Looking back...

... I have been at my new job nearly a month now, and I am infinitely happier here. However, I can't help but be a bit nostalgic and slightly sad about not teaching anymore. I suppose I can always try again (though I'll have to get re-certified if I teach after July 2008; my provisional gift certificate will expire)...

It's been very interesting for me to re-read this blog... very bittersweet stuff. I'll update later... for now, it's time to leave work! Ciao.



(8.29.07: Editor's note... I re-read this last entry, and it turns out I wrote "my provisional gift certificate..." HA!!! I meant "certification." You can tell where my head was!! Just an FYI.) :)

They're gone...

... My students have been gone for 45 minutes now, and I feel as if I've just gone through a break-up. I miss the good times horribly (even though there were countless bad ones), and I cried a lot the last 15 minutes before the kids left. One of my "tough" boys even teared up. He's this completely macho Mexican-American kid (I only bring that up because it's such a deeply-embedded part of his identity) who rides bulls and is a super athlete and student... He told me several times, "You're my second favorite teacher ever. Almost first." (This actually means a lot to me, even though he's only had 5 teachers at this point in his life.) He shyly (!!) came up to me at the end of the day (with only 1 or 2 students as witnesses), and said, "I'll miss you." He gave me a hug, too!! When he pulled away, his eyes were all teary. I lost it then, and just then 3 of my girls came in and we all cried and hugged. I will miss most of them horribly. I promised to come back and visit next school year (which I will absolutely do!!!), so that helped a bit.

I also introduced them to Grammar Girl today. I ran across the hallway to the library, donned a cape and headpiece, and exposed a shirt on which I had drawn a large "G" for Grammar Girl. I came back into the classroom, numerous atrocities of modern language (see below) in hand. I, er, Grammar Girl, spazzed out on them, shrieking, "What's wrong with these people?!?! How do they get away with this?! Bad language use is my Kryptonite!! It'll kill me if you don't help me stop it!!" A lot of kids really bought into the whole deal, asking me, "Where's Ms. Anderson?!" ("She was kidnapped by my arch nemesis, Grammar Goblin!") or "How do you know our names if this is your first time in the classroom?!" ("I've been spying on you all year, and I'm very close with Ms. Anderson.")





Anyway, it's time to do inventory and pack up the classroom... I'll write more later. Peace!

Photos

So I've just uploaded a bunch of photos from the school year... Here are some highlights (assuming Blogger lets me post them all!!) :

Tuzigoot field trip with the class
Student artwork
Student artwork
More artwork!
The classroom yesterday, after the kids left... It's even crazier now!

Our last (full) day...

... I'm a bit sad. Today was a pretty good day, all things considered. I actually *taught* for the first 2.5 hours of school today. We finished up fractions (dividing mixed numbers), and when the kids got the hang of it, I let them come up, one by one, and work out a problem to the class. It was actually very enjoyable, and it was great seeing the kids confident in their work. We then did a comprehensive language review (a packet of old tests I compiled), which I hope was somewhat helpful. Then, the students cleaned out their desks- I have pictures to be uploaded!- and we started packing up the room. This morning, I had NOTHING packed, and now I'm almost done. Gotta love free child labor! :)

This afternoon, we finished packing up (which was pretty cool, actually), then I assigned our last journaling activity of the year: A reflection of the school year. I asked the students to make a list of positive and negative things they remember. Next, I had them finish the question: "What I remember about this year is..." with 5 or more endings. I then had them write in a notebook for me what they remembered about the year. Some excerpts:

"You are the 2nd best teacher ever and I was very good this year."

"I got to meet you."

"Through all the changes, I will never forget you."

"You helped me improve in anger." (I think this was supposed to be a good one!)

"I rember [sic] the first day [and] the sign language." (I taught them sign language symbols for "water," "bathroom," and showed them how to ask to sharpen a pencil by holding it up silently. This made the year infinitely easier.)

"I got to meet you! and you are a good teacher"

"I will miss you a-lot" (We worked on "a lot" as two unhyphenated words all year!! Grrr..)

"I will always remember you. You are my favorite teacher. Always remember that you give good advise [sic]. You rock!"

"We will miss you. I had fun."

"Meeting you was the best part of the year."

"I will miss you. You were the best teacher I ever had."

"I wish you were the new challenge (6-8) teacher but I still will miss you."

"You teached [sic] me a lot of stuff like math science reading."

"Thanks for teaching me stuff like, science and math and reading."

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I'll miss my little monsters, too. :( I almost cried today, but it didn't really feel like the end yet. Tomorrow I will DEFINITELY cry.

After the reminiscing, we went to our last "Treat" assembly of the year. This is pretty much a raffle where students got tickets for doing good deeds for others all semester. Ten of my kids won prizes! :)

After the assembly, it was recess, then the first half hour of "Lilo & Stitch," then the kids were out the door. Sigh. The room's a mess, but it's almost packed. We have quite a bit of cleaning to do tomorrow before they leave.

I will also actually miss blogging about this unique experience. It's been a nice outlet for my whole teaching career (short-lived as it may be), and I've appreciated knowing that I have an audience cheering me on. :) Thank you, readers, for caring about the issues I've brought forth in this blog. I'll probably do an entry or two more, then that's it!! Finito!! :( Due to this blog-sickness, I have started another one (check my profile if you're interested). Thus, I can keep writing, but that one will be about more random (and sometimes more personal) things aside from my life as a teacher.

For now, I finish LOTS of work in the classroom. Ciao!

Random thoughts...

...Struck with a bout of pseduo-insomnia, I reflect upon what, exactly, teaching is to me. In college & grad school, we were constantly forced to develop comprehensive teaching philosophies, and now I realize the importance of those assignments: If one does not know *why* one does things, one runs the risk of being ineffective (or worse, destructive).

Today wasn't as hunky dory as yesterday, though we did have some cool moments. I still love whenever the kids are so enthralled with something that there is this rapt silence that envelopes the classroom. Today, as part of a social studies discussion, we talked about sweatshops, child labor, and the like. I told them about the lack of human rights laws in other countries (chiefly those in Asia and Africa), and how we're impacting such issues. I told them that, for example, if their clothes were made in China or Bangladesh or anywhere that is considered a third world county, those other countries have very loose laws about what constitutes fair labor. I described under what conditions many children and adults labor in foreign nations, and the children were appalled. Immediately, they began checking their shirt lables ("Ms. Anderson, what is C-A-M-B-O-D-I-A?"; "Ms. Anderson, does it make us bad people if we buy clothes that were made in China?"), and they were all fascinated by what they discovered: we still rely a great deal on foreign goods. When they learned what is happening around the world (right now!), many asked, "Why do we have so much stuff that's made in China?" I replied simply, "Because it's cheap for us, and we're more interested as a country in buying cheap goods than ones produced fairly."

Though I'm leaving the teaching profession at the end of next week, I'm starting to think more and more that it is but a temporary hiatus from this line of work. I do so love when the students really *care* about issues and topics, and that's what would keep me going as an educator. I have yet to figure out effective classroom management tactics, homework policies, conflict resolution facilitation, and so forth... but I feel that I may be able to *do* this someday and enjoy it.

I still love all the little "perks" that are included with teaching. Today (as I do on many Fridays), I had lunch with my class in the cafeteria. I love seeing them outside the classroom; I'm like a celebrity. Every single student wanted to talk, and they were all so eager to share the minor occurences in their lives. It was certainly flattering, but I was also feeling like it's one of the few times in the day when an adult actually listens to them and cares about what they have to say. An idea I'd had earlier in the year (that I never did) was to have lunch with them, one by one, throughout each semester, just to chat and spend some one-on-one time together that they so rarely get with teachers or parents.

Anyway, I will very sincerely miss the chaos that has been teaching. Friends in other fields constantly remark to me, "Even when your days are bad, at least they're still interesting! I can't say the same for my line of work..."

For now, I sign off and try to feel confident in my decision to leave the school and the teaching field. Peace!

Our last Friday... ever!!!

So today was my last Friday being a teacher (at least for the time being). SO weird!! We also had our last Monday this week; there's no school next Monday for Memorial Day. Craziness.

Anyway, I'm EXTREMELY exhausted, so I'm going to do a first: I'm going to go home- within the next 5 minutes- and take a nap!! This will be the earliest I've ever left on a Friday, thankyouverymuch.

We had an end-of-the-year party for the last hour of school today (my class, not the whole school), and it was crazy. We had ice cream sundaes outside, and rootbeer floats/dancing inside. It was fun, but soooo loud. However, I did learn a new dance move from the kids. They're so strange.

Sorry, I'll have to write more later; I'm about ready to fall asleep as I type this. Ciao! Enjoy your long weekend, for those of you who have one. :)

Sigh!!!

So today was...

...a...

...GOOD day!!! Ahh!! I'll never understand this profession! :P The kids were interested in everything today! They did well with the math, we had a math review, we did a capitalization review... we drew & painted with watercolors (and they listened to my technique tips!!), we had a GOOD class meeting... kids were *interested* in the science lesson today (about the human body- they love it!)...

Just a good day overall. Will wonders never cease?! Tomorrow, we have our class party at the end of the day. It's then that I'll present them with the letters I've made them... I'm excited!

For now, I'm off on a pseudo-date with the (only single male teacher in the school) art teacher. Ciao!


(Update: 5.30.07: Here is some of the students' awesome artwork:)




(Hmm... I'd wanted to add more, but ghetto blogger won't let me right now... grrr...)

It's always something...

... So I got a text message on my phone at 6:43 this morning from another teacher. It read: "There is no school for kids today but teachers need to go. Has anyone called you? There was vandalism on the buses and at the high school."

Turns out that someone (who is anyone's guess at this point) completely vandalized the buses (slashing tires, sealing locks with glue, etc.) and the high school last night. Thus, the buses aren't running, and students got the day off. I called most of my students' families to let them know, and all but 2 had already heard the news by the time I called. Ugh.

I also called all the teachers whose numbers I have. Of course, my lovely 4th grade teacher buddy got mad... But not about the vandalism, about the fact that we have to be at school today! "That's bull----!" she'd exclaimed. "We have snow days we never used. We shouldn't have to be there!" I, on the other hand, was more upset about the problem at hand. It's so frustrating that just a small group of people can ruin things for a large population. There are about 700 students who were affected by this today. Not fair.

We have our own speculations about who the culprit(s) is (are) at this point. The art teacher and I think it may be my crazy ex-roommate, the former tech guy. Maybe he was acting out of rage of being fired after he went to jail? (He's out now, which is not fun for me!!) Perhaps, the 4th grade teacher purported, it is the parent of one of her students. Obviously, no one's sure right now, but hopefully we'll know at some point. However, they still don't know who vandalized my room several months ago (remember that?). My room had been badly vandalized one day when I had a sub.

Come on, people. There are like 4 days of school left. 3 1/2, actually, but who's counting? Did they *really* have to do this right now? In another district (Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix), I heard that last week, all the windshields of the buses in the district were smashed. That was about 100 buses- big bucks and a LOT of work. What the heck? I mean, really.

Anyway, I need to head to school for a staff meeting, and then have a whole workday. I'm actually glad to have the time to get stuff done, even though the circumstances kind of suck. Hope you all have a better day!

Just a few days left...

... and it's not horrible! :) Right now, I have my last-ever 2-special day... :( Next week, I don't think we have specials at all, and I think I'll survive the whole day and a half.

I'm sort of bombarding the kids with work right now, especially math. I'm trying to squeeze as much into their little brains as I can before the year is up. I don't know how they'll do next year or in their lives, but I'm hoping my influence was a positive one.

We have our awards night this evening, which should be interesting. It'll be all the kids who've made improvements throughout the year and/or who have done outstanding work. Should be a good group there. Plus, beforehand, I'll be going to dinner with the other 4th and 5th grade teachers, so that should be enjoyable (or interesting at the very least).

I'm getting very nostalgic and almost sad that I'm leaving. I start my new job in less than 2 weeks now, which makes me happy, but I can't shake my feelings of guilt for leaving the kids here high and dry. I do believe I'll still participate in the PTO next year, and continue helping with the playground project. I want to stay involved with the school, while at the same time not actually teaching. We'll see how it goes.

That's all for now; time to be productive these last 15 minutes before I get my class. Ciao!

a success??

So we had our silent auction/raffle/bake sale thingee today. We raised over $2,000, but I feel like it could've been much more. People were cheap on the silent auction bidding!! Almost nothing went for face value, and a lot of teachers ended up bidding the highest on many items. I myself was the high bidder on 5 things (a quilt, another teacher's awesome painting, a 3-book set, a gift basket, and an autographed book by a local author). The kids & community members seemed to have a good time, though. I had 14 of my students volunteer to help during the day, which was awesome! They actually did a really good job helping out. A lot of them worked the entire day. I was impressed by their work ethic! :) I also had a friend come out to help (thanks, Mr. Fitz!!), whose efforts were invaluable.

To celebrate afterwards, said friend and I got dinner and saw "Shrek the Third." That movie was hysterical!!! It was excellent, and it now comes highly recommended from yours truly.

I'm exhausted, and I know I'm about to get the best night of sleep in my life. However, I wanted to update to let the free world know that our event was a moderate success. It's definitely a start. I told the principal that I'll be back whenever I can next year to help out. I still plan to be involved in the PTO (even if I'm not the secretary) and I would like to see this playground project through. I want to be around the kids & community, but I don't want to be in the classroom for the time being. I think I'll end up trying teaching again in a few years, but not at the moment.

Also, I can't help but feel a bit sad at the moment. Next week is our last full week with the kids. The following week, we have Monday off for Memorial Day, then Tuesday, and then a half day on Wednesday and that's it! My first year of teaching will have come to a close. It's a very strange feeling. I'll miss many things, but I have to believe that I'm moving on to better things. We'll see!

Anyway, faithful readers, I'm about to fall asleep. Have a great night! :)

We're gettin' there...

... to the end of the year, that is!! :) Only 8 more days left, and the students' last day is an 11:30 dismissal!! :) Today was decent... I think I had some good lesson plans (props to me for still trying to teach standards with just over a week left of school!), though I did give the kids a 40-minute recess this morning. Whoops. :P

The high school came to our school today to present their version of "Romeo and Juliet" to the 4th-8th graders... Eesh. It was nearly impossible to understand the actors, between their poor accents, the olde English, and the lack of good microphones. A few kids broke character several times, laughing or apologizing. I was horrified. My class wasn't crazy about the play, but I do give them credit for being a pretty decent audience. To make up for the hour and a half they had to sit there, I gave them their super-long recess. I didn't feel that bad at the end of the day, though, because they didn't have an afternoon recess.

Anyway, that's it for now. MUCH to do to prep for silent auction/raffle. Plus, our class's mini raffle & auction is tomorrow, for which I have to prep. At least the week's going fast!! Peace out.