Ooo the joys of ISS and OSS (in-school and out-of-school suspension). I hate to admit it, but I am dramatically more relaxed if I know that certain students will not be joining the group on a given day.
Last week was actually pretty decent! Smaller classes allowed students both more one-on-one time with me and fewer peers by whom to be distracted. The week ended on a somewhat acerbic note with 4th block, however, whose attention I rarely command in its entirety. Today I literally gave students their independent practice and wrote the steps to solve the equations on the board afterwards - (normally you would do some introduction of new material as a class, proceed to guided practice and then send them off to practice in pairs or on their own) this actually worked fairly well though, as it allowed those students who understood to work ahead and those who did not to pay attention to me.
Last Friday morning brought a strange challenge. Brittney walked across the room to return her calculator, only to return to an empty desk - completed test gone without a trace. Approaching the alarmed looking teen, I asked where her test was. She reported that she had no idea - "it was just gone!" Surveying the scene of those still working on their tests, I spotted Tre in the corner, concentrating a little too hard. In order to protect Brittney's reputation - so that it wouldn't look like she had informed me specifically that Tre had taken it (it is still unclear whether it was really magically gone or she was coerced into sharing it with him), I approached Tre in the corner. Seeing that he had a sheet of paper looking conspicuously like Brittney's test underneath his own, I whispered "Tre, lift up your hand, I am not going to say anything in front of the class, but I need to take this." Tre had the decency to return it to Brittney, however also the gall to pass it to another student on the way so that he too could copy. Seriously Tre...?? I should have written him up, but instead I left a message with his mother - in case you wonder about the 0 in Tre's records - oh yeah, that was him cheating.
Awesome.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
An Explosive Heart to Heart
After it was over, I pulled a student into the hallway and bluntly asked, "Donovan, why don't you do any work in my class?" An embarrassed smile cracked his lips as he replied, "I don't know, I guess stuff at home makes it hard to focus." Euphoria and defeat set in. Euphoria for the fact that he had opened up to me; defeat for my utter helplessness in solving this student's primary trouble. Although it seemed as if I could not help, he did provide me with his grandmother's phone number and told me that if I called her, she could explain to me what was going on.
After it was over. Indeed.
It. The loud bang resounding from inside my classroom. It. One of the more horrifying fates that could have occurred in my five second absence as I led a student across the hall. Yes, it, the reason the freshman academy administrator called in a search on my students.
The loud bang? Oh, nothing but a firecracker exploding in my classroom.
As I entered after the sound, I remained cool. I barely blinked irregularly for the reason that this loud bang was remarkably similar to one heard last week when a metal chair leg was cracked against a metal desktop. Hastily asking a student to write down what she saw, I called in our administrator. No one confessed.
I taught the rest of class with two safety officers searching my students one-by-one for contraband. By the end of the block I remained uniformed of the result of the search. However, later I was approached by a face-down, rightfully vanquished Taion, who apologized for the happening. Again I was approached with an apology, this time by two students asking forgiveness for their part in the crime- hiding a lighter and a spare firecracker. The perpetrators received 10 days and 3 days, of out-of-school suspension.
Grinning in shock and disbelief, we march onward!
After it was over. Indeed.
It. The loud bang resounding from inside my classroom. It. One of the more horrifying fates that could have occurred in my five second absence as I led a student across the hall. Yes, it, the reason the freshman academy administrator called in a search on my students.
The loud bang? Oh, nothing but a firecracker exploding in my classroom.
As I entered after the sound, I remained cool. I barely blinked irregularly for the reason that this loud bang was remarkably similar to one heard last week when a metal chair leg was cracked against a metal desktop. Hastily asking a student to write down what she saw, I called in our administrator. No one confessed.
I taught the rest of class with two safety officers searching my students one-by-one for contraband. By the end of the block I remained uniformed of the result of the search. However, later I was approached by a face-down, rightfully vanquished Taion, who apologized for the happening. Again I was approached with an apology, this time by two students asking forgiveness for their part in the crime- hiding a lighter and a spare firecracker. The perpetrators received 10 days and 3 days, of out-of-school suspension.
Grinning in shock and disbelief, we march onward!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Good Riddance October.
Picture this: dressed in business casual, I aggressively confront my 2nd block with a cheaply made crow-bar (a broken chair leg) as I yell, "I work my ass off for you! Staying up until 1:00am in the morning and getting up at 5:00am, and this is how you repay me?! By throwing paper balls at me?!"
Indeed, Thursday was a rough day. I knew it was not going to be my all-time favorite when the day started off by someone ripping down the name chart with pluses and minuses. Then...when I figuratively said f*** you by simply writing the names of students on the board and minutes later turned my back...some little bastard swiped his hand through the names. I immediately realized that this little behavior management system would not work for 2nd block. Left with few options, my only choice was to go hard and flip out on them a little.
Anyway, the first quarter has ended. Thank the Lord. We have two workdays coming up here Monday and Tuesday. I must say that my day today was significantly better given the fact that I will not drive to school tomorrow for an unpredictable day. For this seems to be one of the most difficult parts of the job - the unpredictability of it all. I can be in a great mood and then be ready to give it all up by the end of the day as I clean trash off the floor. Or I can dread walking through the doors of the freshman academy more than I ever have before, only to be greeted by a pleasantly surprising great block. The ups and downs are both incredibly dramatic yet ephemeral.
Tomorrow we travel to Gaston to visit a KIPP school. This program is well-established as an efficient-class making machine. It was created and continues to be run by TFA alumni, now with KIPP schools nationwide. We leave at 5:15am, and return (after an 8 hr round trip travel time!) at 8pm. I think it will be inspiring to see great classrooms and provide me and fellow corps members with some solid ideas for the future.
Anyhoo...anyone who is considering applying to TFA, please do not let my story discourage you. If you are the kind of person who "doesn't take crap from nobody" and is willing to work hard, then you'll rock. Likewise, if you are less assertive but also work hard, get ready for a crash course in becoming more assertive and self-assured. Just know there will be many a treacherous mountain and hollow cavern ahead.
Like the ARMY, sometimes you have to be beaten down in order to rise up.
Indeed, Thursday was a rough day. I knew it was not going to be my all-time favorite when the day started off by someone ripping down the name chart with pluses and minuses. Then...when I figuratively said f*** you by simply writing the names of students on the board and minutes later turned my back...some little bastard swiped his hand through the names. I immediately realized that this little behavior management system would not work for 2nd block. Left with few options, my only choice was to go hard and flip out on them a little.
Anyway, the first quarter has ended. Thank the Lord. We have two workdays coming up here Monday and Tuesday. I must say that my day today was significantly better given the fact that I will not drive to school tomorrow for an unpredictable day. For this seems to be one of the most difficult parts of the job - the unpredictability of it all. I can be in a great mood and then be ready to give it all up by the end of the day as I clean trash off the floor. Or I can dread walking through the doors of the freshman academy more than I ever have before, only to be greeted by a pleasantly surprising great block. The ups and downs are both incredibly dramatic yet ephemeral.
Tomorrow we travel to Gaston to visit a KIPP school. This program is well-established as an efficient-class making machine. It was created and continues to be run by TFA alumni, now with KIPP schools nationwide. We leave at 5:15am, and return (after an 8 hr round trip travel time!) at 8pm. I think it will be inspiring to see great classrooms and provide me and fellow corps members with some solid ideas for the future.
Anyhoo...anyone who is considering applying to TFA, please do not let my story discourage you. If you are the kind of person who "doesn't take crap from nobody" and is willing to work hard, then you'll rock. Likewise, if you are less assertive but also work hard, get ready for a crash course in becoming more assertive and self-assured. Just know there will be many a treacherous mountain and hollow cavern ahead.
Like the ARMY, sometimes you have to be beaten down in order to rise up.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Why I Love my Roommates
Shout out to my brother for finishing up his second officer leadership course! Congrats!
Also props to the Midd Women's Ball team for their season soon to be underway. Good luck this weekend!
Over a delicious burrito, one of my roommates began discussing her elaborate behavior management program in the form of a check system. Good checks, bad checks, x's, etc. Now her system is pretty intense - not something that I could jump into overnight. Another mild hazard is that what gets 4th graders going, doesn't exactly always get 9th graders enthused.
Back when I had my old 4th block, one day I got extremely fed up and pulled my own check system out of the air - your basic middle school jam where your name goes on the board if you are disruptive or disrespectful. I gave minuses for negative behavior and pluses for positive behavior - helping classmates, raising your hand, etc. This actually worked really well - I ended up calling a ridiculous number of parents that night, but it was helpful if I am remembering it correctly. I may give it a shot with 3rd block tomorrow.
The main piece to share: this evening my roommate related getting into trouble for poor classroom management by your principal, to being yelled at by the mayor of a town that is constantly hit by the bubonic plague for having a sick person in your house. Instead of worrying only about the sick person in my house, fix the town! Indeed, Ms. Bell seems to be determined to get on particular teachers when perhaps she should be focusing on bigger, school-wide transformations.
However, no matter how many kids curse in the halls, call each other faggots and n****s, get thrown out of school for food-fights, throwing punches, or cursing out teachers to their face or physically hitting them, I will try to make my own classroom the best it can be.
Also props to the Midd Women's Ball team for their season soon to be underway. Good luck this weekend!
Over a delicious burrito, one of my roommates began discussing her elaborate behavior management program in the form of a check system. Good checks, bad checks, x's, etc. Now her system is pretty intense - not something that I could jump into overnight. Another mild hazard is that what gets 4th graders going, doesn't exactly always get 9th graders enthused.
Back when I had my old 4th block, one day I got extremely fed up and pulled my own check system out of the air - your basic middle school jam where your name goes on the board if you are disruptive or disrespectful. I gave minuses for negative behavior and pluses for positive behavior - helping classmates, raising your hand, etc. This actually worked really well - I ended up calling a ridiculous number of parents that night, but it was helpful if I am remembering it correctly. I may give it a shot with 3rd block tomorrow.
The main piece to share: this evening my roommate related getting into trouble for poor classroom management by your principal, to being yelled at by the mayor of a town that is constantly hit by the bubonic plague for having a sick person in your house. Instead of worrying only about the sick person in my house, fix the town! Indeed, Ms. Bell seems to be determined to get on particular teachers when perhaps she should be focusing on bigger, school-wide transformations.
However, no matter how many kids curse in the halls, call each other faggots and n****s, get thrown out of school for food-fights, throwing punches, or cursing out teachers to their face or physically hitting them, I will try to make my own classroom the best it can be.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
heading into the week!
Thank you to family and friends for your support! Especially to my parents, aunts, and baaalllllllers! (good luck on the fitness test.) Shout out to Lani for rocking classroom management as well as for starting a blog!
As my students say, I have to be "hard" tomorrow. No room for disrespect or wasted time. This is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship - I still have to frame this essential and inspirational phrase.
Homecoming back at school has come and gone and how I wish I could have been there. True, it would have been full of crazy debauchery and mayhem among recent graduates; but it surely would have provided a needed break from my life here. As school consumes my soul.
I made my own escape from reality this weekend, traveling to the mountains with my visiting aunt to meet another aunt for some much needed R & R. The leaves were reminiscent of a fall in Vermont - yes, ok, I do miss school. I was darn ready to leave even an entire year before I graduated, but as I mentioned at dinner tonight, sometimes I would trade thinking about the challenges the next day at school will surely bring for a night in the Middlebury library writing two essays.
On another note - I fear I have been placed on the "suicide-watch list" for TFA. At the end of a recent survey I noted that TFA was likely unaware of the extent to which many 08 corps are seriously considering quitting. The very next afternoon I received not only an email, but also a personal phone call from the Charlotte retention director in regard to my comments. After a program director meeting last week I was escorted to the retention director's office to "share my thoughts." I expressed that the way TFA often comes off to corps members when directors discuss retention concerns is that TFA wants to retain its corps in order to preserve its image and respect as an organization. The director responded by sharing that this was not the way they intended to come off and was sorry that their words have been interpreted in this way. After a 15 min meeting, both she and I better understood the other's side and we began to come up with some good ideas for the future. It was fantastic to see the organization so responsive to only a few, though sharply worded, comments at the end of a survey.
Onward!
As my students say, I have to be "hard" tomorrow. No room for disrespect or wasted time. This is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship - I still have to frame this essential and inspirational phrase.
Homecoming back at school has come and gone and how I wish I could have been there. True, it would have been full of crazy debauchery and mayhem among recent graduates; but it surely would have provided a needed break from my life here. As school consumes my soul.
I made my own escape from reality this weekend, traveling to the mountains with my visiting aunt to meet another aunt for some much needed R & R. The leaves were reminiscent of a fall in Vermont - yes, ok, I do miss school. I was darn ready to leave even an entire year before I graduated, but as I mentioned at dinner tonight, sometimes I would trade thinking about the challenges the next day at school will surely bring for a night in the Middlebury library writing two essays.
On another note - I fear I have been placed on the "suicide-watch list" for TFA. At the end of a recent survey I noted that TFA was likely unaware of the extent to which many 08 corps are seriously considering quitting. The very next afternoon I received not only an email, but also a personal phone call from the Charlotte retention director in regard to my comments. After a program director meeting last week I was escorted to the retention director's office to "share my thoughts." I expressed that the way TFA often comes off to corps members when directors discuss retention concerns is that TFA wants to retain its corps in order to preserve its image and respect as an organization. The director responded by sharing that this was not the way they intended to come off and was sorry that their words have been interpreted in this way. After a 15 min meeting, both she and I better understood the other's side and we began to come up with some good ideas for the future. It was fantastic to see the organization so responsive to only a few, though sharply worded, comments at the end of a survey.
Onward!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
quick update
Here is a 2-minute update on the last few trials and tribulations.
Trouble with the principal: of course, the principal has to walk by my door when things are kind of crazy. Granted, I have had kids leaving class through the window, throwing trash (paper balls, wrappers, etc.) out the same window, launching tennis balls across the room, fights breaking out...you know, the first-year-teacher struggles. Anyhoo, now the principal is fixated on me as someone who must improve classroom management. After a long explanation of how I need a seating chart in the form of a sports analogy that I would frustrating and a tad condescending, I felt the need for action...however, it did not come as I wanted it to that day.
Last Tuesday I finally broke down. I had refrained from letting the tears flow until this fateful day. After second period I was ready to throw up my hands and say, hell, I am no good at this, it's beating me down to a pulp each day, why am I still here?? But I made it through the remainder of the day. On my way home I relayed to my mom, "Mom, today was a new low." "How could that possibly be true?" my mom questioned. True! How could the days get rougher? Well, indeed they could.
Wednesday was another rough day. But these tough times were nothing strong parental support couldn't pull me out of! After a supportive phone call and a beautiful floral arrangement to brighten the day from mom and a strong, much-needed pep-talk from dad I woke up on Thursday ready to put the craziness to an end!
Looking myself in the mirror I pointed to my face and said, "YOU! Are going to write 4 referrals today!" I was on pace to reach my goal, but ended up writing 2. However, on Friday I reached it, writing 2 more. By the end of class on Friday I felt good about the end of the week.
I have created a pump-up cd for the morning this week entitled, FSKU! I will refrain from going into detail regarding the meaning of this acronym - however, I'll let on that it includes the opposite of down and a synonym for children.
Anyhoo, I will persevere and damn it, they'll learn! Whether in ISS (in-school suspension), at the back of another classroom, or in my room.
Time to rock it this week.
Trouble with the principal: of course, the principal has to walk by my door when things are kind of crazy. Granted, I have had kids leaving class through the window, throwing trash (paper balls, wrappers, etc.) out the same window, launching tennis balls across the room, fights breaking out...you know, the first-year-teacher struggles. Anyhoo, now the principal is fixated on me as someone who must improve classroom management. After a long explanation of how I need a seating chart in the form of a sports analogy that I would frustrating and a tad condescending, I felt the need for action...however, it did not come as I wanted it to that day.
Last Tuesday I finally broke down. I had refrained from letting the tears flow until this fateful day. After second period I was ready to throw up my hands and say, hell, I am no good at this, it's beating me down to a pulp each day, why am I still here?? But I made it through the remainder of the day. On my way home I relayed to my mom, "Mom, today was a new low." "How could that possibly be true?" my mom questioned. True! How could the days get rougher? Well, indeed they could.
Wednesday was another rough day. But these tough times were nothing strong parental support couldn't pull me out of! After a supportive phone call and a beautiful floral arrangement to brighten the day from mom and a strong, much-needed pep-talk from dad I woke up on Thursday ready to put the craziness to an end!
Looking myself in the mirror I pointed to my face and said, "YOU! Are going to write 4 referrals today!" I was on pace to reach my goal, but ended up writing 2. However, on Friday I reached it, writing 2 more. By the end of class on Friday I felt good about the end of the week.
I have created a pump-up cd for the morning this week entitled, FSKU! I will refrain from going into detail regarding the meaning of this acronym - however, I'll let on that it includes the opposite of down and a synonym for children.
Anyhoo, I will persevere and damn it, they'll learn! Whether in ISS (in-school suspension), at the back of another classroom, or in my room.
Time to rock it this week.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
2nd Referral
Well yesterday was awesome. Students actually learned! Conversely, learning was a true challenge today. In a moment of transparent frustration, I heard a student ask, "Ms. Fisher, are you giving up on us?" I responded firmly, "No, Antonio I am not giving up on you. I will never give up on you."
Thennn 4th period happened. Dallas, a challenging student, to say the least, fails to perform any work every day. He takes medication in the morning and therefore is quite focused in his classes earlier in the day; however, by the end of the day, his meds significantly fade. Ultimately, this afternoon as I stood about 4-5 feet from this young man, he flung a pencil in my general direction, and it "happened" to hit me. In all honesty, I don't think he was really trying to throw a pencil at me...but indeed, a pencil from his hands no doubt made contact with my stomach. I said, "Dallas, did you really just throw a pencil at me?!" To which he complained, "Ms. Fisher, do you really think I would throw a pencil at you?" with a smug, self-content expression across his arrogant adolescent face. "See me after class." At the end of the period, after multiple reminders to stay, Dallas walked out. Frustrated and unsure of the next appropriate move I asked my lead administrator who informed me that to walk out when asked to stay is an automatic referral. Thus..my second referral. Good times. It turns out that he shouldn't even have been in my class because he had gotten in trouble in an earlier class. He will be in ISS (in-school-suspension) for the next two days - great for the learning of my 4th block, but rough on his academic chances in Algebra.
Grad school will likely be a breeze compared to this.
Thennn 4th period happened. Dallas, a challenging student, to say the least, fails to perform any work every day. He takes medication in the morning and therefore is quite focused in his classes earlier in the day; however, by the end of the day, his meds significantly fade. Ultimately, this afternoon as I stood about 4-5 feet from this young man, he flung a pencil in my general direction, and it "happened" to hit me. In all honesty, I don't think he was really trying to throw a pencil at me...but indeed, a pencil from his hands no doubt made contact with my stomach. I said, "Dallas, did you really just throw a pencil at me?!" To which he complained, "Ms. Fisher, do you really think I would throw a pencil at you?" with a smug, self-content expression across his arrogant adolescent face. "See me after class." At the end of the period, after multiple reminders to stay, Dallas walked out. Frustrated and unsure of the next appropriate move I asked my lead administrator who informed me that to walk out when asked to stay is an automatic referral. Thus..my second referral. Good times. It turns out that he shouldn't even have been in my class because he had gotten in trouble in an earlier class. He will be in ISS (in-school-suspension) for the next two days - great for the learning of my 4th block, but rough on his academic chances in Algebra.
Grad school will likely be a breeze compared to this.
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