Almost There

Wow!!! I have almost survived an entire nine weeks of teaching Spanish I. There have been some rough patches, but overall I am really loving my job. I love that I have great support from the administration as well as from fellow teachers. I also love the fact that most parents that I call have a genuine interest in their child's education and are really supportive in my efforts. I am giving my students their Chapter 2 Test tomorrow, and I feel that most of them are ready. Of course, there are many students who are not studying like they are supposed to do, but overall I am please with their performance. They were amazed this week when they could read 2 paragraphs in Spanish. Eight weeks ago they knew nothing, and now they are becoming Spanish speakers. I am so very proud of them.

Yay! I survived midterms even though it is a tedious process in my new school. I was used to last year putting the grades in the computer, and then them printing out the report for the students. At this school, each student brings a sheet, and we have to write in a grade, conduct, comments, etc. Some students, of course, are upset because they are making their first B's or another grade they are not used to making. Overall, I am happy with my students' performance. I have been calling parents of those not doing so well, so I am starting to see a bit of a turn around in behavior and studying/performance in class. Everything is still going really well though.

Ick

I thought teaching high school would make me less susceptible to catching germs. Boy was I wrong. We've only been in school for a month, and I have already caught the flu from some students who had it about a week ago. I feel so bad, and my whole body is achy. I've been a trooper though, and I have still gone to school everyday this week because I had to get them ready for their test over Chapter 1 on tomorrow. Other than me being sick, everything else is going really well.

It's Almost Midterm

We have been in school for nearly a month and a half now. I am giving the test over Chapter 1 this week, and we just learned how to tell time in Spanish. This is confusing some of the students very much (as I knew it would). I had my first real behavior problem this week with a boy who decided he was going to get in my face about me telling him to go to his correct seat. Not a good idea on his part. Most of my students wouldn't dare test me and my discipline plan, but he decided to do just that on last Thursday. I quickly dealt with the problem and wrote an office referral. My new school doesn't deal with students disrespecting teachers, so he has been suspended for 5 days. Overall, it is still a good and productive year. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me in my new classroom and with my new students. I'm so excited to see them develop their Spanish-speaking skills.

Two Weeks Down, 16 more to go

Ok, so I've just completed my second full week of teaching. I had a couple of write-ups this week, but they weren't any major major discipline problems. We just have to write office referrals for cell phones and if students fail to report to detention we have assigned them. It has been kind of hot in my classroom lately, but that is because it has been 100 degrees or over every day this past week. Other than that everything is still going pretty well. I'm starting to see who my good students are and also probably the ones who won't make it to Spanish 2 next semester. Overall, I am having a good time, and I think that the students are learning a lot. I'm such a performer in my classroom; the students are always laughing at something I say or do. Then again, there are the students who don't like me because they don't like language and also those who don't like the fact that I am a firm disciplinarian in my classroom. They will eventually get over it though; they are just mad now because they aren't allowed to do whatever they want in my room.

Second Day

Today was only the second day of school, but I find myself extremely tired already. Part of it might have to do with the fact that I am on the road headed for school at 6 in the morning. I have first period planning, so I can stand to be a little tired at the beginning of the school day. However, it is also tiresome to teach 3 classes back to back. I'm having a good time though, and I'm really enjoying being able to actually teach Spanish this year.

Yay! My First Day

I'm am absolutely thrilled at how my first day went. It is miles away from my first day of teaching middle school where I got cursed out and had an agend book thrown at me. I had absolutely no discipline problems today, and everyone seemed interested. I am teaching about 90 students (30 in each class) this semester, and I have first period planning. All of the students seem like really great kids, and I am so happy to have each one of them in my class. I hope that next week goes really well also. I am really looking forward to this school year and the possibilities that each new day could bring.