I woke up this morning as usual tired, but ready to go to work. I got all of my things together, while I was making sure my boys were up and getting ready. I transported the Halloween treats that I made for my students to the car. I had to let it warm up while I finished getting ready. It has been really cold the last few nights; this morning it was 28 degrees.
I have had my Halloween treats ready for about two weeks. I started buying things to put in them about a month ago; as soon as Halloween stuff hit the store shelves. I have 24 students this year, so the treats were not cheap. I spent approximately 75 dollars on them. They each have two treats that I will be giving them. One is from me (the teacher) no sugar or candy allowed. The other is from me (the mom) and my family. This one contains sugar and candy. I do this so I won't get into trouble.
I arrive at school and immediately take off to the copy room. I make copies of selection tests for Wednesday. I am informed that we (the school) have no water again! This is nothing new this year. We have been without water for altogether about 2 1/2 weeks this year. Ms. East informs me that I will be getting an ELMO for my room. I'm ecstatic, I've wanted one for a while. I return to my room and prepare for my students, who begin to trickle in. Ms. Howington comes in to observe my reading lesson at 9:00 until 10:30. I am nervous but confident that we (Mr. Cruey and I) will do well. We do! She shows me her remarks, no bad words to say.
At 10:30, we line up the 5th and 4th grades to travel down two flights of steps to the only bathrooms we can use in the building. We can use them, because the board has paid someone to transport water into the restrooms so we can flush the toilets after all of the students (around 100) have finished. Still not very sanitary. We provide all of the students with an antibacterial hand wipe as they exit.
They return upstairs and 4th comes to my room for reading. At 11:50, again we take the procession downstairs for a bathroom break before lunch. I have lunch duty, so I watch the children eat before I have my lunch at 12:30. I make my customary track to the top of the hill and have a couple before returning to work.
We have interventions after my lunch, but I did not get to do mine. My advanced and on level students normally go to enrichment, but both teachers that do this with them are not there. I have all but about 4 or 5 of my students. I can't do interventions with my 6 with everyone else so I work with 4th grade to finish reading.
At 1:15 my 4th grade travels down the hall to nutrition class. They attend these classes every Tuesday for about 7 weeks. I'll be glad when they are over. After they leave I take my 5th grade to the computer lab and show them how we can use the smart board to play games online, educational games. We play one together and at 2:00 my 4th graders return. When they return they all have a tootsie roll sucker in their mouths. I put 5th grade on the computers and pull up 4th daily fix-its on the smart board. I walk out of the computer lab and head straight for the office.
I inform the principal about the suckers and we all laugh about how a nutritionist would give candy to kids. I return and I review homework with 4th and 5th grade. We leave the computer lab at around 2:30. I line them all up again to take a trip down to the restrooms. When we return it is now 5th grades turn in nutrition class. I tell them to line up at the door and we wait.
I can't teach or do anything with my 4th graders because I have to stand in the doorway and watch the 5th grade until they enter the class. I wait 15 minutes and finally I had to do something. I opened the door and informed the nutritionist that the 5th graders have been waiting 15 minutes. She retorts that 3rd grade was late. Wow! I respond in the same tone, we don't do things that way! If a group is late then they just lose their time, we don't pull it from another time. I don't think she liked it, but I really don't care.
Now it is my planning period. I prepare things that need to go home. I run down my boss and speak with her a minute. A parent walks into my room to talk about her son and we talk for about 10 minutes. I finally get all of the students out the door and where they need to be. I drive straight home, my mom kept the baby, I don't have to pick her up. I am still sick, but at least I'm not Sick and Tired today!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Down days
You know that feeling you get when nothing seems to be worth it anymore. Well I've had it for almost 4 days now. Seems like everything you do or say is wrong. I feel like filling up the car and driving until I run out of gas and doing it over and over again until I run out of money. All the while never turning around, moving in a straight line, to no where in particular.
Friday as I wrote earlier was the start of my feeling worthless and unnecessary. Saturday was not much better. Sunday ended with family problems and today, I seem to be coming down with a cold or maybe the flu. I feel like crap. My head hurts, throat hurts, I feel like I can't get enough air in my lungs and my back and legs hurt. Wednesday is Halloween and I'm really not in the holiday mood.
My kids today were quite well behaved. I informed them that I really was not feeling well so they must have tried to cut me some slack. The school environment did not help my feeling sick today. The temperature of my classroom never rose above 60 all day. My students and I wore a coat all day to try to keep warm. My foster grandmothers, older individuals who are in the room to help children in need, went home after lunch. They were freezing. I don't blame them. I would have left too if I could have.
Tomorrow is Tuesday, the final day for work to go on this 9 week report. Tuesday night I will be grading any papers that are piled up, inserting those into the grade book and averaging grades. All work and no play is making me crazy. I really need a break, I might take a day Thursday or Friday. I might not have a choice if I don't start feeling better. A doctor's visit and a new bill just what I need to boost my moral. Woo Ho!
Friday as I wrote earlier was the start of my feeling worthless and unnecessary. Saturday was not much better. Sunday ended with family problems and today, I seem to be coming down with a cold or maybe the flu. I feel like crap. My head hurts, throat hurts, I feel like I can't get enough air in my lungs and my back and legs hurt. Wednesday is Halloween and I'm really not in the holiday mood.
My kids today were quite well behaved. I informed them that I really was not feeling well so they must have tried to cut me some slack. The school environment did not help my feeling sick today. The temperature of my classroom never rose above 60 all day. My students and I wore a coat all day to try to keep warm. My foster grandmothers, older individuals who are in the room to help children in need, went home after lunch. They were freezing. I don't blame them. I would have left too if I could have.
Tomorrow is Tuesday, the final day for work to go on this 9 week report. Tuesday night I will be grading any papers that are piled up, inserting those into the grade book and averaging grades. All work and no play is making me crazy. I really need a break, I might take a day Thursday or Friday. I might not have a choice if I don't start feeling better. A doctor's visit and a new bill just what I need to boost my moral. Woo Ho!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
IS Days for me
IS days are built into our school calendar at the beginning of each school term. These are days that students are not required to attended school, but teachers do. At my first school appointment, we used these days to do things in our classroom, such as clean, prepare materials and plan. This helped a great deal. I could rearrange seating plans, post new material on walls, decorate for upcoming holidays, grade papers that have piled up and file materials so that they were easy to find in my file cabinets. I could also take time to review student work and plan for individual strategies to help those students. I had less to take home to do and more time with my family for a week or so. We also had a staff meeting that usually lasted only about an hour or so.
IS days at my current school is set up differently. We are required to send home invitations for students who need help to attend these days. I sent 7 invitations this time. Two of which decided to attend; a brother and sister pair that are both in the same grade. I teach reading, while another teacher does the math. She sent home about 6 invitations, One came. She did not work on IS day.
Here is the way the day transpired.
I arrived at the school at 8:00, my normal time. I went straight to my room and began to work on trying to get a online test posted for my students for Monday, to no avail. The math specialist came in to tell me that she would take my attendees for the first 30 minutes and send them to me at 9:30. I state that would be fine. I prepare graphic organizers, for each of the three students to take home to use when they read and write.
At 9:30 the three students enter my classroom. I explain the graphic organizers to them and allow them to sit at the computers and work on Riverdeep (a program that works with reading, language, vocabulary, and math). They are only allowed to work with reading. During this time, my boss enters the room to ask me if I would take time later that day to show a colleague how to get her lesson plans from the success net website. At 10:15 I send the three to our title one teacher, why I'm not sure, because our math specialist tells me to.
I leave my room and travel downstairs to the first grade classroom with my lesson plans in hand. I show these to the teacher and she informs me that she is not about to do hers like mine. Yes, mine are detailed and time consuming. I spend about 30 minutes talking with her and the 2nd/3rd grade teacher. I leave her room and travel up two flights of stairs to the cafeteria.
Title one has scheduled a fund raiser today as well and asked me on a previous day if I would help. We are selling spaghetti and ham dinners for pick up by the community. I arrive to find that only one person is helping beside me. Surprise! I jump in with both feet and help. At around 12:00 other teachers arrive to eat their lunch, while the other teacher and I are still preparing dinners for the fundraiser.
At 12:25 my boss arrives to find us still working on dinners. She informs us that we will be having a faculty meeting at 12:30. Wait! We haven't had our lunch break yet! I want to say, but I don't. I are almost done with the dinners, so I leave to get my lunch. I walk into the staff lunch room and heat my can of beef stew. I tell those in attendance that I would see them after I eat.
I never eat in the lunch room for one major reason. Lunch time is the only time in the day that I can have my addiction, a cigarette. I have to go outside to my car. Drive off of school grounds and park at the top of the hill in a wide spot to have one. I eat my stew and smoke one cigarette. It takes me about 15 minutes to do this. I immediately drive back to the school and back to work.
I walk into the room expecting someone to say, Where have you been?, and I am ready (not in the mood for any lip). No one says a thing. We have a staff meeting until 2:15 and we are told we can leave today at 3:00. Now I can finally get back to my room. Wow! a whole 45 minutes to spend on what I want to do! Catch me I'm falling!
I walk into the room and begin by cleaning the blackboard; it's now shiny and black. I rearrange the student desks into groups of 6. I clean the tops of all 24 desks, they were nasty. I shut down the four computers located in the room and gather my stuff. I have a rolling crate and today it is filled to the top with books, papers and manuals. I guess I will be spending my Saturday on work.
I walk out the door at 3:15. I would call this a wasted IS day. Nothing important was accomplished and I still will have to take my own time this weekend to complete work I should have had the chance to do in school today. I guess my point is, why invite these students for reading help? I can't move ahead, because I just have to teach the rest of the class at a later time. Math help was playing games on the Internet, no specialized help there. What was the purpose? I know! I know! To make the school look good, on our days free, we invite students and do things for the community.
IS days at my current school is set up differently. We are required to send home invitations for students who need help to attend these days. I sent 7 invitations this time. Two of which decided to attend; a brother and sister pair that are both in the same grade. I teach reading, while another teacher does the math. She sent home about 6 invitations, One came. She did not work on IS day.
Here is the way the day transpired.
I arrived at the school at 8:00, my normal time. I went straight to my room and began to work on trying to get a online test posted for my students for Monday, to no avail. The math specialist came in to tell me that she would take my attendees for the first 30 minutes and send them to me at 9:30. I state that would be fine. I prepare graphic organizers, for each of the three students to take home to use when they read and write.
At 9:30 the three students enter my classroom. I explain the graphic organizers to them and allow them to sit at the computers and work on Riverdeep (a program that works with reading, language, vocabulary, and math). They are only allowed to work with reading. During this time, my boss enters the room to ask me if I would take time later that day to show a colleague how to get her lesson plans from the success net website. At 10:15 I send the three to our title one teacher, why I'm not sure, because our math specialist tells me to.
I leave my room and travel downstairs to the first grade classroom with my lesson plans in hand. I show these to the teacher and she informs me that she is not about to do hers like mine. Yes, mine are detailed and time consuming. I spend about 30 minutes talking with her and the 2nd/3rd grade teacher. I leave her room and travel up two flights of stairs to the cafeteria.
Title one has scheduled a fund raiser today as well and asked me on a previous day if I would help. We are selling spaghetti and ham dinners for pick up by the community. I arrive to find that only one person is helping beside me. Surprise! I jump in with both feet and help. At around 12:00 other teachers arrive to eat their lunch, while the other teacher and I are still preparing dinners for the fundraiser.
At 12:25 my boss arrives to find us still working on dinners. She informs us that we will be having a faculty meeting at 12:30. Wait! We haven't had our lunch break yet! I want to say, but I don't. I are almost done with the dinners, so I leave to get my lunch. I walk into the staff lunch room and heat my can of beef stew. I tell those in attendance that I would see them after I eat.
I never eat in the lunch room for one major reason. Lunch time is the only time in the day that I can have my addiction, a cigarette. I have to go outside to my car. Drive off of school grounds and park at the top of the hill in a wide spot to have one. I eat my stew and smoke one cigarette. It takes me about 15 minutes to do this. I immediately drive back to the school and back to work.
I walk into the room expecting someone to say, Where have you been?, and I am ready (not in the mood for any lip). No one says a thing. We have a staff meeting until 2:15 and we are told we can leave today at 3:00. Now I can finally get back to my room. Wow! a whole 45 minutes to spend on what I want to do! Catch me I'm falling!
I walk into the room and begin by cleaning the blackboard; it's now shiny and black. I rearrange the student desks into groups of 6. I clean the tops of all 24 desks, they were nasty. I shut down the four computers located in the room and gather my stuff. I have a rolling crate and today it is filled to the top with books, papers and manuals. I guess I will be spending my Saturday on work.
I walk out the door at 3:15. I would call this a wasted IS day. Nothing important was accomplished and I still will have to take my own time this weekend to complete work I should have had the chance to do in school today. I guess my point is, why invite these students for reading help? I can't move ahead, because I just have to teach the rest of the class at a later time. Math help was playing games on the Internet, no specialized help there. What was the purpose? I know! I know! To make the school look good, on our days free, we invite students and do things for the community.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
My little girl!
Background
Anyway, when I arrived to pick Sabrina up today she was sitting on my mother-in-laws lap reading. No she can't really read yet, but she pretends that she can. My mother-in-law was talking about how smart she is for memorizing many of the books she likes to read. I think she is very smart as well, but I feel that memorizing is just something that all kids do at this age.
Sabrina has never liked to watch a lot of TV, unless it is The Backyardigans or Dora. She draws, reads, and plays with her toys to amuse herself. She helps me cook, clean and even tries to help me drive. WHAT? No, she does not physically help me drive, but she does remind me to put on my seat belt, tell me where to turn and scolds me for going to slow or fast. My two boys are older and take care of her for me when I am busy or just need a break for a few minutes.
She has a room (decorate with Backyardigans) full of toys and books. She has her own furniture, bed, table with chairs, and toy shelf, again Backyardigans. On her dresser she has her own TV, hooked up to satellite, a VCR and a DVD player. On her wardrobe she has approximately 100 movies that have been bought just for her. The only problem is she will play, watch movies or TV, and read in her room, but she will not sleep in it. She sleeps with mommy and daddy.
She has the undivided attention of the whole family, both at home and elsewhere. She is loved by everyone that meets her, she just has that personality. It's no wonder she has all of these things. Christmas is coming, I'll bet she has another room full then. I always wondered about the term spoiled. Do you think all of this qualifies her as spoiled? I don't think it should because besides getting about anything she wants, she is really a good child. She minds well most of the time and listens. I'm just not sure about that label.
- Name: Sabrina Nicole
- Age: 3
- Place in family: youngest child, only daughter, and most of the time "the boss" in the immediate family: First Granddaughter on my side of the family and the only one who lives around here in my husband's family.
- Personality: friendly (doesn't meet a stranger) active (on the go constantly) inquisitive (wants to know about everything she encounters) talkative (thought she'd never start, can't wait till she stops now) attention seeker (she wants to be the center of attention) impatient (she wants what she wants NOW)
- Physically: Height: approximately 3 foot Weight: about 28 pounds Eyes: hazel Hair: long and brown.
I pick up my little girl at my mother-in-laws home on workdays. My mother-in-law is a great person. Yea! I said it. We have always gotten along well. She keeps Sabrina when I work, unless they have an appointment. On those days my mother or my father keep her for me. I feel safer doing it that way; I know they will take good care of her.
Anyway, when I arrived to pick Sabrina up today she was sitting on my mother-in-laws lap reading. No she can't really read yet, but she pretends that she can. My mother-in-law was talking about how smart she is for memorizing many of the books she likes to read. I think she is very smart as well, but I feel that memorizing is just something that all kids do at this age.
Sabrina has never liked to watch a lot of TV, unless it is The Backyardigans or Dora. She draws, reads, and plays with her toys to amuse herself. She helps me cook, clean and even tries to help me drive. WHAT? No, she does not physically help me drive, but she does remind me to put on my seat belt, tell me where to turn and scolds me for going to slow or fast. My two boys are older and take care of her for me when I am busy or just need a break for a few minutes.
She has a room (decorate with Backyardigans) full of toys and books. She has her own furniture, bed, table with chairs, and toy shelf, again Backyardigans. On her dresser she has her own TV, hooked up to satellite, a VCR and a DVD player. On her wardrobe she has approximately 100 movies that have been bought just for her. The only problem is she will play, watch movies or TV, and read in her room, but she will not sleep in it. She sleeps with mommy and daddy.
She has the undivided attention of the whole family, both at home and elsewhere. She is loved by everyone that meets her, she just has that personality. It's no wonder she has all of these things. Christmas is coming, I'll bet she has another room full then. I always wondered about the term spoiled. Do you think all of this qualifies her as spoiled? I don't think it should because besides getting about anything she wants, she is really a good child. She minds well most of the time and listens. I'm just not sure about that label.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Workshop Days
I began my day as any normal school day.
- Waking up at 6:30
- Getting dressed, fixing my hair, putting on my makeup, etc.
- Waking my boys at 6:45
- Gathering all of the materials I would need for the day
Then I changed my routine. I did not have to go to the school where I teach, I had to travel to Beckley, WV for a workshop on Differentiating Instruction. I left home at 7:00 and stopped by Bud's Shopping Center in Adria. Bud's has the best biscuits that I have every eaten anywhere and my mom is the one who makes them most days. I always get a bacon, cheese, tomato and mayo biscuit, but mom already knows that.
I leave Bud's and travel the 1/2 mile to my colleagues home to pick him up: we are riding together today. I reach his house at around 7:15. We leave Tazewell and head to Bluefield to get on I-77. I make a quick stop in Bluefield to pick up breakfast for my colleague. We finally reach Tamarack Conference Center near Beckley at around 8:40.
We walk in to find that breakfast was provided. Good Grief! I wish we had known. Well anyway we walk in to find a seat and begin our day. The workshop was very interesting and informing. I did not see much in the way of differentiation, but it was informing none the less.
We discussed a great deal about learning modalities and how children in today's classroom are predominately tactile/kinesthetic learners. I liked many of the suggestions and plan to implement several on my return to class tomorrow. Some of which are:
- Work masks
- Colored Acetate strips for reading
- Class stepping stones
- Index card responses
During our workshop, RESA 1 provided breakfast, like I said before. They also provided a lunch (grilled chicken salad with (we think) Parmesan dressing and cheesecake)and a snack (cookies) around 2:00. Drinks consisting of water, coffee, soda, and juice was available the whole time. I never knew that going to a workshop would give so much. I'm told by others it usually doesn't.
We left the workshop at around 3:30. I had to make a stop at the pet store in Bluefield to pick up a rat (for our Ball Python) and crickets (for our 3 tree frogs). Yes we have a zoo at my home. Another quick stop at Walmart to buy materials to implement our newly found ideas and a few other things.
I finally get my colleague home at about 5:05. I get home shortly after and pick up my youngest son from home (leaving all of my acquired stuff). I travel another 20 minutes in the direction of Bishop Va. to pick up my daughter at my mother-in-laws house. I finally return home at around 6:30.
Supper is still not done and I probably will not make any tonight. You know! Eat what you can find. I am currently working on preparing our materials and planning for tomorrow. I would like to go to bed early, but I have to travel again tonight: picking up my son at Food Lion when he gets off work at 10:00.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Taking a day
Monday I will be taking a day off work to attend a workshop with a colleague of mine. I don't like taking a day off work anymore. I used to look forward to laying out of work a few years ago and planned for it accordingly. I would wake up and decide I just did not feel like working, pick up the phone and make up some excuse for being absent. Not anymore.
Teaching means a lot to me. I enjoy going in and getting materials ready. Standing in front of a classroom of kids, knowing that they are looking to me for answers and knowledge, excites my intellect. When I do not attend, I feel that I am letting them down. I know that one day is not going to permanently stunt their educational growth, but that's one day they lose direct input from me.
I also worry that the substitute will not be kind to my kids, will not follow what I want the kids to accomplish, and will find that my classroom routines are not up to their expectations. I guess you could say I am a control freak. I know the lady that will be substituting for me Monday. I know that she will treat my kids fairly, but the rest is up for grabs.
Another reason that I hate taking a day is the work that must be done to take a day. I spent 4 hours Thursday preparing lessons and materials for the substitute to use. I used to be a substitute and I hated to walk into a classroom, where I did not have a clue what was going on. My substitutes should never have that problem.
I write out detailed lesson plans that include time, subject and word for word instructions for the lesson. I place all materials in a file folder and lay them on my desk, so they have no problem finding them. They never have to open my lesson planner and try to decipher them, everything is typed, edited, and laid out in time sequence order. I always list two to three students that know what is going on to help with activities and include lunch and bus duties that need to be followed. AGAIN! A CONTROL FREAK!
After all of this pre-planning, I should feel comfortable right. Wrong! I will continue to worry till I walk in Tuesday and read the note left by the substitute telling me how Monday went. I will also ask my students what they did, how they felt and if they were good for the sub. Maybe one day I will lose this feeling of worry when I take a day, but I doubt it.
I really hope that in a way I never lose it, because when I do it might be time for me to get out of the profession.
Teaching means a lot to me. I enjoy going in and getting materials ready. Standing in front of a classroom of kids, knowing that they are looking to me for answers and knowledge, excites my intellect. When I do not attend, I feel that I am letting them down. I know that one day is not going to permanently stunt their educational growth, but that's one day they lose direct input from me.
I also worry that the substitute will not be kind to my kids, will not follow what I want the kids to accomplish, and will find that my classroom routines are not up to their expectations. I guess you could say I am a control freak. I know the lady that will be substituting for me Monday. I know that she will treat my kids fairly, but the rest is up for grabs.
Another reason that I hate taking a day is the work that must be done to take a day. I spent 4 hours Thursday preparing lessons and materials for the substitute to use. I used to be a substitute and I hated to walk into a classroom, where I did not have a clue what was going on. My substitutes should never have that problem.
I write out detailed lesson plans that include time, subject and word for word instructions for the lesson. I place all materials in a file folder and lay them on my desk, so they have no problem finding them. They never have to open my lesson planner and try to decipher them, everything is typed, edited, and laid out in time sequence order. I always list two to three students that know what is going on to help with activities and include lunch and bus duties that need to be followed. AGAIN! A CONTROL FREAK!
After all of this pre-planning, I should feel comfortable right. Wrong! I will continue to worry till I walk in Tuesday and read the note left by the substitute telling me how Monday went. I will also ask my students what they did, how they felt and if they were good for the sub. Maybe one day I will lose this feeling of worry when I take a day, but I doubt it.
I really hope that in a way I never lose it, because when I do it might be time for me to get out of the profession.
When will I see you?
My husband and I both work, but that's not new. Most couples today have to have two family incomes to live Compare that to 30 years ago, when dad worked and mom took care of the home and kids. This does not bother me, considering I grew up wanting to work. What bothers me is the fact that my husband and I work different shifts.
I wake up of a morning at 6:30 and go to work, while my husband is still in bed asleep. He sleeps till about 11:00 and leaves for work at 1:00. I return home around 5:00, do what I need to do and get in the bed around 11:00. At around 3:00 am he returns home to find me asleep and turns in himself. This cycle continues Monday - Friday.
There are some good aspects of this arrangement. I no longer have to take my three year old daughter to my mother-in-laws in the morning: my husband does this. We don't fight or argue much, because we do not see each other enough to get on each others nerves. And finally now someone is available during the day to go to the bank or make phone calls to businesses that are only open from 9 - 5.
The truly awful part of this arrangement is the fact we don't see each other. When we do on the weekends, its as if we really have nothing to say. We kind of lose touch with each other, like there is a emotional distance between us. I love him dearly and always will, but I don't know how long our relationship can last with this situation. We do converse, by way of post it notes we leave each other on the counter.
Most of our post it notes have the usual jargon; Your mom called she will be picking the baby up at 10 today or I wrote a check today for gas it was $$$$. We state we love and miss each other on a daily basis. My husband hates to write, so the post it situation is odd for him. He has written me more in the last month than in our total of 19 years of marriage.
Well it is Saturday, my husband is working till around 11 tonight. We have Sunday to reconnect, before beginning a new week of post it notes. I pray that he will soon get a day shift position and we can truly be a husband and wife again.
I wake up of a morning at 6:30 and go to work, while my husband is still in bed asleep. He sleeps till about 11:00 and leaves for work at 1:00. I return home around 5:00, do what I need to do and get in the bed around 11:00. At around 3:00 am he returns home to find me asleep and turns in himself. This cycle continues Monday - Friday.
There are some good aspects of this arrangement. I no longer have to take my three year old daughter to my mother-in-laws in the morning: my husband does this. We don't fight or argue much, because we do not see each other enough to get on each others nerves. And finally now someone is available during the day to go to the bank or make phone calls to businesses that are only open from 9 - 5.
The truly awful part of this arrangement is the fact we don't see each other. When we do on the weekends, its as if we really have nothing to say. We kind of lose touch with each other, like there is a emotional distance between us. I love him dearly and always will, but I don't know how long our relationship can last with this situation. We do converse, by way of post it notes we leave each other on the counter.
Most of our post it notes have the usual jargon; Your mom called she will be picking the baby up at 10 today or I wrote a check today for gas it was $$$$. We state we love and miss each other on a daily basis. My husband hates to write, so the post it situation is odd for him. He has written me more in the last month than in our total of 19 years of marriage.
Well it is Saturday, my husband is working till around 11 tonight. We have Sunday to reconnect, before beginning a new week of post it notes. I pray that he will soon get a day shift position and we can truly be a husband and wife again.
Classroom Observations
As a new teacher, I must be evaluated by my supervisor (principal) a certain number of times a year. I always hated to be the center of attention by adults. I get an extreme amount of butterflies and devastating stage fright. I break into cold sweats and my heart rate rises to an alarming rate.
My day was Thursday, my first evaluation of the year. Being evaluated by your superior is nerve racking, but for some reason I don't seem to go into the fits as mentioned above. I plan all of my lessons down to the last detail. I usually know exactly what I am going to say and do before I begin. I guess this could be one of the reasons I don't mind so much.
Another reason I believe is because it is a controlled environment, one which I am comfortable in. I am a teacher, I teach children, so what is there to be nervous about. I love to teach and the group that I have this year is very receptive to how and what I am trying to get across to them. I can act crazy, raise my voice, sing and even dance in front of my students without feeling silly or stupid.
During my planning period today, I found out my results from Thursday. Now I was nervous. What if I did something wrong? What if she didn't like how I taught? Can I accept her criticisms without taking them as personal? Will she want me to change my approach or my mannerisms?
I walk in, sit down, and try to prepare myself for a beating. I am shocked and amazed. She begins by stating that she appreciates me. ME! She began to show all of the good things that I was doing in the classroom. Many of which I did not realize that I was even doing. She commended me on my planning and preparedness. Wow! She noticed that! I was ready for the worst and got the best out of this encounter.
I guess my being ready for the worst in the classroom, brought out the best in my classroom.
My day was Thursday, my first evaluation of the year. Being evaluated by your superior is nerve racking, but for some reason I don't seem to go into the fits as mentioned above. I plan all of my lessons down to the last detail. I usually know exactly what I am going to say and do before I begin. I guess this could be one of the reasons I don't mind so much.
Another reason I believe is because it is a controlled environment, one which I am comfortable in. I am a teacher, I teach children, so what is there to be nervous about. I love to teach and the group that I have this year is very receptive to how and what I am trying to get across to them. I can act crazy, raise my voice, sing and even dance in front of my students without feeling silly or stupid.
During my planning period today, I found out my results from Thursday. Now I was nervous. What if I did something wrong? What if she didn't like how I taught? Can I accept her criticisms without taking them as personal? Will she want me to change my approach or my mannerisms?
I walk in, sit down, and try to prepare myself for a beating. I am shocked and amazed. She begins by stating that she appreciates me. ME! She began to show all of the good things that I was doing in the classroom. Many of which I did not realize that I was even doing. She commended me on my planning and preparedness. Wow! She noticed that! I was ready for the worst and got the best out of this encounter.
I guess my being ready for the worst in the classroom, brought out the best in my classroom.
School Fire Drills
On average, schools have two to three fire drills per semester. Today my boss, decided that we needed a fire drill. That's not so bad, right! Well! yesterday I was told that we needed to have students in the computer lab daily. This puts a kink into my lesson plans.
I teach only reading of the morning (4th for 1 1/2 hours and 5th for 1 1/2 hours), but after lunch I have to teach social studies, science, language, health, art, music, and computer. I only have 2 hours in which to get it all in and this does not include gym that occurs on a almost daily basis.
Anyways, I am already stressed for time. I read this morning that Prism volunteers will be reading to the students at 2:00, so again there goes my lesson plans. At 2:10, the fire alarm blares (my heart pops into my throat)and I say "Lets go". We walk quickly and wait outside until the boss allows us to return.
We return to an empty computer room and resume our work, only to be interrupted again 5 minutes later with another drill. Oh Boy! Out again into the parking lot to wait. I lost 20 minutes today, when I really did not have any to spare.
Hooray! At least they were drills and not the real thing, I might have lost a lot more.
I teach only reading of the morning (4th for 1 1/2 hours and 5th for 1 1/2 hours), but after lunch I have to teach social studies, science, language, health, art, music, and computer. I only have 2 hours in which to get it all in and this does not include gym that occurs on a almost daily basis.
Anyways, I am already stressed for time. I read this morning that Prism volunteers will be reading to the students at 2:00, so again there goes my lesson plans. At 2:10, the fire alarm blares (my heart pops into my throat)and I say "Lets go". We walk quickly and wait outside until the boss allows us to return.
We return to an empty computer room and resume our work, only to be interrupted again 5 minutes later with another drill. Oh Boy! Out again into the parking lot to wait. I lost 20 minutes today, when I really did not have any to spare.
Hooray! At least they were drills and not the real thing, I might have lost a lot more.
A new experience for me
I am a teacher, mother, and wife. My life is full and rewarding, but tiring at times. I deal with children 24/7 and need a way to return to the adult world. I enjoy what I do, but need to remember that as an adult, adult conversation and input is needed periodically.
I live in a very small town in Southwestern Virginia. I work in a school located in West Virginia, which is only about 20 miles from my home. I have been a teacher for 3 years. I choose to work in this area, because class sizes are small and the children come from homes that have similar morals and beliefs as my own.
I have 3 children, ages 17, 15, and 3. I have been married for 19 years to the same wonderful man.
I live in a very small town in Southwestern Virginia. I work in a school located in West Virginia, which is only about 20 miles from my home. I have been a teacher for 3 years. I choose to work in this area, because class sizes are small and the children come from homes that have similar morals and beliefs as my own.
I have 3 children, ages 17, 15, and 3. I have been married for 19 years to the same wonderful man.
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