Better late than never

Finally getting around to reading some of the surveys I handed out at the end of first semester. Some of them are sweet, so I'm gonna toot my own horn because maybe it's needed every once in a while:

"Ms. Sudow, you were an awesome teacher. I know at times my friends and I were very disrespectful. Ya know 4 talking and cutting up while you were teaching. But hey we're kids so...like I said before that was very disrespectful and I hope you forgive us. One thing I can say is that I learned a lot from you. But, just a little piece of advice, 'get more organized.' Stay awesome and don't let someones helpless heart leave/make you bitter. I hope you know that you and Mrs. Bright will be the teachers I'll always love and never forget. Just for the fact that you guyz cared."

Wow...so I am doing something good? And yes, point taken about organization! MUCH NEEDED.

Pretty much every single one says I need to work on getting the class under control and write more referrals. Again, point taken. Let's see if I can keep working on that this semester.

Writing Assessments

In 11th grade TN students must take a TCAP writing assessment. A score of 4, or proficient on this test is required for graduation. Our school has done a practice assessment once a month since November. See below for a sample.

Granted, most of my advisees know these will have no bearing on their grades and could care less...but here goes nothing: (word for word, punctuation-or lack thereof-intact)

Students were asked if they agree or disagree that Celebrities make more money than they deserve.

I disagree because these celebrities work hard for they money and can't anybody say they make more than they deserve maybe teacher don't deserve any money you can't tell somebody who to make they money or what ever the do with they money because its not them and however they make or do with they money its they chose all celebrities deserve every amount of money they make because they work for it like athletes they really deserve every amount of money they make and play hard and if some one say the make to much and want to try to do they job i bet you would be mad if somebody said you make to much money you know you work all day and all night and hard to not make the money you make because I know I would be. Just think about actors. If they act good they deserve they money as well musicians, models deserve they money to all the famous people deserve they money cause the work hard the put effeft in what they do I respect what all the famous people do I respect the money the make I don't think the make to much because they work for there's like teachers work for there's and we not saying teachers make to much just because someone famous people think they make to much well that's not true or right that's why I Disagree!!!

Dear Student,

I am sorry that your school system has failed you. You seem to have good ideas but cannot get them out in a coherent, well-written way. We owe it to you to make it better. I hope it's not too late.

PS-Ask your math teacher the difference between a teacher's salary and an actor, model or athlete's salary. You might be surprised.

-Ms. Sudow

the SQUARE ROOT of -1

If I see one more time that the square root of -100 is -10 I might have a heart attack, or pull out my hair or something.

What do these children do while I am teaching? I am not really sure how many times I've told them that if there is a negative under the square root sign there will be an i...I can't tell you how many problems we've simplified to make i's. Still, on the test, they said the square root of -100 was -10, some said that it was -50, do add even more insult to injury.

The giver-upper in me asks, why do I bother. Why do I stress out every day trying to cram information in their brains. Why do I stay up making lesson plans and worksheets. Maybe I should just stop trying so hard.

The not giver-upper says, this is precisely why. The fact that they don't even read my test but give up before even opening it and decide to leave it blank instead of looking for the things they can do, or just rely on the math skills they had before even entering my class to at least do some addition and subtraction. Nope. They combine variables with real numbers, they multiply when there is a plus sign and add when there is multiplication. They break the rules of math because they don't know they exist.

I think the only answer is to keep trying. But with classes of 30, rowdy kids, how do I give them the personalized attention they each need? How do I teach instead of spending time telling them to be quiet and take their headphones out. How do I get them engaged and give them their confidence back? Because right now I think their fear and lack of self-confidence is keeping them from trying. It's a problem. I wish I'd started slower, but now I'm not sure how to slow down or go back. Slowing down is hopefully going to work, continuing to show the stuff I've been teaching, and giving them confidence, somehow.

I'll get there. I won't give up, hopefully. I have to remember my A2 kids were here this time last semester, then they did just fine (for the most part) by December. Keep chugging.

Snow Dayz

So this is what it's like to be rested and enjoy your life a little? Wow! Nashville had a big snow storm. And by big I mean three inches (maybe) and some ice. It basically shut the city down. Which let's be honest is pretty ridiculous. But what is even more ridiculous, is not that we had a snow day on Friday (school was called once again at about 6:00 pm Thursday evening before any snow had fallen). I get Friday, mostly, although the roads didn't get terrible till the afternoon, but you just never know with those buses. It was nice, I went into school, got some work done, got ready for my sub on Monday since I would be out for professional development and cleaned up my classroom a bit. Nice. A little gym, a little out, nice to have an extra day. Weekend seemed less stressful, and I was ready, for the most part, to go back on Monday.

What I didn't get, was that on Sunday, while at the grocery doing my weekly shopping, I hear that school would be out AGAIN on Monday. You know Nashville, if you actually plow away the snow it doesn't freeze over at night time. Apparently they don't have the equipment. Not only did we have Monday off (even though it was 47 degrees and sunny)...we had TUESDAY off as well! Thank you Nashville and TDOT for my 6 day vacation.

I then took my professional development day and have to only be at school 2 days this week.

It'd be great if I didn't feel like we were finally on a roll and getting into a groove, and now the kids seem to have forgotten all their algebra. Tomorrow's test will tell....