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
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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
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