A week in...

It's hard to believe I've only been back teaching for 5 days. Although I feel like I am still just as exhausted every day when that last bell rings at 3:15, I am more confident and comfortable in the classroom. I don't feel so frazzled or all over the place ALL the time. I feel composed. Put together. On my game.

I have 145 students this year and so far most of them have come every day. My biggest class has 34, but it feels like I have 50 kids packed in the room. At least I have enough desks this year! (last year a student sat at my desk and another sat on a table in the back for the first week of school...). My smallest class has 7 (that's my self contained class).

I am thrilled about my second period class. It is comprised mostly of students I had last year as freshmen. They're great. They make me smile and laugh and I am so glad I get to teach them and learn from them again this year.

Some frustrations...

My school's quality review is in October, and we were told at our school wide meeting last week that we are "out of compliance" in special education. Our IEPs are poorly written and completely unhelpful and some are inaccurate. Our special education students are not performing well on state tests, if they're even taking them. I was told in late August that I'd be teaching a self contained special education English class (12-1-1). When I inquired why I would be (since I am not CERTIFIED in special education) I was told, "Well, Maura, you are VERY energetic and organized. You'll do great." Nothing about my actual performace as a TEACHER, of course. I still am unsure why I'm teaching the class, but I am going to do my best to help my kids-- most of whom are at about a 5th grade level-- pass the Regents exam.

I almost cried for my students at our meeting on Tuesday. The recession has FINALLY hit the NYC public schools, and more specifically, my school. We were told in the spring that we "might not have paper" in the fall. Currently, thank God, we DO have paper. Our afterschool activities have taken a HUGE hit. The Liberty Partnership Program has worked with Hostos Community College (which is about 5 minutes from my school) to provide activities such as dance, photography, swimming, art, etc. to our students. Because of the economy, they were forced to cut funding. They decided to remove the program from ONE borough. Guess which one. The Bronx. Why the Bronx? Who knows. Is this proof of the inequities within the education system? Perhaps. When my principal told us this, I felt so sad for my students.

On Sunday morning I woke up feeling calm and relaxed. It was amazing not feeling nauseous or anxious about the week. It's nice to know I will never have to be a first year teacher ever again.

First day of my second year

Chris and Rebecca's wedding (amazing!!!!!) officially marked the END of summer and the beginning of my second year of teaching in an urban South Bronx High School (if you're ever driving south on the Major Deegan Expy to Manhattan, look to your left right before the Madison Avenue bridge and you will sure enough see my classroom-- third floor, windows most likely covered with chart paper and posters. Honk.). The wedding was--without a doubt--the perfect way to end my summer. Cousins, partying, a beautiful ceremony, a beautiful new family. I couldn't have asked for a better Labor Day weekend.

Surprisingly, there were no outrageous surprises at the school-wide meetings today. I am still teaching four 10th grade classes and one self contained special ed. 11th grade class. My honors class, however, no longer exists, which is both frusterating and upsetting. I know so many of my students will be let down. I am working to implement some sort of honors curriculum where the students initially selected for honors can receive honors credit. We'll see.

Three of my rosters have 34 students, one has 29 (a collaborative team teaching class, which includes 10 students who were in a self contained 9th grade English class last year), and my s.c. class has 9 (with a paraprofessional, who is supposed to serve as my TA. Last year, my para sat at a desk, messed around on her Blackberry, ate food, brought the kids food, and often cursed in front of me and my students. She also refused to help/push the only student she was in charge of working with, who was in a wheelchair. More often than not I helped her pack her belongings and exit the classroom. Hopefully I will have a better experience this year).

I just trekked back to the UES from Lehman College, where I am enrolled in two grad. classes this fall. Studies in Shakespeare (Monday from 6-9) and an education class on media literacy (Tuesdays from 4:15-6). I never have high expectations for my grad classes, although it would be nice to actually LEARN something I could utilize and implement in my classroom. I suppose this is what a "free" masters gets me.

Now, I am off for a run to calm my nerves (7 weeks in to marathon training). I feel significantly better today than I did a year ago, so I can't complain.

I am excited for a new year, new students (with some old), and a fresh start. Wish me luck.