My Favorite Things

So I was weightlifting at the YMCA last night, when I realized that a majority of these posts have been had some sort of negative connotation to them. I feel as though I am only portraying the bad parts of my job, which is far from the truth. Sometimes you just feel the need to vent, and what better way to do that then to write out the day's events on the Internet? I'm changing the trend with this post.

There are so many things about this job that I truly enjoy. One thing about this job that I absolutely love is that it there is no such thing as a "normal day." I do not work in a cubicle, I do not have a daily work routine. In summary, I do not have a "9-5" job. Each day keeps me on the edge of my seat! (in some cases, literally...as in when I fell out of my chair).

The second thing I love? The staff! There are so many good people at this school that I just cannot say enough about how caring and genuine that they all are. We all get along very well, and there is definitely no "cliques" or partisianship among the staff members. If people disagree in a meeting, grudges do not seem to carry-over outside of the meeting. I cannot say how supportive they have been throughout my first year of teaching.

And although I complain about the students quite a bit in this blog, I have failed to accurately say how much I enjoy them and the many many times they touch my heart on a daily basis. Some of these kids have such rough lives at home that I feel as though they have such gratitude to be in a 'safe spot" for at least a part of their day. The majority of the students are so polite, so bright... just have such a bright future ahead of them that I feel honored to have at least played a small role in their future successes.

I recently asked my students to complete an anonomous survey for me (the day before Christmas break) that asks them what they like, dislike, and want to see changed in social studies. Some of their responses were very thought provoking, and some brought tears to my eyes... whether it be from laughter or from their kind words.

For instance, here is what one student had to say about social studies...

normally i would hate social studies, but Mr. Anderson makes it really fun! For a first year teacher I think he's done extremely well. I have fun all the time just because he knows how to help students learn in a fun way. I really like the activity we're doing in class now on how government makes laws! I probably wouldn't have understood what was going on if we hadn't done the activity.

Some students shared a little bit about themselves in their survey as well...

I've pretty much liked a lot of [the class]. You are a very good teacher and I've learned a lot and I hope that after Christmas break I will get more together.

One person had some words of advice as to how I can improve myself as a teacher...

Mr. Anderson's stupid, but funny jokes liven up the class. He puts things into terms we can understand. I enjoy his everlasting good composure and attitude...keep on wearing the awesome ties!

I also enjoy when they throw-in their own slang...

Well this has to be one of my best classes, not because of grades, but I like it best. I liked when Mr. Anderson made a fool of himself, and took us outside. You know, Mr. Anderson is a pretty cool kid.

What other profession can you receive a performance review such as this?

I also want to make a small list of my "favorite things" that have happened so far this semester. The list includes the following...

1) Surviving!
2) My homeroom taking 2nd place in the school's canned food drive with $68 donated and over 1,000 items brought-in...breaking a school record. I had nearly 800 bricks of Ramen noodles in my car with their donated money.
3) Doing the "Electric Slide" at the school's staff vs. student volleyball game.
4) My 8th hour students encouraging me to try-out to be in the school play (as a part of the dance team). One student telling me, "it's your time to shine, Mr. Anderson!"
5) Teaching, and learning with my students, how to make balloon animals in homeroom.
6) Instilling the "Spirit of '76" in my students by teaching them about the Boston Tea Party...which amounts to me putting my tie around my head (Rambo style), giving them a "revolutionary pep talk," then storming the troops outside to the Liberty Pole (tie still on my head) with a bag full of chalk and having them write anti-King George III graffiti on the sidewalk.
7) Chaperoning the school dances
8) Winning a cheezy Christmas candle/lamp thing at the school's White Elephant gift exchange.
9) My mentor, who keeps me sane and is always willing to offer advice.
10) Holding a "Mock Congress" session with my classes. I separated them into the House and Senate (me being the President) and had them work together to pass 5 laws that could be enacted for one week. Laws included chewing gum, listening to iPods, etc... I vetoed about 35 bills. Then taught the students that, in eight years as president, Thomas Jefferson failed to veto a single bill (hence why he is a "wimp" in Mr. Anderson's eyes).
11) My parents showing-up on open house to "see how their child was doing."
12) My parents' never-ending support throughout the year.
13) Unexpectedly leading the school in the National Party fight song.
14) "Dr. Hansen" and the whole special ed crew

Mid-year Blues

I'm back in the blogging business! I've missed writing because there has just been so much to do in the life of a first year teacher. In-between lesson planning, correcting papers (see the attached photo of my living room a few weekends ago), meetings, and paper work, writing in a blog is the last thing on my "to-do" list. However, today I've made some room.

Today was a blue day due to a number of factors. Number one being that it is snowing quite heavily outside. Therefore, the students were very restless with anticipation of school canceling early (which it did not). The weather jumped from negative three to about twenty today. Although it amounts to jumping up the thermometer from "frigid" to just plain "cold," it is still a twenty-degree increase.

Additionally, last night the Packers lost. It was a difficult game to watch after such a successful season. It is hard to imagine a football team having a major effect on the attitudes of so many of your students and co-workers. However, living in Wisconsin, that just comes with the territory. As the green and gold do, so does your Monday morning attitude...even after an NFC Championship Game that should have been won on more than one missed opportunity :(

The end of the 2nd grading quarter is wrapping up on Thursday. Last week, I made a number of phone calls to about twenty parents (of whom I took the liberty of calling in my unpaid time off of school) to update them that their child is in danger of failing social studies in the next week. I called to inform them that their child's quarter success could be gained or lost in a matter of seven days. Many parents were appreciative of me calling, and I've seen improvements in many of these students grades.


However, what really gets me irritated, is when YOU care more about the student's grade more than the student and their parents combined. I called the parents of the five children who are literally failing social studies, and I gave them an ultimatium: that if they turn-in all missed work by today, that I would ensure that they pass with a D-. Two of these students turned-in work (one hands me his missing work and feels the need to inform me that he missed playing video games for a month because of me. I told him, "you're welcome").

One of these failing students told me today that she left it at home "even though I have it done and my parents signed it, I can't get it because no one is home until later tonight. Oh, by the way, do you have another copy of today's homework? I lost it." She was actually pretty tricky about how she told me too... in the middle of the crowded hallway, on my way to class, with three of her friends surrounding her; thus preventing me from giving her a stern lecture. I said if it is not in my hands tomorrow, she fails social studies.

Then, on my way out the door into the cold, the principal comes up to me and says that a parent called him today to say that she's been trying to contact me all week to talk to me about her child's progress (which made me wonder, "Why didn't she just call me up? Plus, what she said is a bold-faced LIE because I left a message on her phone asking her to call me, and she failed to do so... unless the janitor has secretly been taking my phone calls, erasing my caller ID at night, or hacking into my e-mail and deleting all the messages).

I'm 23 years old... do I really have more responsibility than these parents?! It's ridiculous!

On top of that, I have a really cool lesson planned for the students this week. We are going to have a class debate on Wednesday as to whether or not we should have Andrew Jackson's face on the $20 bill replaced with Dr. King's. Students were separated into teams (which I even tried to put students into groups with their friends).

The student's replies to my efforts? "That's gay." I was up until 11:30 at night, planning this lesson, and they feel the need to tell me that my lesson is living an alternative sexual lifestyle. Fantastic.

I sometimes wonder on my 30 min drive home from work... is this all really worth it? What if I were to get a desk job somewhere, where I don't have to deal with irresponsibility, or have to bring my work home, and still make 2x as much money?

Then I remember overhearing a student say to her friend today that, "last night I couldn't sleep. So, I got out of my bed, went to my computer and typed my opening speech for our class debate on Wednesday. I'm so excited!"

Not to mention, "Doctor Hansen" giving me a fist-pound and telling me, "Mr. Anderson, you're such a cool dude!"

. I better get going. Gotta go set the alarm clock... so I'm ready for school tomorrow.