Day 3

Alright so writing everyday only lasted a little while.....but I will catch you up on the important events of the last two days.  As I expected Wednesday was fantastic because it was a short day for everyone.  As normal I joined Mark's advisory class in the gym at 7:30 to work on morning work and then get ready for block 1.  I observed 6th grade math with Joyce which I think will be my routine for the remainder of the month.  Each day I love Joyce more and more.  She is an amazing teacher. Her method of instruction is a little backwards but it is outstanding and produces results.  The kids were learning about percent of a number on Wednesday and instead of giving the students the rule about how to estimate the percent of a number, she had the students do the problems the long way then brainstorm a pattern or rule for a shortcut.  She feels this is better simply because the students remember the method they have designed in their heads.  I feel blessed to have the opportunity to observe and learn from her for a month.  Earlier in the year she would teach block 1 while the actual 6th grade math teacher would observe and then that math teacher would take over for the other two classes.  When that teacher wasn't 'working out' Joyce picked up all three blocks and noticed a huge drop in grades between her class and the other two.  For the past 2 weeks she has had to dig these students out of a 'bad place' as she calls it.  Their behavior and academics are no where near where they should be.  They are slowly coming around.  Then for block 2 on Wednesday I observed 8th grade math with Shelby, who is another incredible math teacher.  She is calm and manages her classroom flawlessly.  She is another red head whom the students also think I am related to! lol. crazy.  I hope to continue observing her as well.  After lunch, I wondered around to a couple other classrooms, not staying to long in any given one.  I watched a little of 6th grade non-fictional studies, some 5th grade math, and back to 6th grade math.  At 1:30, the students usually have something called a town meeting which I have not quite figured out yet.  The only thing that comes to mind is that reality show Kid Nation.  This Wednesday was extra special because the Army band came to play for the students in the gym.  They were really good and the kids loved it. The students were let out at 2:30 and normally the teachers have a team meeting from 2:30-4 and then a faculty meeting from 4-5, but this Wednesday they were having parent meetings with 7th and 8th graders so the faculty meeting was cancelled.  The 5th grade teachers were meeting in a nearby restaurant and so they told me I could leave.  Next Wednesday I will stay for the meetings because I'm sure they are informative.   Well I am going to postpone Thursday's events because it is getting late, but I want you to know that I love all of your comments and I hope you are enjoying my blog!  Have a wonderful Friday, I know I'm going to!!