Summer time is beginning!

While I will be teaching a few weeks of summer school and taking two classes to finish up m certification in both ESL and Special Ed... I am finding the time to have fun with fellow teachers at barbques to coaching at the Houton Racquet Club (I have a free summer membership due to being the assistant head coach! a $24,000 value :) ) Above are some random pictures of TFA friends and coaching.

San Antonio

Jake and I went to San Antonio last weekend and went to Feista Six Flags over Texas, it was an awesome adventure and felt so good to get away from Houston. We camped at a KOA campground (thanks to the grandparents for the introduction to KOA camping on our trip to South Dakota 10 years ago!) Six Flags was fun... I wasn't feeling very well after going on a bad first right that made me sick and eating tamales that I brought with us that one of my students gave me. It was fun people watching... Texans are a different breed! Why is the obesity rate so high here? I contribute it to the heat, lack of outdoor activity, and an abundance of restaurant choices.

On the second day in SA we hung out on the BEAUTIFUL riverwalk (see above pictures) and then did one of the more infamous things... floating the Guadalupe River on tubes. Nick Bomalaski, one of my Sigma Chi fraternity brothers was in town for the weekend, and he was able to join us for the adventure. It was an adventure to say the least! Imagine a 5 hour journey on innertubes floating down a river that is jam packed with other tubers all very intoxicated and rockin it red neck style. I seriously felt like I was in another world. We saw nudity, many fights, and VERY silly people doing very drunk things. It was a Texas experience. There were thousands and thousands of tubers floatin down. Jake saved a lady's life while I tried to make peace between two women fighting over who said what to whoever's boyfriend. Jesus. Nick, who is from San Antonio, but went to Whitman and now lives in Alaska, put it well by saying, "Robert, this is what Texans call an outdoor adventure!"... I tried to explain to Jake the beauty of white water river kayaking, rock climbing up steep peeks, and being in the mountains and what really cold water is (this water was around 75 degrees!)... I wish for all Texans to make a pilgrimage up north to the serenity and greenery of the Pacific Northwest... then they'll know beauty.

Last Day of School

Second grade has been crazy, but man am I ever glad it is over... it has been rewarding to have had the immediate and direct impact on the lives of the kids in this second grade class. I had them for a month. I came to them in the middle of a very chaotic period with different substitutes everyday and no real classroom community established other than one of meanness and bickering. I understand why they their behavior was so miserable and why learning had not been occuring! I felt for them. They missed out on a lot, second grade is such a fun year and they missed it. They did not have a healthy classroom setting. There was no discipline or structure set in place. Thus learning had not really been happening (on average their state test scores show that they are a year behind their peers). While I was not able to teach them a lot academically, I feel like I came in and created the stability, structure, and expectations that they needed in order to be in a place where each student felt welcome. It took a lot of compassion, patients, sensitivity, and VERY high expectations, but I feel I was pretty successful. It began with the first 45 minutes I had with them and learning to walk from the cafeteria to the classroom without pushing, shoving, and talking. Not one student was sent to the office while in my care whereas prior to me coming, the office staff saw a few of them everyday. I provided them one teacher for 1 month so that each day the little boys and girls came to class and knew Mr. Street would be there to pick them up from the cafeteria and then walk them to class and shake their hand and say good morning while they waited, sometimes too eagerly, to walk into my room and begin an actual routine. I have enjoyed these energetic and somewhat crazy ninos and ninas, but it is time to move up the ladder to 5TH GRADE!

I get to follow my 4th grade scholars to 5th grade next year and teach them Reading, Social Studies, and a little bit of Science, I couldn't be more excited! I will be able to have my same classroom and seriously cannot wait to begin...5th grade is an exciting period. I have such fond memories of my time in 5th grade (gosh, 13 years ago!)

Above are some pictures of my stint in 2nd grade.

Texas Weddin, yeee haw!

It's the last day of school and to be completely honest, Mulan is playing and I am not really doing anything, I don't have any desks or chairs, so we're utilizing the projector and watching a movie... i am going to post a series of blogs highlighting my uber exciting life over the past few weeks.... first, I will start with a Texas wedding.

I went with Jessica and Jake to Giddings, TX, yes just as country as it sounds, to a wedding. It was a crazy fun time with a lot of boot scoot and boogyin... i think the goal for most guests was to drink themselves silly and dance as if nobody was truly watching... it was so country and hillarious. I couldn't stop people watching and staring at the ridiculousness that ensued. The wedding took place in an old beautiful Lutheran church and the reception was in a big dance hall... above are a few pictures of the event including the fancy girls in their boots.

2nd Grade

Life has been pretty wonderful lately despite big changes and a little bit of stress. I was able to fly home last weekend for a very quick trip to see Christina graduate from Willamette University, Mother's Day, and for a doctor's appointment. Although too quick of a trip, it was somewhat relaxing and enjoyable. After a doctor's appointment in the morning, mom and I spent Friday taking care of ourselves, getting a massage (her mother's day gift), lunch, and a little bit of shopping. Then we met Christina and Angela for dinner at Bridgeport. Christina was surprised by my visit and broke out in tears when she saw me. After dinner, Angela and I went downtown to Bridgeport Brewery (I think my favorite Portland bar) then over to the Crystal Ballroom for 80's night, what a site. Saturday was spent driving around, lunch with Ang's parents, time with Christina, then dinner at Mccormick's with Bill and Cathy, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom, Christina, and Angela... it was nice having some salmon!

Sunday was filled with Christina's graduation and a day in Salem. We went to brunch at Christina's sorority then hung out all day and sat through her graduation. It was awesome seeing her graduate. She is such a superstar for getting it all done in 4 years despite a year at Portland State and a year in Sweden.

Jake picked me up from the airport and we went to one of my favorite restauarants for some good ol Tex Mex fajitas, man they're good! Houston has some of the best food ever. Last night we went to this place that serves guacamole salad, basically a ton of guacamole with brussel sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, and chips...so good!

I went to spinning last night after a couple of weeks off from a back injury (I have syatica from a compressed lower disk). It felt awesome spinning again, I need to get right back into the groove.

The newest news is being in second grade. It has been quite crazy, but not bad. I actually really enjoy the students... they're pretty cute. It is devastating at how little they know and how much they have been neglected this year. I have students that still can't spell their last name correctly. Most are not at the second grade reading level, so it has been crazy trying to get them all to where they can pass on to third grade. Most of the class will be in summer school to make up for what they missed this year. They definitely are keeping me busy, I have never been so tired! Second grade is a big jump from 4th grade as far as energy level and neediness go.

This weekend I plan on relaxing... I am going to some wedding about 45 minutes away from Houston and that's about it!

I just said goodbye to my 4th graders as they cried and hugged me and wouldn't let go. I was informed 20 minutes ago that I wouldn't get to be with them anymore and that I would be taking over a failing second grade class with a variety of severe behavior cases beginning tomorrow. These behavior problems are keeping any sort of learning from taking place so each day they get further and further behind. I am heartbroken, stressed, and a tad apathetic... I know there is a reason for this but it is hard. I know I will get to help kids that really need me, but still, I am sad.

So of course, now that the test is over, and I have been used as a tool to prep the kids to pass the test so that everyone can get the thousands of dollars in bonuses that they all will be getting due to the scores of the students (I won't be in the running for any bonus money because I am technically not the teacher on record for these kids as I am technically still a Special Education teacher) I am pulled away from all of my 4th graders to begin teaching the 3rd graders 4th grade writing state test strategies. So, now I will have 3 weeks with the third graders to teach them the writing strategies and thus unable to teach fun material like I had planned (something, anything other than test material, perhaps poetry? nonfiction? biography? creative writing?) I am not very happy.

Socially things are supurb... I have been hanging around Jake a lot and a good friend of his, Jessica. It has been awesome hanging out and not talking about teaching related stuff. They live about 30 minutes north of me in a suburb, so a nice drive outside the actual city limits. I enjoy going up there. We've been playing Wii (most fun ever! and I normally hate video games, love bowling and boxing!) We've also been having dinner parties as Jessica is a really good cook. I have really enjoyed developing these new relationships, something fresh and invigorating and something to look forward to after work and on the weekends.

Not much else is new.

May, already?!

Life is good... the TAKS test is over... after 3 days of sitting and staring at students take a 6-9 hour test without being able to read or doodle or anything but stare at them take a test, I am alive. I counted ceiling tiles, carpet wrinkles, made huge life plans, contemplated life, made up stories in my mind about my kids, counted blinks... I found a new muscle in my face, I saw how long I could go without blinking, saw how long it would take for my mouth to dry out while keeping it open..... I WAS BORED! I never want to do that again! The last day was the worst as I was stuck with one kid and this one kid had the runniest nose alive (one minute he blew his nose 12 times!) and a digestive problem (9 trips to the bathroom, including 5 # 2's)

On Wednesday, after being in a VERY pissy and annoyed mood from a long day of testing and my back killing me (my feet are still numb) I was welcomed by a very sweet care package from Angela for Teacher Appreciation Day. In it was a cool mug from Starbucks where all my kids can sign it and write me permanent messages and the most thoughtful poem which I would like to share with you all:

Back in June in the scorching heat
Summer Institute OH GOD
Is a time NEVER to repeat

Tiresome lectures
You tried to sleep through
And the blackest white roommate to come home to!

Broadstone – or shall I say,“TFA Dorm”
Your corps members sure took that place by storm!
It’s a good thing you got that master suite
Since your roommates turned into such deadbeats ☹

There’ve been many challenges you have faced
Feeling ill-equipped, yet you still ran the race
You were thrown into work you didn’t expect,
At times dealt with people you didn’t respect

Autism Spectrum? 4th grade? GT?
What kind of teacher did they want you to be?
You didn’t know where they wanted you placed
But you made the best of it, in any case

Gallegos Elementary has proven quite the success
As you daily equip students to be their best!
It’s more than just teaching for the TAKS exams…
As if that wasn’t ENOUGH to have on your hands

It’s about instilling a love of education
So kids achieve ALL they can in this great nation
Showing them, there is something more…
More to hope, and more to WORK for!

Paper after Paper graded in red
You’d think there were no other words besides ‘SAID!’
But your students desperately want to shine
So they show you their paper EACH and EVERY TIME

There’ve been countless moments along the way
That withstand the test of time you might say…
From dancing in assemblies and cutting the cheese
Being the Easter Bunny and dealing with nosebleeds!

With drive, conviction and a love for what you do–
You’ve shown them that dreams really can come true.
You’ve learned SO much, and you’ve come SO far
I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished
So proud of the man you are

To show my appreciation…I just wanted to say
You’re my favorite teacher - today…and every day.


Happy Teacher Appreciation Day
Love, Ang

Man, it is friends like Angela that make life so wonderful, thanks Ang!