Whew!! It has been extremely busy the past couple of weeks! Lesson planning for two "real" classes (Geometry and Pre-Calculus) is turning out to be more work than I anticipated. While I did teach Geometry last year, I taught the Pre-AP version of it, and so while I know the information, I have to completely change the curriculum as I teach the gradelevel (and below) kids. Pre-Cal is completely new to me this year, and I can't remember anything about it from when I took it ten years ago, so it is requiring a lot of studying and prep time!
My students, though, are pretty good. I have some of the same students from last year, but overall, I have an entirely different bunch of kids. They seem more motivated, slightly smarter, and seem to realize that taking a real class (Geometry) is so much better than taking a fake, TAKS -prep class (Math Models). I can easily say that I am much happier teaching now than I was last year. I still have my fair share of student issues, but overall, it is turning out to be a much better situation.
The school and administration still have many, MANY problems which they will probably never overcome and still continue to effect my daily classroom life, but as long as I get all my lesson plans completed over the weekends, I have plenty of time to deal with all the things they demand I do during the week. Unfortunately, this means I barely get to see Travis on the weekends (or during the week for that matter), especially with his schedule changing constantly. I am so exhausted when I get home (at 6 or 7 pm) that I am in bed by 9 or 9:30 every night! But, I feel more motivated to be at school and more excited about helping my students this year than I did last year. I feel like I am doing something better, and I am happier about what I am teaching.
And, the most inspiring thing of all is that many of my students from last year are coming to me, begging me to move them into my class. From the comments they are saying to me, I am getting the impression that they are finally recognizing all the hard work I put into my classes last year and how much they were actually learning in my class. Several of my students are begging to get a schedule change into my class, asking me every day if I have room in different periods and what they can do to get in there. They are so disappointed with the classes they are taking this year, and keep telling me how they don't feel like they are learning, that the teacher isn't teaching them anything, and all they are doing is working out of a workbook. I constantly remind them that all teaching styles are different and that I am here for them if they want to ask questions and get help. I keep encouraging them to talk to their teachers and ask for help, and they do try, but I think I spoiled them too much last year.
One student came in and said, "Mrs. Daniels, I need to move into your class...my teacher this year isn't helping me at all, and every time I ask a question he just gives me the answer and then expects me to do it. He's not like you...you actually took the time to answer my question and make sure I got it, and I learned so much from you." (Talk about motivation to keep teaching!!)
Another student came in one day after school SO excited to tell me about a question she had answered correctly in her class, all because she remembered something I had taught her about slope last year. She was bouncing off the walls with excitement about how she had remembered what I taught her and felt so smart for getting it right! :-)
Two girls have come in on two different occasions, almost in tears, begging me to move them back into my class. One of my ESL students, who never spoke a word in class, came to me and told me she wasn't understanding anything that her new teacher is teaching her and could she please come back to my room? She said she could really understand what I was teaching and felt like she learned so much in my class. Another of my ESL boys came to me, saying the exact same thing. I am so glad to know they were actually feeling good in my class and understanding what was going on!!
Another one of my students, a boy who told me all year long he was too stupid for school and hated my class and all the work I made him do, somehow managed to talk his counselor into switching him into my class. He and the assistant principal came down to talk to me about it, since it was my fullest class, and he promised he would be on his best behavior, do all of his homework, and would sit on the floor if it meant he could be in my class. :-)
So apparently, last year, I did something right. I'm so glad the students feel good about what they learned last year, and I hope I have given them enough confidence to do well this year, whoever their teacher is. It really is kind of them to say all these nice things to me and be so sincere about their feelings. I wish I could move them all into my classes, but it just isn't possible. I would do it in a heartbeat if I could!!
Now, if those students from last year could just convince my students this year that all the hard work is worth it... The new ones are still complaining about all the work and some are being really reluctant to work with me. I know I won't reach them all, but I hope I can get to most of them!!
Here we go - School year 2010-2011!!
