Samsung Chromebook Test Drive (Day 0): In a High School Math Classroom

This past week I went to San Antonio, Texas to a professional development conference put on by CSCOPE. CSCOPE is tied directly to the development of Texas education and consistent curriculum. It was a great trip, and I continued to learn new tips and strategies to use inside my classroom this coming up year. My summer of professional development and training has come to an end, and I am looking forward to preparing for the upcoming school year!

When I came home, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. A Samsung Chromebook! What was even better about it was that the school provided it to me. I had talked to my school administrator on the way San Antonio about using technology in the classrooms. Several of my state standards are changing in the near future to require me to incorporate more technology into the classroom, and I wanted a head start. He mentioned the school district is working on equipping every teacher with a classroom set of Chromebook computers! I was excited by that news, in itself. Honestly, no more having to reserve a computer lab? Who wouldn't love being able to use portable computers inside their classroom?

The one thing that he mentioned is that some of the teachers would be "test driving" these Chromebook computers in their classroom. I didn't think that I would be considered since I was new to the campus, and am only in my second year of teaching. I was pleasantly surprised to come home to this gem sitting in my closet. I will be starting out with just one teacher computer for this first semester. I will need to learn how I can incorporate it into the classroom, and then I will be able to share my experiences with other teachers in the Spring. I have started to look online at all of the capabilities of this computer, and I am excited to start my test drive. I am waiting on my login information from my technology department, but I have a game plan as to what I need to use to prepare myself for this coming up semester. Stay tuned as I share my comments on using this new technology in a high school math classroom.

Back To School Goals: 2013-2014

August 1st is the beginning of the new school year for many teachers. I have been finding myself scouring countless hours on the web trying to prepare myself for this new school year. One thing that I found over the past couple of days was many teachers were documenting their goals for the school year. Covering different categories, these goals range from personal, organization, planning, professional, and even goals related to how you want your students to behave. The last thing was a yearly motto.

 The picture above are the goals that I have set for myself during this 2013-2014 school year.

• Personal Goals: I want to be able to leave by 4:30 four out of five days each week (and not take work home). This is a big goal for me, especially the last part. Last year I spent loads of time at school before and after my classes to just prepare myself. I do not like clutter, which leads me to the next goal.

• Organization Goals: My room will be organized. It's a New Year, a new classroom, and a new building. Our high school is currently being renovated, and I plan to take advantage of the opportunity to begin the school year with a clean slate.

• Planning Goals: I want to minimize my time at home to plan for the upcoming week. I have two planning periods, and I need to use them wisely. Last year was difficult to do any planning at school, mostly because I did not have any planning periods. All of our free time was spent running tutorials before school and during lunch. Now that I will have two planning periods, and time in the mornings before my first planning period, there should be no reason that I am not able to do most of my planning at school!

• Professional Goals: I will be teaching Algebra I and Geometry, and I also teach in Texas. With that being said, my Algebra I students will be taking an End of Course state assessment in the spring. My goal is to have 100% passing rate on that test. Even though the Geometry students will not be taking a state assessment, my goal for them (and all my students) is to have a zero failing. 

• Students Goals: I want every student to have fun and to enjoy math. If they are engaged, then I can teach them. I am planning some fun activities for the school year, so I hope that I can reach every student that walks into my classroom.

Those are my five goals. Definitely think they are all achievable, and I feel good putting my goals down on paper. I will be referring back to this throughout the school year. I printed it out to include in my teacher binder so I can see it on a daily basis. The last thing that I added to my back to school goals is a motto. "Believe in Yourself." Many students, and myself, need to be reminded that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to it. Believing in yourself is an important key that will help make us all successful throughout the school year.

Teachers, Remember this: "You're Not Alone!"

This school year I will be starting at a new high school. While I am remaining with the same school district, the two schools operate very differently. This semester, I will have clearly defined courses that I am teaching: Algebra I and Geometry. This is quite a difference from my previous school, which was essentially a quasi-military private high school. Very different set of rules and expectations for each day. Without going into much detail about the old school, I can say that I am very excited about this coming up year.

In just a couple of weeks, I will be starting my second full year of teaching! Yikes! I can't believe that it has already been one full year since I made the decision to change careers. What a great adventure this has been for myself, and my family. Reading through the numerous blogs that I follow, I have realized that August is not just about getting back into the groove of school. It is really about reaching out to our friends and supporting one another as the school year begins. 

One specific blog that I follow is Teaching High School Math by Jennifer Lamb. Her post Ten Pieces of Advice for New {Math} Teachers has received a lot of hype from other {math} teachers. Every single post has wonderful information that I completely agree with. Everything from befriending the secretary and the janitor, to dressing appropriately, and even taking time for yourself. Wether you are a new teacher, or a tenured teacher, this advice is always great to remember before the school year begins. 

With that being said, I want to include my reply to Jennifer's post here. This would be my advice to any teacher, new or tenure. 

The one thing that helped me my first year was knowing "YOU'RE NOT ALONE!" Every single teacher had a first year. I found some wonderful mentors and friends through the regional service center in my area (Texas), and they sort of became my support group. When I was frustrated, confused, or overwhelmed, I would just send them a quick email or give them a call. They helped alleviate the stress that I was feeling, and I could go back the next day with a refreshed state of mind. When I had a win at school, I could reach out to them and share the good news. Developing a professional learning community was essential for me, and I would recommend it to any new teacher.

I wish all of you teachers a wonderful back to school pre-season! We are definitely not alone in this career, and I look forward in continuing to develop my professional learning community over this next school year.

The End of Summer: Now What?

As the end of summer is quickly approaching, I find myself starting to move towards panic mode. I don't really understand this shift, but perhaps it is because August 1st somehow marks the end of summer for teachers. Even though I won't be reporting back to my school until the 19th of August, there seems to be SO MUCH planning left to do.

I have spent countless hours and attended several trainings throughout the summer in order to become a better teacher to my students. I have learned many valuable lessons, and gained some good knowledge along the way. I am definitely looking forward to put those plans into action this coming up year. Despite all of these great things that I have learned, the most valuable pieces of knowledge came from some tenured teachers that I met in San Antonio at the 2013 CAMT conference (Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching).

"You can't plan EVERYTHING."

At first, I just want to my hands to my head and scream WHY NOT? But then the more reasonable and understanding Nikki comes out, and I start to understand. We cannot plan for everything. We cannot anticipate every single moment of every single day for an entire year. There is just no possible way this can be achieved. If I could, I should be playing the lottery! 

So, I am changing my game plan. I can plan the basics and skeleton of my lesson plans, but the bulk of the matter will be filled in on game day. My students will direct me on where and when I need to go. If we are moving quickly through a unit, great! If we need to move a little slower, then okay. I will make adjustments to what I need to do in order to make my students successful. So, instead of spending my last couple of weeks planning and perfecting every little detail, I am going to sit back and anticipate what my students are going to need along the way. Fellow teachers, enjoy these last few weeks of summer!