Six Word Saturday

I want a kinder, gentler nation.


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And, since it is the season, I want it to begin with me. Clean my own corner, put out my own Lamp - and shine.

I need a pencil (2)

I am still amazed that because you choose to teach EVERYONE seems to think it is ok that the teacher provides pencils, paper, tissue, and other supplies and that it is not unreasonable for the student to ask for binders, snacks, money.

The note on the previous post ("Here's a trick for the few trouble makers, crying to be heard, I'd place a container on my desk with pencils- and a not?- "use for class put back after" of course there will still be that one child that will find some other silly random excuse.") - really? What makes you think I haven't tried that, only to find the pencils thrown on the floor, at other students, or broken and thrown away.

Six word Saturday

"I need a pencil. What are YOU going to do about it?"


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OK, more than 6 words. And both sentences were from one person.

When did it become the teacher's responsibility to provide everything? Again, not a new rant, but the students this year are even more needy and rude, and the school is providing even less.

Again, why not. If I can spend less money knowing the slack will be picked up someplace else, why not save my money?

If the student can do nothing and know the pressure will be applied to the teacher and not to her. Why not?

If the parent can provide no support and know the teacher will pick it up. Why not?

If the school system can provide no books and promise paper for copying (but not deliver) - why not? We will punish the teacher if the students don't learn.

Looked into retirement this week. I can retire the end of this year. Or teach another 5. I just don't know. (and for God's sake do not waste your time telling me I should take my shitty attitude and quit. That is a pointless and obnoxious thing to do. I am very good at what I do and I enjoy 90% of it. It is this 10% that I cannot control that annoys me.)

AJC: Teacher Evaluations

The AJC just published an article about Georgia's teacher evaluations.

First, I hate AJC's new format. The comments are placed in alphabetical (by commenter) order so you cannot follow the conversation.

Let's see. I am going to be judged in large part by how well my students do. The longer I teach I find a larger and larger group who refuses to do any work and then are appalled that they fail the test. And what am I (the teacher) going to do to fix it? That is the cry from the administration, the parents, the students, the district, the state, the federal government.

Add to that, that this year all of my classes will take the Georgia Milestones (the new name for the new test measuring the new math course for the new teacher evaluation). That would be the Georgia Milestones that will measure the student growth on which I am to be evaluated. The same Georgia Milestones that do not count for students this year because they will not be scored in time.

And of course, since they will not count for the students, the students will put forth their best effort on the test.

Wait, if they won't come back in time for the students, how will they come back in time for the teachers?

Keep them engaged - unless I can figure out how to do all my teaching in 144 character segments via twitter, I have no idea.

I teach the shrinking minority who want to learn and encourage the others to go take online classes. I mean, if you can finish all the parts of a year long course in 2 weeks, you obviously have gotten the same thing out of it that you would in a year-long course, meeting every day, and doing the course work as required.

Six Word Saturday: tools

Tools are useless if not used.


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What is the point of my teaching you math if you refuse to lift a pencil and do any work on your own?

"Can you work this problem?"

Yes, dear, I can. Do you have any idea how to START working the problem? I mean, we have been doing this for a month and all you do is copy from the board.The test is tomorrow. Would you like for me to work that for you as well?

I have no words

Minneapolis has a new ruling.

And what do you think is going to happen to discipline when students know they cannot be suspended without permission from the state.

And we all know how fast the state moves.

Professional Development Guaranteed to Impress

Had another "let us give you tools so you can teach better" session after school Friday.

Friday. That would be Halloween.

You know. Bad traffic. Everyone trying to get home early so you are off the roads before kids on sugar highs hit the streets.

So, the tool they are going to give us comes with power points and a test bank. Since it was a class of all math teachers, naturally they used a social studies section as an example. That would be because we all know how easy it is to teach math without, you know, actually doing the math.

So the example they used was a segment on American History. One that had so many blatant errors it would have been funny if most of could not sit there and calculate in our heads how many cases of paper we could have bought instead of an incorrect product.

You know, paper to replace the books they don't want to buy because the math changes too fast.

Well, not the math but the way they want us to teach it.

But, it's ok, the presenter assured us. (The same presenter who could not answer any of our questions about what the math parts looked like.) Yes, we will be able to go into these power points and make changes.

Yep.

We don't want it. We have other things that work better. But you want us to use this piece of excrement system - and we can fix it as we go along.

Did I mention that the people who decided to purchase this are certified in social studies.

(I guess they thought the math department was so one dimensional that we wouldn't notice.)

Color me underwhelmed.

Six Word Saturday

There are things I don't understand.


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A teacher quit this week and will not return to the school.

I don't understand how you can make a committment to the school (and to the kids) and just walk away.

She was unwilling to adapt to the the culture of the school - felt the paperwork was beneath her and that the kids and the school should adapt to her. She would rail against these things in the meetings we attend - and irritate us all.

I see so many in my classes who apear at this point to be similar people - the world should adapt to me.

I feel like I am antiquated, with antiquated values. But, then, I like mine and that is ok.

Because I also don't understand how you can bring a child into the world and hurt it. How you can bring an animal into your heart and abandon it.

Think I will keep my values and toddle on.