Finally we all got on the van again, went back to our cottage and at pizzas and sandwiches. The Indian boys from next door popped over and some of the ladies went over there. Friendly neighbors! The girls told me I should go over there because there were lots of guys, but I was just really enjoying eating my sandwich and hydrating so I stayed out. It was an epic night and I think everyone enjoyed themselves the way we should! I think we couldn't have asked for a better night!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Bachelorette Party continued...
I forgot to add this to my story before but after we got on the vans and left Showboat, we decided to head to the Kalahari bar for an after party. I did not feeling like going in there so I laid down on the floor outside the bar and took a little snooze. Now mind you, the floor I was on connected to the hotel so it was safe and quiet :) After a while I woke up to laughing. I look up and see six men from hotel security laughing at me. They asked me if I was ok and I said yes, I was waiting for my friends to come out of the bar. They walked on and I realized that they were laughing at me because I was laying there sleeping still holding on to that small plastic penis. I'm sure my photo is out there somewhere! Oh well we had a good laugh.
Bachelorette Party Fun!
A little over a month ago we had the bachelorette party for one of my best friends! I was so excited! We put in a lot of work getting decorations, planning food and drink, and I even had fun making peacock feather clips for all the girls. We headed down there on Friday night and just the bridal party stayed in a smaller room at the Kalahari. We went out to dinner at Ginza - sooooo good! Then we just went back to the room and hung out.
The next morning we woke up, cleaned up our room and headed to Devils Lake for a hike. It was a little windy but a great hike and a good chance for us girls to bond. Great idea from the bride on that one! After the hike we headed back to the Kalahari and our special mini-cottage to get changed and go to the water park for a while! It was so nice swimming, hanging in the hot tub and just letting loose together. We need to do this more often! We didn't get as much time at the water park as we would have liked but we needed to get back to start setting up the place for all our guests coming!
People started arriving around 4:30/5:00 and helped us continue to get the place ready. I was excited about the decorations because the bride had not seen any of this happening and came down all surprised - so fun! We started out just mingling for a while and then she opened all her presents! I think it was exactly how she pictured her party :) Then after a while we started going upstairs to change into our sparkly clothes! Music got turned up and drinks poured a little faster. Since I was one of the few single girls at this party, the other girls were telling me that tonight could be a good chance for me to meet a guy. I had no intention of that as I was there for my friend's bachelorette party and we were in the Dells. I haven't met anyone good at a bar in all the time I've been going so why would tonight be any different. I honestly didn't care for that tonight - it was ladies night with all the coolest ladies I know!
Eventually we called the Kalahari and the vans came to take us to Showboat. We decided to go to the club Showboat instead of Marleys or Wett because we were looking for good music and to be able to dance and not get raped while we're doing it! Showboat was perfect - wood floors, many different kinds of music that we could dance to, and we were up on the stage most of the night! It was a blast!
After a while I needed a break so I went down some stairs to another bar and sat down at a table by myself. I didn't feel unsafe at all so I just hung out there and people watched. Soon a blonde guy came over to me and sat down by me and asked me why I was holding a plastic penis in my hand. I laughed and looked down, realizing that I was in fact holding a plastic penis that we had used back at the resort for a ring toss game! We started chatting and he ended up telling me he was there for a bachelor party - fancy that! A girl from the party came over and asked if I was ok and I told her we were fine - he actually seems like a nice guy! We went up to the bar and got another drink and talked for quite a while longer. I learned he lives in Milwaukee and is also 31. He was really sweet and asked me "if I come to Madison would you go out on a date with me?" I instantly said yes and we hugged goodbye. I was really looking forward to going out with this guy, whose name is Nick!
I won't go into details any further, but things have been going very well with Nick and that is the story of how I met my amazing boyfriend :)
...now I just need to get him to move to Madison...hehe :)
Friday, May 17, 2013
NCEBC
A couple months back my principal came up to me and asked me what my teaching partner and I would think about this opportunity: going to Chicago for a conference called National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) for 4 days (5 nights). I was immediately interested because from the many opportunities our staff has been offered throughout the last couple years, kindergarten teachers have never been included. This was finally our chance. However I did have some hesitations as well because the last couple years in my building have been tense between teachers because of this same topic. We all want to help in closing the achievement gap but the way it's been presented has not been the most welcoming. My teaching partner and I decided it would be an opportunity that we could not refuse (even though we had to write sub plans for 3 days...ugh).
My mindset going into this conference was not resisting or negative but wanting to hear what they had to say and what I can add to my toolbox to reach and help these children as soon as possible. I'm not going to go into every day of the conference but here is a list of things I have learned or am taking back to the classroom with me (please remember that some of these things are common sense for a lot of us teachers, but not all practice it):
1. No matter who and where they come from always have high expectations. Low expectations=low performing students.
2. No ONE program will solve the achievement gap. It has to be a system of supports to make it successful.
3. There NEEDS to be consistency amongst the teachers in regards to behavior management and expectations, curriculum and overall school atmosphere.
4. Let's start young - we are ALL going to college after high school!
5. Building relationships with our students is extremely crucial to their learning process. Buildings relationships with our students' families is just as important. Put yourself out there to make it known to the families you are here to support them in their child's learning. The lack of parent involvement however is not an excuse we need to work with or without it.
6. How to you Hold families responsible for their child's education? They need to want to be a key part of this process.
7. We need to be aware of where our students are coming from. Are they coming to school hungry? Are they in the same clothes as yesterday? Have they showered or bathed recently? Do they have a consistent dinner every night? When I send a snack home do they need to hide it under their bed so they can eat over the weekend? Do they just need a hug and someone to tell them they are loved? We need to build relationships with out students. Is school even discussed at home? Is there that home/school connection? All of this happens daily...
7. We as teachers are all taking this journey as well and no one is smarter or better than the other. We need to learn from each other and have a working relationship I which you can do so .
8. Let's be flexible with everything: our students, our coworkers, how each day goes, problems that arise and how we manage curriculum and instruction. I wear a rubber band on my wrist every day to mind myself of this - do the same if you believe.
9. We need to treat school like a business. We are all coming here to do a job - let's dress and act professionally because that is what we are here to be. This is our job. Business in=business out or garbage in=garbage out.
10. Even though we don't have the same culture and experiences as our students it does not mean that we can not learn, accept and include their cultures into our school/classrooms. We can all still be successful.
11. ALL staff in the building must have high expectations of all students and each other. We also all need to be accountable for holding others to those standards.
12. We need to find ways to promote and recognize all kinds of achievements (attendance, academics, social and emotional...) building wide. (Ties at Urban Prep - buttons)
13. It takes a village and that village takes responsibility.
14. This is a process and there will not be immediate results but we need to stay strong and united every year.
All this info is great but as a colleague asked...where are the tools to use that go with this? What can we take back to our classrooms to use and to create a better more engaging atmosphere? In my next blog I will explain what I am hoping to accomplish not only in my classroom but also throughout the entire school.
My mindset going into this conference was not resisting or negative but wanting to hear what they had to say and what I can add to my toolbox to reach and help these children as soon as possible. I'm not going to go into every day of the conference but here is a list of things I have learned or am taking back to the classroom with me (please remember that some of these things are common sense for a lot of us teachers, but not all practice it):
1. No matter who and where they come from always have high expectations. Low expectations=low performing students.
2. No ONE program will solve the achievement gap. It has to be a system of supports to make it successful.
3. There NEEDS to be consistency amongst the teachers in regards to behavior management and expectations, curriculum and overall school atmosphere.
4. Let's start young - we are ALL going to college after high school!
5. Building relationships with our students is extremely crucial to their learning process. Buildings relationships with our students' families is just as important. Put yourself out there to make it known to the families you are here to support them in their child's learning. The lack of parent involvement however is not an excuse we need to work with or without it.
6. How to you Hold families responsible for their child's education? They need to want to be a key part of this process.
7. We need to be aware of where our students are coming from. Are they coming to school hungry? Are they in the same clothes as yesterday? Have they showered or bathed recently? Do they have a consistent dinner every night? When I send a snack home do they need to hide it under their bed so they can eat over the weekend? Do they just need a hug and someone to tell them they are loved? We need to build relationships with out students. Is school even discussed at home? Is there that home/school connection? All of this happens daily...
7. We as teachers are all taking this journey as well and no one is smarter or better than the other. We need to learn from each other and have a working relationship I which you can do so .
8. Let's be flexible with everything: our students, our coworkers, how each day goes, problems that arise and how we manage curriculum and instruction. I wear a rubber band on my wrist every day to mind myself of this - do the same if you believe.
9. We need to treat school like a business. We are all coming here to do a job - let's dress and act professionally because that is what we are here to be. This is our job. Business in=business out or garbage in=garbage out.
10. Even though we don't have the same culture and experiences as our students it does not mean that we can not learn, accept and include their cultures into our school/classrooms. We can all still be successful.
11. ALL staff in the building must have high expectations of all students and each other. We also all need to be accountable for holding others to those standards.
12. We need to find ways to promote and recognize all kinds of achievements (attendance, academics, social and emotional...) building wide. (Ties at Urban Prep - buttons)
13. It takes a village and that village takes responsibility.
14. This is a process and there will not be immediate results but we need to stay strong and united every year.
All this info is great but as a colleague asked...where are the tools to use that go with this? What can we take back to our classrooms to use and to create a better more engaging atmosphere? In my next blog I will explain what I am hoping to accomplish not only in my classroom but also throughout the entire school.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Dodged a Bullet
Man am I lucky!
I was at a friends' house for a Friday night fish fry- so yummy and so much fun! It was a fun group of 8 drinking and enjoying our Friday night. Some of the boys were talking about going out afterwards but us ladies didn't plan on that. I was in my Brewers gear with my hair in a ponytail - not in any state to go up bar hopping.
Anyways, we hung out for a while, the boys left to go out and us ladies finished cleaning up the kitchen. After that I ended up driving my way home - took the beltline for some reason - which I never do. In the time I was driving home I received a number of texts from my a guy friend that was downtown and met up with the guys that were at the fish fry. It was only 10:30 and I decided why not go to meet them out? WHY NOT?! I wasn't dressed great but who cares! So I got off the beltline, turned around and got back on quickly and started heading downtown. I turned up the music, belated out some tunes and didn't think about anything. I had no idea that in the dark there was a cop driving right behind me.
Lights come on and at first I am confused but then realize I was speeding on the beltline and not paying attention to anything. I pull over to the left and he comes up right behind me - I hate it when they leave their lights on full blast and we are both stopped - can't they just dim the lights a bit to keep the sting away from being pulled over?
So I sit there for a minute, turn down the music and then realize I need to get my ID and insurance card out. I reach to get my purse and as I am pulling it up it seems a bit light to me...shit I don't have my wallet...
He walks up to the car and at this point I know a ticket is coming my way. He shines his flashlight in my face (even though I had a drink earlier I wasn't feeling it at this point but I was afraid I had red wine teeth) and asks me if I know why he pulled me over. I told him I know I was speeding and I was sorry - I was just rocking out to my music and not paying attention. He told me that he agreed and it was unsafe and that when I got onto the beltline I had recklessly gotten over to the left lane to speed up (little did he know I wanted to get way over and around the old grannies that were driving 10 under, but who am I to argue?). Then he asked for my license...shit....
I lifted up my empty purse and showed him inside and told him that I had grabbed my purse but forgot my wallet in my other purse. Total mistake. He asked for any other ID with my name/picture on it. Of course I have nothing, but thank goodness I DO have my insurance card! I hand that to him and he goes back to his car for a what seems like an eternity.
Finally he comes back and hands me my insurance card. He tells me again how I was speeding, driving 'recklessly' and driving without a license. I would have a $350 ticket on my hands. I apologized profusely, admitted that I was speeding and not paying attention as I was jamming out and that I'd be more careful...so as he handed me the papers he told me that he was giving me a....warning!! OMG I am so lucky I can't believe it! I thanked him again and off he went.
As I pulled away, he did as well and he followed me the whole way until I got off the beltline! Now any sane person would have gone home at this point but I had been texting my friends downtown and they convinced me to come down for a couple to recoup from what I had just experienced - twisted my arm! Now the only question was how I would get into the bars and pay for drinks - another issue for the night...
First bar I go to I usually know the bouncer - but guess what, be wasn't at the door! Some chick was falling around drunk right outside the door causing a scene so I walked in and before he could ask for my ID I told him that he might want to get some help for her...totally worked! Found my friends and they bought me a shot and a drink to celebrate and calm my nerves. After a while they decided to leave and go to another bar...hopefully I can get it!
We went down the street to Merchant and as we were walking in an annoying bigger man was walking out that I know through Magnet (social networking). I said hello immediately and chatted with him to walk back in with me and cover me from the bouncers - totally worked but now I was stuck with bad-breath-annoying man! We ended up saying our goodbyes and again my guy friends bought me drinks.
All in all it was a great night, but I was so lucky and definitely dodged a bullet. This was a wake up call to me and I am sure to drive more carefully from now on - especially if I am to buy a new RED car this summer!
I was at a friends' house for a Friday night fish fry- so yummy and so much fun! It was a fun group of 8 drinking and enjoying our Friday night. Some of the boys were talking about going out afterwards but us ladies didn't plan on that. I was in my Brewers gear with my hair in a ponytail - not in any state to go up bar hopping.
Anyways, we hung out for a while, the boys left to go out and us ladies finished cleaning up the kitchen. After that I ended up driving my way home - took the beltline for some reason - which I never do. In the time I was driving home I received a number of texts from my a guy friend that was downtown and met up with the guys that were at the fish fry. It was only 10:30 and I decided why not go to meet them out? WHY NOT?! I wasn't dressed great but who cares! So I got off the beltline, turned around and got back on quickly and started heading downtown. I turned up the music, belated out some tunes and didn't think about anything. I had no idea that in the dark there was a cop driving right behind me.
Lights come on and at first I am confused but then realize I was speeding on the beltline and not paying attention to anything. I pull over to the left and he comes up right behind me - I hate it when they leave their lights on full blast and we are both stopped - can't they just dim the lights a bit to keep the sting away from being pulled over?
So I sit there for a minute, turn down the music and then realize I need to get my ID and insurance card out. I reach to get my purse and as I am pulling it up it seems a bit light to me...shit I don't have my wallet...
He walks up to the car and at this point I know a ticket is coming my way. He shines his flashlight in my face (even though I had a drink earlier I wasn't feeling it at this point but I was afraid I had red wine teeth) and asks me if I know why he pulled me over. I told him I know I was speeding and I was sorry - I was just rocking out to my music and not paying attention. He told me that he agreed and it was unsafe and that when I got onto the beltline I had recklessly gotten over to the left lane to speed up (little did he know I wanted to get way over and around the old grannies that were driving 10 under, but who am I to argue?). Then he asked for my license...shit....
I lifted up my empty purse and showed him inside and told him that I had grabbed my purse but forgot my wallet in my other purse. Total mistake. He asked for any other ID with my name/picture on it. Of course I have nothing, but thank goodness I DO have my insurance card! I hand that to him and he goes back to his car for a what seems like an eternity.
Finally he comes back and hands me my insurance card. He tells me again how I was speeding, driving 'recklessly' and driving without a license. I would have a $350 ticket on my hands. I apologized profusely, admitted that I was speeding and not paying attention as I was jamming out and that I'd be more careful...so as he handed me the papers he told me that he was giving me a....warning!! OMG I am so lucky I can't believe it! I thanked him again and off he went.
As I pulled away, he did as well and he followed me the whole way until I got off the beltline! Now any sane person would have gone home at this point but I had been texting my friends downtown and they convinced me to come down for a couple to recoup from what I had just experienced - twisted my arm! Now the only question was how I would get into the bars and pay for drinks - another issue for the night...
First bar I go to I usually know the bouncer - but guess what, be wasn't at the door! Some chick was falling around drunk right outside the door causing a scene so I walked in and before he could ask for my ID I told him that he might want to get some help for her...totally worked! Found my friends and they bought me a shot and a drink to celebrate and calm my nerves. After a while they decided to leave and go to another bar...hopefully I can get it!
We went down the street to Merchant and as we were walking in an annoying bigger man was walking out that I know through Magnet (social networking). I said hello immediately and chatted with him to walk back in with me and cover me from the bouncers - totally worked but now I was stuck with bad-breath-annoying man! We ended up saying our goodbyes and again my guy friends bought me drinks.
All in all it was a great night, but I was so lucky and definitely dodged a bullet. This was a wake up call to me and I am sure to drive more carefully from now on - especially if I am to buy a new RED car this summer!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Wing Man
A bunch of girls and I went out last night. I had gone out the night before so I was not in it for the long haul but thought why not go out for a drink or two?! Need to keep putting myself out there!
We went to DLUX first - I love that place. It has such a cool vibe and it feels like you're in Chicago or New York. It was kind of dead so we decided to head to Merchant a block down. It was also kind of dead there but it started heating up more as the night went on. Merchant ended up being the place to be because more and more people came that I knew! It was super fun and I ended up talking with a guy for a while (let's call him Mr Shorty). He seemed pretty cool and we got along well. After a while though he ended up going to talk to another girl (even though he had gotten my number already)...not cool dude.
Then we ended up going to where we always seem to go...Madison's. We were waiting in line to get in and who skips the entire line to get in with us...yep Mr Shorty and he's super drunk. I'm not into him anymore at this point and then he pulls out a cigarette and is asking everyone in line for a lighter because his matches keep blowing out! I told the bouncer as he was letting us all in that he wasn't with us :) Hehe.
Now Madison's can either be super ghetto and not fun, or it can be a good time with lots of good-looking people. It was super busy in the bar and I noticed there were actually a lot of potentials! I was excited about that but because of some previous drama within the group I didn't have the wing men in my girls I needed! I also didn't really feel like drinking at this point and thought I'd try this all sober - maybe not a good idea because then I wasn't as social as I normally am. I made eye contact with one guy but he ended up being there with another girl. I chatted with another guy while he was at the bar getting a drink and I thought it was going well but I turn around to talk to one of the girls and when I turn back he's gone! I tried to move around so I'd be closer to a third guy and he seemed like he wanted to talk to me but I ended up getting pulled out of the bar to go across the street! Three strikes and I'm out.
Now usually as many of you know, I'm a pretty outgoing person and quite aggressive when it comes to something I want. Lately I've been thinking about that and it hasn't worked yet so maybe I should change my game? I would totally have gone up to these guys and said something but I am so unsure of myself lately that I don't know if that would work anymore! I also usually have one of my best friends with me and she rocks at being a wing man. She helps me scope out the scene, moves closer and 'bumps' into guys I'm interested in, and sometimes she just goes up and starts talking to them! Just what a single girl needs!
So anyways we go across the street to another bar. We walk in and I instantly see that there is nothing interesting here. The place is practically dead and I am tired and disappointed that I wasn't successful at the previous bars. I decide to head home at this point...it just wasn't my night...
We went to DLUX first - I love that place. It has such a cool vibe and it feels like you're in Chicago or New York. It was kind of dead so we decided to head to Merchant a block down. It was also kind of dead there but it started heating up more as the night went on. Merchant ended up being the place to be because more and more people came that I knew! It was super fun and I ended up talking with a guy for a while (let's call him Mr Shorty). He seemed pretty cool and we got along well. After a while though he ended up going to talk to another girl (even though he had gotten my number already)...not cool dude.
Then we ended up going to where we always seem to go...Madison's. We were waiting in line to get in and who skips the entire line to get in with us...yep Mr Shorty and he's super drunk. I'm not into him anymore at this point and then he pulls out a cigarette and is asking everyone in line for a lighter because his matches keep blowing out! I told the bouncer as he was letting us all in that he wasn't with us :) Hehe.
Now Madison's can either be super ghetto and not fun, or it can be a good time with lots of good-looking people. It was super busy in the bar and I noticed there were actually a lot of potentials! I was excited about that but because of some previous drama within the group I didn't have the wing men in my girls I needed! I also didn't really feel like drinking at this point and thought I'd try this all sober - maybe not a good idea because then I wasn't as social as I normally am. I made eye contact with one guy but he ended up being there with another girl. I chatted with another guy while he was at the bar getting a drink and I thought it was going well but I turn around to talk to one of the girls and when I turn back he's gone! I tried to move around so I'd be closer to a third guy and he seemed like he wanted to talk to me but I ended up getting pulled out of the bar to go across the street! Three strikes and I'm out.
Now usually as many of you know, I'm a pretty outgoing person and quite aggressive when it comes to something I want. Lately I've been thinking about that and it hasn't worked yet so maybe I should change my game? I would totally have gone up to these guys and said something but I am so unsure of myself lately that I don't know if that would work anymore! I also usually have one of my best friends with me and she rocks at being a wing man. She helps me scope out the scene, moves closer and 'bumps' into guys I'm interested in, and sometimes she just goes up and starts talking to them! Just what a single girl needs!
So anyways we go across the street to another bar. We walk in and I instantly see that there is nothing interesting here. The place is practically dead and I am tired and disappointed that I wasn't successful at the previous bars. I decide to head home at this point...it just wasn't my night...
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
My Work - Chapter 1 (1-10)
I am a teacher and I am proud to be a teacher. I have wanted to be an educator since I was five years old. When I was in college I never thought that I would like to teach kindergarten so I did not look down those avenues at first. But as time went on I decided to get my degree in pre-K through sixth-grade. Little did I know I would be teaching kindergarten with one of my best friends for over six years now. I have grown to love the grade that I teach and value my time with those children and my coworker so so much. I strive to be a better person and teacher for my past, present and future students and for all my coworkers around me. Although we might not all get along, I do believe that we are all here for the same reason and even though we might not all have the same work effort and motivation, we care about our students and want only the best for them. For those teachers that don't have that effort - I feel they need to move on and let other young teachers with motivation and eagerness to come in and make a difference.
This leads me into my next discussion about my job. Most teachers work so hard and so long and put in time that we don't expect to be made up or paid for. I know that we complain about this constantly and people are annoyed with it but it means something to us (otherwise we wouldn't be talking about it!). Please let me take the time here to list and explain just exactly we do for our students, families and others around us.
1. We get together over the summer when we are not paid and discuss the future and what this next year holds for us. We plan events, field trips, curriculum and much more to make sure that we reach our students' needs. Yes we have the summers off, but we don't get paid for them and wouldn't you need time off for spending 9.5 months with children that aren't yours?
2. We purchase items all year round with our own money (not only during the school year but also in the summer) to help aid us in teaching our students literacy, social studies, math, science, and social situations.
3. On average we spend 7 to 8 and even 9 hours with our students. We make a huge difference on these children's lives and the weight on our shoulders is always there. The pressure to succeed and have our students succeed will never go away. Sometimes we even spend more time with our students than their parents do...
4. In lower income schools however, we are often dealing with families that do not want to communicate with schools. I call home to talk to them about their child and the phone is not connected anymore. I walk home with the students but I am not allowed in the house. I want to send a note home with the child and it is ripped up right away. The child brings homework home and wants to try to complete it and instead they get a "whooping." Will we ever break that barrier? How do we get families to care about being a part of their child's education?
5. The first 5 years that I was a teacher I spent hours after school not only working on new activities for my students but also working on learning the curriculum and learning how to better meet the needs of every single one of my children. Some learn better in small groups, some learn better in large groups, some learn better individually, how am I supposed to meet the needs of all the students? This is something that we are challenged with everyday. In your job how do you meet the needs of every single person that comes into your office? Do you make the same plan for every person? No, you meet that persons' needs and wants - exactly what we do, except for 16-20 different children every single year. In my 8 years of teaching, I have taught 144 students so far...that's a lot!
6. I am constantly going on the Internet and Pinterest to search for new activities for my students to do during math or literacy centers. I'm always trying to find the next best idea on how to teach beginning sounds, vowels, end sounds, blends, phonemic awareness, rhymes, sight words, counting, adding, subtracting, ordering, taking turns, etc...
7. Centers are activities that the children can do independently for a certain amount of time. When the bell rings they clean up their center and move onto the next center. In the picture attached, the pocket chart I have created is to help the children decipher what center is theirs using the picture cues. The black lines on the chart decipher which level they are at - left is high, middle is medium, and the right is low. Most to all of our students have no idea the pocket chart is leveled like this. During this time, we are teaching small group reading groups, which is also differentiated based on how they are doing and what level they are reading at. All of these pictures are created by me and my teaching partner. We are constantly trying to think of new ideas and new centers for our students to do to reach these needs: rhyming, first sound, last sound, rhyming, consonant-vowel-consonant, letter matching, sound matching, sentence writing, computer, listening, writing workshop, dictionary, creative writing, and so so so much more. We have been thinking about writing a book for some time now but centers just keep changing constantly to keep things interesting. Got any ideas for me?!
8. There are science and math nights at school and we are expected to come. This is not just a job that we can go to from 7:30 until 3:00. We are expected to stay later and are expected to come at night. Don't get me wrong this is not something that we don't want to do but we also need to have lives of our own.
9. Being in a low poverty school we often have students that do not eat much at home or do not get a chance to have a lot of sustenance at home. I am constantly buying snacks or getting snacks from friends to send home with them at nights and on weekends. Some even tell me that they hide their snacks under their bed so they are able to eat it and don't have to share with everyone. They have to be selfish in order to eat the food so they don't have growling stomachs all weekend. Do you come across a lot of people like that? Would you be willing to donate money or food to give children the food that they want and deserve at home? Of course you would.
10. I buy ink for my printer consistently throughout the year because I want to print things off in color and that's the only way. My ink cartridges cost $60 every time, and I have to refill it every couple of months...
There will be more to come (will try to explain 100!) but please understand that I am being completely honest and we do so much more than we tell. Not trying to bitch about my job because I love what I do, but I want people to understand exactly what we do for our future generations...
This leads me into my next discussion about my job. Most teachers work so hard and so long and put in time that we don't expect to be made up or paid for. I know that we complain about this constantly and people are annoyed with it but it means something to us (otherwise we wouldn't be talking about it!). Please let me take the time here to list and explain just exactly we do for our students, families and others around us.
1. We get together over the summer when we are not paid and discuss the future and what this next year holds for us. We plan events, field trips, curriculum and much more to make sure that we reach our students' needs. Yes we have the summers off, but we don't get paid for them and wouldn't you need time off for spending 9.5 months with children that aren't yours?
2. We purchase items all year round with our own money (not only during the school year but also in the summer) to help aid us in teaching our students literacy, social studies, math, science, and social situations.
3. On average we spend 7 to 8 and even 9 hours with our students. We make a huge difference on these children's lives and the weight on our shoulders is always there. The pressure to succeed and have our students succeed will never go away. Sometimes we even spend more time with our students than their parents do...
4. In lower income schools however, we are often dealing with families that do not want to communicate with schools. I call home to talk to them about their child and the phone is not connected anymore. I walk home with the students but I am not allowed in the house. I want to send a note home with the child and it is ripped up right away. The child brings homework home and wants to try to complete it and instead they get a "whooping." Will we ever break that barrier? How do we get families to care about being a part of their child's education?
5. The first 5 years that I was a teacher I spent hours after school not only working on new activities for my students but also working on learning the curriculum and learning how to better meet the needs of every single one of my children. Some learn better in small groups, some learn better in large groups, some learn better individually, how am I supposed to meet the needs of all the students? This is something that we are challenged with everyday. In your job how do you meet the needs of every single person that comes into your office? Do you make the same plan for every person? No, you meet that persons' needs and wants - exactly what we do, except for 16-20 different children every single year. In my 8 years of teaching, I have taught 144 students so far...that's a lot!
6. I am constantly going on the Internet and Pinterest to search for new activities for my students to do during math or literacy centers. I'm always trying to find the next best idea on how to teach beginning sounds, vowels, end sounds, blends, phonemic awareness, rhymes, sight words, counting, adding, subtracting, ordering, taking turns, etc...
7. Centers are activities that the children can do independently for a certain amount of time. When the bell rings they clean up their center and move onto the next center. In the picture attached, the pocket chart I have created is to help the children decipher what center is theirs using the picture cues. The black lines on the chart decipher which level they are at - left is high, middle is medium, and the right is low. Most to all of our students have no idea the pocket chart is leveled like this. During this time, we are teaching small group reading groups, which is also differentiated based on how they are doing and what level they are reading at. All of these pictures are created by me and my teaching partner. We are constantly trying to think of new ideas and new centers for our students to do to reach these needs: rhyming, first sound, last sound, rhyming, consonant-vowel-consonant, letter matching, sound matching, sentence writing, computer, listening, writing workshop, dictionary, creative writing, and so so so much more. We have been thinking about writing a book for some time now but centers just keep changing constantly to keep things interesting. Got any ideas for me?!
8. There are science and math nights at school and we are expected to come. This is not just a job that we can go to from 7:30 until 3:00. We are expected to stay later and are expected to come at night. Don't get me wrong this is not something that we don't want to do but we also need to have lives of our own.
9. Being in a low poverty school we often have students that do not eat much at home or do not get a chance to have a lot of sustenance at home. I am constantly buying snacks or getting snacks from friends to send home with them at nights and on weekends. Some even tell me that they hide their snacks under their bed so they are able to eat it and don't have to share with everyone. They have to be selfish in order to eat the food so they don't have growling stomachs all weekend. Do you come across a lot of people like that? Would you be willing to donate money or food to give children the food that they want and deserve at home? Of course you would.
10. I buy ink for my printer consistently throughout the year because I want to print things off in color and that's the only way. My ink cartridges cost $60 every time, and I have to refill it every couple of months...
There will be more to come (will try to explain 100!) but please understand that I am being completely honest and we do so much more than we tell. Not trying to bitch about my job because I love what I do, but I want people to understand exactly what we do for our future generations...
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