ALL of the state test scores came back today and for the first time EVER, Gallegos is EXEMPLARY! Which is the highest level you can achieve on the state accountability testing system, only 5% of schools score in this bracket... we are one of only a couple in the Houston school district that accomplished this amazing feat that not even the wealthier suburban schools can accomplish, man is it an exciting place to be right now. The kids are ecstatic! I am beyond myself as I cannot believe all that we accomplished, all those after school tutorials, all the Saturday school teaching, all the stress, pressure, anxiety, it has all been worth it, right now, at this time, man it feels good. My two Reading classes, with students in an English speaking class for only the second year (some in one for the first time) had a 100% passing rate!!!!! By far the best Gallegos ESL students have EVER done and among the top not only in the district but the state!!!! I cannot believe the accomplishments of my students, I cry as I write this.

So, life is going well.... it has been a roller coaster of a lot of pain, a lot of stress, a ton of anxiety, and at times so much happiness. Forgive me for not writing over the past two months, but it has been crazy.

I am excited for Harvard, I really have found my groove in Houston and I am sad to be leaving, I know, quite the contrary to my feelings during my first year of being down here. I have grown up and learned a lot about myself since being down in Texas and I feel I am beginning to find Robert.

I am not up to much over the summer. I am going to substitute teach during summer school. I am going to Cancun for a 4 day weekend in June with one of my amazing swim students who came to me a year ago very afraid of the water wanting to become a fearless swimmer, able to snorkel, and enjoy swimming, something she has never been able to do in her 50 years of living. So, to celebrate her success of now being a lap swimmer able to swim for fitness almost a full mile, she is taking me to Cancun to snorkel!

I am going to San Fransisco to join with my mother and sister at my Aunt and Uncle's house for the 4th of July, it will be nice to all be together!

I plan to move in the middle of August, a lot of things are still uncertain, ie. housing, moving arrangements, etc... but it will all get figured out, I am fairly relaxed about it all right now.

In a nutshell, life is going very well at the moment... I miss the NW and all of you reading this, the weather is getting warmer and I am beginning to run and bike again... I still haven't gained any weight back from when I lost it all! I still weigh 164 Ibs, down from the 190 or so I weighed when I graduated from college, yuck!

Miss you all! Sorry for the delay in blog writing and sorry that this is a bunch of randomness, I am trying to write during class while my kids are doing a creative writing assignment.

Scores are in!

My student's reading scores are in and they blew that test out of the WATER! Man, I am stoked! So of the ones I feared most passed with flying colors... I have a couple that missed it by one or two questions, but they get a second chance in a month... nonetheless, my scores were some of the highest in the whole district of 200,000 something students! Man, I am so happy!!!! Only 42% of this class passed last year, this year, 93% of them did! WOOOOT! I had a wonderful break, despite having to teach (which ended up being a good time with a lot accomplished!) It is weird teaching math and science and not reading, but a good change of pace too. I went to Austin again this past weekend and went jet skiing, it was a blast! Katy loved it, I am posting more pictures and will post more later... sorry but they're from my phone camera and not of the best quality!

Much love on one of the best days in Houston!

The UP!

First, Mom came! WE had a wonderful trip!!! We drove to Austin, taking our time to explore a little bit of the city and its night life. Then we spent a day wandering the world's largest outlet mall. It was wonderful to spend some quality time with her and for her to see what I go through daily both in my classroom and my personal life. Katy loved the extra attention too!

While Mom was here, while driving through rush hour in Houston on our way to Austin, I found out I was accepted to attend Harvard University's School of Education Policy and Management. What good news! I really had now thought of going and applied for a what the hell, why not purpose. It was a HUGE surprise and mom cried. So, it looks like I will be going to Harvard next year for a 10 month Master's program. I will be able to specialize in different areas, perhaps higher education, perhaps government or business, we'll see! The opportunity is there now! It made my two years of Teach For America and all the hell I have been through worth it! God puts you through the worst of the worst to be rewarded at the end :) I am hoping to move there in August, Jake may move there with me so I won't be alone. My other option is to teach in Texas for one more year so that my license can transfer out of state and then attend Harvard in a year. A teacher with three years of teaching experience has much more credibility than one with only two years. I need to contact Harvard today so see what their thoughts are.

It's spring break right now and I decided to teach during the break to our most struggling 5th grade math students. While it sucks to be teaching through break, it will be worth it come May. The days on only half days and the class is small, so a lot can get done.

Katy is doing well and growing like crazy, she has an amazing personality that comes through more and more each day. She's learning!

Much love you you all!
Robert

This was the day I brought Katy home :)

The Roller Coaster

It has been awhile since I have written, I am sorry. Life has been crazy filled with much happiness, stress, anxiety, etc. The Reading state test was this past Tuesday. It feels amazing to have it over! Now it is a waiting game to see who passes and who gets to take it again. I never want to go through preparing students for the state reading test again and I definitely do not want to have to go through the days of testing the students again! I cannot properly articulate all the work, stress, and anxiety that went into preparing the kids for the assessment which took some as long as 11 hours to complete. It was so hard to watch them fight through the test using every strategy possible to dissect the passages and answer the 52 questions. The month leading up to the test pushed me to the limits with patience and perseverance. It involved many sleepless nights and crazy dreams involving kids passing and failing. The whole school was stressed and included a big blowout between my principal and I for calling out sick one day.

My students are beginning to have more and more issues. I had a student run away from home, and another come to school hung over, this all toils with my emotions as there is only so much I can do. Many of my 5th graders, some who are already 14, are becoming teenagers and beginning to act out only due to hormones and age. It can be hell in my classroom!

The past couple of months have included some highlights, including my new baby girl, Katy, a wonderful chocolate lab puppy. I bought her when she was 6 weeks old, she weighed 8 lbs, now she is 10 weeks old and weighs 17 lbs. She has been a wonderful companion! I also got rid of my Volvo as it needed a new $3,100 engine that there was no way I could afford! I bought a truck instead. I am very happy in the truck and it is nice to know that everything is covered under a warranty if anything should happen. The volvo caused a great amount of stress and was a financial burden to keep fixing.

I am attaching a lot of pictures, I do not have much more time to write, but the pictures can suffice for now. The pictures are of my classroom, my class preparing for the test, and Katy. Sorry for the poor quality, the pictures all come from my phone.

Best,
Robert

I only need $180 more! Pleeeeeease help!!!!

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=228549

pleeeeeease Help! Even $1!

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=228549