29 July 2007
286
In 286 days, if all goes as planned, I will be a real teacher.
Summer school went well. Two A’s and one B. In case you’re counting.
Archive for Me
17 July 2007
Student teaching fun, the prequel
So, I have to get a physical before school starts in August to prove that I won’t give the kids TB or some other disease. I understand that, and I don’t mind doing it – they even have a form to take with us to make it easier to get proof and make sure everything gets done. Hooray for the student teaching physical.
Of course, I wait until the last two weeks of summer school to schedule that appointment – *cough*procrastinator*cough, cough*. I call, today, to schedule (just got off the phone, actually), and she actually knows what I’m talking about when I say I need a student teaching physical – which surprises me, because they didn’t last time I did this (remember, I was supposed to do my student teaching in 2004, but became temporarily retarded and dropped out of school) and it took me forever to get the appointment right. This excites me.
For about ten seconds.
UNFORTUNATELY, they only do appointments in the MORNINGS.
Sounds like I’m being a whiny bitch, right – “oh, wah, I don’t wanna get up in the morning, boo-hoo”. While that is entirely possible, my main problem is that I have class from 8am-1pm all summer – wouldn’t you know it, the exact times they have appointments. *grumble* And I have to come in on two separate days, 3 days apart, due to the TB test.
I don’t fault the woman making the appointment. She even said at one point, “I don’t know why they do this – they need to have afternoon openings…” after I told her I have class every day from 8-1 (as is the nature of summer school). She was very sympathetic, and I (luckily) had time free during the reading day before exams, and during what is supposed to be the end of my tennis final (we have a take-home, so I should be fine).
Some people might wonder why I didn’t go in the beginning of the summer, before I had class. Well, my friends, UNC student health only covers you for the semesters/sessions in which you are enrolled full-time. Thus, since I was not enrolled in classes last summer session, I would have had to pay $50 just to get an appointment. So, it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d called at the very beginning of the summer to schedule an appt, the only time I could have come in would be next Wednesday at 9 and next Friday at 10:15.
I’m just glad they weren’t closed on the reading day… lucky me, I suppose.
Oh, and a PS – I really hate needles and physicals, what with the pain and the stupid questions and all. At least with a tattoo, I get something pretty to show off later. The only thing I’ve ever gotten from a vaccine is a scar that everyone assumes is a hickey… *sigh* (Oh, and maybe protection from bygone diseases…)
12 May 2007
I’m interesting!
Something I meant to write about a while back, but the craziness of the semester prevented it:
Last semester, there was a grad student in one of my classes. She is really interested in social justice, and led a few lessons on the topic (some of which were enlightening) – I really enjoyed having her in the class.
Because she is a grad student, she had a research paper to write. She interviewed all of us about our perspectives on social justice: how it affects our lives, our teaching, where our opinions originated, etc. It was an interesting interview, and I should be receiving a copy of the paper soonish. It’s all anonymous, of course, but I really want to know what the some of my other classmates had to say about some of their experiences/opinions on the topic, as I think my views often differ from my peers.
In any case, she asked me (and other students, I presume) if I would mind her following me next year when I get into my student teaching and possibly my first year of teaching. I have to say, I am extremely flattered that she would find my views on social justice and teaching interesting enough to follow me, but I’m also incredibly curious about what she discovers in her research. I think it’ll be a really good experience for me, and will get me thinking about the issues. I mean, we all consider issues of social justice, but I think being part of her research will help me think about topics before they come up in my classroom, and perhaps allow me take a more proactive approach to such issues with my students.
I’m sure there will be more about this in the future, but I wanted to mention it for those who might be keeping up with the blog somewhat regularly.
9 May 2007
Semester completed…
I turned in my last final exam, yesterday – I am now, officially, a senior.
Rock on.
29 April 2007
Teaching advice from fourth graders:
As a lovely parting gift, my fourth graders put together advice they have for new teachers. Some of it is surprisingly good advice, though I loved it all. (* are next to the ones I really liked):
“Don’t give homework on Fridays.”
“Don’t YELL at your students, or they won’t like you!”
“Treat your children nicely.”
“Try to give secret words on the board so the kids can earn prizes.”
“Do funny activities with your kids.”
“Get class pets, like hamsters or snakes or fish.”*
“Do something really, really special once every month, like having a picnic outside the classroom.”*
“Pick up trash every week outside.”
“Don’t make up really stupid rules.”
“Even if they haven’t earned all the letters for a prize, maybe give them a little treat one time every two months.”*
“Learn very exciting lessons.” (by one of my ESL students)
“Have longer recess time. Like 40 minutes.”
“Make two rules that kids hate. Like not having any F-U-N.”
“Don’t let your kids make announcements.”
“Pay your kids to learn.”
“Do a funny dance once a year in front of the class.”*
“Torture your kids with a song every day.”
“Make learning F-U-N-N-Y… minus the N-Y.”
“If your students aren’t listening, threaten to hang them up by their toes.”*
“Don’t kiss your students.”
“Let your students have free time.”
“At the end of the year, take a picture with your class to remember them by.”*
“Make some puppets and let your class make an interesting play.”
“Sometimes, give homework that they will look forward to.”*
“Have a pizza party at the end of the year.”
“Give your kids jobs to do like teacher’s helper and messenger.”
“Read a book to your students.”*
“Pay attention to your kids.”*
“Give this homework: Play two video games designed by the same person, and compare them.”*
“Let your kids learn a lot.”
“Play with your kids at recess.”*
“At the end of the year, have a dance contest.”
“Tell your kids that even when it’s too hard, to never give up.”*
“The class pet should be a cockatoo.”
“Have show and tell each week.”
“Don’t let your kids go to the bathroom in the middle of class.”
“Torture your kids by talking about water when they have to go to the bathroom.”
“If kids aren’t paying attention, whack them in the head with a marker!”
I’m gonna miss these kids.
26 April 2007
A brief update:
I feel bad for not keeping things up around here, lately. School is coming to a close, and due dates are flying at me like crazy monkeys. It’s just as scary as it sounds. truly. I just finished the big project for the semester, and have a few papers to write and two take home exams to complete by the end of next week. I can do it, but goodness knows it’s been frustrating and exhausting.
I also have my student teaching information – I’ve been placed with 1st graders at the same school at which I student taught this semester. I met my teacher on Tuesday, and she seems amazing. I truly can’t wait!
I have so much more swimming around in my head, but it is late, and I’m so ready to go to bed. More soon, I promise – there is never a shortage of things to say!
Side note: I’ve been checking up on the search terms that are leading people to my journal, and it’s kind of an entertaining little mix of things, now. It used to be mostly about sex and little girls (gross times infinity!), because of my post about the sexualization of little kids. Now, people are finding me for good things – some have even searched specifically for my journal. It makes me happy. That is all.
15 April 2007
Sick… again…
So, if you read this entry, you already know a bit about my history.
And you’ll understand why I’ve caught every cold that’s come my way since I got back in the classroom – two years away from kids really does make a difference. I want my teacher immune system to pick up. I think it’s getting better, as I don’t have it nearly as bad as my boyfriend. I don’t even think this one came from my kids, but I am damned tired of getting sick.
I should check the mail… I don’t know if they’ve mailed the student teaching information, yet, but I’m dying to know where I’ll be next year. But, checking the mail requires going all the way to campus (15 minute bike ride, 5 minute drive), and I’m sick. And it’s raining. Tomorrow…
This semester is wrapping up, and I’m so excited to be that much closer to graduation. I just need to figure out where in North Carolina I want to teach. Anybody have any suggestions? I went to the education job fair on campus, and wasn’t really impressed with anywhere. I’m tempted to close my eyes and point. *sigh* Such a big decision and no real help to make it… guess I’d better spend the summer doing research so I can start sending résumés out.
I applied for a job working at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. Keep your fingers crossed for me – I’ve worked there before and it was a blast. Pay isn’t much, but I don’t care. I’d rather get paid a little less to do something I enjoy.
I do need the money, though. *sigh* When will I be salaried? I can’t wait to know how much money I’ll have month to month…
10 April 2007
Assuming the position: a little history
It’s time for a little bio…
I knew I wanted to be a teacher in high school; the decision being a result of my own education, experiences with (good and bad) teachers, and many other things. Shortly after I made this decision, my high school offered a class for people like me that involved going to a local elementary school for an hour every day. I took this class for three semesters, working with 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders – it was a great experience, and I’m fortunate that my school had the resources to offer it as an elective.
Teaching Fellows was introduced to me during high school, as well, and I applied for the highly competitive scholarship, not expecting to get it. Not only did I receive the award, which (at the time) provided $26,000 over four years to 400 recipients in North Carolina per year, but I got it for one of the most competitive schools, UNC Chapel Hill. Thus, when I graduated high school in 2001, I was kind of an elite member of the education community. I’m not saying this to make myself sound awesome – I’m often still surprised when I think about it. Mostly, I’m just giving some background.
In college, as part of the UNC Teaching Fellows program, I was in the classroom for an hour every week my freshman year, and about 3 hours a week sophomore year. Junior year, I entered the UNC School of Education, and began my professional coursework. Unfortunately, the strain of school and a job I’d taken on my sophomore year, in addition to my inner struggle with depression, anxiety disorder, and ADHD, caused me to falter toward the end of my junior year, and I dropped the semester and took two years off of school.
That two years, in many ways, would prove to be the least productive, and most boring and horrible years of my short life, to date. I did not work with children. At all. I worked two retail jobs at the mall, which sometimes meant back-to-back 12 hour days (with random 15-30 minute breaks) during Christmas. I was yelled at, broke, tired, and made to feel inferior for not being a sleazy salesperson. To put it simply, it sucked. A lot. Even when I got a better job, it still wasn’t what I wanted to do.
So I came back to school last fall, and am currently finishing up the previously dropped semester of my junior year. I’m happy to report that I’ve got, at the lowest, a B average this semester. And, while it was certainly strange to come back into the classroom (to the classes I was taking and the classes I was teaching), it felt like home. I felt like I knew what I was doing, that was where I was supposed to be. All the worries that I might not be able to do it, that I might fail, again, or not cut it in the classroom have melted away.
I find myself thinking like a teacher much more than I ever have – I dream about it, I jump out of bed in the middle of the night to jot down ideas that keep me awake, I think about teaching with (nearly) everything I do – I even blog about it.
I’m excited about teaching, again. Student teaching starts next year – I’ll have the same class all year, one full day a week in the fall and every day in the spring. I find myself anxious to find out in which grade and school I’ll be, so I can start thinking about what I’ll be teaching.
I find myself assuming the position.
And I like it.