Everyone needs a little reminder....

Dr. Rebecca Branstetter, who blogs on Notes from the School Psychologist, gave some excellent advice over the weekend in the first of a series on the things we've heard but never seem to remember, Did You See The Memo About...Interventions?  I love this advice coming at the beginning of the school year, when I know I am so excited about buying new pens and learning the kids names that sometimes I forget things that I've known since I was a wee new teacher, like documentation of interventions.

"I know the referrals come from a place of caring for the student and wanting to see progress. But let’s not be surprised when students have no intervention and do not progress. Friends, it’s not that your school psychologist doesn’t want to test the student for a disability, it’s that s/he doesn’t have any evidence that the problem can’t be remediated with a decent targeted intervention."

Filing this one in the little brain card-catalog drawer named "Durr, MIKD, Remember to Keep Your Head In the Game" (Isn't it weird that a diginative like me still has a card-catalog up there?  Probably left over from when I used to lovingly pat the one at the public library when I was little.).

Hot Child in the City

It's hard to believe that July is over and I'll be back to work in a month with all of my rock-star colleagues.  I lost June to work and travel, one of which was painful and drawn out and the other went to quickly, even though I was homesick toward the end.  I'll let you guess which is which.

Yesterday I met with a colleague who will also be teaching Honors 10 this year to plan.  With the schedule change, it's a little tougher to figure out the flow, but I'm looking forward to having more time with the kids.  One of the things I'm focused on is front-loading community building so we all still like each other by the end of the year.  We're planning our studies around the theme "Defining Identity."

Right now I'm listening to the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us while I'm in the car.  While the end of the book focuses in on how to apply motivation theory to kids (I'm still wrapping up that section and didn't have to drive anywhere today), what's got me wound up is how totally wrong-headed performance pay is.  AArgh!  Even monkeys don't like to do puzzles for raisins.

And a deep breath out....

Yesterday was the last day with kids.  We have one more day of workshop.  I think I can.  For the third year in a row, I have packed up my entire G-D classroom.

Despite my poor time management over the last weeks, finding a girl who turned in the term's two papers on Wednesday had copied another student's paper, and having a rude mother decide that her child needed an extension to raise the child's grade from a B, I did not cry today.  However, after a near meltdown with my friend-friend, I did jump into something that will be a huge departure for me if it works out.  Such a huge departure, in fact, that I can't tell you what it is because then my sneaky-sneak anonymity would be totally blown.

I got my grades done, but didn't get checked out today.  I'm trying to get someone to help me pick up my boxes this weekend.

The End is Near

Today I stayed at school until 7:30 to finish grading the kids' Close Reading essays.  I grade using turnitin.com, so the kids will actually be able to see their grades tonight.

I still have to grade tests, independent reading projects, and two essays' worth of rewrites before grades are due Friday afternoon.

O, I also have to pack up every single damn thing in my classroom for the third year in a row.  Hopefully there won't be a flood this time.

Now, I am going to bed, because the idea of actually sitting up straight is making me cry on the inside and moan a little on the outside.

Law...& Order?

Who else watched the season/series Finale of Law & Order last night?  (Can you believe they actually canceled it?  I feel like we must be approaching the apocalypse or something.)

Anyway, the episode was called "Rubber Room,"and does, in fact go to those infamous "bad teacher"zoos.  It goes through teachers' nightmares, as well as the nightmares of the parents who entrust their children to those teachers.  We teachers.

The real villain in the story was the system--administrations afraid of being sued, unions standing in the way of justice, and a system that makes teachers choose between their honor and their paycheck.

The actual "villain" is a teacher, a blog-writing teacher no less, who sinks into a dangerous depression after being humiliated in front of a classroom of ninth graders and being falsely accused of child molestation, which of course lands him in a rubber room.

The victims in the tragedy are unclear.  The kids?  The teachers?  The society that has no idea what's going on?

I just see one more example that no one gets the whole story, and people who aren't in the classroom have trouble telling truth from fiction.

How many?

Definitely thought it was Monday all day today.  And nearly left my car running in the parking lot.

With sixteen days left of the year, the seniors and juniors have CHECKED. OUT.  Never mind that sixteen days is more than a quarter of the term, and if they fail my class they will not graduate.  Never mind that I ask them about their missing work once a week.  Never mind that there are only eight kids in a class of twenty-eight who have turned in every assignment, which is, oh, wait, REQUIRED TO EARN CREDIT.

Never mind that I got this email today:

"[Child]-You need to speak with this teacher!  You told me you would take care of this last week!  This is completely unacceptable!"  

One must love"reply all," no?

Or this one last week:

"...I have to work nights,so I missed conferences..... I guess I am wondering if effort is considered? [Kiddo] is really anxious every night before and morning of these speeches. She got help for her speech, she got up early and had me iron her new clothes, she had me go over chocolate cookie recipes. As a family we gave suggestions for her bag speech. I want you to know how nervous  she gets for your class. She hates getting up in front of people. I know it's great for her! She just doesn't know that yet! I  Loved speech as a student! I loved to rebuttle anyone! I think you should give [Kiddo] a little more credit when she does do her speeches,she is giving that part her all! She has avxiety attacks before she ocmes in for a speech. It's hard to watch as a parent.She comes iv though. I kvow she has skipped a few days of a speech.I get on her....

[Kiddo] was involved iv gifted and talented summer classes here in [Our Fair City] as a youth. She played [sports], avd she got [X Recognition] of the year at church for being spiritually kivd,good at building and well versed in bible. she has a good family support system. I know my communication isn't great with you,She is 18 and I am on her all the time.Her sisters are doin great at school ! It's a bit of a good thing and hard for [Kiddo]. She isn't quite sure who she is yet.

She was top 3% in math and reading all through k--8th grade. This all changed with age and friends,peer pressure. She is very smart and big hearted. She will do wonderful things out of high school! I just want her to get that diploma !

I have talked with her, she said she has assignnments she will get turned in to you. She said you have a good relationship . I will be fine if she  gets a d iv this class. I know that sounds horrible to a passionate teacher . [Kiddo] is just ready to be done with school and go to work in the family business.... She is a very smart young woman, who is just pulling her weight and lazy at doing her work ! She used to get by with A's on tests and skipping through the pre-work. This was changed to ,no tests unless your homework was done. This is when [Kiddo] started getting bad grades.

I also don't know if your aware she attends night school all year as well to make up for low credits while doing [alternative program] for a year. I let her try that to see if it would help her interest or efforts in school.It didn't.I sent her back to public and it is all she can do to try and get through this year.

She also struggles with [malady]. She is going to be okay as we keep communication open at our house, and have our faith to rely on. I didn't know if you knew or not ,but she has [another issue]. She has a hard time sleeping and then concentrating. She is [receiving care]. I realize she misses school alot . We push and push her in this area. It's really hard for us to see her not use her full potential.

I know she will pull out of this funk once school is out! She is 18, very smart and ready to be done with school. My brother went through same exact thing and is now a multi millionaire avd a pilot,owvs huvdreds of realestate avd is working onan invention...!! I just need her to pass this class!

She has assured me she will finish her work. Will you let me know if it isn't done by this week?

Best, [Kiddo's Papa]
p.s your concern is greatly appreciated!

I know I'm lucky--these kids (for the most part) are not putzes--they're just trying to rollerblade up a hill without trying.  Maybe if I keep pushing, they will skate.  I can do it for fourteen more school days, right?  Twelve for the Seniors.

You say goodbye...

I don't even know what to do with myself, lately.  I've had a few buckle-down, get-it-done sessions where I actually finished sets of things.  Other than those, though, I've been twittering about in large loops, finishing little.  I was feeling guilty because I'd had a set of essay tests for a week.  Then I realized I'd had them for TWO weeks.  What a d-bag!

Giggle for Tuesday

Student: "Rararrr!"


"That's dinosaur for I like whatcher wearing!"

Thursday FTW!

Today was Demonstration Speech day.  Hooray!  I got to eat

• peanut butter cookies,
• puppy chow,
• and Snickers salad.

 Up here in Tornado Alley, today was a state-wide drill.  As a student went to help our student who is blind, he said, "So, Nate, do you want to square dance or walk down on your own?"  If that's not a gracefully way to offer help, I don't know what is.

Tomorrow begins State Speechapalooza and I took the day off for it.  Walking out of school today knowing I wouldn't be back until Monday was positutley delicious.

Break Time

This week I've been on Spring Break, and I've been getting some much needed recuperation.  I've been doing some serious sleeping in, got caught up on laundry, and continued to procrastinate, so my papers are still not graded.

I also saw a nutritionist, so hopefully I will have more energy and be healthier in general.  Tonight I'm going to get the taxes done, and tomorrow I'll spend some time with the Mutti.

Monday is the start of Term 4.  I'll keep my tenth graders and get a new set of Speech/Comm kids.

Saturday was our last regular season Speech meet, and the kids did pretty well.  I'm working on polishing with my kids so that at least rough edges won't keep them out of the running at Sections.  I really want them to do well.  In two weeks we'll invite the community in to see what the kids can do.

I'm ready for a fresh start.