Update on Je'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.