Weekly Journal 8/26/13 8/30/13 All week, Ive had people telling me how glad they are to have

e me back in Byron. I always respond by telling them how good it is to be back but inside Im telling myself not to mess this one up. My biggest challenge this semester will be getting rid of the ghosts from last fall. I proved to myself last spring as a substitute that I can do this. The advantages of having been here for a couple of months already are endless. I know the staff, I know some of the kids, I know how to navigate Infinite Campus and the school website, and I know the daily routine. Most significantly, I know exactly how important it is to plan a tentative schedule before a class starts Ive worked like crazy this week, and I feel much more prepared than I did diving in last spring. It was fun, too, almost like a puzzle. I knew which pieces I needed to fit in (grammar, vocab, reading, writing) and how I wanted to do them, so then it was just a matter of laying it all out day-by-day with the district calendar on hand. Im set up in Stacys room for first quarter, since Ill be working with her classes, and weve had a lot of good discussions this week. Shes worried about the tech push and using the iPads this year, so Im hoping to be able to help with some of that. Im working on setting up a Moodle page for the class Im leading and I anticipate doing the same for more classes throughout the year the English department isnt quite up to par on that yet. Stacy and I also had an excellent conversation about grammar instruction, and it was good to know that were on the same page. Grammar cant be taught like it always was, because it doesnt stick. It needs to be taught in short segments and in conjunction with writing so that there is immediate application (this is actually research-based; I have the college textbooks to prove it). Last spring, I assigned grammar minilessons to my 9th graders and had them present the information and guide their classmates through some practice exercises. It worked well enough that Ive tweaked the assignment slightly and am going to do it again with my 10A class this fall.

Stacy and I also talked about citations and EasyBib, and agreed that wed rather our students spend their time working on their papers. One of the other English teachers is very much against EasyBib and has his students generate their citations by hand. I see his point citations are important, and EasyBib wasnt very reliable when it first came out. But I used EasyBib all through college and nobody ever questioned me. I think the point of citing ones sources is to give credit where credit is due, and if theres a shortcut, I dont see any reason not to take it. I guess its a matter of choosing our battles. I would rather have my students spending an extra ten minutes working on their essays. I got my school-issued laptop and iPad on Friday and have had a blast playing around with them. I know how crazy things are about to get, so Ive taken some time to log in to all the apps and set up my bookmarks and such. Im looking forward to integrating some new tech into my classes throughout the year. Im also looking forward to pulling out some of my knowledge about working with ELs, since we have a Turkish girl coming in this year and shell be in my 10A class. Overall, Im more excited for Tuesday than I am nervous. This is going to be a great year!

Weekly Journal 9/3/13 9/6/13 My first week was a blast its so good to be back in a routine! Ive found that when Im focused on someone other than myself (like my students), Im a much happier person. On Tuesday, just before my fourth block class, I told Stacy how I was still nervous about having colleagues watch me teach because of my past experience with observations. I know everyone here wants me to be successful and is focused on helping me in any way they can, but it still makes me feel uneasy. Ten minutes into my class, Mike Duffy walked in and sat down for a quick observation go figure! It was fine, though, and I got a note the next day thanking me for letting him come in and letting me know hes happy to help with anything I might need. Turns out he observed quite a few teachers

that first day, but it was especially helpful for me. Nothing like the principal coming in to get me over that hurdle! We had a staff meeting Thursday morning to hear more from our new Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. I tried taking notes on our new note-taking app, Notability, just to get a feel for it. I like it! The app allows you to type or handwrite notes right on your iPad, organize by subject (I used it on Friday, too, when I informally observed some of the other teachers during my prep), and export them to Google Drive or Dropbox. Ive been exploring as many apps as I can during these first few weeks so I can keep up with my students. Overall, the week went well. This years sophomores, however, are really immature and by Friday afternoon, they were so ready to be done. It took us an hour to get through my 20-minute grammar mini lesson. My only hard and fast rule in my classroom is respect, and they were not respecting me or their classmates. So I told them that Im not getting paid to be here this year, and that Im here because I want to be here, because I love this job most of the time. And then there are days like Friday. I usually stay at school until 4 or 5, but I knew I had to book it out of there on Friday. I fully intend to begin class with a genuine smile this afternoon, but I had to take some time for myself before I knew I would be able to face those kids again today. About half of my class are kids I had last spring. They pushed then, but not during the first week. This could be a long quarter maybe its a good thing I only have the one class full-time! Im looking forward to our seminar on Wednesday.

Weekly Journal 9/9/13 9/13/13 The first full week at Byron was a long one. It got harder and harder to drag myself out of bed each morning Ive been trying to work ahead as much as possible, but I need to figure out where to

draw the line. It wont do me any good to save myself the work later if it still wears me out now. When Im tired, my allergies start to take over my life, and I had the sniffles on Friday. Time to slow down! Wednesday was picture day. The last time I had picture day on September 11th was in 2001, when things were actually happening. I was in 6th grade, and all I remember thinking when I had my picture taken is You really expect me to smile right now? Since we had seminar Wednesday afternoon, Stacy took my sophomores. One of the readings in the curriculum for 10A is an essay entitled A Hole in the Wall, and it deals with the hole left in our nations heart after 9/11. I had Stacy read the story with them, and then she did a writing activity that she does with sophomores when she has them. She calls it My Hole in the Wall, and students are supposed to write about something that has changed them so deeply that they will never be the same. Stacy lost her dad when she was in high school, so she uses that as her example. The writings that were in the basket when I got back to school on Thursday were intense. I spent most of first hour reading them and wanting to cry my heart out for those kids. I knew I had to come up with a way to respond to them in a way they would hear, so I found a quiet place during second hour and wrote my own Hole in the Wall piece. It took me about 35 minutes to scribble out 8 pages, and it just flowed that was how I knew Id chosen the right way to respond. One thing the author of A Hole in the Wall emphasizes is writing as a means of coping, and thats what this assignment was for me and what I hope it was for my students. I read my essay to them Thursday afternoon, and for the first time since they walked into that room on the first day of class, they were absolutely silent. I teach because I believe life is all about human connections. I teach literature because reading and writing connect us to others across time and space. On Thursday afternoon, I felt like I was starting to make a connection to every single kid in my classroom.

I used to write all the time when I was in high school, but I dont do it enough anymore. I think Im going to write my own examples for every writing assignment I have my students complete; not only will it be a good outlet for me, but it will also allow me to continue strengthening those relationships.

Weekly Journal 9/16/13 9/20/13 My second full week with the sophomores was even more challenging than the first. If their behavior continues to escalate like this for the rest of the quarter well, Im in trouble! They continue to do poorly on quizzes and tests (class averages around a D), and I suspect its because of all the chatting. Of course, my immediate reaction when they do so poorly on things is to think that it could be me and look at what I can do differently; with this group, though, I dont think its me. The entire English department, in fact, has told me that its not me. Even so, something is definitely not working in that classroom! I have resolved to simply keep trying new things until we hit something that works in terms of behavior management. Per Stacys suggestion, I implemented a two-warning scale this week. Each student gets two free reminder warnings each day. If they reach a third warning, I have a little chat with them out in the hallway. If they reach four in one day, they get to visit Mr. Linbo and I get to call home. Two students already got pulled out into the hallway on Friday. The first thing I said to them is that I wasnt mad; I just knew that something wasnt working, and we needed to figure out a way to fix it. I made it very clear to them that being the bad guy is the one part of my job that I really hate, and that I was willing to work with them to try to change something. Well see how next week goes. On the other hand, I have had really GOOD moments with two of my kiddos, both of whom I worked with last spring. I had a heart-to-heart before school on Friday with one of my girls who struggles with depression and anxiety like I do. She told me she just cant focus; I told her how my

parents would read to me out of my AP PoliSci book while I followed along because I couldnt do it on my own. I made it very clear to her that I am there for her, no matter what or when. I told her to come in any time she needs to start her day off with a hug, even if she doesnt want to say anything, and she said she might just take me up on that. I hope she does. Another student who has had a lot of trouble focusing and getting assignments done was in with me all of 3rd block on Friday. He came to me Thursday and asked if we could work on his paper, so we did; the change in this kid absolutely blew me away. I dont know if theyre trying new meds or if there is more structure at home, but something is working! Not only was his rough draft longer than it needed to be, but it was also incredibly well-written. The grammar was atrocious, so I knew he actually wrote it, but the content was really good. I made sure to praise him up and down, and we nitpicked all the little things together. If he continues to work like this, he could become an A student. Together, the good and the bad moments from this week were a little overwhelming. Teaching is such an emotional rollercoaster, and when the highest and lowest moments come in the same day, its exhausting!

Weekly Journal 9/23/13 9/27/13 Last week was a LONG week. Stacy, Jen, and I all felt it by Thursday, Jen was making a second pot of coffee after lunch. I caught a cold, so my brain was a little fuzzy, and with conferences coming up on Oct. 7, this point in the quarter is rough. Thursday afternoon, Stacy did my first formal observation. I videotaped the whole class period on my iPad, and Im glad I did; I needed to go back and process that afternoon objectively once Id gotten some sleep. I wasnt feeling well, I was exhausted, and my sophomores chose that day to be offthe-charts disrespectful. I ended up scrapping most of my well-planned lesson because it just wasnt

going to work that day. It took us way too long to get through the grammar piece for the day, so by the time we started the compare/contrast activity, we were already behind. I held it together while the kids were in the room, and even for a while after school, but when I met Stacy in the hallway, I fell apart. I wasnt hurt personally (Ive learned to distance myself), but I was so overwhelmed with frustration and concern for these kids futures that I lost it. I cried a good part of the way home. After a good nights sleep, I walked back into school with a smile on Friday morning. Stacy had told on me Jen gave me a good pep talk, and Jeff Elstad came down to encourage me, too. I knew I couldnt BE Jen or Stacy when my sophomores walked back into my room, so I took some time during prep that morning to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. What ended up feeling right for me was a two-part response: I took away their talking privileges until they can earn them back, and I gave them an elaborate in-class writing assignment that addressed respect and compassion. I know I cant make the kids feel what I feel, but I hope I can start to open their eyes a little to the fact that the world is so much bigger than their privileged lives. I think there is something to be said for explicitly teaching these kids how to be good people; like Jeff said at our pre-school workshop, that is our number one goal as educators. One of the only things that truly makes me mad is a closed mind, and I have far too many of them in my fourth block class.

Weekly Journal 9/30/13 10/4/13 Wednesday was a crazy day! This week was homecoming week in Byron, so our routine was thoroughly messed up anyway, but Wednesday was an amended day (early release) for staff and students. Half way through my shortened hour with my sophomores, Mr. Duffy walked in with a camera crew that was the end of that class! Stacy had been nominated as a KAAL Excellent Educator, so they did a short interview and wanted to get some shots of her teaching. Since it was 4th block, they were

lucky she was even in the room; she usually finds a quiet place to work while Im teaching. As it was, though, she was working intently at her desk and had no idea what I was doing with the kids. It was hilarious to watch her try and make sense of it all! (Ill show the guys on Wednesday, but since you wont be with us, check it out here: http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3179667.shtml?cat=10794) When the students left, we had a short district-wide meeting, then broke into PLC groups to identify PLC action plans for the school year. Our ELA PLC was already scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, so we did double duty. There has been a lot of pushback against our new Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and her expectations of us. Several members of our group are extremely frustrated with a lack of communication among the administration, including the CIA director. There were a lot of set jaws and raised eyebrows in the room before she walked in; once she joined us, it was all over. I could tell Jen and Stacy (and several others) were focusing all their energy on not saying anything they would regret. Although this kind of staff interaction is unfortunate, it can be beneficial if it pushes us toward working things out. Im bummed that Im going to miss so much PLC time for seminars, because our major task right now is realigning the curriculum to the 2010 standards, and thats an area where I feel like I can help. Ive only ever worked with the new standards, and Im confident about the academic language piece, which is new to the rest of the department. Whether Im there or not, Ill do my best to support the team on this since theyre all so great about supporting me in everything else.

Weekly Journal 10/7/13 10/11/13 Its been another crazy, emotional, rollercoaster week. My sophomores are relentless, and Ive reached my limit. I had three of them out in the hallway with me today (Friday) and will be sending emails home and talking to Mike Duffy about all three of them. Stacy and I talked a lot about the

different things Ive tried and a strategy for moving forward; for a while, we might have to split the class. She insisted I stay in the classroom with the kids who are working, and she will sit in the empty room across the hall and wait for me to send kids to her. Once she has them, we can throw a bunch of utterly unappealing worksheets at them and try boring them into behaving. Im simultaneously looking forward to talking with Mike and dreading it. I really hate being the bad guy, but I also know that its necessary at times and that this is one of those times. Meanwhile, Im continuing to see progress with my two kiddos that I mentioned before. One is finally starting to come out of the fogginess of her depression, due in part to nutritional therapy. The difference is like night and day. Over the last week or two, she has become able to focus AND to smile. My other progress kiddo is determined to get into film school and knows he needs to bring up his grades if he wants to get there. Behavior has been an issue for him in the past, not because hes a bad kid, but because he so easily loses focus. I had him out in the hallway for a while this afternoon, too, but sent him back in. Of the four kids I pulled, he was the only one who apologized for his behavior, and after the kids all left, I found a handwritten apology on my desk, too. He is such a GOOD kid Ive been exchanging e-mails with Mom and Dad, and between us, were hoping to come up with a plan that works for him. Jen has both of these kids in her Study Skills class (she calls it her dysfunctional family), too, which is an intervention for struggling students that is tremendously beneficial for them. Kids who are in Study Skills get an elective credit, but they dont have any additional content to learn; instead, they get to work with Jen on developing good work habits in the context of their existing homework. Both of the kiddos we share really depend on Jen and her class to help them catch up once theyve gotten behind. Of course, the ultimate goal is to prevent them from getting behind in the first place, but its always empowering for them to discover that they can dig themselves out of that hole when they do wind up there.

Weekly Journal 10/14/13 10/16/13 This week, Ive been learning to deal with parents. I spoke with Mike Duffy about my class on Monday morning, which was a good choice, because the first parent I had sent a note home to decided to drop by school on her way home around lunch time. Luckily for us, this mom was supportive; we left feeling more relieved than anything. Tuesday morning, I met with another set of parents for a non-behavior issue. That meeting was a breath of fresh air. The kid has a lot of work to do, but teachers and parents are all on the same page in terms of helping him succeed. That afternoon, though, there were additional issues in class, and I told four kids that they owed me 10 minutes of their time before or after class (as outlined on the syllabus, which all the parents signed). I had another mom storm in not five minutes after the bell rang; this one was not supportive. She informed me that her daughter couldnt stay after school because she rides the bus (but mom was there for almost 20 minutes after school), and that they both really felt like lunch time wasnt a fair option either (because she needs a break from teachers yelling at her all day), and that she didnt agree with my system at all. Stacy immediately jumped into that conversation. We both tried to express kindly and calmly that this was all in the syllabus that was sent home at the beginning of the year, and that one of our interventions for struggling students is a lunch-time study hall it was very clear to us that mom herself must have had issues in school. We finally got her to calm down and leave when we suggested the student serve her 10 minutes during seminar time next week. Wednesday was a teacher workday, and during our morning PLC time, I got an e-mail from mom #1, who had initially been supportive. Her daughter is another one of the students who owes me time for reaching a second warning. After asking for more information, which I gladly (and objectively) provided, mom continued to suggest that I am the issue because I cant control my class and that someone else should be stepping in to find out exactly whats going on in my classroom.

As an intern and as a new teacher, I expected parents to criticize me. This is when I am most thankful to be in a place where I am supported by my colleagues and administration. Stacy and Jen (and the rest of our English PLC) gave me extensive advice on how to reply to the nasty e-mail. I responded with a very professional tone, told her that behavior expectations were listed on the syllabus (which I attached and reminded her that she had signed), and that Stacy and Mike had both been spending extended time in the classroom per my request. Only three more weeks with these kids

Weekly Journal 10/21/13 10/25/13 This week was College Knowledge week, and to show our support, staff wore college gear all week. It was fun to have a reason to wear all of my St. Olaf stuff again! The counselors also put together a daily scavenger hunt with information we had posted on our doors about our own college experiences. It was a great way to get kids involved and trigger some curiosity. Were getting close to the end of the quarter now (only 9 more days!), so Ive been starting to do some serious planning for next quarter. As things currently stand, I will have both of Stacys 9A groups in the morning and Jens College Prep Comp in the afternoon. Im SO looking forward to working with the Comp group because its mostly juniors and seniors who seriously want to improve their writing, Jen has a reputation around here for being ruthless with them. She starts every quarter with a speech about how it will be the most difficult class theyve ever taken and they need to be willing and able to put in a lot of time if they want to do well. I told her I would prefer to co-teach that one instead of tackling it on my own, simply because she does it so well I cant pass up a learning opportunity like that!

Right now, Im thinking Ill use one of the freshman groups for my TPA. Im re-reading Lord of the Flies and starting to plan out the quarter. I know that plan will change (it always does), but if I have something ready to start with, Ill feel a lot more confident and sure of myself. Im not starting work on the actual TPA prompts yet, though; I want to wait until Ive met all three groups of students and know which class will give me the best opportunities for collecting student work and reflecting on my teaching in TPA fashion. Maybe Ill get lucky and have three perfect groups to choose from that would be nice. One of the things Byron staff members are being required to do this year is develop a Personal Growth Plan (PGP). The Digital Learning Coaches set up drop-in meetings to help us develop our plans this week. The only requirements are that it has to do with 21st century pedagogy and that it is measurable. I talked with Jen and Stacy about some different possibilities; for simplicitys sake, Im focusing on relevance within my learning objectives, but I also plan to help Stacy develop a departmentwide grammar curriculum, which is her goal. Nothing in particular stands out from this week. Given the last few weeks, I guess thats a small victory in itself.

Weekly Journal 10/28/13 11/1/13 My sophomores are eating up all my energy now that were close to the end of the quarter. All of a sudden, they are starting to realize that they only have a few days left to get their grades up, and now they want my help. I have told them all quarter that they can come in before/after school and during lunch, but very few have taken me up on it (Stacy has deemed those few that have my lunch buddies). I knew this was coming, but I wonder how much of this changed behavior is due to the kids wanting to pass and how much is due to their parents wanting them to pass.

Because so many of them are so far behind, I scrapped my lesson plans for last week and gave them work time. Most of them responded well and used their time wisely. I think their last major paper was a wake-up call for some of them; they gave me a lot of D and F papers, and I graded them accordingly. Since handing them back, Ive noticed distinct changes in several individuals. One of my chatty girls focused and got a lot done, and she came and asked questions several times, something she hadnt done all quarter. She and her equally chatty friend actually earned the chance to sit in the hallway and work (I offered that as a reward to students who were ready to handle it). Another student emailed me the night before an assignment was due and asked me to check his Works Cited, which I gladly did, and then he came in at lunch the next day to make sure the changes he had made were correct. It seems like some of these kids are finally starting to get it, to understand that they have to take responsibility for their own learning, and that getting caught up in misbehavior during class only hurts them. Im feeling very conflicted. Part of me is incredibly proud of them; another part of me is disappointed (and a little angry) that it took them this long. Im finally getting to be the helper, which is my natural role, instead of always having to play the bad guy. These kids are draining me emotionally what a roller coaster this quarter has been!

Weekly Journal 11/4/13 11/7/13 The quarter is finally over! Going into the last day, I was a little worried that it would be hard to let go of these kids after we had finally started to make some progress but they pulled their usual stunts, and I had NO problem saying goodbye. I managed to keep up with grading pretty well this week, and Im proud of myself for that. Ive been struggling to keep up and trying to work ahead (prepping for Q2, TPA work, etc.) as much as

possible, but its incredibly difficult. I finished my grades during our work day on Friday. In the end, I only had to fail five of my kids I guess thats better than the ten that were failing at midterm. After I submitted grades, I took some time to reorganize the classroom and get things ready for Monday. Stacy will just have her AP class, which currently has seven kids on the roster, so I get to pretty much do what I want with the setting. I think Ill put the desks into groups for the Lord of the Flies unit; it makes more sense for the kinds of activities Im planning to do with the freshmen. Im REALLY hoping they will be more capable of handling group work and discussion than my sophomores were! I put away all of Stacys 10A and 12 folders that I had been consulting (after making copies of all the keys, of course) and pulled out the 9A folders. Ive been working like crazy all weekend to organize those 9A folders they were a wreck! I have always known that organization is one of my strengths, but I never realize just how organized I am until I work with others who are not. Stacy and I kind of agreed right away in September that I can be a big help by helping her reorganize things, which is something I almost have to do anyway if Im going to navigate everything. I have also been doing some reading to prep for Jens comp class. We decided shell teach the first few days to keep up the rep, but I still feel like I need a refresher if Im going to keep up with her! It will be great to get inside her head and spend more time with her. Im SO lucky to have TWO awesome coaches!

Weekly Journal 11/11/13 11/15/13 My world has changed drastically this week; the freshmen have been a breath of fresh air. On Wednesday night, my Mom told me, I know its only the first week of the quarter, but you look so much more relaxed. I sure am! These kids do what I ask them to do, they speak quietly in their groups, and theyre almost always on task.

Were starting off the quarter with the Lord of the Flies unit, which lends itself well to a little friendly competition. I have students organized into groups of four, and we spent some time on Monday coming up with team names and creating team posters. The students know that I will award stickers for good behavior, and I believe that has contributed immensely to the formation of a dedicated and communal work ethic in the classroom already this week. Ive awarded stickers for using the downtime after a quiz to continue reading, for creative responses to my journal prompts, for good team work, and for perfect quiz scores. I am constantly amazed at how well these kids listen, work hard, and support each other. Since I have two sections of freshmen back-to-back, its been fun to compare. Im almost always changing things between the two classes; if something didnt quite work during 1st block, Ill change it for 2nd block. What Ive been changing from class to class is mostly pacing. After one time around, I get a sense for what I should spend more time on and what can be cut short. Ive been pretty hands-off in Jens Comp class this week, simply because she has a reputation to uphold. Now that she has sufficiently scared several kids into dropping and we have a solid twelve kids left, weve been planning ways for me to jump in this week. These kids are already working on their second major writing assignment, which is a short story analysis; they are reading three stories as homework at the beginning of the week, then Ill do a close reading lesson on Wednesday before they start picking apart whichever text they choose to write on. Im really looking forward to pushing these kids and watching them improve!

Weekly Journal 11/25/13 11/26/13 The freshmen continue to amaze me: they come in most mornings with energy and enthusiasm, start working before the bell rings, and make insightful connections with the text. Its been fun to watch

the light bulb go on day after day! For whatever reason, the stickers are working wonders, and kids have caught on to the fact that I will spontaneously award them for especially thoughtful comments, ontask behavior, and being proactive in their learning. Part of me wonders if starting off first quarter with positive reinforcement would have made a difference, but I know that group of sophomores probably would have shot anything to the ground. Anyway, Im enjoying working with the freshmen. Ive taught a couple of lessons in Comp, but most of the direct in-class instruction is done. Those kids will be writing like crazy until the end of the quarter now, and my job (and Jens) will largely consist of reading drafts and giving helpful feedback. In other news, one of the seniors was in to say hi to Stacy after school, and he told me I have a new nickname he said lunch Nazi was a nice version. I have lunch line duty this quarter and have had to bust a number of senior boys who think they have the right to cut to the front of the line. Most argue a little but give in and go to the back of the line, but I wrote one up for insubordination (at Stacys recommendation) when he ignored me and stayed put. Things have finally started to run a little more smoothly in the last couple of days maybe theyre starting to get the picture! From what Ive heard, I think the real problem is that there isnt any consistency among the teachers who have lunch line duty. Some evidently turn a blind eye to those senior boys. I guess all I can do is my job, and I fully intend to do it fairly!

Weekly Journal 12/2/13 12/6/13 This week, I (re)discovered that I absolutely love teaching writing. I love the messiness, the struggle, the successes, and the light bulbs that suddenly go on. My freshmen started working on their Lord of the Flies papers, and one of their first comments was Why are you doing this to us? In response, I told them that writing is something they would have to do no matter where they went to

school, and to remember that I was there to help them understand it and get through it. It seemed to work with those sweet kids my sophomores would have just laughed at me. Anyway, Im about halfway through reading the 60 outlines that were turned in to me on Friday, and most of them are great starts. The comp kids turned in their short story analyses this week, too, so Ive been jumping back and forth between two very different stages of writing development. Some of the comp papers are excellently written, and others are lacking important pieces, but every single one is drastically improved from the rough drafts. If nothing else, those kids are learning to revise and edit! Jen and I split the reading/grading this time; we each read 6, then swapped. Im starting to get a feel for the way she grades, and I love that she pushes those kids so hard. They may not like her, they may not get past the grades, and they may not see it now, but she pulls some beautiful writing out of every one of them. All of our comp kids this quarter are juniors, so weve been trying to get them to consider taking AP English next year. We got one of them, a kid who has until now been focusing on science his light bulb went on with the short story analysis, and he told us how much fun it was when he started putting his analysis together and got it. Yes!! He rearranged his schedule so he can take AP next year, and when he told us on Friday, Stacy, Jen, and I all told him he had made our week. I love it when the kids start to see things the way we do! My trip to Ethiopia has been postponed until a year from now, so I decided to take a personal day on Friday and power through some of the TPA commentaries. It was a productive day if only my schedule allowed for more large blocks of time, I would be awesome at planning ahead.

Weekly Journal 12/9/13 12/13/13

I started observing at the middle school on Thursday, and although I went in with an open mind and will certainly follow through, I know that I am NOT a middle school teacher. I spent my prep on Thursday helping the Comp kids make last-minute revisions on their compare/contrast essays, and I loved every minute at the middle school, about 80% of what Andy does is behavior-related. I like the high school classroom better because we can spend more time with the content itself. Even so, if a middle school position is what Im offered for next year, Ill take it. I know I might not get to start out where I want to. My 9th graders are brought a rough draft of their Lord of the Flies papers on Thursday for peer editing, so Ive been reading papers until my eyes bug out. Peer editing was successful, though a lot of kids gave their classmates helpful feedback. I had planned a very specific design for the peer editing time, and it paid off. I had each student turn over his or her paper and divide the back into four parts, which they were to label Reader 1, Reader 2, Reader 3, and Author. Then they rotated their papers, and I put a specific list of things for Reader 1 to look for and assess. I had a different set of guidelines for each reader, both to break up the work of editing and to keep students interested. It saved me a ton of work AND it got them to think critically and help each other out everybody won! Were starting short stories next, and I think its time for a new seating chart. I know theyll be disappointed about the end of the team posters and stickers, but we need something more conducive to reading as a class. I think Ill try a U formation if it doesnt work, I can always put them back in rows. Next week is going to be crazy not only is it the week before break, but the student council is running their Week of Giving, with crazy interruptions every day. Ive scheduled a movie for the end of the week (one that I was planning to show anyway because it ties in to one of our stories) and will tell students that if we dont get to the movie, we dont get to the movie. Maybe that will keep them motivated enough for the first few days.