Number one down the drain

Oh where to start with a day like today. I stayed up late last night trying to plan the lessons for this week that I should have planned over the weekend, but decided to go out instead. I know this is for the work experience, but it is also for the Australian experience. So I stayed up trying to decide what I wanted to do, I knew that I had to teach spelling and whatever I wanted to do with my unit for this week. The spelling wasn't too hard, but I had a bit of a hard time with the unit. I decided to do something with the United States, but I had no idea what to do. I knew that today we we had computers so I had to think of something to do with that. I decided to do a WebQuest and just looked online to find something simple enough for the kids who didn't know much about it. I found one about the flag that was designed for K-2 students in the states and decided on that. Finally, around 11pm I got to get some sleep.

This morning I woke up and got myself a little more organized and tried to leave for work early, although I realized unless I leave at 7, I have to wait for the 7:55 501 bus anyway. Now I know, that I never have to leave before 7:30 or maybe even 7:40. It started to rain when I first got to school, which the weather report said was not supposed to happen today. I did a little bit more work on the computers when I got to school just to finalize things. I set everything up for spelling to use on the SmartBoard which didn't take too long and then I started looking for different things for my unit. I found a pretty simple WebQuest on Native Americans and decided to use that. Unfortunately I didn't time it very well so I didn't have time to edit the WebQuest. I would have changed some of the links to more simpler sites or maybe even wrote my own stories and had a link to a word document. But I only had so much time, so I just decided to go with it.

The day got started and I went through the spelling pre-test and then we did a word search. That went pretty well and they weren't too talkative during the activity. After spelling we had reading groups and I got to work with the kids and do guided reading. It was a really good group today and we did a good job working on expression while we read a story about Aborigines. After that Adam and I had planning time and I finalized some things for my WebQuest and did a little research on some math activities in case I need them this week. After lunch the kids had silent reading and I kind of planned out the rest of the week. Then we switched for math groups and went over finding area of irregular shapes and then the kids did a worksheet. They did a pretty good job and none of them really had any big problems with it. After math the kids from our class had to come back in because they got in trouble for talking during the day. We all had a really big discussion about being respectful and not talking while the teacher or someone else is talking. Then they went out to recess and we had my lesson right after recess, let me tell you in that last hour after recess you can't get those kids to do anything. I brought up the WebQuest and we talked a little about what Native Americans were and what the WebQuest expected and then went to the computer lab. It is hard to keep the kids in control when their are no inside hallways and they don't get in trouble for running to the next place or talking on the way there. I miss quite lines in school hallways! We got up to the computer lab and of course I had all my links saved in a Notebook file (for the SmartBoard) and the computers didn't have that so Adam had to run downstairs and save it on a Word Document for me. I was trying to organize the kids and get them ready but they just don't listen. It's not just me, they don't listen to Adam either. We finally got the web page up and got started. Unfortunately none of them listened when I said that they could go to the easier sites on the board and went straight to the sites attached to the site, which is too hard for their age group and especially kids who do not know anything about Native Americans. Some groups did a really good job and worked through all of the questions, but there were many groups that barely even made it through the first question (there was only 4-asking about where they live, what they eat, what their house was like, and something interesting). They started to get loud at the end and just didn't focus any more.

Overall I wish I would have taken the time (if I found this site earlier) to change the links of information for them, hoping that if it was easier they would not give up or get distracted so easily. I also wish I could change the behavior, but they have such a set and strict policy for behavior that I can't do that. If they don't listen to Adam, how the hell am I going to get them to listen to me? I can't change the school behavior policy! I just don't know what to do. I have good lessons and good ideas, but the behavior is the trickiest thing. I am working on it a bit tomorrow and I am hoping that maybe we can catch up (unfortunately we can't use the computers any more) tomorrow and do a chart with all the groups. I also have to plan spelling and writing tomorrow! Ughhhh! I love teaching, but I hate planning. Hopefully I can focus for about an hour, get some work done, and then pass out. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

I got a lot done when I got home from work though. I stopped at the Bargain Buster on the way home and got a folder that is made for A4 paper (which is a little bigger than letter size paper and commonly used in Australia). I gave myself 30 minutes to relax when I got home and then had to get to work. I put a load of laundry in and then it was my day to clean the kitchen. I came back and cleaned my room, organized all my notes from school into my new folder and then made dinner. Tonight I made fish, sweet potato fries, and corn. Another very impressive dinner for me. My roommates are starting to get impressed, but I know I won't be able to continue this for very long haha. Now it is time to get back to work and finish up planning for tomorrow. I really should get everything planned for the whole week, but I would rather sleep right now haha. I will let you know how tomorrow goes.