2nd Video Attempt: Better

Seriously?!?! Who is the fat lady with no neck in the rocking chair?!?!?! OMG.  It is not any fun to watch yourself teach.  Oh, my.  The videotaping itself was pretty good--we have to adjust the angle to show more of the students' faces, and I think the lesson is good, so we're going to try again next week.

I successfully closed the library for 1/2 hour to tape the class, and that worked out much better than when I tried it without doing that.  Realistically, though, I can't keep closing the library whenever I get the whim to videotape.

The members of the cohort watched each other's videos this morning, and we critiqued them.  It was really interesting watching other people teach.  I can't say I loved the other lessons--I know the lessons aren't supposed to be dog-and-pony shows, but a few were just plain boring, and one was really practically out of control! The teacher said 'Shhhhhh' at least 25 times!  Really?

I also know that National Boards is not a competition, and that I will not be judged based on anyone else but me.  That's a good motivator to get my butt in gear and keep writing!!

Videotaping--First Attempt

Let's just say it did not go well.  Thank goodness this was just a practice practice session--I just wanted to see what my lesson looked like before asking someone to film the official practice video.  In the first class, I had a kid who simply could NOT stop waving at the camera.  Really?!!?! Second grade!  Ugh.

In the second class, which I was hoping could possibly go a little better than the first, I had to stop teaching and fuss at a group of kids (and their teacher) who were SO DAMN LOUD at the computers that I couldn't even think. 

Then, in anger, I emailed said teacher to thank her for ruining my videotape.  I haven't heard back from her yet.  I know that I'm not supposed to email in anger.  It just happened.  I couldn't help it, and I would've screamed out loud if I could have. 

I almost forgot the best part--as I was FILMING my second graders constructing a grid with this huge floor puzzle-grid thing, one of the staff members came cutting through the library with two guys who were there to fix the clocks.  THEY WALKED RIGHT THROUGH THE DAMN GRID!!!!!! DURING MY LESSON!!!! F-ing go AROUND!  AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH!

Then my third grade class had to leave 15 minutes early to go to lunch, and the teacher asked me if I'd be taking them.  Um, no.  If you can't stay for library, then my time is up and my job is done.  I am just not in such a giving mood these days. 

Then our librarians meeting was held at my school today.  So I had to sit through four hours of mastery objectives and evaluation models.  OMG.  Seriously.  Just. shoot. me. now.

Thank God and Thank the Veterans that I have tomorrow off.