I am starting to catch up. Ms. S, the teacher I share class and student's with, commented that it didn't feel so much this week that she had a roommate. Yay! I also started writing up plans, goals for the weeks ahead rather than just trying to make it through the next day. Also, yay me! This upcoming week I hope to have my students working with grammar, practicing paragraph building, and throw in a little testing on the content they have read and the week breezes by.
on another note, i just saw the house my friend and her fiance are buying, another yay for them and praise God.
blessings sometimes are found in the oddest of places
Sunday, October 29
Friday, October 27
Expectations and Step Olympics
Today, I am not feeling as light-hearted as I want to feel. Please feel free to ignore this blog while i vent a little.
At my school, there is a behavior plan called"make your day." No it is not some Clint Eastwood inspired spaghetti western version of classroom rules, it is a plan that is supposed to create an atmosphere of respect for the learning, well-being, and safety of all students. Notice the catch phrases?....Any way when a student "interferes" with one of these area of concern they are sent on steps. Step one is to go sit facing away from the class (for about five minutes for first offenses, twenty minutes for the second offence...Or basically the whole class period in my class), step two to stand up, three to concentrate on the rules and figure out if you wish to move to step four, step four to be sent to the office to call home for an immediate conference with parents, teacher, student and an administrator. So far okay, at each step the teacher conferences with the student before they can move back down the steps. (no conference on the way up). I have a few students who have started to excel in the step Olympics. ... Going to step one, misbehaving on step one and moving to step 2, conferencing going back to one, conferencing and then returning to the learning environment. Then a few minutes later doing something that again interfered with learning (usually that is another name for talking....These are middle school students). In my larger class, there are about five students who choose steps as the alternative to doing class work. At the end of the hour, the student is then supposed to self-evaluate on a scale of 1-4 on whether they have made their day. Four is high 1 is low. It's difficult to get a lesson started because the "expectations" aren't being heard, and the concern is that students are choosing to fail rather than do work. My other concern is that with a large class and no where to go while on steps, steps becomes part of the problem. I feel that I am loosing control of this class, and it's driving me a little batty this week.
may i be blessed with the wisdom of compassion and the strength to meet expectations
At my school, there is a behavior plan called"make your day." No it is not some Clint Eastwood inspired spaghetti western version of classroom rules, it is a plan that is supposed to create an atmosphere of respect for the learning, well-being, and safety of all students. Notice the catch phrases?....Any way when a student "interferes" with one of these area of concern they are sent on steps. Step one is to go sit facing away from the class (for about five minutes for first offenses, twenty minutes for the second offence...Or basically the whole class period in my class), step two to stand up, three to concentrate on the rules and figure out if you wish to move to step four, step four to be sent to the office to call home for an immediate conference with parents, teacher, student and an administrator. So far okay, at each step the teacher conferences with the student before they can move back down the steps. (no conference on the way up). I have a few students who have started to excel in the step Olympics. ... Going to step one, misbehaving on step one and moving to step 2, conferencing going back to one, conferencing and then returning to the learning environment. Then a few minutes later doing something that again interfered with learning (usually that is another name for talking....These are middle school students). In my larger class, there are about five students who choose steps as the alternative to doing class work. At the end of the hour, the student is then supposed to self-evaluate on a scale of 1-4 on whether they have made their day. Four is high 1 is low. It's difficult to get a lesson started because the "expectations" aren't being heard, and the concern is that students are choosing to fail rather than do work. My other concern is that with a large class and no where to go while on steps, steps becomes part of the problem. I feel that I am loosing control of this class, and it's driving me a little batty this week.
may i be blessed with the wisdom of compassion and the strength to meet expectations
Sunday, October 22
Not school at all
This week, my family has been having a long email discussion on crew and rowing. On of my nieces is starting to row in college and she innocently asked for family info on who had rowed. Although there are those in my family who have rowed all through college and masters, my rowing experience was limited to fall and winter of my freshman year in college.
There is a sleekness in the design of the crew shell that is sexy. The camaraderie of the boat as you tie in and count down your seat. The leap of excitement at the start and the pull through the middle of the race in the power strokes. And then crossing the finish line into a glide.
One of my favorite memories in a freshman four with cox was finishing a glide at the north end of Lake Samish in a early autumn morning. The mist on the lake and steam from sweating bodies rising, the perfect stillness broken only by the ripples of the shell and the drip from the oars, and watching a bald eagle dive for a lake trout and take to flight.
may your memories bring you blessing
Wednesday, October 18
bits and pieces
The weekend...short summary, drove to the eastern part of the state to visit with one of my sisters. We worked out most of Saturday, went home after church on Sunday. Twelve hours of driving (about 620 miles). For the last two days I have been subbing in the morning and doing my regular job in the afternoon. The morning job is as the music teacher at an elementary school. This week the students have the "dance dude" teaching dance during a combined P.E./music class. Throughout the day the grade level classes come in and learn dances for about 35 minutes. For me that means 2 and 1/2 hours of electric slide, west coast swing, and the Virginia reel ( and a few others I can't remember the name of....oh yeah, kindies are learning the macarena)' I am beat! Yesterday, when i got home I got something to eat and then the low blood sugar kicked in and I needed to doze for about half an hour. Today i was smarter and actually brought lunch, so I'm fine.
My regular kids in the afternoon were pills. Talking while getting started, talking while lining up, talking during points. They had had a sub for the two hours before they met with me and were wound up. We practiced lining up three times before they got it right. And it's mid-terms already so I'm meeting with kids who are behind and giving them until Friday to turn in missing work. One assignment can raise a grade from an F to a C, hopefully they will have the missing work. I need to do some real lesson planning today, one of my classes switched books so i need to see what it's all about.
be blessed even in the busy-ness of the day
My regular kids in the afternoon were pills. Talking while getting started, talking while lining up, talking during points. They had had a sub for the two hours before they met with me and were wound up. We practiced lining up three times before they got it right. And it's mid-terms already so I'm meeting with kids who are behind and giving them until Friday to turn in missing work. One assignment can raise a grade from an F to a C, hopefully they will have the missing work. I need to do some real lesson planning today, one of my classes switched books so i need to see what it's all about.
be blessed even in the busy-ness of the day
Monday, October 16
Soup Day!
I didn't know that today was going to be quite as long as it turned out. So technically i have been working for a week now, but there are a lot of things that I haven't learned or have never seen.
I went in early because i needed to get some books ready, finish entering in some grades before mid-term comes and goes (only really important for the student who has a "D"or "F"), and then catch up on copying things now that I have a copier code. I wasn't planning on being in at 7:30 and not taking off after a couple hours, I wasn't planning on staying at school until a little after four in the afternoon, wasn't planning on working quite as hard as today.
When 11:30 and first lunch rolled around I realized that carrot sticks and a nectarine were not going to do it. But what I hadn't remembered is that today was soup day. Big pots of hearty beef barley and chicken noodle were in the staff room with rolls and some cookies for desert. Exactly what a rainy Monday needed. I had my lunch and enjoyed not doing something for all of 20 minutes before I was off and running again. I was able to get so much done today that tomorrow subbing as a music teacher in the morning should be pretty easy.
I feel blessed by soup, today
I went in early because i needed to get some books ready, finish entering in some grades before mid-term comes and goes (only really important for the student who has a "D"or "F"), and then catch up on copying things now that I have a copier code. I wasn't planning on being in at 7:30 and not taking off after a couple hours, I wasn't planning on staying at school until a little after four in the afternoon, wasn't planning on working quite as hard as today.
When 11:30 and first lunch rolled around I realized that carrot sticks and a nectarine were not going to do it. But what I hadn't remembered is that today was soup day. Big pots of hearty beef barley and chicken noodle were in the staff room with rolls and some cookies for desert. Exactly what a rainy Monday needed. I had my lunch and enjoyed not doing something for all of 20 minutes before I was off and running again. I was able to get so much done today that tomorrow subbing as a music teacher in the morning should be pretty easy.
I feel blessed by soup, today
Monday, October 9
Because I do not hope to turn again
My mom died ten years ago, so in her honor I borrow from
Ash Wednesday (excerpts) T.S. Eliot
And pray to God to have mercy upon us
And I pray that I may forget
These matters that with myself I too much discuss
Too much explain
Because I do not hope to turn again
Let these words answer…
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still.
Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain,
spirit of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated
And let my cry come unto to Thee.
blessed are those who mourn
An every day job!
I was finishing up for the day, one of my students was checking the points that the students do daily, when the principal walked in. First thought, this better not be bad news or I don't think I will be able to regain my composure with students still in the classroom. Instead he tells me that the district office had just called and they were offering me the .4 ELL position that I had been subbing for the last three weeks. I have an every day job!
And now you're wondering what .4 means. exactly like the math tells you 4/10 of a full time job. Full time would be a 1.0. the job is only in the afternoon, so i will still be subbing half days in the morning (hopefully 2-3 times a week). I will be teaching two classes of middle school students in sheltered English Language Acquisition. One class is 7th graders, mostly boys, mostly Hispanic. The other class is sixth, seventh and eighth graders, almost evenly split girls and boys, and almost evenly split Russian/Ukraine and Hispanic.
The cool thing is I will be teaching at a school within walking distance from where i live. I'm already thinking that it will be nice to walk to work a couple of days a week. So I have to wait for the rest of the paperwork stuff to get completed, I have informed my other district that i can only work mornings and re-arranged my schedule so that I won't be stepping on anyone's toes. That means some of my math assignments will have to be cancelled...sadness.
I am blessed
And now you're wondering what .4 means. exactly like the math tells you 4/10 of a full time job. Full time would be a 1.0. the job is only in the afternoon, so i will still be subbing half days in the morning (hopefully 2-3 times a week). I will be teaching two classes of middle school students in sheltered English Language Acquisition. One class is 7th graders, mostly boys, mostly Hispanic. The other class is sixth, seventh and eighth graders, almost evenly split girls and boys, and almost evenly split Russian/Ukraine and Hispanic.
The cool thing is I will be teaching at a school within walking distance from where i live. I'm already thinking that it will be nice to walk to work a couple of days a week. So I have to wait for the rest of the paperwork stuff to get completed, I have informed my other district that i can only work mornings and re-arranged my schedule so that I won't be stepping on anyone's toes. That means some of my math assignments will have to be cancelled...sadness.
I am blessed
Thursday, October 5
Best Practices? Huh?
Today i had planned to have leisurely morning of a walk, then going into work after a small lunch, to be followed by an interview for an ESL job.
WRONG! The leisurely part was only beginning because i slept in to 6:45 and I was ready to go for the walk all I needed was to put the shoes on and grab my keys when the phone rang. I almost let it go but noticed it was one of my school districts so i answered. Could i come in as soon as possible to cover for a special ed. class. I thought for maybe ten seconds before answering I would be there in ten or fifteen minutes. Now you think I am some kind of wonderful to change, get out the door, and drive to a school. First off the school is only a mile and a half away. I had already figured out what I would wear to the interview and made only a minor adjustment since i wouldn't be coming back home to freshen up. Then thought about image (it is everything isn't it? i mean that's what all the commercials are trying to sell us) and grabbed a little warpaint and the travel toothbrush and headed out.....forgetting a hairbrush, by the way.
School. I was glad that I had wonderful para-educators for the special ed. The kids were fairly well-behaved (it helps when they recognize you) but by lunch I was starting to wilt. Did I mention the small headcold (yes, I did.) I stayed with the morning group until a replacement could be brought in and I could go to my semi-regular classes. I had prepared while babysitting last night (not that I had the materials, only that I had done the prep work mentally) and had even corrected homework that I could discuss with them before starting a writing assignment. Made it through the rest of the afternoon and am getting ready to leave and go to the interview when the secretary stops me and ask, "What do you know about 'best practices'?" Huh? I'm thinking she's talking in some new anagram and literally stop in my tracks. We call a few teachers, talk to some others before i figure out she's talking about teaching practices/styles for optimal student performance. So with a few crib notes I rush to fix my hair and check my face before driving on the interview.
I'm on time. And strangely the interview team are not district higher ups but the principal and vice-principal of the school where I have been working. The job is the one I have been subbing the past three weeks (long/short someone else hired quit after meeting people first day) but i had been told that the hiring/interviewing would be done by someone else, so this was not meeting my expectations. This school is very big on stating and meeting expectations. The interview was over in ten minutes (thankfully, I did not start hacking and coughing) and now the real wait begins. Until then, I'm subbing for the same afternoon classes that might be mine in the future.
blessing on those who persevere.
WRONG! The leisurely part was only beginning because i slept in to 6:45 and I was ready to go for the walk all I needed was to put the shoes on and grab my keys when the phone rang. I almost let it go but noticed it was one of my school districts so i answered. Could i come in as soon as possible to cover for a special ed. class. I thought for maybe ten seconds before answering I would be there in ten or fifteen minutes. Now you think I am some kind of wonderful to change, get out the door, and drive to a school. First off the school is only a mile and a half away. I had already figured out what I would wear to the interview and made only a minor adjustment since i wouldn't be coming back home to freshen up. Then thought about image (it is everything isn't it? i mean that's what all the commercials are trying to sell us) and grabbed a little warpaint and the travel toothbrush and headed out.....forgetting a hairbrush, by the way.
School. I was glad that I had wonderful para-educators for the special ed. The kids were fairly well-behaved (it helps when they recognize you) but by lunch I was starting to wilt. Did I mention the small headcold (yes, I did.) I stayed with the morning group until a replacement could be brought in and I could go to my semi-regular classes. I had prepared while babysitting last night (not that I had the materials, only that I had done the prep work mentally) and had even corrected homework that I could discuss with them before starting a writing assignment. Made it through the rest of the afternoon and am getting ready to leave and go to the interview when the secretary stops me and ask, "What do you know about 'best practices'?" Huh? I'm thinking she's talking in some new anagram and literally stop in my tracks. We call a few teachers, talk to some others before i figure out she's talking about teaching practices/styles for optimal student performance. So with a few crib notes I rush to fix my hair and check my face before driving on the interview.
I'm on time. And strangely the interview team are not district higher ups but the principal and vice-principal of the school where I have been working. The job is the one I have been subbing the past three weeks (long/short someone else hired quit after meeting people first day) but i had been told that the hiring/interviewing would be done by someone else, so this was not meeting my expectations. This school is very big on stating and meeting expectations. The interview was over in ten minutes (thankfully, I did not start hacking and coughing) and now the real wait begins. Until then, I'm subbing for the same afternoon classes that might be mine in the future.
blessing on those who persevere.
Sunday, October 1
head in the clouds or a cold in the head?
I don't know about you, but when the weather is changeable I get very restless. Can't sleep, feel slightly congested, my ears get clogged....that was yesterday. I had the sinking suspicion that this wasn't my normal night of no sleep...no I was fearing the first of the dreaded student contact head cold.
The week ended well with me being called to interview for a job that i have been for which I have been subbing since the second week of school (perhaps the call would have come earlier in the week if the person who reviews the files had been in). Yes, that's right I may have a regular job...well not too regular it's not full time, but before I digress into a different story, the weekend begins and I am feeling sluggish. I get out for a walk on one of the local trails but I am not feeling the usual energy boost after I finish. I feel congested, like I have been drinking red wine, like being on an international flight with recycled air, like i have been trimming ivy (I have a slight allergic reaction to cut ivy, go figure)....and then I sneeze.
I have a friend who sneezes when she walks out into sunlight, but that's not me. This seemed to be the kind of sneeze that might require some thing a little more than a back swipe with the sleeve (I know, gross). So i start thinking about where I put the extra box of tissues, do I have any day time cold medicine and why is it i got into a profession where there are hundreds of kids who haven't thought the least about bringing their own tissues to school or washing their hands after hacking away. Oh, and one of the teachers I work with was complaining on Friday how she was feeling the malaise...I am doomed, doomed i tell you.
Today, went to church, came home and crashed on the couch with a blanket around me. Maybe i should get that chicken soup ready.
blessed is he who has regard for the weak
The week ended well with me being called to interview for a job that i have been for which I have been subbing since the second week of school (perhaps the call would have come earlier in the week if the person who reviews the files had been in). Yes, that's right I may have a regular job...well not too regular it's not full time, but before I digress into a different story, the weekend begins and I am feeling sluggish. I get out for a walk on one of the local trails but I am not feeling the usual energy boost after I finish. I feel congested, like I have been drinking red wine, like being on an international flight with recycled air, like i have been trimming ivy (I have a slight allergic reaction to cut ivy, go figure)....and then I sneeze.
I have a friend who sneezes when she walks out into sunlight, but that's not me. This seemed to be the kind of sneeze that might require some thing a little more than a back swipe with the sleeve (I know, gross). So i start thinking about where I put the extra box of tissues, do I have any day time cold medicine and why is it i got into a profession where there are hundreds of kids who haven't thought the least about bringing their own tissues to school or washing their hands after hacking away. Oh, and one of the teachers I work with was complaining on Friday how she was feeling the malaise...I am doomed, doomed i tell you.
Today, went to church, came home and crashed on the couch with a blanket around me. Maybe i should get that chicken soup ready.
blessed is he who has regard for the weak
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