Work Day 1

I have a feeling my blog posts are going to become a rare commodity very, very soon.

I already knew I had so much to do. But being at school today, looking at my unorganized room, and realizing how badly I want my students to learn and love my class, it hit me that I will never, ever be done. Lessons could always get better, activities could always be more challenging, and posters could always be neater. But this next week, these next months, these next two years and hopefully beyond are really going to challenge all of the lessons I have claimed to learn in college.

I’ve referenced it already in my blog, but one of the ways I’ve seen growth and God’s hand in my life is realizing how far I’ve come from being a relentless perfectionist. I still expect nothing but hard work from myself, but I’ve learned to relax, roll with the punches, and accept my state as a mere human in ways that I never could before. But as I think ahead to the challenge that lays before me, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll forget everything I’ve learned and revert back to “the old me”. I can see how easy it will be, and already is, to get consumed by the “it-can-always-be-better” syndrome. And now, the stakes are higher. My failure means student failure, which is unfair. Plain and simple. These kids deserve the best. The challenge is figuring out what that means, and how to deliver it to them in a way that they are filled with wonder, excitement, and amazement at the power of mathematics. And my personal challenge is to work hard, but not to get too lost in fancy activities or resources. I want to teach these kids, love these kids, and do it all the only way possible: through the strength of God.

Here’s an excerpt from my “Big Goal” for my 7^th grade “Pre-Algebra” class (I decided to call it pre-algebra to emphasize its importance for moving on to Algebra):

“Middle schoolers often enter a math classroom with the same question in mind: “When will I ever use this stuff in real life?” Instead of discouraging this question, I will use it as the perfect starting point for an inquiry-based exploration of the pre-algebra curriculum. In Room A410, we will develop a mindset that math is essential to everyday life, and we will begin to make connections outside of the classroom. We will explore the many ways we already use math everyday, and throughout the course, we will be asking, ‘Where else can I find math in my life?’”

It’s a tall order, I know. Get kids excited about math and still teach meaningful, aligned lessons? Welcome to the world of teaching. We do have a few tools to help us, though. Our school received a $2 million grant to use over the next 3 years, I think because of its status as a low income school and because of its performance. This year, they’re installing brand new SmartBoards to help faciliate a smooth transition into the technology world. We received an extra surprise today: each of us left with a flip camera to use in our classrooms and with our SmartBoards! However, I am terrified that I am becoming apart of a generation that will soon be behind the 8 ball on the newest technological advances, and I may for the first time understand how my parents feel when they are trying to master a new technological device that I could easily master. Gulp.

Last story for the day. We had opening ceremonies at a local middle school this morning with the whole district, and because we finished early we had a long lunch break. During that time, my roommates and I, along with a handful of other teachers, ran over to the local Staples to take advantages of some of the weekly specials: 1 cent notebooks (up to 25 if you are a teacher) with a $5 purchase and 1 cent reams of printer paper after a rebate (which was all really free to me--thanks to a gift card from Donna & Buddy!!). While we were shopping, we ran into our sweet elderly neighbor Marge. Marge has already delivered sweets and gathered up a huge box of office supplies for us, and when she heard we were school supply shopping for our classes today, she bought us 50 notebooks, 12 composition notebooks, and a set of sharpies, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, and scissors for each of us--PLUS she gave us each $5 to spend while we were shopping. Marge is our guardian angel.

The rest of the week will be spent in meetings, with maybe a little bit of time to set up our classrooms. Next week, we have workday Monday, an all-day open house Tuesday, and then the kiddos arrive on Wednesday. So. Much. To. Do.

I was very grateful for a fun two days in Charlotte with good friends this weekend. It was a great way to reenergize and it was so nice to have some fellowship and be with people I'm comfortable with. I love my TFA friends, but there really is nothing like old friends. I'm looking forward to my first visit home to see neighbors, friends, and family. But in the mean time, you can find me closing the achievement gap.

Peace, love, and happiness.

Oh and PS. I just had to use a screwdriver and all of my balance to change our outside light bulb while standing on a bar stool and stretching my arms as much as possible. I am woman, hear me roar.