Oh my gosh. So much has changed since my last post. Here's the update!
Let's start with the best stuff: Caleb and I went to the Riggs-Cha Cha :-) wedding and had an AMAZING TIME. We met up with lots of my college friends and had a blast catching up. I was so honored to stand up with Em on her big day. She looked beautiful, and the ceremony was great-- Especially when she and Brian immediately said "YES!" when the priest mentioned accepting children from God... before the priest had finished his sentence. Lol. We danced the night away at the reception, and I was shocked and pleasantly surprised that Caleb dances better than I do! His swing dancing is SUPERB. Now that I think about it, I learned a lot about Caleb that weekend. He sings more than I do- Crazy, right? He might even give Lauren Palmer a run for her money! We sang the whole way up and almost the whole way back. Caleb and I learned that we both love "Anastasia"... On this journeeeeey to the paaaaast!. Finally, I learned that Caleb is the most wonderful, funny, sweet man that I've ever known. Sorry to get sappy, but I feel like I just have to get it out there! On New Year's Eve, the ball dropped and Caleb dropped the L word... which I, of course, returned. Since then, things have gotten increasingly more serious. I can honestly say that I love him more and more every day. It's sick how much I miss him when we're at work. And I've actually cooked for him a few times. And it takes A LOT to get me to cook. I am very blessed to have him around... especially now when work seems to be taking a turn for the worse.
I am burned out. There, I said it. 100% completely burned out. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when/how this happened, but I think the straw that broke the camel's back was my Winter Concert. It went really well, and I would put it up against anything I ever saw/did at previous schools. The kids sang well and had a blast. I had a few disgruntled parents, however, who gave me a pretty hard time. Even though I knew that I did a great job, the negative always seems to speak louder than the positive. I knew that the things they were complaining about were out of my hands, but I still couldn't help but get my feelings hurt. When I came back for second semester, I still hadn't fully recovered. The kids were definitely not ready to come back, so they have been super difficult the last few weeks. They will not work or do homework. They are being disruptive and rude and defiant. Usually, I can keep going because it feels like the good outweighs the bad. Recently, however, it feels like the opposite. I REALLY needed that snow day last Friday. It makes me wonder if I am unhappy because 1) it's just that time of the year, 2) the first year sucks, 3) my school may not be a good fit, 4) maybe I'm not supposed to do this after all, or 5) a combination of everything. Who knows. I'll keep you updated!
One last note- This Friday is my 23rd birthday! I am officially getting old. 23???? Gosh, that just seems O.L.D. Crazy. I am practically 1/4 of the way through my life. Caleb is taking me to see "Beauty and the Beast" on Friday night. Can't wait!
Getting late. More to come!
LT
Monday, January 16, 2012
Saturday, November 19, 2011
A lot to be thankful for!
It's time for the obligatory Thanksgiving "I am thankful for..." post! Here we go...
I am thankful for...
1. My job. In today's economy, I am thankful to simply have a job. I can be doubly thankful that I am doing what I love. These kids are really starting to find their way into my heart. I feel like they're my little brothers and sisters. I want to protect them and see them do well. I get genuinely disappointed when they're in trouble, and I get just excited as they do (and sometimes more) when they are successful. We still have rough days every now and then, but there's a mutual respect and understanding there that carries us through most things. I like knowing that, when they have issues, they feel comfortable enough to come to me to talk. I also like knowing that choir is the reason why lots of my students come to school every day. It's so cool to feel like I've already made some kind of difference. My vice principal came to observe me on Wednesday for my KTIP internship program that I have to complete to get an official Kentucky teaching license. She is the toughest evaluator we have at our school. I got a perfect score. I am thankful for the education I received at DePauw and the people that I met along the way. Patrice Villines, Debbie Prather, Gabriel Crouch, Jay White, Craig Pare, Cindy Johnson-- You have been fabulous mentors, and I will always thank my lucky stars that we crossed paths.
2. My friends. I've got to try to personally thank each of you for putting up with me. I love you guys, and I am so thankful that we are friends. Nickie, Scott, Margaret, LC, Palmer, Merwin, Sarah M, Riggs, Moss Moss, Martin, James, Andrew, Jared, Sara, Renee, Tricia... I know I must be leaving some people out. Maybe I should just say Alpha Chi Omega, Fiji, and the DePauw School of Music! Love you guys!
3. My family. Love ya. Couldn't make it a day without ya. Let's eat turkey! 'Nuff said.
4. My cat- Love you, Elphie Boo!
5. Caleb. He's pretty cool, and he has great hair.
6. My apartment
7. My church(es)
8. Starbucks coffee
:-) Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
I am thankful for...
1. My job. In today's economy, I am thankful to simply have a job. I can be doubly thankful that I am doing what I love. These kids are really starting to find their way into my heart. I feel like they're my little brothers and sisters. I want to protect them and see them do well. I get genuinely disappointed when they're in trouble, and I get just excited as they do (and sometimes more) when they are successful. We still have rough days every now and then, but there's a mutual respect and understanding there that carries us through most things. I like knowing that, when they have issues, they feel comfortable enough to come to me to talk. I also like knowing that choir is the reason why lots of my students come to school every day. It's so cool to feel like I've already made some kind of difference. My vice principal came to observe me on Wednesday for my KTIP internship program that I have to complete to get an official Kentucky teaching license. She is the toughest evaluator we have at our school. I got a perfect score. I am thankful for the education I received at DePauw and the people that I met along the way. Patrice Villines, Debbie Prather, Gabriel Crouch, Jay White, Craig Pare, Cindy Johnson-- You have been fabulous mentors, and I will always thank my lucky stars that we crossed paths.
2. My friends. I've got to try to personally thank each of you for putting up with me. I love you guys, and I am so thankful that we are friends. Nickie, Scott, Margaret, LC, Palmer, Merwin, Sarah M, Riggs, Moss Moss, Martin, James, Andrew, Jared, Sara, Renee, Tricia... I know I must be leaving some people out. Maybe I should just say Alpha Chi Omega, Fiji, and the DePauw School of Music! Love you guys!
3. My family. Love ya. Couldn't make it a day without ya. Let's eat turkey! 'Nuff said.
4. My cat- Love you, Elphie Boo!
5. Caleb. He's pretty cool, and he has great hair.
6. My apartment
7. My church(es)
8. Starbucks coffee
:-) Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Miss Representation
This isn't really what I had intended to blog about today, but it's on my mind. I'm sitting here watching "Miss Representation" on OWN, and I am just completely appalled by the way that the media has finally reduced women to two categories: bitches and sex toys. We are painted as emotional, crazy, weak... and only valuable during child-bearing years. And, you know, it really makes me think about my experience thus far in my new teaching job. From the beginning, I had to work twice as hard as the other new teachers-- all male or older women-- to be taken seriously. Everything that I say is questioned and challenged. If I raise my voice at a class, I am a "bitch". If a male teacher does so, he is "assertive." I am the youngest teacher in my school and the only female teacher who has never been married and never had children. The kids are constantly asking me if I like to "go out clubbing", and, before I met Caleb, they asked me constantly if I was sad because I didn't have a boyfriend. The kids are always scrutinizing my hair and what I'm wearing. I once had a fellow teacher, a male, ask me if I would please take my shirt off because he was sure it would make the other male teachers' day. When I applied for this job, the principal (who is now retired) asked me how long he had before I got myself a boyfriend, got pregnant, and left. If I wasn't so desperate for a job, I most definitely would have gotten the heck out of there.
Here's the thing-- I wouldn't call myself a feminist. I don't burn bras or refuse to shave my legs. I don't subscribe to any conspiracy theories about how males are out to get us. However, I am a very independent person, and I've set a lot of goals for myself. I would love to get married and have kids someday, but it's not my only aspiration in life. (Not that it's a bad thing if that's what you want to do. Moms are amazing.) I am saddened by the inequalities that still exist between men and women. I am further saddened by the effect that the media is having on young people today. My female students think that they always have to have a boyfriend or they aren't worth anything. They put on pounds of make-up and treat one another like crap... If I hear one more girl call another girl a "slut" or a "whore" I might vomit.
Here's the thing-- I wouldn't call myself a feminist. I don't burn bras or refuse to shave my legs. I don't subscribe to any conspiracy theories about how males are out to get us. However, I am a very independent person, and I've set a lot of goals for myself. I would love to get married and have kids someday, but it's not my only aspiration in life. (Not that it's a bad thing if that's what you want to do. Moms are amazing.) I am saddened by the inequalities that still exist between men and women. I am further saddened by the effect that the media is having on young people today. My female students think that they always have to have a boyfriend or they aren't worth anything. They put on pounds of make-up and treat one another like crap... If I hear one more girl call another girl a "slut" or a "whore" I might vomit.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A short novel...
Okay, Sara! I'll update my blog! ;-) Thanks for keeping me on track!
CHAPTER ONE: Nightmare on Second Street
A couple of months ago, I scheduled a dress rehearsal field trip at the church where our concert was going to be. I requested permission to pull 160 kids out of school (7th/8th grade first, then 6th grade in the afternoon) so that we could practice as a combined choir at the church. It would also give us the opportunity to practice with our accompanist (instead of me trying to conduct and play at the same time) and figure out how to fit all 160 of us in the front of the church. This has been done before in the past for the Christmas and spring concerts, so my principal approved. I worked out all of the details that I could possibly think of and then, two weeks before the field trip, emailed the final details to the administration and office staff to be looked over. I had the permission slips out, and the kids were getting excited. Four days before the trip, I ran into my principal in the hallway. She let me know that she wasn't so sure about the field trip anymore..... ajskfl;sdkjfalsdjfasuwiowerjkslkahfksldj! I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. How in the world was I going to put this together without a dress rehearsal? As if this wasn't all stressful enough, I also was dealing with All-State choir confusion... I'll spare you the details on this. There was talk that I was going to be observed by the assistant principal during concert week for KTIP (the stupid Kentucky program that I have to do to get my Kentucky teaching license). Things got so crazy that I seriously considered running out into the middle of Highway 41 and ending it all. I threw up in the bathroom between classes. There is so much pressure put on you to do well at the first concert-- everyone is judging you and comparing you to past directors-- This concert needed to be good or I was looking at losing the trust, respect, and support of my students, their parents, the staff, and the community. Sound dramatic? It's not an exaggeration. Later that day, we got the news that we would be allowed to go after all. I worked non-stop over the weekend to think of every detail. I typed up minute-by-minute schedules and made lists of all the students involved for our secretaries.
When Monday finally arrived, the kids met me at 7:52 sharp in the front lobby- ready to go! They were prompt and prepared. The busses were scheduled to arrive at 8:00, so at 7:55 I pulled them out onto the curb to load. As I was sorting them into seventh and eighth grade, our attendance secretary burst out of the front doors wearing a look of absolute horror. "What are you DOING? This is a NIGHTMARE! Get these kids back to homeroom so we can take attendance!" I calmly handed her my list of involved students and told her that I would phone with absentees. She, not so calmly, told me that this simply wouldn't do. I couldn't help but laugh. I sent out the itinerary with the exact details of who, what, when, where and how we would load the busses to get to this field trip weeks ago. No one spoke up to tell me that it would be a problem to leave first thing in the morning. I wanted to get there as early as possible so that the kids didn't have to miss as much class. Long story short, I had to send 100 kids back to their homerooms so that attendance could be taken electronically instead of the old-fashioned way. I then had to wait for over fifteen minutes while the kids made their way back to the front curb to load the busses. By the time we finally got on the busses, we were already a half hour behind schedule. Fabulous. I realized as soon as we got to the church that, in the chaos, I had left my box with all of my music, my standing order charts, our props, and our simple percussion instruments on the curb outside of the school. I had to call and have someone bring it over to the church.
Did the dress rehearsal go well after all of this work? Hmmm.... it was okay. The kids sang well, but their behavior sucked. They were hyper (as they were so excited to be out of school), and my parent volunteers didn't show up. One girl vomited on the floor of the church, and two others got written up by the bus driver for being out of their seats. I probably would have lost my voice had it not been for the microphone.
CHAPTER TWO: Proud Momma
On the day of the concert, I could tell the kids were nervous. They know that I'm new at this, and I think they were having a hard time trusting that it was all going to be okay. I was getting REALLY sick of hearing about how their old teacher used to do things. After school, I changed into my concert dress and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. I went back to my room and read over the program a few thousand times to be sure that I'd thought of everything that could possibly go wrong. At 5:15, I headed over to the church to finish setting up. Then, somehow, a concert happened... my memories are fuzzy as my blood pressure was so high that I think I may have blacked out through most of the performance. I went into hyper-focus, crisis-aversion mode. I think I came back to this planet just in time for the final combined piece, "How Can I Keep from Singing?". It was some of the most beautiful music that I have ever heard these kids make. Their vowels were tall, their faces were energized, and their crescendos/decrescendos were superb. I looked back for the final bow and saw nothing but huge, silly grins on all of their faces. They were so proud...and I was, too. I heard from several teachers that it was the smoothest choir performance they'd ever seen. I also heard that we blew away the high school performance earlier in the week. The superintendent of the district was present as his daughter is in my choir. It made me feel good knowing that he witnessed the event as my principal and vice principal were not present. I'm not bitter.
A couple of cute stories to warm your hearts.... :-)
I have a student with lots of behavior issues who refused to participate for the first month of school. We'll call her *Sherry. Nothing worked-- calling home, private conferences, loss of privileges, detentions--- nada. I started allowing her to come hang out in my room before school, and we'd chat while I got the room set up for the day. I noticed that, the more we talked, the more she participated in class. At the concert, Sherry had her hair curled and pulled back. She was wearing a nice button-down shirt and black slacks. I told her that she looked beautiful, and her response made me melt: "Ms. Taylor, I really wanted to look nice and do well at the concert for you because you're the only teacher who doesn't yell at me." I almost cried.
Then there's *Ralph. Ralph is another kiddo that I hear a lot of teachers complaining about. He can't stay in his seat, he enjoys pestering the other students, and I don't think he showers often. I had to move Ralph to a seat away from the other students early in the semester because he seriously couldn't sit by ANYONE without getting in trouble. When I have morning duty, I'm required to sit outside of the cafeteria doors and make sure kids don't try to sneak in or out of breakfast. Ralph doesn't ever have anyone to sit with, so one day I let him sit with me. My one condition: He had to let me quiz him over letter names. Every morning for two weeks, Ralph came to sit with me and work on letter names while he ate breakfast. Turns out, the kid is really smart and knows his letter names backwards and forwards.... I guess not EVERYTHING that I said went in one ear and out the other. He aced his letter names quiz and, surprise, started participating in class. I didn't even have to say his name to get his attention anymore. The week before the concert, Ralph came to me in tears. He found out that he was moving and today would be his last day. He was upset because he still wanted to be able to be in the concert. Well OF COURSE I let him participate. On the night of the concert, Ralph showed up dressed like a million bucks and grinning from ear to ear. I placed him on the risers and prayed that he would leave the kids around him alone. After the concert, a woman approached me and introduced herself as Ralph's mom. She thanked me for including him and told me that choir was the best part of his time at our school. He plans to continue choir at his new school. Again, my heart melted in two. This is why I do what I do. You can't save them all-- regardless of what Ron Clark may tell you. There will be some kids that you will just never get through to. They will hate your guts and write vulgar things about you in the bathroom stalls. They will put gum in your chair and do the opposite of everything you ask. But there will also be some Sherry's and some Ralph's that you WILL get through to. And that's all that matters.
CHAPTER THREE: After the Storm
My relationship with my students has changed so much since the concert. They trust me now, and they're all whole-heartedly on board. On Friday, we wore our new choir shirts for a "Choir Spirit" day. We were a maroon army of music nerds! I have chosen our Christmas concert theme: GRINCH!. Can't wait to get all of my little Who's in Whoville started on our new music next week when we get back from fall break.
And, oh yeah... Did I mention that I've got this wonderful boyfriend who was there through it all? He even stayed after the concert to help me clean up. :-) Caleb deserves a gold medal for putting up with me.
So that's the update. If you read this, "bless your heart." ;-) That's how we say it down here in Kentucky, y'all!
CHAPTER ONE: Nightmare on Second Street
A couple of months ago, I scheduled a dress rehearsal field trip at the church where our concert was going to be. I requested permission to pull 160 kids out of school (7th/8th grade first, then 6th grade in the afternoon) so that we could practice as a combined choir at the church. It would also give us the opportunity to practice with our accompanist (instead of me trying to conduct and play at the same time) and figure out how to fit all 160 of us in the front of the church. This has been done before in the past for the Christmas and spring concerts, so my principal approved. I worked out all of the details that I could possibly think of and then, two weeks before the field trip, emailed the final details to the administration and office staff to be looked over. I had the permission slips out, and the kids were getting excited. Four days before the trip, I ran into my principal in the hallway. She let me know that she wasn't so sure about the field trip anymore..... ajskfl;sdkjfalsdjfasuwiowerjkslkahfksldj! I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. How in the world was I going to put this together without a dress rehearsal? As if this wasn't all stressful enough, I also was dealing with All-State choir confusion... I'll spare you the details on this. There was talk that I was going to be observed by the assistant principal during concert week for KTIP (the stupid Kentucky program that I have to do to get my Kentucky teaching license). Things got so crazy that I seriously considered running out into the middle of Highway 41 and ending it all. I threw up in the bathroom between classes. There is so much pressure put on you to do well at the first concert-- everyone is judging you and comparing you to past directors-- This concert needed to be good or I was looking at losing the trust, respect, and support of my students, their parents, the staff, and the community. Sound dramatic? It's not an exaggeration. Later that day, we got the news that we would be allowed to go after all. I worked non-stop over the weekend to think of every detail. I typed up minute-by-minute schedules and made lists of all the students involved for our secretaries.
When Monday finally arrived, the kids met me at 7:52 sharp in the front lobby- ready to go! They were prompt and prepared. The busses were scheduled to arrive at 8:00, so at 7:55 I pulled them out onto the curb to load. As I was sorting them into seventh and eighth grade, our attendance secretary burst out of the front doors wearing a look of absolute horror. "What are you DOING? This is a NIGHTMARE! Get these kids back to homeroom so we can take attendance!" I calmly handed her my list of involved students and told her that I would phone with absentees. She, not so calmly, told me that this simply wouldn't do. I couldn't help but laugh. I sent out the itinerary with the exact details of who, what, when, where and how we would load the busses to get to this field trip weeks ago. No one spoke up to tell me that it would be a problem to leave first thing in the morning. I wanted to get there as early as possible so that the kids didn't have to miss as much class. Long story short, I had to send 100 kids back to their homerooms so that attendance could be taken electronically instead of the old-fashioned way. I then had to wait for over fifteen minutes while the kids made their way back to the front curb to load the busses. By the time we finally got on the busses, we were already a half hour behind schedule. Fabulous. I realized as soon as we got to the church that, in the chaos, I had left my box with all of my music, my standing order charts, our props, and our simple percussion instruments on the curb outside of the school. I had to call and have someone bring it over to the church.
Did the dress rehearsal go well after all of this work? Hmmm.... it was okay. The kids sang well, but their behavior sucked. They were hyper (as they were so excited to be out of school), and my parent volunteers didn't show up. One girl vomited on the floor of the church, and two others got written up by the bus driver for being out of their seats. I probably would have lost my voice had it not been for the microphone.
CHAPTER TWO: Proud Momma
On the day of the concert, I could tell the kids were nervous. They know that I'm new at this, and I think they were having a hard time trusting that it was all going to be okay. I was getting REALLY sick of hearing about how their old teacher used to do things. After school, I changed into my concert dress and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. I went back to my room and read over the program a few thousand times to be sure that I'd thought of everything that could possibly go wrong. At 5:15, I headed over to the church to finish setting up. Then, somehow, a concert happened... my memories are fuzzy as my blood pressure was so high that I think I may have blacked out through most of the performance. I went into hyper-focus, crisis-aversion mode. I think I came back to this planet just in time for the final combined piece, "How Can I Keep from Singing?". It was some of the most beautiful music that I have ever heard these kids make. Their vowels were tall, their faces were energized, and their crescendos/decrescendos were superb. I looked back for the final bow and saw nothing but huge, silly grins on all of their faces. They were so proud...and I was, too. I heard from several teachers that it was the smoothest choir performance they'd ever seen. I also heard that we blew away the high school performance earlier in the week. The superintendent of the district was present as his daughter is in my choir. It made me feel good knowing that he witnessed the event as my principal and vice principal were not present. I'm not bitter.
A couple of cute stories to warm your hearts.... :-)
I have a student with lots of behavior issues who refused to participate for the first month of school. We'll call her *Sherry. Nothing worked-- calling home, private conferences, loss of privileges, detentions--- nada. I started allowing her to come hang out in my room before school, and we'd chat while I got the room set up for the day. I noticed that, the more we talked, the more she participated in class. At the concert, Sherry had her hair curled and pulled back. She was wearing a nice button-down shirt and black slacks. I told her that she looked beautiful, and her response made me melt: "Ms. Taylor, I really wanted to look nice and do well at the concert for you because you're the only teacher who doesn't yell at me." I almost cried.
Then there's *Ralph. Ralph is another kiddo that I hear a lot of teachers complaining about. He can't stay in his seat, he enjoys pestering the other students, and I don't think he showers often. I had to move Ralph to a seat away from the other students early in the semester because he seriously couldn't sit by ANYONE without getting in trouble. When I have morning duty, I'm required to sit outside of the cafeteria doors and make sure kids don't try to sneak in or out of breakfast. Ralph doesn't ever have anyone to sit with, so one day I let him sit with me. My one condition: He had to let me quiz him over letter names. Every morning for two weeks, Ralph came to sit with me and work on letter names while he ate breakfast. Turns out, the kid is really smart and knows his letter names backwards and forwards.... I guess not EVERYTHING that I said went in one ear and out the other. He aced his letter names quiz and, surprise, started participating in class. I didn't even have to say his name to get his attention anymore. The week before the concert, Ralph came to me in tears. He found out that he was moving and today would be his last day. He was upset because he still wanted to be able to be in the concert. Well OF COURSE I let him participate. On the night of the concert, Ralph showed up dressed like a million bucks and grinning from ear to ear. I placed him on the risers and prayed that he would leave the kids around him alone. After the concert, a woman approached me and introduced herself as Ralph's mom. She thanked me for including him and told me that choir was the best part of his time at our school. He plans to continue choir at his new school. Again, my heart melted in two. This is why I do what I do. You can't save them all-- regardless of what Ron Clark may tell you. There will be some kids that you will just never get through to. They will hate your guts and write vulgar things about you in the bathroom stalls. They will put gum in your chair and do the opposite of everything you ask. But there will also be some Sherry's and some Ralph's that you WILL get through to. And that's all that matters.
CHAPTER THREE: After the Storm
My relationship with my students has changed so much since the concert. They trust me now, and they're all whole-heartedly on board. On Friday, we wore our new choir shirts for a "Choir Spirit" day. We were a maroon army of music nerds! I have chosen our Christmas concert theme: GRINCH!. Can't wait to get all of my little Who's in Whoville started on our new music next week when we get back from fall break.
And, oh yeah... Did I mention that I've got this wonderful boyfriend who was there through it all? He even stayed after the concert to help me clean up. :-) Caleb deserves a gold medal for putting up with me.
So that's the update. If you read this, "bless your heart." ;-) That's how we say it down here in Kentucky, y'all!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
I'm a Big Kid Now!
I am happy to report that this blog is coming to you straight from my new apartment! (Pics to come.) This week was the LONGEST and CRAZIEST yet... early morning duty, all-state choir auditions, theory ws, theory test, test re-dos, midterm grades due (involved long hours staring at my online grade book), t-shirt orders, fundraiser planning and, oh yeah, I decided to move out. So, needless to say, I didn't have a second to even think about packing until Friday night. My friend Caleb came over to help me pack and discovered that packing/moving is quite possibly the one thing that manages to bring out the very worst in me. I didn't know where to begin, then I pouted, then I cried, then I started randomly throwing things in boxes, cried some more, took out my frustration on everyone around me, and then gave up and went to bed. I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday and finished the job. By 8:10, we were loading up the Penske truck and heading to my new home. Two trips later, I was in. The place looks great-- not as bare as I thought it might. I made a trip to Wal-Mart with my mom and got groceries/ a few decorative things to add some touches of home. Caleb showed up with flowers and wine. We sat and enjoyed the wine on my couch... the one he sold me a couple of months ago... that's how we met. ;-) Elphie Cat finally ventured out from her hiding place under my bed around 10ish and explored her new home. She is terrified of the stairs, so I have to carry her past them so that she will go into the living room. I woke up this morning and found her right back under the bed again. She only leaves to visit the litterbox. She really hasn't eaten anything. Hopefully she will acclimate soon, because I miss my purr box!
Highs of the week: Caleb's surprise flowers/wine, Hanging out with the fam at my new pad, Drinking tea on my balcony and watching the rain this morning
Lows of the week: A kid called me an f-ing B in an anonymous comment on our choir webpage. He also threw in a line about how much he hates one of our pieces. My thoughts? Well, at least you know what we're singing! His screen name, comically, was PEN1S. Luckily, I have to approve everything before it goes up, so I'm the only one that could see it. Pretty sure I know who it is. This kid was the star of the show with the old choir teacher, but I call him out when he is being disruptive. Not going to give him special treatment just because he is talented. Pretty sure he doesn't appreciate it. Oh well!
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Highs of the week: Caleb's surprise flowers/wine, Hanging out with the fam at my new pad, Drinking tea on my balcony and watching the rain this morning
Lows of the week: A kid called me an f-ing B in an anonymous comment on our choir webpage. He also threw in a line about how much he hates one of our pieces. My thoughts? Well, at least you know what we're singing! His screen name, comically, was PEN1S. Luckily, I have to approve everything before it goes up, so I'm the only one that could see it. Pretty sure I know who it is. This kid was the star of the show with the old choir teacher, but I call him out when he is being disruptive. Not going to give him special treatment just because he is talented. Pretty sure he doesn't appreciate it. Oh well!
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Friday, August 26, 2011
T.G.I.F.!
Wheeeeeewwww.... I am so glad it is Friday.
This week was great but SO crazy. I had Glee Club auditions and was at school every night until 7 or later. Vocal auditions were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and dance callbacks were today. I got to be bosom buddies with our custodians, Glen and Clem. So many talented kids auditioned- about 80... had to narrow it down to 30. Ended up with 33- 11 boys and 22 girls. Each boy has 2 dance partners.
Lots of drama this week (as always when you're working with hormonal chipmunks from outer space)... but things ended on a wonderful note. I played a rhythm review game with each of the choirs and brought candy for the winning teams. We ran our fall concert songs.... most of which are nearly concert ready. I may need to add another song to keep them busy... possibly a combined number? In the last ten minutes, I let the kids watch some of my favorite scenes from "Singin' in the Rain" while I passed out papers. They LOVED Donald O'Connor in "Make 'Em Laugh". I've never seen them so hypnotized by a movie---even when I let them watch Shrek last week. The class that won the free day today wanted to watch my high school's version of "Singin'" in which I played Kathy, the lead female. Their reactions were hysterical: "Ms. Taylor-- I didn't know you could sing! I didn't know you could dance! Is that REALLY you? You were so much prettier then!" Thanks, guys. Gotta love middle school.
The "class gotcha" reward system is still working pretty well. I am afraid my seventh grade classes might give up in a couple of weeks, though. They always lose by a mile because their class as a whole is SO rough. Lots of behavior issues. Lots of special needs. As I said before, it doesn't even work to move them because they can't stand to sit by anyone. Several kids have notes from their parents saying that they're not allowed to sit by certain students. Several kids have to sit near me or near the front of the room. It makes shuffling things around rather tricky. Hoping that I can finally find a seating chart that works and keep them motivated to win.
One last thing-- created a website for the choir this week. It's so cool! Here's the link. Check it out!
http://www.eschool.henderson.kyschools.us/laurentaylor/
This week was great but SO crazy. I had Glee Club auditions and was at school every night until 7 or later. Vocal auditions were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and dance callbacks were today. I got to be bosom buddies with our custodians, Glen and Clem. So many talented kids auditioned- about 80... had to narrow it down to 30. Ended up with 33- 11 boys and 22 girls. Each boy has 2 dance partners.
Lots of drama this week (as always when you're working with hormonal chipmunks from outer space)... but things ended on a wonderful note. I played a rhythm review game with each of the choirs and brought candy for the winning teams. We ran our fall concert songs.... most of which are nearly concert ready. I may need to add another song to keep them busy... possibly a combined number? In the last ten minutes, I let the kids watch some of my favorite scenes from "Singin' in the Rain" while I passed out papers. They LOVED Donald O'Connor in "Make 'Em Laugh". I've never seen them so hypnotized by a movie---even when I let them watch Shrek last week. The class that won the free day today wanted to watch my high school's version of "Singin'" in which I played Kathy, the lead female. Their reactions were hysterical: "Ms. Taylor-- I didn't know you could sing! I didn't know you could dance! Is that REALLY you? You were so much prettier then!" Thanks, guys. Gotta love middle school.
The "class gotcha" reward system is still working pretty well. I am afraid my seventh grade classes might give up in a couple of weeks, though. They always lose by a mile because their class as a whole is SO rough. Lots of behavior issues. Lots of special needs. As I said before, it doesn't even work to move them because they can't stand to sit by anyone. Several kids have notes from their parents saying that they're not allowed to sit by certain students. Several kids have to sit near me or near the front of the room. It makes shuffling things around rather tricky. Hoping that I can finally find a seating chart that works and keep them motivated to win.
One last thing-- created a website for the choir this week. It's so cool! Here's the link. Check it out!
http://www.eschool.henderson.kyschools.us/laurentaylor/
Friday, August 19, 2011
Ten Minutes at a Time...
This week went MUCH better. We spent all Monday going over a power point about my "great expectations" for choir this year. Students had a bell-ringer about how one person's choices can affect an entire team. We talked a lot about what it takes to be a successful choir. I started a new positive behavior system where the kids get a "class gotcha" for every ten minutes they go without anyone getting a warning and without me having to quiet them down or fight to hold their focus. The class with the most gotchas on Friday wins a "Chill Friday". I will bring in movies that they can pick from and a bunch of candy. They don't have to sit in their assigned seats, and they can also finish their homework for the weekend. Each day, I let the first kid who asks be the "timekeeper." This student watches the clock and crashes together some toy cymbals at the end of every ten-minute chunk. I give the time-keeper a thumbs-up if we made it, and he/she can put a tally up on the board.Class gotchas are tallied on a four-foot tall chalkboard that I set right in front of the piano. At all times, they can see which class is in the lead and how many more gotchas they need to win. The competition was stiff all week, and two classes ended up tying for the win: a sixth grade class and an eighth grade class. No surprise that seventh grade was quite a few tallies behind.
Highlights of the week:
1. I still have a voice today because I didn't talk over a single class this week. (Yay, class gotchas!)
2. I managed to connect with a student who was causing a lot of behavior problems. I wrote her up last week, and she came to me to apologize. She loves choir and is a fantastic singer, but she can have a terrible attitude. We worked out a deal on Monday: If she could show me a marked improvement in attitude and participation by Friday, I would let her switch her assigned seat to be by her friends (who I had purposefully moved her away from.) Worked like a CHARM. She finally started using her powerful voice and queen bee personality to be a positive leader instead of a negative leader. I gave her extra responsibilities in class and let her run some errands for me. In the midst of our deal, we connected and she learned that she actually really loves choir. Now she is signed up for the glee club. She wants to continue to be a leader so that I will put her in the group. Woohoo!
3. I had my first "walk through" observation this week. A big shot from district came into my classroom at the beginning of seventh period (danger! danger! seventh grade!) and watched me teach a theory lesson. He came back today to deliver his comments-- all of which were positive! He said that he loved the way I was asking kids to "think" about music. Apparently the kids were all engaged and focused. I would argue that this is a bit of a stretch. I have a handful of kiddos that I know had glazed-over eyes. But hey, I'll take it! I also, luckily, had done everything district had asked (no matter how time consuming or ridiculous.) I wrote every "target" (learning goals/standards) on the board and had another portion designated for vocab... Seriously, there was no room for me to write after I had everything that I was required to have on the board up. I think that this was really what he was there to look for.
4. I broke up a girl fight today.
5. I had a lot of meaningful conversations with my sixth grade homeroom about bullying and the excitements/woes of middle school. They are so cute!
6. I had another twenty kids sign up for glee. I started signing up two kids for every ten minute slot because I really have no more time left. Next week is going to be so crazy!
Starting to think that I can actually do this. How can I actually be three weeks in to my first year of teaching?
Highlights of the week:
1. I still have a voice today because I didn't talk over a single class this week. (Yay, class gotchas!)
2. I managed to connect with a student who was causing a lot of behavior problems. I wrote her up last week, and she came to me to apologize. She loves choir and is a fantastic singer, but she can have a terrible attitude. We worked out a deal on Monday: If she could show me a marked improvement in attitude and participation by Friday, I would let her switch her assigned seat to be by her friends (who I had purposefully moved her away from.) Worked like a CHARM. She finally started using her powerful voice and queen bee personality to be a positive leader instead of a negative leader. I gave her extra responsibilities in class and let her run some errands for me. In the midst of our deal, we connected and she learned that she actually really loves choir. Now she is signed up for the glee club. She wants to continue to be a leader so that I will put her in the group. Woohoo!
3. I had my first "walk through" observation this week. A big shot from district came into my classroom at the beginning of seventh period (danger! danger! seventh grade!) and watched me teach a theory lesson. He came back today to deliver his comments-- all of which were positive! He said that he loved the way I was asking kids to "think" about music. Apparently the kids were all engaged and focused. I would argue that this is a bit of a stretch. I have a handful of kiddos that I know had glazed-over eyes. But hey, I'll take it! I also, luckily, had done everything district had asked (no matter how time consuming or ridiculous.) I wrote every "target" (learning goals/standards) on the board and had another portion designated for vocab... Seriously, there was no room for me to write after I had everything that I was required to have on the board up. I think that this was really what he was there to look for.
4. I broke up a girl fight today.
5. I had a lot of meaningful conversations with my sixth grade homeroom about bullying and the excitements/woes of middle school. They are so cute!
6. I had another twenty kids sign up for glee. I started signing up two kids for every ten minute slot because I really have no more time left. Next week is going to be so crazy!
Starting to think that I can actually do this. How can I actually be three weeks in to my first year of teaching?
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