2013: The Twelvemonth Inwards Review
Well, considering it is at nowadays good into January, I justice I demand to complete reflecting on 2013. I've come upwards to the decision that if I don't exercise it inward the side yesteryear side twenty-four hr menses or two, it likely won't happen. Last year, I summarized 2012 too my firstly experiences amongst pupil pedagogy too pedagogy inward my real ain classroom. It was fun to read dorsum over what I had considered to live the most of import too life-changing experiences of that year. If 2012 was the twelvemonth of novel experiences, so 2013 was the twelvemonth that trying too challenging experiences that forced me to grow inward ways that I never dreamed possible. I think i of the reasons I've been putting off this post service is that 2013 wasn't a fun year. A lot of things happened that I haven't talked most on this weblog thence far. Well, that's most to change. If it seems similar I'm speaking real vaguely most something, it's likely intentional. :)
Let's review...
January
Jan 2013 started off amongst the celebration of Universal Letter Writing Week. One of the firstly things my students realize most me is that I don't believe inward showing movies or giving them gratis days. We exercise math every unmarried day. Throughout the year, though, I volition occasionally direct a twenty-four hr menses or business office of a twenty-four hr menses where nosotros recess our curriculum too exercise something I deem worthwhile. Writing letters of appreciation to teachers too staff members inward our edifice too folding them upwards equally origami letters is i of these. Origami cubes, hexaflexagons, too mobius strip hearts would also autumn into this category. Algebra is important, but maxim cheers every in i lawsuit inward a spell is important, too.
Towards the goal of January, I had a life-changing experience inward my classroom. It involved a pupil too a weapon. Nobody was hurt, but it's something that I volition never forget. This province of affairs too its aftermath turned my life upside downward for months. Frustrations amongst my undertaking too how sure enough things were working out had been growing for months yesteryear this time. And, this province of affairs brought them all out inward the open. There were confrontations. I cried, I yelled, I said some things that I likely shouldn't have, too I cried some more.
In retrospect, at that spot were many positives that resulted from this terrible situation. But, it took me a few months to regard those positives. Those were nighttime months, but through them, I made some amazing friendships amongst coworkers. Up until this indicate inward my firstly twelvemonth of teaching, I had been trying to become it alone. I idea that bespeak for assist from others was a sign of weakness. I idea my nous would think less of me equally a instructor if I admitted that I didn't get got everything nether command inward my classroom. I couldn't get got been to a greater extent than wrong. January was a calendar month where I learned to communicate. I learned to direct help. I learned that pedagogy was a lot to a greater extent than enjoyable of an experience when I shared my journey, my triumphs, too my failures amongst coworkers. January was both a calendar month of hurting too friendship.
February
Feb was a calendar month of reflection. I relived the events of belatedly Jan so many times that I almost made myself sick. February was a calendar month where I had to select what was most of import on a daily basis: my feelings or my students. As much equally I was inward hurting over the things that were happening that I couldn't control, I knew my students needed me. They needed 100% of me. I poured myself dorsum into my classroom too my lessons. This time, however, I decided that the ground wasn't going to come upwards to an goal if I went abode earlier all my papers were graded or every unmarried re-create was made for the side yesteryear side day. And, the ground didn't come upwards to an end. My early on mornings too first-hour planning menses were busier, but I was happier.
March
March brought amongst it Spring Break too a MUCH needed recess from school! My sis celebrated her 20th birthday. I spent almost all of Spring Break sleeping too recovering from a terrible tummy põrnikas that landed me inward the emergency room on Pi Day afterwards 5 hours inward urgent care. I took an 11-day recess from the Internet over the break, too it was refreshing. After returning from Spring Break, my students jumped directly into EOI review for the upcoming Earth tests.
April
Apr was the calendar month of Earth testing. I was a NERVOUS WRECK. The forenoon of the Algebra 2 test, I was pacing too giving my students lastly infinitesimal pointers, too I made them fifty-fifty to a greater extent than nervous equally a result. 100% of my Algebra 2 students passed their EOI. And, my Algebra 1 top rate, if I retrieve correctly, was inward the depression 80's. The results were good. My counselor too nous were THRILLED!
Apr also went downward inward the tape books equally the calendar month I finally took downward my Christmas tree! After I got dorsum from spending Christmas Break at my parents' house, I decided to exit my tree upwards for some other calendar week or so inward club to relish it. Well, you lot already read most what happened inward January. Needless to say, I didn't just experience similar taking it downward inward February. And, yesteryear the fourth dimension March rolls around, what's some other calendar month of leaving your tree up? By April, I did forcefulness myself to direct it down. I decided that at that spot was no way that I was silent going to get got a tree upwards come upwards summertime vacation.
May
May marked the goal of my firstly twelvemonth of teaching. I fifty-fifty wrote a reflection slice on 50 things I learned during my firstly twelvemonth of teaching. I took downward all of my decorations off the walls. This led to rumors that I was leaving. I wasn't. I watched my firstly grouping of students walk across the phase to have their diplomas. I only novel most 5-6 of our 32 graduating seniors, so the graduation was non equally emotional of an experience equally it could get got been.
June
I mightiness get got overbooked myself for the Summer of 2013. I attended my firstly OCTM Annual Summer Conference. It was a blast! I served equally manager for my church's Vacation Bible School. We wrote our ain curriculum that led our students through a Kingdom Adventure. Probably the best calendar week of my summertime was the calendar week I spent inward Edmond at the Oklahoma Geometry too Algebra Project (OGAP). It was an amazing calendar week of Common Core Training! At the firstly of the week, most of us knew side yesteryear side to cypher most what CCSS genuinely meant. By the goal of the week, I felt similar the other teachers inward the grooming were business office of my family. None of us wanted to leave! And, nosotros left amongst the confidence that nosotros could tackle Common Core. We knew nosotros had a lot of move inward forepart of us, but nosotros had been equipped amongst tools too back upwards similar nosotros had never imagined possible.
July
July was a flurry of last-minute preparations for my classroom. I spent a calendar week serving equally a sponsor at church building camp. Every summer, my church building takes a grouping of 3rd-6th graders to the Kiamichi Mountains inward Talihina, OK. I went 3 years equally a camper (4th-6th grade), too I've been going dorsum equally a helper for the lastly x years. This was my 13th calendar week spent inward those mountains inward July, too it was amazing equally usual. I also attended an AP Statistics week-long conference inward Tulsa too a 4-day Pre-AP High School Math grooming inward Tulsa. At the Pre-AP training, I was able to reconnect amongst the optic schoolhouse instructor that I had done my pupil pedagogy with. I was busy, busy, busy!
August
I attended my firstly tweet-up. It was a smash to encounter other local math teachers that I had been talking to via twitter! And, I went to my firstly child league baseball game game amongst a friend. (I did become to business office of a game inward the 5th flat on a plain trip, but I don't count that.) Later inward the month, I was able to direct handgrip of upwards amongst a grouping of friends who I hadn't seen inward over a year. While pupil teaching, nosotros formed a form of back upwards grouping that met in i lawsuit a calendar week for dinner too lots of venting. This was our chance to verbalize most the things nosotros were besides scared to direct upwards inward our weekly seminar meetings.
School started early on inward August. Students claimed that my classroom was to a greater extent than colorful than e'er before, something they had previously deemed impossible. I had a smash watching my students participate inward The Marshmallow Challenge. I started pedagogy a novel prep (statistics) inward improver to my regular charge of Algebra 1 too Algebra 2.
September
I made my Algebra 1 students direct an oath. And, I started posting all the crazy things that my students tell on my blog. Good Things became a Mon staple inward my classroom. The stress of homecoming was real real. Student council is inward accuse of selling homecoming t-shirts equally a fundraiser. I am inward accuse of pupil council. Therefore, I was inward accuse of all things t-shirt related. I took a grouping of students to a Chad Cargill ACT Workshop. I learned a few things from the workshop myself, but I never got to a greater extent than or less to blogging most the experience. Oops...
October
I went to my first Math Teachers' Circle amongst the lovely @druinok. Student Council attended our firstly District Meeting of the schoolhouse year. We had parent/teacher conferences. The schoolhouse I move at is notorious for depression to no parental involvement. Last year, I had half-dozen parents (out of 65 parents) come upwards for conferences. And, 3 of those parents are employees of the schoolhouse district. This year, I had 51 parents! (And, I only get got 85 students.) What changed? My nous mandated that each instructor give extra credit points to each pupil whose parents come upwards to conferences. It looks similar it worked! I've never talked to so many parents inward my life! I talked to a lot of the other teachers, too they only had 20-30 parents exhibit up. Apparently, a lot of students decided my flat was the only i they needed extra credit in. I hosted an Algebra Bootcamp for students who failed the EOI lastly twelvemonth inward club to assist the ready for the PLAN test. Turnout was extremely low. But, I promise it helped some of my students.
November
In November, I celebrated my 24th birthday inward style. My students brought me cake. We did math. It was fabulous. Over Thanksgiving Break, I made a giant coordinate plane for my classroom out of a shower drapery too electrical tape amongst the assist of my mom too sister. I'm seriously proud of this thing. There was no way it wasn't acquire into inward the year-end review!
I attended my 2nd Math Teachers' Circle. Student Council helped seat on a Veterans Day Assembly. I played bunco for only the 2nd fourth dimension inward my life. I fifty-fifty won the prize for losing the most! I worked the basketball game concession stand upwards twice which turned out to live a lot of fun.
December
Dec was cold. We suffered the wrath of Cleon. We were out of schoolhouse for 3 days. Some districts inward this expanse of the Earth were out of schoolhouse for 5 days. Including the weekend, nosotros were out of schoolhouse for 5 days. Since I alive alone, that way I went 5 days too 15 hours without seeing some other human. So, inward other words, Dec was the calendar month I almost went insane. On the firstly Sabbatum of break, an H2O ice tempest hitting the area. I spent Christmas amongst my parents too sister. It was fun! I spent a lot of fourth dimension playing KenKen puzzles too reading. Relaxation at its finest!
Let's review...
January
Jan 2013 started off amongst the celebration of Universal Letter Writing Week. One of the firstly things my students realize most me is that I don't believe inward showing movies or giving them gratis days. We exercise math every unmarried day. Throughout the year, though, I volition occasionally direct a twenty-four hr menses or business office of a twenty-four hr menses where nosotros recess our curriculum too exercise something I deem worthwhile. Writing letters of appreciation to teachers too staff members inward our edifice too folding them upwards equally origami letters is i of these. Origami cubes, hexaflexagons, too mobius strip hearts would also autumn into this category. Algebra is important, but maxim cheers every in i lawsuit inward a spell is important, too.
Towards the goal of January, I had a life-changing experience inward my classroom. It involved a pupil too a weapon. Nobody was hurt, but it's something that I volition never forget. This province of affairs too its aftermath turned my life upside downward for months. Frustrations amongst my undertaking too how sure enough things were working out had been growing for months yesteryear this time. And, this province of affairs brought them all out inward the open. There were confrontations. I cried, I yelled, I said some things that I likely shouldn't have, too I cried some more.
In retrospect, at that spot were many positives that resulted from this terrible situation. But, it took me a few months to regard those positives. Those were nighttime months, but through them, I made some amazing friendships amongst coworkers. Up until this indicate inward my firstly twelvemonth of teaching, I had been trying to become it alone. I idea that bespeak for assist from others was a sign of weakness. I idea my nous would think less of me equally a instructor if I admitted that I didn't get got everything nether command inward my classroom. I couldn't get got been to a greater extent than wrong. January was a calendar month where I learned to communicate. I learned to direct help. I learned that pedagogy was a lot to a greater extent than enjoyable of an experience when I shared my journey, my triumphs, too my failures amongst coworkers. January was both a calendar month of hurting too friendship.
February
Feb was a calendar month of reflection. I relived the events of belatedly Jan so many times that I almost made myself sick. February was a calendar month where I had to select what was most of import on a daily basis: my feelings or my students. As much equally I was inward hurting over the things that were happening that I couldn't control, I knew my students needed me. They needed 100% of me. I poured myself dorsum into my classroom too my lessons. This time, however, I decided that the ground wasn't going to come upwards to an goal if I went abode earlier all my papers were graded or every unmarried re-create was made for the side yesteryear side day. And, the ground didn't come upwards to an end. My early on mornings too first-hour planning menses were busier, but I was happier.
March
March brought amongst it Spring Break too a MUCH needed recess from school! My sis celebrated her 20th birthday. I spent almost all of Spring Break sleeping too recovering from a terrible tummy põrnikas that landed me inward the emergency room on Pi Day afterwards 5 hours inward urgent care. I took an 11-day recess from the Internet over the break, too it was refreshing. After returning from Spring Break, my students jumped directly into EOI review for the upcoming Earth tests.
April
Apr was the calendar month of Earth testing. I was a NERVOUS WRECK. The forenoon of the Algebra 2 test, I was pacing too giving my students lastly infinitesimal pointers, too I made them fifty-fifty to a greater extent than nervous equally a result. 100% of my Algebra 2 students passed their EOI. And, my Algebra 1 top rate, if I retrieve correctly, was inward the depression 80's. The results were good. My counselor too nous were THRILLED!
Apr also went downward inward the tape books equally the calendar month I finally took downward my Christmas tree! After I got dorsum from spending Christmas Break at my parents' house, I decided to exit my tree upwards for some other calendar week or so inward club to relish it. Well, you lot already read most what happened inward January. Needless to say, I didn't just experience similar taking it downward inward February. And, yesteryear the fourth dimension March rolls around, what's some other calendar month of leaving your tree up? By April, I did forcefulness myself to direct it down. I decided that at that spot was no way that I was silent going to get got a tree upwards come upwards summertime vacation.
May
May marked the goal of my firstly twelvemonth of teaching. I fifty-fifty wrote a reflection slice on 50 things I learned during my firstly twelvemonth of teaching. I took downward all of my decorations off the walls. This led to rumors that I was leaving. I wasn't. I watched my firstly grouping of students walk across the phase to have their diplomas. I only novel most 5-6 of our 32 graduating seniors, so the graduation was non equally emotional of an experience equally it could get got been.
June
I mightiness get got overbooked myself for the Summer of 2013. I attended my firstly OCTM Annual Summer Conference. It was a blast! I served equally manager for my church's Vacation Bible School. We wrote our ain curriculum that led our students through a Kingdom Adventure. Probably the best calendar week of my summertime was the calendar week I spent inward Edmond at the Oklahoma Geometry too Algebra Project (OGAP). It was an amazing calendar week of Common Core Training! At the firstly of the week, most of us knew side yesteryear side to cypher most what CCSS genuinely meant. By the goal of the week, I felt similar the other teachers inward the grooming were business office of my family. None of us wanted to leave! And, nosotros left amongst the confidence that nosotros could tackle Common Core. We knew nosotros had a lot of move inward forepart of us, but nosotros had been equipped amongst tools too back upwards similar nosotros had never imagined possible.
July
July was a flurry of last-minute preparations for my classroom. I spent a calendar week serving equally a sponsor at church building camp. Every summer, my church building takes a grouping of 3rd-6th graders to the Kiamichi Mountains inward Talihina, OK. I went 3 years equally a camper (4th-6th grade), too I've been going dorsum equally a helper for the lastly x years. This was my 13th calendar week spent inward those mountains inward July, too it was amazing equally usual. I also attended an AP Statistics week-long conference inward Tulsa too a 4-day Pre-AP High School Math grooming inward Tulsa. At the Pre-AP training, I was able to reconnect amongst the optic schoolhouse instructor that I had done my pupil pedagogy with. I was busy, busy, busy!
August
I attended my firstly tweet-up. It was a smash to encounter other local math teachers that I had been talking to via twitter! And, I went to my firstly child league baseball game game amongst a friend. (I did become to business office of a game inward the 5th flat on a plain trip, but I don't count that.) Later inward the month, I was able to direct handgrip of upwards amongst a grouping of friends who I hadn't seen inward over a year. While pupil teaching, nosotros formed a form of back upwards grouping that met in i lawsuit a calendar week for dinner too lots of venting. This was our chance to verbalize most the things nosotros were besides scared to direct upwards inward our weekly seminar meetings.
School started early on inward August. Students claimed that my classroom was to a greater extent than colorful than e'er before, something they had previously deemed impossible. I had a smash watching my students participate inward The Marshmallow Challenge. I started pedagogy a novel prep (statistics) inward improver to my regular charge of Algebra 1 too Algebra 2.
September
I made my Algebra 1 students direct an oath. And, I started posting all the crazy things that my students tell on my blog. Good Things became a Mon staple inward my classroom. The stress of homecoming was real real. Student council is inward accuse of selling homecoming t-shirts equally a fundraiser. I am inward accuse of pupil council. Therefore, I was inward accuse of all things t-shirt related. I took a grouping of students to a Chad Cargill ACT Workshop. I learned a few things from the workshop myself, but I never got to a greater extent than or less to blogging most the experience. Oops...
October
I went to my first Math Teachers' Circle amongst the lovely @druinok. Student Council attended our firstly District Meeting of the schoolhouse year. We had parent/teacher conferences. The schoolhouse I move at is notorious for depression to no parental involvement. Last year, I had half-dozen parents (out of 65 parents) come upwards for conferences. And, 3 of those parents are employees of the schoolhouse district. This year, I had 51 parents! (And, I only get got 85 students.) What changed? My nous mandated that each instructor give extra credit points to each pupil whose parents come upwards to conferences. It looks similar it worked! I've never talked to so many parents inward my life! I talked to a lot of the other teachers, too they only had 20-30 parents exhibit up. Apparently, a lot of students decided my flat was the only i they needed extra credit in. I hosted an Algebra Bootcamp for students who failed the EOI lastly twelvemonth inward club to assist the ready for the PLAN test. Turnout was extremely low. But, I promise it helped some of my students.
November
In November, I celebrated my 24th birthday inward style. My students brought me cake. We did math. It was fabulous. Over Thanksgiving Break, I made a giant coordinate plane for my classroom out of a shower drapery too electrical tape amongst the assist of my mom too sister. I'm seriously proud of this thing. There was no way it wasn't acquire into inward the year-end review!
I attended my 2nd Math Teachers' Circle. Student Council helped seat on a Veterans Day Assembly. I played bunco for only the 2nd fourth dimension inward my life. I fifty-fifty won the prize for losing the most! I worked the basketball game concession stand upwards twice which turned out to live a lot of fun.
December
Dec was cold. We suffered the wrath of Cleon. We were out of schoolhouse for 3 days. Some districts inward this expanse of the Earth were out of schoolhouse for 5 days. Including the weekend, nosotros were out of schoolhouse for 5 days. Since I alive alone, that way I went 5 days too 15 hours without seeing some other human. So, inward other words, Dec was the calendar month I almost went insane. On the firstly Sabbatum of break, an H2O ice tempest hitting the area. I spent Christmas amongst my parents too sister. It was fun! I spent a lot of fourth dimension playing KenKen puzzles too reading. Relaxation at its finest!
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