Did you get that thing I sent you?

Hello Jake,

This is Jake. I trust that you have found yourself a job and that your first year has been challenging, yet rewarding. I am writing this just to give you some words of encouragement and advice. Remember, you have gone through a lot to get here. The hurdles were numerous and daunting, but you made it through, and your GPA wasn’t half bad. I have a few tips that I hope will help out. First of all, breathe. Don’t forget to pull your head above water and find some me time. You didn’t have much of it over the last few years, and video games, creative writing, and your guitar have helped you cope. Also, make sure that you keep your planner up to date. You haven’t done a very good job of it, and consequently, some things have slipped your mind. For example, you were supposed to have posted this letter two days ago, and it just dawned on you after dinner and drinks that you were supposed to have had it finished already. I would also suggest you keep in touch with your friends. Family is great, and your coworkers can help with some things, but you need people that you can be completely honest with. The last few months have been filled with a lot of alone time, and despite the fact that you have always been able to entertain yourself (face it, you are great company), there is still that need for actual human contact. You don’t want to be the lonely middle aged American male with no close friends other than a romantic partner. Oh, I also hope that you have found one of those, but back to school stuff. Remember to keep yourself organized. You have always kind of struggled with that. Don’t procrastinate on grading. Make the time to get it done, and try to finish it as soon as possible. I would also suggest to keep a hard copy of student grades. Computers do not always behave like you want them to, and you will thank yourself for having a backup. Speaking of backups, have extra activities planned in case you are sick or a lesson plan runs short. It is better to over plan. Sometimes a fun learning activity will help fill the last minutes of a class period. They will be entertaining and educational. Always keep candy handy for yourself and for your students. Everybody enjoys a reward now and then. Sometimes it comes in the form of sugar and other times it can be in the form of points. Extra credit at the end of the semester often keeps students engaged. Although a few points will not significantly impact a student’s grade, it will definitely act as leverage in your favor. It may a bit deceptive, but the kids won’t know the difference, and they all like extra points. Well, I am sure that you have some grading to get to, or maybe you are trying to read the newest Palahniuk book, so I will let you go. 

What a long strange trip it has been

Well, the dreaded KPTP is now out of my hands. It has, by this time, floated its way through cyberspace, and sits in digital suspension waiting to be read, reviewed, and graded. It is funny how waiting for a grade on one of the most important assignments I have ever completed is far less stressful than its creation. There is a sense of relief in knowing that there is nothing further can be done. I have always believed that the only things worth stressing about are the things within my control, so I can now sit back and wait for the results without much worry.

I am still focused on my teaching, which, at this point, occupies good portion of my time and mind. They are working on a research project, and it is proving a challenge. It is really the first time that my students have had to do a true research paper, and while I feel that some of them will do great, I know that others will struggle. It is clear that many of them require constant direction and a feedback. I am seeing some big strides being made. I have had to focus a bit of attention on MLA, and despite the fact that they are tired of bellwork and constant questioning that focuses on citation, they seem to actually be catching on to it. My CT says that she thinks that it is going well, and she is happy to see it. It was clear that they did not remember much from their first introduction to it last semester. I created a handout of which I am pretty proud. It was not an assignment that the class necessarily did outstandingly on, but is has come to be a good resource.

On top of my two junior classes, I am co-teaching a language class with Mr. Slattery. It is a low level class, and the content is quite simple, but the students are, well, challenging. There are only five of them, but three of the five take more energy and effort than all of my other students combined. Up until this point, he and I were assisted by our CTs, but we have been given full reign of the class over the last week. There are days where it has fully tested our classroom management skills and patients. Although, when things go well, it feels like we have taught Helen Keller to say water.  It’s not easy, but it is definitely rewarding.

All in all, things are going well. I enjoy being in the classroom. There have been times when I feel like I have just finished a 15 round boxing match, but I don’t think there is anything else I would rather do. I find myself finally coming to realization that this part of my journey is quickly coming to an end. The countdown has began, and there are only 44 days left until I walk across the stage and step in the world where I will occupy the space on the other side a desk. I am filled with the most interesting mixture of excitement and terror that I have ever known. It’s an odd feeling, but I like it.

Cheers and Challenges

Well, I have completed my lesson for the KPTP, and the kids did pretty well on the final test. My lesson focused on Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I primarily focused on the life experiences that the students could take away from the story, and asked them to think about the lessons in the book in relation to their own lives and experiences. I also had them locate figurative language and literary devices within the text. These ideas were combined with the typical plot exam. Overall, the kids did very well. The average score on the test was 86.5%.  There were a couple students who failed the test, but there were four who scored perfect scores. I was not surprised that the two students failed. They have continually not paid attention despite all of my efforts. They also tended to do very poorly on the assignments that were given throughout the unit. Often, they both did not even turn them in. I spoke to them both about the situation from week one. Last week one of them tried to say that I only gave him bad grades because I didn’t like him. I went over the assignment he was complaining about, and I explained why he received the score he did. It didn’t help much. He turned around and attempted to have my CT change his score. It was nice that she said nearly the exact same thing that I had just said. The other student is just outright apathetic. We made calls home to both of their parents today. Hopefully, I will see some improvement.

The overall scores on the test made me feel that I had at least done my part. My CT and a special education teacher who is assists in my CWC think that I am doing a great job. Hearing their praise makes me feel better when I feel like I have repeatedly bashed my head against a concrete wall. They say I have done all that I can. Some kids just don’t care. While having other teachers tell me I am doing well and that they think I will be a great teacher feels great, there is nothing better than having students tell me that they love coming to class. I also have had students that were in my observation classes come to the room and ask me for help before school. Last week one of the girls who I had last year as a junior stopped by to tell some of my students to be nice to me and pay attention because I am a good teacher. It felt pretty awesome.

I did have a very interesting incident in class a couple weeks ago. One of my students took a puff off of an e-cigarette in class. I asked him what he thought he was doing. He said that there was no nicotine in it. I took it away from him, but I was unsure whether to report it or not. The school handbook only covers tobacco, and it makes no mention of e-cigarettes. I decided in the end to have a meeting with him after school. I have a really good report with the student, and my CT thinks that he was just trying to test the boundaries. I told him that it was completely unacceptable. He still said it was nicotine free. I asked him if thought the administration would care, or if he thought they would just suspend him. He agreed with me that they probably would have just suspended him.  I told him how upset I was with him even putting me in the situation. He asked if I would return the e-cigarette to him. I kept it and gave it to his sister at parent teacher conferences. She is his legal guardian. He just transferred to the school this year. His mother lives in Texas, and she had him move because of the crowd he was running with and his poor grades. He is doing great in my class and seems to have made friends with a better element at the new school. I spoke with my CT about the entire situation. She seemed to think that I handled it appropriately, which made me feel better because I was not sure whether I should have contacted the administration about it.

All in all, I feel like things are going well. There are challenging days, and the last class of the day can be a handful as Mr. Slattery could attest to, but I feel at home in the classroom.  There is never a dull moment, and the days fly by. 

Murphy's Law

Things will not always go smoothly.

Bad things will happen.

Your car will break down the morning you begin student teaching.

You’ll forget your lunch at home and find your wallet devoid of bills,

Which brings to mind the coffee table at home with one or two that are a week behind.

The bell will ring while you’re rushing down the hallway with handouts that cost you               the last fifteen minutes of your planning period

And resulted in a battle that spilled blood and toner.

You will forget you were supposed to work tonight

Because you were busy grading papers

And checked the wrong week’s schedule.

The phone will ring to remind you that you still have other responsibilities,

And your alarm will fail to rouse you for the ones that make the grades.

You will miss out on opportunities to spend time with the woman who makes you                 smile.

You will wake in the morning wishing for just fifteen more minutes,

And discover a flat tire as you walk out onto the drive.

You will be asked if you could be less boring today by a teenage girl, and begin to                wonder,

“When did I become

Boring?”

Your lesson will run too long,

And tomorrow’s will fall short.

Every kid in class will stare blankly as you repeat a question ten different ways, and

The principal will arrive to observe you on the day they decided to truly test your                       management skills.

You will paint a paper in red ink and begin to think,

"What have I done wrong?"

There was once a Florentine who found himself five years older than I

And at a crossroads in life.

He made a journey

Nine circles deep

Before he climbed to the mount

And found the light.

We all must face hardships before we reach the top,

And nobody said that sharing the lamp was easy.