Quote to remember

I would prefer, because of coaching, to do it (tech training) during the school day. So we'll take some time off to do it. If nothing else I will flat-out cancel a day of school.

~From my superintendent during a meeting regarding training teachers on how to maintain the school website

Inappropriate

A few things that I want to share publicly, but not....

If you expect students to attend your school, have a schedule made for them even if they don't have all the paperwork in.

If a teacher is in class, don't interrupt unless you really need to.

And do not interrupt to ask if it's possible to put another person in their trailer.

Especially not if there are other units not being used.

And don't respond with, "Your reluctance is noted," and then immediately ask the same teacher's current housemate.

It's just not appropriate.

Thank you.

Don't like changes

I stopped by my assistant principal's office this morning to talk about when I should schedule my final. (Given that I don't expect students to be around that last week of school....)

Found out that he's not going to be here next year. Supposed to keep it quiet, but he's turned in his resignation letter today.

He's made this year bearable. Students love him. Not that he's perfect, but that he's been AMAZING to work with this year. I'm gonna miss him....

Cheese please. (To go with my whine.)

There are times when I feel like the school's picking on me. Many times. Far too often. I want to say, "You're a jerk. And I'm not as bad as you make me out to be." But have to respond more diplomatically.
There's the feeling of, "If you don't like me this much, if I'm this evil or whatever, just go ahead and fire me. It'd be a relief for me not to have to worry about this more. Screw yourselves over--the other teacher in my department won't last long without me here. But stop messing with me."

I try to limit the feeling. But there are times. And today is one of those times.

I try to remember that it's the students who are the real victims in this mess.

Try to hold on the the belief that people take their insecurities out on me because my demographics (first year teacher from the outside) make me vulnerable.

Try not to pass my insecurities on to the students.

Try to persevere.

The trick is caught between the determination not to quit with the hope of enough of an excuse for an out.

Distractions from the past are amazing

Today was a rough day with admin at at school. (Which I'm not going to explain now. Really I should be lesson planning.) But when I came home, one of my professors from last year had e-mailed me asking if this one talk being given is using the same data set as my senior thesis.

It is.

So now, I'm looking up more stuff that's come out recently using my dataset and really missing the thesis and kind of wishing I was going to grad school next year, even though I don't know where I should go nor exactly I want to study.

Missing that thesis needed to be shared with someone. I couldn't decide who, so now it's all of you faithful readers.

Maybe it's not fair to imitate students, but it's so tempting sometimes

Dear Person,

All I want for Christmas is students who want to learn. It'd be even better if they have basic skills, like how to address a letter; how to spell words like "juss," "cud," and "divid" correctly; how to multiply 2 times 4 without looking at a multiplication table or needing to correct themselves; "and how to sit in a little, uncomfortable desk for nearly half a day." I'm not asking that they even know the stuff I tried to teach this semester, just that they're at a point where they can learn it (and everything else) next semester. That'll be a miracle enough.

If you're feeling extra generous, toss in some extra organization for my school. Make the scheduling nightmares be fixed. Pull something out of your bag of tricks that will help the administration gain the staff's trust. Because the chaotic, all-day registration where no one knows what's going on or what's really required for graduation just made everyone grouchy.

Could you also give the resource room aides the background knowledge to be able to tutor the students in whatever we're teaching them? Provide them with lots of extra examples (worked out because the students can't seem to copy them from the board) of problems like 7/10 + 3/5. Because I don't have the time or patience to teach the adults who interrupt me as I'm trying to do something with the rest of my class. It'd be a great present, really.

Any extra materials you have for teaching could be amazing too. I have the new computer waiting at home, but an LCD projector with wireless remote sounds powerful. Textbooks for Algebra, I'm not even sure I can dream that far. Posters for my room, because I'm not an interior decorator (and if they're the ones students do for extra credit, all the better).

Finally, lots of strength for my fellow teachers and myself. Physical. Mental. Emotional. Spiritual. Psychological. And any other aspect that I'm too tired to think of right now. Book deals for our stories when we come out of here (at least for those who have time to write). And some extra entertainment in the meantime.

Thanks!

~Me

day 1.1

Labeled thus, because while today was the first day with students in the school, I'm not sure it gets to count as the first day. We don't have class schedules figured out yet. It's kinda crazy. Still, I feel bamboozled, so it's off to bed.

hopefully tomorrow will be better

Officially figured out that the reason MY computer's not working right now is because the power cord died. I'm on a rigged up school computer for now. Hope I can get a good computer (either of my own or from the school) soon. But we'll see. Really want to wait until the new mac os comes out. Maybe I'll break down and buy a new computer cord.

Have realized, yet again, how much Firefox changed my internet habits. I know other browsers now have tabbed browsing, but the IE running on this machine didn't. I couldn't handle it. New windows are too space consuming. Tabs are just pretty.

Moving goes slowly. So much of it seems to be fend for yourself. On the other hand, it has provided a good way to get to know other people. Checking in on how everyone's room is going. How are you holding up? Doing all right? Do you need help getting that through the door? Carrying that? Balancing that on your head as you push the cart? And, after my years as a camp counselor, are you getting enough water? Don't get dehydrated! That's it, next water fountain we pass, you're drinking some more. (Yes, I actually said that. We both got water, too.)

In return, if getting offers for help is any sign of how I'm fitting in here, I feel pretty good. I keep being told of new places where to find more math stuff (not sure books is always appropriate; textbooks, workbooks, manipulatives, some brandnew, some older than I am, some both). People ask if I need a different cart. (I finally gave the one I'd claimed up after cleaning out a room and a modular. I'm not sure what else is left for me to uncover.) When I decided to lay claim to a couple of abandoned 3 ring binders, one teacher pointed me to a BUNCH of others (which becomes a whole other story), and a half-dozen people helped me empty them of old papers. (Which all went in the trash, breaking my recyclable heart, but, you do what you can.) So there's definitely some feeling of goodness in this. Hopefully I can keep seeing that.

someday i will look back and know what's going on

It's interesting how I can't really get a straight story here. There's so much politics. Naturally people outside of the school warn me to stay away from the politics, but I don't really think that's possible. I just wish I knew more of the backstory on different situations. If I ask enough different people, I can triangulate decently. But I still don't know why the administration warned new staff not to attend tonight's meeting. Or even what the deal is with who did (and more importantly who did not) have my position before me.