There's good news about my class from hell. One student is out, taking a correspondence course for 9th grade English with the guidance of the Learning Center, and if he passes that with a 70%, he'll be eligible for summer school for his grade 10 English credit. If he's successful at that, he'll be in line to enter grade 11 with his class. Do I think he'll accomplish all of this? Highly unlikely. We've given him the last of his chances to succeed, and if he won't do his part, then he's in a tough situation. At least he's not poisoning this class with his vile language, his disrespect of his classmates and teacher, and his refusal to do any assignments that involve reading which, in effect, assures his failing status in the class.
The other yahoo is still in limbo. He and his mother attended a meeting with all of his teachers, his guidance counselor, the vice principal, and his mentor, but the meeting was surreal. His mother vacillated between accusing the school of making him lose his desire to succeed and explaining to us that she's sure he has ADHD and she will have him coded (in reality, something that can only happen after a series of tests administered by professionals) like she was when she was in school because that worked for her. She described a self-contained Special Education room in which students worked alone in cubicles on their assignments while they were supervised by someone walking behind them as though that would work for this boy who craves an audience for his incredibly immature behavior. She just doesn't get it. So while some definitive action waits in the wings, again, he attends classes and checks in with his mentor each day to report to her about his behavior in his classes. I think I'll be giving her my version each day, too, just for a balanced view. I've decided to step things up a bit since he failed three more quizzes and a test, and his juvenile antics are continuing. I'm requesting that he be evaluated for inclusion in Special Education services, and that his claim, "I can read the words but I can't remember anything I read, so what's the use," be investigated. Maybe then someone can get to the root of his reading comprehension problems and he'll be put in a more appropriate English class.
Winter Carnival is upon us. Members of each grade level take part in a variety of competitive activities, they dress according to various themes each day, and they supposedly have fun. Many kids do, and quite a few don't. Lots of kids stay home, either because it's too much noise and confusion for them to handle, or they've chosen not to be part of the events so they don't feel they need to attend school that day. A few kids should stay home but they come in, get jazzed up, roam around, get out of hand, and are sent home. The rest throw themselves into events like crab soccer, geography bowl, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, Wii bowling, Twister, jello slurping, coloring, and snow sculpture competitions. Students say they love Winter Carnival, but if a legitimate survey were taken, I'd be surprised if more than half of the student body said they liked it for any reason other than it gets them out of classroom time for parts of two days and all of one day. At least it's another day we big kids get to wear jeans to school, and we get to take on different roles like running the buzzer system or judging the photography contest. It's a long day, but at its end, we'll be ON VACATION!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday the 13th
A friend of mine is a 13, so I wish him a happy day today.
I'm sipping a mug of Ghirardelli hot mocha as I sit here typing, my reward to myself for enduring another day with the yahoos. Despite promises from administration and guidance staff, two students who are failing my English class and who refuse to read are still sitting in my class on a daily basis, distracting other students, making noises while others try to do their work, interrupting class discussions with childish comments, and complaining that school should be optional and reading shouldn't be expected. Keep sending them out with behavior reports, I'm told, and that'll bring results. Nope. One of them has been tossed from my class four times in less than three weeks, and his punishment consists of a half school day sitting in a vacant office copying school rules from the handbook and an hour of time cooling his heels after school lets out. I was told after his third ejection that one more time would mean his exit to a school for troubled youth in the next school district north of us. Well, he earned that fourth discipline report today (refusing to put away a ping pong ball that he was bouncing on his desk during Silent Sustained Reading, being argumentative when told to keep his hand out of the pocket where he hides his cellphone which I'd seen him using, and continuing to talk after being told twice directly to stop while others were trying to complete a quiz), and my money says he'll be back in my class after a one-day ISS again. Neither of these kids will read. You'd think I'd asked them to swallow fire. They won't even pay attention when I read aloud to them. Usually even the laziest of students will be quiet and listen when someone else is doing the work for them, but not these two.
Mr. Four Discipline Reports is the one who failed English 9, but because of some deal made by the principal, he was allowed to take English 10 without first having passed English 9. He has also failed the first semester of English 10, so there's no record that this kid has the skills or ability to pass any level of high school English. He thinks that the two paragraphs that he wrote in class during the first week of the term should earn him a passing grade for the year, and all this other stuff like reading, tests, quizzes, vocabulary work, appropriate participation in class discussion, and essay writing are unnecessary. The other one (BT) needs direct remedial help, and he sees our reading specialist twice a week, but according to some test score the guidance director cites, he's too capable to be placed in remedial English. Apparently those tests don't measure ability to comprehend what he reads or what is read to him, and to find the answer from that reading when he has the question right in front of him. He can't do it, even when he seems to want to do so. What he's really good at is getting attention by using baby talk, waving at others in the class, making odd comments during class discussion, using his wristwatch to reflect sunlight into people's eyes, shuffling newspapers loudly during SSR, and talking back as I turn away from him. I wonder which employers will pay him big bucks to do that on a regular basis. I was told this afternoon that his mother said she just needs a computer and then she'll home school him. I laughed myself to tears when I heard that one. Good luck to her! Let's see....don't I have an old computer around here that I could donate to the cause?
How sad that so much of my energy has to be spent on a couple of 15 and 16 year old children who clearly don't want to succeed - by the school's and state's standards - which leaves me less energy to spend on those students who clearly DO want to learn and who need the help.
So here I sit in a lovely warm chocolatey haze of pleasure, knowing that I have almost three full days ahead of me without seeing or thinking about those two. Ahhhhhh!
I'm sipping a mug of Ghirardelli hot mocha as I sit here typing, my reward to myself for enduring another day with the yahoos. Despite promises from administration and guidance staff, two students who are failing my English class and who refuse to read are still sitting in my class on a daily basis, distracting other students, making noises while others try to do their work, interrupting class discussions with childish comments, and complaining that school should be optional and reading shouldn't be expected. Keep sending them out with behavior reports, I'm told, and that'll bring results. Nope. One of them has been tossed from my class four times in less than three weeks, and his punishment consists of a half school day sitting in a vacant office copying school rules from the handbook and an hour of time cooling his heels after school lets out. I was told after his third ejection that one more time would mean his exit to a school for troubled youth in the next school district north of us. Well, he earned that fourth discipline report today (refusing to put away a ping pong ball that he was bouncing on his desk during Silent Sustained Reading, being argumentative when told to keep his hand out of the pocket where he hides his cellphone which I'd seen him using, and continuing to talk after being told twice directly to stop while others were trying to complete a quiz), and my money says he'll be back in my class after a one-day ISS again. Neither of these kids will read. You'd think I'd asked them to swallow fire. They won't even pay attention when I read aloud to them. Usually even the laziest of students will be quiet and listen when someone else is doing the work for them, but not these two.
Mr. Four Discipline Reports is the one who failed English 9, but because of some deal made by the principal, he was allowed to take English 10 without first having passed English 9. He has also failed the first semester of English 10, so there's no record that this kid has the skills or ability to pass any level of high school English. He thinks that the two paragraphs that he wrote in class during the first week of the term should earn him a passing grade for the year, and all this other stuff like reading, tests, quizzes, vocabulary work, appropriate participation in class discussion, and essay writing are unnecessary. The other one (BT) needs direct remedial help, and he sees our reading specialist twice a week, but according to some test score the guidance director cites, he's too capable to be placed in remedial English. Apparently those tests don't measure ability to comprehend what he reads or what is read to him, and to find the answer from that reading when he has the question right in front of him. He can't do it, even when he seems to want to do so. What he's really good at is getting attention by using baby talk, waving at others in the class, making odd comments during class discussion, using his wristwatch to reflect sunlight into people's eyes, shuffling newspapers loudly during SSR, and talking back as I turn away from him. I wonder which employers will pay him big bucks to do that on a regular basis. I was told this afternoon that his mother said she just needs a computer and then she'll home school him. I laughed myself to tears when I heard that one. Good luck to her! Let's see....don't I have an old computer around here that I could donate to the cause?
How sad that so much of my energy has to be spent on a couple of 15 and 16 year old children who clearly don't want to succeed - by the school's and state's standards - which leaves me less energy to spend on those students who clearly DO want to learn and who need the help.
So here I sit in a lovely warm chocolatey haze of pleasure, knowing that I have almost three full days ahead of me without seeing or thinking about those two. Ahhhhhh!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
What they don't know
I'm married to a jock but I don't live and breathe sports as he does. However, I do know a bit about a sport or two. ("You're kidding....you've heard of cricket?")
I'm taller/not as tall as you think I am. For some reason, my actual height of 5' 8" seems to surprise almost anyone I first know at a distance when they meet me face to face.
I tend to be a moderate Democrat. Apparently some of my hard-core Republican friends ignore that fact. (Today a friend urged me to call my Republican friends and reps to support a very right-wing bill.)
I listen, and what I hear I tend to remember. Unfortunately, when it comes to promises, I'm sometimes the only one who remembers. (If I'd waited for the person who offered to put the registration stickers on my license plates, I'd be paying a hefty fine by now.)
Procrastination is my middle name.... after Lee, that is. Other than here at home, I seem to hide that fact well. I'm not sure why...food for thought another time, perhaps.
I believe in rules and being ready to accept the consequences if I decide to break them. (No, I'm not into self-incrimination, so there's no example here.)
A certain amount of tension makes me feel alive, but too much stress can almost paralyze me and it makes me speak in extremes. ("Never again" and "I just can't do this any more" come to mind.) If you think there's a relationship between this statement and the one about procrastination, you'd be right part of the time.
When people don't trust my professional judgment in circumstances in which they should, and the outcomes aren't good or the situation continues to fester, I become bitter. There isn't much that can be done in recompense if the truth of the matter is finally acknowledged, and it's rare that I forget the offense. I know I should let it go, but more often than not it stays with me like a scar.
One heart-felt, spontaneous compliment can keep my spirits soaring for days. The use of the word "really" seals the deal. A new necklace design, the way a light blue sweater looks on me, a simple suggestion I made to avoid a difficult problem, the chicken dish I made last week...they've each inspired favorable comments that still make me smile, and I adore that kind of warmth.
As much as I enjoy investigating new things, I do that from a firm seat amid the predictable. I'm death on becoming stagnant, but I move forward only when there's a solidity behind me. That means I'm not terribly adventuresome (aka avant-garde) but I never want the moss to grow over me or the rust to set in so I can't move. (There's probably a name for this mindset. Pseudo-bravery? ) To some who know me, I'm quite daring and forward-thinking, and to others, I'm stuck in a mire of tradition. That's okay: being in the middle between those two poles works for me.
Those really are freckles on the backs of my hands. They're not age spots. I don't age. :-)
I'm taller/not as tall as you think I am. For some reason, my actual height of 5' 8" seems to surprise almost anyone I first know at a distance when they meet me face to face.
I tend to be a moderate Democrat. Apparently some of my hard-core Republican friends ignore that fact. (Today a friend urged me to call my Republican friends and reps to support a very right-wing bill.)
I listen, and what I hear I tend to remember. Unfortunately, when it comes to promises, I'm sometimes the only one who remembers. (If I'd waited for the person who offered to put the registration stickers on my license plates, I'd be paying a hefty fine by now.)
Procrastination is my middle name.... after Lee, that is. Other than here at home, I seem to hide that fact well. I'm not sure why...food for thought another time, perhaps.
I believe in rules and being ready to accept the consequences if I decide to break them. (No, I'm not into self-incrimination, so there's no example here.)
A certain amount of tension makes me feel alive, but too much stress can almost paralyze me and it makes me speak in extremes. ("Never again" and "I just can't do this any more" come to mind.) If you think there's a relationship between this statement and the one about procrastination, you'd be right part of the time.
When people don't trust my professional judgment in circumstances in which they should, and the outcomes aren't good or the situation continues to fester, I become bitter. There isn't much that can be done in recompense if the truth of the matter is finally acknowledged, and it's rare that I forget the offense. I know I should let it go, but more often than not it stays with me like a scar.
One heart-felt, spontaneous compliment can keep my spirits soaring for days. The use of the word "really" seals the deal. A new necklace design, the way a light blue sweater looks on me, a simple suggestion I made to avoid a difficult problem, the chicken dish I made last week...they've each inspired favorable comments that still make me smile, and I adore that kind of warmth.
As much as I enjoy investigating new things, I do that from a firm seat amid the predictable. I'm death on becoming stagnant, but I move forward only when there's a solidity behind me. That means I'm not terribly adventuresome (aka avant-garde) but I never want the moss to grow over me or the rust to set in so I can't move. (There's probably a name for this mindset. Pseudo-bravery? ) To some who know me, I'm quite daring and forward-thinking, and to others, I'm stuck in a mire of tradition. That's okay: being in the middle between those two poles works for me.
Those really are freckles on the backs of my hands. They're not age spots. I don't age. :-)
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Women
Okay, so my good intentions lasted about as long as an ice cube tossed into the hot tub. I've been crazy busy. Here's a recap:
Midyear exams --- Teach, review, create, administer, correct and assess, upload grades, return and discuss. Times 5. The seniors did surprisingly well, all but one of them passing easily. (The one dud was the gal who started halfway through the semester and who might appear in class twice a week.) Creative writing students who followed directions did well. Honors sophomores' performances were disappointing, especially regarding their essays, so we're working on beefing those up ASAP. Half of the Skills kids passed, and half didn't, even being allowed to use a sizable collection of notes and review sheets. If I had to predict, I'd say those exams foretell who will pass for the year, but in the name of avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies, we'll all pretend I didn't say that.
Collaborative Action Research --- That's the name of the college course I'm currently taking. We don't actually conduct the research because it would have to be sanctioned by a university, and our local university doesn't do that, but we learn the process. That way we can replicate it locally if our school or district wants to make some changes based on data that come from our own practices. Each session we have to make a presentation, either to the group as a whole or to a sub-group, and next week - our final session - we have to make a PowerPoint presentation of the research we've found and gathered on an essential question we've developed. I'm getting nervous because I can't quite pin down the exact question I want to use as the basis of this project. I'll figure it out over this weekend. More on the subject later.
Teaching five classes of high school students --- That's been my job for years, but this year the gods have seen fit to punish me with an extremely difficult group among the other four relatively normal ones. And now another student whose skills are weaker than the others in the class has been added to the mix. On two of the four days he's been with me, he's been sent out of class to the office, once for refusing to stop taunting other students and profanity, and once for taking out and using a cellphone in class. I know I'm aging more quickly this year because I have to spend so much energy preparing for, managing, and recovering from this class, and that makes me unhappy. Two steps forward, three steps back is the way it feels most days, and I've gained the deep sympathy of other teachers of freshmen (who had some of these yahoos last year) and sophomores (who had some of these yahoos last year). I need to sit down with the principal to have a face to face conversation with him about the repercussions of some "bargains" he's made on behalf of a few of these children.
Visitors --- I love to host friends in my home and share our place with them, especially ones who've played host to me. My preference is that they visit in the summer or at times when school obligations are lighter, but that timing isn't always possible. This time around, I (we) played host to my friend Brick from Belgium and his wife, Mieja, who arrived at the bus terminal in a city half an hour south of us on the afternoon of my birthday, January 24. They'd taken a bus from NYC where they'd been visiting his sister, and I chauffeured them to our house to unpack and then join us for dinner out. The restaurant was his favorite two years ago when he visited, and we had a lovely dinner. My dear husband forgot his wallet (as he's done enough to make me sure of bringing my own finances any time we go out), so I ended up paying for my own birthday dinner party. That became a running joke for the week they were here. While my spouse and I conducted our usual teacher lives, they spent their days snowshoeing, using the spa, driving around the area visiting some of the places he'd seen on his last visit, conducting two acting workshops at the school, and keeping the wood stove going. Of the remaining dinners, two were made by me, and the rest were prepared by them. They love to cook together, so what was a treat for them was also a delight for us. We ate very well, and we have plastic tubs and containers of scrumptious leftovers. Since they were fairly independent, their presence for so many days was very little burden. Of course some routines, like walking around in our underwear or keeping the bedroom door open at night, go by the wayside, but we survived. Yesterday I woke at 5:30 and left the house just after 6 a.m. to bring them back to the bus station for their trip to Logan Airport, final destination: Houston. We made the station with about 5 minutes to spare, hugged our goodbyes, and after I saw the bus depart for the southbound interstate exit, I had plenty of time to drive northward to school and the final day of a crazy week.
Oh...didn't I mention returning midyear exams on Monday? Or the snow day on Wednesday? Or report cards being mailed on Thursday? Or the pep rally on Thursday morning when, at the same time, they also called in drug-sniffing dogs and police to check the backpacks that the students had left in the classrooms? (5 bags of interest, one with a cigarette lighter, and one boy suspended for having drug paraphernalia, but no actual drugs which the kids undoubtedly carry on them.) Yeah, it's not been the most low-key week in recent memory.
Last night we went to our favorite local Italian restaurant (yes, he brought his wallet this time) and enjoyed a pleasant meal, and I conked out on the couch about an hour after we returned home. Today's been very mellow and shapeless, and I'm feeling almost back to normal. The guest room bed has fresh linens, the doors to the messy rooms are open again, I've eaten several small meals at odd times, and I'm schlepping around in oversized t-shirt and slippers, hair wet from my post-spa shower. I had a nice time with my friends here, but it's good to have my routines back too. Ahhhhh!
Midyear exams --- Teach, review, create, administer, correct and assess, upload grades, return and discuss. Times 5. The seniors did surprisingly well, all but one of them passing easily. (The one dud was the gal who started halfway through the semester and who might appear in class twice a week.) Creative writing students who followed directions did well. Honors sophomores' performances were disappointing, especially regarding their essays, so we're working on beefing those up ASAP. Half of the Skills kids passed, and half didn't, even being allowed to use a sizable collection of notes and review sheets. If I had to predict, I'd say those exams foretell who will pass for the year, but in the name of avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies, we'll all pretend I didn't say that.
Collaborative Action Research --- That's the name of the college course I'm currently taking. We don't actually conduct the research because it would have to be sanctioned by a university, and our local university doesn't do that, but we learn the process. That way we can replicate it locally if our school or district wants to make some changes based on data that come from our own practices. Each session we have to make a presentation, either to the group as a whole or to a sub-group, and next week - our final session - we have to make a PowerPoint presentation of the research we've found and gathered on an essential question we've developed. I'm getting nervous because I can't quite pin down the exact question I want to use as the basis of this project. I'll figure it out over this weekend. More on the subject later.
Teaching five classes of high school students --- That's been my job for years, but this year the gods have seen fit to punish me with an extremely difficult group among the other four relatively normal ones. And now another student whose skills are weaker than the others in the class has been added to the mix. On two of the four days he's been with me, he's been sent out of class to the office, once for refusing to stop taunting other students and profanity, and once for taking out and using a cellphone in class. I know I'm aging more quickly this year because I have to spend so much energy preparing for, managing, and recovering from this class, and that makes me unhappy. Two steps forward, three steps back is the way it feels most days, and I've gained the deep sympathy of other teachers of freshmen (who had some of these yahoos last year) and sophomores (who had some of these yahoos last year). I need to sit down with the principal to have a face to face conversation with him about the repercussions of some "bargains" he's made on behalf of a few of these children.
Visitors --- I love to host friends in my home and share our place with them, especially ones who've played host to me. My preference is that they visit in the summer or at times when school obligations are lighter, but that timing isn't always possible. This time around, I (we) played host to my friend Brick from Belgium and his wife, Mieja, who arrived at the bus terminal in a city half an hour south of us on the afternoon of my birthday, January 24. They'd taken a bus from NYC where they'd been visiting his sister, and I chauffeured them to our house to unpack and then join us for dinner out. The restaurant was his favorite two years ago when he visited, and we had a lovely dinner. My dear husband forgot his wallet (as he's done enough to make me sure of bringing my own finances any time we go out), so I ended up paying for my own birthday dinner party. That became a running joke for the week they were here. While my spouse and I conducted our usual teacher lives, they spent their days snowshoeing, using the spa, driving around the area visiting some of the places he'd seen on his last visit, conducting two acting workshops at the school, and keeping the wood stove going. Of the remaining dinners, two were made by me, and the rest were prepared by them. They love to cook together, so what was a treat for them was also a delight for us. We ate very well, and we have plastic tubs and containers of scrumptious leftovers. Since they were fairly independent, their presence for so many days was very little burden. Of course some routines, like walking around in our underwear or keeping the bedroom door open at night, go by the wayside, but we survived. Yesterday I woke at 5:30 and left the house just after 6 a.m. to bring them back to the bus station for their trip to Logan Airport, final destination: Houston. We made the station with about 5 minutes to spare, hugged our goodbyes, and after I saw the bus depart for the southbound interstate exit, I had plenty of time to drive northward to school and the final day of a crazy week.
Oh...didn't I mention returning midyear exams on Monday? Or the snow day on Wednesday? Or report cards being mailed on Thursday? Or the pep rally on Thursday morning when, at the same time, they also called in drug-sniffing dogs and police to check the backpacks that the students had left in the classrooms? (5 bags of interest, one with a cigarette lighter, and one boy suspended for having drug paraphernalia, but no actual drugs which the kids undoubtedly carry on them.) Yeah, it's not been the most low-key week in recent memory.
Last night we went to our favorite local Italian restaurant (yes, he brought his wallet this time) and enjoyed a pleasant meal, and I conked out on the couch about an hour after we returned home. Today's been very mellow and shapeless, and I'm feeling almost back to normal. The guest room bed has fresh linens, the doors to the messy rooms are open again, I've eaten several small meals at odd times, and I'm schlepping around in oversized t-shirt and slippers, hair wet from my post-spa shower. I had a nice time with my friends here, but it's good to have my routines back too. Ahhhhh!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
In the name of "shorter is better"...
It's not always the case that shorter is better, but I'm returning to that philosophy for this blog which means I'll need to post more often. In that light...here we go:
Exams...what joy! Three down and two to go. I've had to tweak all but one of them, and actually create one of them from scratch, but that part's done, and most of what's left is the correcting. As much as possible is some kind of short answer - matching, multiple choice, fill-in - and the rest is focused writing of a particular format. I can get quite a bit done tomorrow when I don't have an exam and I do have time in my own classroom. My goal is to have exams finished by the time I leave school on Friday. Of course my largest class has its exam that day, but I'll get as close to that goal as I can. After all, this weekend will be a little busy and I want to be able to enjoy it without the spectre of grades hanging over my head.
One of my delights is the yoga class that my friend Kristie holds right in my building. She gets us to focus on the world of our yoga mats, the soothing music she plays, and her soothing, almost hypnotic voice leading us through the moves. I can't do everything with the strength and smoothness that I used to have, and I can't balance on my left foot more than a few seconds so I'm good for a few chuckles when we do "tree," but I can do a darn good shoulder stand and I'm fairly flexible for an old gal, so I embrace the practice. It takes me out of the physical and mental busyness and lets me focus on my mental and physical well-being. Good stuff. Namaste.
Exams...what joy! Three down and two to go. I've had to tweak all but one of them, and actually create one of them from scratch, but that part's done, and most of what's left is the correcting. As much as possible is some kind of short answer - matching, multiple choice, fill-in - and the rest is focused writing of a particular format. I can get quite a bit done tomorrow when I don't have an exam and I do have time in my own classroom. My goal is to have exams finished by the time I leave school on Friday. Of course my largest class has its exam that day, but I'll get as close to that goal as I can. After all, this weekend will be a little busy and I want to be able to enjoy it without the spectre of grades hanging over my head.
One of my delights is the yoga class that my friend Kristie holds right in my building. She gets us to focus on the world of our yoga mats, the soothing music she plays, and her soothing, almost hypnotic voice leading us through the moves. I can't do everything with the strength and smoothness that I used to have, and I can't balance on my left foot more than a few seconds so I'm good for a few chuckles when we do "tree," but I can do a darn good shoulder stand and I'm fairly flexible for an old gal, so I embrace the practice. It takes me out of the physical and mental busyness and lets me focus on my mental and physical well-being. Good stuff. Namaste.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Catchup
January is that odd combination of slowness and speed. Because the weather is so changeable and can be so problematic, it's a daily concern, and that can be wearing, making the time pass slowly. The speedy part is associated with my work: not long after we return from winter break (I still call it Christmas vacation), midyear exams make their ugly or auspicious appearance. Those days in the interim are a rush to complete the lessons that are reflected on the exams by combatting the predictable desire of the students to do as much academic work as what they'd accomplished over the vacation - typically, nothing. One snow day, early release, or two-hour delay can upset the schedule. It's a daily struggle, and exams often have to be amended almost at the last minute to include only what we've actually been able to cover. And then, after the students labor over them (or not), they all have to be corrected. Needless to say, this can be a stressful time.
Weather maps have shown us to be the target for some truly wintry weather this year. We seem to be in a flow that brings a half dozen inches of snow, sometimes more, every 2 to 4 days. If it's not snowing, it's cloudy or frigid with wind chill temperatures well below 0ºF. Today is the first day of sun, almost no wind, and temperatures above 20º since December, and I'll enjoy taking a walk in it today. The upcoming week looks fairly quiet, and that's A Good Thing. Making up exams pushes the last period exam into the next week, taking away the weekend to grade them, so it's not the optimum situation. Besides, this time, I don't want to give up my birthday this coming Saturday to school work!
I've struggled with my 4th period class all along, but finally someone with more pull than I have observed the class and demanded that I have a classroom aide. HOORAY! Although part of me is disheartened that the observations of a classroom teacher with 36+ years of experience were of less significance than those of a student support person with 7 years, the larger picture is the better focus. Julie's job is to support me by helping the students to do the right thing, be it taking a hat off, following directions, understanding a question on a quiz, or speaking with respect. So far it's working well, although some of the yahoos still make poor choices, and I now have the perspective of another adult to reinforce my observations. By giving her all the handouts and worksheets and assignments that the students are expected to complete, I know that she's able to assist them, so I can be more attentive to the quiet, cooperative students who also sometimes need help or direction. The major outcomes of the presence of my classroom aide at this point in the school year are twofold: the class will run more smoothly, and the students who make the poor choices, behaviorally and academically, are clearly on their way to failing the class. Yes, after exams, a few will have already achieved averages so low that it's mathematically impossible for them to pass for the year. That's pretty sad.
Another sadness is that the only way I could ensure that my 4th period class was reading the assigned book, ALAS, BABYLON, was to read over half of it aloud to them in class. At first I gave them "multiple guess" (multiple choice) questions, and a few students accidentally passed them with 60's. I didn't catch on to the fact that the kids as a whole just weren't reading until everyone in the class failed the quiz on chapter 4 on which they had to supply the answers. From then on I gave them what would have been the quizzes as worksheets to be filled out as they read or were read to. Sadder still than my need to read the book to them are the facts that some of them "forgot" to fill in the answers as I read to them, a few "lost" the sheets, and most still didn't finish the chapter for homework, expecting me to tell them what they missed. Nope. Not gonna happen. So now, for their midyear exam, they'll be allowed to use those worksheets to help them answer the questions about the book, and some of them will be out of luck. In fact, they have permission to use four sets of notes/review sheets to refer to for facts in their responses. They have all the tools they need to pass if they've put in any amount of effort. We'll see who steps up and who fails.
There have been some lighter events in the past couple of weeks, too. Yoga has resumed, and I've realized how much it's helped my flexibility and is toning my muscles. Kristie, the instructor, asks us at the end of each session to bow and give thanks to ourselves for our practice and for sharing our energy, and each time I realize that this activity is oh so good for me. I'm taking a grad course that's been brought to our campus, partly to stir my brain, partly to gain more credits on the pay scale. I have to acquire a total of 15 more credits to move up another notch, and it's a doable goal, one I'd like to achieve at least a year before I retire. This class is about the process of conducting action based research, and it's something that I can actually use. A dozen of us will meet with a very laid-back instructor four times and conduct searches for supporting information to try to resolve a problem of our choice. I know it sounds dull, but I can see ways in which I'll use much of what we're learning as I teach my classes. The fact that my Professional Development funds pay for it is a sweet bonus. There's an upcoming online course that's inexpensive, and one this summer at the local university that a voucher from having a student teacher will pay for, so I'm well on my way to earning those 15 credits.
Another Good Thing has been my learning how to set faceted stones to make some pretty jewelry. My friend Gary asked me to make some birthstone jewelry for himself and his daughter in a style that I'd never tried before, so I did some research and found the materials I needed to accomplish the task. Stones were imported from Thailand, metals came from the USA, and soon I'd made some lovely Alexandrite post earrings and pendants. I was so pleased with the outcome that I've continued purchasing stones and settings, and assembling rings, earrings, and pendants for myself. I've learned that setting cabochons using this process is harder than setting faceted stones, and that not every beautiful stone has an easy setting because it may not be of a standard size or shape. Undoubtedly, I'll continue, making post earrings and maybe pendants and rings to sell. It's widening my repertoire and expanding the designs that I can offer. I'm thankful that Gary gave me the challenge.
My car is still making me happy. My husband's truck can now park behind my car in the garage because the water pump was moved to let my car pull in right up to the cellar wall. The huge new tv continues to give us pleasure. The livingroom is decluttered because we'd invited people over to watch (yell at) two football games on television yesterday, but the foot of new snow kept them at home. That means we have a nice tub of homemade dip for potato chips and plenty of cheese and crackers for snacking this week. It also means I have less cleaning of the house to do in preparation for the visit of my friend Brick and his wife Mieja a week from now. They're in the US to visit friends and family, to see places where he'd spent time in the past, and to attend a reunion of his International School pals. They'll spend one of their days here giving acting workshops to students at our school, and the rest of the time is unstructured, other than wanting to snowshoe somewhere nearby. Last time he was here, two years ago, he wished for snow; well, this time, he'll see plenty of it!
Finally, last night was the first of the season with flannel sheets on our bed. Until then we'd had the usual percale sheets, a single electric blanket, and a quilt. For me to be warm, I've had to wear pajamas and turn on the electric blanket to warm the sheets. Sometimes I'd forget to turn off the blanket over night, and that can make me congested or restless when I try to sleep. Now, I can return to thin nightgowns, long or short, and the electric blanket will be necessary to preheat the sheets only on the coldest of days when we haven't been home to keep the fire going in the wood stove. Flannel sheets are sooo soft and I feel sooooo snug and warm in them! I'm a happy bedbug :)
Weather maps have shown us to be the target for some truly wintry weather this year. We seem to be in a flow that brings a half dozen inches of snow, sometimes more, every 2 to 4 days. If it's not snowing, it's cloudy or frigid with wind chill temperatures well below 0ºF. Today is the first day of sun, almost no wind, and temperatures above 20º since December, and I'll enjoy taking a walk in it today. The upcoming week looks fairly quiet, and that's A Good Thing. Making up exams pushes the last period exam into the next week, taking away the weekend to grade them, so it's not the optimum situation. Besides, this time, I don't want to give up my birthday this coming Saturday to school work!
I've struggled with my 4th period class all along, but finally someone with more pull than I have observed the class and demanded that I have a classroom aide. HOORAY! Although part of me is disheartened that the observations of a classroom teacher with 36+ years of experience were of less significance than those of a student support person with 7 years, the larger picture is the better focus. Julie's job is to support me by helping the students to do the right thing, be it taking a hat off, following directions, understanding a question on a quiz, or speaking with respect. So far it's working well, although some of the yahoos still make poor choices, and I now have the perspective of another adult to reinforce my observations. By giving her all the handouts and worksheets and assignments that the students are expected to complete, I know that she's able to assist them, so I can be more attentive to the quiet, cooperative students who also sometimes need help or direction. The major outcomes of the presence of my classroom aide at this point in the school year are twofold: the class will run more smoothly, and the students who make the poor choices, behaviorally and academically, are clearly on their way to failing the class. Yes, after exams, a few will have already achieved averages so low that it's mathematically impossible for them to pass for the year. That's pretty sad.
Another sadness is that the only way I could ensure that my 4th period class was reading the assigned book, ALAS, BABYLON, was to read over half of it aloud to them in class. At first I gave them "multiple guess" (multiple choice) questions, and a few students accidentally passed them with 60's. I didn't catch on to the fact that the kids as a whole just weren't reading until everyone in the class failed the quiz on chapter 4 on which they had to supply the answers. From then on I gave them what would have been the quizzes as worksheets to be filled out as they read or were read to. Sadder still than my need to read the book to them are the facts that some of them "forgot" to fill in the answers as I read to them, a few "lost" the sheets, and most still didn't finish the chapter for homework, expecting me to tell them what they missed. Nope. Not gonna happen. So now, for their midyear exam, they'll be allowed to use those worksheets to help them answer the questions about the book, and some of them will be out of luck. In fact, they have permission to use four sets of notes/review sheets to refer to for facts in their responses. They have all the tools they need to pass if they've put in any amount of effort. We'll see who steps up and who fails.
There have been some lighter events in the past couple of weeks, too. Yoga has resumed, and I've realized how much it's helped my flexibility and is toning my muscles. Kristie, the instructor, asks us at the end of each session to bow and give thanks to ourselves for our practice and for sharing our energy, and each time I realize that this activity is oh so good for me. I'm taking a grad course that's been brought to our campus, partly to stir my brain, partly to gain more credits on the pay scale. I have to acquire a total of 15 more credits to move up another notch, and it's a doable goal, one I'd like to achieve at least a year before I retire. This class is about the process of conducting action based research, and it's something that I can actually use. A dozen of us will meet with a very laid-back instructor four times and conduct searches for supporting information to try to resolve a problem of our choice. I know it sounds dull, but I can see ways in which I'll use much of what we're learning as I teach my classes. The fact that my Professional Development funds pay for it is a sweet bonus. There's an upcoming online course that's inexpensive, and one this summer at the local university that a voucher from having a student teacher will pay for, so I'm well on my way to earning those 15 credits.
Another Good Thing has been my learning how to set faceted stones to make some pretty jewelry. My friend Gary asked me to make some birthstone jewelry for himself and his daughter in a style that I'd never tried before, so I did some research and found the materials I needed to accomplish the task. Stones were imported from Thailand, metals came from the USA, and soon I'd made some lovely Alexandrite post earrings and pendants. I was so pleased with the outcome that I've continued purchasing stones and settings, and assembling rings, earrings, and pendants for myself. I've learned that setting cabochons using this process is harder than setting faceted stones, and that not every beautiful stone has an easy setting because it may not be of a standard size or shape. Undoubtedly, I'll continue, making post earrings and maybe pendants and rings to sell. It's widening my repertoire and expanding the designs that I can offer. I'm thankful that Gary gave me the challenge.
My car is still making me happy. My husband's truck can now park behind my car in the garage because the water pump was moved to let my car pull in right up to the cellar wall. The huge new tv continues to give us pleasure. The livingroom is decluttered because we'd invited people over to watch (yell at) two football games on television yesterday, but the foot of new snow kept them at home. That means we have a nice tub of homemade dip for potato chips and plenty of cheese and crackers for snacking this week. It also means I have less cleaning of the house to do in preparation for the visit of my friend Brick and his wife Mieja a week from now. They're in the US to visit friends and family, to see places where he'd spent time in the past, and to attend a reunion of his International School pals. They'll spend one of their days here giving acting workshops to students at our school, and the rest of the time is unstructured, other than wanting to snowshoe somewhere nearby. Last time he was here, two years ago, he wished for snow; well, this time, he'll see plenty of it!
Finally, last night was the first of the season with flannel sheets on our bed. Until then we'd had the usual percale sheets, a single electric blanket, and a quilt. For me to be warm, I've had to wear pajamas and turn on the electric blanket to warm the sheets. Sometimes I'd forget to turn off the blanket over night, and that can make me congested or restless when I try to sleep. Now, I can return to thin nightgowns, long or short, and the electric blanket will be necessary to preheat the sheets only on the coldest of days when we haven't been home to keep the fire going in the wood stove. Flannel sheets are sooo soft and I feel sooooo snug and warm in them! I'm a happy bedbug :)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
She's Got the Look
Finally, on this last day of vacation, I'm looking rested. I told my spouse that I could easily support a schedule of 3 weeks on and 1 week off because we'd probably accomplish the same amount that way and be much more refreshed and less stressed.
The sun is out today, and the breeze is minimal, so I'll probably go for a walk later. I've enjoyed being an indoor vegetable while the clouds and wind have dominated the weather, but now I'm feeling the desire to get out, inhale fresh clean air, and get my blood moving. I've missed the weekly yoga sessions, but not enough to motivate me to practice on my own. It's time to get going again.
One of my Christmas gifts was a very small HD video camera, and I need to learn how to use it. Part of my process is reading the manual several times to figure out where the buttons are and what they do, and then trying to use it in unimportant situations. That way, when I really want to capture a person or an event, I won't be stumbling around and cursing myself for not knowing how to do it. I know I'll have plenty of opportunities to video some one-time events, like people visiting, trips that I take, athletic events, and performances in upcoming months, and I want to be ready for them. It takes SD cards, so I've purchased a few high capacity ones (8 and 4 Gb) to be used in it since video eats up a ton of space. This camera is so small ... the proverbial size-of-a-deck-of-cards ... that it should be easy to carry and use. I hope it's not also easy to lose! With luck that wrist strap will help prevent me from setting it down somewhere and leaving it behind.
It's not even noon and I feel the encroachment of the Pre-Monday Blues. In fact, I felt its cold fingers stroking my spirit yesterday. As much as I enjoy some kinds of feelings of regularity and productivity in my life, I'd prefer that they be on my terms, and those terms would include the absence of a certain collection of lazy, foul-mouthed, uncooperative, teen-aged male slugs. The saving grace is that I'm not alone in my judgement of this current crop of underclassmen as being much lazier and much less patient than students of the recent past. I think they've grown up in a world of easy and immediate answers and solutions provided by machines so they haven't had many chances to - or been asked to - slow down and think deeply, or to figure things out for themselves. This is the problem that people forecast when affordable hand-held calculators burst onto the scene. "Kids will never learn to do math in their heads. What will happen to the world then?!" I think we're getting the answer to that statement of panic now. Even with search engines, the majority of teenagers with whom I've been in contact lately don't have a clear idea of how to search for information unless it's on a social networking site. Most can't subtract (accurately) in their heads or even on paper. They believe that going to a library to conduct research means using the computers in the library to search online. They expect that the machine will understand what they're trying to say and correct all of their errors. And they feel that they can talk to other human beings the way they can talk to their computers. To me, that's the most chilling part: kids' interactions with other flesh-and-blood people in their presence are becoming less civil at an alarming rate. The distance that communications with "people" behind the glass of a computer interface provides lets them think that they can behave in ways that horrify those of us who grew up in the dark ages before this plethora of technology. I'll continue to work against this phenomenon by modeling, teaching and expecting civility, and I'll hope that thoughtful and courteous behavior doesn't go completely out of style until after I'm pushing up daisies.
The sun is out today, and the breeze is minimal, so I'll probably go for a walk later. I've enjoyed being an indoor vegetable while the clouds and wind have dominated the weather, but now I'm feeling the desire to get out, inhale fresh clean air, and get my blood moving. I've missed the weekly yoga sessions, but not enough to motivate me to practice on my own. It's time to get going again.
One of my Christmas gifts was a very small HD video camera, and I need to learn how to use it. Part of my process is reading the manual several times to figure out where the buttons are and what they do, and then trying to use it in unimportant situations. That way, when I really want to capture a person or an event, I won't be stumbling around and cursing myself for not knowing how to do it. I know I'll have plenty of opportunities to video some one-time events, like people visiting, trips that I take, athletic events, and performances in upcoming months, and I want to be ready for them. It takes SD cards, so I've purchased a few high capacity ones (8 and 4 Gb) to be used in it since video eats up a ton of space. This camera is so small ... the proverbial size-of-a-deck-of-cards ... that it should be easy to carry and use. I hope it's not also easy to lose! With luck that wrist strap will help prevent me from setting it down somewhere and leaving it behind.
It's not even noon and I feel the encroachment of the Pre-Monday Blues. In fact, I felt its cold fingers stroking my spirit yesterday. As much as I enjoy some kinds of feelings of regularity and productivity in my life, I'd prefer that they be on my terms, and those terms would include the absence of a certain collection of lazy, foul-mouthed, uncooperative, teen-aged male slugs. The saving grace is that I'm not alone in my judgement of this current crop of underclassmen as being much lazier and much less patient than students of the recent past. I think they've grown up in a world of easy and immediate answers and solutions provided by machines so they haven't had many chances to - or been asked to - slow down and think deeply, or to figure things out for themselves. This is the problem that people forecast when affordable hand-held calculators burst onto the scene. "Kids will never learn to do math in their heads. What will happen to the world then?!" I think we're getting the answer to that statement of panic now. Even with search engines, the majority of teenagers with whom I've been in contact lately don't have a clear idea of how to search for information unless it's on a social networking site. Most can't subtract (accurately) in their heads or even on paper. They believe that going to a library to conduct research means using the computers in the library to search online. They expect that the machine will understand what they're trying to say and correct all of their errors. And they feel that they can talk to other human beings the way they can talk to their computers. To me, that's the most chilling part: kids' interactions with other flesh-and-blood people in their presence are becoming less civil at an alarming rate. The distance that communications with "people" behind the glass of a computer interface provides lets them think that they can behave in ways that horrify those of us who grew up in the dark ages before this plethora of technology. I'll continue to work against this phenomenon by modeling, teaching and expecting civility, and I'll hope that thoughtful and courteous behavior doesn't go completely out of style until after I'm pushing up daisies.
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