“And, oh, I think we should point out that this is their 100th day of teaching!” After counting sets of 100 Apple Jacks all day and running around making pretty awful 100-themed decorations, I appreciated this split-second recognition by one of my classroom moms. Lord knows that had already crossed my mind a lot…earlier today,…
read more »In tutoring today, the kids started reviewing multiplication. Some kids were ahead on their work, so I pulled out my multiplication flash cards to keep them busy while the others finished up the assignment. One of the girls loves to prove she’s better than others a lot- a trait I’ve witnessed several times in tutoring…
read more »Although most days go well, this afternoon my class quickly became more of a chess game- I had to keep moving kids around because they could not control themselves. During an hour period, one girl was moved to my extra “time-out” desk in the front because she was disturbing her table group. Another boy was…
read more »I tutor third graders on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and they tend to ask random questions about my class. Today the following conversation came up: Hailey: I wonder if you have any Haileys in 2nd grade. Me: I know there is a Kaley next door, but I haven’t heard of a Hailey. Hailey: I know…
read more »A few weeks ago, I left a yogurt in my staff lounge fridge overnight to have for breakfast the next morning. I was hesitant to leave it unmarked, but my fellow staff members aren’t the type of people who take things without asking. The next morning, my heart fell when I found the refrigerator void…
read more »That quote has honestly changed my outlook 100%. The last couple of weeks I have been having anxiety attacks every morning at 3:30am. It is a culmination of things. TFA, my school, my second job, my new commitment to a healthy lifestyle, trying to manage a personal/social life…It just all adds up to not very…
read more »….is the bleakest of months. I tried to think of the most dramatic opener I could, and that’s what I came up with. How’d I do? It’s hard to believe that a mere 20 days ago I was ringing in 2012 at a club in Ann Arbor with my new friend Phil, a 26-year-old…
read more »So. Where do I start? It’s January. I would say I am half-way there, but I am not, seeing as we are a year-round school. I finally have a class of 20. Shocking. It won’t last long I am sure. I am finally getting an IEP meeting on Friday for my sweet friend who desperately…
read more »This week we learned words in English, Spanish, Ladino, Hebrew (Student: “like in Mulan!”), and Swahili. Hanukkah was probably the best thing I’ve ever taught. Maybe (just kidding, DEFINITELY) it was the chocolate gelt and playing with dreidels that won them over. Or the gel menorah that is currently living under the M on our…
read more »**So I think the independent problem-solving mini-lesson I taught my kids several months ago is working… Whenever students are tattling about something stupid (a hefty portion of my day), I just remind them to use our magic phrase: ¡¡No, no, por favor!! And they say it, usually quite dramatically. One student, upon realizing that I…
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