My EOC IS TOMORROW!!!!!!! PRAY FOR MEEEEEEEE
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Happy Birthday, Pops!
Happy birthday to the best Pops ever! I am lucky enough to spend the weekend with him in Nashville, too! I am leaving school tomorrow around 2:00PM and meeting up with the fam!
Thanks Dad for being fun, supportive, thoughtful, consistent, and giving me killer curly hair. Love you mucho!
Thanks Dad for being fun, supportive, thoughtful, consistent, and giving me killer curly hair. Love you mucho!
ACT Readiness
Great feelings today. I took all of my juniors today to the computer lab (I have all but five of the juniors in school) and we registered every student for the ACT. EVERY STUDENT. One more time, EVERY STUDENT. What a great feeling. We have prepared them, we have registered them, we have given them fee waivers. We are going to send a letter home, we are going to use SchoolCast (a phone system that calls all listed) to remind parents and students the day before. We have used all of our tools to excite them, prepare them, and get them there. I feel great about it.
The counselor was organized and effective. She provided their SSN and fee waiver sheet. The kids did it during class time and finished (with the exception of one) in class, printed off their admission ticket (that they turned into the office), and understand why they are signed up.
Go kiddos! I'm going to drive around on test day picking up their asses too. Don't doubt it for a second.
The counselor was organized and effective. She provided their SSN and fee waiver sheet. The kids did it during class time and finished (with the exception of one) in class, printed off their admission ticket (that they turned into the office), and understand why they are signed up.
Go kiddos! I'm going to drive around on test day picking up their asses too. Don't doubt it for a second.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Duke Basketball
I love Nolan Smith. I LOVE Kyle Singler.
@BlueDevilNation I speak for the Blue Devil Nation in saying thank you Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Thanks for a championship, thanks for returning.
Truth. LOVE DUKE BASKETBALL.
@BlueDevilNation I speak for the Blue Devil Nation in saying thank you Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Thanks for a championship, thanks for returning.
Truth. LOVE DUKE BASKETBALL.
Standards
Some of the core values that Teach for America pushes one us; 1. maintain rigor, 2. develop high expectations. My first year roommate has made me think about these things recently. He has been having some trouble developing some of that rigor in that class and feels like he is "dropping his expectations." As I first listened to him I said to myself, "well, they are doing well...for our kids." YIKES. DIVERSITY CORE COMPETENCIES (insert TFA jargon here). I need to check myself, before I wreck myself.
High expectations are what make our students successful. Successful is not a 19 on the ACT. I don't care that it gets you a scholarship through the Arkansas Lottery. It's almost a back handed scholarship, in my opinion, because it can only be used at state schools, which in Arkansas does not translate to top 20, top 50.... even top 70 (Razorbacks are sometimes top 75). Beyond that, particularly because of being in a rural place, I think it is even more important for the students to get beyond the state lines and into a new environment.
I have perhaps dropped my expectations without realizing. On average my students read at a seventh grade level, and have gotten an average of a 15 on the ACT thus far. A 15 is not good. Seventh grade reading level (average...meaning 1/2 are below this) is not good. But then, when a students goes from a 12 to a 15, or a 5.8 reading level to an 8.3... I am happy. I feel a slight struggle in this progression throughout the year. They are reaching their reading goals. Reaching their individual growth goals. But, are they reaching a level where they will succeed in a place that is high functioning? A place where people thrive on competition (and competition at a much higher level then they are currently at)? Am I preparing them for that situation?
High expectations are what make our students successful. Successful is not a 19 on the ACT. I don't care that it gets you a scholarship through the Arkansas Lottery. It's almost a back handed scholarship, in my opinion, because it can only be used at state schools, which in Arkansas does not translate to top 20, top 50.... even top 70 (Razorbacks are sometimes top 75). Beyond that, particularly because of being in a rural place, I think it is even more important for the students to get beyond the state lines and into a new environment.
I have perhaps dropped my expectations without realizing. On average my students read at a seventh grade level, and have gotten an average of a 15 on the ACT thus far. A 15 is not good. Seventh grade reading level (average...meaning 1/2 are below this) is not good. But then, when a students goes from a 12 to a 15, or a 5.8 reading level to an 8.3... I am happy. I feel a slight struggle in this progression throughout the year. They are reaching their reading goals. Reaching their individual growth goals. But, are they reaching a level where they will succeed in a place that is high functioning? A place where people thrive on competition (and competition at a much higher level then they are currently at)? Am I preparing them for that situation?
Test Time
What a different feeling from last year. Full of anticipation, nerves, lack of understanding, stress, and niaevity - I was nuts. In the moment I thought I was "doing it for the kids" when other people weren't, often getting stressed about how it seemed like everyone else was molasses. Now, I can see a different side. If anything, the above listed emotions induced more stress on everyone involved; the counselor, the literacy coach, the Principal, and maybe even the students.
Now, I feel a different feeling. I feel like maybe there is a storm around my corner. I admit, I am a significantly better teacher than last year. That, however, does not translate into me thinking I am a good teacher. Better does not mean I have reached that level. So yes, I was more organized. And yes, I feel like they've gotten better and more consistent feedback. But, I also think they maybe don't have the intensity I gave students last year. I wanted it bad. They knew it. If they didn't want it for themselves, or for the school, some of them wanted it for me. Now, I don't know if I have instilled that drive this year.
I actually enjoy my kids more this year. I play around with them more, I push them more, all that stuff. But, I tried hard for this review to be simple, organized, and straightforward. Because of its ease (in an organization sense) the kids did well on completion and mastery. But, were they invested? I don't know. Maybe I should have done more in that regard.
Again, this is probably just all stress coming out in the last minute panic. At least this year my panic has been subdued until one week before the test, instead of the four week train wreck last year. Either way, say a pray, say a Hail Mary, cross your fingers. Something. Thanks.
Now, I feel a different feeling. I feel like maybe there is a storm around my corner. I admit, I am a significantly better teacher than last year. That, however, does not translate into me thinking I am a good teacher. Better does not mean I have reached that level. So yes, I was more organized. And yes, I feel like they've gotten better and more consistent feedback. But, I also think they maybe don't have the intensity I gave students last year. I wanted it bad. They knew it. If they didn't want it for themselves, or for the school, some of them wanted it for me. Now, I don't know if I have instilled that drive this year.
I actually enjoy my kids more this year. I play around with them more, I push them more, all that stuff. But, I tried hard for this review to be simple, organized, and straightforward. Because of its ease (in an organization sense) the kids did well on completion and mastery. But, were they invested? I don't know. Maybe I should have done more in that regard.
Again, this is probably just all stress coming out in the last minute panic. At least this year my panic has been subdued until one week before the test, instead of the four week train wreck last year. Either way, say a pray, say a Hail Mary, cross your fingers. Something. Thanks.
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