Norma sent this to me today:
Click here for a Typing Test
My result:
Your speed was 71 WPM with 2 mistakes (adjusted speed 69 WPM)

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Milk... Mmmmmm.... Milk.



Mmmmmm.... Milk... in my belly makes me happy!


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I was going through some lessons I used for advisory last year and ran into this story about Bobby Martin. He was a football player with no legs. Yes it is true.

I used the story in our Advisory class last year. The past couple of school years we have met in Advisory class for only 30 minutes each Wednesday. Starting this year at the new school we will be meeting EVERY DAY for 30 minutes. That's a lot more work for the teachers. So I joined the Advisory Committee to help come up with lessons. We meet this afternoon at the high school at 3.

The days break down like this:

To best personalize for our AHS Students, they will attend an advisory program for 30 minutes daily. Each day will have a specific focus:

Two days a week will have an academic focus where students will engage in weekly planning, academic goal setting, grade counseling, student-led conferences and portfolio development. Interventions and tutoring may also be put in place to ensure academic success.

One day a week will focus on guiding our students to grow emotionally where they practice weekly small group discussions pertaining to topics of high interest to teens. They will also engage in personal goal setting and self awareness activities. Life skills, character education, safety issues and health awareness will be some of the topics explored.

One day a week will serve as a way to insure that all our students are connected to AHS in an authentic and meaningful way. Each student will select a club or organization and attend meetings during the advisory period. Student input will be used to form clubs and organizations that serve their needs.

One day a week will have a social focus where students attend school-wide celebrations, engage in team building activities, play games and participate in intramurals. Students will also be given opportunities to be involved in teen leadership trainings and actively participate in a student democracy.

So we will only have to come up with three lessons a week. I use a lot of inspirational video and discussion. The Bobby Martin story is definitely one that I will use this year. To think of all the obstacles and excuses that we build for ourselves. And 99% of us don't have any real physical obstacles. This story is one where a person said, "I don't care what limitations I have, I can do whatever I want to do."



Amazing story:

Boston Globe Article: No Legs, No ProblemDAYTON, Ohio -- The halftime announcement is met by squeals from the football crowd at Welcome Stadium, as if Ed Sullivan is introducing the Beatles.

''And now, ladies and gentlemen, the 2005 homecoming king, the very talented Mr. Bobby Martin."

Born without legs, Martin -- a 3-foot-1-inch, 117-pound high school football player -- quickly uses his hands to propel himself between a flag-toting honor guard lining the 50-yard line. The coronation is sweet. The new king stands tall. Martin is crowned, and his green-and-yellow No. 99 Cougars jersey is draped with a red cape that flutters in the wind, Superman-like. It was specially tailored by Sharon Murphy, his consumer science instructor at Colonel White High School. Even though she was ill, Murphy was there, caught up in Bobbymania.

Picture a young Cassius Clay from the hips up -- handsome, charismatic, bragging, funny -- and you've got Bobby. So on a recent Friday night, in a half-empty stadium several miles from his inner-city school, Bobby Martin has his dream come true.

''This day is going to go down in history," he declares. ''I always wanted to be the king. Always dreamed about it."

Check this out:


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Funny story from today... we took the little guy to the mall to let him run around. While we were at the little rides for kiddos to play on, a mother said to someone standing next to her, "That mother still let's that 3 year-old have a pacifier!" Norma heard her and was nice enough not to say anything. I would have said, "Hey lady, he's not even two yet! And your 14 year-old is playing on the little kid ride!" (the nerve of some people)

We really are lucky to have such a good little boy. These pictures are from right after his hair cut on Saturday morning. Looks pretty sharp. With his hair cut shorter you can really see the color in his eyes better. He actually seems happier after a haircut, like it calms him down or something? Must relax him. It is nice to be pampered, ya know. Get a nice haircut, have someone bathe you. Lucky boy.

Tomorrow starts a really busy week.
MON- Norma's haircut (she's going pretty short for the beginning of school). I head into school at 3 for a meeting in the Library for Advisory planning.
TUE - I spend all day at the high school for registration for the kids. They call it Flight Camp (get it? Eagles?)
WED - Norma heads in for her day of Flight Camp.
THU - We go to the beach at Galveston for a couple of days.
FRI - come home Fri night from the beach.
SAT & SUN - take a deep breath before work starts for us on Monday and we have kids in class the following Monday.

Things will really start getting busy this week!
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My sister Katie is gone now. We had a really nice visit. Aidan had a ball playing with her. Not being able to see family is the hardest thing about living so far from relatives. It would be great if we could still live here, but shrink up the rest of the country between Arkansas and West Virginia. Maybe a fold up book like a Mad Magazine. You know the kind where you fold in the picture and get the face of Alfred E. Neuman?

Anyway, thanks for visiting Katie. Hope you enjoy your time in Dallas at the Mary Kay Super Bowl.

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Today (July 27) was the one year anniversary of the passing of my mother-in-law. My wife and I recalled the worst night of our lives tonight for a few minutes. We found out here in Houston that her Mom died one year ago tonight. It was through a series of excruciating phone calls from her sister Cindy in Huntingdon, PA that we got the news. It was a horrible, horrible night. I think the only thing that got us through all of it was Aidan.

Norma called and spoke to her sister tonight. I am sure it was hard to talk to her. Being so far away from family is hard on days like today.

I found a picture of the two of them from 1992 when they went to the beach. It was one of those camera booth series of pictures. Norma and Cindy had gone to the beach for like 2 weeks and they both came back looking BLACK. I remember my Dad meeting Norma a couple of weeks later and that was the first question he asked me: "Is Norma black?" He was serious, she was that dark. She always tanned so well. Just another of the 1,000s of things she can do better than I can.

Anyway, I thought I would put some of these really cool pictures up here. Two sisters in the prime of their lives. At the beach and enjoying life. We sometimes lose these snapshots and forget about them. This series of pictures had fallen behind Norma's night table next to her bed. Who knows how long it was back there, but I found it while cleaning this week. It brought a smile to her face when I put it up on our bulletin board in the kitchen.

I hope it brings a smile to Cindy's face when she sees this.


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Daddy's Boy on Vimeo

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This week my sister from PA is visiting Kingwood, Texas and our home. We took her by the new high school today and showed it off. I got a good snapshot of the front entrance of the school. It is modeled after Jefferson's Monticello.

This is Katie, Aidan, and myself in the main hall of the school. They call that hall "Main Street." It really is a neat connecting corridor. Aidan is a blur, as usual. Constant movement.


This is Aidan testing out our new phone system at the school. We have "24" phones, as I call them. They are IP Telephony phones that hook up through the computer network. They are also used at CTU headquarters on the tv show 24. So I will be doing my Jack Bauer impressions in class and have probs to match!


Later back at the house this is Norma, Aidan and Katie playing on the couch. Fun, Fun, Fun. Tomorrow we are taking Katie to Mama Ninfa's in Kingwood for real Tex-Mex food. Mama Ninfa is the person that came up with the original fajita. Norma and I like them very much. Plus it isn't very expensive.


We are having a very good time, but it has rained like CRAZY. When we drove to the airport to pick her up we saw the storms coming in and it drenched us as we parked. Well, it drenched me... since I dropped the baby and Norma off and then parked the car. So I gave Katie a real big hug when we met her in baggage. A NICE BIG WET hug!
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Well, it's not December 25th, but it is July 25th. So I thought, why not a little Christmas in July!


Of course, this picture was from 2005 Christmas. A great Christmas Morning for my little guy.

Tomorrow my sister Katie comes down to visit for a few days. It will be exciting for Aidan to have someone other than his Mom and Dad to play with and show him lots of attention. Should be fun.

We also have a get together for the Social Studies Department of the new high school at a good Bar-B-Que place in Atascocita. That will be some good eats. I am looking forward to meeting a few of the people that I haven't met yet. School starts on August 14th and our first day back is the 7th as teachers. I can't wait.

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Ok, let me get this straight. The gas companies are making all time high profits. And gas costs over $3 bucks a gallon nationwide... an all time high price. Hmmmm.

Chron.com | U.S. gas prices hit all-time high: "Nationwide gas prices hit an all-time high in the last two weeks, rising nearly 2 cents to just over $3 per gallon, according to a survey released Sunday.

MEANWHILE:

Five of the world's largest energy companies are expected to report combined second-quarter profits next week in excess of $33.6 billion, a record bounty collected at a time of worldwide economic growth and political instability, forces that helped keep oil above $70 a barrel."

How in the hell do they get away with this? Oh yeah, our government does nothing to stop them from over charging us. They HAVE to be over charging if they are making that much profit. It's pretty simple.

I don't understand why we pay so much in Houston for gas. We refine the stuff here. We put up with the pollution here. They don't have to ship it more than 30 miles to the pump I use. But, yet we pay much more than cities like San Antonio that are 6 hours away. I just don't get that. Drives me crazy.

Ok, enough bitching for a Sunday. :)

I want to take this opportunity to thank a special visitor to my blog. Their visit tonight marked #62,000 since I began blogging on May 26, 2003. Here's the log of their visit:

cebridge.net
Kingwood, Texas
9:09:05 pm 1 0:00
http://fordee.blogspot.com/

Hey, that's me! I am awesome. What do I win? Well, me... you get my personal thanks and appreciation. And... well, you get the realization that you (me) are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

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Ouch. What a freaking game on my Xbox360 tonight. But, I dropped a HEARTBREAKER to the Wolverines of Michigan 51-45 in double OT. I was 3 yards from a TD and threw an ill advised pass into the end zone on third down. Freaking Michigan returned the INT for a 103 yard TD to win the game. Man, that hurts.

Oh well, I am building a Dynasty... so there is always next year for the National Championship for my Penn State Nittany Lions. :)

Technorati Tags: NCAA 07 Football, Xbox 360, Michigan, Penn State
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Our family has had a real busy month and July is just getting more crazy by the day.

This week Norma spend a couple of days at the new high school. One day for training (one that I attended a couple of weeks ago) and one for an open house for Sophomores. Today was a day where Aidan and Daddy were together all day long. I took him to the mall in the morning to run around. He flirted with this woman at the play land for like 10 minutes. It was pretty sick. There were like 10 women there with their children. Of course, big A picks the good looking woman (dark hair just like Mommy) to make googlie eyes at and give her his soft shy smile. It was a fun day, but the nap was horrrrrible! Aidan just won't sleep for me. He is so used to his Mom putting him down for naps. It was a chore!

Tomorrow night I go in for the Junior open house at the high school. It should be interesting to see the questions that parents and students have about the new school. It is so vastly different from anything they have ever really dealt with in education. But, the school is so darn beautiful that everyone is just blistful about it. As our district social studies co-ordinator said, "The first year is going to be like Camelot. Everyone will be happy." I am feeling that.

Norma said today when she got home from the school that all the computers are in the classrooms and labs. That is good to hear. We were worried that they weren't setup yet and we have just a few days until August 7th rolls around (first day we report back as teachers). She also said that they have vcr/dvd combos in the rooms. That is sweet. No TV though. They are going to hook everything up to the overhead projection device that is mounted in the ceiling. That is going to be sweet, but I worry about the bulb going out. The bulbs are like $200+ bucks to replace. Ouch. I will be putting mine on "energy saver" for sure. I used the heck out of my tvs the past two years.

On Friday night I have a social for the Advisory Committee members. Advisory is a 30-minute period per day with 15-20 kids that are assigned to you for 4 years (or until thier class graduates). I am anxious about how we'll do things, but generally excited about the program. The social is at the Advisory leader's house and is a "Hamburgers in Paradise" social. Should be interesting to see how many teachers drink. Of course that is something I never do. Teachers are crazy to begin with, add some alcohol and it could get pretty nutz.

Tomorrow I am going to order a new pair of glasses. Mine that I got a year ago are just unwearable for me. They weigh too much. Which is a shame because I really like them. They just give me a freaking headache. It doesn't help that my sinuses have been a mess with this infection. My dr appointment is next Thursday and hopefully the infection will be gone so they can do a CT scan of my sinuses and determine if (most likely they will) I need sinus surgery. I have had sinus infections out the whazoo the past two years.

Next week my sister is coming into town and that should be fun. Aidan will enjoy seeing a new face. Plus, my sister Katie is very enthusiastic and she should have him smiling the whole time she is here. We also have another social for school on Tuesday night at the Bar-b-Q place in town. It's for the social studies department so that we can meet everyone. I am very excited about that. It will be nice to see a few people that I haven't seen since May and also meet all of the new people.

I just can't wait to get back to work. But, I have passed the time here the past few days by playing NCAA Football 07 on the Xbox360. Man it is a great, great game. It is probably a 9 out of a 10 in my book. The only thing holding it back from a 10 is the lack of full features that they have in the Xbox version. There is no create a player/team mode, no Heisman trophy race mode, and the Dynasty mode isn't as full featured as it was last year. BUT, the graphics are incredible. The "feel" of the stadiums and crowds - just amazing. I have been playing as Penn State in Dynasty mode and enjoying learning the teams. I am now 4-1 with a big game vs. Michigan to play.

Oh yeah, I better get going. The Maize and Blue await. I plan on giving them a heavy dose of #2 Derrick Williams.
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After dropping "shit" on an open mic this week...

and fondling the leader of Germany...


Bush found his veto stamp for the first time EVER.

What Howard Dean said today in an email to Dems sums up how I feel best:

Today George Bush chose political posturing over human life, denying hope to millions of Americans, their families and loved ones who are affected by debilitating diseases.

He used his first-ever veto to stop the discovery of new cures for diseases like juvenile diabetes, leukemia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and many others. More than 70% of Americans from every walk of life -- whether in the faith community, the science lab, the hospital or at the bedside of a sick relative -- and majorities in both chambers of Congress disagree, but that didn't stop him.

The bill he vetoed wasn't a sweeping change -- it was a small, practical measure that would have made a big difference for medical research based on sound science. But the consequences are sweeping: the proposed law would have allowed research on excess embryos generated during processes like fertility treatments -- embryos that would otherwise simply be discarded.

I agree with every word. No doubt this is a terrible show by the President. A wide majority of Americans disagree with his veto today. It's a shame that our Congress and President is so out of touch. What is this guy going to do tomorrow? Every day is just a disaster.
Technorati Tags: Bush, G8, Shit, Open Mic, Veto, Stem Cell
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I am finally done with my Classroom Management "homework" that we were to do over the summer. For some reason I put a lot of time into it. I know Norma probably won't be so anal about it. Since I had to do it, I figured I might as well do it all out.

Sure this is probably not for everyone to read. If you are looking for pictures of Aidan, me spouting about politics, or some other non-sense that I write here, just skip this post.

But, hopefully it might help someone out there. Or maybe someone out there might be able to help me a little with a comment or suggestion. So, here it goes:

5. Encouragement/Rewards/Consequences of Negative Behavior

It is essential to show encouragement to students and to reward great behavior. This simple act helps cut down on negative behavior in itself. It also can inspire others to achieve to be able to meet requirements for rewards.

I give out awards to each individual class period. These are given each two weeks. The winners have their names appear on my website and parent contact is given. Typically an email is sent, but if no email address for the parent exists, I will call the parent or send home a letter. The student also receives a certificate.

The first award is called “The Eagle Award.” One student will be given the award after a discussion/nomination of deserving students in class. This award is for academic excellence. The student, who scores highly on tests and quizzes, contributes to classroom discussion and shows leadership in the classroom is a candidate for the award. After winning the award, the student can take "Eddie the Eagle" (a wooden eagle statue) and place it on their desk. The student can then have the Eagle on their desk each period until it is given out again.

“The Pigeon Award” goes to one student in each class that has conducted themselves with great citizenship and teamwork. They have to have a great attitude, personality and spirit. The award is named T.E.D. in honor of my father - Terry Edward Duez. He passed away this year. My father's hobby was raising pigeons. This award is named for him because of the way he conducted his life. He was a great high school basketball coach in Pennsylvania. He was friends with nearly everyone he ever met. I said this about my Dad, "he never met a person that wasn't good enough to be his friend." The person that wins this award will have to show that kind of spirit. The person that wins the T.E.D. Pigeon award will be able to place a pigeon trophy on their desk to signify that they have won the award.

Before nearly every test the class will play a “review game.” This game is a way to go over what we have learned in a fun way. Most of these games are done through power point (Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Hollywood Squares). Teams are given bonus on the test or a prize. The games help build team work and reward good citizenship.

It is my belief that the biggest consequence of negative behavior is performance below what could be expected from the student, should they behave appropriately. I feel that it is important to keep discussion of behavior geared towards academic performance. Doing so reminds the student why we are here in the first place. Often that is the most important key to maintaining behavior is to steer them towards what is needed to be done in the class to succeed. This also shows the student that you are not standing there giving them a ‘hard time,’ but instead, you are helping them.

There is no greater reward than praise. I try to keep my classroom full of praise and save the negative comments to students for one on one tutoring time or before or after class in a quiet conference. I walk around the room and make my presence felt by those who may not be paying attention or are not on task. Eye contact is also important to keep discipline in the classroom.

6. Student Role in Classroom Management

Throughout this exercise in classroom management I have stated that students need to take personal responsibility for their work, their behavior, and preparing for class. Student “jobs” in the classroom include assistants to pass back homework papers (tests are only passed back by me). Students will also aide in passing out materials such as atlases, books, and packets. They are responsible for cleaning and clearing the area around their desk of any trash or belongings.

That's it. My Classroom Management bull in 4 long winded posts. :)

Now I can start working on the first unit of lessons and getting things fine tuned for August 14th! It is right around the corner.

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I just called around and found a store that will be open tonight at midnight for the release of NCAA 07 Football on XBOX 360. Very excited.

Last year I got my copy at midnight and raced home to play. Only the disc was defective and it wouldn't boot! Man, that was a big time bummer. Hopefully I will have better luck this year.

I am looking forward to playing the full game. For the past week I have been playing the demo that is downloadable through Xbox Live Dashboard. It is pretty good, but I know the full game will be a lot better. There are a ton of bells and whistles in this year's version. Can't wait to play bowling, option dash, and tug of war mini games. I also want to try the NCAA Photo Album (where you can capture screen shots and replays).

Tonight after midnight I will be hard at work practicing before I take my game out on XBox Live. Those teenagers are tough! But, this 36-year old can hold his own. :)

Technorati Tags: NCAA 07 Football, EA Sports, XBOX 360, Video Games, Sports, Football
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Today's post on my Classroom Management Project is on "Classroom Procedures". Like I said before in previous posts on this topic, I am just looking for some input from anyone that might find this interesting. Some teachers may have some insight on what they do and what works for them. I would love to hear any ideas. Plus, I hope that any teachers reading this might learn something.

I must say this also: So much of what I do comes from my wife Norma. She is the best teacher I have ever seen. I would probably struggle without her feedback and her tips. She is great and most of this is her creation, I have just spent some time to type it out and describe how I actually use it.

4. Classroom procedures

Classroom procedures are only reinforced if done so early in the school year and diligently by the teacher. Extra time taken to setup the rules for classroom order in the first month will pay huge dividends in May. It is important to keep these rules the same throughout the year so that students can depend on them.

Each class period begins with a warm up exercise. It is typically begins with Student News for current events. CNN Student News is a 10-minute, commercial-free news program that airs on CNN Headline News. Created by a team of journalists and educators, the program provides the top stories of the day, segments that encourage student participation, and in-depth special reports. In addition, CNN Student News provides free curriculum on the Web to accompany each program's content. CNN Student News, along with CNN Presents: Classroom Edition, is CNN's contribution to Cable in the Classroom.

The program airs on CNN Headline News at 2:12-2:22 a.m. CT Monday - Friday. I record the program at home and bring the video tape into school to show. Without instruction from me, the students understand that when the bell rings the lights will dim, the VCR will start and they are to look for answers for 5 questions that are on the overhead. After the video ends, a discussion occurs and the questions are answered. It is up to the students to record the correct answers and keep them in their notebooks. The questions and answers can be used for tests and quizzes to help study. The questions for warm up are collected every two weeks for a daily grade.

CNN is only shown in class twice a week. The other two days a warm up will be done with questions on the overhead projector for the students to answer. These questions are also kept in their notebook and are collected with the rest of the warm ups after two weeks.

The students are expected to turn in any homework assignments from the previous period after the warm up. These are passed in up the rows and collected. I staple the homework assignment together in the top left corner. It is very simple; any assignments not stapled together are either late or missing.

In accordance with the student/parent handbook, late work will be accepted one class period late with fifty percent off. No work will be accepted later than one class period. If a student is absent, they will have one class period to turn in your make up work. The work is turned into a tray on the table in the classroom. Students are responsible for their work. It is their responsibility to turn the work into the tray.

All assignments are posted on my website daily. They are dated by the day the assignment is given in class. It is understood that homework is due the next class period, unless otherwise noted. The assignments are shown by month. If students or parents have any questions about assignments, I ask them to email me or stop by and see me between classes, or before or after school. If they do not have access to the computer, they can check the classroom “Assignment Binder.” It has everything that is on the website in that binder.

Transitions are very quick between activities in the classroom. The students see what activities are going to be done on the assignment/objective board at the beginning of the period. They are prepped and understand where the class is headed next. This cuts down on any possible distractions or interruptions of the lesson. A brisk pace is kept and doing two or three activities per 50 minute period is essential to keeping the students on their toes and engaged.

I dismiss my students. But it is my job to dismiss the class on time with instructions reviewing what was done that period, what is expected for homework, and what the class will do the next class period. It is a rule that students police their area and pick up any trash or belongings on their way out of the classroom. They are also to push their chair under their desk after it is returned to position.


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The last post on this will be about Encouragement and Positive Rewards for Students. I will put that up tomorrow.

I am meeting Monday afternoon with a new World History teacher at Starbucks to give him my cd. The cd has all my power point presentations from last year, my tests, notes, and info on the class. He is a new teacher to the district and although he has taught World History before, he has never used our textbook. I will have now met with all the new teachers in my World History department. Hopefully what I have done this summer in taking some time to contact and get together with these folks will help them.

At least I can say I did everything I could to help. The work to have a good year is something each teacher has to do on their own. But, it is always nice to feel like you have someone to turn to if you need a little help or encouragement. Hopefully they will feel like they can come to me for that.

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I have been meaning to link to this post:
A Shrewdness of Apes: Okay, rookie, we're gonna put you in: Suggestions for setting up your classroom

Since I have been spending some time here on this blog writing about my upcoming school year, I thought it would be perfect. Ms. Cornelius really has some great insight in this post. It is a must read for any teacher, let alone someone that is a rookie. Here is a taste:

First, oh paduan, consider classroom management.

Have only the rules you are willing to consistently enforce, and consistently enforce the rules you have. Have general classroom expectations written up in a succinct style, avoiding "Don't"s, and hand them out the first day of school. Try to keep the expectations to five.

Post the learning goal and agenda for the day on the board every day. Include homework to be assigned and due date.

Never threaten a consequence to a student unless you are actually willing to follow through with it. This is vital in making your life easier for the rest of the year. You must be a person of your word.

I should probably send this out to some of the new teachers in my department. It sure would be helpful. I particularly liked this tidbit:

Boy Scout motto? Be prepared. Teacher motto? OVERPLAN. Always have more activities on hand than you can possibly use in a class period.

Have a sense of humor. Be willing to laugh gently at yourself. Self-deprecation goes a long way to establishing a sense of rapport with your students.
...
Always err toward joking rather than bitching with your coworkers. You make a first impression only once, but you can ruin your reputation over and over.

Great advice. I always crack a joke rather that get too serious with teachers. They are usually too serious to begin with and I don't need any more stress, neither do they. Laughter is the best medicine.

She has a really great blog and is a super writer. Check her out sometime.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR MY MONK_E_MAIL MESSAGE

Believe me, it's worth the click.

My brother-in-law sent one of these to Norma this summer and we have been having a ball sending them around. You can customize and build your ultimate monkey. Then you type in what you want him to say.

Of course, it is just funny coming from a monkey. Especially one with a british accent, wearing a gold chain, and drinking a slurpie at the beach. :)

Enjoy. People should have to pay good money for this kind of entertainment.
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Hmmm, if this was a metaphor for his Presidency or world events... what would the baby be?

I could think of a few 100 things.


Technorati Tags: Politics, Bush, Middle East
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Aidan wrote this today as he sat on my lap at the computer...

;;;;;;;;;;////

0
181028088585800000000000088
NZ 2
0
...................ZXSA;[

He is brilliant! :)

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2. Room arrangement maps:
We are to draw up a diagram of our classroom and show an arrangement map. We are to show how it varies from different types of activities including a student seating arrangement, teacher desk, resources, displays, etc. And we need to provide a rationale of the choices.

I haven't finished this part year. I spent about a 1/2 hour in my classroom after my training session this week. The desks are really neat. They are tables basically with big blue chairs. It will be easy for the kids to re-arrange them for group and team activities. But, I fear it will also be easy for these things to slide all around my room and create a pretty messy setup.

The biggest fear of mine is that the new classrooms are so small that 30 desks are not going to fit in the classroom. My room last year was so large that I never really had to worry about cheating very much. The rows were wide apart during tests. This year I will have to make 2 or 3 copies of the test with different answer banks to cut down on the risk of students being able to easily see other student's papers. That is unfortunate.

Hopefully it will not be as bad as I anticipate. The teacher desk, computers, utility table, maps, and overhead projector are not yet in the classrooms. My stomach is a little upset just trying to figure out where I would put each of those things. There really isn't room. Oh well, I will figure it out. That's why I am paid the big bucks! $$$

3. Classroom Rules - How will you develop them with students? What might they include? (Consider having all students sign them and post them in the room.) How will they be communicated to students, parents, administrators, etc...?

Here is my first attempt at answering this part of my Classroom Management Plan:

1. Prompt
2. Prepared
3. Polite

I keep the rules very simple. There are only three. The 3 P’s is what I call them. They are easy to remember. Prompt means that the student is in class by the bell and at their seat. Prepared means that the student has the materials needed to learn for that day. Their book, pen/pencil, notebook, and any other materials are ready and at their disposal. Being prepared also means the student has done their homework or studied for the quiz or test that day. Polite means that the student treats others with respect. This infers that they treat other’s property with respect as well. In the course of any class period we could be discussing topics that are controversial or where we will have to agree to disagree about a World History or political topic. This must be done so in a polite fashion. I will say, “Disagree without being disagreeable” quite a bit.

If these three rules are followed the groundwork is laid. The three P’s are the fundamentals. With these three simple rules understood it then is easier to negotiate other situations as they arise. Other classroom rules or adaptations can be included and are discussed more easily after we have agreed to the basic rule set discussed here.

During the first week of school I will open a discussion as to how the three P’s can be applied in the classroom. There will also be an open forum about whether any other rules are necessary. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.” This is a quote to remind the students that sometimes rules can be changed, amended or even broken. It is my belief that the 3 P’s are based on principles and are therefore an outstanding starting point for our classroom.


Well, I have until August 7th to finish this. I still have to work on Classroom Procedures (begin and end periods, transitions, interruptions, instructional strategies), Description of how I intentd to encourage and respond to positive students and how to manage those behaving negatively (techniques used to maximize effectiveness), and Student Role in classroom management (how will I involve my students in managing the classroom? jobs, duties, and responsibilities of students).

Most of this is an effort by our administration to try to start the new school off with solid footing. Although I applaud their effort and I really think it will help some teachers, my style and methods are time tested and seem to work pretty well for me already. There may be a few tweaks that I get out of this plan. It seems to me that they will use the plan to sit down with struggling teachers and see where they may have some holes or problems. So it is not an indictment against anyone, really it is just here to help them long term.

Regardless, I like to take the opportunity to try and learn something from it. I have to do it anyway, I might as well get some benefit out of it.

Do you remember any classroom rules that seemed to work for you? Or maybe some that you hated? If you are a teacher, do you have any suggestions for me?
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This week we had an inservice at the new high school. It was the first chance for us to meet with our new small school community. About 1/2 of the "White House" was there. It was really cool to see who was going to be our house and to start to make some connections with these teachers.

In our new setup a "house" is about 400-600 students. All the students in that house will have their core classes in the same part of the building. They will also share the same teachers. For example, there are two world history teachers in the White House. I will have all of the honors kids in the white house. I also will teach two level world history classes. The english teacher that has honors kids and I will be able to share ideas and collaborate on curriculum and monitor student performance. I am looking forward to getting to know my students better this way. It is a much more personal approach to education.

Our inservice this week was focused on classroom management. We read a book called "Classroom Management that Works" by Marzano before the inservice. During the meeting this week we reviewed some of the book and went in depth about our own teaching and approach to classroom management. For "homework" we are to write out a classroom management plan.

I worked on it a bit today. It is due by August 7th (our first day back at work). The first part of it is called, "What is your classroom management philosophy?" I thought I would post it here for anyone to comment on:

1. A philosophical statement

My philosophy on classroom management is simple. First and foremost I believe that nothing replaces preparation for the teacher. A prepared and well thought out lesson will eliminate 90 percent of classroom management problems. Students that are actively engaged in the lesson have less opportunity to misbehave. I also believe that the teacher-student relationship must be a very good one. It is based on respect, but for a student that is not given until it is earned. A teacher must prove to his students that he is there for their well being and development. That takes time and must be shown each day.

Within the first week of school I have collected a Student Information Sheet. This sheet will have all the clubs, sports, and activities that a student participates. With this information in hand I jot down abbreviations for each activity on the seating chart to be able to get to know my students better. By the end of a couple of weeks I not only know my student’s names, but I will also know their interests.

My instructional style is straight forward in terms of what is expected from the students. My assignments and objectives are posted on the same board each day. The students know what they are to do and how they will be graded. My style is influenced by humor and light heartedness to keep the subject of World History from getting too dark and depressing. We deal with war, death, and corruption quite a bit. A solid dose of humor helps keep things light. And it helps keep the student’s attention.

The style I use also incorporates technology, video, audio, and story telling. It is as important to entertain the attention of a student as it is to teach the curriculum. One often does not happen without the other.

Management of students and the classroom begins with the parents and guardians. I send a contact letter home on the first day of school to be signed and returned. The letter is an introduction from me to the parents/guardians. If I do not receive the letter back I make a phone call and am sure to introduce myself and explain the class to the parents/guardians. My classroom website is a place that can be a hub of information and a touchstone into the homes of my students. Email is something that I do at least 3-4 times a six weeks period to the list of parents that I have. I inform them of what we are doing in class and update them on important dates (tests, projects, report cards, progress reports, open house, etc.).

In the past two years I have not sent a single student to a principal. I explain to the students on the first day that to get sent out of my classroom they must do something that does or could bring harm to another student. Safety is the very top priority for me. I am trusted to protect the 30+ students in my classroom and I take that very seriously. My classroom door is always locked and when it closes no one enters without my permission. If a student is showing continual behavior problems in my classroom I will contact the parent and principal; conference with other teachers that may have the student in class; and suggest to the student ways they can improve their behavior and performance in my class.

I have also finished the next couple of parts of the assignment, but I will post that tomorrow. I am interested to see if anyone out there has any input. Some teachers/educators read my blog, but even as parents it would be helpful to hear your thoughts.

I am doing a lot of deep thinking about my teaching. It is a great time to do so with the new school opening and everyone starting out with a blank slate. A perfect time to try to improve and do some new things.
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Yesterday the Astros announced a "major trade". At least that is what they called it. Astros fans were not excited about getting Aubrey Huff from the Devil Rays. Astro-fan called and called to the local talk shows to voice their disaproval with GM Purpura's deal.

Tonight they are probably starting to sing a different song:

Chron.com | Huff hits three-run homer in Astros debut

It was very nice to see something go right for the 'Stros for a change. Huff's dinger was just what the doctor ordered. He is the 5th best left handed hitter in baseball over the past five years at driving in runs. He is young and in a contract year. Huff is in a position to impact the pennant race and make himself a lot of money after the season.

For the Astros it meant a big demotion for Jason Lane and for Morgan Ensberg. Many were shocked tonight when Huff started instead of Ensberg at third vs. great lefty starter for the Marlins - Dontrell Willis. Ensberg has been awful (same with Lane). I was all for it. Although I would like to see this lineup tomorrow night, my lineup is a big change:

1. Burke, CF
2. Biggio, 2B
3. Berkman, 1B
4. Huff, RF
5. Lamb, 3B
6. Wilson, LF
7. Ausmus, C
8. Everett, SS

This lineup would get the best bats into the lineup. I could also go with Lamb at 1st, Huff at 3rd and Berkman in a corner outfield spot for better defense. But, I would like to see them stick Berkman somewhere and keep him there. He is a better first baseman than anyone else that they have. So I say keep him at 1st.

We'll see. The 5-1 win tonight was a great way to start the 2nd half. Things will really start heating up at the end of July. And pretty soon it'll be "Down the stretch we come!"

Today was a tough day for both Norma and I. Norma's Mom's birthday is today. Her thoughts have been about her Mom all week. Since Her passing last year, it has been terribly difficult.

I tried hard to think of the good times with my mother-in-law. She always made me smile. And she usually cooked me something good to eat. :) She was a very special person. She treated me like her son and that is something I will always be grateful for.

Tonight was also hard for me because the All-Star Game was being played in Pittsburgh, PA my old hometown. It would have been something my Dad would have been excited about. Since my Dad passed in January I had thought a lot about how it would have been great to talk baseball with the game being played in Pittsburgh. I really miss that very much.



Both Norma and I have heavy hearts at times... but we are so very lucky to have had great parents. When either of us starts to feel bad, we just look at the other and completely understand. I don't know what either of us would do without the other.
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