First week down!

I don't know if I should title this entry as "First week down" because we only had a half week with the students, but holy cow, I am exhausted. It feels like there wasn't even a summer break and I have just been teaching forever, but it's only been 2 1/2 days. (Yikes.) Granted, I have been back to work for the past two weeks and I finished up summer term of grad school just last week (which seems so long ago now).

I really miss a lot of my 8th graders from last year. They were my 7th graders my first year teaching and we really did create a special bond. I have primarily 7th graders this year, and (don't tell my 8th graders I said this) I'm not as attached to most of the 8th graders this year. My first period is going to be difficult because of behavior issues, and my 7th period is going to be difficult because it is my largest class: 15 students.

One more time for emphasis though, I SERIOUSLY MISS MY 8TH GRADERS from last year. They were such good kids! (sigh)

It's been a good couple of days though. Amazingly, I have been in bed before 10:00 pm for the past 3-4 nights, which has been so wonderful. My throat hurt at the end of yesterday because of all the talking! You really do have to get used to talking so much. And standing all day. And emotionally, mentally, and physically draining yourself every day. I should be good to go in another week or so.

Just one term of grad school has already motivated and inspired me to do so much. I feel much more innovative and I'm trying to change things up (teach lessons that are much more hands-on and interactive). To teach my procedures, I made QR codes with clues to puzzle pieces I had made out of poster board. Students took turns finding the puzzle pieces and then we put together a poster that says,

"A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat."

After putting the puzzle together, I asked my student what that quote had to do with class rules and procedures. I was delighted that at least one student in every class made the connection that "one person who breaks the rules can ruin it for the rest of the class." Very impressive!
When I introduced the QR code activity, I asked if anyone had any questions and one student raised his hand and asked, "Did you take a class on how to be awesome?"

I feel like that was well worth the effort!

I love love LOVE teaching, and I'm excited for this upcoming year!

-Ms. Damron-

7th Grade Day

Maybe I will finish writing all the stories I need to from last school year before this next school year starts...that would be great! haha

My principal approached me near the beginning of the school year and asked me to be in charge of 7th grade day. My first thought was, "NO! Now I won't be able to go to Lagoon with the 8th graders" and I loved doing that my first year. Boo. I also saw it coming somehow. Earlier that year or during the previous summer, I remember thinking, "I hope my principal doesn't ask me to be in charge of 7th grade day. I don't want to!" I joked with my principal that I felt like it was a calling, because I kind of saw it coming and I didn't particularly want it, but I felt that it would be a good experience.

Ironically, I had never attended a 7th grade day because I went to Lagoon the year before, and this was my second year...so I had no idea what it was even supposed to look like or what I was supposed to do...ug. No fun.

Thankfully, the teacher who had run it for the past several years was extremely helpful and provided me with a basic time frame and gave me suggestions and tips from what went wrong the year before. She totally saved me and was such an angel to help me despite all that she had on her plate already.

The day before 7th grade day, I got in a car accident. (Long story short, my sister's car was stolen, so she was borrowing my car and driving me to work and right as we pulled out of my apartment complex we were hit on the left...it was beyond terrible.) My car was deemed a total loss and I was without a car for several days. That was a great trial right before this BIG day I was in charge of.

For 7th grade day, we went to Classic Skating in Orem, came back for lunch and a movie, and then ended the day with kickball outside. It was fairly easy, but I had to be in charge of making announcements and I had to be the EXPERT on the day's activities. People came up to me and asked me what was going on. It was kind of strange.

Classic Skating was great. We had just the right number of buses (5-6) and the kids had fun. I even put on some skates and skated around. Next year I will have to give more explicit instructions on when buses are allowed to leave, because buses just started leaving before I had taken a head count, and I just hoped everyone was there...

At the last minute, with the suggestion of a very helpful and technology-saavy math teacher, I decided to hold the movie (with the popcorn) in the boys' gym instead of in individual classrooms via the classroom televisions. Teachers were NOT happy because they wanted time to work on stuff in their classrooms. I did not feel bad. I didn't get to work in my classroom - I was in charge of the whole event! Besides, that was not a teacher preparation day, it was a day FOR THE STUDENTS. Sheesh. Calm down people. The custodians were beyond happy though because instead of  having to pick up popcorn mess in every single classroom that had students, they only had the gymnasium. So, that made me feel better.

Kickball seemed a bit unorganized, and we lost a few items (a ball, a couple of cones...), but thankfully they were returned within the week.

Overall, it was a smashing success! That same math teacher said, "...super job today...I heard from many it was the best day so far for 7th grade day...I heard a lot of people say the kids being able to hang out together [for the movie] was great"

Heck to the yes!

-Ms. Damron-

Maybe I am making a difference

There were several times this past year when I felt a bit disheartened that nothing I was teaching was getting through to my dear students! I felt like I was wasting time, or worse than that - I was unable to teach in a way that could get through to my students. There are two incidences that encouraged me to keep going and let me know that I was making a small difference.

Near the end of the school year, I finally realized that I needed to make my students apply what I was teaching to their own lives. So, on a more regular basis, before I began a lesson, I would ask the following questions:

How does this apply to you?
How can you use this in your other classes?
Why am I teaching you this?

I waited for thoughtful responses, and then we would go on. (Teacher note - this is a great idea. I feel like it helps your students take more responsibility in what they learn and possibly even care a little bit more!)

One day in 7th period, I started my lesson with these routine questions. One student, who is particularly studious, but attends my homework-help class to relieve anxiety and stress over class assignments, raised her hand and said she had a story to share. She said something like this:

"One day in Spanish class we were watching a movie. I didn't get the answer to question number one and I started to panic and freak out. Then I remembered what we learned in here: Don't freak out. Read a head. You can ask the teacher/other students to help you get the answer later. So I read a head and everything was fine."

I could have cried from sheer pride and happiness. This girl actually applied something I had taught. It was working!

Then, on the last day of school (and I mean the LAST official day when hardly any students come to school and it's basically a classroom clean up day for teachers), one of my 8th grade students from my 1st period showed up. He is always very polite and asked me if there was anything he could help me with. I told him I had it covered, but thanks for offering. He then said, in the most sincere voice, "Ms. Damron - thank you so much for your help this year. It really did change my life and I would have been a wreck without this class." I kind of shrugged it off and said, "Don't even worry about it - I'm just doing my job."
This student looked me in the eye and said, "No. Really. Thank you so much."

I was really touched by his remarks. I may have mentioned him before, but his parents told our school counselor that ever since he was put in special ed, things have really changed for him and he was a whole different kid after that.

It's experiences like these that remind a teacher just why they chose this profession and why they should keep going.

-Ms. Damron-

First (unprepared parent) declassification

Some time in April I had my first declassification from Special Ed with a parent that wasn't going to find out until the meeting. I was actually a bit nervous. So far, whenever I've had a declassification, the parent has been very aware and felt that it was time. This parent was not on the same page as me though.
This students was in my Writing Skills class and although his handwriting was difficult to read most of the time and his spelling was beyond atrocious, he had good ideas and knew how to write. In fact, he fell asleep several times in my class and was kind of an all-around-punk in the sense that he always skirted around the rules and wanted to goof off. Still, I adored him. (That was probably part of the issue - he knew I liked him and could get away with doing ridiculous things...hmmm...)

Anyway, when it came time to have his IEP and three-year re-evaluation for Special Education, I did some standardized academic testing to see where he fell in the category of writing. From other testing measures, I already knew that he is on grade level for reading and math (that is the whole point of Special Ed), so writing was his last hope of staying in Special Ed.

I told him that he needed to do his very best on the tests I gave because that would determine if he still qualified for Special Education.

The day we finished, he came to my Writing Skills class some what anxiously and said, "How did I do on the test? I have been so nervous ever since we finished I couldn't even concentrate in band."

This was somewhat surprising to me. He really did care and take an interest in how he did on these tests and what they meant. Good for him!

Although I hadn't held the meeting yet, I drew a visual aide and told him that there was not a discrepancy between his writing and his IQ, so he did not qualify for Special Ed anymore.

"So I don't have to take this class any more?!"

haha I told him no. (I think that was the main motivator for him. It wasn't about "being in Special Ed", he just wanted out of my class!)

I was really happy for him, but I was nervous about the meeting with his mom. Friday afternoon we had the meeting and his mom, the assistant principal, and his English teacher. and the student himself attended.

When I explained that this student's test scores and grades showed that he didn't qualify for (or need) Special Ed services to be successful, the mom was a little bit put out. I know she was just worried about him, especially because he is going to be in high school next year and it is scary to send your kid off to high school thinking they will have ZERO support any more.
The mom was pestering me with questions and scenarios when the English teacher stepped in and gave a wonderful English teacher perspective and calmed the mom down. I could have hugged and kissed that dear English teacher - she was wonderful! And the assistant principal was very supportive as well. He said, "The whole point of Special Ed is to reach grade level and be successful on your own and you did it. Sadly, very few kids in Special Ed leave, so you have something to be proud of."

I was a little sad to declassify this student because that meant that he wouldn't be in my class anymore, and I really did enjoy him.

He did actually stop by a few times and say hi, which is out of character for him (he doesn't really care much for teachers). He let me know that I was special because he doesn't ever go back and see teachers that he doesn't have any more. haha

The last week of school, his English teacher told me that he pulled off an A- in her class. That was his first A- in English all year long. I think she was a bit skeptical about declassifying him at first, but when he pulled off the A-, her whole outlook changed. She was so excited for him.

I'm really proud of this student and I hope that he is successful in high school and I hope he accomplishes all that h wants to in life. :)

-Ms. Damron-

Acrostic poems

Yearbook day was on Wednesday, May 29. We have shortened class periods and then we dismiss classes early (around 1:45 pm) so that students can find their friends who aren't in their classes and sign yearbooks, say good-bye, etc. Basically, it's complete chaos and I was lucky enough to have a couple of students stay in my room and help me clean up! So great.

I only teach a maximum of 14 students per class period, and the entire class never actually shows up. I started this last year, when I sign yearbooks, I write acrostic poems using their first names. It is so much fun. (I hate those boring and very non-personal messages: HAGS!)

My second period had the most students and I created some pretty good acrostic poems. I think one of them mentioned ninjas, and another one talked about NOT eating oranges in my classroom (because this student would frequently eat oranges in my class when she wasn't supposed to!).

Another student cracked me up. I adore this student and I will miss him. I was telling him that it would take a few minutes for me to "sign" his yearbook because I write acrostic poems with using names. They are all originals, so it takes some time to come up with them! He read one of the poems I wrote and thought it was hilarious.

I was still trying to come up with one for him when he came up to me and said the following:

Kade's
Awesomeness
Dwells
Eternally.

I was stunned. And I loved it! It was brilliant. I asked him where he came up with it and he said that one day he was looking at his name and trying to come up with something it could stand for. That's when he came up with that fantastic acrostic poem. Of course I had to use it. I was laughing all day over that.

The only other poem I remember was this:

Marry
A
Dashing and
Darling
Entrepreneur

I think that was totally fitting because when this girl signed my yearbook she told me to get married! Kids these days. haha

-Ms. Damron-

Thank-You Notes

Having school after Memorial Day is tough. Especially when you only have 2 1/2 days of school. Tuesday was still supposed to be an academic day, and all weekend long I tried to figure out what I should do with my students. Finally, I decided I would have them write thank-you notes to their teachers. I instructed them that they had to write at least two thank-you notes to an adult at the school (teacher, counselor, principal, class aide, etc.). I told them that they weren't supposed to write one to me (at least not for the first two thank-you notes) because I already know I'm awesome. haha One student didn't get that instruction though. He's in my 6th period Writing Skills class and, if you can remember, that class has been very difficult. Here is his letter:

"Dear Ms. Damron,

You where very nice and kind. I am sad to leave, but I think it is for the best. Luckly, I'll still say "hi" in the halls. I thank you for teaching and keeping your anger in when some people were being annoying. I do not know how you do it, but your good at it."

This was just too good not to share. He doesn't need my writing class next year, but man will I miss him. He was a great kid!

-Ms. Damron-

A true sob story

This story involves legitimate tears. And lots of them.

This morning during our PLC/faculty meeting, I was looking over and preparing for an IEP and 3-year eligibility meeting I have scheduled for tomorrow morning.

When I was creating the notice of meeting, I noticed the date from the previous IEP was not as it should be, and when I researched a little bit more, I discovered that this IEP is past due. My heart pretty much stopped. (Dates are SUCH A BIG DEAL in Special Ed. It's ridiculous.)

There was not fixing that. I went and told my facilitator what had happened. Yaaay.

When I returned to my table, I looked a little bit deeper and realized that not only was my IEP due last Thursday (4/18), but the eligibility was due yesterday (4/21), which happened to be a Sunday, by the way.

I had to leave the room and go cry in my classroom for a good 5-6 minutes. I realize that this is not the end of the world, BUT, dates really are extremely important and this student is an 8th grader, meaning I'm sending a folder to the high school that is already out of compliance and messed up. How lame!
While I was crying in my classroom, I honestly contemplated getting a sub so that I could go home and crawl into bed. Faculty meeting was starting soon though, so I had to pull myself together. I said a quick prayer, went to the bathroom, and magically pulled myself together and had a wonderful day.

That problem is still there, but hey, I feel better now! haha

-Ms. Damron-