So, I was doing some thinking about behavior and the general demeanor of each one of my class periods. If you're middle school and up, you know what I mean when I say that each class period has its own personality. So, if my had to describe the personality of each class starting with the last one first, it would go something like this:
8th Period- Fairly non-chalant, a group who believes they're more mature than they are; they have a special place in my heart bc we do a lot of things together that I don't do with my other classes bc they are the last period. As a result, they know my personality so well that within the first minute of class they can tell what kind of day I'm having and they adjust their behavior to my mood.
7th Period- This is the group that wants to learn; they have real potential all around, but they have to be pushed; they have a special place in my heart bc they are always ready to try!
6th Period- These people are hillarious. They often need help, but they have a special place in my heart because they always, always manage to put a smile on my face with their jokes, dances, and their twist on the way they perceive my instruction.
5th Period- My fifth period never ever stops! Stop what you ask? WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING, THEY JUST NEVER EVER EVER STOP. I've lost about 12 pounds since August and I'm pretty sure I have 5th hour to thank. They have a special place in my heart because they are almost single-handedly responsible for my growths as a teacher. 5th period keeps me going and forces me to explore the definition of authentic teaching and I am absolutely positively in love with them for it. I would never give up anyone in my 5th period.
3rd Hour- This is probably my most mature group. They know me very well because most of them are in my advisory and Reading Enrichment class. They rarely ever cause any problems and they love to learn. I usually talk to my 3rd period as if they are my colleagues rather than my students. Calm down. What I mean is that we have a lot of dialogue about emotional based feelings rather than conversation always stemming from academics. They are special because 3rd period warms me up for the rest of the day. They know what I like and they never stray from that.
As you can see, all of my classes are drastically different. The one thing that remains true for all of them is that I love them all dearly. Even though 5th hour NEVER STOPS, 6th period is full of comedians and my entire 8th hour is filled with adults in middle school bodies, the more I get to know them the harder it is to complete weekends without having to tell someone to begin their "Warm Up" or to "Please stop dancing", or "No, you can't borrow my shoes or braid my hair" and that, "I don't know if the double-cheeseburger at Jack-in-the-Box has a tomato on it."
Could it be that I'm falling in love?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
On Venting
The following is an excerpt from a comment I posted on a fellow Fellow's blog. While writing it, I came to some pretty good conclusions (so I think) and decided to post some on my own blog. What do you think?
By the way, I've been meaning to tell you...I don't want you to think my first year teaching experience is simply perfect. I don't talk about the negatives for a few reasons. 1) I don't consider the issues that I may have or the issues that Long has, my problems. Here comes sappy spirituality. My religion gives me the permission to allow G-d to carry the weight of my problems. Therefore, my worrying is very minimal. Which makes it appear as though I'm happy all the time! 2) It used to help me to talk about all my issues, but for some reason that has changed. I don't mind listening to other people, but when I talk about my own issues it just seems to amplify the situation and makes me think about it more. Weird, I know, but that's how my mind works (This probably directly tied to why I can't remember what's due, when). Lastly, I'm so scared that people are going to over hear me venting that I rarely get the urge. On those days when I absolutely have to, I find you or I lock my door and call one of my girlfriends and begin the conversation with, "You will not believe ..." Other than that, there are very few people that I trust in that school or in any school for that matter. Moment of truth: some teachers/some people are just unbearably gossipy and the fact of the matter is that you never know who you're talking to until you hear about your comment the next day.
By the way, I've been meaning to tell you...I don't want you to think my first year teaching experience is simply perfect. I don't talk about the negatives for a few reasons. 1) I don't consider the issues that I may have or the issues that Long has, my problems. Here comes sappy spirituality. My religion gives me the permission to allow G-d to carry the weight of my problems. Therefore, my worrying is very minimal. Which makes it appear as though I'm happy all the time! 2) It used to help me to talk about all my issues, but for some reason that has changed. I don't mind listening to other people, but when I talk about my own issues it just seems to amplify the situation and makes me think about it more. Weird, I know, but that's how my mind works (This probably directly tied to why I can't remember what's due, when). Lastly, I'm so scared that people are going to over hear me venting that I rarely get the urge. On those days when I absolutely have to, I find you or I lock my door and call one of my girlfriends and begin the conversation with, "You will not believe ..." Other than that, there are very few people that I trust in that school or in any school for that matter. Moment of truth: some teachers/some people are just unbearably gossipy and the fact of the matter is that you never know who you're talking to until you hear about your comment the next day.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Living In the Moment
We just finished the fourth week of school and wow, I finally did it.
I think most teachers would agree that we have really good days and so-so days on a regular basis. In my case, the days seemed to alternate. Monday would be an excellent day, Tuesday would be a so-so day, Wednesday an excellent day etc. Usually, teachers, or least I did, can tell early in the morning what kind of day it will be. This pattern pretty much ruled my life for the first three weeks.
Every week, I would think to myself that there has to be a way to have a good day everyday. I know, my goal seems a little ambitious. However, I have always believed that I can have my cake and eat it too. Therefore, every few days, I would try something new.
For a couple of days, I spoke in a really low voice for my students. This way, they would have to be quiet to be able to hear me. It was calming for myself and them. It worked, but since I'm a natural loud mouth I got tired of speaking so softly. Then I tried my regular loud voice during the beginning of the class and got softer has time progressed. This was an ok strategy, except all my kids thought that they had made me sad because I started class with so much energy and significantly decreased it by the end. Then I tried giving all of my classes the silly side of me which I usually only give to my first and third period. Since I see them for a longer period of time, they're more in tune with my moods and understand that there is a time and a place for all behaviors. Apparently, my other classes are no where near first and third hour in terms of perception. They took my more non-chalant and fun side and ran with it. I couldn't get them to stop laughing. They made me believe that there was a little invisible man hanging from my ear lobe telling jokes, except I couldn't hear him. Then I tried upfront, mildly loud, in your face instruction. This undoubtedly proved to be the most effective kind of instruction in most regards. The kids were tuned in, excited, and learning was up! It was such a positive for the students, so I kept doing it, BUT it was sooooooooo exhausting. I'm up, running from kid to kid, being fairly loud, keeping up my energy, applauding students every time they catch on...it was very draining. It was at this moment that I realized what the one characteristic was that I didn't have that would enable me to have a good day everyday.
Living In the Moment. That's the key to it all. This last week, September 10th through the 14th, I lived in the moment. How is this different from what I've been doing? It has less to do with my physical behavior and more to do with my immediate perception and emotional investment in the situtaion. That is, my reaction to events is not always physically different, but emotionally it feels different and much more pleasant. For instance, a student named Jeff is speaking aloud in a quiet environment. My ears open. I turn to look at Jeff with my teacher's eye like I normally would. My physical behavior is the same. I always turn and look at students with my teacher's eye when they are mildy disruptive. However, I have perceived the situation differently. Normally, I would think to myself as I was staring, "Why are you talking? We are quiet every single day during the warm-up? Why don't you get it?" When I'm living in the moment, I think to myself while I'm staring, "Jeff obviously needs my attention. He is sooo silly. Nothing is wrong with him, he just loves to talk, just like me!" You see, when I'm living in the moment, I notice that there is an issue, I react appropriately by giving the student minimal attention, and I note the humanity in the situation, recalling the moments that I am Jeff.
Living In the Moment allows me to enjoy my life, my job, and my kids simultaneously. It decreases melancholy and increases authentic happiness which allows me to approach each day, each student with a brand new sincerity. Living In the Moment allowed me to have my cake and eat it too! It made a everyday an excellent day which makes both myself and my kids more successful!
YoU gOtTa LoVe It
I think most teachers would agree that we have really good days and so-so days on a regular basis. In my case, the days seemed to alternate. Monday would be an excellent day, Tuesday would be a so-so day, Wednesday an excellent day etc. Usually, teachers, or least I did, can tell early in the morning what kind of day it will be. This pattern pretty much ruled my life for the first three weeks.
Every week, I would think to myself that there has to be a way to have a good day everyday. I know, my goal seems a little ambitious. However, I have always believed that I can have my cake and eat it too. Therefore, every few days, I would try something new.
For a couple of days, I spoke in a really low voice for my students. This way, they would have to be quiet to be able to hear me. It was calming for myself and them. It worked, but since I'm a natural loud mouth I got tired of speaking so softly. Then I tried my regular loud voice during the beginning of the class and got softer has time progressed. This was an ok strategy, except all my kids thought that they had made me sad because I started class with so much energy and significantly decreased it by the end. Then I tried giving all of my classes the silly side of me which I usually only give to my first and third period. Since I see them for a longer period of time, they're more in tune with my moods and understand that there is a time and a place for all behaviors. Apparently, my other classes are no where near first and third hour in terms of perception. They took my more non-chalant and fun side and ran with it. I couldn't get them to stop laughing. They made me believe that there was a little invisible man hanging from my ear lobe telling jokes, except I couldn't hear him. Then I tried upfront, mildly loud, in your face instruction. This undoubtedly proved to be the most effective kind of instruction in most regards. The kids were tuned in, excited, and learning was up! It was such a positive for the students, so I kept doing it, BUT it was sooooooooo exhausting. I'm up, running from kid to kid, being fairly loud, keeping up my energy, applauding students every time they catch on...it was very draining. It was at this moment that I realized what the one characteristic was that I didn't have that would enable me to have a good day everyday.
Living In the Moment. That's the key to it all. This last week, September 10th through the 14th, I lived in the moment. How is this different from what I've been doing? It has less to do with my physical behavior and more to do with my immediate perception and emotional investment in the situtaion. That is, my reaction to events is not always physically different, but emotionally it feels different and much more pleasant. For instance, a student named Jeff is speaking aloud in a quiet environment. My ears open. I turn to look at Jeff with my teacher's eye like I normally would. My physical behavior is the same. I always turn and look at students with my teacher's eye when they are mildy disruptive. However, I have perceived the situation differently. Normally, I would think to myself as I was staring, "Why are you talking? We are quiet every single day during the warm-up? Why don't you get it?" When I'm living in the moment, I think to myself while I'm staring, "Jeff obviously needs my attention. He is sooo silly. Nothing is wrong with him, he just loves to talk, just like me!" You see, when I'm living in the moment, I notice that there is an issue, I react appropriately by giving the student minimal attention, and I note the humanity in the situation, recalling the moments that I am Jeff.
Living In the Moment allows me to enjoy my life, my job, and my kids simultaneously. It decreases melancholy and increases authentic happiness which allows me to approach each day, each student with a brand new sincerity. Living In the Moment allowed me to have my cake and eat it too! It made a everyday an excellent day which makes both myself and my kids more successful!
YoU gOtTa LoVe It
Monday, September 10, 2007
Tear Fest
So I had two students start crying today. One started crying because he fell out of his desk. It was completely his own fault. He was tipping the desk over and down he went. I felt bad for him, but if anything good came of this, it's that all the students heard about it and I didn't have one person lift their desk off of the floor for the rest of the day.
The second incident involved homework. I rarely ever give homework. As a matter of fact, this is the third homework assignment I have given since school started on August 20th. You would think there wouldn't be any problems when it comes to assigning it and there weren't, for the most part. I have students write their homework down and show it to me as an exit slip. I wactched one particular student sit there and listen, not write, while I gave homework instructions. When it was time to show me the homework in their planner, this particular student claimed that he would have to find it first. I said, "Ok, find it." He comes back about 30 seconds later and says, "I know I wrote it down I just can't find it." I say, "Well, you better write it because you can't leave until I see it written." HE STARTS CRYING! Just because I wouldn't let him leave before writing down the assignment. It seems minor, but I just couldn't believe it. This is from the same student who calls one of the teachers every morning to help him open his locker. I just can't believe he started crying because he was too lazy to take the time to write down the homework when I gave him time. I just can't believe it!!!
The second incident involved homework. I rarely ever give homework. As a matter of fact, this is the third homework assignment I have given since school started on August 20th. You would think there wouldn't be any problems when it comes to assigning it and there weren't, for the most part. I have students write their homework down and show it to me as an exit slip. I wactched one particular student sit there and listen, not write, while I gave homework instructions. When it was time to show me the homework in their planner, this particular student claimed that he would have to find it first. I said, "Ok, find it." He comes back about 30 seconds later and says, "I know I wrote it down I just can't find it." I say, "Well, you better write it because you can't leave until I see it written." HE STARTS CRYING! Just because I wouldn't let him leave before writing down the assignment. It seems minor, but I just couldn't believe it. This is from the same student who calls one of the teachers every morning to help him open his locker. I just can't believe he started crying because he was too lazy to take the time to write down the homework when I gave him time. I just can't believe it!!!
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