Gang Fights and Lock Downs.

Today was one of the scariest days I have had as a teacher.  At around 9:15 this morning, the principal came over the intercom system to inform us that we were officially on lock down and that it was not a drill.  When a lock down happens, all windows and doors must be closed and locked.  All blinds must be drawn, and all students and staff members must be inside of a classroom against the wall closest to the door so that if someone happened to look in through the window of the door, we wouldn't be able to be seen.  As soon as it happened, I knew it had to do with the rivaling black and hispanic gangs we have.  And sure enough, I was correct.  More than twenty students got into a very large physical fight with one another and the police ended up having to be called to help break it up.  Luckily there were no weapons involved and as one student resisted arrest, a police officer was injured and had to be taken to the hospital.  In the end, nineteen students ended up getting arrested and the police and their K9s were crawling all over our school for the rest of the day.  Every lunch wave had multiple police officers present with their K9s.

After school, an emergency faculty meeting was held and it was probably one of the best faculty meetings we've had.  Many teachers voiced their concerns about their fear for safety not only for our kids, but for ourselves as well.  My mentor teacher also spoke out as one of the first people to have responded to, what the news media is now calling, the "riot" and she was brought to tears as she described that she has been working in our school for 15 years now and she has never been as scared as she was today.  She also said what many others were thinking: that this is not over and there will be more fights.

Many of us are nervous for tomorrow; we all feel that it's not over, and that it's only just begun.

They never taught me any of this in college....

Time Flies When You're Having... Fun?

Christmas is only a week and a half away; I can't believe how quickly this school year is flying by!  I know that it's been forever since I've last updated, but as I had said it my last post, life has been hectic.

Recently there has been a large outbreak of physical fights and assaults in our school.  Many of the fights have to do with rivaling gangs in our town and it's becoming a very serious problem.  A good friend of mine jumped in the middle of two girls to break them up and ended up getting punched directly in the face.  This was the student's second fight of the year and ended up being arrested.  The school, however, only gave her a four day suspension.  This has created a bit of an uproar with teachers.  Every student who has fought over the past 2 weeks, which is probably a total of close to 15 students, have only received a 3 or 4 day suspension.  In my eyes, that is just a slap on the wrist, and in talking with my students, they view it the same way.  My students told me that it has become very obvious to the student body that fighting in school will not result in an extremely negative consequence, so why bother waiting to go do it out on the streets in these now below freezing temperatures?  It's nice and warm inside our building, may as well just handle the business indoors.  In talking with the police officers at our school, the number of fights we've had this year thus far is a 25% increase in the number of total fights throughout all of last year.  We have also had 11 staff members physically assaulted by students in our building this year which, one police officer who has been with us for years, said that he hasn't seen a total of 11 assaults in all of the years he's been here.

It's obvious and it's frustrating that our school is beginning to get out of control.  I had a pretty lengthy conversation (well actually, it wasn't much of a conversation really, I was doing most of the talking yelling) about respect today.  The English teacher who I co-teach with was out , so I was running the show solo.  The kids instantly began giving me a hard time: they wanted to sit in different seats than their assigned ones, they wanted breaks, they kept talking.  I then just stopped and asked, "Do you guys have any respect for me?"  They all looked at me kind of puzzled.  I then asked, "If Mrs. SoAndSo were here right now, would you be acting like this?"  Blank stares.  I then explained to them that from the behavior that they were demonstrating, they were basically telling me that they didn't have any respect for me and only respected Mrs. SoAndSo.  This caused an uproar.  They couldn't believe that I would think that, they told me that they had way more respect for me than they did Mrs. SoAndSo and that all Mrs. SoAndSo does is write people up.  So I then said, "So in order to gain your respect, I have to begin writing people up?"  Again, "NOOOO MISS!!!!"  Finally I explained to them that they were making me feel as if they do not respect me as their teacher.  I explained how much I respected each of them and that I am never rude to any of them unless I have a legitimate reason to be upset with them.  I told them that the only reason why I get frustrated with them at times is because I know that they all can be successful and that I want to see them succeed.  I told them that the reason why I am always making them do their work and "bothering" them is because I care about them. At that point they all went, "Awwww!"  And one student said, "Yo, she really does care about us y'all." I felt like I had actually gotten through to them (for the time being at least) and they ended up behaving for the rest of the class and got a ton of work done.  I was really pleased with how it all went.

At one point during that same class, a student made a comment about white people and I said, "Hey!   I'm white!  Be nice!"  Then one of the funniest things I've ever had happen, happened.  They became totally confused when I had stated that I was white.  Apparently they had all thought that I was Puerto Rican or some "other color" (as they had put it), but not white!  Now if you have ever seen me in person, I am pretty much your stereotypical white girl (or so I thought), so their reactions totally caught me off guard!  One student said, "Miss Anonymous, you're the coolest white person I've ever met!"  Another student then said, "Miss, you're the only white person I like!"  I couldn't stop laughing because I couldn't believe that all this time they hadn't realized that I was white.

Alright, time to go write some IEP's and eat some dinner.  I'm exhausted.  I'll end with my New Teacher Tip of the Day: Your students will respond well when you remind them how much you care about them and want to see them succeed.  Don't be afraid to tell them that you truly care about them (even if you really don't), it makes a world of a difference.

What The Hell Day Is It Now?!

As you may have been able to tell, I have become extremely busy and have struggled with keeping this blog updated.  Over the past couple of weeks I have had a total of 6 IEP meetings, I have learned that one of my students has a severely schizophrenic father who cannot be left alone because he will kill himself, and I had a student attempt suicide while in school, just to name a few major events.  Soooo needless to say, it has been very difficult for me to find the time to write in here.

I promise that I will try to update more often!  But for now, I have to run!

Someone Has to Rewrite My Evaluation on Day 37...

My mentor teacher ended up meeting with my administrator on Monday.  She then came and found me in class to tell me, "Uhh... Anonymous... he really does not get our model of special education."  So then she brought up the idea to ask the ninth grade administrator to become my administrator to do my observations since she totally gets it.  Unfortunately, the ninth grade administrator (although she really seemed to want to) told us she couldn't because if she did it for me, she'd have to do it for everyone.

Sooooo... to make a long story short, the ninth grade administrator understands and supports my role, we found out that the building principal understands and supports my role, as well as the higher ups over at central office.  So do you know what that means?  That means that the only person in this entire district who does not support my role, also happens to be my administrator.  Lucky me, huh?

Well fortunately for me, and unfortunately for him, he has to rewrite my entire evaluation report and pretend to support my role since it is, as I've already described, approved by administration and the state!

So remember what I said, all you Newbies out there!  Don't let just one person bring you down, because I can guarantee there is a large group of people who fully support what you do!  Including me!!!

Observations and Student Confessions on Day 33.

Let me preface this entry by stating what will soon become the obvious: Today was an emotional day.

My day started off with my first formal observation of the year.  I was really nervous, but as the class progressed, I honestly felt that it was going really, really well aside from a few bumps in the road.  The math teacher and I were working really well together, all of our students were participating and seemed to be enjoying the lesson, and I thought I would get a great review.  Thennnnnn the bell rang and my administrator called me over to the side of the classroom to tell me that he was "confused by our co-teaching model."  

As I had stated yesterday, he is the new administrator for the special education department, therefore he is not familiar with my role as one of the special education teachers in the ninth grade; it is very different from that of your "typical" teacher. Two years ago, the other two special education teachers I work with met with representatives from the state and administration to create a new special education model in the ninth grade to greater support and benefit our struggling students.  With this new model, we are able to be in each of our students' core classes (math, language arts, science, and social studies) to provide them with the support that they require.  While we allow the general education teacher to be the person who delivers the majority of the content, it is our role to support our students academically, behaviorally, and emotionally within that class.  With this model, we are also able to get to know our students very well since we see them so frequently, so when it comes time for their IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings, we truly know what is best for each of our students when making our recommendations.

So back to my administrator's "confusion", he said that he was used to a co-teaching model where both teachers had the "lead teacher" role, whereas what he was seeing was more of a lead teacher/support teacher model.  I then tried to explain to him that that was how the ninth grade model was designed, but he didn't seem too interested in listening to me and said that he would have to schedule a meeting for us to continue our discussion since he had other places to be.  I was left with a feeling of disappointment, as if he viewed what I do as being less important than that of a lead, general education teacher.  To be honest, I was left with the feeling of being punched in the stomach.

I ended up talking with my mentor teacher afterwards via text messages since she was out today, and she made me feel a lot better and told me that I was doing a great job.  She also told me that she thinks it would be a good idea for all three of us ninth grade special education teachers to sit down with our new administrator to explain to him what it is that we do exactly.

So here is my first New Teacher Tip of the Day: As a first year teacher, your school will more than likely set you up with a mentor teacher, so form a really good relationship with yours!  They will play a huge role in your success of becoming an educator; I consider my mentor teacher one of my best friends from work and we are able to talk about anything and everything.  I really don't know how I would have survived my first year without her!

So now let's move on to my next story for today, I promise it's not as long as my last!  I had quite a few students stay after with me today, and one student in particular asked me if he could talk to me about something personal.  So I sat down with him and he informed me that he started going to student support services regularly as a request from his mother because she had noticed how insecure he is with himself.  He then went on to tell me how much he hates himself because of how dark his skin is and because he has been questioning his sexuality.  I couldn't help but really feel for this student.  As I've said before, being a teenager is hard enough, but with all of the added pressure in today's society, it can make things even more difficult.  Recently in the news, we have heard of an alarming number of teen and young adult suicides due to issues with sexuality.  I hope that this student, throughout this year and the rest of his high school career, continues to remain comfortable enough to come to me when he feels that he needs to talk.  And to be honest, I felt honored that he felt he could come to me today.  Times like these are when I realize that regardless of what administration may say about my role as an educator, I know that I am making a difference in students' lives.  And that is what matters most.

So here is your second New Teacher Tip of the Day: Don't ever let someone make you feel unimportant because to some students, you may be the most important and influential person in their lives.

Day 32.

Today, the social studies teacher I co-teach with said, "I need a highly intelligent person to help me with this next task."  One of my students then yelled out, "I don't even know what the hell that means."  The social studies teacher responded with, "It means I need a really smart person to help me."  My student then quickly responded with, "Oh... well that ain't me!"  I couldn't help but laugh, but feel kind-of bad at the same time!  So here is my first New Teacher Tip of the Day for you: No matter how much your students struggle, make sure you give them a TON of positive verbal praise on a regular basis for all of the things that they are successful with, no matter how small.  Even if they are just successful with attempting a task and not necessarily completing it, they still deserve praise for their efforts!

Alright, so moving on to what I'm nearly having a heart attack about: tomorrow is my first formal observation of the year with my new administrator and needless to say, I'm freaking out about it.  I did really well last year and formed a really great relationship with my administrator, however he ended up leaving unexpectedly in the middle of the year without an explanation from anyone as to why.  Strange?  Yes, I'd have to agree with you on that one.  So anyways, I now have a new administrator who I do not know well at all, and it makes me really nervous because I have no idea how he will be evaluating me.  Hopefully all will go well!  I will definitely let you know tomorrow.  Until then, here's my second Newbie Tip: Observations are always going to be nerve wracking.  Just remember that it's completely natural to freak out and that in approximately 90 minutes, the whole thing will be done and over with!

Gettin' Down With The Sickness on Day 27...

One thing I have come to learn about being a teacher is that it is a profession that will seriously boost your immune system, but completely tear you down in the process.  In the past few years I have come down with bronchitis, strept throat, and other various viruses, and it looks as if it is that time of the year again, as I've managed to come down with a serious head cold.

Upon getting home from work today, I consumed 1,787% of my daily value of Vitamin C in the attempt to rid myself of this cold.  There really is no way to avoid getting sick when you share a building for 8 hours a day with 2,500 students and 250 adults; it's just a part of our job.  So here is my tip for you n00bs: HAND SANITIZER! HAND SANITIZER! HAND SANITIZER!  Buy it, use it, embrace it; it will become your best friend in getting through the fall/winter months.

Students Struggling With Change on Day 25...

Over the weekend I decided that I was sick of being/paying a hairdresser to make me be blonde, so I dyed my hair brown.  Well... let me rephrase that... I planned on dying my hair brown but it ended up coming out closer to black.  It really doesn't look all that bad, just different from before.  So anyways, as I arrived at school today, I expected my students to say things like, "Oh my God Miss!  Look at your hair, it looks great!"  Instead, the reactions I received were as follows:

"Miss... what happened to you?"
"Miss Anonymous, you look like a damn witch now."
"What is on your head?  You look like a black haired evil white lady!"
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF?!"

Needless to say, my students did not enjoy the change.  So here is your New Teacher Tip of the Day: Don't be afraid of change just because your kids are.  It's good to spice things up every once in a while!

Dealing with Strange Stories on Day 22...

I have a student whose primary diagnosis is a specific learning disability (SLD), however I think there is a bit more going on inside of that head of hers than what meets the eye.  She seems to regularly tell stories inside of her head, forget that she hasn't been talking aloud, and then finish her story by telling it to me directly.  For example, the other day as I was showing her where the main office was, she says to me, "... and then my cat will eat it."  Another time, while in class, she approached me and said, "... and she used to let my cousins and I sit on her lap."  At first, I would respond with, "Wait... what?" and then just look at her while she stared at me blankly with a smile on her face.  I've now learned to just roll with it and respond by saying "Oh really?  That's nice."  So far it's worked like a charm.

However, the other night I received a call from her mother.  Here is how the conversation went:

*RING*RING*RING*
Me: Hello?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Hi.
Me: Umm... hi, who is this?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: *mumble*mumble*mumble*
Me: I'm sorry, I can't hear you.  Who is this again?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Miss Anonymous?  Miss Anonymous???  This is StrangeStoryTeller's Mother.
Me: Ohhh... I'm sorry!  Hi StrangeStoryTeller's Mother!
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Hi.
Me: Umm... how are you?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Why did you call me?
Me: I'm sorry?  I... uhh... I didn't call you.
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Yes you did.
Me:  Umm... did you have a missed call from the high school?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother:  No, you just called me and left me a message saying that my daughter wanted you to call me.
Me: Umm... uhh... Did you just get a message from me?
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Yeah, I just missed your call a few minutes ago.  I'm confused as to why you're calling me.
Me: Yes... well... umm... I'm confused too because I haven't used my phone at all since getting home from work today.  I think I may have called you about 3 weeks ago because StrangeStoryTeller had said you wanted to talk to me, but I didn't just call you now.
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother: Uhhh... oh.  Ok.  Sorry.  Bye.
Me: *Nervous Giggle* It's alright, is there anything that is concerning you?  StrangeStoryTeller is doing really well in her classes so far!
StrangeStoryTeller's Mother:  No, thanks, bye.
Me: Oh... ok... have a good night...


I think it's pretty apparent, through that conversation alone, that the saying "Like mother, like daughter" holds very true in this situation.  It was such a bizarre and awkward conversation, I really didn't know what to do with it.  So here's your New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Be prepared!!!  If you think your students can be strange, just wait until you meet their parents!

Ripping Out My Hair On Day 20

KidWhoHatesWriting seems to be back to his old ways, and they are exhausting.  Today he refused to do his math and vocabulary quizzes and then said, "Shut up you faggot!" to another student.  Now before I go on, let me explain to you how much I HATE that word.

I have developed, what I like to call, "bombs"; my students know what they are and know not to use them around me.  The two most common "bombs" are the R-Bomb and the G-Bomb: the R-Bomb being retard and the G-Bomb being gay.  I hate having to hear students call each other "retarded" or "gay", so whenever I hear it I yell out, "WHOAAA!!! WATCH IT WITH THE [R or G] BOMB!!"  I then explain to them how insensitive and disrespectful those terms are and, not to mention, how they really do not make any sense within the context that they are being used.  All of my students, both last year and this year, have responded really well to it and I've even heard them saying to each other, "Dude, Miss Anonymous is in here, you can't say the G-Bomb around her!"  So, since I hate the words "retard" and "gay", you can only imagine how much I hate the word "faggot".

So as soon as I heard KidWhoHatesWriting say it, I instantly sailed into him.  (I threw that in for you, Dad!)  I told him to never use that word in front of me, how it is extremely disrespectful and degrading, and that he needed to return to his seat and control himself.  This made him angry, so he refused to do any of his classwork for the rest of the period.  Once the bell rang, he got up, left all of his papers on his desk and started to head for the door.  As he passed me I said, "KidWhoHatesWriting, make sure you take your classwork with you."  He ignored me and continued past me.  I then repeated myself, only a little louder, and then watched him ignore me even further and walk out of the classroom.  Now what he probably forgot was the fact that I am in the next class with him, so as he walked out of the door thinking that by ignoring me and pretending not to have heard me, he was getting away with completely disrespecting me, I knew we were going to have to have a further conversation.

At this point, I was extremely frustrated, but I knew I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before confronting him in our next class.  I took my time walking to the next class to allow myself to gather my thoughts and clear my head.  So after entering the classroom, I let KidWhoHatesWriting know that because of the offensive language he had used and because he had blatantly disrespected me by ignoring me while leaving the room, he was going to have to serve a detention with me this week.  I told him that because I don't know what his schedule is like outside of school, I would give him the option to choose which day would work best for him.  His response was, "I'm not choosing a day because I'm not staying for your detention."  I then responded with, "Well, then I'll just go give your mother a call right now to discuss it with her."  And that is exactly what I did.  She informed me that she would talk to him as well as his father and to let him know that not serving a detention was not an option.  His father then called me around 6:30 this evening to get the full story as well.  So my hopes are that if KidWhoHatesWriting, hears our concerns both in and out of school, he will get his act together sooner rather than later.

Soooo this brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Buy a wig to disguise your bald head, because  you are bound to pull out every last strand of your hair.

Not Giving Up Hope on Day 19!

I got KidWhoHatesWriting to write today!!  It wasn't much, but the the point is that he WROTE!!! I have no idea if I'll ever get him to do it again, but at least now I know that there is definitely some hope for him!

New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Don't ever give up hope!!!

Crazy Cat Lady Coworkers... Day 18.

I am about to share with you an email that I received today:

"Hey everybody,

I will be calling out on Tues., Oct. 12th. My boyfriend and I need to take his cat in for treatment for her hyperactive thyroid. Depending on how long it takes, I may or may not be in for the rest of the day. Just a heads up. The info about the appointment is attached. It's kind of interesting - she's going to be radioactive!

Thanks,
CrazyCatLady (I've officially named her this)

P.S. My boyfriend doesn't have a car, and his cat doesn't do well in cars in the first place. His cat is 13 years old and his baby, so he is kind of freaking out (and he doesn't do well in crises). And we live in [a town an hour away]. Just more of an explanation. :)"


She then included attachments from her vet detailing what her boyfriend's cat will be going through.

New Teacher Tip of the Day#1: It's a called a personal day for a reason... keep it that way.

New Teacher Tip of the Day #2: You will have crazy coworkers.  Find another coworker to laugh with, it's the only way to keep your sanity.

Some Students Will Never Learn... Day 17.

As a first year teacher, there is a chance that you may be thrown into a situation that you are absolutely 100% not prepared for; there will be no amount of schooling, at that very moment, that will help you in the decision that you face.  I was "lucky enough" to be put into one of those situations last year when I had to make the decision as to whether or not I wanted to have a student arrested.  This particular student, who had eaten lunch with me on many occasions and I thought I had a pretty good relationship with, ended up stealing my iPod touch, my sunglasses, and the measly $3.00 I had in my wallet.  I'm assuming you are now wondering, "How did she got caught?"  Well, calm down, and let me tell you... about 2 weeks after my things had gone missing and I had filed a report with the police officer at school, Captain Klepto came into my office and asked if she could charge her iPod on one of our computers while she went to class, I told her she could and she left.  That's when I noticed that she was no longer using an iPod Nano and was now using an iPod Touch.  Interesting. So I went over, looked at the back of the iPod, and was pleasantly surprised to see my original engraving still intact.  I then brought it to the police officer and he went and tracked her down.  About an hour later, the officer asked me to leave my class and I was faced with the decision: Do I want this student arrested or do I want her to receive a warning?  After having an internal battle inside my head as to what to do for about 30 seconds, I decided to have the student arrested in the hopes that this would teach her a very serious lesson: that her actions would directly effect her life and how she is viewed by others.

Now let's fast forward to today.  Today, Captain Klepto was arrested for stealing over $1,000.00 worth of equipment from the gym at school; it had all been caught on camera. Moral of this story?  Some students will NEVER learn.  Ugh.

Alright, moving on.  Today I was in a Science class at the end of the day.  Just as the bell rang at 2:05 and all of the students were exiting the classroom, one student, who had previously been making fun of one of my special education students for the back brace that she has to wear, grabbed the handle to the emergency shower, turned it on, and completely soaked another student as well as the majority of the floor in our classroom before she ran laughing hysterically from the room.  The science teacher I work with chased after her while I was left behind to clean up the mess.

So this brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day:  You are going to meet students who are definitely going to go straight to hell when they die.  The only upside to these students is that you get some great stories out of them.

Dealing With A Kid I Can't Stand On Day 14.

I have a student who, no matter what I try with him, refuses to do any assignment that involves writing.  It's not that he is incapable of doing it, he just has absolutely no interest in putting forth any effort.  He is also extremely disruptive and when I say something like, "KidWhoHatesWriting, please stop talking, everyone needs to be paying attention."  He'll say, "I wasn't talking."  Even though I clearly just saw him talking to one of his buddies.  He is also the kid who is constantly making rude comments under his breath after you have asked him to get back on task.  No matter how hard I try, I cannot get myself to like this kid, and I feel really bad about it!  I have been trying my HARDEST to like this kid, but I just CAN'T!

So here is my New Teacher Tip of the Day:  You are not going to like all of your students.  It is just a fact of life, you can't like everyone.  But, for the sake of the student you can't stand, pretend that you do like them.  This will be an extremely difficult task, but trust me, it will make your life easier in the long run.  If a student knows that you do not like them, they will lose any sliver of respect they ever had for you.  However, if they think that you like them, they are more likely to respect your wishes; definitely not 100% of the time, but at least 60%!

Day 13 AKA The Longest Day of Our Career...

Tonight was open house and out of my caseload of 14 students, only 2 parents showed up; pretty much the same turn out as last year.  I explained to them my role as case manager in their students' lives, what our resource room is used for, and how awesome I am.  And I mean, let's be honest here, I am pretty awesome, so it only makes sense that I make my students' parents aware of this as well.  So anyways, I wasn't very surprised in regards to how few of my parents attended open house.  Generally, it is a very sad trend that I see: I co-teach in all low level classes where, unfortunately, there is very little parent involvement.  I have found that the struggling student whose parents you feel really need to be involved are usually the ones who are the most difficult to get in contact with.  Once I decide to go back to school to get my doctorate degree (which I would really do mostly for bragging rights and to demand that everyone calls me Doctor) I would research the effect that parent involvement has on student academic success.  From my experience thus far, it truly does have a huge impact.

So with that being said, here is my New Teacher Tip of the Day for you: Do not become discouraged when a parent shows little interest in their child's education.  Instead, let it empower you!  You may be the influential person that this child needs in their life.  It will become your job to motivate the student to not only become actively involved in his or her education, but to also realize the importance of education.  If they are not receiving the support at home, then you have to be the one to fill that role.

Another Day in Heaven, Day 11.

Today during my resource room, a student from last year came barging into my classroom screaming "Missssss Anonymoussss!"  (She didn't actually say "anonymous", but as you know, for the sake of anonymity, that will have to be my name.)  She appeared to be in a good mood, so I asked her how things were going as a sophomore.  She replied with, "Well, thats why I came to see you.  Things are terrible, and you're the teacher I feel closest to, so I got a pass to come talk to you."  Alrightyyyy then.  So I asked my tutor if she was alright handling the classroom, then I took the student into my office to talk.  I asked her what was going on and she said, "My boyfriend broke up with me today and my grandparents are about to die and they are the closest relatives I have and my mother hates me and wants me to rot in hell."  One, long, run on sentence all in one breath.  The thing that bothered her the most, out of all of the problems that she had just listed, was the fact that her boyfriend had broken up with her today.  Now you may be laughing, but this girl was on the verge of tears and that's when I had to really reach deep down inside and remember what it was like to be 14; the smallest thing felt like it could very well be the end of the world.  I just reassured her that "time will heal everything" and that in a few weeks, she'll be happy to have the freedom of being single.

So this brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day:  As a special education teacher, you are going to get to know the students on your case load better than anyone else in your school, and sometimes you will have to abandon your role of being a teacher to take on the role of a counselor.  Especially at the secondary level.  Always keep in mind that even though your students' issues may seem extremely superficial and juvenile, they really are affected by them.  Do the best you can to give them helpful advice and provide them with the appropriate resources, if needed.  The best tip I can give you, is don't ever forget what it was like to be their age.  It's hard enough being a teenager in this day and age, but it's even more difficult to be a teenager with a disability.

Day 9 And I'm Still Fine.

You know what's more difficult than being a teacher?  Being a YOUNG and GOOD LOOKING teacher, who gets mistaken for a student far more often than I'd like.  Today, for example, as I was walking upstairs to one of my classes, a group of freshmen boys instantly started saying things like "Ooohhh daaaayuuummm... is that girl a student here?"  "Yo man, I dunno, ask her."  "No man, you ask her!"  "'Scuse me!!  Do you go to school here?"  My response, while giving my badass "I mean business" teacher stare, was:  "Yes, but I'm a TEACHER!"  They then used few expletives, started giggling, and then ran off.  I thought it was pretty funny.  Yesterday one of my students was staring at me with a really weird look on his face, when I asked him why he was staring at me like that, he responded with "Cuz ya cute, Miss."  Great.  Thanks.  I responded with, "Thanks, but that's pretty inappropriate and I'm too old for you.  Moving on..."

So that brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Don't get flustered when kids say something that makes you uncomfortable.  9 times out of 10 they are only doing it to get a reaction out of you.  DON'T, I repeat: DO NOT let them win that game because then they will become the one that is in control.  Just brush it off and, if it was an inappropriate comment, let them know that.  But don't get all giggly and stupid about it and turn bright red.  I've seen it happen and trust me, it makes the situation 10 times more awkward.

On a separate note, during my resource room I have all of my students journal for the first 10 minutes of the class in complete silence.  I do not allow them to speak to me or anyone else; they are not even allowed to ask a single question.  They have to be silent and write for 10 minutes straight about whatever is on their mind.  I then read their journals, and respond to their entries.  We end up having great conversations through our writing and I've found that this is a great way to get to know my kids.  My students last year loved it, and so far my students this year seem to be enjoying it as well.  So anyways, I have a student who is, in my opinion, almost identical to the main character from the movie, The Blindside.  He is close to 6'3" and is labeled as having a Speech and Language Impairment (SLI).  Everything about him reminds me of the main character in that movie, so for the sake of keeping things anonymous here, we will refer to this particular student as Blindside from now.  So today, after our resource room period came to an end, Blindside came up to me and said "Miss... I just wanted to let you know that I asked you a question in my blue book thing and it's alright if you say no to it.  I just want you to know that it's okay if you don't want to.  But I'll just let you go read it."  I said, "Ok Blindside, I'm going to go read the journals now, and I'll write back to you with a response.  Have a great weekend and stay out of trouble!"  So as I'm walking back to my office, I'm trying to think of what the heck this kid could have written to me.  When I got back to my desk, I flipped through the journals until I found his.  Here is what he wrote:

"I think the days in high are getting better as they go by. I mean I'm getting mosely homework every day now I still feel like crap!  OH! and before I keep talking my first few weeks at the high school, I can draw a picture for you if you whant me to."

I couldn't help but get that warm fuzzy feeling in my gut after reading his entry; and I thought to myself: "Yes!  I am reaching this kid!"  It's obvious that he has made some sort of connection with me, and these connections are vital when creating success stories among struggling students.  It's these small little moments of recognition that I get from my students that make me love my job so much.  I really wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world.




Unless I win the lottery....

Hall Duty Day 7

Hall duty has to be one of the most painfully boring parts of my day.  For an hour and a half today I sat in the hallway asking/saying to students "Do you have a pass?"  "Where are you headed?" "Are you lost, you've walked past me 3 times now."  "You're no longer a freshman, therefore you should not be on this side of the building!"  Now if a student does not have a pass, there is literally nothing that I can do about it except say, "Well... then... uh... go back to your class and get one from your teacher!"  It really is a pointless duty if you ask me, especially since we have an entire security team at my school who are always watching the cameras that are located in every single hallway and stairwell.  I became so bored that when I would see students coming out of my friends' classrooms to use the bathroom, I would write a note and act all serious and say, "Excuse me, are you heading back to Mrs. So-and-so's class?  Oh you are?  Great, could you make sure she gets this?  It's very important."  Meanwhile, it was really just a note that said something like, "Hall duty is painful.  Please just kill me and put me out of my misery."  Oh well.  It's just a part of the job I suppose.

New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Don't let the crappy aspects of our job outweigh the great parts of it.  Although hall duty did make me contemplate suicide for an hour and a half, the other 6 and a half hours I spent at school were overall pretty great.  You really can't say that for many other jobs, so be grateful for what we do!

The Best Thing About A Long Weekend? The Short Week. Day 6.

Labor Day was yesterday, so we were able to enjoy a nice long weekend with some beautiful weather.  And because of the long weekend, we only have a four day work week!  Haray!

Today, during Science, we took the kids outside to show them how a stream, near our school, flows.  We dropped a cork down a storm drain and then walked to the other side of our school's property to watch it pop out into a small pond.  One student, who has down syndrome and very limited verbal skills, refused to go into the woods.  When I asked him why, he instantly began signing "skunk" while yelling "KUNKS! KUNKS!"  Needless to say, I didn't force him to go into the woods and once I had come out, he smelled me to make sure I hadn't been sprayed.  I obviously hadn't, but he told me I smelled anyways by waving his hand in front of his nose while laughing hysterically and saying "YUCK!"

New Teacher Tip of the Day:  Don't become offended by what your students may say to you.

(Day) HIGH 5!!

Today went really well.  I've convinced my resource room, for the most part, into thinking that I'm scary and demand silence at all times.  I've gotten to know a few of my kids a little better and it seems like I'll have a fun caseload this year.  Although, I can't help but think back to my kids from last year and how... umm... unique they were.  Let's travel back in time and relive one of my hilarious moments from last year:

A student of mine, who when we first met requested that I call him Bullfrog (so that's what I will refer to him as from now on), was incredibly unique.  During our Algebra class one day, I was working with another student when the math teacher approached me and said, "You need to do something about Bullfrog... I don't know what to do."  When I turned around, I saw Bullfrog sitting in his seat with a piece of paper crumpled up the long way in his hand.  He was then just taking bites out of it and eating it while working on the assigned work.  So I walked over to him and said, "Bullfrog, you really shouldn't be eating paper.  It isn't good for you!  Why don't you take out the stem and leaf plot we've been working on."  He replied, "I can't!"  My response was, "Well, why not?"  And his response was priceless: "Because I already ate it!"

I can't even make these things up.  That was one of my very first days teaching and I knew, at that very moment, I had absolutely made the right decision in becoming a special education teacher.  Which brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day: If you want to be a good teacher, you NEED to have a great sense of humor.  Things are going to happen that will be out of your control completely and the best way to move past these bumps in the road is to just laugh them off.

What ever happened to, "Out with the old, in with the new"? Day 4.

Today was the official start for the entire high school where I teach.  Let me preface this entry by explaining what it is, exactly, that I do.  I am a 9th grade special education teacher working with a team of 8 regular education teachers.  The students that are on my caseload primarily have specific learning disabilities (SLD), emotional disturbances (ED), or other health impairments (OHI).  (Get used to the acronyms, I use them quite often!)  Each of these students are fully included within their regular education classes and it is my job to make sure that they are receiving the proper supports that they require.  I co-teach Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  A "jack of all trades" if you will.  And I also run a resource room for the majority of my students.  To make a long story short, I absolutely LOVE what I do.

So today, as I had stated earlier, the rest of the school started which meant I was able to see most of my wonderful 9th graders from last year.  They all seemed to seek me out at the most inconvenient times to tell me that they hate all of their new teachers and that I'm still their favorite.  What can I say, I'm a great catch! One of my more favorite kids from last year didn't end up coming in to school today because he didn't get a haircut or new shoes yet... ridiculous.

So this brings me to my New Teacher Tip of the Day: Do NOT be scared to form relationships with your students!  Now I am NOT saying, go add them on facebook, that is a BIG NO NO!  What I'm saying is, get to know them on a more personal level; it will really assist you in making a connection with them.  It is much easier to have students become successful when they feel that you actually do give a damn about them!

Day 3 For Me... Day 1 For The Kids...

Well today was the first day for our freshmen, and I'll be honest, if I were a freshmen coming into our high school for the first time, I would think that it was going to be the absolute best experience of my life.  We trick them into thinking that we are ridiculously "hip" and "cool" by starting off the day with a deejay in the gymnasium blasting hip hop with a ton of upperclassmen cheering and dancing for the freshmen.  It really is a pretty awesome experience and it helps kids feel a lot more comfortable within their new environment.  Overall, it went as smoothly as it could; the first day is always the most hectic.  The freshmen participated in a bunch of ice breaker activities and then followed their schedules so that they would have an easier time finding their classes come tomorrow.  I got to meet the majority of the kids on my caseload and they seem like they'll be a fun group.  I'm looking forward to when they come out of their shells and aren't as timid as they all are now.

At one point, right in the beginning of a science class I co-teach, a new first year teacher introduced himself to the class and began his lesson.  I unfortunately had to stop him and say, "Mr. Science #2, this is actually Mr. Science #1's class."  His response was, "Oh, is this like a co-teaching gig that we're doing?"  I then had to explain to him that he was, in fact, in the wrong room and was attempting to teach the wrong class.  He became extremely flustered and then realized he was supposed to be all the way on the other side of the building.  So here is, yet again, my advice for new teachers: ALWAYS know your schedule and where you should be at any given time during the day; you must always attempt to appear more organized than your students.  If you're teaching in a building that you are unfamiliar with, come into school a couple of weeks before classes start and walk around to familiarize yourself with your surroundings, especially if you're teaching in different classrooms.

I survived an incredibly painful Day 2 of PD...

Well, Day Numero Dos of Professional Development is officially complete... and this one was painful.  Painfully boring.  It started off rather entertaining with two of my colleagues yelling at one another. I've learned quickly that adults are, at times, even more dramatic than our students.  Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the entertainment ended.  We then had to sit through an extremely boring speaker who made me feel like we should all be "ohm-ing" while sitting on yoga mats and smoking illegal substances.  It was very bizarre and  extremely difficult to sit through without falling asleep.

Tomorrow is the official first day for all of my 9th graders.  I'm very excited to meet my new caseload and to see if they'll be as great, and as hilarious, as my kids from last year.  I've got to make sure to "set the tone" tomorrow though.  Last year I started off the year a little too lenient and some kids thought that they could take advantage of that.  I put them in their place (don't you worry) but it took more time than I would have liked.

So here's another little tip for first year teachers: Let your students know what your classroom rules are immediately... you will have plenty of time throughout the rest of the school year to be friendly.

First Day Back...

The 2010 - 2011 school year has officially begun... for the teachers at least.  I had to sit through a 6 hour professional development today with a flamboyantly gay guest speaker who told a ton of bathroom jokes and embarrassed the hell out of quite a few teachers.  Needless to say, it was the best PD I've had to sit through to date.

At one point during all of the "excitement" (it wasn't that exciting, I'm being sarcastic here), the principal of our high school introduced each of the new teachers joining our "family" this year.  I couldn't help but think of (and cringe) when he had done the same last year; my first year.  Each new teacher, when their name was called, was asked to stand up and wave to all 250 faculty members of our high school.  I remember sitting in my seat saying to myself over and over "Don't look like an idiot, don't look like an idiot, don't look like an idiot..."  When I heard my named get called, I stood up, turned around a bit, waved to everyone, and sat back down.  It wasn't until afterwards, when I had multiple people coming up to me asking me if I was alright or what was wrong, that I realized that in the midst of telling myself not to look like an idiot, I had apparently forgotten to tell myself to look friendly and personable.  Instead, I had stood up, scowled at the crowd, waved a pathetic wave, and then plopped back down in my seat apparently looking suicidal.  Naturally (and unfortunately), I became known as "Sour Puss" and "Miss Grumpy" by more of my colleagues than I had wanted for my first few weeks as a first year teacher.

So my advice to first year teachers: First impressions count, so even though you may feel like you're about to throw up and poop your pants all at the same time, put on your best smile and fake your way through the nerves!