It has been the strangest few days. I don't really know why, it just feels strange. Off somehow. Maybe because I'm nervous about moving and feeling sad about not being with Jason anymore. It was just a weird weekend. I had an extra day and managed to accomplish nothing. No packing, no laundry, no cleaning, nothing.
First, Saturday was Red Lobster so it sucked. As usual. I love life too much to be working at such a mind numbingly dull second job.
Sunday, I overheard my sister get in a fight with her boyfriend on the phone in which they argued about whether to breakup. Which is weird, because they always seemed like such a happy couple to me. They worked it out, which is good.
Yesterday, my friend Jen bought tickets to see Mike Ness, so I went to the show with her. The show was really cool. I got hit on by a guy who was probably 10-15 years older than me. He was so shy and self conscious that I couldn't be rude. I gave him my number. He called tonight. But I don't really want to go out with him and I don't know how to go about it. I'm so awkward at stuff like this. I've been with Jason for two years, I'm out of practice when it comes to being single. Plus, I don't get hit on a lot so I never know how to handle it. After the show, Jen and I went to a bar with some of my friends. Everyone proceeded to get shitfaced except for me because I had school the next morning and was the driver. When I say shitfaced, I mean so drunk that I literally had to walk each of them out to the car one at a time and help them get in. One kept trying to convince me that he wanted to have sex with me. One tried to lay down in the sidewalk, I had to pull over for one to puke and then he started crying because he said he was embarassed. I did not get home until 3 am. I don't mind though, we had fun. And I know they would do the same for me. In fact, I expect them to one day haha. It was surreal almost. I have not been told I'm awesome so many times in one night in my life. They all wrote me within five minutes of each other this morning, saying thanks and sorry.
Today, oh Holy Mother of God, today. I was thisclose to calling in a sub but thank goodness I did not because unbeknownst to me, mostly because I don't pay attention at faculty meetings very well, today was locker cleanout day. We have not had any locker cleanouts throughout this year and I now know that was a big mistake. I have never seen so much crap crammed into such small spaces before in my life. And they left such a mess. I was supposed to check and sign off a section of 20 lockers and I told everyone in my section that I would not sign them off until everyone was done and everything was off the floor in that area. So, my section of lockers was relatively clean. But the rest of the hall was a danger zone. They just threw all their paper and books and garbage right on the floor. Kids were slipping on all the paper. Granted, it gets messy during locker cleanout but this was just disgustingly ridiculous. I was embarassed. Then, kids were supposed to go back to their first period until the final bell but since I'm right by the front door, I noticed that kids were trying to sneak away so I stood guard at the door. While I was standing guard, I notice a group of kids farther down the hall throwing garbage at each other and trying to run and slip through the paper and roll garbage cans at each other, spilling everything out of them in the process. So I head down there and ask what's going on. And get this, they get attitude with me! "Who do you think you are, getting in our faces? You're not our teacher! We don't have to listen to you." I was like, "Oh no, you just did not start a battle of attitude because that is a battle you will lose." I herded them into their classroom, where they had a sub, and told them not to leave until the principal gets there. One kid responds with, "Mr. Moody is a dookie." I respond with, "Guess who just got themselves detention. Anyone else want a turn?" But of course, the bell rings before the principal gets there and they all take off. In the meantime of all this, my class is just hanging out in my room. Here is a little background on this particular class I intercepted. This class belongs to a 7th/8th grade English teacher who is retiring this year. But her students have been watching movies and listening to audiotapes for many years now. They come to me in the ninth from her class knowing how to take movie notes and sneak ipods in their hoodies. We all know she hasn't been teaching anything but what can you do. So, when I went into that class today all I could think was, "And I get you next year." And a little part of me hopes I get them next year. Because I don't deal very well with disrespect and that's what these kids have because that's what they've gotten away with. I'm sure I sound like a crotchety old woman but this is the honest to god truth. I am the most laidback, easygoing person in the world and my students know this. That's why we have so much fun. But they also know that I don't take shit. And that's why they trust me.
Can I just say...I love my little junior highers to pieces, they are fun and amazing little people and I learn so much from them but sometimes some of them just piss me right off.
7 days left...thank the Lord.
5.27.2008
5.23.2008
...some fun stuff
It's weird. Fridays are short days but they feel like they take sooo long.
"Miss H, you're like one of my favorite teachers ever. For lots of reasons. But mostly because you can read really good."
??? "Ok, that's a good reason" I say.
"Well, like when you read out loud to us, you don't go too fast or too slow and you make it sound interesting. Other teachers read out loud and it's like torture. Plus, when you talk about stuff, it's interesting the way you say it."
I think I can honestly say that is one of the best compliments I have ever gotten in my whole life.
There are 8 days of school left. And while I am very excited for summer break, I am also kind of sad. We had fun this year. It's been a good one. Some good kids. I'm sad to see them go. I'm reluctant to hand my little ninth graders over to the great whirlpool we call high school. Next year, it's all new kids and all new attitudes. I got this group down now. I know what it takes and now I have to start all over again. I will miss the little kiddies.
I announce with great pride and pleasure the amazing opportunity I have received. I am going to be a chaperone on the ninth grade Lagoon field trip. Whooooo!
Also, we are having a Faculty Follies assembly, where the faculty does the skits and stuff. I am in the dance. With 6 other teachers. My school faculty are such party poopers. Only 6 of us volunteered to be in it. I suck at dancing and singing and performance stuff. I can draw. And talk. I'm a damn good schmoozer. But I can't dance. But I'm taking one for the team and dancing to a remix of Born to Be Wild. Yay. I will let you know how I survive that. I just hope that I don't biff it in front of my whole school.
I saw 10,000 BC at the dollar theater with my brother yesterday. Not near as epic as we were hoping. And what a hokey ending. Come on. The coolest part was the slave revolution and that only lasted like 3 minutes and was so anticlimactic. Ten thousand slaves versus like 20 soldiers and 10 priest guys. Lots of really hot scantily clad scruffy dudes though. And it's a little hard to feel victorious at the end when you know that the Egyptians, Aztecs, Incas, Romans, Brits, Vikings...etc etc etc are next in history. The white guys and the African guys all work together and then 12,000 years later, the white guys steal the African guys and make them slaves all over again. And everybody was dirty and dred-y except for their perfect, gleaming, white teeth. And I want a saber tooth tiger as my bodyguard. Good thing I only paid a dollar.
I rode my bike to Greenhouse Effect coffee shop. It's about 15 blocks away. It was a sweet ride. And then I drew in my sketchbook. And they make the best iced mochas ever and trust me, I have had a lot of iced mochas from a lot of different places. I have noticed something though...about coffee shops. There are the same people who hang out at every single one. They have different faces but they are the same people. The same "types" of people. There is always the obnoxious just barely 21 year olds and sit and talk about getting drunk and use words like "thingamabobber. There's always the gothic couple who sit and rub each other's hands while their friend(because there is always one friend with them) spys on myspace. There is always the old dude who dresses and talks and acts like he is still 20 and he is usually dressed like a biker. There is always the two normal people who look like they are out of place somehow, usually a new married couple, a mom and daughter or sisters. There is usually someone who has a mohawk. Someone who is wearing all black. Someone who is chainsmoking Camel Reds. Someone with a much too oversized hoodie splashed with the logo of some shitty band like ICP. And there is always a loner sitting by themselves, drawing in a sketchbook or writing crappy poetry in a Moleskine. That would be me.
Does anyone want to buy me a copy of Life Aquatic? Because I was just thinking about how much it rocks today.
"Miss H, you're like one of my favorite teachers ever. For lots of reasons. But mostly because you can read really good."
??? "Ok, that's a good reason" I say.
"Well, like when you read out loud to us, you don't go too fast or too slow and you make it sound interesting. Other teachers read out loud and it's like torture. Plus, when you talk about stuff, it's interesting the way you say it."
I think I can honestly say that is one of the best compliments I have ever gotten in my whole life.
There are 8 days of school left. And while I am very excited for summer break, I am also kind of sad. We had fun this year. It's been a good one. Some good kids. I'm sad to see them go. I'm reluctant to hand my little ninth graders over to the great whirlpool we call high school. Next year, it's all new kids and all new attitudes. I got this group down now. I know what it takes and now I have to start all over again. I will miss the little kiddies.
I announce with great pride and pleasure the amazing opportunity I have received. I am going to be a chaperone on the ninth grade Lagoon field trip. Whooooo!
Also, we are having a Faculty Follies assembly, where the faculty does the skits and stuff. I am in the dance. With 6 other teachers. My school faculty are such party poopers. Only 6 of us volunteered to be in it. I suck at dancing and singing and performance stuff. I can draw. And talk. I'm a damn good schmoozer. But I can't dance. But I'm taking one for the team and dancing to a remix of Born to Be Wild. Yay. I will let you know how I survive that. I just hope that I don't biff it in front of my whole school.
I saw 10,000 BC at the dollar theater with my brother yesterday. Not near as epic as we were hoping. And what a hokey ending. Come on. The coolest part was the slave revolution and that only lasted like 3 minutes and was so anticlimactic. Ten thousand slaves versus like 20 soldiers and 10 priest guys. Lots of really hot scantily clad scruffy dudes though. And it's a little hard to feel victorious at the end when you know that the Egyptians, Aztecs, Incas, Romans, Brits, Vikings...etc etc etc are next in history. The white guys and the African guys all work together and then 12,000 years later, the white guys steal the African guys and make them slaves all over again. And everybody was dirty and dred-y except for their perfect, gleaming, white teeth. And I want a saber tooth tiger as my bodyguard. Good thing I only paid a dollar.
I rode my bike to Greenhouse Effect coffee shop. It's about 15 blocks away. It was a sweet ride. And then I drew in my sketchbook. And they make the best iced mochas ever and trust me, I have had a lot of iced mochas from a lot of different places. I have noticed something though...about coffee shops. There are the same people who hang out at every single one. They have different faces but they are the same people. The same "types" of people. There is always the obnoxious just barely 21 year olds and sit and talk about getting drunk and use words like "thingamabobber. There's always the gothic couple who sit and rub each other's hands while their friend(because there is always one friend with them) spys on myspace. There is always the old dude who dresses and talks and acts like he is still 20 and he is usually dressed like a biker. There is always the two normal people who look like they are out of place somehow, usually a new married couple, a mom and daughter or sisters. There is usually someone who has a mohawk. Someone who is wearing all black. Someone who is chainsmoking Camel Reds. Someone with a much too oversized hoodie splashed with the logo of some shitty band like ICP. And there is always a loner sitting by themselves, drawing in a sketchbook or writing crappy poetry in a Moleskine. That would be me.
Does anyone want to buy me a copy of Life Aquatic? Because I was just thinking about how much it rocks today.
5.21.2008
...dammit
We started part 3 of Fahrenheit. And the first ten pages say the word damn. a lot. oh no. so I warned them about it because you honestly never know who will be upset by it. One kid in seventh was like, "serious? Like we haven't all said that word on our own like a ton of times." I replied, "Of course not. You are all perfect angels who do nothing wrong, right?" followed by a very meaningful look. They caught on that I was joking and all answered, "Ohhh, yeah of course we are." I had one kid in sixth and one in seventh who graciously offered to provide "beeps" whenever the word damn came up. I told them that I was still going to read them because that's the way the book was written but they could provide a beep at the right time if they wanted. N in 6th was right on cue every time but J in 7th just wasn't on it. He always got anxious and "beeped" before I even got to the word or "beeped" long after I said it. One time, I could tell he was gearing up for it and then the word came up and he yelled, "'Dammit!' Oh no! Oops!! I meant beep!! I was reading the word and said it on accident, oops! sorry!" Right after he yelled dammit, his eyes got huge and he started spluttering apologies and the class cracked up and he looked so genuinely mortified that I couldn't say anything because it was so obviously an accident. We had a good laugh about it though. I told the class, "Oh good, now you can all go home and be like 'guess what I did in school today? listened to Miss H say the d word a whole bunch.'" Well, at least we had a good day. I really do try to make them laugh at least once each period. It lightens the mood and makes school that much less irritating.
10 days to go! I'm trying to get rid of some stuff. at home and at school. My classroom has been a disaster for about a week while I try to clean out my cupboards and get everything put away. My house has been a disaster for even longer while I try to go through stuff and get rid of stuff and pack. I just feel so heavy. So laden. Not just my house and classroom but everything. My body. My mind. Everything. Like I need to do some major spring cleaning and renovation. Like I need to get rid of STUFF. I need to be healthier and lighter and cleaner and neater. Then I will feel so much better. Maybe this move is a good thing. A fresh, new thing.
Next year, I am going to use Poetry 180. It's a program endorsed by Billy Collins. Who I saw speak in Ogden last year and who is fucking incredibly witty and brilliant. 180 of the best poems, according to him, are gathered into books. There are 180 school days...so one poem for each day. And this program is designed to get students used to just appreciating language. Each day, you read a poem from the book. There is no assignment with it, nothing to write or answer or analyze. You just read it. One a day. And the goal is to get students used to just hearing language and poetry and learning to see the beauty of it rather than groaning with the prospect of having to pick it apart and put the pieces under a microscope, like they seem to have to do with so many assignments in English class. I think it will be a routine next year. Each day, starter will be 3 minutes, correct the starter, then read a poem. I really like that idea.
I saw Prince Caspian this weekend. Ok, honestly, I am such a fantasy geek I have decided. I love that shit for some reason. Golden Compass, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter....hell yes. Plus, I loved loved loved the Regina Spektor song at the end of the movie.It sucks though, you have to buy the whole soundtrack to get te song on itunes, it's not available on its own. damn. maybe payday.
10 days to go! I'm trying to get rid of some stuff. at home and at school. My classroom has been a disaster for about a week while I try to clean out my cupboards and get everything put away. My house has been a disaster for even longer while I try to go through stuff and get rid of stuff and pack. I just feel so heavy. So laden. Not just my house and classroom but everything. My body. My mind. Everything. Like I need to do some major spring cleaning and renovation. Like I need to get rid of STUFF. I need to be healthier and lighter and cleaner and neater. Then I will feel so much better. Maybe this move is a good thing. A fresh, new thing.
Next year, I am going to use Poetry 180. It's a program endorsed by Billy Collins. Who I saw speak in Ogden last year and who is fucking incredibly witty and brilliant. 180 of the best poems, according to him, are gathered into books. There are 180 school days...so one poem for each day. And this program is designed to get students used to just appreciating language. Each day, you read a poem from the book. There is no assignment with it, nothing to write or answer or analyze. You just read it. One a day. And the goal is to get students used to just hearing language and poetry and learning to see the beauty of it rather than groaning with the prospect of having to pick it apart and put the pieces under a microscope, like they seem to have to do with so many assignments in English class. I think it will be a routine next year. Each day, starter will be 3 minutes, correct the starter, then read a poem. I really like that idea.
I saw Prince Caspian this weekend. Ok, honestly, I am such a fantasy geek I have decided. I love that shit for some reason. Golden Compass, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter....hell yes. Plus, I loved loved loved the Regina Spektor song at the end of the movie.It sucks though, you have to buy the whole soundtrack to get te song on itunes, it's not available on its own. damn. maybe payday.
5.20.2008
...???
"Miss H, you know how in Mrs. W's class, the seventh graders write letters at the end of the year to the next year's seventh graders, like giving advice and stuff? Well, most people wrote that if you get Mrs. Z to talk about different stuff, you don't have to do any work and how Mrs. C is really strict and everybody wrote how you always lose papers but I said that you were awesome and the coolest teacher ever!"
???
I don't know whether I should be flattered or annoyed.
What's so funny about this is that I still have every assignment that has ever been turned in, in my filing cabinet and my no name basket has about 150 damn papers in it.
We let the butterflies go yesterday. It was a perfect day for it.
The kids are being super squirelly. Can we just get this(meaning the school year) over with already? But seventh period was fun. For some reason, I was still in a bad mood today but it started to lift as the day went on and then by seventh I was pretty much ok. So, hopefully that means tomorrow I will be all the way ok.
I've been packing up my stuff. Going through all my books and stuff. Trying to figure out what to get rid of. My house looks like a train wreck. I think I've gotten really bad, healthwise, this year too. Getting a candy bar from the machine has become a habit rather than a treat. I rarely wash my face at night because I'm so tired. These are not good habits. This is why I have developed a muffin top and feel like crap so often. I really think that it is exactly why. I know I feel better when I am in better shape and eat healthier so why don't I do it? Why do I insist on eating a creamie after school and pizza for lunch every day? Instant gratification. I got to stop that shit asap.
I am loving the little pink flowers on the tree outside my window.
???
I don't know whether I should be flattered or annoyed.
What's so funny about this is that I still have every assignment that has ever been turned in, in my filing cabinet and my no name basket has about 150 damn papers in it.
We let the butterflies go yesterday. It was a perfect day for it.
The kids are being super squirelly. Can we just get this(meaning the school year) over with already? But seventh period was fun. For some reason, I was still in a bad mood today but it started to lift as the day went on and then by seventh I was pretty much ok. So, hopefully that means tomorrow I will be all the way ok.
I've been packing up my stuff. Going through all my books and stuff. Trying to figure out what to get rid of. My house looks like a train wreck. I think I've gotten really bad, healthwise, this year too. Getting a candy bar from the machine has become a habit rather than a treat. I rarely wash my face at night because I'm so tired. These are not good habits. This is why I have developed a muffin top and feel like crap so often. I really think that it is exactly why. I know I feel better when I am in better shape and eat healthier so why don't I do it? Why do I insist on eating a creamie after school and pizza for lunch every day? Instant gratification. I got to stop that shit asap.
I am loving the little pink flowers on the tree outside my window.
5.19.2008
...a bad mood
I was so bitchy today. I don't even know why. Maybe because it's monday. and a full moon. and 11 days until the end of the school year. and i went to bed late last night. But I was just so easily annoyed. Kids who were talking while I was talking, and texting in class, and asking me stupid questions like "where do I sign up for supplies?" when they have been signing up for supplies in the exact same place for 6 months. So then afterwards, I go to the store to get some creamer for my coffee tomorrow and the lines are loong and I get stuck behind the lady ringing up 75 petunia plants who doesn't know how to work the self checkout. I was so frustrated! Thank God I am back home. I am not leaving my house again tonight, I do not want to deal with the world. And why don't stores give away boxes anymore. Every store I ask says they can't. I'm sorry if I think 2 bucks a box is way too much to pay. Geez. I think the problem is all in me. I am probably just being way too fucking impatient and testy. I need a nap.
5.16.2008
...about some great news
here is something that every english teacher longs to hear and I heard it today...
"We only have eight full days in here and we have 110 pages to read still. I want to show you guys some clips from some different movies that are based on this story so I think we are going to have to skip Part 2. Don't worry though. I will tell you what happens, we will read a spark notes type thing on it. We will just skip right to Part 3. That way we get thought it and read the most important parts."
*J says, "But Miss H, we can't skip a whole big part of the book! It's getting interesting now. We can't just skip stuff. I'm into it"
When was the last time a student was disappointed that we were going to not have to read the whole book? haha!
and in third period, I said the same thing and got this.
*M says, "Miss H, I think I'm just going to read this again over the summer. I read better on my own when I can just really pay attention and think about what is happening. And then I can also read the part we skip."
?!?!?!
Did that really just come out of a ninth grader's mouth? What magic have I worked with this book? Kids not wanting to skip some pages and wanting to re-read it over the summer? Yay! My little heart has leapt with joy!
They also keep asking me to read to them. They don't mind reading silently but they don't want to listen to the audiobook, they have told me that they pay better attention when I read and that they enjoy my version better. Double yay! This compliment also means, however, that I read aloud for 4 hours a day. But I don't mind.
In other news, I got my artspace townhouse! They are these artist work/live spaces downtown and they are kind of hard to get into. I submitted a portfolio, had an interview, had a background and credit check and found out today that I got it! Triple yay! So, now the packing starts. And then the moving and oh man, I hate the moving. It doesn't help that I have soo much stuff. I need to downsize.
Gallery stroll tonight.
"We only have eight full days in here and we have 110 pages to read still. I want to show you guys some clips from some different movies that are based on this story so I think we are going to have to skip Part 2. Don't worry though. I will tell you what happens, we will read a spark notes type thing on it. We will just skip right to Part 3. That way we get thought it and read the most important parts."
*J says, "But Miss H, we can't skip a whole big part of the book! It's getting interesting now. We can't just skip stuff. I'm into it"
When was the last time a student was disappointed that we were going to not have to read the whole book? haha!
and in third period, I said the same thing and got this.
*M says, "Miss H, I think I'm just going to read this again over the summer. I read better on my own when I can just really pay attention and think about what is happening. And then I can also read the part we skip."
?!?!?!
Did that really just come out of a ninth grader's mouth? What magic have I worked with this book? Kids not wanting to skip some pages and wanting to re-read it over the summer? Yay! My little heart has leapt with joy!
They also keep asking me to read to them. They don't mind reading silently but they don't want to listen to the audiobook, they have told me that they pay better attention when I read and that they enjoy my version better. Double yay! This compliment also means, however, that I read aloud for 4 hours a day. But I don't mind.
In other news, I got my artspace townhouse! They are these artist work/live spaces downtown and they are kind of hard to get into. I submitted a portfolio, had an interview, had a background and credit check and found out today that I got it! Triple yay! So, now the packing starts. And then the moving and oh man, I hate the moving. It doesn't help that I have soo much stuff. I need to downsize.
Gallery stroll tonight.
5.15.2008
...about cell phones
I forgot to mention. I hate cell phones. Can I just say that? Put the damn thing away! I mean this in the context of my classroom of course. Students cannot live 45 minutes without texting. I was reading to the class today in 3rd period and I could see five texters going at it...and I wasn't even looking directly at them. It's ridiculous. The school policy is that they have to be turned off at school. Yeah, that happens. And if you try to take it away, it becomes a standoff. I don't even ask for them anymore because if I do, I know that it means a ten minute disruption of class. Instead, I take off points. And I tell you what, I have some kiddies who are going to a little surprised when they get their grade and see that they have lost 70 points because of texting. The best is when they text people that are in the same class or even better, their mom! They say, "But Miss H,it's my mom!" Like that makes it ok. This is my new response that I have started using and it makes me feel really mean and giggle a little bit at the same time. A child who has spent the entire lesson texting raises their hand and says, "What are we supposed to do miss h?" My response: "I don't know, why don't you ask the person you were texting? They were obviously more deserving of your attention. I already taught it once, you're going to have to find someone who is willing to teach it again." I just don't have the patience for it anymore. It is the one thing that always receives a smartass comment from me. I can't help it.
...a new idea
Today in Art class, we worked on a new page in our art journals called Watercolor Spot and Salt. It's two very simple watercolor techniques that are fun and pretty cool. I was walking around looking and talked and I noticed a kid with a cool spidery feathery type design on his paper and I stopped. "*C that looks so cool. What did you do?" "I blew the paint around on the paper. After I put some salt on it, I had this little puddle so I blew on it and that's what it made." I got so excited I went and got this random box of straws that I inherited in my cupboards and pretty soon had every kid blowing paint around on their paper. *C was so proud of himself. So, this page has been renamed Watercolor Spot, Salt, and Straw. We got all excited about the project and everyone got totally into it. I love when stuff like this happens. I call them happy accidents. A student says, "Miss H, my tape got all wadded up and now there's this weird bubbly ink spot." "Well, look how cool it is though, that's a happy accident." My other catchphrase is, "Think of it as a creative challenge." "Miss H, I can't get this design to look right, will you fix it for me?" "If I fix it, then it's my art and not yours. Think of it as a creative challenge. Find a way to solve it. Like a puzzle." They can finish the sentence for me now. I start with, "Think of it as a..." and they grumble, "...creative challenge, like a puzzle. I know."
I was grumpy teacher in sixth period. I know it's the end of the year and all but they were being so obnoxious and loud during the DOL. I kept having to add silent time to the timer and they still weren't shutting up so finally I said forget it! and made them read the next 5 pages of Farenheit 451 silently and then gave them a surprise quiz afterwards. I had a good 15 minutes of silence and finished writing my emails to parents. It was nice.
I told my seventh period that they were going to read a few pages on their own because, "storytime is nice but you need to read like big kids sometimes too." They laughed. We have a really good time in seventh. It's a good chemistry in there. I try in the other english classes but they just don't have the same mix and they don't laugh at my silliness. Some do but some have the, "you're lame" attitude and won't budge.
I have also decided, well decided a long time ago, but become very convinced that teaching is making me fat. I have gained a pant size, almost two in the past two years of teaching. Because I nibble and snack and eat school lunch pizza and get chocolate from the machine and drink tons of coffee (I have a coffee maker in my room. miss h is synonymous with the smell of coffee) or the PTA caters lunch or brings ice cream. For example, we have one kid whose grandmother works at a bakery and about once a week she brings in a load of day olds. So once a week our lounge is filled with cakes and muffins and breads and treats. Evil! Like today even, I ate this huge slice of lemon cream cake because it just looked so good. And then I wanted something salty so I got some Cheezits. It's a vicious cycle. And I snack when I get bored, like during my prep when I'm planning and answering the emails. I try really hard, I have a fridge filled with fruit and veggies and I have whole wheat crackers and dried fruit and mini bags of popcorn. But do I eat that stuff when I want a snack? Of course I don't. I buy peanut M&Ms.
I was grumpy teacher in sixth period. I know it's the end of the year and all but they were being so obnoxious and loud during the DOL. I kept having to add silent time to the timer and they still weren't shutting up so finally I said forget it! and made them read the next 5 pages of Farenheit 451 silently and then gave them a surprise quiz afterwards. I had a good 15 minutes of silence and finished writing my emails to parents. It was nice.
I told my seventh period that they were going to read a few pages on their own because, "storytime is nice but you need to read like big kids sometimes too." They laughed. We have a really good time in seventh. It's a good chemistry in there. I try in the other english classes but they just don't have the same mix and they don't laugh at my silliness. Some do but some have the, "you're lame" attitude and won't budge.
I have also decided, well decided a long time ago, but become very convinced that teaching is making me fat. I have gained a pant size, almost two in the past two years of teaching. Because I nibble and snack and eat school lunch pizza and get chocolate from the machine and drink tons of coffee (I have a coffee maker in my room. miss h is synonymous with the smell of coffee) or the PTA caters lunch or brings ice cream. For example, we have one kid whose grandmother works at a bakery and about once a week she brings in a load of day olds. So once a week our lounge is filled with cakes and muffins and breads and treats. Evil! Like today even, I ate this huge slice of lemon cream cake because it just looked so good. And then I wanted something salty so I got some Cheezits. It's a vicious cycle. And I snack when I get bored, like during my prep when I'm planning and answering the emails. I try really hard, I have a fridge filled with fruit and veggies and I have whole wheat crackers and dried fruit and mini bags of popcorn. But do I eat that stuff when I want a snack? Of course I don't. I buy peanut M&Ms.
5.14.2008
...butterflies
My butterflies hatched today! I always have some little animal thing going on in my room like an ant farm, aquasaurs, sea monkeys, etc. My students really dig it. They like to watch it. Anyway, now I have butterflies. I had caterpillars and they made cacoons and today they started hatching out of their cacoons. (ps the word cacoon does not look right, did I spell it wrong?) One hatched during sixth period and the other during seventh. I was sitting on my tall stool, reading the next ten pages of Fahrenheit 451 and the butterfly holder was sitting on the desk in front of me facing the class. And it hatched while I was reading. So some of them saw it but I didn't. The kid in front was joking about not being able to stop watching the butterflies. After it hatched, I asked him if he saw it and he nodded. I said, "And you didn't tell me?!?!?" He laughed and said, "Well, I was too distracted, you put them right in front of me, I couldn't think straight." So anyway, I have butterflies.
And I bought stuffed salmon for dinner and failed to read the ingredient list. And there are onions. What a waste of 8 bucks. If there is any food on this earth that will make me go into tremors of disgust, it is onions. The smell, the texture, the taste....gross gross gross. They ruin the flavor of anything they are added to. I have tried too. I promise, I really have. I'm 27. I still hate onions. I think that's just the way it will always be. Although, I guess this salmon is not totally wasted. I just unstuffed it.
So, it is about 15 days until the end of the school year. This is not good. This means I have 11 days to finish the novel and we are on page 22. I guess I'm going to be skipping some stuff. I always start cleaning out my room this time of year. Emptying my filing cabinets and cupboards. It's always amazing how many things I find that I thought were lost forever, how many books I retrieve and things I have that would have been so nice to use during class, but I had forgotten about them. This summer, I will be babysitting 8 class plants and 3 fish.
Oh yeah and I'm a chaperone on the ninth grade field trip to Lagoon. Yay.
And I bought stuffed salmon for dinner and failed to read the ingredient list. And there are onions. What a waste of 8 bucks. If there is any food on this earth that will make me go into tremors of disgust, it is onions. The smell, the texture, the taste....gross gross gross. They ruin the flavor of anything they are added to. I have tried too. I promise, I really have. I'm 27. I still hate onions. I think that's just the way it will always be. Although, I guess this salmon is not totally wasted. I just unstuffed it.
So, it is about 15 days until the end of the school year. This is not good. This means I have 11 days to finish the novel and we are on page 22. I guess I'm going to be skipping some stuff. I always start cleaning out my room this time of year. Emptying my filing cabinets and cupboards. It's always amazing how many things I find that I thought were lost forever, how many books I retrieve and things I have that would have been so nice to use during class, but I had forgotten about them. This summer, I will be babysitting 8 class plants and 3 fish.
Oh yeah and I'm a chaperone on the ninth grade field trip to Lagoon. Yay.
5.12.2008
..."ohh yeeahh"
I am aware that I may be a bit late in the game on this whole blogging thing. It's 20 days until the end of this school year. But I guess I can start here and see what happens. Here's an overview:
-I teach
-Not for the money or recognition apparently
-I have two periods of 7th grade Art and four periods of 9th grade English
-It's incredibly amazing how totally different 7th and 9th graders are
-My students keep me young
-They make me laugh
-They make me really insanely angry and frustrated
-But there is never a dull moment. I take that back, the fourth time reading "The Lottery" in one day can be a bit dull.
-I am a newbie. Just finishing up my second year.
I think that gets up to the moment. I must admit though, I called in a sub today. I needed a mental health day. That and someone brought in the flu two weeks ago and I have yet to recover from it. So I took a day away from snotty noses. I also work at Red Lobster on the weekends but usually only on Saturdays. This week, however, I was scheduled on Sunday because of Mother's Day and I just can't work Sundays and go right back to school on Mondays. I don't feel like I got a weekend at all. Here is the problem with subs though...They are great, I appreciate substitutes more than I can possibly say because they have a tough job. But a day with a substitute usually means I come back to this.."Miss H, you shouldn't have the assignment due because it was really too hard and we couldn't figure it out." "Miss H, no one worked on the assignment, can it be due tomorrow?" "Miss H, that sub was weird." "Miss H, did the sub say we were bad?" And usually, the room is a mess and no one has finished the assignment and they all complain about the sub. Oh well, you just have to decide if it's worth the risk sometimes and this time I decided it was.
We are starting Fahrenheit 451 and I have no idea where to begin. I have spent the past two hours researching ideas and help for teaching the novel and still don't know where to begin. I am this way at the beginning of every single unit. You would think I would have it down by now. But I do spend a large amount of my time thinking, "What AM I doing?" I worry about ruining their educational experience for life. I worry about teaching them things they really don't need or not being clear enough on the things they do. I worry about wasting their time. I worry about doing the wrong thing. It, meaning teaching, does not come with an instruction guide. You go through your college courses and your student teaching and then you get hired and they say, "Ok, well here's your classroom, you're teaching English 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 7th, Art you've got 4th and 5th. Good luck! Oh yeah and don't forget to teach persuasive writing, they have a test on that at the end of the year." That's it. And you walk into the middle of your new classroom and think, "Ok. Great. Wait...what?" I have discovered though, that I am not very organized. And that's a big problem. And when I try to get organized, I make everything really confusing for myself. And I am really good at making to do lists. Just not very good at crossing things off of them. Weeks later I find my list and think, "Oh yeah. Did I ever get around to making that rubric for next week? I forgot about that."
Which reminds me..."Oh Yeah" is the catch phrase of ninth grade. When I think of ninth graders, I think of "Oh Yeah" or more accurately, "Ohh Yeeahh." Example: "Miss H, what's the Love Connection worksheet?" "It's the Romeo and Juliet worksheet that says Love Connection on the top of it." "Ohh Yeeahh." "Miss H, can I use the hall pass?" "Sure, do you have one of the paper passes I handed out at the beginning of the term?" "Ohh Yeeahh." "What page are we on?" I point to the board where it is written in big, green marker. "Ohh Yeeahh." "I didn't know that the Writer's Notebooks were due today." "Well, it's been written on the board right above your DOL for two weeks now and I have reminded you every day for the past week." "Ohh Yeeahh." You get my point.
I'm more than a teacher though too. I'm an artist. I'm working on my own illuminated/illustrated alphabet. I'm up to the letter G. I make art journals. Most of this ends up being done during class though. I like to work on art stuff while my art students are working on art stuff. They like it too. I find their motivation for art projects is higher if I am working on projects too. I am a server at the Dead Lobster. This satisfies my need to adult interaction and spending money. And believe it or not, sometimes the restaurant industry rivals seventh graders as far as drama is concerned. I just got out of a long relationship and am moving downtown Salt Lake City at the end of the month. So I'm newly single. Which is still weird. I am a voracious reader. Although, lately my tastes tend toward the young adult end of things. Professional curiosity. Plus, then I know if they are cheating on book reports. I'm reading that Fablehaven series right now. It's all the rage second to the Twilight series, which incidentally I have not read and don't intend to. I sat through seventeen oral book reports on Twilight, I got it. How do I find time to read anything besides persuasive essays, you may wonder? I take long baths every night. With a glass of wine and a book. Usually, I spend the summer reading adult books and the school year reading young adult books. There are some really good YA books out there though. Don't knock it til you try it. Plus, my kids love it when I can discuss their favorite books with them. I got into a discussion recently with one student about the believability of the world that exists in Garth Nix's Abhorsen series. We agreed that it's very interesting but that we would not want it to really exist. I guess that's enough for an introduction. It's 8:18. I need to make my lunch for tomorrow and figure out how the hell I am going to introduce this novel and take a bath. Hopefully this works out for me.
-I teach
-Not for the money or recognition apparently
-I have two periods of 7th grade Art and four periods of 9th grade English
-It's incredibly amazing how totally different 7th and 9th graders are
-My students keep me young
-They make me laugh
-They make me really insanely angry and frustrated
-But there is never a dull moment. I take that back, the fourth time reading "The Lottery" in one day can be a bit dull.
-I am a newbie. Just finishing up my second year.
I think that gets up to the moment. I must admit though, I called in a sub today. I needed a mental health day. That and someone brought in the flu two weeks ago and I have yet to recover from it. So I took a day away from snotty noses. I also work at Red Lobster on the weekends but usually only on Saturdays. This week, however, I was scheduled on Sunday because of Mother's Day and I just can't work Sundays and go right back to school on Mondays. I don't feel like I got a weekend at all. Here is the problem with subs though...They are great, I appreciate substitutes more than I can possibly say because they have a tough job. But a day with a substitute usually means I come back to this.."Miss H, you shouldn't have the assignment due because it was really too hard and we couldn't figure it out." "Miss H, no one worked on the assignment, can it be due tomorrow?" "Miss H, that sub was weird." "Miss H, did the sub say we were bad?" And usually, the room is a mess and no one has finished the assignment and they all complain about the sub. Oh well, you just have to decide if it's worth the risk sometimes and this time I decided it was.
We are starting Fahrenheit 451 and I have no idea where to begin. I have spent the past two hours researching ideas and help for teaching the novel and still don't know where to begin. I am this way at the beginning of every single unit. You would think I would have it down by now. But I do spend a large amount of my time thinking, "What AM I doing?" I worry about ruining their educational experience for life. I worry about teaching them things they really don't need or not being clear enough on the things they do. I worry about wasting their time. I worry about doing the wrong thing. It, meaning teaching, does not come with an instruction guide. You go through your college courses and your student teaching and then you get hired and they say, "Ok, well here's your classroom, you're teaching English 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 7th, Art you've got 4th and 5th. Good luck! Oh yeah and don't forget to teach persuasive writing, they have a test on that at the end of the year." That's it. And you walk into the middle of your new classroom and think, "Ok. Great. Wait...what?" I have discovered though, that I am not very organized. And that's a big problem. And when I try to get organized, I make everything really confusing for myself. And I am really good at making to do lists. Just not very good at crossing things off of them. Weeks later I find my list and think, "Oh yeah. Did I ever get around to making that rubric for next week? I forgot about that."
Which reminds me..."Oh Yeah" is the catch phrase of ninth grade. When I think of ninth graders, I think of "Oh Yeah" or more accurately, "Ohh Yeeahh." Example: "Miss H, what's the Love Connection worksheet?" "It's the Romeo and Juliet worksheet that says Love Connection on the top of it." "Ohh Yeeahh." "Miss H, can I use the hall pass?" "Sure, do you have one of the paper passes I handed out at the beginning of the term?" "Ohh Yeeahh." "What page are we on?" I point to the board where it is written in big, green marker. "Ohh Yeeahh." "I didn't know that the Writer's Notebooks were due today." "Well, it's been written on the board right above your DOL for two weeks now and I have reminded you every day for the past week." "Ohh Yeeahh." You get my point.
I'm more than a teacher though too. I'm an artist. I'm working on my own illuminated/illustrated alphabet. I'm up to the letter G. I make art journals. Most of this ends up being done during class though. I like to work on art stuff while my art students are working on art stuff. They like it too. I find their motivation for art projects is higher if I am working on projects too. I am a server at the Dead Lobster. This satisfies my need to adult interaction and spending money. And believe it or not, sometimes the restaurant industry rivals seventh graders as far as drama is concerned. I just got out of a long relationship and am moving downtown Salt Lake City at the end of the month. So I'm newly single. Which is still weird. I am a voracious reader. Although, lately my tastes tend toward the young adult end of things. Professional curiosity. Plus, then I know if they are cheating on book reports. I'm reading that Fablehaven series right now. It's all the rage second to the Twilight series, which incidentally I have not read and don't intend to. I sat through seventeen oral book reports on Twilight, I got it. How do I find time to read anything besides persuasive essays, you may wonder? I take long baths every night. With a glass of wine and a book. Usually, I spend the summer reading adult books and the school year reading young adult books. There are some really good YA books out there though. Don't knock it til you try it. Plus, my kids love it when I can discuss their favorite books with them. I got into a discussion recently with one student about the believability of the world that exists in Garth Nix's Abhorsen series. We agreed that it's very interesting but that we would not want it to really exist. I guess that's enough for an introduction. It's 8:18. I need to make my lunch for tomorrow and figure out how the hell I am going to introduce this novel and take a bath. Hopefully this works out for me.
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