bmiz’s blog

So, as most people who will read this know, teaching can be quite the stressful profession.  You come home almost every day and feel like tearing your hair out and taking a nap at the same time(Sometimes I tear my hair out in my dreams to cut down on time...and pain).  As I was warned, everyone needs to have a stress reliever.  I figured I would just coach, play some sports, travel, and play the occasional video game.  These were okay at times, but don't really help with the physical exhaustion factor.  And the coaching thing only stresses me out more on some days.  My stress reliever has come in an unusual place.  It has come in the form of cooking.
I have embarked on something that is enjoyable to me, has a purposed, and is able to be performed in the comfort of my own home.  I'm not talking about the plain old boil the macaroni, drain, then add the cheese variety of cooking either.  I go to the grocery store, buy fresh ingredients, and take time creating a wonderful meal that I pour all of my frustration into.  It started out just being me and one of my roommates eating this huge 3 or 4 course meal.  As it went along, word spread about how tasty and interesting my meals were.  Now, it seems as though every time I prepare a meal, there are at least 5 or 6 of us here to enjoy it together.
This also quenches my need for a challenge; of sorts.  Sometimes I'll go to the store not having any idea what I'm going to make.  Since I'm relatively new to the cooking thing, I would have no idea how to prepare whatever ever it is I finally decide on.  I have to use past experience and some guessing in determining what ingredients to get.  Other times I would just take a look at whatever we have in the house(which is never very much) and try to throw something unique and satisfying together.
I really wish that doing all of this wasn't so expensive, as I would be able to do this so much more often.  I know this was kind of boring, but I have have found that I thoroughly enjoy cooking as a hobby and would love to try and do it for a large group one day.  And I know this article has nothing to do with being humble, I just like the title.  Until next time...

As long as I have lived in Jackson, I don't believe I've found a quaint place to call a great "find".  There are, however, many great events to attend throughout the year.  Some that I have enjoyed include the state fair, the rodeo, and the Greek festival.  Others that I hear are incredible are the St. Patrick's Day parade, the Irish festival, and the rodeo.  I decided to write about another one, which I attended sometime last semester.  The great German festival of Gluckstadt. 
This was a great event filled with all that you would expect.  Plenty of brats, beer, and fun.  They had many classic German vehicles to inspect and enjoy.  Including a few bugs, an old VW double decker van, and some motorcycles.  What would a German Festival be without an Oom Pah band?  There was a fun little band there to perform all of your my favorite polka and traditional German folk music(gotta love it). There was also plenty of opportunities to get out and do the duck dance.  Sounds too thrilling doesn't it.
The food was probably my favorite part of the entire thing.  The brats were unique and absolutely delicious.  There were shish kabobs, hot pretzels, and more homemade sauerkraut than you could fit into an olympic size pool.  Not to mention, they also had some great German beers for people to enjoy. 
All in all it was a great time for someone of any age.  The dancing, authentic music, and great food all made this worth my time.  It wasn't as big as I would have hoped, but I could definitely have fun there for about an hour or so.  For those of you in Jackson, I would recommend checking out the Irish and Greek festivals when they arrive.  They are held in that area right next to Smith-Wills Stadium and last a couple of days.  They were probably a little more enjoyable because of a larger crowd and a bigger variety of activities.

    I've recently found myself falling into a black hole of disappointment that many teachers face.  I used to stand up in front of my classes expecting nothing but the best from my students.  I believed that if I could really teach a subject, then what's keeping the children from learning it?  So I would make sure I took up cell phones and mp3 players, wake up the "sleepyheads", and gain the attention of those who didn't want to give it to me.  Now, months later I just cannot figure out where these firm principles have gone.
    At first I would make a simple concession.  I would see one of my smarter, more well-behaved students on the phone and simply allow it to happen.  What could go wrong?  They would do well anyway, right?  Then I would make another compromise.  I would think, "This student is nothing but trouble.  He's not that smart and he doesn't even care if he learns anything or not.  The more he is out of my hair, the better.  Whether this means he's skipping, in ISS, sleeping, or whatever."  Then I would allow something else to happen, then another compromise would be made on my part.  Recently, my classroom got so out of control, I just stopped teaching, literally.  I told them if they weren't going to pay attention, then I wasn't going to bother.  I gave them a worksheet and told them they had to learn how to do it on their own and it was due for a correctness grade the next day.  Even the ones that wanted help and came to me on an individual basis got the shaft.
    What good am I doing now?  How is ignoring my students and their cry for help good for anybody?  I'm not sure why, but I felt perfectly okay with making these compromises.  That should not happen in our profession.  I have become so lethargic towards my teaching and my studies.  I truly wish that I could turn this around and I really am trying, but how can I do so?  It is just so much easier to just say, "They don't want to learn, so why try so hard and waste my energy?"  Right now, there are tiny glimpses of hope in a very, very small amount of students that are keeping me going.  Maybe I can revitalize my belief in these kids soon, and show them the ray of light that I really need to be to them.  I only want the best for them and myself.  I'm just wondering if that solution involves me.

Well, let's walk through the days leading up to school first.  So, I am lucky because of the fact my mom has been teaching math for the past 28 years or so.  I thought this would prepare me a little but more than it did.  Both of my parents came to Jackson and helped me to get my room "ready."  I felt so good about it; my room looked great and my assistant principals were even complimenting me on it.  I then found my way over to another MTCer's room down the building a ways.  I looked around and thought how bare his wall looked and how unprepared he must be.  Then we started talking about what each of us has gotten done.  This is when I realized that I had done nearly nothing that truly mattered.  While he had his syllabus, letter home, information sheets, and all that jazz done, I had not started on them.  I applaud his efforts and all things he has done.
Now I finally realized what needed to be done, and how little time I had left to do it.  Only a day and a half left.  I thought that this would still be enough time, as long as I could stay at school and get ready as long as I wanted too.  Little did I know that they close the school down to everyone at a certain time each day(namely whenever the principal is ready to leave).  So I tried my hardest, but was still not ready for the upcoming days.
Now, my first day started off well enough.  I have first block off(time to run copies).  My first class of the school year went about as good as it could have for me.  This kids were relatively well behaved and nice.  I didn't have too much trouble keeping them calm and getting through the procedures.  Third block got a little bit more disruptive.  They were a little bit too loud and obnoxious.  They did, however, get calm and quiet when I asked them to.  Lunch went about as good as it could have for the first day.  The food itself was not very delectable, consisted of small portions, and cost the teachers $1.25 more than the students(we got the same amount as them though. Weird, huh?)  Fourth block came along and about ruined my day; correction, DID ruin my day.  At no point in time would they ever shut up.  I threatened them, punished a couple of them to make examples, and slightly raised my voice.  Nothing worked.  I couldn't figure out anything else I could do(at least nothing I could think of off the top of my head).
Today went a lot better.  The classes were still acting about the same, but with slight improvements.  My 2nd block class was still my best, with 3rd block a little worse, and 4th block the worst.  I think thank getting to actually teaching math really helped.  They know they need to pay attention to pass now and it deters the talking quite a bit.  There are some trouble makes and others who are just a little too talkative.  I will hopefully find a way to get these kids under control and have complete power over my classes.  That's all for now, I hope everyone is doing much better than I am right now.  Good luck on tomorrow and I can't wait to see you all on Saturday.

Well, let's walk through the days leading up to school first.  So, I am lucky because of the fact my mom has been teaching math for the past 28 years or so.  I thought this would prepare me a little but more than it did.  Both of my parents came to Jackson and helped me to get my room "ready."  I felt so good about it; my room looked great and my assistant principals were even complimenting me on it.  I then found my way over to another MTCer's room down the building a ways.  I looked around and thought how bare his wall looked and how unprepared he must be.  Then we started talking about what each of us has gotten done.  This is when I realized that I had done nearly nothing that truly mattered.  While he had his syllabus, letter home, information sheets, and all that jazz done, I had not started on them.  I applaud his efforts and all things he has done.
Now I finally realized what needed to be done, and how little time I had left to do it.  Only a day and a half left.  I thought that this would still be enough time, as long as I could stay at school and get ready as long as I wanted too.  Little did I know that they close the school down to everyone at a certain time each day(namely whenever the principal is ready to leave).  So I tried my hardest, but was still not ready for the upcoming days.
Now, my first day started off well enough.  I have first block off(time to run copies).  My first class of the school year went about as good as it could have for me.  This kids were relatively well behaved and nice.  I didn't have too much trouble keeping them calm and getting through the procedures.  Third block got a little bit more disruptive.  They were a little bit too loud and obnoxious.  They did, however, get calm and quiet when I asked them to.  Lunch went about as good as it could have for the first day.  The food itself was not very delectable, consisted of small portions, and cost the teachers $1.25 more than the students(we got the same amount as them though. Weird, huh?)  Fourth block came along and about ruined my day; correction, DID ruin my day.  At no point in time would they ever shut up.  I threatened them, punished a couple of them to make examples, and slightly raised my voice.  Nothing worked.  I couldn't figure out anything else I could do(at least nothing I could think of off the top of my head).
Today went a lot better.  The classes were still acting about the same, but with slight improvements.  My 2nd block class was still my best, with 3rd block a little worse, and 4th block the worst.  I think thank getting to actually teaching math really helped.  They know they need to pay attention to pass now and it deters the talking quite a bit.  There are some trouble makes and others who are just a little too talkative.  I will hopefully find a way to get these kids under control and have complete power over my classes.  That's all for now, I hope everyone is doing much better than I am right now.  Good luck on tomorrow and I can't wait to see you all on Saturday.

The key word in this title is "moving."  I finally get to take all of my stuff out of my car and put it in an actual building.  I don't think I've been more excited this whole last year.  Lunch breaks can now be used to actually eat lunch instead of apartment hunting.  I can stop searching for clothes to wear in random piles and stacks.  I can buy food, watch tv, and feel "at home." 
Through all my searchings, I lucked into the nicest cheap place I could imagine.  I got in contact with an old friend from college who owns his own house.  One of his roommates just bought a house of their own and moved out this past month.  I will be living with two guys that I have known for a few years now.  All of us will be busy and hard at work.  One is a medical student and two of us are students with full-time jobs. 
I wish I had a camera to take pictures and show everyone like Ms. M did.  It is a house on a corner lot, so the yard is huge.  There are hardwood floors, three bedrooms, and a huge living room.  It also has a small dining area with a nice kitchen and a washer and dryer in the back.  The back yard is completely fenced in with a screened in back porch.  I only have to supply my bedroom furniture.  They already have couches, a recliner, kitchen table and chairs, a lawn mower, etc.
All that stuff is great, but here's the best parts.  1.) He owns a 52" LCD, HDTV with satellite.
     2.)  The rent is less than $450/month
     3.)  All utilities are paid for.  That means he pays for the water, electricity, satellite, and internet.
     4.)  No security deposit, leasing contracts, or renter's insurance needed.

All in all, I am pretty darned excited about this living arrangement.  I'll hopefully have pictures up soon.

Am I ready to teach?  Can I handle the pressure that's going to be put on me in the coming days, weeks, and months?  I just drove to Jackson from Oxford, and so I had a lot of time to think.  I don't know if it's a good thing or bad thing, but I don't actually feel nervous about the teaching aspect of things.  I'm actually ready to dive into teaching.  The thought of teaching these kids is really getting me excited.  I am nervous about other things though.

I have yet to find a place to live and I start orientation tomorrow.  This is probably what's stressing me out the most right now.  It's really frustrating not knowing where I'm going to be sleeping over the next week or two.  Luckily, I have some really great MTC comrades who are letting me crash at their place for the next few days.  This has given me a little confidence knowing that I can count on my classmates to be there when I need them.  I like that we can lean on each other if need be.

The other thing I'm worried about is the organizational side of teaching.  I really want to get organized and I have so many "great" ideas ready to go for my class and my room.  It's just that I never really get everything done that I want to.  This happens either because I forget, or I procrastinate too much.  I'm really going to make more of a conscious effort to get things ready this time.

Now on to the good stuff.  I really feel confident on the actual teaching side of things.  I get really pumped up every time I think about getting in front of a classroom full of students.  It's also comforting to know that Mr. Williams will be teaching at the same school as myself.  I've been observing him teach these past two and a half weeks, and I know that he's a really good teacher.  If I ever need anything, he'll be there for me to pick his brain.  He should also know that I'm there for him.  We both know that our principal is going to be the bomb-diggity as well.  We have heard nothing but great things about him all summer long.

All in all, once I find a place to live and get settled in I think that things will be great.  I can't wait to decorate my room and get to know all of my fellow teachers.  Thank you to all who have prepared me to get ready for teaching this summer.  I don't think there is a group of teachers more prepared than us at MTC.  Good night to all and I can't wait to see you all again in 3 weeks.

Well, I can definitely say there was an improvement from the last time I did this.  I instructed, gave individual practice, group practice, and was patient. 

The students were struggling to understand the concept.  I stuck with it though and kept my cool.  By the end of the period they were getting the hang of it.  If I only had another period to teach, I really think I could get them to truly understand the concepts.

The activity actually engaged the students.  I should've given more detailed instructions, and it should've been done sooner.  They actually looked like they were enjoying learning.  I still should've been a little bit more enthusiastic.  I will hopefully add on to this blog later.  Thank you and have a good day.

Watching myself teach was definitely a treat... for Rob.  I think I would've put most normal people to sleep.  I couldn't even watch myself for the full 50 minutes.  Why is this?  It seems to be fun and learning seems to be happening while I'm teaching. 
I only needed to go so far as to look at my observations and evaluations.  Common comments were, "do more worksheets and activities," "don't stand at the board the whole time," "plan ahead a little bit more," and so on.  I knew what they were saying and I though I was incorporating more fun into my lessons.  Boy was I wrong.  Even though I knew these things and saw them on the tape, I still had a relatively boring lesson on Friday.  Why can't I get away from these terrible habits?  The easy way out would be to say that this is just my teaching style and there's nothing I can do to change that.  We all know that I would just be lying to myself.  I have shown that I can be more fun and have a positive learning environment in the classroom.  I just forget that these kids need that interaction to learn more than I did.
Through these negatives, there was a bright spot or two.  Most of the kids seemed to grasp the concept, eventually.  And none of them fell asleep.  I know that it will be tougher to engage more kids in the fall.  If I don't get better at it now with only 8 students, I'll be in big trouble come this fall.  I can only hope the next video tape is much more exciting and engaging.  Now I'm off to plan my next "fiesta" of a lesson.

So, like one of my fellow roommates, I decided to do something at the last minute.  I read the entire Reluctant Disciplinarian book the day this blog about it was due.  I am actually very surprised at this feat.  This is only the second time in many years I can actually remember myself finishing any book.  This includes something as small as a magazine to the fictional novel David Copperfield.  Although many people will scoff at this, I believe it is a step in the right direction for me.  But this is a topic for a completely different blog session.
Now, on to more important matters.  While reading this book I became surprisingly relieved at many of the subjects Rubinstein discussed.  I may seem cocky or just plain dumb to say that this book did not make me at all scared of the school year ahead.  Instead I was thoroughly encouraged.  Throughout most of the book I found myself thinking that my teaching program if preparing me far better than what he is describing.  Most of the times we meet we go over many of the things that Rubinstein mentions.  Our classes aren't useless like the organizing bulletin board class he makes fun of.  Not only do we get to observe good teachers in our second years, but some failed lessons taught by my fellow first years(I'm not saying they're bad teachers, just that it is good to watch some of the same mistakes that I make or would make if I didn't learn better).  Even though we haven't been through it yet, the role playing we will be doing seems as though it will be more helpful than anything yet.  Bringing in actual students who will react to situations as if it were a real classroom should be a priceless exercise.  I love the fact that the experienced teachers have to reflect on their failures and successes in a public forum.  This allows all of us to learn what to do and maybe more importantly, what not to do.
In his chapter about what "real" teachers do he describes all things that have been told to and/or demonstrated to us since we have been here.  It's great to read phrases in the book that are exactly what I've heard in class.  Things like "develop a 'teacher look'" or "don't smile until Christmas."  Fortunately for me I developed a "teacher look" a long time ago.  First my mom is a teacher, so I have experience with it first hand.  Secondly, my dad uses a very similar look we like to call the "evil eye."  Both have worked very effectively.
Just to be clear, I am not saying that I am perfectly prepared for teaching and that my first year will be a breeze.  I just think that of all first year teachers in the country, ours seem to have the best preparation of any.  It's going to be a challenge and many of us will see our first year as a failure(Not all of us can win teacher of the year in our first year like some people with initials JR).  I just know that even if things go wrong and stuff seems out of control, many successful teachers were in my shoes in the beginning of their careers.  I also know that I have people there for me who will have advice to give or can just be there for me.  Well, this is the end of this.  I just want to say thank you for making us read this book.  I think it is very helpful in my development as a first year teacher.