Thursday, November 30, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
REALLY waving the white flag
As a first year teacher, I have no idea how my school compares with other schools. Because I went to, what Kirsten likes to call, "a weird God school," I tgought all public schools are like Mcintosh's. Well, I have been informed that it is not. Today I found out that my mentor teacher, an 8 year veteran from Bradwell Institute, is turning in her resignation tomorrow. She is the fifth teacher leaving because they claim the school is an "impossible teaching environment." Really, I understand. These kids are the most unmotivated, unfocused kids I could have ever dreamed up. After spending three days last week talkng about figuartive language, the kids told me today, "We don't know what that is." It is maddening, but I can deal with that. The problem is the administration. I have written one kid up five, yes 5, times, and he has not served one day in ISS. But, one of my best students says a curse word in class and spends three days in ISS. I see why they are leaving. That is madness.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Waving the White Flag
I used to be happy to see Thanksgiving coming because of stuffing, oh, and family, but now, all I can see is a three day break from school. Because we finished our unit on word building a few days before the beginning of an extended break, I did not want to start the novel because I knew they would forget whatever we did before the time off. Instead, I returned to poetry after one of my "advanced" students told me he did not know what figuative language was. I am embarrassed to say that I told him, in frustration, that, if that is true, "you do not need to be in an advanced class." I did not use all sonnets, but instead I gave the kids fun ballads to analyze. I asked them to find sensory words, sound devices, figuartive language and identify theme and then give me evidence from the poem to support their conclusion.
The last two quesions on the organizer was to identify theme and support their conclusion. After my ENTIRE second period class turned in the organizer without answering the last two questions, I decided to go over the steps that will help you identify theme (something we have done in the past). Still, after doing that, every class turned in their organizers with the last two questions blank. Are they lazy or just incompetent? They want the answers in black and white and preferably given to them. One of the science teachers told me that she had kids who were lost if they had to turn the page to find an answer. It is very frustrating to pour your heart and soul into lesson plans and have kids who just do not care.
I have been going over propaganda techniques with my 11th graders, who, by the way, I have grown to really like, and I had them write a news article using propaganda. The results were hilarious. They were nowhere close to using propaganda, but the reponses brought me lots and lots of giggles. Here is an example of one:
"Charmin always be complaining about other toilet papers saying how they better than everybody else. The commercials always be having Charmin going up against some other brand and saying which one absorbs more water. Most of the time it be Charmin."
Never mind that it had no use of propaganda - or the fact that it was not a news article - the last line is priceless.
Rickey did create a news article, but it had no propaganda, just hilarity:
"There was a crash at the Brunswick airport this afternoon and two hundred passengers died in a fiery crash. It was not a national disaster though because all of the passengers were from McIntosh County. The rescue squad thought it was better to let the passengers die than to risk the lives of any of the decent citizens of Glynn county trying to save those passengers."
Ms. Milsapps, the Spanish teacher, tried to make me feel better after today - a day that consisted of two fights in my class. she said tht she had the kids write, in Spanish, about their favorite teacher. She said, "A lot of kids wrote about you." That was really nice to hear after such a tough day.
In other news, I am completely in love with the social studies teacher across the hall. He is somewhat chubby, but he plays the guitar and throws desk around when kids misbehave, and comes in the door to rescue me when I have problems. More on this later.
The last two quesions on the organizer was to identify theme and support their conclusion. After my ENTIRE second period class turned in the organizer without answering the last two questions, I decided to go over the steps that will help you identify theme (something we have done in the past). Still, after doing that, every class turned in their organizers with the last two questions blank. Are they lazy or just incompetent? They want the answers in black and white and preferably given to them. One of the science teachers told me that she had kids who were lost if they had to turn the page to find an answer. It is very frustrating to pour your heart and soul into lesson plans and have kids who just do not care.
I have been going over propaganda techniques with my 11th graders, who, by the way, I have grown to really like, and I had them write a news article using propaganda. The results were hilarious. They were nowhere close to using propaganda, but the reponses brought me lots and lots of giggles. Here is an example of one:
"Charmin always be complaining about other toilet papers saying how they better than everybody else. The commercials always be having Charmin going up against some other brand and saying which one absorbs more water. Most of the time it be Charmin."
Never mind that it had no use of propaganda - or the fact that it was not a news article - the last line is priceless.
Rickey did create a news article, but it had no propaganda, just hilarity:
"There was a crash at the Brunswick airport this afternoon and two hundred passengers died in a fiery crash. It was not a national disaster though because all of the passengers were from McIntosh County. The rescue squad thought it was better to let the passengers die than to risk the lives of any of the decent citizens of Glynn county trying to save those passengers."
Ms. Milsapps, the Spanish teacher, tried to make me feel better after today - a day that consisted of two fights in my class. she said tht she had the kids write, in Spanish, about their favorite teacher. She said, "A lot of kids wrote about you." That was really nice to hear after such a tough day.
In other news, I am completely in love with the social studies teacher across the hall. He is somewhat chubby, but he plays the guitar and throws desk around when kids misbehave, and comes in the door to rescue me when I have problems. More on this later.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Fair
After a nice day out of school yesterday, I took the kids to the fair last night. I am always amazed to find that when I walk into the fairgrounds, I feel 12 again. I told the kids how much I use to love to walk through the entrance of the fair and look at the little exhibits they have set up at the entance. Things have changed a lot since I was little. Brunswick is growing at an astounding rate and you can tell by the number of booths when you walk in the fair (probably not a scientific indicator of growth, but a nice comparison for me). When I was little, the Kiwannas had a booth and the bank always gave out pencils; there was always the "Smokey the Bear" booth and a booth for the tractor dealer. Now, there were booths that sold vacuum cleaners and at least five bank booths - I got a pencil from them all - and another booth that sold puppies. The kids were excited to go through the fair opening, just like me when I was a kid.
As soon as we got into the actual fair, there was very little change. The smell from the animals was overwhelming, but familiar. I use to spend quite a bit of time in the animal exhibits because there was a lways a pony there. It is amazing that a field of grass can turn into such a delightful place. I saw people there last night that I use to go to the fair with. Girls that I would walk around with and follow the boys that looked like they would go and smoke cigarettes behind the rides. I remember my mom saying "There are some bad people at the fair," and thinking how crazy she was. Last night, while me and some of my friends sat on benches waiting for our kids to ride the rides, one of them said, "My God! There are some trashy people at the fair!"
I could not believe how old I felt. I am so depressed today because of that stupid fair. I realize how quickly time passes. How soon my kids will be out on their own and I will be alone. This post makes little sense, but I wanted to get it out.
Things are ok, but not great. I am still diving.
As soon as we got into the actual fair, there was very little change. The smell from the animals was overwhelming, but familiar. I use to spend quite a bit of time in the animal exhibits because there was a lways a pony there. It is amazing that a field of grass can turn into such a delightful place. I saw people there last night that I use to go to the fair with. Girls that I would walk around with and follow the boys that looked like they would go and smoke cigarettes behind the rides. I remember my mom saying "There are some bad people at the fair," and thinking how crazy she was. Last night, while me and some of my friends sat on benches waiting for our kids to ride the rides, one of them said, "My God! There are some trashy people at the fair!"
I could not believe how old I felt. I am so depressed today because of that stupid fair. I realize how quickly time passes. How soon my kids will be out on their own and I will be alone. This post makes little sense, but I wanted to get it out.
Things are ok, but not great. I am still diving.
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