Well the above excuse is back in action! Track started this past week, I am hoping to have 20 distance runners, but numbers aren't official with all of the schedule conflicts last week. Hopefully, they will all get it together this week and I will have consistency at practice!
Most of my distance crew is made up of my cross country athletes, but I do have a few new ones! Very excited! I love them so much! They absolutely make my day!
Things at school are starting to get REALLY stressful. Me and a colleague of mine counted up how many days (instructional days) until the PASS (state standardized) writing test ..... drum roll please..... 30 days! OH MY GOODNESS. That is CRAZY!? My kids (4th graders) take 6 standardized tests this year, that's right 6! Who on earth needs to take that many tests!? Well two of them will be in 30 instructional days, and I am starting to feel the heat. I wish the state tests weren't such a big deal, but accountability needs to be there, so I guess that is the way to check that.
My kids' writing has gotten better, but I feel like we still need to make great strides. THEY CAN DO IT, though!
It was my mother's birthday yesterday (saturday), so on Friday I had my students sing her "Happy Birthday." My students last year did it, so I thought it would make a neat tradition, and then this way I don't have to sing!
I have about a month until my first half marathon, hopefully it will go well! We are also planning some fundraisers for IMPACT - we have to pay for our trip on April 15, so I am feeling the heat from that as well! Everything will work out though, always does!
If you are able to make a donation, you can do so online at the following website:
http://www.razoo.com/story/Impact-2013-9
Much Love,
Leah
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Back at it AGAIN!
It is safe to say that I am not exactly "a blogger." I started this blog over a year ago (almost two) when I started my adventure here in South Carolina. My posts were few and far between; however, I started a technology class for my grad class where it is a requirement to follow some blogs. With this assignment it re-sparked my interest in my previous blogs. I decided to try it, and "Be Back At It Again."
Technology is not my best friend, I get by, but that's about it. I do think if I make posting on my blog a routine, that it will stick and become a useful tool.
In order to catch up with my life on this blog, I will give some highlights since my last post (yes a year and a half ago.)
1) I survived my first year teaching. Did I accomplish everything I set out to do in that first year? No, but that is why I am back this year. My students didn't do as fantastic on their state test as I wish they had, but I know we made great strides as a class (both educationally and personally) and for that I am satisfied.
2) I had the best summer of my life. Who knew that summer had a whole new meaning and became a whole new epic experience after teaching? I road tripped to Oregon (fell in love with the state), watched the Olympic Track Trials, and spent so much time home with family and friends (truly lucky!)
3) I was hired as the Head Cross Country coach for Hartsville High School! One of the best experiences of my life. I have the best group of kids and love that I get to share my love for running with them!
4) Received a new bunch of students and started my second year! Do my kids drive me CRAZY? Absolutely! Do I love them? To pieces.
5) Joined/Started an organization called IMPACT where teachers, community members, and students (including two of my athletes) develop leadership skills through a service trip to Malawi, Africa. In Malawi we will be training teachers and even teaching some classes! We leave June 15 and come back June 29 - SO EXCITED!!
Now that I am pretty much all caught up, here is what is going on currently. I do not have a full plate, but rather a full SERVING TRAY! Teaching is starting to get stressful with the pressure of tests, I am taking two graduate school classes in order to finish my master's by the end of summer, Track has started, fundraising for IMPACT is at crunch time, and meetings are multiplying with TFA and possibly a Leadership Program that I will be a part of. Not to mention I am training for my VERY FIRST HALF MARATHON! Race is in March and then racing another one in April
With all this chaos, I find my second year of teaching a wee bit easier and less stressful, but am feeling exhausted with my schedule, but I wouldn't trade anything. I absolutely love coaching and all of the programs that I am a part of.
My future plans include staying in South Carolina for one more year (mostly due to finishing up grad school and coaching) and then heading off to Oregon.
That pretty much sums up the past year and a half and my thoughts on my future.
My goal for this blog is to update weekly with anything and everything, a way to stay in touch with family/friends and start following other blogs to be more "in the loop."
I will be honest, I may not update EVERY WEEK, but that is my GOAL!
Much Love <3
Technology is not my best friend, I get by, but that's about it. I do think if I make posting on my blog a routine, that it will stick and become a useful tool.
In order to catch up with my life on this blog, I will give some highlights since my last post (yes a year and a half ago.)
1) I survived my first year teaching. Did I accomplish everything I set out to do in that first year? No, but that is why I am back this year. My students didn't do as fantastic on their state test as I wish they had, but I know we made great strides as a class (both educationally and personally) and for that I am satisfied.
2) I had the best summer of my life. Who knew that summer had a whole new meaning and became a whole new epic experience after teaching? I road tripped to Oregon (fell in love with the state), watched the Olympic Track Trials, and spent so much time home with family and friends (truly lucky!)
3) I was hired as the Head Cross Country coach for Hartsville High School! One of the best experiences of my life. I have the best group of kids and love that I get to share my love for running with them!
4) Received a new bunch of students and started my second year! Do my kids drive me CRAZY? Absolutely! Do I love them? To pieces.
5) Joined/Started an organization called IMPACT where teachers, community members, and students (including two of my athletes) develop leadership skills through a service trip to Malawi, Africa. In Malawi we will be training teachers and even teaching some classes! We leave June 15 and come back June 29 - SO EXCITED!!
Now that I am pretty much all caught up, here is what is going on currently. I do not have a full plate, but rather a full SERVING TRAY! Teaching is starting to get stressful with the pressure of tests, I am taking two graduate school classes in order to finish my master's by the end of summer, Track has started, fundraising for IMPACT is at crunch time, and meetings are multiplying with TFA and possibly a Leadership Program that I will be a part of. Not to mention I am training for my VERY FIRST HALF MARATHON! Race is in March and then racing another one in April
With all this chaos, I find my second year of teaching a wee bit easier and less stressful, but am feeling exhausted with my schedule, but I wouldn't trade anything. I absolutely love coaching and all of the programs that I am a part of.
My future plans include staying in South Carolina for one more year (mostly due to finishing up grad school and coaching) and then heading off to Oregon.
That pretty much sums up the past year and a half and my thoughts on my future.
My goal for this blog is to update weekly with anything and everything, a way to stay in touch with family/friends and start following other blogs to be more "in the loop."
I will be honest, I may not update EVERY WEEK, but that is my GOAL!
Much Love <3
Sunday, August 21, 2011
WEEK ONE: COMPLETE :D
Well, I have officially survived my first week as a teacher! The first week went surprisingly well. My students are 100% amazing, as I knew they would be. I have not completed any diagnostics, so I am not sure where exactly they are as far as academics, but I know we can get to wherever they need to be. My mom GENEROUSLY donated books to my classroom, and as of right now, that is about the only thing my classroom needs. When I came into my classroom it was strictly furniture. I spent my budget getting office and organizational supplies as well as folders, notebooks, markers, gluesticks, etc. for the students. I have a handful of books now, my library will slowly be expanding. I am teaching 4th grade, but ANY books around grades 3-5 would be much appreciated. If this sounds like something you would like to contribute to-please shoot me an email and I can give you my address.
Other than the lack of books, I have all the resources I need and I am extremely excited for this school year. My first week left me exhausted, working 6:30-5:30 everyday at the school and then another couple hours when I got home, but I made it a priority to cook dinner and watch tv for an hour to unwind and to go to bed at 9:30ish each night. Other than the lack of running due to this schedule, I am satisfied with how things are going. I am hoping once I get more use to the schedule and get more organized and use to the planning, I will be able to start running and working out.
My colleagues are amazing and have really helped me get ready for that first week and have been extremely helpful. They are also amazingly talented teachers, which helps this process immensely. I am not really sure what else to say about the experience. I haven't really had a chance to go out and explore South Carolina, but hopefully soon. Although I do have plans to visit Jenna for Labor Day weekend, which will be AWESOME! I would like to see Myrtle Beach soon and to go see Charleston, although I will have to wait until I can manage my time better.
I hope all is well back home.
Missin' everybody,
Leah
Other than the lack of books, I have all the resources I need and I am extremely excited for this school year. My first week left me exhausted, working 6:30-5:30 everyday at the school and then another couple hours when I got home, but I made it a priority to cook dinner and watch tv for an hour to unwind and to go to bed at 9:30ish each night. Other than the lack of running due to this schedule, I am satisfied with how things are going. I am hoping once I get more use to the schedule and get more organized and use to the planning, I will be able to start running and working out.
My colleagues are amazing and have really helped me get ready for that first week and have been extremely helpful. They are also amazingly talented teachers, which helps this process immensely. I am not really sure what else to say about the experience. I haven't really had a chance to go out and explore South Carolina, but hopefully soon. Although I do have plans to visit Jenna for Labor Day weekend, which will be AWESOME! I would like to see Myrtle Beach soon and to go see Charleston, although I will have to wait until I can manage my time better.
I hope all is well back home.
Missin' everybody,
Leah
Thursday, July 28, 2011
What EXACTLY is going on...????
Alright, I think we can all agree that my timeliness on this blog is terrible, and the question of this post can be viewed two ways. One, it may be a question that all of you are asking since I obviously do not keep up this blog. Two, it may be a question that I have asked throughout this process. As most or maybe all know, I attended training (called Institute) in Houston, TX. Through Institute we attended numerous sessions on a number of topics (classroom management, planning, literacy sessions, etc.) and taught summer school to second graders. I worked with three other Teach For America corps members (from other regions) to teach students and boost their scores in order to move onto the next grade level. In the end, we saw some major growth among students, but we also saw students make zero growth. The reality of what we are entering is starting to sink in, but I still feel like I don't know EXACTLY what is going on.
That was a VERY short version of Institute, but I feel as if I should move on since that happened a good amount of time ago. I am now in Orangeburg, SC. My mom and I drove down together. We stopped in Kentucky (after a good 12 hours of driving) and spent the night in a hotel and then drove down to Greenville, SC. In Greenville, I said goodbye to my mom and she took a flight home (although her flight was cancelled and she hung out there for awhile) and I continued on to Orangeburg, SC. In Orangeburg, we are having our Orientation. These past few days I have been working with my corps and getting more information about specific aspects of South Carolina and my classroom. I have begun developing my vision for my class, my goal for my class, and classroom management and culture plan. It has been inspiring listening to my corps members speak of their goals and visions for their class and collaborating with such a great group of people. I have also found out that I will be teaching 4th Grade, I will be teaching one class of ELA (English Language Arts) and three classes of Science. I will be teaching at St. John's Elementary in Darlington, SC. I am extremely excited for what is coming and even more excited about the process we have started. The answer to the question of what EXACTLY is going on is beginning to surface and the pieces are starting to come together.
I have embraced the fact that there is a lot of work ahead of me, and could not be more excited to start and have my own class in a matter of a few weeks.
Tomorrow I am headed "home" to Florence, SC where I can start moving into my apartment. If I am on my game, I will post pictures of my apartment.
Thanks everyone!
Love and Miss You <3
Leah
That was a VERY short version of Institute, but I feel as if I should move on since that happened a good amount of time ago. I am now in Orangeburg, SC. My mom and I drove down together. We stopped in Kentucky (after a good 12 hours of driving) and spent the night in a hotel and then drove down to Greenville, SC. In Greenville, I said goodbye to my mom and she took a flight home (although her flight was cancelled and she hung out there for awhile) and I continued on to Orangeburg, SC. In Orangeburg, we are having our Orientation. These past few days I have been working with my corps and getting more information about specific aspects of South Carolina and my classroom. I have begun developing my vision for my class, my goal for my class, and classroom management and culture plan. It has been inspiring listening to my corps members speak of their goals and visions for their class and collaborating with such a great group of people. I have also found out that I will be teaching 4th Grade, I will be teaching one class of ELA (English Language Arts) and three classes of Science. I will be teaching at St. John's Elementary in Darlington, SC. I am extremely excited for what is coming and even more excited about the process we have started. The answer to the question of what EXACTLY is going on is beginning to surface and the pieces are starting to come together.
I have embraced the fact that there is a lot of work ahead of me, and could not be more excited to start and have my own class in a matter of a few weeks.
Tomorrow I am headed "home" to Florence, SC where I can start moving into my apartment. If I am on my game, I will post pictures of my apartment.
Thanks everyone!
Love and Miss You <3
Leah
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Induction into the South Carolina Charter Corps
Traveling to South Carolina, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Traveling to South Carolina was an adventure in itself. The flight from Minneapolis to Charlotte (NC) was unadventurous. Once I arrived in Charlotte, I was glad to see three DIFFERENT Starbucks in the airport (and yes of course I got a LARGE coffee, which I believe I deserved). Charlotte airport was a lot larger than expected. Once I finally reached my gate, I saw a group of girls chatting. Something about the group just screamed Teach For America, so I approached the girls and asked if indeed they were "TFA," which luckily just so happened to be the case. There ended up being twelve of us corps members (CMs) on the same airplane from Charlotte to Florence, SC. On the way to Florence I talked with another CM about Pre-Institute work, nerves, excitement, etc. WHICH helped me focus elsewhere, for the plane was a small propeller plane. Not the quietest plane I have ever been on, and I definitely knew when the plane touched ground. Florence airport was one of the smallest airports I have ever seen with only one baggage claim. We waited for our luggage (many of who went over on weight and had multiple bags, so I didn't feel so bad) and was picked up by two TFA members. One being our Executive Director, and another corps member who works in the Chicago area, but came to SC to help during induction. Immediately I felt welcomed into the SC region.
Since being here in the SC region, I have experienced some definite positives about the region and some definite obstacles that I will face during my two year commitment.
POSITIVES:
*We have an enormous amount of support behind us. Our directors and managers have been absolutely amazing in welcoming us into the region, answering our million questions, and working really hard to get us here (this is the first year TFA is in South Carolina, so we are setting the bar and expectations for this region.
*We have many people in the community that are behind us. We have already had dinner with one of the biggest contributors to the TFA organization and with one of the former governors of SC.
*The corps members themselves. I can honestly say I get along with each and every corps member. We already have extremely bonded as a group. We all know each other's names, backgrounds, likes, dislikes, etc. We also already have inside jokes and a similar sense of humor.
*The interviews we had went extremely well. There are more teaching positions than corps members. One of the Districts wanted all 30 of us in their district, pretty awesome.
*I have already learned so much about what we are actually going to do in the schools (make TRANSFORMATIONAL change in our students, schools, and community) and I could not be more excited for the next two years.
OBSTACLES:
*While we do have a lot of people supporting us and people in the community behind us, we also have people that are not so fond of us coming into the community. It took a lot of work to get us here (policies, laws, etc), and we needed a lot of support from the community to make this a reality; however, there are views that we are taking jobs from "real teachers."
*Students are extremely behind. These are the statistics for the Pee Dee Region and/or South Carolina
-SC ranks 50th (yes last) in rural high school graduation rates (38% graduate and those that graduate are on average about an 8th grade level in reading and math skills)
-By 4th grade, only 20% of low-income students are proficient in math
-Only 13% of low-income students are proficient in 8th grade reading.
-SC has more rural "dropout factories" than any state in the country.
-Along the I-95 corridor (our region) 18% of adults lack basic prose literacy.
We have to help our students make extreme academic gains. Our students are far behind and we need to not only get them on level, but push them beyond. It is hard to digest that there is such inequity in our education system, but this is real.
I am off to Houston, TX tomorrow for an intensive 5 week training called Institute. This is where we learn even more how to make transformational change for our students and where we can make such change now at the summer school where we will be placed during Institute. Not sure how much time I will have to update this blog during Institute, but I will definitely update after Institute. I fly back home on July 9 and the tentative time that I will need to be moved in to SC is July 25.
Since being here in the SC region, I have experienced some definite positives about the region and some definite obstacles that I will face during my two year commitment.
POSITIVES:
*We have an enormous amount of support behind us. Our directors and managers have been absolutely amazing in welcoming us into the region, answering our million questions, and working really hard to get us here (this is the first year TFA is in South Carolina, so we are setting the bar and expectations for this region.
*We have many people in the community that are behind us. We have already had dinner with one of the biggest contributors to the TFA organization and with one of the former governors of SC.
*The corps members themselves. I can honestly say I get along with each and every corps member. We already have extremely bonded as a group. We all know each other's names, backgrounds, likes, dislikes, etc. We also already have inside jokes and a similar sense of humor.
*The interviews we had went extremely well. There are more teaching positions than corps members. One of the Districts wanted all 30 of us in their district, pretty awesome.
*I have already learned so much about what we are actually going to do in the schools (make TRANSFORMATIONAL change in our students, schools, and community) and I could not be more excited for the next two years.
OBSTACLES:
*While we do have a lot of people supporting us and people in the community behind us, we also have people that are not so fond of us coming into the community. It took a lot of work to get us here (policies, laws, etc), and we needed a lot of support from the community to make this a reality; however, there are views that we are taking jobs from "real teachers."
*Students are extremely behind. These are the statistics for the Pee Dee Region and/or South Carolina
-SC ranks 50th (yes last) in rural high school graduation rates (38% graduate and those that graduate are on average about an 8th grade level in reading and math skills)
-By 4th grade, only 20% of low-income students are proficient in math
-Only 13% of low-income students are proficient in 8th grade reading.
-SC has more rural "dropout factories" than any state in the country.
-Along the I-95 corridor (our region) 18% of adults lack basic prose literacy.
We have to help our students make extreme academic gains. Our students are far behind and we need to not only get them on level, but push them beyond. It is hard to digest that there is such inequity in our education system, but this is real.
I am off to Houston, TX tomorrow for an intensive 5 week training called Institute. This is where we learn even more how to make transformational change for our students and where we can make such change now at the summer school where we will be placed during Institute. Not sure how much time I will have to update this blog during Institute, but I will definitely update after Institute. I fly back home on July 9 and the tentative time that I will need to be moved in to SC is July 25.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)