Friday, August 31, 2018

Getting Students to Read

New Year. New Students. New Me. New Methods. Also I wrote this post on a Monday, so that's why it talks about the weekend just ending. Begin.

This is how I got my students to read today. Ahem.

I said, "I'm giving you a month and a half to read two books. One from this list and one off of it. Also do the book report and book project."

Whines and groans. Because two books is hard. Also assignments are the worst.

I said, "I can read two books this weekend. It's not that hard."

Sounds of disbelief.

I said, "You want me to do it?"

Instant universal yes. If we have to suffer, then the teacher has to suffer, too.

I said, "Fine. I'll read one from the list and one from not the list."

I tried to let them pick, but I forgot to schedule time.

I went home.

That is a lie.

After school I immediately jumped in my friend's car and we went down to the Shakespeare festival to see a couple of plays.

On the way down I read the first book: "Rat Prince" by someone. It's a really, really fun retelling of Cinderella from the point of view it one of the rats. It was amazing. And lovely. I loved every minute of it.

The next we wandered the town with the festival and found a bookshop. I thought, I will see if they have any books on the list because I still need to finish one by Monday.

They had "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. As it met the requirement of both being on the list and being a book I hadn't read before, I bought it.

Have you ever read Dracula? There is a reason it's a classic and I'm pretty sure it has everything to do with the writing. Stoker is excellent at drawing the reader in and building tension. The tension builds and builds and builds and I didn't know how it could get any more tense but it kept going. He weaves the story about the vampire through journals, letters, telegrams, newspaper clippings, a phonograph diary, a memoir all from people who have had dealings with this vampire even though they do not even know it.

It was beautiful.

I finished the book 4 minutes before school started this morning.

I had two students try to talk to me but I had less than ten pages left and I needed to know what happened in the ending.

I told my students about the books. I shared the excitement I had while reading them.

They said, "Are you going to let us read them?"

I said, "I'll put them on my bookshelf and you can read them."

They said, "Can we take them home and read them?"

I said, "You'll have to talk to me about that after school, but I will say yes."

They were contented.

Except only two students got to have the books today and they were not about to give them up.

I said, "I liked this so much I think I'll have groups of you pick me a book to read every weekend. I'll assign students to choose me a book from the library and I'll read it."

They said, "What about 'War and Peace?'"

I said, "It has to be in the library and you have to agree."

And then they were all reading. And not just the two books I'd read over the weekend. All day. Any book they could get their hands on.

Beautiful.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

One Student Victory

I have a book I've been trying to get my students to read all year. It's a series of books, really, but I figure as long as they read the first, they'll want to read the rest.

I tried to get my students to read it last year, too. Apparently it was too, "boring."

I love this series of books. It's like Harry Potter, but more American-y. The character has a solid family where most of them love him (he's got that one crazy, rude, power-hungry grandma and his dad is missing, but his mom loves him and his uncle and other grandma are nice.) The story is a little slower paced, but I like that.

The other day I sent a student to the back of the room to grab a book. My students generally dawdle when they do this (I, apparently, do not own enough "contemporary" YA novels). But he spent a comparatively short amount of time and grabbed this book to bring back to his desk to read.

I expected that he would pretend to read this book until he was allowed to leave his seat or do something else. I expected he would pretend to read as he has done with every other book. I expected he would pretend to read this book like every other student who had picked it up

It has now been three or four school days since he picked it up. Everytime I have seen him since then, he has been reading this book. I've watched his torn paper bookmark steadily progress through the book. I've even had to ask him to stop reading and pay attention to the lesson for the first time this whole year.

I want to ask him about the book, but I'm afraid if I do he'll get weirded out and stop reading. That's the last thing I want. Instead, I watch how he interacts with this book: like it needs a bookmark that won't hurt the spine, like it stays within close reading distance and is never on the floor, like he doesn't care that reading it is not "cool", like he doesn't know I'm dying to know what he thinks of this book. He just keeps reading it.

Perhaps it is a small victory, but for me, that's victory enough.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

The Spinning Jenny

A week or so ago when we were studying about the industrial revolution, I gave my students an assignment to create an ad for either the Spinning Jenny or the Cotton Gin. The instructions were to create an ad on a blank white paper. It needed to compel the reader to buy it. It also needed a picture (I mean, how else were we going to know what we were buying?).

Today, late, in the turn in basket I received a final ad for the Spinning Jenny. On a blank white paper, in his best 6th grade handwriting, sans picture, it reads:

Buy the Spinning Jenny!!!
•Faster than ever!
•Easy to operate!
•Useful
Incredibly Hard To Draw!

Available for a limited time only.

GET Yours Today!!!


I mean, I'd buy it. Wouldn't you?

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Spring Break

Today marks the first day of Spring Break. Today marks the first day I don't have to be at school for 9 whole days. I can do anything I want.

My sister and I are going on a road trip next week. Where are we going?

Oh, you know, wherever we feel like when we begin driving.

Am I exited to do something completely without planning?

Oh, heck yes.

Well we end up with some sort of plan before going?

Well, yes. We're going to end up at a dinosaur museum and probably make our way to a museum in a cave. But other than that we can do whatever we want and I don't have to think about school (even though I probably will). And really, I think that's what Spring Break is all about.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Teaching is Fun

Teaching is fun because sometimes you get gems like:

Student: *sees paint on the wall that had not been there the hour previously*
Student: *touches paint*
Student, in horror: It's wet!


And who could forget:

For reasons too lengthy to mention here, Sir Talks-a-lot is not allowed to have scissors in my class. Are scissors his favorite tool? Yes. Does he find all the ways to get scissors? Yes. Did he have a pair in class today? Yes. Did I take them away? Yes.

Did he have a pair? Yes.
Did I take them away from him? Yes.

Did he have scissors? Again, Yes.
Did I take them away from him? Oh, absolutely.

At this point did I realize he'd stuffed his pockets with scissors? Yes. Nine of them. In one pocket.

Did I take all of them? Yes. It was like the never-ending pocketful of scissors.



And sometimes when you walk in the hall you hear classics like:

Student: Well you can tell by the way I use my walk I'm a cheeseball man, no time to talk.



And SOMETIMES you greatly exaggerate your horse voice to a whisper so you get:

1. A perfect novels class because they want to hear every word you say.
2. A not as perfect homeroom class (because you're giving them a surprise April Fool's Day spelling test with only 6 real words) but students who are trying really hard to get the other students to listen so they can hear me.
3. A surprise April Fool's Day spelling test that every time you're tempted to laugh because their reactions to words like Kpfluterwageeen are just too hilarious, you cough instead and that's all the convincing they need that you are really sick and have to give them this test.


Sigh.

Teaching is fun.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Mean Miss Kelsch

Today I gave my students a consequence for their behavior yesterday. They had to write apology letters to the to teachers whose classes they disrupted and to themselves. In the letters they apologized for behavior, not emotions.

After that I decided I was no longer angry at them and I'd forgive their mistakes.  I was going to be cheerful the rest of the day and we'd just have fun and learn.

This lasted until the last hour of the day when some of them decided they were not going to listen to me anymore. So I became Mean Miss Kelsch.

As stated in an earlier post: I do not like Mean Miss Kelsch. I do not enjoy being Mean Miss Kelsch. I do not enjoy raising my voice or giving ultimatums.

I also do not enjoy teaching mean students.

I enjoy being Nice Miss Kelsch. I like Nice Miss Kelsch. I like to have fun with my students and learn.

I enjoy teaching nice students.

I enjoy having a classroom where everyone's rights are upheld and it is a safe learning environment. So tomorrow we are going to have a conversation about that. We'll practice being aware of others and ourselves. We'll talk about the good things that my students have done and do. We'll talk about the ways I've seen them excell. We'll talk about how kind they've been this year and how much they've learned about themselves.

And maybe, just maybe, they'll strive to be their bests.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Power Out

Today was a rough day.

Today every student's dream came true.

The power went out and school was cancelled.

We still had to stay there for another hour and a half to count it as a full day of teaching, but the students left at 11:55.

Tomorrow they have to come back.

Tomorrow we will talk about behavior when situations are changed. And why we don't cheer for a full minute so loudly the other classes are disrupted while an announcement is happening.

Tomorrow they will be back. The power won't go off and they'll have to pay attention.

Tomorrow might be rough.

But it might not be.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Quote

Short post.
Quote from a student.

"Do we have yawn shots? All these yawns are bugging me."

Monday, March 26, 2018

Two Thoughts

Two thoughts from today:

It snowed in and off this morning, but by lunchtime all the snow had melted. I thought my students would be happy about the snow because I always was as a kid. However, they were not as excited as I.

Today I decided to do something I should have done at the beginning of the year: edit and comment on each of my students' essays. I mean, it also would have helped to use the graphic organizer at the beginning of the year.

The graphic organizer was one I made last year. When I gave it to my students this year they could suddenly write a 5 paragraph essay in shorter than the allotted time.

I said to them, "Did that make writing an essay easier?"

They responded with a resounding, "Yes!"

So I guess I need to start with that next year and hopefully they'll be better writers by the time SAGE gets here.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Thoughts from Today

I wanted to know how to reach the students in my Sunday School class.

In a week from tomorrow I have Spring Break.

Tomorrow is Monday and I have to teach.

What do I write my blog about?

Did my lesson go well?

Did anyone listen?

I thought that my blood sugar was low, but eating sugar did not help.

I want a lettuce. Who ever just wants lettuce?

Winter stormed back in again.

Could there be a snow day after our snow make up day last week?

I'm going to go on an impromptu road trip during Spring Break. I just have to find someone to go with me.

Why do I have another headache?

Can my brother-in-law fix my work computer?

Should I think more about my students during the weekend?

Saturday, March 24, 2018

In Other News

I had my second observation yesterday. My principal had good things to say and very helpful constructive criticisms.

We made plans and among other things I am now going to require my students to keep the classroom clean. It will be good.

This, I think was the best observation I've had. I was super prepared and barely had any anxiety. Which was very nice.

My students were behaved as well. Most of them were perfect, even.

In other news, I found out that both I and my principal are planning on me returning next year. So that's exciting.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Thank-you Note

Today I got the sweetest note from a student who isn't even mine. It was brought into my classroom by her teacher while I was getting after math students who weren't doing their work.

"Dear Miss Kelsch," the note read, "Thank you so much for making my brother feel safe at school... He fights so hard every day. I'm just so glad he's making friends."

I was struck by how sweet this girl is. Her younger brother has had a hard time and she cares about him and how he is doing. She mentioned a few other things in her note that made me see how much she notices about her brother.

I wish everyone had an older sibling as kind and wonderful as this.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

I want to be an Astronaut

This post was originally supposed to be a poem. Instead it became the kind of 5 paragraph essay my students sometimes write.


Okay, so once upon a time today we went on a field trip the the planetarium and I don't know why I chose to be a teacher in my life when being an astronaut is infinitely cooler.

First of all, because the government started up the space program again and there are now private enterprises developing space travel resources, there are now more opportunities than ever to be an astronaut. For example, Boeing is making a 38 story rocket which will lift a crew into space and send them to Mars. The rocket will be the largest ever built. SpaceX is also working on developing plans for a human colony on Mars.

Secondly due to advancing technology and innovative designs, scientists have created a way to send a rocket to space and then enlarge it. This is done using compressed air and an inflatable living space. Astronauts going to Mars will be able to live for 6 months in an inflatable spaceship. This spaceship will have a living area larger than that of the ISS (International Space Station). By the way, it took more than 40 trips into space to carry all the parts of the ISS into space and then assemble it. This inflatable spaceship will require just one launch.

Thirdly, astronauts are able to use simulations to practice landing, living, and working on other planets. These simulations include computer programs, physical mock ups, and living in a submarine for up to two weeks. Because of these simulations, astronauts are far better prepared to explore other planets, moons, and asteroids. They will be more familiar with the terrain of other worlds because they have experienced the simulations.

For these and other reasons, I want to become an astronaut. Some of you may say that it is not worth the time, effort, and money I'll have to invest in order to go back to school to do something other than what I've dreamed of doing my whole life. To you naysayers I say, "Point taken. I will therefore wait for a colony to be established on Mars and then I will apply to be a teacher in the colony."

Yes! I'm so excited to be an old astronaut teacher on Mars!

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

New Favorite Phrase

My new favorite phrase is: oh! I see that you are doing ______ because you need my full undivided attention.

Then I went over and stood by the student in question and gave them my full undivided attention.

I have never seen students get back on task so quickly in my life. It really only took a couple minutes of staring at them before everytime after that they got quickly on task.

I'm not sure how well this will work for a long term strategy, but it sure worked today.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Gratitude List

10 Things for which I'm grateful:

1. We finally started our solar system unit.

2. Tomorrow is early out.

3. Even though my students acted like it was Monday, it was actually Tuesday.

4. Almost every student was here today.

5. I got all my grading done (except for some tests) due mostly to a fabulous TA.

6. A student who does not like to do math actually let me help her with her homework.

7. I went to my local caucus at a nearby elementary school and I am so grateful for my school.

8. My math lesson was mostly a success.

9. My students know how to listen and solve their own problems.

10. We finished our history lesson today.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Grading

Today was a snow day. And I have finished grading all of my book reports. That doesn't mean I haven't finished (or even started) grading my science tests from Friday or math work from last week, but at least the book reports are done

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Snow Day

Tomorrow we have a snow make up day. I am super excited for this because it means there is no school. Also I am feeling sick today, so I'll have a day to recover.

Where I live, Winter doesn't usually have an actual end date. This means that sometimes it snows in May and in the mountains it snows in June.

Today it has been snowing on and off all day. According to the weather app it's supposed to be cloudy for the rest of the night and sunny tomorrow. Considering how the weathermen predicted the last storm and kept pushing it back, and considering it would be the height of irony, I hope it snows so hard tomorrow that even if there were school it would have to be cancelled.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

An Open Letter to my Intern Coach

An open letter to my intern coach from last year:


Thank you so much for a the time and effort you put into me. I couldn't be a teacher this year without all the help and support you gave me last year.

I have noticed such a difference in my teaching abilities since beginning this new school year. You were a major part in developing my skills so that I can teach effectively.

Thank you for giving me the chance to work at your school and for ensuring my success and thus the success of all the students who came and will come into my class.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Things Overheard at School

Today's slice is brought to you by "Things Overheard at School". I am your host Miss Kelsch and here's what happened.

3 students enter the classroom just as recess is starting. They've been in a meeting with the school counselor learning how to have appropriate interactions when they are worked up. One hands his papers to me so I can look over them.

Me, handing the papers back: great! I'm so glad you were learning these skills!

Student A: yeah I guess.

Student B: like pushing a wall.

Student C: yeah! Just push through the wall! Push it all the way over! Fall through!

Me: generally, though, when you push walls, they tend to be much stronger than you.

Student C: unless you're Donald Trump.


There you have it folks! This concludes today's episode! Join us next week for even more exciting things Overheard at School.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Teachers at Lunchtime

It was lunch time. We were in the workroom (which doubles as the break room). There were students, TAs maybe, making copies for their teacher. It looked like band music.

One of the other teachers was mock annoyed there were students in there. Lunchtime, to her, is sacrosanct: a time to be away from all students.

She complained about it for a moment. Then, without turning to look at the students using the printer, she very loudly said, "Students leave this room!"

We all glanced to the students. What would they do?

Apparently, nothing. They still crowded around the printer to make sure it was working. We all, including the teacher who'd spoken, burst out laughing. They hadn't even heard her: the sacredness of lunch keep intact by students too busy with their assignment to notice the teachers.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Not Hard Today: A Contrasting Day

Teaching was not hard today.
Listening. Learning. That was hard today.
Grading was not hard today.
Concentrating. Focusing. That was hard today.
Classroom management was not hard today.
Anxiety. Fear. That was hard today.
Attending the assembly was not hard today.
Writing. Reading. That was hard today.
Having enough energy was not hard today.
A clear mind. A full head. That was hard today.

Anyone else have a day where their head's not in the game, but fortunately everything goes smoothly? How do you pull yourself back into life when you're having that day?

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

If

Based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling

If you can love 30 children all year and still have room for 30 new children the next year
If you can understand and learn new things everyday while teaching those and different things
If you can create a safe environment for a variety of kids while everywhere else is chaos
If you can write in exact detail what you would do during work tomorrow if you were going to be here because you're not going to be here
And change your plan on the fly

If you can show your disappointment and let them know you'll do better and they need to do better, too
If you can ignore misbehavior and teach others to pay attention to the good
If you can contact parents about the worst day and still make them feel like their child is loved
And let the child know they are loved at home and at school

If you can teach the same thing and still think about how you can do better
And the next day, the next lesson, think the same thing
If you can spend all day with children who aren't your own any still go home and think you'd love some of your own -- or go home and spend time with your own and have enough love and patience for them
If you can do all this and all else expected of you

Then you can be a teacher

Monday, March 12, 2018

Mean Miss Kelsch


Today I became Mean Miss Kelsch. Mean Miss Kelsch is what happens when my students stop listening and think it's ok to talk over me. Mean Miss Kelsch is what happens when I have to wait two minutes before even beginning the lesson because my students are talking. Mean Miss Kelsch is what happens when I use all my tricks for good behavior and my students elect to behave incorrectly.

So after staring at my students who were blatantly ignoring me, I walked out of my classroom, took off my jacket, and came back in.

"I am Mean Miss Kelsch," I announced.  "You do not get to talk when I am talking. You must sit and listen and follow along. Regular nice Miss Kelsch will come back when I see that you are ready to listen."

They sat in silence. Listening. Watching. Waiting.

We began the lesson. It was math. It was a math review. We got through the whole thing and they were even able to start on their homework. They kept their voices off unless called on. They raised their hands for every comment and question. They listened. They followed along. They kept up.

I do not particularly like to be Mean Miss Kelsch especially since I've never had to be her before. I sincerely hope that she never has to come out again. But with the amount of paying attention, and lesson that got done, maybe I should be Mean Miss Kelsch every day.

Tomorrow, I'm off to a conference on classroom management. Hopefully I'll learn how to get the results of Mean Miss Kelsch without being her. And when I go back to class we'll talk. We'll reset. We'll find solutions. And maybe I won't ever need to be Mean Miss Kelsch ever again.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Teaching Sunday School

I'm Mormon. In my church we have different wards, or congregations, for young single adults, or those singles ages 18-31. Don't believe what anyone else tells you about these wards; they have 3 purposes:

1. To teach us about Christ.
2. To help save and reach out to other singles.
3. To get us married.

Getting married, for us, is kind of a big deal. Case in point: I teach the Marriage and Family Relationships Sunday School class. To the singles ward. 

It has turned into the Dating Sunday School class.

Because I believe in marriage, I think that everyone in my ward should come to my class. I am also super glad when the classroom seems too small or when people comment that we need a larger classroom.

Today I had an interesting experience teaching a lesson that I prepared last week.

Me planning the lesson (based on the talk, "Dating vs. Hanging Out" by Dallin H. Oaks) went something like this:

1. Immediately get worked up about the subject.
2. Take a step back because I realized I'm getting angry and know I can't plan lessons for church when I'm angry or upset.
3. Clean my mother's kitchen because I need something to do.
4. Realize I was getting upset because I am actually contributing to the hangout culture instead of the dating culture.
5. Think about it all day.
6. Pray at the end of the day and ask God to tell me what are the things I do that contribute to the hangout culture.
7. Expect the answers to come the next day during church because I get a lot of answers during church.
8. Have a conversation with God that goes like this:
     Me: so I guess I'll ask this question during church tomorrow.
     God: well I have the answers right now. So the first thing--
     Me: Wha--right now?! WAIT! Hold on! I need a pencil and paper. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Okay go.
     God: here are 4 very specific things you are personally doing to contribute to the hangout culture.
     Me after writing them down: oh wow. Ok. Great. Umm. I guess I need to figure out some solutions to those 4 things. I guess that will be my question I take to church.
     God: I have the answers now. The first thing--.
     Me: WAIT! I NEED MY PENCIL!
     Me: okay go.
     God: here are 4 very specific and personal to you answers that correspond exactly with the 4 things you are doing wrong.
     Me after writing these down: woo that's a lot to take in. Ok. Wow. Thank you.
     Me: do you have anything else you want me to know?
     God: yes. Use this experience in your class. Have them go through this same process. I am very willing to talk to my children.
     Me: ok. Got that down. I will do that. Do you want to tell me anything else?
     God: Yes. I am very passionate about this subject. I want my children to get married and they need my help to do so. Tell them that in class.
     Me: Oh. I will do that. Do you want to tell me anything else that I should tell my class?
     God: I love my children.
     God: I want them to be happy.

So I ended up teaching this lesson to my Sunday school class and it went exactly as I planned it. We began by reading part of the talk and then I told them they were going to pray individually and ask what they were doing to contribute to the hangout culture and what they should be doing instead. They immediately got on the defensive and tried to split hairs until someone in the class asked if I'd share one of my specifics.

I said, "Sure." And shared the 4 things I was doing wrong and the 4 solutions.

The class was silent.

"You may begin," I told them.

They pulled out their phones to take notes, bowed their heads individually, and began recording their own answers.

God, as it turns out, is very willing to talk to His children. Especially when He wants them to learn something.

At the very end of the lesson I told my class the exact words that God told me: I love my children. I want them to be happy. There was so much feeling when He said it to me. There was so much love. How could I convey that to my class in just words?

I ended by saying that He's passionate about the subject and that He said, "I love my children. I want them to be happy." As though that were the most important way to end the lesson. As though that were the only way to end the lesson. After all, when He spoke to me that was how He ended.

So I'll end with it here: every person on Earth is God's child. He loves you. He wants you to be happy.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Gratitude

Yesterday I had a crazy thing happen at school. The experience bugged me. It stuck in my brain and I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't terribly horrible, but it was something I didn't want the put anywhere on the internet.

Today, I visited with my mom and some of my sisters. I relayed the experience to them while they sat and listened. I didn't need them to comment on the experience, just listen while I tried to work it out verbally.

My mom and sisters are good listeners. They let me talk even though my story didn't seemingly have a point to it except to express the added stress that came along with it. And I'm grateful for that.

Friday, March 9, 2018

Poem

Days when I've extra prep hours:
Math, printing, snack, snack, math
Updates, grading, grading, snack
Planning, updates, updates, TA!
Grading, homework, grading, stop that!
Grading, hi wasp, bye wasp, bell

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Substitute

Today I had a substitute and nobody died.

Was I expecting anyone to die, you ask? Well, no. Not really. But sometimes with students you can't be too sure.

I was at a conference all day, but it was at my library so I was on hand in case anything went too crazy, like the time my computer decided that it needed a new password the moment the sub tried to log in. That was fun.

Actually, that was the only time they needed me. Which was really relieving. The sub even left them a glowing review which I'm planning on sharing with them when I give them their treat tomorrow. The treat they were promised they'd get if they behaved like the good kids they are.

So I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. They  are good kids and they remember to act like it most of the time.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Student Quotes

Several months ago my students put on skits as part of their Latin class. I wish I had recorded them as they were glorious. Instead, I wrote down two quotes.

"Secret old man mode!" said because he's being Odysseus as he came home from the war after 20 years.

And

"What is wrong with the youth these days?" Also said by Odysseus who is pretended to be an old man fighting a bunch of other people.

I wish I had time during the day to write down all the funny things they do. Instead I can only give you those two quotes and tell you one student spoke using only puns today and I can't remember a single one.

But that's what happens when you're a teacher, I guess.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Even in Australia

Unfortunately, my day started off by me stabbing myself while getting dressed this morning. Fortunately there was no blood.

Unfortunately, my hair fell out twice before I even made it to school. Fortunately I had a ponytail holder in my car so I could put in a quick side ponytail before heading in to work.

When I got in there were some emails waiting for me. Fortunately they were about two conferences I was approved to go to. Unfortunately one was sooner than thought and my principal hadn't been able to find me a sub. Fortunately I do not have to find my own subs. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I discovered the second conference was during a scheduled observation.

Fortunately I didn't have time to dwell on it because I had to begin teaching.

Once teaching I discovered a cut on my hand which I don't think was from the accidental stabbing, but who really knows? Fortunately it only bled a little and I didn't really need a bandaid.

During Latin I had 25 minutes to myself where I decided to find the information about the conferences I'd signed up for. Fortunately I remembered I'd been sent an email with the details. Unfortunately, no matter what keyword I used, I could not find the email. (The searches I tried included, but were not limited to: The names of the trainings, the person teaching, the location, the dates, the person who forwarded the email to me, "training", "opportunity", "management", "Google forms".)

Fortunately, three hours later I remembered another way to search and found it. It turns out all the information I'd tried searching for earlier was in an attached picture and therefore unsearchable.

Unfortunately it was during prep and I wasn't able to get much grading done. Fortunately I have a T.A. who does most of my grading for me. Unfortunately she had to retake a test instead of grade papers for me.

Fortunately, I still had time to grade everything after school.

Unfortunately I still had to print out the history test. Fortunately, I have all the history test master copies (except for one) in one location. Unfortunately, the only one I was missing was the one I needed.

Fortunately another teacher on my team had a copy I could borrow.

Fortunately I was able to make a master copy. Unfortunately I had forgotten to write the bonus question on the test. Fortunately a nearby teacher had a pen I could use to write on my new master copy.

Fortunately the printer was still working. Unfortunately I jammed it. Fortunately it shows pictures of how the unjam it. Unfortunately it only shows pictures of how to unjam it. Fortunately, because I am a smart person, I figured out how to unjam it based on the pictures.

Fortunately I still had time to staple all the tests together. And I even had enough.

Fortunately I ended the day in one piece. Unfortunately we ended late. Fortunately, no one had to catch a bus. Unfortunately, I just remembered I forgot to tell a student he was going home with a different carpool. Fortunately he was not there when I left the school, so I assume he found his carpool and left with them.

Soooooooo that was my day today. But, according to a beloved children's classic, "some days are like that, even in Australia."

Monday, March 5, 2018

Sir Talks-a-lot and the Math Solution

Sir Talks-a-lot almost got recess taken away today. The reason? You guessed it: talking a lot.

Normally I don't like taking away recess. Normally it impugns my honor (which is normally unbesmirched). Normally it's needed so the students can run around and get their energy out so they can concentrate in class.

Today, however was a special case and it came at the request of my students.

See, what happened was one group of 3 students was working.

Sir Talks-a-lot and his squire, Math Wiz, were simultaneously getting their work done and taking to all the other groups.

This meant that no one was getting their work done unless I was right next to the individual group.

It was a rough day.

Later, when I was grading, I came across a note.

"This is not classwork," it said at the top next to my name. What followed was one paragraph describing the behaviors in class that made it hard to focus and another paragraph with a solution. Most of the students had signed it.

I laughed when I saw it. The solution they presented was that if someone was talking or out of seat they'd get one mark on their desk. After three marks their name would go on the board and they'd get recess taken away. If they worked hard for the rest of class they could earn recess back.

I talked it over with my math students the next day and we only added that if no one got recess taken away for a whole month, I'd buy them pizza. They all agreed to it.

So today, when Sir Talks-a-lot got 3 marks, he worked extra hard to be quiet and get his work done so the marks would go away. He got all of his work done and most of his homework done after that. Most of the class was able to finish their classwork as well. And that was really, really nice.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Penguins

The other day we were creating presentations on animals. All my students had picked their animals except one boy.

"What about seals?" I asked in a whisper. We were in the computer lab at this point and everyone else was working.

Ooh no, not seals," he said forlornly.

"Why not?" Said in a whisper by me.

"They eat penguins."

Saturday, March 3, 2018

I'm thinking of a student who used to be in my class

Today I am thinking about a student whom I no longer teach. I'm thinking about his bright smile and the way he'd say, "I'm baa-aack!" Everytime he walked into the room.

I'm thinking of the books he read that he didn't comprehend and how when he transferred schools his mom didn't even pick up the dinosaur book he loved so much.

I'm thinking of how everyone loved him and how he loved all the girls. I'm thinking of the way he fit in snuggly with all the students at school, not just those in my class.

I'm thinking of the way he yelled at me when I assigned him to work with a student who was not his favorite girl and the other student let him draw unicorns on their page to make it a bit easier.

I'm thinking of the snacks he ate in my class which his mother brought in. She didn't take those either when he transferred schools.

I'm thinking of how he said I was his favorite teacher and that I almost moved into his parents' basement apartment when I was looking for housing at the end of summer.

I'm thinking of another student with similar qualities and challenges and how he's grown. I wonder what changes my former student would have shown had he stayed in my class. But I guess I'll never know.

Today I'm thinking of a student who used to be in my class.

Friday, March 2, 2018

Second Year Teaching

I like Second Year of teaching way more than I liked First (I really liked First). I like knowing how to take charge of a group. I like knowing how to implement ideas on the fly to get a class to settle down, or even just a student. My, "on the fly" lessons are easier to handle because I've done it before. My classroom management has improved exponentially. I see and understand things more quickly this year than I did last year.

The only thing I didn't like at the beginning of the year was not knowing my students yet. Who loves writing? Who loves to code? Who is going to have the funnest time with math?

As it is now closer to the end of the year I've been able to answer these questions and more. I've been able to get to know the boys who write a stick figure comic. I think mostly the stick figures die at the end.

I've been able to get to know the girl who begs to code and the students who pay attention only when writing or creating origami pieces.

I've gotten to know the boy who is sweet and always gives sincere compliments during the compliment circle and the girl who cries when I tell her I am going to help her with math. She draws some of the best wide eyed unicorn drawings I've ever seen.


It's been a fun ride and I love my students. I'm not even remotely ready for the end. 

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Superman

In my class is have a few boys who love Batman. This was made very clear at the beginning of the year when they had a verbal disagreement about which of them got to go by the name Batman. (I think I vetoed that idea but I really don't remember.)

For the last couple of months Batman has been showing up in my class. Sometimes it's just his name, sometimes it's the bat signal scribbled on the back of a test or on the whiteboard, sometimes he doesn't show up at all, but he's in the back of everyone's minds.

The other day I had a student show up late to class. He'd been at a doctor's appointment or something earlier. Most of my students didn't see him come in.

But eventually he had to come to the front of the classroom to address the class (it was probably our afternoon meeting share). While up there it became apparent that his undershirt, which was not school approved, bore the logo of Superman.

There were gasps from the Batman lovers.

"Traitor!" said one.

"So that's where you were!" said another.

The student looked down at his shirt, then making sure to cover the Superman symbol, out one finger over his lips and said, "shhhh."