Ode to the End of the Year

By Heather Skipworth Craven


Roses are rare,
Violets need care.
My desk is a chaotic mess.
The bulletin boards are holey and worn,
How many more assessment tests???

Folders are creased,
Pencils are chewed and nubby,
My file cabinet bulges and bends,
And if I get one more apple thing for teacher appreciation
I will definitely go off the deep end.

Roses are magic
Violets are fragile
And so is my classroom control
Spring fever has descended...
My expectations up ended
And my schedule is taking its toll...

But ah, there are the moments
That are now etched in deep
Of trust and the awe of discovery,
The laughter, and tension
Ideas…too many to mention,
Friendships to savor and keep.

Roses all too soon fade
Violets are delicate as glass
My students will move on
Their lives a learning song,
My hope and daily prayer
Is for my touch on each child to last.

Roses are treasured,
Violets are nurtured
Students grow, blossom and transcend,
Oh that I can be that teacher they remember
As a life gardener and a friend.

Improvements for next year

With only 30 days left, I have been collaborating with the teachers in the English department with what we can do different next school year.  This school year was a trial and error year for us since a new English teacher was hired and subjects were switched around between the other teachers.  Throughout the years I have kept post-it notes with things I want to do for the next school year.  It seems that they get lost in the shuffle at times and then I forget what I had written down.  This year I kept all of my tips in one place that way next year they will not be forgotten.  There are more changes occurring next school year, and we need to be sure we do all that we want to have a successful year.  I know experience and time makes things easier, and I have seen that effect happen.  I look back at my first year of teaching and wonder to myself, "What was I thinking?"  In four years I have learned so much and have become much more confident.  I cannot wait to look back in five more years and see what has changed.  That is something I really enjoy about teaching; there is always change and new experiences.

Free Powerpoints!

How many times in a day are you sent emails that you really don't have the time to look at, but then something inside says "Just open it!"  That happened today to me.  I was quickly checking my email when I received one about a website that offers math powerpoints.  I immediately decided to close it out since I am an English teacher, but then went back to it a couple minutes ago to check it out.  When I went to the site I found it could be used in any subject at all grade levels.  There are powerpoints for almost any topic you can think of for all the common subjects.  I took a little time to look at the Language Arts section and I found some neat Jeopardy games for literary terms that I plan to go back to later today.  I wanted to share this site with you all so you can check it out and perhaps send it to other colleagues to use!  Have a great day!

http://jc-schools.net/ppts-math.html

Of Mice and Men

So, today in my co-taught English 10 class, we reached Chapter 5 in "Of Mice and Men."  If you ever read the book, you know there are A LOT of "bad" words used in the book.  It takes place in the 1930's which is a time of slavery and the depression.  I really thought the class that I co-teach would not be mature and responsible throughout the book, but was I ever wrong!  They have been absolutely great! The English teacher and I cannot get over how much they are enjoying the book.  There are students who flat out say they never have read a book until now.  When we give them time in class to read, we hear nothing.  They are all very engaged and interested in the book.  We both thought they would make a big deal over the deaths that occur in the novel as well as the language, but so far they have not.  We have done various activities with them such as drawing the sequence of a chapter, group questioning, and charts which have all turned out well.  I guess what I am trying to get at is that you cannot always assume how a class is going to act.  All the worries we had before passing out the novel have subsided and we are very glad we had this experience and the entire class was able to take the book maturely and most importantly, enjoy it!
We are reading chapter 6, the last chapter, tomorrow.  I am curious to see how the students handle the ending and the discussions that arise.

Welcome!

Hello all!  I have decided that blogging about my days at Northern Bedford High School would be a great thing to look back upon.  The months, or better yet, years go by so quickly that I tend to not remember things that have happened or strategies that work.  You will see what a day in the life of Mrs. G is like and perhaps I can offer some strategies and techniques that you can use along the way in your teaching career. 

Are there going to be happy times? Yes.  Will there be trying times? Yes.  There are always more happy times than trying times, and no matter how bad it seems it could always be worse!  I smile each day that I am in the classroom and very gracious to be working in a wonderful district with wonderful teachers and staff.  It really cannot get much better. : ) 

Please share any stories (good or bad) and any advice you may have! 

Enjoy!