6 Months Later...Another Update on Teaching

PHEW. I have been so completely busy this school year. Alright, I guess that's not any different from before. At least it's a more satisfying busy, and a different kind of busy.

In addition to being determined to be a great teacher for my students, which takes hours and hours more planning time, I have also taken on a variety of roles at school that can sometimes kick my butt. But I know in the long run it will look good on a resume.

We just finished our fifth week of school yesterday. Five weeks of teaching 5 sections of 7th grade social studies, one 7th grade SFA reading class, and one vocabulary intervention class. My students this year are sweet hearts, but unfortunately they are starting off much lower than where my students last year were. I would say writing at a 3rd to 4th grade level. Plus by the end of last year, I had brought my students from 63% meeting on their reading tests to 84%. So that may be clouding my vision as well.

In addition to my teaching, I have also been chosen as the team leader for 7th grade and a mentor teacher to another social studies teacher here on campus. Then I am working with the National Honors Society to set up a middle school branch, and working with ASU to teach an anti-gang/bullying class to my students, heading up our school for the district social club, and maintaining my position for the fitness club where I teach students about health and exercise, and we work out every week. It's a lot, but it's definitely rewarding. I feel like I have a much better classroom culture already. The part that drains me is the weekly required meetings for Language Arts/Social Studies teachers that go until 5 pm, and the weekly staff meetings until 5 as well. Yeah, a lot of you are like "you're still done by 5..." Well, I also get to school at 6:30 am, and that's after I've worked at home for an hour, and then come home after work to work for another 2 hours. All in all, I think I am handling it pretty well so far!

The end of September to mid-October is normally when teachers start cracking. We'll see how I feel in a couple weeks. My biggest concern right now is creating a social life for myself so I can be happy and find people who don't think of me as a last priority and ditch me for any other opportunity.

Chin Up.

I've been having a hard time lately with some things. And as a result I've gotten absolutely nothing done this weekend except for watching 2 seasons of Girls.
Sometimes, I just need to take a step back and think about all I have to be thankful for. Even when it's hard. For those of you who think I have dropped off the radar, I'm sorry. Don't blame it on the fact that I have a boyfriend. Blame it on the fact that I'm lousy and a lazy homebody during the week which results in me having to get all my work done on the weekends, hence the me having no social life.

1. The sun is shining, blue skies are out, and its 7pm and still 95+ degrees out.
2. I officially have no more ASU classes.
3. I graduate May 8th with my masters degree.
4. School is out in less than a month.
5. I only have to work 4 days a week after that until 12:30 in the afternoon.
6. I go to Virginia in 2 months.
7. My family is coming into town in a week and a half!
8. I started working out again.
9. I was given a contract for next year.
10. I will hopefully be able to afford a new car in October-ish.
11. I have an orange tree. It makes me happy.
12. I have fruitful tomato and strawberry plants.
13. I get to go swimming any day of the week, because I can. And because it's warm enough here.
14. I have mostly wonderful kiddos at school.

Eh. I should get back to work. Until then.

The Latest from the Desk of the new Phoenician.

Okay, by desk, I mean coffee table...but that's all the same. Is it a little pathetic that I don't have a desk yet given as much as I work from home? I suppose a desk would make me feel a little more productive...and would actually make me more productive because I wouldn't be able to be watching tv and eating at the same time as working as I commonly do. Oh well...I'm kind of partial to my couch and my camping chair on my patio.

Well, many of you might expect some sort of update occasionally. We all know that I suck at texting people, and when I do remember to do that I often sound selfish because I tell you about myself but honestly space inquiring about you. Sorry...sometimes life just gets a little overwhelming over here by myself. For the most part, I have shaken the sadness about how I have no one I truly know around here with the exception of holidays and some weekends. My birthday was especially rough for me, and my poor boyfriend witnessed both my crying over being away from my family and friends, and then my meltdown where I just decided to belligerently drink away my pain instead and get sick on my birthday. Which is not normal for me. Believe it or not, while I enjoy having a couple beers after work and on the weekends, I rarely go over that. Getting drunk? Only happens like once every 6 months at this point. I'm just not into it. And I'm not into being around people that are anymore. Face it--it never makes you look smarter. So, anyways..yes..I still miss my family, but they need to relocate. Sunshine is much more of a happy time than rain.

Speaking of happy times, I will be graduating with my Masters in Secondary Education this May 8th. All of the misery of sitting in class and completing ridiculously long assignments on top of teaching full time and writing lesson plans will be over. It is a very proud moment for me. All are invited, if you choose to come out to Phoenix. :)

As for next year, I plan on staying at the current school I'm teaching at, and will be sticking around for the majority of the summer so that I can teach summer school again. Additionally, I have been accepted into a history seminar program that sends teachers around the country to study about the topics they teach on. So I get to go to Virginia this summer and work with the Civil War, which will be an exciting opportunity. While I wanted to work with 8th grade content standards next year, I am pretty partial to 7th graders and do not want to miss the opportunity to use all the information I will be receiving this summer. So between those two things, my entire month of June will be occupied (We get out of school May 23rd). I will make it to Oregon for a week or two in July to enjoy the wonderful weather and make it to my awesome cousin's wedding though! Super excited for that, congrats Troy :)

My favorite part about Phoenix is the food. And the constant sun. Nothing is better than being able to have a barbeque in December with 70 degree weather and the sun shining outside. And the number of amazing restaurants! ah!! too cool. I feel very fortunate about that. And my boyfriend will finally have a front yard/back yard that I can lounge around in instead of walking all the way to the pool, so yay for that.

But for now, I have a ton of work to get done for my masters and for my kiddos--including an official peer evaluation by a stranger. State testing is next week! Hooray! As always, if you have any questions...please ask. You can comment on here even! Hoo-rah! Goodbye now!

P.S. Current weather: highs of 85-90, lows of 65, all week long. :) Don't complain, because you know I take visitors!

Springtime in Phoenix!

Yes, be jealous...it was 80 degrees over the weekend. In March. Our first 80 degree day was in January I think too this year? Oh well, anywho...let me fill all of you in so that you can be sure that I'm still alive. I'll make this brief, but full of detail, over the past few months. Well the second half of the year is already half way over...I will be released from the clenches of Teach for America in just 2 months. In a lot of ways, TFA has helped me grow as a teacher when others did not. Quite honestly, as crazy as he was sometimes, Brian (my mentor) did a lot for me. But now I'm at that stage where I have kind of turned into a little sponge...soaking up everything I can, although I still find myself trying dozens of things at one time. I get too excited to try something new so it makes it a tad hard to focus on pure mastery. But at least my kids are still performing at an 80% mastery level. I'm going to kick it up a notch and remove half the multiple choice from my tests so students will be required to write a response in of their own. That will be the true test. Aghh. So, on the standpoint of teaching and work, things are going really well. I plan on staying in Phoenix and continuing teaching at this time. This year was the first year I ever had to spend my birthday alone, away from friends and family. I'm thankful to have my boyfriend around, who put up with me moping for the first few hours of the day and then took me around to fill my belly like I like it. haha. He's been great. As stubborn as he is :) I am scheduled to graduated with my masters in secondary education on May 8th, and 7:30 pm. If any of you would like to travel to the land of the sun and come see me walk, let me know! On a painful note, I got braces put on last Friday so I could be a wonderful braceface for the next two years. My mouth hurts, and I'm the quietest I've been in years. School testing is going on next week, and I can't wait for students to show growth!!! Test scores, come in NOW! I'm at the point where I'm rambling because I'm trying to think of everything I need for the school day, so this isn't the most effective post anymore. So, just let me know if you want to know anything haha.

The Distance is Longer...

As I went to click "add post," I realized I had not written a post since the end of July. Perhaps it means I have finally submerged myself into a lifestyle here in Phoenix where I do not feel as dependent as I used to. The life I have here I have made myself, without the hand outs of anyone. I eavesdrop on conversations where acquaintances and friends of mine discuss how their parents bought this, or pay for that, while I know for a fact they are spending their money (while hard earned), on liquor and their late night binges. Is this life one of satisfaction for them? Do they feel fulfilled in all aspects of their life? Or is it just the easy way out, because, let's face it, we could all use a break. I won't lie, I would probably take a handout at this point too, but at least I can be proud in the meantime to say I'm doing it all on my own. I often find myself thinking that I get dealt the short end of stick far too often, but must break myself of that mentality. I have had some rather unfortunate things happen to me in the past couple years, things that not many people I talk to could say the same thing in terms of the severity of the incidents. But I can't keep dwelling on the past, or how the situation I am in is not always ideal. All that I can do at this point, is make the most of it, and find the hidden colors within. Most frequently, I find these colors to be bits and pieces of knowledge about something I never would have concerned myself with had these things never happened. The ignorant soul is dark and sad, but unfortunately, those who are ignorant often don't know how to enlighten themselves, because that path isn't always very easy. I, however, have been blessed with a not so conventional path to obtaining these bits of information, which occasionally could come off as wisdom. Naivety is abundant in society, and I believe it is growing more so by the day. While I can't always bring knowledge to every person I would like (although I try to do that every day with my students), I can bring it to myself. And, if nothing else, the past year and a half has been a learning experience for sure. This year, in comparison to the last, has been significantly better in terms of student behavior and success. How much of it is related to the group of students, and how much is because I have an entire year of experience and confidence under my belt? Only time will tell. I still have a few struggling classes, one with behavior, and the other two with grades and understanding. What I find so interesting, is that I am doing an action research paper using the system of guided notes to see if my students' score will improve through this process, but, the paper is so time consuming, that I actually have less time to help my students in ways that may help them be more successful in the long run. So is life, right? As we're already almost halfway through the school year, I need to figure out my next step. Am I staying in Phoenix? Relocating? Just changing schools? It's hard to say. Even though we are unreasonably treated at my school, I feel as if it has a special place in my heart, and I don't know if I want to leave it, even if I am given offers elsewhere. Those kids, despite some obstacles, have hearts of gold, and I feel like I can make the most bit of difference in the community where I am currently teaching. After all, I am here to help the kids change the trajectory of their education and help them reach their goals. This is their chance. I already had mine, now let's make the most of it. Well, as I was just saying, ASU is insanely demanding this year, so I better get to working on that. And writing a unit plan. And lesson plans. And grading tests. And assignments. And. And. And. :)

Starting Year Two in Phoenix!!!

Here we gooooo!!! After an adventurous month spent in Oregon, I am back for round two here in Phoenix. I went into my classroom for the first time since the middle of June, and already ideas began spinning through my mind, trying to decide what might be best for the class of 2018. I am determined to help these kids succeed, even if I may think I'm losing my mind at times! As for my summer, it was...interesting... I've learned a few things this year: 1.) I have amazing friends back in Oregon, and miss them dearly. 2.) I love my family very much and know they are there to support me through all the trials and tribulations. 3.) Men suck. haha jk. Well, at least that's the story lately. Not convinced guys? Prove me wrong. ;) 4.) The people I've met here in Phoenix and surrounding areas are awesome, and I am very fortunate to have met them and gotten so close to them. 5.) This next year is going to be interesting, awesome, and hopefully full of laughter and fun. Sunday Funday is BACK!!! So I took off in my car the morning after the last day of summer school (June 14), and headed for Oregon. I got to enjoy some time with my friend Allie on the journey up, while we stopped in Santa Barbara and San Francisco for a night each. The days of relaxation and cooler temperatures were wonderful in Oregon, and I have some incredible moments I will cherish from the time spent with everyone there. It was followed up by 5 nights in Puerto Rico, and a day after my return, here I am! I am hoping to continue this next year having fun adventures, trying new things, and meeting new people. :) As for now, I'm off to prep for the next school year!!

A day of State Testing...

8:45....kids are silent. Pencils go out. I pass out each test key and booklet on my own.
8:50....I begin the scripted instructions from the state as the kids sit in either apathy, or terror.
9:00... Testing begins.
9:05-12:00. I pace the room. Up and down and up and down. Picking up tests as kids finish, swapping out dull pencils, oooops caught a kid skipping ahead. Big no no.
Wow. So thrilling. Can't sit down. Just me and my thoughts as I pace aimlessly. Hahaha aims. Ooh geez.