Curse you Snooki!

I’m in a grade six class for the next 4 months. And asides from the math being WAY harder than grade 3 (when you think of perimeter, area and irregular polygons, I know you’re thinking good times, good times, now pass the big bottle of SWV!) , the hormones are in full swing with these kids. It’s like teaching to a class of bi-polar lunatics! One minute their saying “good morning, Mrs. G, lovin’ the purple sweater” and the next they’re killing me with their eye rolling and the “gee, Mrs. G, why do you have to be so stupid” stares!

I am enjoying the fact that I can joke and be sarcastic with this group of kids, way more than with the grade 3’s. What would have made the 3’s cry, makes the “mature” 6’s laugh. I can also talk to these kids at an almost adult level (well that might depend on which adult I’m talking to). We “debrief” about the latest episode of Jersey shores, and discuss the pathetic merits of being a leafs fan.

However, I’m not enjoying the lectures I now have to give. Take this afternoon for example. I had to “remind” them that it’s respectful to actually listen to someone when they’re speaking. And that it is absolutely disrespectful to turn towards said speaker and then turn your back (as if to say “screw you Mrs. G, we’re talking about way more important stuff….see debriefing Jersey Shores) I also had to “talk” to them about community in the classroom and why it’s not nice to laugh when someone does poorly on a test - a test which said teaser did just as bad if not worse on.

But as I reflect (cause asides from lesson planning and essay writing, that’s all I do nowadays) back on this teachable moment, I had one of those moments when you think to yourself “Dammit, why didn’t I say that”. You must know those moments; typically happens as your walking away from a confrontation in an unnamed parking lot with some ‘crazy’ hockey mom….this happens to you right? RIGHT?

Anywho, I could have had the kids all raise their hands, and said “put your hand down if you’ve ever had a bad day, done poorly on an assignment or been embarrassed in class” which of course (hopefully) would have resulted in everyone putting their hand down. Then I could have started a chorus version of Kumbaya and had a group hug. But this is real life people, and these kids have never heard of Kumbaya. On a side note, when I assigned a map labeling project as homework and told them to reference an atlas, their response was “oh no, Mrs G don’t you mean Google Earth?”

When I called for the classes’ attention (“1,2,3…eyes on me” and “if you hear my voice clap once….”) in grade 3, everyone turned and listened attentively. In grade 6, they do the clapping, but promptly continue with their prior activity (again see above mentioned Jersey Shore…I’m beginning to really despise Snooki…..even more). Yesterday, I had to raise my voice, and at one point I shut the classroom door with more force than necessary. I don’t like that these kids are winning the oh-so-fun game of “how far can we push Mrs. G”. I have three boys; I should be an expert at that game. In the past few days, I have turned to heavens and asked for an extra helping of patience more times than I can count.

Despite the fact that I’m dealing with a strange breed of humans (think: a 4 year old trapped in an 11 year olds body, who looks like Justin Bieber and thinks they should be treated like an adult) I am enjoying this new class. And despite the fact that I was “challenged” by a grade 6 math question yesterday, I love that I don’t have to admit that I’m stumped. I can simply say “I already know the answer; I’m challenging you to find it and report back to me”. Oh….I’m good!

Good night people, I have some Jersey Shores episodes to catch up on!

The little reminders in life

I've been on "holidays" (us moms know to use that term loosely) for the past few weeks. I really enjoyed the sleeping in, stuffing my face and the hockey (and there was A LOT of hockey -- heck who am I kidding, there was also A LOT of stuffing my face as well). But sadly, I returned (with my pants feeling a little too snug) to my crazy student life this past Monday.

Actually I was thrown back into the hectic schedule, spending the whole week at my new placement school. And this time round, I'm in a grade 6 class. Which can only mean one thing......grade 6 MATH!!!! YIKES! And I thought grade 3 math was a challenge! At least "we" can use calculators (and I mean "WE" cause I'm learning too). The kids were learning about scatter plots and data management. Which works out well because I taught the grade 3's all about graphs in December --- oh wait, that doesn't work out well cause I SUCK at data management. Oh well, a wise person once said "a teacher is only 24 hours smarter than their class" So when I assign homework to the grade 6's, you know for sure that I'll also be doing the same homework.

Anyways, I was tidying up my computer tonight (yet another way to avoid actually getting stuff done) and I came across the personal statement I wrote to get into teacher's college. And as I read it, it reminded me that 1) I am smart, 2) I have the right experience to become a teacher and 3) with enough time and SWV, I can write some really good stuff! I've included my letter so you guys can see the power of liquid inspiration! If you ever think "Why on God's green earth is Jenn becoming a teacher?" Please refer back to this post, I know I will (many, many times throughout my career!)

The point of the personal statement is to explain (in a one page letter) how your experiences in life have guided you into education. The catch is, that you can't beg or plead for acceptance into the program. Nor can you say that you want to teach because you get the summers off and a really strong pension plan (which of course is the real reason most of us choose teaching)

So without any further ado --- my personal statement......

Deeply influenced by my own teachers, I knew at a young age that I was destined to teach. However, life sometimes takes you on an unexpected path and for many years I believed that it would impossible to follow my dream. Busy raising my own children, I satisfied my desire to teach by volunteering in their classrooms. Even though I truly enjoyed my time with the students, as a volunteer I felt that I was witnessing the learning process from the sidelines.

Then several years ago I was given the chance to return to school. While I knew it would not be easy balancing the demands of family, work as well as full time school, I also knew that it was an opportunity I could not pass up. Today, despite the setbacks I have faced, I am overjoyed to be so close to reaching my childhood dream of teaching.

An essential aspect of being a teacher is having the ability to interact with a diversity of students, parents and members of the community, and my background and volunteer experiences have instilled this important quality in me.

For many years I have been a school bus driver, as such I am responsible for safely transporting up to 72 children to and from school. Interacting with a large group of students has taught me many invaluable skills, such as conflict resolution and student management, which can easily be applied to a classroom setting.

As a reading buddy volunteer, I have learned as much from the students as they have from me. I have learned to develop interpersonal skills such as being able to adapt to the needs of an individual student. After accessing the child’s reading ability, I utilize the available materials and resources to engage and encourage the learning process. When the resources do not meet the specific needs of the student, I have sought out, as well as, created literacy games which reinforce the concepts we are working on. This creativity and innovation will allow me, as a teacher, to recombine school board curriculum into exciting activities for both the individual student and the whole class.

As a classroom volunteer I have been assigned a variety of tasks with the majority of that time being spent working with small groups of students. Whether it’s the joy a student feels when they master a concept they had previously struggled with or feeling a child’s frustration when they don’t quite get it, it is in these small group settings that I have gained the greatest appreciation for the emotions involved in teaching. In fact, it is the feelings of frustration which have fueled my desire to teach. For without frustration, the ability to challenge and push myself would be lost.

I understand now that a teacher does more than teach the basics, they engage their students and foster a lifelong love of learning. As a teacher, I would not only witness the beginnings of something great, teaching would allow me to be a vital part of that process.


Hope everyone had a wonderful break (in whatever capacity that break came!)