So today was a little easier since there was less info. I started my day at one of the elementary schools where we had breakfast and an early morning send off from the superintendent. An award was also given to one of our Law Enforcement agents for being the best LE agent involved with a school in the state! Everyone was proud, I'm looking forward to meeting the LEO.
After that we headed back to the high school where there were students running around! I had forgotten that the freshman and sophomores were allowed to come check out the school today to get orientated to the school and find their classes.
Around 9:30 we met in the head of the math department's classroom (also my mentor) where a lot of things were being discussed, some good, some not so good. After this meeting I was able to get my class lists. I am teaching 5 classes, 3 Algebra classes and 2 College Algebra Prep classes. The students in my College Algebra Prep class either did not take or pass the Compass exam which they need in order to get college credit for the course, so no college credit for this class.
What really surprised me are my class sizes... My first period class, Algebra, 22 students. Awesome. My second period class, Algebra, 29 students! Not so awesome. My forth period class, Algebra, 10 students. Awesome. My fifth period class, College Algebra Prep, 4 students. Pretty awesome. My sixth period class, College Algebra Prep, 12 students. Pretty cool. So I would love for 9 of my 2nd period students to move to my 3rd period class so there are evenly spread out class sizes and students can learn better and I don't go out of my mind!
After all of that we had to count and catalog all of the books that were in our classrooms already along with sorting and bringing the new books to the 6 math classrooms, and switch out books from one classroom to another. It doesn't sound too bad but each book weighs about 11 pounds, 8 to a box, needing transporting down the hall. Awesome fun, haha.
After a month of asking if there was a textbook for my College Algebra Prep class I was able to see the textbook for the first time. Lesson plan time! At least I was able to work on my Algebra plans for the past month! Should be an interesting time!
While trying to get all of this sorted out I met a science teacher who told me that all the awesome republicans in AZ got rid of teacher tenure last year =O So now all teachers are hired on a yearly basis. While that isn't horrible news the next thing I learned was pretty bad. One of the other math teachers said that he had been there for 3 years and has seen 5 different teachers in the room I now occupy! If that isn't bad juju I don't know what is.
I was able to meet a few of my students who said I was nice and they weren't really excited about the school year. I did meet one student who has trouble with math and I was reminded of the book My Thirteen Winter by Samantha Abeel. A memoir about a young girl who has trouble with math because she has a learning disability called dyscalculia. I'm wondering if my student has this disability or if I can get through to her this year. I'm looking forward a challenging school year and hope my class sizes even out!
I did over hear several of the math teachers say that they will be at school from 7:15-3:15 and that's it and that they cannot be mandated to work at lunch because it is "there time." We each get an hour of prep or a planning period. There are no study halls at SLHS so there is no reason for a student to be in your room during this time. This planning period is "you time." I have a feeling that I am going to be at school a lot more than the other teachers but I guess that's the kind of teacher/person I am. The kind that will bend over backwards for students. If no one shows up after school it gives me time to make sure I'm set and ready for the next day.
Tomorrow meeting at 8. School on Wednesday!
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