To Turn on a Dime

Just when we get it all set up, we get thrown a curve. Yesterday, after school we had an unexpected staff meeting called. We all met in the library. That's when I found out that the meeting was about a big change in second grade. Our neighboring elementary school was underenrolled, and stood to loose a teacher. We're overenrolled -we have too many students. The suggested solution: move a teacher to El Verano to reduce our class size and save the position. This means for us moving six students out of each of our classrooms so that each of us could have a class of eighteen.
Sounds good, and it will mean an easier year but it does represent a lot of work for us, never mind the stress for the poor teacher who would join us. Of course the six we each move need to be carefully selected and it should be kept confidential.
After I got over the surprise, and mouthed off about my feelings, I got to work. Luckily, I had the key information on my class: I have spent my last two weeks gathering information on my students' reading ability and math ability.
I created a quick graph to see where my group stood in reading fluency and math. Then, I figured out which students could potentially move, and chose based on keeping a balance in all the classes. Sadly, I had to give up my better students because I have a strong class.
I am giving up three girls, and three boys. Four are fantastic students, one medium and one below grade level. We met after school today and sorted out the new class list, I am still broken hearted because I already know and love these students. The good news: We now know who the new teacher will be: she's a friend, a talented teacher with a positive attitude. I'll enjoy working with her. She'll arrive next week. We'll keep our gang until she has time to set up her classroom.
I stayed at work way too late sorting out the homework for next week, trying to scrounge up enough flashcards, and organizing my sight word program. I just about know everyone's level and I have passed out the sight word sets to my class. There was a buzz of excitement as the kiddos shared their cards. There's something about the rings that make them very enticing.
Classroom highlights: Omar wrote his numbers to 1,000 already! Also very cool, most of my students are truly readers and know their sight words pretty well.

First Week: Honeymoon

Even though my intention was to keep a regular journal, I let this important first week slip by without recording the events. The first week goes by in a blur. It's as if I grabbed the tail of Dragon, held on tight, while Dragon went racing down hill, gathering speed as we go. Dragon is my image because our first story in the reader is about dragon: a well intentioned but ignorant beast who tends to get into tight jams.
On the first day, I had everything set at school in rare sparkling order. I went to the gym at 5:30 am then arrived at school in proper spirit by 7:30 in hopes of a half hour before the arrival of my students. School begins at 8:20. I was surprised to be greeted by 4 enthusiastic boys eager to begin their first day in second grade. Early birds! I wisely complimented them on their commitment, but had to let go of those first peaceful minutes. They wanted to see the animals so we held the tarantula, cuddled Bubbles, the chinchilla, and checked on the frogs. I showed them where I keep the blocks, puppets and science toys.
The students continued to arrive with glowing faces, ready to begin the business of being a second grader.
I had fun getting out my new toy - the microphone which was delivered because I have a hearing disabled student. I introduced them to the amplification system with a simple explanation - "Guess what! I got a special present this year for the classroom! It's a microphone! I'm going to love using this as soon as I figure in out!" No need to explain about the hearing disabled child at this point in time.
Our first day was short because it was a Wednesday which is our meeting day. The students left at 1:00. This meant I taught at a rapid fire pace, but careful not to lose anyone. I had to go over all the rules and procedures which are complicated. I also passed out a thick parcel of notes and forms for each child. They colored nametags, played a people bingo game to get to know each other, and read a short book. I taught them how to write their numbers to 100. They went home with homework. That was about it.
On Thursday, I could slow the pace a little so I taught a full math lesson. I had to skip the powerpoint because the settings on my computer were screwed up from the upgrade. I gave them a complicated write, color, cut and paste project so I could buy myself enough time to assess all on their first twenty five first grade sight words. I got through all of them. Only four students had trouble with them. I gave part of the placement test in math. I had time to teach how to write the next hundred numbers from 101 to 200.
Friday, we had our Back To School assembly. We had our math in the morning since the assembly would happen during math time. I gave them another part to the 8 page math test. I had time to assess the next twenty five words, now I have 6 students who need remediation. I gave each a set of words to study.
In order to get the time to assess, I have to come up with coloring or simple writing tasks to keep them busy. It was a bigger challenge this time because many students zipped through their work and wanted to pop up out of their seats to show me. I want to encourage their good work, but need to train them to stay seated so it created a need for patience.
My impression of this group is that they are eager to please. I know who my challenge students are, but they are reachable because they want to do well. Both these boys sat next to me at the assembly without my request. This made it easy for me to monitor them. I have one challenge girl from Prestwood who doesn't seem to know much and can't seem to stay with her work. I think I got lucky.
The tough news of the week turned out to be the budget again. They are going to ask us to shorten our school year and take a pay cut. This is a painful pill to swallow from the teachers, as we work so many hours for free and back fill the supply budget with our own money.
The good news: parents of my students have been very good about sending in donated supplies and they are sending their students ready to learn.

Counting Down

It's Sunday, the last day of summer vacation. I went in a little every day, and now my classroom is ready to roll (almost)

Actually, the most important ingredient is still missing: the kids. I am still waiting for my class list.

The supplies came in last Friday. I hauled and unpacked and organized in a whirlwind of dust. I am wondering why I have so many highlighters and so few crayons. Items still missing include my planbook and my gradebook.

Envision Math sent a whole new set of teacher manuals to replace the error filled first edition. I needed to box my last years' set to be mailed to the publisher but panicked because it was loaded with teacher's notes on post-its to make it easier to use. However, on review of my notes they were mostly identifying the errors or failed lessons so I guess I can safely let go of the old to begin anew.

H.M. - our language arts curriculum- changed the cover of the student text. It looks the same inside but I am short by 4 workbooks. Can I use last year's leftover books?

I updated my webpage on the school website, and added Back to School information. I have vowed to go to the next level of technology use and actually use the website to communicate.

I need to learn how to attach documents and create links.

That brings to mind the beauty of teaching. Each year is new: all new kids, new supplies, a fresh start!

AWOL from the Alphabet

I'm beginning to feel a little crazy because I have been working so much. My mind is spinning with ideas and inquiries. Perhaps I've punched out my fair share of word cards. I've got the boards & charts done, I even put up some interactive museums. One is my usual: a museum about rules, game rules, class rules, the law of gravity, safety rules and so on.

My other museum display is new. It's about my missing letter A. The letter A disappeared this summer while I was on vacation, and it is no where to be found. You look up at the alphabet above the front board, and there's a big gaping space where the a should be. I put up a note on the teacher's room board just as if it was a lost kitten. Someone wrote back "Must be a victim of vowel play" This was followed by a sprinkling of odd A s delivered in my mailbox. Then it came to me. I won't replace the letter yet, I'll use it to have fun with my new students. We can all imagine and write about what happened to the missing letter. I set up a display area with ideas - the A could have gone to the Arctic, or on a tour of America. Could the A be hiding out in an Apartment? Maybe the A is on an adventure. He could be seeing some amazing action in Antarctica or the Amazon.

I'm working on replacing it with a color copy but first we've got to get a story going around about the this awol from the alphabet.

Just thinking about that Child Not Left Behind

Today I did not go to school, I spent the day taking care of family. However, my mind returns to the classroom even when my body isn't there. I'm thinking about that potentially lost child. I work so hard to track all those in my charge. I'm right down face to face making sure that child learns to read, taking recesses if needed to learn those math facts. I trick them into volunteering their playtime to meet the challenge of a good education. I am relentless.

But here's my question - Who's making sure that precious child grows up to be gainfully employed once they've completed college with honors and fully successful?

If I'm working so hard at my end, why do we have so many talented young people, college educated, hanging off cliffs in Yosemite or Joshua Tree instead of launching careers?

Is anyone making sure that my educated children will have a planet to call home? I'll do my part, but I want some follow through. Accountability shouldn't stop with public schools.

I am hanging onto the tail end of summer.  I set out some six packs of peas & beans hoping to get one more crop this fall.  I only have a few days to  be unstructured so I am reveling in it.  

Back at school, I have arranged my twenty-four desks for my hypothetical students.  They are all behaving perfectly now because they haven't shown up!  I have them all in sets of four, desks cleaned, in a semi-circle facing into the front board.  The main boards are put up, and the classroom library sorted.  I am printing out the word cards.

We're in for a rough year - thin budget.  Good thing I've squirreled away some pencils from last year.  I've been shopping the dollar bins.  I found pocket charts for $1 so I bought enough for me and my teacher team too.

I hope to have time to write about my year in the classroom.  I suspect people ought to know what's coming up in their future, and that's what I have on my watch - I hold the future.  It's our hope for civilization so don't underestimate it.