Hedgetoad Teaching

For those who have been following for awhile, you knew that last winter I had a foster child placed with me. The child is now in the process of transitioning back to her biological family. Very sad for me, but I'm cautiously happy for her. This weekend was the first overnight visit. As a consequence I didn't really want to do trick-or-treaters. I wanted to paint the kitchen. I turned out the lights, remove the decorations... they still knocked. I let the dog bark ferociously, they still knocked. Who lets their kids knock on darkened doors with ferocious sounding dogs? Oh, the ones who aren't kids. Swear to God, I had a pregnant woman knock on my door. No, it wasn't part of her costume, and no she didn't have any other kids. Just her and a man who hopefully was the "baby-daddy." A sign of bad economic times or simply another example of how trashy this town really can be? Want more proof? An 8 year old's costume at school? Jamie Lynn Spears, complete wit...

I think I'm a bit stressed - my eyelid has been twitching for several days (driving me nuts!) and I'm afraid to look at my in box.  Also, I'm suddenly really interested in doing craft projects. In the last 48 hours, I've finished a blanket I've been working on for the last 4 months, sewed two christmas ornaments and completed the tea cozy I started last month.  Today I printed out patterns for "nordic houses" ornaments and clothing for a christmas knome... when the going gets tough, the tough start finding projects that have an actual finish line.   What do you do when things start to spiral out of control?

It snowed in the mountains last night and there is a "black ice" warning on the news (seriously, a black ice warning?!?). Winter is on it's way.

Since accepting the position of RtI coordinator for my school I've learned the following things... My school is guided by people who need to think more long term... last year's RtI team was made up of all new teachers, most of whom did not return this year. It also has almost no support from any staff members who have been at the school for more than two years. They also paid to train a bunch of teachers last summer who are not, nor ever have been, on the RtI team. Again, because no one supports it. My school is guided by really nice people who want to make a difference in student's lives. Sadly, many of their ways of doing this annoy the crap out of me. RtI is a law. The way to implementation is not... thus people can actually screw around with it in many obnoxious and unhelpful ways. RtI is now a step to special education. I now get numerous emails asking for student X or Y to be tested. I get almost no other information because apparently it doesn't matter. Just...

As the three long time readers know, I hate grading. It's vitally important, but I hate it. Mostly I hate it because woefully disappointing. My regular english students see little value in anything that goes on in the classroom (and when the B*&#$ of teacher won't let you text while waiting for the outcome of your parent's trial, who can blame them?). At least one third of the papers are so poorly written that I really can't decipher what is written. I'm pretty good at reading chicken scratch, but our middle school decided several years ago not to "worry" about penmanship and the result is radom slashed on the paper that make no sense to anyone - even the writer.   So, the two thirds I can read... well, about half are barely completed. Mostly they contain answers like "he did that." I've gone over the proper way to answer questions... I've done mini-lessons on the use of complete sentences... We've gone over pronoun us...

The other day, someone tried to "friend" me on Facebook. Apparently, we graduated from high school together... but I had no idea who it was. I mean, the name was posted on the profile, but I didn't recognize it at all. I had to dig out my old yearbook - the one I keep telling my students I've lost - to look this person up. Didn't work. The first name was really common in that era and the picture wasn't any help either. I finally just clicked "accept", because who wants to get a reputation of being a Facebook denier (is that a word) back in my hometown? The reason I tell my students I lost it? They're utterly fascinated with seeing it. They want to see my hideous photos and laugh at everyones hair styles. Hey, I laugh too! But really, do I want them to see cute boys labeled? Or the copious drug and alcohol references? Sure it was all talk, but that's just not something I want to share. I'm just glad I don't teach in my hometown. They d...

Every year starts out the same way... one class period I love. For some reason, we just click immediately. I'm excited to see them and I'm sure that we're all going to have a wonderful learning experience. It's wonderful! Then about three or four weeks into the semester, the class turns the behavior corner and because I'm "such a cool teacher", they go hog wild. No one turns in any work, assignments sit on tables or are used for paper airplanes and spitwads. They are directionless and only motivated to here the latest gossip. Every activity is like walking through a mud flat... I can hear my soul being slowly ripped out of my body as they manage to dampen any hope I had of having one of those wonderful classes. They drive me to drink. This year, I've been trying to avoid it. It happened anyways. But! Instead of drinking, we had a class meeting. I told them my sad dream class story. (they love to hear stories) They apologize and ask for more intesting a...

What It's Like on the Inside had a link to an blog entry on ASCD Inservice - Dumbed Down Generation expressing the view that perhaps the current generation is perhaps devoid of an intellectual spirit. What great timing! Just this past Friday, I was asked in my English class why I don't buy the our current novel on tape and play it for them during class instead of forcing them to read it.. I was promised they would be much more interested than the current napping pattern displayed. Or just show the movie and then it would be over in a couple of days. The entry talked about a recent debate on the state of intellectual curiosity among teens. The teens did not come out good in this one. One of the comments in reaction to the blurb is from writer of the generation under discussion. In his post, he writes that there is a differing view point that the older generations are missing. I think as teachers it's important to evaluate these view points, if for no other reason then to c...

This morning I saw an tv advertisement for KFC - it claims that buying a KFC family dinner at $9.99 is cheaper than buying the ingredients from the grocery store. It goes on to show kids and mom running around the store exclaiming shock at the prices and searching for the "secret herbs and spices." I gonna be honest... I have a real problem with the commercial. We're in an economic recession and these people are trying to convince viewers that it's cheaper to buy ready made, than purchasing the ingredients to make it yourself... or as the commercial shows buy it ready made at the grocery store. Most of the items needed for such a meal can't be bought in single meal servings - yes, if you had to go and buy a bag of potatoes, a 5lb. bag of flour, a pound of butter and all the spices, plus paid full price for the expensive-free-range-chicken, then yes, it's more than $10. But who I ask, buys a 5lb bag of flour just to make biscuits? Or spices for one chicken? Thi...

It started raining on Tuesday - just a sprinkle, but enough to keep me from mowing the lawn. It's now coming down in buckets and our first storm is on predicted for the weekend. Good-bye sun. See in you in April.

Before I became a teacher, I interviewed for a job as a long term sub in a private school. I got the job, but then wasn't needed. It did give me a clue as what teaching high english was... but that's another story. Somehow during this interview/discussion we started talking about how all English teachers really want to write the "Great American Novel". I've always wondered if ALL English teachers want to write... but I certainly do. The thing that stops me and probably most, is the time commitment. With everything I have to do, I could not figure out how to get more time to write. And that was pre-baby! But I think I may have figured it out... If I get up at 5am and write until 6, I might be able to get something finally on paper. So I'm gonna try to do NaNoWriMo . Last year I was all about the murder mystery, but I was creeping myself out and got too busy. This year, I'm going to try fantasy - definitely royalty, someone in distress and possibly a giant s...

While purusing the Sunday paper, I came across an article describing some local candidate forum held over the weekend. Apprently they either weren't able to say a lot or what they said was pretty boring because the article was skimpy on specifics. What caught my eye was a position of Randy Dutton. He wants "higher standards for teachers." My interest was piqued... what kind of standards? In looking at his website, apparently those standards will be raised by carrying a gun to school, finally; "full days of school"-whatever that means - personally I'd love to put in business hours. No more 5 am wake ups; increasing the number of k-8 schools - because those kindergartners don't swear enough; sending disruptive students to placed like Habit for Humanity - babysitting is what people volunteer for; and teaching more American History- too bad that with all the testing, no one ever gets past the Civil War... I'm not sure how any of these apply to teachers, ...

The Daily Grind featured It's Not All Flowers... yesterday, so I had to check it out. (see how linky I am?) Apparently, I just missed a big blog scandal because Miss Mimi had described a classroom meeting wherein a single student was told by the other classmates how said student's behavior made them feel. In response, an anonymous poster claiming to be an administrator wrote how Miss Mimi was all kinds of wrong and bound for some sort of reprimand or firing. And then everyone jumped on anonymous and another post was written... Lord-love-a-duck! I do enjoy a good comment fight. You should check it out, it's high entertainment for us teacher types. Anonymous did have a point when he/she wrote that the parents would surly complain to the administration. I think, however, he/she missed the reason for that... it's readily apparent that students who have problems with behavior are generally being raised by parental units who do not subscribe to the "responsible citiz...

The other day I was informed that my name and number had been given to another school district as the RTI Guru . Four weeks on the job - two of which were spent trying to figure out a poorly designed assessment matrix - and I'm a guru . The word scared doesn't even cover that feeling... this is federal and state mandates and money, people! You can't screw around with that stuff! And that last thing I want to do is be telling people how they should do it. Or showing them when they visit... how do I get myself into these things? To be honest, although our district is really into this RTI thing, the high school implementation has been haphazard at best. The reading intervention existed for one year and then it was gone, replaced by math. Now it's back with math. The materials for reading however, are spread all over the campus hiding in drawers and dusty boxes belonging to various people, some of whom are no longer at the high school. It's taken nearly four weeks, but ...

I bought a programmable coffeemaker yesterday. In past, I've always thought it too decadant to pay extra for something I could just get my lazy ass out of bed to do. Oh, how wrong I was. Fresh coffee when I wake up? So worth the extra 20$. I see now the error of my cheap ways. Now I just need to buy a bottle of pumpkin spice syrup and I'm set for the year. I also bought a set of really cheap and flimsy shelves to keep the baby's toys on. The child is just over 13 months old and she has three boxes full of toys! And I nearly bought her more while buying the shelves (boy! was she pissed when I put back the fake grocery items! oooo!). It is amazing, how much she has collected in 9 months! Anyhow, these toy bins are taking over the living room (there is no room in the baby's room for the toys), and all the toys get mixed up in them, so it's hard to really play with them. I'm still searching for the green ring from the rainbow stacker/lighthouse. (I'm pretty sure...

I was just saying that the month hasn't been going by that fast, but since it's been 10 days since I last posted, I guess I will have to rethink that view. It's taken three weeks, but I finally figured out the testing matrix for the reading portion of RTI . All it took as a conference call with the creator, becuase it IS backwards (still no reason why!) and there are two "first"s because they are meant to be done simulteanously. Again, why they are in separate boxes listed in a linear continum that seems to indicate a progression is not explained why. But I do understand what I need have people do, so good 'nough. The teacher who was hired to teach these reading intervention courses seems a little disconcerted that there isn't really a set curriculum, but there is. Basically, we have all these curriculum books that must be used, but they're not a planned curriculum. He'll have to cobble them together. While I don't have reservations that he can...

Mr. McNamar over at The Daily Grind  brings up the subject of merit pay and how he wants it. Would you?   A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about the so-called teacher shortage. Every year there articles and news stories about the declining numbers of teachers (who are almost always dumber too!) and with gobs to current teachers retiring, no one will be left to teach Little Johnny (who can't read). In these discussions, merit pay is almost always brought up as a way to attract teachers. Especially to those districts in areas where test scores are particularly low.   My problem with these ideas is that:                   1. There is no teacher shortage. Plenty of districts get hundreds of applications for every single job opening. Some districts barely get one for 100's of openings.               ...

Before school started, I was asked to be the lead person for an intervention project going on within the district. No one really knew what I was supposed to be doing, but it did not require any traveling or extensive meetings after school. So I agreed to do it. I figured it would be good experience and I might learn something. Today I discover that I am, apparently, supposed to be attending a meeting every Thursday of the week during school hours. My last class of the day. You see, I do get an extra free period in the day to do all the work needed for this new program. The free period, however, is not during the time when the weekly meeting is scheduled. In fact, no one in my building was told of a particular day or time needed for this position. Thus a sub has to be found for one class period every week. I'm not happy - middle of week days off are a pain. The continuum of the class is ruined and students are never ready to jump back in after having a sub, no matter how good he/she...

How do you deal with cellphones in your class? I seriously need some ideas. Last year, I did the prescripted "if I see or it goes off, it's mine routine," but it left me doing A LOT of monitoring. Kids can send text messages through their pockets, you know. Also the "vibrate" setting is noisy and disruptive. It drives me to distraction. This year I started with the cute little baskets. I already have students not putting them in the basket (hiding them) and I just want it to stop being a policing issue. Parents are no help at all. Half the phone calls and texts during class are from the parent. I don't know if parents just don't care that their child attempts to send a text message every 30 seconds during EVERY class or if they're just oblivious. Last year a teacher had a little contest. He gathered all the phones on his desk and then asked the student to bet on how many text messages any one student would recieve. The highest number? 101. In a 50 mi...

I've forgotten how exhausting the first day is... I really need to get some sleep tonight! I wish I could say that we're off to a great start, but it seems like all will be confusion and massive moving of classes (again). It would be nice if they could just staff the necessary number of courses needed, but apparently constant switching and precarious balancing is how some like to live. Tomorrow is open house. Lala will be my special guest. I'd get a babysitter, but I've already spent my monthly allowance for that. She'll be one tired baby!