Moroccobama

Student: "Miss H, have you heard of couscous?"

Me: "Yes, it's kind of like a special type of rice. It's from the country Morocco. Do you know about Morocco?"

Student: "Like Obama?"

Me: "No. That's Barack Obama."

Student 2: "Oh I know! Those little things you shake that make noise!"

Me: "No, hon. Those are maracas. Morocco is a country in Africa."

Oh, the things these children say. The best part: they've spent half the year studying Africa in Social Studies.

Over the Moon

I am, just as the title says, over the moon. I just finished testing my 4th period for their third and final benchmark before the EOG, and what I saw was absolutely fantastic. It would have brought tears to my eyes, but I decided I wasn't quite ready for my kids to see me that vulnerable--maybe when they pass the EOG. Nevertheless, it was sheer beauty.

Let me give you some background. As I may have mentioned before, our county is in desperate times right now. The state has pretty much told us it's "now or never" in regards to raising our test scores, the "never" part meaning our principal and many staff members would be out of jobs. Our last benchmark testing period, my classes grew on average less than two points--not nearly enough to get them where they need to be or show the state that I'm doing my job. I was really disappointed, but decided that this time around, I would create a hype around the test so that the kids would feel ready for it, even if there were some learning gaps. After all, the mental part is half the battle, right?

I've been nurturing this idea of my 7th graders as "butt-kickers" for a couple of weeks now. We've learned butt-kicking strategies to increase our scores without even doing any extra math (process of elimination, plugging in our answer choices, etc.), and spent hours practicing EOG problems under the guise of getting our "butt-kicking license". I will admit my fourth period was by far the most invested in the idea. They came to class asking to do some butt-kicking (which really meant they were asking for EOG problems--what?!). Students who missed part of a class period for picture day were expressing disappointment at not getting their BKL (butt-kicking license). They were proud of their hard work because someone was finally praising them as the best at something, rather than the honors class. And truthfully, they were by far the best "butt-kickers". Needless to say, I've been so excited for this class in particular to take their benchmarks, so they could finally see all their hard work paying off. I had them set goals, write them on an index card, and keep them out during the test so they knew what they were shooting for. There is, of course, the inevitable seed of doubt that crept into my mind, and the fear that if they don't do as well as they hoped that they would totally lose faith in all that we've been doing. I wasn't doubting the kids, necessarily; I was more worried about whether or not I've taught them enough to succeed on this test.

As we filed into the computer lab this morning, the realization set in that this was it; it was now or never for these kids, and for the amount of trust I had gained from them. I had played the song "World's Greatest" as they walked into my classroom, which had mistakenly gotten them a little too enthusiastic about the test and cause quite a bit of chaos as they tried to find computers. I started barking orders at kids, fussing at them, and running around like a crazy woman--not the kind of model they needed right before such an important test.

And then, it happened. All of a sudden, a hush fell over the room, and every student was working furiously on their test. I forgot to pass out their goal cards, and a student reminded me by writing her goal at the top of her scratch paper and holding it up for me to see. I was waiting, just waiting, for the first person to finish, for a little bit of reassurance that they could do it, that we could do it. And there was the first hand--S.W., with her friend C.M. waving me over frantically. "MISS H! S. is done, and she did really good!" S.W. is the lowest math student I teach--she's 15 and in the 7th grade--and I'll admit I was a little afraid to see her score. But lo and behold, she had done it--not only had she reached the goal she set herself, she passed it! While she's still not on 7th grade level, she's 10 points closer than she was last time. And here's the best part: I had made a poster for my students to sign if they met their goal and/or met the 7th grade goal. When S.W. went up to sign the poster first, the class started clapping! To see them being supportive of each other and motivated by one another was what I honestly imagine is every teacher's dream.

The rest of the students began to follow, and with each goal met, I did a little victory dance at the front of the room and had the successful student sign the poster. Before long, everyone was itching to get their name on the poster, and they knew that meant working harder, not faster. It took over 2 hours, but by the time the last students finished, I had 17 names on my poster. And the growth they made was significant. It wasn't just one or two points. Some had as many as 12 points growth. I couldn't even stand it; I was dancing and cheering and jumping.

The best part was seeing how genuinely excited the kids were. They bounced in their seats as they waved me over when they knew they reached their goal. They hyped it up by covering their score with their hands and revealing it to me in true "Ta da!" fashion when I ran excitedly their way. They fist-pumped their way to the poster and signed their names proudly. They told their friends, their teachers, and I'm certain their parents. There was such a sense of accomplishment and pride in the room that I was ready to burst, and so were they.

At lunch that afternoon, my homeroom called me over and one girl asked, "Miss H, when are we going to take our test? I'm ready to kick some butt!" The excitement is contagious, and that only makes my job easier.

Now that I've practically written a book....let's let a picture give you even a tiny bit of an idea of the excitement:

Thanks for following, and thanks for believing in me and my kids. We're on our way!

Raining on Sunday

Sundays are the worst. It’s always hard to leave home to head back to Roanoke Rapids when I’ve had a nice weekend away. Even a short weekend, like this one. I was in town for less than 24 hours to celebrate an approaching wedding (not mine, don’t worry) with good friends, and it’s just as hard as when I’ve had a full weekend to enjoy my family and friends’ company. This strange feeling sets in, a delicate mixture of uneasiness, discomfort, and dread that always disappears by Monday around 9:00, after I’ve survived my first class of the week. But that hour and a half drive back to my “home” in North Carolina is the worst hour and a half of the weekend, and maybe even the week (depending on how my classes behave—sometimes they claim that title).

The truth is, I’ve never been more sure throughout this whole experience that this is where I am supposed to be right now. In fact, a phone call with a good friend yesterday brought me to that conclusion. I feel very much like I am in God’s will, that this is what He called me to do, and that no matter where I thought I’d be a year ago, this was His plan all along. But it doesn’t erase the fact that life is so much more enjoyable, relaxing, and easier at home. I feel loved, taken care of, and very much like myself. I won’t depress you by telling you how I feel when I’m in Roanoke Rapids and Enfield, but let’s just say it’s not quite those things. Thus this rainy Sunday seems to fit my mood, and I am hoping that reflecting on this past week at school will give me the motivation I need to get ready for this one.

This past week was surprisingly good. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I took a day off two Fridays ago, partly as a sick day and partly as a mental health day. I had had a really rough week with the kids, feeling walked all over and like I had absolutely no control, no motivation, and no passion. My TFA advisor strongly suggested I take a day off in the middle of the week, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have time to come up with a sub plan, I didn’t feel right about losing an instructional day, and I didn’t want to have a day off only to have to come back for two more days that week. But by Friday, it was a necessity. And perfectly timed, as I was giving a quiz in class anyways, so I wouldn’t lose any instructional time. So Friday morning, I called in sick, did some stuff around the house, took care of some responsibilities, and headed to Richmond for an impromptu weekend home. My parents were generous enough to take care of me, and I gained back the energy and purpose I had been lacking the week before.

Monday through Wednesday of last week were so great. I went into school with a better attitude, having had some much needed rest and time to plan ahead. My kids were really well behaved for the most part, and we got a lot done. I even got (most of) them excited about doing EOG practice problems by calling it “EOG Butt-Kicking” and calling them “Certified Butt Kickers” when they earned stickers for problems they completed correctly. I lost them a bit Thursday and Friday, especially after 2 cafeteria fights and picture day, but I left school on Friday feeling pretty good about the week, especially compared to the previous one. I’ve learned it’s just as much about my attitude and my modeling as anything else.

I’ll admit, I’m a little terrified for this week. We have benchmark testing, which in and of itself isn’t enough to scare me. In fact, it even excites me a bit. I truly think I’ve invested at least one of my classes in the idea of reaching their goals for this test, and I’m excited to see how much they’ve grown since the last time they took the test. But testing week also comes with its share of snags and inevitable schedule changes. While it requires one less day of lesson planning, it also calls for quite a bit of “just in case” preparation, as it’s possible that I’ll have one or more of my classes for longer than expected, with no warning and no idea when I’ll get to get rid of them.

The best part: next week I have 2 days off for a middle school conference in Greensboro, so I’ll only have 3 days with the kids. I guess it’s still technically “work”, but I typically love conferences, I love hotels, and I may get to see a good college friend while I’m in town. All I have to do is make it through this week…..