I Love My Job

So, if any of you have every thought about buying me a gift (I know it's a reoccurring thought in your mind, so I'm making it easy for you) you can get me this book! The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World which can be found an Amazon! We used this in the classes and I fell in love. The reading is simple and concise, but provides an adequate look into an event, especially for 10th graders. It's so much easier to read than a textbook.

There were several things I noticed my MT do that I love. He goes through a procedure of telling students how groups should work and he starts off slow. He explains with a powerpoint that groups should be 3 things: 1. Group work = work; 2. Work communication only; and 3. Team work voices. He obviously goes in depth about what these look like. Then he starts off small by pairing students together with just one other person. He says that if you give students an expectation they have to know what that expectation is, so they need reference points. While they are working together in quiet voices just about the assignment he will stop the class or explain after that is what silent looks like or working in groups/teams looks like.

Today was firepit Friday. We asked the students to come up with a question and then they voted on what question they wanted to answer. One girl suggested we talk about how we felt then or 10 years later. I was shocked about the variety of responses and it made me feel so old. Now, I remember that day so clearly. I went to a Catholic school and we were coming back from Reconciliation when our teacher stopped us and told us that someone had bombed the World Trade Center. I remember we started laughing, imagining a guy running through. I don't know what that would be funny, but in my 7th grade mind it was. I remember one of the teachers running out into the hall hysterically crying while I was trying to reassure my sister everything would be okay. I remember talking to the librarian and she said that terrorists from Northern Africa were probably behind it (She was right because the Taliban trained in Africa). I remember eating spaghetti for dinner and my grandma coming over. I still have newspapers from that day and I remember every year imagining what would happen on the 10th anniversary. I can't believe it's almost here.

To hear the students responses was a reminder to me that they do not remember 9/11 the same way I do. Many responded saying that they didn't really have any feelings towards it. It's weird to think that an event like that that I remember so clearly and sometimes want to cry over doesn't even phase my students. Now, not all of them were indifferent, but they were so young. It's crazy to think that my students from now on will not have the same connection to it that I do.

Onto a happier note, well, maybe. I gave my second detention today. And remember my friend at the beginning of the year that I gave a detention to? Well, his DT turned into a Thursday Night School because he failed to serve it. But this means I have to call his parents. :/

I do love my students though. They are so precious, and I want to have pocket-sized versions of them. One day my advisory asked if they could call me Ms. Avacado because one girl accidentally called me that (back from the first week with the name game). Today a bunch of students stayed after to get the notes to get A's on their binder checks. My MT and I were surprised, but happy that they were so concerned with their grades that they would take the time to stay. They were so cute and talking to me. I love being a teacher.

So, I really like this outfit. I bought this sweater at a thrift store with my friend Ally from Fever Thrift. It's a Forever 21 sweater and the back is all lace. I wore this outfit to the Open House which was pretty boring. I gave like a 60 second explanation of the planner, but after I just mostly talked to the 2 other interns on the team and the math, STEM foundations, and English teachers. Were all under 30 which is pretty neat. There were some really funny stories and conversations I must say.

Today as I walked out my MT yelled, "I hope your Browns lose." I responded, "I hope your Bengals lose." But really, the Browns have to win so I can rub it in his face. :)