Good attitude is the first step.
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THE GEAR…
30 minutes ago
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
"I'm so stressed"
I asked for help. (I hate to keep coming back to this but I don't ask for help very often and it took a lot for me to ask.) So, I asked a teacher to help by letting my know what she was doing for class for two days, this being a class she has taught before and I haven't.
She said fine.
When I left at the end of the day I had heard nothing, so I really didn't expect that she would follow through and I came up with something. (This week, I am planning the day before and I. HATE. THAT.)
When I got to school, she greets me with "I am so stressed" but I really didn't give a damn since she hadn't come up with anything and I had my own problems.
I found out today what she was so stressed about.
She had a bad dream.
No, seriously. She had a bad dream and so she didn't plan for her class this week, because it left her stressed.
I would say she was an adult, but you might misunderstand.
She is old enough to have taught 15 years.
Really.
=============
Someone mentioned "what, you are in school already?"
The average high for the past couple of weeks is about 93. (I am too lazy to actually calculate it, so I am eyeballing it.) The only county near Atlanta that hasn't started is Fulton County. [Atlanta straddles Fulton and DeKalb County and there is also the Atlanta Public School district] Fulton will start on the 21st. The rest of the districts are sending their kids on school buses that are not air conditioned but they ask that the kids bring water on the bus.
The parents don't want to start school this early. The teachers don't want to start this early. The kids sure don't want to be here.
But we are in school.
She said fine.
When I left at the end of the day I had heard nothing, so I really didn't expect that she would follow through and I came up with something. (This week, I am planning the day before and I. HATE. THAT.)
When I got to school, she greets me with "I am so stressed" but I really didn't give a damn since she hadn't come up with anything and I had my own problems.
I found out today what she was so stressed about.
She had a bad dream.
No, seriously. She had a bad dream and so she didn't plan for her class this week, because it left her stressed.
I would say she was an adult, but you might misunderstand.
She is old enough to have taught 15 years.
Really.
=============
Someone mentioned "what, you are in school already?"
The average high for the past couple of weeks is about 93. (I am too lazy to actually calculate it, so I am eyeballing it.) The only county near Atlanta that hasn't started is Fulton County. [Atlanta straddles Fulton and DeKalb County and there is also the Atlanta Public School district] Fulton will start on the 21st. The rest of the districts are sending their kids on school buses that are not air conditioned but they ask that the kids bring water on the bus.
The parents don't want to start school this early. The teachers don't want to start this early. The kids sure don't want to be here.
But we are in school.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
It is starting out to be a bangup year!
1) I have Funsucker for two classes again. I asked for nothing other than to not have her.
2) New first year teacher has higher level classes than I do (OK, I am petty and jealous but when I have a kids tell me that subtraction is too hard - and she is a senior - I am not being challenged.)
3) They are looking for their 3rd shop teacher. The first left before preplanning started. The second walked out the first day of school.
4) Three science teachers announced they are pregnant and due between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
5) The math chair announced to me this morning (but was overheard) that she is not responsible for holding the hands of the two never-taught-before teachers that we just hired.
6) Just called 6 students - per the rules - and none of the numbers worked.
7) I asked the teacher who has taught the courses I teach (she taught them last year too) to help me as I had a horrible weekend that I couldn't get out of. I asked her to come up with lesson plans. Monday morning she greets me with the comment "I am sooooo stressed." Well, you know what? I am too when you don't do what you said you would. This is the one who emails me the day she is out to make copies - no more.
2) New first year teacher has higher level classes than I do (OK, I am petty and jealous but when I have a kids tell me that subtraction is too hard - and she is a senior - I am not being challenged.)
3) They are looking for their 3rd shop teacher. The first left before preplanning started. The second walked out the first day of school.
4) Three science teachers announced they are pregnant and due between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
5) The math chair announced to me this morning (but was overheard) that she is not responsible for holding the hands of the two never-taught-before teachers that we just hired.
6) Just called 6 students - per the rules - and none of the numbers worked.
7) I asked the teacher who has taught the courses I teach (she taught them last year too) to help me as I had a horrible weekend that I couldn't get out of. I asked her to come up with lesson plans. Monday morning she greets me with the comment "I am sooooo stressed." Well, you know what? I am too when you don't do what you said you would. This is the one who emails me the day she is out to make copies - no more.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
It is amazing
It is amazing that someone you admire can say one sentence and destroy all feelings you have for them. I am not a big fan of The Hulk - you would know that if you read this blog and when I stop being as irritated as I am about today's meeting I will roast him again.
One of the teachers who teaches AP courses was talking about a big fubar at the end of last year. I asked what happened. Well, the syllabus didn't get approved by AP so the AP course kids had taken all year had to be changed to an honors course in June.
I asked "so, The Hulk forgot to send it in?" which seemed odd as we have AP courses in several disciplines and have had under the Hulk for several years.
Nope, says the excuse for an AP teacher, he didn't write it.
I am floored.
The way AP courses work, for those who do not know, is that the teacher has to produce a syllabus which is then approved by the principal and then sent to AP. If AP approves it (called the audit process) you have an AP course.
Do you see how the principal doesn't write the syllabus.
What an ass - and I do NOT mean the Hulk this time.
One of the teachers who teaches AP courses was talking about a big fubar at the end of last year. I asked what happened. Well, the syllabus didn't get approved by AP so the AP course kids had taken all year had to be changed to an honors course in June.
I asked "so, The Hulk forgot to send it in?" which seemed odd as we have AP courses in several disciplines and have had under the Hulk for several years.
Nope, says the excuse for an AP teacher, he didn't write it.
I am floored.
The way AP courses work, for those who do not know, is that the teacher has to produce a syllabus which is then approved by the principal and then sent to AP. If AP approves it (called the audit process) you have an AP course.
Do you see how the principal doesn't write the syllabus.
What an ass - and I do NOT mean the Hulk this time.
Monday, August 2, 2010
All in all it was a crappy day today.
We were told to come in and set up our rooms today - a furlough day. I get there and all of the desks - mine, the kids, the computer, everything - is still out in the hall.
So I get it in my room, put posters up and leave, because I need to get the dog to the vet.
On the way to the vet, the dog started wheezing, like a child with asthma. He died as soon as we got to the vet, of heat stroke.
He was in an air conditioned car. I didn't stop anywhere and leave him in the car. Home to vet. They couldn't save him.
I want to go to bed, pull the covers over my head, and not come back out for anything or anybody.
I know I didn't, but I feel like I killed my dog.
So I get it in my room, put posters up and leave, because I need to get the dog to the vet.
On the way to the vet, the dog started wheezing, like a child with asthma. He died as soon as we got to the vet, of heat stroke.
He was in an air conditioned car. I didn't stop anywhere and leave him in the car. Home to vet. They couldn't save him.
I want to go to bed, pull the covers over my head, and not come back out for anything or anybody.
I know I didn't, but I feel like I killed my dog.
A woman's place
I cannot remember where I read this - I am thinking Time.com (as in Time magazine) - but I do know it was something I consider to be be a source that should know better. The article was about Chelsea's wedding (don't make me hurt you by asking Chelsea Who?) and described her mother - in the only description of her mother in the article - as "the former First Lady." Now, Hillary IS the former First Lady, but I would think former Senator or current Secretary of State is a better description.
Heck, I think Mother of the Bride trumps former First Lady.
I will put away my feminist sword now and go back to my cup of coffee.
Heck, I think Mother of the Bride trumps former First Lady.
I will put away my feminist sword now and go back to my cup of coffee.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sometimes being right is not a good thing.
Somewhere on this blog - and I cannot find it - I wrote about a young teacher who thumbed her nose at the administration and repeatedly clocked in late.
Eventually, they called her in, threatened her about worse things that were not true (the kinds of things that end up on the front page of the paper), so she ran around like crazy trying to prove those things were not true.
They asked her to resign or she would be non-renewed. Several of us told her to resign and find another job, it is a no-win situation.
Her mother told her to be non-renewed so she could get unemployment.
Everything the administrators told her was documented was not (gee, they lied! Imagine that.) She cannot find a job. Untold numbers of teachers have been let go, she has a non-renewed due to "failure to perform duties" vs whatever they are saying about the ones they let go to thin the ranks. Business isn't interested in her because she has been teaching instead of "working".
Dang, I hate it when I am right. I wish she had resigned.
Eventually, they called her in, threatened her about worse things that were not true (the kinds of things that end up on the front page of the paper), so she ran around like crazy trying to prove those things were not true.
They asked her to resign or she would be non-renewed. Several of us told her to resign and find another job, it is a no-win situation.
Her mother told her to be non-renewed so she could get unemployment.
Everything the administrators told her was documented was not (gee, they lied! Imagine that.) She cannot find a job. Untold numbers of teachers have been let go, she has a non-renewed due to "failure to perform duties" vs whatever they are saying about the ones they let go to thin the ranks. Business isn't interested in her because she has been teaching instead of "working".
Dang, I hate it when I am right. I wish she had resigned.
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