Log for today

Every morning when I get up I check my phone for e-mails while the shower heats up.  Both my personal and profesional messages all go to my phone.

I get to work and respond to any that required more than just checking.

I attended the normal team meeting at 10:30 and we finalize to do list items for people for our Friday field trip.  There are some students that due to behavior concerns are being told they are not coming.  They will be pulled in tomorrow to be given the bad news.  Their behavior has put them in a position where they will not be attending the field trip.  I was asked to contact parents for additional chaperones.

I check my parent folder and begin sending out direct e-mails to parents that will get along with the rest of us during the day.  Parents that will enhance the field trip experience not take away from it.

I posted pictures and an update of what we did in class today on facebook for our 39 parents that are a member of our group.

I updated our team homework hotline page for tonights assignments.

I ave a student that came unprepared for class, I mean with nothing.  This is the third time he has came to my class (and to school) in the last week with no materials, nothing.  In class we are working on an end of the year project.  Since he has no materials I sent him to the office to send him to the ISS room.  Since his friends are in my room focused, the last thing I want is him distracting the other focused students.  The office today was busy with fights, and end of the year general craziness of middle schoolers.

There has been no communication of expectation over the last two weeks of school, no communication of the continued focus on education, no reminders, no words to live by over the last few weeks, no increased supervision in specific areas.  Its really a hold on for dear life/lets kick them all out of school mentality.  This lack of communication of increased expectations and increased supervision is causing for an unfocused school.  The last few weeks of school are a different time with increased attention to detail and focus on high expectations.  The key is to keep kids focused, increase supervision and increase eyes in the hallway and in common areas.  It's not that Middle schoolers are bad, they are not, but the extra eyes and ears will be a steady reminder of what we are here for.

I tweeted for someone to skype in and make a few recommendations on how to determine the validity of a webpage.  I'm waiting to get a volunteer.  I just feel kids need to hear the same info from someone else.


I ended my day with a Youtube video on the power of words, The Right Words.  I realized just how much changing what you say, even with the same meaning can alter the outcome, enjoy: