862 Hrs.

Lately I have felt like I forget most of what happens to me during the day by the time I get around to updating my blog at the end of each day, so today I am going to try to update at the day goes on from the computer in my classroom. We'll see how this goes...

8:25 a.m.

This morning, I let myself sleep in until 5:30. I usually wake up quite a bit earlier than that, but I was feeling exhausted this morning. Cory is leaving in a few hours to go back to Washington D. C., so it was sad to say goodbye to him. At 6:16 I left my house, and my bus arrived twelve minutes later. After a twenty minute bus ride, I had a thirty minute ride on the rail, and than another forty minute ride on a bus. At around 8:05, I arrived at R. R. Moton. Patty and I are the only corps members here today, even though we are supposed to arrive by 8:15, so now she and I are calling around to try to find out where everyone else is. We skipped P. T. this morning since it would have looked really lame to have one leader and only one corps member doing P. T.

9:26 a.m.

I just had a tutor session with my first graders. Once again, they were well-behaved until a particular student showed up. I told them I would reward them with some recess time tomorrow.

10:06 a.m.

For the past half hour, I have been in a fourth grade class helping out with a small group of students having trouble with reading. This group is different from the groups that I normally work with. Most of my other groups are called "intervention" groups, and they are chosen by the state of Florida. If a student scores a 0, 1, 0r 2 on the state test called the FCAT, they are required by law to be given help for thirty minutes each day for the next year with reading. The program we use to teach those students is called "Voyager", and is a program that has been developed by the state. The fourth grade group I just taught is just a group that the teacher has given to me because she thinks they need extra help. Some of those students are in an intervention group, but not all of them. During that time, I help with whatever the teacher needs me to help with. Today, I was timing students on a reading passage.

10:51 a.m.

Lunchtime! I am typing this as I am waiting for my Easy Mac to warm up in the microwave...

For the last thirty minutes, I was working with another small group; this time, a group of first graders. For that class, I take out the students individually to quiz them with flashcards and help them read the books that go along with the flashcards.

I makes me sad when kids get mad at me for making them do something that I have no control over. The kids hate tutoring and hate me for what I make them do, but I don't have the power to take them out of it.

12:40 p.m.

At 11:30, I taught another intervention, but this time with a group of fourth graders. This particular group really like to challange my authority, but I've taken to carrying around a stack of detention slips, which seems to work as far as a visible reminder for them to behave themselves. At noon, I was supposed to have a third grade intervention, but none of my students ever showed up. I was told that they all went to recess and forgot.

1:38 p.m.

At 1:00, I held a fifth grade intervention. After having to kick one kid out, the session was very productive, and I will be bringing the three remaining students candy tomorrow. : )

8:58 p.m.

When school ended at 2:00, Jaguar Academy began. Only about eight students were there, so it was an unusually easy day. For the first hour we helped them complete homework, and for the second hour we spent the time helping them practice reading in preparation for the FCAT, which is in two months. After work, the R. R. Moton team went out to a Chinese buffet. I am finally home now, and ready to go to sleep.

-Aly