I am not Superman

I know my students have issues.

I think our percentage of free and reduced lunch is about 50%. Our graduation rate is between 60% and 70%.

I listened to a student tell me about his horrible home life and I finally told him that I will do everything I can to help him graduate. And I told him that I cannot do a thing to fix his home life. But, I can do everything I can to help him graduate. And if he works with me, he can graduate and change his home life. I pray for the ones like this.

He wants it. He is working for it. His life outside of school is an anchor pulling him down. If he can stay strong, "keep his eye on the prize" - there is hope. Please, Lord, give him the strength. And help me help him escape.

Welcome to Georgia education

The Urban dictionary has both of these definitions for irregardless (as well as a few with profanity).

Used by people who ignorantly mean to say regardless. According to webster, it is a word, but since the prefix "ir" and the suffx (sic) "less" both mean "not or with" they cancel each other out, so what you end up with is regard. When you use this to try to say you don't care about something, you end up saying that you do. Of course everyone knows what you mean to say and only a pompous,rude asshole (sic) will correct you.

A word used by uneducated people intending to sound intelligent. Often, the defendant will use this word in court in an attempt to impress the judge and jury. Educated people notice and those who use this word instantly identify themselves to educated people as being uneducated. Educated people rarely correct them because it helps educated people more easily identify them if they are well groomed.

So, it gives me such joy to copy something from one of the frameworks provided by the state when it says ""Angles are called coterminal if they are in standard position and share the same terminal side irregardless [emphasis mine] of the direction of rotation." [page 5, https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO Frameworks/Math IV unit 4 SE.pdf]

The students knew it was the wrong word. Why didn't the educators who wrote the book we are supposed to use?

Six Word Saturday

Sometimes, success comes in small packages


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I had an old student return to the school and me this week. He was as happy as I was, so this is a good thing. He will add (positively) to the class he is joining.

I ran into another student at the store. The student made some incredibly dumb choices, choices that he is still paying for in the school the district will let him attend. He told me he will be back in January, hope he gets me as a teacher again. He told me that the teachers at the current school "don't care about me the way you do. I finally understand how much you cared, especially when you would take me out in the hall and chew me out." Big step, so there is still hope.

And another student finally jumped through all of the state's hoops and will receive her diploma. Life is good.

How do I make you see . . . ?

..... that when I ask you to not eat in my room and you do because the rule "isn't that important" - that you are being disrespectful? ..... that when I leave work with a sub it is my attempt to do SOMETHING to raise your grade? ..... that I can teach but you will not learn without participating - and in math that means working problems? ..... that a test is not something you can look at, do nothing to prepare for - than after the fact get tutoring and "fix" your answers? Tests are announced and reviewed for in order to allow you time to, I don't know, prepare?

Six Word Saturday

Learning new things keeps me young!


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I have a new (to me) class this year - and am having to come up with a new approach on one I have taught for several years. I love this!

Six Word Saturday

These kids make me laugh - finally!


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The kids this year are night and day compared to last year. I hear myself laughing during the class that was my nadir last year.

Having a good time teaching!

Six Word Saturday

New year, new place, fresh start.


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One of the offspring has fled the coop. Life is good.

Spent the day moving furniture - I lifted and toted but I am not cleaning or arranging - that is for the new tenant.