Happy Halloween!

I was a little nervous about the craziness of the students today, but things actually went better than usual! Granted, I showed a movie in four out of six of my classes. Don't worry though, the movie had academic reasoning.

A couple of weeks ago I saw the movie The Halloween Tree with some friends. I thought that it would be perfect for my students! So Sunday night I made a worksheet to go with the movie. The movie is only 70 minutes long, but there were about 50 questions. Bwahahaha My students went into a panic when they saw it.

The movie teaches about some Halloween traditions and it has a good plot line. I only showed it in my study skills classes and I taught them how to take notes/fill out a worksheet while watching a movie. I never realized what an important skill this is! A lot of my students freak out when they miss a question, so they miss several questions after. They also don't know to read ahead so as to be ready for the next question. You would think that these things would be common sense, but it isn't! It really was a brilliant activity if I do say so. I think I'll do a few more movie activities through out the year.

We started the movie yesterday, and we finished it in three out of the four classes that watched the movie.

I felt kind of bad, because yesterday several students in my 6th period writing class came in expecting to watch a movie because the teacher next door told them we were watching a movie. I don't know exactly how he explained that we were watching a movie, but when I informed my writing class that we would not be watching a movie, they felt quite cheated. Poor kids. Too bad they didn't ask ME what we were doing.



I loved seeing the kids dress up. There were some very creative costumes! I dressed up as an owl, and because of my mask, I had to wear contacts. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but you better believe that as soon as school was over, I took those suckers out. (I used "suckers" on purpose - they really do suck the juice from my eyeballs! Don't be wigged out by that statement.)
The teacher across the hall (Erin Radandt) blasted Halloween music from Pandora in between classes. It was so funny. She dressed up as a spider. Here were are:

It was a good Halloween. I've been leaving work super late the past couple of days because I have two IEPs and three-year re-evaluations due tomorrow ALONG with progress reports for the students that I'm in charge of. Yikes-a-rama this week is insane. I left around 5:30 pm today, which wasn't too bad. I'm so tired I've been sitting on the couch since I got home!

That being said, I'm going back to my couch-potato-ness. Happy Halloween!

-Ms. Damron-

I work with some of the BEST people.

So here I am studying for the GRE, and I think to myself, "It's about time I wrote another blog entry." (Ironic how I teach a study skills class, yet my capacity for studying is very small right now. Or maybe I'm using good study skills by knowing when to take breaks. I'm studying while being totally exhausted though, so maybe I'm not using good study skills...)

Anyway, I just had to write and say how much I love the people I work with. If I could keep Centennial just the way it is right now (I do miss Lisa Fisher and Kenyon Christen from last year though), I would be very happy. (Give or take a few exceptions. haha)

Anyway, I get together with a few co-workers once or twice a month. We have game nights, movie nights, dinner nights, whatever. It's absolutely fantastic and I love it. About a month ago we got together on one of our dear group member's birthday weekends. We took some pictures, and although they would HATE me putting them up on my blog, I caught some wonderfully candid moments, and I have to share them.

Aren't you happy just looking at this last picture?
And a huge reason for the top picture is so you can see what kind of movie nights we have (ice cream, cake, cookies, candy, etc.).

Anyway, I was talking to some friends and telling them that I hang out with my co-workers on a regular basis and I would gladly spend several hours just talking and having fun with them. It's funny, because I am most definitely the BABY of the group. We range in age from 58 - 23. Yup. Not that they would appreciate me saying this, but I hang out with women in their fifties and I love it so much! It is a little weird to think that they are my mom's age though. My mom is one of my best friends and I love spending time with her, but it's weird sometimes to think that my co-workers are my parents' age and I'm on the same professional level as them.

Hmm...

Anyway, the moral of this post is, I don't feel like studying for the GRE anymore!

Just kidding.

I work with some fabulous people, and I am so SO grateful for them.

-Ms. Damron-

"I just tell them I get help with my homework."

Yesterday I had a wonderful, impromptu teaching moment with the students in my 7th period. It made me think about when I will be a mom because spontaneous teaching moments will just happen and you have to be ready. 

We were talking about auditory learners and the classroom next door was being a little noisy. I mentioned that if you are an auditory learner, you might be distracted by the noises next door because as an auditory learner, you are constantly picking up on auditory cues (including distractions). Several students nodded their heads in agreement. One student said, "Why are they allowed to make so much noise?"

This launched us on an explanation of why the students next door can and are so noisy. I explained that next door was the "severe" disabilities in special ed and they do activities that can be noisy. Another student then said, "Why do you say severe?" She then said something along the lines of, "If you call them severe, you're implying that there's special ed that isn't severe..."

This was the teaching moment. 

I told them that special ed was like a spectrum. Using my hands, I gestured toward one side of the invisible spectrum and explained that kids on the severe side were forever stuck in a certain phase: they needed to practice coordination like putting a puzzle together or catching a ball. They also worked on counting numbers and knowing their ABCs. Then there are different levels of disabilities all the way over to the other side of the spectrum. This side of the spectrum is called mild/moderate and includes learning disabilities. 

I then made the comparison using hot sauce. I said, "You know how there is severe, or really hot sauce, and then there is mild hot sauce? That's kind of what it's like."

That same student who asked the "severe" question said, "So we're the mild?"

"YES."

I then got on my soap box and explained that I absolutely hate it when people make fun of other people or have negative impressions about resource. I said that it's horrible that someone would make fun of someone else because of how they learn. 

"It's the same thing as someone walking into the classroom next door and saying, 'Look at these idiots. They can't even pick up and throw a ball.'"

My students looked kind of shocked when I said that and I explained that it's the same thing! How dare someone make fun of someone else because of how they learn. 

This is my favorite part:

Then my students all started talking at once and sharing stories about how their friends ask them what Resource Learning is and it takes them forever to explain it or they say that it's somewhere they get help with homework. It was great watching them all connect and get excited to share their stories with each other. 

In conclusion to our wonderful little chat, I told them that a while ago I heard a boy outside my classroom ask what this class was and then say something like, "You're in resource? You must be stupid. haha just kidding man."

I looked right at that boy, pointed at him and gestured for him to come into my classroom. He looked around and asked if I meant him, and nodded my head. I gave him a little lecture and said, "What did I just hear you say?" 

mumble mumble..."Nothing..."

"I think I just heard you say that someone must be stupid for being in resource."

"Yeah...but I was just joking. We're friends."

"Do you think it's funny to make fun of someone else for being in resource? Even if you think you're friends, it is NOT acceptable or funny to make fun of someone else."

I told my 7th period students that whenever I hear someone make fun of someone else for being in resource, I lay into them! I told my students that if they ever hear anyone say something negative about resource, send me an anonymous tip, and I WILL take care of it. They seemed kind of in awe. Maybe the actually believed me.

It felt so good to have this chat with them and just be honest. Too many students who have a learning disability or struggle with...whatever...just don't talk about things. They need to have a place where they feel comfortable sharing their stories and realizing that they are OKAY. They don't need to be embarrassed or ashamed. They need to take action and be comfortable with who they are. 

-Ms. Damron-

And if you know anyone who needs a talking to - send them my way - and I'll deal with them. 

"You are the best Resource Learning teacher."

Tuesday, which was the first day back from Fall Break, a sweet girl in my first period gave me this note:

It says: "Thank yoo for makeing me be sussesful and for helping me. You are the best Resorce Learning teacher." It has a heart sticker and she included that cute turtle eraser. Isn't that the sweetest?

-Ms. Damron-

By the way, I realize that the spelling may seem funny, but it really is a struggle for some kids. Imagine struggling with reading and spelling or simple math. It would be hard dangit!

Maybe I should cry in class more often...

So here's a quick update as for what followed after my mini meltdown in front of my 6th period.

6th period yesterday went smashingly! It wasn't perfect, but learning actually happened and the students were fairly polite! After the five minute journal, I passed out the letters I wrote and gave the students time to read them. I then said, "Sorry about my...lack of composure yesterday. Let's start over/make this a good year." (or something like that) It was kind of neat watching them read their letters. There were a few students who were nodding their heads in agreement as they read.

The class went well and we made it through the helping verbs worksheet. We didn't have time to correct it, but we'll do that when we get back from FALL BREAK.

Yes - it is currently my fall break! We get Thursday, Friday, and Monday off. I am so unbelievably happy about it! I have so many things to do though. I made a doctor appointment, a dentist appointment, I am booked every night, I want to get my car worked on, and I need to go to the DMV to get a Utah license.
Usually I head to Arizona or Montana to see family if I have any sort of vacation, but since I am flying down to Arizona next weekend for my cousin's wedding, I figured I would stay home for this break. It's a good thing I am because I have a lot to do! Another thing I forgot to mention is STUDY FOR THE GRE! Holy smokes that test is in about a month and I haven't really studied. What am I doing?!

Happy day to you all, and I will write more when I get back from Fall Break!

-Ms. Damron-

Don't worry - I cried in front of my students today.

Sometimes you have a hard day teaching and your students make you want to cry. You NEVER cry in front of them though. You can't let them know that they got to you.

Well, I broke that unspoken rule today during my 6th period class.

My 6th period has been a real struggle for me (which I think I've mentioned before). I love the students and I love teaching the material, but for the life of me, I can't get them to follow the rules. I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I review rules and procedures. I give out consequences...you name it! I haven't had someone observe the class though. And I haven't given out lunch detentions yet...so maybe there is more I can do. I guess I just like students to be respectful so we can have fun and enjoy our time together while learning!

We had about 20 minutes left of class (it was a block day, so we had already been together for about an hour) and I had just handed out a worksheet on helping verbs. The class went crazy saying that they had no idea what to do and they didn't understand the worksheet or helping verbs...
Could I teach them about helping verbs though? No. I tried desperately to rein them back in so that we could do the worksheet and hopefully understand helping verbs more.
After going through three examples, I felt completely useless because most of the students weren't even looking at me because they were doodling, or talking to their neighbor, or staring off somewhere else. Awesome.

I told them to put their worksheet in the pocket of their binder and then close their binder. It took a few moments for everyone to realize what we were doing because they were so deep in their own extremely important conversations or completely mesmerized by anything but me. (Can you tell I'm still a little bitter? haha)

I told them to get out a piece of paper because they were going to write me an apology letter for not letting me teach them today. At this point I had been fighting back tears of frustration, but all of a sudden I felt like I was in sacrament meeting bearing my testimony and the waterworks just wouldn't stay back. I didn't bawl in front of my students, in fact, I don't even think I shed an actual tear. My voice got tight and shaky though. I said something like this:

"You are all going to write me a letter of apology for not letting me teach you today. It has been over a month [since school started] and I have tried my very hardest to earn your respect. (This is where my voice cracked and I got a bit choked up.)  I can't teach you like this. You are middle schoolers! You should know about nouns, verbs, and adjectives, but you won't let me teach you. I don't know what else to do? Do I need to be more strict? I teach you the rules and procedures and ask you to raise your hand when you have something to say, but you still refuse to follow directions. Do I need to get someone in here every day to watch me teach so that they can tell me what I'm doing wrong? I'm at a loss as for what to do.
You will have 'til the end of the period to write this letter. It had better be heart-felt. Please give me suggestions as to what I can do. At the end of the period you will give me your letter and put your materials away..."

I know. That was quite the little rant. I hope I can skip over that embarrassing moment when I watch the movie of my life in heaven someday.

My students did fulfill the apology letter requirements, and although I shouldn't include these letters without their permission, you will never know who wrote what, so I am going to share some of these:

"I am sorry that I didn't let you teach me. I like to learn I do. Schools almost out and I have energy. If you want me to be quiet or anyone else for that matter, be a little bit stricter in class dojo and if you don't like when someone does this or that be strict. that shut me up when I was in elementary school. If you like this idea then ask for it I want to hear your lesson, but I can't do that if I am a distraction to myself."

"I am sorry that we were disrespectfull today. We sholdn't have been so rude to you to the point that you kryed..."

"I am sooo sorry that i keep talking while you are trying to teach, I feel really bad. You probley dont believe me but its true. I just cant sit still I try all day everyday. I really want to do good in school. I love this class. I love my teacher. Its just really hard not to talk, I try to help and say to other people to stop. I AM REALLY SORRY! Please forgive me...I promise I wont talk anymore (well i will try my very hardest not to talk.) I really didn't try to make you cry. I can't stop saying sorry, and telling myself i'm sooo stupid. I really hope this letter means something. If you still dont forgive me, im sorry. I told you everything i can. SORRY, SORRY."

"...I think that the way to get us to do wat you want us to do is by being more strikt and be mor cler an wat you want us to do..."

"I am vary sorry that we didn't let you tech us we no I am exsquisitly heart felt at this day I need bedere sochal skills..."

"I am really sorry for not letting you teach and I promise I will never do it again or I will lietterally go to the prinsiples office myself if I have to. I have no suggestions for you but ask some of the other teachers about what to do and if we still can't be good be really stricked even if you don't like it..."

"I am sorry that I went ahead of the class with the action verbs. I wish you could forgive me. I rilly sorry that were giving you a hard time because were taking or were taking. I don't now how you can handal it every day. You are one of my favorite teachers even if I don't like writing or languege. So I just want you to now that this note is from my botom of my heart that were being mean to you..."

"I'm sorry for not leating you teach me today. I've just been so hyper the last caple of days and wont stop teaking [talking] to my friends. Also I kind of new what you wear teacheing and got bored and started talking. I'm sorry that I haven been veary respectful to you. you are just doing your job..."

Okay. So that might have been almost all of them. Aren't they endearing though? And so honest it hurts sometimes! I tried to write exactly what they did so that I will always remember their letters.
During 7th period I decided I would write each of them a letter in return, which I just did.
I really do love the students in my 6th period, but I'm frustrated because I know this is information that some students really need. I'll keep you posted on how tomorrow goes!

-Ms. Damron-

Tender Moments

In my 3rd period writing class, I have an array of abilities. Some students can write fairly well and retain information. Other students can hardly write one sentence and look at me with a blank stare even after reviewing the same material for a week, then quizzing them and giving them the answers.
I am doing a final project for my Nouns, Verbs, & Adjectives unit that requires my students to make a powerpoint presentation teaching the class about these different parts of speech. When I came up with that project, I figured I would have to help a couple of these lower-ability kids one-on-one with the project. That was fine with me - I was still excited about the project.

Well, when we started the project last Friday, I told my students they were allowed to work independently or with a partner. Most of the student paired up and I was getting ready to tell a particular 7th grade student that I would help him, when an 8th grade girl (who is much higher ability-wise and probably doesn't need to be in my writing class) asked this boy to be her partner.
As I watched this girl, I saw her explain what she was doing and give this boy a turn to type while spelling the words out for him. She was very patient and not even remotely condescending. I was so impressed with her that I wrote her a note today.
In the note I told her that I was really impressed that she asked this boy to be her partner and I loved how she included him. I concluded the note by saying that I bet she she was a great friend and sister.
This girl read the note in front of me and got quite a lovely smile on her face when she finished.

Do you want to know the best part? The boy who was her partner saw me give her the note and asked what it was. When I told him I had given her a note, he said, "That is so nice of you."
He really is the sweetest kid. I'm so glad that I got to watch this exchange. I have some great kids in my classes!

-Ms. Damron-


Now for some comedy relief - during this same period today, I commented on one of my students who got his hair cut. He used to hide under his hair and I could never see his eyes! He always had to do the Justin Bieber flip of his hair to get it out of his eyes. I told him I loved his new hair cut because I could actually see his eyes. That same boy who is that girl's partner said, "You look so cute!"  It was the funniest, cutest thing. This boy always says the nicest things and he's so sincere. I love it!

Do sheep have suicidal attempts?

It's Friday! Blessed day!

I'm still at work on a Friday and it's 4:30 pm. I helped a student with some science work until 3:40 pm. She told me she felt like a loser for staying after school on a Friday. I told her I understood how she felt!

Anyway, I have a student in my 2nd period that is absolutely hilarious. Today he asked,

"Do sheep have suicidal attempts? My dad says sheep are stupid..."

Oh my gosh. He's so funny because he's always so serious when he asks these kind of questions!

Later on that period he said,

"Ms. Damron? Can I look up if sheep have suicidal attempts?"

I told him no, but later on I heard him saying, "Their brains are so tiny..."

I love what I do.

-Ms. Damron-

6th period deafens me

The past week or so, my 6th period has been SO LOUD. I'm not just talking about talk-outs and obnoxious noises, I'm serious about the loudness. After class if over, I feel like I just attended a football game where the team was winning and the crowd went wild and you are totally blown away by the noise. Or you can compare how my ears feel to that of being at a rock concert and sitting next to the speakers and the crazy fans.
I don't know if my students somehow have magnified voices in that class or what, but it is an issue that NEEDS to be fixed. Today we played charades to learn about action verbs, and the crowd went wild! Students were really getting into the guessing part and they were totally screaming their answers out! Don't worry, the math teacher next door came into my classroom and told my students that they were being too noisy. And they didn't even hear him come in or acknowledge his presence for a good 20 seconds while he was talking to them because they didn't hear him! This class is straight crazy!

Also, it's important to mention that I could start some sort of drum core with most of these kids. They are constantly tapping their pencils, drumming on the desks with their hands and pencils, making whistling noises with their hands...you name it...it's so frustrating! I am half-serious when I say we might start using these drumming talents to do some sort of concert. Sheesh!

I am highly considering the use of stress balls to hand out during this class in order to (hopefully) keep their hands busy so they can still focus on the lesson. One of the 8th grade girls said that would be a bad idea because then the boys would start throwing the stress balls across the room. I see how much trust she has in those boys and my ability to control them.

Yikes-a-rama something needs to change!

-Ms. Damron-

Just a disclaimer, I do love these students, I just don't love the deaf-feeling in my ears after class is over!

First IEP/Re-eval of the year DONE!

Folks. You have no idea how big of a deal this is!

I have been preparing for this IEP and three year re-eval for weeks! For some reason I was stumped though. You know that feeling when you have serious writer's block and a huge paper is due within HOURS? Yeah. Well try having writer's block on a legal document that is scheduled to be discussed the next morning at 7:30 am. Not fun.

Thank heavens I have a wonderful facilitator who took time after our team meeting (that ended around 4:30 pm) to help me out. I didn't leave work until 6:00 pm though, and I was pretty grumpy when I got home.

All in all, I think it went really well though. This student is in 7th grade and came from a charter school.  Mom was really worried about the transition and she confided in me that when she first brought her son to Centennial to just look around, she just stood by the main entrance and shed a tear thinking, "My son is going to be so lost." She didn't mean lost as in can't find his way around, but lost as in...lost and forgotten in a sea of busy-ness, chaos, and the horror that can sometimes be middle school. After the meeting she told me she felt much better about her son's education.

The meeting almost didn't happen though! The meeting was scheduled to start at 7:30 am and I made it to school early enough to clean up the team room where we would be holding the meeting and I was out by the main office by 7:30 waiting for mom. Mom didn't show up until 7:50 am though. Class starts at 8:00 am! Fortunately I had a para who was able to cover my class until I got there, but I had to find another general ed teacher, because the teacher I had asked to attend the meeting had a class at 8:00! So I had to scramble to find a teacher who had prep at that time. I called several teachers, but Don Johnson, the boys' P.E. teacher, was able to attend. Bless his heart he saved me! I know mom felt really bad about being late. I didn't mind the lateness...I was so relieved that she came! (The IEP is due on Thursday, and I was getting nervous about it being late!)

I'm happy that IEP and re-eval are taken care of, but I have three more re-evals/IEPs to do in the next month. It's going to be a good, but crazy-busy month!

-Ms. Damron-