I survived the Freedom to Learn week... It was actually quite an interesting experience, for a variety of reasons. The whole laptop thing is exciting, no doubt. I am curious to see how our school actually utilizes them - will each student actually have access to a computer all day during school? at home? will we share a set per grade as was discussed before? The possibilities seem so endless if I could actually know my kids would always have their computers available in math class.

The NTeQ model training is certainly a useful tool for integrating technology into the curriculum, but I am not certain we will be able to "sell" most teachers on the time-intensive-ness of this approach. I hope I keep my own enthusiam long enough to get lots of lessons in place for next year - ready made - to use in class. I know it is like anything else - the more you do it, the easier it becomes so maybe once I get through a couple of lessons independently, I will find my own way to get things set up without so much paperwork.

Meeting other teachers is always great too. Knowing that those attending this week-long summer training must also be committed to excellent educational practices is exciting. SO often at conferences, it seems most people are there to get out of school, and are not really interested in learning anything new. Not at SuperCoach training... what an enthusiastic crew... at least overall... of course our Eastern Upper Peninsula crew was, oh, hmmm... enthusiastic does not even begin to describe it - what a great group of people to work with - I am excited at the possibilities looming ahead.

Maria... the Spanish teacher who is being sent back to Canada - how can that be?? You can tell she is such an incredible teacher, the way she talks about her students, and her classes - she really truly cares about them.
Robin.... well, we go way back and we are trying to work out a plan to teach her 6th grade social studies class with my 6th grade tech class so we can have students working on projects for both classes. What an ultimate integration of curriculum!
Michelle...always so professional, so gee... I don't know, mature, and all knowing, and knowledgeable about so many things - she is perfect to be in her position! I can't wait to work more with her as a colleague rather than having her be more in the role of trainer as in the past.
Scott... he must be a great science teacher - I can tell... he too just exudes that sense of caring and compassion for all that he does..
Shannon... well, hmm... interesting person, but not sure what to think about him yet - he seems to be dedicated to the success of this program but I hope he will be able to relate to the lead teachers we are training, being himself so far removed from the teaching situation.

so all in all.... a long tough week of training but I think the payoffs will be incredible... purple supercoaches RULE!!

This week I am in Lansing at the Freedom to Learn Super Coach training. So far, we have learned about the new laptops -COOL!! and been introduced to this NTeQ lesson planning - hmm... good ideas but time consuming to actually use.

My biggest concern at this point is the actual use of the laptops we will be getting. The intent of the program is to actually integrate tech into the curriculum. Will teachers actually do this or will our valuable resource continue to be used as primarily word processors and games, entertainment?

just short thoughts - in training session now...

It is official --- the school year is over. Wednesday was the last day - I guess it is one of those "double-sided" swords - because a big part of me is simply relieved to be done. It has been a long frustrating year and there's a good chunk of these students I am glad to see move on to 8th grade.

But as with every year, there are those I will be sad to see go. In particular, Jake who was gone for the last few days for another stupid incident... what he did was wrong, at least from what I heard of it, but that does not mean that I did not miss the little fart while we were doing all that fun end of the year stuff. I still cannot figure him out - he has such great potential to be something POSITIVE... what does he so consistently choose otherwise??? and I'll miss Blake who was so sweet, and tried so hard to please, always, and Kim who went from a grumpy snotty young lady to the funniest, kindest, most enjoyable girl with attitude, and Lauren, who always makes me laugh, and Laury who also went through a dramatic attitude improvement over the course of the year, and Derek, who rises to meet every expectation, and Kassandra, and Marie, and Dave, who got the "PIGGY LOCKER" award, and Morgan, and Katelyn, and Courtney and Caitlin, the twins, and Jessica & Jennifer, the twins, and Warren, and Jeremy,who I can't start class without, and Joe, and Dale,who's come so far, and the other Jessica, and Miranda, and Mariah, and Amber and Jamie, who always makes me laugh, and Toni & Tony, and Brendon, and Char, and tardy Jessie, and Devin, and Tuffy, and John, who works so hard always, and even Travis, and gosh, I guess Dan who drove me nuts all year, and Micheal, and of course, Colleen & Alyson who are both such amazing young ladies, and Cindy, who never fails so smile, and I could go on and on... so I guess in looking back, there are more I will wish I had again, than the other way around....

GOod stuff this year - track meet math project - lots of fun, and they really seemed to do well with the ratios and percents this way - I will have to tuck this in my memory to do again. I love using the computer lab more - it will be great to have a class set of laptops available next year - the kids seem to respond to anything more positively when the computers are involved. It will be interesting to see if this holds true when we are able to use them daily.

This computer training I am going to - to be a Freedom to Learn Super Coach (doesn't that just sound so superhero - ish) will hopefully be just the thing we need to get our entire tech program back on track. I am excited to find out how other schools are using technology and how it can be better integrated across the curriculum. It seems much of our lab time is spent with kids creating a PowerPoint over and over... or typing another story or report - we need to be more innovative with technology and find ways to make its use more meaningful, relevant,and interesting. I think I personally some great gains here this year with the webquests we did, using math.com for actual lessons, and utilizing my links pages at teacherweb.com more. Not letting the kids search on their own may not give them that experience but so often it is a waste of time - giving them links allowed class time to be used so much more efficiently.

Not teaching social studies I will not miss - for the most part that always seemed to take a back burner to math, and I felt I did not do my class justice in what we were covering, at least the passion about the topics part... I know that learned some good stuff, and it was overall positive, but, yikes, when the teacher is not fired up, how can the kids be??? Next year teaching tech for 6th grade will be odd because I will be learning an entire new group of kids I won't have in class, but it should be easy to plan for, teach and evaluate/assess what they have learned.

that is all for now... I will think more about individual lessons another day and get this blog set for next year...

I left here in a hurry yesterday, tired of spending my holiday at school, humbled by those parent notes I'd read, depressed at the amount of rain pouring into my classroom through the leaky roof/window, and OH HEAVENS...when I came in this morning I almost had a heart attack!! The mess was absolutely overwhleming! Don't get me wrong. I WISH I was a "clean desk" person but the clutter always wins over but I was absolutely appalled that I'd left such a huge mess. And, then, when I realized another teacher had been in here to drop some things off..embarassment... What was I thinking??

Wouldn't it be great if our classrooms just miraculously cleaned themselves, all those books and boxes, and miscellaneous stuff just found their way into the cupboards?? In orderly fashion of course, in contrast to the way my usually gets packed away...shoved quickly into the largest available spot with the door closed in wait for the unsuspecting person who accidentally opens it to a avalanche of exploding STUFF...No, not an avalanche, a volcano!! The sheer force alone... It is terrifying...

As I sit here on Memorial Day afternoon, listening to the rain leak through my roof and window, I must admit I am a bit melancholy. I came in to clean my room, since we have but a week and half of school left for the year. I was doing so well until I came across the Million words assignment for parents from this year and last. Reading those words from all those parents about how special their children are to them... wow... I feel so honored to be here, to touch their lives every day. What a humbling moment to think of all the times I've been less than patient, less than caring... As a teacher, we must always realize that every child, not matter how irritating, is someone else's child, and that parent feels about their child the same way I do about my own 2. They are the most important parts of my life, and such is it with all this I teach every day...

Okay... I officially throw in the towel.... my last math class, 5th hour, tried to do the activity with presorted blocks in bags. Imagine my confusion when they predicted Bag #1, which should have had 4 blue, 4 red blocks, was predicted to have yellows, and greens!! Undoubtedly, some little charmer 2nd hour decided to shuffle blocks from bag to bag. I am so angry, so mad, so hurt, so...so... so... disappointed... the time it took to sort all that stuff for that activity, to find the crayons, markers, colored pencils in the mess they left from the last project.I took time to get stuff ready for them to have a fun something to do rather than worksheets and this is the appreciation I get. I feel like giving worksheets for the rest of the year, all day every day....but then I am punishing the all for the sins of the one/few... the dilemma...

We started probability today - the weather is being uncooperative for outside stuff. 1st hour went so well with combinations and permutations - drawing ice cream cones, drawing blocks from bags... they had fun, and so did I. THEN..2nd hour..grrrrr...I swear on my grandmother's grave, there are a couple in there who just want to be difficult no matter what we do. They won't listen to instructions, follow instructions, raise their hands to speak... no matter what. By the end of the hour I was close to screaming or crying...

and then social studies where I again have the "guiltiest" of the 2nd hour crew again.. when he could not even make it through me takign attendance and passing out the map activites without disrupting twice, I gave up and sent him to detention for the class period and through AR where I have him again. It was as if a HUGE weight had been lifted. The others got right to work, settled in, and even when some finished early, they amused themselves appropriately. Can I just send him away for the rest of the year????? I am out of patience, out of desire to be patient...especially with him, and a few others.

I am calmer now, and still, I cannot fathom a way I could have created another ending to the situation. I jsut have to remember - tomorrow: clean slate, clean slate, clean slate... can I do it???

Yipee... the track meet projects are all turned in and graded!! And, I must say overall they were done well. The majority of mistakes were not mathematical in nature, but rather they did not follow directions correctly (well, duh!!). OF course, some just did not bother. Even with 4 days in class, Paul had only one section on his poster. grrr.... and then he said it was because he didn't have enough time. grrr...some of the illustrations were awesome. One tape measure actually works, antoher group has 3-D figures. Yes I know - that is not the MATH part, but it is so invigorating to see them actually take the time to make the extra effort to turn in a project that looks professionally done.

The scuttlebutt about next year's schedule continues to wreak havoc. So far it looks as if I will still be 7th grade math but who knows what electives... going to a 7 hour day I know there will be something else piled on. And who knows what will change in the meantime...It is the not knowing that riles everyone so much..

Today... Bird's Eye View in math - so fun to watch them erase, and think, and argue, and erase, and think and argue..We will go outside if there is ever another day without rain, to measure the perimeter of the school property.I am worried about taking this crew out - they are just so impulsive, so untrustworthy, so reluctant to accept responsibility when they do make bad choices...and then we will finish the year with some probability stuff - real basic - colored blocks in bags, dice...maybe some card games, SKUNK - so at least they are exposed to some of the BIG ideas.

As the school year winds down (9 full days, 3 halves!!!), I find myself spending more time reflecting, and less time planning. Somewhat of a relief timewise, but looking back at the things we have done in math, I feel somewhat reluctant to call the year "successful" overall. In some ways, with some topics, I feel I reached a majority of my students, at least having them more a level higher in their understanding of the topics we have covered. But on the other hand, I feel too often I have lost a chunk of them, partly due to their not being ready to learn that particular topic, due to lack of background primarily,but also other factors. I have felt impatient with them this year, as a whole. Frustrated... the discipline issues have really worn me thin. I feel almost punitive in my lesson plans for I know the consequences of lessons with less structure, with outside activities, with group work...

And then I think of the "good" kids - those who have been short-changed this year with the "worksheet addiction" routine I too often found myself slipping into.

It's not all been bad though... our "track meet" has been going well overall - after 2 days outside collecting data, most of the projects are coming along well. With me not being there Friday though, I fear what went on- the note from the sub said several had to go to computer lab...hmm... that worries me... what were they doing in there??? They had 1 laptop per group which should have been adequate to finish their charts/graphs/etc.. There are 2 posters left in the classroom - one seems close to being complete, with accurate info, clorful illustrations, etc.. the other - it is primarily a recreation of the data collected outide with little acutal computation of ratios, percents, etc... no real use of the data, and it looks as if they think it is "finished"... did they read the directions? did they look back to see that everything is done??

I don't know - I am leaning more and more towards a tracked math program... and that scares me - I have always, and still am, an advocate for inclusion. But I know next year's group may be an entirely more focusable group to work with so I think I will let that decision rest on the back burner.. I do know I want a textbook! CMP is just not cutting it with the new grade level expectations for the standards and I am tired of reinventing the wheel with each new topic we study.

9 more days in math class.... 9 more chances to touch their inner mathematical souls... is it too late?? Have I done my best with this group this year? What would I do differently had I known then what I know now?? Things to think about this cold and rainy May Sunday afternoon..

I went with 2 other teachers to a conference yesterday - How to Deal with Difficult Non-Compliant Students. Pretty good stuff - Spencer Henry through the Bureau of Education and Research. Nothing NEW really, but a great pick-me-up refresher - would be a wonderful in-service for the week before school when you are all inspired and pumped for a new year. I came away with the same old feeling: I do some things so well, and others, BOY! do I need to work on my techniques - practice those strategies for dealing with these guys until they are AUTOMATIC.

It was great to come back and find my crew had behaved spendidly for the sub!

Later this week, I am braving the outdoors with them - we will hold a mini-track meet so we can collect some data. 4 events - a short run (70m or so) - 20 free throws - how many shots can you make in 5 minutes - bean bag toss. I tried to come up with something for everyone - I let them sign up for events today - they HAVE to be in at least 1 but no more than 2. We will collect data as they compete - the times for the run will be great for ordering decimals. The free throws will become ratios and percentages. The beanbag toss: measuring distances and converting from English to metric system and vice versa. The timed shoots - hmmm... ratios again? Not sure yet what we will do with that. THe kids are pumped! Hopefully all goes well, especially the weather - today was 45 and rainy drizzly - please let it warm up and be sunny!! And me with total laryngitis...

After grading the fraction quizzes from Friday, I just want to cry... the majority were absolutely HORRIBLE. I'd swear those students had not been in class the past few weeks had I not seen them there with my own eyes. But ah... the success of Kim... 109 %!! I was happier than she was I do believe. But she was one of those 6 who stayed after to study Thursday, and it really made a difference for her. And there are a handful not finished. Several others got decent grades, and I have to remind myself that of those 12 on Independent Study, there would have been at least 10 A's there.

Now onto other stuff - we will hit upon scientific notation, decimal place value and value - and Denise gave a great idea yesterday - we are going to go outside and shoot baskets - then we will look at the ratio/percent of basket shots and made!! Some will love that. But some, alas, will be turds... of the one young lady who NEVER can lighten up and enjoy life. Last week, I had a student beg to work with a partner. At the beginning of year, I almost always allowed partners/groups for most everything. But lately, I admit, I've been a grouch. WHen the young man begged, I said on one condition:place your hand on your heart, and hold up the other and repeat after me. Then I went thru a ridiculous litany of I promise work WITH my partner, not copy from my partner. I promise to speak only in a quiet voice to my partner and not YELL across to the room to others, and so forth. EVERY student all day, until this one young lady last hour, who refused to participate. WHAT A GRUMP...and then on Thursday's math starter - I wrote - In your journal, 5 tiimes write: I promise to study for my fraction quiz tonight. Again, same thing - she wrote that she was sorry to inform me she could not write that because she doees not lie and she was not going to study. I wrote back (rather catty I know...) that I was sorry to inform her that would not get credit for her entry...

But I chaperoned Fun Night Friday and that was a blast - I have to remind myself to make time to enjoy them so I do not lose my grip with reality and sink into this ever-widening abyss of darkness I feel somedays. We laughed, we danced, we sang to the live (albeit it horrid) band of high schoolers. I came away rejuvenated...

Connie is nearing the end of her class at NMU - she is such a nervous wreck. I remember those days and do not envy her. She will be fine - she is just toooo enabling - too kind hearted - too gullible with those little "help me"s the kids want to throw her way. I like to think I was that soft-hearted at some point but I think I was always more of a realist - no pencil - hmm... too bad... forgot your stuff in your locker again... too bad... did not copy examples from board... too bad.... Don't get me wrong - I don't expect them to be perfect - just actually attempt to be successful on occasion!!

ahh... Sunday evening... another week ahead - with 6 1/2 to go before summer!! WE CAN DO THIS!!

When I sit down to reflect, the thoughts are so jumbled I find myself overwhlemed by the actual direction I want my written thoughts to take. It seems during the day I feel so frustrated and disappointed in the 7th graders this year - they seem overall, mostly unmotivated, even lazy... but then at home, looking back over my day, I remember the good stuff - the perks... the smiles... I guess that is what keeps me going even when I feel the math I am teaching just is not adequately meeting the needs of my classes.

We have been working on fractions for the past few weeks. ICK! There are still a few in each class that have no concept that 4/8 is equal to 1/2. And in the meantime, the rest of us have moved onto adding and subtracting and muliplying and dividing the little buggers - oh I know... differentiation... sure... I do have one small group, a few from each class, who are working from the CMP Comparing & Scaling book on their own. But it is so mind-boggling to try to juggle lessons for several groups within the classroom. I am stretched tooooo thin with special ed students in each class, dicipline problems of the major variety that keep students from my class day after day... Jake is suspended again...gosh.. I miss him.... but it seems he is harassing some other little guy... I don't know... some times I just feel like I wish I could shake them... for not doing their assignments, for being mean to each other, for doing those dumb things 7th graders are known for... and then other times, I think they just need a huge hug....

WOW!!! What a wonderful field trip.... I got to go with our 8th graders to Detroit - about 400 miles each way... on charter buses (well... they were not really great but it was so much nicer than a school bus).

We left Wednesday am about 9, and headed to Oden, about 2 hours south of here, to tour the new Oden Fish Hatchery. Awesomely cool! Most of the kids really enjoyed it - of course some were "bored" or simply cold. Then we boarded the buses again and headed on our way. We got to the Radisson Suites in Farmington Hills where we were met with open arms, organized keys, room assignments, a hospitality room... it was wonderful. Then we went to the Hometown Buffet for dinner where we all ate tons of food. Turner ate 3 pieces of cheesecake after polishing off several plates of real food! Then to Canton to the Skate Station 2 for a few more hours of fun. Back to motel where I thought they'd never go to sleep.

The girls in the room above us got up at 5 so Nancy & I got up and headed down with a big crew to wait in lobby for breakfast at 6:30. Yummy!! Then off to Detroit Science Center with the SolarMax Imax, digital planetarium presentation about Mars, electric light show, lunch.... exhibits... lots to see and do - the glass elevator was horrible - the kids and I rode and rode, and I screamed and screamed. The SOlarMax was greater than you can even imagine. WOW! The Mars one... good... but most kids, and adults feel asleep - mostly from lack of it the night before, granted... then to Pontiac, to Great Lakes Crossings to eat at Rainforest Cafe - what a ripoff - pizza and salad for about 14 bucks a person!! too much for what we got but the kids enjoyed the ambiance. Then about 1/2 stayed at mall for video games and such, while Nancy, Dennis and I took the rest back to motel to pool, and play cards and jus thang out. Nancy and I fell asleep early - must have been about midnight.

We had left a wakeup for 7 but alas Cory woke us at 6:15 wondering why we weren't up. So up we got and ate and went to African American Museum. Hmmmm.... not impressed - under construction - renovations.... they split us into 2 groups and the kids could not hear... the hammers and saws in the other rooms were too loud, the guide talked to low... very boring.... not much to see anyway. THen to Burger King in Farmington Hills for lunch where they had assured us they could feed all hundred of us in about 1/2 hours. NO WAY!! What a mess.. tiny BK in first place... first 3 orders came out quickly and correct.... after that, nothing but disaster.

THen to new Holocaust Memorial Center which will open to general public APril 20. WHat a wonderful experience. They even had a survivor talk to us - the kids were absolutely moved, as was I - tears in many eyes....

all in all - trip of a lifetime... bus broke down on way home,.... oh.... I could go on and on.... I am so thankful I got to go!

Ah... spring break - not that it seems that way as I look out into the back yard full of snow - still 20 inches on the ground, and no sign of melting in sight - alas, spring break it 'tis!

As I caught up on some email readings today, and saw the lamentings of others who are slacking on their blogs, I thought to myself.... "Self, you MUST blog today, TODAY I SAY!! TODAY!" so blog I shall...

Reflection... it is so important to success, in whatever area of life, but especially true it seems in teaching - reflection on things done well, things done not so well, and things left undone.

The integer unit is over - for better or worse - sometimes it is best to take the message from above with a break in time of a week to move onto something new. I must confess, overall, I was impressed with my crew and what they ultimately got out of all this. When asked a question like "when dividing a postive # by a negative #, what sign will the quotient have" - many falter.. but when given higher level, "word problems" if you will, they really amaze me.

Friday we watched the video "The Making of the Big Mac" about the construction of the Mackinac Bridge - I show it because it is so close to home, and the amazing magnitude of this project just simply astounds me. The engineering and the math that were required, the fortitude of those people who were dedicated to the project - WOW! Usually students watch, because they must, with little enthusiasm. This year however, I had 3 students who had grandparents or great-grandparents, who worked building the bridge so enthusiasm was high. There was even conversation, and involvement from the crowd as we watched. Overall a wonderful experience :-)

Tomorrow, we meet for social studies curriculum - yuck.... I love the first part of American history - the ancient peoples, the explorers, the colonial period, but I feel we are just glazing through this year. My social studies class is so secondary to my three math classes in its importance and the fact we all three are teaching the same thing the same way, the same day.... I feel uninspired and unenthused and I fear this has worn off on my class. THey are going through the motions but are they really learning about these peoples and this time period? I fear not... I want them to feel the strong desire to strangle Columbus, DeSoto and others, to feel the fear and excitement of the settlers, understand the dismay of the natives as they were mistreated... I want them to absorb history, not read about it and outline it, and memorize it for the test. And that is what it has been lately...tomorrow I must be creative and suggest innovative lessons for the upcoming chapters!!

ah.... reflection... tis what makes us strong...

and another note... a lesson in be careful what you say... 1st hour Jessie, ah... my Jessie, was busily working on her science homework. I pointed out that this was math class, and I'd hate to have to shred work from another class. She put it away, for a few minutes, and then, it came back out... so we marched to the office and Jessie fed those lovely science papers into the shredder.... and her words of dismay haunt me,"It is like killing your own child!" love and logic??? I 'm not sure... maybe logic, but I didn't feel very loving :-(

The good news first!! Since my last blog, I gave the quiz on integers. WOW!! I guess I underestimated the learning that was occuring because the students did well, mostly A's on the quiz, which is just unheard of with this group I have this year. Only 1 student "failed" with a 59%. This young man, I am thrilled he learned almsot 60% of the material!! He has been homeschooled before this year and struggles so much with almost everything we do. This grade is awesome for him!

Parent teacher conferences are Thursday, and I am excited to be going. While the math grades last marking period were somewhat low in math, grades right now are at an all-time high! While I know that grades are not the only indicator of student learning, and in fact, often not much of an indicator... it is reassuring to parents to see "high marks". I wish we could do away with grades altogether, and just teach for the sake of teaching, with students learning for want of more knowlege. Idealistic? Maybe... but I do think grades are a waste of teacher time.

I was gone last Wed, Thur, & Fri to MAMSE. Great conference. My session was OK - the room was set up for 36 people, which would have been a tight fit in itself, but there were at least 50 folks in there! We could not move about, which really limited the activities we could do. I had planned to have the people up and about actually participating in some of the activities but that was not in the cards. Still, I felt they got some useful info, and I got lots of positive feedback, which really was a boost.

Other MAMSE sessions were great - I got lots of good ideas about Survivor that we can use for 7th grade camp. Other fav's were Are you Thriving or Surviving? which was a pick-me-up, and another on math about strategies to help struggling students succeed. My best idea from there was to have students actually have math 2 hours, with the extra hour being a more hands-on approach, reinforcing the day's lesson, giving them the opportunity to get more help with topics they are struggling with, and work on basic skills.

We have spent 2 days in my class brushing up on multiplication facts - a shame in a 7th grade class - but I felt before we tried to multiply negative numbers, students needed to be able to recall the facts. I think next year we will spend a day a week or so on facts. Without fairly competent recall of these, so much of what we do is more difficult. Seeing patterns, algebraic equations, integers, etc..

Another positive - my kids were great for my sub when I was gone, what a pleasant change from last time :-) only 1 young man was a problem, and he is now suspended for a different offense. Jake was gone all 3 days :-( I didn't ask why but my guess is mom kept him home to keep him out of trouble. A commendable attempt but I think he needs to accept responsibilty for his actions...

Snow is melting - we are down to about 22 inches on the ground - after the 70 weather at MAMSE in Monroe last week it is a bit depressing looking out the window, but I know spring is on the way.

Well... I wish I could say integers are going better but in reality, things are much the same. I truly wish my math classes were tracked. If I had those top 25 kids all together, we could soar. Then my middle group would plod their way through slowly but steadily. And last... the group who really does not place much importance in much of anything we say or do. I wonder if I had just those 25 together, could I somehow reach them? By moving at a slower pace, could they then keep up? It is so easy to blame them.. blame their lack of homework, their lack of attention to the lesson - but in truth, I know that somehow I am responsible for their not learning the material but I am truly at a loss as to what to do. In years past, I have had the few who seem to not care but it was an obvious few, a very small minority. This year, it seems to be almost half.

The discipline problems with some of the chronics are wearing me thin also. I've always prided myself on being the kind of teacher that kids behave for because I relate to them, understand their age, try to make learning fun... give them opportunities to work with each other, be active, learn new things... but there are these boys this year who, as the language arts teacher said, have the impression THEY are in charge. Just when it seems I am making gains with one, another surfaces to replace him. Or worse, a group of them gangs together - spitwads, rude comments, bullying behaviors - I am just frustrated and at the end of my ropes. After sending 7 to detention yesterday, I have to admit today was better - but I HATE sending them to detention during class - they need to be in my class LEARNING.

ahh.... but tomorrow is Friday... and then next week will be a nightmare... with school Monday, in-service Tuesday - and me gone to MAMSE the rest of the week. Then I can maybe get things back on track - with PTC that week, and hopefully an opportunity to talk to more of the parents I never seem to get in contact with. After the report cards go home with so many D's and E's... I fear my table may be a popular one at conferences.

After my last math unit, which overall...was a disaster... I was excited to be starting integers. Positive and negative numbers are easy to relate to real life - not really tough conceptually.... I thought AHHHH.... well.... until last Thursday when we started it anyway. But the kids ...OK ME! I have to find a way to break them out of their bad habits of not paying attention, not completing homework, not turning in classwork. I can not remember a group EVER who was this difficult to get motivated in these areas.

We had a 3 day weekend with yesterday being President's Day - from Friday they had a really short worksheet on positive & negative - mostly giving the opposite of a number (the opposite of -9 is 9) really tough stuff, and they had time in class to get started. I got maybe 2/3 of the assignments turned in, and of those, at least 1/2 dozen were not completed. 3 days off from school to complete this maybe 10 minute assignment.... part of me says - I give up - no more homework - but then the other part says WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!! It is called RESPONSIBILITY!!

I just do not have the answers, and I am frustrated to the point of tears.... I don't want to fail half my students in math class... but is that what it will take to wake some of them up from their hibernation pattern?

I try to make class interesting and fun... we took a few notes on terms today but I mixed that with a "human timeline" and time at the board to make up Math Mania scores.... a little competition sort of... but still, there were those who were zoned entirely out - the one young man, whose timeline number was 744.... the largest number of them all, who had placed himself in the negative teens instead of at the largest section of timeline... because he "didn't know where to go" !!! GRRRRR............ if you are in 7th grade, and cannot figure out that 744 is LARGER than 0, or 1 or 76, or 100, is there any point in me trying to teach you to add and subtract positive & negative #'s??

And the young lady who has a D in math because as she told Dad... she "doesn't get it" - this child who lives across the road from the school... who could easily come get extra help before or after school.... but has only once... before the last quiz.... during class today, she was busy writing on her paper... doing her homework during class while I was still doing large group instruction.... when I called on her, she rudely commented under her breath, "I know how to do all this!" GRRRR........

and the ones who are absent so often....
and the ones who were horrid for my sub on Friday....
and those who think school is only for socializing...
and those that I love....
and those that are sad....
and those that try so hard....
and those that have grown so much...
and those who have learned to accept responsibility for their actions....
and those who don't have anyone who loves them at home....
and those with abusive parents...
and those in foster care...
and those who come in the morning with a hug and a "GOOD MORNING MRS. GEORGE!!!" and a smile.....

FOR THEM ALL.... tomorrow is another day... and I shall perservere... and find a way... to reach them and teach them.....

It was a Monday - that much is definitive! After spending time working on finding perimeters and areas for the last couple of weeks (after trying the CMP book Filling & Wrapping with is all about surface area and volume but too tough for the majority of my students so we stepped back and did basic perimeter and area..) today we had a "mini'lab" with centimeter cubes. Students needed to use cm cubes to create rectangular prisms - for example - the first direction was to create a rect prism with 8 cubes that was 8 cm long. THen they had to record the dimensions (length, width, and heigth) in a pre-made table. THey had to also record the volume (which they could get one of 2 ways - count cubes - easiest obviously... or mulitply lxwxh) and then figure surface area by counting squares on all 6 sides of their prism. This we did together - the entire 8 cube prism - they then needed to create another 8 cube rect prism with different dimensions, then a 10 , then all the possible 12's, a 20, recording for each the dimensions, volume, and surface area. A few questions to answer - how do you know you have found all possibilities? How does surface area change as volume increases? then, the GIANT LEAP!!! Without cubes, find all possibilites for 36 cubes and answer some questions.

WOW!!! I don't know - sometimes I think I expect too much - other times, I think the students just simply do not want to do anything at all complicated. They refuse to attempt to do things on their own. THey want to be walked through everything step by step... You would have thought they'd never found areas before - never counted cubes before...

Something that was supposed to be fun and lead them into insightful reflection and discovery ended up being just frustrating for most...but my take... as we did the 8 cube together... quite a few simply zoned out - they refuse to even count the cubes... much less attempt to find the area of a side...GRRRR!!! and then there was Cody who struggles so with EVERYTHING.... working away... doing great all alone excpet an occasional check from me to make sure he was still headed in the right direction.

Some of them simply are not concerned about LEARNING - they want the grade, and want that grade to be an A... not work for the A at all.... simply be shown the easy road to it....

tomorrow- we go back into CMP - they will hate that even more.... life is a condundrum....in 7th grade math anyway...

social studies- we talked at what is means to be a person of virtue - what would you do if you found $5 but there was no way to find its owner... $20 that belonged to the old lady ahead of you in line at the store - $20 that belonged to the young well-dressed guy ahead of you in line - how all that related to working in the 7th grade store - very interesting insights here!!

Today was one of those "ah - ha" moments in my life, and I guess in teaching as well. I realized, and now, bear with me, because this just sounds foolish!.... I am an adult, a teacher, and a pretty darned good one at that. Recently we hired a new special ed teacher to fill the half time position that has been floated thru by several subs this year (what a mess!) She is working on her LD endorsment, and is also the parent of one of my students. I have to admit that I was somewhat nervous abotu having her in my classroom one hour of the day. I am hmmm... shall we say a wee bit unconventional. THis lady, is very nice, but very proper - wears a dress all the time, has her hair rolled just perfectly, prim and proper in every sense of the words. Her daughter is an amazing over-achieving perfectionist, a teacher's dream. I was afraid this teacher would think me just toooo bizarro world to relate to me, so I was somewhat hesitant when the special ed director for our district asked me to be her mentor and supervisor for her while she finishes her degree and teaches at the same time.

Still I agreed to do the mentoring and supervising..

It has gone well! She has been here for 2 weeks and it has been a hellish ride at best for her with MEAP (state-wide assessment) week, snow days, challenging students, you name it.... But today, as I gave my kids their first "FREE DAY" all year, they were playing board games, and she and I talked - she asked tons of questions about kids, parents, teaching, etc... I tried to answer the best I could, with an almost apologetic "But don't ever feel you have to take my advice - I know I tend to be a bit uconventional." And she then complimented me - how wonderful I am :-) and then told me I need to observe her teach - we discussed me observing her Guided Study class but she would rather teach a math class one day - I suggested a week or a unit but she insists on one day, because she does not want to deprive them a "veteran teacher".

I don't know - I guess it really is not that big of a deal... but I just suddenly felt old and mature and responsible!! and she proceeded to tell me the things I do well... I think I need her as much as she needs me!

It is not that I am insecure - I truly feel I touch my students and help them learn and be successful... but her comments and insecurity about teaching around me was such a boost to my ego!

and for those who may read this and don't know me... I am such a goof ball most of the time - like my 7th graders.... I don't think of myself as in a leadership role, so when these moments happen... it is like a big surprise! Like the day our superintendent told me he thought I was "principal material". I just still feel like I am learning to teach, learning to lead... learning to learn. How can I be the ROLE MODEL?? or is that the key?? We are all, always learning and growing? hmm...

and yesterday... another beautiful moment - as I was grading math quizzes on finding perimeters and areas.... a note on the top of one, "I love you Mrs. George" with a heart with an arrow thru it... and that alone would make my heart melt, but the student who wrote it... Chris - 2nd year in 7th grade... nothing but trouble last year and most of the first 2 marking periods this year - broke into 7th grade store at least twice last year... always in trouble and school - dealing with court system - on probation - doing community service .... and he ACED THE TEST TOO!!! 93% absolutely awesome!!! I think he turned in more work to me this past week than he did all year last year (SERIOUSLY!!!) what a remarkable change - sometimes, we do make a difference.... and I wrote a note back - I love you too Chris :-)

good days.... good stuff... I do love my job, I really do!