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....