Each weekend I find myself in this monopoly coffee shop that serves drinks in a white cup and green label. Naturally, I am at Starbucks, sipping on lattes and typing away at my Teacher Work Sample. This week proves no different. So here I am, Saturday night 8pm, typing away and reflecting.
Exciting news came to me this week. The Center Coordinator from Cedar Falls contacted my Center Coordinator asking her if she had any student teachers with strong literacy backgrounds who would graduate in December. Apparently, there is an opening as long term substitute for a Title I reading position at a local school. My name was passed along! Nothing is ever a sure thing but it's nice to know my name is out there. This was a huge reality check. It seems that the real world is getting closer and closer... Behind me are the days of running on little to no sleep, eating junk food, and functioning properly only with an enormous amount of caffeine. Okay well, let's be honest, the caffeine addiction is still with me. I will probably never kick the habit. Other than that, I feel wonderful! Seriously, my body is so much healthier now that I have such a set schedule. It amazes me how much a good night's sleep can affect your health. With a bedtime of 10:30, strict meal times, and regular exercise, I have never felt better. I even feel like my emotions are more in check. Just one more example that teaching was really my calling!
At my seminar this week, someone decided to voice their opinion. We all know the saying about opinions. "Opinions are like __________, everyone has one." You can fill in the blank; I've got to keep it professional these days. So, the intelligent gentleman in the back decided to announce that "School is not the place for all of these high-fives, hugs, and fist-bumps. We don't have time for all that mushy gooshy stuff. It's time to learn."
Oh, my blood pressure was rising at a rapid pace! Obviously, I strongly disagree with the previous statement. I am a firm believer teaching the "whole child: heart, head, and hands." This same intelligent gentleman also shared his struggles with classroom management. Hot news flash sir, if you took time to build relationships with your students you probably wouldn't have half of the management issues that you do! In my mind, you don't have time to NOT to build relationships with your students. Research has shown that the most powerful statements for students are "I care about you and I believe in you." But, teachers can't just talk the talk, they need to walk the walk, too. A teacher's actions should show the students that they are there for academic and emotional support. Teachers need to take the time to show students they care. Whether that be words of encouragement, a high-five, or a heart felt hug, students need to know you are on their side and you want to see them succeed.
This week will be my last week at my first placement. It seems like three days ago I was assembling book boxes and attending open house. The time went by so quickly. I could not have asked for a better placement. My Cooperating Teacher has been my rock. The whole school community is refreshing. Everyone is friendly and passionate about education. Not all schools are like that. I hope that I can work in a place with this type of school environment. I don't want to leave these kids. I have taken the time to get to know each one of them. I hope they all enjoy the rest of the year and strive to be the best they can be. Hopefully, I can hold back my tears on Thursday. It's been wonderful! Although I don't want to leave, I am confident I will enjoy my next placement as well, working in Title I reading.
Teaching Tip from Week 7: "DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHOW TOUGH LOVE."
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Do You Believe in Miracles?
One of the most memorable events from this week was reading the daily journals my students write. Each day, I have a journal prompt on the board. They do not have to write from the prompt, but it is there for those students who may need an idea of something to write about. At night, I take home four journals and so does my Cooperating Teacher. We respond back to the students' journals and return them in the morning. On Thursday, I gave the students the following prompt: "If you could perform a miracle what would it be and how would it help others?"
That night I forgot to read their journals. Naturally, I would remember right as my head hit the pillow in efforts to fall asleep for the night. So, I drudged out of bed, grabbed the pile, and began reading. As you can imagine, I was not exactly enthusiastic about reading the journals on this particular night. I opened the first journal to find this entry: "If I could perform a miracle, I would make Miss Nebbia stay and teach me for the rest of my school years. It would help her keep her job." That journal entry melted my heart! That's what teaching is all about.
This week I taught the entire day. My Cooperating Teacher was M.I.A most of the time. She would peek her head in and out but never stayed around for too long. To be honest, I liked that time to really have the students to myself, as if they were my real class.
I love my kids but they are a very chatty group. Instead of fighting it, I try to find time twice a day for them to talk. One thing we do is called "Yeahs and Yucks." Quickly, we go around the room and the kids say either one good thing that happened to them today or one bad thing. Another way I encourage socialization without disrupting instruction is to set the timer and let them talk to their neighbors each morning for a few minutes. I am queen of the timer... I use it for everything. It is the only way to help me manage my time effectivelty.
The "Yeahs and Yucks" and "Talk Time" seem to help but they are not a total quick fix. I resorted to having a class meeting and creating some "Class Expectations." It amazes me how much these must be reviewed in order for them to be effective. We probably read the list at least three times a day for reinforcement. The expectations include everything from "using kind words" to "keeping personal belongings (silly bands and accessories) on our bodies."
The kids have been teasing me that I "smile too much." A few of them have said, we can't imagine you getting MAD. You don't yell and you are always in a good mood! I am not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. In my mind, you can never be too smiley. My favorite elementary teachers (you know who you are... *throat clear* Miss Koch and Miss Martin) were always happy and smiling. That's what I remember most about them. Oh and things like reading the Rainbow Fish and getting Lemon Drops and Lemon Heads! Or the time when Nicole and I wrote an anonymous note to our third grade teacher asking if we could sit next to each other when she made the next seating arrangement. Low and behold, the next day our desks were side by side! Obviously, I could continue with my elementary stories. My teachers had such an impact on my life, which is probably why I see them as role models and hope to make that sort of impact on my future students. ... I digress. Back to the point. Although these teachers were loving, friendly, and kind they still had respect and focused on academics. As a teacher, you can demand respect without using put downs or making the students feel inferior. That is the type of teacher I hope to be!
Teaching Lesson from Week 6: "YOUR WORK IS NEVER DONE. IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER TO SEPARATE YOUR PERSONAL LIFE FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. SCHOOL COMES HOME WITH YOU EVERY DAY. I FIND MYSELF THINKING ABOUT MY STUDENTS ALL OF THE TIME!"
That night I forgot to read their journals. Naturally, I would remember right as my head hit the pillow in efforts to fall asleep for the night. So, I drudged out of bed, grabbed the pile, and began reading. As you can imagine, I was not exactly enthusiastic about reading the journals on this particular night. I opened the first journal to find this entry: "If I could perform a miracle, I would make Miss Nebbia stay and teach me for the rest of my school years. It would help her keep her job." That journal entry melted my heart! That's what teaching is all about.
This week I taught the entire day. My Cooperating Teacher was M.I.A most of the time. She would peek her head in and out but never stayed around for too long. To be honest, I liked that time to really have the students to myself, as if they were my real class.
I love my kids but they are a very chatty group. Instead of fighting it, I try to find time twice a day for them to talk. One thing we do is called "Yeahs and Yucks." Quickly, we go around the room and the kids say either one good thing that happened to them today or one bad thing. Another way I encourage socialization without disrupting instruction is to set the timer and let them talk to their neighbors each morning for a few minutes. I am queen of the timer... I use it for everything. It is the only way to help me manage my time effectivelty.
The "Yeahs and Yucks" and "Talk Time" seem to help but they are not a total quick fix. I resorted to having a class meeting and creating some "Class Expectations." It amazes me how much these must be reviewed in order for them to be effective. We probably read the list at least three times a day for reinforcement. The expectations include everything from "using kind words" to "keeping personal belongings (silly bands and accessories) on our bodies."
The kids have been teasing me that I "smile too much." A few of them have said, we can't imagine you getting MAD. You don't yell and you are always in a good mood! I am not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. In my mind, you can never be too smiley. My favorite elementary teachers (you know who you are... *throat clear* Miss Koch and Miss Martin) were always happy and smiling. That's what I remember most about them. Oh and things like reading the Rainbow Fish and getting Lemon Drops and Lemon Heads! Or the time when Nicole and I wrote an anonymous note to our third grade teacher asking if we could sit next to each other when she made the next seating arrangement. Low and behold, the next day our desks were side by side! Obviously, I could continue with my elementary stories. My teachers had such an impact on my life, which is probably why I see them as role models and hope to make that sort of impact on my future students. ... I digress. Back to the point. Although these teachers were loving, friendly, and kind they still had respect and focused on academics. As a teacher, you can demand respect without using put downs or making the students feel inferior. That is the type of teacher I hope to be!
Teaching Lesson from Week 6: "YOUR WORK IS NEVER DONE. IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER TO SEPARATE YOUR PERSONAL LIFE FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. SCHOOL COMES HOME WITH YOU EVERY DAY. I FIND MYSELF THINKING ABOUT MY STUDENTS ALL OF THE TIME!"
Friday, September 24, 2010
There Are No Problems, Only Solutions
Exhibit A: Week 5.
Monday started off with the buzz of the alarm at the glorious 6:10am. I could not peel myself out of bed. I should have sensed there would be trouble this week after getting off to a rough start. Monday was just okay. I hoped for a little more energy and clarity by Tuesday but of course, no luck. Having to attend seminar on Tuesday after school put me in a sour mood. However, our speaker presented legal issues in education and it turned out to be wildly entertaining.
Wednesday was the day of all days. I left the house at 7:00am and did not return until after 8:00pm. After teaching a full day, having a doctor's appointment (of which I was late for), and attending another 3 hour seminar I walked out to my car in the metered parking at the University. Of course, the little twerp who gives out parking tickets was placing a ticket on my car as I used my key fob to automatically unlock the doors. Mind you, my meter had just expired and he let the guy next to me out of a ticket. Let's just say the waterworks started immediately. This was truly the straw that broke the camel's back. I stared the little twerp down and considered using my words to express the anger I felt inside but restrained myself. In my head I was thinking, "Teachers are role models. Act appropriately, you are in the parking lot of the College of Education." So, I let out a good cry for about 25 minutes and vented to Saint JoAnne, also referred to as "Mom".
Once the tears stopped I made my way home and decided to grade the post-assessment I administered over perimeter.This assessment was to assess my learning goals and unit that were developed for my Teacher Work Sample. As I was grading the assessments, I realized that I created a problem that was unsolvable. Of course all of you are thinking, "Duh, Christi, everyone knows you should take the test before you give it to your students." Well, I didn't think I needed to because it was a question where everyone's answer could be different and they would all still be correct. Moral of the story: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS take the test before you administer it!!!! So once again, I called Saint JoAnne and sobbed uncontrollably until
she was finally able to console me enough understand my words. We decided I would put away all of my schoolwork until the next morning when I would talk to my Cooperating Teacher and ask for her guidance. I know my Cooperating Teacher and my mom will meet each other one day, in heaven, when they are both canonized as Saints. Both of them have an extraordinary gift, the ability to deal with my ridiculous antics and help me regain the voice of reason.
In the end, my Cooperating Teacher gave me some great advice. We were able to fix the problem and all is right in the universe again. And, contrary to my thoughts on Wednesday, I am not a failure. My class average for the pre-assessment Part 1 was a 50 percent. The post-assessment average turned out to be an 83 percent! For Part 3, the pre-assessment class average was 31 percent. Drum roll please.... the post-assessment class average for Part 3 was a 90 percent!
This week, my Cooperating Teacher has stepped out of the room quite a bit to let me have the students all to myself. When she does that, I feel like my security blanket is gone. But, I am learning a lot. Some days, I think I am learning more than my students. That is not to say that my students are not learning, but I feel that each day I am becoming a more competent educator. You can learn all you want from books and classes but it's when you are thrown in with the wolves that you really learn... and boy oh boy do you learn fast!
Since I forgot to provide a teaching tip from last week here are two!
Teaching tips from Week 5 and Week 6: "EVERY DAY OF STUDENT TEACHING IS AN INTERVIEW. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PUTTING YOU BEST FOOT FORWARD!""PICK YOU BATTLES WISELY! NEVER GET IN A POWER STRUGGLE WITH A CHILD. SOMETIMES THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO DO IS TO WALK AWAY, BUT IT MIGHT BE THE BEST THING."
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Oh We're Halfway There...Living on a Prayer
Dear Bon Jovi, thank you for providing me with the title of this current post. Yes, this past week marked the halfway mark for my first placement. And yes, I am living on a prayer right now. I am started to get a little overwhelmed with my workload. Not only do I have to plan lessons for every subject except for science, I also have the TWS looming over me.
I am four weeks in and only have four more to go! Then, I will be shipped off to my next placement. I think about leaving my current school and it is depressing. I am so lucky to have gotten the placement I did. The school I am at is wonderful. My cooperating is fabulous and the kids, well they are the best part of each day!
I am truly thankful for this weekend though. Yikes, it was a long week. I think all the teachers were feeling the same way. I heard "Thank God It's Friday" a handful of times in the hallway.
The students had a half day on Wednesday. As a teacher, half days are not all they are cracked up to be. As a student, I used to relish in getting to spend the afternoon with my dad and brother. (Yes, Dad. I did just admit that I enjoyed hanging out with you on half days...even when John had to tag along.) In a teacher's eyes, half days are hectic and disorganized. The kids are confused because there is no routine. Teachers are supposed to still fit in all of their teaching in a condensed amount of time. Plus, teachers don't go home at noon like the kids. Oh no, teachers stay and have meetings all afternoon. Our meetings were all about technology. The school I am at is severely lacking in the area of technology. I became everyone's new best friend when they found out I know how to use everything from excel to garage band to Skype and obviously Blogger. Some teachers came into our room after the meetings and I walked them through the literacy website I used to work on. At the time I worked on the website, I thought I was just doing meaningless tasks that no one else wanted to do. However, working on that website was such a great experience. While I was showing the teachers many other websites that they can use in their rooms, the principal walked in. He plopped down and listened too. He was asking me about my experience working on the literacy website. The whole time he was sitting there I kept thinking "You be unemployed in less than four months, Chris. Sell yourself. You want a job!" My cooperating teacher was even joking around with the principal telling him that he should hire me in December to help out. She might have been joking, but let's be honest here. This is not a joking matter... I need a job! My fingers are crossed, and all you Tripicchio's know Grandma is crossing her toes for me. Hopefully, that will give me some extra good luck.
On a side note, I know I have mentioned that there is a high morale amongst the teachers. Well, a few weeks ago one of the teachers came in to show my Cooperating Teacher a bunch of baby clothes she had knit. These clothes were the most precious things I had ever seen. Beautiful cable knit sweaters, bibs, even a headband! Too stinkin' cute! I expressed my amazement and asked if she would be willing to help me get started on knitting a hat. I have knit scarves but that is all. I want to move on to bigger and better things. Everyday this woman comes in to knit with me while the kids are at recess. I finally finished my hat today. I amazed that I actually created something other than a garder stitch scarf.
I am four weeks in and only have four more to go! Then, I will be shipped off to my next placement. I think about leaving my current school and it is depressing. I am so lucky to have gotten the placement I did. The school I am at is wonderful. My cooperating is fabulous and the kids, well they are the best part of each day!
I am truly thankful for this weekend though. Yikes, it was a long week. I think all the teachers were feeling the same way. I heard "Thank God It's Friday" a handful of times in the hallway.
The students had a half day on Wednesday. As a teacher, half days are not all they are cracked up to be. As a student, I used to relish in getting to spend the afternoon with my dad and brother. (Yes, Dad. I did just admit that I enjoyed hanging out with you on half days...even when John had to tag along.) In a teacher's eyes, half days are hectic and disorganized. The kids are confused because there is no routine. Teachers are supposed to still fit in all of their teaching in a condensed amount of time. Plus, teachers don't go home at noon like the kids. Oh no, teachers stay and have meetings all afternoon. Our meetings were all about technology. The school I am at is severely lacking in the area of technology. I became everyone's new best friend when they found out I know how to use everything from excel to garage band to Skype and obviously Blogger. Some teachers came into our room after the meetings and I walked them through the literacy website I used to work on. At the time I worked on the website, I thought I was just doing meaningless tasks that no one else wanted to do. However, working on that website was such a great experience. While I was showing the teachers many other websites that they can use in their rooms, the principal walked in. He plopped down and listened too. He was asking me about my experience working on the literacy website. The whole time he was sitting there I kept thinking "You be unemployed in less than four months, Chris. Sell yourself. You want a job!" My cooperating teacher was even joking around with the principal telling him that he should hire me in December to help out. She might have been joking, but let's be honest here. This is not a joking matter... I need a job! My fingers are crossed, and all you Tripicchio's know Grandma is crossing her toes for me. Hopefully, that will give me some extra good luck.
On a side note, I know I have mentioned that there is a high morale amongst the teachers. Well, a few weeks ago one of the teachers came in to show my Cooperating Teacher a bunch of baby clothes she had knit. These clothes were the most precious things I had ever seen. Beautiful cable knit sweaters, bibs, even a headband! Too stinkin' cute! I expressed my amazement and asked if she would be willing to help me get started on knitting a hat. I have knit scarves but that is all. I want to move on to bigger and better things. Everyday this woman comes in to knit with me while the kids are at recess. I finally finished my hat today. I amazed that I actually created something other than a garder stitch scarf.
 |
| The hat is too big. Oops. At least it's cute! |
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Honeymoon Period is Over
Honeymoon Period (definition): The first few weeks of school when the students are on their best behavior.
This has been the talk of the teacher's lounge. It's week three and the students' true colors really start to show. You begin to notice patterns in behavior, attendance, and attitude. The week started a little rough. Coming off of a three day weekend, it can be hard to establish the daily routine again. We had a strong finish, though. The students had an absolutely wonderful day today! I was so proud of them for all of their hard work and excellent listening skills this morning. I feel the students are starting to see my as more of a teacher now. Although I worked very hard on building relationships with them, I felt they saw me as more of a friend than a teacher. Now, they are really listening to what I say and taking it seriously.
I have been teaching all morning now. This means I am taking over spelling, writing, reading, and some of the morning routine. Next week, I will start teaching math. This is the subject over which I will write my dreaded TWS, or Teacher Work Sample. I am teaching a unit on area and perimeter. I have already developed my Learning Goals and developed my pre and post assessments.
A side note: I am on page 10 of my TWS... I still have 5 more sections to go! After my student teaching seminar on Tuesday, my head was spinning. I was petrified that I was not on track with my TWS. It turns out I am right on track. I am actually feeling pretty comfortable about my pacing and confident about my work thus far. Don't hold your breath, though. Just wait until week 6; I am sure I will be in meltdown mode.
To those of you who will student teach in the near future, let me tell you it is one of the coolest things! It is so neat to finally be doing what you worked so hard for. To really see you students grow academically is truly rewarding. Each day is a learning experience for both you and your students. Enjoy each moment and know that you are making a difference.
Teaching Lesson from Week 3: YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR STUDENTS (always wear a smile =D)
This has been the talk of the teacher's lounge. It's week three and the students' true colors really start to show. You begin to notice patterns in behavior, attendance, and attitude. The week started a little rough. Coming off of a three day weekend, it can be hard to establish the daily routine again. We had a strong finish, though. The students had an absolutely wonderful day today! I was so proud of them for all of their hard work and excellent listening skills this morning. I feel the students are starting to see my as more of a teacher now. Although I worked very hard on building relationships with them, I felt they saw me as more of a friend than a teacher. Now, they are really listening to what I say and taking it seriously.
I have been teaching all morning now. This means I am taking over spelling, writing, reading, and some of the morning routine. Next week, I will start teaching math. This is the subject over which I will write my dreaded TWS, or Teacher Work Sample. I am teaching a unit on area and perimeter. I have already developed my Learning Goals and developed my pre and post assessments.
A side note: I am on page 10 of my TWS... I still have 5 more sections to go! After my student teaching seminar on Tuesday, my head was spinning. I was petrified that I was not on track with my TWS. It turns out I am right on track. I am actually feeling pretty comfortable about my pacing and confident about my work thus far. Don't hold your breath, though. Just wait until week 6; I am sure I will be in meltdown mode.
To those of you who will student teach in the near future, let me tell you it is one of the coolest things! It is so neat to finally be doing what you worked so hard for. To really see you students grow academically is truly rewarding. Each day is a learning experience for both you and your students. Enjoy each moment and know that you are making a difference.
Teaching Lesson from Week 3: YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR STUDENTS (always wear a smile =D)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
7:30 is Now Considered "Sleeping In"
| Image from http://morguefile.com/archive/display/214512 |
It's true... Today, I was well-rested and ready to go when I woke up at 7:30 am. I guess that's how you know you are getting out of the college lifestyle. No more staying up until 2:00 am and sleeping until 2:00 pm. This afternoon I got out of Zumba at 1:00 pm I thought "Wow! On the weekdays I would be getting in from recess duty and getting ready to teach science at this time. My day would be almost over." Yet, I enjoyed this lovely Saturday afternoon by cleaning the apartment and doing laundry. Both are sure signs that I am aging. However, I don't see any wrinkles yet. Thank God!
The end of this week was great. Thursday, there was a substitute teacher so I got to teach the entire day. I also had an observation by my center coordinator. Afterward, we had a conference about my teaching. She had all good comments and thinks I am on the right track! It gives me a lot of confidence to consistently hear that I am doing well. Obviously, I do have areas that I need to improve upon. Personally, I think classroom management and differentiation are the hardest parts of teaching. I never doubted my classroom management skills before, but I have encountered some issues. I feel that my age and my height (5' 4'') go against me when I am dealing with the upper elementary students. However, I have been working on my management techniques and they seem effective. The best suggestion I have for effective classroom management is to build strong relationships with you students. If you show them respect, they should have no reason to treat you otherwise. As for differentiation, it can be hard to reach the needs of all of your learners. This is something I am definitely still working on.
Although there was a sub on Thursday, my teacher was still in the building. She was just doing one-on-one reading assessments with students in her class. As I was getting ready to go out to recess she ambushed me and took me on a little adventure. My cooperating teacher led me out behind the school and took me into a trailer that was full of school spirit wear. She told me that she was planning on purchasing me a shirt so I could fit in with all of the other teachers on casual Fridays! The small gesture meant so much. The absolute best part about sporting my blue and white pride on Friday was the fact that I did not have to plan my outfit as I usually do. Friday's attire included my school spirit shirt, jeans, and a pair of converse!
Teaching Lesson from Week 2: CHERISH YOUR WEEKENDS (Especially 3 day weekends!)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
At Least I Got to Stop for Starbucks
Here's mid-week update.
After two mornings of getting out the door in just the knick of time, I decided to reward myself for being extremely prompt this morning. I bet you can all guess my reward.... that's right a grande skinny caramel latte from Starbucks. Needless to say, I was pumped and ready to go this morning after my jolt of caffeine.
This week I have been doing all of the spelling lessons. On Tuesday, the students and I reviewed syllables by playing a matching game with their spelling words. I wrote their two syllable spelling words on index cards. Then I cut them out like puzzle pieces and passed them out randomly to the students. They were responsible for finding someone whose card would create a spelling word and also fit their piece. Today, we played Wheel of Fortune with their spelling words to review consonants and vowels. The class got quite rowdy during the game. Half way through I had to use some classroom management techniques to bring them back. After that, it was smooth sailing and Wheel of Fortune was a hit! I think the students are trying to test me to see how much they get away with.
Tomorrow, my cooperating teacher will be testing students one on one all day. This means she had to get a substitute teacher. However, I am responsible for teaching the entire day! Although I am not worried about teaching the content, I am worried about management.
More updates to follow, but right now it's bedtime...
After two mornings of getting out the door in just the knick of time, I decided to reward myself for being extremely prompt this morning. I bet you can all guess my reward.... that's right a grande skinny caramel latte from Starbucks. Needless to say, I was pumped and ready to go this morning after my jolt of caffeine.
This week I have been doing all of the spelling lessons. On Tuesday, the students and I reviewed syllables by playing a matching game with their spelling words. I wrote their two syllable spelling words on index cards. Then I cut them out like puzzle pieces and passed them out randomly to the students. They were responsible for finding someone whose card would create a spelling word and also fit their piece. Today, we played Wheel of Fortune with their spelling words to review consonants and vowels. The class got quite rowdy during the game. Half way through I had to use some classroom management techniques to bring them back. After that, it was smooth sailing and Wheel of Fortune was a hit! I think the students are trying to test me to see how much they get away with.
Tomorrow, my cooperating teacher will be testing students one on one all day. This means she had to get a substitute teacher. However, I am responsible for teaching the entire day! Although I am not worried about teaching the content, I am worried about management.
More updates to follow, but right now it's bedtime...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)