Thanks to Look at my happy rainbow!: Boundin' for giving me a mental kick in the ass. I have been feeling sorry for myself over the past few days because I can't kick this illness. Yesterday the doc told me he still doesn't know what the problem is, but we're going to try a couple of things before doing an MRI.
Anywho, Rainbow's post included a link to Pixar's short "Boundin'."
a. I'm not sure this could be any darn cuter.
b. I need to shake it off and just keep swimming.
c. My attitude is what needs an adjustment more than anything else.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Return
Though getting out of bed was tough today (sub zero temps outside did not help), I did make it to school. I was proud of myself for only being a couple of minutes late (I know, I know...but I figure reversing 12 days of nocturnal living requires a little leeway). I felt pretty good until I went up the stairs. Then I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I made it through today, but will not be at school tomorrow.
On the teaching front, today we started Lit Circles in American Lit. One of the kids who was in reading recovery last year finished The Old Man and the Sea over break, and he was so proud of himself. I think a lot of the kids completed reading their books over break, which both surprised me and didn't. I wasn't sure how much the draw of not having reading homework this week would actually affect their reading over the break. Of course, there are a few who didn't read and won't....today was a little disorganized in terms of the kids getting their feet under themselves and work through their roles. I'm interested to see if the kids will hold each other accountable.
On the speech front, I wound up showing the girls Anna Deveare Smith and Alice Walker. They both liked what I found, so the next step is getting a script and forming a poetry program.
On the teaching front, today we started Lit Circles in American Lit. One of the kids who was in reading recovery last year finished The Old Man and the Sea over break, and he was so proud of himself. I think a lot of the kids completed reading their books over break, which both surprised me and didn't. I wasn't sure how much the draw of not having reading homework this week would actually affect their reading over the break. Of course, there are a few who didn't read and won't....today was a little disorganized in terms of the kids getting their feet under themselves and work through their roles. I'm interested to see if the kids will hold each other accountable.
On the speech front, I wound up showing the girls Anna Deveare Smith and Alice Walker. They both liked what I found, so the next step is getting a script and forming a poetry program.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Oops
One day missed, but I am trying to pick up and start again.
Tomorrow marks the return to school, with only three weekends left until our first speech meet. Tomorrow morning I meet with two of our newbies, and I don't have a piece for either of them. I have a vision of what I want, bu I don't know what that will translate to, and I didn't make it back to the bookstore to find anything (I managed to avoid the siren call of the stores after the holiday, even on Boxing Day).
I hate not being ready for the girls, but not as much as I hate being behind in my grading.
I've now contracted my husband's cold on top of my pre-existing lurgy, so the thought of being upright all day tomorrow is not pleasurable. I'm hoping the doctor will be able to tell me more tomorrow.
Tomorrow marks the return to school, with only three weekends left until our first speech meet. Tomorrow morning I meet with two of our newbies, and I don't have a piece for either of them. I have a vision of what I want, bu I don't know what that will translate to, and I didn't make it back to the bookstore to find anything (I managed to avoid the siren call of the stores after the holiday, even on Boxing Day).
I hate not being ready for the girls, but not as much as I hate being behind in my grading.
I've now contracted my husband's cold on top of my pre-existing lurgy, so the thought of being upright all day tomorrow is not pleasurable. I'm hoping the doctor will be able to tell me more tomorrow.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Day 1, 2010
Going to try out NaBloPoMo.
I'm still not at my best, whatever the theme may be, but I have cleaned 75% of my house for the annual shindig that's tomorrow.
This afternoon is more cleaning, some cooking with the Mutti and OM, and probably going to see The Young Victoria. I don't know when I last saw a movie, and I'm looking forward to this one in particular. I know a fair amount about the results of the Victorian Age, but not so much about the lady herself, other than she really loved Albert and liked to dedicate things to him.
As usual, I have squandered my Winter Break spending time with the fam, reading mind-candy and playing on the interwebs; not a single piece of student work graded, but I'm having trouble feeling guilt or will to do them.
I'm still not at my best, whatever the theme may be, but I have cleaned 75% of my house for the annual shindig that's tomorrow.
This afternoon is more cleaning, some cooking with the Mutti and OM, and probably going to see The Young Victoria. I don't know when I last saw a movie, and I'm looking forward to this one in particular. I know a fair amount about the results of the Victorian Age, but not so much about the lady herself, other than she really loved Albert and liked to dedicate things to him.
As usual, I have squandered my Winter Break spending time with the fam, reading mind-candy and playing on the interwebs; not a single piece of student work graded, but I'm having trouble feeling guilt or will to do them.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Oy
I have been sick now for more than a week. Not the push-through-it kind of sick, either. The have-to-get-a-ride-to-and-from-school-to-work-at-all kind of sick.
I've been eating up sick days, and the most I'm able to accomplish in a day is writing lesson plans for a substitute teacher OR teaching. Last week I went in a couple of days, and one day I was a complete mess, which the kids enjoyed, but...oy. Not a single kid left the room without learning that day, but as for learning about the novel, eh.
The worst part is missing the kids. I'm planning for them pretty intensively so that they continue to move forward without me, but I really hate not seeing how they are doing and being able to ready them in person. I went back last week to absolutely glowing notes for them, which does help.
I feel my brain rotting by the DIY TV hour. My husband is ready to kill me: I can barely do a load of laundry (my chore) without needing to lay down, I'm pretty sure I smell bad, he's been waiting on me since I got sick, and now he is sick, too.
I've been eating up sick days, and the most I'm able to accomplish in a day is writing lesson plans for a substitute teacher OR teaching. Last week I went in a couple of days, and one day I was a complete mess, which the kids enjoyed, but...oy. Not a single kid left the room without learning that day, but as for learning about the novel, eh.
The worst part is missing the kids. I'm planning for them pretty intensively so that they continue to move forward without me, but I really hate not seeing how they are doing and being able to ready them in person. I went back last week to absolutely glowing notes for them, which does help.
I feel my brain rotting by the DIY TV hour. My husband is ready to kill me: I can barely do a load of laundry (my chore) without needing to lay down, I'm pretty sure I smell bad, he's been waiting on me since I got sick, and now he is sick, too.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Procrastination Station
It's amazing to me that I am able to rate my undesirable tasks in such a way that I finish a number of "white goldfish" (not whales) that I've been trotting about with, while never finishing the one I set out to complete.
For example, tonight I renewed a prescription online, photocopied my car title for my refinancing paperwork, and found cocktail recipes for my grandma's Christmas party next weekend. I'm now considering whether I would rather write a test on Modernist American short stories or grade Lord of the Flies essay tests. At school this evening, I worked on unit objectives rather than lesson planning; I made myself leave my planning materials at school so I would only have the tests to deal with, but now the interwebs are oh, so attractive, and there is still that test to write.
Where does it end?
For example, tonight I renewed a prescription online, photocopied my car title for my refinancing paperwork, and found cocktail recipes for my grandma's Christmas party next weekend. I'm now considering whether I would rather write a test on Modernist American short stories or grade Lord of the Flies essay tests. At school this evening, I worked on unit objectives rather than lesson planning; I made myself leave my planning materials at school so I would only have the tests to deal with, but now the interwebs are oh, so attractive, and there is still that test to write.
Where does it end?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Since Teachers Get Paid Sooooooo Much
Mrs. Mimi brought this ridiculousness to my attention (original article).
Apparently, teacher's compensation is so out of control that districts are trying to claim a right to funds teachers earn by selling their lesson plans. Below, I respond to comments on the article, as well as comments on Mrs. Mimi's post.
Without specifically stating it in the contract, the districts don't have a leg to stand on.
The professor on the article upset me. I'm still physically ill at his reaction, actually.
While some college professors split intellectual property rights with their college, it's not as if any and all work they produce becomes automatically and permanently the possession of the university. In addition, those professors are frequently publishing the products of their work at the university, e.g. experiments and research, which is actually what they are there for--for some, teaching is something they have to do to support their research.
If lesson plans aren't the intellectual property of teachers, then let's seriously consider work to rule. Counting an hour of lesson planning a day (with my previous experience and curriculum I created at previous schools) along with my English teacher's paper load, I wind up with at least 10 hours of work that cannot be completed in 40 hours a week. I'm not interested in trying to remember if I wrote a quiz at 8am, 3.20pm, or 4pm. Let's just say it comes out in the wash.
What about the lesson plans I wrote to fill requirements in my Master's program and then used in my classroom? Do I get no cut, since the university should get half and the district should get half?
It's important to remember that teachers are being paid to teach--the product is kids who know what we were supposed to teach, not lesson plans. If I were being paid to produce lesson plans and not to teach, I would have far less stress in my life! Also, I could probably teach by regurgitating whatever Houghton Mifflin the district shelled out for, and kids probably could still learn. To me, this means that the work I decide to spend time on is mine.
Jimminy, I'm getting carried away.
Apparently, teacher's compensation is so out of control that districts are trying to claim a right to funds teachers earn by selling their lesson plans. Below, I respond to comments on the article, as well as comments on Mrs. Mimi's post.
Without specifically stating it in the contract, the districts don't have a leg to stand on.
The professor on the article upset me. I'm still physically ill at his reaction, actually.
While some college professors split intellectual property rights with their college, it's not as if any and all work they produce becomes automatically and permanently the possession of the university. In addition, those professors are frequently publishing the products of their work at the university, e.g. experiments and research, which is actually what they are there for--for some, teaching is something they have to do to support their research.
If lesson plans aren't the intellectual property of teachers, then let's seriously consider work to rule. Counting an hour of lesson planning a day (with my previous experience and curriculum I created at previous schools) along with my English teacher's paper load, I wind up with at least 10 hours of work that cannot be completed in 40 hours a week. I'm not interested in trying to remember if I wrote a quiz at 8am, 3.20pm, or 4pm. Let's just say it comes out in the wash.
What about the lesson plans I wrote to fill requirements in my Master's program and then used in my classroom? Do I get no cut, since the university should get half and the district should get half?
It's important to remember that teachers are being paid to teach--the product is kids who know what we were supposed to teach, not lesson plans. If I were being paid to produce lesson plans and not to teach, I would have far less stress in my life! Also, I could probably teach by regurgitating whatever Houghton Mifflin the district shelled out for, and kids probably could still learn. To me, this means that the work I decide to spend time on is mine.
Jimminy, I'm getting carried away.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ridiculosity
Remember how my projector bulb blew? Well, apparently the district has already purchased a whopping two new bulbs for our building and I am just too darn late to hop on that particular gravy train. Awesome.
Also, the administration's response to complaints about room sharing, no place to prep in, etc. is to say that none of us will be able to have a room of our own at all next year. Perfect.
A parent of a student in my honors class thought an appropriate response to "your child is currently failing because he has not turned in the last three assignments" was "he says all her friends are failing, too." Sensible.
When a student asked me to write out her missing assignments for her for the third time and I asked her where the last list was, her response was to walk away saying, "I'm going to fail English because my teacher won't tell me what I'm missing." Delightful.
Also, the administration's response to complaints about room sharing, no place to prep in, etc. is to say that none of us will be able to have a room of our own at all next year. Perfect.
A parent of a student in my honors class thought an appropriate response to "your child is currently failing because he has not turned in the last three assignments" was "he says all her friends are failing, too." Sensible.
When a student asked me to write out her missing assignments for her for the third time and I asked her where the last list was, her response was to walk away saying, "I'm going to fail English because my teacher won't tell me what I'm missing." Delightful.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Approaching the land of grading hell
Eight school days left of the term and approximately 110 papers to grade in that time, not including re-writes. Here I am again, not only behind the eight-ball in terms of grading with two class sets turned in so far and three, COUNT 'EM, THREE graded.
Boohoo.
Choosing a rewarding job that cannot be completed during the duty day kinda stinks sometimes.
Boohoo.
Choosing a rewarding job that cannot be completed during the duty day kinda stinks sometimes.
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