I haven't blogged in a few weeks thanks to the hectic schedule of basketball that I have went through over the past little while. I am sad to say that the season is now over, but beyond happy to say that we just WON OUR SECOND STRAIGHT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! It was an amazing season and I am so proud of my team. We went 22-0 and that is the first ever undefeated season in the history of the school, and the two state championships we have won in a row are also the only two championships that either the boys or girls have ever won in the history of the program.
It is truly wonderful to be a part of history and that means a lot to me. But, what means the most is the fact that I was able to spend these last three and a half months with this team and I was able to be reminded why this is my dream job. My team has 16 girls on it, and each one of these athletes are unique in their own way. We have different ages and different personalities, but the one thing we do have in common is the sense of family we feel within the team.
Sitting on the bus for 3 hours while we drove back home gave me a lot of time to think. I was reflecting on the championship game, and how impressed I was with our season. We have been ranked #1 in state for our classification all year, we remained undefeated, we defended our championship, and we battled through every team's best shot. Then it hit me, I was very impressed with our basketball season, but what I am most impressed about is how these girls are as people.
I watched our senior captain walk off the court to a standing ovation from the crowd with 14 seconds left, so our other senior could get some playing time in the championship game. As our senior captain was walking off, and receiving well deserved applause, I was immediately hit with a wave of emotion because I knew that her time with St. Joseph basketball was completed. I have been with the team for 3 years, and had the opportunity to work with her on her game for most of her high school career. She is an unbelievable talent with the highest competitive streak you will ever meet. She wants to be the best at everything she does, and to be quite honest with you she often succeeds at it. As she walked off the court I rushed to her with tears in my eyes and gave her a hug because I was so proud of her. Sure the championship was great, but I was proud of her because of what she put in to get us there. As I stood on the sidelines I remembered all the times I stayed after practice and chased down rebounds for her while she perfected her jump shot, or I remembered all the pregame talks we had to get her pumped for the game, but most of all I remembered all the times she was a leader and brought the entire team's work ethic up on and off the court, I remembered her continuously making other athletes want to be better. Win or lose, a person like that is automatically a champion in my mind. That is how I will always remember her.
Her time on the basketball team is over, but St. Joseph will always remember her because every time someone looks and sees our two championship banners hanging on the wall, everyone in the stands will know it is because she led us to greatness. I am so proud of her and as I was on the bus reminiscing of the season I realized that she isn't just an athlete to me; none of these girls are. They are like my little sisters out there. We put in so much time together and we give it everything we have for the team every single day of the year. We genuinely care for one another and want the best for each other. Win or lose we do it together, there is no ego among the girls, there is only the desire to succeed and the will to achieve it. That is what makes us great! That is what makes us champions!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Homecoming week
This last week was Jayweek at my school: Jayweek is the equivalent to homecoming week for other schools, we just have it late because we don't have a football program. It has been awhile since I have been involved in a high school homecoming, and it was definitely my first as a teacher. It was of course a lot of fun and I enjoyed all the activities, but what I really enjoyed was the sense of community brought about by my wonderful school.
The week's activities included: hallway decorations, dodgeball games, a Mr. Jayhawk competition, and a faculty vs. seniors basketball game. I came from a high school of 1700 students, so I was interested to see how a school of 175 students would put together a homecoming week. Every day there was a different theme for dressing up, and I was really surprised to see that every student participated. It didn't matter if you were a theater kid, an athlete, a cheerleader, a musician, or a simple freshman. But, every student participated as one, and every student regardless of group and affiliation became united.
I am always interested to see how such a small group of students interacts with one another. Many of these students have been in the same private school system since they were in kindergarten, so to say that they have became familiar with one another would be an understatement. Every student at St. Joseph's knows everyone's name. They routinely talk and communicate with the vast majority of the student body, and for the most part everyone gets along with one another. That isn't really the high school that I remember. I remember going to school and seeing my group of friends and talking to them, I remember not knowing everybody's name, nor did I care to know all their names. I had a wonderful high school experience, I loved it, but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed it as much as my students enjoy theirs.
This week was one of the best weeks I've ever had in my brief experience of teaching. I was still able to teach a lot of different lessons, but I loved the atmosphere of the week. The students were of course extremely energetic, but it was a good energy. I was able to participate in a lot of the activities of the week, and it was such an honor to be a part of all of it. I mentioned to one of my colleagues that this was a good time to have Jayweek because it rejuvenates the student body in a tough time of the year. Little did I know that it helped rejuvenate me as well. I always have a passion for teaching, but now I am ready for the home stretch of the year. I can't tell you how amazing it was to see all of my students enjoying their week, and regardless of what was going on in their personal life, for a brief second they were able to forget about it, and just enjoy being a kid. I am convinced I have the greatest job in the world, and I love my school more and more with each passing day. It is usually me that tries to teach my students a lesson or two, but it is safe to say that this week they taught me one. I needed help in remembering that it is okay to stop and enjoy life and put your troubles aside, and it is okay to band together with those around you and just enjoy being where you are at that very moment.
The homecoming week is over, and it is time to get back to the normal routine of things. I know that for the next 17 weeks of school, I will remember this week and remember the beauty of my career. I hope all of you reading this can find a job that you love going to each and every day, and if you already have that in your life, consider yourself lucky. It is amazing to me how much of a difference it makes when you enjoy what you do. As for me, I needed this week to help remind me just how much I love my life, and all those in it.
The week's activities included: hallway decorations, dodgeball games, a Mr. Jayhawk competition, and a faculty vs. seniors basketball game. I came from a high school of 1700 students, so I was interested to see how a school of 175 students would put together a homecoming week. Every day there was a different theme for dressing up, and I was really surprised to see that every student participated. It didn't matter if you were a theater kid, an athlete, a cheerleader, a musician, or a simple freshman. But, every student participated as one, and every student regardless of group and affiliation became united.
I am always interested to see how such a small group of students interacts with one another. Many of these students have been in the same private school system since they were in kindergarten, so to say that they have became familiar with one another would be an understatement. Every student at St. Joseph's knows everyone's name. They routinely talk and communicate with the vast majority of the student body, and for the most part everyone gets along with one another. That isn't really the high school that I remember. I remember going to school and seeing my group of friends and talking to them, I remember not knowing everybody's name, nor did I care to know all their names. I had a wonderful high school experience, I loved it, but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed it as much as my students enjoy theirs.
This week was one of the best weeks I've ever had in my brief experience of teaching. I was still able to teach a lot of different lessons, but I loved the atmosphere of the week. The students were of course extremely energetic, but it was a good energy. I was able to participate in a lot of the activities of the week, and it was such an honor to be a part of all of it. I mentioned to one of my colleagues that this was a good time to have Jayweek because it rejuvenates the student body in a tough time of the year. Little did I know that it helped rejuvenate me as well. I always have a passion for teaching, but now I am ready for the home stretch of the year. I can't tell you how amazing it was to see all of my students enjoying their week, and regardless of what was going on in their personal life, for a brief second they were able to forget about it, and just enjoy being a kid. I am convinced I have the greatest job in the world, and I love my school more and more with each passing day. It is usually me that tries to teach my students a lesson or two, but it is safe to say that this week they taught me one. I needed help in remembering that it is okay to stop and enjoy life and put your troubles aside, and it is okay to band together with those around you and just enjoy being where you are at that very moment.
The homecoming week is over, and it is time to get back to the normal routine of things. I know that for the next 17 weeks of school, I will remember this week and remember the beauty of my career. I hope all of you reading this can find a job that you love going to each and every day, and if you already have that in your life, consider yourself lucky. It is amazing to me how much of a difference it makes when you enjoy what you do. As for me, I needed this week to help remind me just how much I love my life, and all those in it.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The Vending Machine
If there is one thing that everyone knows about teachers, it is that there isn't a lot of money involved within the profession. But that's okay, we don't get into it to be rich. However, if we are being honest, money is always and will always be a large factor in our every day life. If there is one thing teaching has taught me, it is the need to be financially creative.
At my school there are two soda machines. One of the machines is for student use, while the other is for the faculty. The student soda machine is filled with diet soda that you couldn't give away to students let alone charge them $1.50. The faculty machine is filled with delicious products such as Dr. Pepper, Sprite, and my personal favorite Coke. The complete irony of this entire system is that our soda is only $0.75. So quick recap; student soda=gross and expensive, faculty soda=tasty and cheap.
I know what you might be thinking; why don't the students just use the faculty machine? Well, that machine is located in the teacher workroom in which no student is allowed to enter. If they are caught in the workroom they get an automatic 5 hours of detention. That is a pretty hefty price for $0.75 worth of soda. The administration really wants the students to steer clear of our work space, and they want the faculty to keep an eye out for any student entering without permission.
Here is where I come in. Wouldn't you know that my room is directly across from the faculty workroom and nobody else is even around. I've been put in charge of making sure there are no sneaky students trying to get discounted beverages. I personally find it a little ridiculous that our students have to pay more for worse drinks. I consider myself an equal opportunity person, I feel as if we teachers can enjoy a nice Coca-Cola than why can't the students?
So, I started an underground business!!! Seeing how my room is directly across from the soda machine and no other teachers are around, I have conjured up some customers that would like to only pay $0.75 for delicious beverages. So, what I do is I have them come to me before or after class and slip me a dollar, and in a sneaky voice they whisper what soda they want. I usually look around to make sure there aren't any faculty members around and I proceed to purchase the soda for them. But, as simple economics would state the middle man (me) should be able to get something in return right? So I make a reasonable trade, since I am putting my back on the line and buying soda for the students for $0.75 I simply just keep their quarter as a profit for my business. Needless to say I have saved enough for some free sodas of my own.
I like to consider myself the Steve Jobs of the education world, I saw a market and I took it. Sure, my main job is as an English teacher, but these kids have now learned a very important business lesson from me as well. I like to think I am preparing these young minds for the real world.
The job of a teacher never ends; a few extra dollars never hurt.
At my school there are two soda machines. One of the machines is for student use, while the other is for the faculty. The student soda machine is filled with diet soda that you couldn't give away to students let alone charge them $1.50. The faculty machine is filled with delicious products such as Dr. Pepper, Sprite, and my personal favorite Coke. The complete irony of this entire system is that our soda is only $0.75. So quick recap; student soda=gross and expensive, faculty soda=tasty and cheap.
I know what you might be thinking; why don't the students just use the faculty machine? Well, that machine is located in the teacher workroom in which no student is allowed to enter. If they are caught in the workroom they get an automatic 5 hours of detention. That is a pretty hefty price for $0.75 worth of soda. The administration really wants the students to steer clear of our work space, and they want the faculty to keep an eye out for any student entering without permission.
Here is where I come in. Wouldn't you know that my room is directly across from the faculty workroom and nobody else is even around. I've been put in charge of making sure there are no sneaky students trying to get discounted beverages. I personally find it a little ridiculous that our students have to pay more for worse drinks. I consider myself an equal opportunity person, I feel as if we teachers can enjoy a nice Coca-Cola than why can't the students?
So, I started an underground business!!! Seeing how my room is directly across from the soda machine and no other teachers are around, I have conjured up some customers that would like to only pay $0.75 for delicious beverages. So, what I do is I have them come to me before or after class and slip me a dollar, and in a sneaky voice they whisper what soda they want. I usually look around to make sure there aren't any faculty members around and I proceed to purchase the soda for them. But, as simple economics would state the middle man (me) should be able to get something in return right? So I make a reasonable trade, since I am putting my back on the line and buying soda for the students for $0.75 I simply just keep their quarter as a profit for my business. Needless to say I have saved enough for some free sodas of my own.
I like to consider myself the Steve Jobs of the education world, I saw a market and I took it. Sure, my main job is as an English teacher, but these kids have now learned a very important business lesson from me as well. I like to think I am preparing these young minds for the real world.
The job of a teacher never ends; a few extra dollars never hurt.
Friday, January 25, 2013
My first life lesson
I am sure I am behind the times with the blog creation, but I thought I would give it a try. My name is Cameron Wood and I teach high school English. I love what I do, and being surrounded by so many kids all day is entertaining to say the least.
I try and teach them a little about grammar, MLA formatting, and whatever it is that Shakespeare tries to say within his poetry. But, in my first half year of teaching, I have found that I am learning new things as well. I have found out that most teenagers do not have an attention span that will last the entire class period. I have learned that high school isn't the same as it was 6 years ago when I was a senior. Most importantly, I have learned that the best way to teach a student is to be yourself, because the students somehow know the difference.
High school has changed since 2007. Students have no problem telling me that my class is boring, and then tweeting about it on twitter to all their loyal followers. When I first started this year I was a fresh faced newbie with a lot to prove. I had worked at my school for 2 years prior as a basketball coach, so now I had to transition from "fun coach" to "respected teacher." The transition was a lot harder than expected. I was told before the first day of school that I needed to be strict. "Don't smile before Christmas" "Put them in a seating chart immediately" "Don't accept any late work" "Don't be afraid to be tough." "Don't use informal language when talking to your students" With all this advice my head was spinning with confusion.
The first day of school eventually came, and the bell rang for my first class. I was calm and confident (at least that's what I wanted my students to think). The students started pouring in, and I greeted them while sitting at my desk. When the second bell rang and it was time to begin class, I walked to the front of the room and said, "What's up everybody? My name is Mr. Wood." Immediately I thought to myself, "Crap, I just broke one of the rules. Why would I say what's up?" Luckily, the class didn't erupt into complete chaos, so I thought maybe that wasn't too bad. I proceeded with the class period and it went great. As the bell was about to ring, I told the class to have a nice day and I would see them tomorrow. Then it happened, out of nowhere a student said, "You too bro!!"
It hit me like a ton of bricks, I felt like I lost all respect from the class, and it was only the first day. I didn't know what to do and my mind started racing. Do I get mad at the student for calling me bro? Do I let it slide? Should I just ignore the whole thing? Then I realized what happened, I was so worried about following all the advice from my experienced colleagues, and at the same time trying to figure out how to relate to the students, that I over-thought everything about being a teacher. The class didn't revolt, and I didn't burst into flames for not following the advice from my professors at college. I knew that in order to succeed at this wonderful job, I needed to be myself. Of course, I was still looking to build some respect, so I kindly told the class that my name was Mr. Wood or Coach Wood, and anything less would be unacceptable. To this day I have never had a problem with that student and we have a mutual respect for one another.
The point of this is that I was bombarded with advice from everyone under the sun. Although it was much appreciated, I quickly learned that in order to succeed I needed to find out what worked for me. I quickly trained myself to not say "What's up?" However, I always make it a point to be me when I am in front of the class. I am a strong believer that I have the best job in the world, I was so caught up on following rules and advice, and making a difference, that I forgot how to be myself. With anything we do in life, I feel it is important to just relax and enjoy the ride. Obviously, we want to do the best that we can, but let us not forget that we need to enjoy our experiences as well. Don't take life too seriously because you will miss the beauty that surrounds you. I just never thought I would have learned that lesson from a high school senior calling me bro!!
Cameron Wood
I try and teach them a little about grammar, MLA formatting, and whatever it is that Shakespeare tries to say within his poetry. But, in my first half year of teaching, I have found that I am learning new things as well. I have found out that most teenagers do not have an attention span that will last the entire class period. I have learned that high school isn't the same as it was 6 years ago when I was a senior. Most importantly, I have learned that the best way to teach a student is to be yourself, because the students somehow know the difference.
High school has changed since 2007. Students have no problem telling me that my class is boring, and then tweeting about it on twitter to all their loyal followers. When I first started this year I was a fresh faced newbie with a lot to prove. I had worked at my school for 2 years prior as a basketball coach, so now I had to transition from "fun coach" to "respected teacher." The transition was a lot harder than expected. I was told before the first day of school that I needed to be strict. "Don't smile before Christmas" "Put them in a seating chart immediately" "Don't accept any late work" "Don't be afraid to be tough." "Don't use informal language when talking to your students" With all this advice my head was spinning with confusion.
The first day of school eventually came, and the bell rang for my first class. I was calm and confident (at least that's what I wanted my students to think). The students started pouring in, and I greeted them while sitting at my desk. When the second bell rang and it was time to begin class, I walked to the front of the room and said, "What's up everybody? My name is Mr. Wood." Immediately I thought to myself, "Crap, I just broke one of the rules. Why would I say what's up?" Luckily, the class didn't erupt into complete chaos, so I thought maybe that wasn't too bad. I proceeded with the class period and it went great. As the bell was about to ring, I told the class to have a nice day and I would see them tomorrow. Then it happened, out of nowhere a student said, "You too bro!!"
It hit me like a ton of bricks, I felt like I lost all respect from the class, and it was only the first day. I didn't know what to do and my mind started racing. Do I get mad at the student for calling me bro? Do I let it slide? Should I just ignore the whole thing? Then I realized what happened, I was so worried about following all the advice from my experienced colleagues, and at the same time trying to figure out how to relate to the students, that I over-thought everything about being a teacher. The class didn't revolt, and I didn't burst into flames for not following the advice from my professors at college. I knew that in order to succeed at this wonderful job, I needed to be myself. Of course, I was still looking to build some respect, so I kindly told the class that my name was Mr. Wood or Coach Wood, and anything less would be unacceptable. To this day I have never had a problem with that student and we have a mutual respect for one another.
The point of this is that I was bombarded with advice from everyone under the sun. Although it was much appreciated, I quickly learned that in order to succeed I needed to find out what worked for me. I quickly trained myself to not say "What's up?" However, I always make it a point to be me when I am in front of the class. I am a strong believer that I have the best job in the world, I was so caught up on following rules and advice, and making a difference, that I forgot how to be myself. With anything we do in life, I feel it is important to just relax and enjoy the ride. Obviously, we want to do the best that we can, but let us not forget that we need to enjoy our experiences as well. Don't take life too seriously because you will miss the beauty that surrounds you. I just never thought I would have learned that lesson from a high school senior calling me bro!!
Cameron Wood
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