Advocate, advocate, advocate.

On Tuesday I spent almost the entire period talking about and trying to re-invest my students in the "big goals" of their class...I even had a beautiful poster made on the new poster machine at school (you can print something on computer paper and scan it and it comes out poster-size).  Here's what it looks like:

  

I talked a lot about what the word "advocate" means and different ways the students could advocate for their learning needs, whether it be asking questions or participating during class, or reminding their teachers that they are allowed to have extra time on tests.  We had what I thought was a decent discussion and moved on to work on their grade trackers.  At the beginning of the year they made color-coded line graphs where they graph their grades in each class every week...it is still my favorite thing that I have done with that class and sometimes the only thing I can get them excited to do.  They are very visual and love seeing the slopes for certain classes going up, while the negative slopes often set a little bit of a fire under them.  

Yesterday, my "Do Now" was: In your own words, what does the word advocate mean?  List three examples of how you can advocate for your own needs.

Blank stares.  From both classes.  None of them remembered what it meant.  So I spent another class discussing it with them

Today's Do Now:  In your own words, what does the word advocate mean?  List three examples of how you can advocate for your own needs.

"But Miss, that was our Do Now yesterday."   

I told them that since none of them remembered what advocate meant yesterday, which was fine, that they could do it today.

More blank stares, they forgot again!  I'm starting to see proof of what I've been told, that students won't truly comprehend a vocabulary word without at least 10 exposures to it.  Spent another 20 minutes trying to explain it...

Eighth period I sat with JT during Global, which I do every once in a while because I know he sleeps through that class 95% of the time.  I was helping him with a worksheet, and every prompt I gave him he responded with "the answer is it's time to go to sleep."  One question asked about how Enlightenment thinkers inspired the French Revolution, and I was explaining that these philosophers inspired people to stand up for their natural rights.  

I watched JT write down, "Enlightenment thinkers inspire people to ADVOCATE for their rights."  He looked at me and smiled and said, "See, you think we don't listen to you, but we do." My reaction was so absurdly over-the-top-happy that the global teacher looked at me like I was insane.

Tomorrow's Do Now?  In your own words, what does the word advocate mean?  List three examples of how you can advocate for your own needs.

"Miss, what are you taking this so seriously for? Most of us aren't gonna go to college anyway."

Carolyn's due date is January 26th, right in the middle of finals week.  All of her grades, which weren't amazing to begin with (but she was trying), have plummeted and she's been missing a lot of school for doctor's appointments.  It really hurt me to hear her say that, because she was always so positive and it just shows how discouraged she's gotten.

I also found out that the network is adding requirements for graduation.  I have a bunch of students in situations where they are already not on track to graduate in four years, I can only imagine what will happen now!

First day after vacation...

7am, I walk into my room, expecting--dreading--the disaster that I left the day before break. I am greeted instead with a gorgeous shiny room with the desks all in rows.  The custodians waxed the floors over break and were nice enough to rearrange my desks.  Seconds later I get a frantic call from my co-teacher asking me to check her room because she overslept.  I expect it to also be shiny and beautiful, but I walk in and find 30 desks shoved in the corner, all the technology unplugged, and the bookcase and filing cabinet in the center of the room.  After rushing to rearrange everything, I thought the rest of the day would be just as hectic.  Then I remembered our students, and how they use every excuse possible to stay home from school.  Apparently two weeks off wasn't enough for them!

Period 1: 8 out of 25 students showed up

Period 2:  2 out of 5 students

Period 5: 12 out of 27

Period 7: ONE STUDENT.

Needless to say, the rest of my day was pretty easy!  January is going to be rough though, because it is "winter session" at grad school.  So Mondays and Wednesdays I have class from 5:30 to 8:45 and all four Saturdays of January I have class from 9am to 4pm.  Plus online sessions, and the hour+ commute to class...not the most exciting way to start off 2011.  

Bonne année!

To the only two people that probably read this (you know who you are) I'm sorry it's been so long!  One of my New Year's Resolutions is going to be to post at least once a week. Hopefully I can stick to that.

On the last day of school before winter break, I was standing outside of the office and I see one of my students (Pedro, who has been working really hard over the past few weeks) burst out of the chemistry classroom with a test in his hand.  He runs down the hallway with both hands in the air yelling, "MISS, I GOT 100 ON THE CHEMISTRY TEST!" gives me a big hug, tells me that only one other student in the whole grade got 100, and proceeds to run into every classroom to tell every teacher in the school.  I don't take any credit for his Chemistry grade, but nonetheless it was one of the best moments I've had all year.  A lot of my students seem to be realizing that I am their advocate and that my purpose in their lives is to help them do well in all of their classes, and I love that, without me asking, they are always sharing with me their successes and their failures.

To give you an idea of the kind of people I work with, you NEED to watch this.  It's a commercial for the coat drive we're having at school...all of the male teachers (and some of the female teachers) did a fashion walk down the hallway.  We made this after all of the kids left before break...they have no idea how much we enjoy our jobs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BACrm7j_SpA&feature=player_embedded

Back to work on Monday after two weeks off.  I struggled a lot last month to get my students to take Resource Room seriously. I'm really going to push for a fresh start...it's going to take a lot of focus and dedication not only from the students, but from myself as well.

Meltdown #1...check.

Whenever I realize it's been a while since I've posted, I get all overwhelmed thinking about everything that I didn't write about...so I'm just going to forget about all of that and start fresh with today. On Wednesdays the students have half-days so we can have staff meetings and workshops.  Today, the two special education directors from the network were at our school (I've probably mentioned the very quirky blonde lady that my students don't really like, even though she is actually a very very sweet lady).  The other director has not been around at all, and she ran a workshop about what co-teaching should look like.  It made me feel completely inadequate and guilty.  I don't normally "lead teach" in that class, but I'm there instead to support the students who are struggling (and this is not limited to "my" students, but to any student who is having trouble).   I've never felt that to be a problem, because I can see that I am helping, and I think the students benefit from my individual attention more than they would if I tried to stand in front of the whole class and teach them Algebra that I haven't taken since I was their age!  But apparently our co-teaching model is expected to look different.

The problem is, being the only 10th grade special educator, I see my students struggling in classes other than math, and I want to be there for them in all of their subjects...and I have been.  After the workshop and holding in a lot of frustration (I "discussed" it with my supervisor until I realized I wouldnt be able to say anything without crying), but the other special ed teacher, Mr. B, caught me crying as we were walking back downstairs...and then so did my co-teacher! It was completely mortifying, but I have to say, I made it to November without crying, which is pretty impressive for me.  They both made me feel so much better, especially my co-teacher.  She is an amazing teacher, and I can tell she really appreciates me.  We decided to make a little more time to plan together that way I know what's going on a little more ahead of time, but mostly I dont think too much is going to change because what we are doing is working.

As soon as I was done crying, JT bursts into my room and yells, "MS. C LOOK! They gave me a uniform! They let me back on the team!  Thank you!! Wait...are you crying? Oh no, don't cry!" and gives me a big hug.  The reason he thanked me was because I found out he had been suspended from the team for grades, and I noticed that he was only failing one class while other students on the team had worse grades than him.  I made a big fuss about it to the coaches, and they let him back on.  The basketball game they had tonight was incredible to watch, the teachers had so much fun cheering the kids on, and we won! I really truly love the school that I work at...everyone has so much spirit, and I really feel like I belong here.  It's a wonderful environment to be in!

It's like a disease...

As I probably mentioned, this past week was CRAZY.  Yesterday morning one of the counselors and I made plans to actually go out of the building and have lunch (usually I have at least 6 students in my room during lunch).  Just as I kicked all of my students out of my room, my supervisor walked in (we have 3 prep periods a day and yet she insists on either coming while I'm teaching or during lunch to give me more work to do).  Anyway, when I was finally able to escape, we went to this delicious little sandwich place and sat and talked.  I realized that I would never be able to do her job.  I've been seeing my job lately as part teacher and part counselor, but for me, when I start to worry about the students' lives and everything they have to deal with outside of school, I can focus on helping them do well in school since that is something that is within my "locus of control."

Apparently, pregnancy is going around like an epidemic in our school all of a sudden.  Another one of my students, Amy, just found out she is pregnant.  Amy is the student whose mother calls about 1000 times a week, and she hasn't told her mother yet.  Looking forward to that phone call!  Carolyn is due in January, and  I'm really worried for her! She's already not doing well in her classes, I can only imagine what next semester will be like.  

Five Pointz Field Trip and Pumpkin Carving Photos

Excited to be getting out of class

Mural Club Artists

Me and the art teacher

Pumpkin Carving

"Monique" and her purple wig...I can't figure out how to rotate pictures in this blog, sorry!

Carolyn and her "favorite acquaintance" 

RC- one of Mr. B's resource room kids, never without a smile on his face, and always looking to give  lots of hugs

Mostly my French club kids

We brought all the pumpkins upstairs and left them on Mr. V's desks.  I was lucky enough to get to see him this morning as he walked into his classroom to this...