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!

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.

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."

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

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!