Thursday, March 30, 2006

Leaving Humphreys

I let my superintendent know that I would not be returning next year to Humphreys County HS. I took a personal day the day that I met with her in case she wanted to discuss anything with me. I was suprised I only met with her for a couple of minutes, and I spent the rest of the day in Jackson. When I came back the next day, Adryon asked me if I'd heard about what happened with my substitute. Apparently, the sub that the school had scheduled for me more than a week in advance didn't show, so one of my students that also takes a class with Adryon asked the principal if he could skip all of his classes to watch my classes. The principal actually let an 11th grader sub for my classes! So, the day before nine weeks testing, students searched my room up and down for the nine weeks test and my grade book, which thankfully I had at home. Let me just say that my school has done nothing to make me regret my decision. Hopefully, I'll be in Jackson next year.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Administration

I had the longest week. I met with my assistant princial 7 times in 3 days, four times to deal with a lazy student whose mother wants me to make her tests easier so she can pass and still not have to take notes or do homework, and three times to discuss a student that made sexual comments about me in class. It was very draining, and little was resolved in either case, but now I know there is no way I am staying at my school. My administration lost the 5 referrals I wrote for one student in a week. I was also lectured by my asst. principal becuase she said that any student I send to the office should not be let back into my room without an admission slip. It's March, and none of us teachers have ever seen one of these admission slips, which our asst. principal is supposed to write. She is crazy. Our principal is useless, but at least he lets me do what I want to do. He is much less frustrating.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Great Classroom Quiz Procedure

I decided to try playing music during a quiz, just relaxing piano music (by Jim Brickman to be exact). The students groaned a little when I first proposed the idea, but I told them just to try it, and then after that we could vote before every quiz and test whether or not to play the music. Now, they love it. We take a vote every time, and there are always shouts of “Music!” It makes them calm down, because they do get very nervous before a test or quiz. They even hum along with the music now. It’s great.