evaluation

I got my evaluation. No needs improvements - all satisfactory or not observed. I feel like I can breathe!!

Lots of ways I can get better - but I can breathe.

To write up or not to write up - that is the question

Spring break is still weeks away - and the kids have gone loony tunes. They are stealing from each other left and right. I wrote about my binder (which has now become the most wonderful binder ever, in my eyes, but that is neither here nor there). This week they have stolen a phone, an ipod, and someone's fundraiser - just because.

But my larger delimma is their behavior. Big Boy2 is still crowding the girls and grabbing their arms. Curtis is still talking all of the time or not showing up. Angry Girl is still waltzing in late and wanting me to verify that she was late - as opposed to her bringing a note. Soljah Boy still interrupts my last class.

Angry Girl really topped it this week. I gave them their last test to fix.
AG: Why are you always doing this?
me (puzzled): Allowing you to recover?
AG: Giving us work to do. Why don't you do this when it's convenient for us?
me: You're in my class. It's convenient for you.
AG: Why are you being sarcastic?
me: So don't do it. (to the class) Do you want to recover or leave the grade the way it is? (chorus: recover)

Soljah Boy leaves his gear in my room and picks it up the end of the last class. I have told him he will lose that privilege if he disrupts my class. So Friday, he picks up his gear and grabs a girl's notebook on his way out the door. She chases him - I chewed him out. If I write him up, because of HIS prior behavior, it'll be several days out of school. I am torn.

Chirper in one class HAS to blurt out things (Move your ugly butt! Why are you talking?) Generally this is when I am teaching and it is directed at another young man, but it is terribly distracting and he won't stop.

Curtis - wants the rewards and just can't bring himself to stay put or follow the rules. Have to love it.

Tom Thumb accused me of not teaching the material. He said I just tested them on material and people were failing my class and passing what was supposed to be a harder class. I pointed out that my class average pretty much tied to the other class (because I had calculated it 2 weeks before. And that the material he didn't test well on I had taught 3 different ways (lecture, hands on, and group) , tested (where they couldn't reproduce it), retaught by lecture, group, and graphing. And that was why they were reworking the test with a graphing calculator to help them with the material. My option had been to give the test again.

The day before - he'd been talking instead of doing the work. Yep, I can see how I am not teaching him.

How do I get them to accept the responsibility? When they do - they soar. When they wait for handouts, they drown. Daily Grind talks about teaching to where they are, forget the past. I still need to see the kids acknowledge that I can be a brilliant teacher - and I don't think I am - but they won't retain it without work on their part.

Binder update - and nothing stuck.

My 6th period class found the pages from my binder - granted this is the most expensive part. The binder is gone. I emailed the parents because the student who took it still stole it.

I gave the test on transformations - the area I felt I had taught so thoroughly. They don't know any of it - the parent graphs, how to graph, what a transformation is. So I will reteach and retest.

Lessson

I was teaching transformations of graphs last week and tried something a little different. I taught a standard lesson first (graphs with various equations showing how the changes in the equations change the graphs). Then I did the same thing, with the students copying the parent graphs onto patty paper (the waxed papers grocery stores put between hamburger patties - a cheap manipulative). Then, I did the SAME thing, with the kids in groups and each group was given an overhead sheet printed with a parent graph. The overhead sheet had 2 equations written on it [like a parent graph of f(x) = x and the two changes would be g(x) = 2x and h(x) = 2x + 3]. They had to show a t-chart with 5 points and then graph each equation - and explain it to the class.

I give a test next week and we will see what they learned.

Make your decisions good ones

Sassy Chick came in for help today. She didn't know anything that I'd taught for the last month - but she was willing to learn today and asked good questions. She was willing to participate while I covered and recovered and recovered the material and I think she knows it.

The girl I suspected took my notebook swears she didn't do it. I told her I believe her (and I will believe that down to my toes) so I assume it is gone. She also came for tutoring, so life is good.

This was also a day for lousy decisions. One student was caught with drugs on his person. Since he is on probation, I assume he will not be returning to my class. Another student, also on probation, has been told he cannot be disciplined again without going to jail - and can't bring himself to follow the rules. Another student has started the steps to drop out. And in a nearby county, three boys took guns to school or had them hidden at home.Ma

you have days that test your faith

I have the kids do a notebook, where they have to copy definitions and examples in a composition notebook. Since attendance is not 100% all of the time, I keep a master notebook, where I keep copies of what I have had them write, since their notebook is a test grade.

Yesterday someone took my notebook, a 2 inch binder, so it wasn't an accident.

Today, the grapevine informed me who did it and that she destroyed it. I think I was told why, but I honestly don't care why. I am deeply disappointed that she would destroy something for no reason other than she can.

I am not going to create a new one. Well, not exactly. I have it all on disk. I will print out this semester's pages that they had to write. For the pages they had to glue in, I am changing format.

I will have them write something different for each of those pages. Right now, today, I am leaning toward questions related to people to destroy things that aren't theirs as in:

• Write a 4 line poem "ode to a thief"
• Write how you feel about people who take things that aren't theirs {my notebook, your composition notebook, your education}
• etc.

I may change, but it will all change to things they can write.

I did email the parents to tell them what I heard and that I had no proof, but I did ask them to check her room.

It's snowing!

Probably won't stick but it's more than we've seen in ten years. It is accumulating in Birmingham, Columbus, Atlanta - and sticking to the raods. Let's all cheer together: no school tomorrow!! No school tomorrow!!

You know the kids are chanting that. They may even drown out the teachers!

Think nice warm inside thoughts!