I'm Back

Holy cow! It has been a few months since I posted last! I sure have lost track of time with all I have going on. Trying to keep up with Smartboard notes for all my books has me really busy. We have had a ton of meetings also. Anyway, it is nice to be back writing. The weather is getting nice and school is winding down. I definitely have Spring fever! I am looking forward to our summer trip to Disneyland and wrapping up all the meetings and such concerning the St. Francis Picnic.

First Week at School a Success

For all the worrying that I did about this year I have to say that the year is starting out great! Our contract is finally settled. The new faculty is wonderful and full of enthusiasm. The kids seem to be excited and so far have been well behaved. We got all of the secretarial work done this week...locker assignments, books handed out, etc. My room is almost done as far as decorating goes. A few more things here and there and it will be complete. Next week we will start to establish a routine. My student teacher has been a real asset and I am looking forward to see her interact with the class. I am starting to get caught up in the classroom and I am getting back in the groove.

IT'S HERE!

School starts tomorrow! This is going to be a great year! I hope all the students are ready. My room is redecorated and I am pretty much right on track as far as having stuff ready. Here's wishing the best to all the teachers and students at Payson Seymour in the 2008-2009 school year. Let's all be positive and hardworking.

A Week From Today

A week from today I start school. I am excited! It is going to be a good year and I have spent a lot of time this summer in my room changing some things around and making it a little more homey. Thank you to Mrs. Linderer and Mrs. Steffen for giving me some of their time this summer to help in the redecorating process. I felt it was important to show the students that the young new teachers weren't the only ones that were going to bring something different and exciting to the table. I still have a few things to do at school but I think I am ahead of the game. It looks like on our schedule that we will have a little more time to work in our rooms the first couple of days of school. I hope all my students bring the same enthusiasm to school as the majority of the teachers. Wouldn't it be great if all of us were committed to having a positive attitude during the 2008-2009 school year?

New School Year, New Look

I thought since pretty much everything I know at school is changing, which is a good thing I think, that I should change up my blog and update the look. I hope you like it. We, as teachers at Payson Seymour, are 18 days away from school starting. The summer has slipped away at an unbelievable rate! I have really been a slacker lately on blogging but have put it in my head that this is a good way for me to get back in the groove of the school routine so my posts will become as frequent as they were during last school year. Most of you know how summer goes...busy, busy, busy...and the last thing you want to do is tie yourself to the computer. I have taken a pretty good break from blogging so I feel refreshed and ready to go.

By the way, the changes I am referring to are a new contract, many new teachers, a new principal, and some moving of teachers. It is going to be a good year!

During the next few days most of my blogs will be from Jott so they will be short and if anything is misquoted or hard to understand it is because it was not transcribed correctly. I will be busy with a family reunion. It should be fun. My wife's family is fun and full of jokesters. Enjoy the new look!

School Mentality

It is kind of nice this summer. I have been involved with our negotiation committee and talking to fellow teachers about the upcoming school year. It is going to be rather different this year. We had 5 teachers retire on our side of the road and I am really feeling like one of the "old dogs". Anyway, the reason I say that it is kind of nice is because my brain has not been allowed to go to mush this summer due to meetings and thinking about this coming year. It is keeping me on my game you might say. It should make the transition into the school year quite a bit easier. I am very excited about the upcoming school year! I will be having two excellent student teachers this year so that should definitely add to the excitement! I have also had a few contacts on Twitter recently from fellow teachers asking me about what they should teach first in their class concerning technology. That is so cool!

The End of School

The end of the school year has really crept up on me this year. Is it because of how busy I have been with everything or is it because I am getting older? I feel my blogging has been suffering but other aspects of my technological education have been thriving. I have been working on mastering the art of podcasting which I will be the first to say that I still have a way to go. We just finished a voicethread (new web application) on our 8th grade solar system projects. I have also been trying to keep up with all the new web applications, which by the way is next to impossible. We just got notice today that our grant was approved for a PV array (Solar Panel System) at the junior high and high school. I will tell you that I am not complaining. I have enjoyed staying busy on these topics.

As far as the home front, everything for the school year is wrapping up for my kids also. My kids had their school Spring program last week and my daughter just finished up dancing for the year with her Spring recital. My son has his scout graduation ceremony this Friday. He will be one year away from being a boy scout!

I have really enjoyed this school year, especially the kids. The seventh and eighth graders have been wonderful this year and have worked hard. We have done a lot of stuff with computers this year and I hope it continues next year. The projects that we did this year were of very good quality. Good job junior high!

Projects, Projects, Projects Everywhere!

My room looks like a F5 tornado came through! I have solar system projects, and parts of projects, strewn throughout my room and it is driving me crazy! For those of you that don't know me I am a self-confessed neat freak about my room and desk. The projects are going to be wonderful, and the kids have put a lot of time and work into their projects, but my room is a disaster. It will probably take a day in class just to get it put back together and make sure that all the pieces of left over project picked up and/or thrown away. If the projects are as good as I think they are going to be then it will all be worth it.

The seventh graders are having to do some coping because of the mess. We are trying to get a blog project done in the middle of the war zone. They are coping well and my project-combat experience is coming in handy.

My high school class is also doing a project. It is one of my students' favorites. We are making roller coasters out of pipe insulation. We use a marble for the roller coaster car. They are enjoying it and like having all the room in the multipurpose room to work on it. We get into the math and how Newton's laws relate to it tomorrow so we will see how excited about it tomorrow. :)

I think all three classes are having a good time with the projects and learning quite a bit at the same time.

The Year is Wrapping Up

It is that time of year here at school. It is time to see what you can squeeze in between leaving early for track meets, assemblies, field trips, end of the year meetings, etc. It is a great time of year for me because it keeps me on my toes. What better way to get the adrenaline flowing than to see if you can adjust lesson plans on the fly! At a time in the year when it would be very easy to just get in a groove, and stay there, all the distractions make sure you stay on top of your game. I guess I am really asking for it next week. I will be in the middle of three different projects! I say "Bring it on!". There are roughly 35 days left of school and I intend for my students, and myself, to enjoy them and learn something in the process. Let's rock 'n' roll!

Way Too Long...

It's been way too long since I have posted. It's not that I haven't had anything to say, we are just getting Spring weather and outside sure is sounding better than inside. My son and I are doing the Scout/Camping thing this weekend. 60 degrees and sunny...can't beat it. I hope to get the rest of the yard raked on Sunday as prep for the fertilizer. I have been walking outside as much as possible instead of the mall and it sure feels good to do so.

On the work front, school is winding down but there is still much to do. We have an 8th grade project coming up next week and we will start their autobiographies in early May. 7th graders will probably get one more shot at blogging and they start their projects in early May. I will be taking next Tuesday as a personal day to go on a field trip with my son to Springfield, IL and on Friday of next week I have a committee meeting on Friday morning. The tech director and I will be having a couple of days of meetings coming up to discuss what technologies to use in class and how best to use them. It is a busy time!

I will try to be a little more on top of my writing!

Gettin' Out

I have been stuck in the house for basically four days. My kids have been sick since Saturday! It started out with throwing up and a fever and now has ended up with my daughter being diagnosed with pneumonia today. She was running 103 fever today. Both of my kids tested positive for flu type B, whatever that is. All I know is that when my wife got home today I had to get out of the house and do my walk and kill some time. I feel much better now. I will not be at school tomorrow. I am staying home with my sick daughter. I hope that I will be at school on Thursday but I don't know yet. I miss the routine and the kids at school.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up quickly! For our students at Payson Seymour they are on Thursday and Friday of next week. I really enjoy having parent-teacher conferences. It gives me a chance to meet, and get to know, my student's parents. As a teacher I get the privilege of spending roughly five hours with your kids, per week. Obviously for grade school teachers they spend even more time with their kids. I enjoy teaching and love being able to share with parents what the students have done.

It just so happens that parent-teacher conferences for my kids is also next week. I feel more uncomfortable during those conferences than I ever have for my conferences in Payson. I really fight, sometimes, being the parent instead of the teacher. I know I am tougher on my kids than most parents due to the fact that I am a teacher. I feel I am also tougher on myself, for how my kids behave during school, because I am a teacher. It is a tough situation sometimes.

Payson parents: Please come and be a part of you child's education. Support your child by attending our parent-teacher conferences.

Organization

I have been cracked on a few times for being organized. I don't know why. Maybe because on some things I might take organization to an extreme. I keep everything on my desk in a certain place. My lesson plans have coded lettering to let me know what has been copied and what needs to be copied. I have school jobs set to be done on certain days. I just feel that if I am organized and ready to go then I have more confidence in what I am doing and how I am doing it. I have always been this way.

Here at school I see a lot of disorganization. I do not only see it from kids but also from fellow teachers. Some people can function like this and do a wonderful job at what they are doing. For those people, you are better than me. I would be a basket case if I tried to do my job like this. Like I said, some can do it. I can't. Some students think they can function without organization. Most can't. Homework not getting turned in, projects being done the day before they are due, and tardies, are just a few of the ways I can pinpoint a student that is not organized. If you are one of the very few that can not be organized, and be successful, then the more power to you. On the other hand, if you think you don't have to be organized and you are stressed all the time and your grades are less than stupendous then maybe you should think about getting on the Organization Train. Trust me, if you give it a legitimate try you will be surprised what you can accomplish.

Early Dismissals

It looks like we are finally going to get a full day of school in! I don't know if the kids, and/or teachers, will be able to function having to work for a full day. Ha! Ha! My lesson plans look like heiroglyphics and I am having a hard time keeping track of where I am in each class. This is the first year since I have been at Payson Seymour, that I can remember, having this many days early in the year where we had to be dismissed early for heat. I am very proud of the 7th and 8th graders on the way they have adjusted and gone with the flow.

Now that it looks like we will have full days from here on out (until snow days!) we can get down to business and get in a routine. A couple more days of catching up and I should be back on track. Of course Monday puts a little kink in things, since it is Labor Day, but at least that is a known day of vacation. If I don't get back to you...Have a great Labor Day! Here's to routine!

Minus the Heat...A Great Start to School

What a great bunch of kids! We have started out great at Payson Seymour! It seems everyone has a positive attitude and teachers are really making an effort to make the new teachers feel welcome and old colleagues feel closer. The kids have been in a great mood, especially considering the 85-90 temperatures in the junior high rooms.

The seventh graders seem to be adapting well and the eighth graders seem to be getting back into the groove of things without a hitch. We have had a few locker and lock problems but nothing that we couldn't handle. I think we are all looking forward to a "normal" day to see where it takes us.

A lot of the things have stayed the same...picking on Mrs. Orr, Mrs. Linderer, and Mrs. Steffen, hearing Mr. Harbourn's wonderful laugh echo down the hall, seeing how all the kids have grown over the summer, seeing last year's eighth graders as lowly freshman, talking softball with Mr. Zanger, and, of course, myself being picked on for my organization. It is all part of why I love teaching. One thing I can feel that is different this year...the attitude. You can just feel the positiveness (is that a word?). What a great way to start out the year! Let's carry this on throughout the year and strive to continue it through the rest of our teaching careers and, as students, through the rest of our academic careers. Attitude is such an important thing!

And We're Off!

Here it comes! School starts tomorrow. It's time for homework, quizzes, tests, practice, games, and just being extremely busy in general. I'm ready, and I hope you're ready! I hope my students make me think as much as much as hope to make them think. I hope I learn as much as much as I hope to teach. All the things that kids do now days is unbelievable! They seem to play in every sport, are involved in every club, keep up on homework and class stuff, and still make time for friends. Kids are amazing and sure keep me feeling young.

Pay attention to how fast the year goes as soon Halloween rolls around. It seems the holidays make the year zoom by. Christmas (and the end of the first semester) will be here before you know it! Work hard but don't forget to take time to smile everyday.

No matter how bad you think your day is going I guarantee someone else is having a worse day. Life is too short to be serious, and/or grouchy, all the time! How will you choose to get up every morning? Will you dread going to school or will you embrace it and get as much as you can out of it and have a few laughs while doing so? Will you gripe about practices (and maybe even games) even though their are some kids in the world that don't ever get the opportunity to play sports? Will you complain about homework and tests or will you realize that not all kids in this world have an opportunity to get an education and that this will make you a better person? My personal philosophy is this: How well your day goes is 99% mental. In other words if you wake up thinking you are going to have a bad day then you probably will. On the other hand, if you wake up and say "Bring it on!" and choose to have a good attitude, you will have a good day. Another thing I have learned it this: If you make a mistake or bad decision fess up and take responsibility for your actions. Don't blame someone else or pass the buck. You will end up getting much more respect if you acknowledge your mistakes. Everyone makes them, but not everyone takes responsibility for them. I hope these tips help you in having a successful school year.

Good luck and best wishes for 2007-2008!

For Payson Seymour Junior High Students-First Week of School

The first week of school will go like this. Monday and Tuesday of next week (August 20th and 21st) are teacher work days. We have meetings about the upcoming school year and will also have some time to work in our rooms. On Wednesday (August 22nd) you, the students, will be coming to school for a half of a day (until 10:45). We usually have a short assembly with all the students, 7-12, in the high school gym to start out the day and then you are dismissed to your first hour class. Each class you go to, on this half of a day, will be approximately 10 minutes, or so, long. This gives each teacher time to take roll and introduce themselves. A HINT: Most, if not all, junior high teachers don't have time to hand out locks and lockers on this day so do not bring your school supplies until Thursday. On Thursday and Friday you will have regular hours 1st through 4th hours and shortened hours 5th through 7th hours. This is due to an early dismissal time on each day. The early dismissal time for Thursday and Friday is 2:00 p.m. On the morning of August 23rd (Thursday) all seventh graders should go to the multi purpose room as soon they are let in the door. All eighth graders should report to their first hour classes. On Thursday (August 23rd) most junior high teachers hand out books, lockers, and locks. Please visit my website to see what is going on during every week and what the homework is throughout the week. Some of my favorite sites are also linked on my site. I would also appreciate it if you visit my blog. Obviously you know where it is because you are reading this! We will be using my blog throughout the year to discuss important topics.

Let's have a great year! My goal for you is to learn as much as possible and to have some fun!

Here it Comes!

My calendar is filling up already. We just got my son signed up for football this fall and my daughter signed up for dance for the year. My school items are already ready and waiting on my calendar and my adrenaline is beginning to flow. There is just something about knowing that you have to be organized, and have pretty much every minute of a day planned out, that makes you feel very accomplished at the end of a busy day, and week. It is very gratifying that you have survived the tornado of a school, and extracurricular, week. We all, parents, do it. My wife and I are not special. We do work well together and we both know what our strong, and weak, parts of completing the schedule, are.

As you parents know, once the school year starts it is like a crazy-fast carnival ride that you can't get off of. The days blur into weeks, the weeks into months. It's a good time but extremely busy! Some of the things my kids are involved in are cub scouts, football, basketball, daisy scouts, and dance. Along with the extracurricular schedule you also have to keep the grandparents happy with invitations to visit and trips to their houses. Of course we will always have homework to keep up on with the kids and all the other daily chores that have to get done. Sometimes it doesn't seem like there is enough time in the day but everything always seems to done eventually.

So as I said, "Here it Comes". It waits for no one. So hunker down for the long haul and always remember to take the time to "smell the roses". Take the time to laugh with your kids, wrestle them around, read a story, play catch, or play a board game. Eat as many meals together as a family as you can and talk to your kids about their day and what is going on with their life. Enjoy these times because before you know it not only will the school year be gone but so will your children.

The School Itch

Well, I'm itchy again! It is that time of summer when my body starts to tell me to get my mind, and body, back into school form. It is time to start getting a routine going. It is time to start the beginning of the school year prep. It is time to get those Powerpoints done for my new class. It is time to get all the summer projects wrapped up. Before you know it it will be the final blowout of the summer. In my case it is the KC BBQ. This is a last chance to get together with friends and cut loose one more time before the school year kicks off.

You might say, "It is only the third week in July!". You are correct! I am, as accused by my students, my wife, and my co-workers, a neat freak, an over organized organizer. It did not take me long in my teaching career to figure out that the sooner you get stuff done the more time you have to handle surprises. Believe me, in teaching, every year there are surprises! This will be my 16th year teaching. I know, I am old. There is just something about knowing you are completely ready for that first day of school. The first few days are less stressful. I feel more at ease. The students feel more at ease. EVERYONE is more at ease! So I am guilty as accused! I am organized, motivated, and ready for the 2007-2008 school year to begin!

Going to School Year-Round

It's the end of the school year so I think I am safe bringing this subject up. Ok, maybe not. The way I understand how year-round school works is that you are in class for 9 weeks and then you get 2-3 weeks off. Then you go another 9 weeks and get another 2-3 weeks off, and so on. The last few years or so my thoughts about year-round school have changed. When I was a "green" teacher I couldn't wait for summer and enjoyed every minute of it. Summer has always been a rejuvenating period for me. I usually come back to school very enthusiastic and ready to go. To be honest though, the last ten years or so, I am getting antsy to get back into a routine after about a month of summer. Don't get me wrong, I still love summer break, but I think year-round school would be better for everyone. When I say everyone I mean the kids, the teachers, and the parents. If you have ever taught before, or are teaching, you know how hard it is to get the kids, and yourself, back in the groove of things in the fall. For some kids it might take as long as the entire first quarter to get everything organized and moving smoothly. Year-round school would eliminate this "transition" period. Parents would also not have to go through this "nagging" period to get their kids back in a routine. I think all the teachers, and students, would stay fresher and more inspired if they knew they had a couple week break after working hard for one 9 week period.

There are some major problems with this change. First and foremost, keeping daycare for the kids when they are off for those 2-3 weeks during the year is a big concern. This would not be acceptable in most daycares. Most daycares don't allow you to come and go whenever. You must hold your spot. This is a major problem for parents. Second, in our area (the Midwest), schools would have to have air-conditioning for those unbearable summer months. Third, the entire sports and extra curricular activity schedules would have to be completely redone. And fourth, making a change like this would require some major open-mindedness from everyone!