Stop, Think, Connect Video

The wonderful Director of our Citizen Schools program wrote a grant to receive $10,000 in technology funding for our school.
AND GOT IT!
Way to go Chris!

Here is the video that they produced as a part of the grant.
I have many students in it...and I will warn, you it is incredibly cheesy and just as adorable.

Please share it with others, like it, post it on your FB page. EMC deserves big credit for reaching out and helping our school join the technology movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV2iBIWFyQQ

RT and connecting with colleagues

The first month at the Irving was the most intense month I've ever had as a teacher. We implemented so many new programs including RT, Learning Walks, a whole new schedule, Advisory block, online discipline/attendance reports, and there's still more to come!
I have been having a really tough time adapting to the RT way of life. What is RT? It is Reciprocal Teaching. In just a few words, it is students teaching students. Sitting in groups, they RT articles, short stories, and other chunks of text. It is my job to give them the tools do so. Namely, to make sure they carry the 4 Reading Strategies in their toolbox and USE them: questioning, predicting, summarizing, and clarifying. The Irving adds visualization into the mix since so many of our students are ELL and benefit greatly from visualizing words, phrases, or chunks of text.
So RT has not come naturally to me. Until a colleague defined it simply as "interactive annotation." Interactive Annotation! Literally the light bulb turned on, the clouds parted, the light shone down upon me and I had it.
I look forward this week to sharing my newly acquired lack of ignorance and confusion with my students this week!
On another note, I am really not loving this new schedule. It is complicated to learn, and doesn't have the distinct "A,B,C,D" blocks that the previous years' schedule had. Additionally, I just do not see my 7th grade colleagues like I used to. Here's what happens when I need to talk to Johanna or Ernestina, my teaching partners for 7D and 7E about a student.
We let our students out of class and as they are milling past us from class to class, we quickly debrief one another on any pressing student issues. And that's it. In total we get about 30 minutes of authentic time to talk.
It's great that we are getting to meet with our content departments weekly, but it is really taking a toll on the relationship I have with my students' OTHER teachers, and they are across the hall from me!
Perhaps the Irving is trying to do a little too much this year?
I would rather do a couple of things REALLY WELL than 10 things mediocre. What will happen, in my mind, is that programs and relationships cannot be successful unless they are fully supported and that means in terms of time and execution. So what happens to things that are not given the time, patience, and development they deserve?
You tell me.

First Day of School

First Day of School.
First Day of School.

Wore a cute little dress from Target on clearance and felt very comfortable in it, which was perfect!
I really feel I have made a wonderful group of friends/coworkers. I feel so lucky.
Lots of support this morning and in the past days as we settled back into the routine.

Arrived at 615, worked on my classroom until it was...ok. Still missing a whiteboard and have a broken table. That broken table would come back to haunt me...

My homeroom students arrived, lots of girls; less boys. Opposite of last year. Kids seem sweet. I really like middle schoolers. There is no guise, no veil. WYSIWYG.
While all students were filing this morning to HR I spotted a boy walking toward me.
me:Where are you headed?
him : I don't know. (grim-faced)
You ok?
My heart is pounding in my chest.
I don't blame you, today is a big day.
Yeah.
did you like 5th grade?
yeah. (brightening) I did.
I think you're going to like 6th grade even better.
(looks right at me for the first time) Yeah?
Yeah.
Thanks.

Cha-cha-cha-changes.

I thought my first year of school was the hardest year ever. My second got a little easier, as did my third, fourth. My fifth, last year, was my best year yet, my most confident year yet.

I am terrified of this upcoming year. Leaving the most precious being in the world for 8+ hours a day is all I can think about. How will I cope?! How will I be able to provide for him emotionally and physically when I am 20 miles away from him 5 days a week? What kind of mother am I to leave him. When he needs me most. I can't answer these questions now. I hope I can answer them in a few weeks.

While I am at work, my one concern is pumping. I originally hoped to breastfeed Zeke to 6 months. We've both become quite good at it, I am proud to report! Now, I'd like to go for a year. That means I must pump 2x a day to replace the milk he is consuming while I'm gone. Our 10 day rotating schedule will make that complicated, and I hope I can come up with some sort of reasonable solution.

There are so many changes afoot at the Irving. They are exciting, but the width and breadth of these changes are so grand, and I want them to go grandly. I will be the 7th grade ELA teacher again, and am adding Theatre Arts back into my ingredient list. I am so lucky to get to combine the best of both my worlds, and I look forward to what it brings.

My room is wonderful. Big, on the cooler side of the building, and surround by my friends and biggest supporters: the 7th grade cluster. I am so grateful I get to continue working with them. I have become so close with many of them so quickly. For the first time in my life I feel like I can be totally honest and open with a group of people knowing that we can share a difference of opinion like adults! It is so refreshing and freeing!

So. Here's to SY 2010-2011.
Gulp.

Read more...

I did not include where I gained my information on the Irving's upcoming status change to a feeder school:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/west-roxbury/news/education/x313362061/Roslindale-gets-a-K-8-feeder-school-option

and more...

http://www.wickedlocal.com/roslindale/news/x427966107/Menino-applauds-Pathway-Program-for-Roslindale-students