I just realized how long it's been since I've posted on this thing! A lot has happened since the end of last school year; I just finished long-term substituting at a school in Granite school district for a teacher on maternity leave. This upcoming Monday I start a new position (as a full-time fourth grade teacher this time) at a school called Oakridge in the same district. (It is a rather long story why I am no longer working in the Salt Lake City School District, albeit it was not my choice to leave SLCSD. But I am happy where I am now & am satisfied with my surroundings and the environment of Granite.)
To make a long story short, the school I was just subbing at was a Title I school (like those I have been teaching at previously.) My new adventure comes on Monday, when I start working at a non-Title I school, in an affluent neighborhood.....in short, an east side school! I have been lamenting having to leave the wonderful 4th graders at Wilson behind; they really made me feel needed & I had plenty of behavior difficulties to deal with between two young gentlemen mainly) to keep me reasonably occupied. I also had the standard issue of many students below grade level for reading, but now as I look at the kids' scores at my new school, I am going through a bit of culture shock; there are only two kids who do not appear to be on or above reading level! I have also already noticed how much more involved parents are at this school; when I went to meet my new class on Wednesday after my last day at Wilson, there were at least as many parents there as students, & they had plenty of questions for me. It was a bit nerve-racking since in the past I have practically had to pull teeth just to have parents of students show up for a SEP conference. I was also overwhelmed with how many classroom volunteers this school has and the arts programs available to them; to be honest, my heart was aching for the underprivileged students and schools I have worked with & it made me sad. But nobody said change was easy.
On my last day at Wilson, a student composed a song for me about how I made them "shine like stars," & the full-time teacher Nikki was back, & she & the kids presented me with cards & gifts. I felt very loved & I know I will be missed there; I will certainly miss those kids! Even though they were only mine for about 2 months, we had really begun to understand & respect each other. One of the troubled young men from my classroom kept hugging me and begging me not to leave. Another student claimed her world was "over" since the best sub was leaving. I hope to see those kids again in the future; I may get lucky & go back to Wilson for a job interview at the end of the year; the administration would seemingly like to see me back there as well. :)
I was glad that my last day with the kids could be celebrated with a Read-a-Thon. They all brought blankets or pillows from home & cuddled up with buddies on the carpet. I presented each child with a small bookmark I'd made the night prior; I felt like it was an appropriate "good-bye" present. They all really loved the bookmarks & were excited to use them! Youth & innocence is so refreshing & easily pleased.
I hope I can make an indelible impression at my new school the rest of the year; I have really been able to mark growth and make changes more readily, it seems, in Title I schools, but I am willing to accept the new challenge placed before me & see where it leads me.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
One Long Day!
I don't even know how to describe my day today; it was more than hectic/crazy/emotional or anything I've quite experienced before. It may have partially been attributed to the weather; the students are just itching to have an outdoor recess again & the cold , inclement weather has made that an impossibility for them. They get really antsy and start misbehaving as a result though. They were hardly listening the entire school day, & then two students who were absent for the fractions intro yesterday tried to act like they already understood exactly what we were talking about today.
This morning I had an upset parent call the school counselor & insisting that I get her daughter referred to Special Ed because she thinks her daughter has dyslexia. She won't listen to reason either, because a student with dyslexia would not be able to read 89 words a minute with 99% accuracy. But anyway............it is always interesting to me that parents seek to blame others (their teachers) for deficits or flaws in a child's learning, when it may very well be the fault of the parents for not reading with them or doing homework at home. That same parent, might I add, sent her child to school without brushing her teeth, & I gagged every time she came to talk to me or ask me something in class. How thankful I was that the school counselor gave her a spare toothbrush & toothpaste.
The mother of a MIA student (he has been in Mexico with his sisters since before Christmas Break) came to inform me that he is not doing well, & while she wishes for him to return, the doctors are concerned about him traveling, because he has low brain fluid (which will affect his health and his learning.) She was very stressed out about the whole situation.
One student who has ADD, and I suspect a touch of ODD, (because he becomes very defiant every time I catch him doing something he should not be doing) began a new behavior contract today. I was very hopeful about it, but he did not really do that well with it, which was discouraging. I am trying to find a way to help him be successful and make the most of his education.
Then, I have this student who has reported physical abuse various times now, & DCFS finally came & interviewed him at the school today. Well, he was a mess after that, & didn't want to come back into class & have students looking at him. I squatted down in the hallway on his level, & talked to him, trying to reassure him he did the right thing in reporting the abuse. Poor thing! He really felt bad for "getting his dad in trouble" (even though it is a risk for him in his life right now.) He stayed glued to my side pretty much the rest of the day, venting about various things and writing his feelings out. That was very heart-wrenching and bewildering to read; he's only a 10 year old!
Probably one of the worst things is that by the end of the day, I was so emotionally exhausted that I was set off by every little thing my students were doing. I felt bad later, but I was mostly upset with them & expressed that at the end of the math block very bluntly. I know they will forgive me though, & tomorrow is a new day.....thank heavens!
This morning I had an upset parent call the school counselor & insisting that I get her daughter referred to Special Ed because she thinks her daughter has dyslexia. She won't listen to reason either, because a student with dyslexia would not be able to read 89 words a minute with 99% accuracy. But anyway............it is always interesting to me that parents seek to blame others (their teachers) for deficits or flaws in a child's learning, when it may very well be the fault of the parents for not reading with them or doing homework at home. That same parent, might I add, sent her child to school without brushing her teeth, & I gagged every time she came to talk to me or ask me something in class. How thankful I was that the school counselor gave her a spare toothbrush & toothpaste.
The mother of a MIA student (he has been in Mexico with his sisters since before Christmas Break) came to inform me that he is not doing well, & while she wishes for him to return, the doctors are concerned about him traveling, because he has low brain fluid (which will affect his health and his learning.) She was very stressed out about the whole situation.
One student who has ADD, and I suspect a touch of ODD, (because he becomes very defiant every time I catch him doing something he should not be doing) began a new behavior contract today. I was very hopeful about it, but he did not really do that well with it, which was discouraging. I am trying to find a way to help him be successful and make the most of his education.
Then, I have this student who has reported physical abuse various times now, & DCFS finally came & interviewed him at the school today. Well, he was a mess after that, & didn't want to come back into class & have students looking at him. I squatted down in the hallway on his level, & talked to him, trying to reassure him he did the right thing in reporting the abuse. Poor thing! He really felt bad for "getting his dad in trouble" (even though it is a risk for him in his life right now.) He stayed glued to my side pretty much the rest of the day, venting about various things and writing his feelings out. That was very heart-wrenching and bewildering to read; he's only a 10 year old!
Probably one of the worst things is that by the end of the day, I was so emotionally exhausted that I was set off by every little thing my students were doing. I felt bad later, but I was mostly upset with them & expressed that at the end of the math block very bluntly. I know they will forgive me though, & tomorrow is a new day.....thank heavens!
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