Holiday Concerts and Basketball Practice

I feel that it is my main mission being here in DC to spend time with my kids and build relationships. So of course that means becoming the girls basketball coach. Now, coaching is not a big deal unless you have absolutely no idea how to play the sport your are coaching. I usually have H-O-R-S-E spelled out in the first 10 minutes of the game. But naturally since I'm tall, white, and from Indiana I would be good at basketball. I did agree and chose to help coach the basketball team mainly to spend more time with my students. The girls are so excited that I'm involved and I am quickly realizing how much they take note when you choose to be there for them. I went to a holiday concert last night because some of my students were playing the violin. I have never enjoyed hearing 60 violins each playing a different pitch and slowly getting through Ode to Joy than when I knew my students were up there and smiling when they saw me sitting in the audience. I was a little disappointed that more teachers were not there for their class. I believe I saw two others there. However, the students love it. They love the fact that you were there. So as I head into basketball season (much prayer will be needed) I will be praying that God would allow me to be a part of these girls lives and help me to connect with the girls and give them the confidence they need. As teachers, we need to never get too caught up with our own comfort and convienience that we stop caring for our students. I understand that teachers have familys and they must choose how they spend their time. Right now, this is what I was called to do and I do what I can to give my best to these students. The concert last night only lasted 30 min. We are helping them become better human beings. When we take the time for them it shows you care about them, and they start caring for others. Now, I just need to work on my hook shot......

A Lesson in Grace

There big brown eyes stared at me in amazement. "But Miss C. we don't deserve it. You said we don't!" said one girl. It had been one of those days. In my head I was counting down to Thanksgiving Break. We all were getting on one another's nerves and we all needed a break. Today had been filled with teasing, name calling, arguing, and complaining. I had even stopped my lesson and made them sit at their sits until they could pull themselves together. They knew I was upset and I knew they were frustrated. And then I glanced over at the jar full of jolly ranchers on my desk. In my room I will occasionally pass out jolly ranchers when I notice exceptional behavior or someone that goes above and beyond. The rule is though that they can never ask for one. If they ask, they automatically do not get one. As I stared at the candy, I began to wonder....

"Alright, here we go." I said as I grabbed the jar. "Do you think you deserve one?" Some stared at me blankly as if I had just dared them to answer "Yes."

"Nooo Miss Christenberry" chimed most.

"Right. You definetly don't deserve one." I replied. I continued to discuss with them that the only reason I was giving them candy was just because I loved them and cared about them. Grace was something that isn't earned. It had nothing to do with what they had done. They all excitedly reached their hand in to pull out a jolly rancher. I had almost dismissed the lesson as a failure and thought I had probably just confused them. However, something interesting happened the rest of the time. For one, they all immediately got right to work and were working with each other well (something that doesn't happen often). Second, every single one of those kids pulled me off to the side to say thank you and apologized for their previous behavior. I was stunned all through lunch. A simple act of grace encouraged an entire change of attitude. I am even still at work thinking about my Saving Grace. I am truly filled with gratitude of God's grace in my life. I hope that you have a Happy Thanksgiving as well and remember His simple act of grace.

My Feet Hurt, My Heart Hurts More

I made it through another week! The more weeks that go by the closer I get with each of my students. This week was just as crazy. We have followed a recipe to make puppy chow, practiced reflections through painting, made reflections with are bodies in various dance poses, and enjoyed the latest addition to Miss C's music collection...The soundtrack from Where the Wild Things Are. But don't start smiling yet. Or laughing because you understand how I am. I have also obtained "a look" as the kids tell me ("Shh...Miss C is giving us her look), gotten down at eye level and sternly spoken to a student, and somehow managed to make three girls cry. Trust me it's chaos everyday but I absolutely love it. The students deal with more each night when they go home than I could ever imagine. Another teacher in a different district but similar demographics was yelling at a student of his (8th grade):
"Why don't you care about context clues?! You didn't even do your homework!" Why didn't you do your homework?" said the teacher.

"Cuz I was in jail last night." replied the student.

The teacher got quiet and said, "Oh....so that's why you don't care about context clues."

I overheard a conversation in my room one day of students discussing how much they don't like the police. "I never like it when the police come to my house because..." or "I wish the police would just stay away." I realized that having the police involved in your life has become the norm for some of them. Domestic violence is common. And it has been hard for some students to look at one of their own parents as "the enemy". As I talked to one mother, I listened to her tell her story and at the end I told her to try to have a good day and we will take care of her children. Relief flooded her and with a smile she replied, "I will." You have to understand that I am here to form equal bonds with people and make relationships in a world that puts little value on people. It's not about the poor and the rich, or the fortuneate and unfortuneate. Her story is real, her child's story is real. Sometimes it is hard for me to understand why I get the honor of being in their path to hear their story. Go out and get into someone's story.

Tick,tick,tick...Test Time!

I believe every teacher has strong opinions when the testing debate comes up. I have heard so many arguments over the frustrations of the teachers, the content of the test, the time of the test, they types of students taking the test, and the list could go on. Because we are in the midst of 1 of 5 standarized tests that the students will take throughout the year, I thought that I will put in my two cents as well. As teachers, you may take it or leave it, these are purely my own opinion:

1. No Cramming! Yes when we get to college, cramming is the end result of ultimately not preparing in advanced and planning ahead so why as teachers should we instruct students to do the same? The students surely do not need an entire packet of math problems to do as homework the night before the test, nor do they need to be coming in early to go over every single type of problem that MIGHT be on the test on the same morning the students are going to take the test.

2. No Negativity! Yes, I know there are certain students that no matter how much you discuss with them, they are still not going to make good choices. However, test day is not the time to give a lecture to a student. Students forget to sharpen pencils, goodness please let them sharpen pencils or give them a pencil without shouting at them. Testing is stressful, don't underestimate the student's stress.

3. Follow the Rules! If testing doesn't allow you to help the student, then don't help them! This is a measure of how much students know. Let them do their best without teaching how to cheat!

4. Give Students Strategies! Not every student is a brilliant test taker. BEFORE the week of the test, teach students the tricks of taking a test. Teach them how multiple choices are set up, how to eliminate, how to write an essay even if you don't know the answer. This gives students confidence and helps them work through the test with confidence.

As teachers, as long as we are doing our very best teaching, we should not get caught up in the drama of testing. Students pick up on that attitude and they learn bad habits. Teach students that you believe in them and that you expect their very best from them. You may be surprised at who rises up to the challenge!

The Craziness of Miss C's Room

Today was a day that would make any teacher proud. I am exhausted but a very good exhausted feeling. I do not thing I sat down more than twice today at my desk and it shows. My desk is covered with papers and supplies but that can all be cleaned up later. The kids were so excited to be at school today and were showing their personalities all the time. One girl could not resist the urge to sing so we now have a rendition of the Black Eyed Peas song Boom Boom Pow that tells all of the 6 and 7 multiplication facts. It's actually quite good. Then in my afternoon class we listened to beat-boxing while learning how to graph and reviewing rounding. I got just about everything in that I had planned to do today which was great. We are crazily trying to get the students ready for their 2nd round of testing next week. All of the teachers here are somewhat in panic mode. In my opinion, it is my responsibility to teach the students and I have been doing my best in that. Therefore, I have no reason to worry. It is up to the students to take the test and there is nothing more I can do except teach again to the best of my ability after the test. I am off to go run now, take care!

The Dog Ate My Homewok

As veteran teachers read this I am sure that they have a closet full of excuses about students not turning in homework over the years. I have officially started my closet. Now let me first begin by saying that I have a pretty strong opinion on homework. I do not believe in assigning busywork to go home just to have students doing homework. When I assign homework, it is for a very good reason and is meaningful practice. Therefore, I only assign it two or three days a week and I fully expect the students to return it completed. Today I only had two students turn it in. And one girl in particular almost made me laugh out loud. She came to me very seriously and started to tell me her excuse. It went something like this, "See Miss Christenberry I did it but I can't find it. I thought I put it in my folder in my bookbag but it's not there. I do have a dog at home.....and my bookbag was open.....soooo........" I am sure I had the greatest look on my face because she started to smile and said, "It's true!" Was I seriously hearing this? That was the oldest excuse in the book! It was an excuse that even if that had really happened you would make something else up to your teacher because you know she would never believe you. I stood dumbfounded and replied, "You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious? You really are sure that is the card you want to play?" Needless to say she was amoung the ten other kids in my room for recess doing their homework.

The Weather Has Changed!

Whew! What a day! I do not know if it is like this where you are, but there must have been something in the air today. Today it has gotten increasingly cold and starting to rain. This school today is drama central as we teachers seems to be handling one incident after another. Right now as I am writing this there are two 6/7 year old boys with tears streaming down their cheeks because they got in trouble for fighting with each other and we are attempting the "Ok, who started it?" approach. This afternoon, I had a totally different personality of kids and had to talk to several of them individually to calm everyone down. Everyone seemed upset with themselves and each other. This morning I had my morning group for the first time and learned that most students in this group are dealing with very tough and adult issues. The counselor seems to have had someone in her office all day and I have had to deny sending a student who asked to go to the principal because she was too busy. The good news? I didn't loose one kids today at carpool duty! However, deep down, I feel excited and filled with joy. I love being in the chaos with things always happening. I feel that I am where I am supposed to be and that the students need whatever I am supposed to be able to give.

In other news....it's cold here! And cloudy and rainy! It is very dreary and makes you want to just stay inside and read. Stay warm and may God bless you!

What can I do better?

Some days work out great. Others you scratch your head at the end of the day and wonder what went wrong. Today I sat in my room after my afternoon kiddos went back scratching my head and asking myself, "What went wrong?" Now, today was not an outrageously bad day and I wasn't about to scream and pull my hair out. My frustration level was more confused than angry. I had a great, interactive, and engaging lesson planned out and all of my materials were ready to go. I had been in a great mood all day and was not even tired by the afternoon. But when those students walked in today, everything fell apart. Most of the afternoon was spent waiting for my students to "get it together" and "settle down". I had more than one talk with them about behavior and was saddened when I had to throw out my creative lesson idea because of their lack of respect. As I sat still scrating my head in the quiet room, my first thought was, "I've got to do better." My students need better. I did not even smile or laugh once this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I will walk back in my room with my coffee and lesson plans altered and I will try again, better this time. I'm a first year teacher and I know I make mistakes all the time, but something else is missing. My lesson plans are fine and yes I can always add something more engaging or interactive to them but now I think it's time to build the community. A community of trust and interest in learning. This all takes time and I do not want any of you to worry about me because really, I'm fine. :) I just wanted to share my day with you. This is what all teachers go through the majority of days, wondering....what can I do better? They are constantly evolving, improving, and making changes. When they stop, they stop teaching. Oh in case you were wondering, those same students gave me a hug at the end of the day.

Friday Afternoons

I stood in the humid hallway with my hair slightly fallying out of my ponytail holding the walkie talkie. It was my first time on carpool duty with our ex-football playing PE teacher. He already had a system down and I was quickly trying to keep up. "FOURTEEN! NUMBER FOURTEEN!" screamed the walkie talkie in its muffled static. I quickly raced up and down the hallway to find the kids in the number fourteen spot. "Go on you guys, have a great weekend!" I said above the scream of kids on a Friday afternoon. "You too, Miss C!" they replied. It was complete chaos in that hallway but I was liking the chaos. I had been in enough classrooms this week to finally start getting to know the students. Although I still have not had any kids in my room, I have been making my rounds and looking over test scores about the students I will have. I have been in lots of meetings and conferences. My room is about finished and I will be posting pictures of it soon! It is all blue and orange and organized! (Yes, for me and every other ADHD and LD student that I will have, it NEEDS to be organized!) As for me, I am doing very well here in DC. I am connecting well with the teachers and the principal at my school. I have not really been homesick much as I am too busy and excited with my job. I believe I have found a church that I fit into very well. They already invitied me to lunch and the pastor was thrilled to hear about me being from Indiana! (He is from Illinois) Well, I am off to get some DC pizza! Take care everyone!

Living in D.C.

Yesterday I manage to make a day as a tourist in the city. I spent the day like a vacation and indulged my sense of adventure as a explored on my own. I started my morning in a little dinner around the corner from my neighborhood. I had some coffee and french toast before starting my trek into D.C. My roomate had thoroughly explanined exactly how I should go and which tunnels to take. I arrived at the parking garage and promptly found the correct tunnels to take. After recieving some help from a kind gentlman, who believes in Indiana is a fantastic place to live and famous for inventing the jump shot in basketball, I made my way down to the platform and waiting for the metro while doing my best to act like I fit in. Acting like I am a pro on the metro only required me to put in the earbuds from my iPod. As I arrived at the Smithsonian, I picked a couple museums that I thought looked interesting. Little did I know that I would be mesmorized by the exhibits. I spent a couple hours just staring at all of the airplanes from all different countries and eras. It was fascinating. I then strolled across the lawn and made my way to the Museum of American History. I noticed a tour starting and jumped in the back. I do not usually like tours, but this guide knew so much and had so many interesting stories to share that I was so glad of my decision. I do not know if I have a favorite exhibit but I did enjoy seeing the Abraham Lincoln area and the Julia Child's kitchen that is on display. (Her real kitchen!) I also learned a lot about the flag that inspired our national anthem. Did you know that the holes in the flag are not from wear and tear but because of "souverneiring". They would cut part of the flag and hand it out to people as souveneirs. So one day, one of the pieces of the stars may end up found in someone's attic!

Waiting...

Well, I am still waiting to start teaching. I have a meeting at school on Friday all day but still no kids. My principal told me to relax and enjoy my few days. For those of you who know me well, you know that I do not relax and wait well. However in a city bustling with activities to do, I am managing well. I seem to be practicing my independence quite well these last few days. I managed to drive in DC traffic, which is stopped most of the time, find my way through and out of an IKEA store, drive back, and build my bed! I was very proud! I have also tried out some local flavors around my area. I live in a very multicultural neighborhood. There are so many different nationalities. There are several Latino families that live on my block. Because there are so many different cultures blending and living together, there is every kind of food you can imagine here. I hope everything is going well in Indiana. I did not get to watch the Colt's game, they do not put it on out here, but I am so glad they won! Take care everyone!

I have had several people ask about donating school supplies or items for my classroom. I am sure the students and I would appreciate anything you would like to give but please do not feel obligated. I am working on creating a list of items so that you may pick and choose what you would like to give. Right now I am trying to get some mini dry erase boards and markers for all of the students. I will keep you posted.

170 Days and Counting!

I have just been hired as a 4th grade inner city teacher. This is my adventure. It is what I have been waiting for. My feeling right now is that I have so little time to give my students everything I feel they need to be successful in life. I will meet my class in one week! It is both scary and exciting. I plan to record my thoughts and feelings in my first year of teaching here on this blog. I hope to keep my wonderful network of other teachers, friends, and family and take all of their advice and wisdom to heart. I will need all the support I can get. Let's go!