Second Semester Planning Day+

It was a quiet day without all the students around the school. I met with my cooperating teachers about my plan for this week, and what not. It was quite the day! I was feeling motivated to write my lesson plans, but I decided to go work out before class. I went to school about half an hour early to print some things out, and that is when my laptop screen went black... Yes, my laptop died today. It is perfect timing because I start teaching this week, and my data is all safe. Sadly I did not back it up, but at least it is still there right? I am teaching tomorrow, and I am trying to stop being so negative and sad!!! :( sigh... Things happen unexpectedly all the time, right? It'll be okay... One can only hope...

Salem-Keizer Educator Fair

Educator Fair! Mock Interview! Coffee! Resume Review!

I actually enjoyed the Educator Fair. I am grateful for the opportunity for the practice of having a mock interview with the Principal, and Assistant Principal from Crossler Middle School.

It was tremendously helpful to hear their feedback and advice!!! I will have to send them a Thank You card.  I met the Assistant Principal from Roberts High School who reviewed by resume. Very specific details what to change to improve my resume.  I better do it soon so I don't forget all the great advice and tips! I had my mock interview with the Middle School administrators.  Maybe I should have had another with the high school, but I was tired and done after one. eesh.  I went early for the breakfast to get to know other Administrators throughout the Salem-Keizer District.  It was neat to chat with different people, and see familiar people from North and Waldo at the fair.  This year the fair was at McKay High School.  It was a great opportunity, and I think it will prepare me for the Oregon Educator Fair in April.

Hump\\Day

Today I was able to use the Salem-Keizer wifi at Waldo.  It was very beneficial to be able to have some time to do my homework, which jump started some ideas of activities that I would like to do in some of my lessons.  I was in Period 3 with my ESL II kids, and it might turn into a Social Studies ESL class next semester.  Which is fine because we will still use ELL writing, reading, speaking, and listening strategies to support their strengths and needs.  I just wonder what we need to cover.  I will meet with my ESOL cooperating teacher tomorrow after school before our School Partner Workshop at 4:30pm at Willamette.  Today I recorded my 5th Period Math warm-up, but I haven't looked at it yet.  I will do that later this evening.  I will need to figure out how to upload it from my phone, which I think won't be too hard. I hope...  6th Period Math was a bit rougher.  Some of the students are just chatter boxes. I moved one, and had to redirect a three.  Overall they are not a bad group, but they were particularly chatty after my cooperating teacher left.  I also think that I went over the warm-up too quickly, so some of them could have been frustrated from that.  They were working fine on the warm-up, it was when we reviewed it that was a bit of a struggle.  Yesterday, was about the same as well.  I need to figure out a different strategy to try to get more students to participate and come up to the Smart Board! Tomorrow is another day that I can try something different with them. There is a Literacy Night at Waldo tonight, but I won't make it... I have a meeting with my Teacher Research Critical Friend's Group at 6pm! Meeting online. haha. We'll see how that goes... or if anyone remembers? haha.

More Practice Teaching

Today I taught for almost half the class period in both my math classes.  Teaching is hard work! I tried recording myself go through the warm-up, but the memory became full. I need to record myself teaching a warm-up for my Math Methods class.  Eventually I will record myself teaching for a whole class period. Even though it is an assignment for my Graduate Seminar class,  I think it will be very beneficial.  It will be painful to watch too! haha.

Another Manic Monday... not really.

  Today was a calm day.  I think this week will be calm in comparison to all the events that Mother Nature planned from last week.  I am taking on some more roles as the teacher. Today I led the warm-up and a quiz with the last two Math 3 periods.  I am getting a bit more comfortable with the classes.  It helps me remember students' names when I walk around helping students and when I am teaching.  This is the last week in the semester and grades are due next Monday.  There was a PLC meeting after school to discuss how the week will look like, and what next week will entail.  I should start teaching next week, but we'll see because there is some material to be covered before the students have the OAKS test (State Testing).  I think it will be better to take over after the OAKS, but I also think that by taking on more of the teaching helps me become more comfortable before I take over fully.   I was very sleepy this morning, and I wanted to find a hiding place to take a nap. Instead I was trying to stay awake, and was falling asleep in my chair.  Good times! I better go to sleep early tonight.  It is going to be a long week!!! >:D

FLOOD DAY!

Not a snow day, but a flood day!

KATU News - Salem Flooding

hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, oh my!!!

Actually... there are no hurricanes or earthquakes... just flooding!!  Check out the photo above.  It has been week filled with peculiar weather.  Snow Monday night, leaving us with a 2 hour delay for school on Tuesday.  Pouring down rain yesterday and today... leaving us with insurmountable amount of water on the roads and grounds.  What a week!  The Salem-Keizer School District declared that :

It has been quite the week to be back at the Middle School! On another note I helped out in the ESL Newcomer class, and supported my ESOL cooperating teaching in the ESL II class.  The ESL class has been discussing natural disasters, and it was quite fitting for this weeks turn of events.  Most students wrote about flooding today! haha. 

 I also led the warm-ups for the last two periods of the day (The classes I will be taking over in two weeks!).  The first class had more students and were more willing to volunteer.  They stayed focused and quiet even when my cooperating teacher stepped out for a moment.  The other class had less students because most were picked up by their parents.  Even though it was smaller I had to pick on students to participate for the warm-up, and when my cooperating teacher stepped out they were more talkative.  I will get more classroom management practice with the three classes I will be teaching.  :) I feel that I am ready to start teaching, and I am looking forward to it.  Time to start planning lessons and getting organized with information, grading, papers, lessons, activities, etc.

Back @ Waldo!!!

Ahhhhh!!! I am back at Waldo!!! Now I will be here full-time until JUNE!! It was quite the day to be back at the middle school. We had a 2 hour delay because of the snow.  I was hoping that it would be a snow day, but it was still nice to get a few hours more to stay in because I had trouble sleeping the night before.  I do not think tomorrow will be a 2 hour delay because it is not cold enough for the snow to stick and it is more like slush than snow.  It is still very cold though!!

It was an interesting day because not many students showed up! We started school with 3rd period, and I was in the ESL II class that I will take over next semester.  There were only 3 students in the class.  Even though it is a small class... students slowly trickled in throughout the morning.  I like being at Waldo, and I like the students there.  I received the textbooks that I will need to start some of my planning for next semester.  I will start taking over some smaller roles to ease into transitioning my role as the teacher by 2nd semester.  I will let you know how it goes!! :)

Today there was a shortened staff meeting because of the weather.  Teachers shared their work with each other through a gallery display, and there were a few updates.  I think staff meetings reveal a lot about the teacher/admin relationship and culture.  I do enjoy observing how they all interact with each other. 

Hope for a 2 hour delay tomorrow. :)