Last week was very trying. The week before I had been absent on Thursday and Friday due to a conference in Atlantic City. I came back to my classroom, and was greeted by complete chaos. Posters ripped from the walls, whiteout covering brand new desks, chairs and desks overturned (which I think might actually been the janitor pissed off at cleaning up after the crazy kids). Needless to say, all of my students received detention. I wanted to kill them. Even more, I wanted to kill my principal. I gave her and the substitute the work I wanted to be done in my absence. Of course, not a damn thing was done, and the kids were left to have free time. So of course they acted like animals... they had nothing else to do. Then my principal has the nerve to blame me for their misbehavior when she was only one room away the entire time, and coincidentally did not hear or see a damn thing. I was PISSED.
But, this week has gone much better. Sometimes I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of losing control of my class, but I usually gain it back momentarily. Sometimes I give up a little too easily, and I let them take control. Still, I'm not feeling too bad about it all right now. It's just my fucking administration. They need to get their shit together, and soon.
In good news, I am now MATH COACH for the mathletes in my school. How exciting?!!?!?!?
10.31.2006
10.16.2006
So, I'm well on my way to becoming a real teacher now. I've hit a sort of plateau in my creativity, and I am looking forward to the weekend (and it's only monday). Wednesday night my coworker and I are heading to Atlantic City for a NCTM Conference where we will be inspired to teach math in a creative way. (hopefully). I need some inspiration right now. That's for sure.
I convinced my Principal that the students NEED to have Math on Fridays and that the poetry class that I was teaching is a real waste of time. She kind of agreed, and is letting me teach math instead. I am going to use it as a review / further exploration day. She wants my kids to have some sort of product from this class that may be performed on Friday's at our "Cafe" a.k.a. bullshit excuse for my Principal and her boyfriend (who is also the music teacher) to show off their talents and make people think that we are going such a wonderful job with our students. Meanwhile, the math scores are in and every student fell at least one level. We have NO level 4 students, when we used to have about 10. I made sure to mention this when persuading my principal to let me teach ONLY math.
Anyway, this little trip should be refreshing. A nice break from reality, and hopefully I'll come back with a better outlook and a better strategy!
I convinced my Principal that the students NEED to have Math on Fridays and that the poetry class that I was teaching is a real waste of time. She kind of agreed, and is letting me teach math instead. I am going to use it as a review / further exploration day. She wants my kids to have some sort of product from this class that may be performed on Friday's at our "Cafe" a.k.a. bullshit excuse for my Principal and her boyfriend (who is also the music teacher) to show off their talents and make people think that we are going such a wonderful job with our students. Meanwhile, the math scores are in and every student fell at least one level. We have NO level 4 students, when we used to have about 10. I made sure to mention this when persuading my principal to let me teach ONLY math.
Anyway, this little trip should be refreshing. A nice break from reality, and hopefully I'll come back with a better outlook and a better strategy!
10.09.2006
So, what is it? Week six already? The kids are responding very well to me. They seem to be making a lot of progress in math, and that feels really good. These kids were never really far behind to begin with, in my opinion.
This is my last day off until Thanksgiving. Ugh.
The only thing I am really, truly hating is the administration at my school. For some reason, they just can't seem to get their shit together. They want us to pick our students up from the Cafeteria and escort them down. I get shit when I am not the first teacher down there. My students are not always in line, but they get where they need to go, quietly and in a timely fashion. So what if they're not in a fucking line?! I guess because I think that lines are stupid, the kids don't feel the need to follow that rule, and I don't really care. The only problem is that the dean at my school does not look at your TEACHING, but whether or not your kids are in line and out of the cafeteria quickly enough, to determine whether or not your are doing a good job. It's really such bullshit. I need to follow the advice of my co-worker, and just let them rant and rave, and when my door closes, it's done how I want it to be done.
This same dean told another co-worker that the reason a student was acting out in her class (and this student acts out in EVERY class) was because the teacher was not making it fun enough for the students. The dean has not even observed ONE class, so how could she even make that judgement?? Sometimes people baffle me.
I can tell that my Princpal is starting to feel more under fire. If she does not do well this year, she is going to be replaced (which would be a good thing for these students).
Anyway, enough of my bitching. It's beautiful outside, and I have the day off.
This is my last day off until Thanksgiving. Ugh.
The only thing I am really, truly hating is the administration at my school. For some reason, they just can't seem to get their shit together. They want us to pick our students up from the Cafeteria and escort them down. I get shit when I am not the first teacher down there. My students are not always in line, but they get where they need to go, quietly and in a timely fashion. So what if they're not in a fucking line?! I guess because I think that lines are stupid, the kids don't feel the need to follow that rule, and I don't really care. The only problem is that the dean at my school does not look at your TEACHING, but whether or not your kids are in line and out of the cafeteria quickly enough, to determine whether or not your are doing a good job. It's really such bullshit. I need to follow the advice of my co-worker, and just let them rant and rave, and when my door closes, it's done how I want it to be done.
This same dean told another co-worker that the reason a student was acting out in her class (and this student acts out in EVERY class) was because the teacher was not making it fun enough for the students. The dean has not even observed ONE class, so how could she even make that judgement?? Sometimes people baffle me.
I can tell that my Princpal is starting to feel more under fire. If she does not do well this year, she is going to be replaced (which would be a good thing for these students).
Anyway, enough of my bitching. It's beautiful outside, and I have the day off.
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