August Blog #2: A Positive Phone Call Home

I have the student of the week, most improved, and star student in my class. One reward for them is a positive phone call home to parents. My students must didn’t believe me that I would do what I said I would do, because they seemed very surprised that I had called their house.

Friday, I told my students that I was going to make positive calls home for the entire class, because each person was doing a great job in the class and deserved that praise. This was also my first parent contact and I knew the students well enough to know what to say about them.

My most amazing phone call was to MJ’s mother. When I called her, she had a sense of frustration in her voice and did readily tell me that she was his mother. I introduced myself to her, and I heard her sigh like “What did he do this time!” I continued to tell her that I was so proud of MJ for all of his hard work and effort in the class. I told her that he did a complete turn around in my class.

Flashback to the beginning of school.

MJ came in and tried to take over at first, but I stayed on him with the rules and procedures. I also found an adult that he admired and called informed MJ that I had called that adult to tell him of MJ’s behavior. I also treat him like he’s older in the classroom, because he’s too old to be with these students. Also, I spoke to his counselor in reference of him transferring into the GED program, if he succeeds at this school.

Back to the story.

I told his mom that I was just so proud of his progress in my classroom and that he’s proving himself to be a leader in my class. She told me that she was so happy. She also told me that she had NEVER received a positive phone call from anyone that the school about MJ. She said that she was so happy that people could call for something positive instead to always calling to say that he did this and he did that. I could just hear the happiness in her voice. Then, she told me to hold on and she was going to put me on speaker phone. I waited then she asked me to repeat what I had just said-I’m guessing for MJ to hear. I repeated my spill again about MJ. She then redrew me from speakerphone and genuinely thanked me for my phone call. That was the best phone call that I had made all night and I’m glad that I made it.

This Year vs. Last Year

The first days of school this year compared to last year were much better. I was completely surprised at my level of confidence walking into the classroom. There were so many horror stories that I had heard from the teachers in the school and just regular people outside of school. This year, I had activities numerous activities planned form my students from Day 1, because I remembered how chaotic everything was from the previous year.

I spent the entire first week reviewing my rules and procedures in detail. The next week, we revisited the rules and procedure of the classroom again. The students were made to recite and rehearse them over and over and over again. Sometime in the next week, I began to cover subject matter starting with definitions; and then we went straight back to rules and procedures. The students didn’t respond well to them at first, but we continued to review them.

This year I knew that even though, they may seem like perfect little angels that the truth would come out the following week and I was just mentally and physically prepared for the outcome. Last year I heard people say that they would turn on me, but I guess you really don’t understand until you’re in that situation.

This year I was more mentally prepared in my classroom. I didn’t care if those kids hated me or loved me, because I had one mission-to get them to learn. I had already seen the games and I already knew the tricks of the trade. I was ready to handle all basic classroom procedures. I had my writing assignments in a folder already copied and ready to be given to anyone who choose to break the rules. The school that I am in this year is more strict them my previous school. That fact made my job easier. Here are just a few of the tricks:

Bathroom-can’t go.
Emergency-can’t go. You just went.
Water-can’t go.
I left my [insert item-book/pencil/pen/paper/notebook] in Mr/Mrs. Soinso’s class.-I’m sorry you were irresponsible.
I didn’t bring my [insert item] to school today.-Violation of school policy.
My pencil broke.-Here’s another one.
I know that it may seem wrong, but this year, I just knew better.

I am also more prepared to teach. I have incorporated many different strategies into my lessons and have tried to take a more active role in getting my students to learn. If I had planned out a lesson and I saw that my students were not responding to it, I knew that I could do what I had to do in order to help them master that concept.

This year I knew to be very, very flexible. I understood that things would change not could change. I kept roll on a separate sheet of paper. Thank God I did, because in the middle of the 3rd week, they gave me two new preps!
Coming in at the beginning of the school year and not October has made a tremendous difference. Also, having semi-taught some of my students from last year has made a difference. They already know me and are a little bit more comfortable about me.

Some things stayed the same from year to year-like the support from the staff and having a good mentor teacher.

If I had to pick just one thing that has changed from year to year, I would have to say my level of preparedness. It is apparent throughout my writing and I feel in everyday when I go to work. This year I can honestly say that I like my job.