| Back to School: Day 1 |
[Sep. 4th, 2007|04:02 pm] |
Last year, I was horrible about updating my livejournal to reflect the events and cultural moment of my school. I was barely surviving daily life -- blogging, it turns out, is not one of the basic necessities of life. I am going to try to be more consistent about it this year, in part because there appears to be an unfurling story that I want to have documented for posterity.
For those of you still following at home, I have moved my blog to http://adventuresineducation.wordpress.com |
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| Student Work Again! |
[Apr. 24th, 2007|10:07 pm] |
Q: If you were drafted to fight in Iraq, would you go? (If you refused to go, you will go to prison.) Give three reasons for your decision.
A: I would rather go to prison because you might not come back. Or you can get shot. Or you get parilized from one part of your body maybe even the part you love the most. not your Private part either thats not what I'm talking about. |
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| GTA: |
[Feb. 25th, 2007|01:50 am] |
I was covering a class when a student took out his PSP and had a group of students around him watching him play a game. I came up behind him and looked to see what he was playing when I realized I recognized the graphics. I ignored it for about five minutes when he didn't have an audience, but when the audience got bigger, I had to have this conversation:
Me: Hey, is that GTA?
Student: (Shocked) Yes.
Me: Isn't that rated 'M' for 'Mature'?
Student: (Silent, still apparently shocked that I recognized the game.
Me: I'm going to need you to put it away. It might be an awesome game, but it is extremely inappropriate for school.
Student: (Turns off PSP and puts it in his backpack without argument.)
Student 2: Miss, you play GTA?
Me: I've never played, but I've watched many friends play it.
Student: (Finally finding his voice) You've played it. Your just saying that you haven't because your a teacher.
Me: (Snickers and thanks God for the existence of the gaming TV in the east dorm lounge, without which I would never have been able to spot inappropriate games from 5 second flashes) |
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| QotD |
[Feb. 15th, 2007|02:09 pm] |
"Miss, you ever hear of going down?"
~Shy
( Context ) |
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| Snow Day! |
[Feb. 14th, 2007|04:55 am] |
Well, Students and teachers share common ground on one thing.
Last night, we were all praying for a snow day. Today, we all got a snow day.
Well, really, it is the East Coast "Deadly Ice Storm" day. But in any case, I don't have school today. Which means my back can attempt recovery from the chiropratic adjustment I had yesterday and prepare for the one that I will have today.
I know it has been awhile since I posted. Hopefully today, I will find some time to update, including the school-related reasons that I have to visit a chiropractor.
Some days are really tough.
Oh, and I've moved again. I'm no longer living in Camden, NJ. I've moved to Bala Cynwyd, PA where I am closer to the Paseks and my Jewish community. I've been finishing the move this week--I need to get all of my stuff out of storage and the Pasek's house and into my apartment. My furniture is fully assembled. Almost everything of mine is out of the Pasek's--there are just a few more things that I'm missing, and we're done. And I can go grocery shopping and start living in my new place in peace. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 21st, 2007|03:22 pm] |
I'm kicking myself. Somehow, coming into low-income schools I didn't think about eating disorders as issues that my students would face. I always fancied them something of a luxury illness that people who came from better backgrounds could "afford" to have.
I have students who clearly know about Eating Disorders and Self-Injury who are talking about them in oblique enough ways that I'm not sure if they have them themselves or if they are dealing with friends who have them.
I am almost certain that one of my girls has an eating disorder. I'm not sure if she is also SI.
I don't want to report her, but I know I am required to by law. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 9th, 2007|09:41 pm] |
"soda break tomorrow! It's the best time of the day! =)"
Quoth one of my colleagues.
The sad part is that there is quite a bit of truth to this statement.
Soda break time is pretty much the best time of our day.
Soda break time is about 15 minutes long and involves no students.
It sucks being a first year teacher. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 29th, 2006|11:15 pm] |
If I ever feel like an ineffective social studies teacher, I should remind myself that I am actually teaching my students Social Studies.
Unlike one of my colleagues who decided not to. Apparently, I'm not the only TFAer with a situation like this at my school. Teachers just decide not to teach topics that aren't tested. WTF?
I repeat, WTF? |
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| Oy, vey. |
[Nov. 25th, 2006|05:15 pm] |
One of the giant pain in the butt students who has been considered resource since the beginning of the year (he has a 1st grade reading level) shouldn't be resource at all.
Nor should he be self-contained.
He isn't special ed. He doesn't have an IEP.
No. He was misfiled.
He's ESOL. English Langugage Learner. He can understand grade-level material when presented to him in his native langugage. He should have been in the ESOL section the entire time!
J.H. Christ on a cracker. Are we mis-serving our students this badly? |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 9th, 2006|11:02 pm] |
So, I assumed that the student who asked me if I gave blow jobs was just having an off day. I also never followed up behaviorally because she proceeded to be absent for a lot of days after that and she was transferred from section A to section B.
Nope.
Same student, different group, same question. Today, she once again asked me if I gave blow jobs.
I think I'm going crazy. I'm being sexually harassed by a 14 year old female. |
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| Judaism in the Schools |
[Nov. 6th, 2006|07:25 pm] |
Today I wore my kippah to school for the first time. I had been avoiding it for some reason. Early on, the thought of wearing a kippah to school scared me because I wasn't sure of antisemitism issues at my school. After two months and a bout of depression that has made me question where I'm living and how happy I am with what I'm doing, I finally decided that I needed to work more with my authentic self.
So, this is it. Me. My authentic self. I am just that religious, whether or not I'm comfortable portraying it on a daily basis. Being honest with what I am and how I am has been a huge relief.
It also has resulted in a number of hilarious reactions from my students.
Scenario 1
Student 1: "Miss, what's that on your head?"
Student 2: "She's Jewish."
Me: *Not getting a word in edgewise.*
Alternate Ending
Student 2: "It's a thing--what's it called?"
Me: "It's called a kippah or a yarmulke."
Scenario 2
Teacher: "I didn't know you were Jewish."
Me: "Well, yes" (WTF, what do you say to that?)
Scenario 3
Teacher: "Oh, what holiday is it?"
Scenario 4
Teacher: "I didn't know you were Jewish. Maybe you could come into my classroom sometime and talk to my students about your culture."
Me: "Maybe." *Thinking Oh, please no. Not on my prep period, I'm not.
Scenario 5
Student 1: "I thought only men wore those."
Student 2: "She's Jewish you idiot."
Student 1: "I know, idiot. I was saying that I thought only Jewish men wore those."
Me: *Stifling laughter* Some Jewish women wear them, too.
Scenario 6
Student 1: "Miss, you're Muslim?"
Me: "No, Jewish."
Student 1: "Oh."
The last one was a nice break from my personal favorite, which comes up three times a week at least:
Scenario 7
Student 1: "Miss, you're Jewish?"
Me: *Thinking No, it's a Halloween costume. Yes. |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 31st, 2006|11:30 pm] |
Well, it has been a while since I've written anything substanitive. I'm sure people are wondering how teaching is going.
Today, the second fight broke out in my classroom. Same group of students as the first fight, completely different kids. A girl that I had always thought was all talk began beating up on a guy who I know was being a jerk and saying stuff, but that I didn't hear. Frustrating. Especially because I try to see these things and defuse them, but that totally didn't happen here.
My kids still don't quiet themselves. I find myself caught in a vicious cycle with my students. They aren't quiet, so I can't teach them anything that requires me to give instructions and them to follow them (in groups, for instance). However, they are bored with direct instruction causing them to talk. There is no happy medium that I've been able to find and I feel like it is my failure as much as it is theirs.
For some, less than others.
Time to type up "Founding the Middle and Southern Colonies" for my students. |
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| Random |
[Oct. 25th, 2006|08:46 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  amused | ] |
I want a masters degree in bumblefuck. |
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| If any of my profs or other teachers are reading this. . . |
[Oct. 17th, 2006|07:38 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | amused | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Strawberry Wine--Deana Carter | ] |
Are you ever unsure that you actually assigned an assignment when you hit the due date and it seems like you must not have, because nobody turned it in?
I think my social studies class needs a grade report, at least in section 81.
I received yesterday's homework from ONE student. If she hadn't turned it in, I might have doubted that I actually assigned it.
Feel free to share stories in anonymous comments. |
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| I can't make this stuff up. . . |
[Oct. 17th, 2006|07:06 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  depressed | ] |
I had a student transferred into my class yesterday. She was moved up from the 7th grade.
Not because she's a 7th grade blossoming prodigy. No.
Because they want to have kids who are the same age in the same grade, even if they haven't had the previous grades.
WTF?!?!?! |
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| An open letter to a very literal minded student |
[Oct. 12th, 2006|10:05 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | amused | ] |
| [ | music |
| | There She Goes -- Sixpense None the Richer | ] |
Dear Student,
I know that I said that the British, French, and Dutch explored and founded colonies in North America because they were looking for "neat stuff." I also know that I expanded on the meaning of "neat stuff" and why they were looking for "neat stuff."
We even included some examples of "neat stuff" in our notes; I know you were rushing to do your homework (which, in light of the high holidays, is better than "rushing to do evil"), nevertheless your answer is only worth 1 of 4 points because you failed to explain what "neat stuff" was or why the British wanted it.
I do take some responsibility in this matter. I gave you both the general category and the specific items. You returned the general category to me. I shouldn't be that surprised; I'm sorry, I didn't meant to confuse you or set you up for failure on that question.
Next time, maybe I should leave my personal characterizations out of my lessons.
Sincerely,
Miss L. |
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| Brief update/some frustrations |
[Oct. 9th, 2006|10:59 am] |
Well, I finally have a long weekend to get caught up on stuff.
Saturday, it was grading and organizing. Yesterday, it is seating charts and planning for October. Today it is writing my lesson plans for as much of this week as possible (unfortunately, this includes only Tuesday and Wednesday for Math because I don't have the student workbooks that I need and won't have them until tomorrow.
School has been really crazy. I'm trying to get all of my work done, but it has been one step forward every day until this weekend. Not having the books I need makes it even harder to get ahead on a week-to-week basis. I think I'm going to have to make sure that I get at least one copy of all of the books my students will be using through the end of December so that when I sit down to plan, I have them accessible.
Teaching is not easy work. People keep telling me not to bring my work home with me, but as a first year teacher, that is an impossible thing not to do. As a TFA teacher, that is an impossible thing not to do.
I love my students, but they are impossible. They cop an attitude with me and then get pissed off when I "cop an attitude: with them (I don't, I just tell them the consequences of their actions).
Do I really have to tell every student, every day, politely every fucking time they ask to go to the bathroom when I have clearly stated my bathroom policy multiple times that they may not go to the bathroom? Is that really necessary?? Because it is difficult not to let a little bit of snark in there after you've told the fourth student for the fourth time that period that they are not permitted to go to the bathroom.
Gah. You don't need to go to the bathroom. You just came back from lunch. If you didn't have the sense to go to the bathroom at lunch, then you don't need to go now. Period, end of discussion.
Oh, by the way, because you decided to interrupt the class in order to make this a huge debate, you are going to have your sorry ass 42ed. I can't wait to meet your mother or father and find out what they think about you demanding the right to go to the bathroom 45 minutes after you were given the opportunity to go to the bathroom during lunch, when you know that that might be your ONLY opportunity during the day. Oh, it's my fault you didn't go? Is it really? I didn't chain you to the cafeteria line and tell you that you couldn't go to the bathroom and you had to eat first. Just because the NTAs don't let you go when you want during lunch, doesn't make it my fault that you didn't go when you could.
Oh, and to the student who has been suspended for interrupting Ms. Blum's class (who interrupted my class in the same manner), I did not call you a fucking SPIC. I told another student to SPIT her gum out. Notice that Ms. Blum also didn't call you a SPIC. By the way, is it really wise to claim that two teachers in the same day in completely different hallways suddenly became complete racists and called you a spic?
To the student who decided that I did call the first student a spic (because he spent half of class going off about how I called him a spic) and then went down to the Dean of Students to complain that I called him a spic because you were pissed off with me because I held your group the longest before lunch because you were all talking DURING a test and I keep seeing you and another student showing each other your papers during exams, GET OFF IT. I'm sorry, you can't claim the racism card when I keep you after because of specific behaviors that I've cited.
What really sucks in that class is that, in general, the white students behave. Which makes reward/punishment look like racial favoritism. Furthermore, there are certain issues that I deal with outside of class with students. Those issues are the ones I've had with my white students (mild cheating and thinking that they don't need to listen) which means that other students don't see me reprimand them.
Grrrrr.
And to Section 81, my history class, don't fucking rip pages out of my textbooks. Just don't. Because of you, I have to plan lessons based on no textbooks until I can get some kids in to help me catalogue the damage to the books and fix them up again. I hope I figure out which student it was.
By the way, to the class. If you are going to claim that student A did it, but student A never got out of his seat and there were pages from 4 DIFFERENT textbooks ripped out, I'm going to wonder either A) Who was feeding student A the textbooks or B) which of students B, C, and D were involved. Because either he was the only one ripping pages out and people were handing him books OR he wasn't the [only?] one ripping pages out and you're making him the fall guy. Either way, I'm a bit smarter than that. |
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| Pop Quiz |
[Sep. 21st, 2006|09:52 pm] |
What are the five parts of a civilization according to McDougal Littell's "Creating America"?
If you answered "culture, history, religion, economics, and language" you are one of the 13 students who was talking to other students during the pop quiz and apparently (quite apparently, in fact--you'd have to be Trenton not to see the magnitude of this cheating) sharing answers.
You haven't been listening for the last week. You haven't been taking notes, even when I told you to. You've been talking over me; I haven't been able to get to key parts of the lesson. So, yes. I gave you a pop quiz. I expected that you could all get at least one point out of five for your normal run in the mill, shot in the dark answers. Instead, you all got zero. I'd give you negative if I could. You chose to cheat. This is a problem. Your parents will be notified.
Another group of three also chose to cheat, although they at least masked their cheating by writing individual paragraphs about the words they chose, to the point where I suspect they cheated but am not entirely sure.
I got one wholly unique set of answers from your class. The other class all gave me the same answer. You know why? Because it was the RIGHT ONE. Both classes were allowed to use their notes. Neither class was allowed to talk. Guess what? The other class took good notes and 90% of them have received perfect scores. Their credit, not mine.
I need to figure out how I am going to deal with them tomorrow. |
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| Oh, and |
[Sep. 13th, 2006|09:52 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Lean on Me | ] |
Oops, I may have inadvertantly volunteered to coach a MathCounts team at my school.
Where "coach" I mean "create, establish, and coach."
Long story, suffice it to say, the principal caught wind of the fact that I said I might want to do it when I was more settled, thinks it's a great idea, and sent me paperwork that he received in the mail today. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 13th, 2006|05:28 pm] |
Student Work:
I asked my students to say how much money they would be happy with per hour, doing what job, and why they think their number is reasonable. This is my favorite so far.
$10,000 per hour
Job: Doctor
I think the amount of money I want to get working as a doctor is reasonable. I think it is reasonable because you have to go throw(sic) a lot of school to become a doctor and the hospital get a lot of money. I think I will survive with this salary. I think I will survive with this salary because I am making $20,800,000 a year.
(I had two other future doctors who were significantly more reasonable. $100/hour and $150/hour.)
Have I mentioned yet that I love my students? They are so creative and they are always challenging my world view. |
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teachermiriam's journal
frustrated