Today I had a student keep track of all the interruptions during my 7th period class, because there seem to be a lot and it is throwing my teaching off. I was curious how many there actually were. Celease counted:

12 Intercom announcements
5 Bells
2 phone calls
1 person walking in to deliver something (plus a student bringing me a cupcake, but I didn't have her count that one :))

That totals 20 times during one class--granted this class is longer than others, with silent reading time included--that we had to pause what we were doing, our attention was broken and we had to then get back on track. Let me tell you, 6th graders are not easy to keep on track at the end of the day. I am getting frustrated with all of the interruptions! The strange thing is, today, with the student keeping track and the other students conscious that these were interruptions and our learning shouldn't be interrupted, they actually got off track less. Crazy. Anyway, I think I might have a different kid keep track for a week and just see what the average is. I am going to use the data to try and push for some different systems for next year within the school. If we really are prioritizing student achievement, and students have consequences for interferring with learning, there won't be 20 interruptions in one class period.

Maybe, just maybe, it is possible to get my students so invested in learning that they do not even flinch at an announcement, but the truth is, i lose my train of thought when i have to pause mid sentence for a few seconds. Maybe I am just venting about things that are out of my control because i like to blame things on other people. maybe it would be better if i just focused on the things that are under my control. ah. there are a lot of those. things i could do better. such is life as a first year teacher. my brain is mush and my post is quickly deteriorating into a stream of consciousness narrative. I'd say it's time for me to get out of here!

Sponsor Letter

I had to write this letter to my sponsor--someone who has contributed financially to Teach For America, but I figured that these reflections might have a place on my blog....

Ms. Carolyn Burns
350 S. 118th Ave.
Avondale, AZ 85323

Dear Mr. Leinweber,

Thank you for supporting Teach For America and my classroom. As the end of the school year approaches, I have been reflecting on what this year has meant for my students and I. All of us have come a long way in these past 9 months. The gains we have made together would not have been possible without your support.

At the beginning of the year I set a goal for my students that they would make a gain of 9 points on the 6 Traits of Writing rubric. Students can score from a 1 to a 6 on each trait, for a total score of up to 36. I chose this goal because it is based on growth, rather than expecting students starting at a wide range of levels to reach a given score. This ensures that our goal is both feasible for all students, and ambitious for those students starting out at a higher level. My students have been tracking their progress in their writing folders, so with each writing project they can see how they have progressed towards their goal.

Many of my students began the year without being able to write a basic paragraph. Even some of my students with high language abilities struggled to organize their writing. I would read a paragraph that covered such a broad range of topics it would leave my head spinning! From the first time I had them attempt to write an essay I knew we would have to go back to the beginning to learn to organize writing. We worked with pre-writing techniques, practiced connecting main ideas to relevant details. My class has been centered on equipping my students with the tools they need to take their excellent ideas, rich experiences, and wonderful senses of humor and communicating them in a way that makes sense to a reader.

This work has not been easy. We have all had moments of frustration. There were times when my instruction just wasn’t making sense to my students. Other times, I was the one left clueless as to how to understand the behavior of 11 and 12 year olds caught in the transition between childhood and adolescence. Sometimes I have felt as if I was pulling teeth just trying to get some of my students to put a pen to their paper.

Though sometimes it has felt as if we were working against each other rather than together, my students and I have worked hard. Through this hard work we have found success. Success when my students apply the skills I have taught them. Moments when they have tracked their growth on a specific writing trait and I know that, not only has their writing improved, but they feel confident in their abilities. We have also been successful in understanding the importance and relevance of being an excellent writer.

One particular afternoon one of my 6th graders asked, in response to a conversation we were having as a class, “Ms. Burns, you mean that we can change the world through our writing?” This is what I have been trying to communicate to my students in so many ways. To hear Celease articulate this message so clearly was like music to my ears.

This first year of teaching has been challenging in a multiplicity of ways. First, I have learned what it means to work harder than I have ever worked before and continue to feel like I am failing—and despite that, to keep working to be successful. By continuing to work, I have developed professional knowledge and skills. I have learned to relate to the pre-teens that I work with. I have learned how to respond to a wide range of parents—with wide-ranging questions, concerns and priorities. I have also developed a strong understanding of many of the issues that plague our education system. As I move forward, I continue to develop a sense of what needs to be done to address some of the challenges that we face. This year has changed me, and I feel that I have found my passion and my calling in effecting change in education. For this opportunity, I am filled with gratitude.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for your support for Teach For America and my classroom. Knowing that you and others like you are committed to our work, to our schools and to our students reminds me that “One day all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.” Thank you.

Sincerely,


Ms. Carolyn Burns
6th Grade Language Arts
Collier Elementary School