Lessons and Football

I sit here on the couch tonight with the Bears/Packers game about to start. But the lessons have all been planned, despite having the premier of my annual fall sinus infection. I've got some spicy Chinese food on a plate on my lap hoping to burn the infection out of my head. And everything on the tv guide points to the fact that there is nothing else on tv except this game. Okay, Return of the King is on, but I watched part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy yesterday while on the couch trying to recuperate. The fact is I've never really been into football. There are so few games in the season and most of those, at least in Chicago, are played in inclement conditions so I've never really fallen in love with the Bears, or football for that matter.  

Yet now I am in Champaign. A new friend is our high school football coach. U of IL football has been the top news story since I moved down here, except for the week when Extreme Makeover Home Edition was here. And now everyone I know on Facebook that lives in Chicago is either watching the Bears game or at U2's kickoff tour in Soldier Field, home of the Bears.

So I sit here tonight, lesson planning done for the week and am watching football. I know the game well enough. I admit I won't be able to tell you what happened when flags are thrown. I DO know Bears legend Dick Butkis went to U of IL.  Shoot, I CAN tell you it's Faith Hill singing the NFL NBC theme song. And it's nice to see Bob Costas on tv again, who I love during Olympic "season." So here I go, hoping to get a little excited about this tough sport. It's 79 degrees in Green Bay, WI. The lights are on the field. The sun has set here in C-U. And people all over the bi-state area are tuned into the tv just like me.

So Bear Down Chicago. Let's hope the Bears win. Happy middle of September everyone!

KB

Newbies Unite

My 3rd week of teaching has begun with a New Teacher meeting at 7:25 this morning. We've become a tight-knit group, us newbies, and I think overall we've all had a smooth first few weeks on the job. We've been at the football games (home and away) to cheer on our students. Some have offered extra credit if they come out and support the team. I am fairly certain we'll be doing something again this Friday too. Those on 5th period lunch have begun smoothie Friday, although that's more Coach's doing than the rest of us. A few of us even had what we now call "Lunch" after work on Friday to de-stress and discuss our frustrations and joys of our new workplace and "clients."

And I really can't believe I'm going to say this, and may look back at this by December and say, "what the heck!" but I truly feel like I'm doing well. Sure, I spend a good part of my weekend putting PowerPoints together and putting together lesson plans for my binder so that when I'm evaluated they're all in one spot, nicely typed up. But I've been able to stay busy (Italian class, DAR searching, trying to locate stuff for dual citizenship, you know, the usual) and still get everything done and feel like my students are learning what they should be.

I've had some successes this week. I'm planning a Mock Interview Day on October 2nd and already have 2 community employers who are willing to come interview students for me. One is the local Ann Taylor LOFT manager who I met shopping yesterday and the other is an HR director at a local hospital that I talked to today. Now I just need about 10-12 more people! At this rate I could have them set in 12 days!

I've also had students put some serious thought into their long-term career plans. I created a plan document based on other's I'd seen. I took my Coop students to the library to look at the career books and pull information on salary, outlook in the job market, skills needed, education needed and THEN they plotted out what steps they need to do over the next 2 years, 2-7 years and 8-12 years. Most did a great job. Some didn't try. 1-2 students really have no idea what they want to do and so haven't done anything. Which is too bad, because instead of investigating one of their possibilities they just shut down and get a zero. I've got to figure out how to get through to those kids. But I had one kid completely go from one career to another and is dedicated right now. A few want to find new jobs to fit their career plans. Great!

My business law class just took their first quiz. They earned mostly A's and B's with a few really bad scores. I'll give them a few more days to see if they turn in the next few assignments. If not, we'll have a little chat and explain the importance of doing work and succeeding.

Speaking of, I thought Obama's speech did just that today. I read the text before I went to work this morning. It was very inspirational. In fact, if I was in late elementary school or middle school and heard that speech I would have been fired up! (a reference to yesterday's speech he gave in Ohio).  Some of the older kids too, perhaps. When you tell kids that Michael Jordan was cut from basketball in high school and even as a professional lost hundreds of game and missed hundreds of shots...it makes them stop and think. This amazing athlete did some stuff wrong but the point was he tried. Success is full of curvy letters for a reason. There are few straight lines that lead to it. It's a lot of curve balls, winding roads and ups and downs before you get there. 

I've always loved the line in National Treasure that discusses Thomas Edison. The dialogue talks about how Thomas Edison tried and failed a hundreds ways to make a light bulb. But it only took one of those tries to be a success. I'm sure Mr. Edison slapped the table a few times. He probably shattered several pieces of glass. He was probably in a glum mood on days before or after a failed experiment. We've all been there. Even on the days you think it's going to go right, the bubble can burst and you feel like you are taking a few steps back.

But with all that effort comes knowledge on what not to do. That's where success plants roots and begins to sprout. That's exactly what I'm doing with my students. I haven't had a day yet where I slammed the car door or yelled at the top of my lungs in the weed-choked field behind my home. But they will come. And I'll be stronger for it.

And I'm not alone in it either. There is the Newbie group. We're in this together in a way.

It reminds me of a great verse. "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." - (The Message) Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians, 10:13

KB

The Funny Thing About Being Ms. B...

I was told something funny today and thought it would be perfect fodder to write about to recap my week. It's been a great week. I had the whole week planned out as of last weekend. With the exception of finding transparency sheets and making copies, it's gone smoothly. Students have slowly gotten into a routine. School spirit has been a big push, more for the faculty than the students but we've all been voting for Urbana for the rivalry week school spirit poll online. The only big thing I can't check off my to-do list is find jobs for the final 6 students in my Coop class that do not have them. 

I've been out and about in the community on a number of different days in the last week. I'm hoping to create a binder full of applications that kids can come and pick up should they lose their job or want a different job. I've also begun an Area Employer Database, something that did not exist prior to my arrival. When students come see me they can look through either binder and get information to tackle their job search.

It's taken several forms of action to get my remaining students into my office. The first attempt was to tell them during class to see me when they are done with classes (they get out early in order to get to work). One came. Many did not. Attempt #2 was to create a sign-up sheet for Tues/Wed for students to come to the office. They all signed up but only 2 came that signed up. I can see who is trying and who isn't at this point. My final attempt was today. I told them in class that if you don't have a job today is a must or you will be booted out of the program. Two of my final 3 holdouts came today and I was able to give them some info and a plan of attack. Let's hope they do it.

What's so funny you may be asking? Well, the funny part about this whole process was pointed out today by my department chair. To paint the picture, Our business dept. office is tucked away inside one of the classrooms. I've been sticking close to my desk after teaching my 4 classes in a row to accommodate students who should be stopping by. Since the students all call me "Ms. B" they come into the classroom and start out saying something like, "Umm, is Mrs. Ba...." They don't know how to say my full name despite my going over how to say it. They also say Misses, to which someone in the office said, "Well, she's not married as far as I know but if you are looking for Ms. Bartholomew she's back there..." Perhaps you don't find it as funny as I do but I think it's hilarious. 

Anyway, Mrs. Ba....or Bart....or whatever is going to edit a test now. Maybe for Coop I'll ask them the question: what is my full name? 2 points extra credit if it's spelled correctly. 

KB

Learning Italian isn't always easy

For the last 3 years I've been learning Italiano on my own. I was thrilled when I first started, prior to my big European whirlwind trip in 2007, because I was understanding the language. Even most verb conjugations made sense. I could count to a million. And while I was in Europe I was able to ask where things were and how much they cost and barter with a street vendor on cost. 

But now I'm taking my first actual Italian class at Parkland. I figured it would not only be a good stress reliever but a good practice before trying to take Italian language courses in Italy next summer. 

I was right.

The last 2 weeks have been pretty easy. I have trouble understanding my teachers directions from time to time (he speaks fast and occasionally throws spanish in the mix since he also teaches spanish). But tonight I learned that I've been saying certain #'s incorrectly! Any number with an 8 in it, after 38 I've said wrong. So 48, 58, 98, etc. All incorrect.  My prof said that since its said fairly quickly, it probably wasn't an issue when I said it while in Italy last time. But writing it is a different story. Already I've learned something!

And you know all those gangster movies or times when people sort of mock the italian speech pattern? Well they're correct! You emphasize the 2nd to last syllable. PIzzaRIa (up down up down). Buon GIORno. Sometimes when we are all speaking in class I feel like we're imitating bad imitations of Italians but really, its the correct pronunciation and syllabic emphasis just on super slow speed. It's crazy.

So there's my Italian update. I thought I'd throw you all something that wasn't exactly teaching related. And now that the Cubs have lost to the Astros I shall go to bed. How saw that this both sider loves 2 Chicago teams and neither one of them can seem to win a game when I watch them. I think it's time for football season....

Buonanotte!

KB

The Urbana Experience: Week 1

Well, week 1 is technically in the books. Friday was a good day at school. Even in 24 hours I've begun to learn my student's personalities although names will take a bit longer. 

I've got 1 student who has not yet turned up in Study Hall 1st period so we'll see what happens with him. 

My Coop 1 class grew by 3 more students on Friday which means I have exactly enough textbooks for my class of 24 students.

My law class was given their 1st assignment on Friday. It's something called a Justice Journal which will be due every monday. Basically they find an article or news story regarding legal issues and write 10-15 sentences about it. I gave them a list of websites and newspapers or magazines that would be acceptable. I was one of the few teachers that gave homework but I don't mind. It's LAW! From what I know of law school....15 sentences is nothing.

My Coop 3 class has a fantastic discussion during class on Friday. I explained that I really want them to embrace this class and their work opportunities as training for their future. They are all nearing graduation (all 7 of them) and understand that "future" means "very soon." I led a discussion about why we work and they argued points back and forth with each other with very little input from me. It's exactly what I was hoping for. At first they could only see the MONEY reason for working. But one of them brought up Obama and how he doesn't get paid much but loves what he does. So PASSION became the new topic. It fed into my discussion on how people view work around IL, the USA and internationally which ended up with a variety of reasons why we work. Let's hope my huge Coop 1 class can do something similar on Monday.

Friday also marked the 1st football game of the year. I saw several staff members at the game but very few parents and student fans, aside from those in football at the lower levels that weren't playing.  We played one of the top teams in the state and didn't win. But hey, we (and by we I mean our varsity football team) went out on the field facing a team that lined up with twice as many players and took nearly the full endzone to display their roster and did our best. Apparently the team scored the most points against this particular team in recent history. This town has little support for this team and I hope that can be changed with the new attitude and new coach (who was hired for that specific purpose). The team looked good and the coaching staff was definitely fired up with each score. 

Tomorrow is textbook assignment day. I went in today and with Tilia's help moved my textbooks into my respective classrooms. Tilia & I also met to discuss immediate fundraising for our Freshman class. We have a lot to do before Homecoming in October. If our plans fall into place we're going to bring a LOT more school spirit to the school, starting with the class of 2013. Thankfully our colors are the same as U of I. I'm in need of more orange to wear...

My parting thought for tonight is just a mention of what Maria Shriver said this morning on Meet the Press. She said her Uncle Teddy was the one to make sure everyone felt welcomed, loved and thanked. He was always reaching out to people to share his thoughts. This was probably a result of losing 4 older siblings to war and assassination and holding to the belief that our time is not assured. Her words were so passionate that you could tell she had learned to do the same because of her uncle. So send those thank you notes. Post a message on Facebook. Write a letter. Tell someone something everyday. Stay in touch. Even if it is just a single sentence it will mean the world to that person. 

To each of you - thank you for reading and supporting me. I've probably got a picture of you in my office and you are always in my thoughts. I love ya. Wake up tomorrow and be the change you want to see in the world. What a great reason to get out of bed!

KB

THE First Day of School

It came and has gone and my first true day of school as a full-time teacher seems to have been a success. Yesterday was technically the first day but was the freshman only. The class of 2013. I tried to help a few of them get around the hallways but truth be told, I was almost as lost as they were. Fortunately, there were plenty of teachers and admins in the hallway to lead the way and I directed several of the young ones their way to point with fingers, pens, pencils and hands full of papers.

I did get to meet the entire class. Ms. Detrick and I as class 2013 co-sponsors gave a brief introduction to the upcoming Homecoming project. We then settled into our impromptu table in the cafeteria to convince the freshman to sign up and assist in the float building, fundraising and general activity involved. Afterall, if they don't start now they will NOT have a very exciting Jr. Prom which they get to organize. Our first group sat in the tables farthest from the clubs and organizations offering information so with the 2nd round, we walked the tables and encouraged about 3 pages of students to sign up. I ducked out early to lead an info session on the student handbook (I was assigned a spot) and Ms. D did a great job acquiring a bunch of willing hands.

Today the entire student body was present, about 1200 students in all. My overall tactic was to discuss the syllabus and then have a game where I could learn a little about my students and they could learn about each other. I brought copies of the Bingo game we used in Hinsdale. It is a blank "board" that students can fill in with topics wherever they liked, creating their own board. I listed several topics on the board such as read a book this summer, saw a movie, has a job, will go to a football game, etc. I gave out Smarties to use as pieces to mark their boards. Overall it went pretty well. It would have gone a lot better if I'd had an overhead or LCD to project my "topics" list. As it was, I used a bunch of time writing things on the board which is not ideal but it worked. 

I have about 25 students in my Coop 1 class, 30 in Business Law and 7 in Coop 2. Quite the disparity but I think in the end it will work. I'll differentiate (an education buzz word) instruction to suit the size of the classes and go from there. It's me and the chalk for a while. Hopefully I at least get an overhead projector for biz law. I've already created a bunch of power points which are fairly useless in my present situation. If you don't know, I'm in 4 different rooms for 4 different classes and on 3 different floors. I think Urbana H.S. is a fantastic place but I am surprised at how lacking in technology the school is compared to the places I've taught. 

It was great to walk out of the building today with the Associate Principal asking how my day went. Hopefully I was tough enough and direct enough to get everyone to follow the rules, do the work and succeed. It was a good first day. I've got some frustrations I need to work out such as the fact that my predecessor left only assessments and textbooks behind with no demonstration of the lessons he did. He did tell me his philosophy was to just "keep the students busy" which I don't agree with. I want them to learn and connect. For now, I am going to assume such frustrations are all "first year teacher" issues and bumps that come with working in a new environment.

I'll trade the business suit for school colors tomorrow (I'm thinking black suit jacket with white t-shirt and orange neck scarf with dark jeans) for school spirit day. We're hoping to have a successful football team this year and I'm aiming to go to the game and support my students and fellow new Urbana teacher, Coach Watson. Go Tigers! It's almost TGIF....

KB

I even have my own parking spot...

Institute Day 2 has come and gone and I am fully ready for tomorrow's Freshman Orientation. I say "fully ready" because I only have 4 freshman in my Biz Law class. I love the Freshman though and can't wait to represent and get to know these students over the next 4 years as Freshman Class Co-Sponsor through till their Senior year when I'll be _______ Class Co-Sponsor. I think you can figure that one out. See? I'm in teacher mode!

We began our day in meetings at 8am. I arrived and parked Chicago style just as I've done the last year, backing into my parking spot. I noticed yesterday that I actually have my own spot and it is  marked "Reserved for Coop Coordinator." Sweet! I'm probably the only one who felt bad yesterday that I didn't park in it and took a regular spot, preventing someone who wasn't me from getting a spot. But as there is balance in the universe, someone had parked in MY spot so the guilt vanished when I noticed that a bold soul didn't care whose spot it was!

Today's meetings were about professional development, reviewing changes to the faculty/student handbooks and discussing how our school is measuring up to No Child Left Behind and the standards set by our fine government. There were a few giveaways, a massive breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and donuts and then a little bit more talk before we all had times to go our own way and work in our rooms or office. I've not met all the people whose rooms I'll be taking over for a period each day. The science dept. chair seemed a bit nervous that I'd disturb his room. Actually, he was more concerned about my classroom management skills and if my students would disturb his room. I told him it would be a lot of discussion with little reason to move around and it would all be fine. Let's hope I'm right!

I didn't go to lunch, having filled up on breakfast a bit earlier. Seriously, I don't eat donuts as a general rule, but a strawberry donut was too much to resist! Instead, I took the time to investigate the copy room. Once I asked for directions (I was 2 doors off) I made my copies of syllabi and information sheets for Coop. I didn't know how to log off the copier though so I waited for someone to come in and a nice fellow teacher showed me the way. 

Last night I had a large to-do list, mainly tweaking my info sheets and syllabi as well as creating a quick ice breaker bingo game. To finish the list, I had to make copies so I felt pretty set. My desk is nicely organized and all I have left to do for this week is to start brining all my books back to school. Feeling set, I actually left before the rest of my department. This is a major accomplishment for me. While doing marketing, I used to always come in early and stay late or even skip lunch just to make people see that I was working hard. I was working for praise rather than to get the job done and it was making my life so much more stressful than it needed to be. I'm determined not to LOOK like I'm working hard but to demonstrate how my hard work is paying off through results and rapport with my students. I'll put in the requisite hours (and more on occasion) but I'm not going to sit at my desk so people SEE me doing work. It sounds silly but it was an honest to goodness issue I dealt with and was a tough mental issue to shake. 

Two other quick notes before I sign off. I didn't like anything on the radio this morning so I hit the "tape" button in my car. Yes, it's 11 years old and has a tape player. The follow up answer to the question you are currently thinking is yes, I still own cassette tapes. The one in the player, which I had no idea what it may be was REO Speedwagon. REO, of course, is from Champaign and was started by two U of I engineering students. The song that played was "Only the Strong Survive." Apropos, no?

   Main street in Champaign is dedicated to the band. 

The other note is regarding my personal training sessions. Last week I tried the squat machine for the 1st time. I nearly passed out. I don't think I was breathing and I think I had too much of my energy/weight pushing against the bar on my shoulders which means I wasn't lifting correctly. Today I got through both sets with no problems aside from really not doing the breathing well. Major accomplishment for me! I did have "Only the Strong Survive" in my head so maybe...

I can't wait to share with you all about Freshman day tomorrow and the full school of students on Thursday/Friday. Go Tigers. I'm definitely going to earn my stripes. 

-KB-