So Far, So Good?

Well, I haven't made anyone cry yet.  I was always told the "Don't smile until Christmas" axiom but seeing as I started in January I waffled on which was the appropriate Holiday Target -- St. Patrick's? Cinco de Mayo? -- and then inadvertently grinned in front of several students. Caught. Damn.

And I have not been scolded/questioned/brow beaten by any parents yet.  In fact, I have not met a single parent from my class's students.  Maybe they're as shy as their children are, 'cause no one has come up to the door and said hello.  Do they even know what I look like?  Do they even know their kids have a new teacher?  I was so hoping for a welcome basket full of lumpia...

No rebukes either from Administration or Veteran Colleagues, yet.  A lot of the things I thought I was probably not doing right turns out eh, that'll work, that's just fine, keep doing what you think is working and needs to be done.  Which leads me to believe either they have complete confidence in my education, training, and experience, or...

Oh my God I could be painting the children purple in here, people!! No, that would leave visible evidence -- I could be teaching them Communism, Fascism, Environmentalism! Endless debates on the Hall of Fame merits of Fred McGriff! Plagiarized power points on the sexual appetites of polar bears, retired autoworkers, or country music stars! We could be watching "Sanford & Son" in there and no one would ever poke a head in the door to find out!  No wonder our kids are all screwed up, no one cares what or how the teachers teach 'em!!!

Unless of course, they know I'm doing a good job. Because of the hidden cameras...

Just A Teacher

Certainly not "Just A Teacher" -- inspiring things to read.

Day Eight

All I can say is, daaaang I'm tahred.
In fact, I am writing this with drooping eyelids and would usually at this time (8:30 -- my self from 2 weeks ago would scoff derisively at my new self's bedtime) be curling up under the covers to read my nightly 1/2 a sentence of Stephen King's 11/22/63 (and at 849 pages I'll finish it the evening of April 3, 2076. Unless I have papers to grade.) but tonight I am desperately trying to think of my Book Club's 5th out of 4 books -- I can't do a cool bulletin board set up for 4 groups and leave out the 5th, can I?

I need a robot in the classroom with remote control so I can have him/her/it roll around the classroom at night and look at things I forget to shove into the 85 lb backpack I bring home every night.

Not really.  I like doing things at home. Take off the tie, pet the cat, wife brings me dinner, think about lessons and look up stuff and wake up disconcerted hollering "5x! Magna Carta! i before e! Isosceles!" then wipe off the drool on my keyboard...

Man, I love my job.

Day One

My First Day with My First Class of My Own

appropriately, in classroom #1... 28 politely smiling faces, a huge Promethean Board, netbooks for everyone, a working drinking fountain.  Who could ask for anything more?

Now What?!?!?

How quickly things can change -- within 4 hours I went from substitute PE Coach to interviewee to being shown my new classroom! Thursday I'm playing lego flag tag, Friday I'm being hugged goodbye by hundreds of little students, today I'm trying to figure out what's the first thing I say to a room full of 5th graders... any suggestions?

Week One 2011

A strange beginning to the new school year...

No job offers, but encouraging news from a few districts relative to future prospects. Of course, can't write a mortgage check on that.

Back into last year's position, Elem PE Coach, which I do enjoy -- so cool to have all the kids welcome me back and say they can't wait for PE! -- but it's just as a day-to-day sub at sub pay, and it's not in a classroom.  I feel like the adage "Use It or Lose It" applies, the longer I stay out on the fields and courts the longer I go without classroom experience and I forget how to do what I need to know how to do. And others forget that I am a teacher (not that PE Coaches are not teachers, but...).

And to make the 1st week interesting they are tearing up the dirt field to put in turf (couldn't do that over the break?!?!?) so there are fences and tractors all over, a temporary teacher's lounge bungalow on top of the tetherball courts, and the county-wide power outage that closed all the schools Friday.  Oy vey!

We've Got To Be That Light

A little auto-tune Milli Vanilli weirdness, but great message.

Ken Robinson Creativity TED.com

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

I know this is a few years old, but the ideas couldn't be more timely -- love the phrase "Education takes us into this future which we cannot grasp... children entering school this year will be retiring in 20[75]"

Above and Beyond

Drats.

Hmmm..., thought that interview went well. Except for the part when I got a little choked up at the end, but that's because it seemed like it was going so well and it would be a great grade at a great school in a great district and I. Want. The. Job.  Otherwise I thought I was confident, spoke clearly, used relevant examples, had nothing stuck in my teeth... But the ol' lack of experience probably cost me. Someday.

What I Bring to the Table

Another interview tomorrow.  5th grade. My friend/mentor suggested I write out answers to possible questions, including how to sum up who I am as an Educator and what talent/skill/attributes I would bring to a classroom...

• Experience with children in many forms: parent of 3 boys, (5th/9th/12th, loud/quiet/goofy, GATE, ADHD); parent volunteer at school, sports, cub scouts; football and basketball coach Kinder through HS; Substitute Teacher K-9; P.E. Teacher K-8; English Learners to Gifted... so I've seen 'em all and from every angle, I understand how to communicate, how to listen, how to motivate, how to instruct, how to help them reach their full potential.
• Communication skills -- the ability to listen well, to express thoughts and intentions clearly, to find a new and/or different way to say something if needed; customer service expert, parent liaison, project group presenter... 

One Word Descriptions -- Hyphenated Addition

Well-Read:  In an eclectic sense.  Last 10 books I've read, largely while waiting by the phone like a teenage girl, pouncing on it before the first ring has finished, trying to control my hyperventilation while sounding cool and teacher-like as I say "Sure, I'd love to stop by for an interview"...

1. A Nation Rising -- American History
2. Bigger Than the Game -- sports, culture, and marketing
3. The Neverending Story -- classic children's fantasy lit
4. Marooned -- music
5. The Martian Child -- adoption of a troubled child
6. Making the Grade -- 3rd and 4th grade editions
7. Meanwhile Back at the Ranch and
8. Baltimore Blues -- both mysteries 
9. 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies -- humorous children's
10. Writing Sense -- writing for ELL