Salvete,
I haven't written a blog post in nearly five months! Maybe more...I do not feel like checking. So much has happened in the last five months that I feel I can barely recount it all! Since that is the case, please excuse me for not recounting it all, as I remember none of it in great detail, and all of it will probably bore you.
The wedding website is thoroughly updated, the URL of which you can ask for personally, and I may or may not give it to you.
My new job is fantastic. I'm already in line for a promotion.
I'll try to post stuff on here as it happens with the wedding. Last year, this was a "New Teacher" blog. Now I will attempt to make it a "Wedding" blog.
Valete,
Magistra
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Fishin' and Gonna be Hitchin'!
Salvete!
There were pictures in this post, but they have been removed to protect the anonymity of this blog.
It has been so eventful around here! Yesterday, I went to my love's aunt and uncle's house for a father's day lunch and get-together. I got to meet two more members of my love's wonderful family. They are so lively and warm! I can't wait to be one of them (I feel like I already am!). We all went fishing, and the only person who caught anything was my love's grandpa Bebo. I am looking very cool in my love's sunglasses!
[Former Picture]
This is the part of the day where I beat my love at pool. I only won because he scratched on the eight ball. I was doing OK though, before that!
[Former Picture]
Today, my love and I went to Pisgah National Forest. We stopped at Looking Glass Falls for some photo ops. He did very well on this picture of me with the falls. It was much higher than it looks in the picture!
[Former Picture]
At one of the overlooks we stopped at, there were bumblebees! I had to take some pictures, and this one turned out the best of them all.
There were pictures in this post, but they have been removed to protect the anonymity of this blog.
It has been so eventful around here! Yesterday, I went to my love's aunt and uncle's house for a father's day lunch and get-together. I got to meet two more members of my love's wonderful family. They are so lively and warm! I can't wait to be one of them (I feel like I already am!). We all went fishing, and the only person who caught anything was my love's grandpa Bebo. I am looking very cool in my love's sunglasses!
[Former Picture]
This is the part of the day where I beat my love at pool. I only won because he scratched on the eight ball. I was doing OK though, before that!
[Former Picture]
Today, my love and I went to Pisgah National Forest. We stopped at Looking Glass Falls for some photo ops. He did very well on this picture of me with the falls. It was much higher than it looks in the picture!
[Former Picture]
At one of the overlooks we stopped at, there were bumblebees! I had to take some pictures, and this one turned out the best of them all.
[Former Picture]
The day was a little hazy, but you can still see the splendor of where we were. This overlook was about 4700 feet above sea level. The mountains aren't called the Blue Ridge Mountains and Smokey Mountains for no reason!
[Former Picture]
I loved going through the tunnels...I tried to be artsy but I'm not sure if I achieved my goal!
[Former Picture]
And yes, this is where it all happened. We drove for about an hour and a half through winding mountain roads in order to get to Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Please note my stylish shawl (actually a black bedsheet). It was only 65 degrees up there, and very windy! You can see how foggy it is. Let me tell you something...that isn't fog! Those are clouds! We were so high that we were actually up in the clouds, at almost 6,700 feet!
[Former Picture]
Behind me there is a 360 degree overlook that on clear days I'm sure gives a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Near us was Cold Mountain, the peak after which the novel and movie (starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law) are named. I know, you're saying, "Get to the good stuff already!" Well! Here it is! My love and I walked up the rest of the way to the overlook, and after I shouted to the four cardinal directions, "Hello [insert appropriate state name here]!" my love took me in his arms and told me he loved me. He then very sneakily took something out of his pocket, and proceded to tell me how he wanted to marry me and be my husband. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I said, "Of course!" That sealed the deal! He put that gorgeous ring on my finger, and we were officially engaged to be married!
[Former Picture]
Here we are at the top! I loved getting engaged in the clouds! Not only was I on Cloud 9 anyway, but I got to be in the actual meteorological clouds too! We had the whole platform to ourself for about ten minutes, and then some nice people came up to the top with their family and took our picture!
[Former Picture]
Ladies, here's what you've been waiting for...a picture of my ring! It is so shiny! This picture does not do it justice! Check Facebook for more photos!
Valete!
Magistra
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Big Glassy and Poet of "Chicago"
Salvete!
[Former Picture] Can you believe it? My love's dad drives a MiniCooperS! I haven't gotten to drive it yet, but I've been on my best behavior, so we'll see how that goes.
[Former Picture] Yesterday, we took a trip away from the fairy cottage to the 22-year home of Carl Sandburg. For those of you who are illiterate or otherwise uninformed, Carl Sandburg is a one of the great American poets, considered canonical, and is in all of my college English textbooks. He wrote the widely recognized poem, "Chicago," and is the author of an extensive biography on Abraham Lincoln. The grounds of his home were beautiful. Below, you can see some of the sights. He had three scarecrows in his garden, two live, and one not (see below for a photo of this phenomenon).
[Former Picture] Can you believe it? My love's dad drives a MiniCooperS! I haven't gotten to drive it yet, but I've been on my best behavior, so we'll see how that goes.
[Former Picture] Yesterday, we took a trip away from the fairy cottage to the 22-year home of Carl Sandburg. For those of you who are illiterate or otherwise uninformed, Carl Sandburg is a one of the great American poets, considered canonical, and is in all of my college English textbooks. He wrote the widely recognized poem, "Chicago," and is the author of an extensive biography on Abraham Lincoln. The grounds of his home were beautiful. Below, you can see some of the sights. He had three scarecrows in his garden, two live, and one not (see below for a photo of this phenomenon).
[Former Picture] Sandburg's wife kept goats, and while we were at the Sandburg home, we learned that his wife held the record for highest milk production for ages, and was well known in goat circles, for whatever worth that may have. Here, you can see me petting a Nubian goat (brought from Africa at some point in Britain's conquering of the free and not-so-free world) named Cooper, the newest arrival at the Sandburg property.
[Former Picture] One of the most strenuous parts of our vacation so far has been my trek up Big Glassy, to the Big Glassy lookout. It was a 1.3 mile trek to the top on a 110' slope. BG isn't the biggest mountain in the world, but it certainly kicked my tail, as I was out the rest of the day, completely exhausted from my climb. In the end, it was so worth it!
[Former Picture] Here's a picture of us, looking very similar to the picture above, at the goat farm.
All in all, we've had a wonderful time here in North Carolina. I met my love's paternal side of the family tonight, and they were so much fun! I think they liked me pretty well, and I liked them too! My love's stepmom is a wonderful cook! Yummy!
More to come! Tomorrow we are going to church and to a big ole father's day lunch.
Valete,
Magistra
Friday, June 19, 2009
Goin' to Carolina in my mind...
Salvete!
We are officially at our second official destination! We've left the beach behind for the mountains. I've posted the state sign pictures for your enjoyment!
There were pictures in this post, but I took them out to preserve the anonymity of the blog.
[Former Picture] Here's the entrance to Georgia! We got caught in some traffic in Atlanta, but on the whole, the peach state didn't do us wrong too much! We had georgia on our mind for about four hours of the trip!
[Former Picture] South Carolina was unnotable. We were only there for about an hour. We went through Greenville--the only major city we saw. On the way into North Carolina, we got to see some very scenic views of the mountains. Beautiful!
[Former Picture] We finally made it to North Carolina last night around 8 pm EST. The mountains are breathtaking! My love drove up several precipitous driveways in order to reach the abode of his father, whom I have yet to meet. He is reportedly downstairs, but I have not ventured down there yet, as I am still pajama'd and unshowered.
We are officially at our second official destination! We've left the beach behind for the mountains. I've posted the state sign pictures for your enjoyment!
There were pictures in this post, but I took them out to preserve the anonymity of the blog.
[Former Picture] Here's the entrance to Georgia! We got caught in some traffic in Atlanta, but on the whole, the peach state didn't do us wrong too much! We had georgia on our mind for about four hours of the trip!
[Former Picture] South Carolina was unnotable. We were only there for about an hour. We went through Greenville--the only major city we saw. On the way into North Carolina, we got to see some very scenic views of the mountains. Beautiful!
[Former Picture] We finally made it to North Carolina last night around 8 pm EST. The mountains are breathtaking! My love drove up several precipitous driveways in order to reach the abode of his father, whom I have yet to meet. He is reportedly downstairs, but I have not ventured down there yet, as I am still pajama'd and unshowered.
[Former Picture] When we arrived last night, we got to see a fairy cottage! The house is absolutely adorable. I have only been in one other fairy cottage before, and that was K----'s, which is nestled in the hills outside of ------, TX. Check out the woodburning stove! My love's stepmom is very sweet, and they have an incredible shy dog named Misty. Hopefully she'll warm up to me eventually!
That's all I have for now! More to come! Tonight we plan to go to "Music on Main," where a live band plays on Main Street. We're going to have some BBQ at HubbaHubba's for dinner. So cute! 
Valete,
Magistra
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Stick shifts and safety belts!
Salvete,
We're cruising I-85 in Alabama, rapidly approaching the Georgia border. We have about 90 more miles to go until Atlanta, and my love has just broken out the Chex Mix. After Atlanta, we'll hit up Greenville, then Hendersonville. My love is the most amazing driver, albeit slightly choleric when it comes to imbeciles driving around us.
I don't have any pictures for you at this moment, though I will probably post some later of the Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina borders. Get excited! I know I did when my love psyched me out, saying we were approaching the Georgia state line when we really weren't! Cameras ready!
Until then,
Valete,
Magistra
We're cruising I-85 in Alabama, rapidly approaching the Georgia border. We have about 90 more miles to go until Atlanta, and my love has just broken out the Chex Mix. After Atlanta, we'll hit up Greenville, then Hendersonville. My love is the most amazing driver, albeit slightly choleric when it comes to imbeciles driving around us.
I don't have any pictures for you at this moment, though I will probably post some later of the Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina borders. Get excited! I know I did when my love psyched me out, saying we were approaching the Georgia state line when we really weren't! Cameras ready!
Until then,
Valete,
Magistra
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Zoo lose? No, I usually win.
Salvete,
Today, my love and I had the brilliant idea to go check out the Gulf Shores Zoo. Well! It was an interesting experience, to be sure. Let's just say, that if PETA got wind of this operation, they would not be too happy. On the whole, the zoo's animals consisted of those you could buy from the pet store at the mall, minus the camels, wolves, black bears, tigers, lions, and alligators.
There were pictures in this post, but I took them out to preserve the anonymity of the blog.
[Former Picture] This is my love posing with the Siberian Tiger. Rawr!
[Former Picture] This is me, looking mighty sexy, by the same tiger.
[Former Picture] I did not zoom my camera for this one. This tiger was about two arm-lengths from where I was standing. Safety first!
Today, my love and I had the brilliant idea to go check out the Gulf Shores Zoo. Well! It was an interesting experience, to be sure. Let's just say, that if PETA got wind of this operation, they would not be too happy. On the whole, the zoo's animals consisted of those you could buy from the pet store at the mall, minus the camels, wolves, black bears, tigers, lions, and alligators.
There were pictures in this post, but I took them out to preserve the anonymity of the blog.
[Former Picture] This is my love posing with the Siberian Tiger. Rawr!
[Former Picture] This is me, looking mighty sexy, by the same tiger.
[Former Picture] I did not zoom my camera for this one. This tiger was about two arm-lengths from where I was standing. Safety first!
[Former Picture] My love got bold and decided to interact with the wildlife. Of course, I'm not sure just how wild goats are. Did you know that Texas produces 94% of the nation's goats?
In other news, my love and I found a stellar sushi restaurant called Oki Japanese. We went there for dinner last night and tonight. If you are in Gulf Shores, drive on up 59 to Foley, and check out this amazing sushi restaurant. Next time I come through Gulf Shores, I know I'll be going there. Tonight, while we were eating, we talked to a man who was born in Abilene, and had moved to Alabama about 48 years ago (the guy was probably 60). He told us how he came in second in the Texas state pistol competition two years in a row. He must have been good! Apparently, he frequents that sushi restaurant (with good reason!). I recommend the Gulf Shores roll, the Dancing Eel roll, and the American roll. Amazing.
Tomorrow, we're off early to get to North Carolina at a decent hour. Let the next leg of our trip commence!
Valete,
Magistra
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The seaweed is always greener...
Salvete!
We've had our first day at the beach! The weather this morning was amazing, and we spent two or so hours lounging in the cool water. The last thirty minutes of our water-time was spent vainly trying to catch all of the little fish nibbling our legs! I didn't believe at first that there were fish, but at my love's insistence, I stayed still long enough to let the little ones have a bite, and I was hooked! I wanted to catch one, coming very close a few times. He caught several hermit crabs, the first of which I gave to a little girl swimming near us.
[Former Picture]
After our bodies were exhausted from the sun and the waves, we decided to hit up DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen for lunch. Abandoning the car, we walked across the road running parallel to the shore in order to catch a bite of lunch. My love had stuffed shrimp, and I had Coconut Shrimp (a specialty of the house). I'm still full!
[Former Picture]
After lunch, we walked around to souvenir shops. During our spree, my love was chased by a vicious shark! Luckily, my love conquered in the end. However, we'll be eating shark for the next thirty years, due to his conquest.
[Former Picture]
More to come, as this evening we are planning a rousing game of putt-putt golf!
Valete,
Magistra
We've had our first day at the beach! The weather this morning was amazing, and we spent two or so hours lounging in the cool water. The last thirty minutes of our water-time was spent vainly trying to catch all of the little fish nibbling our legs! I didn't believe at first that there were fish, but at my love's insistence, I stayed still long enough to let the little ones have a bite, and I was hooked! I wanted to catch one, coming very close a few times. He caught several hermit crabs, the first of which I gave to a little girl swimming near us.
[Former Picture]
After our bodies were exhausted from the sun and the waves, we decided to hit up DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen for lunch. Abandoning the car, we walked across the road running parallel to the shore in order to catch a bite of lunch. My love had stuffed shrimp, and I had Coconut Shrimp (a specialty of the house). I'm still full!
[Former Picture]
After lunch, we walked around to souvenir shops. During our spree, my love was chased by a vicious shark! Luckily, my love conquered in the end. However, we'll be eating shark for the next thirty years, due to his conquest.
[Former Picture]
More to come, as this evening we are planning a rousing game of putt-putt golf!
Valete,
Magistra
On our way!
Salvete,
After a great night of sleep, we are about to head out to go to the beach! Hopefully we can find a nice place on the ocean to eat lunch. Other planned activities include (but are not limited to): building a sand castle, going to a souvenier shop, catching crabs, and being in love.
We're on vacation!
Valete,
Magistra
After a great night of sleep, we are about to head out to go to the beach! Hopefully we can find a nice place on the ocean to eat lunch. Other planned activities include (but are not limited to): building a sand castle, going to a souvenier shop, catching crabs, and being in love.
We're on vacation!
Valete,
Magistra
Monday, June 15, 2009
We're at the Beach!
Salvete,
That's right! My love and I are at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama! We had a long day of driving, and at the end of it, we are so tired that we just want to crash!
I found my wallet...I had shoved it into my suitcase at some point. Way to go, me.
I had posted pictures, but to preserve the anonymity of my blog, I have deleted them all!
[Former Picture] Entering into Alabama!
That's right! My love and I are at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama! We had a long day of driving, and at the end of it, we are so tired that we just want to crash!
I found my wallet...I had shoved it into my suitcase at some point. Way to go, me.
I had posted pictures, but to preserve the anonymity of my blog, I have deleted them all!
[Former Picture] Entering Mississippi!
[Former Picture] Entering into Alabama!
So, those are our adventures so far! We've laughed a ton (well, I've laughed a ton, and he's laughed at me!). The parts where we haven't laughed are when I "lost" my wallet, and when my love thought he was going to run out of gas, but we had plenty left! We laughed after we got gas.
More to come!
Valete,
Magistra
Our Trip!
Salvete!
Our trip has begun through nine states! We are jamming to Johnny Cash after our somewhat eventful trip to Houston. How could Houston ever be eventful, you ask, except for shootings and break-ins? Well! After getting gas with my love across from my apartment (after a brief stop there), we went to Chili's, and I noticed my wallet was gone. We had gone too far to go back to the gas station, so we called, and the jerk wouldn't go out and check to see if it was there. I've officially cancelled all of my credit cards and such. Luckily, however, I had put my depit card into my pocket when we got gas. It seems that every cloud does indeed have a silver lining!
As we approach Lake Charles, my love is serenading me! He just said, "And I am going to continue serenading you to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floydd!" Get me out of here!
Just kidding!
We should arrive in Gulf Shores, AL tonight. Tomorrow will be a day at the beach, as will the day after it. Thursday we will disembark from Gulf Shores and head towards North Carolina. Prepare for fun in the sun!
Valete,
Magistra
Our trip has begun through nine states! We are jamming to Johnny Cash after our somewhat eventful trip to Houston. How could Houston ever be eventful, you ask, except for shootings and break-ins? Well! After getting gas with my love across from my apartment (after a brief stop there), we went to Chili's, and I noticed my wallet was gone. We had gone too far to go back to the gas station, so we called, and the jerk wouldn't go out and check to see if it was there. I've officially cancelled all of my credit cards and such. Luckily, however, I had put my depit card into my pocket when we got gas. It seems that every cloud does indeed have a silver lining!
As we approach Lake Charles, my love is serenading me! He just said, "And I am going to continue serenading you to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floydd!" Get me out of here!
Just kidding!
We should arrive in Gulf Shores, AL tonight. Tomorrow will be a day at the beach, as will the day after it. Thursday we will disembark from Gulf Shores and head towards North Carolina. Prepare for fun in the sun!
Valete,
Magistra
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Auld Lang Syne...
Salvete,
I don't know what it means, but it usually signifies the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year. The old year is definitely over, with all its farting, office referrals, graded papers, and seminars. I am so thankful to have been a part of the school in its first year of establishing itself, and becoming whatever it is that it is going to be. I will miss those kids more than I can say. I already do. I miss them greeting me every day, "Hey Miss, Hey Miss, Hey Miss!" I miss them sharing their hearts and minds with me. I miss their off topic questions and other general elements of obnoxion. I miss telling them things they had never heard about before, even though they think they already know it all.
Next year, there will be a whole new batch of children, in a whole new city...my home town! I got to walk around the school today, and boy! Did it ever bring back memories! They've completely redone the bandhall, adding a whole new wing to the school. Due to the bad storms yesterday, several leaks had been exposed when I walked through. It reminded me of last year, when the new building was always leaking, and we were always checking every nook and cranny after a big storm.
I have a lot to do to get ready for next year. Once my love and I come back from our Tour of the South, I imagine I will really put my nose to the grindstone. We're leaving Monday for almost a month. I'm more excited than I can say. I remember how beautiful Gulf Shores, AL is, and I hope it lives up to the glory of those memories so that my love can enjoy it just as much as I used to when we would go vacationing there as a family.
A No-Longer-New Teacher's List to Get Ready for Next Year:
1. Update procedures PowerPoint: I now know where I need to cut the fat. Dr. Harry Wong is all well and good, but I need to trim down some of the procedures I had in place at the beginning of last year. After your first year, you really figure out what procedures you are willing to commit to, and which ones just take more time than you have.
2. Find out the Sophomore curriculum and see what I can come up with in advance: Since I don't currently have access to the curriculum I will be teaching next year, there isn't much I can do with this yet. I do need to reread To Kill A Mockingbird, because I am fairly sure that will be in the curriculum. I wish I could remember what my department chair's name is. Maybe I have it in an e-mail somewhere.
3. Come up with a new system for handing back papers: My old system does not work, or was not executed in a manner that would lead to success. My current method was to give each child a folder, then file their papers in their folder. In theory, they would occasionally check those folders (which did not happen), and see how they were doing in the class (about which, as it turns out, they do not care until the last week of the grading period, at which time it is too late to help them).
4. Come up with a new system for handing in papers: My old system worked, but led to a messy desk and a stressed teacher. To turn in papers, they had to hand them to me. This limited their ability to pull someone else's paper out of the slot and copy it, but it also made me more apt to lose their papers (which led to some very angry children). I think I will have a bin with hanging folders. Each class will have an "In" folder, and each will have an "Out" folder. This way, they have a place to turn in, and a place to pick up. I can even designte a person to pass back papers, or they can be on a rotation or something.
5. Think about warm-ups (bell-ringers, or whatever): As I will be on the 1.5 hour period schedule, it would not hurt us to do warm-ups. Last year, I kept their journals in bins so they could pick them up when they came in to the room. My system of reading them and grading them broke down completely by the beginning of the third six-weeks, so this needs to be revamped.
I'll stop the list there. Really, all it comes down to is this: What are you willing to stick to and work on the WHOLE YEAR? Things suggested by Dr. Wong, like having the kids hold up two fingers when they need to go to the bathroom would work really well with elementary schoolers, but it isn't practical with high school. Anyway, that's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
I don't know what it means, but it usually signifies the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year. The old year is definitely over, with all its farting, office referrals, graded papers, and seminars. I am so thankful to have been a part of the school in its first year of establishing itself, and becoming whatever it is that it is going to be. I will miss those kids more than I can say. I already do. I miss them greeting me every day, "Hey Miss, Hey Miss, Hey Miss!" I miss them sharing their hearts and minds with me. I miss their off topic questions and other general elements of obnoxion. I miss telling them things they had never heard about before, even though they think they already know it all.
Next year, there will be a whole new batch of children, in a whole new city...my home town! I got to walk around the school today, and boy! Did it ever bring back memories! They've completely redone the bandhall, adding a whole new wing to the school. Due to the bad storms yesterday, several leaks had been exposed when I walked through. It reminded me of last year, when the new building was always leaking, and we were always checking every nook and cranny after a big storm.
I have a lot to do to get ready for next year. Once my love and I come back from our Tour of the South, I imagine I will really put my nose to the grindstone. We're leaving Monday for almost a month. I'm more excited than I can say. I remember how beautiful Gulf Shores, AL is, and I hope it lives up to the glory of those memories so that my love can enjoy it just as much as I used to when we would go vacationing there as a family.
A No-Longer-New Teacher's List to Get Ready for Next Year:
1. Update procedures PowerPoint: I now know where I need to cut the fat. Dr. Harry Wong is all well and good, but I need to trim down some of the procedures I had in place at the beginning of last year. After your first year, you really figure out what procedures you are willing to commit to, and which ones just take more time than you have.
2. Find out the Sophomore curriculum and see what I can come up with in advance: Since I don't currently have access to the curriculum I will be teaching next year, there isn't much I can do with this yet. I do need to reread To Kill A Mockingbird, because I am fairly sure that will be in the curriculum. I wish I could remember what my department chair's name is. Maybe I have it in an e-mail somewhere.
3. Come up with a new system for handing back papers: My old system does not work, or was not executed in a manner that would lead to success. My current method was to give each child a folder, then file their papers in their folder. In theory, they would occasionally check those folders (which did not happen), and see how they were doing in the class (about which, as it turns out, they do not care until the last week of the grading period, at which time it is too late to help them).
4. Come up with a new system for handing in papers: My old system worked, but led to a messy desk and a stressed teacher. To turn in papers, they had to hand them to me. This limited their ability to pull someone else's paper out of the slot and copy it, but it also made me more apt to lose their papers (which led to some very angry children). I think I will have a bin with hanging folders. Each class will have an "In" folder, and each will have an "Out" folder. This way, they have a place to turn in, and a place to pick up. I can even designte a person to pass back papers, or they can be on a rotation or something.
5. Think about warm-ups (bell-ringers, or whatever): As I will be on the 1.5 hour period schedule, it would not hurt us to do warm-ups. Last year, I kept their journals in bins so they could pick them up when they came in to the room. My system of reading them and grading them broke down completely by the beginning of the third six-weeks, so this needs to be revamped.
I'll stop the list there. Really, all it comes down to is this: What are you willing to stick to and work on the WHOLE YEAR? Things suggested by Dr. Wong, like having the kids hold up two fingers when they need to go to the bathroom would work really well with elementary schoolers, but it isn't practical with high school. Anyway, that's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Almost done.
Salvete,
I'm not sure if I have anything substantial to say...I just sort of feel like blogging.
On Thursday, I'm going to tell my kids that I am leaving. It is the last normal day of the year before finals begins and all that, and it feels like the right time to tell them. I was going to tell them Friday, but seventh period is taking their final that day, and I don't want them to be wigged out (in the event that my leaving would wig them out, which I'm not 100% sure that it would). Also, not all of 7th period will be there on Friday, since about ten of them are exempting the final. I will admit, I'm nervous about telling them. Oh well.
I guess that's all I have to say for today.
Valete,
Magistra
I'm not sure if I have anything substantial to say...I just sort of feel like blogging.
On Thursday, I'm going to tell my kids that I am leaving. It is the last normal day of the year before finals begins and all that, and it feels like the right time to tell them. I was going to tell them Friday, but seventh period is taking their final that day, and I don't want them to be wigged out (in the event that my leaving would wig them out, which I'm not 100% sure that it would). Also, not all of 7th period will be there on Friday, since about ten of them are exempting the final. I will admit, I'm nervous about telling them. Oh well.
I guess that's all I have to say for today.
Valete,
Magistra
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The farting continues.
Salvete,
I was wrong about the farting thing being over. See the last post if you don't know what I'm talking about.
I think I've said before that one of the things I didn't expect was the sheer volume of paperwork involved in teaching. Since it is the end of the year, and everyone is tired and overwhelmed by extra work as it is, corporate has decided to increase the amounts of paperwork we teachers have to do tenfold. Fill out this report about electronics, take this two-minute survey, count the different demographics groups and the percentages of them that passed their sixth six weeks SFA, keep lists of who is exempting, keep lists of TAKS failures, keep lists of attendance because we won't have the attendance data for you until next Tuesday, finish filling out that half-sheet of paper we gave you 18 weeks ago (oh wait, you lost it? minus ten...), have your students do this survey and have it turned in yesterday, find and fill out the lavender colored LEP sheets, and it goes on and on. I am serious. I could come up with twice that list I just made of things they have asked us to do. Plus, we have to clean out our classrooms, write finals, grade everything, and still be out in the hallways during passing period. It is no wonder I stayed at work until six o'clock last night.
That's all for now. I have too much to do to be blogging.
Valete,
Magistra
I was wrong about the farting thing being over. See the last post if you don't know what I'm talking about.
I think I've said before that one of the things I didn't expect was the sheer volume of paperwork involved in teaching. Since it is the end of the year, and everyone is tired and overwhelmed by extra work as it is, corporate has decided to increase the amounts of paperwork we teachers have to do tenfold. Fill out this report about electronics, take this two-minute survey, count the different demographics groups and the percentages of them that passed their sixth six weeks SFA, keep lists of who is exempting, keep lists of TAKS failures, keep lists of attendance because we won't have the attendance data for you until next Tuesday, finish filling out that half-sheet of paper we gave you 18 weeks ago (oh wait, you lost it? minus ten...), have your students do this survey and have it turned in yesterday, find and fill out the lavender colored LEP sheets, and it goes on and on. I am serious. I could come up with twice that list I just made of things they have asked us to do. Plus, we have to clean out our classrooms, write finals, grade everything, and still be out in the hallways during passing period. It is no wonder I stayed at work until six o'clock last night.
That's all for now. I have too much to do to be blogging.
Valete,
Magistra
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Updating in Chunks, Without Clever Titles.
Salvete,
I thought I'd update in pieces, since there is so much to tell. There are so many things that have been lost through my negligence, that I doubt I could ever capture for you the essence of the year gone by. I thoroughly regret not blogging all this time.
Let's continue with another troubled child.
We'll call this one Larry. He is out of control. He came into my class right before the English TAKS in February. I may have mentioned him driving me to my wit's end before. After four write-ups and multiple calls home, I have given up that tactic. I promised him candy if he was good (after telling him what "good" meant to me...it's important to define your expectations for them, or so I'm told...they actually just ignore whatever you say and get into trouble anyway), but he seems to have forgotten. Maybe I'll bring him a Carmello the last day of school. I have developed a certain affection for Larry, after all we've been through together. I still wish he'd pull up his pants, as he does not provide the same service other sagging students do in wearing gym shorts under their falling jeans. You may ask, "What is it Larry does, exactly, to irk you so?" Well, I can tell you.
First of all, the child is tardy. He is also perpetually out of his seat bugging other people. Or, for that matter, in his seat bugging other people (the rarer occurance). Or, out of his seat bugging me. Or, in his seat bugging me. My favorite moment, which I have probably shared with some of you, is when Larry tells me and the entire class, "MISS, I GOTTA FAWT! CAN I GO IN DA HAWL AND FAWT???" I have let him go out into the hall once (yes, this has happened more than once). However, his class period is during lunch, and he only wants to go in the hall to talk to people. So, now when he does it, I tell him to fart in his seat. The class begs me to let him go outside, but I just tell him to fart at his seat. Ever since I started that tactic, where he doesn't get to go outside, he has gradually asked me less and less to go outside and fart. Success!
There are other specific things I could bring up, but the lesson is this: sometimes, detentions and referrals and punishments don't work. This child is not afraid of principals. He's not afraid of his parents, and Heaven knows he's not afraid of me. It has taken some manipulating, and every day is a struggle, but things are getting better (now that we're on the home stretch). I might even miss Larry when it is time for me to go.
That's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
I thought I'd update in pieces, since there is so much to tell. There are so many things that have been lost through my negligence, that I doubt I could ever capture for you the essence of the year gone by. I thoroughly regret not blogging all this time.
Let's continue with another troubled child.
We'll call this one Larry. He is out of control. He came into my class right before the English TAKS in February. I may have mentioned him driving me to my wit's end before. After four write-ups and multiple calls home, I have given up that tactic. I promised him candy if he was good (after telling him what "good" meant to me...it's important to define your expectations for them, or so I'm told...they actually just ignore whatever you say and get into trouble anyway), but he seems to have forgotten. Maybe I'll bring him a Carmello the last day of school. I have developed a certain affection for Larry, after all we've been through together. I still wish he'd pull up his pants, as he does not provide the same service other sagging students do in wearing gym shorts under their falling jeans. You may ask, "What is it Larry does, exactly, to irk you so?" Well, I can tell you.
First of all, the child is tardy. He is also perpetually out of his seat bugging other people. Or, for that matter, in his seat bugging other people (the rarer occurance). Or, out of his seat bugging me. Or, in his seat bugging me. My favorite moment, which I have probably shared with some of you, is when Larry tells me and the entire class, "MISS, I GOTTA FAWT! CAN I GO IN DA HAWL AND FAWT???" I have let him go out into the hall once (yes, this has happened more than once). However, his class period is during lunch, and he only wants to go in the hall to talk to people. So, now when he does it, I tell him to fart in his seat. The class begs me to let him go outside, but I just tell him to fart at his seat. Ever since I started that tactic, where he doesn't get to go outside, he has gradually asked me less and less to go outside and fart. Success!
There are other specific things I could bring up, but the lesson is this: sometimes, detentions and referrals and punishments don't work. This child is not afraid of principals. He's not afraid of his parents, and Heaven knows he's not afraid of me. It has taken some manipulating, and every day is a struggle, but things are getting better (now that we're on the home stretch). I might even miss Larry when it is time for me to go.
That's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wow. I'm negligent.
Salvete,
I haven't written in forever! It has been a busy semester, with a lot of stress and a lot of news.
I had, as you know, resigned from my job in hopes of finding another job in my hometown area. Well! I interviewed with two districts and got an offer yesterday from my alma mater. I have accepted it, and will be moving back into the area whence I came. I am both excited and very nervous, since, as someone pointed out on my Facebook, I will now be peers with people who used to be my superiors. I had already considered this, of course, and all weirdness that it will entail. I will be calling Dr. Courtney "Marty" and Ms. Kippes whatever name is her first name. I will be on the English II team. The woman I had for English II, Ms. Arnold, no longer works at the school, or has a different last name (unlikely), so that weirdness is removed. She wouldn't remember me anyway, since I hardly remember her, and she has had way more students than I have had teachers in the past ten years.
At least I won't have to go far for my ten year reunion.
In other news, the year is winding down. TAKS is completely over, and now we're just awaiting scores. The children are getting antsy, and I have turned in many for skipping (for some reason they like to skip outside of my room, even though it is on the main hallway of the school by the offices. They are just crying out for help).
The hardest thing for me this year was losing a student that I had worked hard with and for. We'll call him John. John had been a problem for me all year. He was in a gang, had been involved in numerous violent activities, and gave me attitude whenever he could muster it. He also was the sweetest thing, and could write very well (lovely cursive, and wonderful voice). However, his family situation was rough, and his position at my school was threatened. Through all the trials of the year, he and I had built a relationship in which he trusted me to come through for him and to take up on his behalf. He came to me in February and let me know that he was going to be withdrawn on the coming Friday. He also told me he had no idea where he would be if he was withdrawn. This upset me a great deal, as I had invested in this child, and he in my class. I went to the registrar, and got the correct forms sent to his class, which were signed by his mother and turned in in time to keep him in school. Two months later, he stopped coming to school. After a week, I was concerned, so I e-mailed the registrar to ask her where he was and what could I do. She told me that his situation was bad again, and that he would probably be withdrawn. The following week, I got his withdrawal notice, to home school. When they withdraw to "home school" it basically means they are dropping out.
It was some comfort when I got an e-mail from the registrar saying that she had told John's mom that I had asked about him and been concerned, his mom seemed genuinely touched that I had taken the time to ask about her son. John is a special kid, with difficult circumstances, and I did everything I could to help him. He'll be in my prayers and memory forever.
Anyway, maybe I'll write more tomorrow. That's enough for today.
Valete,
Magistra
I haven't written in forever! It has been a busy semester, with a lot of stress and a lot of news.
I had, as you know, resigned from my job in hopes of finding another job in my hometown area. Well! I interviewed with two districts and got an offer yesterday from my alma mater. I have accepted it, and will be moving back into the area whence I came. I am both excited and very nervous, since, as someone pointed out on my Facebook, I will now be peers with people who used to be my superiors. I had already considered this, of course, and all weirdness that it will entail. I will be calling Dr. Courtney "Marty" and Ms. Kippes whatever name is her first name. I will be on the English II team. The woman I had for English II, Ms. Arnold, no longer works at the school, or has a different last name (unlikely), so that weirdness is removed. She wouldn't remember me anyway, since I hardly remember her, and she has had way more students than I have had teachers in the past ten years.
At least I won't have to go far for my ten year reunion.
In other news, the year is winding down. TAKS is completely over, and now we're just awaiting scores. The children are getting antsy, and I have turned in many for skipping (for some reason they like to skip outside of my room, even though it is on the main hallway of the school by the offices. They are just crying out for help).
The hardest thing for me this year was losing a student that I had worked hard with and for. We'll call him John. John had been a problem for me all year. He was in a gang, had been involved in numerous violent activities, and gave me attitude whenever he could muster it. He also was the sweetest thing, and could write very well (lovely cursive, and wonderful voice). However, his family situation was rough, and his position at my school was threatened. Through all the trials of the year, he and I had built a relationship in which he trusted me to come through for him and to take up on his behalf. He came to me in February and let me know that he was going to be withdrawn on the coming Friday. He also told me he had no idea where he would be if he was withdrawn. This upset me a great deal, as I had invested in this child, and he in my class. I went to the registrar, and got the correct forms sent to his class, which were signed by his mother and turned in in time to keep him in school. Two months later, he stopped coming to school. After a week, I was concerned, so I e-mailed the registrar to ask her where he was and what could I do. She told me that his situation was bad again, and that he would probably be withdrawn. The following week, I got his withdrawal notice, to home school. When they withdraw to "home school" it basically means they are dropping out.
It was some comfort when I got an e-mail from the registrar saying that she had told John's mom that I had asked about him and been concerned, his mom seemed genuinely touched that I had taken the time to ask about her son. John is a special kid, with difficult circumstances, and I did everything I could to help him. He'll be in my prayers and memory forever.
Anyway, maybe I'll write more tomorrow. That's enough for today.
Valete,
Magistra
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Roamin' (Roman...)
Ciao from Italia!
I am sitting in the lobby of an Italian hotel! I have been in Rome for two days, and tomorrow I am going to Pompeii and Sorento. It is almost 12:30 here, so I need to go to bed soon. I will post pictures when I return. In the mean time, pray for patience and a low occurrence of high-stress activities.
Ciao,
Melissa
I am sitting in the lobby of an Italian hotel! I have been in Rome for two days, and tomorrow I am going to Pompeii and Sorento. It is almost 12:30 here, so I need to go to bed soon. I will post pictures when I return. In the mean time, pray for patience and a low occurrence of high-stress activities.
Ciao,
Melissa
Saturday, March 14, 2009
From TAKSing to Relaxing
Salvete,
I survived TAKS. It wasn't nearly as bad as everyone said it would be. I had good kids in my room, a third of which were mine, and the children finished fairly quickly without incident or complaint. Future teachers, do not fear the TAKS Test Day. It is basically a good day, where you don't have to plan anything, and do what you are told.
Whether or not the children passed has yet to be seen.
Two weeks ago (or so), I had an "issue" with one of my co-workers. I will forgo the gory details. I didn't handle it well, and neither did my co-worker. I have now been added to the other teacher's black list (shout out to all my FFXI peeps...). Team meetings have resumed as normal, except she doesn't talk to me, and I don't talk to her. I act completely relaxed around her, and when she passes me in the hall she looks straight ahead with the dreaded stony eyes. At these times, I chuckle to myself. Grow up, woman. And don't you ever wag your finger at me again.
In other news, I turned in my resignation last week. I will officially be moving back to Dallas come summer. I have no doubt that this is the right thing to do. I love my apartment here, and my co-workers are good (minus the one; see above), but it is time to go. I hate this city. My superiors all know, but none of my peers or students are aware as yet. I'm going to tell my co-workers maybe the last week of school, and my students the last day, if they haven't figured it out by then. The resignation process was painless. I was going to wait until much later to execute it. However, the powers that be could not start looking for a replacement for me until I had officially resigned.
In reference to Alyssa's post from last time, I have heard about Rafe and his methods. I wish I had the tenacity and energy to do what he does. I plan to change a lot of things next year about how I manage my classroom and the quality of work I will take. A lot of the time, the problem is not that they get less than 90% on an assignment--it is that the students turn in nothing. How to make them redo, when they do not at all? How to make them understand, or write legibly with academic standards in English, when they cannot write well in their native language? This is a problem we face in Texas, among other places with a high immigrant population. Rafe overcomes it...LA has a huge influx of immigrants not just from Spanish-speaking countries, but from countries of many other tongues. Alyssa, I also recommend I am a Pencil by Sam Swope. It is incredible, and I think about him sometimes when I am feeling lost as to how to handle a situation.
I relate better to Sam than to Rafe, because Rafe seems to have it all together. He can make those kids perform (literally...they put on a Shakespeare play every year with fifth graders). Sam is just starting out. He has no clue what he is doing. I relate to him in other ways, but this is the main way.
Wednesday...we had a mouse in the classroom in third period. Those children! They are hysterical! Third period is my favorite right now. They are a little flaky, but lovable. I had gangstas and cholos standing on their chairs in sheer terror of a tiny mouse that was nowhere near their seats. I had JROTC students cowering in fear from a little rodent. What innocence! I rarely get to see that out of them. The situation was handled, and the one child who knew about the mouse in fourth period swore to keep the creature a secret. He and I both know what would happen if fourth period found out there was a rodent. Half the class would be looking for it, and the other half would be screaming. I pseudo-lied to seventh period. They saw the mouse traps (humane, of course) and asked whether I had a rat. I told them that I most certainly did not have a rat (not a lie...it was a mouse). Also, I told them that those traps had been there for a while. Had they not noticed them? To these children, "a while" can equal forty-five seconds, so the traps had indeed been there "a while" in their lives.
I'm a horrible person.
Friday...I ended up pushing the emergency call button to get a child escorted from my classroom. One of my students, for whom I've done a lot, decided to be belligerent, disrespectful, disruptive, and a general ass. I got the AP to come get him out of my classroom, and wrote the child up. When I carried down the completely-filled referral form, the principal saw it and asked, "Whoa, who is that for?" I answered her, and she said, "He is so unpleasant!" You know that if this principal says something negative about a student, that student must be a little hellian.
Finally, I'm going to Italy tomorrow. We are taking some kids. It is going to be insane! I am going to miss my love immensely. He is coming home in three weeks, though! Hurry home, darling!
Valete,
Magistra
I survived TAKS. It wasn't nearly as bad as everyone said it would be. I had good kids in my room, a third of which were mine, and the children finished fairly quickly without incident or complaint. Future teachers, do not fear the TAKS Test Day. It is basically a good day, where you don't have to plan anything, and do what you are told.
Whether or not the children passed has yet to be seen.
Two weeks ago (or so), I had an "issue" with one of my co-workers. I will forgo the gory details. I didn't handle it well, and neither did my co-worker. I have now been added to the other teacher's black list (shout out to all my FFXI peeps...). Team meetings have resumed as normal, except she doesn't talk to me, and I don't talk to her. I act completely relaxed around her, and when she passes me in the hall she looks straight ahead with the dreaded stony eyes. At these times, I chuckle to myself. Grow up, woman. And don't you ever wag your finger at me again.
In other news, I turned in my resignation last week. I will officially be moving back to Dallas come summer. I have no doubt that this is the right thing to do. I love my apartment here, and my co-workers are good (minus the one; see above), but it is time to go. I hate this city. My superiors all know, but none of my peers or students are aware as yet. I'm going to tell my co-workers maybe the last week of school, and my students the last day, if they haven't figured it out by then. The resignation process was painless. I was going to wait until much later to execute it. However, the powers that be could not start looking for a replacement for me until I had officially resigned.
In reference to Alyssa's post from last time, I have heard about Rafe and his methods. I wish I had the tenacity and energy to do what he does. I plan to change a lot of things next year about how I manage my classroom and the quality of work I will take. A lot of the time, the problem is not that they get less than 90% on an assignment--it is that the students turn in nothing. How to make them redo, when they do not at all? How to make them understand, or write legibly with academic standards in English, when they cannot write well in their native language? This is a problem we face in Texas, among other places with a high immigrant population. Rafe overcomes it...LA has a huge influx of immigrants not just from Spanish-speaking countries, but from countries of many other tongues. Alyssa, I also recommend I am a Pencil by Sam Swope. It is incredible, and I think about him sometimes when I am feeling lost as to how to handle a situation.
I relate better to Sam than to Rafe, because Rafe seems to have it all together. He can make those kids perform (literally...they put on a Shakespeare play every year with fifth graders). Sam is just starting out. He has no clue what he is doing. I relate to him in other ways, but this is the main way.
Wednesday...we had a mouse in the classroom in third period. Those children! They are hysterical! Third period is my favorite right now. They are a little flaky, but lovable. I had gangstas and cholos standing on their chairs in sheer terror of a tiny mouse that was nowhere near their seats. I had JROTC students cowering in fear from a little rodent. What innocence! I rarely get to see that out of them. The situation was handled, and the one child who knew about the mouse in fourth period swore to keep the creature a secret. He and I both know what would happen if fourth period found out there was a rodent. Half the class would be looking for it, and the other half would be screaming. I pseudo-lied to seventh period. They saw the mouse traps (humane, of course) and asked whether I had a rat. I told them that I most certainly did not have a rat (not a lie...it was a mouse). Also, I told them that those traps had been there for a while. Had they not noticed them? To these children, "a while" can equal forty-five seconds, so the traps had indeed been there "a while" in their lives.
I'm a horrible person.
Friday...I ended up pushing the emergency call button to get a child escorted from my classroom. One of my students, for whom I've done a lot, decided to be belligerent, disrespectful, disruptive, and a general ass. I got the AP to come get him out of my classroom, and wrote the child up. When I carried down the completely-filled referral form, the principal saw it and asked, "Whoa, who is that for?" I answered her, and she said, "He is so unpleasant!" You know that if this principal says something negative about a student, that student must be a little hellian.
Finally, I'm going to Italy tomorrow. We are taking some kids. It is going to be insane! I am going to miss my love immensely. He is coming home in three weeks, though! Hurry home, darling!
Valete,
Magistra
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Fighting vainly the old ennui...
Salvete.
I passed my PPR. That's good. For any layperson reading this who does not know what the PPR is, it is the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility test. That is a fancy name for "The test that keeps you from your certification if you fail it." That was the gateway I had required myself to pass through in order to [re]begin applying to districts in the Dallas area. I knew I was going to pass it, but I wanted to be able to tell my (hopefully) future employers that I was ready and able to apply for my permanent certificate.
Here are a few tips for the day you go take your PPR.
-Get there hella early. Those proctors are grouchy. Being late is extremely stressful.
-Print out your entry ticket off of the ETS website. Those proctors are grouchy.
-Do not forget your driver's license. Those proctors are grouchy.
-The ETS website may very well tell you the wrong room number. My test was in a completely different building than ETS told me.
-Bring two pencils (duh).
-Eat breakfast. OMG. That test is long, and boring. If you are easily distracted, hunger will work as well as anything to take your mind off of what you are doing.
-The classroom on the PPR is not a real classroom. It is a classroom in fairy tale land. These are not real scenarios. These are not real teachers. You know this is the case because you have cooperative parents, twenty students in a class, and every material you could ever want at your fingertips.
-When you are done, get out of there and go have a drink.
In other news, I am tired of this school year. Here is a list of the things of which I have become tired:
-gossip
-laziness
-team meetings where we don't anything done
-disrespectful children (not just towards me, but towards each other)
-tardies
-absences
-paperwork
-pressure
-TAKS
-early wake-ups
-late work
I'm sure there's more, but I am moving on. Here is a list of things I like about teaching:
-sweet children
-helpful parents
-PTA, or VIPS, or whatever it is called
-getting off work
-tutorials
-my coworkers
-Latin
-Microsoft PowerPoint
Eh, that's all the effort I can put into the good list.
I'm still feeling disillusioned. I've been sort of depressed the last week or so. Getting to see my love last weekend helped a lot, and hanging out last night with my friend who has recently moved here also helped. I haven't been home since January 4th, and that is wearing on me. However, when I am home, I want to be at my apartment where things are convenient and I know where everything is. Alas! Eheu! It seems we are never satisfied.
In keeping with the spirit of today's apparent theme of bulleted lists, here is a list of things I want to do differently next year, from the outset:
-refuse to take crappy work.
-enforce deadlines...if you don't turn it in, I'm not taking it beyond three days late.
-I do this with Latin now, but I didn't from the outset: have the missing assignment sheet for the kids to sign and give a reason if they don't have their work.
-if you want to borrow a pencil, you have to give me something in return. I will be holding all loanable writing utensils hostage.
-call parents more often
-find a different way to hand back graded papers
-find a more efficient way for kids to turn their papers in (right now they have to put the paper in my hand to turn it in, which isn't too bad, but it confuses some of them)
-put a stamp or a check or something on their journal every day when they do it. It will be easier to keep track of credit.
-show them how I want the journal set up. TIP: MODEL EVERYTHING
That's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
I passed my PPR. That's good. For any layperson reading this who does not know what the PPR is, it is the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility test. That is a fancy name for "The test that keeps you from your certification if you fail it." That was the gateway I had required myself to pass through in order to [re]begin applying to districts in the Dallas area. I knew I was going to pass it, but I wanted to be able to tell my (hopefully) future employers that I was ready and able to apply for my permanent certificate.
Here are a few tips for the day you go take your PPR.
-Get there hella early. Those proctors are grouchy. Being late is extremely stressful.
-Print out your entry ticket off of the ETS website. Those proctors are grouchy.
-Do not forget your driver's license. Those proctors are grouchy.
-The ETS website may very well tell you the wrong room number. My test was in a completely different building than ETS told me.
-Bring two pencils (duh).
-Eat breakfast. OMG. That test is long, and boring. If you are easily distracted, hunger will work as well as anything to take your mind off of what you are doing.
-The classroom on the PPR is not a real classroom. It is a classroom in fairy tale land. These are not real scenarios. These are not real teachers. You know this is the case because you have cooperative parents, twenty students in a class, and every material you could ever want at your fingertips.
-When you are done, get out of there and go have a drink.
In other news, I am tired of this school year. Here is a list of the things of which I have become tired:
-gossip
-laziness
-team meetings where we don't anything done
-disrespectful children (not just towards me, but towards each other)
-tardies
-absences
-paperwork
-pressure
-TAKS
-early wake-ups
-late work
I'm sure there's more, but I am moving on. Here is a list of things I like about teaching:
-sweet children
-helpful parents
-PTA, or VIPS, or whatever it is called
-getting off work
-tutorials
-my coworkers
-Latin
-Microsoft PowerPoint
Eh, that's all the effort I can put into the good list.
I'm still feeling disillusioned. I've been sort of depressed the last week or so. Getting to see my love last weekend helped a lot, and hanging out last night with my friend who has recently moved here also helped. I haven't been home since January 4th, and that is wearing on me. However, when I am home, I want to be at my apartment where things are convenient and I know where everything is. Alas! Eheu! It seems we are never satisfied.
In keeping with the spirit of today's apparent theme of bulleted lists, here is a list of things I want to do differently next year, from the outset:
-refuse to take crappy work.
-enforce deadlines...if you don't turn it in, I'm not taking it beyond three days late.
-I do this with Latin now, but I didn't from the outset: have the missing assignment sheet for the kids to sign and give a reason if they don't have their work.
-if you want to borrow a pencil, you have to give me something in return. I will be holding all loanable writing utensils hostage.
-call parents more often
-find a different way to hand back graded papers
-find a more efficient way for kids to turn their papers in (right now they have to put the paper in my hand to turn it in, which isn't too bad, but it confuses some of them)
-put a stamp or a check or something on their journal every day when they do it. It will be easier to keep track of credit.
-show them how I want the journal set up. TIP: MODEL EVERYTHING
That's all for now.
Valete,
Magistra
Friday, February 20, 2009
We shall be free..
..of the TAKS test in 2011 or something.
In the mean time, salvete!
Tomorrow is the school's "TAKS Blitz." This is a day when we all come together (kicking and screaming, mind you) in order to play motivational music and practice for the TAKS test. For the day of the actual test, I have been "randomly selected" as a proctor. Translation: I have to stay in a room for seven hours with children I most likely do not know, read predetermiend, approved responses, and ensure that I do not sit down for the entire time. Also, we must not spill food on the tests, because getting the test booklets dirty would be considered an "irregularity," and such things are not okay.
I knew TAKS was going to happen at some point, but I hoped it would be something that would happen to someone else. There are alternate proctors, but these characters will be popping in and out, making sure the main proctor (me) doesn't need any restroom breaks or the like. To make an already horrible situation worse (we can read, we can't sit, we can't play on the computer, etc), there are no windows in my proctoring classroom. This will lead to a depression which will, no doubt, lead to me hurting one of the more obnoxious students.
There is at least one positive in the TAKS Blitz tomorrow. If a child is unruly in any way, we are encouraged to kick them out without warning. This means no extra credit for attending, no free lunch, and (most distressingly to the student, no doubt) no TAKS tutorials. It also does not, in any way, resemble what normal class is actually like.
I'm tired, and disillusioned (for tonight).
Valete,
Magistra
In the mean time, salvete!
Tomorrow is the school's "TAKS Blitz." This is a day when we all come together (kicking and screaming, mind you) in order to play motivational music and practice for the TAKS test. For the day of the actual test, I have been "randomly selected" as a proctor. Translation: I have to stay in a room for seven hours with children I most likely do not know, read predetermiend, approved responses, and ensure that I do not sit down for the entire time. Also, we must not spill food on the tests, because getting the test booklets dirty would be considered an "irregularity," and such things are not okay.
I knew TAKS was going to happen at some point, but I hoped it would be something that would happen to someone else. There are alternate proctors, but these characters will be popping in and out, making sure the main proctor (me) doesn't need any restroom breaks or the like. To make an already horrible situation worse (we can read, we can't sit, we can't play on the computer, etc), there are no windows in my proctoring classroom. This will lead to a depression which will, no doubt, lead to me hurting one of the more obnoxious students.
There is at least one positive in the TAKS Blitz tomorrow. If a child is unruly in any way, we are encouraged to kick them out without warning. This means no extra credit for attending, no free lunch, and (most distressingly to the student, no doubt) no TAKS tutorials. It also does not, in any way, resemble what normal class is actually like.
I'm tired, and disillusioned (for tonight).
Valete,
Magistra
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wanna Join My Coven?
Salvete,
I picked up a note today that said the following (in paraphrase):
Male Student: What's cookin' good lookin'? LOL!
Female Student: Nothing...do you know anything about Wicca? You got a religion?
MS: Not much...I'm a Christian but I don't go to church.
FS: It's about being kind to people and nature. Wanna join my coven?
This is the stage of the note-passing at which I plucked the note from their guilty fingers. I don't know if I wrote this last week (and I'm too tired from work to check...) but I picked up another note that was practically pornographic last Friday. BLEH! Oh, the things going through the minds of these little ones...I see girls with their breasts practically falling out of their shirts, and I want to say, "Do you know what boys are thinking when they see you like that? Because I assure you, you wouldn't like it. You may want them to notice you, but they would do that even if you had on a nun's habit. I promise." Teenage boys are disgusting.
Forgive the seeming disjointedness of that last paragraph. I just needed to get it all out there.
There was an interdepartmental coworker issue today between one of my English Team Members (ETM) and Foreign Language Team Members (FLTM). ETM routinely refuses entry to children if they are late, and also routinely ejects children from class if they are unruly. I have every respect for this teacher's methods. I wish I were more like her (she is what they call a "Hard Ass" and is greatly revered by both her students and her team). FLTM found one of ETM's (r)ejected students wandering, and, without knowing the whole story, went to our principal to let her know what was going on. What is wrong with reporting ETM, you say? I can hear the advocates of sound educational theory now: The children have to be in class to learn! The children should not be wandering the halls! That teacher obviously does not care about that child's cognitive development!
I say, HA! But anyway, here is why what FLTM did was wrong. Most obviously, FLTM broke the chain of command. In the workplace (yes, even in the public schools) there is a chain of command that must be followed. This chain keeps the Highest-Ups from having to deal with every little issue that arises. FLTM should have gone first to ETM's team leader, then to her department chair, and THEN to the principal if the problem persisted in such a way that FLTM was unsatisfied with its outcome. However, FLTM broke that chain and went straight to the top, violating the prerogatives we have as teachers to govern our classroom as we see fit. A few other things that should not have happened: FLTM misquoted and therefore misrepresented ETM's take on the situation, and FLTM did not discuss the issue/misunderstanding with ETM first.
The moral of the story is, pay attention to the way you treat your coworkers. If you have a problem with the way someone else runs their classroom, talk to them first, and then follow the chain of command from there. And just know that not everyone has the same ideas about Classroom Management that you do.
Valete,
Magistra
I picked up a note today that said the following (in paraphrase):
Male Student: What's cookin' good lookin'? LOL!
Female Student: Nothing...do you know anything about Wicca? You got a religion?
MS: Not much...I'm a Christian but I don't go to church.
FS: It's about being kind to people and nature. Wanna join my coven?
This is the stage of the note-passing at which I plucked the note from their guilty fingers. I don't know if I wrote this last week (and I'm too tired from work to check...) but I picked up another note that was practically pornographic last Friday. BLEH! Oh, the things going through the minds of these little ones...I see girls with their breasts practically falling out of their shirts, and I want to say, "Do you know what boys are thinking when they see you like that? Because I assure you, you wouldn't like it. You may want them to notice you, but they would do that even if you had on a nun's habit. I promise." Teenage boys are disgusting.
Forgive the seeming disjointedness of that last paragraph. I just needed to get it all out there.
There was an interdepartmental coworker issue today between one of my English Team Members (ETM) and Foreign Language Team Members (FLTM). ETM routinely refuses entry to children if they are late, and also routinely ejects children from class if they are unruly. I have every respect for this teacher's methods. I wish I were more like her (she is what they call a "Hard Ass" and is greatly revered by both her students and her team). FLTM found one of ETM's (r)ejected students wandering, and, without knowing the whole story, went to our principal to let her know what was going on. What is wrong with reporting ETM, you say? I can hear the advocates of sound educational theory now: The children have to be in class to learn! The children should not be wandering the halls! That teacher obviously does not care about that child's cognitive development!
I say, HA! But anyway, here is why what FLTM did was wrong. Most obviously, FLTM broke the chain of command. In the workplace (yes, even in the public schools) there is a chain of command that must be followed. This chain keeps the Highest-Ups from having to deal with every little issue that arises. FLTM should have gone first to ETM's team leader, then to her department chair, and THEN to the principal if the problem persisted in such a way that FLTM was unsatisfied with its outcome. However, FLTM broke that chain and went straight to the top, violating the prerogatives we have as teachers to govern our classroom as we see fit. A few other things that should not have happened: FLTM misquoted and therefore misrepresented ETM's take on the situation, and FLTM did not discuss the issue/misunderstanding with ETM first.
The moral of the story is, pay attention to the way you treat your coworkers. If you have a problem with the way someone else runs their classroom, talk to them first, and then follow the chain of command from there. And just know that not everyone has the same ideas about Classroom Management that you do.
Valete,
Magistra
Thursday, January 29, 2009
It's just 'round the corner--you'll make it!
Salvete,
I hate to be obvious, but because I couldn't find a YouTube video that I wanted, the Title of Today is actually from "Love Actually," where Colin Firth's slut girlfriend tells him she feels sick and he can still make the wedding. Alyssa's comment on the previous post inspired the title.
Friday is indeed just 'round the corner. Tomorrow, in fact! Tuesday, my co-worker came up to me and goes, "It's only Tuesday. We're not even halfway there yet." Wednesday, someone else came up to me and griped about the fact that it wasn't even Thursday yet. Today, I thought it was Friday.
All this to say, this week was long. The new kids in my classes are getting used to one another, and this creates more chatting. More chatting creates less listening, and less listening creates less focused activity. Not that there's much of that in high school classrooms anyway.
I lost my voice yesterday. The temperature dropped from 80 to 30 overnight, leading to vocal cord trauma. I awoke with a sore throat, wondering how I was going to cope with the children. Then, I remembered that I had given fourth period quite a few successful silent treatments when they were my worst class. If I could handle my worst class without speaking, surely I could handle all five classes with no voice.
As it turns out, I was correct (of course), and the day went reasonably smoothly.
Seventh period has been my out-of-control class lately. I don't know if it is because my numbers went up to 32 (as previously mentioned) or what, but I do know that now they have become monkeys. The grace of God was granted me, however, when I opened my gradebook this morning to find that my loudest class clown was transferred to a different class. I had mixed feelings about this transferrance. I like this kid. He's smart (and a smart mouth). He is a good writer (and a good distracter of others). He's personable (and vulgar). The other kids like him (the other kids also can't stand him). On the whole, seventh period ran much smoother today.
If you are looking for stories (Bret), here they are:
Story 1 of 3: I was walking back from my team meeting today when I saw a young man [still] wandering the halls. I asked him if he had a pass, and he very honestly told me no. I asked him where he was going, and he pointed, very honestly, down the hallway. I asked him where he was supposed to be, and he said that he was supposed to be in the office. I pointed out that he was walking in the opposite direction of the office, and he evasively told me that he had health right then. I asked why he wasn't in health, and he said that he walked out. Such honesty from one so-about-to-be-in-trouble! Anyway, the lunch bell rang, and he told me he was supposed to be at lunch. I asked his name, and he told me, which was nice of him, and I went to the AP to let her know about Mr. ---. She said she was already calling him in that day anyway, so she'd talk to him. These kids are too much.
Story 2 of 3: I was sorting out the kids' spirals when I found one with a five-pointed crown on it. Apparently, this is the symbol of the gang, the Latin Kings. I turned in the spiral. We are obligated to report gang-related activities. The student was not very friendly to me later in the day, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow in class.
Story 3 of 3: As the other teachers and I were sweeping the kids out of the building at the end of the day, I saw an infamous child, formerly from my Latin class. He had been shipped off to alternative school at the start of the third six weeks. I had been anticipating his return, hoping he wouldn't be put back in Latin. Anyway, as I walked down the main hallway, I saw him in a confrontation with one of my co-workers. Mr. X was asking him to take off his hat, which the child refused to do, and his friends were pretty much holding him back as he cussed and lunged at Mr. X. As it turns out, the child wasn't even supposed to be on campus, which makes him a Trespasser. I doubt the child will be returning to our campus for some time. Which is fine with me.
If you were wondering, yes, I got my voice back for today. However, I think I'm running a fever and my throat is still sore. We'll see what happens!
I miss my love terribly.
Valete,
Magistra
I hate to be obvious, but because I couldn't find a YouTube video that I wanted, the Title of Today is actually from "Love Actually," where Colin Firth's slut girlfriend tells him she feels sick and he can still make the wedding. Alyssa's comment on the previous post inspired the title.
Friday is indeed just 'round the corner. Tomorrow, in fact! Tuesday, my co-worker came up to me and goes, "It's only Tuesday. We're not even halfway there yet." Wednesday, someone else came up to me and griped about the fact that it wasn't even Thursday yet. Today, I thought it was Friday.
All this to say, this week was long. The new kids in my classes are getting used to one another, and this creates more chatting. More chatting creates less listening, and less listening creates less focused activity. Not that there's much of that in high school classrooms anyway.
I lost my voice yesterday. The temperature dropped from 80 to 30 overnight, leading to vocal cord trauma. I awoke with a sore throat, wondering how I was going to cope with the children. Then, I remembered that I had given fourth period quite a few successful silent treatments when they were my worst class. If I could handle my worst class without speaking, surely I could handle all five classes with no voice.
As it turns out, I was correct (of course), and the day went reasonably smoothly.
Seventh period has been my out-of-control class lately. I don't know if it is because my numbers went up to 32 (as previously mentioned) or what, but I do know that now they have become monkeys. The grace of God was granted me, however, when I opened my gradebook this morning to find that my loudest class clown was transferred to a different class. I had mixed feelings about this transferrance. I like this kid. He's smart (and a smart mouth). He is a good writer (and a good distracter of others). He's personable (and vulgar). The other kids like him (the other kids also can't stand him). On the whole, seventh period ran much smoother today.
If you are looking for stories (Bret), here they are:
Story 1 of 3: I was walking back from my team meeting today when I saw a young man [still] wandering the halls. I asked him if he had a pass, and he very honestly told me no. I asked him where he was going, and he pointed, very honestly, down the hallway. I asked him where he was supposed to be, and he said that he was supposed to be in the office. I pointed out that he was walking in the opposite direction of the office, and he evasively told me that he had health right then. I asked why he wasn't in health, and he said that he walked out. Such honesty from one so-about-to-be-in-trouble! Anyway, the lunch bell rang, and he told me he was supposed to be at lunch. I asked his name, and he told me, which was nice of him, and I went to the AP to let her know about Mr. ---. She said she was already calling him in that day anyway, so she'd talk to him. These kids are too much.
Story 2 of 3: I was sorting out the kids' spirals when I found one with a five-pointed crown on it. Apparently, this is the symbol of the gang, the Latin Kings. I turned in the spiral. We are obligated to report gang-related activities. The student was not very friendly to me later in the day, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow in class.
Story 3 of 3: As the other teachers and I were sweeping the kids out of the building at the end of the day, I saw an infamous child, formerly from my Latin class. He had been shipped off to alternative school at the start of the third six weeks. I had been anticipating his return, hoping he wouldn't be put back in Latin. Anyway, as I walked down the main hallway, I saw him in a confrontation with one of my co-workers. Mr. X was asking him to take off his hat, which the child refused to do, and his friends were pretty much holding him back as he cussed and lunged at Mr. X. As it turns out, the child wasn't even supposed to be on campus, which makes him a Trespasser. I doubt the child will be returning to our campus for some time. Which is fine with me.
If you were wondering, yes, I got my voice back for today. However, I think I'm running a fever and my throat is still sore. We'll see what happens!
I miss my love terribly.
Valete,
Magistra
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
NKotB
Salvete,
Today was my first day of the new semester, even though it was everyone else's second. I had so many new students today! I now have 32 in my 7th period class. This is problematic, as I only have 30 desks/chairs. Luckily, two of the 32 were absent, so the children fit perfectly into my little classroom. Precious.
The assignment that I left the Latin kids was to write me a letter regarding their thoughts on how last semester went--what I could do better, what they could do better, what they liked, what they didn't like, what challenged them, etc. The letters came out pretty much how I expected. I wish I had brought them home so I could exerpt them. They were so cute! Everyone's letters that I got loved the class. One of the major strands throughout all of the letters was that they like my charismatic personality and teaching style. I wasn't surprised at this, but still was flattered. As a first year teacher, you doubt yourself and your skill, but the kids help so much to boost your self-esteem back up again (after working so hard to tear it down in the first place...).
As much negativity as I put forth in this blog at the beginning, I hope I can respond with more positivity now. Things are better...they are so much better that I actually find myself happy to walk into the school in the mornings. Outrageous, I know (refer to entry on October 15th). Teaching is stressful. Teaching builds character (a.k.a. Teaching is painful). Teaching is trying. But! Teaching is also rewarding in ways I never thought it could be. The things I say every day may very well stick with these kids forever.
Today in tutorials, I taught a girl how to understand inequalities as exhibited on a number line. She is one of my English students, but she needed help in math. Her math teacher wasn't there, so she came to my class to do her work. I was so glad to help her with something besides English. I can't put my finger on why that was so rewarding, seeing her grasp the idea that the circle is filled in if the inequality is "equal to" whatever. Maybe it is because in English, the concepts are more abstract, and seeing if the students are "getting it" takes more time and patience. In math, you get instant gratification if a student can figure out the concept. Bret, this is the part where you make some snide remark about Liberal Arts.
That's all for today, I guess.
Valete,
Magistra
Today was my first day of the new semester, even though it was everyone else's second. I had so many new students today! I now have 32 in my 7th period class. This is problematic, as I only have 30 desks/chairs. Luckily, two of the 32 were absent, so the children fit perfectly into my little classroom. Precious.
The assignment that I left the Latin kids was to write me a letter regarding their thoughts on how last semester went--what I could do better, what they could do better, what they liked, what they didn't like, what challenged them, etc. The letters came out pretty much how I expected. I wish I had brought them home so I could exerpt them. They were so cute! Everyone's letters that I got loved the class. One of the major strands throughout all of the letters was that they like my charismatic personality and teaching style. I wasn't surprised at this, but still was flattered. As a first year teacher, you doubt yourself and your skill, but the kids help so much to boost your self-esteem back up again (after working so hard to tear it down in the first place...).
As much negativity as I put forth in this blog at the beginning, I hope I can respond with more positivity now. Things are better...they are so much better that I actually find myself happy to walk into the school in the mornings. Outrageous, I know (refer to entry on October 15th). Teaching is stressful. Teaching builds character (a.k.a. Teaching is painful). Teaching is trying. But! Teaching is also rewarding in ways I never thought it could be. The things I say every day may very well stick with these kids forever.
Today in tutorials, I taught a girl how to understand inequalities as exhibited on a number line. She is one of my English students, but she needed help in math. Her math teacher wasn't there, so she came to my class to do her work. I was so glad to help her with something besides English. I can't put my finger on why that was so rewarding, seeing her grasp the idea that the circle is filled in if the inequality is "equal to" whatever. Maybe it is because in English, the concepts are more abstract, and seeing if the students are "getting it" takes more time and patience. In math, you get instant gratification if a student can figure out the concept. Bret, this is the part where you make some snide remark about Liberal Arts.
That's all for today, I guess.
Valete,
Magistra
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A.W.O.L.
Salvete,
Yes, I have been A.W.O.L. I blame my new fascination with RPGs. Don't ask.
My love is gone, and has been for 1.5 months. He will return in April. Until then, starting now, I will try to do better with updating this thing.
I have several comments about the past few months which I will now put forth.
First on my mind is this: I love these children. I love them. I didn't mean to fall in love with them, but I have, and it takes its toll. They are my kids. Mine. I suprise myself by missing them when I am not around them, say, over Thanksgiving or Christmas break. They are all so individual--another thing I did not expect. While each one is like the other, each one is also very different from his peers, no matter how much he tries to be the same. They are like precious jewels, and I ache to know what will become of some of them. For many, the future is not promising, but I try not to look at that. I try to focus on how each one is succeeding now. Sometimes, this can be really hard, because they can all be major pains. But, at the end of the day, when I leave, I love them all over again, and I love them even more the next day when I walk into the school building.
Next, no one tells you exactly how much work the end of the semester is. I practically had a stinking anxiety attack on Friday, trying to get everything ready to turn in. My paperless district had me turn in page after page of grade print-outs, each of which prints an exra blank page. There are about fifty different types of reports to choose from, and the school has randomly selected two or three (I'm still not sure which) of these to be printed and turned in. Figuring out which three, and in what order, and for what six weeks, is not easy, and likens itself to pulling out one's adult teeth. I had to call fifteen-plus parents to let them know their children are failing for the six weeks or for the entire semester. All I can say is, learn Spanish. It will help so much: [student name] no esta pasando la classe de [class name]. No esta trabajando en la classe de [class name], y no tarea tambien. If anyone can give me a better way to say that last part, I would appreciate it.
Third, children skip class. If you ever want to be a teacher, you should know this. Of course, I had heard of skipping, but never took part in it myself, being perfect. I had students with upwards of 40 absences for the semester. Let's think about this: The semester is 18 weeks long, times five days per week, which yields 90 instructional days. Having 40 absences is a huge deal. This means you came to class a little more than half the time. WHAT?!?!?! I know. It never crossed my mind in high school either.
Fourth, don't trust the little angels. Yes, I love them, but I lock up my crap, especially since I had my iPod stolen. I think I know who did it, but I have no proof whatsoever. It broke my heart when I found that my iPod was gone, because I wanted to think the best of them all. Most of them were shocked when I told the classes what happened, but some of them said, "Miss, you can't trust the students. Leave stuff out, especially around here, and it will be gone." They know their peers better than anyone, I suppose. So, take it from me. Your students are not more honest or above reproach than anyone else's. Lock up your stuff. Leave your valuables at home. If it will make you upset to lose it or have it broken, don't bring it to school.
I'm sure I have other insights, but I'm very tired. I drove to Louisiana yesterday and drove back today to see my love. I miss him so much, but I know that this visit will help get me through the next two and a half months. At least, I hope so. Darling, I love you.
Valete,
Magistra
Yes, I have been A.W.O.L. I blame my new fascination with RPGs. Don't ask.
My love is gone, and has been for 1.5 months. He will return in April. Until then, starting now, I will try to do better with updating this thing.
I have several comments about the past few months which I will now put forth.
First on my mind is this: I love these children. I love them. I didn't mean to fall in love with them, but I have, and it takes its toll. They are my kids. Mine. I suprise myself by missing them when I am not around them, say, over Thanksgiving or Christmas break. They are all so individual--another thing I did not expect. While each one is like the other, each one is also very different from his peers, no matter how much he tries to be the same. They are like precious jewels, and I ache to know what will become of some of them. For many, the future is not promising, but I try not to look at that. I try to focus on how each one is succeeding now. Sometimes, this can be really hard, because they can all be major pains. But, at the end of the day, when I leave, I love them all over again, and I love them even more the next day when I walk into the school building.
Next, no one tells you exactly how much work the end of the semester is. I practically had a stinking anxiety attack on Friday, trying to get everything ready to turn in. My paperless district had me turn in page after page of grade print-outs, each of which prints an exra blank page. There are about fifty different types of reports to choose from, and the school has randomly selected two or three (I'm still not sure which) of these to be printed and turned in. Figuring out which three, and in what order, and for what six weeks, is not easy, and likens itself to pulling out one's adult teeth. I had to call fifteen-plus parents to let them know their children are failing for the six weeks or for the entire semester. All I can say is, learn Spanish. It will help so much: [student name] no esta pasando la classe de [class name]. No esta trabajando en la classe de [class name], y no tarea tambien. If anyone can give me a better way to say that last part, I would appreciate it.
Third, children skip class. If you ever want to be a teacher, you should know this. Of course, I had heard of skipping, but never took part in it myself, being perfect. I had students with upwards of 40 absences for the semester. Let's think about this: The semester is 18 weeks long, times five days per week, which yields 90 instructional days. Having 40 absences is a huge deal. This means you came to class a little more than half the time. WHAT?!?!?! I know. It never crossed my mind in high school either.
Fourth, don't trust the little angels. Yes, I love them, but I lock up my crap, especially since I had my iPod stolen. I think I know who did it, but I have no proof whatsoever. It broke my heart when I found that my iPod was gone, because I wanted to think the best of them all. Most of them were shocked when I told the classes what happened, but some of them said, "Miss, you can't trust the students. Leave stuff out, especially around here, and it will be gone." They know their peers better than anyone, I suppose. So, take it from me. Your students are not more honest or above reproach than anyone else's. Lock up your stuff. Leave your valuables at home. If it will make you upset to lose it or have it broken, don't bring it to school.
I'm sure I have other insights, but I'm very tired. I drove to Louisiana yesterday and drove back today to see my love. I miss him so much, but I know that this visit will help get me through the next two and a half months. At least, I hope so. Darling, I love you.
Valete,
Magistra
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