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!!!!!!!!!!!
  

A deeper look at what the future looks like for the high school kids I teach:

Being paid to teach!

It's such a strange concept after almost a year of not getting any monetary reward for my internship... but exciting none the less.

Today was my last day with the kids, and it was sad, yet normal. It's crazy how time has literally flown by, and my teaching part of the internship is over. What's left are job fairs and portfolios... and lots of paper work.

The last two weeks, since the pressure has slightly been removed (after making it this far)... I feel I have done some of the best teaching yet. Not having pressure has allowed me more flexibility than I thought I had in me. It's interesting.

Okay, my teaching part may be over, but the class work continues until the 24th. Oh yeah, and I have a week after that before I start my long term!

Spanish Summer Camp

It's a possibility.... and I have a feeling it'll really help me gain more experience... and put interesting and FUN into the equation... it's summer, not School. We'll see. May 1st, a paper due, in Spanish about my experience and WHY I want the job. Now the next question, where will I stay?

Coming to a Close

So I have simply 11 teaching days left before the close of my responsibility and the beginning of something new yet again. It seems quite amazing. Spring break til the 31st, then teaching and class until the 11th. The 24th I am finished, and May 1st I will have a long term sub position to teach Spn 1 and 2.


This week, the assistant principal came into our classroom to observe me and it went quite well. After I got over the initial nervousness and the knocking over of the cesta of bandaids... It went well. I was glad he has seen me teach, especially with the possibility of openings in the district. He was great to talk to, and I received a lot of good, concrete feedback that will help me improve me teaching.
I have to continue to work on:
~Being student centered
~NOT talking over students
~Being consistent
~Planning in advanced, juggling the job of flexibility and preparedness
~Incorporating students voices in the class


It should be an interesting year. I'm curious to know where I will be, and how things will go. I really REALLY want a ESL class. Those guys are my babies!

And here is one more thing to think about: I LOVE this video:

Name Please...

oh yeah, and I will be filling out quite a few applications in the next few weeks; including one to teach in Detroit again this summer. And I can't wait.

2008

Okay so when I think about the things that I have done in the last few months, it's overwhelming. When I think about my teaching experiences and my abilities to help the students experience the material in Spanish class that are meaningful and help the students understand the content; I cannot help but be thankful for this experience. Now, when I walk into a room of kids, I feel like a teacher, not just someone who is trying to imitate another.

In response to my last post (which was quite some time ago) I realized that the things I was once battling in the classroom are no longer issues. Now, I've come to find other issues and insights I continue to develop and pursue:
~Maintaining a classroom that is active learning and requires students to do MOST of the intellilectual work
~Keeping track of students missing work, and organizing a system that does not require me to constantly chase students... A system that is accessible to the students, and easy for me to maintain in all the classes.
~Using this online tool to help me keep track of my progress, my thoughts and my feeling about this year, so that it may be helpful to me in the future, (and possibly others?)
While I think about the last few months, I really do not know how I survived, (please notice this is my first entry since October 4th,2007) but the fact of the matter is, I can plan lessons and units much more easily, and without so much strain on time and my brain. I have gained much experience explaining grammar and all of its complexities, as well as been able to really taste what the everyday life of a teacher is like.

Look again for a new post next week... I am starting to think a new semester will be a fresh beginning, both for the students, and their intern. :D