Progress

I just filed a referral. It was the third one that I've gotten back, although I think I wrote two others that I haven't seen back yet. It's mid-October. Just for fun, I looked at my bulging referral folder from last year. By this time last year, I had written about 30 referrals.

Why are you here?

Today was our second day of soccer practice. We had a fairly hard day - not as bad as the two practices yesterday, but nothing too easy either. After practice, they took a knee, and I asked them a simple question - why are you here? I went first. I told them I had three reasons for being out there. I love them, I am passionate about the game, and I want to win. Some of their answers were really fantastic.

Well, you introduced me to soccer. Before, I never would have played it, but now I have a passion for it, I love playing, I love running people over, well, I just love running.

I'm out here because last year, we were 17 and 0, and I want to show some people that we can play. They're gonna see us coming and remember last year and say we're gonna beat them black boys again. But look, this is my motto this year - if you're not gonna hustle, don't waste your energy. We got to go to states and it's hard work that is going to get us there...

Coach, you introduced me to this game too. I used to watch it on TV and I thought those people were stupid, but then I came out here. At first, I wanted to run on the field, but then I started playing in goal, and I really like, well, playing in goal.

I'm out here, not just to win some games, but to go to state.

I love sports, and soccer is a good sport that I really like playing. I like playing soccer and being around people who, you know, like being around other people.

I'm out here 'cause my brother's out here.

I'm out here because I'm joining the marines next summer, and I want to be in the best shape I can. I want to be so that I can just run the entire game and never get tired. Also, I look over here and I see JH, my cousin, and over here is WB, my best friend, and here's NB, my brother. Just a lot of good, hardworking people that it's good to be around.

Now we just have to work on turning words into deeds. I've got to plan something really hard for tomorrrow.

An Unexpected Guest

Sunday morning. Actually, Sunday noon. "Mike, um, Mr. G, there's a student here."

Anyone who read my failure story remembers KM. He been staying around here a few days now, with his old lady's folks, still looking for a job so he can get him a crib. He was on a walk with said old lady, in his red pajama pants and a red tank top. We chatted for a few minutes, I asked him to come by for dinner tomorrow, if he has the time. Told him that if he had a mower, I'd call him when the grass got long. We talked about jobs, the plaes he's been to look, and the responses he's gotten, all the same. We'll call you. And no calls.

 

I hope he comes back tomorrow for dinner. I'll try to cook something good.

Tale of Two Classes

I just finished grading my algebra II quarter exams. I have two blocks of algebra II, first and second. Second block did very well, while first block failed rather miserably. This has been the pattern of the year so far, and I am looking for ways to correct it.

The problem is easy to explain. First block is bigger - 19 students compared to 12. First block is earlier in the morning. There are more students in first block who are unprepared for this class - at least 10 in first block who just had abysmal math skill coming in, compared to only 2 in second block who I would put in that category. But the biggest difference is classroom management. My CM plan has worked fantastically well in my second block. We spend 92 of 98 minutes on task and engaged, they work quietly, they help each other, and we generally get along swimmingly, except when I make catastrophic errors in judgment and try to do something fun, like Jeopardy, which backfired tremendously on Thursday.
In my first block, things just don't work. Half the class comes in late, everyday, about half of them with late bus passes and half without. Some students sleep, and almost all the rest are openly hostile towards me. This has gotten a little bit better, but is still a huge problem. They refuse to listen to me when I teach, and then want help on the quizzes and classwork. That is, of course, unless they refuse to do the classwork.
I'm going to try dividing the class into two parts tomorrow - those that want to work and those that do not want to work. Teach all of them, then let the ones who are good - I'll call them group A or something - practice, while doing something much more structured, and silent, with group B. I'm honestly not sure how it is going to work, but I don't want to let this class ruin my year. When I start to think things to myself like "they are all just a bunch of jerks" I know that they are getting to me and I am starting to lose it. So I've got to get them under control. Hopefully this will do the trick.


Also:
I got back from the football game Friday night around 12:30 AM. While waiting for players' parents to pick them up, I saw one of my soccer boys, who had showed up at the school to meet one of my soccer/football boys, since they were going back to his house. I pulled the ball out of the back of the truck and we played for about half an hour, the three of us. I suggested turning on the lights and going out to the field, but NB noted that the sprinklers were on and so we were forced to abandon that idea. We are going to have a great season this year. Maybe we'll manage to sneak a few wins as well.

Grading proofs is annoying. But actually, it isn't bad, because my geometry kids can actually write proofs now. Seriously, they give statements and reasons and do things logically. It's amazing. I'm super-proud of them. They work really hard (usually) and so they deserve to do well. But it takes me way too long to grade these. I even had to make up a rubric to help.

Proof that my kids can write proofs!

Get Ready

Soccer season is coming. October 15th.