Torsheta's MTC Experience

My MTC Experience

2007-05-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Mississippi in the spring. That is the best way to describe my MTC experience. Everyone knows that spring in Mississippi is highly unpredictable. It is highly abnormal and subject to change at any moment. Most people who move to the Magnolia State find it quite annoying and those of us who have been here all our lives find nothing wrong with it. I think that this has been the case during my experience with Teacher Corps. Although, I can’t say that my experience has been all negative. I also can’t say that it has been the most positive. What I can say is that the experienced has caused me to grow in ways that I never thought possible. Like I said, MTC is just like Mississippi in the spring.

Cloudy days…
There were many times during this program when I felt that it was not for me. The unpredictability of the past two years has often been mind boggling. On many occasions I felt the intense need to leave the program and pursue other more stable interests. And as with any Mississippi spring, the sun would peek its little head in the form of Dr. Mullins saying “thank you” in that sincere way that he does or Dr. Monroe saying, “I know its stupid, but its what Ben wants so let’s do it” and I would remember that the actual role that MTC played in what I was trying to do was minor and therefore needed not to be stressed about.

Storms…
During the past two years, the changes that we have undergone have been nerve-wracking. The lost lesson plans, the computer class with the invisible teacher, the sudden and unexpected assignments caused my cohorts and I much distress. The arguments and survey comments which ensued caused our instructors a great deal of pain. Some of us were lost during the struggles and some were forever turned against the program which we signed up to complete. I have to believe, however, that what we encountered and fought for will have a larger impact on the program as a whole.

Light Showers…
The newly instituted MTC Summer School was not a well received change. The whole idea of giving another summer to teaching after a year of struggling just did not bode well. Interestingly, the summer school went off without very much of a hitch and I must say that I enjoyed it. The possibility of motivating another group of misguided youngsters was intriguing. The school was great and I will forever love and remember my students from that experience.

Sunshine…
I’ve made lifelong friends during the past two years. These colleagues and cohorts will forever be branded in my heart and in my spirit. I have had the opportunity to teach which is the greatest reward and a testament to my faith and belief. MTC has given me a more developed sense of courage and determination. Challenges now seem small compared to the things that I faced during this program. I am now branded with the love of education and a mindset for change.

Blooms…
The lightbulb that I see go off in the eyes of my students when I use some neat little trick that Dr. Monroe taught me or the impressed look that I get when someone sees my portfolio online is enough to make it all worth it. I have blossomed as a result of MTC. I am a better teacher with more resources than when I began the program. I am more studious and ambitious. Not only have I blossomed, but so have the people around me and I have to believe that this is because of the change the MTC caused in me. The growth that I experienced made me a better person and that affected the people around me.

Like Mississippi in the spring, MTC has not been simple. It has worked my nerves and baited my frustrations. However, I realize that one day I will look back on this experience with a great appreciation for what I gained. I know that I have impacted the lives of students, teachers and my fellow MTCers and that is what really matters. I believe that God is driving my life and his purpose may not be ever present to me, but still is ever present. MTC was simply a vessel he used to help me reach another level in my professional and spiritual growth.

I must note that this blog is not a reflection of my teaching experience. Although there are some references to such, this essay asked me to respond specifically about my MTC experience and the two things have been very different.

I wish the program the best of success in the future. I truly hope that the suggestions that my classmates and I made are helpful and will be used to better the program. Good luck and God Bless.

The Phone Call

2007-04-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got a phone call. It went something like this:

Me: "Hello."
BJ:"May I speak to Coach Bowens?"
Me:"This is she."
BJ:"Do you know who this is?"
Me:"It sounds like BJ."
BJ: (giggling)"Yeah, it's me. I just called to let you know that I signed with Southern Miss and I really want to thank you for everything that you did."
Me:"Southern Miss, huh. Did you know that was my alma mater?"
BJ:"That's what they told me."
Me:"I'm really proud of you BJ. If anyone deserves this, you do and I will be coming to watch you."
BJ:"Yeah, cause you are an alumni."
Me:"That's right. Seriously, I wish you nothing but the best and everything your heart desires."
BJ:"Thanks coach. You will really never know how much you helped me on and off the court. Tell Je, I said Hi and I'm sending him a t-shirt."
Me:"I will. He is really going to miss you."
BJ:"Me, too. I'm gonna miss all of you."
Me:"Bye and good luck."
BJ:"Nope, coach. See ya later and good luck."
Me:"That's right."

Before this conversation, I don't think that I really understood the impact that coaching has had on my life. BJ is a great kid and no one that I have taught or coached deserves this more. And while BJ was thanking me, I was thanking her. For renewing my spirit and fight. For brightening my day. For giving me hope. You see, that phone call taught me that even when you think that your actions are small. They are not. Even when you wanna quit, you are holding someone up. Even when things look bleak, someone is smiling because you are in their life.

Each day I teach and I wonder if I have reached anyone. I always stress how my children watch my actions. The thing that I rarely think about is the effect that I have on my players lives. Of course, there is a special bond there, but rarely do I think about how the little things that I do for them because I'm their coach, translate into bigger things to them.

May God's blessings carry BJ as far as her mind, spirit and talent can take her. Thanks BJ. You meant more to me than you will ever know.

Pride - A movie review

2007-04-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Pride is the story of a group of boys who form a swim team under the watchfulness of the man who has been assigned to clear out the community center in their neighborhood which is scheduled to be shut down. But the movie is about so much more than this.

This movie is about determination, dignity, and respect. While watching the movie, I thought of my students and I realized that all they need is someone to believe in them. They have to be trained in how to deal with adversity just as these young men were. In a sense, the students that we serve are just like the boys in this movie.

Now I'm not a movie critic, but this movie inspired me. If you have an extra six bucks-check it out.

Staying or Going?

2007-04-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Many of my classmates are contemplating now whether to stay or to go. The two year commitment is complete and the degree is within reach. Many feel that they have done their part in helping the underprivileged. But have you? We've all created these great legacies. We have founded organizations, changed rules, written laws, led protests and inspired minds. Still can you say that in two years, you have made such an impact that these things will go on without you? Have you trained someone to take over in your absence or is it no longer your problem? Is there more that you can do?

Being that I have a vested interest in this state, my opinion could be considered biased, but I believe that if you search your hearts and minds then you will find that the answer to the above questions is NO! Take the time to consider this and do some soul searching. If you are leaving that is your choice, but don't allow the work that you've done leave with you.

If i could be any teacher I would

2007-03-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

This past week, Brinkley hosted its annual Mr and Miss Brinkley coronation. Also crowned on this day are Mr and Miss Sixth and Seventh Grade. The coronation is almost like a pageant except the winner has already been chosen. During the interview portion students were asked several questions. One of my students strutted up to the stage and was asked the following question: "If you could be any teacher at Brinkley, who would you be and why?"

His reply: "If I could be any teacher at Brinkley, I would be Ms. Bowens because even though she is hard on us, she always tells us to be our best and she always listens so if you really didn't do it, she will help you."

To which the rest of my students, to the dismay of the programs organizers, gave a standing ovation with whooping and hollering.

It was a fulfilling and embarrasing experience..

The season is over

2007-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

There will be no gold ball this year. No championship rings. No banner to hang from the rafters. No net to cut. Our pictures won't appear in the program guide. We won't make the trip to the Big House. No, there will be no championship for the Lady Rams this year.

Basketball season is over for us. No more balls, no more whistles. It's done. over. There will be no more tennis shoes squeaking on the hardwood. There will be no more late night calls to the ClarionLedger. No more early morning practices. No more uniforms to wash and no more lost shooting shirts.

The girls won't run in late for practice and beg for leniency. There won't be any more coaches meetings.

The season is over.

track season begins

2007-02-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

It seems that just as I begin to rest from a reeling basketball season, track is upon me. As exhausted as I am, I feel really excited about this year. The girls seem to be pretty fast although they are not very motivated at all. Still, as grueling as the practices have been not one has quit. There are more girls this year which came out for track than any other year which I have coached. I don't know exactly what this means, but it gives us a number of options which is nice. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the team so far.

A Season Ends

2007-01-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I cried. I have never cried at the end of a game before. I have never had the need. There was always that lingering wishfulness, but never tears. Tonight, I watched a group of young women who had grown so much over a season. They played their best. Better that any other time I've coached them. They were determined. My two starting guards were injured. One had a hip injury, the other an ankle. The third guard (who had to come off the bench after receiving a varsity starting position) had a deep thigh bruise. All three begged me to play and I let them. Even injured, we played with the number one seed in the tournament until the end. At the end, we were to tired, the pain had kicked in and fight began to waiver. I paced the sidelines watching the clock. At 2:00 to play, I stopped barking orders. There was no more yelling. The bench went silent. We were only down ten, but I looked in the faces of the squad at the timeout and I just knew they had nothing left to give. When the buzzer sounded and they shook hands and walked off the court. I looked back onto the gym floor. It wasn't the loss that saddened me, I've lost before and by much more than 12. I was saddened because this group of jovial, questioning, enlightening teenagers, who had worked so hard at the end of the season, saw their hopes of a championship trophy dashed that night. The next game would have been that coveted championship. I wanted it so bad for them. So I cried. For most of them, there will be no next year. Some will move up to Varsity and some will fall by the wayside. They will forever be my squad. My first JV team. The most dedicated group of girls, I've yet to have had the pleasure of coaching.

How Kids Can Amaze You

2007-01-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

It is just before school is about to break for the Christmas holidays when my son comes home with the letter saying he has met the requirements to be placed in Open Doors (Gifted). He is really excited about it, mostly because they get to play chess. I'm really happy for him and dutifully sign the paperwork and send it back. A couple days later, I pick him up from school and the following conversation ensues.

J: "This lady came around today passing out applications to Power APAC. She said that we should apply."

Me: "Really."

J: "Yes and I could get in since I got into Open Doors."

Me: "Are you sure that is true. Don't they have another set of guidelines."

J: "Could you let me finish, Ma."

Me(sarcastically): "I am so sorry that I interrupted you."

J: "This program is at another school. This means that I would have to leave Davis. Do you hear me, Ma, leave Davis.

Me: "And I'm guessing that you don't like that idea."

J: "Well, duh, no. I like Davis. All my friends are there."

Me: "Well you don't have to go. It's your choice."

J: "Thank you cause I really don't want to go."

Me: "No problem."

J: "Well, I'm glad we have an understanding."

I then turn to Chris who is about to bust and say. "What did he just say?"
Chris replies, "That he is in charge!!"

Isn't it amazing what children can come up with.

My two years of Blogging

2006-12-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Ok. Here are my thoughts on Blogging. It is useless. More useless that Dr. Plants. Maybe some of you have the time to sit down in front of the computer to type out our life story, but I don't. Plus, there is no way I'm getting on here to tell how I really feel about my school or administrator. That is job suicide and I need my job. Anyone can get on Blogger and print the posts. But I must Blog in order to complete the program. This means that most of these posts are superficial and barely scratch the surface of the issue that is being Blogged about. Then to have this tied to a grade is extremely crazy. But since it is, I will continue to Blog until my two years of Teacher Corps are up. After that, this Blog will never be used again. And those are my thoughts on Blogging.

Teaching and Coaching

2006-12-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

This year, I am coaching softball, basketball, and track which means that I will be coaching basically year round. Although, the time that is required to coach and teach is stressful here are some ideas on how to make it through:
*Use your planning time. I schedule my planning time each week. Two days are set aside for grading and two are for planning. The other day is my team meeting day. You must learn to close your classroom door and use that time wisely. It will save you lots of heartache in the end.

*Don't overpractice. We practice about 2 and a half hours each day. Whatever we can't get in then just waits until the next day.

*Take Saturday off. If you practice, make it early. Then take the day off and do nothing. Don't grade papers or plan. You need time to rest, relax and recuperate.

* Have fun. Coaching is fun. It should be your time to relax and unwind after a stressful day. Spend time with your players and enjoy what you're doing. The time will fly by.

If you still are stressed, remember the season does not last forever. It will be over in a few moths and you will be home in the evenings with nothing to do. That is no fun at all.

Student Update

2006-11-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Many of you have asked about the student that I blogged about earlier. She is now back at school and as undisciplined as ever. We have not observed any more bruises or welts. She is still loud and boisterous. I did notice that on her first day back when I was really sweet and nice to her, she was not happy. She wanted to be fussed at. Because of this our team has adopted a new policy with her which is to calmly reprimand her no matte how much of a rise she tries to get out of her. We've done this for 4 days now and she is definitely frustrated. The implications of this are enormous. We believe that because she is used to being yelled and fussed at, but cannot figure why she needs this at school. We have also placed her into the TST process, however the principal has stated that she only has two more times to get into trouble before she is expelled so we don't know if she will make it to the end.

Quitting

2006-11-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

During my first year as a teacher, I cried every day. I hated my job. The students were horrible and the principal was a nut. There were many days that I thought about quitting. at the end of that year, I was talking with some of the students on class day and we were discussing the year. One commented, "Ms. Bowens, I learned more about life this year with you than I will probably ever learn again." At that point, I realized that not only am I teaching language arts, but I am also teaching about life. Many students spend the entire school year watching their teachers in an attempt to model themselves after someone. I realized that if I carried myself as a lady and a professional at all times then I had the opportunity to positively affect some child without saying a word. I also realized how important those talks were that I always considered a waste of time. I began to see that teaching is so much bigger than we as teachers can imagine during our first year and more rewarding than we will know in our last.

Conscious and Consequences

2006-11-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Paige* is a sixth grader at Brinkley and she caught my attention early this school year because of serious behavior infractions. The things are mostly middle level discipline issues, but on a consistent basis. During the last week of August we noticed several bruises on her arms and a black eye. She was immediately referred to a counselor whom she promptly told that she plays football with the boys. Paige* is 5’6” about 170 pounds. She backs down from no one and gives as good as she gets. With all this in mind we were inclined to believe her.

The next week Paige* was acting out in class and her mother was called. She left school that day and was not seen again for 3 days. Now although we are concerned about her missing class, the team is definitely not stressing over her absences. We are actually enjoying the peace of mind that we were having.

Paige* returns to school unable to move her left arm. She also has bruises all over her arms. She is again referred to the counselor who calls DHS. They investigate, but we have no knowledge of what they found or did.

Meanwhile Paige* is terrorizing the school. Everyone from the principals down to the teachers are afraid to call her mother or institute any type of consequence that could possibly cause her harm from someone at her home.

Paige* continues on her path of destruction for a month before the team begins to go postal. As team leader, I take the responsibility for our actions and call her mother in. The mother and father are now sitting in front of me stating how “the problem is that you have not had a beating in a good while.”

Now we are at a crossroads. Her behavior has not improved and she is most definitely headed for expulsion, but she still has not received any assistance in her dilemma. As a teacher, I can no longer accept her behavior. As a parent and a person, I cannot accept sending her away where she will never get the help she needed.

Coaches work harder than you

2006-10-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that MTC doesn't think very highly of coaches. There are always jokes about how stupid they are and how they don't do any work. Well here are some things to think about.

*Coaches are still at the school with students when most of you are at home or at work getting something done. Then we still have to do the same things that you are finished with.

*Coaches have to deal with emotions of students that you never see. They come to us with all their problems. We see them cry after a loss or over a season ending injury. We get the late night cell phone calls and make the early morning house calls.

*Coaches have to make sure that all their players are doing the work in all their class and are passing. You just give grades.

*Coaches use more gas taking students home than you spend going to work every day.

*Coaches not only know their subject area, but also know rules, regulations, laws, plays, policies, procedures and information that you have no clue about. And most coaches know this about more that one sport.

*Coaches are the ones who get up on Sat morning and drive several hours to take a player on a college visit because their parents could care less whether they get in or not.

*Coaches can diagnose most minor injuries within one minute and can tell you what to do about it.

*Coaches are the only ones whose results are scrutinized on the news and in the newspaper at least once a week.

*Coaches are the ones that you send your students too when they won't do right for you. And they come back doing right.

*Coaches are the ones that students never forget. We are the people who make the real difference in lives. We motivate students to always be their best. We teach them to be better students and better people. We force them to deal with the hands that life deals them and to make the best of those challenges. (Have you ever had a bad ref, you know what I mean.)

*Coaches deal with scheduling, budgets, transportation, food, inventory, etc and keep track of it all from year to year.

You make fun and joke the profession that I love so much and that's okay because you don't know any better. But remember if you ask 8 out of 10 adults who had the most effect on them, they will probably say a teacher. Dig a little deeper and they will say a coach.

Get over yourself. Coaches work harder than you.

Motivation

2006-10-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have found that motivating students differs greatly from student to student. It is important to talk with each student on a personal level to find out what is important to them. Once you know what is important to them then you can use that as your motivating tool.
For athletes, it is almost always sports related. They can't play if they don't keep up their grades. But know that they know, they only need a 75 average so you have to also talk to them about playing in college and what type of grades they will need to get in.
Once you have met your students parents, you can sometimes use them as a motivator. You will know just from talking to them who these parents are.
For some students, the candy and stickers will work. I also always do a contest around State Fair time (tickets), State Basketball Championships (tickets) and any concert that comes to town. I give away movie passes (if you know someone at a radio station then you can get these free) after every district test. These things appeal to any student.
Motivating students is not an easy thing to do. The important thing is to know your students. There is no fix all. Each case requires a different approach. Once you know your students then you can motivate each one personally.

Team Leader

2006-08-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

With the change in administration, there was a change in leadership on the lower levels. This mean't that the chosen ones were no longer chosen anymore. I returned to school only to find that I had been appointed team leader. Although, I wasn't too happy with this appointment for vain reasons, I accepted and began the task of bringing together a team of people who really weren't liking the changes that were taking place. At the end, of this first week, I can see a small difference in the attitudes of my team. After the first few days of professional dress violations, classroom management inadequacies, and general defiance. We have seemed to have found a middle ground. I had to learn to be more firm and they had to learn to be more flexible.

Being a team leader means being a part of the school's leadership team. Our job is to discuss and decide what is in the best interest of the staff and students at the school. This role is important and I'm taking it very seriously.

I write about this and I think on my experiences during Holly Springs Summer School. Several times after things happened with the teachers in my room, I would ask, "Why me?" I have now received the answer to that question. God was preparing for the newest assignment he had for me. This year will definitely be easier because of the experience at Holly Springs.

The First Week of School

2006-08-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

The first week of school this year has been immensely better than last year, because of the change in administration at my school. The students are better behaved and their are very few problems. Mostly, the school is operating very smooth. As always with change, there are things to get used to. We have a new bell and rotation schedule which is extremely confusing until you've experienced it for about a week. (We finally understood it yesterday.) We have to walk our students everywhere, now. We no longer have morning duty, but now have afternoon duty. Simple things that just require adjusting too. Our textbooks have been passed out already and for the most part there have been no schedule changes. There is no chaos. This is very strange. We even changed classes on the first day of school this year. This freaked us out. No one was prepared to see all of their classes. We'd never gotten past first period before.

I am very pleased with our new principal. He is easy to converse with and even makes jokes. (Can you believe that?) He really values his teachers opinions and doesn't mind suggestions or questions. This is a new thing at Brinkley. The staff is actually happy, which has made a huge difference in the school climate. We come to work early and stay late by choice. It is the most amazing thing.

I'm really excited about this year. Compared to the year we had anything would be better, but it appears that this year is going to really be great.

Summer School Reflection

2006-06-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on my time in Holly Springs, I believe that my students and I have gained a great deal of knowledge and a lot more discipline.
Students: The summer began with a class of seven girls. A day later, six more arrived. The next day still more arrived. This continued until we reached our total of 22. This number seemed a bit high for a summer school class, but we made it work.
The students were surprisingly well behaved and I kept my foot on them for the entire first two weeks of summer school. After the first week, we began to have a better repair and learned to trust each other more. Several students did act out and phone calls were made. IÂve probably saw more parents in the first two weeks than I saw during my whole first month of school. One eventually had to be expelled. All in all, I think they werenÂt a bad group at all.
They also really had a thirst for learning. I noticed that if you gave them anything remotely interesting, their eyes were glued to you from start to finish. They would often be almost jumping form their seats to answer a question. They even completed homework. Their ability level is much higher than my students so teaching them was much more fun.
Administration: The principals seemed very nice. I had a long conversation with Mr. Chase about the changes he would like to make to the school. He really wants to make a difference for the students. Ms. Gibson was lifesaver. Without, she and Joe, the school would not have been nearly as effective.
Building and Grounds: The building was probably the most well-kept school IÂve ever seen. The cafeteria was clean. The bathrooms had tissue and there was no water on the floor. It is obvious that the staff and students take great pride in the building.
Worst Thing About Summer School: My biggest regret is that I donÂt feel that I was at my best. I began summer school already exhausted from the regular school year. I left work on Wednesday, only to drive to Oxford on Thursday. The precarious planning I did on the drive up were not nearly as good as my best lessons. The added pressure of deadlines for online classes, success stories and evaluations were gripping me tightly. I believe that I could have been more productive than I was with my students and mentees.
Best Thing About Summer School: I really enjoyed being with my MTC peers. I think that working with a group of people who all truly want the same thing of the students makes a big difference. We all held each other up when we were about to break. interactionsions really made a difference.
Thoughts for the future: The non-mentor second years should be given more responsibility. They have too much free time. Each classroom mentor needs at least 25 mins of break time when they completely turn over to first-year instruction. Joe will need an assistant (MTC person) if he is going to run the school and do observations each period. He is really doing the job of two people.
Final words: I really enjoyed my summer school experience. I had opportunitynity to make a difference in the lives of students and help new teachers in the process. Great idea.

The class of 2005 B.K.A. the lab rats

2006-06-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

One of the required blogs asked us to write about our biggest challenge during our first year of MTC, but what about our second year. The Class of 2005 has become the MTC guinea pigs. If you want to know if something will work, just try it on us. We have on most occasions taken the matters in stride believing that it is all for the greater good of the program. Let’s just see how Teacher Corps has changed.
*We have now instituted a summer school where the 2nd years act as mentor teachers and the first years complete their student teaching. This will take place in Holly Springs and we will be bussed to the school during the summer. This is in place of the previous Oxford summer school students teaching for the first years and the 2nd summer classes for the 2nd years. Because we are not taking the required classes as previously scheduled we are now taking an afternoon class and an online class in addition to preparing lessons and mentoring. Workshops have been added to the 2nd year schedule.
*There are no more Friday lunches for the first and second years. Now you meet with them on the bus ride to Holly Springs.
*Dr. Sullivan is retiring.
*The Class of 2005 will be given laptops to use during their last year of teaching. However, these laptops must be given back before graduation. The rumor is that the class of 2006 and all the following classes will be given laptops that they can keep.
*Joe Sweeney Class of 2005 is now doing the summer evaluations. The evaluation sheet has changed.
* The blogs now have a 350 word count requirement. (This is pretty hard for me.)
*The class of 2005 will take two classes this fall instead of one and there will be seven instead of 5.
*The final portfolios are now being done electronically.
*You don’t get your t-shirt until the second summer.
It may not seem like much, but actually the program has been completely revamped. Hopefully, the changes will improve the quality of the program. Still I wonder what we will say at the next reunion.

My Favorite Student

2006-06-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

I know that you are not supposed to really become attached to your students, but that is one of my flaws as a teacher. Each year, there is at least on student I adopt and they become like my own child. For the past two years, there has been one student. Her name is Caitlin*. She is light brown skinned about 5’6”, with short brown hair which she keeps in a ponytail. Caitlin* just finished eighth grade at age 16. I taught her for two years and coached her for one year. She is a moderately outgoing person, who likes boys and sports. I quickly learned that she is very self-consciousness. During one of our first encounters, I asked her why she wore huge t-shirts with tight fitting jeans and she explained that her breasts were too big and the kids teased her about them. We talked about the situation and discussed why she should be proud of her body regardless. What I soon realized was that she had never worn a real bra, but only sports bras. Another co-worker and I got together and took her on a shopping trip to Victoria’s Secret where we had her fitted and purchased several items for her. The next week at school she wore a cute little tight fitting shirt. I was very proud of her for becoming proud of her body.
The thing that bothered me was that her mother had not taken the initiative to do this for her daughter and I began discreetly nosing around in Caitlin’s* business. I soon learned that her mother had five children all younger than Caitlin*. Her mother stayed away from home a lot and son Caitlin* had essentially become a mother figure to her sisters and brothers. She was responsible for cooking, cleaning, bathing the crew and getting them dressed for school. She waited with them at the bus stop and then walked the 5-7 miles from her school home because she usually missed her own bus. When she decided to get a job at the local McDonald’s, her mom required her to pay the rent. After realizing all that Caitlin had to endure, I took her under my wing. She has now become like a daughter to me and I am very glad to see her grow and progress into a beautiful young lady.

New Beginnings

2006-06-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

For the upcoming school year, I plan to revise one of my rewards systems. Last year, I created a bulletin board called “Class Stars”. On that board, I would put certificates for good behavior, perfect attendance, highest test average, most hardworking, most creative and student of the month. The certificates would stay on the board for a month, and then I would take them down and give them to the students. The students all loved the bulletin boards and would have a fit each month when the certificates changed, if their names were not on the board. The problem which arose was that there were not enough months or certificates and many students who deserved to receive one did not because time ran out. I also realized that once the certificates came down from the bulletin board, those students could not be recognized again that year and therefore didn’t strive for that privilege form that point on.
After thinking about the problem and conferring with another teacher, I devised a new and improved way to get the same results. Next year, instead of the large certificates, I plan to use small bulletin board stars. On each star, I will write the student’s name and the reason they received the star. I am also creating new categories such as caught being good, caught doing a good deed, great organizer, and teacher’s helper. With the new system, a student can receive a star at any time. Students can receive multiple stars.
I’m also changing the student of the month set-up. The student of the month will be removed from the bulletin board and placed above the dry erase board. It will become a profile instead of just a certificate. The profile will include a framed picture of the student, their hobbies, books they’ve read, their favorite movie, etc. All the students will receive a medal which states that they are student
In May, the 10 students of the month will be given a party and during that time a student of the year will be announced. The student of the year will receive a plaque or trophy and a small gift.

Biggest Challenge

2006-06-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

My biggest challenge during my first year of MTC was class on the weekends. I would leave work on Friday exhausted, go home and throw clothes into the car and begin my trek to Oxford. Well, this is how the fall semester began. As the year continued and my activities picked up, the drive became less and less desirable. First football season got underway. My fiancée coaches, so I would try to attend his games before I left. This would usually put me in Oxford around one in the morning. In October basketball season began and I was coaching a game on Friday nights, often taking a bus ride back to Jackson, waiting for all the girls to leave and then going home and packing clothes to make the trip to Oxford. This became too tiresome and I started driving up on Saturdays. After I complained enough, my fiancée began making the drive up with me. This helped a lot.
The thing that was most problematic was how tired I would be in class on Saturday. Generally on the break, I would trek to the gas station and buy a four-pack of Red Bull which kept me awake for the rest of the class.
Another thing that was difficult was that I couldn’t spend time with my son on the weekends. He was already with my mother all week and there was no feasible way for me to make the drive here and then make another two hour drive to Noxubee County and back to Jackson and be rested enough to be effective in the classroom on Monday. I spent a lot of time feeling guilty about the time that I was missing with my son. Although I realize that this was what I signed up for and the classes were the most basic part of the agreement, that knowledge didn’t help me when I was dreading making that drive nor did it help me explain to my son why I couldn’t come to get him.
Hopefully, this fall will be better. My son will be in Jackson full time and will probably even come to some of the classes with me. Since we only have the fall classes, the schedule should lighten the burden between the Friday night football and basketball games and the drive up. Either way, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is called graduation.

Five Pieces of Advice

2006-06-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

During the last two years, I have had the opportunity to learn many things. So many people will talk about rules, procedures lesson planning and such things, but my advice is much more practical. There are dozens of things that I could share, but here are five:

1. Leave it all at the bottom step. There will be many days when you will be frustrated, overworked, unprepared and generally exhausted. The day’s problems will seem so overwhelming that you can’t let them go. Whatever you do, don’t take it home with you. When you leave work, leave all your problems and worries there. Don’t concern yourself with what the crazy principal did or what the disrespectful student said today. Tomorrow will be a better day and there will be new things to worry about. Go home and relax. Read a book, watch CSI, knit, or anything that relaxes or calms you. Call your best friend and talk about the weather or spend time with your husband/fiancé/child. Whatever you do be sure that it is something relaxing and fun.

2. Become a pack rat. When you enter your school, you will probably have nothing. You may have to generate your own worksheets and tests or a veteran teacher may feel sorry for you and give you things you can use. Keep everything. Find some way to organize the worksheets, put your lesson plans in a binder in order, put all the workbooks on a shelf. If you move take everything. If you change schools take everything. At some point, you will need those resources.

3. Have fun. Teaching is a wonderful experience. Learn to have fun while you are teaching. It will become infectious and your students will begin to have fun. The more fun your students are having the more they will participate and the less behavior problems you will have. By the way, lectures are not fun. They are necessary, but keep them short and sweet.

4. Participate in extracurricular activities. I’ve learned more about teaching, leadership and dealing with students from coaching than from any class or day in the classroom. It gives you the opportunity to let your hair down and it does the same for your students. They are much more at ease and are extremely receptive. You may think that you don’t have time, but make time. This will be the best experience of your teaching career.

5. Fall in love. Love your students despite what they do. Love your administrators despite what they say. Love your fellow teacher despite how they act. Without love there is no enjoyment.

Who Moved My Cheese

2006-06-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

My administrator is addicted to this educational practices video called “Who Moved My Cheese”. In the video, there are two mice. Both the mice live in a maze. The two mice have a large amount of cheese and so they sit contently eating when they want to not doing anything to replenish the supply. Each time they find more cheese, they eat and then continue looking for more cheese. Soon the two mice who had cheese run out. The leader decides that he will wait right where he is. He is sure that new cheese must come soon plus he is afraid to step outside of his box to try something new. Both mice begin to starve and the second mouse finally decides to strike out and look for new cheese. The leader refuses to go and stays despite his friend’s warning that if they don’t do something they will starve to death. The mouse strikes out, but does not immediately find any cheese. Still, he continues to look. Soon he arrives at a place where there is more cheese than he ever dreamed.
The basic theme in this little self-help video is that a person should not become complacent in their current situation. Just because you are where you want to be right now or you are satisfied with your current status, don’t think that you can just sit around and things will continue to always be the same. You must always strive for something more than what you already have. A person should never be afraid of change. Change is a fact of life and it will happen no matter what you do.
A good example of this is the upheaval of the teachers in my school. The principal decided to change up the teams, move teachers to different rooms, and even switch teachers to different grade levels. We were extremely upset at even the notion of such a thing, but there was nothing that we could do about it. Soon, we realized that the change was inevitable and it was possible that we had become too complacent in our current situations.
My administrator is definitely not the best and he has made us watch this movie a dozen times but the message is always clear.

Update on Je'

2006-05-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me about my son, so here is an update on my mini-me. Beginning in July, he will be living in Jackson full time. He is extremely excited about this and wanted to know why he couldn’t go in June. He has been accepted into the IB program at Davis Magnet Elementary and will be starting fourth grade. He is still as talkative as ever and has developed a true passion for video games when he is not reading. He is also really becoming interested in playing basketball. Right now, he is planning for a trip to Atlanta with Takeea who some of you met at the Teacher Corps reunion this past summer. They are going to Six Flags. If I ever figure out how, I’ll post a picture so you can see haw he’s grown.

Physical Day

2006-05-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

Part of being a coach means doing little menial tasks that most people have no idea even exist. Washing uniforms, making Gatorade, etc. One of those tasks is making sure that all your players have physicals. Now this is something that you really have very little contral over. You tell your players where to be and what time and you hav to believe that they will show up. Usually, univesity Sports Medicine has a day where they complete free physicals for the schools they serve. Well, toady was that day.
It begins outside where there are large groups of players from different schools all waiting together for their school's appointment time. Once they call your school's name, the coaches go to the door to verify that the students going in the door actually attend the school.
Once all the commotion is over the wait begins. There is a blood pressure screening, height measurement, weighing, vision screening, and flexibility. You wait patiently at the end waiting for your students to come through so you can recieve the coveted pink form that says that child can play for you next year. This whole process takes about an hour and a half and there is a hospitality room for the coaches with food, drinks and free t-shirts. Usually, the coaches from the different schools get together and "chew the fat" while waiting for their players to come through. You collect the forms, see your players off and then go home for a nap because, honestly, the whole thing is exhausting.

MCT

2006-04-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

All of us have soent this entire year preparing our students for a state assesment. These tests not only gauge what our studnets know, but what we have taught them (or have not taught them) The anxiety of the whole situation is exhausting. You spend the entire second semester on pins and needles. Fear clutches at you as you approach test day. There are numerous workshops, classes, and meetings. You prep your students on how to take tests and what to expect. They see hundreds of questions like the ones that will be on the test. There are test pep rallies and assemblies. And then the test day arrives. The students scribble and bubble furiously. You walk around the room praying the whole time that they will pass and your school will be a Level 3, 4, 5. Then suddenly its over and school returns to a normalcy that is rare. A normalcy that you remember from when you were in school and there was no such thing as a "high stakes test." A normalcy that these students no nothing about. And you wonder what all the hype was for anyway and vow to enjoy the last weeks of school when you can just teach. Funny thing is-that is what you were supposed to have been doing all year. And you realize that you will do it all again next year.

House Hunting

2006-04-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've begun a new phase in my life-buying a house. When I began, I had all these ideas about what kind of house I wanted and what type of neighborhood I wanted to live in. Then I began looking for that home and quickly realized that if it did exist, it was way outside of my price range. So I moved on to the next best thing and started to look for a house that I liked, but which didn't necessarily have all the criteria that I had first looked for. Once again, I was surprised to find that out of the 10 houses that I've seen already very few had any qualities that I want in my future home. I've also learned more about foundations, paint, carpet, crime statistics, and square footage than I ever thought I wanted to know, yet is extremely important in selecting a house to purchase. Not to mention the wealth of information that I've learned about loans and bond money and closing costs and ugh. The more I look for a suitable home for my son and future family, the more frustrated I get. Then I remember that patience is a virtue and to have it is to understand that what you want will come to you in due time. (Those of you that are religious will understand that.) So I press on, remembering that this is only a test of my endurance and soon I will find what I am looking for.

A lesson for a coach

2006-03-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Track Season has begun and I've found myself thrust into a head coaching position three days before the first track meet. The girls were out of shape, no one knew what a baton exchange was, and frankly they were lazy. I fought for two days to get them to work hard while they played. I yelled about how this was serious and they said yeah right. Finally, I gave up. On Thursday, at the starting line for the 100 meter dash, one girl cried. Another could clear the high jump pole to save her life. The long jumper got scratched for jumping past the board twice. The relay teams came in 5th. I felt like a total failure. Walking over to talk to a veteran coach, I wondered how we would make it through the season. I mean this was ridiculous. When I reached him, I dropped my head and shook it in shame. He gently turned me around and pointed toward the infield where they were sitting. They were all in tears. He said quietly, "Some lessons a coach cannot teach. You had to let them fall in order to be able to pick them up. Now go pick them up." I walked over to the group and went into my post meet talk. When finished, I saw dried eyes and renewed spirits. They were begging to practice, promising to get better and asking what they needed to do. No one complained when they had to run around the neighborhood at 8:00 in a Saturday morning or stay til 6:00 on a Friday afternoon. No one has had a pain or a cramp since that day and everyone has been to every single practice. Not one has gotten into trouble in school. They are peer managing everything from their eating habits to their personal conditioning. They've all learned what it feels like to be last and no one wants to be there again.
The veteran coach called me up this morning after seeing us on the track. "Never give up on your team. Just be ready to coach them when they are ready to be coached. You cannot coach them if they are not ready to be coached."
Not only is this a great lesson to learn as a coach, it is the life story of a teacher. There is very little you can do when the students don't want any help. Just hang in there and be ready when they are ready.

False Pretenses

2006-03-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

When I decided to enter this program, I was so excited by the difference that I felt it would make in my state. This was a place where I had a vested interest in the future of the program. I mean my own child is going to school in this place. During the first summer, I learned so much valuable information that was useful to me in the classroom and I really thank Ms. Monroe and Ms. Barnes for that. I looked at the schedule of classes that were upcoming and prepared myself for what I knew was coming. Apparently, I was wrong. Suddenly, this class has been thrust into change that is unfamiliar and unfair. We have waited patiently to be the second years and enjoy the perks associated with such. We've looked forward to the summer for a break from the monotony of teaching and a return to something that is closer to normalcy-classwork. But we find ourselves already burnt out, tired and overworked now looking toward an extended school year. Mississippi Teacher Corps has presented us with false pretense. No matter how hard I try, I cannot find one good solid reason as to how this can be any better than the process we went through last year. There is still no guarantee that the first years will be put with a good veteran teacher because who is to say that we are all that good and even if I was good in March, I won't be that good in June because I won't want to be there. Simply put, this will be a disaster.
I must say that I am becoming more and more disappointed with this program. Through everything we've been through nothing has been quite the way we expected and most often not what they expected either. With this program, so very little can be believed that you go in every semester wondering what will happen next. I have learned one very valuable lesson from this experience. With Teacher Corps, don't believe anything.

Me and Je go to the Science Fair

2006-02-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

I won the Science Fair. Well, I helped my son and he won, but I had a lot to do with it. After researching an appropriate project and actually completing it, we had bonded on a totally different level. My son rarely ever likes help with his school work. He will finish it then pass it to you to check, but he is already confident that it is correct. This time though, we sat together on the floor surrounded by construction paper, tape, glue, scissors and border. He helped as I glued and centered the essential pieces of information. He was patient as I drilled him over and over on the topics and questions which I was sure the judges would ask. He cooperated as I made him set up the project and break it down numerous times. He even smiled at me when I became frustrated with the results. It was an amazing experience and I will forever be grateful that he allowed me to be a part of it. It is even more special because of how independent he is. Next, will be the ultimate test and that is the district competition at Mississippi State. Guess we get to do it all over again.

Note: Since this blog he has attended and placed first in the Region V Science Fair at Mississippi State.

A Classroom Reward That Really Works

2006-02-14T12:58:00.002-08:00

At the beginning of the year, honestly because I didn't know what else to put on it. I put up a Classroom Stars bulletin board. It was decorated in royal blue background with gold stars and left blank. At the mid-term, several students began asking whose name would go up on the board. I had actually forgotten about it. That afternoon after school, I made certificates for hardest worker, most helpful, most creative, most improved, best handwriting, etc. I inserted names and stapled them to the board. The next day, the kids went crazy. Those whose names were on the board were bragging and the others were whining. I told them that I would change it every 41/2 weeks so that everyone would get a fair chance and noone could win twice. This prompted the students to really strive for their name to be on the board. They made a big deal about me changing it and giving out the certificates from that term. It has really created a competition of good behavior and action in the classroom.

2006-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

The other day, I went into the 8th grade teacher's classroom to speak with her about a student. when I walked in she was teaching a class on appositive, verbal phrases, and prepositional phrases. When she finished explaining the assignment to the class, she turned around to talk to me. I hadn't been in the room for more than 5 minutes when one of her students finished. She asked him how he had managed to finish so quickly. He replied, "Because Ms. Rhodes, Ms. Bowens taught us this last year and we had to learn it or she would've had a fit" The teacher and I both fell into a fit of laughter. When I turned to walk out the door, he yelled. "Hey, Ms. Bowens thanks. This is by far the best thank you I've ever had.

2006-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

It has been an extremely long month already and it has just started. Between coaching basketball for middle and high school, I have games 4 nights a week. It is exhausting. On Saturdays, when I’m not in class, I’m at practice or scouting a team. Although, I enjoy it, it is very hard work. It is my relaxation.
Work. I do that to. Everyday in addition to all the games, I do have to go to work. It’s not as bad now since, I have the reading classes. They gave me an assistant to do all my grading and paperwork so all I have to do is teach. Well, when I’m in my classroom. See, that’s the catch. I’m now on my principal’s good side, (If he had one.) and so I’m constantly called out of class to go to this meeting or that workshop. Did I mention that some of the workshops are on Saturdays? Yep, he takes my weekends too.
Those are the weekends I’m not at class. Class, a whole other task to be tackled. I find myself up at 1 in the morning trying to do my homework or read the 100+ pages that I’ve been assigned. I used to say that I wanted to continue until I at least had a specialist degree, but I’m so exhausted now that I honestly believe that the master’s will do me just fine.
Then there is my son who is at this point feeling extremely neglected. He’s with my mother and I try to call him everyday, but its been 2 weeks since I’ve seen him. That’s where it gets hard. I’m doing so much that I can’t get home like I should to take care of him. I did finally get him registered in school in Jackson so he will be moving soon.
Lastly, is my personal life. What is left of it? My boyfriend is so busy being at all my games and driving me to Oxford because I’m too tired to drive myself that he has really just gotten caught up in my life. He does not have one of his own.
I encourage everyone who can handle it to teach, but don’t take on more than you can handle. Teaching in itself is tiring and you have to find an outlet, but don’t get so caught up I either that you can’t see the next breath.

I Love This Game

2005-12-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

The pressure was on. There were 11 seconds on the clock and we had the ball. "Time Out," coach yelled. When the team came in to the huddle we were saying the same thing. "We are up by two, don't shoot. Don't shoot. We are not looking for the shot." For most teams this would've been a given, but with this group of girls, it was not. They were notoriuos for doing everything, we didn't tell them to do or the opposite of what we did. I was praying. The point guard especially seemed to be playing on her own team sometimes and now the ball and consequently the game was in her hands. Oh Lord. They began swinging the ball and every time it passed I got a little nervous. The ball was back in her hands, she dribbled and dribbled. The girl was all on her. She stepped backcourt. It was Jim Hill's ball. Jim Hill called the time-out this time, but we already knew what they were saying. "Get the ball to #23." We were saying," Anybody, everybody, don't let 23 get free. Stay on that girl. All the way on that girl." Now 23 was (still is) Jim Hill's shooter. The girl was good. all otuside the three point line. She could kill us all by herself. We couldn't lose this game, we had fought to hard.
The clock started to run. Jim Hill passed the ball, 23 ws trying to get open. They set a pick for her. Someone else picked her up 6 seconds left. Another pick, someone else picks her up 3 seconds, she gets the ball and shoots. She misses but they rebound and put up a lay-up. we're going into overtime.
We were stressing that we have worked too hard to lose now. Teamwork on 3. The huddle breaks. Coach looks at me. I smile. We can do this. Jim Hill starts out with a lay-up and we answer. this goes on for about 2 minutes until we miss one and they are up by 4. 1:36 on the clock. We swing the ball and get a lay-up down by 2 now. Jim Hill turns the ball over and we get it back. We get fouled on the drive and the ball goes in. 3 shots. She goes to the line with us up by two. 37 seconds left on the clock. She makes the first., but there is a violation on us. No basket. We've still got two more. She sinks them both and we're up by four. Jim Hill calls time-out. When the girls come to the huddle, coach looks at me. Give em your slogan, it worked last time. I say, "There is no such thing as a 4 point shot. If it comes down to it , let them shoot, just don't foul." Jim Hill gets the ball in under their goal. They swing it to 23, she sets up and we back off just enough to give her room. She seems shocked and hesitiates. There are 6 seconds left. She shoots and misses and we recover the rebound. Provine wins.
At the door of the locker room, The point guard looks at me and says, "Coach, we listened." Then she gives me the sweatiest hug I've had in a long time. "I know, it's about time"

Reflections on first semester of teaching

2005-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Since this is not my first semester of teaching, I must reflect on this year vs last year. This time last year, I was tired, mad, upset and hurt. I was already on burnout stage. I was beginning to wonder if I could handle the burnout. I was praying for Christmas to come so that I could get a much needed break.
This year is so much different. Although, the situation hasn't changed much I've learned to cope better. My classroom is much better, because I've learned new ways to keep my students engaged and excited. They are eager to learn and come in every day asking what they get to do today. It is great. Even my principal is coming around. He has learned that I work hard and is giving me more and more of a leadership role in the school. It is exciting to know that he is putting more trust in me.
Basketball is my new outlet. I love coaching and after a long day's work when it has been a rough day, coaching is a great relaxation. The enjoyment of getting a group of kids to believe in themselves and win is the most exhilarating feeling I've had in a long time.
This first semester has had its ups and downs. I've changed classrooms twice and subjects once. I've gotten a whole new group of students and the class still isn't settled yet. I'm still breaking them in, but it's not as bad as I first thought.
All in all, this has been a great first semester.

Reflections on blogs from Summer

2005-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

This summer, I was so excited about going back to school and teaching. I'd gained so many ideas and activities that I could take back to my classroom and use.
Since I've been back in the classroom, not only am I excited but my students are excited. They are loving the activities that I am creating. It has been a great first semester.
In another one of my blogs, I talked about not trying to change Mississippi. While I still stick to the belief that MTC is not here to change Mississippi, I do beleive that our work betters Mississippi and enhances its chances for progress.
As I look back on my blogs from the summer, I believe that I was looking forward to a better year. By beginning the year with this new attitude, I was able to make the most of it. Through all my trials and tribulations, I've realized that I really do enjoy teaching.
I learned a lot this summer and I've used so much of it. I must say thanks to MTC for a good year.

Workshopped to Death

2005-11-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know who came up with the term professional development, but I want them hanged. This year-and mind you it is not over yet-I have been through 12 days of professional development. 5 of which were Saturdays. This is ridiculous. There aren't too many more times they can tell me what you've already told me. It's not that I'm against new ideas, it's the fact that all the new ideas are the same ideas. My students are so behind it isn't funny. Between Katrina (7 days), DRA testing (10 days), and professional development (7 days). I have been out of the classroom for almost a month. That does not include the pep rallies, assemblies, late breakfast and lunches and being the principal's PA at his beck and call. I really want to teach and my students want to learn. NO MORE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE!!

Success Story

2005-10-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on this year, I think that the biggest success I've had focuses on one specific student. T is an exceptional education student who was placed in my class through the inclusion program. On his first day in the room, we were doing a read-aloud and he outright refused to read. Now T has somewhat of a reputation for being a bad boy and I was all prepared to turn on my "handle him" attitude. Well, I guess I wasn't in the mood that day because I didn't. A couple days later, I asked him why he'd refused and he said that it was because he read very slow. He didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the other students. Some of his classmates jumped in to tell him that they didn't read well either or that they had other problems in the class. This kind of set him on ease. I'll admit that from there it was up and down. Some days I would be so proud of him and other days he wouldn't do his work. Usually on these days, I cock my head to one side and give him a look. He'd give me a little shy smile and start to work. In October, his exceptional teacher called me and told me that T would no longer be coming to my class. He was being put back into a self-contained classroom. The next day, T showed up at the door to my classroom begged me to let him stay. I talked to his teacher and she agreed to let him stay that day. The day's lesson was about recognizing rhyme scheme and writing short poetry. The class was loving every minute of it. T called me to his desk about 15 minutes before the bell rang and said, "Ms. Bowens, I did it. I wrote a poem." He was so proud of himself and I was so proud of him. That turned out to be my last day teaching Language Arts before I was moved to Reading. I still remember, however, the look on his face when he finished his poem without any help form me. Here's what it said:
I'm thankful for basketball
I am good at it
I hoop and I ball
And I never quit.
ABAB

Maybe teaching is not for me

2005-10-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Someone said that they were told maybe this program was not for them. Well, maybe this is for them and not for me. I made the first F I have ever made in my life in this program this semester. I've never been the one to complain or fuss and I'm still not. Now that I've cried and pondered and cried some more. I've began to think that maybe teaching is not the field for me. I've been teaching and doing lesson plans for a year and a half. If I can't even do a lesson plan, then its obvious that I'm definitely not a good teacher. Amazingly, this is the first time that I have ever felt this way. I've always felt that this was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Something that I was called to do. Maybe this is a sign that it is not. I mean if I can't do a lesson plan, then I can't possibly be an effective teacher. The lesson plan is what you follow to teach. If I'm failing my lesson plan, then I must be failing my students. This all means that the past year and a half of my life have been used to cheat someone's child out of the education that they deserve. I am a parent and I wouldn't want any teacher cheating my child. I wouldn't want him to get to the next grade and be missing something because the teacher was not effective.
Even if this program is about getting better, I've been teaching almost two years. I should know how to something as simple as a lesson plan. Since I can't, I need to go home.
I love everyone that I have met in Teacher Corps and I hope that you are all extremely successful, but I'm not sure what my next move will be. Good Luck!!! Wish me well.

Inductive vs. Deductive

2005-09-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

After looking over my lessons and lesson plans for the past two weeks, I've noticed that most of my lessons are inductive. I seem to plan activities that ask my students to group things that are alike or make assuptions based on examples that they have already gone over or been given. I think that this helps my students retain the information better because they came up with the answer own their own instead of me giving them the definitions or just sayng how to do something.
I have used deductive reasoning at times in my lessons when I needed to get a specific point across before I could move on to another concept. What I have found, however, is that the students better enjoy inductive lessons because they are more involved in the lesson and are more active participants in their learning.

From my perspective inductive reasoning is better, becuase of the high retention rates of my students. I do wonder, however if it would be as effective, if I were in a math or social studies classroom. It seems to be more suited for language arts and science.

Never underestimate the power of a woman

2005-09-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

It had to be a woman. No man has that kind of power. It was late that Sunday night when my boyfriend and I had the argument about buying can goods, water and ice. "It'll just be a little wind, Sheta. You're panicking over nothing. We live too far inland." Being the worry wart that I am, I cried, screamed, argued and fought until we ended up at the grocery store. He would look at me every couple of minutes and just shake his head. I was just relieved. Hey, momma always said better safe than sorry. At 5:00 am, the alarm went off and we got up to check and see if we had school. When we found out that we didn't, I went to bed while he watched the news. I awoke agaain about 10. It was a beautiful day outside. The news was still on and the weathercaster was sounding worried. I joked if Nissan closes, we will be going to your mother's ( I live upstairs). 12:30 Nissan closed. "Time to Go." I packed up an overnight bag, while he still complained that I was overreacting. As we were walking out the door, the power went out and it started to rain pretty hard. The wind almost blew me down before I made it to the car. We were greeted at the door by his entire (stress entire) family. Hey, if we are going to blow away at least we'll be together. He, of course, was still saying, "All of you are crazy, it will just be a little wind."

Two weeks later, he is still amazed. That "little wind" knocked tress down all over town. The power was out for days. School was closed for a week and a half. I drove around today and people are still removing the trees form their roofs, Entergy trucks are still working and many people are stil in shock. One of my students said it best, "My dad said thats what happens when you make a woman mad." I feel so amazingly blessed. I still have my home, family, friends, job and life. There are so many who do not.

Everyone is saying that people should pray. No, you should've been praying. No one believed that this storm would've done the damage it did. Who knows what could be next. No matter what higher power you believe in, start talking to them. And if you can't find time, turn on the news. You will!!!

Classroom Management Plan Adjustments

2005-08-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am very proud of my classroom management plan. I took all the mistakes that I made last year and corrected them with a few minor additions and that is how I perfected the plan. Basically, it has been very successful. I have only made two adjustments this year.
1. My school now has a policy that does not allow students in the hallway. So I have a new policy, "The answer is NO, so don't ask to go!!"
2. The school design demands that we do 85% group work. To adjust for this, I have implemented some group work rules and procedures. These include:
a. 1 person in the group can ask questions
b. the group noise must remain at an acceptable level or the entire group will move up the consequence level
c. each group recieves a cup which is green on one side and red on the other. If the group has trouble, they turn the cup to the red side.
So far, everything is going well and I have only made it to my 2nd consequence twice this year.

Am I Ready?

2005-08-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

After staying pissed with my principal for two weeks for passing me up for the head coaching job, I knew I deserved. I made a move. I called up a new head coach at one of the high school's and asked her if she needed an assistant. She replied that she actually had someone in mind, but that person had not given her an answer. I figured it was over and gave up.
A couple days later, a friend of mine who is a high school football coach at the same school spoke with her and jokingly asked her if she needed an assistant. Well, she told him about the young lady she was waiting for an answer from and then she asked him about me. It just so happened that I was on the phone with him at the time and heard the whole conversation. Now, I was actually in the running.
So I've began to get nervous. Last year, was my first coaching job at all and it was in middle school. If i get this job, I'll not only be her assistant, but I will be the head coach for the 9th grade adn the B-team. Am I ready? I am extremely excited about the opportunity, but quite nervous at the prospect of venturing out. Will I be any good? Do I really know enough? Did I move to soon?
Right now, I am waiting to see what she says. Hopefully, we'll see you from the bench.

Week 1

2005-08-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

The first week of school is over and I must say that this is definitely easier the second time around. Of course, nothing is funtioning properly. The schedules are all wrong and we're still waiting to have them fixed. We are an America's Choice school and have to have all these different walls and posters up which the new teachers have no clue about. There is no Language Arts or Science teacher for one of the teams. Nor is there an administrator in the building with a clue as to what in the world is really going on.
Yet, I've learned to take it all in stride. Even though, the administrator who loved me to death last year, now hates my guts. Because I was in school and could not go to the training, he took the Pre-Ap classes that I earned because of my test scores. I was not even asked did I want the head girl's basketball coach position (which I did anyway last year) and a new teacher was put over me. I was removed without my knowledge from the school newsletter and they put me on a totally different team.
This time last year, I would've been in tears because it was so important for me to be on his good side (of which there is not much), but now I sit back and smile. I have no need for administrative validation. I know now that I can teach and I am a good teacher and the fact that he doesn't care for me this moment in life doesn't mean s@#*. I will not be broken because I know I am in the right place. I will not be defeated when I know what I can do. I will not break under the pressure of ignorance. Nothing can make me mad, sad, or even worried.
Why? It' s all in my test scores, baby. Eat that, RJ!

My Sentiments Exactly

2005-07-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

"Don't come in and try to change the world. Come in and teach our children how to change the world."
-Dr. Jovanna Frye
Assistant Superintendent of Hollandale Schools
at Delta Administrators Panel MTC '05

My sentiments exactly!!

Reflections on Summer 1

2005-07-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

As the first summer session comes to a close, I look back with relic, dismay and honor. I arrived at Ole Miss a bit nervous and a lot excited. I had no idea where this program or the summer would lead. I knew no one here, but the infamous BEN whom I had talked to on numerous occasions via telphone or Internet. I still remember that first morning trekking uphill to class (Yes, I walked at one time), stopping at the police station for a decal (only to realize I couldn't get one without an ID), and meeting the first person from MTC-Adryon. Walking into the building, I met Ben in person and wondered who was that little short girl (later to be known as Ginny). We entered the classroom and I looked around at the people who would soon become peers, collegues and friends.
As I look back now, I had no clue as to how this group of people would change my thoughts and actions in only 2 months time. I made friends and learned about different cultures and states. I even learned more about my own state Mississippi. I gained valuable experiences in the classroom and new ideas for activities with my students. I networked with people who may sometime in the future be great resources for me. I debated, hated and learned to respect people in the program whose views were very different from mine.
Most of all, I learned so much about myself. I realized that I was so extremely proud of my educational heritage that I would defend it at all costs. I concluded that being a statistic means defending and fending for those who I know can achieve even with their circumstances. I became exceedingly proud of my parents who had the forethought to give me every experience possible. I even relearned the value of friendship.
So at the end of this first summer of MS Teacher Corps, I reflect on what I will miss most. Houng telling us that we woke her up by being loud. Tiffany jumping up on Ginnys bed saying "What's up, girls". Reggie asking 4 million questions, all beginning with "So I know this doesn't have anything to do with what we are talking about but ..." Meredith teaching self-defense. Ben's announcements everyday. Ginny responding to Keila's story with "And that's what's up". Amy staying up till 3 in the morning working on lesson plans. And Miss Monroe giving out candy.

TEAM self-evaluation

2005-07-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Strengths:
*The overhead was interactive and made the students have to pay attention during the lecture, but still write.
*By using the overhead, I didn't turn my back to the students.
*Lego activity was great synthesis level exericise.
*Good voice projection.
*Great movement around the room.
*Students understood the material.
*Handled Reggie well.

Weaknesses:
*The Lego activity needed more time.
*Through in the compound-complex sentence and through off some students.
*Tended to call on Aaron, because he knows most of the answers and volunteers a lot.
*Moved a little to fast during note-taking.
*Need a set of Legos for every student.
*Demenor still a bit intimidating.

All in all, I was extremely pleased with this leeson. Will definitely use this activity this year.

Why are we here?

2005-07-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

At the town hall meeting on Friday, I was very disappointed to hear my cohorts speak of how they are here to reform education in Mississippi.
As a product of the Mississippi educational system, I know firsthand how far we need to go, but I have never been under the impression that I can single-handedly change the state, nor did I apply for this program under the assumption that the purpose of Mississippi Teacher Corps was to do so. I did however believe that the children that I while teach over the next several years will together reform the state's system by giving back to it.
This is not a service project for me. I don't plan to give to the community for 2 years and then go home feeling better about myself because I have contributed to some cause. I have decided to make teaching my career. I'm dedicated to doing my small part in educating the children of Mississippi and opening doors for them.
While listening to the animated discussion at the town hall meeting, I became sincerely disgusted. As I raised my hand to make my statement, I thought about the probable fury that would be unleashed at the comment. Yet, I said it anyway and I mean it.
Change is effected through future generations. To make a difference in the life of one child while cause that child to make a difference in another. By definition (and this is a non math person speaking) this means the number will exponentially increase each time. Each one teach one.
After my statement, I listened to the continued argument and became more and more disheartened. I felt the need to impress upon the class of 2005, that our job is to educate and thereby cause a natural reform. But how do I do this.
I wrestled with these thoughts all day Saturday. Sitting down at dinner, I looked at those people who had started the discussion the day before and became disheartened again. And then Governor William Winters began to speak.
He spoke of Shantwanna Buchanan and Walter Massey. Both of whom had said that they attributed their accomplishments to a teacher. At that moment, I knew I was not wrong. I had been right all along. My job is to be a teacher, not reform education in Mississippi.
Thank you Governor Winters for putting me at ease and for helping me to understand that I am in the right place, doing the right thing.

Muddiest Part of the Lecture

2005-06-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I gave my students notecards and asked them to write down anything about the lesson they did not understand. "Anything," I said. "I'll answer them tomorrow." When I got the cards back and looked through them I was extremely pleased with my delivery of the lesson. No one needed any clarification on the actual objectives. The question were mostly centered around other things presented in the lesson. Here are a few of their questions:

"Who won the fight?" - Just to clarify. The story we read is called "Amigo Brothers". It is about two boys who grew up together and were best friends. Both boys were boxers and they found out they would have to fight each other to become champion and enter a tournament of champions. The boys fight, but it does not say who won. So my answer was: "The point of the story is not who won, but the fact that their friendship was strong enough to sustain the competition."
(Note: They still wanted to know who won.)

"You said that both sports have four periods. How long is the period in football?" Another clarification. In my set, I asked the students to write down how football and basketball were alike and how they were different. My answer was: "I have no idea, but I will look it up for you." I was later told that it is either 15 or 20 mins depending on the level.

"When will we ever use this?" My answer: "When you go in the shoe store and you see a pair of Jordan's and a pair of Iverson's, how do you decide which ones to buy?" After the ensuing argument about why one was better than the other, I pointed out that they had just-without thinking-used the skill that we'd learned the previous day. The students responded with a resounding "O".

"I don't get how to use transition words?" My response: "You and your mother just pulled out of Pizza Hut and you're heading down Jackson Ave. to Wal-Mart. You decide that you want Wendy's to eat and ask your mother to get it. What does she do before she turns?" After several very weird answers, one child responded, "Put on a turn signal." Pleased," I exclaimed, "Right. That's exactly what transitions do. They are the signals that let the reader know where you are going next."

I think that the questioning technique works in its own way, but I do believe that you have to have the time to address some of the weird questions that you will get from students. I found that they asked about more basic things rather than the higher level thinking questions I hoped would arise.

Self Evaluation of Student Teaching

2005-06-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

As I sat down to watch my videotaped lesson, I felt extremely nervous. I had never seen myself on video teaching before. What would I look like? How did I really do? Was I successful in getting the information across to the students?

After watching the tape, I was amazed at the job that I did. I really looked like a teacher. My words were clear and concise and I spoke in a very well projected "teacher" voice. The objectives were clearly written on the board along with the date and my name. Students used a graphic organizer to get put their thoughts down and then write a paragraph from it. The planning of the lesson was great. Transitions aligned and I felt it moved the way it should've.

I feel that my strengths included:
* asking each student a question. The entire class had to participate. No one student could answer for the whole class everytime.
* delivery. It was obvious that the students understood the material.
* tying the lesson to a previous concept. When writing their paragraphs, the students had to employ the concepts they'd learned in previous lessons.
* movement around the room. I passed each student's desk about 5 times during the lesson.

I feel that my weaknesses were:
* stating the objective. I did state the objective, but it was later in the lesson than it should have been.
* hand movement. I use my hands to talk. I think that it could possibly be a distraction to some students.
* favoring certain students. I noticed that I tended to stand more on the side of the room where the students I knew would participate and let them began the sharing. I would then bring the other students in. I need to try to equalize my focal points.

All in all, I feel that it went excellent. It was great to actually be able to see how the students really respond and to see myself teaching a lesson.

The Reluctant Disciplinarian

2005-06-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Reluctant Disciplinarian is an easy read and a good resource for teachers.

It was good to hear another teacher's mishaps and discouragement during their first year. It reaffirmed some of the things that I saw during my first year.

#1 Professional Development is worthless. I have not been to one yet (and I have been to many) that was worth the time it took to think it up. I went to one where all they told us was how to use the textbook. It was March. I'd been using the textbook for almost a year. Anyway, how hard is it to read?

#2 Most classroom management techniques are learned not taught. I went to the Mark McLeod workshop on classroom management. His ideas were great until I tried them. Some worked and some didn't. Mostly, I learned to adapt whatever I got from other teachers and make it my own. The best classroom management is learned from the mistakes that you make.

#3 You have to like your students. As I stated in my earlier blog. It wasn't until I learned to like my students that I began to like my year. Disliking the students only makes it harder to go to work and it's hard enough as it is.

#4 Threats do not work. Kids are smart. They soon learn that you either won't make good on them or you can't make good on them all the time. At this point, the tables will turn on you.

#5 More often than not when you send kids to the office there will be no result. Administrators are busy and the last thing they want to see is the students. (Yeah, I know they are supposed to be there for the students, but then why would they need you.) More often than not, they will ask you to deal with it. Pick your battles. Do everything you can in the classroom. You will need the administrators for major infractions and they are much more receptive if you aren't sending kids to them every day.

#6 The teacher look that older teachers talk about works. I mean it really works. But you have to master it. You have to practice and practice.

#7 Lastly, DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL. Been there done that. The money looks good, but when August hits and the school year begins, you will wish for that time you spent working. Teachers get the summer off for 2 reasons: they deserve it and most of all they need it.

The Flood

2005-06-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Now I know how Noah felt!!!

O.K. I am not fresh out of college like some of the MTC people. I have been living in an apartment now for 2 years. Although that may not seem like a major thing to most of you, I will tell you that going from an apartment to a dorm is a huge culture shock. Simple things like taking a shower, now take an extra 5 minutes of preparation. I miss my appliances, especially my microwave and fridge. Plus, at home I can watch all the TV I can stand without fuzz. These things are simple, but important. So is proper plumbing.

Tonight, I found myself standing in the hallway with other MTC females watching the waters rise. I felt like Noah looking out of the one window on the ark and asking his wife, "Will it stop?" We watched as dirty brown water came slowly inching down the hallway. It laughed at us as we put towels in front of our doors and then it crept right in without regard for our property or feelings. It meandered further and further down the hallway as we watched helplessly from our doors.

The RA tried to make us feel better and the maintenance men made jokes, but nothing could prevent the immediate displeasure of the residents. Even more galling was the maintenance men saying that this brownish-yellow water filled with clumps of some unrecognizable substance was "water from a busted pipe that has dust in it". Yeah right!!!

Suggestions came from every direction. "Can we mop it up?" "Let's build a dam?" "How about using a push mop to push it the other way?" Soon the realization came that we were helpless. As we impatiently waited for UM's custodial crew, I came to realize that we were at the mercy of these men who had to get up from their beds to come clean this mess and apparently they were in no hurry.

Finally, the hall was cleaned and the floor seemed to return to normal. Everyone retreated to their rooms and closed their doors hoping that they were now safe from the intruding waters. However, I'm quite sure that we will all remember the night the water came.

Student Teaching

2005-06-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

I guess since I have been teaching for a year, I look at things a little different than most MTC first years. Most of the things that we discuss or go over, I have already experienced. However, I have found the student teaching experience amazing.

I never had the opportunity to really watch someone else teach in my subject area for any length of time. I had to rely on my knowledge and the little help I got from my mentor. I did well, but I was always wondered what other teachers did to make language arts fun and interactive. Now I know!! My regular classroom teacher, Ms. Barnes, is amazing. She has given me numerous ideas and resources which I will definitely use next year. It is so amazing to see her take a worksheet and make it interactive.

Having a good teacher to watch makes a huge difference in what you can do in the classroom. Sitting down in the classroom with someone teaching you how to teach isn't as effective as experiencing what someone else is doing. As they say "All good teachers steal."

I have learned so much this summer by observing another teacher. It is definitely one of the things that I will treasure from this program.

I was not alone

2005-06-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

As I listened to Dr. Burnham talk today, I realized that I was not crazy nor was I alone. The feelings of fear, dread and anger that he talked about today really hit home with me. I felt as though he was taking my journal and reading it out loud.

Let me back track. This will actually be my second year as a teacher. My first year (last year) took me to highs and lows that I NEVER imagined. I remember on my first day, the principal gave me what seemed like enough paperwork to eliminate a small forest. Then told me to get my bulletin boards up. (Which is something that no one ever talks about.) All types of things that had nothing to do with classroom management or teaching and learning were bieng thrown a me with no guidance whatsoever. I was overwhelmed and the students had not even arrived yet.

Then they did!!! Oh my Lord. The place was in chaos because the schedules were not right and so they had to redo one for every student. So for the first week, the principal said, "Don't teach. You'll only have to do it over when your new class arrives." For two entire weeks we did busy work. The students knew it didn't mean anything and so did we. It was a disaster.

I remember during those first weeks and for months after, calling my mother (a 3o year veteran teacher) in tears. "It is not supposed to be like this. Why is this so hard?" I wanted to quit, but she would calmly say. "Just wait. It'll get better." It did not. I was so stressed out by the end of the first nine weeks that I had to take 3 days off. I was so frustrated and I was mad.

I was mad because, my administrator was no help. You could send kids to the office, he would send them right back and they would laugh at you. I was using a school model on which I had never been trained and constantly being fussed at because I wasn't doing it correctly. My first nine-weeks district scores were so horrible, I felt that I was doing a disservice to the kids. I hated teaching and I was miserable.

And so it went until October when my perspective changed. I had been assigned the job of assistant girl's basketball coach. The head coach was running the after school program and therefore was never at practice. Here I was a new techer and coach and I was alone. I had no experience, so I enlisted the help of an uncertified assistant who probably knew more about coaching every sport, than any of us combined knew about coaching one. He taught the girls everything, but he taught me more. I learned to be more patient and to set realistic goals for my team. I learned that I was human and imperfect and accepted that. Most of all, I learned to care. I feel in love with each and every girl on that team. I learned to respect them and they learned to respect me.

I guess the love that I had for my girls carried over into the classroom. Teaching became easier. I listened more to my students and they realized that I cared. They worked harder for me and I worked just as hard for them. I stopped crying every night and started buying treats for the students. I began to have fun teaching and they began to enjoy learning.

Don't get me wrong. Everything did not turn perfect. The administration was still lacking. I just learned to do my job and let the rest handle itself. The students still misbehaved. I just learned new ways to manage them. And some days I still went home wondering why I took that job, but then I'd see the lightbulb go off in one child's mind the next day or my team would dump the Gatorade on me and I'd remember. Most of all, I realized that I really did love teaching.

I've always wondered if anyone else felt the same way I did. Did any other teacher go one in tears or was it just me? Had anyoe else felt the same way those first days and months of school when it seemed as though all the other teachers were breezing along. Now I know.

Thanks so much, Dr Burnham for the talk. It feels so good to know I was not alone.