Today we made clouds in class. I'll be the first to admit that science isn't ever exactly at the forefront of my mind. The kids love it though. It's a good bribe. I did in fact use the line "If we don't finish our reading plot cubes, we won't be able to get out the matches and do some science." Suddenly my room was full of helpers wanting to light things on fire.
Of course we didn't actually light anything on fire, but we did make a few clouds. It's a simple experiment really. You put some warm water in a large 2 liter bottle and close the lid. Allow some condensation to collect. At this point we talked about water vapor. Then my teacher's pet for the week came, prepared to take the lid off and to swiftly return it when I placed a match inside. The smoke seemingly creates the cloud. However, when you add the water vapor to the smoke/dust mixture, then squeeze the bottle therefore increasing the air pressure... The 'cloud' disappears.
Insert a fourth grade, "whoa!" right here.
Clouds are made of water vapor, a decrease in air pressure, and a mixture of particles from dust and smoke amongst other things. However, every now and again clouds are made up of hurt feelings, grumpiness, sadness, or selfishness.
I feel like I made their own cloud and I've been running from it. One of my greatest pet peeves is negativity, so when someone tries to send their negatively created clouds my direction I run. But you can't really out run a cloud. Sooner or later it catches up to you. Then you get rained on.
The cloud caught me, right after the sunniest of days. I was umbrella-less, so I ended up soaked and angry. I'm not proud of it, but it happened. However, perhaps because of this I think I can get rid of the cloud. I thin, now that I've let the negativity get to me, I can have a good conversation about it and leave it behind. I refuse to let a little rain mess up my parade. ;o)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
so you wanna be TOY...
So you want to be teacher of the year, huh? Got a chip on your shoulder because you have yet to get the TOY nomination? As the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year, let me give you some wonderful advice.
Ask yourself, why do you want Teacher of the Year? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get a snazzy award, board signed certificate, and two seconds on the stage with the prestigious superintendent? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get to vamp up your resume? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get bragging rights?
If you answered yes to any of those questions give up now.
There is no way on God's green earth I deserved Teacher of the Year last year. I did want the bragging rights. (I wanted that man who said I was too young to have a valid opinion to think something of me and my teaching abilities!) I was lazy. I'd had my kids the previous year, I knew them, so I didn't have to work as hard as I should have. My centers weren't what they should've been and I didn't do my guided reading groups as often as I should've. I am pretty sure I didn't work as hard as some other teachers on campus did.
For example:
I think the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year should have been our math specialist. Anyone who manages to help grade levels achieve 50% commended on TAKS while also coming up with an incredibly enticing theme "Math Rocks" to get the kids about math facts deserves it. Selflessly she made
If not Saenz, Martinez (my PIC) should've been the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year. I stole Wednesday afternoon tutoring from her. She was always at the school working to make sure every kid was reaching their potential. Selflessly, she'd listen to other teachers, ask for help, and stay crazy late to get her kiddos to where they need to be.
Or Garcia, my teamleader, should've been the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year. Sure, she was the 2007/2008 TOY, but she deserved it back to back. Even though she was the teamleader, she'd ask the younger teachers for help and advice. She'd listen when we'd suggest new ideas. Most importantly she guided us all effortlessly and selflessly.
There's this commonality between the people who deserve to be Teacher of the Year, they are all selfless. None of the teachers who truly deserved the award were worried about what others thought of them or about losing their free time. The people I think deserved to be Teacher of the Year thought more of kids than of themselves. Whether it meant loving the nearly unlovable student or disciplining the entirely too lovable student they did it. They worked with the impossible with a smile on their faces. They oozed creativity. Seriously, Martinez danced to "Too Legit" while Garcia learned all the moves to "Thriller" if that isn't creative I don't know what is. They took constructive criticism and grew from it. They were selfless.
I appreciate a teacher who realizes that being a teacher is more than being professionally dressed, academically capable, and creatively prepared. I appreciate when a teacher realizes their job is about forgetting their feelings and themselves for 9 months and working like mad for the better-ment of twenty-something children who's lives they will touch everyday.
That's how you get Teacher of the Year. I'm getting my nominations ready now. ;o)
Ask yourself, why do you want Teacher of the Year? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get a snazzy award, board signed certificate, and two seconds on the stage with the prestigious superintendent? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get to vamp up your resume? Do you want to be Teacher of the Year because you get bragging rights?
If you answered yes to any of those questions give up now.
There is no way on God's green earth I deserved Teacher of the Year last year. I did want the bragging rights. (I wanted that man who said I was too young to have a valid opinion to think something of me and my teaching abilities!) I was lazy. I'd had my kids the previous year, I knew them, so I didn't have to work as hard as I should have. My centers weren't what they should've been and I didn't do my guided reading groups as often as I should've. I am pretty sure I didn't work as hard as some other teachers on campus did.
For example:
I think the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year should have been our math specialist. Anyone who manages to help grade levels achieve 50% commended on TAKS while also coming up with an incredibly enticing theme "Math Rocks" to get the kids about math facts deserves it. Selflessly she made
If not Saenz, Martinez (my PIC) should've been the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year. I stole Wednesday afternoon tutoring from her. She was always at the school working to make sure every kid was reaching their potential. Selflessly, she'd listen to other teachers, ask for help, and stay crazy late to get her kiddos to where they need to be.
Or Garcia, my teamleader, should've been the 2008/2009 Teacher of the Year. Sure, she was the 2007/2008 TOY, but she deserved it back to back. Even though she was the teamleader, she'd ask the younger teachers for help and advice. She'd listen when we'd suggest new ideas. Most importantly she guided us all effortlessly and selflessly.
There's this commonality between the people who deserve to be Teacher of the Year, they are all selfless. None of the teachers who truly deserved the award were worried about what others thought of them or about losing their free time. The people I think deserved to be Teacher of the Year thought more of kids than of themselves. Whether it meant loving the nearly unlovable student or disciplining the entirely too lovable student they did it. They worked with the impossible with a smile on their faces. They oozed creativity. Seriously, Martinez danced to "Too Legit" while Garcia learned all the moves to "Thriller" if that isn't creative I don't know what is. They took constructive criticism and grew from it. They were selfless.
I appreciate a teacher who realizes that being a teacher is more than being professionally dressed, academically capable, and creatively prepared. I appreciate when a teacher realizes their job is about forgetting their feelings and themselves for 9 months and working like mad for the better-ment of twenty-something children who's lives they will touch everyday.
That's how you get Teacher of the Year. I'm getting my nominations ready now. ;o)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Colossians 3:2, yes!
Oh sweet blog, how I missed you.
So, I can't say the word no.
Last year I was approached by my principal. She asked if I'd be the new advisory facilitator. That's a fancy way of saying the person in charge of making sure the campus implements Character Counts and other relationship building concepts. Simple enough. My answer, yes. Earlier during the 2008/2009 school year a teacher friend and I asked about taking over the yearbook. We thought it could use a little jazzing up. We both thought it'd be easy enough, but didn't realize it also encompassed running student council. My answer to running StuCo with Martinez? Yes.
But it doesn't end there.
Two weeks into the 2009/2010 school year an email was sent around asking if any intermediate teacher would be willing to be a homebound teacher for a 5th grade student. This 5th grade student is sick. At first my heart dropped as I thought that it was one of the 4th graders I'd just taught the previous year. I emailed the vice principal offering to take on the teaching. Honestly, I figured that someone else would've picked up the job already. I was surprised with my VP emailed me back and offered me the position. Go figure, I said yes.
I'm not done yet.
Late in the summer another email circulated around campus about student teachers. I had taken on a student observer (still don't feel experienced enough for an actual student teacher) and it was a terrible experience. I'd never seen someone so unprofessional in their attendance. I honestly never knew if this girl was going to show up and it made planning ridiculously difficult. I was proud of myself, I responded to the student teacher email with a no. Well, a no with a post script that said something along the lines of 'unless you really, really need me.' Thankfully the VP listened and didn't call me into the meeting for student teachers/observers. Nah, she just called and left me a voicemail asking very nicely if I'd reconsider since several people had turned her down. I could've just ignored the bright red voicemail light. But no, I called her back and said... Yes.
I'm busy. Each night there's something to do. Something to plan, someone to call, someone to see. I have a planner people. A planner that I actually use. So you'd think this would give me some great sense of fulfillment, purpose, success. Meh, not today.
This afternoon I left school around five. I just didn't want to be staring at the computer screen of grades anymore. When I left I was bombarded by life. I had left my phone in my nameless car. (Sidenote, car is new! More about her in later posts.) When I got to my car my phone was going crazy. Text messages and voicemails galore. Not normal.
First one, a text message from an incredibly random source. The text message was a terribly sad one, a friend from church had passed away. The man had gone through some tough physical trials, but he was still pretty young. Couple this news with the death of my dad's cousin-in-law about two weeks ago and the fleeting nature of life was brought right to the forefront of my mind. Second one, a voicemail from my homebound student's father. My student was put in the hospital today. The father was so calm and collected. His voice was stable, the voice of a father who'd been to hell and back before. Hospital trips are the norm in this family. He calmly said they probably wouldn't be able to have me teach tomorrow, but he'd call in the morning to let me know.
You don't know what your life is going to be like tomorrow. "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14) so why waste my time here. But as I stuff my life full of experiences I have to make sure my focus and priorities are straight. Make sure my mind is "set on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible) and that my purpose is obvious to others.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my short 26 years here is that you never know when someone is going to up and leave you. I've made it a point to be completely honest, saying my feelings about friendships and family members as openly as possible. (Girlie feelings... Now that's a whole different story.) I'm not guaranteed a tomorrow, I want to love everyone and everything about today as much as possible. I'm going to be busy!
Maybe my inability to say no isn't such a bad thing afterall!
So, I can't say the word no.
Last year I was approached by my principal. She asked if I'd be the new advisory facilitator. That's a fancy way of saying the person in charge of making sure the campus implements Character Counts and other relationship building concepts. Simple enough. My answer, yes. Earlier during the 2008/2009 school year a teacher friend and I asked about taking over the yearbook. We thought it could use a little jazzing up. We both thought it'd be easy enough, but didn't realize it also encompassed running student council. My answer to running StuCo with Martinez? Yes.
But it doesn't end there.
Two weeks into the 2009/2010 school year an email was sent around asking if any intermediate teacher would be willing to be a homebound teacher for a 5th grade student. This 5th grade student is sick. At first my heart dropped as I thought that it was one of the 4th graders I'd just taught the previous year. I emailed the vice principal offering to take on the teaching. Honestly, I figured that someone else would've picked up the job already. I was surprised with my VP emailed me back and offered me the position. Go figure, I said yes.
I'm not done yet.
Late in the summer another email circulated around campus about student teachers. I had taken on a student observer (still don't feel experienced enough for an actual student teacher) and it was a terrible experience. I'd never seen someone so unprofessional in their attendance. I honestly never knew if this girl was going to show up and it made planning ridiculously difficult. I was proud of myself, I responded to the student teacher email with a no. Well, a no with a post script that said something along the lines of 'unless you really, really need me.' Thankfully the VP listened and didn't call me into the meeting for student teachers/observers. Nah, she just called and left me a voicemail asking very nicely if I'd reconsider since several people had turned her down. I could've just ignored the bright red voicemail light. But no, I called her back and said... Yes.
I'm busy. Each night there's something to do. Something to plan, someone to call, someone to see. I have a planner people. A planner that I actually use. So you'd think this would give me some great sense of fulfillment, purpose, success. Meh, not today.
This afternoon I left school around five. I just didn't want to be staring at the computer screen of grades anymore. When I left I was bombarded by life. I had left my phone in my nameless car. (Sidenote, car is new! More about her in later posts.) When I got to my car my phone was going crazy. Text messages and voicemails galore. Not normal.
First one, a text message from an incredibly random source. The text message was a terribly sad one, a friend from church had passed away. The man had gone through some tough physical trials, but he was still pretty young. Couple this news with the death of my dad's cousin-in-law about two weeks ago and the fleeting nature of life was brought right to the forefront of my mind. Second one, a voicemail from my homebound student's father. My student was put in the hospital today. The father was so calm and collected. His voice was stable, the voice of a father who'd been to hell and back before. Hospital trips are the norm in this family. He calmly said they probably wouldn't be able to have me teach tomorrow, but he'd call in the morning to let me know.
You don't know what your life is going to be like tomorrow. "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14) so why waste my time here. But as I stuff my life full of experiences I have to make sure my focus and priorities are straight. Make sure my mind is "set on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible) and that my purpose is obvious to others.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my short 26 years here is that you never know when someone is going to up and leave you. I've made it a point to be completely honest, saying my feelings about friendships and family members as openly as possible. (Girlie feelings... Now that's a whole different story.) I'm not guaranteed a tomorrow, I want to love everyone and everything about today as much as possible. I'm going to be busy!
Maybe my inability to say no isn't such a bad thing afterall!
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