A Day In My Crazy Life

5:30 am

Sluggish - at Glebe CI last night until 10 pm and then out for a couple beers with Layet Johnson as we were collaborating on an art project called "trip". One of the most amazing experiences of my life. True story.

Bathroom, Teeth, shower, get dressed.

6 am 

Make coffee, empty the dish washer, make lunches for my wife, me and my two boys aged 5 and 6, make morning shake for my wife and I ( pineapple, mango, almond milk, ice ), make second coffee.

6:40 am

Wake up my children (kisses and hugs), quick chat with my wife about last night and what is going on today.

6:50 am

Out the door, drive to work and drink shake on the way.

7 am - 8:30 am

Senior boys basketball practise

Work on down screening, shooting, ball movement and cutting .

Defensive rotations.

8:30 - 8:40

Entire boys physical education teachers are away and there are three supply teachers who are at Glebe for the first time. Spend 5 minutes helping them find what they need.

8:40 - 8:45

Quick meeting with my principal and her coach from the ministry for our SSSSI group. Small chat about my art collaboration last night.

8:45 - 8:55

Meet with my supply teacher, off to observe a lesson study.

8:55 - 10:05

Observe a lesson that our SSSSI group planned last Thursday to be taught first period. The focus of this lesson: "Student groups will examine item(s), every groups ideas will be evaluated to determine the criteria needed to select a 'good" experiment idea, to be later conducted." 

10:15 - 11:30

Debrief of lesson study. Interesting discussion about teacher direction and how our actions and comments influence what students do and learn. The idea that students do what the teacher wants. this is so difficult for us as teachers to let go of our classes. We need to let students explore and not feel like if we don't tell them they won't learn. This discussion is rich and will be spinning in my head for days. ( I need to blog about it)
 

 

11:30 - 12:25

Lunch continued discussion about our next lesson study - which will be in my class next. Chatted about lesson study with a math colleague and a science colleague while eating lunch in the staff room.

12:25 - 1:40

Prepare lesson for next class, photocopying, help 2 students with graphing rational functions, do deposits for the basketball teams ( yes teams - I just finished girls last week and am in full swing with the boys team now), while in the office chat with my principal about the lesson study today ( needed to clear the air as I brought up the elephant in the room during our discussion which provoked a passionate response from her - just wanted her to know I was playing devil's advocate - I think she knows my feelings on educational change)

1:45 - 3:00

Cup stacking with my grade 10 applied group. This is day three of this activity and students are finally figuring out different models for stacking the cups to get to my height. Most have stacked them top top bottom bottom ( y=mx), most have stacked inside each other ( y=mx+b), and most have stacked as a triangle ( y=ax^2+bx+c ) , a few of my stronger groups have stretched this to triangular pyramids and square based pyramids ( y=ax^3+bx^2+cx+d ). This is a great activity. Tomorrow will be fun as we will build some of the models like this:

3:00- 4:00

Prepare for tomorrow, help the junior boys basketball coach find their uniforms ( remember none of the physed staff were in today ), get the art project from last night to my class ( it is being shipped to Arkansas with Layet where it will be going in a gallery - I am such a lucky person ). Quick chat with my department head about the lesson study today ( he is part of the group - an awesome guy - totally my partner in teaching - we collaborate daily @BDMclaurin .

4:00 - 6:00

Layet Johnson meets me at Glebe.  (the great thing about meeting Layet was that he is also in love with basketball) We get the collaborative art work loaded into my van. Off to pick up my two boys from day care. Drive to the airport to drop of Layet. Go into airport to make sure he gets through customs. Take one last shot with this awesome artist.

 

Drive back to my temporary home ( we are not in our house right now - and won't be till March - we had a water leak while we were on summer vacation - it has displaced us for 9 months ) .

6:00 - 8:00

Make dinner pasta and ceasar salad, clean up, put the boys in the shower, read a few books to them , play fight, bed time for them.

8:00 -10:00

Chat with my wife about her day ( she too is a teacher who is the head of special education at another high school ). Her friend comes over to watch a TV show with her, I spend time reading the #MTBoS, catch up on some emails.

10:01

I am exhausted. It has been a crazy couple days with the art project and all. I head to bed and leave my wife and her friend chatting. I hope I sleep well........