In the zone, Chief.

Tuesday was awesome, and it only strengthened my feelings that I have made the right choice in careers. I tried the different reading groups, and that seemed to work. I had to stop for some classroom management but not too often and with great success. The thing that made took it to the next level was the final activity that I had planned. We read chapter 4 of Frankenstein and learned that Victor stole the body parts from charnel-houses, or a vault use to store bones and bodies. So, what I did was print out different styles of bodies and put them into envelopes which served as our charnel-houses. The students then picked out a body part without looking. This made it so they would get legs that did not match torsos or arms. Any way, it went really well. Everyone was laughing at their messed up figures. It was fun. The only thing I would have done differently was to get more supplies. It took a really long time for everyone to get what they needed and tape the pieces together. But, all in all, it was great.

How much should we pay teachers?

Not sure to whom this originally belongs, but it is definitely worth a read:


"I, for one, am sick and tired of those high paid teachers. Their hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work nine or ten months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do....baby-sit! We can get that for less than minimum wage. That's right. I would give them $3.00 dollars an hour and only the hours they worked, not any of that silly planning time. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45AM to 4:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch). Each parent should pay$19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now, how many do they teach in a day... maybe 30? So that's 19.5 X 30 = $585.00 a day. But remember they only work180 days a year! I'm not going to pay them for any vacations. Let's see. . . that's $585 x 180 = $105,300. Hold on! My calculator must need batteries! What about those special teachers or the ones with master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage just to be fair. Round it off to $7.00 an hour. That would be $7 times 6-1/2 hours times 30 children times 180 days=$245,700.00 per year. Wait a minute, there is something wrong here!"

Reading Aloud

I'd like to start off by saying that I am a big proponent of reading aloud in class. I think it serves a purpose and should be implemented more often. That being said, I had an experience just last week that made me re-think my stance. My 12th grade class is reading Frankenstein, and lucky me, I get to plan the unit out and get it done by December 10th. I have come to the conclusion that in order to make this deadline, reading must be done in class. Luckily for me, though, I get to teach in the block schedule so I have plenty of time. So, last Wednesday the class and I had just finished reading Letters 3 and 4, and I hear a student mutter that this was boring. Now, one of the things I had never hoped to hear was those words. Boring? Ughh. So, over the weekend I mulled it over. Along with some ideas from fellow teachers, I came to the conclusion to be upfront with the students. Today I asked them what they thought about reading in class. I got mixed reviews. Some like it, some do not, some like it only if I read. Unfortunately, I did not really get a firm stance on where to go with it. I have come to the conclusion that reading in class MUST take place in order for us to meet the deadline of finishing. There is no other way to comply unless I believe that the students will read 15 pages a night-- I'm fairly optimistic but I wouldn't put money on it.

Starting next week I will be doing reading groups. Those that want to read on their own can on one side of the room, those that want to read aloud with me will go to another side. Each group will be given the same amount of time to finish the reading and we will come together to discuss as a class. This does bring up an issue with class management but I think if I plan it right, I can position myself in between the two groups to make sure each group is on task. I believe this will be my solution and it won't be done everyday--just when there is a lot of reading that needs to be done.

I don't know. I'll see how this works and adapt as I go.

Sad Conditions...

Forgive the overdue update. However, I am spurred into writing by a regretful situation. I am not sure if I should write about it. On one hand, it is part of being a teacher and the relationships I am building with students. On the other, I do not want to explicitly write about a student's life. Therefore, I will try to maintain anonymity for my student. Forgive me if it is vague.

One of the most challenging and tragic situations I can think of for a teacher to experience has already happened to me. I had heard about the car crash that occurred very early Sunday morning, I heard the last name of the victims, but did not make the connection until my CT told me why She would not be in class today. I was shocked. Hearing one of my students was involved in a brutal accident at the hands of an allegedly intoxicated driver made me confused. How am I supposed to feel? I should probably be strong. Students look to teachers to be a foundation in this situation. Still, I can not help but to feel such a great remorse for what my students must be going through. And the for the student involved. To lose members of your family who were in the car with you, yet be in so much physical pain. My thoughts are with her.