The Week Before Winter Break

I meant to post about my time at Waldo the week before Winter Break, but I was so excited to be on Break that I just did not do it!  Here are a few photos that I want to share from my time at the middle school before they went on two weeks of Winter Break.

Winter Assembly in the Gym

Flock of Geese Being Chased by Students

Snowflakes

I was hoping to get more out of my time at the middle school during the week before break, but I was already in the mindset of having my 3 weeks off from school, Salem, responsibilities, etc. Overall, I got the vibe that everyone was ready for break!  It was still good to be back in the school and see all the students.  I wonder how the students will see me when I start teaching? I usually just sit in the back of the classroom observing, sometimes I will help a student if they ask, sometimes I walk around the room, but I do not want to butt in on the teacher teaching...  I thought it was nice to attend the assembly on Friday and see all the students who are involved in band, jazz band, choir, and orchestra.  When I am in the classroom I just see the student in class, and not get the opportunity to see what they do outside of the class... it was a nice reminder to see the students in a different role. :)

Work Sample...

Argh
Sigh
Sad
Blah
Roar
Errrr

:T

My Last Day...

30 days... 234 hours... 4 staff meetings... 2 days of parent conferences... classroom observations... 1 assembly... 1 district math personal development day... 6 coffee runs...

Infinite thanks to my mentor teacher. It was quite the experience working at North, and I went through the practicum experiencing a glimpse of the life of a high school math teacher. It is not an easy job, and I am still drawn to teaching... along with its challenges!!!

The crown I made for the teacher who is leaving North and will start working for the teacher union in Oregon.

Lunch is always a time to indulge in sweets! and chocolate!!!

Vertex Day!

Today is vertex day! Why? Because it is the middle of the week. Yes, it's a math joke. :)

There was some yummy treats today for lunch because today is one of the math teacher's birthday and possibly another teacher's last day. My cooperating teacher is amazing!!!

I am trying to work on this Work Sample that is due next Friday! I stayed up until 1 am.... No good! My eyes are in pain! I slept for 5 hours... I can't stay up that late anymore and function the next day. I have workedhghhhgg [that was done by my cooperating teacher, haha] so as i was saying, i have work today. Once I get home I am crashing, but I have to finish at least one paper and my homework that is due tomorrow.

Two more days until I finish my practicum!

Tuesday?

Soooooo tired. I have a new toy, and it keeps me up at night. :) Yes, an iPhone!!! I am starting to hunker down and get some work done. I knocked out a paper today. A few more to go! And my Work Sample... It is a scary beast, but I have to get it done this week!

It has been two weeks since I worked, and today is just wearing me down! But it was fun tutoring the kiddies at the middle school! One girl came running to me! :)

Three more days until I'm done with my practicum! Time sure flies...

PLC

PLC = Professional Learning Community

There are always meetings on Mondays. Whether it is all-staff, content area, or PLC. Yesterday's meeting was a PLC.  I attended the Geometry PLC yesterday, and it is the first one I have attended since I have been at North. I have attended the all-staff meetings and the content area meetings.

They went over the plan for the rest of the semester, and talked about the standards that they will cover.

In the Geometry class they are making study guides that review the Quadrilateral Properties. Here is a photo of the mock one I was making, and my cooperating teacher filled in the information during class. Also, it was a dry and sunny day so I had to take a picture of the view outside the window!!!

 I think that PLC's are a good idea to support fellow teachers that teach the same subject area.  It is nice that you are able to have lessons done and shared with each other so that you don't spend your whole life outside of school planning lessons.  Also, as Oregon is moving towards National Standards it is important to work together and be on the same page with teachers that teach your same class to ensure that the students are at the same place.

Teacher Research class...

:)

Monday evening class!

Parent Conferences!

Today was day 1 of parent conferences at North! I arrived to the school a little after 8am... I helped grade papers... Then there was a pot luck in the cafeteria with very yummmmmmmmmyyy Thanksgiving-y food. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey!! Soooo good. Stuffed my face before meeting parents was a great idea! haha. There were 6 students from the class that I teach and I sat in the conference with them... It was great to meet the students parents.  My cooperating teacher and I met with my Willamette advisor and talked about my practicum experience. It went well. I left at 8pm. It was a12 hour day! Tomorrow is another day of conferences... In the morning we have professional development at another high school. I will let you know how it goes!! :)

Being Observed...

I was observed by my university supervisor today!

It was difficult to adjust being observed. I was nervous, and was feeling pressured.  Overall it was not that bad. Afterwards we talked for about an hour! Lots of good feedback, and it was helpful to hear his perspective and observations. He made a great diagram of students I spoke to and checked in with and students who were on task and off task...  Tomorrow is another day to practice being a better teacher. :)

I am wiped out today. Last night I slept late, and it was killing me today. Tonight I will go to bed earlier... around 10:30? I am at school right now. I tutored at Waldo after leaving North today.  I was there until about 5:15, and left to go home and try to eat before leaving with Saud to go to Willamette. He has school at 6 so we rode together so I don't have to walk to be here at 7.  I am sooooooo tired!!! Today was a pretty good day. Not bad at all. I just want to sleeeep...

Side Story: Yesterday I walked around the school during lunch after I taught.  I saw two students who were absent from my class. I went up to them and said, "I missed you both today!" They're eyes were BIG, and I just kept walking. I told my cooperating teacher today, and she said write them up. She told me to write them a referral! My first two referrals that I have ever written. The life of a teacher, huh?

High ENERGy!!!

Okay... so I have taught for 4 days now. Crazy, huh? Last Friday I was feeling terrible and questioning if I should do this teaching gig, but then I taught yesterday and today and it is getting better. Tomorrow I am being observed by my University Advisor!! I'm not that nervous now, but I probably will be the whole period tomorrow!!!

I wish I had more time to blog about my experience. Life is super busy! Why did I decide to take a job? oh yeah! Money & to get to work with more students!!

This is my life right now...

6:00am: Get ready, pack my stuff, & Eat Breakfast
7:00am: Out the door to North Salem High School
*In between help my supervising teacher if needed, and work on my lessons and schoolwork.
11:04am: Teach 5th Per. Geometry!! :)
11:58am: LUNCH
*Lately I eat my lunch and then go walk around the school and observe students. It is interesting to see who hangs out with whom...
*Keep working on lesson plans and what not... now there is grading I need to do.
2:45 or 3:00pm: Leave to tutor at Waldo Middle School or Stephens Middle School
5:30pm: Finish tutoring & GO HOME. Eat dinner, rest?, homework, lesson plans, grading, Facebook, sleep...

I try to be in bed by 10:30/11:00... but my oh my it's hard! Did I mention I have class every other week during the night? Tomorrow I have class from 7-9pm. Next week I have class Thursday night 7-9pm. Oh, and actually this week I have class on Thursday evening 5-7 (which I will be late because of work). AND even though the Salem-Keizer District has no school on Friday for Veteran's Day... good ol' Willamette University GSE has school that day!!! yay...?

Yay, for life.

First Day of Teaching!!

I'm exhausted!!

Not just because I taught today, but because I am doing everything I can possibly imagine right now! Hence, the lack of posts... I have been in the school about two days a week in October, but things got out of control.

This whole week I have been at North, and today was my first day leading the class. It was not as bad as I thought it would be.  The moment before I was going to teach I wrote in my notebook, "I don't want to be a teacher anymore!" And I didn't even teach yet. I was just nervous... very nervous. I think the students responded to me fairly well. Some students are very unique in that class. Some things that I think I need to work on are being stricter, and checking for understand at each table, and making sure I have checked in with each student multiple times.  I think tomorrow will go a bit better.  It will be four minutes shorter because there is an assembly at the end of the day.

Tomorrow my supervisor from Willamette will meet to talk with me about my lessons next week.  He will be observing me teach next Wednesday! It shall be fun. I think that whenever someone observes something has to go wrong...

Anyhoo, I better get back to work on my planning & online classes.  Speaking about work... I started my tutoring job that I mentioned previously.  This week I tutored at two different middle schools from Tuesday to today. It is fun to be with the students. I think I do prefer Middle School students over High School students. Good thing I will be at a middle school next semester!!  :)

peace....

My 4 Days @ North

Today was my 4th day at North.  Throughout my four days I have:

• Observed 19 various classes (Stats, Robotics, Alg. I, Alg. Lab, Alg. II, H. Alg. II, Pre-Cal, Geometry, ELD, ELL, Art, PE, Theater, Social Studies)
• Observed 12 different teachers, +plus my cooperating teacher (13)
• Sat in an All Staff Meeting
• Participated in a Personal Development Training w/ North's math teachers
• Helped some students on warm-ups & class activities
• Remembered some students and said, "Hi!" in the halls
• Ate lunch in Room 123
• Locked myself out of the school
• Was told by two girls "You're pretty"
• Was asked, "Are you a new student?"

It has been quite the experience! I am feeling confident about teaching a lesson in Geometry because my cooperating teacher is very supportive and we get along well.  She also is a good communicator about what she needs and open to sharing her ideas.  The next time I am at North will be next Thursday & Friday.  Thursday is a grading day so I will go in around 8ish to help her grade papers. Friday is a State-wide inservice day, and I am expected to participate in a workshop as part of my practicum experience.  I have a workshop in mind... Ideally I would love to go to a math workshop, but time & money says otherwise. Check out some photos I took from today...

Theatre class in the Auditorium

ELL class

Buses arriving to North at the end of the day

mondays...

spheres!

Today was quite the day.  I was running a tad bit late because I stopped to get coffee and I went on the main street where students get dropped off. BAD IDEA. It took longer than I anticipated... Today I observed H Algebra II, Algebra I, Algebra II, & Drawing.  I also somehow wandered outside and got locked outside, but I was able to get in from the intercom button. phew!!!


I stayed until 4pm for the Staff Meeting.  They talked about "engaging all  students through literacy," which is interesting because I never thought of how much it is being emphasized in education!!! I think I have heard and seen it just about everywhere now, and sadly we did not touch upon how important or widespread it is in the Salem-Keizer School District.  Anyhoo... After the larger staff meeting, where I got introduced, we broke up into content areas.  


It is interesting to see how the teachers' roles when reversed to a students' role how they act.  There is a saying that, "Teachers make the worst students."

UP^date

ORELA = ORegon Educator Licensure Assessments


Basically the organization that can charge a lot of money to make me take tests to say that "I'm qualified to be a teacher!"  I've spent 605$ on tests. I still have 2 that I haven't paid for yet for my ESOL endorsement to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages.  That is another 180$. 


Why do I mention all this?? This morning I went up to University of Portland with a classmate/friend to take the ORELA Multiple Subjects exam so that we will be highly qualified to teach Middle School students.  It was nice to be in Portland even though I was passing by... We stopped at New Seasons to get some food before driving back down to Salem. I miss NEW SEASONS!!!

The friendliest store in town...

Volley.Ball

Waldo Middle School on the Left

Waldo vs. Parrish

On Thursday, I stopped by at Waldo to support the girls volleyball team! They were amazing!!!  It was fun to be back at the school and support the various sports teams.  There was a lot going on that day. There was JV Volleyball in the other gym, and JV football on the field.  There were students and parents all over the school. It was a different environment compared to the usual grind of the school day.  It was nice to interact and see students outside of the classroom.

First 2 Days at Practicum Site

Previously I mentioned that my Practicum Site is at North Salem High School aka North. haha. Yesterday was my first day! I've been so exhausted that I haven't been blogging... Time to catch up.

Fire Drill @ North [9.29.11]

It has been quite the experience being back in a high school.  I was getting used to being at Waldo Middle School with the younger students... When I arrived on-campus yesterday at 7AM I was excited, sleepy, & curious about how my day will go. I forgot how old high schoolers look! I guess they are "young adults," but maybe at North they just look like adults to me... But really... some of the students look so much older. 


Anyhoo... enough about that... so on Thursday I stayed with my mentor teacher all day.  She teaches a Robotics class for 1st period, then a variety of math classes the rest of the day. I will be taking over one of her Geometry classes, which I am looking forward to! Today I went around to observe other teachers around the school.  I went to a different Geometry class, Newcomer ELL class, AP Stats class, and PE.  It was quite the day.  For the past two days... after lunch I felt so tired that I was practically falling asleep in class... as I was observing? OH MY... so embarrassing... The AP Stats class asked for my opinion... and I had no idea he was talking to me... ><" It was funny though. Hopefully, I will be used to being up early on Monday & Tuesday. I think I have been extra tired after lunch because I haven't had time to eat breakfast... I need to get up earlier? oy vey... Besides all that I am thankful that my mentor teacher is very supportive and I am grateful for her deciding to mentor me in this process of my teacher education... 

Teacher Area of my Geometry Classroom 

The Classroom!!! Room 123

inter.VIEW

Yes, I had an interview today for a tutoring position. It was a group interview, and it went pretty quick! The organization that I interviewed with came about after the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act.  It's designed to raise math & reading levels in Title 1 schools who did not raise the scores that met adequate yearly progress scores. Oh yeah~ there's an incentive for students who participate in the program... a free iPod Touch. Lucky lucky!

Cooperating Teacher Notes for ME!

Today I was feeling a bit sluggish... even with the FRS energy chews! I stayed up last night playing Angry Birds. haha. :) That was my choice... Anyhoo... today in one class period a lot of the students reminded me of some Step Up students I know!! AND I received a message from a student today inviting me to visit the school the student is currently at! What a coincidence!!!  I led two warm-ups today for Math 3. My cooperating teacher gave me some notes from observing me yesterday... here it is.


I also went to the 2nd Period 6th Grade ESL Language Arts class to observe a bit and help out a bit here and there.  There is one student who asked me last week... "Are you Asian?" I said, "Yes!"  He replied, "What kind are you?" haha. He's Asian too, and when I was in the room again today I noticed he is more physical with the other boys and verbally aggressive... AND as he was telling me about his parents and grandparents he was calmer and focused.  Randomly when the teacher was talking he turned around and looked at me and asked, "How old are you?" 


I have just started getting to know the students better and knowing their names!! It'll be hard to fathom that I won't be back in their classes until DECEMBER??? eeeeeesh... There is a volleyball game and football game next week that I will go to. Hopefully, I can stay connected through going to games and tutoring. 

Warm-Ups

Sunflowers!

It was a bit gloomy and rain-Y the past few days... Thank God the sun came back out... because I was certainly feeling the SADness coming into my life.  I don't want that right now.  There is a garden full of sunflowers at Waldo. They are soooo tall and lovely! You just can't help but smile. :)


Today I was able to lead the warm-ups for the four Math 3 classes! It was quite the experience.  I need more practice facilitating the classroom, and I need more time to get to know the students' names. I hope tomorrow goes better, but you just never know what could happen.  Some students could be having a good day today, and then a bad day tomorrow or their mood could vary between periods.  Even though I was in my Cooperating Teacher's class the whole day it went by quick since I was able to lead the warm-ups in the beginning and help circulate around the classroom.  It will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes... stay tuned!

The Door (View from Inside the Classroom)

This picture is just the picture of the door as you leave the classroom. Above the door it says "Working Together, Making Connections, Realizing Dreams."  That's their school motto.  You see it when you enter the front doors to the school.


I got a call today to interview for a tutoring position. I applied somewhat randomly to see what would happen... I am not sure how I will find the time to tutor, and it is something that I really want to do.  I'm sure I mentioned it somewhere in a previous post.  Well, I'll go to the interview tomorrow and see how it goes. I would ideally want to tutor at Waldo, so I hope that works out. :) OH!!! UPDATE: It looks like it's a go for being in the ESL Language Arts class for one period for my Student Teaching experience. I'll have to chat with my Cooperating Teacher what periods he's thinking about having me take over... Things are coming along. alhamdullilah

Elvis MATH

I was at my Pre-Student Teaching Site today, and after school I went to hang out with a friend in my cohort. I returned home around 6, and decided to take a nap... and I woke up at midnight!!! OH MY...


EARLIEEEERRR Today... I met the ESL/ELD Teacher and helped/ observed his 3rd period ESL Language Arts class that I could take over next semester.  They were an active group of 6th graders, and it was fun to observe and help a bit.  I also observed another teacher's Math 3 class, and a Math INTENSE (I Need To Employ New Skills Everyday) class.  The day goes by quickly, and there are moments when it goes by slooooowwwly...


In my cooperating teacher's class we did the warm-up, went over some homework, and did Elvis math.  Almost every student asked, "What is Elvis Math??" There were 8 stations around the perimeter of the classroom, and you get one Elvis song at each station to work on the problem.  It was a moving around activity that I think everyone appreciated on a Friday.

My desk on the left... with Elvis behind me

Ms. Leung? Still getting used to that...

Observing.

Today I was back at Waldo, and I observed the same teachers as last week Wednesday.  It was interesting to see how they interacted with the students, especially now that a week has gone by.  I could definitely tell the change between the comfort level of some students in the class compared to last week.


I really enjoy being at the school, and I wish I could have more time there... If time allows I'm thinking about tutoring after school at Waldo.  When??? I'm not sure!!! 


Today I met another teacher where I might be able to teach one of his ELD Language Art classes.  I will talk to him more tomorrow about that... and I also went to talk to someone in the Literacy Center for ELL students.  There are some great resources at Waldo, which I am grateful to be a part of.


I explored the library after school today! It was not too small and not too big. It still had a great selection of books... I didn't browse too much because I didn't want to be a weird creepy adult in a middle school library without any reason. Even though that's probably what it seemed... oy... BUT I had a reason! I need to observe the resources available at the school for my Pre-Student Teaching Observations. :)

Waldo Library (Biblioteca)

Drum Roll Please...

... and my practicum site will be at North Salem High School!!!

Yes, I have a practicum site at a High School to teach math this semester. My first day will be Sept. 28th, and I will be there four consecutive school days and a few other days in mid-October before I start teaching from Oct. 31 to Dec. 2!!!  I'm really excited to be at North because before I thought it would be where my Student Teaching Site will be, but I was placed in a Middle School (which I couldn't be more HAPPY ABOUT!!).  I was unsure when Willamette asked me if I wanted to do my Student Teaching in a high school or middle school. soooo...  Everything worked out quite nicely though!

How to Teach Math...

Welcome to Sprague!

Last night I had my Middle School Math Methods course at Sprague High School in south Salem.  The instructor is a teacher at Sprague, and has taught there for several years.  He gave an introduction of how he starts his classes... And then we researched some "best practices" of middle school math methods.  This course is every other week, and consists of several online activities... I have to start a blog for this course... yay! Another Blog. :) You're welcome Google. Let the learning begin on how to teach Middle School Math classes.

First Day of School!!! Part 2

Second day of First Day of School with 6th, 7th, & 8th graders!!!
*School starts at 7:40 and ends at 2:20.

Period 1: Math 4 (8th Gr.) w/ W.

Period 2: 7th & 8th Grade Assembly in the gym 

Period 3: Math 3 (7th & 8th Gr.) w/ W.

Period 4: Language Arts (7th Gr.) w/ C.

LUNCH BREAK (~30 min.)

Period 5: Math 1 (6th Gr.) w/ S.

Period 6: Math 3 (7th & 8th Gr.) w/ W

Debrief from Classes - Observed 3 teachers (1 female, 2 males) in two subject areas (math 1, 3, 4 & Language Arts) differing in all grade levels (6-8th Grade).  Every teacher has his/her style of teaching, and his/her personality comes out in the teaching and classroom management.  Each room layout is completely different from each other.  My take away from the day is to do what fits me as a teacher, and don't be afraid to try new things out.  Learning to teach is a process, and it won't be perfect.

After school I went to the Salem-Keizer office, which wasn't too far from Waldo. And it turns out to be right next to McKay High School. Waldo feeds into McKay, and there are several people in my cohort placed at McKay.  Here's my fancy new badge:

I'm official now!

And of course I had to grab boba! My favorite bubble tea is Taro with Lychee jelly. yuuuummm!!! It hit the stop today, since it got up to 95˚F. 

TARO

Overall feelings... after the School Partner Workshop in the evening... I am feeling a bit more comfortable with the idea of Student-Teaching next February. I am planning to be out at the school as much as possible... depending on my schedule... so that the students are still familiar with me, and won't be in total shock when I go to teach the class!  The next day I'll be at Waldo will be NEXT Thursday! I may start leading the warm-up in some classes. :) I'm ready to go right now...

First Day of School!!!

Front of the Classroom (West Wall)

South Wall of the Classroom

My site supervisor does not have any 6th Graders in his classes, so I was able to transition a bit more with the 6th Graders! Today I helped students open lockers, locate their classes, played tether-ball with a student, observed Art & Math 1 classes, and finished setting up the room.  There was an assembly at the end of the day, and they had the pledge of allegiance and star spangled banner. I haven't done the pledge of allegiance since I was in middle school!! It brought back a flood of memories... 

Tomorrow the 7th & 8th Graders will arrive.  I plan to observe my site supervisor's 1st period, 2nd period there is an assembly, observe another math class, and observe a Language Arts class.  I am not feeling that nervous, but maybe tomorrow I will have different feelings.  Here is a recording of me and my classmate friend after we both finished our first day of school with the incoming class at our respective sites...

Strolling Down Memory Lane...

Tomorrow is the First Day of School for the 6th Graders at Waldo Middle School. I started thinking about my first day of school in 6th grade. Sadly, my long-term memory doesn't remember that day... BUT I do remember my teacher (Ms. Strong), where my class was located (in "the bungalow"), and my classmates. I started 6th grade in 1998, thirteen years ago... WOW... that seems such a long time ago!!! 

I searched for some information about the middle school I went to, La Merced Intermediate (LMI) School.  LMI was a 5th-8th grade school when I attended.  My site for Student Teaching is at Waldo, which is a 6th-8th grade school. Here are some stats about the demographics of LMI...

In 1998, total population 1776 students.

In 1998, 67% free/reduced lunch.

In 1998, 1 teacher to about 31 students.

And at Waldo Middle School (2009-2010):

• Total Student Population: 756
• Free/Reduced Lunch: 57%
• Student/Teacher Ratio: 1 teacher to about 15 students

When I attended LMI in 1998 it was 87% Hispanic.  At Waldo it consists of 67% Hispanic.  I think it will be interesting to see how I adjust being in a school system around a majority of Hispanic students.  I have grown accustom to the White population of the Pacific Northwest... and since I have attended private colleges for my post secondary education, I have been surrounded by White people for the past 6 years.  I had close friends in middle school and high school who are Hispanic, but some of my most hurtful memories from grade school was when I was teased by Hispanic males and females... 

I don't want my negative experiences in the past to shape how I see specific students... and in this case Hispanic males and females... and maybe by addressing it I will be able to look beyond those negative experiences when I was in middle school. I know I want all students to be successful and learn, AND as a teacher... I don't want to think "I know it all" and I also want to be able to be knowledgeable enough to support my students...  I think I wanted to share a bit about my past in middle school... to look into how I experienced it... to keep in mind how these students that I see/ meet tomorrow may be feeling... and how the administrators, teachers, staff, student teachers, etc. may be feeling... and what experiences they have had that they bring with them in this school... Waldo Middle School.

"Learning the Ropes"

My first day at Waldo!!!


5:00AM - Jumped out of bed and got ready for my first day at Waldo Middle School!!
6:45AM - Arrived at the school, and it was pretty much empty...
7:00AM - Met my Site Supervisor (Drew Withers) and walked to his room (Rm. 309)
7:30AM - All staff meeting in the Cafeteria
11:30AM - Staff meeting ended & then I helped set up the room
12:00PM - LUNCH at Red Robin's w/ Site Supervisor & 2 other teachers
13:00-15:00 - Continued setting up the room... then I walked around the school to get oriented better.


Overall feelings: 

"Done with Day one!"

• Enthusiastic
• Intimidated
• Optimistic
• Curious
• Eager

Main Entrance

Front Lobby