Donna's on a roll

• Learn to expect to meltdown and try to do so without hurting those around you.
  Still do life-giving things, just shorter (play pac-man for 5 minutes between reading assignments instead of 30 minutes)
• Learn Eat healthy and cheap - nutrition!
• You won’t sleep as much - period.
• During the most intense times, ask of friends to work with you to being with them and protecting your time. We need a carrot – what will motivate me (even if it’s silly)
• Reframing life experiences– look for joy. Reflect.
• Learn to set boundaries, try, try and try again.

Donna on a roll

Learn to expect to meltdown
Still do life-giving things, just less
Learn Eat healthy and cheap
You won’t sleep
During the most intense times, explain and ask of friends to work with you. We need a carrot – what will motivate me (even if it’s silly)
Reframing – look for joy. Reflect
Learn to set boundaries

Donna on a roll

Learn to expect to meltdown
Still do life-giving things, just less
Learn Eat healthy and cheap
You won’t sleep
During the most intense times, explain and ask of friends to work with you. We need a carrot – what will motivate me (even if it’s silly)
Reframing – look for joy. Reflect
Learn to set boundaries

Donna on a roll

Learn to expect to meltdown
Still do life-giving things, just less
Learn Eat healthy and cheap
You won’t sleep
During the most intense times, explain and ask of friends to work with you. We need a carrot – what will motivate me (even if it’s silly)
Reframing – look for joy. Reflect
Learn to set boundaries

Pride and Posession

I thought I would get straight A's on my first day being observed. I know what I'm doing and I set good boundaries, I thought. The fact that my mentor teacher was gone didn't bother me. I would need the added challenge for things to seem even remotely challenging. I'm good.

and then came the fall.

It seemed like a set-up.

My observation was at the end of the day, and I'd scheduled it that way on purpose (my third class of teaching Spanish I). How could I go wrong?

Oooo so many ways. And I really believe there was some kind of evil conspiracy, maybe a possession of some of the class's students.

First of all, there were the tardies. The room seemed fairly empty as the bell rang. I said "Buenas tardes" and everyone responded back with more enthusiasm than any of the previous classes. We were off to a great . . . Wait, what's going on? Why are all of those kids coming in late? I've already started explaining, and they're coming and why don't some of them have tardy slips. I'm just not going to notice. Maybe there is some explanation. I'm saying important things that I can't interrupt. One girls is so disruptive - yes, another girl is in her seat but she shouldn't end up disrupting the whole class. She continues to be a problem through the rest of the class period. Even though I go stand by her and even take time from the rest of the class to ask her what we can do so she will stop talking.

"Where is Sr. Benetti? Why were you gone last week?" I start explanations but not everyone is listening. K. is so excited and he is raising his hand and then talking and . . . There's talking and more talking and . . .. The lovely substitute teacher is taking attendance and has to ask three times for there to be quiet. When she's done, I stop the class to point out the unacceptable behavior of talking. They get quiet for a bit.

Problem: I don't follow through with what I've asked for (no talking). Students do not have the right to take away others' opportunity to learn.

Several kids around the room took turns talking out for a variety of reasons. I start putting out fires while teaching the warm-up. One girl admits to being hyper and I sypathize but hold the line. She is quiet for the rest of the period. Yes! I do move one boy. It wasn't just him talking and I let him know that he is moving to help them and thanks. =) He does move. K. is talking again - "But I'm talking about Spanish Srta. White!" I really think the presence of my observer was a huge motivation to remain non-violent (I didn't even use sarcasm!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Quiet reminders over and over and over until I am sick of talking quietly and am worn out.

Poised at least on the outside. That was one of several positive things I did. It was the shock of not managing the class that ruined the class, in my mind.

R.'s mouth is going. "R. raise your hand if you want to talk." Her hand is up. I am asking several people questions but don't know who is who so I get a little lost in the classrroom and start to feel dizzy. Wait, it's nausea. Uh oh. I think I can I think I can I think I can. Keep focussed. Only 11 minutes left.

I could not trust them to actually track with me and respect each other so I skip that activity and go straight to partners. I explain things well, but they needed the papers in front before I explained. Even so, I enjoyed my chats with the groups and they did seem like they were trying. R is really quite smart at Spanish; smart and loud. She and C both admit to having a hard time not talking. I did balance my time and even have some time for a short ending activity. I was drained and weak. Should have slept more, not have cafffeine late at night, ate more at lunch, stopped and waited for the quiet I needed.

Ask for what you need and follow through. I need to observe the classroom.

"It was a good first observation" my supervisor said. I did do more right than wrong but at the end of the day I understand why more teachers leave the profession due to problems with classroom discipline than any other reason.

Goals:
Enforce tardy policy.
Get out into other classrooms to see more tools for keeping/maintaining order.
Be specific about the environment needed (silence or some talking or all eyes on/by me).
Be consistent - wait for silence in order to continue.

First Day of School

I didn't sleep last night - maybe it was a whole clove or garlic which I ate with some chicken, maybe it was the worry I was chewing on all night. How do we trust God when our bodies seem in a cycle of worry? I guess more than trust, I just wanted rest. Rest is opposed to worry, though, isn't it.
So similar to my second day of grad school after my first sleepless night, I brought a bottle of soda water to sip on and headed off to the unknown.
Seeing the kids buoyed my spirits. This is one of the reasons I feel like teaching is the right way for me to be heading now. I arrived early and met a next-door teacher, the German teacher who started the German program at Newberg High. She is also the department chair. Good to know.
And I re-met my mentor teacher. He had a schedule of the day (seminars in the morning and then 10 minute class periods in the afternoon) for me and is really laid back but prepared. We went on duty for crowd control at the Senior assembly, then the Junior assembly. I asked a bunch of questions and his frank observations of the assembly broke the ice. He kept asking me what questions I had and we would take time to go over things I've been storing up in my mind during the last week and months.
School-wide discipline policy? Not really.
Parking stickers? check
Daily schedule? check. We have a good schedule: 1st period Spanish 1, 2nd period spanish 2, 3rd period Prep, 4th period Spanish 1, Lunch for us, 5th period Spanish 1
Perod length? 72 minutes "it is long"
Class size? 34 to 39 registered so far
Desks in class? 39
Many native spanish speakers in class? no
My interactions with native Spanish and a native Vietnamiese girl (Le Lien) have gone very well. I might have expected them to be intimidating, but they are doing well. I also had a short but good talk with to special ed kids waiting in line for pictures. They were confused, admitedly and seemed open to talking with me. From a brief conversation with my MT, I knew Ana when her friends sang happy birthday to her and went to talk with her. Good discussion and connection. I started speaking English with another girl, then when her friends were prompting her to say yes, I was able to switch to spanish. I hope she knew I was joking. Her friends didn't seem to know what to make of a lady in a suit joking with them.
The suit seemed to help several adults introduce themselves as well. Maybe their are just friendly.
And I met some parents: Sandra Fish, Jim Flemming, Carla Anderson who were helping out with the Freshman (sophomore?) barbeque.
I've heard it said that this is Freshman class has a good repulations, just ask the English teachers.
I saw about 15 youth I already know: Jay, Glen, Les, McKennen, Amy, others from Surfside, Ben.
I am borrowing Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 teacher editions from one of the 4.5 Spanish teachers. The new teacher teaches Spanish and French.
We discussed when I might be able to start teaching classes and what that might look like.
Had lunch in the literacy lab and made Boise connections. More questions and information
Timothy already knows Arabic (4th Period) and says he will be "hard to teach" which could be true if he continues to talk like he did. But he is friendly.
I will not wear my first day shoes again until my toes stop hurting. My goal to look older, or at least not a student, was accomplished and affirmed in my first adult conversation of the day. "I thought you were probably not a student because of how you dressed." check

on Spelling

"It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word." President Andrew Jackson