Kids Will Be Kids

Friday August 28, 2009

So I started teaching kids in a real school, as a REAL teacher on Wednesday. I am working at Tisdale Elementary, where we teach grades k-8. I am a 7th grade math teacher, and I have about 75 students total. I teach four classes a day, with one or two prep periods, and then all kinds of other things thrown in the mix.

Tisdale is in an urban setting, technically speaking. It is in the lower percentile rate for statewide testing, which blows my mind because really, my kids are pretty bright for the most part. They have simply been left behind the norm for where 7th grade math should be (and English, and Science...)

Day one was interesting. I ended up having my homeroom for about three periods because the bell/announcement was not made to switch periods. The first day of school is always going to be slightly hectic, especially with this only being the second year that my school has 7th and 8th graders in the building. Our students need a lot of structure in their life. They simply have not been exposed to it growing up. I have a friend (different school and district, same situation) who saw one of her students out at about midnight one night last year. She asked him why in the world he is still out, that he should be in bed by now. His response was that he couldn't go home because his mom had her boyfriend over.

Please don't take this the wrong way - I don't want people to think that this is the norm. Unfortunately, the fact is that many of my students have had several hardships in their lives. This doesn't mean that it is always mom or dad's fault, but obviously life doesn't go as planned.

Regardless of their troublesome behavior in class, these kids are a blessing. I pray for them every night, that they are asleep in bed, at home with family, and that they've had a good meal for dinner. Please do the same!

So I have my own classroom (which sounds odd, but several of my Teach for America colleagues do not - they have to roam from room to room). I have been working really hard to make it an inviting atmosphere, where the kids can come in and talk to me and know that they are in a safe place. I have also only begun to set the tone for the year. These kids are TOUGH to deal with - especially after lunch. I have several specific rules that they must follow in class, including 3 zones of noise - 1 being silent, 2 being speaking quietly with a partner, and 3 being 'inside voices.' With several of them, it needs to stay in zone 1 until they get the point! I have been blessed to have three amazing other teachers on the 7th grade team with me at Tisdale, and we have worked together to develop a consistent system with them. In order to maximize their learning time, and behavioral skills, we walk them from class to class, in straight silent lines - well, not always straight, and lets face it, not always silent. But the best part is I am only three days in, and it's the little rewards that go a LONG WAY for me. I get smiles from kids every day, and I get hugs from students I sometimes don't even know! AND IT'S ONLY THREE DAYS IN!

The planning of the lessons and the daily routines have not quite come so easy as of yet. Getting up every day is still a challenge, and then I am so tired at night that I plop down when I get home and sigh. But it is so worth it.

Ryan and I get keys to our own apartment this weekend and we will move in on Tuesday (FINALLY!) We've been very thankful for our friends Ben and Jared who are so kindly letting us be squatters in their home, on their futon...for almost a month...yea, about that - we owe them big time! We are so happy to finally be getting settled!

Love to you all!

Em