You’ve probably figured this out on your own, but I’ve been working hard. Nothing from the norm, but I’ve decided to get even more focused on the sorts of things that’ll get my students and my school closer to our goals. One of those things has been proactively developing unit plans. I hadn’t done that in the past even when my fellow educators suggested it over and again. Rather than keep them to myself, I’ve also decided to share them with the rest of the staff and on this blog, just so we all have points of reference.

That’s just a sampling of what my job entails this year. I’m teaching 20 or so students in a CTT (collaborative team teaching) where I’m paired off with a supportive teacher who’s new to the building. So far, I like his presence in the room, and he’s raised the confidence of some of the students in the room about their math skills, even as he re-learns some of the math himself. I like the kids too; they’re not my knuckleheads of last year’s graduating class or my premies from a few years ago, but they show signs of character. I’ve been planning my lessons daily, a welcome recourse since I did most of the planning in my head.

I’m also traveling with the students, too; 5 different classrooms on 5 different days. It’s a struggle, but I’ve already set up my Vilson-mobile a.k.a. My Portable Classroom, complete with textbooks, erasers, and work folders. It’s a great little thing and keeps APs from complaining about my bulletin board. (Yep, I said it.) Plus, it assures that I stay on my toes day by day with my record keeping and pedagogy. In other words, I like it.

The rest of my day is a whirlwind of extras. I’ve concentrated on looking for textbooks that seem to have disappeared (isn’t that what happens in every school?) and technology issues that I was never trained for. Every time there’s an assignment, I feel like a closer at the bottom of the 9th, ready to close out the game, and it’s worked to an extent. I still have a fair amount of detractors, but unlike last year, it’s not coming from the math department itself.

When I finally sit down and eat my salad for lunch, I forget the simple things, like how much my feet hurt. And for the next 175 days, my ears and fingers may follow. But when 0 days are left on this school calendar year, I’d love to say I helped accomplish every goal I set for myself and that the school set for itself.

Seriously.

Jose, who really wants to know, “Are you gonna go my way?”