So tired. So crabby. Why is nothing I said ever retained with these children? My head is foggy, my heart hurts. I want to see success. FUUUUUCK.
I want a doggy and a best human friend. I want a lover who looooooves me. I think that you can't love someone unless you take the risk to decide to love them. Then, after you have made the choice to love them, you truly begin to love them through consistently making the choice to love them and behave in such a way that reflects your decision. Consistency is such a big deal.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Summer School and Life
Today is the last day of summer school. I have had 5 students earn passing grades, and one of my own students come in and worked her way up from a middle of the road D to a high C. There are two more that I hope work their butts off today and pass my class by getting a D or better on the final. I could have allowed them to pass a couple of days ago, but I want them to be as prepared as possible for geometry. I know Ms. Linster stresses the fact that understanding graphs and linear equations and tables and the connections between them is essential, so I refuse to let anyone pass algebra who is not at least proficient in that area. They also need to be able to follow the order of operations to simplify numerical expressions, combine like terms in order to simplify algebraic expressions, and they need to know how to distribute, multiply polynomials, and factor simple trinomials. Obviously, I can't pass a student out of algebra if they can't solve one and two step equations.
I have been doing much introspection these past few weeks concerning my teaching practices and mindsets. I am going to have to give my heart to my students this summer in order to prepare myself for the coming year. I need to be able to reach every kid where they are--high or low. Haylee is blossoming in summer school. She wants to learn and is very smart. She is such a social butterfly that it prevents her from doing well in school. How can I help kids like Haylee?
How can I help kids like:
Haylee-- too interested in being social but actually very intelligent, also doesn't want the reputation of being smart
Ryan--doesn't believe in himself and so won't even try, sleeps
John--thinks everything is too easy for him so he won't try, even tho he doesn't know how to do the material
Tyler--needs to experience the material in many different ways in order to make lasting connections and understandings in his head
Billy--very smart but needs an exceptionally long time to finish even one problem. slow with writing and need to be spoken slowly too
After and Before
There is a barbecue get together after school today at the Baca's, and I cannot wait! I am excited to shoot the breeze with my coworkers and hang out in a less professional atmosphere. Hopefully Dennis will join me. I am super pumped about my vacation with him. It feels like my first grown up vaca. I have gone on other long vacations with friends, but I have never flown there (since I left the nest) and they have always been a spur of the moment "lets drive to California/Minnesota/Montana" type of thing. This is planned out, and for the specific purpose of spending quality time together doing things that we both love. Before it was always about getting to do things I and the other person wanted to do, but it wasn't really about getting to do it together. Just about getting to do it. His company is so pleasant...He calls me out on my shit. Like the other day I asked him a question that I already knew the answer to, and he showed me that I was being manipulative by doing that. He makes me a better person in so many ways. I like his outlook on life, I like how his dog reflects the best of him, I like his new country home, I like that he calls me pumpkin, I like that he laughs at my jokes even when they aren't that funny, I like that he loves coffee as much as I do, I like that he reads for fun, I like that he makes me breakfast, I like that he likes camping, I like how often he tells me he likes me, I like the crazy things he makes me want to do, I like cuddling with him, I like cooking fancy food with him, and I like reading with him. I like his eyes. They are beautiful and sweet and funny and they talk to me.
I have been doing much introspection these past few weeks concerning my teaching practices and mindsets. I am going to have to give my heart to my students this summer in order to prepare myself for the coming year. I need to be able to reach every kid where they are--high or low. Haylee is blossoming in summer school. She wants to learn and is very smart. She is such a social butterfly that it prevents her from doing well in school. How can I help kids like Haylee?
How can I help kids like:
Haylee-- too interested in being social but actually very intelligent, also doesn't want the reputation of being smart
Ryan--doesn't believe in himself and so won't even try, sleeps
John--thinks everything is too easy for him so he won't try, even tho he doesn't know how to do the material
Tyler--needs to experience the material in many different ways in order to make lasting connections and understandings in his head
Billy--very smart but needs an exceptionally long time to finish even one problem. slow with writing and need to be spoken slowly too
After and Before
There is a barbecue get together after school today at the Baca's, and I cannot wait! I am excited to shoot the breeze with my coworkers and hang out in a less professional atmosphere. Hopefully Dennis will join me. I am super pumped about my vacation with him. It feels like my first grown up vaca. I have gone on other long vacations with friends, but I have never flown there (since I left the nest) and they have always been a spur of the moment "lets drive to California/Minnesota/Montana" type of thing. This is planned out, and for the specific purpose of spending quality time together doing things that we both love. Before it was always about getting to do things I and the other person wanted to do, but it wasn't really about getting to do it together. Just about getting to do it. His company is so pleasant...He calls me out on my shit. Like the other day I asked him a question that I already knew the answer to, and he showed me that I was being manipulative by doing that. He makes me a better person in so many ways. I like his outlook on life, I like how his dog reflects the best of him, I like his new country home, I like that he calls me pumpkin, I like that he laughs at my jokes even when they aren't that funny, I like that he loves coffee as much as I do, I like that he reads for fun, I like that he makes me breakfast, I like that he likes camping, I like how often he tells me he likes me, I like the crazy things he makes me want to do, I like cuddling with him, I like cooking fancy food with him, and I like reading with him. I like his eyes. They are beautiful and sweet and funny and they talk to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)