Much encouraged.
That's what I am after this day.
I have not been excited about going back to school. I've had zero motivation to prepare. The reason being is that I felt that my principal hated me. I honestly felt that if I wasn't a math teacher that they would not have kept me. I have been discouraged thinking about a year of looking over my shoulder and constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I am terrible at hiding emotion. You can easily see on my face when I am angry, annoyed, tired, bored or if I think you're an idiot. Which doesn't really work well with being in public...
I hate fake small talk. I would rather sit in awkward silence then ask questions you don't care to answer and that I don't care to hear the answer. In groups of people I tend to sit back and observe. I like to see how people treat others, what makes the laugh, what bothers them, and basically who they are. Then I feel like I know how to approach them. Unfortunately this comes across as me being stuck up and rude. My dry sense of humor and sarcasm are not useful tools in erasing those assumptions.
All that to say, I've felt...uncomfortable.
Today after our meeting I spoke with the principal about my ideas for the upcoming year. He liked every idea and said that I was on the right track with the trainings he had been going to and that he knew he had the right teacher in the right place.
He said I could not grade homework.
He said I could be SBG.
He liked my weekly vocab quiz and loved loved loved the Frayer model. (Thanks @graceachen!)
He liked the idea of me incorporating reading and writing.
He agreed that we don't care about points but that WE CARE ABOUT LEARNING MOST!
That 10 minute conversation rocked my world, gave me hope, and changed my entire perspective on the school year.
My schedule has changed as well:
Homeroom- Interventions/RTI
1- Algebra Remediation
2- Geometry
3- Algebra I
4- Algebra I
5- Geometry
6- Plan
7- Algebra I
I only have 2 preps! That's fantastical!!!
Algebra remediation is an extra math class that certain incoming freshman have to take. They have me for Algebra I in addition to the remediation class. These are students who are not college-ready and so they will be getting extra help, time for homework and review, etc. Basically an intervention class to prevent students from falling behind. Students are chosen based on test scores, GPAs, and teacher recommendation. But you know what that means for the SBG express....perfect time for retaking assessments. SBG goes perfectly with this. It's like I have built in time to do what you all have to do after-school! Na na boo boo :P And the class is pass fail so traditional grading is unnecessary. At this point it seems like a wondrous idea. I hope it plays out that way as well...
I spent the rest of the day re-arranging my classroom. Unfortunately, I decided to get motivated a teensy bit late and so now I might possibly be a little bit pressed for time. Possibly.
I would like to propose that I found the most random things in my classroom today: a crockpot and a box of sweet n low.
I kid you not.
Oh, and by the way this blog is brought to you by my very own school-issued Ipad!!
Ta-da!!!!!
Leave me some comments of super cool techie edu fun downloadable apps!
Sent from my iPad
Ha ha I typed that myself tricksters!!!
(See what a little encouragement can do?)
Much encouraged.
