|
|
-
Every year our teachers play against the 5th grade in a kickball game. It is always the last week of school. Today was the big game. WE WON!!! We always do. However, even though we won the 5th graders scored more points than any previous year. I give them hoorah for that. It is a really great time. The teachers are funny, the kids are funny and everyone has a really good time. Mr. G tries to trip kids coming in for home. Or he will pick them up and hold them. (We give them the run) And the 5th graders try to block the teachers like this is a football game. The other classes are all outside cheering for which ever team they want to support. The younger they are, the more they cheer for the teachers. We have students and teachers alike hanging on the back of someone's shirt to keep them from running too fast. It is like a cartoon show. I am the score keeper. I have a bum knee besides being older than the hills. Therefore, no one accuses either side with cheating. I am known for being honest. (especially since I give the kids the score if they are prevented from touching the home base by a teacher.) I love this tradition. I hope it goes on and on.
|
|
|
-
A former student came up to me at the end of the year awards ceremony. She told me who she was and that I was the reason she was who she was. A success. Her brother had died the year I had her and she had a really hard year. She said I helped her get through that year with structure and laughter and lots of help. She never forgot me. I started crying. That is the reason I teach. To make a difference.
|
|
|
-
I am not sure I know how I feel about teachers who get tattoos. I think some of them are beautiful. I think if they are small and non-offensive, it is all right. We have a teacher who has tatts all over his arms and legs. He often wears clothes that show off his tatts. Some of them are downright horrid. Knives, blood, and other things that we tell our students are not school appropriate material. How can we be telling the students that and then have someone walk around with that stuff? He has been interviewing in other districts. One of them told him they wouldn't even interview him if he had tatts showing. It is their policy. So, our PE teacher would have to wear pants all the time because she has an ankle tatt that is really beautiful but against their policy? What does a tatt have to do with teaching? I don't mind most of them but the ones like our male teacher? I think it is over done. It is a definite flauting of authority. People complain about his attitude all the time. I don't mind him but others have tried to get rid of him. How do you feel about teachers wearing body art?
|
-
One thing I have always noticed about teachers is that they involve themselves in school politics. There is a lot of backstabbing and gossiping going around. We now have a lot of teachers leaving. I was shocked at all the slots we have for next year. I understand that they will be replaced from within the district. I have tried to stay out of the mire. I hate the garbage that goes on even though I have been around it for my entire teaching career. This is probably why I don't win awards. Don't get me wrong. I am on committees and such but I try to stay away from the arguments. I am passive-aggressive. I usually just leave the meetings when it starts going downhill. I just go my own way. This week, our little political group decided they wanted to get rid of several teachers who have been offered contracts. We had a meeting after school to "discuss" who they think should go where and who they think should be transferred to other schools. THEY decided I should be moved to 5th grade to help make it strong. Good grief. Our 5th grade team is already strong. That was where I stood my ground. I will not be moved unless I want to be moved. I have taught 5th grade for years and I like 4th grade better. Our 5th graders think they are top of the stack and rule the world. Besides, I love teaching our new Arizona History in 4th grade. Realizing that I am passive-aggresive was an eye-opener. I now understand a lot more about myself. I use this blog so I don't have to moan and groan and complain at school. It has been a lifesaver. The one team member at our grade level who has not played the team game this year has asked to go back to third. She reminds me of the lady on Celebrity Apprentice who constantly took over every job and insisted they do it all her way and then brags because she is so good. It was all about her, her, HER! No one else does it like she does. I am very tired at the end of this year and I finally realized today it was the stress of being around her. I like her as a person but she talks and talks and talks and I need to be inside my classroom teaching. I am every bit as good a teacher as she is and maybe better, but I don't compete with other teachers. I just try to make my class the best it can be. I don't worry about scores like other teachers do. I teach. I learn and then teach some more. I know I am rambling but I am very tired. I just needed to unload. If you read this, Thanks for listening.
|
-
I am looking around my room and listening to all the chattering. But, this is good chattering. These are students who are on task doing the work they need to do. What an amazing thing to see them working and still able to communicate and get along. Learning can and will happen in a noisy classroom. I sometimes want a quiet class but I can usually get enough quiet at home.
|
-
Well, I have read the book, ordered The CAFE book and read it too. I am stoked. I have to use the school curriculum but I can use it in the Daily Five. I am so excited. 25 years of teaching and I still get excited about teaching. Go figure. I am already setting my schedule up. It will be flexible so I can change it up as the specials schedule gets planned. I am gathering materials for the Best Fit boxes. I won a $50.00 gift card and will buy the boxes with it. I have tons of books and children's educational magazines to use in the boxes. I am planning to use some Science and Social Studies as well. We have leveled readers for all of our texts. My only problem will be staying positive with my team. They are driving me crazy and I think it is because I am so tired from the struggles all year. Everyone think positive thoughts for me. L
|
-
One of my team teachers was trying to explain what it was. As she talked, all I could think of was Good God NO! How in the world would you have time to do all of that and still teach the skills. Weeeellll, she isn't a very good explainer. I got in touch with another friend and she filled me in on what it is and how it is going in her class. Now, I have purchased The Daily Five book as well as it's companion The CAFE Book. I am totally excited. I am going to join the web site too. It does include all the teaching time, skills, fluency, phonics...everything. It is supposed to be almost the way I taught back 25 years ago. When students learned to read by READING! I can't wait. I will be blogging next year as I learn the process and work with the students. Someone asked (as a joke) if the daily 5 was the 5 students you picked ramdomly to spank every day. I said I didn't have 5 kids to spank anymore. I only have one. Can I spank him 5 times a day?
|
-
I am sitting in a detention/study hall room for Field Day. My class is over full. I don't get it. I am watching these kids who are supposed to be doing work and they are just staring into space. They aren't doing the work, even when I walk by and remind them. We seem to be having more and more of these kinds of kids. Kids who don't or can't focus. Kids who just don't care. Kids who can't get their work done no matter what incentive is tried. Right now my room is full of these kids. (mostly but not all boys) I am concerned. I have tried about 100 different things to motivate some of my own class and they just don't care. The parents have all kinds of excuses about why their students don't work. Mostly it is the teacher's fault. But, it isn't. In the old days they would have paddled these kids. I am not a proponent of spanking but I wonder if it worked sometimes. Something has to work. These kids are missing out on their education and don't seem to care. Their parents don't seem to care either. Why? I can understand the ones who get into trouble and get sent INTO the detention room. What I don't understand are the ones who never make it to Field Day in the first place. What are they thinking that they can't even do enough work to go to the most fun day of our school year? These are all athletic boys who love to play outside. Can someont please tell me what is happening and how to change my technique to accomodate these kinds of kids?
|
-
This quarter I assigned my class Model Solar Systems. I accidentially assigned it for State Testing week, so, I sent another letter home and told them it would be due next week. Three kids showed up with them today. I have to store them in another room because we can't have any models or anything in our classrooms. It turns out that none of the parents read the note which was stapled on the front of their progress report. I am tired of sending things home to have them be ignored. Then, these are the parents who call the principal or the District and complain that I am not communicating with them. This includes our secretary whom I talk to every single day. We have our grade books on line. Parents can 'vue' their children's grades. Why do I bother sending home progress reports anymore. I don't get them back signed. In fact, many of the parents don't even read them or they would know what is going on. Retirement is looking better and better to me these days.
|
-
I think someone is hitting our parents with a stupid stick. I can't believe the junk that is coming out of their mouths. One parent thinks our PTO is doing the dirty. They have allowed student to pay a dollar on Friday's to dress down. We wear uniforms. (I say that loosely. It is more of a dress code because it is so lax.) Her neighbor had her child wear a coat and hide the clothes she was wearing so she didn't have to pay the dollar. The child was in designer clothes. Since this child and her mom got away with it, this mom thinks that the PTO should return all the money that the kids have paid since the beginning of the year. Also, the teachers should give back the $100 that PTO gave them to spend on their classes. They should be spending their money giving the kids Pizza parties and movies and ice cream. Really?? Are you kidding me? I am pretty sure she was hit with a stupid stick. There is a lot more to this story but "stupid" pretty well says it. We also have parents who ignore the safety rules and want to walk their kids in front of the buses and in the car pool zones. After all, they don't have to follow the rules. They can drive right up through the bus only zone because the rules aren't for them. They are only going to be there for a few minutes. (That IS what the car pool lanes are for.) What in heavens name are they teaching their children... That they don't have to follow the rules. Rules are for other people, not them. We have safety zones for a reason. If something happens to a child, we are responsible. We have worked out a system that keeps all of our children safe. These parents don't care. They want to do what they want to do and no one should be telling them otherwise. I have been screamed at, cussed out, flipped off and almost run over because they want to ignore the rules. If I was almost hit by a car who refused to follow the rules, and I am an adult, what could happen to the children? That stupid stick is really working hard in our neighborhood.
|
-
I have really been struggling this year. I seem to have an inordinate amount of students who don't do their work. They don't do it in class. They don't do it at home. They just don't do it. And the parents don't respond to notes home. I have a new student who justs sits there and does nothing. He plays around and plays in his desk. After a half hour of the class working on vocabulary, I discovered he hadn't written one single word. I gave him two choices and told him to make a decision. He could do his work, or he could go see the principal. I told him to make his decision fast but because I was getting impatient. I don't know how long it will work, but at the moment, he is working. What has changed in our schools that sudents think they do not have to listen to the teacher or do their work? I have several students with this attitude. I just don't get it. If you read my blog, you know of one student that has this attitude. I have been battling him and his mom all year. Apparently, it is the school that has let him down. Not mom, (who came tipsy to the meeting last night). When do we start identifying their behavior problems? There is a student who has had problems since kindergarten and there is no paperwork to show it. It is just that every teacher in school dreads the possibility of having him and knows what has happened. Why isn't it being documented? Where are we supposed to put this documentation? Shouldn't there be a record just like SpEd that shows out-of-line behavior? I am not talking about ED, I am just talking about bad behavior. I hate when parents blame us for their students problems. But, if we aren't documenting it, we can't prove it isn't our fault.
|
-
I know all the statistics about retention. You don't have to send me anything. However, when do we hold them accountable? When do we finally say, well, you should have done your work in class... Why do we NOT retain them if they are not contributing to their own education? Why aren't they willing to learn? How have we, as a society, gone so far into the mire of research that we don't even use common sense anymore. We let people, who have never taught in an elementary school, tell us what is right and wrong? Who ARE these people? I need to retain a student this year. It doesn't happen often but it does happen occasionally. I believe this is my second retention in 25 years. I need to retain him because he is manipulating the heck out of everyone! He refuses to do his math or writing. I mean, he absolutely refuses. He has had really adequate grades all these years. I know he has been a behavior problem. He is not ED either. He is just coniving and manipulating. He wants what he wants and no one else matters. His Mom is having a fit because I am retaining him. Now we are testing him for learning disabilities. Really? He has learned all these years with good grades. NOW he is disabled? This child has had behavior issues since kinder. I have heard all the stories all these years. I knew I would end up with him when we changed principals. I did. The difference this year is that I am trying to hold him accountable. I am trying to make sure he knows that he isn't in control. His mom has fought with me the whole way. I even avoid her whenever I can now. I am going to have to retain him. She is probably going to put him in a different school too. Still, his record will follow him. At least I have backing from the top on this. Just not from the resource or Phych people. (Oooh, poor baby, she is so mean.)
|
-
It was just on the news this past weekend that sugar in all its forms it toxic to human bodies. Especially in the amounts that we eat them. I must say, I agree. I look at these chubby kids drinking back sport drinks like lemonade and wonder what is happening to their bodies. I know the dyes in them can't be good for them. I know the electrolytes added for extreme heat, aren't good to drink all the time. I don't understand the concept of a sport drink that everyone drinks. Obviously the chubby kids aren't into sports. I am talking about my class. I know who and who does not play games outside. What are we doing to our children? Stevia is the only sweetener that is natural and apparantly safe. It is definitly the only one that doesn't raise your glycemic index. Even artificial sweeteners make your brain react like it is on sugar. I am trying to shut myself off of sugar. I never realized how hard it was going to be. I crave chocolate. It makes me feel like living when the day makes me want to give up. Do they have any chocolate with stevia?
|
-
We were really excited. We won a pizza party and all the trimmings. We had pizza, chips, cookies... The kids acted like they were raised in a pig trough. They tried to eat the most pizza. I don't know if it was a competition or just plain greedy. Anyway, then they were nauseous. They were in the bathroom gagging and pretending to throw up. Of course I have a ring leader. The one who tells everyone she is going to cut herself. (Yes, it has been reported and her parents told.) She has an older sister who does this kind of thing. The others all follow. Anyway, it was a huge drama. Even the principal got involved. I told them after lunch recess that if we ever win anything again, I was going to give it to a different class. I was totally disturbed by their behavior. Apparently when I went into the cafeteria to get the trash bag, they all ran and grabbed whatever food there was left. Their parents should be ashamed of them. I was.
|
-
I have a student who "doesn't get it". I have to re-teach every single thing we do just special for him. I started the Sped process in October. Due to several glitches, he is finally getting tested. However, I just can't face teaching him division today. Again. And again. And again... He will sort of get it for one problem. Then want the exact same help for the next. I just can't do it today. He has had one-on-one, small group, peer tutoring, after school tutoring and the list goes on. He either can't understand math at all, or he is refusing to try. His IQ is normal. I sure hope they find out what it is because he needs help that apparently I can't give him. Heaven help him have a learning disability so I don't have to permanently do away with myself.
|
|
|
|
|