The Best Problem a Teacher Could Have

"They're too smart!!"

HEY!! There's so much to say, it's hard to know where to begin!

Two weeks and two days of school under my no-experience, haven't-taught-in-a-year belt! Wowza - definitely humbling, affirming, and growing thus far. Excited to continue learning alongside my students. Thanks for joining in to follow along! And apologies in advance for this post not being as creative as my last two posts. Haha - that's too hard to keep up with.

I

love

math.

On Monday, January 13th, I got to share with my two groups of four students about what makes me ME on part of our first day together, including that I love math! Little did I know at that time just how much I would love doing it daily and watching it come to life before the eyes and minds of eager students!

(Quick background on Aleks)

Figuring out how to blend an individualized online program (Aleks) with live classroom teaching has been interesting. I've been learning how to interpret the data provided from the program to shape my next steps for instruction. The program notifies me of what topics the students are "ready to learn", what topics they have learned, and what topics they have mastered. I have access to each of the questions that they attempt and can see their exact mistakes as well and seek to diagnose the problem. All in all, it is very informative and I am thankful for the direction that it has provided me.

6th Grade

Each morning I prepare mini lessons and activities on specific topics that the students are ready to learn, then send them on their way to Aleks to search for those specific topics and learn them. In hopes to more effectively encourage individual growth from their respective places in the course, Ben (middle school math teacher) and I have been collaborating to group students based on readiness. The first week, I taught a group of 4 students who were collectively further behind than their peers. The second week, I taught a group of 4 students who were collectively further ahead than their peers. It has been a unique privilege to get to teach the students in a more intimate setting and get to know them four at a time. I look forward to knowing the whole sixth grade class as the rotations of groups of four students continue.

8th Grade

I am teaching a joyfully challenging small group of four 8th graders Algebra II, which is at a level significantly above the high schoolers a few doors down. To ensure I am capable of enlightening them in the coming lessons, I have been refining my own Algebra II skills for hours on end and have fallen in love with math all over again!! (I understand if you're eye-rolling or head-shaking right now.. I know I know, I'm crazy). Since it has been so long since I have been able to enjoy computing functions of Algebra II in comparison to 3000/4000 level college math courses, I have to set a timer for myself to stop doing math on certain nights. If you are concerned for me, please don't be. But, I do welcome any accountability if you would somehow like to help me not over do it!

Knowing that it has been one of my goals, on our walks home from school, my roommate will typically ask "Did ya stump em' today?!" She asks this because there have been several times when I have presented them with information, thinking that they have not yet mastered it (according to how I interpreted the data), though they seem to already know it! So, unfortunately I haven't gotten the pleasure of teaching them something entirely new and getting to celebrate with them when the light bulbs go off very much YET. As I am getting to know them and their prior and current knowledge and skills, I am becoming more aware of where their gaps are and what I should teach them and when I should do it.

These two weeks have taught me oh so much and there are moments when I feel incapable and not competent, and it is in those moments that I must remind myself that while it is my job to do my very best to teach them math, math is not everything. I have more to offer my students than equations and word problems. I can offer them the comfort that they are known and cared for. I can demonstrate that I value them as individuals aside from their math performance.

School Highlights:

• Upon being notified that there is 5 minutes left in class, my students' common response is: "What!!! How does time go by so fast in here?!"

• Before knowledge checks (tests): Doing "L.E.A.D.E.R. Jacks" (KLA version of jumping jacks) and making sure we were all awake by dancing to "Double Dream Hands" (if you know, you know. Feel free to look it up on youtube.)

• During the homeroom time at the end of the day, I was pleased to see Anid write a math problem on the board and wave me over to say "Look, Miss Michalski!! I created my first math problem."

• Dodgeball tournament at school! I got to coordinate a teach/staff team to play the winning student team. We lost. -___-

• Varsity Basketball games including an informal game against the American and Polish KFOR soldiers.

• Teaching a few homeroom classes "Sounds" - a Michalski favorite game!

• Being quizzed by students to see how many names I have memorized during lunch duty

• Friday staff lunch/meeting. School ends at 12:00pm every Friday and we are able to dedicate time reflecting on the past week, looking to how we can improve in the coming week(s) and what to focus on. We've been sharing classroom management successes and failures, evaluating and refining the disciplinary system, and giving and receiving feedback from peer observations.

• Greeting students in the morning with smiles, "Mirëdita", hugs and handshakes. I appreciate the naturally affectionate cultural norm!

• Learning to count to ten in Albanian and eagerly beginning to count to random students "nyë, dy, tre, katër..." and them raising their eyebrows expectantly!!

Outside of School Highlights

• Going to Prishtina to explore the capital on the weekend.

• Girls Night hosted at Lydia's (HS english teacher, Nadine's daughter). After a movie and pizza, some of the Albanian teachers taught us the traditional dance which basically looked like us giggling and circling around waving napkins in the air. :)

• Playing Just Dance and teaching Addy (Padget's daughter) the Footloose dance!!

• Enjoying KFC, celebrating Rubin's 2nd birthday, and getting my hair styled by Loresa with Nadine's grandkids (5, 4, 2) at their weekly "Grandma Night!"

• FaceTiming friends and family!!!! & receiving wonderful encouraging messages from many of you! THANK YOU.

• More listed below v v v

Weekly Walks

Where is Deb walking and when?

11 minutes:

To/from school!! Monday through Friday ~7:00am, and ~4:30/5:00pm.

6 minutes:

Thursday night prayer meeting at the Padget's home. Very powerful time of pleading with God to dwell among us and be the Lord of the lives of Kosovar people.

8 minutes:

Sunday Night small group meeting at Delarme's home. 3 families and 4 singles gather for worship, studying of the Word, prayer, and fellowship.

11 minutes:

Volleyball clinics every other Saturday starting January 25 from 10:30am-1pm. Open to all students: 6th-12th boys and girls!

Running intramural girls basketball program every Wednesday after school from 3:30pm-5pm.

Down the hall:

Workouts after school with Albana (art & pre-k teacher) and Olivia G. (science teacher).

Anywhere from a 1 minute walk from my apartment to a < 10 minute car ride:

Weekly Dinners with some of the young single teachers. Trying LOTS of restaurants. It is super economical to eat out - considering it is 2.50 euros for two avocados at the produce stand in comparison to 3 euros for a large pizza, which provides my lunch for the next day! #score I haven't gotten to try much traditional Kosovar food. Most restaurants offer a similar menu: salad, pasta, pizza, chicken, fish.

3.5 hours:

HIKING!! We may or may not have searched for a trail amidst thorn bushes for ~30 minutes, but it was well worth the adventure and memories made, as Uncle Troy (science teacher, Nadine's brother) likes to say. :)

I'll post some photos under the photo tab that go with all these things!!!