Middle School Math

On Wednesday night, I agreed to sub for a special education teacher, mild moderate at Pershing Middle School.  This school is out east on the 8 and north on the 125.  I get there and sign in and try to become familiar with the sub plans.  The school secretary finds me and asks if I can sub for a math teacher.  I said sure.  On the way to the class, I met the math teacher who had to go home for a sick child.  They were benchmark testing all day.

The class was very well behaved. As she was leaving she said 5th and 6th period are very noisy.  I then had the 6th graders arrive for the test and they were fine.  Third period I needed to go back to the special ed teachers room to control a class for advising.  The vice principal was in there and set a good tone for the class.  The students worked on their homework.  I had 4th period free where I wrote notes to both teachers and alphabetized the tests.  I had lunch in the teachers lounge where they talked about 3 weeks of furlough days.  These teachers had two preps a day.  They have time to work together but the down side is they have 36 students in a class.  There is no room to move around.

My 5th period class arrived (right after lunch) and could not contain themselves in line.  I was quite, I yelled, I walked up and down the line.  They could care less.  They were quite so I brought them in.  The talking, moving, disrespect continued.  After I passed out the test, I said be quite or you can take you test in the office.  They thought that was a great idea.  I sent one after another to the office.  After four left, the test coordinator arrived and just told off the students.  They wasted about 15 minutes of their test time.  She said this test will count on your grade and she will call parents to tell them what their student had been up to.  She had a scowl on her face.  The students complied.  I don't know how to look really mean.

During 6th period the test coordinator and the team teacher came into the room.  They continued to notify the students to be quite and take the test.  The team teacher took 14 students back to her room for the test.  After this the students were very well behaved and worked hard on their benchmark test.
The secretary had asked if I would work for a 6th grade math teacher for all of next week.  I said I already had something on my schedule.  I had to be at work at 7 am.  It was great getting out at 2:20 but I was still too tired to work after returning home.

I am sure being an educational consultant is the right field for me.  I want to visit the school for autistic children in Ocean Beach.  I can't wait to hear from the graphic designer.  I want to start advertising my business.

Found a great Graphic Designer

Today I met with Irene Zabelin who owns Pyxideas.  I found out about her from my landscaper Andrew Draper who owns Nector Spaces.  Here at Point Loma it is all about connections.  Later I was having a meeting with my realtor and she has her daughter in another math tutoring program.  I told her to check out my tutoring center.

I need to determine what my passions are to help streamline my new webpage.  So far I listed working with middle school students, teaching math, being a special education advocate, using technology for learning and making learning fun.  I won the award for creating lessons that teach real-life situations and make school fun.

I want to have a logo created for my company and connect it with my business card, letterhead and statements.  I also want my webpage to look the same.  I bought my site PointLomaTutor.com for about $10 for the year.  Already Irene is helping me.

Tomorrow I need to go to the Apple store and find out why Adobe suite does not work on my laptop anymore.  Irene would like me to use InDesign for my print layouts.  It might be better for me to just have Irene do things and then I would bring them to a printer here in Point Loma.

Irene wants me to develop a business plan so that is next on my agenda.  I bought a new calendar which has openings until 9 pm at night.  I already had to buy new ink for my printer.  I guess I now get to write those things off as a business expense.  Also I need to decide if I need to buy "Quick Books"  or some type of accounting software.  I also asked Irene for the  name of a CPA or tax person.  I know I can do it but it should be better to have an expert.

Educational Consultant for Students with Autism

Last week went very fast.  I spent Monday at a local middle school.  The new model in San Diego is for co-teachers to teach classes with special needs students.  I found this does not really happen.  I sat and watched a teacher teach English 7.  She was terrific but all I did was help two students with special needs.  Then I went to a Math 7 class where again I sat and watched a teacher teach.  He gave the answers to the homework but did not show how the problems were worked out.  I think it would greatly benefit those who missed one to see the steps show on the overhead.  He asked does anyone need help?  No one responds.  Would you want to tell the class you did not get the right answer.

Then I had another math class taught by a teacher who goes rather fast.  His lecture was to do the problems in the text.  He did not allow processing time.  He yelled at a few boys whose writing was messy and not neat.  I told him having students use graph paper to line up the numbers was helpful.  He just said that the special education teacher can do what she wants with her students.  I thought his might be helpful for some of the general education students.

Then I had 1/2 for lunch and then I was able to teach a class called advising.  This is where students do homework or read.  Many students like to waste time in this class.  Then I had 5th period off which I used to write notes to the teacher and look for other sub jobs as well as check my San Diego Unified email.  The next period I watch another teacher in English 7.  I walk around to help where I can but it did not seem like he had great classroom management skills.  I think I am improving on how to evaluate teachers...

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in the east part of San Diego.  Here I taught English to special needs 6th graders for periods 3 and 4.  Again the rest of the time I just watch other teachers.  It is a bit boring.  I walked around with an student with 'autism' and found him to be delightful.  I think he is a bit bored in the class of 35 students.  English is his least favorite subject.  He is very bright but squirms all over in his chair.  He is not being rude, just bored.

Thursday I had a chance to go back to the school I taught at on Monday but already made plans to be at home. I made cookies, took the dogs to the dog park, worked at church and finished the mission project and started the editing of the database to match the changes in the new directory.

Friday morning I was up at 5:30 with the dogs and found an assignment at my Monday school, so I just took it.  8:30 to 3:45 pm I wonder if there are any students here that would benefit from my tutoring.  I need to make up a flyer and work on my web page.

Today I am at Correia Middle School

I have been busy this week helping out at church editing the new directory and managing the Mexico Mission Trip that leaves today.  I missed taking several sub jobs.  Until my business grows, I will plan to sub everyday.  I think the experience helps me learn about San Diego School and the special needs students learning there.

So far today I have co-taught two classes.  I basically just help students learn like a classroom aide would do.  Language Arts where they do a Socrates lesson each Friday.  I noticed none of the special needs students spoke.  In math where I listened to a math review I notices two special needs students not understanding or even writing down the correct answers.

The third period class was having a test so the teacher said for me not to show up.  I went to the office to say I could help out during 3rd period but the secretary said she does not know every one's schedule so I was to just stay in the classroom.   I will have some students in the Reach program - study hall during 4th period.  This is the lesson plan the teacher left with me. "Study hall, students should work on homework or read.  Remind them to finish their key terms for Science on Friday, please."  Fifth period is a prep.  I co-teach for 6th and 7th period I do a study skills class.