2017 FIRST Robotics Competition

So, I'm super excited to be a part of the Sparta Bots team in this year's competition! I'm new to robotics but I have some experience with electrical/electronic systems and fabrication so I've managed to make myself useful so far lol. These kids are intelligent, creative, and motivated so I can't wait to see what we come up with in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted ;)



Here's the competition intro video:

First lab day with the Spartans!

So, everyone keeps telling me not to keep staying so late, but how else am I supposed to get this stuff together? In all reality, I thoroughly enjoy setting things like this up for the kids. I know I might burn out if I'm not careful, but I'm determined to do the best I can to get these students involved and interested in science. My real concern is this: How many of these tools will operate correctly after 142 9th graders get their hands on them!? Lab day here we go!

Good news!

Scientists Can Turn CO2 Into Ethanol—And They Figured It Out By Accident | @curiositydotcom https://curiosity.com/topics/scientists-can-turn-co2-into-ethanoland-they-figured-it-out-by-accident-curiosity?utm_source=androidapp

Grouping Chart

I realized as I started teaching that coming up with grouping numbers quickly can be difficult, especially when you have 20+ students staring at you, waiting to call you out on your math skills! So, this morning I decided to create a grouping chart to quickly do the math for me. Feel free to use or augment this in anyway you see fit!

Link to Grouping Chart

So much for sleeping in!

This is the first weekend that I've had off from work in several years where I didn't have to request it. The plan: treasure each moment of sleep and take full advantage. The reality: I was up at 7 am. I wanted to sleep in and have a nice chill morning, but I couldn't. I woke up this morning with a zeal, an anticipation of getting back to my class and getting the job done. So, what lit the fire?

Last night, Kat and I decided to go and see this movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest that you do! A story of applied science and struggle for equanimity? I'm in. The movie was very inspirational and definitely worth the ridiculous price of admission to theaters these days. Forgive me, I still remember paying less than $4 to see movies. In fact, there was a $1 theater in my town as a child!

So, back to tending that fire. Week one has wrapped up and rather abruptly due to snow!

It was great to meet all of the kids and start building the curriculum. I'm not going to lie and say it was perfect, that the kids were very well behaved and eager to learn. Don't get me wrong, I could see that hunger in a few faces, the hope that I was one that was going to help them learn and really improve their lives. It was great to see that look, that hope. It was also a little disheartening to see the ones eaten up by total apathy and belligerence. This presents me with my goal for next week, the one that doesn't seem to want me to sleep in on a snow covered and chilly Saturday morning: break the belligerence, inspire, and improve.

I think I spent a 3rd of this very inspirational movie thinking of ways that I can use it to motivate students, to help them see the struggles faced by people just to get accepted, educated, and given the opportunity to contribute. The three women in this film were most certainly educated and definitely contributed to what I consider a monumental feet, a very important one. They are an inspiration, one that I hope will help me cut through a jaded haze pervasive in so many high school classrooms, specifically mine. So, here's to progress, to fixing problems and moving forward, to giving these kids the tools they need to meet the challenge head on and overcome any obstacle.

Here's to week 2.

Student Teaching at Sharon School, TN

Going away card from the students

     You know, I have to say that I had a wonderful student teaching experience. I learned a lot about what teaching is like outside of a theory environment and I was lucky enough to work with wonderful teachers and amazing students. I'm really going to miss working with Missy Estes and the awesome kids at Sharon School in Sharon, TN.

     Mrs. Estes was super supportive and helpful, giving me tonnes of advice and plenty of room to practice my craft. I couldn't have asked for a better cooperating teacher. She's an amazing educator and helped me feel welcome and that I've made the right decision in my choice of careers. While working with her, I was lucky enough to attend 2 field trips with the students, one to a play in Huntingdon and the Beta convention in Nashville. Here is a picture of Mrs. Estes and me having a blast during the Beta convention:

    The Beta convention was amazing! There were around 7 thousand students at the Opryland Convention Center and the atmosphere was electric. The students were all extremely well behaved and seemed to really enjoy the trip. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a weekend at the Opryland Convention Center!? I will post an album with pictures of the trip soon.

    Now that my student teaching experience is over, I look back and realize how much I'm going to miss these kids. They were great to work with, attentive, and eager to learn. Everyone has told me about how difficult junior high students are but I couldn't disagree more. I'm truly going to miss these kids and it's shocking how quickly and easily you become attached to them. I decided to crash the schools Christmas party a couple of weeks ago and you'd think they hadn't seen me in years! I was swarmed by a crowd of jubilant students the second I peeked my head in the door and promptly group-hugged with a vengeance! Those kids are awesome and I can only hope that I get another group like them this year.

   On my last day there, the students got together and made me a going away card...a HUGE going away card lol. It was very sweet and I can't remember ever feeling so blessed and appreciated. On top of that, Mrs. Estes made me a loaf of zucchini bread and a basket of goodies (all the great teacher swag: post-its, pens and pencils, stapler, paperclips, and other assorted supplies). I will forever look back fondly on my days at Sharon School and hope the best for Mrs. Estes, the faculty, and the amazing students!

The Struggle

As I've begun to plan out activities and lessons for the class, I've come to a realization. I'm broke! It seems like everyone has one these days, but I decided to jump on the wagon and create a GoFundMe page for the classroom. If anyone wants to donate to the classroom, we would be eternally grateful for your help!