Happy 2009!

As you can tell by my lack of posts, time really does fly. and fast!

Today was the first day back! After a snow day beginning our break, a peaceful, fun and restful break followed! And I was optimistic to get a lot done before going back today, I definitely waited until Sunday to get started!
It felt like the first day of school today as I was driving. I felt nervous and scared! Like I didn't know what I was doing. And then I remembered this is often what my students in middle school feel like daily.

I've learned a lot about middle school kids these few months- and while they still drive me nuts, I will miss them if in a few weeks I won't get to be with them everyday. Besides the many pedagogical things I've learned from them, here are a few others:

• Relax. And breathe. Things are never as bad as they first seem.
• Take it one step at a time. And always try to start at step 1. ( This one IS very pedagogical)
• When you don't know what is going on, you get nervous. Hence the life of a 7th grader is full of chaos and nerves.
• Build a community from the start. Give and get respect, and demand that they give it to each other as well.
• We all need a reminder to be prepared.
• Do one thing at a time and do it well instead of doing multiple things with little quality.
  
• Always label and file your papers! Be organized! It helps so much more when you want to do the activity again.
• Always redo, rethink, reinvent and recharge. It helps keeps things fresh and pushes you to grow professionally AND personally.
  

And it continues to go and go

it's practically Halloween and i feel like we just started. but when is Thanksgiving break??
i could have really used that bed in my classroom. I spend hours there. 7-5 and I STILL take papers and things to do home with me.

60 papers on substance abuse, and student work from every other class!

AH!

But I have to say, middle school does make you a better teacher.

Almost a month in

And I could not be more exhausted. I am CONSTANTLY thinking about school, lesson plans, how to reach students, checking papers, responding to emails, attending meetings, helping students, finding pencils on the floor and wishing my students always remembered their name and hour on every paper so I didnt have to take points away.

I'm learning to give explicit directions and learning how the minds of middle school students is VERY different from those in high school. I'm helping them step up their game for high school and they are reminding me not everything has to be so serious.

They keep me on my toes, and 6th graders are the most challenging. They are FUN, exciting, energetic, but very difficult to teach all the time. Sometimes, they just need to move.

"Miss Cartier- ppppplllease let me sit next to Lamar, I'll give you a hug"-Kyle

"Miss Cartier, did you get your hair cut?" "You look different, like pretty different" Jacques

I'm starting also to really consider the comment by Jordan "So you have a mircrowave, stove, washer and dryer, where is the fold out bed?"

And the farther into the year, the more that comment makes sense...

One year down

It's an incredible feeling to know that I've completed a year in the teaching world. Yes, a good 7 months of it was student teaching, and a little over a month in a subbing position.

And now, I start building up my resources and creating more units to use later on. I am excited to see what I can put together this summer. So for the summer, I'll be crawling the internet for new job postings, and for resources and helpful hints for new teachers. Harry and Rosemary Wong will be on my reading list. Translating, and tutoring also will make a regular appearance.

But, as for my experience in the month of subbing. I can really say it has been quite valuable. Challenging; yes, and overwhelming of course. But at the end of the day, it is another experience in the classroom that I can look at, reflect on and gain insight and experience from, which will hopefully make the next few years easier. The people at Mott have really made my life easy. I must be grateful for those who were willing to give me advice, help me figure out the grades, and do other things in the school, that would have taken me hours without them. I know understand the power of a community of workers that looks out for each other, and how much that really means in a work environment.

Top lesson's learned:
~Hall passes will be abused if you let them. Find a system that limits them.
~Post grades regularly, and have parents sign progress reports regularly too. It opens communication and provides an easy way for students to earn points and notice their progress.
~Find a system to manage the paper load. Checking papers every night was my least favorite experience during this position. Stamping and correcting in class will happen in my future classes!
~STAY organized. Find a system that works for you .(because in this sub job, I also found out that organization looks different to different people)
~Circle desks solicit chatting. But make grouping VERY easy.

~I am SO excited to get my own class, and start the crazy first year of my teaching career.

The 9-5

So as I have been job "browsing" I've become addicted to ice tea and caffeine in all forms, and I've also fallen back into the college schedule. Get up at 10 and work til 2. You think they will ever change the hours of high schools? I know I'd be thankful for an 8:30-9:00 start!

Dog Days

So I am sad to say that I may not be at Mott to finish off the school year. Dang not having a teaching certificate already! I've applied, but to meet highly qualified standards, Waterford doesn't allow guest teachers to be non-certified. I'll be applying to sub in other districts by the end of this week. Hopefully that will give me some experience before next year, as well as some money. Student teaching really drains you of money and energy. Although, as you will see below, I've been taking a few lessons from my puppy Jake to get some rest and relaxation before the craziness sets back in.

And while I have to say, the last few days, not being at school I've been doing one of the five things. Updating my website, updating the wiki, filling out endless applications,cleaning the stacks and stacks of papers in my messy room, and spending time with my beloved 4 legged friend.

And sometimes, I wish my life, was his life.








(btw, this is at 12:36pm!) what a lazyy dog!








And finally, Jake decides it's time to get worked up over something. Oh if we all had the worries our dogs had!

You Know Youre a teacher when...

• you rush to help students you see struggling even if you don't know them
  
• you spend Saturday night at the high school musical, and no, not the movie
• your students say hi to you first!
• your students still ask you questions and you have to point them back to your mentor teacher, because you aren't teaching anymore
• you finish lunch in 20 minutes or less
  
• you use hand sanitizer so often your hands are dry
• you consistently, and proudly wear black expo marker on your face
• you wish there were more hours in the day
• you continually look at things with a "now how could I use this in the classroom?" preface...
• you get excited at the thought of your own classroom, bulletin boards and manipulatives!!!!!!!!!!!