New Year's Resolutions

1. Be more patient with the children- The last couple of weeks before this vacation were not my best. It really hit me that I needed to take a step back and think about how I was treating my students when a colleague told me that one of my students (who she has last period some days) always asks her to help him put on his sweater before he goes to extended day with me. She said that he thinks I'll get mad at him if he can't do it. I do have high expectations of my students and I do expect them to dress themselves at the end of the day. I help them for the first few months of school and had been working with this particular student to help him put on his sweater. We had a little routine where I would talk him through it, "put your hand in the sleeve, other sleeve, over the head, etc." After a few weeks of that, he would talk himself through it with me watching. After a while, it was up to him and he could do it. One day we were late and I caught him and another boy playing in the closet while I was helping to zip up someone else. He hadn't even put on his sweater let alone his jacket, so I sternly told the boys that it was not time to play and that they needed to get dressed. I had a faculty conference starting in five minutes and when the little boy in question began unzipping his bookbag to take out his sweater, I lost it. I couldn't believe that after 10 minutes, he hadn't even taken it out of his bookbag. I said, "Now we're really late and I have dress you like a 2 year old." I dressed him and we went downstairs for dismissal. I guess what I said really stuck with him and I didn't mean it to sound so harsh, I just expect more of my students. After the teacher came to me with the concern, I started talking to him about pack up time and encouraging him to finish his work early so he can start getting ready early and take his time. I praised him for being the first in line for dismissal on the day before vacation with his sweater on and jacket zipped. I have to remember not to fault my students for not knowing how to do things. Although I think the boy did need to be corrected the day he was playing around, I probably shouldn't have called him a 2 year old. I know that comes from my knowledge that my 3 year old nieces and nephews CAN dress themselves and my 6 year old first graders cannot and that is not fair to take out on my students. It's not their fault that no one ever taught them at home or that that is not an expectation outside of school. It's up to me to teach them in a gentle way.

2. Begin a doctoral program- I'm officially saying it now. I am applying to a doctoral program to begin in Fall 2010. The application process is in full swing since I'm working with a January 15th deadline. I took the GRE, got the recommendations, and am working on draft 2 of the personal statement . I am not planning on leaving the classroom anytime soon. I just feel very strongly that I need to begin doing some real research in my classroom to improve my teaching and to serve language minority students in New York City. I want to connect with other educators who are dedicated to the field. I just don't feel that connection at my school, especially not with my administration. I am taking this on with a plan that include me staying at my school and in my classroom for at least 4-5 more years and possibly beyond, depending on what happens.

3. Redecorate my apartment- It's time. My boyfriend and I moved in together over a year ago. Well, actually I moved into HIS place. We haven't done much to it other than try to figure out how to merge all of our stuff. Now that I'm beginning this doctoral work, I envision the need for a giant table where I can just spread out (this IS New York though, so you can imagine the space constraints). I also want my home to be a calming and organized place where I can be healthy and happy, so maybe over the summer I'll work on some home improvement projects.

4. Take the summer semi-off- I always work full time during the summer teaching ESL to adults at a local institute. This summer, I am not going to work full time (ask me if I kept this resolution in April when they always call to sign me up and I never refuse). I would like to teach a summer course at the university level and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can do some adjunct work over the summer at the place where I have applied to my doctoral program. That would be fulfilling, not insanely time consuming, and get me just enough extra cash to go on vacation.

5. All the usuals- Eat better, bring my lunch every day, get exercise, sleep enough, etc.

Happy New Year!

Getting ready for a new school year

It's getting to be that time. I finished my summer job this past week and am enjoying a little bit of time off before the big day. Like many other teachers, my new year's resolutions start with the new school year. This year my goal is balance. I want to have a happy and healthy school year for myself and my students and in order to achieve this, I need to plan. Once school starts, my ability to think clearly is often compromised, so I have to start planning for mental and physical health before it all gets crazy. Below are my realistic goals. After four years of teaching in the NYC public schools, I have learned not to overshoot, because you'll just burn out.

1. Cook a healthy meal at least twice a week. I love to cook and I love eating healthy, but once school starts, I can't do it as often, so I think 2 times a week is reasonable. The other days I can put something together like a salad or veggie burger.

2. Bring breakfast, lunch, and snack to school each day. Yes, this is VERY important. It is so easy to eat unhealthy food, especially if your school is in an area where there is not much variety for buying your lunch. Every night before I go to bed (even when I'm too tired), I make myself pack these three meals. I realized the importance of the snack this past year. I was staying late and by the time I'd get home, I would be ravenous and would make a less healthy choice. I also find that getting to school really early and eating breakfast there helps me to focus and relax before the start of the day. You also save money and eat better.

3. No more committees. Over my last 4 years, I have been on countless committees and I am burned out for the time being. I am going to allow myself one study group and a book club, but no more pointless committees. Whenever I do this type of work I either find that I'm doing someone else's job for free, covering for someone else's incompetence, or working towards something that will never happen because the administration will screw it up somehow. So there, when someone asks me to sign up for something, I am going to say "no, thanks."

4. Work stays at work. I will go in early and even stay a little late, but I am not going to bring my work home with me unless it's something easy like making labels for reading baggies while I zone out in front of the TV, or blogging. This also includes the emotional baggage from work. I am going to try to be as aware as possible not to be venting to friends or family. Enough is enough, they are tired of it and they feel helpless when I tell them things, so I need to keep that kind of talk amongst trusted colleagues.

5. Take long walks. In the past, this has helped me immensely. It's free, so you don't have to pay for a gym membership, you get exercise, and you don't feel guilty if you can't do it. At least once a week (twice, when the weather is nice), I try to walk 60 blocks from my school to a subway station on my line. I find that it really clears my head and keeps me physically active. It also relieves the stress of the afternoon commute (since there is no transfer) and I get to see what other New Yorkers are doing. It's cool to see what's going on in the different neighborhoods I encounter across 60 blocks.

6. Get a good night's sleep. This is paramount for a successful year. You must be well-rested to have the patience and mental endurance it takes to care for, manage, and teach a class of children (of any age).

7. Don't neglect non-school friends. Just because my job is insane doesn't mean I have to alienate myself from my friends. I need their support and their perspective, as well as someone unrelated to school to provide a little bit of fun. Whether it's messaging them on facebook, or making relaxing plans (nothing too crazy, we still need our sleep!). I am going to make a big effort this year to be more social in small ways, remembering goal #4 at all times.

8. Don't stress about things that can be made easier with a little bit of money. I am a saver. I don't like to spend money on things that are unnecessary. So much so, that I would find myself stressing out about regular chores. Sometimes sending the laundry out or getting groceries delivered is just worth it. I'm not saying I'm going to do it every week, but I won't beat myself up about it if I just can't handle it.

Sound realistic?