Day 49

The stewing is over. Now begins the arduous journey. First you cull the standards and instructions for the "buzz" words and phrases. These are the items you need to include in your final product. I've chosen a high interest lesson for junior high school students, fast food. I've printed and distributed the permission slips and promised the candy for returns. I had already arranged for another room for the taping (remember, the dog and pony show?). I have to make the video look as perfect as possible. Even though my room is where my teaching takes place, it's not very photogenic with the bad balasts and computers everywhere that we have to work around. Room is at a premium at my school. With most of my classes remedial that use the computer lab often, it made sense at the time. Now begins the journey in earnest.

Day 22 - Getting Ready to Think

When I first started teaching, I established myself in my school and was left to do what I knew to do. My kids thrived and I grew as a teacher. When I transfered schools, I didn't realize (but should have) that I had to start over again. I'm now in the position again that I am left to do what I know to do and my kids and I thrive. The first year, however, was a nightmare. The principal was the sqawn of Attila the Hun. I think she actually derived some twisted pleasure out of getting me in tears and sending me back to my classroom to teach. She moved on or I would have gone back to my old school district. One of the things I learned during that experience is something my husband always used to talk about, but I poo pood the notion. He would talk about the "dog and pony" show when referring to observations. I realize that there are people who have everything perfect all of the time, but I am not one of those people. I can change direction for a class at the drop of a hat to follow a concept they are struggling with illustrate a point that needs to be made from a question they brought up. My "stuff" may not be always handy, but I feel compelled to address the question in the moment. This means that sometimes I'm talking to them while digging through my closet for Dee Dee the Fraction Ferry (her name reminds you to divide down) or my skull that I use to give them a visual for the circumference of a circle (To pi or not to pi, that is the question).

For the National Boards, I need to put on the Dog and Pony show. I need to almost script my sessions (which I sort of did the first time, but obviously not enough). This time I will also stage the session. The two kids who have diarhea of the mouth will be somewhere else that day. I will borrow another teacher's room, because the lighting in my lab is too poor for taping. I will also tape three different lessons and decide which one to use for the portfolio, not just three different versions of the same lesson. I think this will work.

Day-I've lost count

It's the Christmas season again. I'm getting a retest for Christmas, oh joy and exhaltation. I couldn't stomach doing two portfolio sections, so I selected one portfolio section and one test section. I can't believe that I didn't do better on the test! Oh well. Life goes on, even for losers.

Day 4

Okay, I signed up for to retake two sections of the National Boards. My problem is that this time I know what I'm in for. The process is grueling. I will be redoing the whole class instruction portion and one section of the test.

The test, I'm not too worried about. I like tests. When I went for the test the first time, I was blind sided. I expected to be tested over the National Board standards, not math. I chose Data Analysis, because it was one of the sections I scored the lowest on (which I don't understand) and I love Data Analysis. I figure I'll spend the next few months going over everything I can find on Data Analysis.

The portfolio section will be another story. I have to come up with a lesson and teach a class. I have to orchestrate an "ah-ha" moment. This time, I'll arrange for another classroom to tape in (my classroom is too dark). I'll tape three lessons and choose the one that will best fit what NB is looking for. I'll also arrange for three of my little lovelies to be somewhere else on my tape days. I think I'll also get a camera operator instead of trusting the tripod.

When I first started teaching in this county, I didn't worry too much about observations from administration. I had always done fine. My first principal here changed all that for me. I now understood what my husband had been talking about when he talked about the "dog and pony show". I guess I have to do the "dog and pony show" for NB. The fact that 80 to 90 percent of my kids move from the lowest level to at or near on grade level, has nothing to do with passing National Boards.

Besides, I've already checked and the IRS has no openings right now!

Day 2

Okay, being a math teacher, I've done the math. I need to get a better grade on one of the two modules I scored the lowest in and retake the stupid test. That should get me enough points to pass this beast. (I hate to lose.) I think I'm going to go for it. I guess I knew this yesterday, but wasn't ready to admit it.

The Day After

Okay, today is the "day after" I received word that I did not make the cut for National Board certification. Now the decisions come.

I could tell NBPTS to go some place very warm and toasty.

I could cry (and probably will some more).

I could try again.

What to do? I've already invested nine months of my life. Do I really want to put myself (and my family) through this again?

Today, I don't know.