A Week in the Life of a Teacher: Day 3 (Tuesday) ACT test day -or- A wonderful morning following by a stressful afternoon...
8:15-8:55: Before school
- I get to my classroom and double-check to be sure that everything is covered, the desks are in rows, and everything is in order for the teacher who is coming in to give the ACT in my room. All juniors are taking the ACT today. Everything is in order, so I head to the room in the history building where I'll be teaching 1st through 3rd period. I am grateful to be in one classroom during this time. Other teachers are having to move to different classrooms for different periods.
- When I get to the room I notice there's no projector, so I head back to my room for my media cart. I wheel it down the hall to the elevator, go down to the first floor, take it out the door that leads to the history building where I have to ask two students to help me carry the cart down three steps. I don't know them, but they are very sweet about helping. I wheel down the handicapped ramp, past the cafeteria, past the history building and around to the back door where a student opens the door to the classroom we'll be in and I wheel the projector in. All the cords have come loose as the cart's been jostled. I spend a few minutes hooking the document camera, computer, and projector back up. Thankfully, my students remembered to come to this room and the one's whose busses have arrived are in their seats.
- I get to my classroom and double-check to be sure that everything is covered, the desks are in rows, and everything is in order for the teacher who is coming in to give the ACT in my room. All juniors are taking the ACT today. Everything is in order, so I head to the room in the history building where I'll be teaching 1st through 3rd period. I am grateful to be in one classroom during this time. Other teachers are having to move to different classrooms for different periods.
- When I get to the room I notice there's no projector, so I head back to my room for my media cart. I wheel it down the hall to the elevator, go down to the first floor, take it out the door that leads to the history building where I have to ask two students to help me carry the cart down three steps. I don't know them, but they are very sweet about helping. I wheel down the handicapped ramp, past the cafeteria, past the history building and around to the back door where a student opens the door to the classroom we'll be in and I wheel the projector in. All the cords have come loose as the cart's been jostled. I spend a few minutes hooking the document camera, computer, and projector back up. Thankfully, my students remembered to come to this room and the one's whose busses have arrived are in their seats.
8:55-10:25: 1st Period - English I ESL/Standard (27 freshmen)
- Their are no bells, so we start as we usually do, defining our tone words: anything to stay consistent for them. About six come in within the first 20 minutes with late notes and late bus notes. They are amazing today, despite the change in location. They are very focused and adorable as we do a Brain Dance to Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling" to get their brain's focused and ready for their benchmark test. They work hard on the benchmark test, and work diligently with their partners to read a chapter of Absolutely True Diary. We are all relaxed, and I am thankful to be far away from the fluster of testing.
- Their are no bells, so we start as we usually do, defining our tone words: anything to stay consistent for them. About six come in within the first 20 minutes with late notes and late bus notes. They are amazing today, despite the change in location. They are very focused and adorable as we do a Brain Dance to Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling" to get their brain's focused and ready for their benchmark test. They work hard on the benchmark test, and work diligently with their partners to read a chapter of Absolutely True Diary. We are all relaxed, and I am thankful to be far away from the fluster of testing.
10:25-12:00: Planning
- I am able to stay in the classroom where i've been relocated and work. It is lovely and quiet. The history building is so much quieter than the main building where my classroom is where people are always walking by the room or talking nearby. I put comments on several of the poetry essays for AP Lit (60 to do by Friday), and I do some lesson planning for English I. I have a conversation with a history teacher that helps me think about approaching instruction differently for a student who has been struggling.
- I am able to stay in the classroom where i've been relocated and work. It is lovely and quiet. The history building is so much quieter than the main building where my classroom is where people are always walking by the room or talking nearby. I put comments on several of the poetry essays for AP Lit (60 to do by Friday), and I do some lesson planning for English I. I have a conversation with a history teacher that helps me think about approaching instruction differently for a student who has been struggling.
12:00-2:40: 3rd Period - AP Lit (26 seniors)
- I start the class by answering a lot of questions about the day: when the period will end, where they need to go next, what tomorrow will look like for our early release day...The class is supposed to end, as normal, at 2:00. They complete one section of a practice multiple choice exam and we go over the answers together. Then, they draw the answers to analytical questions about chapters 5 and 6 of Jane Eyre on whiteboards and present their pictures and answers to the class. Next, they write Sestina poems summarizing the first six chapters of Jane Eyre. At 1:45 an announcement scrolls on the bottom of the tv in the classroom under the clock. It says, "Please hold students in 3rd period until an announcement is made at the end of testing." Ok. I have no idea how long that will be. They work on their sestinas until 2, and I tell them to give me ten good minutes then they can relax until we're released. They are amazing and do so. At 2:10 they put their things away and engage me in a discussion about who will be picked on The Bachelor.
- My students are so great, but I am starting to get frazzled, not having any idea what time this will end. I know I have to wheel my cart on it's journey back to the 2nd floor of the main building and it takes a good 7 minutes to do so. I also have a heavy backpack, whiteboards, and a box of books to take to my room. Four of my students agree to help me take everything back up when we're released. I've got everything packed up and ready to go.
-At 2:30, the teacher whose class we are in comes in. He was testing and his students were just sent to lunch. He as 4th period planning and has to leave early because he coaches a sport. The traveling teacher who teaches in the classroom comes in and begins to set up for stuff. No announcement has been made yet to end testing. I ask the traveling teacher if I can take the four students and have them bring my things to my classroom, so we make the trek up to my classroom with all the "stuff." I get to my classroom to find that 4th period students who are largely coming from the career center, have been sitting unattended in my classroom for 10+ minutes. I panic because an announcement hasn't been made, and again the cords on the media cart have all been rumbled out of the devices on the journey to the classroom. The TV still scrolls the same message as earlier about waiting to release 3rd period.
- I start the class by answering a lot of questions about the day: when the period will end, where they need to go next, what tomorrow will look like for our early release day...The class is supposed to end, as normal, at 2:00. They complete one section of a practice multiple choice exam and we go over the answers together. Then, they draw the answers to analytical questions about chapters 5 and 6 of Jane Eyre on whiteboards and present their pictures and answers to the class. Next, they write Sestina poems summarizing the first six chapters of Jane Eyre. At 1:45 an announcement scrolls on the bottom of the tv in the classroom under the clock. It says, "Please hold students in 3rd period until an announcement is made at the end of testing." Ok. I have no idea how long that will be. They work on their sestinas until 2, and I tell them to give me ten good minutes then they can relax until we're released. They are amazing and do so. At 2:10 they put their things away and engage me in a discussion about who will be picked on The Bachelor.
- My students are so great, but I am starting to get frazzled, not having any idea what time this will end. I know I have to wheel my cart on it's journey back to the 2nd floor of the main building and it takes a good 7 minutes to do so. I also have a heavy backpack, whiteboards, and a box of books to take to my room. Four of my students agree to help me take everything back up when we're released. I've got everything packed up and ready to go.
-At 2:30, the teacher whose class we are in comes in. He was testing and his students were just sent to lunch. He as 4th period planning and has to leave early because he coaches a sport. The traveling teacher who teaches in the classroom comes in and begins to set up for stuff. No announcement has been made yet to end testing. I ask the traveling teacher if I can take the four students and have them bring my things to my classroom, so we make the trek up to my classroom with all the "stuff." I get to my classroom to find that 4th period students who are largely coming from the career center, have been sitting unattended in my classroom for 10+ minutes. I panic because an announcement hasn't been made, and again the cords on the media cart have all been rumbled out of the devices on the journey to the classroom. The TV still scrolls the same message as earlier about waiting to release 3rd period.
2:45-3:35: AP Lit (32 seniors)
I frantically put the media cart back together and start the lesson. I have to send a student to retrieve my backpack from the history building. I am thankful that this class is self-sustaining and very sweet. They chat while I get it together, but I am frustrated and frazzled. Still no announcement has been made. At 2:55 there is a message on the tv to release 3rd period students. It's only then do I learn that there was an email sent at 3:24 saying to release students from 4th period. Many teachers didn't see the email. I have students walking in as late as 3pm. We do the same whiteboard lesson as 3rd period and start their sestina poems. Although they are a great class; it is difficult to get and keep them focused on what they're doing. I can't imagine having to have walked into a tough 4th period class. I don't blame them. They leave at 3:35. Three students stay needing help with assignments, and three other students stay to make up quizzes they missed last class. I am totally spent and struggling to focus. I don't really have anything ready for tomorrow, and I feel guilty when I get home because my son and daughter are in need of my energy, and I am struggling to conjure it up tonight.
I frantically put the media cart back together and start the lesson. I have to send a student to retrieve my backpack from the history building. I am thankful that this class is self-sustaining and very sweet. They chat while I get it together, but I am frustrated and frazzled. Still no announcement has been made. At 2:55 there is a message on the tv to release 3rd period students. It's only then do I learn that there was an email sent at 3:24 saying to release students from 4th period. Many teachers didn't see the email. I have students walking in as late as 3pm. We do the same whiteboard lesson as 3rd period and start their sestina poems. Although they are a great class; it is difficult to get and keep them focused on what they're doing. I can't imagine having to have walked into a tough 4th period class. I don't blame them. They leave at 3:35. Three students stay needing help with assignments, and three other students stay to make up quizzes they missed last class. I am totally spent and struggling to focus. I don't really have anything ready for tomorrow, and I feel guilty when I get home because my son and daughter are in need of my energy, and I am struggling to conjure it up tonight.
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