Summer Acceleration 2014

In my 17th years as a public school educator, I have never taught or worked Summer School.  This year, I was asked to teach Science for Credit Recovery, the class students attend to do/finish work and then get credit for the class from this last school year.  I agreed b/c I taught Credit Recovery both sessions throughout the school year this year for 7th & 8th grade Science AND Social Studies (all at the same time in the same room).  As the Administrators planned, they realized I was needed to teach Reading in Summer Acceleration instead.  This is the course 8th graders need to take as a last ditch review before taking the 3rd administration of our state assessment, which they must pass to go to 9th grade.

At first, I started pulling together my own ideas and lessons, but I soon learned that the District Coordinator would give us a curriculum and individual student workbooks.  While I was excited to be given something so I didn't have to plan it myself and excited to be given texts I didn't have to go find, I was sad that it wasn't more engaging and included workbooks.

I taught two groups.  Group 1 was from 8:00-10:00, and Group 2 was from 10:00-12:00.  We met on June 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 23 for lessons/activities.  They took their test on the 25th.

I learned a lot during this time with my 2 groups.  While trying to keep them engaged and on task, we discussed the World Cup, movies, God, religion, Islam vs Judaism vs Christianity, the Big Bang Theory (not the show), Hurricane Katrina (its impact on a student and his relocation to Texas), what they read, why they don't read, why they hate reading, text to text, self, & word connections to all we read, books, and much more.  I tried to do Book Talks or Book Reviews to get them reading more.  I so enjoyed Group 1, their focus, topics of discussion, and personalities.  Group 2 was more worried about talking about any and everything and not doing any work, so they were a little more difficult with which to work.

When we met, we created Super Hero or Alter Ego names, so the students drew their pictures and we kept them on display in the classroom.

My Alter Ego name was Professor Sleuth.  I thought it was quite fitting.

Week 1: Focused on the Prove It Strategy/Annotating, Fiction, and Plot Structure

Week 2: Focused on Expository Text and Inferencing

Week 3: Focused on Text Connections and Testing

I can remember 3 horrifically awful testing experiences, and two of those occurred this last school year. After the 8 days we have had together (Group 2 and I), I was dreading testing yesterday.  I was so pleasantly surprised.  Yesterday was one of my best testing experiences ever.  They were so well behaved, and the majority worked hard and used their time wisely.  I don't know that they will all pass, but most have a better chance b/c they were so well behaved yesterday.  We should find out scores in 2 to 2.5 weeks.

Last Dance Contest of 2014

Tonight was my niece's final dance competition of 2013-2014.  She performed her solo and was phenomenal, and I think it just might have been her best routine of all.

Sis, I love you and am so unbelievably proud of you!  Not only do you work hard at dance, but you are a reader, love school, and work hard on your grades.  Love you!

A Moment with My Nephew

My nephew is going to Boy Scout Camp in July, and he needed a physical, so we worked one in to today's very busy schedule.  I hate he needed the physical, but I loved getting to sit and visit with him while we waited. He isn't so photogenic lately, but I got him to look and not cover his face.  :-)

Bub, I love the young man you are becoming!  You are a reader, do great in school, enjoy service work, and show you love your country through your Young Marines program.  Love you!

Happy Birthday to My Amazing Niece!

11 years ago today, my amazing, adorable, talented, funny, book loving niece came into this world and changed our lives. I love her to the moon and back! Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and male role models out there!

I huge "thank you" goes out to my brother for giving me the most amazing niece and nephew God ever created.  The moment he became a Dad is the moment I became an Auntie, the best role I could ever have.

Happy Father's Day to all the men in our family spending it in Heaven!

(Dad, both grandfathers, maternal uncle, maternal great uncles, and so many more)

NTCTELA Conference Today!

I attended my first North Texas Council of Texas of English Language Arts (NTCTELA) today.  It was AWESOME!  Matt de la Pena was the Keynote Speaker, then I heard Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne, and finally I ended the day in a writing workshop with Matt de la Pena.  It was a great day of learning!

Last Day of School for 2013-2014

Today was the last day of school, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the end and have everything finished. We had to pack the entire building for remodeling, sprinkler system, and painting. If you have never experienced this, you are so missing out.  Science Prep Labs, hundreds of novels, Math manipulatives, Science games and manipulatives, my office, random materials & supplies, technology, SpEd paperwork, oh my! I learned a lot about chemicals and chemical disposal throughout the process. (We found things from 1973, which has to be around the time the building opened. I can't find the year it opened, but I will keep looking.) On top of all this, one of our Science teachers was in an accident and received an extremely serious head injury on Memorial Day.  This led to working with a sub to finish the year and assisting with packing up this classroom.  (I have some amazing Science teachers that worked together to help the sub and make sure the room was packed.) We had a few other teachers on long term leave, so we had to check on the packing of those rooms too. I (or we) got it done, so now it is time to rest for a day or so, fight this sinus infection, and prepare to teach Reading at Summer Acceleration and write Science curriculum.