Theory

So as you may or may not know, I am in grad school right now while teaching full time. So far, most of my classes have been very enjoyable except for one I took over the summer which was the only class I did not get an A in. This semester, on top of driving an HOUR to class right after school on Monday, the class is about the theory of human development.

Interesting? Eh, No thanks. I think I would rather take a Calculus test & I hate Calculus.

Maybe it will get a little better in a few weeks seeing as this was our 2nd class, but I'm just not feeling it. My program is Elementary Mathematics Education so why in the world do I need to take a class about theory? I get it I need to know the basics which I do & learned about in undergrad but seriously a page full of theorists? WHYYYYY. We have our first "short quiz" next week which is supposed to take an hour. I'm really not liking this semester already, but the upside? Getting to be back in McGuffey Hall again.

Someone just give me some math already please & thank you.

I will leave you with a problem I got from another math teacher last week. Now here is what I need. Logic problems. Yes, I was the nerd doing this problem between Bradley's Friday night basketball games. Were some of his players starring at me awkwardly wondering why I was doing math on a Friday night? Yes. Did I care? Nope. I love logic.

I believe it came from the Readers Digest, but I'm not sure. Let's see who can figure it out :) It took me about two hours, but that was with many interruptions.




Ol' Santa's pack held thirty toys
Made by his elfin crew; And though none made the same amount, 
Each elf made more than two. The elf named Cher made one more toy Than the elf who dressed in reds, But Cher made one less Christmas toy Than the elf who made the sleds. Spry Johnny Elf made racing cars. Five toys were made by Jane. The elf who dressed in yellow suits Made each and every train. The elf who always dressed in green Made one-third as many as Sue. Cute Marcia Elf was dressed in orange, And one elf dressed in blue. The elf who made the spinning tops Made the most toys of them all. Another perky, smiling elf Made each and every ball. Ole Santa's pack held 30 gifts All tagged for girls and boys, From the clues you've been given, Now guess who made what toys! 

Wow Technology

Now I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to technology. Being 23 years old, I grew up with a computer (without internet or slow internet) a cell phone at a young age, & cable/answering machines. Yes, there was a time where my family didn't have cable or an answering machine. We were always the last to upgrade to new technology. Even with me growing up with all this new technology, we will still always a few years behind the world.

The first computer we had was an apple computer that was a black screen and had green text. I remember playing lemonade stand on the computer & some alien shooting game. We didn't get cable until I was in 6th grade which was unheard of. Most people had cable by the year 2000 but we got it for Christmas. Yes, there is a picture of me opening a box with a postcard about cable. I have a shocked look on my face. I almost cried. I couldn't wait to watch nickelodeon & the disney channel.  Other than our apple computer, my uncle built our first functioning computer where you could actually do more than play games. Along with that & getting the internet, we still had dial up forever. My parents would get so mad at me for keeping the phone line busy for 3 hours on end while I was chatting it up on AIM.  We finally got high speed internet when I was in high school.

     





I got my first cell phone when I was in 8th grade. Pre-paid good old Nokia. I had a hot pink sparkly cover & a clear one that lit up. It was cool to have different cell phone covers. You could switch them anytime you wanted! Those years since then have seemed to fly by when it comes to technology.

Imagine a bright pink sparkly cover :)

Virtually everyone has a laptop now. I'm on my second one already. Almost everyone has a camera & a good one at that. People have a new cell phone every year, an MP3 player, an e-reader, & the list goes on. How cool is it that you can control things in your house from your cell phone when you aren't there? I feel like everything is moving so fast & shhhhh I'm starting to feel old.

My students have grown up with all of this. They were born into the technology boom. Born between the years 1998 -1999, they pretty much always had cable, internet, cell phones etc. Yesterday we were talking about cell phones in class. A few students were telling me about a new phone they got & what they have. My students have the iphone! Whaaaaat??? They are 12 & 13! I don't even have a phone that fancy. Feeling old? I sure am.

I'm dreading the day they know more than me about technology.

Remembering 9.11.01

Where were you 10 years ago today? That's a question I heard a lot today from people, the coverage on television, and all over the internet.

Where was I?

St. Bartholomew Consolidated School. 8th Grade Math. 13 Years old. Young, innocent, and afraid. 

I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was on the 3rd floor in a room at the end of the hall. The desks were in a U shape, and I was sitting in the front top corner of the U. My teacher was diagonal from me standing by her desk. My teacher said to us "I need to tell you that something horrible has happened to our country. The staff has decided that we want your parents to tell you at home, so we will not be discussing what happened today. We want you to know that this is a day you will never forget as long as you live. Please understand that it will be very hard for us teachers to continue teaching today." 

SERIOUSLY?????

Hard for you? Yes, but what about us? How about the innocent 13 year olds just being told something horrible happened to our country but no one would tell us? Of course we couldn't concentrate that day, and neither could the teachers so why not just let us watch the coverage?

My friend Alison was out for a doctor appointment that morning & came to school late. The office asked her if she knew, and told her not to say anything. I remember my teacher giving her those exact instructions & she never told. How could that 13 year old girl hold that in all day & not be able to discuss it with anyone?

I don't remember the rest of the day until...

At the end of the day, I was walking to the bus with a 7th grader  (I don't remember who it was) but they told me that the World Trade Centers were hit by airplanes. I didn't even know what they were or where they were. Their teacher apparently told them at the end of the day. 

My parents worked late so I got off the bus and went into a friends house. I walked right to the living room where the t.v. was showing footage. I was in shock. My brother was with me. We didn't talk for a long time. All I remember the rest of the night was watching coverage with my family. I also had a journal that I never wrote in. That day I wrote about what happened, how I felt, and where I was. I know I still have the journal, but it's packed in a box somewhere. 

The next day at school all we did was talk about what happened. Thankfully they let it be a safe place for discussion and didn't have any content related lessons planned. Lessons in life were sure there. I remember one story from a classmate. He said his aunt worked at the trade centers & was running late for work. As she was about to leave, her phone rang and something inside told her to answer it. She did and was late for work. She survived. 

*******

This was a very rough year for me. Not many people know that I suffer from anxiety that can be very strong at times. After years of trying to figure out where it came from, we finally discovered it was from the last 1/4 of the year 2001. My grandma had passed away from many different types of cancer at the end of August. These terrorist attacks happened just a few weeks later. Then, just a few short months later around Christmas we found out my dad had cancer. 

Ever since then, I have been expecting the worse. I suffered, and still sometimes do from separation anxiety. Little kids normally have this for quite some time, but it usually doesn't go into the teenage years or adulthood. I was so afraid everything was being taken away from me. My grandma, my safety, and my dad. (My dad is now cancer free for 9 years!) I watch the people who lost loved ones and sometimes feel ashamed that I am having these reactions and I wasn't even there. What they went through was horrible. I cannot image losing a loved one that way.

My senior year of high school I visited ground zero in November 2005 only four short years later. I remember not being scared or worried. When I got there, I was overwhelmed with sadness, compassion, and love. Finally all the footage I saw on t.v. for the past four years was real. I saw it with my own eyes. Walked the same places the heros, survivors, and lost walked. It was an experience I will never forget. 

*******

Every year watching the footage on the anniversary, I find myself a little angry at my school for taking away that piece of history for me. School is supposed to be a safe place to discuss and come together. Clearly they didn't think about the students who weren't able to be with their parents when they got off the bus like me. All of those students who had to find out alone & feared the worst was going to happen to them. 

10 short years later I am teaching 8th grade math. As I looked into my students eyes on Friday, I thought what would I have done if I was the teacher and back on 9/11/01. I would talk about what was happening. I would have let them watch the footage. I would have let them talk or not, whatever they needed. I want my students to feel safe. School should be a place to learn, come together, and love. I would want that for my students during a horrible time. 

*******

I find peace on something that came up on my daily verse app today that reminds us to not dwell on the tragedy, but to find peace that all those innocent people's Spirit is alive in Heaven.

I leave you with this verse. 

"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

Romans 8:6

Remembering all those who were lost on September 11, 2001. <3 

Teacher Talk Tuesday

I'm Blog Hoppin' again to give some advice to new teachers! Since I am two days into being a second year teacher, I think I have some pretty good advice that is still fresh in my mind so here it goes....

1. Sleep... A lot. Because if you were like me you will be at school all the time
2. Don't stay at school all night like I did.
3. Make connections with your students quickly! They will be more likely to do what you ask them.
4. Think about how you would like your lesson if you were a student
5. Don't beat yourself up... there is a lot I wish I could have done but couldn't fit it all in.
6. Be organized! It will save your life and keep you sane.
7. Communicate with parents! If they have an issue, let them talk & get it all out before responding.
8. Go with your gut.... you are usually right
9. Ask questions! Most teachers will be more than willing to help
10. Try and have your lessons ready to go at least the night before-copies & everything. I couldn't always do this, but when I did I felt so much relief.

As always... HAVE FUN! If you are having fun, chances are your students will be too. They will like and respect you more when they do have to do the "boring" stuff because let's face it, we all have to one time or another.

Link on up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week!

Top 10 Teacher Must Haves for Back to School

Today I'm also linking up with The Teaching Thief to share my top 10 teacher must haves for back to school! I'm sure it's going to be hard to narrow it down to 10, but here it goes!

10. A good sweater that you can always have with you. In my building it changes from hot to cold all the time. Always be prepared!

Sweater from Old Navy

9. A good lunch bag.

BYO bags found here

8. A good large water bottle & a coffee cup

Camel Bak

7. A brand new pack of dry erase markers

Love the colors! From Quill

6. A good neutral pair of flats

5. Stickers!

From United Art & Education

4. Binders & Lots of them!

I have a binder for every little thing. Life saver right there. 

3. Sharpies

Who doesn't love a good sharpie in every color?

2. Sleep!

Sleep is a MUST HAVE

drum roll please......





1. Passion for teaching.  ( yeah I got all cheesy. Deal with it)

I would like to hear about your top 10 must haves! Be sure to check out The Teaching Thief & link up your top 10!

Meet the Teacher Monday!

Today I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Meet the Teacher Monday!

How fitting since today was the first day of school! It was fabulous by the way... I was so nervous. I don't know why I stress myself out. Oh well! On we go.....

I just love this picture! I have it on my edline page :)

Tell us a little something about you...

I'm Jenna. I teacher 7th & 8th grade math this year. I just got home from my first day of school & it was GREAT! I love fireworks, the beach, and a good book. I went to Miami University, and I'm currently in graduate school there as well. I have a boyfriend named Brad & we've been together for 3 1/2 years. I love my family very much. I have one brother who is 21 but still wishes he was a kid. I have two dogs that I am in love with. Moose is a 13 year old black lab/golden retriever mix, and Bubba is a 2 year old black lab/german shepherd mix. Random fact about me: I've had over 14 teeth pulled & I have broken my nose 5 times. (Yes I stumped my students with those facts today)

How long have you been teaching?

This is my 2nd year teaching! Last year I taught 7th grade math. I had three classes of regular 7th grade math, and one class of 7th grade honors which is 8th grade math. This year, I am traveling around the school on my fun little cart that is difficult to steer. I am a specials teacher for a class called Interactive Math. This is offered to 7th & 8th grade students who need a little reinforcement in their regular math class. I also teach the 8th grade math curriculum to students with support ed's. A bit change from last year, but so far I'm loving every minute of it :)

You might not know...

My first major is college with High School Life Science Education.... Then that changed to Middle Childhood Math & Science which is what I have my license in. When I was applying to colleges, I almost went into Pharmacy. It would have been a good job, but I'm SO glad I didn't make that decision. I love my kiddos too much. Something else you might not know.... well I just used that random fact in my about me so I've got nothing...

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

Being able to use new ideas I learned over the summer in grad school. Being a first year teacher last year I was surviving. After this summer, I was able to regroup & think about what I really want to do. Yes this year is something totally different, but what I learned in some grad school classes can be applied much easier now. I'm also looking forward to not being the "new" teacher anymore!

What do you need to improve?

I need to improve my assessment abilities. I need to be better about tracking the progress-especially with the group I have this year. A lot of my students feel very unsuccessful in math & it is my goal for them to see success. I also need to plan more than one day ahead. Again, last year being my first year I was stressed and sometimes didn't have everything ready. This year it is my goal to have everything planned & copied at least a week in advance. So far so good!

What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

I'm a bullet list person so I'm switching it up now....

• Good pretty dry erase markers!
• My big purple coffee cup 
• Post-it notes of every color
• Organized binder with my teaching life/student info
• Sharpies in all colors of the rainbow
• Individual dry erase boards for students
• Music
• BINDERS-I have a binder for everything
• Smartboard/airliner-I use this everyday for agenda, homework, brain busters etc. Pretty much a necessity. 
• Fun paperclips & binder clips
• Stickers! Yes 7th & 8th graders still get excited over a sticker :)

* * * * *

Happy first day of school to all you teachers out there! Link on up with Blog Hoppin' to share your Meet the Teacher Monday!

Busy Bee

As I sit here writing this, I'm telling myself I will get up in 3 minutes to go into school and lesson plan. That's right... the office is complete, cart is almost finished, so bring on the lesson plans. I've been at school everyday this week except Wednesday, so I've been very busy. Notice some new changes to the blog? That's what else I've been doing. I started googling some tutorials on how to change around your blog. I like this one for now. I was just really happy I could figure some of it out! There are still some things that I was unsure of so I just left it be the way it was. Ok... clock says 10:00, I need to get into school so I'm not there all day. Have a great Friday!'


pssst I'll post pictures later today of my completed office & cart!

Classroom Show-Off

I'm teaming up with Leslie today to show off your classrooms! This year I sadly will not have my own classroom. I will be traveling on a cart which I still need to decorate. As soon as I get that done, I will be sure to post pictures! So instead of showing my classroom for this year, I will leave you with a few pictures of my room from last year  which was my very first classroom!


This was a 7th grade MATH classroom so it needed to be a little more functional.

This was the first day I was able to get in my room

Another before picture

Before

Before

Looking towards the door from the back wall

From the back corner

My desk area that wasn't completed yet when I took this picture

From the other side of the room

From another corner

I tried to do my best with what little funds I had! Something that helped me out was an organization called Crayons to Computers which I encourage you to check out!


Hopefully I gave you some ideas if you are a new teacher for a higher grade level!




Jenna

Where I've Been- Super long post

Sorry to all of maybe 5 people who read this blog that I've been MIA. So it was my intention to blog every day right? Yeaaah I've failed at that already. I'm trying to get organized before school starts up. I get my keys Monday so t-minus 6 days until I'll be basically living there trying to get everything ready for the school year. 


How in the world did I agree to go from teaching 4 classes a day & 2 lesson plans to 7 classes a day & 3 lesson plans? Well, it was that or not have a job because of cuts. Everyone says it will be less work---yeah right. I'm really excited about the new position though. It'll keep me busy, and I'll get to know my students much better since my classes will be smaller. Yes, it will be a bit more challenging I'm sure, but hopefully very very rewarding. I will get to do a lot more hands on activities this year which I'm super excited about. 


One change I'm not sure about is the time I will actually start teaching.  Last year, I had plan until 9:00 so I technically didn't have to be "ready" to teach until then. Well let me tell you what this year is a different story. Instead of 9:00, I teach right at 7:20. Now last year I was at school no later than 7:05 which was the required time, but now that I have to start teaching at 7:20, I'm going to have to plan everything a little better. Instead of leaving right around 2:30, I'm going to get everything ready the night before so when I come in the next day, I will be prepared.... New school year resolution? I think so. So to help me "wake up" and be ready, I have found a best friend in coffee and this new little purchase will be sure to help me out. Here is a photo of my coffee cup from last year....

It was alright... I couldn't drink my coffee on my 20 minute drive to work because it was too hot, but it lasted about 45 minutes once I got to school. 




Welcome new coffee cup! This is my new soon to be best friend each morning M-F. 

$8.99 at Meijer! Couldn't pass it up !

Here is a comparison of the two. That's a lot of coffee folks. 

Truth be told-I LOVE my job. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I secretly can't wait for Aug. 22 :) What's only 2 days after school starts? Grad school classes... only one & a half more years!


Also, I'm no longer the "first year teacher" anymore. YAY!


________


This weekend Bradley splurged and bought some pretty awesome Reds tickets. Our seats were 5 rows from the visitors dugout! Now, Bradley doesn't like taking pictures, but let me tell you what, he became quite the photographer during this game. Here are a few pictures to document our awesome seats & Brad's photography.

We had a great time even with the 90 degree heat. To top it all off? It was fireworks Friday! The game went into 13 innings so we didn't get to see the fireworks until about 11:30, but they were great!

____


Back in June, A fellow teacher and I volunteered at the public library book sale. Since we did this, we got a certificate that allowed us to shop FOR FREE at this awesome organization Crayons to Computers.  They allow teachers from low income schools to shop once every five weeks to get supplies for their students. If you are not in a low income school district (my district) you can volunteer to help out at the store or some other random opportunities. If you do that, you get a certificate to shop as well. Being fresh off the "first year teacher" title, we still don't have a lot of supplies for our students. Instead of spending all my hard earned money when I have bills to pay (I still spend a lot of it on my students though), this is a great option. After having lunch at my new found love of Noodles & Company, we headed down to the store. There were SO many people there since it was their first day of business for the upcoming school year. When we got there, we waited in line with a number and just waited for our cart! There are limits on things like crayons to make sure everyone can have some, but other than the limits you can package your stuff however you want as long as it fits in a shopping cart. I think we spent about an hour shopping. Here is what I ended up with yesterday! 

I know this cell phone picture makes it hard to see what I got, but it was a lot! This organization was so great. Everyone there was so helpful. They get all their supplies from donations. I encourage you to donate if you can! Click Here to check out their site & donate!

I think that's long enough for now. Hope you are having a great week :)

Jenna