Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Apologize

Sorry for the silence. Life is busy, but it's been good. Second year is somehow still magically better than first. I guess in terms of updates.. Halloween dance got canceled due to low ticket sales, which means that I have to wait until November to show of my moves. CM hasn't been in school for about 3 weeks. I called him at home yesterday and he gave me a list of excuses (sick, injured leg, etc.) and promises to be back soon. He tells me Phillip is planning to start at City for second semester. I tell him to relay the message that if he doesn't, we're gonna be on him. We'll see how that goes, for the both of them. P-Day kids still do the secret handshake and cheer for P-Day, so that's nice. Hosting Asian club in my room during lunch every Tuesday. One of the seniors says I'm the "most hardcore" teacher at the school (what that means, I don't know!) That's all I can think of.

In the meantime, here are some interesting articles that feature students from our school.
http://missionlocal.org/2008/10/after-the-bell-tolls/
http://missionlocal.org/2008/10/crossing-another-frontier-this-time-to-college/
The first talks about after school programs and why they're limited in their effectiveness of "getting kids off the streets". The second is about the barriers to going to college for undocumented youth. Check check check it out.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Absolutely (Story of a Girl)

Ok I'll let you in on a little secret. When I'm trying to name my posts, I come up with a theme and then I do a search on my iTunes for a song title with that theme in it. So this time I typed in "story" because I haven't really told many funny ones yet. And "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" came up, which I thought was very appropriate because just a few weeks ago my coworkers and I were at a local pub that was hosting trivia night. One of the rounds was a listening round, where they basically went through a random iTunes playlist and you had to name the artist. Needless to say, I kicked ass. And when this song came up, I didn't hesitate one bit and wrote down "Nine Days" before my coworkers even knew what was happening. And gave the full title, parenthetical included. Because I grew up in the nineties/early 2000s and lived by my WHFS 99.1 (RIP!). But I digress.

Snapshots of this year's kids...
Girl: "Whoa did anybody else see that? It was like.. everything went black."
Boy: "Yea me too! You noticed it too?"
Girl: "What was that? Ms. Chew, what was that.. everything went black!"
Ms. Chew: "Uhh.. I think it's called blinking."

Some of my boys kept asking me if I was going to D-Day, if I was ready for D-Day, and I honestly have no clue what D-Day they're refering to was. So one day, when they asked me if I was ready for D-Day..
Ms. Chew: "I don't know about D-Day, but I'm always ready for P-Day."
Boys: "P-Day? What's that?"
Ms. Chew: "Physics day!"
Boys: "Physics day? When's that?"
Ms. Chew: "Everyday is Physics day!"
It was a geeky moment, get over it. BUT every day they see me they yell "Ms. Chew! P-DAY!!!" And they tell me how sad they are when they don't have P-Day because of the block scheduling. Cute.

One day in the hallway I was telling one of my boys to hurry up and get to class, so I made an arm pumping motion like I was scooting along. He thought it was the funniest thing and now I can make him laugh at any time by summoning the "hurry up dance." (I think this one is funnier if you saw me do the motions. Lo seinto.)

In the beginning of the year I give my students an "All About Me" info sheet to fill out. This year I told them that whatever name they put in the "I prefer to be called:" space is what I'll call them all year long, so beware. They were allowed to put anything short of racial or other slurs and anything that could be construed as sexual harassment, if they wanted me to call them "Little Johnny Paper Boy" I would. Some of the fun names I get to call my kids by this year.. Penguin, Iron Mike, BBoy Shadow, and Little Johnny Paper Boy. Names I refused.. Baba (from my Cantonese kid) and Christ (I'm a little concerned that he's actually serious. He writes it on his papers).

We have pigeons that live on the third floor of our building. It's gross and it's not okay. They poo everywhere and this year it's really gotten out of control. Four of the five science classrooms are in the main hallway, what we call the Circle of Crap. So last week we decided to draw some attention to the problem and show how serious we are about getting something done. We wore bright pink ponchos from Walgreens during passing periods. The kids got a big kick out of it and the administration finally took notice (although nothing's changed yet). We got to say things like...
Kid: "Ms. Chew, why are you guys wearing that?"
Ms. Chew: "For protection."
Kid: "From what?"
Ms. Chew: "For the poo!!"
and
Kid: "Ms. Chew, it's not raining outside."
Ms. Chew: "Oh but it's raining inside."
Kid: "No it's not!"
Ms. Chew: "It is. It's raining poo!!"
and sometimes I didn't even speak, I just pointed to the fresh new pile outside my doorway. Don't even get me started on the mint chocolate chip greens or flaming hot Cheetoh reds we get on a regular basis. Or the scrambled egg. Yum. The real funny thing is some of the kids really hadn't noticed until we brought it up. Or even denied that there were pigeons inside until we pointed at their butts hanging over the rafters, waiting to strike. It's so bad that I actually know the sound of pigeons taking a crap. Uggg. But today after school some boys were hanging around and they decided to wear our ponchos. We had three kids wearing bright pink ponchos, and a fourth wearing the bright green poncho with an additional plastic bonnet (with visor!) running around the school after hours. It was fantastic.

That's all I can think of for now. On a more serious note, we rematched against our soccer rival (see previous post) today and lost pretty miserably. At least it wasn't pouring, but it wasn't a good game. It was fun though, to see our boys play and support them. Some of last year's senior players came out to watch and we got to catch up with them and hear what they're up to these days. Two of the boys are at Heald College and kid with the red shoes is at Foothill College. The real disappointment, though, is Phillip. He did not look so good today, was all decked out in red accessories from head to toe, and is not taking any classes anywhere. Keep in mind that this is last year's soccer superstar prom king. I'm worried for him, but at list his brother CM is still at the school so we can check in on him from time to time. It would be really nice to NOT see him go down that path. Le sigh.

Friday, September 12, 2008

I Still Remember

I still feel kind of bad because I made one of my kids feel bad this week. He made an inappropriate comment about 9/11 and I didn't really chew him out, but I was brutally honest in my reaction. Teaching the kids life lessons doesn't always feel good, I'm learning.

So they were working on their warm up, and someone notices the date. Says "hey, it's September 11th. Whoa." To which my student says something to the effect of "Yea it's been seven years, can't we forget about it already?" And I respond something to the effect of "I am not a person you want to say that to." And left it at that.

A little later on I was making my rounds around the classroom and I privately said to him "I really hope you didn't mean what you said earlier. I realize that it's been seven years and maybe you don't think people should make a huge deal out of it anymore, but you can't say we should forget it. My friend's dad died that day, and she'll never forget it." He felt really bad and apologized profusely, actually he was quite mature and said "I'm really sorry. I had no idea." And I just said that it's alright, but you can't make comments like that because you never know where someone is coming from. I spared him my personal story about where I was and how it affected my life, but I think it maybe really never occurred to him that peoples lives really were changed on that day.

The rest of the period though, he was like a puppy that had been kicked. Super polite and diligent in his work, even helped me clean up the lab area without asking. I could tell he still felt really bad about what he said. But I couldn't really help it. I don't think I was completely tactless in my response, and I think he really did need someone to teach him that lesson. But I can't help that I felt bad about making him feel bad.

We'll have to see where our relationship goes from here. Maybe it'll strike a chord with him that I leveled with him. It reminds me of when I was student teaching and I had a talk with a kid when I over heard him calling a misfit chair "gay", and a week later I heard him passing it on to his friend, saying "hey man, don't say that, that's not cool" when his friend made a similar remark. Ahh teaching. It's not just about reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. Or even physics. Sometimes, it's just about LIFE.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Everything's Magic

Second year is MAGICAL. I mean.. it's almost unbelievable how much more smoothly this year is going. I'm practically waiting for this bubble to burst, but it hasn't (yet). We're into our third week here and I'm still on cloud nine. They weren't kidding when they said your first year teaching is the hardest. Second year has been good to me thus far.

Part of it is already having a niche carved out in the school for myself. I'm still "Ms. Chew Rocks" and now more and more students in the school know it. And since I kind of have a handle on what's going on in my class already, it frees me up for other fun things at school. Like cosponsoring the Asian Club. Like helping out with the after-school tutoring program. Like maybe organizing a school wide talent show? We'll see.

The plus side of having my old curriculum from last year is that now I can improve on it. I've got my barebones skeleton of what I want to do in class.. and now there's nowhere to go but up. I made up this ridiculous lab last week to introduce the idea of average speed. It was "the Physics Triathlon" which was basically the kids making up their own silly events, measuring their time and distances for these events, and racing each other to get the higher average speeds. In my head I was like.. well maybe this will work, but if it turns out lame at least they had a chance to experience average speed in a way they might remember. In class.. it was a gajillion times better than I had imagined. They ate it up. I had my screw-ups in the hallway running hurdles over chairs that they'd set up. I had my ESL kids crawling under the tables. I had my soccer boys running an obstacle course that they made with books and stools. It was amazing. They had so much fun.. and I actually think that they learned something about average speed from it. But we'll see when I give a quiz on Friday.

My algebra class has been a bit of a challenge for me. I think this is partly because algebra always came so naturally for me, it's hard for me to break it down and think like they might think about it. Not to mention that some of my kids should be switched up to Geometry or at least Algebra Honors, so they're extremely bored as I'm going through what whole numbers and integers are. I got a good group of freshmen, though. They're so cute and bright-eyed. High school is just beginning for them, which is kind of exciting. And I guess it might be good that with me they're getting a taste of what upper-class teachers are like. I definitely don't do as much hand holding as the other freshmen teachers do. Again, we'll just have to see how that works out.

I'm excited to keep getting to know this new batch of kids I have. And to be honest, some of my repeaters are actually dead serious and my best students right now. I can't stress enough how nice it is to have some kids that I already have a relationship with in my class. I mean, I saw them almost every day for a year and now I get to see them again.

Oh and at Asian Club today I got to see one of my favorite boys from last year that I've hardly seen at all in the halls. I got a nice big (but appropriate!) hug. It's nice to know that they miss me too. AHhhhhh I'm loving second year. It's freaking magic. If you're a first year and your reading this.. wahlau please hold on because it really is worth it!!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

One Week

Finished the first week! And holy cow.. second year is ridiculously easier than the first (so far). It was so nice to coast back into my place as Ms. Chew Rocks. Some of the big differences I've noticed are that I have a reputation that precedes me now and that I already know a lot of my kids. My chem juniors from last year are now phys seniors.. and my phys seniors from last year who failed are now my phys seniors. It's nice to have them around because we already have that relationship in place and it kind of sets the tone for the kids who are new to my classes. And it's really fun to run into the kids I don't have anymore who still love and/or miss me.

Case in point.. walking out of a staff meeting in the library and looking down from the balcony onto a couple of kids hanging out on the first floor after school. One kid who I don't have anymore this year yells up at me, "Ms. Chew I love you man!! I've always loved you!" Haha he's crazy.

I think the only complaints I have about this year so far is that it was really hot at school for the last few days (which makes for cranky kids and even crankier teachers) and my class numbers are all over the place. I think my ideal class would be around 25. Some of my physics classes have been around 35 while my algebra class is 10. A whopping TEN MOUSEY FRESHMEN ahhh what do I do with them.. and true to the nature of my school, the kids schedules have been changing left and right so my classes haven't quite settled in yet. We're expecting a load of kids to show up after Labor Day too.

Anyways, I guess I don't have many eventful stories to post thus far. It's been surprisingly smooth. I feel like a pro.. except maybe with the freshmen. And I was really tired after working all day every day after a three month vacation. I know, I know, what a thing to complain about!

So I'll leave you with a story about one of my kids from last year who is repeating a semester this year. Back at the end of last year a couple of my grad school classmates who are teaching now went back to Stanford to speak to the new class about what to expect from their first year teaching. It was really nice to share some real advice and just to be on the other side of that panel. One of our former instructors asked a poignant question, "What is the name of one student you're looking forward to seeing next year."

I didn't hesitate or skip a beat, immediately I called out the name of one of my kids I knew I'd have again. And let me tell you why. CM's older brother was everyone's favorite student last year, including mine. He was a star on the soccer team and crowned prom king. He had a great personality, he was the kind of kid who was fun to joke around with in class but at the same time was super respectful and always got the job done. CM started the year with me at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, to the point where if I didn't already know they were brothers and that they shared the same last name, I would have no reason to connect the two. Except for the fact that they both play soccer.

My theory is that CM just had really big shoes to fill. It's difficult following in the shadow of someone like Phillip. But by the end of the year he had really warmed up to me and became one of my favorite students. He started to actually try and do his work, and his efforts came with results. He had done a complete 180 and was kicking butt. So this year when he came back into my class I asked him, "so, are you ready to be one of my star students? You're going to be stellar." He responded, "hell yea, Ms. Chew!" I can't wait to watch him soar.

I'll end with this. We have modified block scheduling so now I only see my kids four times a week. CM has class with me Wednesday and not Thursday, so when he was hanging around my door on Thursday I poked fun at him. "What are you doing, miss me?"

"Yea, Ms. Chew."

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Back in Black

Yea, I wore black pants today just so I could use that as my tagline ;)

So begins year two of this indefinite adventure that is public high school teaching. Newsflash.. I survived year one!! It was tough at times, and always challenging, but I have to say by the end I felt like I hit my stride. Graduation was the best birthday present EVER. Just seeing my kids walk across the stage with their families in the stands cheering them on, especially the ones that almost didn't make it through the year (academically and/or mortally), was the perfect end to the school year.

And now I'm back. Four weeks of training/classes at the Exploratorium and four weeks chilling at home in MD, and now I'm back. Raring to go. Sort of. I'm not sure I'm ready to be back yet, but we had our first day of work today and it was so good to see my coworkers again. Even saw some of the juniors (now seniors!) when they came to pick up their schedules. After seeing the kids again, I'm a little excited. Still don't feel quite in the school mode yet, but I still have two more work days and a weekend before class starts on Monday. So here we go!!

New adventures to come this year..
  • Year two of my physics curriculum.
  • No more Chem!!
  • ...but instead, one section of Algebra.
  • With freshmen.
  • Modified block scheduling (class four times a week, one of those times is 2x as long).
Let's do this like Brutus! Tune in soon for a new batch of adventures!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Too Good to Be True

5/7/2008
Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day. Write 3 sentences about your favorite teacher ever (it doesn't have to be me!)
My 3rd favorite teacher is Ms. Chew because she rocks.

Ms. Chew's the greatest teacher ever. She's cool, and can really teach. She looks like a student though, but it okay.

All my teachers are my fav. because they all are hard workers, and I got respect for everybody if it wasnt for everyone I wouldnt be me

Ms. Chew.... because she's the only teacher that I don't have any complaints about. She's cool and understanding. She's young so it's easy to relate.

My favorite teacher is Ms. Chew because she never calls my house and she's always being nice. Plus she taught me physics which I thought I will never understand.

Thank you so much Ms. Chew. Your my favorite teacher because your so tiny like me! (JP) Just playing! Thankx kido cause your a cool teacher unlike other teachers hella grumpy.

My favorite teacher is Ms. Chew. Ms. Chew teaches physics and chemistry. She always rocks on!

My favorite teacher is Ms. Chew even though we got into an arguement. She understands a lot about where the kids come from. To add, when I need help she doesn't give up but tries to help.

Ms. chew your my favorite teacher cause you rock. You bring in good demos. You make physics interesting.

Ms. Chew because she always gives me a lot of chances, and I thank her for accepting my appologies :)

Ms. Chew is a good teacher. I like the way you teach Ms. Chew! [=

Ms. Chew is cool because she is short and proud. She does fun labs that can sometimes burn. She also is an Obama supporter. (He likes to make things up. I never said who I was supporting.)