Sunday Scaries #2

 August 27, 2023

Another Sunday! and another day where it is late in the day, but I don't feel completely ready for the week. I've got tomorrow - since it is a repeat of Friday. But I haven't really planned the rest. Sigh!

I did remember that thing that I wanted to try - apparently, I moved into my newly created "things to try this year" folder. Ha! Forgot about that. Anyway, it was the Polar Bear and Seals activity with dice. Kids roll the dice, and I tell them how many polar bears and seals. Then they have to figure out the rules. I completely messed up in the first class - I couldn't do the simple math. But I got into it for the next class. In the third class, it was a struggle - that class is going to be tough with many needy kids. Basically, kids couldn't figure it out and they checked out. It was funny when one kid realized the face I made when doing simple arithmetic in my head. "She is doing math!" Also, there were several sets of pairs that could not work together. But the final class got it. There was such joy and cheers when each group figured out the answer. This is why I teach.

Cycle 1, Day 3 - Of course, instead of just using what I created the year before, I decided to redesign what I had and create a "Lab Notebook" That meant a long night and making it perfect. It seemed to go well in the first 2 classes, so I am glad I did the work. But still.....

Sunday Scaries #1

 August 20, 2023

Well, I meant to write first thing in the morning. I want a relaxing Sunday routine - wake up late, eat breakfast, read, and sit down to write.

I think I am a writer?

I believe I have a book in me and the best way to get it out is to write. The things that you value are the things you put time into. Or something like that. That is not quite the sentiment I am going for. I will be a better writer.....if I write.

But now it is past 8 pm and I should be winding down and relaxed. Instead, I am frantically looking at my to-do list and trying to complete all the things.

The first two days are a blur - faces - are you on my team? I think that we have a plan down that makes it not feel like the kids are with us for the entire day. We meet our advisory, head up to convocation, and do a 15-minute rotation. By the final group - I was tired and ready for lunch. After lunch and Assembly, we do an art project - so it is calm and sitting in an A/C classroom for about 1 hour. The second day was all about the music video - about 1 hour of work time. Then they went away to Enrichment, Lunch, and Music. Finally, we watched the videos - This year was GREAT!

Now, I am about to start the science curriculum. I can't help but feel like there is something I want to try

Reflections before Day 1

I had grand plans this summer with respect to my classroom. 

I would come up with a cool theme. I would create a new bulletin board around my new section names (moons around Jupiter!). I would be able to go thru and organize all of my resources spread out over [take a breath] bookmarks, Facebook saves, email, Instagram pictures, podcasts, Feedly feeds, Evernote notebooks and Google Drive folders. I would plan new activities and streamline my stale/boring curriculum. 

Yeah, that did not happen. 

Instead to quote Sam Sifton of the NYtimes (who is quoting Sylvia Plath) [Sifton] “We’re hurtling through the season now” [Plath] “The best of the summer gone and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time” 

Wow! I open up a random email and the thought/truth is right there. Life moves fast. My summer will be over in a few hours. A new school year is beginning

and I needed a reminder that this is a special time. I am a teacher. I will be fine, without a theme or a new bulletin board. And I had a wonderful summer. 

First, with a bit of relaxing time, after school got out. I usually leave the island THE DAY we get out of meetings. This summer, I had 2 weeks here to decompress. Read. Watch TV. Hike. Thinking about it, I honestly don’t remember what I did. 

Then, family adventures in Vancouver. We finally can enjoy each others company. 

Back to Boston to hang out with my niece. She is of a cool age. Everything is new. We read Greek Myth and then went to the museum to look for Greek art. We hunted for the best cupcake. We ran on the Rail Trail. We spent nights at the grandparents (her great-grandparents). We had lots of ice cream. 

Then, surprisingly, off to Switzerland for epic adventures with friends. For days, up to leaving, I agonized over what to bring. Did I really need ANOTHER sports bra? New hiking pants? But, in the end, all I needed was a determination to hike up big mountains. After a difficult year with severe health challenges, I was ready. 

Back to Boston for a hot minute, before meeting up with the Duke Girls in Asheville, North Carolina. Gosh, at some point, I was so worried about this trip. Would I still fit in with my group of friends? But, my friends are awesome and killing it in so many ways. I had lots of laughs and GREAT food while hanging out. I also saw my alma mater for the first time in 22 years. 

And, I’ve been back on the island for more than a week. It has been hot!!! But perfect for me to realize that it is okay that I didn’t get thru my To-do list (and maybe never will). I read. I binged watched Stranger Things and Veronica Mars. I ran. 

And now I set my alarm for tomorrow. I pack my bag. I am ready for tomorrow. 

The Night Before....

It is here. The last night of summer vacation.

I have mixed feeling about it. I am a TEACHER (note, the caps!), so I love hanging out in my classroom, passing along some science knowledge when I can. I am excited to meet my new kiddos and begin the routine of the school year. I am dying to convert my paper class schedule to the computer. I want former students to visit, so I can catch up and I love the smell of new school supplies. BUT…..This means I will have to wake up early, which I haven’t done in a while (also known as the entire summer). I will have to sit through three days of meetings, something I dread. I also will need to let go of last year's difficult bunch of students. I must now go to work. 

This summer was way too short. I traveled to the Czech Republic, thru Germany, Luxembourg and ended up in Paris. I spent time with my grandfather, teaching him how to use his new computer. I cooked with my step father, using food from the local farm. I went to museums with my mother. I shopped at Kohl’s with my grandmother. Boy, can she spot a bargain! I road tripped/camped in upstate NY/Canada with a friend. It was great to have time to see everybody, but also I had days where I didn’t get dressed, and just read a book.

What will I do differently this year?
This is the question that has been going around the blogosphere. I honestly waited until the night before back to school to even think about it. So clearly, this answer will be well-thought out. First, I will change the theme of my classroom: DNA. Essential Question: What are we made of? I hope that will encapsulate the curriculum of Chemistry and Biology. I envision learning about atoms, reactions, cells and the human body. (In other words, starting small and getting bigger) I hope to decorate my bulletin board like this.

I also plan on naming my sections after the “letters” in DNA.

Second, I will try to use common curriculum (http://www.commoncurriculum.com/) as a planbook. I was able to customize the lesson plans to meet my needs. I want to be much more purposeful in planning out my curriculum. Inquiry, brain breaks, Blooms taxonomy, standards, and essential questions - I want to make sure everything I do, helps my students.

Finally, for the last few years, I have been a horrible advisor. I always started the year strong, but at some point I just let the students hang out in my classroom for the 10 min periods. I was always able to connect with some students, but there were a few that just sat in the back and finished their homework. Last year, the students irritated me to no end, so I gave up (and actually routinely asked the troublemaker boys to leave). This year, I want to roll out a more cohesive program. We become an advisory family in the fall and go from there.

Ok - first post complete - now I need to enjoy my last few moments of freedom.

Good night!
Joanna

First Day

.....of meetings

Agenda: opening chapel, break, announcements, lunch, middle school meeting....aka FULL DAY

as of 8:30 pm, I am completely exhausted....but I have to get my thought down before I forget

How can I use this years theme: the lei and connectiveness, in my curriculum?
also how to talk about APEC? ...that is going to take a little research.....I need to know more about Clean NRG.

how can I be more a part of the community...both the school, but MORE IMPORTANTLY the community in which I live (exactly how much longer will I be living in paradise?)

there is never too much community service!

the biggest thing, I think, I learned (or at least was reminded of).....is that it is not the curriculum that matters, but the interactions. Of course! I remember how much my own high school taught me.......and I don't really remember facts or items. It is my TEACHERS or the lessons that they taught me. Perfect lesson for the moment, as I WAS worrying about curriculum.

today's thought - I remember how embarrassed I was, when Ms. Herrick caught me looking at Sun Sun's geography paper - even though I WAS just checking to see if she wrote the same thing. I knew I was right and wouldn't have changed my answer (would I?).....but I don't think she said my name out loud (I did blush)....she said "Keep your eyes on your own paper"....Did I ever do that again? NOOOOOOOO.......I do the same thing with my class and I occasionally see the same blush. If I do catching cheating, I always give students an option to come clean.

Some day - I will write that book about them....I want to thank them

that is all for today :-)

new beginnings

Ok, so it is a time for new beginning....a time to let go of the summer.....change perspectives......whatever

Back to school tomorrow.

Just meetings, but I do have to wake up at 5:30 am. Kids arrive on Thursday.

Today, I spent most of the day, counting down the minutes. Both excited to start something new, and in a bad mood, because my life of leisure was going to change. It is now 9:15 pm and the original plan, had me, in bed and asleep 15 minutes ago.

Some thoughts going round my head:

#1 - yes, I am anal and organized in my random thoughts
I teach 8th grade, because it is an incredible emotional time. I remember 8th grade very well. You are up (Wow, KS likes me) and down (TP was born). I started to "like" school. I had favorite teachers, who challenged me (Wendy, or Ms. King in Ceramics, Mr. Dudney in science, Mr. Bussey in English, Mr. Bird (advisor) in Latin, Ms. Fernandez in Spanish, Ms. Sullivan in Math, and Mr. Chamberlain in Civics)

so, as a teacher, you grow incredibly close to the students......but they leave, and head to better things......many, like I would, don't look back.......this seems to work for me.

I still have connections to a handful of former students. Some have gone on to become teachers themselves. I had the honor of choosing DUKE because of my 6th grade teacher. This year, one of my students choose DUKE because of me, weird.

#2 am I ready for school? Back in June, I had all these plans to revamp my curriculum. While I did read a TON of books (24 to be exact), I didn't quite exactly do much planning.....good? bad? I don't know yet. I did learn some things that I want to add from my summer grad school class on arts integration. I have other good things filed away.

#3 plan for this blog. Since previous I have, I think, two posts (actually I started it because of a grad school class), my plan for this blog is to chronicle my 6th year. Ideally, I want to use for my evaluation of cycle 4. But not sure if that will work.....whatever, it will still be quite cathartic to write.

in the end......it is time to get my butt off the couch and back in the classroom......work on going from good/ok teacher to MASTER/effective teacher.

B day

B day used to be my nemesis. Last year it was chapel, long class, study hall, class, lunch, 2 long classes, and finally home. No time to breathe, no time for the bathroom. Usually, if you took a trip down the hallway in the mini break between the long after classes, you would see the four team teachers sitting amongst the chaos....heads down, trying to gather the strength for the last hour of the day. They say that classes all day means at least the day goes by fast. Does that matter when I feel like a mack truck hit me at the end of the day?

This year, not so bad. Chapel is always a chance for reflection (although my advisory host chapel next cycle and I am a little worried). Then "free time". This is in quotes because it is not really free, I spent time answering questions, going over test scores, etc with kids in study hall.

Classes today are all about the lab - it is funny how kids are during lab. Some are super serious, completing their work and diligently writing everything down in their journals. Other choose to be more social. Always a few have NO idea what they are doing. Since today was day 3 of lab testing, I mostly just watched.

Lunch of course was awesome. We are watching the Pacifier. Kids love Vin Diesel.

After school was the highlight. Since Track + Baseball has started, most head home at 3 pm. That leaves the quiet ones. Today, a quiet game of lab table ping pong. With four kids coming in to complete extra testing. It was bliss. I laughed. I answered thoughtful questions. I helped with calculations. I even got a chance to organize my bookshelf. Bliss!