Yesterday, we had a short meeting after school. The principal talked about yet ANOTHER teacher who isn't coming back for the remainder of the year, then turned to celebrate our rookie and teacher of the year--both of which were elementary school teachers. We all clapped, went home.
This morning, as I walked up to my door, I saw Mr. Ag holding my door shut. I gave him a pretty inquisitive look and he let me in. "....Surprise!" The social studies teacher said. There, standing in the dark, were the 7th grade science teacher Ms. G, 7/8th grade math teacher Ms. H, Mr. Ag and Mr. K. With balloons. And a card. And roses.
I just stared at them in my typical pre-9am zombie state.
"What.....is this all about?"
"You should have been teacher of the year," Mr. K said.
"There should really be two-- they don't know what we deal with up here," Ms. G said.
"You deserve it."
I just about burst into tears and didn't know what to say. I gave them a hug and then shooed them all out in my grateful awkwardness.
The card, sitting on my desk said:
From All of Us
Sometimes your day is awesome
and turns out exactly right,
Sometimes no matter what you do,
it's like an uphill fight.
But whether days are up or down,
or who knows what direction,
We're always in your corner like
a little cheering section.
Then, little notes--
I love you! You were the best mentor teacher that I could ever ask for and you are an awesome friend. Can't wait until you are done with school so we can just relax together!
--Ms. G
I think that out of everybody here, you were one of the main people that were my support. Thank you! You are the teacher of the year! -- Ms. H
You're an amazing teacher! You've helped me out so much this year; we're all going to miss you! -- Mr. K
You are the teacher of the year many times over. Your kids are incredibly lucky to have you, and you're going to do amazing things next year. -- Mr. Ag
I sat there, in the dark, and just stared at the goodness, fought tears, and then scampered down to my faux sister, Ms. R's room to tell her.
Isn't that the nicest thing? It has been a while since I've had happy tears.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Toe-Mas.
You know you teach in AZ when....
you pronounce Tomas "toe-MAS" and think "Tom-us" sounds wrong.
you pronounce Tomas "toe-MAS" and think "Tom-us" sounds wrong.
That horse must go to DMS!
I was looking up books on writing summative assessments and authentic, performance based assessments.
This is what I found.
1. Test Better, Teach Better
2. Gobbledegook
3. Mathy goobledegook.
4. BOMBPROOF YOUR HORSE?!
What the .......
Who even writes that book?
Monday, April 25, 2011
They should go back....
My school's marquee (I think that's the right word... the sign thing) spelled school....
schooll.
Also, on the girls' athletic t-shirts...they left a letter OUT of the school's name.
What a sad commentary.
schooll.
Also, on the girls' athletic t-shirts...they left a letter OUT of the school's name.
What a sad commentary.
Genre Study for 3rd Graders
HA!
This woman teaching 3rd grade thinks it would be a good idea to have her 3RD GRADERS all research different genres of literature and report on them. That's how they will learn genre.
3rd graders.
I asked her if she has books or things they can look at and compare, you know, like a basket of folktales/myths/fantasy/sci fi/etc. etc. etc.
No, she says. They can just, you know, google about them.
Oh. Have you read a lot in class together so they have some prior knowledge to connect to?
Well, I mean, we read outloud every day, but we don't talk about genre.
Okay, so, then, if you were creating a rubric about what they should know, what would you say would be important? What would you have them compare and contrast? Character types? Settings? Big ideas or themes-- that might be kind of hard for them...What scaffolding would you give them?
Uh, I don't know. They'll just look on google.
Wow.
This woman teaching 3rd grade thinks it would be a good idea to have her 3RD GRADERS all research different genres of literature and report on them. That's how they will learn genre.
3rd graders.
I asked her if she has books or things they can look at and compare, you know, like a basket of folktales/myths/fantasy/sci fi/etc. etc. etc.
No, she says. They can just, you know, google about them.
Oh. Have you read a lot in class together so they have some prior knowledge to connect to?
Well, I mean, we read outloud every day, but we don't talk about genre.
Okay, so, then, if you were creating a rubric about what they should know, what would you say would be important? What would you have them compare and contrast? Character types? Settings? Big ideas or themes-- that might be kind of hard for them...What scaffolding would you give them?
Uh, I don't know. They'll just look on google.
Wow.
Shushing Shannan
Instead of doing the warm up this morning, this girl (let's call her Shannan) in my first hour class decided to write this:
"I got your legs spard over the bed hands clash the sheets hair wild hell I know the only on mind sexing me girl I can feel your tempure rising you should my naral to come on its going to a bomp ride drop boy in the back set window should get deep fock all over the glass I don't know how I can last with you"
Hmm. That doesn't look a WHOLE like Newton's 1st law. I mean, I guess objects in motion...
Anyhow, I took it from her and quietly told her she would have a detention after I read it (this was after she'd already given me hell for being out of dress code.). In typical DMS fashion, she started screaming at me-- how dare I have the right to take her things, she'd write the lyrics all over. I just said "Okay. That's fine. Enjoy that." In a very NON sarcastic, sweet voice. She kept going, yelling at me, grumbling about how I couldn't do NOTHING.
Until the boys in my class started shushing her.
"I ain't gonna---- SHHHH!" ---...serve no detention...."
"I don't have to -- SHHHHHHHH!....listen to anything you ---SHHH!!! ....say...."
From time to time the kids looked back at me to gage my reaction, I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders like "Whatcha gonna do?" They all giggled.
I call that a win.
"I got your legs spard over the bed hands clash the sheets hair wild hell I know the only on mind sexing me girl I can feel your tempure rising you should my naral to come on its going to a bomp ride drop boy in the back set window should get deep fock all over the glass I don't know how I can last with you"
Hmm. That doesn't look a WHOLE like Newton's 1st law. I mean, I guess objects in motion...
Anyhow, I took it from her and quietly told her she would have a detention after I read it (this was after she'd already given me hell for being out of dress code.). In typical DMS fashion, she started screaming at me-- how dare I have the right to take her things, she'd write the lyrics all over. I just said "Okay. That's fine. Enjoy that." In a very NON sarcastic, sweet voice. She kept going, yelling at me, grumbling about how I couldn't do NOTHING.
Until the boys in my class started shushing her.
"I ain't gonna---- SHHHH!" ---...serve no detention...."
"I don't have to -- SHHHHHHHH!....listen to anything you ---SHHH!!! ....say...."
From time to time the kids looked back at me to gage my reaction, I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders like "Whatcha gonna do?" They all giggled.
I call that a win.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Other Teachers' Biggest Problems
Some of the teachers* in my grad program:
"My biggest problem? Well, these kids!! They are all farm kids and sometimes they come to school with cow manure on their boots. And they NEVER have pencils. It is soooooooo irritating. I mean, how do you not have a pencil! Bring a pencil! Unbelievable."
"I did my action research on kids who have too much homework. Studies show that students have too much homework get stressed, their health levels decrease, and they are more prone to cheating just to keep up. At the all-girls college prep I work at, students have on average do 2 hours of homework a night, plus 3 hours of extra-curriculars, and they are only getting about 6 hours of sleep a night which is just too little. This is a huge problem."
"I have 27 kids in my classroom which includes 7 special ed students in self-contained 5th grade. How am I supposed to meet all of their needs? Some are gifted, some are, I guess you'd say your average students, and then the special education students. They all read at different levels, they all do math at different levels...and the ones who need to do the homework the MOST never do."
After this.... my professor called on me. I guess I was making incredulous faces and she wanted to know my perspective....All I kept thinking was "How do I say what I have to say and NOT sound like a bitch?"
*Some of these people are doing their student teaching after having a career in something else....
"My biggest problem? Well, these kids!! They are all farm kids and sometimes they come to school with cow manure on their boots. And they NEVER have pencils. It is soooooooo irritating. I mean, how do you not have a pencil! Bring a pencil! Unbelievable."
"I did my action research on kids who have too much homework. Studies show that students have too much homework get stressed, their health levels decrease, and they are more prone to cheating just to keep up. At the all-girls college prep I work at, students have on average do 2 hours of homework a night, plus 3 hours of extra-curriculars, and they are only getting about 6 hours of sleep a night which is just too little. This is a huge problem."
"I have 27 kids in my classroom which includes 7 special ed students in self-contained 5th grade. How am I supposed to meet all of their needs? Some are gifted, some are, I guess you'd say your average students, and then the special education students. They all read at different levels, they all do math at different levels...and the ones who need to do the homework the MOST never do."
After this.... my professor called on me. I guess I was making incredulous faces and she wanted to know my perspective....All I kept thinking was "How do I say what I have to say and NOT sound like a bitch?"
*Some of these people are doing their student teaching after having a career in something else....
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I < 3 my Old Students!
Former student's text: That really sucks that your new kids aren't as cool as we were! But you are a really nice person,and I think you can find a better job. Like seriously, you are amazing in drawing,good in writing stories, and you're really, really smart. And you're still young, Miss J! I think you will find the great career you want. You deserve it! :)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Clarification
By "it worked" I meant our meeting-- the superintendent came to our school to present some awards to staff members who have been there forEVER, and our principal said that if anyone had something they wanted to talk to him about now.... speak now or forever hold your peace. I was the first to jump to my feet and grab my stuff. 5 others followed.
We told the superintendent about Our Very Student's violent record (most of which was news to him because the people who did the investigation didn't do their jobs....), and how our safety, and the safety of our students was at stake. He had just been talking about both loyalty and safety, so we launched with that-- how do you expect to keep teachers, any teachers, much less the good ones, if they don't feel safe walking into their classrooms? If they are worried they're going to get hit? If their immune systems are failing and they are having panic attacks due to the stressful and toxic environment? Should they have to walk in and worry about being called a fucking bitch, or told to shut the fuck up?
The computer teacher raised the point that while there were only 6 of us, there were many more who felt the same way we did, but were afraid to come forward. She cleverly insinuated that if this wasn't taken care of, and if district didn't do something to change its policies overall, that they would have a mutiny on their hands.
It worked!
We won.
'bout damn time.
Now, how about the other 6 in the 7/8th grades who desperately need more help, counseling, and behavior management than we can give them.....
We told the superintendent about Our Very Student's violent record (most of which was news to him because the people who did the investigation didn't do their jobs....), and how our safety, and the safety of our students was at stake. He had just been talking about both loyalty and safety, so we launched with that-- how do you expect to keep teachers, any teachers, much less the good ones, if they don't feel safe walking into their classrooms? If they are worried they're going to get hit? If their immune systems are failing and they are having panic attacks due to the stressful and toxic environment? Should they have to walk in and worry about being called a fucking bitch, or told to shut the fuck up?
The computer teacher raised the point that while there were only 6 of us, there were many more who felt the same way we did, but were afraid to come forward. She cleverly insinuated that if this wasn't taken care of, and if district didn't do something to change its policies overall, that they would have a mutiny on their hands.
It worked!
We won.
'bout damn time.
Now, how about the other 6 in the 7/8th grades who desperately need more help, counseling, and behavior management than we can give them.....
Nope. They're Drama Mamas.
Field day went mostly without a hitch, that is, until after.
Did I tell you about the factions of girls I have in my last period? Many of them used to be bffs and now they all want to kill each other? They've gotten in several fights in the last couple of weeks.
On Friday, after field day, one of them was walking home with her mom. The mom saw the girls and said something to them about how they better not touch her daughter, how they better leave her alone.
So they jumped her.
No, I am not shitting you.
Cops were all over the place and the mom apparently had to go to the hospital, and was all scratched up. The student was a little beat up too, but not as bad as the mom.
So, they got 9 days of out of school suspension, but got to come to school today to work on their state testing. The girl, when she walked from class to class, had the other acting principal escort her like a body guard so she wouldn't get hurt.
She didn't. But, while at school, they learned that she has been hanging out with a new friend, a black girl I'll call Shaniqua.
The bell rings, and as I'm walking down the hall to get my tests, and I see this angry, angry black woman screaming, arms flailing in the air, looking for those kids-- they better not lay a finger on her, they better not lay a finger on me, where is my daughter? Where are those girls? She is screaming like a banshee, and another woman is walking behind her. There are streams of kids pouring out of classrooms, totally unfazed.
Another teacher tries to calm her down, and I run into the closest teacher's room to have her call the front office. A couple minutes later, I see her in the front of the school, still screaming, as our principal tries to calm her down.
Then, I see Shaniqua. "Shaniqua-- you okay? Your mom looked like she was about ready to pop somebody!"
Shaniqua laughs.
"I'm fine and yeah, she was. She's worried that those girls that jumped A's mom were going to jump us too."
Sweet Christ.
Did I tell you about the factions of girls I have in my last period? Many of them used to be bffs and now they all want to kill each other? They've gotten in several fights in the last couple of weeks.
On Friday, after field day, one of them was walking home with her mom. The mom saw the girls and said something to them about how they better not touch her daughter, how they better leave her alone.
So they jumped her.
No, I am not shitting you.
Cops were all over the place and the mom apparently had to go to the hospital, and was all scratched up. The student was a little beat up too, but not as bad as the mom.
So, they got 9 days of out of school suspension, but got to come to school today to work on their state testing. The girl, when she walked from class to class, had the other acting principal escort her like a body guard so she wouldn't get hurt.
She didn't. But, while at school, they learned that she has been hanging out with a new friend, a black girl I'll call Shaniqua.
The bell rings, and as I'm walking down the hall to get my tests, and I see this angry, angry black woman screaming, arms flailing in the air, looking for those kids-- they better not lay a finger on her, they better not lay a finger on me, where is my daughter? Where are those girls? She is screaming like a banshee, and another woman is walking behind her. There are streams of kids pouring out of classrooms, totally unfazed.
Another teacher tries to calm her down, and I run into the closest teacher's room to have her call the front office. A couple minutes later, I see her in the front of the school, still screaming, as our principal tries to calm her down.
Then, I see Shaniqua. "Shaniqua-- you okay? Your mom looked like she was about ready to pop somebody!"
Shaniqua laughs.
"I'm fine and yeah, she was. She's worried that those girls that jumped A's mom were going to jump us too."
Sweet Christ.
Yooooou're OUT!
IT WORKED!
Our Very Student is now enrolled at the school for students with behavioral problems above and beyond what the typical teacher is trained for!
I will not have to see her for the remainder of the year!
WE WIN!
*victory dance*
Our Very Student is now enrolled at the school for students with behavioral problems above and beyond what the typical teacher is trained for!
I will not have to see her for the remainder of the year!
WE WIN!
*victory dance*
Saturday, April 09, 2011
She's Lethal
Above, on the slide, D holds a dodge ball. She glares at the students below her as if to ask "Who threw this at me?!"
Below....
Jose: (matter of factly) Miss J, D can use ANYTHING as a weapon.
D: Shuuuut UP!
Jose: See? Now she is using her mouth as a weapon.
Below....
Jose: (matter of factly) Miss J, D can use ANYTHING as a weapon.
D: Shuuuut UP!
Jose: See? Now she is using her mouth as a weapon.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
You're neeeeever there
I feel like singing that Cake song today. You're never there, you're NEVER there! You're never, ever, ever, ever there! do do do, do do do....
Today, 8 of the students in my last period either:
1. Are in in-school suspension
2. Have an out of school suspension
3. Are skipping
4. Are in the hospital
Every day, it is like this, only every day it is a DIFFERENT set of 8 that are gone. Do you know how hard it is to BUILD on prior knowledge when they are NEVER IN CLASS?
ARGHHHHHH.
You'd think I'd be happy that so many are missing from my Hell Class. But, honestly, it just makes it harder. I only really need to move out two.....
Today, 8 of the students in my last period either:
1. Are in in-school suspension
2. Have an out of school suspension
3. Are skipping
4. Are in the hospital
Every day, it is like this, only every day it is a DIFFERENT set of 8 that are gone. Do you know how hard it is to BUILD on prior knowledge when they are NEVER IN CLASS?
ARGHHHHHH.
You'd think I'd be happy that so many are missing from my Hell Class. But, honestly, it just makes it harder. I only really need to move out two.....
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
You can call me your Drama Mama
Today's Tragedy, Drama & Hilarity:
1. Tragedy: A girl in my last period class is rumored to be in the hospital after a suicide attempt.
2. Drama: Was one of 6 teachers who spoke to the superintendent about Our Very Student and her horrific track record. During The Incident, one staff member's back actually got THROWN OUT and she had to go to URGENT CARE. The people who did the initial investigation did NOT get all of the paperwork on her, and thought she had only 4 write ups all year... but had NONE of the documentation that led up to that. Maybe something will change?
3. Hilarity:
Gym teacher: okay, people, go grab the balls. You need at least fifteen balls. If you can, grab extra balls.
Osuna: Oh, I'll grab my--
Me: OSUNA!
Osuna: What?
Me: YOU KNOW WHAT!
Osuna: heh. heh. heh.
1. Tragedy: A girl in my last period class is rumored to be in the hospital after a suicide attempt.
2. Drama: Was one of 6 teachers who spoke to the superintendent about Our Very Student and her horrific track record. During The Incident, one staff member's back actually got THROWN OUT and she had to go to URGENT CARE. The people who did the initial investigation did NOT get all of the paperwork on her, and thought she had only 4 write ups all year... but had NONE of the documentation that led up to that. Maybe something will change?
3. Hilarity:
Gym teacher: okay, people, go grab the balls. You need at least fifteen balls. If you can, grab extra balls.
Osuna: Oh, I'll grab my--
Me: OSUNA!
Osuna: What?
Me: YOU KNOW WHAT!
Osuna: heh. heh. heh.
Monday, April 04, 2011
This is setting a GREAT precedent.
Um.
The student who attacked the principal.
Is back in school.
Roaming the hallways like nothing's wrong.
What the [expletive deleted] is going on?
What kind of precedent does this set to all the other kids who regard her as a hero?
WHY doesn't the district BELIEVE us when we tell them what happened?
WHY are they taking the word of the mother who had her kid ARRESTED?
ARGKDSJHFDKJSFHDFJKH!!!!!
I am turning into the Hulk.
I may march my butt down to the superintendent's office myself.
The student who attacked the principal.
Is back in school.
Roaming the hallways like nothing's wrong.
What the [expletive deleted] is going on?
What kind of precedent does this set to all the other kids who regard her as a hero?
WHY doesn't the district BELIEVE us when we tell them what happened?
WHY are they taking the word of the mother who had her kid ARRESTED?
ARGKDSJHFDKJSFHDFJKH!!!!!
I am turning into the Hulk.
I may march my butt down to the superintendent's office myself.
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