Week 32, Day 1: A hard easy

Even Block Schedule. More chemistry tests.

My ears were partially plugged up today and I felt kinda groggy. I'm not liking all of the review-review-review.

This is my penance for spending 2.5 weeks too long on Astronomy last Fall.

WE WILL DO A LAB TOMORROW in some form or I will go nuts.

I am developing a new mini lab series for the last unit of the year.  Organic Chemistry.  It only has 2 or 3 questions of the state test and there fore often gets overlooked or just skipped. This took some time.

I review the New chemistry benchmark tests my colleagues and I made.  This took some time.

Kids were in at lunch taken care of missing or miss scored assignments/  This took some time.

A colleague needs some information from me and I just did not have time to get it too him.  This frustrates me to let a colleague down.  He will have it first thing in the morning.

We will be doing the Alka Seltzer (expansion solid to liquid and effect of heat and reaction speed) lab tomorrow if time allows.

My students were really good today despite my frustration and weariness.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 31, Day 5: TGIF Seasonal Burnout

ODD block schedule: bench mark test on chemical reactions.

We were going to take both chemical reactions and periodic table benchmark tests but review went a bit long each period and I wisely elected to have students take only one.

I met my 3 students that were terribly disrespectful to me last class meeting  with light saber on my utility belt. Unlike the picture of Yoda, I didn't use my light saber, but the force was with me. One student was so mad at his new seating location that he left my class in anger to sit in the 8th grade office instead. Oh, bummer for me!  NOT!

Busy review day. Too much. I don't think kids will take much of it. We better do a mini lab next period or even the good kids may get moody.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 31, Day 4: Recovery from yesterday.

Even block schedule. Chemistry bench mark test

After yesterday's unexpected frustration from moody disrespectful students catching me off guard with my armor down, today is better. I am prepared with my metaphorical light saber at my hip.

My even period classes (we are on a block schedule) are my nice classes. A real joy to teach and less stressful than the odd period group.

I decided to use the newly made chemistry benchmark tests this year and they seem much better than the old ones we have used for 8 years.

I do not like this review-review-review for state testing.  Labs are way funner!

Notebooks STILL in the process of being scored.   11 hours I'll toil on these. Ahh.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 31, Day 3: Sucker punched

Odd block schedule. Chemistry test review.

I let 6 students ruin my day. 3 for blatant disrespect in period 5, and 3 in period 7 for being totally goofy and almost out of control.  Frustration stacking upon frustration.

I did not expect this behavior. It caught me off guard. I felt like the Jedi Knights in Star Wars episode 3 when Order 66 was issued and their soldiers turned on them.

I managed to stay professional.  My principal dropped in for a quick walk through and thought HE was going to fry from my expression and the tension the air.

A new seating chart is on the way.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 26, Day 1: A day off teaching and Science Olympiad reflection

ODD BLOCK PERIOD: Substitute lesson: Scientific American Frontiers video: HYDROGEN HOPES, Textbook Isotope Outline Worksheet and then for Homework: INTRO TO ISOTOPES.

I spent the day at our district office with 4 other colleagues, one from each of the other middle schools, revising our 8th grade unit benchmark tests.  A nice day. Got 90% of the task done.

I walked home afterwords. It took me an hour and I maintained a 4.5 mile and hour pace.

Last Saturday my two teams competed and came in 10th and 12 place. I feel like both me and my students let each other down. Most of the students only wanted to do 2 events. In past winning years most did 4 events with some doing 5.  I did not push them to do more. That is where I failed them.  I need to have another coach next year.  Mrs Gaede is happy to help and I will use her more next year.  I will field only 1 team.  If more kids want to compete then they had better work hard early and show me.  THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR I DID NOT TOTALLY ENJOY THE PROCESS. Mediocrity was happening this year and from now on I will fight it to death with my light saber!

Week 18, Day 1: Benchmark update meeting

EVEN BLOCK PERIODS. Students watching video with my subsitute teacher. Details on this Tomorrow.

What a great day we had.  Five teachers, one from each middle school, met at our district office today and updated our unit benchmark tests.

We worked hard all day and before we knew it Lunch and then Quitin' time arrived.

It was fun working with other interesting and dedicated colleagues.  We split into to groups. One worked on Chemistry and the other worked on Physics.  A very productive day and we got to scoot out and have lunch AT A RESTAURANT. It is so nice having lunch with grown ups and out of my class room.