An Extra Week!

I just found out today that I have an extra week to complete my boards. I thought things had to be received in San Antonio by March 31. The e-mail I just read from a day or two ago said that my box must be postmarked (and that was underlined) by March 31. Yahoo!!!!! My goal is to get it in the mail on the 28th or 29th. That will depend on if the UPS Store is open on Saturdays or not. Hooray for extra time!

Release Day #2

And it's a good one. I have had the chance to look at the two videos I've done so far (you remember those two I didn't have with me in December?) They are both good videos. I have to pick a maximum of 15 minutes (consecutive minutes) from each to focus on. For my Entry 2 video (filmed with PreK-K students in November), that will be easy. For my Entry 3 video (filmed in December with 4th and 5th graders) that will be a bit more difficult. There are lots of things throughout the segment that I would really like to use but due to the time restrictions, I can't use the whole thing. I've asked a couple of NBCTs if they have any advice on picking the best 15 minutes. I guess another question I should ask them is if my statement to the students of the day's objective needs to be on the video or if it's ok to just have that written in my written commentary that gets evaluated. If having it in the written commentary is sufficient, the decision might be made easier.



So today, my goals are:

1. Determine whether or not my videos will work (they will)

2. Get started on the written commentary for each (both are sort of in process)

3. Get to school and get my grades entered for my middle school class (not NB related, but they are due today and I wasn't able to do it from home so I'll go into school around 3 today and get that done.)

4. Study my entry requirements and standards more.

5. Get final preparations done for my Entry 1 so that I can get started on that in the next couple of weeks. For this, I need to figure out what parts of the unit I should film. I'll need to bounce ideas off of colleagues for this, I think.



My portfolio is due two months from tomorrow. Can we say crunch time?

In the Mail

I got copies of the two forms that my district filled out in my box at school yesterday. They were dated on Wednesday, so I'm assuming that means that they are on their way to San Antonio. Yay! All is well. :-)

Wednesday is a release day (number 2 of 3). I'll spend the day watching the videos I've done (they will physically be here, not at school...) and get started on my reflections.

There is a workshop at the beginning of March somewhere in my area called "Home Stretch". I've signed up for it. Being a member of the state teacher's union gives be a $120 discount on the cost. I'll only have to pay $30. At least one other teacher from my building is going and she and I are going to carpool if it's out of our city. Heck, we may carpool anyway. Of course if it is in our downtown area, I'll just park elsewhere and take the light rail into where I suspect it may be. I'll be able to have one of my entries reviewed and be able to get live feedback. I also need to get things sent off to some friends who are already nationally certified.

last step

...toward candidacy. I got my last bit of paperwork into my school district yesterday afternoon. They need to fill out a couple of forms and then send the entire envelope to San Antonio so that it arrives by the end of the month.

I have a three-day weekend so I'm hoping to get my videos viewed so I can determine whether or not I can use them for my entries.

As an aside, I thought my state teaching certificate was expiring this school year. Nope. I found out when I looked at the copy I got from the central offices (my original is somewhere really safe at home...) that I actually have until June 1 of next year to either get my boards (I'll find out in November if I certify nationally) or to otherwise complete all of my clock hours (150 total) by next year. What a relief!

Ugh

Lesson learned. I am home today for my first release day. You know, the one I was supposed to get back in November but didn't cause it wasn't put in until 1:05 on the afternoon I was supposed to be out. Yeah, that one. Well, I sat down, got my to-do list created, got my schedule made out for the day (work 90 minutes, break for 15, repeat with 45 minutes in the middle of the day for lunch and a shower) and then got onto my computer to watch my videos (here's the lesson part) and I can't watch either one from here because they didn't get fully copied onto my e-mail. I shoulda brought the tapes home as well, just in case this happened. I'll bring them home next week and load directly onto my computer here. At least I can still spend the day learning my standards and really getting to know my entries, etc. Won't be nearly as fun and varied as what was planned, but it needs to be done so I'll make good use of my time.

My Entry 2 is focusing on delivering instruction and features my bestest PreK/K class. My Entry 3 is focusing on demonstrating and developing musicianship and features one of my 4th/5th grade classes. I guess I can reflect on the lesson for Entry 3 that I did on Tuesday without the video after re-reading what is required in the entry itself.

Tonight is a Christmas party with our playgroup from last summer. Should be a load of fun to see all of the new babies who have been born and the bellies of the mamas who are still working on growing number 2. It will be a nice end to the week.

Two Down

Two to go. I did my second video taping session today. It went well. I only need about 3 minutes from the 20 recorded that show how I use my musicianship skills to help my students improve theirs. This was a group of 4th and 5th graders, only two of whom did not return their release slips and so spent their music time copying song lyrics for our program in their classroom (their teacher said they could stay there and not be in my room!) I sent home 10 release slips yesterday to students who did not return the original ones a month ago or more. I also used our district's mass-calling system to alert the families of these students that the forms were coming home and to please sign them and return them to me today.

I get my first release day on Friday. I'll be spending the time watching my two videos and preparing what I'll write for my entries. Owen will be at daycare all day, then we're going to a friend's house for a playgroup Christmas party. A nice reward for a day of exhausting (mentally at least) work.

I won't be doing another video tape session until January or February, and that one will be for my unit lesson highlighting planning. I'm using my best group in the entire school for that one.

Stress

And it's only just beginning. So as you may have read on Owen's blog, I was supposed to have a release day this past week. "Supposed to" being the operative words. Things were being processed and got stalled at finance. No ball dropping, just how things work and the length of time required. Well...come to find out that they did put in for a sub for me for Wednesday. On Wednesday. At 1:05 in the afternoon. My facilitator is making sure I still get my day. I'm shooting for December 14, which is the day after my birthday and at the end of the week that I am videotaping for another entry. I've made some notes for the videotaping I did on the 5th so things stay sort of fresh.