Ode to English Teachers who cannot read

(OK this isn't every English teacher and some of my best friends are English teachers . . . )

We have a lot going on this week and got an email a couple of days ago telling us what was happening on which day. Now, I don't know about you, but I am up to my ass in alligators and I don't remember the whole list because none of it is my responsibility.

I got an email with a long list of student names and told to release these kids for practice at 2 pm - so I send an email back "when are we to do this?"

I get an answer that it is at the stadium and which groups are involved. (that would be where and who but not when)

So, I send another email "what day are we supposed to do this" although I thought when was enough.

So then an email goes out to the school (not naming me) saying we are to do this on Friday.

Could have just answered my question.....

I am more confused than I was as a first year teacher

I wrote earlier that this year's mandate is we are to take our kids from where they are and get them to experience everything at a higher level.

The administration says if you are at level 1 go to level 2.

If I look at the state tests, about 80% is level 1 and 2.

OK, not a problem. Make tests where you can pass (70-80%) at level 1 and 2 - but you don't get an A or B if you cannot answer the higher level questions. Makes sense, right?

So why does the teacher making the tests we have to use insist of 80% higher level and minimal 1s and 2s? And any discussion gives her the vapors.

I don't how to teach the kids I have to hit that target.

Understanding social media

I don't think of myself as an old fogey but there are times that I realize I probably am.

A young friend was married this weekend and today posted on her social media: "Rule of ettiquette (sic), if you are invited to a wedding and you go then you are supposed to give a gift. I always do. People are rude today. wow!!"

I wonder if she realizes that another "Rule of ettiquette" is that you don't air this piece of laundry in public where anyone could read - especially those looking for wedding pictures.

And especially the day after the wedding.

Politics, bah humbug.

What to write about (as anything beats real work)? I intended to write about the latest trend to force you into the theater (4D - which is better but still needs work and is it really worth it) but instead will write about the idiocy of Georgia politics.

I feel like these are my choices for Governor:
1) vote for a man who worked to destroy education when he was Governor before but, hey guys, I'm sorry and I will do it differently if you re-elect me. Sure. [Roy Barnes]

2) vote for a guy who is either really corrupt, really stupid - or thinks we are really stoopid. In the past three weeks we have learned: he didn't put the loan his son-in-law defaulted on and he guaranteed on his political filings because he forgot (over $2M - yeah, I can see that); the political filings were too complicated (he has been a US Representative and can't hire someone to do this?]; he is broke, his son-in-law's business went under and so he will lose his house but he will make good on the $2+ million he owes; his campaign is leasing planes from his business at ridiculous rates compared to the other candidates, but he isn't benefiting; His net worth went from about $3.5M to $5.3M between 9/13/10 and 9/24/10. [Nathan Deal]

3) vote for the third party candidate who cannot win and will throw the election to Roy Barnes.

I don't like anyone running for anything. And I see that no one will get us out of the mess Perdue, the economy, and Kathy Cox (state school superintendent) have gotten us into.

And I don't think it is any better anywhere else.

It is really sad when there is NO lesser evil.

The impotence of having your child bullied

I do not tolerate bullying. What my students don't know is that I have watched both of my children bullied. The oldest got very quiet. When we determined what was happening (in middle school) we went to the principal and (to his credit) he put all of the boys in that grade together and told them that if it happened again, they were suspended and if their buddy wasn't in school that day, it didn't matter. That if their buddy did it again, he would be suspended as well. And it stopped.

Second child came along, and the bully was the son of a teacher (smaller than my son). Mine decked hers and ended up suspended, which I understood but told my son it was the appropriate punishment because he took things in his own hands. Same middle school, different principal. When it carried over onto the bus (and video) he finally did something and it stopped.

Did my children become best buddies with their tormentors and life was all hearts and flowers? Hell no. But the bullies crawled back in their holes and left my kids alone.

So now we have the father in Florida. I am thinking there should be video of the boys harassing the girl since there is video of the father. Did he overreact - as I told my son, he can't take matters into his own hands. Should the dad have marched his complaints up the line - yes. He went to the counselor. Did he go to the principal? The Board? Here, his daughter would have an IEP and that means federal protection as well. Would I be screaming for that? You betcha.

Hope the little morons who torment a child with issues not of her choosing go to a special place in hell. At the very least, I hope they get their due.

Six Word Saturday

We're the Island of Misfit Toys.


For more Six Word Saturday participants, click here.

The more I think about it, the more I realize my school is really the Island of Misfit Toys. I wonder who I am.

I know I have put off writing a letter to an old friend, showing what I have done with my credentials. I have avoided looking for another position. I talk about going back to school and I complain about the economy.

Or is it that I know I am broken as well and working where I need to be?

I think I could do better with an organized, nurturing administration (wouldn't everyone). Maybe my students would do better with an organized nurturing teacher.

The 10% I cannot change are driving me away from the 90% who try. Why do I keep letting them win?

Doncha love it

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that the only way they THINK they know whether you are teaching to the standards is if you use clue words – like “standards”. That if you don’t say the clue words, but speak mathematically (as in the language of the standards) they have no idea if you have or not.

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that when you suggest using material from places that teach math better than we do (or at least get better results) they ask whether you have checked that “they are using the same standards”?

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that they cannot grasp that the kids do not know the basics so I can try for higher order thinking (and I do) but they cannot remember what they learned last year.

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that they think we are impressed with educratese.

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that, knowing they have already given us too much to do, they cannot spend $2 on a calendar so they can give us more than 10 minutes warning that something is due.

I love when your administration is so clueless about what you teach that they waste an hour after school is out on a pointless meeting that could have been sent as an email, for crying out loud!