5th Year

*Deep breadth* I lost it today. Meaning, I started crying and had to leave the room during 5th period. I just couldn't take it. There I was trying to teach surface area and volume to my students, I will spare you from the blow by blow, but it ended with me being unable to keep it together. I went on this rant about the importance of education and how I cannot learn for them....it was bad. Really bad. Luckily I had a co-teacher with me and it was the last 20 minutes of class. I have not cried all year, but there I was losing my cool over a bad day.

I thought by now that I would be able to handle anything. That I knew how to respond to every student and every situation, and for the most part I have handled myself better this year than most of my years...and yet I still found myself having to talk myself out of crying and cooling my face in the bathroom.


When will it ever get easier?

After School Blues

When does enough become enough?

In elementary school we do not have late buses. Therefore, if I child wanted to stay after they would have to arrange a ride with their parents or friend. This meant that while I had to call parents to remind them or ask for their kids to stay, all the of the students that stayed after, wanted to stay after.

In middle school, we have late buses twice a week. The students have to stay if they are missing assignments, or have detention. However, they can also choose to stay after to retake tests, study for upcoming tests, homework help, etc.

It is like pulling teeth. My school recently gave all of the teachers a list of students that failed the state standardized test and that have to stay after for 20 hours. In the beginning, I sat all of the kids down and explained why they needed to stay after. I called parents, had meetings, asked students every day, followed up with them, etc....and now I am tired. I am tired of fighting for them to stay. Sometimes I ask myself what is the point. Staying after is not a paid activity for me. I do it because I want to help my students. If I can raise their self esteem and get them to pass that end of year test it is worth every hour I stay after school.

But what is the point of fighting a student that makes up lies and excuses and argues about why they have to stay. In the end, I become frustrated and resentful. Yet, I don't want to give up on them and their potential.

What do I do?

Cornell Notes with Similar Figures

As one student told me today, she really likes it when we get to color. She went on to explain that middle school students should color more because it helps make things easier. Well, I fulfilled her wish today by using a combination of coloring and guided notes.

The students were each told to select 6 colors. I wanted them to use 3 colors for the 3 corresponding sides, and 3 different colors for the congruent angels. This ended up being a good strategy because the students are starting to request the colors when they work independently or on small groups.

Some students still struggle when the 2nd figure is transformed (flipped, rotated, etc.) But using the colors have made this a smaller percentage.

I will say, next year that I teach this, I need to stay away from words like smaller and larger, or say larger shape/smaller shape. I realized half way through that my students that are setting up the proportion wrong were confused by these words. Instead of knowing that I meant larger shaping, they thought I meant, larger number. Which would then give them the wrong answer.


I have provided a link to the Cornell notes here.

On the back, I included some SOL type questions so the students can see the vocabulary used.

Laughing with children

I am trying to get better about writing everyday...even if it is for just a moment. As you read this, please be aware that I am typing on my cell phone because I just could not bring myself to bring my laptop home. So, I am sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes that I may make.

Today was an interesting day. It was a day where I wore the wrong shoes. Now, I love my even day classes. They are small, these classes include delightful children that have great comedic timing and always know how to make me smile. I have students in these even day classes that ask amazing questions. They make the connections that every teacher wants. But most of all, these are the classes that do not have any behavior problems. Meaning, my odd day classes are full of behavior intervention plans, and formal behavior plans. Odd day classes are the classes where I am on a first name basis with most of the parents because I call them so much.

Today however, I wore the wrong shoes. I woke up early, came in early, was extremely productive, but it was not the usual even day love. This became so crystal clear for me when I was with my every day class. So if you are on block schedule, you know that you have 1 class every day. It is your shortest class and it tends to feel like it goes on forever. Now this every day class has a ton of behavior children. It is also my biggest class...luckily I have a coteaching that is amazing.

Now, back to the clear part. My Co teacher was up at the board going over the worksheet that the students were working on while I sat next to the king of trouble. Now, this is a kid that every teacher will eventually have. This kid makes it hard to love him, but then will turn around and really amaze you. He is like that sour gummy commercial....first their naughty, then they are sweet. Well this kid looked at me today and said, "it is starting to get stuck in my head. Watch I'm gonna solve it so fast it will make your head spin." When I would I turn to look at his paper, he would cover and say, "I don't need your help. I got it." And he did. He got everyone correct. When I smiled at him he said, "you know why?" And I answered at the same time as him, "because you're a genius."

That right there made my day. A kid that is told in every class and at home every day that he is a failure looked at me and told me he has it. That's a moment I live for.

I can only hope that he remembers this when he is older or the next time he faces adversity. This king of trouble is a genius that gots it.