Reasons why I temporarily abandoned blogging:
1. I take about a 2 hour nap every afternoon when I get home
2. I’ve been superrrrrr busy
3. Spring Break doesn’t require an update
4. I semi-forgot :/
5. I’ve been in the routine of wake up, get dressed, drive to school, teach, read/grade, teach, plan, teach, drive home, nap, help with dinner, shower, bed, repeat and I don’t like change
NOT Reasons why I temporarily abandoned blogging:
1. I lost interest in my internship/teaching
2. I don’t think it’s exciting anymore
3. It’s monotonous
4. My kids smell and they’re dumb
5. I turned out to be a horrible teacher
*All of these are completely opposite of the truth J I still flippin’ love teaching, it’s still exciting, it’s not monotonous, my kids don’t smell and they’re not dumb, and I’m pretty sure I’m not an awful teacher.
Things English 2 did in the classroom while I was neglecting blogging:
1. “I AM” poems
2. Soundtrack of My Life essays and presentations
3. FCAT Glogster posters
4. Successfully took the FCAT Writes!
5. FCAT reading practice
6. Began “Tears of a Tiger” by Sharon Draper (and they FOR REAL love it)
7. Creative Writing
8. Began completing a packet that goes along with “Tears of a Tiger”
9. Turned in their 1st round of GTL reflections for a grade
10. Serious emotional conversations that go along with parts of the book
11. Really cool letter assignment that goes along with our book
Things English 3 did in the classroom while I was neglecting blogging:
1. “I AM” poems
2. Soundtrack of My Life essay and presentations
3. Began and completed “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller
4. Chain of Events for each act of “The Crucible”
5. Character Facebook profile pages for characters from “The Crucible”
6. “The Crucible” Glogster posters
7. Character Trading Cards for “The Crucible”
8. KWL charts
9. Letter writing assignment that goes along with “The Crucible”
10. “The Crucible” final test
11. Began “100 Words That Every High School Graduate Should Know”
Things we’re doing after Spring Break (aka Monday, March 28) in English 2:
1. Finishing up “Tears of a Tiger” book and packet
2. Word Trees!
3. Working hard on FCAT reading
4. Character Cubes
5. Storyboards
6. I’m really hoping that we can get through this story and move onto another book in the trilogy before my time is up with them
7. Character & classroom (paper) Facebooks
Things we’re beginning after Spring Break (aka Monday, March 28) in English 3:
1. Review “The Crucible” final test
2. “A Raisin in the Sun” anticipation guide
3. Really super sweet “A Raisin in the Sun” packet
4. Concept maps
5. Character webs
6. I modified the character Facebook pages from last time and made it into one classroom (paper) Facebook that lasts the whole unit J
7. Continue “100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know”
Professional Accomplishments:
1. My University Supervisor came for her first visit and said that I’m ready to be on my own right now J
2. I got to present some of my ideas to a few teachers at “Fab Friday”- a professional development meeting J
3. I’m presenting my “modern ideas” to the entire school on Wednesday at “Best Practice Sessions” after school J
4. The Principal LOVED our Facebooks and Glogsters J
Things I have learned:
1. More often than not, timing never works out. It’s too hard to predict the students (in general) to know that a play or novel can be read in a certain amount of time. One day in English 3, I was really excited to continue on with “The Crucible”. First period was swimming right along and when second period rolled around, there were less than half of the kids there. I had to adapt really quickly and give them an alternative assignment.
2. Kids don’t care that you spent your entire weekend planning. I take all this time out of my social life (which only consists of 2 nights and 2 days now, instead of 24/7) to plan these lessons for my kids so they’ll have fun and the kids will want to learn and they’ll love me for it. But, kids are unpredictable and you never know when you’ll have to scrub the fun lessons you planned and give them boring ones because they don’t know how to behave.
3. Kids are mean. Yes, I knew this when I was younger, but it’s so different seeing it from this side. And I’m not talking about “kick me” signs on someone’s back; I’m talking about a boy in my 1st period beating up a boy in my 2nd period because of his sexual preference. Then, every boy in 1st period was talking about it the next day calling my boy in 2nd period some really awful names. They put gum in each others’ seats and throw pencils at each other. Mean little people.
4. Girls have gotten cattier. Yes, it is possible. I never imagined that a 16 year old girl would want to argue with me every day just because she doesn’t like me. And boy, does she have a mouth on her. Good Lord! Okay, I’m only 6 years older, but honey- I GRADE YOUR PAPERS. Check yourself. And yes, as much as I hate to admit it, my feelings do get hurt. If you’re reading this and you were in my Methods class at FSU, no, I haven’t cried in front of them, although one day I came REALLY close.
5. There is a direct correlation between parental involvement and student achievement. This one is kind of a no-brainer, but seeing it in action is really something else. I think this hit me the hardest during Open House. The kids who are doing REALLY well, always go above and far beyond, ask me for help before and after school, and should be in advanced classes and not my general classes; their parents are the ones who came to open house. Those parents push their children to work hard and be something. The kids who talk all throughout the period, don’t do homework, throw paper, text message, and get an attitude with me daily; their parents are the ones who just don’t care. I don’t blame the kids at all.
6. I really, really want to do this. I can’t imagine, for the rest of my life, doing anything besides teaching English. I love literature, I love writing, I love reading, I love doing cool projects, I love students, I love teaching the students, and I just love being involved in their lives. I clearly didn’t choose this profession for the money; I chose it for the other kind of rewards I get. Like being an INTERN and being nominated for teacher of the month; having my students come to me at all hours of the day to ask for help or just to talk; being an INTERN and having parents come to Open House specifically to meet me; knowing that even the students that don’t like me still respect me; being an INTERN and presenting my ideas to the faculty; going home every day knowing that something I taught that day won’t ever be forgotten.
With all that said, and stepping off my soap-box, I will be updating almost daily. Even if no one ends up reading this besides my mom, it feels good to write it down. Plus, I’ll probably want to look back on this in 25 years when I can read it from my watch or something ridiculous like that.
Peace, Love, and Oxford Commas <3
Love it :)
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