Aisha - Day 5 (3/10)

A Day in the Life of a Teacher- Day 5- "There's No I in Team." 

Last posting but I can't help but to think what a week it was......an emotional draining one. Between news of a death of a former student, meetings, benchmarks, and all the other things in between, this week was one of retrospection, reflection, and gratitude.

8:07 a.m.- I'm running late today but thankful it's Friday. I have weekend plans and I've been looking forward to it all week. I grab some coffee and a breakfast pastry at Starbucks and head to work. 

8:25- 8:40 am- I'm greeting colleagues in the workroom and talk to my co-teacher for a bit. I have two students retrieve the computer cart from Mrs. K's room. Then I head to the media center to pick up my materials with M while my co-teacher and another student are moving the desks into rows for benchmark testing. People are complimenting my new hair do and I feel like a celebrity for the day.

8:50- 10:30 am- Ms. VZ and I are in a state of panic because it's benchmark day for my 1st period students and we literally have 6 students in the room. I realize that most of them are at the prayer service for A, the student who tragically took his life over the weekend. While I understand the students need for this and appreciate that Mrs. A has allowed the students a time to grieve over the students, I'm not sure having this on benchmark day is such a good idea. In addition, the teachers were not made aware of this via email and some of us only heard about it through the students. I am told by one of my students that it is supposed to last until 9:15 am. I call the office and ask for clarification about this and the secretary states she will call me back but never does. I decided to keep things moving and get the students who are there started on their online benchmarks. As students trickle in late, some as late as 9: 25, I get them going and before long everyone is testing. I still have a few students absent and write these down on my testing sheet for make-ups later on. When they are done, I ask the students to go on Achieve 3000, a reading program, to complete an activity. By the time class ends, one student isn't finished and so I have her stay a few extra minutes in 2nd period class.I'm feeling bummed that I didn't get a chance to attend the service and pay my respects, hearing how the mother and her other son was present.

10:30- 12:00 p.m.- The class is awfully quiet today and I can't help but to think they are probably feeling a melancholy after the prayer service. I get students working on their bell ringers and assign a few pages for them to read independently from Anne Frank's diary while two students work on their benchmarks. Most of them are working diligently on their assignments. A few are once again off task. These are the students who don't like to read but I know they have to build their stamina. I briefly chat with my co-teacher and show her 2nd period's benchmarks scores which are disappointing. The district average is 52 percent, my school is 53 percent, and my students are at 36 percent. We express our frustration because we have been working with our students in every aspect of their literacy. We talk to the students about the results and I give a motivational speech about how only they have the power to change the results and the directions of their lives. I explain that if they are not putting forth the effort and reading on a daily basis, everything we teach them will be for nothing. The students look around the room as I'm speaking and seem to be listening. I don't know what effect that speech really has on them but I tell them that starting on Monday, we will be doing some things differently to help them be successful for next benchmarks. Perhaps, more incentives will help motivate the students and I quickly ponder Ms. A's message about "changing mindsets...." Afterwards, I reviewed the bell ringers with them and the students finish working on their characterization graphic organizers with their groups.

12:00- 1:00 p.m.- This is my planning time and I'm rushing to do things as I'm leaving early for my weekend getaway. I check emails, type up the plans for Ms. S about what I want her to do with my students, and print resources for her. In the middle of doing that, I overhear a commotion in the hallway. Ms. F and I go outside to check what's going on. Mrs. K is trying to calm a student down who was ready to fight another student in her class. Mrs. W and I check on the students in her class and they are working on an art project where they have to cut out symbols of what it means to be an American as a way to apply their understanding of symbolism. The students are working diligently despite the chaos in the hallway. Mrs. W asks if I could cover K's class until she returns as she has a class of her own. I'm amazed at how well the students are behaving and working. I approach a student in uniform (part of JROTC) who isn't working. He tells me he's feeling some kind of way today and so Mrs. K is just letting him chill and work on a poem. He tells me he loves to write because it is an outlet for him when he's upset or depressed. I read his poem and feel moved by it. I admit that I too love to write when I'm feeling like he does and he smiles at me, then keeps working. Before long it's time for the students to go to lunch and I return to the work room. One of the teachers tell me how a distraught student at the prayer service ran out into the street and Mrs. Ar had to run after her, right before she was hit by a car. I'm horrified at what I hear. My colleagues are discussing whether or not the prayer service was such a good idea. Others think that the students needed a way to let out their feelings over something so tragic. I gather all of the resources and put it in my classroom. I thank S again for covering my class and wish the rest of my colleagues a great weekend. I return the testing materials to W and head out the door. This job, this career that teachers have is tough. Not everyone can do this job. It takes a lot of heart, dedication, and patience. Do I feel like quitting sometimes? Yes. Is it a constant challenge getting students to learn how to read? Most definitely. Nevertheless, this is what I was meant to do. Hopefully what I'm learning now, will further prepare me for the next phase in my career. <3