This new job is causing me to pause and think about the structures I live within. I need structure. I need it just as much as my students need it. It's why I was always good at school. I always knew what to expect from each day. I always knew what I would be doing.
Now, however, I am learning that flexibility is in my job discription with a new definition. When I was a general education classroom teacher, flexibility meant extending my math block when my students needed more time in a concept; it meant compacting curriculum for academically talented students; it meant cancelling an activity because of an assembly.
As a gifted teacher and push-in math teacher, flexbility means I might now see my students; it means having several lessons ready in case I get a few spare moments to meet with some kids; it means 15 minute planning sessions with teachers about student needs; it means learning how to put on the student news in the mornings; it means scheduling my own time...
it means I found a gray hair the other day for the first.time.ever!
I love my kids. I want what is best for them. Right now, I feel like I am struggling to meet their needs because I am struggling to figure out how to build structure for myself. This makes me feel guilty and tired and sad.
I so want to love my job and be passionate about it. Since starting my master's, I have felt like I was walking on the beach. The sand is hot and it's difficult to walk but I'm making progress and I can see the shore and the refreshing waves and the cooler wet packed sand. So far this year, I fell like I'm in the desert. The sand is scorching and ever step feels like it's pulling me downward; mirages pop up here and there looking like refuge but disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Will I ever get the hang of all of this paperwork and scheduling? I will strive to give my students the support they so desperately need and to challenge them and love them. Lord knows they are the best part of this work we do as educators.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Week 1: A fresh start
9/1/11:
I had my first, second, and third graders today. I will see the first grader seperately starting a month from now but I'm doing so many screenings and he's by himself so I'm having him work with my second graders.
The first day was all about fun. We did a Brainstation (Rasmussen, 1989) called Shape Up! Students picked one tag board shape and then had to create either a robot, bird, fish, bug, or monkey with their shape. I tied this activity to flexible Thinking Skills (Lorene & Reid, 1990). The kids enjoyed creating their pictures and the conversations about how they used their shape or how they might use it differently was very rich.
I had them take a Gardner Learning Invetory. They are a mixed bag of learners. Most of them are visual learners. I'm not sure how accurate it is to give them only one inventory. We will have to see. Most of them scored low in the intrapersonal and bodily/kinesthetic learning styles.
I had them work on a glyph. This was very challenging. They thought they were recreating their house. But they were actual creating a fictional house based on what they have at their real house. Once I made one for me they got the hang of it.
We finished the day by having them get into teams to create a community map. Their fictional community had to have specific items on it. Most of the teams worked well together. They are pretty competetive though.
I look forward to working with this group!
9/2/11:
I had my fourth and fifth graders today, we well as three students from Bellaire. They were very eager to be with me and to figure out how I work differently from the previous teacher. They struggled with my behavior plan. I have a couple of kids who are pretty squirrely and we'll have some growing pains together I'm sure. One male student really has trouble with talking while I am but I explained to him how concerned I was about this behavior. I told him, in a very caring but firm voice, that in my culture it is considered rude to speak when someone else is speaking. I explained that I could tell he wasn't trying to interrupt me to be rude but it was important for him to realize that it doesn't excuse the behavior. He thought about it and apologized. I think we'll be fine.
We used the same Brainstation activity and they had some great conversations. They LOVED stories with twists. We worked on a glyph too. I created this one. They also struggled to realize that the answers to the research questions were being incorporated to create a paper model of a space shuttle. They struggled with keyword searches. I think they will get better at it as we go.
I struggled with one student in particular all day. This student is very immature compared to his classmates. I will have to keep a tight leash on him.
So the first week is over and I think I survived just fine.
Quote of the Day
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.
I had my first, second, and third graders today. I will see the first grader seperately starting a month from now but I'm doing so many screenings and he's by himself so I'm having him work with my second graders.
The first day was all about fun. We did a Brainstation (Rasmussen, 1989) called Shape Up! Students picked one tag board shape and then had to create either a robot, bird, fish, bug, or monkey with their shape. I tied this activity to flexible Thinking Skills (Lorene & Reid, 1990). The kids enjoyed creating their pictures and the conversations about how they used their shape or how they might use it differently was very rich.
I had them take a Gardner Learning Invetory. They are a mixed bag of learners. Most of them are visual learners. I'm not sure how accurate it is to give them only one inventory. We will have to see. Most of them scored low in the intrapersonal and bodily/kinesthetic learning styles.
I had them work on a glyph. This was very challenging. They thought they were recreating their house. But they were actual creating a fictional house based on what they have at their real house. Once I made one for me they got the hang of it.
We finished the day by having them get into teams to create a community map. Their fictional community had to have specific items on it. Most of the teams worked well together. They are pretty competetive though.
I look forward to working with this group!
9/2/11:
I had my fourth and fifth graders today, we well as three students from Bellaire. They were very eager to be with me and to figure out how I work differently from the previous teacher. They struggled with my behavior plan. I have a couple of kids who are pretty squirrely and we'll have some growing pains together I'm sure. One male student really has trouble with talking while I am but I explained to him how concerned I was about this behavior. I told him, in a very caring but firm voice, that in my culture it is considered rude to speak when someone else is speaking. I explained that I could tell he wasn't trying to interrupt me to be rude but it was important for him to realize that it doesn't excuse the behavior. He thought about it and apologized. I think we'll be fine.
We used the same Brainstation activity and they had some great conversations. They LOVED stories with twists. We worked on a glyph too. I created this one. They also struggled to realize that the answers to the research questions were being incorporated to create a paper model of a space shuttle. They struggled with keyword searches. I think they will get better at it as we go.
I struggled with one student in particular all day. This student is very immature compared to his classmates. I will have to keep a tight leash on him.
So the first week is over and I think I survived just fine.
Quote of the Day
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.
-John Ruskin
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