Thursday, August 14, 2008

half days are teh rule!

Our first week of school has been all half days due to air conditioner issues in the building. How brilliant life would be if there were more half days in the world. I get so much work done in the afternoons when the children are gone. More collaborating, more copies, more papers graded. And then I go home and there is less pressure to keep working so much and less pressure in the morning to be in to work extra early.

Feeling incredibly organized, too, so far. I have my binder with all my students' math & science pretests. Most of them are even already graded. I've got a file folder for each student at my desk, each with a behavior log stapled to the front. I've got files going for each new handout and test and reading and whatever that I give out. Having the lectern for my Promethean board up front where I actually teach makes keeping up with my papers easier. And I'm getting the kids to do most of my legwork for me.

Have a few rowdy boys in my second class that I am monitoring. So far nothing like what I had to deal with last year as far as behavior disorders, etc. But the ringleader is obviously a smart kid so I have to jump on him to use those brains constructively. The chatty girls are the issue in my first class. They will not be sitting with each other. My seating is mostly randomized right now which has worked out okay. I'm going to mix them up again next week ostensibly to help me learn their names faster. Really, though, I don't want them thinking that they are going to sit wherever the hell they want.

Much effective use of the authoritative, take-no-shit teacher voice today. No really yelling, just a good fear-inspiring boom. It's getting the right reaction. Because I'm the boss, dammit.

My job kicks ass.

2 comments:

Leigh C. said...

Wow! If it weren't for the fact that it would probably not give teachers any summers off, and that it would require everyone else in the country to drastically reduce their working hours, I'd say the U.S. needs to have more half-day teaching.

E.J. said...

is this the same teacher who was at the end of her rope a few months ago when school ended? ;-) glad you're back in the saddle and feeling good!