Recommendations

You what I hate writing?!!? Letters of recommendations!!

Usually the directions are so vague that it is hard to focus on something that I think the readers would like to read. I try to always include the normal good attributes, but also focus on a way they have overcome a difficulty to show their hard work ethic. But, sometimes it is just hard to write them for some kids, you know?

Well, I have had this one boy in my class three times now. (Let's call him Cameron) He is an 18 year old who is still classified as a junior and has a whole year and a half until he can graduate. He has had some rough times with trying to support his mother (so he dropped out for a year), breaking ties with his mother, and getting to know his dad whom he didn't know the first 16 years of his life. His dad does not have much, so Cameron has even less. But, we have built a raport between us where he tries his best in my class and I keep tabs on him to make sure he is alright in his other classes and at home.

So, when Cameron told me he had started his own tree trimming company, but work isn't steady I thought about a family friend who owns a farming supply and fence building business. And for the first time, I verbally recommended someone for a job.

I was so nervous. I didn't want our friend to think I was nagging him, but I really wanted him to giveCameron a chance. AND HE DID!!!

Cameron went in the next day and my friend hired him on the spot. So, then, of course, I am even more nervous! Will he perform like I know he can? Will he act like a moron like some teenagers do? Will he abuse the fact that I recommended him and think he can get away with things? Will he not mesh with my friend and will that put a strain on the friendship?

Well, the day came when he started work. I was so nervous, I spoke with my friend that night after the store closed. And you know what, he reported that my student came to work 20 minutes early and worked like a dog the whole 5 hours he was there!

I was so proud of Cameron! He has had rough breaks in life and when he got a good one he has taken full advantage of it and run with it. He now works every day after school and for the 5 hours they are open on the weekends! He is also coming to school more regularly and has put an effort in to his English class which he hasn't done all semester!

So, here's to verbal recommendations! They may be much more nerve racking and put your neck out on the line more, but when they work out well it is such a rewarding feeling!!!

My Favorite Day :)

As a math teacher who has taught Algebra for 7 years now, I have many "favorite days". These include the day we learn the "Function Song", the day we learn about the "Matrix Shop", and the day we learn to use our "Spider Store" to investigate the important parts of parabolas without hassle.

But, my favorite favorite day is what is happening tomorrow!!

I have baked (from scratch I might add) 130 cookies, iced and sprinkled every one of them so that I can pass out two to each one of my 65 students. I have also written a form letter thanking my students for a great semester and wishing them good luck on their EOC next week. BUT it is not just any form letter. In the middle of the letter, I write a personal paragraph to each and every student. This takes a LOT of time, but is so worth it.

There are so many things that I notice and want to acknowledge about each student. Like that I hear the little smart comments Alyssa makes in the back of the room and she has no clue. I LOVE this. I love to hear another person in the room thinking what I am but cannot say. And like Brandon, who sits in the back of my honors class and is making a C, but I am so proud of for taking on the challenge of an honors class even though he was not sure of it.

These letters are my way to show the students that I truly notice something special in each and every one of them. The cookies are fun too, but are mostly just a way to hand out the letters without being too mushy gushy about it.

I have done this since I was a first year teacher and plan to do this until I am no longer teaching. It goes so far for some of these kids to just hear a good, personal comment from an adult. I feel that it has actually helped some students pass the exam and that it has given some students the boost in self-esteem to get them through a hard time.

So, here's to helping others feel good about themselves! Get out there, praise your students, praise your kids, praise your spouse, and send some cheer in the direction of all those you encounter. A little good goes a long way!

EOCs Are Coming to Town

It is that time of year again... EOC exams are here! 

And now that we have new Common Core standards, we have new tests for our youngin's to take. And if your state is like North Carolina, then your tests are horribly, unrealistically, tremendously difficult. I have been blessed with the opportunity to prepare my Integrated students to take the new Algebra I/Integrated I Common Core EOC. So, I taught my heart out and waited with anticipation for the new released test to be officially released to us. Oh how I looked forward to that day. I was so excited to see how prepared my students were going to be. How much this integrated curriculum that I truly believed in had prepared them ti kick this new test in the booty.

And oh how I was so disappointed... THIS TEST IS RIDICULOUS!! ESPECIALLY for a freshmen in Algebra or Integrated I!! 

BUT... I am not one to back down for a challenge. I took this as an opportunity to prove to the state that my kids can do this. So I have worked for three weeks to prepare my students. Next week we will know how well this preparation has worked. I have reviewed concepts with them with mini lessons and assignments, played games, made foldables, and did three practice tests. There is nothing left that I can imagine I could do to help them except to pray.

So I pray that what they have given us as an example to study from is what the actual test will look like. I pray that my students will trust themselves and their abilities. And I pray that the state will put a HUMONGOUS curve on this test should my kids falter under pressure :)

So here's to you, new EOC exam! May your answers be easily identifiable and your problems be easy!

P.S. If any one of my readers desires some study material for your classes, please check out my store! I have several review materials and two 50 question practice tests all based off of the new standards and what our released test looked like. They have all been classroom tested as well! The exact pages are listed below and feel free to forward and pin if you feel others you know may be interested!
Grab Bag Review Game
Review Cards
Problem Solving Guide
Statistics Practice
Linear Equations Review
Practice Test #1
Practice Test #2

Celebrate!!

I just got final confirmation that I have been GRADUATED from the American College of Education with a Masters in Educational Leadership!!!!!

Now it is time for me to get up, do a little dance, scream a little in excitement, and get my paperwork through the state department to get that pay raise!!!

So here's to all of the people (especially my awesome husband!) who helped me/put up with me for the year and a half I was working on this. If it wasnt for ya'll I would not have stuck with it through my pregnancy and new born stage, horrible research class, and all of that monotonous paper writing!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Thank Goodness for Light Bulbs!

Thanks GOODNESS It's FRIDAY!!!

As we wind down our semester, I wind up on my activity in class. Not only am I spending 90 minutes - 3 times a day working to prepare my students for their EOC that is 5 classroom days away now, but I have also given up my lunch/planning to help the kids that want extra review/tutoring. In addition, I stayed late two extra days to help others as well!

Phew... I am one tired girl now that I have finally sat down to rest! 

But, at the same time it is one of those things like "the more things you have to do, the more things you actually get done". It seems that even though I am busy all day long, I have more energy than if I were sitting giving a test and having my planning all to myself. It is as if the students' "light bulbs" are giving me more energy!The more I see them understanding these difficult EOC questions and how to approach them, the more excited I am to continue working with them. I only pray that I am doing enough to help them in the long run.

So here's to light bulbs... may the energy that stems from them continue to push me through one final week of classes :)

Works Like a Charm!

A few posts ago I wrote about using a Grab Bag activity to help my students prepare for their EOC that they will be taking in a week. Well, when I initially wrote about it, I was still in the planning stages of the activity but two days ago I actually did it and IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!

It worked so well that when the kids left they said they liked the activity and there was NO sarcasm in their voices!

But, to give a little props to myself, I think it was my presentation of the "prizes" that was the kicker. As mentioned before, I cut up a 24 questions, randomly placed four colored stickers on 4 of the problems and labeled one a freebie, folded the problems, and put them in a brown paper bag. 

Then, as the students began working through their grab bag they would pull out the stickered questions and wonder what the sticker was for. Once they completed the question they got their prize. But I didn't just give them the prize, I cheesed it up with a silly little phrase and they got so into it they couldn't wait for me to say the phrase to them!

        Red = Smartees  = "Ya'll are such smartees!"
        Blue = Dum Dums  = "Ya'll ain't no dum dums!"
        Yellow = Bathroom pass = "Get out of here... enjoy a bathroom break!"
        Green = 5 mins of cell phone time = "I know ya'll are itching to play with those cell phones of yours!"

Now, it may just have been that they all lacked sleep that day or there was a new moon or something. But whatever it was, I was extraordinarily pleased with the way the Grab Bag Activity worked!

So here's to a new, fun way to do a worksheet! Sure it took ages to cut and fold all of those little papers, but for one day of an all-star activity it was soooooooo worth it :)

Cupid's Arrow

Usually high school romance is frankly just annoying and gross. The drama that goes along with high schoolers' dating is ridiculous and I have seen WAY more PDA in our hallways than I have ever wanted to see in a lifetime and I am only 29!

BUT... cupid's arrow has hit two sweet little girls this past week and I have to admit I am enjoying watching the innocence that these girls still have!

One freshmen girl is very quiet. She seldom talks to anyone besides me and two other shy girls in her class. But, I have recently noticed her being a bit giggly when one boy talks in class. (Now, he is freaking HILARIOUS and I have complimented him on several occasions on his humor, but she has never shown her appreciation for this until about a week ago.) And then today, she was in the middle of a game of Mancala (they are allowed to play this when they are done with their classwork) and as soon as the boy asked for help on directions for his activity she stopped her game and said she would help. She then proceeded to stand back by him and his buddies to "help" them as needed giggling the entire time!! SOOOOOOOOOOO cute!! I think I have just witnessed this girl with her first crush and it just brings me back to the George Salloum and Kirk Oswald days... oh to be 14 again :-P

And then, in my second period I assigned new partners and one girl came out to me during my hall duty upset because I "put her with the cutest guy in the class." When I looked astonished she further explained that he was so cute she got shy and couldn't talk or focus on her math work. Again... SO CUTE!! Especially because this girl is 17 and is still so innocent that a cute boy makes her nervous!

I LOVE the naivety of these girls! I love to think that there is still some innocence in the teenagers of today and these two girls have given me hope!

So here's to these girls and all the others out there! May they stay sweet and innocent as long as possible :) 

30 and counting!

No, no ya'll. I am not thirty years old. I still have a wonderful 355 days before I hit that milestone :-P

But I just hit the 30 sales mark on my TeachersPayTeachers page!!! And in just a month and a half! I know it doesnt seem like much it has paid off one month's electric bill (or paid for a night out with the hubby)!! It also gets me even more excited to keep working on it, devloping more stuff, and keep networking. It is hard to not get down when sales aren't coming in, but this 30th sale just perked me up!

So here's to all of you followers and purchasers out there... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU :-)

Method to My Madness

I don't know about anyone else here, but I have taught for an EOC oevery single semester of every single year I have taught. My first year I was expected to teach 70 seventh graders to pass a grade level EOC when only 47% of them had passed 6th grade math. Then, as when I moved to high school, I was put in the Algebra I spot. And since then, that's been my place. I love it, but I hate it.

I love to see the students push themselves to their highest capabilities in order to successfully jump through the hoop that our state makes them go through. I love to see the success they have as they grow from their previous year through their hard work.

But I hate seeing the pressure that these poor teenagers feel just for the sake of a test. I hate that when we took our first practice test today, most of my students left deflated and one even cried. I hate that this one test can make or break their grade that they worked so hard for through the entire semester.

But, through the past six years, I have developed a method (some think it is based in madness). My method takes my most hated parts of the test pressure and turns them around. This method involves three weeks of review - each ending with a practice test. So yes, this takes 15 days out of my teaching, but I feel that it is a great way to bind all of the information together while "training" the students on what the EOC asks of them.

So today is the worst day of this review period - the first practice test. I have been holding their hands all week long as we reviewed and today they had no assistance. So, of course it was hard. Of course it was a shock. Of course their scores were horrible. 

But, next week is confidence building week. We will work through the easier problems and make sure that we are all solid in our capabilities with those. So practice test two will go much smoother.

Then, by the end of week three the kids are so prepared they are sick of it. The third test goes swimmingly and they have full confidence in their abilities to ace the actual test during finals week.

Now this is no way is to say that all of my students pass. That is definitely not the case, nor can it be when you teach mostly low level students. But, growth occurs both academically and in mathematical confidence and that is what is most important to me.

So here's to the worst, most frustrating day of the semester. May next week be better and may confidence be built with each passing day!

Germs, Germs, Germs

This week is the week I dread every single year. It is the week of the GERMS!!!

Not only are we all coming back from a weekend of turkey comas, but now it seems that half of the students (and my family) have the flu or some other wretched sickness. I walk around the classroom feeling like I am swimming in thick germ filled air. I feel like everything I touch is infecting me with the yucky little buggers. 

Now, I am not a big user of hand sanitizer and I have been known to allow my kids to eat off of the floor to avoid a fight. I have even been known to work on the cow farm and haul logs one minute and eat a snack the next with nothing but a hand wipe on my pants.

But when this week hits, I change. My alternate, germ fearing ego comes out. My desk gets lysol'd daily, my hand sanitizer runs low, and my hands begin to chap from the overuse of the handwashing practice. 

So here's to you, fellow teachers! Good luck with the flu/strep/bronchitis/laryngitis season that has come upon us! May our bodies be healthy and should we get those dreaded germs, may our days off be restful and our comings back be non-stressful!

Who Needs a Worksheet?

Who needs a worksheet when you can have a GRAB BAG?!?!

Thanks to the parallel thinking my EC inclusion teacher, the wonderful Ms. BriAnne Church, and I have we no longer need to put together a review worksheet with EOC problems on it!

Instead, we created a worksheet with the problems we wanted on it, cut it into problem strips, folded the strips, and put them into a paper bag. Who knew it could be so easy?!? Now, nistead of our kids sitting there doing a boring 24 question worksheet, they will be putting their hand into the brown paper bag to summon up a question to complete. Just makes it more fun, don't ya think?!?

Now, the kicker... we secretly placed 4 colored stickers on 4 of the problems in each bag. When they pick out a color they get a prize and BAM, the fun is now doubled!

So, if you think you'd like to try this, go for it! And if you want this already made with an answer key, head on over to my TpT page and pick up mine! Cyber Monday/Tuesday sale is happening NOW!!

Crime Shows and Christmas Lights

What a wonderful Saturday night! Sitting here in my family room lit up with only Christmas lights and watching 48 Hours Mystery. There is just something about real life crime tv shows that pulls me in. But, yet again, the teacher in me pulls part of my thoughts to my students.

One year, I had a transfer student put into my room a few weeks after the semester started and just put him randomly in a cooperative group. He got very upset and did the typical "I cannot work with her" pout that students do. Come to find out though, this was nothing close to a typical scenario. It turned out that one of the girl's mothers and the boy's father had previously had a relationship that ended with the girl's mother stabbing the boy's father so badly he was in the hospital for an extended period of time. 

WHAT?!!? That only happens on the crime shows on TV and not in the real life of my students. But, lo and behold, they do happen in real life. And we must learn to help our students work through that as best we can. Due to other circumstances both students had to remain in the class, so my inclusion teacher and I did our best to meet the needs of both students. There were never any issues and both students handles themselves well, but could you imagine?!?

I had a luxury of growing up in a two parent household, full meals three times a day, participated in sports and band, and was in a warm comfy bed at my bedtime every night. Not every student is that lucky, though. These kids I see day in and day out have so much more on their plates than any high schooler should. I just pray that I do enough to give them a little light in their lives when they are in my classroom. Using group techniques, friendly banter, active classwork assignments, and no homework, I hope that each student feels that they can be successful in this area of their lives regardless of whatever else life is throwing at them. 

Sure I am in education to teach the curriculum, but if I can make my students' chaotic lives a little better through being in my class, then I feel I am truly doing my job right!

Life is GOOD!!!

Life is good. No matter how much it may test us or our students may push our buttons we must remember that LIFE IS GOOD!
Once this begins to be foremost in our brains we can begin to focus not on ourselves, but on our real purpose for teaching... the kids. Once we look past the duty that we were unfairly assigned, the inequities of our teaching schedules, the stress of the new standards we are all expected to teach (which are all on top of everything else our "real lives" put on us btw), we can focus on our students and work to help them academically, socially, emotionally, and every other need they may have while they are under our care at school.
But we must remember that even though we deal with difficulties in life and at work we are there to enrich the lives of our students and help them to realize that LIFE IS GOOD!!

Breaks for Teachers? I Think Not!

We always look forward to the next break. We get tired of the run around that the work week brings, the students get tired of working, and let's face it, we look forward to sleeping in if even for a day or two!

But... I don't know that since I have become a teacher I have ever truly had a break from the job.

For instance, when we had fall break last month I spent it worrying about two of my students that are always being crazy boys and hurting themselves. I wanted to check up on them and make sure they were making good decisions and not poor ones like blowing gasoline out of their mouths onto a blow torch and burning their face off. (Sadly that is not a made up story.) I worried about the girl in my class that has to take care of all of her siblings day in and day out so both of her parents can work to support them. I wonder how well my video game addicts are doing on their games. I wonder how my band nerds are doing at their competition. I pray that my good kids are still being good and are not getting pulled in bad direction while we are out. And on top of those stories that stand out, I think about all of those 

But this break has an added stress to it in the form of END OF COURSE TESTS... duh, duh, duuuuuuuuuuh.

We are now under the new common core and North Carolina has just recently released what the new test will look like and it is HARD. No, forget that, it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE  for freshmen students that have been through just one math class. But, regardless of my opinion, my students will still be taking this test just 15 days after we get back. And even though I feel that this upcoming measure of my students learning and my teaching is not fair, I still have that glimmer of hope that "I can do this. They can do this. We can do this!" It is like a challenge and I want to prove that me and my sixty odd students are up for it!

So, I will be enjoying this Thanksgiving at home with my family stuffing my mouth with all of the goodies that come with this holiday. But I will always have that test and my students in the back of my mind. And I will have it on my finger tips as I create more Common Core review materials for my kids and my TpT Store. That way we can all work to attain the most success possible as we go through our first round of new standards.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Half Days

Half days as a student are amazing! You go to school, usually don't do much in class, and go home for the afternoon off.

Half days as a teacher are no fun. You must babysit your hyper students, eat a quick lunch out at a busy restaurant full of teachers in a hurry just to go sit in a long meeting all afternoon that usually does not help with anything but raising your blood pressure.

That has been my story until today. This half day started out with a student rushing in to my room to get me to help a sick student in the bathroom. We ran to the bathroom only to find that there was no student. By the time we got back, my class had set up a surprise birthday celebration complete with birthday cake, a signed card, and singing! I have never felt so loved by a group of high school students than I have today. 

See, as a high school teacher you spend your days trying to get the kids to like you and your lesson enough that they do their work without complaining. We must earn their cooperation, respect, and attention on a daily basis. It is not like being a kindergarten teacher where the kids love their teacher and look up to them. No, if a day goes by without a student complaining it is a miracle. 

So, to see that even through the complaining and hard work I have put them through I have done something right somewhere. For my students to appreciate me enough to outwardly show me on my birthday truly makes my day, my week, heck, my school year! 

So with this, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a great long weekend!

5th Time's the Charm

Every math teacher who has ever taught Algebra knows the drill.

                Teacher: "Okay class, today we are going to do linears!"

                Students: "OH MY GOSH... I HATE THAT STUFF! It is so hard!"

Well, good news is, I have just found out today that the 5th time is the charm! 

I currently teach Integrated Math II, so my students have seen linears once in eigth grade, twice in Integrated I, once in Integrated II, and now we are reviewing for the new Common Core EOC making it their 5th time through the linears material. 

And guess what?!?! THEY FINALLY GET IT!!!

They even completed 20 hard, EOC-type questions today successfully AND it is the day before they go on Thanksgiving break! What is happening?!? Either I simply ROCK as a teacher or the repetition of the concepts truly works. I like to think it is all my awesome teaching skills, but know that's only part of it :-P

We all know that seeing concepts multiple times truly helps, now I have just found out that it is 5 times that we must go through each concept in order for them to fully grasp the whole of the topic. So, to all of us who are trying to put Common Core stuff together, remember to do each topic 5 times while fitting in all of the new material and getting ready for the new tests and you will be all set!

Winky Faces

Problem:     f(x) = 5x - 20; x = -2, -3, 4, 7.

Student raises her hand.

Me: "Yes, ma'am?"
Student: "Uhh... why is there a winky face in the middle of this problem?"
Me: "What are you talking about?"
Student (as she points to the semicolon on her paper): "Right here, there is a winky face in the middle of my problem."
Me: "Oh hunny... that is a semicolon. It is just there to separate the function from the other numbers."
Student: "Maybe that is what you people call it, but we all know that it is a winky face."

And there you have it, my dear friends. We now have winky faces in math class. I am just wondering if they see hash-tags on their classwork assignments instead of number signs (ie #3) if they will be more willing to complete it them ;)