After worrying about Monday's classes all weekend, I actually ended up having a really good day today. My two early classes went really well and we had some good discussions. Then I had my class that I had yelled at last week. I started off by telling them that I felt really bad about what happened on Thursday. I explained that I'm not usually the type of teacher who yells and that I didn't like acting that way. I also told them that there are a lot of things that have been upsetting me lately and that I knew they had a lot of things that were upsetting them as well. I told them that I knew that they didn't normally act the way they were acting, just like I didn't normally act the way I had been.
Then, I had them write a journal entry about what's upsetting them right now. I told them they could write about school or home; it didn't matter. I also said that I wouldn't be reading them and that it was just for them to have an outlet. If we don't have an outlet for negative emotions, they just fester and become even stronger. I hope that this helped them some.
The rest of the day went well and I got a lot done. I'm still pretty stressed about the amount of work that I have, but at least I feel like I am on good terms with all of my classes.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Why I Am Currently Exhausted
This has been no doubt my most difficult long term substitute position. My first one comes pretty close but I think this one has just pushed to the front. I'm ashamed to say that I actually yelled at a class on Thursday. I was pushed to a point that I don't often experience and just couldn't take it anymore. And the worst part is that I really believe that I probably just hurt the situation even more by doing it. I'm sort of at a loss.
Actually, I just now had an idea. I was about to write about how I have so much planning to do that I'm not able to work on my relationship with the students. A lightning bolt went off in my head and I thought, why not? One of the pluses about long term sub jobs is that you don't really have to worry about the ramifications of what happens while you're teaching. If I don't actually cover any of the necessary standards, so what? I won't even be there at the end of the year. (That's not to say that I actually don't care. I do try to make sure the students are learning what they're supposed to be. It just doesn't have to be everything.)
The class I'm most worried about right now is the eighth grade. I pretty much fixed the issues in the other grades. But the eighth grade is a pretty big class and has a few really hard to control students. It's the class that I yelled at. I don't feel like I really need to get into the details; the main issues are that they are upset about the change, really like their regular teacher, aren't convinced that I'm an adequate replacement, and are already a really talkative class.
The unit I created (yes, I had to make the whole thing as lovely regular teacher didn't leave me anything) has them creating a character from the Great Depression and in the end, writing a narrative about his/her struggle. They're learning about that time period in Social Studies so this works well. We'll still work on that, but I'm going to incorporate some getting-to-know-you activities and journal writes. I'm thinking I'll start Monday with "Why I'm upset right now" as a prompt. I'd like to say "pissed off" but I'd probably get in trouble for that.
I don't know if this will work but it's worth a try. I'm tired of trying to beat a class into submission. That's not really my style. I really want to work with them and try to get some real learning to happen.
I just realized that another problem could be that a lot of the students feel intimidated by my unit. There are a lot of students who struggle a lot in the class. I might need to reiterate how much support they'll get and that we have a couple months to get through the unit. It might seem daunting but really it's quite achievable.
I hope I can make this work. I don't want to continue to be a complete basket-case for my poor husband.
Actually, I just now had an idea. I was about to write about how I have so much planning to do that I'm not able to work on my relationship with the students. A lightning bolt went off in my head and I thought, why not? One of the pluses about long term sub jobs is that you don't really have to worry about the ramifications of what happens while you're teaching. If I don't actually cover any of the necessary standards, so what? I won't even be there at the end of the year. (That's not to say that I actually don't care. I do try to make sure the students are learning what they're supposed to be. It just doesn't have to be everything.)
The class I'm most worried about right now is the eighth grade. I pretty much fixed the issues in the other grades. But the eighth grade is a pretty big class and has a few really hard to control students. It's the class that I yelled at. I don't feel like I really need to get into the details; the main issues are that they are upset about the change, really like their regular teacher, aren't convinced that I'm an adequate replacement, and are already a really talkative class.
The unit I created (yes, I had to make the whole thing as lovely regular teacher didn't leave me anything) has them creating a character from the Great Depression and in the end, writing a narrative about his/her struggle. They're learning about that time period in Social Studies so this works well. We'll still work on that, but I'm going to incorporate some getting-to-know-you activities and journal writes. I'm thinking I'll start Monday with "Why I'm upset right now" as a prompt. I'd like to say "pissed off" but I'd probably get in trouble for that.
I don't know if this will work but it's worth a try. I'm tired of trying to beat a class into submission. That's not really my style. I really want to work with them and try to get some real learning to happen.
I just realized that another problem could be that a lot of the students feel intimidated by my unit. There are a lot of students who struggle a lot in the class. I might need to reiterate how much support they'll get and that we have a couple months to get through the unit. It might seem daunting but really it's quite achievable.
I hope I can make this work. I don't want to continue to be a complete basket-case for my poor husband.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Relating with Adolescents
There is rarely a dull moment when teaching middle school. There is the fun and exciting mix of the energy of youth with the budding curiosity of young adulthood. Students are in a constant state of flux as their bodies and minds develop into who they will be for the rest of their lives. This often manifests as a classroom full of squirmy, talkative youths who have very little control over their bodies.
As a teacher of middle schoolers, one needs to figure out how to harness the energy rather than constantly fight it. I have tried to fight it in the past, but the success was only marginal. It might work one day, but the next would bring on even new complications. So I now really try to work with what the students bring to the classroom and view us more as a team rather than me being the disciplinarian and them the workers.
In order for this to really work, there needs to be respect and appreciation on both sides. I really work hard to get to know my students and allow them to get to know who I am. I learn what each individual needs in order to be successful and try to adjust my teaching to incorporate it.
All of this can be difficult with a long term substitute position. I don't have the luxury of getting to know my students over a long span of time. I need to hop right in and do my best to educate without creating too much inconsistency. This is especially difficult with middle schoolers who are already dealing with so much change. It is really important that early on I work on the relationship and establish my goals.
The way I have handled this in the past and did again this year was to write a letter to my new students. I give them some basic information of who I am and what we'll be accomplishing while I'm teaching them. I then give them a chance to ask me any questions they have. Usually they're related to pets and whether or not I have children. No one really seems to care about pedagogy or beliefs. I can't say I'd have been any different at that age...
Next, I have them write a letter to me. They can tell me anything that they think would be important for me to know. These letters tend to be quite informative and I really enjoy reading them. Some students don't write much, but there are quite a few who really open up. I'm always surprised at the number who seem to be excited to get to know a new teacher!
Probably the most exhausting part of being a long term sub is consistently having to compete with the memory of the regular teacher. I always seem to get assignments where the regular teacher is really loved and respected. It can be discouraging to always feel like the second best.
Yesterday, I had to have a talk with one of the 7th grade classes. They were frustrated about having another writing assignment and said how the regular teacher never has them write so much. Well, that got me pretty ticked off for two distinct reasons and this time, I decided to go into it all. First, I told them how important daily writing is and how it is the single best way to become better writers. Writing is an incredibly important skill and is one of the only ways we can accurately express ourselves.
Second, I leveled with them about my role. I told them that I understood how difficult it is to have a new teacher, especially when you really like your regular one. I explained that this was not my ideal situation either and that I would much rather have my own classroom where I can follow my own set of routines and plans. But, I make the best out of the situation and do my best job at filling in and teaching. I asked that they do the same and that we could actually accomplish something in our time together instead of just wishing things were different.
There are obviously no perfect ways to handle to challenge of relating to adolescents. I try my best to be honest and as forthcoming as possible. I want my students to learn and to improve while I'm teaching. I'm never going to just be a seat warmer. Is it difficult? Yes, of course. But I wouldn't feel as if I'm accomplishing my internal mission of truly helping adolescents if I didn't do it this way.
As a teacher of middle schoolers, one needs to figure out how to harness the energy rather than constantly fight it. I have tried to fight it in the past, but the success was only marginal. It might work one day, but the next would bring on even new complications. So I now really try to work with what the students bring to the classroom and view us more as a team rather than me being the disciplinarian and them the workers.
In order for this to really work, there needs to be respect and appreciation on both sides. I really work hard to get to know my students and allow them to get to know who I am. I learn what each individual needs in order to be successful and try to adjust my teaching to incorporate it.
All of this can be difficult with a long term substitute position. I don't have the luxury of getting to know my students over a long span of time. I need to hop right in and do my best to educate without creating too much inconsistency. This is especially difficult with middle schoolers who are already dealing with so much change. It is really important that early on I work on the relationship and establish my goals.
The way I have handled this in the past and did again this year was to write a letter to my new students. I give them some basic information of who I am and what we'll be accomplishing while I'm teaching them. I then give them a chance to ask me any questions they have. Usually they're related to pets and whether or not I have children. No one really seems to care about pedagogy or beliefs. I can't say I'd have been any different at that age...
Next, I have them write a letter to me. They can tell me anything that they think would be important for me to know. These letters tend to be quite informative and I really enjoy reading them. Some students don't write much, but there are quite a few who really open up. I'm always surprised at the number who seem to be excited to get to know a new teacher!
Probably the most exhausting part of being a long term sub is consistently having to compete with the memory of the regular teacher. I always seem to get assignments where the regular teacher is really loved and respected. It can be discouraging to always feel like the second best.
Yesterday, I had to have a talk with one of the 7th grade classes. They were frustrated about having another writing assignment and said how the regular teacher never has them write so much. Well, that got me pretty ticked off for two distinct reasons and this time, I decided to go into it all. First, I told them how important daily writing is and how it is the single best way to become better writers. Writing is an incredibly important skill and is one of the only ways we can accurately express ourselves.
Second, I leveled with them about my role. I told them that I understood how difficult it is to have a new teacher, especially when you really like your regular one. I explained that this was not my ideal situation either and that I would much rather have my own classroom where I can follow my own set of routines and plans. But, I make the best out of the situation and do my best job at filling in and teaching. I asked that they do the same and that we could actually accomplish something in our time together instead of just wishing things were different.
There are obviously no perfect ways to handle to challenge of relating to adolescents. I try my best to be honest and as forthcoming as possible. I want my students to learn and to improve while I'm teaching. I'm never going to just be a seat warmer. Is it difficult? Yes, of course. But I wouldn't feel as if I'm accomplishing my internal mission of truly helping adolescents if I didn't do it this way.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Planning for Three Classes
This is the sixth school where I have taught English/Language Arts. For all of my previous positions, I have either prepared for one or two different classes at a time. These were all schools that had multiple English teachers and they had the luxury of spreading out classes so that specific teachers would teach multiple sections of the same class. So while a teacher would teach four classes, there would only be one or two to plan for.
I have learned that at a small school, things are quite different.
Right now, I am the middle school Language Arts teacher. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. I also teach a class called Writing to Publish, but, fortunately, that does not require any real planning. I have four 50 minute Language Arts classes every day – two 7th grade, one 6th and one 8th.
I can’t believe how much work this is.
However, I am used to much longer classes, so I have been preparing way too much for each class. That should help me out a little for now. But just the fact of having to juggling what I’m teaching in three different classes is a bit overwhelming. I have so much respect for teachers who do this all the time.
At the other extreme, when I filled in at a suburban high school last year, I taught only ninth grade. We had block scheduling so I taught the same thing two days in a row. I also had a total of four and a half hours of prep time every two days. On an A day, I had one period off and on a B day, I had two. That meant I really never had to bring anything home. I really miss that job.
Here, I have to prepare for the three different classes and have only 50 minutes each day of real prep time. I do cover a silent reading class for 30 minutes and I can accomplish some work during that time.
The way I’m handling it all right now is by just over planning. I have calendars for each class and am making sure I’m at least a day ahead in making materials for individual lessons. That way I feel like I’m keeping up and not drowning. However, I don’t know how I’ll be doing a month from now.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Are there other ways to wrap my head around this?
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Planning for a leave replacement
There is a definite balance that needs to be made while planning for a leave replacement. My default state is to over plan. I like to know what my end outcome is going to be and then work from there. In order to do that, I need to decide how long an assessment will take (usually a paper or project) and then what I want my students to show in the assessment. From there, I map out the number of weeks I think is acceptable for preparing them to complete the assessment. I typically take a calendar and literally fill in what I want to accomplish when.
Now, that is my ideal. And in an ideal world, I would know exactly how long it will take students to understand concepts and they will be able to follow my plan exactly. However, that almost never works out. I still have my plan, but I am always adapting it. Basically, I have learned it is best to either keep the plan as a Word document or to write it in pencil. Anything more permanent would be foolish.
For this position, I have had two distinct differences from previous ones. For starters, I have to prepare for three separate classes. As this school is extremely small, I am the sole middle school language arts teacher. I teach six, seventh, and eight grade. There are two seventh grade classes since that class is larger than the others. I have each class every day for 50 minutes. In the past, I had one or two classes to prepare for. Also, this is my first time with classes that short. Most schools are adopting block scheduling, which makes for 80 or 90 minute classes every other day. Those require much different plans.
The other difference is that I have had almost two full weeks of observing. I have filled in for the teacher now and then when she had doctor’s appointments (almost daily) but other than that I’ve just been sitting here. So I have had a lot of time to plan. Right now, I have almost complete plans for two of the classes. The other class I have a looser sense of what I’m doing, but I still have an idea. I haven’t compiled materials for every lesson, but I’m a good week or so ahead. I feel very prepared.
Unfortunately, one cannot really prepare. I have no idea how well things are going to go or if I properly timed activities. I even wrote out a unit plan with due dates for the eighth graders. They might need to do some adjusting if I end up being horribly wrong. Sometimes I think that it would be better if I were the type of person who was comfortable with just “winging it” but I’m not. I am anxious if I don’t have a plan. I don’t mind having to change in throughout, but I really need some sort of plan to begin with.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How to Not Prepare for your Leave
I am currently on my fifth leave replacement. By now, I am pretty much an expert on what needs to be done and how to successfully fill in for a regular teacher. I can prepare quickly and get to know my students in no time. I am fortunate enough to be really quick with technology and can become comfortable with new grading programs right away. There is very little that can throw me off.
However, I can't exactly do everything by myself. There are a few things that I need in order to do a successful job as a long term substitute. Mostly, these things include talking to the regular teacher to find out some information. This is something that has been rather difficult for me as the teacher seems to be in a bit of denial about leaving. For the past week and a half, I have been basically just observing the classes. I have asked the teacher some questions, but for some reason she has not been overly forthcoming with information.
In the past, teachers have given me tons of information and I have almost strained my hand trying to write it all down. Whenever there was an interaction with a student or other teacher, I was brought in so I would understand what was going on. With this position, I am feeling pretty excluded from everything. I sit at a table next to the teacher's desk and try to listen to what goes on. But I am rarely directly included in what goes on. It might get better as the week progresses as the teacher's last day is Friday.
The other thing is that she does not appear to have really prepped the students for the transition. The regular teacher really needs to let his/her students know that the replacement teacher is very qualified and that they will have the same quality of education. Without that assurance, the students view the replacement as merely a "substitute" instead of a real teacher.
I will keep all of these things in mind if I ever happen to need a leave replacement. Being a long term substitute isn't exactly easy so the more the regular teacher can do to ease the transition, the better.
However, I can't exactly do everything by myself. There are a few things that I need in order to do a successful job as a long term substitute. Mostly, these things include talking to the regular teacher to find out some information. This is something that has been rather difficult for me as the teacher seems to be in a bit of denial about leaving. For the past week and a half, I have been basically just observing the classes. I have asked the teacher some questions, but for some reason she has not been overly forthcoming with information.
In the past, teachers have given me tons of information and I have almost strained my hand trying to write it all down. Whenever there was an interaction with a student or other teacher, I was brought in so I would understand what was going on. With this position, I am feeling pretty excluded from everything. I sit at a table next to the teacher's desk and try to listen to what goes on. But I am rarely directly included in what goes on. It might get better as the week progresses as the teacher's last day is Friday.
The other thing is that she does not appear to have really prepped the students for the transition. The regular teacher really needs to let his/her students know that the replacement teacher is very qualified and that they will have the same quality of education. Without that assurance, the students view the replacement as merely a "substitute" instead of a real teacher.
I will keep all of these things in mind if I ever happen to need a leave replacement. Being a long term substitute isn't exactly easy so the more the regular teacher can do to ease the transition, the better.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Not too much to report
Not too much to report today. The regular teacher was back and things went really smoothly. Her doctor was able to get the baby to turn around, so everything is now back on schedule. I spent the day observing. It was actually pretty boring but at least nothing went wrong!
On the other matter, I was able to talk to someone who can maybe help me out with my contract. The few people I spoke with about it agreed that something's quite odd about the situation. With any luck, we can get it sorted out! I would hate to get screwed over...
On the other matter, I was able to talk to someone who can maybe help me out with my contract. The few people I spoke with about it agreed that something's quite odd about the situation. With any luck, we can get it sorted out! I would hate to get screwed over...
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