Dear Administrator

Why do you give us so much work? Do you not understand that I am a teacher? I want to work with the students and they are my number one priority. Why is that we have weekly monthly meetings that waste our time? Why do we have professional development days and you never bring in a speaker or something for us to learn how to teach better? All you have us do is sit at a computer and type in the curriculum. You are the curriculum director, you should be typing in the curriculum and giving it to us. Oh, I know, the curriculum isn't a piece of paper, it is a living process. We will never be done with it. It is killing us. It is so boring to always be working on this. It does not have a direct impact on my students. I wish I could go to something inspiring and energizing and learning some actual math or how to better teach it, imagine that!

Dear Administrator - you suck the live out of teaching. Now, you tell me today that my portfolio is due in under 2 weeks. Don't you see that that is not enough notice. I am supposed to pull together a portfolio of my best lessons and write a reflections piece about each of these. I guess you are just going to get a haphazard portfolio because I do not have the time. I am going away this weekend and then next weekend, I will be writing my next geometry book/binder because you do not provide me with a decent book for my students. That will take longer than a weekend, but I need it to get done because the students will be needing it. Then, during the week I am a bit busy what with teaching and all - the Monday meetings, the Tuesday extra help, the Wednesday math competition until 7:30 pm, and the Thursday tutoring session, then the daily grading, planning, copying, and answering emails. It is all so ridiculous. If I worked to the contract, nothing would get done. I would be grading during classes, lessons would suck. I have a family with a husband and 4 young kids that need me attention, plus I have 110 students. Yet, you force me to waste my time. It is no wonder teachers get so burnt out and leave the profession. Sure, we get our summers "off" but we are prepping for next year.

Dear Administrator - Why is it that you get more than twice as much as I do? You are a curriculum director, but I can't tell you anything that you do besides make up powerpoint slide shows to present to us and the school committee. Maybe I should apply for your job, except I don't like to be the boss and I enjoy being with the students. You were a teacher, why did you leave, was the administration sucking the life out of you and you decided to join the ranks.

Dear Administrator - I do not have professional status yet. I am forced to walk on eggshells with my mouth duct taped for fear of losing my job. But, one more year, buddy - then just you wait. I will open my mouth far and wide and reveal all this ridiculousness (if that is a word - I like it though!)

Dear Administrator - Just thought I would give you a warning. Makes me feel better.

Me - a tired teacher (only in my second year)

Party was a success and other stuff

The party went well. We were all ready 45 minutes before showtime and everyone was there right at 2pm. Just the right amount of food. The kids had fun, good conversation. Now, all cleaned up and done for another year.

Watching Grease. I don't care for Austin, why did they keep him. I hope Max wins. And, Ashley, just something about her I don't think she is the Sandy. I like the brunette girl. Can't remember her name.

My dream is to be on Broadway someday, but I can't sing, dance, or act, so that is a big dream. Heck, I would take off, off Broadway, LOL.

time change is going to be a killer in the morning, so I better head to bed.

Procastinating

I am having a family birthday party for 3 of my 4 boys and my husband on Sunday. It is just his family and mine, but that is 23 people. So, I need to clean and cook tomorrow. Tonight I am procastinating.

I have some students at school that have such sad stories. We live in a very wealthy town where people think there are no problems and all is well. I have a boy whose mom is addicted to drugs and his dad has tried to make it work living with her, but now they are getting a divorce. The boy decided to leave home and was living with a drug dealer. This kid is emotionally disturbed and has so many issues, but his smile will melt your heart.

I have a girl that labels herself so much that she limits herself. She has ADD and that is how she identifies herself and why she won't do any work. All she says is that she wants to marry rich. I hope I can get her to wake up a bit.

I have another boy that was in my middle level 2 class and really struggling because he is a year older than most of the kids and felt dumb. He was absent often, very quiet in class, and never did homework. Come to find out he was living in a car with his sister. I think he is back home now. I talked him into moving down a level in math and he is in a smaller class with me. He was thriving. He got a 98% on his past two quizzes. I even overheard him say, "I love math." I said, "I heard that." He said, "it is so much easier now, it makes sense." That is a huge cry for smaller class size. Anyways, he has been out all week. I guess he now has so many absences that he will be expelled. Just when I was getting him to like math.

Another girl I have really doesn't belong in the lower level 1 class. She is very capable but doesn't want to be challenged and sort of plays dumb, but I can see it in her. Then, I heard her say the other day that she wants to be a math teacher, always has. I was thinking, how will she become a teacher in the lowest level math class, but if that is where she will learn, then that is where she needs to be. Plus, I don't think she wants to teach high school math. She would do great with little kids. I hope I can keep her inspired.

Oh, this other boy. The "I can't do this boy." I have had him for two years now. He has all the labels. He is also OCD and I think I know all his annoyances by now and we work well together, but it is his defeatist attitude that is wearing me down. I can't do this. Well, pick up the pencil and try. It is hard to motivate kids that don't want to be motivated or don't want to learn.

This other girl, another one that moved down from level 2 to 1, absent all the time, quiet. I think she was battling some depression issues and her therapist told the school that she only had to be at school each day until 11:30 each day. With our rotating schedule, that was tough. Then, the school finally took her to court for truancy. That scared her for a bit and she was actually in class and learning. Now, she is back to being absent again.

That takes me to another girl that is absent all the time and plays the special ed card. She has lots of issues, only lives with her dad, no mom in the picture that I know of. She is a beautiful, bright girl but absent all the time. She was out at the beginning of the week, came to me to get the makeup work and said that she misses so much when she is out, she won't be absent anymore. Well, she was out the past two days.

Oh, and another boy with Tourette's. He controls it pretty well and socializes very well. Actually, I didn't know he had it for a while. I thought maybe he wasn't paying attention all the time. Apparently he is trying to control the ticks. But, he hides behind this label too and doesn't work to his full capability.

I love these kids, but I just want to shake them and say, don't hide behind your labels, don't let the labels limit you. You can be and do so much more.

I am trying to teach them so much more than just geometry.

Another B day bites the dust

At our high school, we have a seven day rotations, days A through G. B day is my yuckiest day, it is all five academics, with only a 20 minute break for lunch. Today was such B day. But, it is done and wasn't too bad. If planned correctly, I like to give at least one quiz so that I am not teaching for all five periods. I counted ahead and there are only 9 more B days left in the year, WOWSA! That is good news. The other good news is that the next two days, C and D have two back to back preps in them. It is always nice to start of Friday with double preps first. That way I can work to get ready for next week's lessons.

that's it for this B day.

Half day at school

Half day at school today. I teach HS math. I am sick of hearing parents and townspeople saying why do they have half days. Yes, the kids are free to leave, but we have to stay and work and we are working! I had the first three periods and was done "teaching" at 9:15. Then, I had two prep periods to prepare for all my classes yesterday until 10:45. Then the school day was done. We stayed and worked until 2. Then, I tutored a girl for free for the SATs for an hour. Then, I had a floor hockey game at 3, so I got home at 4, a long day. Then, I came home and graded, prepared more for tomorrow. Tomorrow is my busy day with all five classes. I get 20 minutes for lunch, basically no time between to even hit the bathroom. It is a crazy, hectic day. I will be glad when it is over. Then, yahooooo, Friday!

The weeks are flying by fast.

I am having my kids family birthday party on Sunday, so I will be cooking and cleaning this weekend

Cold March Day

I keep browsing around reading other people's blog and keep thinking I need to blog. So, it is about 7 below here and nothing better to do. I figured an update was in order.

We made it through the beginning of the year and that was 3 out of my four boys birthdays. They had a skateboarding birthday party, all together. It was the easiest, best party ever. We rented an indoor skatepark for 3 hours, invited about 12 friends, had pizza and cake. I took pictures and videos and they turned it into a movie. Lots of fun. So, now my boys are 15, 12, 8, and 5. How did that happen. My oldest is now 6 feet tall, how did that happen?

This Sunday is my husband's birthday and we are finally having the family party for all three boys, plus dad. I have a lot of cleaning to do before then.

School is going well, so fast. I have four geometry classes and an algebra II class. We are in a negotiation year, so it is getting interesting.

My husband and I are going away on March 23rd to a hotel in NH for a romantic, much needed getaway. I am so excited to read, shop, and eat out with my husband.

April brings baseball season. My oldest will try out for JV baseball. If he doesn't make it, he will do track. So, we will have all four hopefully playing baseball.

In May, my family and friends are doing the Relay for Life cancer walk for 18 hours. I am so excited. I am the team captain of the JBirds. We each have to raise $100. That is a big endeavor for my family of 6. We are having a 50s theme. The girls are going to wear poodle skirts and the guys jeans and white tees - so fun!

That is my update on this freezing evening.

Me