Thirteen Things about Teaching!!! I have been teaching for years. I have taught with people in places that made me a strong, fabulous teacher. I chose this life, but I firmly believe I was called to teach. This, however,has been the most difficult year I can remember. I have had extraordinary classes in the past. I have had hard classes in the past. This one, this one, however, ranks up there with "when will it ever end?" 1. Most students I teach don't take the time to read directions. They are up in my face before I've got time to take a breath. "What am I supposed to do?" "Have you read the directions?" "Uh, no." 2. Most students I teach would rather die than read. Really. 3. Most students I teach can't string together two coherent sentences. Really. 4. Most students I teach can't recite any multiplication facts. Takes practice. That's hard. Really. 5. Most students I teach would rather cut up in class than learn something that might come in handy this April. Really. 6. Most students I teach are more worldly than I ever was. Really. I was (and still am) the queen of the geeks. 7. Most students I teach don't remember what they learned last year and can't apply it to what we are doing this year. Really. (Does there, they're and their ring a bell?) 8. Most students I teach don't believe in the miracle of Christmas...Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, Christmas carols... it's all a big joke to them. 9. Most students I teach are followers instead of leaders. It's a sad shame, but it is true. Really. 10. Most students I teach haven't had an original thought this entire year. 11. Most students I teach couldn't spell their way out of a paper bag. 12. Most students I teach believe that grades are something I give them instead of something they earn. 13. Most students I teach sat three rows away from the symphony and slept. How many days until Christmas??? Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Check out Santa!!

I can't believe I got Santa to work!! Check out my new clock!! I know it is silly, but if you knew how completely computer illiterate I truly am, you would be thrilled I figured out where to put the code - without the help of PrepGirl- Thank you, very much.

Math pretty much sucked today - but load up the busses, we're going to the symphony. BrownBear has promised NOT to wear bluejeans tomorrow. I would be thrilled if she put on a skirt and tights, but I don't need a blizzard here tomorrow.

Got to run. More lessons to plan. :-)

We Have To Go Back?

I know that the Thanksgiving holiday was a finite thing, but it certainly flew by this time. I still have to figure out what I'm doing in Math tomorrow. Don't anyone say: Math. The county has rewritten our standards and I literally have to figure out what I am going to teach, almost on a daily basis.

Whatever.

We're going to the symphony on Tuesday. I hope someone besides me remembers. I'm always afraid we're going to lose someone. So, here we go.

Thanksgiving Thirteen

Thirteen Things about Traveling 1….Five o'clock in the morning is really as early as it sounds. 2. My bladder isn't as strong as it used to be. 3. My oldest daughter picks better stops than I do. 4. My husband picks the worst parts of the trip for me to drive. 5. Portable DVD players were invented for road trips. 6. Ipods really are more important than DVD players. 7. Seat warmers make you think you've started menopause. 8. Radio stations in South Georgia ARE that bad. (See # 5 & 6) 9. The cotton looks like it's ready for picking. 10. I-75 is still under construction. 11. Teenaged girls still sleep in a ball in the backseat. 12. Reading still makes me carsick. 13. We get to do it again Saturday. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Holiday Haze

I can't believe it is Thanksgiving. I tried to incorporate the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving into some Thinking Map lessons and I believe it went fairly well. I have found with my class, however, that you cannot let up on them at all. You must engage them. They do not do well with any free time at all. They don't do well in group seating, either. I have them in rows; you know, those horrible things that all the textbooks tell you not to do now. But I have such a group, they can't handle anything else.

I also have a student who is smart, but who is an unusual trouble maker. He likes to make fun of the other students who have difficulties with things he finds easy. He likes to think he is superior. I have never seen such behavior out of a 10 year old in my life. He is not kind. He doesn't have any compassion. At all.

Oh well. Let his mother deal with him for a while. I have the rest of the week off!!!!!

Thirteen Things about Why I Love Seinfeld1. My daughters get it, now 2. George's invitations killing Susan 3. Elaine stopping for Juju Fruits after she found out her boyfriend had a car accident 4. Elaine's shoes 5. David Puddy 6. the car with the odor that wouldn't go away 7. Junior Mints during surgery 8. George's crush on Elaine's boyfriend, Tony 9. Kenny Rogers' chicken restaurant 10. Kramer keeping Japanese tourists in a chest of drawers 11. the contest 12. George doing everything opposite and getting everything he ever wanted, including a job with the New York Yankees 13. Reruns on TBS Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Crazy Boys in the Classroom

Reasonably intelligent boys decided they wanted to be stupid on Friday. Calling each other racist and prejudiced. Are you kidding? Are you kidding me?

Got a new student a day or two ago. From the 'hood. Oh, yes; THE hood. He is so bright and so smart and then I heard him bust someone else with the F bomb. Of course, my first thought was, WTF? But then I realized I wasn't in NYC during Fleet Week, I was on the playground and BrownBear was playing nearby.

Everybody's getting phone calls. I'm thinking about calling the superintendent myself. Have him come in for a few days; I'll handle the office for him. He can handle the county's "bright spot."

Are you kidding? Are you kidding me?

And you wonder why PrepGirl goes where she does? BrownBear's application is laying on the counter, waiting for our attention. And application fee. Oh, yeah, and my second job.

A New Day?

7000 votes.... My word, Virginia, what were you thinking?

Donald Rumsfeld? One of the finest men in America. He has served our country for years; if he was good enough for us two days ago, he was good enough to keep. He shouldn't have been treated like that; I thought GWB was better than that.

Education reform? Leave us the hell alone. I am tired of being the whipping boy.

Taxes? Check out my pitiful teacher's paycheck and tell me I don't already get stuck paying enough taxes for everybody on my block.

Teddy, John Kerry, Patrick Leahy, Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi? These are my visionaries for America?

Hillary in '08? Please. Stick a fork in me - I'm done.

Teaching Teachers, Part 2

Teaching teachers is a funny thing; you want them to have a good time, because they have suffered through so many horrible teacher trainings before (at least I know I have) and you want them to walk away with good things to use in the classroom. I was picked to be a teacher leader by my principal and when my chief says jump, I just ask how high.

Today went fairly well; as well as can be expected when 50 teachers gather together for professional learning when they don't want to be there. We tried to make it as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. Our principal made sure we had every kind of handout possible for our teachers. I always like it when I have something I can use when I get back to school and she made sure that we were going to be successful.

However, there is always some jerk who can't keep the smart comments to himself. Now, I have to confess that I am not always the best participant on Teacher Work Days, but I keep my stupid comments to myself. Today, however, the stupid comment guy was up front and in my face; he couldn't help himself, I guess. And the room got a little out of control - I admit, that might have been my fault, but my partner and I did give them a task to work on briefly and they didn't want to come back.

My team complimented me, however, on my presentation and my self control. I guess I did a better job than I realize - it is hard to figure out how you're doing when you're up in front of everyone - I just need more opportunities in front of the adults in the district. I can handle the children just fine.

Teaching Teachers

Tomorrow is a teacher work day. Now dubbed "Professional Learning Day." Whatever - the district tells the children to stay home and the teachers get together and we listen to whatever someone has decided the important topic will be this year.

Performance Based Learning - those are the buzz words this year.

Teacher Leaders - those are the sacrificial lambs this year.

I am one of the presenters tomorrow and I can guarantee you that there will be no one there who is interested in learning a damned thing. My presenters and I will do our deal and we'll get out of there before we get stoned. We just need to remind them that they'll have their turn in the barrel before long.

Can't wait...

What's a Girl to Say?

I really don't have much to say - I am proud to say that I have some Christmas shopping started and if I get off my behind, I might have some wrapping done.

PrepGirl had to make some Greek food for English (?), but I got involved, so I get the A.

LawyerBoy has a case this week. That means it's girls week. We eat what he doesn't like, watch what he doesn't like and just act like he isn't here; which, basically, he isn't.

BrownBear and I are going to Hands on Christmas this weekend. Lots of glue and glitter and not in my house. We'll see Santa and we'd better enjoy it because I think this might be the last time.

I have to teach teachers on Tuesday. (Say that fast three times.) I know they hate it - so if I just get through it, I can put it behind me, and my principal will be happy, happy, happy.

I know this is choppy, but I have lunches to make and I need to go to bed.

What About the Regular Kids?

Damned glad this week is almost over; one more school day and we can close the book on this week. Trying to do a rotation in reading and I think it is working. Not sure, but I think so. I just have to find the time to stick in the writing and it is kicking me in the butt that I can't find the time. Does everyone have this problem? Or is it just me? Had training about inclusion - more special education kids in the general education classroom - and I am just about fed up to the gills with that. If I had wanted to be a spec ed teacher, I would have majored in it. Now, I am having this shoved down my throat.
As a parent of a general ed child, I am tired of my kid being shoved aside so that other kids get whatever, whenever. Now we are worrying about the self-esteem of the special ed kid and how that child must feel when he is taken out of the general classroom. What I care about is my child's education and how we don't do enough for the regular kids. Average kids don't get a fair shake in this country. We wonder why the average kids can't read or write and it is because we are always, always, jerking the system around and leaving the average kids out of the loop. We believe that the smart kids will get it, no matter who is in their classroom or what is going on in the room. That crap has to stop. We are doing a disservice to everyone with this mentality. Parents are going to have to take a stand for their own kids; I can't do it alone.