Last Day

Day 11- May 24 2010 8am-3:30

Today was a really relaxing day for me. I got up and bought some candy for the kids as a farewell gift. When I got to school the first block of 7th graders were starting to review for their exam next week. We went over what will be on the test and how they should be studying. This will be the first time they take an actual final exam. (They had mid-years, which are basically exams as well.) The 7th grade advanced class also went over what would be on their final exam. They however were much more studious and got straight to working on there very long review packet. They also went over the practice "red test" that they were given over the weekend. The 8th grade then came in and started getting to work on their cartoons. Some of the groups are starting to put it all together and they are looking fantastic. After class I decided to finish up some grading on the 8th and 7th grade honors courses. I enjoy grading because when they come ask for the grade I give them step by step explanations of what they did wrong and how they can improve. The one-on-one explanations really help the kids understand their mistakes. I also started to work on gathering materials for my final project, which I am very excited for. I can't wait to present to everyone what I have done over these past few weeks. Last class of the day was my 8th grade honors course. Most of them starting their test, while those who decided to take it early worked on their practice "red tests." The kids were stunned when 5 minutes after they handed in their tests I went over what they got wrong on them. The day ended with some heartfelt goodbyes and tears (on the inside.) Working at LFCDS has truly been an experience I will never forget!

Weekly Reflection 2

I think these weekly reflections are hard for me because I don't enjoy blogging without pictures or meaning. I realize that this is supposed to be a time for me to reflect on how last week went as a whole, but I feel that everyday I am reflecting through my blog. I talk about the kids, my goals, and how I plan on completing them. That is the very purpose of this weekly reflection. I came in to this project not really knowing what I was in store for, whether it be crazy kids, or disliking teaching. I ended up coming out (well almost out) understanding different learning styles and how to effectively cater to their needs. I also know how to control a class and how to teach a group of kids with different disciplinary needs. I learned a lot about what a teacher does behind the scenes of class time, whether it be constantly running to meetings or preparing for the next classes. Not only did I learn these obvious things, I also learned that teaching is tough, it's rewarding, and most of all I love doing it. Something that I tell people just from seeing it, is that people don't teach for the money (obviously) they teach because they love it. They want to make a difference, even if it is just for one kid. That means the most to them. I hope that if those teachers are reading this blog, they will understand how much I appreciate all they have done for me. It may not have been all good times, but I know and appreciate that you stuck with me and helped me no matter what. I will grow and learn from those who have taught me and I think that is why I succeeded as much as I did at LFCDS. I can not wait to graduate and head to college where I will further my passion for teaching.

Day Ten- May 21, 2010 8am-3:30

Today was an interesting day. It was super hectic around school because it was "Head for a Day" day. This is where an 8th grade students gets to see what it is like to be the head of the school. They also get to change some rules, for instance it was free dress today. They 8th graders usually go on a trip around 12 and get a half day of school. However their beach plans were rescheduled due to weather, which also meant we had our 8th grade honors course today when we weren't expecting them. We started out the day with the 7th graders who did more work with "Hands on Equations." The 7th grade advanced class then came in and were welcomed by my tough lesson plan. I made a quick lesson on solving rational expressions and also made a packet for them to do over the weekend as homework. After the lesson some of them need to finish up a big test they were taking.

The 8th grade class came in and worked on their projects, which are starting to really come together. Some of the kids still haven't grasped the fact that the math is more important than the cartoon, while others have projects that are both educational and fun. During my first planning block Mr Sperling and I went over how we grade. It apparently wasn't as easy as I thought, but I really enjoyed it. What we went over was also really interesting, not only in the mechanics, but also the emotional part of grading. Something interesting he said was that when you go back and look at the final grade does it accurately depict what they are doing in class? If not then maybe you were to nice, or too harsh. You must always stay consistent when grading and always be fair. When I started to grade I constantly was second guessing myself, wondering if I was too harsh or not. I quickly got in to the flow of grading and before I knew it I was done with the class' tests.

It was such a thrill when they all came rushing in wondering what their grades were. Going through the tests with them was also very interesting. They all were excited to see their grade and to also understand what they did incorrectly. During lunch Mr Sperling and I went over what my Senior Project presentation will be like when I get back. We came up with some interesting ideas, which I'm really happy and excited about. When the 8th grade honors came in to class we gave them some options. Some of them chose to take the test today rather than monday, while others chose to take a practice "red test." Monday will be my last day and I'm excited to be closer to graduation, but sad to leave LFCDS. I will definitely miss the school, the faculty, and the kids.

Day Off

Today was my day off from work because Mr Sperling had a "articulation meeting." This is where the local area school math teachers talk to the local high school math teachers about placement. They go over what they all are teaching in 8th grade and what is to be expected by high school teachers when they move up. After we went over to Mr Sperling's house to talk about how LFCDS's math movement plan was going to change. They are adding more levels of difficulty and this new system will make it so they can challenge more kids rather then having a group of kids who are not challenged academically at all. It was a short day and a nice one. No pictures were taken so this is a pretty boring post. Tomorrow will be a good day because I will be teaching the 7th grade honors course the concept of simplifying ration expressions. It is a tough thing to teach, but with the day off, I have managed to create some good tactics. Wish me luck!

Experiential Learning at It's Best

Day Eight- May 19, 2010 8am-4pm

Today was the day the entire 8th grade class went to Six Flags for a physics project. The day started with me taking a group out on the playground to calculate the high of the climbing net they have. This was a way to refresh their memory on the law of sines I taught them last week. The activity went great and everyone was getting it pretty fast. The only problem was we weren't getting the right answer!! What could be wrong, everything was right formula wise... Ah yes, who could possibly not realize that the calculators were in radians not degrees, how foolish of us. The kids got the answer we were looking for and we headed back in for a quick meeting before we jumped on the busses. When we walked through the park to our first destination everyones nostrils were wide open taking in all the scents. There was cotton candy, popcorn, and my personal favorite funnel cake.

The kids quickly jumped on some rides and started taking down all the calculations. The heights of the towers were accurately read by using law of sines (the one I taught them.) It was really interesting for the kids to actually experience what force was and how the G's were effecting them. Also, the rides were fun and exciting which made the kids even more excited about the material. If you let them actually experience the rides and just the act of being there then they will most likely learn more. Some may consider an amusement park to be only a distraction to students, but I don't believe this is true. When they are in small groups and have a chaperone that knows the material then they will get lots of work done and still have time to have a little fun.

There really isn't much to say on this blog because not much happened besides riding roller coasters and doing some physics. It was truly an amazing time at Six Flags and I'm really glad that I got to be apart of the experience. So since there isn't much to say, I will make up for it in pictures. Well it isn't a huge amount, but it should do the trick!

How Do We Focus The Mind?

Day Seven- May 18, 2010 8am-3:30

Woke up late today! That didn't start the day off on the right foot, but I managed to pull off my morning routine in half the time, which is pretty impressive on my part. Although, today my coffee had sugar in it, rather than my normal sugar with coffee. Despite this minor setback I walked into my first 7th grade class ready to go over their riddle sheet on multiple step equations. The riddle sheets are an interesting tactic in trying to encourage kids to do their homework. I think the point of the riddles are to engage students by giving them a reason to actually solve the equations. Even though that is why they were created, in my opinion, they get the same job done, but in a different way. For instance I think it engages the students not because they want to solve the riddle for a laugh, but rather to laugh at how bad the riddle is and complain about it the next day. Bottom line, homework is getting done and I don't think they even realized it was work.

The 7th grade honors course had a challenging homework that stumped most, but once we went over the concept of squaring the equation to get rid of the square root "protecting" the variable they understood immediately. Which is typical of the evil geniuses in the class. They also took a practice "red test" which is a challenging final test of their knowledge on solving equation concepts. The 8th grade honors class caught up with the 7th graders and did exactly the same thing today. However, Mr Sperling was late to our last class because of a meeting so I stepped in for a little. Gaining control of a group of ~15 students is way more difficult than I thought, especially when there are trouble makers in the class. I attempted to get them to settle down and start class by getting out their homework. Many listened and quickly got out their homework and sat quietly while others continued to talk and not get their homework out.

This is where I get confused. I know I'm not their friend I'm their teacher, I need to gain control, I need to make them listen, but do I yell? Do I single one out? Do I embarrass them by comparing them to students who are doing the right thing? There are so many ways of getting kids to quiet down, but I don't know my style yet. I hate being the disciplinary because I remember being that age and not wanting to learn, not wanting to pay attention. I guess what I want to happen is for the kids to respect me enough as a person to gain their attention without any hassle. For some this is actually a reasonable request, while others don't quite grasp it.

I find myself giving mini inspirational talks to the individual who then understands that they should start focusing if they want to go somewhere in life. Somewhat harsh, but it tends to do the trick, one student even started doing his homework and showing his work. (He is smart enough to be in the advanced class, but doesn't do the work, who does that remind you of?) Now with the improvement there is no doubt he will be moving up next year. Maybe my inspiration gave him that extra kick in the butt to challenge himself, which I regret not doing myself.

Teaching in a New Age

Day Six- May 17, 2010 8am-2:30

Something that really interests me in the world of teaching is technology. I feel that in recent years technology has made its way into classrooms and has had a huge impact on the way teaching is done. For LFCDS it is very important. All the classrooms are hooked up with a projector and a computer that you can use to project any image you so chose.

Whether it be a website that helps kids understand a concept more, or a program used to project notes up on the screen, technology is important. Back in the times when blackboards and whiteboards were the only form of note taking it was tedious for teachers to re-teach and rewrite every lesson. Now with computers you can write out a lesson and easily access it when ever you need it. Whether it be 10 years from when you made it or the next day when someone asks if you can go over the notes again, it is always there. The computer notes are a huge impact on the way Mr Sperling teachers, and how many teachers teach. When the lesson has been made you can reuse these lessons for the next year, making planning less of an issue for a lot of teachers. You can also send out these notes to kids who missed that day or just want to reread them.

I'm not saying technology is all good, in fact I personally think that it is starting to get overwhelming. Some students, at least in my mind, would just not take notes knowing that the teacher will send it to them later. Why waste my time right? Wrong! Most educators know that the best way for kids to understand something is to have them hear it, write it, speak it, read it! These are so critical in teaching that if we get rid of the writing it, it could really take away from the students learning experience. Although, with balance and diligence we can create a system where we can both harness the power and ease of technology, while keeping the simplicity and old-fashioned-ness of past teachers.

Quick wrap up of the day. The 7th grade advanced class came in to class ready to learn some calculus and they did a fine job. I gave them a quiz right off the bat to both scare them a bit for fun and to help them understand that it isn't so intimidating after all. I gave them a basic critical thinking quiz that had to do with finding the derivative. Then I also did a brief 10 minute lesson further explaining how we find derivatives and why we find them. It was quite interesting and the asked some thought provoking questions. The 8th grade honors course learned how to convert a quadratic equation into vertex form by using CTS! Pretty awesome stuff, stuff I didn't even know I could do.

Weekly Reflection

Teaching has been an amazing experience so far. Every day I go home having learned more than I ever could have imagined. This week has been great for me for a couple of reasons. It has taught me a lot about the career path I'm interested in. It has let me experience different learning styles and how to deal with them. It has helped me with communication both with co-workers and with students. It has also helped me further understand the hidden features in a teacher's life. I have been running around to meetings, teaching classes, and helping kids out during some free blocks. The amount of planning that goes in to each day is truly spectacular. This past week Mr Sperling and I were planning for four classes, most of which are completely different subjects. This means that when planning you must take each class and plan for them separately. For me this last week has been hard because I've yet to master the art of teaching these kids. I constantly am getting frustrated with myself when a kid doesn't understand a concept. I have come to realize that teaching them a concept they don't understand by just repeating it, won't work. You need to rephrase and help them understand it in a different way. You need to have more then one way of looking at a problem or else not everyone will grasp the concept. Working with Mr Sperling has been great so far and I look forward for the week to come. I feel that I have completed most of my goals for this project except for the actual teaching of the class. I think that this week Mr Sperling and I will plan a class for me to teach on my own and create the days activity. This will be a really good test for me and it will challenge me a lot. I've said this in my blog a lot already, but the support I've been given by both Josh Norris (my mentor), Mr Sperling (my sponsor), and the faculty at LFCDS has been both inspirational and helpful. There has not been a time where I didn't feel comfortable doing this project and that is both because of the prep work at Proctor and the relaxed environment at LFCDS. I hope that I can further my understanding of the teaching world this upcoming week and really shine as a teacher myself.

Hands-On

Day Five- May 14, 2001 8am-3:30

Coffee and go, coffee and go, coffee and go! It's been working so far, why stop now? I was alert and ready this morning for my last day of the week. It's both exciting and sad because I am doing so well and I hate to think that I only have one week left. The 7th graders this morning played around with another visual aid/learning tool called "Hands-on equalities" It is a way for kids to see a problem in front of them and be able to manipulate it with their hands rather than their brains. It's quite the tool when dealing with different types of learning styles.

When the advanced 7th grade class came in I was very excited to teach them my calculus lesson, but Mr Sperling postponed it another day because they needed to get one more day of quadratics, CTS, and discriminants. The challenging lesson will be given completely by me on monday, then we will give them a packet to help them review for the "red test." The 8th graders continue to work on their cartoon projects and seem to be a very diligent job on them. There are still some students struggling to grasp the concept of time management, but they are slowly starting to understand the importance of the project. After class I needed to run home and grab my time sheet so that I could get it signed by Mr. Sperling. While out I decided to grab a bite to eat with some friends, which was a nice change of pace from work.

When I got back the 8th grade honors section was ready to get some work done. We talked more about the quadratic formula and the discriminant and gave them a packet to work on over the weekend. They weren't to happy about the packet, but more practice could do them some good. During our last block of the day Mr Sperling and I sat down to talk about next week. So far, for the most part, I have been observing and helping out when needed. I think that one goal we should have for the end of next week is for me to plan a lesson for not just one of the classes, but all of them. This will help me really understand the prep-work that goes into each class, not just one.

Next week will be a more stressful one for sure, but I hope I can pull it together and create some good classes for these students. I feel so accepted at the school by both teachers and students that I don't feel nervous or uncomfortable being there. That is really something to brag about because without the support of everyone at the school this project could be so much harder. They are making teaching seem really pleasant, even though I can see right through them!!!! I'm just kidding of course. Teaching is quickly making its nest in my heart. Every day I help a student further understand a concept I get this tingle inside. As lame as it sounds to those who don't teach, those who do know exactly what I'm talking about.

Which one is me?

Chaos Isn't Always Bad

Day Four- May 13, 2010 8am-4pm

It was a hard day to wake up to. It was cloudy and a little rainy, but nothing I haven't seen in New Hampshire recently. Went to work at noticed something weird. The secretary wasn't there this morning who I usually exchange a quick wave with. Kept walking and a teacher said "you made it!" Kept walking and I arrived at my classroom. Apparently last night it had rained a LOT and it was taking people 1-2 hours to get to school, when normally it would take them 10. Peoples' basements had flooded and some teachers weren't even at school yet. This is when I was also informed that a math teacher was not going to be here, which meant Mr. Sperling and I had to absorb her 7th grade honors class first block, which is our regular 7th grade class. At first I was worried, until I realized there were only four kids from our normal morning class at school. The four kids we had got to grab a computer and do some fraction work. While they were on the computer and I went around keeping them focused and on task, Mr Sperling was teaching the Honors class the exponent rules. (Something I need to brush up on before I start giving advice. Ha!) Then our normal 7th grade advanced class came in and started going over some homework on quadratics and discriminants. The managed to lucky skip out on my lesson on derivatives, but that won't be for long. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to challenge their minds with some calculus.

Then we had our class of 19 8th graders come in, but this time I was the only one in the classroom. This for me was probably the most intimidating situation I've been in since coming here. Mr. Sperling had to go and teach a 6th grade class due the the missing faculty and I was left with 19 energetic, to say the least, kids. Fortunately, I apparently have managed to gain enough respect from the kids to calm them down and get them working on their cartoon projects. Many of them have shown amazing progress on the projects, while others are still searching the web aimlessly for pictures. I hope they start working a bit harder or they will be in some serious trouble when due dates start coming.

After class I came to the conclusion that my basement must be flooded. It has flooded before and everyone else's is flooding, so I decided to drive home real quick during our planning block and check on the situation. Sure enough there was water all over the basement floor. I quickly dried the floors and laid down more towels in case more rain came. Crisis averted. I went back to school calm and collected, which was a nice change of pace. Mr. Sperling and I went out again to grab a bite to eat and we had an interesting conversation. For some reason we started talking about the future of this school and how he wants the school to have a better system of communication. It's hard to describe on paper, but what I am talking about is similar, if not identical, to Proctor's NTA system. This is a Notice To Advisor, used to communicate to the parents, the advisor and the student themselves about their success or struggles. For instance, if little Johnny got a 100% on his last English test, then the teacher would write a quick email saying that he is doing very well in class. This email would be sent to Johnny, his advisor, and his parents. This system can also be used for negative things such as; Johnny was misbehaved during math class today and he has been a distraction to other students. He also hasn't been fully completing his homework. His next assignment is a big one and I hope he can change things around. With this new system in place it could encourage kids to do better in school and also reward them publicly, which most kids love, when they do exceptionally well.

The day got a lot quieter and less hectic after lunch when we heard the storms were over. Teachers were all in and everything at LFCDS was back to normal. The 8th grade class came in and learned more about the quadratic formula and also the importance of the discriminant. After Mr Sperling and I sat down for a bit and attempted at making a "red test" also known as a problem set at Proctor. It was difficult to come up with what we were looking for and ended up getting distracted a bunch. We will most likely finish it tomorrow, no rush really. Tomorrow we will also talk about me teaching a couple classes next week. Should be an interesting prep day tomorrow. I ended up walking outside with my jaw dropping to the ground. It was warm, somewhat sunny and all the rain pools had disappeared

Repetition

Day Three- May 12, 2010 8am-3:30

To be honest I am SOOOOOOO glad we rescheduled the six flag trip because today was a terrible day. It was cold, rainy, windy when I started my day and cold, cloudy, windy when I ended. The good news, however, is that I was inside having a great time teaching and molding the minds of young children. This morning I grabbed a muffin and some coffee and headed to work. The 7th grade class is not always the easiest group of kids to deal with in the morning, but today was a nice and relaxed day. We decided to go further into detail with two step equations and use an online program to strengthen their integer rules, which some were struggling with. Something Mr. Sperling said that I thought was interesting was that with these age groups you can't just pound them with new material and lectures every day, but instead you need to take some time out of the week to let them do an on your own pace activity where they can be more relaxed in class.

This is what today was like for most of the classes. They were activity based classes, mostly online activities that helped guide them through algebraic processes. Then the 7th grade advanced class came in and used an online program called "Explore Learning" that helped them visually see what happens when you manipulate the different variables in a quadratic equation. Next up was the 8th graders, where we introduced their end of year project. They were very excited to hear that there will be no more new concepts, but what they don't yet understand is that this project is quite time consuming. I hope that we can keep them focused and on task for the next two weeks. With this certain class being 19 kids it will be a difficult task, but one that we can handle. During one of planning blocks today we gave a couple kids some extra help. This was my first time doing a small group session, but I actually observed today to see what styles and tricks Mr Sperling had in store. Some things I saw was that he was very patient and supporting. I think that these are very important qualities when helping a student who struggling to understand a concept.

During our lunch break Mr. Sperling and I went out on the town, if you will, and grabbed a quick sandwich. We talked about private school vs. public and what it means pay wise whether or not you have you masters. It was really interesting to hear the information about college degrees and the business side of teaching. When we got back we had a meeting with a couple of other teachers who were discussing student issues. This is much like Proctors round tables and I know that 4 years ago I was probably one of the students they were talking about. HA! Next we had the second group of 8th graders in the Honors section. The class went over homework and then I went to the computer to help explain to the kids what the quadratic formula is and how you use it. The way the system is set up in the room is that the computer is hooked up to a projector that shows the screens image on a bigger screen. Mr. Sperling has a cool program much like Proctors smart-board and it helps with creating lessons and reviewing homework.The kids also used "Explore Learning" after the lesson to get a better understanding of the subject. Our last planning block I decided that I wanted to create a mini lesson plan for the 7th grade honors students. It will be a difficult one and honestly something that took me forever to grasp, but I have a feeling that once I teach it they will not only fully understand, but be able to ask me questions about it I won't be able to answer. Mr Sperling and I decided it would be a fun change of pace and that he, too, is interested in whether or not they can grasp the concept of DERIVATIVES!

Tomorrow should be an interesting day for me because this will be my first time standing up in class and giving a lesson. I have faith in myself to stay calm and not get nervous, but I also know that I may mess up and I need to just keep moving forward. This teaching job isn't so easy after all, but it wouldn't be as fun if there weren't any challenges.

Constant Movement

Day Two- May 11th 8am-3:30

The day started with a cup of coffee and ended with a larger cup of coffee. This seems to be a theme on my senior project. Teaching is draining, but also fueling for me. I love the excitement of a kid understanding the topic, but the amount of time you spend on them comprehending it drains you if you are trying hard enough. This balance is something I am still working on.

Since this is day two I am still trying to get into the swing of things. From observing more today I have found the typical class schedule to look like this; start with homework grading and review, then re-teach concept to make sure they understand, then teach new concept, then give a little time for them to start homework and ask questions. This schedule is important for me to know because I soon will be planning and teaching a whole class on my own. If I want to succeed I should stick to what the kids know and understand. Structure is very important when teaching 7th and 8th grade students. Today the first group of 7th graders re-learned how to solve two step equations, but this time with a more visual approach.

What you are seeing here is what Mr. Sperling calls "Lab Gear". The sheet is separated in the middle by a line which is the "=" sign of the equation. The blue bricks are "X" or the variable you are solving for. The yellow cubes are the constants. This is a very useful tool in teaching these kids because it is visual and shows them why we can take one number and move it to the other side of the equation. This is difficult to articulate really, but what you are looking at on the sheet is the equation 2x=6. The answer they would get to is x=3. The advanced 7th grade algebra class continues to amaze me with their understanding of anything we throw at them.

Mr. Sperling and I decided that they were ready for the quadratic formula and learning about the importance of the discriminant. They both understood and quickly could put it into context. The 8th grade class had a quiz today on solving systems using the elimination method. During the quiz I popped over to the science lab to check in with the science teacher leading the trip to six flags. He wanted us to teach the kids about the law of sines, which is definitely not an algebra concept, but rather a trigonometry concept. Regardless, I managed to get dragged into teaching two of the classes the law of sines and how we will be using it on the field trip. It was my first real teaching experience at LFCDS and it went very well. I attended a math department meeting, which wasn't too interesting, but needed to be done. Then I came lunch where I had to monitor the kids as they ate, which was a very weird experience because I remember being in the kid's shoes and being frustrated with the teachers hovering over us telling us not to goof off. Ah, the memories of being a student here come to me almost every minute whether it be a story told by an old teacher of mine or just simply walking through the halls. After lunch we had the advanced 8th grade class, which consisted of showing them how to use completing the square when the "a" term is not equal to one.

The day ended with a meeting with Mr Bullard and Mr. Sperling talking about graduation speakers and speakers for the sports award ceremony. I unfortunately have some bad news for my few readers! I won't be going to six flags tomorrow because of the weather, but instead we will be going next wednesday. This is good and bad for Mr. Sperling and me. We had to rush to create plans for tomorrow's classes, but we do get more time to introduce the topic of the law of sines. Another great day at the school that taught me for 11 years of my life!

Day One in the Life of a Teacher

Monday, May 10 - Day One, 8am-3:30pm

I apologize if I fall asleep during this post. It has been a tiring day, way more tiring than I could have ever imagined! It was a busy day that started with getting to school around 8. I then met up with Mr Sperling (my sponsor and head of the math department) where we jumped right in to first block. During the day I have four math classes. They are two seventh grade classes and two eighth grade classes. In between them are "planning blocks" That tend not to be a block for planning.

A quick start in the morning with a 7th grade class that is learning pre-algebra curriculum, specifically today they learned about basic two step equations. Next we moved in to second block where we had another 7th grade class. They are a very advanced group of kids that are actually learning algebra 1 concepts like todays activity, which was solving equations by completing the square. The next class was a group of 8th graders that were a bit harder to deal with, but fun at the same time. They are currently learning solving systems through elimination. Mr Sperling and I decided to grab an early lunch because we had a couple "planning blocks" ahead of us. After the quick bite to eat, at the cafeteria I haven't missed much since graduating, we went over to a math colleague of Mr. Sperling's and an old teacher of mine. We made groups for a physics field trip we will be going on during Wednesday.

It is a trip to Six Flags, where the kids will be learning about forces. After that meeting we had a "Team Meeting" during our scheduled lunch break. This consisted of all 7th grade teachers across the board meeting and talking about issues with scheduling, kids, and other topics for the future. This was both very interesting and productive. I even managed to participate by giving an alumni/kid's perspective on some topics. Back to the classroom we went, where a group of 8th graders were waiting for us, ready to get to work. At least that's what I believe they were doing.

This 8th grade class is an honors course that is learning how to solve equations by completing the square. You may be saying to yourself, "Aren't the 7th graders doing that?" The answer to the is, yes. The 7th grade class is actually so advanced that they have managed to catch up with the 8th grade Honors course. This also creates some interesting drama due to the fact that there are siblings in these classes. For instance a very smart young girl I met today in the 7th grade advanced class helped her brother (in the 8th grade honors course) with the homework the night before. Quite interesting and, as Mr. Sperling said, rare. We ended the day with what I would consider the most relaxing part of the day; our first actual planning block, where we printed out assignments for the next week. Laying on the desk as we walked out the door was the week in lesson plans and assignments. All in all it was a great first day, but also a tiring one. I plan to take a nap not only today, but everyday. I never really knew that it was this difficult, not only to just stand there and be engaged all day, but to also be running around to meetings and getting work done for the days to come. I am already learning so much and it is only day one. Tomorrow has a lot in store for me. I will be getting more involved in the class, rather than just observing, which is what today mostly was. Both Mr. Sperling and I are energetic and excited for what these next two weeks have in store.