Week Six

We are moving fast. Its almost the end of the first block for all schools, which consequently, means that the second block will be starting. A no brainer you say? Yes. But, it means for many of us that we have to say goodbye to our familiar routines, comfort ability in the classroom and with students and say hello to a new building, new teacher, and new kids...in the middle of their semester. Luckily I don't think I am one of these. Although, given the disorganization of my University, I can see a surprise like this coming.

Over the last two weeks I've been developing that comfort level with my history classes. I know all their names now and can pass out papers to their desks, even while they are not sitting in them! I've also seen my discomfort grow with teaching Lib & Law's subject matter, which I am grossly unprepared in. Each night before I teach that class I will do an average of 2-3 hours of reading, re-reading, outlining and other preps. Usually, I forget most of the stuff the next day as I begin lecturing. It sucks. We do not have enough time to do a lot of different stuff as the class is only a quarter long, and we are teaching required material. There is some definite stress that comes from that and I am not experienced enough, nor innovative enough, to make it fun...yet.

The days go by unbelievably fast though, especially once I leave the building, which is around 4:30 or so. I find that I work much better when I'm at the school. What has been interesting, and something I have not thought about until now, is how many kids will miss test days. Tests are a bitch and a half for students to make up. Not only do they statistically do poorer when they take the test apart from their class, but it also difficult to schedule around. They WILL NOT get to school early, and most of the kids in my honors classes do after school activities, so its almost impossible to get them to make it up. Even so, I still have an average of three students a week staying after to make up tests.

Tomorrow, the kids get their first day off from school in a month, give or take. The teachers however have In Service Day! Yay! I will actually be spending the morning at a different high school, thankfully closer to my apartment, analyzing new text-books for the school's curriculum, next year. I am somewhat excited about this because 1) I don't have to wear a suit and 2)the pyschology of text books interests me somewhat. We'll see how it goes. Until then...

Its time to pass some papers out. I need to jam. Today I'm teaching a lesson on pop-culture of the 1920s. We're even going to talk about Objectivist philosophy and show pictures of art! In all seriousness, I'm exposing the students to a lot of different stuff. Its fun.

Week Five

How about that? Another week down. This week went by unbelievably fast. I guess that's a good thing right? And its the weekend right?? Well kinda. I have an 11 hour day at work tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to waking up at the same time I get up for school to go in early just to go to a meeting where ABSOLUTELY nothing gets accomplished except people complaining about policies that haven't changed in 5 years. Quite honestly its not worth my hourly wage while I'm there. I digress...

This week went pretty well actually. I was crazy busy, hence the no updates since last Friday. The major development in my week was that I took over the Liberty and Law class for a unit on the Legislative Branch. If you haven't read yet, Lib and Law is my DEFINITE weak point. I haven't had a class involving that in four years. Yeah I know that's a long time, you don't have to tell me. I have basically had to fake like I know what I'm doing for the last three days. I've been spending a couple hours each night trying to miraculously understand the material in the text book (my apartment living room looks like I'm in the middle of a research assignment). Maybe 30% of the time, I've been comfortable talking in front of the kids about the material. Luckily most of them know the drill and they do well by me. Again, even with this class of juniors they are more interested in where I get my suits, or if I look like "this" all the time. Its strange really. 

My honors history classes have gone alright as well. We spent a day in the library, letting them have a preview of some online research tactics (which I'm awful at). It was weird working with the librarians. They were nice enough, but Jesus how they wasted time! They would think that it grew on the bloody trees! Basically while they spent an 15 extra minutes showing the kids the reference section they will NEVER USE, the kids started worrying about completing the assignment I gave them. Then while the librarians explained how to use the databases they would use, the kids didn't pay attention because they were trying to research their topic to make up lost time. They panicked and then asked me questions NON-STOP.  It was unreal and it made my head hurt. Seriously. They should serve beer in the teacher's lounges...

I also finished up the week with our chapter test. It's unbelievable how poorly the honors students are doing considering I now hold TWO review sessions where I go over the test word for word. They still complain that they didn't have enough time to study. I mean a lot of the kids did just fine, but some...good lord. Its like they just completely guessed. It was pretty neat though: a lot of the kids did really well on the fear of Communism in America essay question I gave them. Even though I gave the answers right before the test, its still a fairly tough idea to get straight. Go them. 

I'm starting to actually feel like a teacher though. Its been an interesting development. My class of miscreant hellions are starting to settle down a little bit and understand what its like to be real students. They still have their moments though. They ask questions like you wouldn't believe. I stand up in front of the class and give directions and two minutes later I have 10 kids ask me the same questions. Their listening abilities are next to nothing. Each time they ask me a question I just want to slap them silly, but instead I smile kindly, pat them on the head, grit my teeth and tell them what they want to know. I guess my instruction techniques still need some work. Once again, thanks to the university for not covering this point AT ALL during my time there. 

OK. I've got the perfect example for how things are going in the student teaching world. Its 9:06 on a Friday night. I'm a 23 year old male who doesn't mind socializing and I only have one thing to plan for Monday. Granted, I have been out a little bit already for some dinner. Afterwards I ran into my CT and hung out. But still, right now, the only thing I can really think about is going to bed. Night night. 

Currently Listening-Wide Eyed by the Junior Varsity

Week 4: complete

Indeed, week four is complete. It was a pretty good week I suppose, at least it had pretty low stress. I saw my first faculty meeting, soup observation, open house, and then my first exit exam for the university. The faculty meeting was conveniently placed the day before my observation. They are pretty boring and could honestly be reduced to an email or two, but what the state wants, the state gets. It was an OK and all. I got to find out about the faculty meetings that take place every so often at night that involve the sharing of methods. The asst. principal sprinkled some nice rhetoric in: "If you have a good idea, its your obligation to share it with people." I almost stood up and screamed "Communist Pig!", but I figured that wouldn't go too well. I really don't care for that rhetoric. Yeah good ideas need to be spread, but an obligation? Nah, I don't care for that. I think the obligation lies with those who are looking for good ideas. 

My observation went alright. I got picked on for some things that are due to inexperience, like lack of "specific instruction", rough transitions, etc. Its cool, I can change it. I also got picked on for not having the standards on my lesson plan exactly right. Don't even get me started on the standards. I'll have to explain more when I am not so tired. Basically we have to show that we are meeting state standards, which is honestly a pretty good thing, but we have to follow guidelines to create a cover sheet for everything that we do that shows we have met the standards. So if I write a lesson plan, then I have to write a cover sheet that explains how I met the standards. Its a lot of dumb work. I don't like it one bit... 

Open House was OK. I got to meet some parents and things, give a little speech, that sort of thing. I did meet my first "pushy mom". She had a thick southern accent, most likely from Texas, boobs up to her chin, and very little understanding. It was pretty awesome listening to her ask me questions on how her daughter can do better, then interrupt me while I was giving suggestions. I think that I will get tired of that very quickly. This lady seriously made my brain hurt. If we ever meet again, things will go differently. I'll have to treat her just like a little kid and ask her to kindly let me talk. Quite honestly some of the parents looked terrible. Not like hold you up and steal your beer terrible, but more like get drunk and yell at my son because he didn't make the football team terrible. Quick judgement you say? Yep. Some faces don't lie though. 

Exit exams...forget about it. They are not graded so I did not give it "my best". There were only 36 questions...how in the world do you track 130 hours of college with 36 questions?? They were mainly reading comprehension about scientific situations and then math questions. I hate those.

I'm sleepy and need a nap. Oh yeah! I almost forgot, I've been turned on to a fantastic graphic novel that depicts the trials of the Holocaust by my awesome art-inclined lady. Its called Maus by Art Spiegelman. Evidently it won a Pulitzer. It deserves it though, its absolutely awesome. 

Currently Listening-Even if it Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack

Currently Reading-Maus II: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

Week Four

I had my first fun assignment for the kids today. After some discussion on propaganda, and also throughout the unit, I had the kids get down and dirty and create their own propaganda poster. Quite honestly it was a fun time. Some of them came up with some pretty decent slogans, even if they weren't executed as well as they could have been. After all, I only gave them an hour. But it was really nice to be able to step back in the room and see the kids actually working on something...together. I haven't graded them yet. I had them also write how their posters were historically and artistically significant. Let's hope they say something clever. 

I have my first observed lesson this week too. The material I am covering is the Treaty of Versailles and Wilson's 14 points. Not exactly awesome school material where I can be my "best". Oh yeah, this is interesting. My soup tells me to be ready because he wants to see me at "my best". Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but really, its a bad idea. Why would someone try to judge me one time at my very best? Does a sport team go out and spend a million dollars on some one who has one awesome game? Not usually. This creates a false impression. My best can be fabricated. I can buy off my students with something to make them stay quiet, to ask questions, blah blah. If anything, I should be seen at my worse. That seems to be more real. I'm wondering, why say anything like that? Just say I'm going to be here then. Deal with it. 

Friday I have another meeting thingy at the University. I'm not sure what I'll be doing there. "Student Forum" doesn't mean much to me. It can mean a lot of things. After that I'll be taking my university exit exams. It will be an exciting week. 

Currently Listening-I Am the Movie by Motion City Soundtrack

Ohhhh man-help me Jeebus!

I don't even know where to start. Chronologically is always best I suppose. Actually, I can't even remember the last thing I blogged about. Hang on. Ok Tuesday. Its Thursday now. Lets see-

Wednesday I got a break from the kids while the counselors borrowed them for their block and told them about databases or something. I'm not sure what really, I just graded essays the whole time. I was a little disappointed because some kids misunderstood some of the language that was used in the film. Some were pretty good though. The highlight of the day came during fourth block. The counselors got a hold of my hellion class and didn't know what to do. Mr. H. had a blast walking back and forth across the library listening to counselors vainly reason, "You are an honors class", "Be quiet!", "I can't hear!", and so on and so forth. You should have seen his smile. It was a knowing smile: now they know. Maybe now we can lose some of those kids. Honestly, its now or later, because they will fail out.

Thursday. I'm sick. All day I battled not only the cold-sickness business, but an amazing stomach problem. Go me. I probably shouldn't eat half a pizza, then chase it with Theraflu, Mucinex, Cough Drops, and Tums. Im a panicy sick though. If I'm not immediately better, I want to try something else. I had my lesson plan ready to go but it soon became derailed. Mr. H. got an email warning that Student Council speeches were Friday during first block. This means that I'd have to shave off 30 minutes somewhere. No prob. Once the kids got into the room they informed us different. Turns out they were today. The email was wrong. Good job school. So now I had to worry about what I would cut right now. Just after we finished attendance and a little reminiscing over the 11th, the fire alarm went off. "Damn it!" I barely kept it under my breath. Outside we go. We were out there for a good 20 minutes, during which I entertained a discussion where a girl was trying to decide about living in the dorms in college. I think I might have persuaded her to do it. Seriously. I had some really good times and wouldn't trade them for the world. Anyway, once we got inside it was StuCo time. I had about 20 minutes left in the class when they got back. We ended up talking about politics, then the Iraq war. I'm not good at avoiding taboo topics. I think I'm better for it. 

The problem for me now is with 1st block a day behind I have to keep 4th block in line. So we just killed some time with them with discussion, review, and a poor video. I barely got through with my sanity. Its a long story, but I have to keep the classes together so I have an easier time with my soup. 

I also learned one of the funniest things I've ever heard today. One of the teachers is a bit of an introvert. That's cool and all, but he has some weird quirks. His name is D. It used to be C. Why did he change it? No joke, he became obsessed with a certain 90s teen drama show on Fox and changed his name after one of the characters. Its not as funny without the particulars, but I need to keep this somewhat anonymous. But think about that. Who the hell does that?? I'm still laughing about it. I wish Seinfeld was still on, they would totally do a show about that.

Last but not least, let's talk about computer problems. In the middle of my lesson planning today I got the spinning beach ball (I use mac). My comp. froze like crazy and I shut 'er down. When I turned it back on I got nothing but gray screen. I didn't know what to do. My good friend B. came over and patiently got through some diagnostics with me. The problem? 80% sure its a hard drive crash. So I had to plop a not so bad $70 for a new one. Unfortunately, he couldn't retrieve any information off of it. That means I have to take it to a professional professional. That will probably cost me $100 I'm guessing, maybe more, I dunno. I probably can't pay them in fried rice and nice beer like I can B. If that doesn't work...I lose all my information on my computer, which I am currently without. All my lesson plans, my supplementary information, my music, my pictures, everything. I guess I should do back ups more often huh. FORTUNATELY for me, I printed off 90% of my lesson plans for my soup's meeting. Otherwise...forgeddaboutit. Right now I'm running my comp. off of my external hard drive with B.'s help. Its an amazing rig. It is exactly like an old man on an oxygen tank. It has to go everywhere. So whenever I take my comp to school I'll have to take my bulky HD and plug it in as well as my comp. 2x the chords 2x the space. Thank someone its Friday tomorrow. 

Currently listening-The Escape Frame by The Escape Frame-trying to get cheered up.  The lady is making banana chocolate chip muffins. That might make me happy...

Banshees controlled

Ok. So the menace that is my fourth block class has been controlled. Mr. H and I talked the business over. We decided another "talkin' to" was in order. I left early to go "make copies" so the chat could go down with me not there. When I got back, they kids seemed like whipped puppies. One even attempted a fake apology to me. How nice huh? Well, I don't know exactly what did it, but it worked. The last two days the kids have been halfway decent. We even got into a discussion today debating fate and chance in the film All Quiet on the Western Front. That definitely would not have happened last week. 

In other news, there was a pep-rally, or "assembly". It was something else and immediately made me remember the strange, embarrassed feeling I used to get in high school when we had pep rallies. I'm glad to see that nothing has changed. This one lasted quite a while, as the school has a lot of different sports, and are evidently pretty good. Unfortunately, the cheerleading squad is very weak, as well as the dance team. Maybe my judgement has changed, but these girls need a lot of work. That stuff is so hard to watch. They also played an interesting game of fun-noodle hockey, where fun-noodles are used to hit a beach ball through a goal. Sounds like fun right? I was thinking it would be more interesting if they used the noodle as a distractor and kind of badger the opponent. Mr. W. told me that they censor the events pretty heavily for violence, which that, evidently, was. I thought this was ridiculous. Then I thought it was more ridiculous as I was forced to watch underage girls, in burlesque-style makeup, with short spandex shorts and fishnet stocking dance provocatively to bad rap/dance mixes. Fun noodle fight vs. underage burlesque show. You decide.

Currently Listening-Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

Week 3

Its official: the kids have gotten me sick. I'm battling with a sore throat and some related fatigue. I'd say that is definitely one of the unforeseen consequences of the public teaching thing. I heard sniffles all week and warned them that there better be NO transfer of germs. Too bad for me. I'm right at that point where it could be all better, or waaaay worse tomorrow when I wake up. Lucky for me I have a fairly easy week of planning. The next two days I've scheduled a movie study for AQOTWF. Wednesday the kids have some sort of grade wide counseling meeting, thus resulting in no class. So I really just have to plan for an active Thursday and Friday. What is funny is that without the immediate pressure I don't have the push to keep all my lessons up to date. But...come on! I've got my planning periods! Right? Right...As a result I've spent the day relaxing, watching the Chiefs get beat while I peck at my lesson plans for Mon and Tues. (By the way, did you know Tom Brady got hurt?? I think they might have underreported that story) And a special no thanks goes out to Laurence Maroney for sucking it up on my Fantasy Football team-another inroad to easing relationships between teachers. Also-Screw you NBC for showing what happens at the end of Season 4 of the Office, before Season 5 has started! You know DVD sales are skyrocketing...MAYBE some people have been waiting to watch it! Damn it! I'm going to bed...