Mental Gatorade

Mental Gatorade is something that you focus on when you are working hard cognitively and need a boost of energy. I had my students make a Mental Gatorade before their exam yesterday, so I'm going to share my own Mental Gatorade with you.

Diagnostic Score: Novice
Mid-Institute: Beginning Proficient
Big Goal: Exemplary Teaching Skills
When things get tough, I will focus on... My students I hugged good-bye today.

I also taped inspirational quotes on all of my students' desks yesterday before they took their assessment. Here are some of my own inspirational quotes to help me tough it out:

"You were the best teacher, and you are so nice that alot of people will like how you are" -R
"Ms. Lyons, you were like my Mom, I will miss you!!!" - J
"I will miss you. And don't forget me, you were the best teacher." -M
"I will always have you in my heart. I will find a little spot for you and keep you there and always remember you. Have a great summer." -R
"I am so confident in your abilities to lead your classroom to great gains! Good luck and keep in touch!" -Jackie, my CMA

These are some of the notes I received today, my last day at MP. This place has touched my heart in a way I could never have predicted. These kids make me want to work my butt off everyday to become better and better. Seeing the look on R-'s face when she put up stars on all the objectives she mastered on her test was absolutely amazing. That girl is going to go on to do some great things!

I made all of my students promise to text me during their next year of school and to contact me when they start looking at colleges. J- already got connected! He texted me "Hii!! This is J-!". So I texted him back "Hi J-!! This is Ms. Lyons!" :)

I'm so proud of how hard these three worked and how much they grew to believe in themselves. My two struggling students are now "experts" at certain exponent rules and were helping their peers master the objectives with them. It was amazing to see their faces light up when their parents hugged them after they received their awards today. My student who took home extra homework (yea, she asked for extra homework) achieved 141% of her growth goal. This girl just leaped over a high bar of expectations.

I can't help but reflect on the seven students who were enrolled in my class this summer but did not share in our celebration today. C- moved away from the district in the middle of the summer. A-, M-A-, and T- showed up for only a day. B- and A- rarely made  it to school. And then there was C-y, my iceberg. She did take her assessment, but never showed today to share in our celebration. I really hope there's a teacher out there who will break down the brick wall this girl has built around her. When I enter the Fall, I will certainly carry my experiences with C-y at the back of my mind as I interact with new students. I know there are many tactics I could have used to invest her in my class, but I am just too inexperienced. Students like her will push me to push myself through professional development.

I feel honored and humbled by my experiences this summer. I've made some incredible friends here in California. I think the good ol' city of Watts will always hold a special place in my heart.

I'm heading back to Kansas City on Sunday. The next time I write, I'll be blogging about my fourth graders :) :) :)