog, I found that another person had made a comment about my comment saying that I was being derogatory to the student with the terminology that I used. I'm getting a little tired of calling a stone a stone only to have it flung at me by someone insisting that it be called a rock because stone has some negative connotations in their mind.

Let's quit pretending that we can fix a problem by changing the name of it. We need to stop inventing new vocabulary just to keep *some* special group happy.

Said person posted a link and suggested that I peruse it, which I did. The article was penned by a person that apparently makes a living inventing new terminology to make other people feel better.

I opted not to reply again. It is pointless to talk to that person as I'll just continue to be told that I need to use his/her invented phrases in place of the concise terms I would normally use.

Cell Phone Dependency

2008-03-29T06:29:00.003-05:00

I am astounded how attached to a cell phone today's teen is.

I have a new mode of lesson delivery that allows me to write on the computer and project on the wall wirelessly, so I can be anywhere in the room while delivering my lesson. It is the best thing that's every happened to my instruction!

One interesting side-effect is that any cell phone use disrupts the signal and prevents me from communicating with my computer. At our school, we have a strict policy about cell phone use during school hours. It is prohibited.

Yesterday, I was having a difficult time communicating with my computer so I started scanning the room to find the culprit. It didn't take long. It was a repeat offender. Last time I took her phone, she came to me at the end of class and BEGGED to get it back promising to never let it happen again. I reminded her that those were her exact words the previous time I took her phone and apparently her promise was empty, so I didn't return the phone.

We take them to the office and the student's parent has to come pick it up. Apparently, this is the only way we can get any cooperation from the parents about their kids ignoring the instruction due to a *need* to text-message during class.

When I requested the phone, she refused by saying, "Can't you just write me up?" When I told her that she would be written up ALSO, but I still had to take the phone she said, "That's not going to happen."

I told her to wait in the hall, to which she incredulously replied, "Can we wait until after you start the quiz?" I was flabbergasted! I said, "No, go now."

I continued with the rest of the class (I was nearly finished) and they were surprised that I wasn't going to stop what I was doing to go deal with the student in the hall. I explained to them that she had already disrupted their class enough and I wouldn't allow her to steal any more time from their learning.

As they were passing in their homework papers, I called the office and asked an AP to come escort her to the office. I started the quiz for the class, and then prepared her referral, finishing about 5 seconds after the AP arrived to take her away.

What really puts the icing on this cake is that this girl's mother is apparently ALSO a teacher. Last time I took her phone, she told me this fact as she was begging and pleading. I stood there with mouth agape wondering WHY in the world she still had a cell phone to be taken away! If she were my daughter, she'd have lost it for the remainder of the year after the first time I had to pick it up.

I can't believe how attached to these little devices these kids are. It isn't a tool to them, it is an appendage. They act as though I am stealing their will to live if I make it so they won't have the phone for an hour or two (or heaven forbid a whole day!)

I am tired of this issue and the brattiness that is displayed every time I have to deal with it. I hear that the parents of younger children are doing a better job teaching their kids respect than the parents of my current crop of high school students. It is perhaps the only thing that is keeping me from running from the profession. (Well, that and the couple dozen really wonderful kids I have!)

Post Spring Break

2008-03-27T21:47:00.003-05:00

I lasted only two days after Spring Break before my voice decided it'd had enough of my abuse and gave out. For the past two days, I've been rasping my way through school and my lessons.

This year, I've had a heck of a time with my 7th period class. There are several hyper freshmen boys in the room at the same time along with a few flirtatious girls, making the overall mix incredibly difficult to manage.

A small benefit of my laryngitis is that all my classes have been very quiet because they want/need to hear what I'm whispering.

I'm considering whispering all the time!

Student Teacher

2008-03-18T17:00:00.003-05:00

I volunteered to take a student teacher this year. When I learned that I would be getting one, I was beside myself with joy (and I'm not even being sarcastic)!

She arrived on the first day and she seemed very shy and quiet and a little mousy. I thought, "No problem... She'll warm up in a week or two."

She apparently has trouble sleeping at night and perhaps has a sleep disorder that causes her to miss out on a good night's rest. Whatever it is, it is undiagnosed and untreated. She regularly fell asleep while sitting in my classroom while I was teaching.

I spoke with her about it and informed her that the students are watching ALL the time. It is simply not permissible to sleep while in my classroom. I saw no change, so I reported the problem to her supervisor at the university. The next day, she made a genuine effort to stay awake. The day after it was back to the same 'ol same 'ol.

It was annoying that she fell asleep while she was supposed to be watching me and learning. It was intolerable that she fell asleep during parent conferences, curriculum planning meetings, faculty meetings, ARD meetings (for special ed), and any time she sensed there was an opportunity. She fell asleep WHILE SITTING UPRIGHT IN HER CHAIR!!!!!

I suppose I could've been supportive of her until she went to see the doctor (she scheduled an appointment for 3 weeks after the supervisor chastised her) if her performance as a teacher showed any improvement. I gave her specific things to work on and she gave a half-hearted effort once or twice before giving up on the goal. When I reiterated what she was to be working on, I saw NO attempt to try again.

Her supervisor was doubly unimpressed as well and wrote very specific items on each evaluation about where she needed to improve.

Last week, I'd had all I could take and recommended that the placement be terminated without completion. The very day I was to speak with her about it, she brought it up first and said she'd decided that teaching wasn't the right profession for her!!!

I am quite sad it turned out this way. I was truly excited about helping a teacher candidate hone his/her skills and get a leg up in the career.

I am willing to try again. I'll try not to let my hopes soar so high next time.

"Special Needs"

2006-12-19T18:47:00.000-06:00

I have a young man who has a myriad of problems with motor skills, cognitive processing skills, etc. He requires shortened assignments AND extra time to get his work done. In math, especially the upper levels (such as Algebra 2 and beyond), this is detrimental.

Amazingly, he has managed to get caught up with his work. Yesterday was his scheduled day to take the 40 question semester exam. We have a modified schedule to allow for 90 minute periods for testing. After 90 full minutes of testing, he had completed 11 problems. He asked if he could come back the following day when one of the testing periods was his scheduled lunch to finish the test. Since that is also my lunch period, he thought it would be all right. I told him that I was not willing to spend that 90 minutes watching ONE person take a test. I did find another place for him to work (Content Mastery).

Today, I realized after the first testing session had begun that I hadn't delivered the test to the CMC for him to finish. As soon as my kids were done and dismissed, I grabbed the test and ran over there to drop it off. He was just arriving as I was. Then he said, "I want to review before I finish it." I had looked at the work that he'd done the day before and he'd skipped a couple problems that were simple recall questions (meaning he wasn't prepared and was hoping to ask specific questions to get those answers). I explained to him that viewing the test and then expecting to get tutoring before completing the test is cheating, and we made him finish the test.

I later returned to CMC to collect his completed test. Apparently, he had used the entire second 90 minute testing period AND stayed after until they kicked him out. Then one of the CMC teachers had to bubble in his answer documents for him. That means he spent nearly 3 1/2 hours on a 40 question test that is meant to be done in 90 minutes or less!!!!!!!

This kid wants to take Pre-Calculus next year. Based on his "special needs", I can't recommend him for that course.

BTW, he only got 20 of the 40 questions correct.

Final Exams

2006-12-16T16:33:00.000-06:00

I have several students who took a bit of a mental vacation during the first semester. Suddenly, they've realized that they are in real danger of having to repeat at LEAST one semester of the course, so they are very interested in learning as much as possible now, as if a passing grade on the final exam will be enough to recover from two grading periods of failing grades. Yesterday was the first day of finals, and we had a full day of school with a modified schedule to allow for extra time in the two periods that would take exams. One of my recently returned mental vacationers came by my room EVERY period to ask more questions. This "student" had been telling me all week that he would be staying after for tutoring and then he never showed up. When I'd question him about it, he always said "Oh, I had to leave." Then he expected me to ignore the rest of my classes to give him extra help.

His exam was at the end of this modified day. About 15 minutes in, he asked to be excused because he felt sick. I believe he actually worried himself sick over the test!!!!!

We have three more days of nothing but exams, and all three are half days, before the Christmas break (oops, I mean winter break).

Freshman misconception

2006-11-14T19:47:00.000-06:00

A young lady in one of my Geometry classes asked me today if I was her friend. I told her without and ounce of malice that I was not her friend. She was genuinely shocked and acted completely hurt by this.

She asked why I wasn't her friend and I explained that I am her teacher which is very different from being a friend. She asked again, claiming that her mom is her friend and she just couldn't understand why I couldn't be her friend.

I've seen many teachers start their careers with that fatal mistake of trying to be a friend of the students. All of these teachers are no longer teaching. I wonder if this young lady had a few one-year wonder "friend" teachers while in middle school.

Grrr...

2006-11-01T19:37:00.000-06:00

This morning, I had a parent conference scheduled at 8:15. I knew about it since about Thursday last week. Yesterday, I was off-campus to attend a meeting about writing the semester exam for Algebra 2. As we all know, a day out compounds the workload when you return. This parent conference was going to take up most of my morning.

I had already planned for that since I do have 1st period conference. I knew that I would have enough time to prepare for my classes even though I'd lost the entire morning.

After listening to the parents chastising their son for 30 minutes in front of myself and 4 of his other teachers, I was off to get ready for the rest of my day. On my way back, one of the contact teachers stops me in the hall and tells me that I am supposed to be in a meeting for another of my students right that moment. I let her know that I hadn't been informed of this meeting and needed to prepare for my day. I ran off to make my copies while she checked to make sure that I really needed to be there. Then she came back and insisted that I come.

I checked my email while I waited for a grade report to print out for said student and found that they had in fact sent me an email to inform me of the meeting. When was it sent? 8:55 am. When was the meeting? 9:00!!!!!! I was supposed to get this email notification and be at the meeting in FIVE MINUTES!?!?!?!

After school, when I finally caught my breath, I sent her a brief email informing her that I would need a minimum of 24 hours notice before I could attend a conference in the future. She responded thanking me for attending and claiming she had set it up (and therefore somehow informed me) 2 days prior. The email this morning was NOT phrased as though it were a "reminder", but she never once alluded to owning any fault. I guess once the initial scheduling shift is over, the counselors lead a leisurely life and forget that the rest of us are still busy as hell.

The result of the first parent meeting? Kid skipped my class today (again). I tried to call his parents after school to inform them only to get no answer and no answering machine.

Result of parent meeting number 2? Kid is supposed to come in during lunch tomorrow to make up a test she missed (which is the reason she was failing). We'll see what happens.

Hmmmm

2006-10-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

In my email today, I received a message from a parent who was steamed about the way I graded a group project. I had each student complete the requirements for the project (for individual learning) and then the self-selected group decided on which project would be scored for their group. Her daughter (and group) earned a 95, choosing her work as the "best" and the one they wanted scored. She felt that the others in the group didn't put forth near the effort her daughter did, and therefore didn't deserve the same grade. Then she suggested that I add a few points to her daughter's grade for carrying the brunt of the weight. =0

She went on to cite the fact that she is a college student and familiar with group work. She said that the professors take into consideration if a member of the group didn't pull their weight and their grade was adjusted accordingly. I should do the same, says she. I am sending a message to my students that they can slack off and let others carry them and if they put forth their best effort, they will only get used.

Perhaps I should paint a rosy picture of "life" for my students and tell them fairy tales about how every person is moral and wouldn't dream of taking advantage of a sucker. At what point do we let them learn those lessons?

I would perhaps be able to understand her frustration if I had assigned the groups and forced her daughter to work with known lazy kids. I let the kids choose their groups. Her groupmates chose wisely, and she apparently didn't.

Why is it that everyone knows how to do my job but me? From legislators to parents to the micromanagers at central office, there are no decisions left up to me, the trained professional. I am beginning to wonder why I needed that college degree to do this "job". Obviously, any person on the street could do better.

Bumper sticker

2006-10-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

On my way to school this morning, a car in front of me had on display the following message:

"My Chihuahua is smarter than your Honor Student."

Sadly, for some it is true.

2006-10-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

I'm finally feeling like my Geometry students might be learning something. The curriculum is still a complete mess, but I feel like I might have worked a little of my magic in engaging them. Perhaps it is just that we have arrived at a more favorable topic.

Today was magical day in Algebra 2. I was teaching factoring out the GCF from polynomial expressions. The students seemed really "into" the topic and they were asking the really good questions. I am excited about continuing with all the various faces of factoring that we are approaching.

Today was a cold day (by the standards down here). The high was only 70 degrees and I wore a sweater and scarf ensemble. My juniors commented that my outfit was "festive" while the sophomores simply asked (and this was at least one per period) if it was really cold enough for a scarf!

Down here, it never gets "cold enough" for those accessories, so I have to wear them when it dips into the 60s.

Teachable moment

2006-10-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today was our homecoming game, so nearly every student was walking around jingling and tinkling and tripping over their mums. I had planned to give a quiz (since the quiz I gave two days ago showed they hadn't learned the material). While grading the papers, one student had written a note on the top that said, "We are going to loose."

At first I just shook my head and continued grading. Then, like a bolt of lightening, the appropriate response hit me. I wrote in, "Oh! Thank goodness! I was afraid we might lose." Who says I have to teach ONLY math?

Okay...

2006-10-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

My phone rang between 2nd and 3rd period and I noticed it was the attendance office. I thought it would be a request to send a particular student down during my next class, so I answered.

As it turned out, she wanted to speak with me about the enrollment audit that we had just done that day and asked that I come down there to discuss it with her. I informed her that if she was looking for me to come down that day, I wouldn't be able to make it. She said I could come down the next day during my conference. I was a bit annoyed, but agreed to go.

Later in the day, I had to remove a few electronic items from a few of my students and had to deliver them to the office anyway, so I thought I'd just stop in the attendance office and find out what they needed me to do.

The woman then proceeded to tell me that I had written down that a student had enrolled in my class on such and such a date, when in fact said student hadn't enrolled until about 2 days later. Neither of the dates in question effected the audit in any way, shape, or form. I assured her that the date I had entered in my computer was the first day she stepped foot in my class and she told me again that I was wrong. This exchange (coupled with many pregnant pauses on my part) continued for about 10 minutes during which time she showed me something irrelevant on the computer and told me all about some bug they'd found in their system. Finally, I asked, "What do I need to do?" to cut the bs so I could get to tutoring my students. Can you imagine my surprise when she said, "Oh, nothing. It doesn't effect..." and she started carrying on again.

After witnessing this whole exchange, the other attendance secretary (who's daughter is enrolled in my class) decided that would be an opportune time to ask me about her daughter's progress. I informed her that I was already 15 minutes late for tutoring and there were students waiting for me. As I walked down the hall, I had to do some deep breathing before greeting the students who really needed my help.

Night and Day

2006-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am teaching 4 sections of Algebra 2 where my students are mainly juniors and 2 sections of Geometry where my students are mainly sophomores. The difference between the two types of students is incredible.

My Algebra 2 students work hard, ask questions, do their homework, and succeed on the tests. My Geometry students want to be spoonfed, they NEVER think about what was taught outside of my room, and don't believe that they have any responsibility in their own education. How is it possible for these kids to be only 1 year apart?

After a horrible yesterday with one of my Geometry classes, I've resolved that they need every moment of my class period planned out for them. They cannot be allowed any "choice" in which activity they will engage in. It makes me sad that I have to do this, but they must be taught to learn!

Textbook adoption

2006-10-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of selecting new mathematics texts for the next adoption period. I've been gleefully perusing all of the books that have been offered so far. I decided to really crack the cover and delve into one that I just got my hands on last Thursday from Key Curriculum Press. The books are all titled "Discovering ..." with the course title afterwards. I was looking through the Advanced Algebra book and with every turn of the page, I am making exclamations such as "WOW!" and "COOL!" and "Finally, a textbook that teaches the way I do!"

It might seem that I work for this company (but I don't). I just found every section to be so engaging and it really deeply addresses all of our standards here in Texas.

Now I'm just a little peeved that I am not the "chosen one" who gets to vote on which book we'll adopt. I'm also a little disheartened knowing that so many of the "others" will probably not like the book at all because it isn't "normal". I guess if I'm going to get it adopted, I'll really have to advocate with the elite who get to choose.

What's really annoying about it is those who have been selected will be retiring in the next year or two, so whatever they choose will far outlast their remaining time in the profession. I understand the logic of choosing experienced teachers, but I can't quite understand why the ones who's professional lives will be directly effected are totally excluded. Perhaps I am naive to think that my degree in pure mathematics is worth anything over those who studied "education".

Requests from educators who are no longer in the classroom...

2006-10-03T06:03:00.000-05:00

I received an email yesterday from my department coordinator asking that I compile EVERYTHING that we did during the first six weeks. I know this request came from central office, so I'm not terribly peeved with my department chair, but I wonder if these people at central office realize that I have a zillion other things to do? What really iced the cake was that they needed it TODAY.

I think these people need to get their hands dirty in a classroom again and realize what it's like to be personally responsible for the intellectual growth of 170 hormone driven teenagers.

First year teachers

2006-09-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

We have several brand new teachers this year. They are experiencing their first end of a grading period now, my least favorite part of the year. Today, after school, I was finishing up my grades and had the math team in my room practicing (we meet every Friday). One of the new teachers came to my door and asked to speak to me in the hall. I could tell from her face that something was dreadfully wrong.

She was having a breakdown (as we all do several times the first year). She had just turned in her grades and noticed how terrifically high her failure rate was. On the way back, she had a miniature panic attack thinking that she would be fired for it. I assured her that this was not the case.

The powers that be, in all their infinite wisdom, decided to rewrite the curriculm for one of the math courses over the last summer to improve the scores on the state testing. Essentially, they packed all of the prior year's subject into this one AND included all of the material that was originally there. Then, they mandated that we all use the curriculum. As a result, there is far too much information packed into each "lesson" and the kids simply can't assimilate it that fast. The result...most of them are failing (across the board). I assured her that the aforementioned powers that be really needed to see what they were doing to the students with this ridiculous nonsense. Perhaps now we'll see some action from them to fix the problem (or at least sever the tethers on our hands to fix it ourselves).

I am buddy to another of the new teachers this year. For some reason, they gave her the worst hooligans that our school has to offer. Imagine a whole room full of kids that have failed Algebra and are taking it again. Most failed because of behavior issues (and complete lack of upbringing). Needless to say, she is in tears several times a week, and she is not new to teaching. I am quite peeved that they have done this to her. She is a dear friend of mine.

We also have one man who is new to teaching. He is my neighbor this year. He is learning (the hard way) what a hard job teaching really is. This is a second career for him. What possessed him to do it...do any of us know why we do this?

Sloths

2006-09-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

I have only one of these this year (as yet). I've never had one that was female before. Guess the gender roles are truly blurring.

She arrives in class every day, places her head on the desk and closes her eyes. I wake her three or four times a class. Today, I told her that she had to either sit up or stand up and left the choice up to her.

She does NO work, doesn't take notes, and has an incredibly low average (grades were submitted today for the six weeks). I've asked her what her plan is and she claims that she is moving soon. I can only hope that it happens soon.

Amazing

2006-09-23T08:11:00.000-05:00

We have a strict cell phone policy on our campus. Phones are not allowed to be in view from the first bell in the morning to the last bell in the afternoon. Naturally, the students see this as totally unacceptable.

During fifth period yesterday, one boy who sits in the back had his phone out and was doing something with it. He was of course being oh so "clever" by hiding it under the desk, as if I wouldn't know what he was doing directing all of his attention to his hands which were in his lap. I told him I would have to take the phone. He argued, begged, pleaded. I offered to write him a referral and let him turn the phone in himself and face other consequences as well as losing the phone. He still begged, so I turned around and walked back to my desk to get a referral form. He walked over and acted as though he would hand over the phone again, but pulled back at the last minute. I went back to writing the referral. He the put the phone on my desk. I put it in a drawer and went on with my lesson.

He asked about it several times, and I informed him that an office referral would follow the next mention of the phone. He dropped it.

At the end of class, he apparently took advantage of the chaos of the herd and TOOK THE PHONE OUT OF MY DESK! I feel totally violated. I wrote him up, and I am near the point of wanting him removed from my class. I cannot even describe how furious I am.

I wouldn't have caught it until the end of the day if I didn't have to take another phone from another student during the next class period. This other student handed it over without a fight and just asked when he could pick it up from the office.

I can't understand what goes through these kids heads. I think I was convinced that my hands would rot and fall off if ever I touched a teacher's desk, but this kid felt it was okay to OPEN IT and TAKE SOMETHING OUT! I am mad beyond belief.

I hope they throw the book at him.

Kids and their interpretations

2006-09-17T19:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, when the kids finally arrived home after their adventure at Sea World, they were so excited and wanted to share their experiences with me. The littlest one just couldn't wait to tell me about "Shampoo" the killer whale.

(BTW, he is nearly 4 years old)

Ahhhh...

2006-09-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

Last night, I arrived home around 7:45 or so after another gruelling week. I was recruited again by the AVID program teacher to tutor her students who are in pre-Calculus and Calculus this year. It is a treat to work with those kids, and since I could use a little extra pay, I agreed to do it two days a week.

Fridays always have me coming home late because I coach the UIL math team and our regularly scheduled meeting time is Friday after school until 6:00. I also truly enjoy working with these kids and look forward to Friday for this moreso than the fact that it marks the beginning of the weekend.

It seems that weekends are just changing the venue for my work. I haven't been able to spend but ONE day relaxing since school started, and that was because we had Labor Day off. The next "holiday" is Columbus Day and is a scheduled workday for the faculty.

My husband ran a hot bubble bath for me last night and forced me to go in there for awhile with a Reader's Digest (that had just arrived by mail) and a bath pillow. The water was scorching hot and I was a smidge annoyed at first but decided to cook myself anyway. When I finally got about (nearly 45 minutes later) I felt like jello. It is positively amazing how much stress a person can bear without even realizing it.

The icing on this cake is... today ALL of my children are not at home. The teen spent the night with a friend and is enjoying the day there too. The four youngest are out at Sea World with their grandpa today. I can't even remember the last time hubby and I had a day alone together. I also can't remember needing a day off so desperately.

I think I might be able to face the coming week with my trademark characteristic zest after this lovely day.

The Wind Dies Down

2006-09-09T10:23:00.000-05:00

I haven't heard any more about how condescending I've been (or am being). This is probably a result of my lack of comment at all, and my nature of pre-writing tests/quizzes and such and then sharing them with everyone for review/revision/and mutual use. Perhaps the previously unhappy nay-sayer has found a "buddy" who is not condescending to take advice from.

My students are WONDERFUL. We have already had some superbly invigorating lessons and discussions and I am hearing over and over again "OH! Now I get it!" It is truly a wonderful feeling.

Monday, I'll start teaching systems of equations. We'll start with graphing and the next day learn to solve them algebraically. I always found this topic to be a LOT of fun, and my kids who have always been "good" at math will have a chance to shine. This is also the section where I have students start saying, "You know, this is kinda fun!"

Frustration

2006-08-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

I've been appointed "leader" of the Algebra 2 team this year. In the past, this position has required little leadership except passing along papers that come from the central office. I was expecting much the same this year.

Imagine my surprise to learn that several on my team (3 of them) haven't taught the subject before and were expecting me to teach it to them!?!?! Now, this is pretty shocking in itself, but it gets worse.

At least one (and perhaps more) apparently think that I am too gruff and short with them when they ask me questions and give off an "attitude" of "You should already know this." Here's the deal...

We teach 6 of 8 periods a day. One period is lunch and one is conference. My class average size is 30, so that makes 180 (give or take) students. I teach two subjects, one of which had a "revamp" on the curriculum over the summer and came out a complete mess. Unfortunately, that is the one that is new to me, so I am not only failing in being an effective teacher, but I'm also NOT learning anything about the course.

The course that I am "leading" hasn't been changed much in the past three years. It's good, solid, and the kids learn a LOT. It's all laid out on a CD along with pacing, standards, and supplementary materials. In addition, we also have a textbook that we can refer to if we need some teaching advice and approach strategies. Apparently, these other teachers are expecting me to write out everything that I do and say so they can emulate it. Flattering as that might be, it's simply impossible. Most of what I do, I don't think about in advance. I can't possibly tell them what I'm doing.

One of them (at least) seems to think that I'm not doing a spectacular job with this leadership position and rather than talk to me about it, she is going to the department chair who later relays the message to me with no hope of knowing who thinks this or what incidence is being talked about. I have no way to know why she thought I was being snooty because I haven't a clue when I was being snooty. The only thing I can figure is that she mistook my silence after making a statement for having a condescending aire. I typically make a statement and then shut my mouth to allow the person to whom I'm speaking to process the information. I find it frustrating when I am trying to understand something and the person "explaining" it won't shut up and let me assimilate the information.

I'd like to know who I should talk with about this so I can clear the air. It is very frustrating to know that there is a problem and not know how or with who to deal with it.

I'm about ready to start looking for a new position next year. This nonsense is getting ridiculous.

How can it be...

2006-08-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

One week. Just one little week. It felt like it lasted about two years!

On the upside, my students are wonderful, my classes are "gelling", and I've already built a good deal of rapport with my kids. I think we are going to have a highly successful year.

I convinced a friend of mine (and the admin at school) to come work at my school. She is having a rough time adjusting to the new environment and job description, but I feel confident she'll do just fine. There are several other newbies in my department, some of whom I am very concerned about. Many of my students from years past are stopping by for tutoring in the mornings, and some have decided to switch from the alternate 3rd year math to Algebra 2 in an attempt to get into my classes. It's a little flattering, but at the same time frightening to watch my rosters grow at an exponential rate.

I'm taking a half day off today to visit with my doctor and get the low-down on what's next in the line of ankle repair. I'll report to work for the second half of the day and have a goal to LEAVE WORK no later than 5:30 this evening. (Last week, I didn't leave earlier than 7 on ANY of the 5 nights.)

First day

2006-08-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

We made it through the first day. We have 5 new teachers in my department this year (roughly 1/4 of the department), so I spent my conference period assisting one of them. After school, I went to check up on the one to whom I am assigned "buddy". She was a little run down, but still standing. Two of the others looked a little glossy eyed.

I felt pretty energetic at the end of the day (which makes NO sense). I can't imagine why I would feel so full of life since I didn't have a conference period.

I am now feeling quite drained and think I'd better head for bed so I can be lively and spry tomorrow.

Inservice Week

2006-08-17T05:43:00.000-05:00

Inservice started on Monday. It was really great to see everyone again, and to meet the new people on our campus. My room needed (and still needs) a lot of work. My students, in an effort to help me close out the year, boxed up all of my things and took down all of my posters and various other decorations. While I greatly appreciate it, I am having a difficult time finding everything again!

I stayed very late last night (3 hours past when they turned off the air conditioner) to try to get a few things accomplished. They've kept us very busy so far this week going to meetings and trainings and the convocation (a sort of "pep rally" for our district) that we haven't had any time to work in our rooms. I was able to move a table over to incorporate it as part of my desk/workspace. All of the student desks are in an eclectic dissarray and most are topped with various file folders and papers that I found while "cleaning out" the file cabinet.

In addition to all of the meetings set upon us by the administration, we have meetings with our subject teams. I'll be teaching Geometry (for the first time) and I'll be leading the Algebra 2 team. We had those meetings yesterday also!

Today will be packed with inservice with only about 3 hours total time to work in my classroom (and part of that has to be spent on lunch!) I intend to figure out how the student desks will be arranged and make it a reality, hook up the two student computers and figure out exactly where they are going to live, and if there is any time left (yea right), start working on specific preparation for the first day (photocopies, syllabi, agenda, procedures, etc.)

The start of school...

What a wonderful time of year!

Almost time...

2006-08-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Inservice starts on Monday. School starts the following Monday. I can scarcely wait!

It's been a long, wonderfully relaxing summer (I had an extra three weeks due to a disabling injury) but I am ever so ready to return.

My children attend schools in a different district from where I work. Their first day is this Monday (sort of worked out nice for me). This evening is open house for the elementary kids so we will meet the three smaller school-aged boys' teachers tonight. One is entering kindergarten, so this is a VERY exciting time for him. To help them count down the days until the first day of school, we made a paper chain that has the days of the week written on it along with a pictoral depiction of important events happening each day until the first day of school. We hung the chain in the hallway between the little one's bedrooms and each night before bed, a different kid gets to rip off a ring to symbolize the end of another day. They seem to think it's a really wonderful idea and I have a feeling they'll want to do it again next year.

I am eager to see my colleagues again. I have been able to see several of them once or twice during the summer months, but not all of them at the same time. It will be wonderful to catch up again. It's a little like a family reunion that lasts 10 months (with a slight change of cast each year)! I firmly believe this rebirth each year is perhaps the best part of teaching. If you made terrible mistakes, you get to start fresh each Autumn. If made wonderful leaps, you get to continue to build and traverse new territories. Throughout the journey, personal learning never ceases. I really don't know how corporate employees can survive the monotony over 30+ years. Perhaps that's why so many change jobs so often in life.

To all my fellow educators gearing up for yet another new year...

I hope your enthusiasm oozing from your pores so when your students arrive, they can't help but feel energized and ready for that grand adventure known as learning. May you inspire at least one more than you did last year. May you find the wrecking ball that will tear down the walls the students have encapsulated themselves in against real learning. May your internal rewards continue to fuel your fire (since your paycheck still doesn't ;) ).

Happy New Year, and here's hoping they fix those pesky calendars to reflect the "year" as we know it!

TV Students

2006-08-06T07:33:00.000-05:00

I found this article and started wondering...

http://www.sttammany.com/news-detail/article/532/is-tv-taking.html

I have 5 children that I am raising with my husband. We greatly limit the amount of TV the children watch and send them outside to play daily. We play board games, card games, sing songs together, and have a relatively traditional itinerary of activities that do not include TV.

My students quickly realize early in the year that I won't be turning on the TV if there is "extra time" in class. During the spring semester, I typically have to administer state exams to students that I don't or haven't taught before. I found last year that they whined because I wouldn't turn on the TV when everyone was finished. I advised them to bring a book or magazine for the remainder of the testing days.

I do believe that television has caused numerous problems with children/students. They are not expending the energy that children inherently possess, and as a result are fidgety, have trouble concentrating, and do not place very high value on true learning. Parent's response? Medication...

I often wonder if TV networks are in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies. At the very least, they scratch each other's backs to the detriment of our nation's future.

Classroom WebPages

2006-07-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

I'd like to have a classroom webpage where I can post assignments, notes, rules, expectations, and anything else I happen to feel like posting that would be relevant to the classroom. The first step will be talking to my campus IT person about which servers will be permitted for student use and then learn how to use that server to my full advantage.

I know some teachers absolutely LOVE classroom webpages, and others loathe the fact that computers are now a part of the job description. I personally like using the computers and feel that it has made my job easier most of the time. I don't imagine I'll find many dissenting opinions here, but would like to know about others' experiences with the classroom webpage.

What kind of items are essential? How often should it be updated? Should students be involved with creating/maintaining it?

If I find no responses to this, I will still be searching other places for the answers. As I become proficient, I'll publish my progress.

Noteworthy Quote

2006-07-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

"I've come to a frightening conclusion," he said. "I am the decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates the climate. My daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. It is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or dehumanized."

This came in my email today from a source who usually sends me useless fluff. I had heard it before, but like to ponder it near the dawning of the new year in preparation for my new little blocks of clay.

While I know I'm not the only influence the students have in their lives (as a high school teacher, I am one of no less than 7 just like me), the mere fact that I have this much influence in their lives takes my breath away. For some, the only kind words they'll hear that day are uttered by me. For some, the only encouragement they'll receive is in my classroom. For most (and this is the truly sad part), the only intellectual challenge they'll encountered is presented by me.

They come with few manners and a total lack of regard for others. What blindsides me is the rare occassions that I get to watch the same kids in other teacher's classrooms. The manners that they display in my room seem confined to those four walls.

It is true that I control the weather for that 50 minutes of their lives. I just need to remember to meditate on this fact each morning and between each period.

Time for Differentiated Instruction

2006-07-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went to summer inservice about differentiated instruction. The district wants us to embrace "DI" as it's been called and use it in our classrooms. This methodology says that we should constantly be tailoring instruction to individual students. This sounds great, but I have a little problem...

Class sizes are about 30 on average and we have 6 classes a day. My arithemtic is a little shaky, but I believe that means I'll need to create and deliver 180 lessons (give or take) every day in the span of 6 hours. Granted I'd have the other 18 hours of the day to create these lessons, which means that I would have whopping six minutes per lesson. Now, during the class (50 minutes long) I would be able to spend 1 minute and 40 seconds teaching each student. I think it might take me that long to shuffle through the 30 specific lessons that I'd created for that class. Uh oh, I forgot to take role!

Truthfully, I already do a lot of tailoring instruction to students once I get to know them, but I can't say that I tailor it every day for each of them. When I get to know students, I can help them more effectively by asking the right questions. Overall, I believe I am doing a decent job of helping them learn to learn (which seems rather foreign to today's student).

Has this "DI" swept the country, or is it just something that's been embraced in my district? We seem to be on the cutting edge of every 'new' thought in education, be it good or bad. Most of the time, the powers that be select good ideas to embrace, but occassionally, they make a monumental mistake as well.