One semester down!

And after whirlwind day of wrapping up the semester and preparing for Christmas, we'll embark in the morning for a week out of town to be with family! Very exciting. 

I am SO glad to get a two-week break. I'll be teaching a few of the same kids in my Spanish 2 class next semester, but there are others that I think I may miss. Maybe? 

I gave them surveys about my class, and the feedback was really helpful. More note-taking (Yes please!), less book work, they liked the centers we did, they LOVE when they get to write/draw on my mini individual whiteboards to practice vocab. I also asked them about my teaching style, and it looks like I struck a good balance: 

"Sra. Sims is really nice and laid-back. Not overbearing." 

"Sra. Sims is too strict sometimes." 

"She's not monotone and is always smiling and enthusiastic." 

"She's really monotone and needs to be more enthusiastic." 

I had 25% A's and a 12% failure rate, which makes a pretty nice bell curve. One student made a 100 in the class -- and he earned every single one of those 100 points. He learned 100% of what I taught this semester, and I'm glad I'll get to teach him again next semester! 

I also had a jock kid start crying today when I handed him back his well-written EOCT, on which he scored an 82, and told him that meant he'd pass the class. Which means he gets to play baseball this spring, of course! 

I started creating a collection of poetic works around October titled "Haikus of a first year teacher", and I thought I'd share a few here:

Preplanning:

Spitball plastered tiles

Almost crushed by bad bookshelf

Hearing, smelling bats

Students:

Te llama el gum

My clothing’s like a cowgirl

Things students tell me 

Midterm:

52 Average

Texting’s not work; took his phone

He never came back 

Surveys: 

This was a great class 

Even though I'm gonna fail

Thank you. Love you! --Hope