Robbie - Day 2 (3/7)

A Week in the Life of a Teacher (challenged by Heather)

Day 2 - Tuesday 3/7/17

7:38-8:55 Before school. I put my lunch in my crockpot warmer and plug it in so it can be heated up for lunchtime. With only 25 minutes for lunch and several people typically using the microwave, it is a useful gadget to have so I don't have to wait for others and be left with only 10 minutes to eat. I walk down to the office to check my box because I don't think I checked it yesterday. I return to my room and continue grading the French 1 tests I started yesterday. I love these 40 or so minutes in the morning before anyone else really gets here when I can just work. It's the most productive part of my day. One student left all but one section of the test blank, which saves me about 40 seconds of grading. The class average on the test is a 68. This isn't surprising. This is the weakest French 1 class I've had in quite some time, and definitely the weakest I've ever had at Reagan. I use a z-score transformation to curve the tests to an average of 78 (and standard deviation of 14) and make a mental note to reteach faire/jouer expressions. I drop off a test for a student who tests in a separate setting and print papers (syllabus, information sheet) for a new student joining my French 2 class. I read 4 new emails that have arrived since this morning. I pick up the Chromebook cart from the teacher next door. I have signed up to use them in several of my classes the rest of this week. A guidance page (who I also teach in French 5) stops by to introduce me to the new student I will have later today. A student from French 2 comes to make up a quiz he missed last week. A student who I have in first period this morning comes in early and turns in makeup work from when she was absent. Students start trickling in, and I realize it is 8:47, and I need to get ready for class. I turn on the solutions cart, set out my papers for first period, and go out in the hall to supervise students.

8:55-10:25 French 1. Several students comment on my haircut. Most say they like it, which is good, because there's nothing worse than hearing "You got a haircut!" followed by silence. Class starts. 3 students are absent, and 3 have unexcused tardies. I circulate around the room while students are doing the warmup and tell 2 students to put their phones away. I sit at my desk and quickly respond to a couple emails related to my duties as Treasurer of FLANC (Foreign Language Association of NC). We start a new unit and lesson on world cuisines. We put flags and examples of each world cuisine on the board. They get excited and a little loud, so I have to shush them several times and keep them on track, but I'm also glad they are engaged in the lesson. We fill out bubble maps about favorite types of cuisine and restaurants, and I get a couple new restaurant recommendations: China's Best (which the sign language teacher has also recommended to me), Van Loi (vietnamese cuisine in Greensboro). I'll pass on Golden Corral and Applebee's. As usual (and as expected), the students ask me if we can eat any of the food we are learning about. I usually make chocolate fondue and tell them that I will bring some before spring break if the class "earns it" (helps to keep them on track up until spring break). At the end of class, I share a sample paragraph about my favorite restaurant (which they will use as an example to do their homework) and get the chance to advertise oSo once again as the best restaurant in the world. It is. This is one of my favorite French 1 lessons to teach, so it puts me in a good mood. And makes me hungry.

10:30-12:00 French 2. We play the human board game to review for their verb test. They really seem to know their stuff, so I am pleased and confident that they will do well. The new student volunteers to be a game piece and quickly fits right in. He learns several of his classmates' names. While students are testing, I walk around the room every so often to monitor things and grade and enter a few random makeup assignments I have received since this morning. I try to review the notes that my administrator has entered about my observation from Friday, but I can't see anything. I question whether I am correctly remembering how to view the notes. We have so many different systems to keep track of that it's hard to remember how to use them all. This makes me feel old. A student asks to use the restroom, and I notice the hall pass is missing, so I make a new one using one of the 20 free lanyards I got from the FLANC conference (I can't believe no one wanted them!). Two students finish their tests and try to staple the pages together. It's like they don't even know me.

12:05-1:05 French 3H (before lunch). This class is split into 60 and 30 minute segments with lunch in the middle. I teach non-stop from 8:55 until this break at 1:05, so I usually start to drag around this time. Luckily, this is a good class, so I don't have to worry too much about not being 100%. The students ask me if I have graded their tests. I haven't and feel a little guilty. I tell them I am only human, apologize, and say I will have them graded next class. Lots of students in this class have a lot of anxiety about grades and don't like the uncertainty of not knowing what grade they made. I can understand, because I was the same way in high school. I try to always return papers the following class and am able to do this about 95% of the time. While students are writing today's journal, I grade a couple makeup assignments and eat a few handfuls of Chex Mix because I get hungry on the days when I don't have lunch until 1:05. They are working in groups on Venn Diagrams comparing rites of passages (birthdays, getting a driver's license, end of high school, weddings, etc.) in France vs. the United States. I've allotted 25 minutes for them to create their Venn Diagrams in class (they've already done their research), but I'm concerned it might not be enough time. I circulate around the room and help them formulate some of their sentences. They seem to be on task, so I don't mind that this activity takes about 40 minutes rather than the 25 I originally allotted. I come up with a revised lesson plan in my head for the rest of today and for next class. Instead of having students copy down all the notes from the presentation (which seems sort of pointless for this assignment), I type the class notes and will put them on Haiku. This seems more efficient.

1:05-1:35 Lunch. I eat with a different group today. On A Days, I have 1st lunch, and on B Days (today) I have 3rd lunch. Today's group is foreign language and science teachers. It is usually a nice break, but today I have trouble enjoying it because I am stressed out about my lesson plan changes.

1:35-2:05 French 3H, continued. Students present their Venn Diagrams, and I type the notes on the screen during the presentations. For some groups, it's hard for me to hear exactly what they're saying, and some of them don't say things in the best way, so I am having to reword their sentences as I type them. Meanwhile, I notice some of the students getting a little off-task while other groups are presenting. I need to fix this particular assignment for next year. It's a good idea, but I need to rework the presentation/reception of information part. We only get through 4 of the 6 groups, so the rest will have to present Thursday.

2:05-3:40 Planning. The sign language teacher and her class are coming in, but I haven't cleared all my stuff out of her way yet. I have a lot of materials out - big paper from the Venn diagram presentations, markers, papers all over the place... plus some things attached to the board. I feel bad and want to get out of her way quickly. I know it's hard being a traveling teacher. When I was in that situation, some teachers were not very good about clearing a teaching space for me, and that made things difficult. I try to make things as easy for her as possible. I am able to move/put away all my materials during the 5 minute class change, but it takes multiple trips, and I feel like I am forgetting to do something. I walk down to the office for my post-observation conference with my evaluator. I can see that she has entered comments, but suddenly when she tries to share them with me, they disappear so she has to retype them. The system is frustrating. We have a good conversation about the lesson she observed and some other strategies for reaching my students. I grade French 3 tests. Some are really great, and some are awful. I feel like the gap between the strong and weak students is widening, and I'm not sure how to fix it. I can't teach to the middle because there is no middle. I ponder this for a while and come up with no real solution. I go to the workroom to call to make a payment for FLANC, but I can't reach the person. My brain is tired, so I play on my phone until it's time to go home.