Using Classroom Strategies

This past week I have been using "Perspectives on Characters," a classroom strategy that I completed for my second mini lesson.  My students didn't really catch on at first, but after many model sessions and five chapters of the novel we're reading, Farewell to Manzanar, they finally caught on and began to think for themselves and empathize with their character.  Our story is about a Japanese family in an internment camp close to Death Valley.  I felt like we as a student/teacher team were penguins in that desert, but when we finally caught on, we found our way back home.  It was a nice metaphorical feeling.  We finished the graphic organizers up today, so it was on my mind.  One of my students danced around the classroom when I told them we were finished.  I called him, "Happy Feet."  It was rather funny. 

Papers and Meetings Up to My Ears! HELP!

I feel like I have a jagillion papers that haven't been graded.  I grade every day and never get through.  It just seems like all I do is grade papers.  On top of all that, during my planning period, I have meetings, and more meetings, and then guess what?  Oh yeah, more meetings.  I guess I just didn't realize I'd be so busy all the time.  I had more free time when I was a student in college taking 21 hours.  What does that even mean?

I figured it all out!

I had a little, tiny breakdown today.  I have to write a parent thank you letter to all fifty of my parent/teacher conference comers, a word wall, agree and disagree cards, I've had two assessments this week, and I have another one on Wed.  Our mini lesson is due on Wed. as well, and my son's birthday party is this weekend.  I also had a field trip and a faculty meeting today where they told us that we needed to cut back on field trips because they take away from instructional time.  AND to top it all off, my principal told me that there was no record of my being in MAT at all, so right now I'm not certified on record. LOL I'm going nuts, but at least I figured out how to link other blogs.  :)

Signed-stressed, but still laughing, teacher

I was just hoping that I'm not a complete idiot...but who knows?

Am I supposed to be following other people's blogs, or am I supposed to add them to me somehow?  haha...HELP!

Me!!

Amanda Hall's Blog Address

Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:22 PM

Hey all my MAT buddies!!  I already had a blog open for all my hormonal children, so I thought it would be okay to post this...I hope so anyway.  Just in case you didn't know.  I teach all ninth grade English, general, and two Pre AP classes.  I don't have any classes smaller than 25 students except my 4A class, which has several IEPs.  So far, I love my job, albeit stressful at times.  I have a three year old son, a husband, and four cats! I graduated from UAM but not before attending two other colleges.  I graduated with a Creative Writing degree, Vocal minor.  I decided to teach after substituting for a year, but believe it or not, substitutes don't have near the stress teachers do.  I didn't realize that until I became one! lol.