Education Nation

I have so much to say about how great this year has been. How wonderful it feels to have an idea of what I am doing each day. To understand a few ways to get kids to do actual work. To not be panicked when someone walks into my room to observe me. To have more fun with the kids( who are so, so incredible) then to be stressing over them.

NBC is spending this week discussing Public School systems in our nation, and the things we could improve. I could spend thousands of blog entries talking about what I think is going wrong and how I think we could improve it. But I don't choose to focus my energy just on that. I'd rather focus on the students for right now. I'll tackle all the rest of that stuff later.

Today though, they had a Teacher Town Hall meeting. I watched all of it and agreed and disagreed with everything they talked about. But they also showed this clip of a Dateline from a 2005, that followed a first year teacher.

Check out this great MSN Video: The education of Ms. Groves

(that was the best I could do!)

It was odd to me how quickly I could remember all those horrible feelings. About caring so much, but not really making an impact. Of not knowing what to do or how to get something across in your class. The feeling of having less control, and of being emotional all the time.

Watching the video, was very emotional for me and afterwards the comments from Brian Williams and the other teachers, made me even more emotional.

They focused on the passion they saw from her as a first year teacher and the desire to teach those kids. I often forget that in 2005, when this was made, teaching had never crossed my mind. But in the fall of 2006 and into 2007, teaching became something that weighed heavily on my mind. I was unsure if it was the right path.

Throughout these past 2 years, and even when I began my observations in someone else's class, that doubt has been erased. I feel now that I could never see my life without a career in education in it. Whether it's teaching, or something else- I hope that no day goes by without a student in it (ok.. unless it's summer!)

Sometimes it's hard to think of teaching as a calling, a desire, or a career you are drawn to. But that is 100% how I feel. Whether or not my best is enough is always playing out on my mind. But never once is the idea that I have chosen the wrong path, or that I was not mean to do this, crossed my mind.

What a lucky girl I am.

iPod Serial Killer

I am an iPod serial killer.

iPod serial

killer

1. A person who commits multiple (more than two) iPod murders, especially similar ones with no obvious motive over a period of time

The most important thing I look for in an iPod (or iPods) is a name. It doesn't matter the shape. The size. The amount of music played. The songs on it. All that matters is it has a name.

The first brick of an iPod I had was named Pancho. It was about 3 inches thick and weighed about the same. It lost it's life to one too many skiing trip accidents and a dead battery. It was tough to watch him go, but he lived a long life. The longest of all my iPods. Almost 3 years and I understood that his time was up.

Next was Lefty. Lefty and I never saw eye to eye. In part because he was my mom's old iPod and couldn't understand my style of listening to music and in part because he knew he was Pancho's sloppy second.Lefty resides in Fort Worth with my uncle now. Good riddance, is all I have to say.

Jr. was a present for getting good grades. I worked my butt off studying and he was the sweet surprise at the end of the year. I named him after my year in school. He will always be my favorite iPod, sleek, black and played videos (finally!!). I loved him because of the reward he represented. The constant reminder that I worked hard and deserved nice things. Jr will always have a spot in my heart. I don't even remember how he died. Maybe of overuse and a dead battery. But I blocked the memory out of my mind.

Next came DUKE. I had the hardest time thinking of his name. Duke was bought with my own money online, off of E-Bay. He looked and felt just like Jr. I still get the two of them mixed up in my mind. He lasted a few years but his battery kept going off and on. He was a re-bound iPod. My mind and heart missed Jr. too much to really care about Duke. My dad tried to change out his battery and he reached an untimely death. I wasn't there to see it happen. Or to see him thrown in the trash.

White House came while I still had Duke. White House is like my dysfunctional family member. We have a love and hate relationship. Sometimes it annoys me to no end and I just give up on music for the day. But I always come back to it. White House lives in my car, always plugged in to a charger because it would die otherwise. White House goes to the gym with me and has driven me across Round Rock, Austin and all over Texas. White House keeps me upbeat and energetic, even if his battery dies when I need him most. I can't stay mad for long.

My newest iPod is that perfect, goody two shoes that I get sick of. DARTH VADER.

He's so... dependable. Always there playing what I want to hear. When my alarm goes off at 5:37 AM, there he is, playing John Mayer. When he goes off again at 5:45 he's back playing more soothing wake up music. Just like I asked him to.

I'm over it.

Maybe I'm scared to form any attachment to him because I know he'll end up like the rest- in the trash can. Or at the very least, like White House, dysfunctional and breaking down all the time.

Maybe I'll start to like him, one day. But until then I'll keep thinking of names for iPod Number 7.

Where I'm From

I have looked for this EVERYWHERE and finally found it.

I wrote this poem in 7th grade and then updated it in high school. It's still pretty accurate.

Where I’m From

I’m from dance classes

From dancing in any place that had enough room

I’m from swim lessons at the neighborhood pool

From counting the days till summer and swimming would start

I’m from parents who hardly had enough time at one point

And then having too much time later on

I’m from the stories of when Jessie was my age

And her father always telling her, “Jessie Bell, children are seen and not heard.”

From her telling me she always wants to hear what I say

I’m from private schools and uniforms everyday

I’m from church every weekday, but not on Sundays

I’m from the hymns that were my favorites and my mother’s favorites

I’m from stories I don’t even remember

From jumping off the couch just to go to bed

I’m from the song my dad made up just for me

From the words I hoped to hear him sing before I went to sleep

If I could write a letter to me....

I have been getting so (nervous? excited? pumped? apprehensive?) who knows- about the upcoming school year, that I've started doing some lesson planning.

The first unit deals with The Readers/Writers Notebook and I was trying to think of ways to get kids sort of excited about their writing and inspiration struck (Inspiration came in the form of googling "Writers Notebook Ideas")

But one idea was to have kids write a letter about themselves, and about their future year. And I have tons of ideas of how I want my students to write these letters, but that's not what I'm interested in writing about here . (and what if future students is reading this? I don't want to ruin the surprise! PSYCH- I don't really want future students or any students reading this)

SO to sort of kick this off I wrote a letter to my 7th Grade Self. Here it is.

Dear Abby,

7^th grade seems like it’s starting off so great. Your parents let you go to that N*sync Concert the night before your first day of school. You could of sworn Justin Timberlake, was looking right at you and your best friend Carmen. Who knew he would still be famous now?

This year might be rough for you- but on the bright side things will go waaay uphill. But not for a few more years, you have a lot to learn about yourself and the people around you.

My first piece of advice, is to think carefully of who your friends are. I know that Carmen, Rosa and you are inseperable right now. But ask yourself this question, did you get in more trouble before or after you started hanging out with them? They are good friends to have, but you can find even better friends, who will ALWAYS have your back.

My second piece of advice, is to TRY HARDER in school! You’re a pretty smart kid- but it’s hard to keep up with the other kids at your school. You probably will never get 100 in Algebra, and Mrs. Mika may never like your writing. But if you actually tried harder on your homework and paid more attention in class, you would start getting grades that you were proud of. And in the end, your opinion of yourself is the only thing that counts.

My last big piece of advice is this, WAKE UP. There are so many wonderful, amazing things around you all the time. It’s so easy to let all of them pass you by. Your brain is always somewhere else, and you never seem focused on what’s in front of you- only on what’s next. You are incredibly lucky, your parents aren’t so bad, and you’ve got so much to appreciate. And you will appreciate it, when you finally learn to notice it.

Here are a few minor pieces of advice, but pay attention they will help you now and when you’re older (like now!):

That guy is dumb, and is always playing games. Move on.

Spend less time online, and more time outside. Your happier when you aren't always in front of a screen!

Your parents really don’t want the worst for you, although it seems like it.

Be careful what you wish for, it won’t always come out the way you want it to.

Open your mind to new ideas and new things. New friends don’t mean their bad or worse than your other friends. It just means their new.

Always stay loyal, trusting and looking for the good in people. It is one of your best traits and can only take you farther.

If you know it’s wrong, don’t do it.

Good luck, and I promise things are always getting better!

Always,

Abby Green

PS: Take out those purple contacts, be happy with the eye color you have, it suits you.