the fifth year

"Update your blog" has been on my to do list since the last time I posted. There wasn't a whole lot that I had to say, so it never felt that important or urgent to do.

Let's talk about summer school. It was better than I expected. I had ten students: one for English 10, two for English 11 and the rest were for English 9. All the kids were awesome. Two of them were former students of mine. The English 9 kids were pretty awesome. I also got compliments from two of the parents/grandparents involved. If I was to do summer school again, I would prefer not to teach three sections in one classroom. It's not that it was difficult, it just felt like the kids were being cheated out of a full summer school education. I had to cut a few ideas and assignments I had because there was no way I could do them with three different levels in one class. It went more smoothly than I expected, though, and I made enough money in the month of July (summer school only went from July 1-29) to cover my summer class tuition and buy a new laptop. Teaching summer school also made one of my class projects--a pretend observation as an administrator--easier to complete. The major bummer of teaching summer school was that  I missed the opportunity to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. I got to see them around my birthday in June, at least, but it would've been nice to surprise him on his birthday.

My grad program is off to a good start. Two classes down and... a few more to go. I know for a fact I (barely) earned an A in my School & Community Relations class. It was so difficult to do! She kept taking one or two points off of papers that she didn't really explain in the first place (so frustrating), and then wouldn't really explain why she took off points. I only got full credit on one paper, and that's only because it was the second of its kind, so I knew exactly what she was looking for (plus, it was on an issue I really cared about). The other class I took this summer had a professor that was a little absent, so I can only assume I (and the group I worked with on 3 of the 4 assignments) got an A. I know that one of our projects he really loved, and I'm going to assume I did okay on the others? If not, I definitely got a B. Either way, I'm happy. I was really intimidated and not really into these two classes at the beginning, but ended up pretty happy with what I did.

I finally started working (seriously working. as in: actually writing stuff down instead of just thinking) on thinking about new things I want to do this new school year. Did you realize it's the fifth year I've taught? I mean, that's kind of crazy. I realized the other day that I don't feel nervous at all about this year. First, every year has brought less anxiety and nerves. Second, this is my third year at this school, so I'm pretty comfortable in the school. I have a good group of teacher buddies in the school, an awesome carpool buddy and I know most of the students. This is a good feeling. Third, I'M NOT TEACHING A NEW PREP THIS YEAR! YES!! This is probably the best feeling. Every year, I've had a new grade to learn. This will be the 5th time I've taught English 10 and the second time for English 9 and 11. I'm glad the English 11 textbook we offer isn't much different from the one I used before, that will make it much easier. I feel pretty good about my English 9 course, I think I did pretty great (better than I expected, that's for sure) the first time around, so the second (and third? since we'll have two semesters? haha) will be even better.

The only change I'm slightly worried about is changing to the 4x4 schedule. It shouldn't be too bad, though, because we already teach on a block schedule and I taught an every-day schedule for summer school (and that was a 4 hour class! so much more time!). The first semester will probably be rough, but it'll work. I've got three preps, a new co-teacher, and a new class of freshmen (who I've heard are pretty wild). The mantra I'll probably be repeating to myself throughout that first semester will probably be "take it day by day". I'm actually not too worried and not planning too much since I'm not quite sure how this all is gonna go down--just like everyone else in the school. (Plus, I'll actually have a planning period EVERY DAY! No more four-class-in-a-row days!) It should all work out by the second semester (well, hopefully earlier than that, but the second semester should be when everyone fully adjusts and knows what to expect).

If you are a teacher (or really good at lying)

One of the perks of being a teacher is the conversations you have with people you just met about what's it like to be a teacher and their thoughts about teaching/schools AND the discounts those people sometimes give you. It's a nice perk, especially if those people really appreciate all the hard work you do.
This summer, the school let us keep our ID badges so we could save money buying from certain businesses that will give discounts with proof of school employment. That was very nice of them to do, but I've found that just mentioning the fact that you're a teacher will sometimes get you freebies, extras, and discounts. For example: I had to go get the first oil change for our new car, typed in my information and the mechanic mentioned that I type really fast. I replied that I was a teacher, so I type a lot throughout the day. We then had a 5 minute discussion where he told me that teachers had the most difficult and most important job in the world and he knew this because he was originally from Liberia and saw how much they did there and here. He said he was a product of the Peace Corps and missionaries there, who taught him the importance of teachers. It was actually one of my most interesting conversations with someone about teaching. Then he gave me $15 in coupons to use. Awesome, right?
I don't usually drop the fact that I'm a teacher into conversation, but when I have, it's usually been a positive experience. I once got a free gallon of sweet tea as well as a percentage off of the cost of food from Hardee's when I was celebrating with my students who passed their English 11 SOLs. Kazoo Books in Kalamazoo has usually given me anywhere from 10-20% off when I buy books that are going to be used in my classroom. Office Max has one of the best programs for teachers where you earn rewards based off of the amount you spend. A lot of people will go out of their way to help you, either through discounts or freebies or helping you find the best quality for the least amount of money. I love when these things happen because it helps me feel supported as a teacher and recognized for doing such a demanding job.

In other news:

• Summer school is happening (sort of?). Nine students signed up for English courses, so I guess they're letting that happen with one less than the requirement for a class. Here's the challenge: it will be three different levels in one class. English 9=4, English 10=3, English 11=2. English 9 and 10 are pretty easy to combine. English 11? Not so much. At least it'll prepare me for teaching English 11 at this new school the first semester (they use a different textbook than the one at GHS, where I taught Eng 11 before). It'll be interesting and enough money to pay my tuition to VCU for two semesters.
• My parents just came for a visit and Virginia gave them a wonderful gift: hot, dry days with temperatures up to 100° and above! I think they had a nice time anyway.
• David's parents are heading down this week and it's still hot out, so they get to enjoy it, too!
• My classes this summer are going along. I'm not procrastinating and turning everything in on time. My group in one of the classes presenting a pretty awesome logic model that we barely have to revise for the second presentation. Also: I was barely nervous presenting. Such a difference from before I taught full time. 
• I'm looking for good book suggestions to read the rest of the summer. Please suggest some!

last day

Today was the last day I had to report to school.

Here's a whole bunch of stuff in a list because I'm lazy and do not want to put it in paragraphs right now:

• I sold my moped this week.. difficult. but at the same time, I know the guy we sold it to was SO EXCITED for it and LOVED it the moment he saw it, so I have faith that he will love it as much as I did.
• I'm 27? Really? Already? Wow.
• Next year will be my 5th year teaching! FIVE! How? What? Who? Feels like just yesterday...
• Two weeks in our new place and I LOVE IT. LOVE!
• My parents will be here on Tuesday!!
• This school year was better than I could have expected
• The last two days of school were way too dramatic.
• I still don't know if I'm in the right grad program
• I got a beautiful painted martini glass from a parent (who thanked me in the main office for the note I wrote her daughter) and student as a birthday gift! it was so sweet!
• I also received two emails from parents thanking me for a wonderful job and writing my nice end of the year notes to my students. That's the first time that happened! It was really nice!
• my students wrote so many nice notes on my board and all yelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY at me at various times on Wednesday
• Got an email from one of the first students I ever taught at GHS (seriously, he was in my first class as a teacher). He told me about his first year at ODU (did pretty well) and how he was really getting into literature (YAY!). I love that I get yearly/semester updates from my former students!
• I loved teaching 9th graders this year! LOVED!
• I am teaching 9, 10 and 11 next year. I'm excited to see a lot of my students from this year again next year. Seriously! I loved them!
• I love my department and the teachers in them. They are amazing.
• I might have a student teacher next year.
• Had to say goodbye to a really amazing special ed teacher who was laid off. As the principal talked about how much they appreciated her, I almost cried along with 3/4 of the faculty present. This woman was absolutely amazing but unfortunately was the last one hired, therefore, laid off due to budget problems. Heartbreaking.
• Have I told you I love living in Richmond? 'Cause I do. It's beautiful.
• I might have to do summer school this summer, but it's uncertain right now. Pros of doing summer school: Money to pay for my summer classes and a new laptop. Pros of NOT doing summer school: Free time, more time to visit friends & family, etc. Either way, I win.

Not sure what this summer will bring and I'm not sure what the first semester of school will bring (we're switching from an every-other-day block schedule to a 4x4 schedule). All I know is that I am determined to ace my two summer classes and return next year ready to take on the 4x4 schedule change. The first semester will be rough, but I know that I have other teachers to rely on to help as well as a principal who is very supportive and understanding. No matter what, my fifth year of teaching will be exciting! :)

What I've been up to

Teaching:

English 10 goes on as usual. This is my fourth year teaching it, so it just... goes. My only hope is that in the next year or two, I can convince the school to let me buy a class set of The Catcher in the Rye and move Lord of the Flies to English 9 because I really miss teaching Catcher and definitely think LOTF is way too easy for English 10 (I read it in 8th grade, most of them could easily get it in 8th or 9th). We're heading into the last essay of the year, same topic as last year (quite a few kids enjoy it): Has the world gotten better, worse or stayed the same since the Second World War? They enjoy debating it and thinking about it, which means: easy to write about! Oh! I almost forgot: I made them write persuasive letters and send them--DEFINITELY a good idea! The writing in those letters was definitely an improvement over other essays.

English 9, on the other hand, was the last grade I had not taught between 7th and 12th, so English 9 has been full of work. My classes were slightly different than the other 9s and my style different from the other teachers, so even though I used some of their materials, I mostly made my own. We successfully got through Romeo & Juliet, with one class making their own version of it (it turned out awesome). We are now through The Odyssey because the textbook we use cut the ever-loving crap out of it. They read about a quarter of the real thing, which makes it quick and easy to get through. We've really been focusing on the lessons children were supposed to learn from the epic and comparing it to modern American society (that's actually the topic of their last essay of the year). Two of our three 9th grade classes (the two that did not make their own R&J) are making puppet shows for The Odyssey. They're all split up into groups of 2 or 3, writing their own script, and making their own puppets. We're going to film it and put it together for each class. They were actually pretty into the whole idea. Kids in our 2nd period class kept asking if one group could have a Sassy Gay Friend for Odysseus or Penelope, hah!

Did I say yet that I love teaching English 9? Cause I do.

Remember when I was afraid of teaching 9th grade? I ended up really liking it.

Oh, and remember how I used to play Apples to Apples with students? We played that twice as a WHOLE CLASS. I'm talking 20 people playing in a huge circle. They did GREAT! I also introduced my two English 10 classes to Catch Phrase and they became kind of obsessed with it. There was a lot of screaming, stomping and laughter involved in those games. They got into it way more than I expected!

Altogether, I really enjoyed my group of students this year. So many of them were not afraid to get into the literature, get nerdy/geeky, and be enthusiastic and so many of them have a similar sense of humor, it was a really good year. I love having students who aren't afraid to react to the reading out loud, like one of my gentlemen the other day who kept saying, "Ooh! This is getting SO GOOD! I can't STAND IT! What's gonna happen? Is he gonna kill them? I would KILL THOSE DUDES for trying to touch my wife!!" while we were reading The Odyssey, during the part when Odysseus was disguised as a beggar and planning to kill Penelope's suitors. I only had one class that was a bit iffy--there were a lot of students with low self-esteem/negative attitudes, so it was very difficult to get them to open up. (It was even difficult to get them to play a game with each other! They mostly just wanted to sit there, be quiet and make fun of each other if other people were wrong. There were many times were it would be DEAD quiet in the classroom as if they were taking a test, but they'd just be sitting there... possibly writing, possibly doing nothing. It was... awkward. And the quietest class I've ever taught.)

Even though I love all my classes and students, I'm still happy that the end of the year is coming up. I'm starting to finish up all the end-of-year notes I usually do, which makes it a reality that the end of school is SO CLOSE! I only get a few weeks off before I do summer school (if there are enough students that sign up for it).

Other school news: Our school is switching in 4x4 next year. Should be interesting. Pros: Only 3 classes of students instead of 5, I'm already used to 90 minute classes, more electives. Cons: It's different--teaching every day vs. every other day. That's really the only change I'm worried about, but it won't be too bad--no matter what I teach next year, I've already taught it. I now have materials for 9-12 grade, so I told my department chair to schedule me wherever I was needed.

Literary magazine:

Our literary magazine finally came together and was printed! It ended up being 30 pages long with 3 pages of color and my principal herself stepped forward to cover the cost! It was so exciting! We printed 30 copies (we weren't sure how many people would want one) and have sold 16 so far. This is a very good thing because we need to pay back our loan. :) Next year, it will be even better! Now that it's out, a lot of new kids have become interested in submitting and/or being involved next year, which is about what I expected to happen.

Personal:

David and I are moving! We're just moving a few blocks south of where we live now, into a nicer, slightly larger apartment and closer to a few things, but still in the quieter part of the neighborhood. I'm really excited to move into a nicer apartment, I just hope it ends up being as nice as it looked!

I was also accepted into VCU's Administration & Supervision grad program. I'm starting two classes next week for the summer, then another class & pre-internship class in the fall. I'm pretty excited to get back to class, but a little nervous about how it's going to affect the amount of time I have for school. Since the school is changing to 4x4 and my student load will be smaller each semester, it shouldn't be too bad.

Other small things: I saw Megan graduate from MSU, we're going to Canada this summer and I'm 98% sure I'm selling my moped in the next month.

Whaaaaat!

How has it already been almost 2 months since I last posted?! That is so RIDICULOUS, you don't even know.

Does anyone still read this anyway?

I'll post something this weekend cause there's actually quite a bit I could post/update about. Right now I have to get back to writing my yearly notes.

funniest short answer I've ever read

This is a real answer to a short answer question/topic on the last Romeo & Juliet test.

"Friar Laurence is a character who probably knows how everything is going to end. He deals Juliet the sleeping potion, so he knows she's probably going to end up dead, even if she threatens to kill herself how many times? He's also the character that inspired Sassy Gay Friend.

J: I'm going to kill myself because they want me to marry Paris.

FL: What, what, what are you doing?!"

also, her response to a question about whether or not Paris actually loved Juliet and their explanation for their answer:

"Paris most likely wants money, and wants to get laid. He's almost twice her age, so he's probably still a virgin. He doesn't know love, because you don't know you wanted something so bad until it's gone forever."

The student that wrote these two answers cracks me up on the daily. Her short answers are usually correct, but hilarious. Basically, I hope that my future teenagers are as quick and witty as she is.

For reference:

Also: In 7th period, we read the one act play The Brute by Anton Chekov. 3 students read a out loud in front of class. The boys that read the male parts actually acted. it. out. the best they could with the books in their hands. It was THE BEST version of The Brute my classes have ever heard/experienced. It was awesome!

some days are just funny

3 classes took tests today. During those tests, two classes were hilarious. Some kids just can’t be quiet during tests. Those kids hate silence. I mean, HATE it. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to keep a straight face. Like when a kid INSISTS on waving his hand at me for 2 minutes because he’s been taking a test for an hour and needs to make himself laugh, I can’t help but laugh, even though I should keep a straight face.

Sometimes I wish I had a way of remembering all of these funny moments. Basically, some days my classroom is filled with laughter while other days it's filled with anger, frustration and possibly tears. That is why my job is awesome.

So. Shakespeare is done. English 9 is working on finishing up essays and projects for Romeo & Juliet. One class is even making their OWN recorded version of the play instead of individual projects. English 10 is ready to read their one act play, then move on to persuasive writing.

This year, for persuasive writing, I decided to make them write a letter. Then they have to send that letter. They can choose parents, teachers, administrators, elected officials (local, state or national), etc., but they have to write the letter to them and send it. It should be interesting.

The literary magazine is coming along. The kids have chosen a day to start staying after school (we used to just meet during club days, but that is no longer possible) and we will start putting it together. This has all been one great experiment and I hope to god it turns out well, for my sake as well as theirs (and the school's!). This school has never had a literary magazine, so it's been interesting being involved in something very new for the school. Like I said, I really, really hope it turns out.