What I've been up to lately...

Until the day, this is what my workday consists of, in addition to Math tutoring. I speak for everyone when I say, I think I'll be a little sad when this is over.

Posting some work reflections...for what it's worth

I can honestly say that I expected to hear every word I did from both of the teachers I work with. It’s assuring to see it writing, however.

I communicate well. I leave a trail of notes wherever I go if I can’t talk face-to-face with someone. People know where I am on an hourly basis. They know how I spend my time. I’m satisfied with my schedule. I was iffy, but I’m glad they think so. I need to stop doubting myself on a minute-to-minute basis.

I don’t give Mrs. K the time allotted because I don’t know how to spend the time I’m in her classroom. When I work with her students, I pull them out and we go to the library. I do more teacher assistance tasks for Ms. P because she asks me to do so and gives me explicit directions. I can’t read minds. My plan of attack is to go in to room 317 next Monday and ask Mrs. K directly and ask her how she would like me to improve upon the time spent in her classroom.

Part of this stems from the fact that I feel like I have to meet everyone’s expectations of me. Ms. P made her expectations clear up front, and Mrs. K is not quite as confrontational. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease. Mrs. K also has a student teacher, so a lot of the work I do for Ms. P is already done when I enter Mrs. K’s room and I spend a lot of time wondering what to do until it’s time to take my students.

Needless to say, I’m glad Mrs. K brought this “randomness” of time spent in her room to my attention now. I intend to fix this problem by taking the above steps. Ms. P also stated in her evaluation of me that she would gladly have me teach her class in her absence, which for an elementary teacher is high praise. So I do feel like my time so far this year has been effective, but no one is perfect. I’m improving. I will continue to improve by taking risks and trying my best. As noted by Ms. P, I learn most effectively by watching and doing, so I will continue to observe and teach my small groups and hope I can continue my service in a way that benefits me and the teachers I work with.

Geography quiz

I just did the state count and realized I've been to approximately 26 states in my lifetime thus far. I'm pushing 26 years old, so I guess this means that I've been to roughly a state in a year. Not to shabby, eh? And when did I start talking like a Canadian, eh? How many states have you been to?

To many...

decisions, resolutions, changes, year-end general cleaning up and maintenance to do. No, I don't want to go to grad school if I'm not truly sure it is what I want to do. But I don't want my two years worth of education award from AmeriCorps to go to waste either.

No, sitting home ALONE on a Saturday night does not usually lead to good thoughts about anything, particularly not such heady things as what my future will hold in three or four years from now. But I think, because that's what I do. I think and then I write. And it's not always coherent writing. But that's OK.

Do the JET Programme? Sure, I certainly know two people that have done it and loved every minute of it. And I certainly know someone in Japan too! It might be cool to be close to my long time pen pal again. But it's such a risk! I can do it, and there shouldn't be anything to loose there, and it would be quite the experience.

I need to gather more information.

That's the bottom line here people. More information needed.

Nellie Stone Johnson

If you go to my school's web site now, you will see a bunch of the kids that I work with. That group of red-shirts? That's them. I love those kids.