True Blue

I am the tall one to the left. The others are my eager, can't wait to get started, go-getter seventh graders.

This is the first class of the day. It really starts the day off right.

These guys really have heart. They all have confidence and believe that they will one day be a starter on the high school team. I just wish that they would never lose that drive and enthusiasm.

A Star is born!

I finally finished my first formative video. Just getting all of the permission slips signed allowing me to video the kids was a tremendous job. I sent home letters Friday. I asked the kids to return them by Tuesday. Actually, I got most of them back that day; however, I lacked about five in each class. I enlisted the classroom teachers to help me. I made a few phone calls but when I was ready to video, I had them. The videoing was a trip, too. I had a couple of folks video for me--I thought with 2 cameras rolling surely I could get at least one good video. I think I did. Both videos had good footage and bad footage. I did not have the expertise to merge the two.

Other than athletics, the only classes that I teach are elementary classes. I meet these classes just once a week for forty minutes. I really worried about the forty minutes because the directions called for forty-five minutes, but I don't set the schedule. Add to that, I share a gym. The teacher before me was teaching volley ball. So, when I came in the volley ball net was set up. I had to take the net down and put up the soccer nets because as luck would have it--it was raining outside. I have to leave the middle school to get the elementary, so I don't have a lot of time for set-up. But, hey, you know what, it worked out. I was, for the most part, pleased with my teach and video. One thing that I want to work on is grouping and questioning.

I was very pleased with the performances of the kids. I have been talking to them about fair play and supporting each other. During the lesson, the kids cheered each other.

I don't expect to be picked up as a reality show, though.

Right on Target!

My district requires that all teachers post a Target Board in their classrooms. These Boards are to reinforce the Benchmark standards; Advanced (I stay physically fit by daily exercise and healthy nutrition), Proficient (I exercise daily), Basic (I participate every now and then, but seldom get my heart rate up) and Below Basic (I never participate or get my heart rate up). The goal is for students to talk the language of the Benchmark and EOC exams. As I don't have a classroom, I put my target board in the Wellness Center where PE classes meet. If I have to say so--or write so--myself, I think it is right on target.

One of my goals is to teach my students to live physically fit lives. I teach nutrition as well as exercise. I taught at Star City a couple of years ago. At that time, I had PE classes at the high school. For the first time at the high school, there was a PE facility. An accomplishment that I am very proud of is the Wellness Center. I worked with the Superintendent that year to establish a fitness center. Using Pepsi money, the district bought both cardiovascular and strength equipment and and placed the machines in the what is now referred to as the fitness center. Not only is it used by the high school PE classes and athletics, but also teachers and community workout after school hours. This year, I asked the Superintendent to purchase a Cybex Cable Cross Over Machine. She wrote this purchase into her Stimulus budget and received approval.

First Teacher/Parent Conference

I finally heard from my parent whose child I had to give a strike. My neighbor teachers told me that I probably would not hear from her, but Idid. I left a message on her phone and asked her to come in for a conference. She came. It was good visit. She wants her child to do well in school. I told her that I also want him to do well. We both agreed to work with him for improvement. I really felt good after the conference. She was not angry or defensive. I tried to be supportive and caring. My mom has been in the education business for a long time. She always says that kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. She also says that when you are good to their kids, parents respond in a positive way. I think that she has something there.

Something else that I have learned is that teachers must be flexible. I consider myself a very organized, ordered person. I like to plan and follow my plan; however, in the classroom things occur and you must "monitor and adjust." This week, I learned that my method of getting the attention of elementary students is not fool proof. I told my students that when I blow my whistle, they are to get quiet. Well, it works in varying degrees. They get quiet; then little pockets of conversation start up. I discovered that if they sit down order is more consistent.

Working with my mentor has created some problems because of my schedule. Because I am on all three campuses, my prep time, which is only 40 minutes, is used to get to one campus or the other. We were going to meet during lunch for reflection on my teach, but she got tied up. We are going to try and meet Monday. One of the problems that I have with my elementary classes is that I only meet them once a week. Basically, I have 330 elementary kids, and I am having a hard time learning their names. My mentor and I have knocked around some ideas--one being name tags. You know the kind with the plastic holder and elastic band to loop around their knecks. But, with only 40 minutes of class time that would really eat into their PE instruction.

Rain, Football, Strikes

Between all the rain and the running from one campus to the next, things couldn't get more involved. Teaching is a real balancing act. Throw in football practice until all hours--you are probably thinking, "Yeah, right!" Football practice in this monsoon. But, yes, we are. Now we don't have one of those fancy indoor practice complexes, so we make do. We have a little piece of ground right next to the bus barn that-get this--is on high ground. That's where we have been able to practice. We are a tough bunch. All in all,football has been going great. I have some great kids. I know that coaches sometimes get a bad rep, but they really work hard. After the kids leave at whatever time, then comes the getting ready for the next day which involves lots of planning and washing and whatever else needs to be done.

One of math teachers, who was also my high school math teacher, talked to me a couple of days ago about a couple of guys who were struggling. So, I am trying to motivate them to try a little harder in the classroom. I'm trying to get them take part in before school tutoring. Coaches coach on and off the field. I glad to have this job.

Now, to a down side. In one of my elementary PE classes, I have had a discipline issue that I had to give the student a strike. The Strike is a little write-up that that the child has to take home and get signed and bring back the next day. Well, of course, the Strike hasn't been brought back. The next step is call the parent. Several teachers told me, "Good luck." Evidently, they have never been able to contact the parent. I have made three phone calls. No results. Now, I am trying to come up strategies that will motivate the student to particpate without having to resort the next step--the office.

Link to Another Cool Blog

http://andrew-echlin.blogspot.com/

http://laurabethbottoms.blogspot.com

First Blog

Well, this is my first ever blog. It has been a hectic and exciting beginning of school. I work on three different campuses. My day starts with 7th grade athletics; then I am off to the elementary to teach 3 classes of elementary PE. Following that, I am back at the high school for Jr. High and Sr. High Athletics. This is actually my second year to teach, but my first year to teach elementary PE. I don't mind saying that at first I was a little nervous, but I soon found out that these smaller guys love PE. They all think they can do anything! When I taught high school PE, I was disappointed that most of the students did not want to participate.

I have had a couple of rough spots, though. Yesterday, I had to sit one of my 3rd graders out. She started crying. It was the first time I had experienced tears. Man, that's hard!

It is also hard keeping up with each campus' procedures.