Argh!
I don't like confrontation. I don't like arguing. I try to avoid political discussions like the plague.
I wonder how politically vocal I can be and still be secure in my job. I wish I had taken a class in debate back in my high school days.
I just saw a news article that painted anti-prop 8 protesters as weirdos. Then they quoted pro 8ers saying the stupidest things. This issue is just making me crazy! I can't believe how ready people are to take away equal rights. I hope the courts are ready to strike this down if it passes.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Organizing
Organizing is more than half the battle in my classroom/life.
I can't do any planning in my classroom until I've organized. Yesterday I redid name tags, changed the seating, redid the table point chart, and laid out the reading group materials before I started my lesson plans for the week. I could have worked for another 3 or 4 hours, though there would have been diminishing returns.
An organized room is calming and I do a lot of preplanning in my head as I move desks and clean whiteboards. On the other hand maybe it's an avoidance strategy.
Compared to many of my colleagues' rooms mine is stark. I like a little white space on my walls. I feel overwhelmed by too many art projects, posters, and lists. On the other hand I worry that visitors may think I don't do as much as the other teachers. After all they only know what they see.
We have administrators from the district office observing us now. They want to see the standards and strategies we are working on posted in the room. I haven't figured out how to do that so my students actually benefit from it.
I can't do any planning in my classroom until I've organized. Yesterday I redid name tags, changed the seating, redid the table point chart, and laid out the reading group materials before I started my lesson plans for the week. I could have worked for another 3 or 4 hours, though there would have been diminishing returns.
An organized room is calming and I do a lot of preplanning in my head as I move desks and clean whiteboards. On the other hand maybe it's an avoidance strategy.
Compared to many of my colleagues' rooms mine is stark. I like a little white space on my walls. I feel overwhelmed by too many art projects, posters, and lists. On the other hand I worry that visitors may think I don't do as much as the other teachers. After all they only know what they see.
We have administrators from the district office observing us now. They want to see the standards and strategies we are working on posted in the room. I haven't figured out how to do that so my students actually benefit from it.
Friday, October 24, 2008
anticipation
Yesterday was so long. Multiplication in a Week is labor intensive. No time for recess or lunch. Followed by after school crosswalk duty at what I lovingly call the corner of death. Then a two hour off campus meeting with the cute name Comprehension Club. Yes, that's the official name.
All through my day though was anticipation for our Fall Festival. I volunteered to be in the dunk tank from 6:30 to 7:00. We dunkees had been conferring all week about our misgivings. Still, dunking sounded better to me than pie in the face. I decided to wear my spring suit, which is a wet suit with short sleeves and legs.No white t-shirts, this is a school function!
The tank had bars around the upper half making it look like a cage. The bars protect against wild throws. I had seen them filling the tank earlier in the day. Water straight from the hose. It's not that I expected it to be heated, but seeing the hose made me shiver.
Once it was my turn in the tank I decided to duck in the water before taking my position. I wanted to get the first dunk out of the way. It was cold, but the suit helped a lot. Child after child paid their 4 tickets ($1) for 2 throws. Most didn't even come close to the target. A few hit it so lightly that it didn't release the seat. I started to relax and have fun.
Then I saw him. About 14, tall and lean muscles, baseball cap at a jaunty angle. I knew this was it! Throw and thwap! He missed, but that was a hard throw. The next...Wet, water in my nose, I'm under water and it's a shock! As I climb back on the seat I realize it wasn't so bad. Like most things the anticipation was worse than the reality.
Now I sit on the hot - no the cold seat and wait to be dunked again. And wait, and wait. I shiver and make cheery small talk with my students, parents, and staff as I wait for the next skilled pitcher. Child after child takes their shot. I hope one of my students succeeds, but none do. Then I notice another young teen in line. uh-oh he looks like he plays baseball. Sure enough, down I go. This is when I discover it's warmer to be be in the water than in the evening air evaporating.
I only got dunked one more time. Three dunks in 30 minutes. At 7:00 my 12 hour school day was almost over. I peeled off my wet suit in the staff bathroom and headed home. Now the anticipation was for my hot jacuzzi tub.
All through my day though was anticipation for our Fall Festival. I volunteered to be in the dunk tank from 6:30 to 7:00. We dunkees had been conferring all week about our misgivings. Still, dunking sounded better to me than pie in the face. I decided to wear my spring suit, which is a wet suit with short sleeves and legs.No white t-shirts, this is a school function!
The tank had bars around the upper half making it look like a cage. The bars protect against wild throws. I had seen them filling the tank earlier in the day. Water straight from the hose. It's not that I expected it to be heated, but seeing the hose made me shiver.
Once it was my turn in the tank I decided to duck in the water before taking my position. I wanted to get the first dunk out of the way. It was cold, but the suit helped a lot. Child after child paid their 4 tickets ($1) for 2 throws. Most didn't even come close to the target. A few hit it so lightly that it didn't release the seat. I started to relax and have fun.
Then I saw him. About 14, tall and lean muscles, baseball cap at a jaunty angle. I knew this was it! Throw and thwap! He missed, but that was a hard throw. The next...Wet, water in my nose, I'm under water and it's a shock! As I climb back on the seat I realize it wasn't so bad. Like most things the anticipation was worse than the reality.
Now I sit on the hot - no the cold seat and wait to be dunked again. And wait, and wait. I shiver and make cheery small talk with my students, parents, and staff as I wait for the next skilled pitcher. Child after child takes their shot. I hope one of my students succeeds, but none do. Then I notice another young teen in line. uh-oh he looks like he plays baseball. Sure enough, down I go. This is when I discover it's warmer to be be in the water than in the evening air evaporating.
I only got dunked one more time. Three dunks in 30 minutes. At 7:00 my 12 hour school day was almost over. I peeled off my wet suit in the staff bathroom and headed home. Now the anticipation was for my hot jacuzzi tub.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
There's no crying in third grade
There is no crying in third grade - unless you are the teacher.
That's all.
If I never see another multiplication problem again I will die a happy woman. If I had a nickle for every time I screamed in my head, "Shut up B****!" at my meeting today, I'd at least have a buck to show for attending. If I had time to plan and implement everything they tell me to do at meetings that take up all my planning time...
I want to be a team player, but I don't think we're playing the right game.
That's all.
If I never see another multiplication problem again I will die a happy woman. If I had a nickle for every time I screamed in my head, "Shut up B****!" at my meeting today, I'd at least have a buck to show for attending. If I had time to plan and implement everything they tell me to do at meetings that take up all my planning time...
I want to be a team player, but I don't think we're playing the right game.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Prop. 8 - just say NO
I don't usually like to talk politics. I always feel like others are more informed than I am and that my comments will just fuel the stupidity. I try to be private about my politics and religious opinions. That being said, Prop 8 is pissing me off!
First of all I think we need to really be careful about passing laws that deny rights to some that are granted to others. As a side note, I'm not convinced that felons should lose their right to vote.
I'm against prop. 8. That's not what pisses me off.
What pisses me off is the fear mongering.
One ad actually says gay marriage will become mandatory. What? Do I have to get divorced and marry a woman? Mandatory for who? Yes, the courthouse has to grant gay couples marriage licenses and perform civil services for gay couples.
Churches will not be forced to marry people. Just like a Catholic church does not have to marry a non-catholic couple now. How many lawsuits are there against LDS churches for not marrying Catholics in their temples?!
I teach 3rd grade. I do not "teach marriage" in any form. It is not a California standard. I have not suddenly started teaching same sex marriage now that it is legal. The parents from my classroom do not need to worry that curriculum has or will change. Marriage is not part of the curriculum!
Stay out of my personal life, protect my rights, protect everyone else's rights. Don't use fear in the place of facts to convince me of your issue.
First of all I think we need to really be careful about passing laws that deny rights to some that are granted to others. As a side note, I'm not convinced that felons should lose their right to vote.
I'm against prop. 8. That's not what pisses me off.
What pisses me off is the fear mongering.
One ad actually says gay marriage will become mandatory. What? Do I have to get divorced and marry a woman? Mandatory for who? Yes, the courthouse has to grant gay couples marriage licenses and perform civil services for gay couples.
Churches will not be forced to marry people. Just like a Catholic church does not have to marry a non-catholic couple now. How many lawsuits are there against LDS churches for not marrying Catholics in their temples?!
I teach 3rd grade. I do not "teach marriage" in any form. It is not a California standard. I have not suddenly started teaching same sex marriage now that it is legal. The parents from my classroom do not need to worry that curriculum has or will change. Marriage is not part of the curriculum!
Stay out of my personal life, protect my rights, protect everyone else's rights. Don't use fear in the place of facts to convince me of your issue.
Monday, October 6, 2008
water cooler
I'm a teacher. We don't congregate at the water cooler. Our meeting place is the copy machine. Today was no exception. I ran into my friend who is wrapping up her first trimester as a prego. It started as a "how's it going" quicky conversation and turned into a three-way birthing story. One thing women can always get wrapped up in is their birthing stories. I'm as guilty as the next. It's a time, one of the few, when we are truly the stars in our lives and not supporting players. The problem today was I was in line for the copier and the woman copying was deeply involved in sharing with the nervous newbie to motherhood. I wanted to chat too, share my own fascinating experiences, but I also wanted to copy and go home. I restrained myself and didn't regale them with the wonders of my two births. Finally the stories were done, the copying queue advanced, and my turn at the machine arrived.
It's funny. We talk all day to our students, but we are starved for conversation.
It's funny. We talk all day to our students, but we are starved for conversation.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Busy Week
This has been Fall Break. Fall Break is a week off in the middle of our first trimester. It seems like a ridiculous time to have a break. Nonetheless (love that word) I've enjoyed the time off.
I've done all kinds of chores including having my baby tooth extracted. A creepy bit of work, but now it's done and I can get on with my life.
I had a few realizations about money this week. First, if you don't have medical insurance, you're screwed. I know this isn't news. It was just made very clear to me. We have a new insurance company as of October first. When Gary picked up his two prescriptions they tried to charge him almost $400 because the old insurance denied it and they didn't know about the new insurance. With the insurance information the charge dropped down to about $25. WOW! My mom was in the emergency room a while back. Before insurance the doctor's bill would have been around $800. With Medicare and her private insurance the charge dropped to $17. The second realization came at the car dealership. I had some work done and I realized they just make up how many hours of labor to charge. How can it take 3 1/2 hours to program new keys?! I know it doesn't take 2 1/2 hours to replace an antenna mast.
During the break I also finished some work in the closet. I put up new shelves and discovered I have an embarrassing amount of shoes. I replaced our old smoke detector when I realized the old one wasn't working. I have this fear of dying in an embarrassing way like a fire when the alarm is broken. This paragraph let's you know I have a fear of being embarrassed. It's why I haven't learned a new language.
I've done all kinds of chores including having my baby tooth extracted. A creepy bit of work, but now it's done and I can get on with my life.
I had a few realizations about money this week. First, if you don't have medical insurance, you're screwed. I know this isn't news. It was just made very clear to me. We have a new insurance company as of October first. When Gary picked up his two prescriptions they tried to charge him almost $400 because the old insurance denied it and they didn't know about the new insurance. With the insurance information the charge dropped down to about $25. WOW! My mom was in the emergency room a while back. Before insurance the doctor's bill would have been around $800. With Medicare and her private insurance the charge dropped to $17. The second realization came at the car dealership. I had some work done and I realized they just make up how many hours of labor to charge. How can it take 3 1/2 hours to program new keys?! I know it doesn't take 2 1/2 hours to replace an antenna mast.
During the break I also finished some work in the closet. I put up new shelves and discovered I have an embarrassing amount of shoes. I replaced our old smoke detector when I realized the old one wasn't working. I have this fear of dying in an embarrassing way like a fire when the alarm is broken. This paragraph let's you know I have a fear of being embarrassed. It's why I haven't learned a new language.
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