Saturday, August 29: First visit to the Riverwalk

JOHN - Jayma and I finally decided to hit the Riverwalk. Well, it was well worth the visit. We got down there in about 15 minutes and that was just getting a little lost. Now that we know how to get there, the trip from our apartment takes 10 minutes, tops.

We were immediately struck by the amount of energy coming from the area. It was still early in the evening and hot enough where it wasn't very crowded. We decided that we were going to have dinner that night but not hit The Alamo. We wanted to eat dinner down there but we were going to walk around for a bit. Plus, I had a new pair of sandals I wanted to break in.

As we were walking around the Riverwalk, we loved all of the restaurants we kept running into. There were plenty of Mexican restaurants/bars but there were also some Italian and even an Irish pub. The great thing about all of these places: you could sit right alongside the river. There were tour boats were in full force. We decided not to do the tour boat thing yet b/c we figured we'd be going down there again. And again.

After walking around a bit and taking numerous pictures of us goofing around (and ducks too), we decided to have dinner at this restaurant called the Republic of Texas. I think we had a waiter who was in the worst mood because he didn't seem happy at all. We ordered margaritas and daiquiris and people watched. By this time, the crowds were starting to pick up but the weather was just right and it was fun just sitting there on the river. Across the river was another restaurant where the music was loud and the patrons were having a great time. I think we are going there next time. We ended up sharing a mushroom burger and some apple crisp. It was yummy.

After that, we walked around some more and stopped at this really cool gift shop where Jayma picked up some postcards. By this time, the sun was down and the Riverwalk was really coming alive. We ended up leaving around 9ish but agreed that we wanted to stay there one night and enjoy a long night at some of the taverns. My good friend, Pete, is coming to visit next weekend so I think that's where we will go.

After that, we went out with Lisa and her boyfriend, Don. Lisa was Mrs. Schiebel's student teacher from fall 2008 and recently took a job here in San Antonio for NISD. We were originally going to go to this place called Big'z but it was closed. We ended up hitting this really nice bar called Stone Werks. It was a gorgeous night and we sat there and talking teaching and other stuff. Lisa and Don were fun to hang out with and we actually met some new friends, Corey and David. They had the really strong Texas accents and displayed that Southern hospitality. For some reason, everyone always wants to talk to us about Illinois. I find that funny b/c we just want to talk about Texas.

It was a great night and we are looking forward to going to the Riverwalk again and hanging out with Lisa and Don.

(500) Days of Summer: GREAT MOVIE!!

JOHN - On Friday, Jayma and I went to see (500) Days of Summer. Well, if you haven't seen it, you're missing out on one of the best of the summer. I don't want to give away too much of the story but it's one of those few original movies that come along once in awhile. It's kind of a romantic comedy but it's a little more than that. Just go see it and let us know what you think. Plus, Zooey Deschanel is in it and everyone knows of my slight obsession with her!

Tuesday - Friday, Aug. 25 - 28: First Week of School

JOHN - What a week!! On Monday, the students arrived, to much fanfare. I already talked about Monday so let's just move on to the rest of the week.

Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of many get-to-know-you activities. Mrs. Schiebel started off the week with a math trick using dice. By Tuesday, only a handful of students had determined the result. It would remain that way the rest of the week until she finally revealed her secret on Thursday.

Some of the ways we got to know the students were fun and interactive. Mrs. Schiebel does an amazing job of getting young adolescents involved in class. They are also able to move around a bit, which definitely plays to their growing bodies. See, more C & I information being thrown at ya!!

On Tuesday, the students came up with their tribe names and chose their mascot. It was really cool to see how the students developed their tribe names. Some would take the first couple of letters from each person's name and mix it together. Others would choose their favorite foods or animals. Then, Mrs. Schiebel would have the students draw cards to see who would choose their tribe's mascot first. Not many chose the hippo, which I dubbed the HipHopopotamus.

Over the first couple of days, I would assist Mrs. Schiebel in getting the material needed. I got to see how much work it takes to really get the first week of school going. I was amazed by the amount of paperwork the students have to complete. I remember, when I was a lad, I only had to have my mom fill out one or two forms. Now, the students had 9 forms to have signed and returned. Not only that, some forms needed to be initialed or even signed two or three times!!

One of the first real jobs Mrs. Schiebel gave me to be responsible for was making sure all of this paperwork was returned and completed fully. During advisory, I would have to check off each form and let the students know if they were missing anything or if they were good-to-go. Those who had everything in were issued their locker. Those who didn't have the paperwork in had to wait to get their locker until everything was returned. By Friday, all but two students had everything in so it worked out pretty well. I still think this paperwork thing could be done more effectively, however. If this packet was given to the parents at the open house, it would help alleviate the responsibility of having the students take it home during the first week. But that's just my 2-cents.

Let me say this: If you want to succeed, especially in student teaching or teaching, in general, you MUST be organized. Mrs. Schiebel is one of the most organized people I have ever met. She is able to tap her years of experience and limitless resources. Since I have certain type-A tendencies, I immediately appreciated her organization. Having an organized classroom means having a well-run classroom.

Toward the end of the week, Mrs. Schiebel began introducing math to the students. For the regular ed. classes, we introduced integers and comparison. I asked her if she'd be willing to let me teach 8th hour and so on both Thursday and Friday, I was teaching those periods. Thursday, I was little nervous and I went a little long on the lesson and to rush at the end to get everything in. Mrs. Schiebel assured me that time management is one thing that any good teacher picks up with experience and time. On Friday, I was a lot more comfortable in front of the students. The lesson went more smooth and I think the students and I are beginning to develop a rapport.

One of the goals that I have for the upcoming week is to teach at least one lesson each day. Mrs. Schiebel and I agreed to switch it between 7th and 8th period. She would continue to prepare the lessons but I would start understanding the curriculum and providing feedback. I have to be careful not to rush myself, which I have a tendency to do. As eager as I am to teach, I still have a lot to learn and I have an entire semester to really train. No sense in jumping in without a plan. Thankfully Mrs. Schiebel is keeping me grounded enough to do so.

It was a great first week. I know that there over the next several weeks, the amount of work will build and I will be doing more at home and at school. But seeing how a school comes together in its first days was an eye-opening experience. I am so glad I am student teaching now rather than the spring semester.

Monday, August 24 - Students finally arrive!!

JOHN - Today was the first day of school with the students!! Truth be told, I was a little nervous. I didn't sleep well but I don't know if it was due to nerves or the fact that I dreamt of a tarantula crawling through my hair. What's even more funny, it's not like this is my first time in a classroom. I have substitute taught almost 200 days and have spent numerous hours just observing for my C & I classes. However, this was a different situation. I was going to be spending 4 months with these students and I was going to be teaching them day in and day out.

When I arrived at school, Mrs. Schiebel and I went over the days activities and what was needing to be covered. I have to give props to Mrs. Schiebel. She was very calm, collected, organized and raring to go. I think it just goes to show you that years of experience and a passion for your job makes you prepared for anything.

When the first hour students arrived, Mrs. Schiebel met them at the door to make sure they had their vaccinations. Any students who didn't have their shots were not allowed in class and had to go to the cafeteria. NISD has a strict "No shots, no school" rule and they were going to abide by that. As the students entered the room, they came to me for their table placement. Mrs. Schiebel decided to place the students in their group by alphabetical order for the first six weeks. It just helps her and me get to know the names and students better.

After going over the obligatory classroom expectations, Mrs. Schiebel showed the students this cool dice trick. I can guarantee you that I am going to use that somewhere in my teaching. Only one student (all day) figured out the trick. After that, we played a number of "name" games which helped us begin to learn the names of our students. Mrs. Schiebel allowed me the opportunity to participate in the classroom activities and interact with the students.

Tomorrow, the students are going to start naming their tribes and choosing their mascots. Today was a great day and I think everyday will be something new and challenging.

BTW, the first day is somewhat chaotic. There are students running around, trying to find their classrooms. Administration is trying to get everything organized, teachers are trying to getting to know the students and the students are trying to take it all in. What a great time to be a teacher!!

Saturday & Sunday, August 22 and 23

JOHN - After an amazing night dancing and partying with Sugar Ray, Jayma and I took it easy the rest of the weekend. In fact, I believe Jayma slept in til noon on Saturday while I updated the blog (as you can easily see).

Texas was having its annual tax-free weekend and Jayma and I were going to do a little shopping that day. We both needed some shoes and sandals and some clothes. So, once Jayma and I got to rolling, we hit The Rim and La Cantera. I ended up buying a lot of sandals (brown & black) as well as some dressy clothes. Well, we ended up spending a lot of time in many shoe stores that we ended up not doing much clothes shopping. However, we did end up getting our shoes and getting to know those shopping centers.

Originally we were going to go to downtown San Antonio that Saturday night. However, we were pretty worn out from all the shopping and walking but we were still feeling the effects from the concert. We decided to just do dinner at Papasito's. Let me say, I had some of the best strawberry daiquiris, even with the whip cream. And I refuse to accept the fact that it's a foofoo drink!! Our meals were delicious too!!

After dinner, we headed home and crashed for the night. For some reason, we ended up watching High School Musical 2, which was actually cute in a really cheesy way.

On Sunday, we were making it a pool day. I spent a good chunk of the morning updating the blog! I am glad I finally caught up because it makes it easier to just update it daily now. Before we hit the pool, Jayma comes back from getting the mail all excited b/c she found a really cool dresser/book case sitting next to the dumpster. She said that someone had just put it there and that it would be perfect for our living room. So we went out and grabbed it and it was in pretty good condition. After cleaning it off, Jayma made quick use of it by placing her printer and speakers on it.

We hit the pool and Jayma was able to break in her new raft. I pretty much swam the entire time and worked on my tan (it's getting better). One funny thing we saw, once we got there, was that Allergy (the stray cat) was walking around. Jayma told me to ignore her but I couldn't avoid her cuteness (the cat's, not Jayma's).

After our day at the pool, I made my delicious chicken enchiladas. Jayma went and picked up some chips and salsa from the Alamo Cafe to complement our meal. After that, we had to finish our weekly reflection and prepare for our first day of school with the students. We were both pretty excited to finally be at this point in our college career. It's been a long and exciting journey and we are ready to start this final stage. Tomorrow, the work really begins!

Jayma's Debriefing

John thinks he needs to write a book! For those of you who do not have time to read his very detailed blogs I am going to be debriefing you on our trip.

Trip Down South
Thanks to John we got an extra day with friends and family because his car broke down. Our cars were packed to the max! Who knew how hard it was going to be packing our lives in our cars? Humbling to say the least. The trip down to San Antonio was long, but we both rocked some great tunes out on the way and felt that we made great time. Contrary to what some may think, the Action Figure Museum was very cool! I was so thankful that we took a wrong turn in St. Louis and drove towards Oklahoma. We were able to stop at the Oklahoma City Memorial, which was very moving and a great educational experience. The terrential down poor was not expected in Austin at all, and the roads were flooded so bad that cars had to get over into other lanes to prevent floating away...

All in all, we made great time and only ran into traffic in Austin for obvious reasons. We were then graciously greated by my Mom's cousins with drinks and dinner! Yummo! I must appologize because I thought John was being a baby when he said he was getting bitten by ants at our apartment. The next day he had welts on his feet....poor guy! I eventually felt bad for him.

First Few Weeks in San Antonio
As John stated, I did have my room completely organized in the first 24 hours. He continually lolly gagged for about a week before he was all moved in. In his defense, he helped his teacher literally the day after we arrived, while I relaxed at the pool. Sorry John! Let me just say that John has been the best roommate thus far. He is always finding great places to visit (ie: Action Figure Museum, Memorial in Oklahoma City, Missions baseball game, Corpus Christi for some fabulous beach time, and the Sugar Ray concert!!) He is also the most clean and organized roommate a girl could ask for!!

We have both been able to relax at our pool a few times since arriving....Myself getting tan and John burning! We are trying to get John a base tan to prevent this from happening in the future, but as of right now he is still sporting the farmers tan. OwOw

Tomorrow is a day we have anxiously been waiting for. We have both been participaing in meetings, organizing our classrooms, and compiling our curriculum the past week. We have met the parents and some of the students during our "Meet the Teacher Nights" and feel that it is going to be a great semester. My teacher moved up with her students from 2nd grade and will have them again this year in 3rd. For me, this will be a huge benefit because the students will know exactly what we expect from them. For myself it will be a great learning experience because the class has a wide variety of students ranging from special needs to gifted and talented. It will be a great way to put to practice "differentiated instruction", which we have learned so much about at ISU.

Sugar Ray party in Austin!

JOHN - Here's the blog EVERYONE has been dying to hear about!! On Friday night, Jayma and I head to Austin to go see Sugar Ray. We just bought tickets a few days beforehand b/c we weren't sure if we were going to see them or not. We knew they were playing in Austin on Friday and Houston on Saturday. Once we realized how close Austin is to San Antonio (1 hour & 20 minutes), we decided to do the Austin show. Plus, they were performing in a smaller club, similar to The Rave in Milwaukee or The Vic or The Riviera in Chicago. Plus, tickets were only $25 each so it was definitely the better of the two locations. Houston would've been a 3+ hour drive and would've cost a lot more b/c it was at the House of Blues.

Anyway, we made our way to Austin and exited on 6th. As we drove to the club, we noticed all the cool bars and clubs along the street. I think UT was really close b/c this seemed like a great place for college kids to hit. The street was alive with the sound of live music and people walking around. It reminded me a lot of State Street in Madison. Jayma and I both agreed that we were going to go back up there and spend a weekend there.

We finally parked and walked to the club. La Zona Rosa was this tiny club that could hold about 1000 people, so it was very intimate. We walked in around 9:05 but the first opening act, Aimee Allen, was just leaving the stage. We were a little disappointed that we didn't get to hear her except for one song. She sounds a lot like Gwen Stefani with a gothish look to her. VERY HOT!! But there will more about Aimee later.

After getting a couple of drinks, we proceeded to move up to the stage. Well, we maneuvered our way to the point where we standing behind these two couples who were right on the railing, in front of the stage. They were all shorter than us which was great! We did not have an obstructed view of the stage and we were less than five feet from it.

Fastball came on and put on a pretty good show. They have a bluesy rock sound with a mix of some older rock. Evidently they are from the Austin area and had a decent following. The set included all their hits but even the songs we didn't know were really good. I am not one for opening acts but Fastball was definitely one of the better ones I have seen.

Here's the YouTube link for my on-stage performance w/ Sugar Ray but please read below so you can know what was going on in my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ1tYRA98GM&feature=channel

The time finally came for Sugar Ray to come out. And when they did, the crowd went crazy. A whole bunch of teeny boppers and trashy college girls tried to make their way in front of Jayma and me but we stood our ground and didn't give up an inch. Some girl kept tapping me and asked if I would let her in front of me since she was shorter. I ignored her request. Not because I wanted to be a jerk but b/c I knew if I let her in, all of her friends would soon join her. Sorry, sweetheart, not this guy!!

Sugar Ray started off strong and never let up. They went through hit after hit. The band seemed to be really enjoying themselves, especially Mark McGrath. In between each song, he would joke around with the crowd and just do things to keep the party going. And that's exactly what it felt like: one big party. In between each song, DJ Homicide would spin some tune such as Journey's Don't Stop Believin' or GnR's Sweet Child of Mine to keep the crowd stoked. Mark even joked saying that they know Sugar Ray isn't as big as it was in the 90's and probably never be again. He said he just loved playing music with his boys and having a good time. And that's exactly what they did.

Here's the best part. Toward the end of the show, Mark McGrath wanted to invite two people to come on stage for a karaoke/dance off. He looked in the crowd and picked this guy to come up on stage. Then, he looked in our directions and pointed at Jayma and me. At first, I thought he wanted Jayma so we got her to the railing and the security guard lifted her on to the stage. Mark said that's not who he wanted...he wanted the guy in the Jet t-shirt, i.e. ME!! So Jayma was put back in the crowd and I was placed on stage.

Mark was standing on the stage, between this other guy and me. I was pretty nervous at this point. He asked us our name and where we were from. I said my name and said I was from San Antonio. I was afraid to say Illinois for fear of getting booed. HA! But it's not as if I was lying b/c I was from San Antonio that night. I got some cheers for that. Mark said he liked my shirt and told me to go wait on the side of the stage. When I got there, the stagehand said to me that I was going to be singing and dancing with Mark to House of Pain's Jump Around. The other guy was going to go first. Well, he didn't do that great a job.

When it came time for me to go, Mark came over and handed me the microphone. I don't know what hit me but I went nuts. I was jumping up and down, trying to remember the words to the song, running back and forth on stage. Let's just say I was really into it and so was the crowd. Once we were done, I finally saw Jayma in the see of people and I could see her giving me the "camera" sign. I forgot I had the camera in my pocket the entire time. So I got the camera to her and she was able to get some pics. After that, Mark pulled both of us to the front and had the audience voted who they thought was the winner. There was no doubt I was the clear cut winner. However, Mark being the nice guy he is gave us both a girl's tanktop (which I gave to Jayma) and a hug. In fact, I got to hug him a few times (sorry ladies!!).

As I left the stage, everyone kept asking me how it was up there. I was getting hi-5's and knucks from everyone!! I found my way back to Jayma and we listened to Sugar Ray close out the set with "Fly". After the show, people were coming up to us, giving me props and asking me how I liked it. Everyone kept telling me I was the winner.

After the crowd died down, we made our way to the souvenir table. There, I picked up a copy of the new Sugar Ray cd which I already downloaded a few months back. But I was glad to the actual cd. Jayma wanted to pick up a copy of Aimee Allen's cd. We didn't realize that she was there signing autographs. She asked Jayma her name and said that she loved it. In fact, she wanted to change her name to "Aima". I think she was a little drunk and/or something else but she seemed like a lot of fun. Plus she had tats on hers which made her really hot!!! We got a picture with her and finally decided to leave.

As we drove home, let's just say I was feeling pretty good. I was trying to think of people to call but everyone was asleep. Jayma fell asleep in the car so I had to navigate my way home. Thankfully, Brandi took my call and we talked the rest of the way home. We both had such a great night and this will go down as one of my most favorite concerts. And for those who know me, I have been to a lot of concerts!

Friday, August 21

JOHN - So, before I talk about the Sugar Ray concert, I wanted to talk about I did at school Friday. That morning, all the teachers met in the library and were introduced to the custodial and lunch room staff. After that, Mrs. Pena (principal) went over some first-week requirements, especially all the paperwork students are needing to turn in. After that, we spent some time discussing expectations and consequences, especially regarding gum chewing. Most of the meeting dealt with school rules and things that most of the students already knew. We did focus on the dress code for both students and teachers. I was surprised to hear that our students are not allowed to wear shorts. Part of the problem is that girls will wear too short shorts. Teachers are not allowed to wear Capri pants but they can wear a skirt. Guys have to dress appropriately, i.e. khaki's, polo's, no sneakers, etc. One of the coaches said that all athletes are to have their shirts tucked in AND they will be wearing a belt. This garnered applause from the staff. I get the sense that the school takes great pride in how their students look and they try to avoid any problems with raging, adolescent hormones. And, yes, the school is air conditioned and quite comfortable.

After the meeting was over, the math department headed on over to Habernero's for lunch. It was not as good as La Bamba but better than Chipolte and Qdoba. Of course, I got me a yummy chicken burrito! That afternoon, Mrs. Schiebel and I added the finishing touches to our classroom. I spent an hour in the workroom using the cutting board. I didn't mind it so much except my back started to ache. Dang age!! But I just remind myself there could be a lot worse things I could be doing. Knowing that this is just part of the job makes it all the more worth it.

After that, I headed home to get ready for the Sugar Ray concert.

Thursday, August 20

JOHN - This is going to be one of my shortest posts b/c Thursday was a lot like Wednesday but w/o the open house. Again in the morning, there were four seminars we had to attend and, in the afternoon, we continued to work in our classroom. There was really nothing exciting to report for Thursday.

When I got home, Jayma was still at school b/c she had her open house that night. So I was eating dinner alone. That's ok, it gave me time to do some work for Mrs. Schiebel, hit the pool, update the blog, and watch ESPN. I was pretty psyched to see Brett Favre decide to come back and play. I am not a Packers fan (RAIDER NATION RULZ!) but I do like to see an older guy like Brett doing something others don't think he should be doing. It's kind of how I felt before I decided to go back to school. So, Brett, you keep playing as long as you want!! I just wish you were doing it for the Raiders.

PICS: These are pics of Jayma's classroom.

Wednesday, August 19

JOHN - For the next two days, school was going to be running the same way. In the mornings, each teacher had to attend four, 45-minute seminars. In the afternoon, we could go back to working in our individual classrooms. However, today, the 7th and 8th grade teachers were hosting an open house that night so it was going to make for a long day!

The seminars were pretty good. Each one focused on something different. PBS, the one that Mrs. Schiebel conducted and used my awesome powerpoint, was the first one I attended. It focused on student behavior and incentive program for students. It encouraged more positive behavior instead of focusing on the consequences of negative behavior. Plus, everyone seemed to enjoy my powerpoint and Mrs. Schiebel was sure to mention me each time!! Some of the other sessions I attended involved making the classroom more engaging, getting-to-know you activities and formative assessment. I took a little something away from each session and I think this is something each school should put on.

In the afternoon, Mrs. Schiebel and I scrambled to finish decorating the classroom for the night's open house. However, before all of that, we had to run over to Jayma's school and meet our student teaching coordinator, Margie Irwin. She is a nice lady who asked Jayma and I why we wanted to be student teachers. She seems very interested in us becoming successful teachers and I am excited to be working with her this semester.

After going home and changing and heading back to school, it was time for the open house. Here's how it worked. All of our first period students were to come to the classroom with their parents. At 7:00, the principal was going to come on the tv and introduce the administrative staff and counselors. She then went over a few things. After she was done, Mrs. Schiebel introduced herself and talked about the Survivor-themed classroom. She went on to explain some of the classroom expectations and some of the paperwork the parents need to fill out. Lastly, she introduced me and I had a chance to talk for a bit. I was little nervous talking in front of the parents but everyone was very welcoming. After about 20 minutes, the first period parents were dismissed and headed to their students other teachers' classrooms. Throughout the remainder of the night, I met a lot of my students' parents as they came in and out of the classroom. It was really cool to finally be meeting some of my students and this only got me more psyched to finally be teaching!!

After that, I went home and crashed. I think I only saw Jayma for 5 minutes that day.

PICS: Here are some more of my classroom.

Tuesday, August 18 - Convocation

JOHN - For the second day of school, we spent the first part of the day in a few more meetings but, again, did more classroom set-up. Mrs. Schiebel was showing me where things were located, how to maneuver around the NISD website, looked at the curriculum, etc. Texas, unlike Illinois, has a set curriculum which can be a good and bad thing. For new and first year teachers, it gives you a clear outline as to what needs to be taught, when and how many days are supposed to be focused on a particular topic. However, there is not a lot of room to go outside the box. Mrs. Schiebel explained that even though the curriculum is set by the state, it's up to her how she wants to teach that curriculum. Hence why she is able to be creative in her classroom and do a them like Survivor. I think that is just one of those things that comes along w/ experience. I realize that as a future first-year teacher, I will still be learning a lot about curriculum, teaching and what I want to do with my classroom. And I am quite certain that my view and actions will change a lot over the course of that first year.

That afternoon, the entire school went to something called a convocation. What it is pretty much a rallying session put on by the district superintendent. We all had to wear our Rawlinson t-shirts and each got our archaeological hats. I didn't know this at the time, but this is a big deal and schools try to outshine and out cheer one another. One of the new teachers had to dress up as a cheerleader, pigtails and all. I am sure he loved that (he didn't seem to mind). Once we got there, it was quite the scene. We went to one of the local high schools and the place was roaring. All of the different schools were being represented and it was quite the party. The superintendent came out and gave a great speech. In between, some of the marching bands performed along with a true Texas fiddling group, dancers and cheerleaders. It was a Texas hoedown, for sure!! What's funny was that some of the teachers said it was a little more calm this year as compared to previous convocations. Since I had nothing to compare it to, I thought it was quite the party!! It definitely gets you pumped.

A couple of more notes about the convocation. NISD is the 37th largest school district in the nation. It's adding new schools (elementary, middle and high) every year. My school went on Tuesday along with about 10 other ones. Jayma's school didn't have theirs until Friday. Plus, there were about 3 or 4 convocations each day. That just goes to show you how many schools there are in this district. The pictures on here are ones Jayma took the day she went. As you can tell, it was a lot of fun.

After the convocation, we went to another school where we met w/ all the other middle school math departments. There, we went over the TAKS tests, which is a test that all students are required to take once a year. We went over the six most commonly missed questions and discussed why we felt the students may have missed them. I really enjoyed this because it gave me an opportunity to practice my math skills and discuss with the other teachers where students had problems. It was great to see how teachers bounced ideas off one another and looked at the math from a different viewpoint. Many of the problems focused around either geometry or specific concepts. Everyone agreed that those areas would need to be focused on more. Another thing was that the students were broken down by grade, socio-economic status, and whether or not they had any form of learning disability. This really helped us get a better grasp on where we need to focus our attention. Even though I am not a big fan of meetings, I really took a lot out of this meeting because we were starting to dig deeper in to where young adolescents have difficulty in math. Oh, I also won a door prize for our department. You're welcome!

ROOM UPDATE: Room is done but the kitchen table is a mess!

PICS: Pics of the convocation Jayma attended

Monday, August 17 - First Day of School!

JOHN - I arrived at school and headed to the cafeteria. There, we had a half-day seminar over a great many things. It was neat how the room was set up. If you can imagine this, it was decorated to look like something out of an Indiana Jones movies. There was a tent set up, Egyptian-themed artifacts, the snakes from Mrs. Schiebel's classroom, and so on. The administrator's were dressed in khaki's as if there were about to go on an archaeological dig. And that was the theme throughout the week. It was something fun and it definitely sparked my interest.

Some of the items that were brought up for discussion included where Rawlinson placed in regards to its standardized tests. Each subject area and grade was discussed. I was impressed to see where Rawlinson placed in regards to the school district and the rest of the state. They seem to be performing at a high level. Many times, RMS placed first in some categories, especially math. This made me excited b/c I was going to be working with those same students. Then I realized I was going to be teaching them too and I got to thinking "I DON'T want to be the guy that brings their scores down"! Ha!!

After that, we participated in some fun little activities after we split up into our departments. Each department was given a word and had to link and compare to archeology and education. The math department's word was "discovery". So, using only straws and sticky notes and toothpicks, we created a little pyramid and placed our pharoah inside it. I came up with the name for our pharaoh which was "King Ra....Linson". Get it? Ra was the Egyptian sun god. Rawlinson is the name of our school. Nevermind!! Anyway, when it came time for our department to present, guess who was chosen to talk? Yup!! I was!! I was little nervous but I always seem to work well under pressure. I said something like we need to discover our students true potential. I also said that each child is a mystery, much like a pyramid. And once you discover them, you will unlock their true potential and find a treasure inside each one of them (I proceeded to lift the pyramid and show the King Ra). Yeah, I was a little cheesy but I don't care and I said what I felt. Sometimes, as a teacher, you just have to ad lib and speak from the heart. And that's what I did.

The rest of the afternoon, I spent with the math department. Mrs. Schiebel went up to our classroom and did some more work in there. All the teachers were given a homework assignment and had to have our first week's lesson plans in by the end of the week. Mrs. Schiebel worked on that while I did some other stuff around the room.

After school, I headed home and finally started working on the room!! I think Jayma and I also took a dip in the pool around 9 or so. So nice to jump in the pool, at night, and it be warm!

ROOM UPDATE: Most everything has been put away and/or moved to the kitchen table!

PICS: The pics were actually taken on Friday, August 21. They are of our classroom, all set up and ready to. There was a lot so I wanted to spread it out throughout the week. As you can see, I have a ISU Redbirds football helmet on my desk. Mrs. Schiebel, a graduate and huge A & M fan, will not allow me to bring in my UT helmet. Out of respect for her, I agreed but she said anything ISU was fine. Plus, it had the color red in it.

Sunday, August 16 - A Day at the Beach!

JOHN - We decided that we were going to go to Corpus Christi today and enjoy a beautiful day at the beach. However, I agreed that I would help Mrs. Schiebel complete a powerpoint for a presentation she had coming up, so I had to make sure I got that done Sunday as well. Jayma said that I should bring me laptop and do it in the car on the ride over to C.C.!! Well, she didn't need to tell me twice.

We got everything packed up including some sandwiches, water, snacks, football, Frisbee, radio, etc. If we were making a day of it, we were going to do it right!! Jayma decided to take GIPS with us but I also grabbed some maps b/c GIPS and I weren't seeing eye-to-eye after the baseball game fiasco. However, GIPS got us right to C.C. with now problem. It was about a 2 hour drive and there wasn't a lot to look at between San Antonio and there. We saw a lot of ranches, moo cows, refineries but that was about it. Texas is a lot like Illinois because it's flat and when you drive through it, you're completely bored and want to nap. However, I didn't have time to sight see because I was busy working on the powerpoint, listening to Jayma sing!

Once we got to the beach, parked, we found our spot and hit the ocean. The sun was bright that day so we needed all the sunblock we could get. However, I wanted to work on this stupid farmer's tan that I have so I didn't put on as much as I probably should've. Needless to say, that came back and bit me. Or should I say, burned me!!

The ocean was nice and warm. It was a little brown but we didn't care. There was a nice breeze throughout the day which made it very tolerable to be laying out or in the ocean. We were surprised to not see so many "single" people out and about. To be honest, there were mostly families but we didn't care. We have a good time wherever we and whoever we go with!! I tried to teach Jayma how to throw a football but it may have been too windy to show her. Plus, once the ball got well, it wasn't even worth trying after that. We still played in the ocean and had a great time.

After awhile, I was getting worried that I was burning. Jayma said that I didn't look like I was getting any sun and not to worry too much. Once we left and I put a shirt on, I felt a little warm but nothing to worry about. We stopped at Whataburger for dinner and had a delicious hamburger. Whataburger is a fastfood franchise in Texas. You see them all over the place. I told Jayma we had to go just for the name alone. It reminded me of the movie, Good Burger, that Wes had me watch (good movie, BTW). Anyway, it was a good meal to end a great day. We got home and crashed. We seem to do that a lot but that sun does wear you out quickly. Had to get to bed early because school was starting the next day!!!

ROOM UPDATE: Yep, still haven't done anything. Well, I did a little before leaving but it was still in complete disarray!

Saturday, August 15

JOHN - I had to be up early today because Rawlinson was having a teacher retreat which Mrs. Schiebel invited me to. It was an all day affair so I wasn't sure what to expect. When I arrived at the school and went into the library, I was surprised to see all the teachers there. In fact, I would say 90% of the teaching staff was there, raring to go.

Mrs. Schiebel took me around and introduced me to a lot of her fellow teachers as well as the administrative staff. Since I am not the best at remembering names, I knew I wasn't going to remember everyone's name that day. The one thing that I noticed was how pleasant and welcoming everyone was to me. Other teachers, who weren't in my grade or subject area, said that if I ever needed anything, to let them know. The entire environment felt all warm and fuzzy.

The retreat lasted until 4:00 PM that day. For the most part, I took a lot away from it and I was glad I accepted Mrs. Schiebel's invitation. Throughout the day, there were a lot of team building activities where you had to work together and get to know one another. Mrs. Pena, the principal, introduced all the new teachers (including me) at the beginning of the day. I was a little nervous but I cracked a joke about being from Normal and that seemed to break the ice. Even during breaks, other teachers would come up and introduce themselves and asked about ISU, Illinois and Maine (I had told them I lived there when I was younger). A lot of them seemed to have connections back in Illinois either in Chicago and even State Farm. It just goes to show you that we are now living in a small world!

Some of the team building activities included building a tent made of nothing but newspaper and tape. Another one required us to complete a maze, helping each other, but w/o the aid of talking. In between each activity, the activity would be discussed and reflected upon by everyone. This helped link everything we did to what was trying to be accomplished. This reminded me a lot of how Dr. Hatch taught his class. I liked how the activities were separated into random groups and then were required to work together to solve a problem. We had to step outside our comfort zones and learn to rely on each other's strengths. Which is a lot like how a middle school classroom should be taught. The purpose of all of these activities were to show us that students can work together to solve common problems and seek out answers to questions. Teachers do not necessarily have to give students the answers. If young adolescents are engaged in their learning, they are going to want to seek out the answers themselves. So, I may not remember everything that was discussed throughout the day. However, I can say that it help reinforce a lot of what I learned throughout my time at ISU (and ICC) and to see that it works everywhere, especially in San Antonio.

A couple other notes about the retreat: Everyone won a door prize, including me. Ironically enough, it was a $50 gift certificate to HuHot Mongolian Grill. I was just telling Jayma that I was crazing FlatTop and it turned out that HuHot was a stir fry restaurant. So guess where we went to dinner that night? Oh, I forgot to mention that the San Antonio Silver Stars mascot, came that morning to get the retreat started. It was a lot of fun. I was really impressed by the time and effort the administrative staff and other teachers put in to make this retreat a success. There seems to a good reported between the administration and teachers and it was shown that day. Any successful school needs EVERYONE to be on the same page if they want their students to shine. Rawlinson seems to reflect that exact sentiment.

Once the retreat was over, I headed home, showered and got ready for dinner at HuHot. Once we found it (I actually got us lost, not GIPS), we proceeded to have an outstanding dinner. If only Sara Bay was there to join us b/c I know how much she loves stir fry like Jayma and myself. After dinner, we did a little more shopping (you'd be surprised how much stuff you need to buy if you can only get so much stuff in a car). We went to Walmart and Jayma got a picture of me being goofy. After that, we went home and found a visitor on our patio door. After a few days of non-stop running around, we both crashed early.

Another tidbit...We saw this cute, little, fluffy, silver cat walking around meowing. Well, I decided to give it some milk b/c I thought it might be thirsty. Well, not the brightest thing to do b/c then the cat stayed outside all night and meowed. Of course, Jayma's bedroom is right next to the door so she may have heard the cat. Jayma didn't like the cat but we ended up naming it Allergy b/c she's allergic. We call it Allie for short. I wanted to take her in but Jayma said no. Allie had to go back home.

ROOM UPDATE: Day 3 and the room is still a mess and I am not unpacked all the way!