Little things happening...but that's better than big things, I guess. The summer has so far been pretty restful.
1. The student with a tough life I talked about in the last post has been doing fine. He likes the fact that I structure the class strictly and even though he really doesn't need remedial help, he thinks he is learning stuff. Today he called me by another teachers name and apoligized by saying that because I reminded him of his favorite teacher. Sometimes I think he just blows smoke up my butt, but he hasn't been a behavior problem (knock on wood) like he has for other teachers and I guess that is good.
2. This weekend I bought bookcases and put them together and read the The Boelyn Inheritance.I did laundry and a that was about it. Except the laundry bit, it was heaven!
3. I haven't put the backs on the bookcase so I had a bunch of little nails on the table. Vada decided she needed to eat them. I caught her just in time, but I was scared all night she actually had swallowed some. She didn't sleep on the bed like she usually does and she didn't wake me up this morning, just slept. But this morning and now she is jumping on everything and playing with her wuzzy.
That's another thing: she will wake me up at 6 am on weekends, but has been sleeping in on weekdays. I think she knows the days of the week!
4. Today we got an email from the superintendent asking for help dealing with the problems of the student laptops in the classroom. As I was thinking about going (it's 3 o clock in the afternoon and I am typically onto other projects by then) I got an email from the principal that said I should go since I'm the teacher that used the laptops the most last year. I thought that was very nice that the administration thought of me. The laptops were nice, but caused a lot of problems too. I would like to have a say in how the program should work.
5. Another problem with 3 o clock in the afternoon is that it is like 120 degrees in the shade here in West Texas! I try to get everything done right after school at noon. I love living here, love the no snow and mild winters. I can handle the heat, I just turn on the air conditioner.
But I got the electric bill on Saturday. All I can say, Oh...My...God!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
What My House Looks Like
OK, this is what my house looks like when I leave toilet paper and paper towels around.
And...this is pretty much the look Vada gives me.
"Who me? The paper towels...really... they were fighting. Honest. Where's your socks?"
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Summer School
1. No Shakespeare this summer. Yay!!!!
2. Actually, summer school is pretty easy so far. I watch kids try to sleep (I don't let them) for two and a half hours in credit recovery and then teach a TAKS review class. Then I come home, eat dinner, water plants, clean house, and nap for the rest of the day.
3. With the extra money I earned watching credit makeup after school last year plus my tax refund and economy "stimulus" check, I have been buying things for the apartment. That means a lot of assembly with screwdrivers. I simply do not have the patience for those things.
4. I also bought a new digital camera, but I am still figuring it out. Look out for pictures soon!
5. Two students are bothering so far this summer. One student I only have one more hour with (thank Oprah.) He is the one trying to sleep all the time. I almost poured water on him today. He threatened me with, "Oh, if you actually poured that water on me, I'd......you'd...." "I'd" "you'd" what? Really? Complained I got you wet? Scared of melting?
Try showing up to school so I don't have to deal with you during the summer and you can sleep during the summer like normal kids ...in bed.
6. Yesterday, Saint Teacher and I met after the last class to see how the day went. I mentioned I have one of her students from last year she had a great deal of trouble with. I have never had this student for a class but we get along.
Unfortunately, this student is having a tough life lately because of something his parents did illegally. He is having a tough time coping with it and keeping himself together.
Another teacher came in and I joked that I was strict today with all my students and Saint Teacher said "Maybe we will stop and maybe we won't." I told her I had this student and she said that I should go easy on him because he was so vulnerable right now.
This student is a classic underachiever. Plus my meanest, still comes out as the nicest. (I'm not the most assertive person in the world.) And I was taught that even when students are having a tough time in their personal life (sickness, death etc) we still treat them like all the other. Expectations are not lowered because of special circumstances. I don't yell or pick on this student. I like this student. But I can't give him preferential treatment because his life is in chaos.
I feel the best thing to do is try to make my classroom as safe and as predictable as possible. That way he has a way to get away from the chaos of his life.
7. I'm not sleeping very well since school has got out. I had no nap today and I'm still wide awake and blogging at 1 am. What's up with this? Vada is very confused. She doesn't know whether to sleep or play. I get up at midnight and she just lays there looking up at me with eyes that say "What the hell lady?"
2. Actually, summer school is pretty easy so far. I watch kids try to sleep (I don't let them) for two and a half hours in credit recovery and then teach a TAKS review class. Then I come home, eat dinner, water plants, clean house, and nap for the rest of the day.
3. With the extra money I earned watching credit makeup after school last year plus my tax refund and economy "stimulus" check, I have been buying things for the apartment. That means a lot of assembly with screwdrivers. I simply do not have the patience for those things.
4. I also bought a new digital camera, but I am still figuring it out. Look out for pictures soon!
5. Two students are bothering so far this summer. One student I only have one more hour with (thank Oprah.) He is the one trying to sleep all the time. I almost poured water on him today. He threatened me with, "Oh, if you actually poured that water on me, I'd......you'd...." "I'd" "you'd" what? Really? Complained I got you wet? Scared of melting?
Try showing up to school so I don't have to deal with you during the summer and you can sleep during the summer like normal kids ...in bed.
6. Yesterday, Saint Teacher and I met after the last class to see how the day went. I mentioned I have one of her students from last year she had a great deal of trouble with. I have never had this student for a class but we get along.
Unfortunately, this student is having a tough life lately because of something his parents did illegally. He is having a tough time coping with it and keeping himself together.
Another teacher came in and I joked that I was strict today with all my students and Saint Teacher said "Maybe we will stop and maybe we won't." I told her I had this student and she said that I should go easy on him because he was so vulnerable right now.
This student is a classic underachiever. Plus my meanest, still comes out as the nicest. (I'm not the most assertive person in the world.) And I was taught that even when students are having a tough time in their personal life (sickness, death etc) we still treat them like all the other. Expectations are not lowered because of special circumstances. I don't yell or pick on this student. I like this student. But I can't give him preferential treatment because his life is in chaos.
I feel the best thing to do is try to make my classroom as safe and as predictable as possible. That way he has a way to get away from the chaos of his life.
7. I'm not sleeping very well since school has got out. I had no nap today and I'm still wide awake and blogging at 1 am. What's up with this? Vada is very confused. She doesn't know whether to sleep or play. I get up at midnight and she just lays there looking up at me with eyes that say "What the hell lady?"
Chip's Last Days
I forgot to mention on the last day of school Chip kinda had a meltdown. Not an angry pitch a fit kind...but just a little one.
He had been absent a good week of school. (The other kids said something about low blood sugar. I was never told about diabetes.) When he came back I gave him a file with all the work he missed, including the finals. I said it was due by Friday the last day of school.
Well, Friday I walk in the school doors by my classroom. Chip is pacing the hall outside my room. When I get to my door he comes up to me and says, "Miss, I did all the work, but they threw it all away in (another teacher's) room." And simply turns around and leaves without me saying a word.
Well, I went to the principal and asked her how she wanted me to handle it. I explained the situation. She said that he was simply out of luck. I gave him the work and a deadline and he didn't get it in. She said she would speak to Chip.
Later on in class, Chip asked about his work. I said that I needed the work by the deadline and that the principal had the final word on it. I said if he or his parents had any questions, to speak to her. (I put it gently, not roughly. I really felt bad for the kid. I think he was telling the truth.)
Friday was the last day of school and if they all had their work in I just let them veg and talk. I had plenty to do at my desk, so I didn't really pay close attention. They were talking in mostly Spanish anyway. I eventually had to get up to clean off some shelves and ISTBMG girl came up and said that Chip was crying because his parents were making him move to San Antonio. He had his head down and another girl was hugging him and looking like she was comforting him.
I didn't go up to him or speak to him in any way. I told ISTBMG I was very sorry to hear that and went onto my business. I didn't mean to be callous or uncaring, but I felt that my opinion or comfort to Chip really wouldn't have been met well. What am I going to say to make him feel better? He doesn't even like me.
He had been absent a good week of school. (The other kids said something about low blood sugar. I was never told about diabetes.) When he came back I gave him a file with all the work he missed, including the finals. I said it was due by Friday the last day of school.
Well, Friday I walk in the school doors by my classroom. Chip is pacing the hall outside my room. When I get to my door he comes up to me and says, "Miss, I did all the work, but they threw it all away in (another teacher's) room." And simply turns around and leaves without me saying a word.
Well, I went to the principal and asked her how she wanted me to handle it. I explained the situation. She said that he was simply out of luck. I gave him the work and a deadline and he didn't get it in. She said she would speak to Chip.
Later on in class, Chip asked about his work. I said that I needed the work by the deadline and that the principal had the final word on it. I said if he or his parents had any questions, to speak to her. (I put it gently, not roughly. I really felt bad for the kid. I think he was telling the truth.)
Friday was the last day of school and if they all had their work in I just let them veg and talk. I had plenty to do at my desk, so I didn't really pay close attention. They were talking in mostly Spanish anyway. I eventually had to get up to clean off some shelves and ISTBMG girl came up and said that Chip was crying because his parents were making him move to San Antonio. He had his head down and another girl was hugging him and looking like she was comforting him.
I didn't go up to him or speak to him in any way. I told ISTBMG I was very sorry to hear that and went onto my business. I didn't mean to be callous or uncaring, but I felt that my opinion or comfort to Chip really wouldn't have been met well. What am I going to say to make him feel better? He doesn't even like me.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Summer So Far
A week has passed since the last days of class. Friday was anticlimatic. The day whizzed by and the school year was all over. I am slow getting all end of school stuff done.
The strangest part was this: Grades were due Monday at 8 am. I recieved an email at 11:55 pm on Sunday reminding me that my grades were due at 8 am the next morning. I finished grading the final portfolio on Sunday afternoon and going to put the finishing touches on the grades Monday morning before professional development. Thank God I didn't see the email until after I finished the grades at 7:30 am on Monday because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep Sunday night.
I won't complain about professional development. But it was same old same old.
Wednesday was inservice for summer school. It looks like I will be teaching two TAKS classes (maybe one) and the rest of the time watching kids sleep to make up hours they missed by not showing up for enough school. I really don't know why they just not give the kids the credit and fine them for not attending school. I will have to think up something for them to do.
I don't think I will have many takers for my Shakespeare class. First of all, I have a "reputation" for working giving a lot of work and working the students hard. That combined with summer jobs, leaving town, living out of town, students just are not interested. Oh well, good for me. I will have afternoons free. I have to have at least 7 students. I think I had just one taker.
Also, the administration hired a new English teacher with AP experience. So she can teach the AP Language and Composition and I can stay with the pre-AP. I'm even thinking of telling the principal I will only go to one AP institute this summer.
I do hope I will be assigned the same classes next year. Saint Teacher and I tried to talk to the principal after PD on Tuesday about assingments and the master schedule, but she really didn't want to be bothered about it. It is kinda irksome that they want us to buy our materials for next year, but they can't tell us what we are teaching.
I am taking Miss A's words to heart in her comments from my last post. She is completely right. Teachers need their summers. So I am going to take it easy and not guilted into anything. I'm not even going to feel guilty about staying home.
I did go to a neighboring town yesterday for a city wide rummage sale. Last year, I found many things that I use for school and my house. But I don't know if it was the $50 I had to spend to fill my car up with gas...or that there just wasn't as many sales as last year, I didn't find a lot of things. I found a good lamp and a quillow, but that was pretty much it. I went to a plant nursesy and bought some houseplants and plants for my little "porch," but that was it. I was home by 2 pm.
I kinda like my boring little life right now. It's ok until September.
The strangest part was this: Grades were due Monday at 8 am. I recieved an email at 11:55 pm on Sunday reminding me that my grades were due at 8 am the next morning. I finished grading the final portfolio on Sunday afternoon and going to put the finishing touches on the grades Monday morning before professional development. Thank God I didn't see the email until after I finished the grades at 7:30 am on Monday because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep Sunday night.
I won't complain about professional development. But it was same old same old.
Wednesday was inservice for summer school. It looks like I will be teaching two TAKS classes (maybe one) and the rest of the time watching kids sleep to make up hours they missed by not showing up for enough school. I really don't know why they just not give the kids the credit and fine them for not attending school. I will have to think up something for them to do.
I don't think I will have many takers for my Shakespeare class. First of all, I have a "reputation" for working giving a lot of work and working the students hard. That combined with summer jobs, leaving town, living out of town, students just are not interested. Oh well, good for me. I will have afternoons free. I have to have at least 7 students. I think I had just one taker.
Also, the administration hired a new English teacher with AP experience. So she can teach the AP Language and Composition and I can stay with the pre-AP. I'm even thinking of telling the principal I will only go to one AP institute this summer.
I do hope I will be assigned the same classes next year. Saint Teacher and I tried to talk to the principal after PD on Tuesday about assingments and the master schedule, but she really didn't want to be bothered about it. It is kinda irksome that they want us to buy our materials for next year, but they can't tell us what we are teaching.
I am taking Miss A's words to heart in her comments from my last post. She is completely right. Teachers need their summers. So I am going to take it easy and not guilted into anything. I'm not even going to feel guilty about staying home.
I did go to a neighboring town yesterday for a city wide rummage sale. Last year, I found many things that I use for school and my house. But I don't know if it was the $50 I had to spend to fill my car up with gas...or that there just wasn't as many sales as last year, I didn't find a lot of things. I found a good lamp and a quillow, but that was pretty much it. I went to a plant nursesy and bought some houseplants and plants for my little "porch," but that was it. I was home by 2 pm.
I kinda like my boring little life right now. It's ok until September.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
