Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Where have I been?

It has occurred to me that I have been missing in action lately. It was a long week two weeks ago and then it was Spring Break. I had 4 teachers in my house, well five if you count me. We all talked teacher talk, I will tell you it was interesting to hear varying view points. Although one of my friends was not thrilled we talked a lot about job security. She is faced with the fact that she could lose her job at any time for any reason. Well, that is what the business world is about. When you are a teacher, you are supposed to have job security, I mean unless you really suck at your job! And then there are some that have tenure and need to retire already. SO here I am faced with trying to come up with plan B and C just in case they pass this bill into the law..and I am wondering what else am I qualified for? I guess I could do anything but I am wanting to stay in the teaching profession. So I am trying for other options as well as other professions...why is it that when you finally think you are ready to purchase a house, start a family, live in one place for longer than two years, they have to throw the curve ball again? GRRR!

Also, I have not been in the classroom for two whole days so I have nothing interesting to report on that front but I am sure I will go back to the classroom tomorrow with high pitched screams of torment that I made them do work....

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Where does the time go?

Hiya again-
Well I am thanking goodness that it is Spring Break, that I get some time away to reflect on the craziness that is called teaching. Where to start? I took 8 students to Tallahassee last weekend to a Teen Summit and met up with two other high schools from the district and then with other people their age as well. So, on our way there the bus breaks down, screaming ensues and then we all get smooshed onto buses with kids we don't know. They watch the Blindside and we cry, then we get to the college and some of the kids start to cry. Boys are excited since college girls are half naked, girl's are excited because there are hot available college boys and I am thinking do I have a taser gun? I am figuring that I can shoot most of the kids and keep their libido's in check. Theme of the weekend, no pregnancy, that's for me! Aside from the girl standing on the red ant hill, aside from the thugs from Sarasota, aside form staying an entire weekend in a hotel with zero sleep and aside from the confusion from the main person in charge, it went well and the kids had a good time. Oh did I forget to mention a bout of pink eye and an allergic reaction to tilapia (which the girl knew she was allergic too and ate anyway)! Oh yeah, it turned her lips in a fish pucker. I know I am not supposed to laugh but if you are allergic to fish, stay away from the fish! Do what I did, eat french fries and green beans. I felt like a baby. Don't people think that there are other food groups besides fried fish and orange soda? Other than that, we came back to a short week and grades being due.

Anyone who is a teacher knows that when grades are due the students become these little angels, hoping to complete make-up work, beg and plead and bargain for their grades, I have even had one try and give me 20 bucks. 20 dollars?! Seriously, if I am going to lose my job for grade tampering it had better be in the millions. These kids, they kill me! I was getting make-up work like it was going out of style. I had three papers and quiz(I didn't even give a quiz). They tried, I will give them that. And after all is said and done..only 3 F's. I say pretty good considering. Considering the fact that Florida wants to tie teacher's money to student's achivement.

Again, I say HELLO?! Those people, those law makers, do they remember being in a classroom? Did they ever teach in a place where it is hard to get students to come to class let alone pass a test? DO they remember what it was like when they were students? I have kids who are worried about being kicked out of their homes, moms and dads losing their jobs, 8 people living in a house, not being able to eat or bathe. They are not worried about tests, or quizzes or homework that they are missing. I do my best, teachers, we do our best..but remember that there is a bigger picture here. We are not machines, we are people, living breathing people. We have aspirations, we have love, we have our students, we have dreams. We don't want to be crushed into non-existence, we don't want to have our success tied to student achievement. I want to have job security, I want to have a family and a dog in addition to my cats. How do we do that if they threaten our job security, our classrooms and of course our teaching licenses? Sorry, I think I just went on a rant, it happens. Like they said from Clash of the Titan's, "Someone, some day is going to have to take a stand and say enough is enough!" (Good freaking movie by the way!)

So it's spring break, so I might be taking a slight hiatus...of course I am meeting with other teacher friends..so we could have a laugh a minute when I get back..