Our room is decorated with graphs and various Algebra-related vocabulary that we made during class. Everyone is eating Hot Fries (the favorite of the 'fabulous prizes').

Much has happened since the last day two weeks ago - I've actually started a job at Tulane, but I have to point out that this summer was a fabulous experience for me. I discovered that I absolutely love teaching and I became immediately invested in each of my students. I also learned that Algebra is not as intimidating as I imagined it to be. Thanks to the advice of Kirk McDonald, I learned that you can get students to teach for you by simply standing in the back of the room and asking one or two students who are competent to do the work on the board. Other students will get invested and it gives you as a teacher time to figure out the answer... Brilliant!

Also, I was able to effectively use my loud, teacher voice on several occasions, and was quite pleased with the results. I attempted a variety of teaching techniques and discovered that I'm really hands-on and active in the classroom. I move around - a lot - and I talk to the kids and ask them questions - a lot. So much so, that I think I often slowed the lesson down, but I really enjoyed learning about what they respond to and what they completely ignore. For instance, they had no idea that there was an education reform happening in New Orleans, and weren't that interested in reading about it in the newspaper that I brought in; however, they did know exactly where the horoscopes and obituaries were in the paper and crowded around to read those.

Other notes:

• My chalkboard handwriting is insane. Really big and wacky at some points and so small you can't read it other times. I tried to work on that, but I can't say that I showed much improvement.
• I love grading papers. I write lots of notes to the students when I grade.
  
• I'd rather grade papers than create a lesson plan (that could be a problem)

Favorite student comments/ conversations:

• Dang, Ms. A, you are really asserting your time management authority on us today.
• A million dollars? I don't want to make a million dollars. I just want a nice little job that brings in say about $20 an hour, so I can live without the stress of all that extra cash.
• That boy be tweak'n? Nah, he ain't high. That's just how he acts.
  
• Ms. B, why you keep poke'n me - can't you let a guy get some sleep in this place?