So it has been spring break this week which means no subbing and my inevitable "break" sickness. While feeling like I'm dying, I have had some time to gather what is necessary for a new project I am taking on. I bought fresh copies of the books that I would like to/might have to teach for high school English. From now on, there will be no "pleasure reading" until I read and annotate each of these books. I've started on my first one...here are the ones on the list:
*To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
*Lord of the Flies by William Golding
*I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
*Life of Pi by Yann Martel
*Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
*Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
*Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
*Death of a Salesman by Aurthur Miller
*Animal Farm by George Orwell
*The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
*The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Luckily I have a few others from my senior year that are well annotated, such as Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin, The Stranger by Camus, Demian by Hesse, and If I Die in a Combat Zone by O'Brien. On the list is 12 books. My hopes are to finish them by the end of my first year at state. Think I'll make it? We'll see!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Spirit Rally...and more!
Everything seemed a lot more loud than I remembered. Markus began with a great speech about how we are competing against our classmates but we are one united school and one united student body. I guess the seniors, who were continuously flipping the bird to the juniors, missed that part of the speech. It went down as normal- the ever-so-violent balloon stomp which inevitably ends it screaming profanity and injuries, then a relay race that involved potato sacks and giant inflatable hamster balls, and finally the tug-of-war. The big upset here was that the FRESHMAN beat the SOPHOMORES!!! A few faculty members and I discussed how next year the winning team (usually the seniors...since half the football team looks like they are on steroids...I'm just saying) should have to take on the "teacher team" which would include our share of beefy men! Wouldn't that be ridiculous! The whole thing ended with the seniors winning (even though they were not the best sports) and a fantastic sing-a-long of our alma mater (thank goodness the words were hanging up in the gym). In the end, it was fun but I was glad for it to be done.
For my last period I actually got to TEACH something- the difference between a phrase and a clause! It was so rewarding when the entire group could correctly determine which examples were which...I honestly felt awesome! A fellow special ed teacher caught me on my way out for the day and commented that I must have had to work for my money with that last class. I don't know if he was underestimating me or exaggerating how difficult the kids could be but I made it clear to him that I did JUST fine with them and that they actually learned something (SO THERE!). Regardless, I was extremely anxious to get out of there and on with my spring break! No, no Mexico or Hawaii....just a comfy couch, an April storm, and lots of catching up to do. We'll see how that goes....
Thursday, April 8, 2010
My First Experience In Special Ed
As a future teacher, I like to think that I'm open-minded and nonjudgmental. So I hate to admit that I was concerned about my first experience subbing for special ed. It's not as though I thought these kids would be difficult, it's just that there is this assumption that working with them can be extremely challenging. I certainly changed my perspective today.
I didn't have to jump right in today, as my first class was a collaboration class with a teacher I know well. That is it's a class made of 50% grade level English students and 50% special ed students taught by both a grade-level teacher and special ed teacher. The hopes is that these special ed students will have goals of reaching the level of their grade-level classmates, thereby pushing them to succeed. I have subbed for this class in the past, but as the grade-level teacher. Today was my first experience as the special ed teacher and it was a nice warm-up for the rest of my day.
The following two periods, students worked on their own. Unlike the grade-level classes I teach, not once did I have to remind students to calm down, be quiet, or stay on task. This was by FAR the most respectful group of students I have ever worked with. Not only were they well behaved, but they truly appreciated my help. Overall, I'd say that this was one of the most enjoyable days of subbing I've experienced.
I did have one funny moment today. One freshman girl was studiously working on her vocabulary homework when she came up to me with a great question.
"I'm a little confused. My book says a cosmopolitan is a sophisticated person who has traveled to many countries...but I thought it was an alcoholic drink?" I couldn't help but giggle and what followed was an interesting conversation about WHY we would name an alcoholic beverage after someone who is sophisticated and well-traveled.
Along with this fantastic question was the other highlight of my day: I hadn't been on campus for more than 30 seconds before a student ran up to me and said "Who are you subbing for??" and when I responded, she was extremely disappointed. A minute later, one of the junior boys that I have a love/hate relationship with said "Hi Ms. Ryder...are you subbing for my class today?" I certainly feel loved when I enter these hallways. I'd like to ask how many of you can say that about YOUR job!
To grade and rest I go...tomorrow is the big rally and my old senior t-shirt is clean and ready to go. Two periods of special ed tomorrow and then we are off for spring break and I think I can speak for all of LGHS when I say the week away is more than welcome!
I didn't have to jump right in today, as my first class was a collaboration class with a teacher I know well. That is it's a class made of 50% grade level English students and 50% special ed students taught by both a grade-level teacher and special ed teacher. The hopes is that these special ed students will have goals of reaching the level of their grade-level classmates, thereby pushing them to succeed. I have subbed for this class in the past, but as the grade-level teacher. Today was my first experience as the special ed teacher and it was a nice warm-up for the rest of my day.
The following two periods, students worked on their own. Unlike the grade-level classes I teach, not once did I have to remind students to calm down, be quiet, or stay on task. This was by FAR the most respectful group of students I have ever worked with. Not only were they well behaved, but they truly appreciated my help. Overall, I'd say that this was one of the most enjoyable days of subbing I've experienced.
I did have one funny moment today. One freshman girl was studiously working on her vocabulary homework when she came up to me with a great question.
"I'm a little confused. My book says a cosmopolitan is a sophisticated person who has traveled to many countries...but I thought it was an alcoholic drink?" I couldn't help but giggle and what followed was an interesting conversation about WHY we would name an alcoholic beverage after someone who is sophisticated and well-traveled.
Along with this fantastic question was the other highlight of my day: I hadn't been on campus for more than 30 seconds before a student ran up to me and said "Who are you subbing for??" and when I responded, she was extremely disappointed. A minute later, one of the junior boys that I have a love/hate relationship with said "Hi Ms. Ryder...are you subbing for my class today?" I certainly feel loved when I enter these hallways. I'd like to ask how many of you can say that about YOUR job!
To grade and rest I go...tomorrow is the big rally and my old senior t-shirt is clean and ready to go. Two periods of special ed tomorrow and then we are off for spring break and I think I can speak for all of LGHS when I say the week away is more than welcome!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Junior & Freshman English...plus "Neon" Day
Walking through the halls of LG this morning, I was flooded with nostalgia when I turned towards the main office and saw the cardboard cut outs, crepe paper, banners, and balloons...spirit week. An infamous week at this small-town school that gets every student, and several teachers, in the mood to compete with their fellow classmates. I remember spirit week being the best time of my high school career and to come back and get to relive it is amazing.
Each day, we have a "theme" for spirit week- today is Neon Day. All I have to say is thank God for Forever 21 and the return of the 80's! Luckily, I had an awesome tshirt left over from my "Fanny Pack" costume from last year's teacher talent show which I donned this morning with my dark jeans, old-school Nike high-tops, and a bright purple hoodie. Only problem is...I fit in with the students in the hallway a LITTLE too much. I'll be excited to return to my business casual look next week, which adds at least 5 years to my appearance.
So far, these students have been awesome. I love their personalities. In fact, so many of the students at LG can make me laugh! For example, I subbed last Thursday for sophomore English and, as always, I wrote my name up on the white board. When the students arrived, I did my normal shpeal and when I said "My name is Ms.." and went to point to my name on the white board, the sliding board had MOVED behind the projector screen so my response was "Whoa!"...of course the students burst into chorus, "Ms. Whoa!!!" Later, when they were being too loud, I yelled at them angrily. It was silent for a few seconds and then one boy said "Whoa...Ms. Whoa". How could I keep my stern face! Now I have a soft spot for the students who pass me in the halls and say "Hey Ms. Whoa!"
Today the juniors are working on/should be working on the computers and I have to keep making rounds to make sure they are doing their assignment, not poking people on Facebook or throwing cows at people or whatever it is you can do on there. Some try to be sneaky, keeping it open in a separate window BEHIND an academic-looking website...but this kids don't understand how close to them I am. Not physically, although nothing is funnier that sneaking up behind an unsuspecting student commenting on someone's profile picture and getting right over their shoulder to say "What'cha DOOOOin?" No, I mean I'm close to where they are in life. It was only recently that I was hiding MY facebook page in my college courses as anal teachers surveyed the classroom...so I KNOW their tricks, I've DONE their tricks, I'm BETTER at their tricks. It's kind of like the kids who have their textbooks propped open in their laps and yet both hands are twittling behind the cover. I know you're texting because you aren't blind and we don't have braille text books...plus it looks kind of inappropriate if you don't realize what they are doing.
The one thing these Juniors have mastered is the art of the excuse. About 4 kids have claimed that they are completely incapable of doing their assignment for various reasons. "All my stuff is on this memory card and these computers are too old to read it"..."I have my interview recorded on my phone and I don't have headphones to listen to it"..."Writing is so much harder than just talking". In fact one student just claimed that his nose was stuffing up and he couldn't breathe. As these symptoms just suddenly came on, he recommended that I let the teacher know that the assignment produced physical ailments and that he should be excused from completing it.
Clearly these kids have practice at manipulating teachers. At the beginning of period 4, another class of Juniors, I stated, "No facebook. I can see it from where I am sitting" as I looked at a kid updating his status across the room. Of course it was MY student that I tutor who chimed in, "Well then YOU can't go on facebook either!" My honest response was that I wouldn't be going on anyway, as the teacher I was currently subbing for was undoubtedly online and would wonder why I wasn't tending to her class. "Turn off your online box!" one student shouted. "Go invisible and don't post anything new!" another joined. I laughed as it took a few moments for one to comment..."you're facebook friends with our teacher?!" Oh if only they knew how much of their behavior I REALLY share with their teachers. But that's the life of a sub. You are constantly open for any questions, manipulated into changing assignments and expected to not care. They don't realize that the sub who "wouldn't take the time to write a negative sub report" discusses the play by play of the day with their teacher the next day at lunch!
Another fun game? Guess Ms. Ryder's age. It only takes a small comment about my past at LGHS for students to say "What year did you graduate? How old are you?" I never tell them; I'm too afraid if they knew they would look at me differently. So far, I've gotten anywhere from 25-29. I've even been asked if I'm married or if I have children. One 15 year-old male Spanish student even went so far as to ask me if I would consider dating a younger man, with a wink. It's cute, but ridiculous- then I think of they ways I not-so-subtly flirted with my high school subs and I remember it's more of a game than any legitimate interest. So I say let them have their fun until it gets out of hand. Until then, I frequently use a quote from the movie "17 Again" when the principal says "Thank you for that flattering...yet extremely inappropriate...compliment."
Freshman are the easiest class- the students always fall into one of two categories: scared or hyper. The hyper ones take a bit of calming down, but overall, they are tamable. This class today was mostly in this category. After I yelled at them to quiet down (and threatened to turn off the movie and make them write an in-class essay instead), I offered them all some of my Easter candy to "sweeten" them up. Two Benefits: I get to be the nice sub and they save me from the inevitable chocolate binge that is only one upsetting event away. Overall, I'd say today was a successful day. Now I look forward to subbing Thursday AND Friday which of course means I get to take the kids to the spirit rally. Thought this will ultimately lead to me reminiscing about my glory days, I think it will be fun...and loud. Very loud. Bring it on, kiddos!
Each day, we have a "theme" for spirit week- today is Neon Day. All I have to say is thank God for Forever 21 and the return of the 80's! Luckily, I had an awesome tshirt left over from my "Fanny Pack" costume from last year's teacher talent show which I donned this morning with my dark jeans, old-school Nike high-tops, and a bright purple hoodie. Only problem is...I fit in with the students in the hallway a LITTLE too much. I'll be excited to return to my business casual look next week, which adds at least 5 years to my appearance.
So far, these students have been awesome. I love their personalities. In fact, so many of the students at LG can make me laugh! For example, I subbed last Thursday for sophomore English and, as always, I wrote my name up on the white board. When the students arrived, I did my normal shpeal and when I said "My name is Ms.." and went to point to my name on the white board, the sliding board had MOVED behind the projector screen so my response was "Whoa!"...of course the students burst into chorus, "Ms. Whoa!!!" Later, when they were being too loud, I yelled at them angrily. It was silent for a few seconds and then one boy said "Whoa...Ms. Whoa". How could I keep my stern face! Now I have a soft spot for the students who pass me in the halls and say "Hey Ms. Whoa!"
Today the juniors are working on/should be working on the computers and I have to keep making rounds to make sure they are doing their assignment, not poking people on Facebook or throwing cows at people or whatever it is you can do on there. Some try to be sneaky, keeping it open in a separate window BEHIND an academic-looking website...but this kids don't understand how close to them I am. Not physically, although nothing is funnier that sneaking up behind an unsuspecting student commenting on someone's profile picture and getting right over their shoulder to say "What'cha DOOOOin?" No, I mean I'm close to where they are in life. It was only recently that I was hiding MY facebook page in my college courses as anal teachers surveyed the classroom...so I KNOW their tricks, I've DONE their tricks, I'm BETTER at their tricks. It's kind of like the kids who have their textbooks propped open in their laps and yet both hands are twittling behind the cover. I know you're texting because you aren't blind and we don't have braille text books...plus it looks kind of inappropriate if you don't realize what they are doing.
The one thing these Juniors have mastered is the art of the excuse. About 4 kids have claimed that they are completely incapable of doing their assignment for various reasons. "All my stuff is on this memory card and these computers are too old to read it"..."I have my interview recorded on my phone and I don't have headphones to listen to it"..."Writing is so much harder than just talking". In fact one student just claimed that his nose was stuffing up and he couldn't breathe. As these symptoms just suddenly came on, he recommended that I let the teacher know that the assignment produced physical ailments and that he should be excused from completing it.
Clearly these kids have practice at manipulating teachers. At the beginning of period 4, another class of Juniors, I stated, "No facebook. I can see it from where I am sitting" as I looked at a kid updating his status across the room. Of course it was MY student that I tutor who chimed in, "Well then YOU can't go on facebook either!" My honest response was that I wouldn't be going on anyway, as the teacher I was currently subbing for was undoubtedly online and would wonder why I wasn't tending to her class. "Turn off your online box!" one student shouted. "Go invisible and don't post anything new!" another joined. I laughed as it took a few moments for one to comment..."you're facebook friends with our teacher?!" Oh if only they knew how much of their behavior I REALLY share with their teachers. But that's the life of a sub. You are constantly open for any questions, manipulated into changing assignments and expected to not care. They don't realize that the sub who "wouldn't take the time to write a negative sub report" discusses the play by play of the day with their teacher the next day at lunch!
Another fun game? Guess Ms. Ryder's age. It only takes a small comment about my past at LGHS for students to say "What year did you graduate? How old are you?" I never tell them; I'm too afraid if they knew they would look at me differently. So far, I've gotten anywhere from 25-29. I've even been asked if I'm married or if I have children. One 15 year-old male Spanish student even went so far as to ask me if I would consider dating a younger man, with a wink. It's cute, but ridiculous- then I think of they ways I not-so-subtly flirted with my high school subs and I remember it's more of a game than any legitimate interest. So I say let them have their fun until it gets out of hand. Until then, I frequently use a quote from the movie "17 Again" when the principal says "Thank you for that flattering...yet extremely inappropriate...compliment."
Freshman are the easiest class- the students always fall into one of two categories: scared or hyper. The hyper ones take a bit of calming down, but overall, they are tamable. This class today was mostly in this category. After I yelled at them to quiet down (and threatened to turn off the movie and make them write an in-class essay instead), I offered them all some of my Easter candy to "sweeten" them up. Two Benefits: I get to be the nice sub and they save me from the inevitable chocolate binge that is only one upsetting event away. Overall, I'd say today was a successful day. Now I look forward to subbing Thursday AND Friday which of course means I get to take the kids to the spirit rally. Thought this will ultimately lead to me reminiscing about my glory days, I think it will be fun...and loud. Very loud. Bring it on, kiddos!
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