Today is March 30, 2020 and as of now, we have been out of school for 3 weeks. The first week out was Spring Break, and the following 2 weeks have been due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This teacher/mom/wife/daughter is REALLY struggling. I have had a full range of emotions and decided that this blog is my best way to attend to my mental health.
The biggest take away through all of my emotions over the past 3 weeks is....IT DOESN'T MATTER. Now don't get me wrong, the health and well being of my family, friends, and life around us DOES matter, but here is what doesn't matter.
1) My students are not getting any instruction from me for learning...doesn't matter.
2) My students GPA and high school credit are being affected...doesn't matter.
3) My district is not putting up curriculum that meets the needs of my own kids or my students...doesn't matter.
4) Some of my students just want to do nothing...doesn't matter.
5) My own kids are sleeping late and refusing to do any school work...doesn't matter.
6) My daughter refuses to send out recruiting emails...doesn't matter.
7) My daughter want study for her AP exam...doesn't matter.
8) I keep getting grade notifications for a low grade...doesn't matter.
I just want to start with that. I have to keep reminding myself not to be anxious. That it IS okay that I have lost total control of everything in our life.
There have been some moments where I've had some great reflection over my teaching, the pace of life etc. and I will share those thoughts on another day.
Some questions to ponder:
What does "equity" really mean and do we have that in education?
When things get back to "normal", will your new normal look the same?
Monday, March 30, 2020
Friday, May 31, 2019
It's been awhile...
It's been a very long time since I've posted. Lots of things have changed. There have been many struggles. As I start winding down from my last day of school with kids, I decided that this blog is the best way to express my reflections from the year. AND I need to do this more often!
As a teacher and mom of two teenage girls, I need an outlet! It isn't possible to successfully manage the daily stress and emotional support we give to others without letting out a little bit ourselves and getting reinforcement from others.
This year was tough. I went from teaching all Pre-AP Algebra classes to have a mix of both Pre-AP and regular 8th grade math classes. I KNEW this year would be hard and I KNEW I needed to go in prepared. Well, that only half happened and I wasn't prepared where I needed to be. I could blame it on several factors, but all in all it comes down to me. I had some, well like 10-15, difficult, behaviorally challenging kids. They were horrible! About October I was looking for a new job. Anywhere that would take me and quick! I even went to an interview in December, but I couldn't take the huge pay cut.
So fast forward, I worked, adjusted, sot help, and I survived. I usually do an end of year evaluation with my kids, but I said "nope, I don't want to know." I did, however, put for the last question on my exam "what was your favorite thing about math this year?". Most said some activity etc., but then I got these two. One was my most "extra" kid. The one I battled ALL year long. Another, a sweet quiet boy who had to endure the shenanigans of his fellow classmates. I guess not only did I survive but somehow also managed to still make a difference even when it didn't feel like it.
If your year even came close to mine...just remember...every year is a new year and they are rarely the same as the one before.
As a teacher and mom of two teenage girls, I need an outlet! It isn't possible to successfully manage the daily stress and emotional support we give to others without letting out a little bit ourselves and getting reinforcement from others.
This year was tough. I went from teaching all Pre-AP Algebra classes to have a mix of both Pre-AP and regular 8th grade math classes. I KNEW this year would be hard and I KNEW I needed to go in prepared. Well, that only half happened and I wasn't prepared where I needed to be. I could blame it on several factors, but all in all it comes down to me. I had some, well like 10-15, difficult, behaviorally challenging kids. They were horrible! About October I was looking for a new job. Anywhere that would take me and quick! I even went to an interview in December, but I couldn't take the huge pay cut.
So fast forward, I worked, adjusted, sot help, and I survived. I usually do an end of year evaluation with my kids, but I said "nope, I don't want to know." I did, however, put for the last question on my exam "what was your favorite thing about math this year?". Most said some activity etc., but then I got these two. One was my most "extra" kid. The one I battled ALL year long. Another, a sweet quiet boy who had to endure the shenanigans of his fellow classmates. I guess not only did I survive but somehow also managed to still make a difference even when it didn't feel like it.
If your year even came close to mine...just remember...every year is a new year and they are rarely the same as the one before.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Flipped Classroom
It's been awhile since I've been on, but things are going well! I've been using Flipped Classroom regularly in my Algebra I class and am a huge fan!
Why is Flipped Classroom so great?
1) I don't spend half the class giving notes and sounding like the teacher from Charlie Brown!
2) We get to spend class time doing activities and practicing.
3) Students get to interact with one another and actually talk about math.
4) I get to spend more time monitoring and answering questions of misconceptions.
How do I check to see if my students understand the video notes?
I do lots of things! Sometimes I have video check quizzes in our learning platform, sometimes I do entrance tickets, sometimes warm-ups.
Today they had 2 "You Try" problems and I was able to quickly assess their understanding.
Why is Flipped Classroom so great?
1) I don't spend half the class giving notes and sounding like the teacher from Charlie Brown!
2) We get to spend class time doing activities and practicing.
3) Students get to interact with one another and actually talk about math.
4) I get to spend more time monitoring and answering questions of misconceptions.
How do I check to see if my students understand the video notes?
I do lots of things! Sometimes I have video check quizzes in our learning platform, sometimes I do entrance tickets, sometimes warm-ups.
Today they had 2 "You Try" problems and I was able to quickly assess their understanding.
What kind of activities to I do?
Anything and everything! My students love to work on white boards and they love to work with a partner. One of my favorite things is to make a scavenger hunt and let the kids work around the room, in the hallway, or other areas of the building. I love this because I get to interact more and help individuals who are really struggling. The ones who get it also don't get held back waiting for me or the rest of the class. The conversations are AWESOME!
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