Time for spring break & 17 weeks pregnant!

I feel like all I do is count weeks nowadays.

Each week carrying the baby brings a milestone & new things to learn about.

Every week at school brings me one step closer to finishing the school year.

School news...

It's amazing to me how different the relationships are with kids as the year progresses. I now really see the vast wisdom in having teachers move with their students to various grade levels. On one hand, you're stuck with certain kids you didn't want to have again. However, you also have the advantage of not learning the new Little Johnny Trouble Maker's tricks the following year. You also get to enjoy your cherished students another year and watch them grow. I also feel the relationships you build with students can decide whether or not Johnny gives you trouble.

For example, I have a student, Trevor, who has never given 100% or even 50% in class. He failed the first semester of my class, much to my dismay. My initial method was honestly to berate him into submission. He would usually be quiet, but he never actually did work. When I tried the nice approach he would be sarcastic and troublesome. It seemed like a losing battle whichever method I chose.

Eventually at the start of the second semester, I sat down with him and asked him what was going on. I heard from a fellow teacher that his parents were going through a divorce and, noticing his ever growing unruliness, I wanted to talk to him about it before it escalated further.  He never did divulge the divorce news, but we talked about his future and I encouraged him to at least pass my class so he wouldn't have to retake it. I would like to think that little pep talk did it for him. Who knows. He is definitely not a model student, but lo and behold he actually does his work. It's not a huge leap, but it's definitely progress from where we started the year! If it took me almost 6 months to get to that point with him- it makes me think there are others who, with more time, would open up and become successful.


17 weeks pregnant....

See the clip holding my dress in? I'm just barely showing at this point!  Everyone say hi to David taking the picture for me! What a good guy. :)

I feel like everyone I know is pregnant right now!
As such, I wanted to share some things that worked for getting me through the first trimester & see if others had tips for the 2nd and 3rd!

For morning sickness/nausea-
Personally I want to stay as far away as possible from taking medicine just so my baby gets as much natural nutrients and antibiotics as possible. As such, my first few months were torture as I went through morning sickness.

Luckily, my friend Anna shared that she had used magnetic bracelets designed for sea sickness to help her out. Although I never used one, I loved that it was a natural way to deal with the inevitable.

Another thing I noticed was that my prenatals were making me very sick- the large amount of iron was too much for my stomach to handle. Changing my prenatal to an all organic one with considerably less iron brought immediate relief. I also started taking it at night before bed so I had a day's worth of food to help lessen the harshness.

For car rides, my mom bought ginger chew gum that she lovingly passed my way. It tasted disgusting, but I got almost immediate relief when chewing it. I only used this when I felt super ill though b/c the taste was daunting.

The last thing I used for nausea and the one I used most frequently was oil extracts, specifically peppermint, lavender, and ginger. Rubbing these on my stomach and neck/forehead provided extended relief and allowed me to stay away from synthetic drugs. Sure I smelled a little funny from the oils, but the benefit outweighed the old lady smell- even if David disagreed.

For fatigue-

First off, it is completely normal to be dead tired almost continuously. Allow yourself to sleep and get help where you can 'til your body adjusts to pregnancy. Do NOT feel guilty for needing extra sleep or extra help with household chores.

However, if your schedule doesn't allow much free time, like mine, make do as you can!

I found that exercising was super helpful in keeping me going on long weeks with little free time. It's funny how much expending effort can give you a boost of energy.

Also, you're probably not eating much. This adds to the fatigue! Find a few things you like/can stand and stock up! For a week or two all I wanted was popcorn b/c it didn't upset my stomach and was mostly bland. Next was fresh veggies and LOTS of fruit. Try to get your protein where you can- peanut butter and nuts are easy on queasy stomachs.

All in all, try not to worry. The first trimester is here and gone soon enough replaced by a growing bump and energy like you had before the pregnancy.

Where am I now?


-I have a tiny bump starting to protrude. It's almost disconcerting as I look at pictures of all the other people I know that are pregnant and how much larger all their tummies are. You really can't even tell I'm pregnant unless I'm wearing something skin-tight; it just looks like I ate too much at lunch.

- I have so much more energy! YAY!!

- My blood-sugar level is super sensitive now, and I've found I need to eat much more frequently to combat this. I thought I ate pretty continuously, but the pregnancy has made it even more so. I find if I don't have a snack with me and go too long without eating it results in a very sick feeling me.

- On March 16 we find out whether it's a boy or a girl. I personally want to know the sex so I can plan the nursery, name, and baby shower without all the neutral crap that comes with a surprise birth.

3rd Quarter Crunch

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It's that time of year. Thought your seniors had senioritis before?

Oh no.


Now is the time that their true daydreaming, slacker tendencies make themselves known.

Thinking back to my own senior year (a short 6 years ago) I can recall football games, senior camp out, senior skip day, homecoming.... and not much about what I actually learned.

What I do remember are the great teachers that had an impact on my life, on my future and the amazing memories made on that campus. That great teacher is the kind of teacher that I hope I can be for some of these kids.

 I don't remember what my English teacher taught me, but she showed me how to work like a college student and helped me to love literature. I don't remember a bit about what my history teacher taught me, but his stories and blunt honesty will stick with me. My psychology teacher was strict but her kindness towards students who gave a damn was immense.

These three teachers in particular- Mrs. Gorski, Mr. O'Brien, and Mrs. Browning weren't especially unique in their teaching techniques. We read a lot in English, took notes in history, and read the book for psychology. It was the teachers themselves imparting the information and treating us like adults that made me want to make them proud.

Back to my students now-

How do I get them motivated that way?

As a student, I know I was different that the majority of the students I teach. I wanted to go to college and took harder classes because of it. I always completed my work and rarely missed school. My students work full-time. They miss schools constantly. They really don't like English or reading. They are mostly planning on technical schools, the military, or community college.

I want to need to find a way to make my subject relevant to their lives while still meeting benchmarks, Sunshine State Standards, and Marzano's ultimate decision that teachers have no mind of their own and need to be told how to do basic skills such as monitoring, scaffolding, and lesson planning.


The question is how?

I know I've learned a lot during this school year already...

1. Be prepared
2. Always have a back up lesson plan or idea.
3. If you're going to show a movie you better make it tie into the curriculum or be able to explain why you're showing A Bug's Life to your administrators.
4. Always ask administration before doing something questionable. Always.
5. Planning ahead is a good idea- planning Monday morning before the bell rings is realistic.
6. Lessons don't always go how you planned- some take much longer than you planned. Some are over before you even realize you have to find something else to do.
7. Students can tell when you care and will work accordingly.
8. Having other teachers to vent and laugh with is crucial. Don't get too busy to talk to them.
9. Make friends with the copy lady, media center people, attendance clerk, guidance.... They will all make your life easier if they like you.
10. Be honest with your students.


Can't wait to add more to that list!
And now, on to the lesson planning i've been putting off... Or maybe I'll wait 'til the morning.

Pre-Planning Should Be Called Try-To-Stay-Sane,You-Won't-Be-Ready.

It's now Wednesday. I've been through 3 LONG days of pre-planning for school.

Last Friday I was in early to meet my department heads, check out my room, and bring in some supplies. I spent the morning with one of the ESE heads learning how to write an IEP. I took vigorous notes and was told I would receive my official schedule of where I would be on Monday.

While learning more about my position & expectations involved, our principle's secretary called to see if I had time to talk to our principle. Not knowing I was on campus, I responded that I would be right in the office and dashed off to find out what was going on.

Had I lost my job? Been moved to a different department? There was more self doubt that confidence rearing its head in those moments it took me to find him & sit down in his office.

Luckily, it was none of those things. In a strange twist, an English teacher had decided that day to resign for a position closer to her home. This left my school with a LA vacancy that they needed to fill fast.

Knowing I had my certification in this area as well, Dr. R asked if I would want to take over this teacher's classroom. The schedule contained 3 senior LA classes, 1 junior LA class, and 2 creative writing classes.

After asking Dr. R to give me some time to think about, I frantically called my confidants & weighed out the pros & cons.

Pros-

bigger classroom
more control over content
still having access to ESE population through classes
creative writing is awesome!
seniors are supposed to be the BEST to teach
more involved on campus
classroom right between my new teacher friends

Cons-

uhhh...two weeks til school starts
no supplies
no lesson plans
more responsibility
testing/FCAT
guilt over leaving ESE dept. hanging



In the end I decided that teaching LA will be a more fulfilling position over an ESE Support Staff position. The ESE position would have been much easier, but I am not one to be satisfied with that type of work. Therefore, I accepted the position and jumped in with both feet!

Oh, and then Dr. R asked me to coach JV Cheerleading instead of Soccer. That one was a no-brainer. HECK YES! I talked to the Varsity coach & went right home to review the cheers I knew, think of workouts we could do, tumbling to try.... I can't wait to get started!

Now for my pre-planning experience. Here are the things I wish I had known or if I was remotely aware, wish I had known the capacity to which these items extended.

Things they don't tell you in the College of Ed that they probably should....

1. The teacher cafeteria is to be avoided
    - Now we haven't had lunch yet, but the general rule is to try to stay away from the gossip & negativity that tends to permeate talk around the cafeteria. Even in one short week I've noticed the ones who complain, who are unsatisfied, and who are unwilling to work with others. This is not the profession to want to do things on your own, that's for sure.

2. Every district is slow
   - I thought Orange County in Orlando was bad. Well, apparently it takes a while for things to be done everywhere.
The people at the county are great; it's just the speed with which things get done. Ironically enough, Emily posted today about being courteous to office staff. I do agree that one shouldn't take it out on the staff that are only following procedure & trying to the best of their ability to help you out.
 Conversely though, it has taken an absolute ridiculous amount of time for things to be done. My classroom was full of not one but TWO teachers' things.
In list form:
5 filing cabinets (FULL to the brim)
2 desks
2 computer chairs
2 tables (covered in books for a different subject that I had to remove & take to the book room myself)
26 student desks
5 regular chairs
2 bookshelves
assorted posters & decorations
3 big boxes of miscellaneous stuff
2 large locking cabinets
An old school computer & phone

All the veteran teachers told me to put notes on the things I needed moved & to wait. Well, that didn't sit well with me. How was I supposed to get anything done with all this stuff all over the room? I couldn't even setup my desk with all the clutter around!

Monday I spent most of the day removing books, talking to this person & that person about whose stuff it was & who would remove it, and trying to find some semblance of organization.

Finally, today, the two or three things I marked to be moved (because they were too large to do myself) were taken out!! On even better news, I can finally log onto my Skyward account to access the roster & gradebook! It only took 20 minutes on the phone with tech support. My email should be up by Monday hopefully? Ah, progress.

3. Hip Strategies are so not hip & why trainings require Words with Friends

Marzano is the man of the hour in St. Lucie county.We have been told about numerous grandiose trainings that are to take place in the near future with allusions to how beneficial they will be.

I do believe that these strategies can be helpful and GREAT tools for educators to add to their toolbox; however, I do not think we should have to sit through 3 hour powerpoint presentations where the presenter merely reads from the slides. I can do that at home with a glass of wine much more comfortably!

This is where Words with Friends comes in. Trying to not completely ignore the training today, I read through the handout & marked things I found important & wrote them down as things to take note of/remember. I know what type of learning style works best for me- listening is not it. After about 20 minutes I had finished my note taking & was still stuck with 40 minutes left in the tedious presentation. Thank goodness for technology. I stayed awake & managed to maintain my composure without drooling or nodding off.

Tomorrow holds the promise of another full day of training. Oh. Joy.

4. Roll with It aka Go AROUND the Leaf


Throughout this process I've really had to just go with the flow. As I've stated before, that is not always easy for me, but I think it's a good exercise in what I'm sure will be a parade of changes and adjustments that have to be made with teaching. Things don't always work out just how you want them. Sometimes people don't care if you're lacking a full class set of books when they have 3. They also find it funny when you can't figure out why your door won't open (the key has to be pushed in, held, then pulled out).

Then there are the great friends I know I've already made. They are going to be there to help me get through this first year and to go to happy hour when we've all had a rough day. There are going to be students who really impact who I become as a teacher & that I hope I will positively impact. The school is already such a great community of administration and teachers that really care about their students & each other.

They say educators don't care about their students. I dare them to take a walk in the life of a beginning teacher. The salary isn't worth this kind of work; I know this already! However, the rewards will be amazing...

This school year is the beginning of my journey of teaching, and I am ready to take it on.