new backdated posts

There’s a bunch of posts I started but never published. I want to put them in the right order, so I’ll list them here. Enjoy!

Grading Tests on November 15, 2009

Seating Charts on November 14, 2009

Obdurate on October 28, 2009 (Though this one was done, so why didn’t I post it?)

Brrrrrrrr on October 23, 2009

Miss (and Mister) Manners

So many kids in my class are so polite. Some say good morning (first) when I greet them at the door, but a good half of them make a point to say good-bye when they leave in the afternoon. Some, like Professor, will actually stop and come back in the room to say, “Good-bye, Ms. Institutrice!” Today Tinkerbell left me with a “Bye, Ms. Institutrice! Have a good night!” as she ran out the door. And last week on Wednesday, so many of them wished me a Happy Thanksgiving; I can’t say the last time that happened, if ever!

I know “nice” is a boring word that we tell kids not to use, but it’s true: these kids are just nice people. What ten year-olds do you know who are just plain nice?

(This may be the first post in “Family Studies” that compliments parents instead of berating them.)

Rockin’ around the Christmas tree

I’ve been making fun of people for listening to Christmas music already. (Sorry, SunSpray. ) It’s just too early. But I really did not want to come into work today. I had my last conference at 1:30 yesterday and spent the rest of the afternoon prepping and talking. When I went home, it really felt like a Friday night. But I was a good girl and did not play hooky. I figured out a fun project to show what they learned about transformations and symmetry (which I totally stole from the old math coach, and gave him full credit when people asked why I was spending an hour at the die cut machine cutting out so many shapes in so many colors) to use as a quiz. They wrote in their journals about the things they are thankful for, and we turned them into a construction paper turkey with feathers. Some made them into cards. Some kids came in at recess to work on the geometry poster, so I plugged my iPod into the new computer speakers. They were rockin’ out to Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift (and I snuck in some Bon Jovi), and we kept it on when the others came back. Someone asked for Christmas music, and I said, “NO!” Then I reconsidered, and said I would only listen the only song I can stand this early in the season – “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. Then I found “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24″ by Trans Siberian Orchestra. (They rock – if you ever have a chance to see them in concert, go!) And then I just let the list play. The whole time I was thinking, “What kind of message am I sending, that we’re crafting and listening to music a whole month before Christmas Break? I’ll never get them to do work when we come back!” Oh well. it was fun. And then I got to leave when they did! Happy Thanksgiving!

What Work Ethic?

A few years ago we started having one day of night conferences during conference week. In exchange for staying til eight at night, we are allowed to leave with the students on one (ONE) of the other early dismissal days. We can choose whatever day we want, and don’t need approval from the principal. What didn’t change is that we have to stay til the end of our regular workday on the other days. (Also, you have to stay til the end of night conferences whether you have any scheduled or not. So you may as well schedule them and get it over with.) So, conscientious teachers like me and Popular Science Guy and SpeechTeach are working in the copy room at 3 p.m. while most everyone else is long gone, even though they took their early day on Friday, and we all know they’ll leave early tomorrow. It’s infuriating, and there’s nothing we can do.

A few people have said things to me as a Union rep, but the Union will not address issues that are “member against member”. Theoretically I understand this, but I agree with Science Guy that they should also want us to be the best teachers we can be. I want to say something to Pretty because each time it gets worse. Take Fashionista as an example: she took last Friday as her early day, left today at 1:30 after her one conference today, and will undoubtedly leave at 1 tomorrow because she has no conferences scheduled. (She also left before eight on our night conferences.) It’s just not right.

We were all kvetching that even if we say something to Pretty, nothing will change, just like Dr. Glinda gets to come in late every day, not show up for her small groups, and leave early without ever getting in trouble. We can’t take it anymore.

Nice Kids Come From Nice Parents

You know I’ve been really pleased with my class this year. All the same, I was nervous about conferences. Needlessly. All the parents were so pleasant, the conferences were actually enjoyable. I can’t remember ever leaning back in the chair, laughing and chatting. Well, maybe with a parent or two, but not with so many. Even Snow White’s conference that got a little tense for me turned out well when I realized they are upset with her and not me (over her lack of focus and not finishing things or following directions).

Then I realized that’s why the kids are so good, because their parents are so nice. Hallelujah.

Free Speech on Facebook?

The Speech Teacher and I had an interesting conversation today about Facebook. She’s worried someone’s going to hack into our FB pages and get us fired. She saw a commercial for a news report about it (but then forgot to watch). She’s talked to other people who say that even if we make our profiles private, people can get in and see everything, and that employers are hiring hackers to do this. I said I don’t understand how they would do it, but that I also don’t understand how every time someone does something scandalous, the news shows their Facebook page – unless they didn’t make it private, how does the News get access to it? Anyway, I just saw the promo for this report on my TiVo’d episode of Criminal Minds, and a guy is claiming he can prove he was fired for something he wrote on Facebook. I will have to look online to watch it for more details.

SpeechTeach brings up a good point about what are we allowed to say and what would schools be allowed to consider objectionable. Now, I should tell you she is a very outspoken woman and a laugh-riot. At least once a week we can be found busting a gut in the copy room from laughing so hard at ridiculous school stories. (I know she would LOVE this blog, but I don’t know her well enough to share. She does love my FB comments though, and was threatening to start a fan page for me. I said, “I can’t take the pressure!”) She is Old School like me, so we are frequently kvetching about lack of parental responsibility or leadership at school and just stupid things kids and people do. So she is now worried that her blunt comments about current events or things happening in her life could get her in trouble at school. I said No because she’s talking about her private life and her opinion. Then she asked about the pictures I put up of the desks I dumped at school. I paused, then said No because I didn’t use names, and there are no identifying nametags or papers to tell who it is. Yeah, I’m making fun of them, but who? No one knows. They can’t fire us because we have differing opinions or a different world view. As long as we’re not being unprofessional or unethical, they can’t fire us for voicing an opinion even if they disagree with us.

Teaching is (probably) the only profession that still has a morality clause. But what is immoral? Racy pictures or bawdy talk, absolutely. Stating my opinion about current events or politics? Absolutely not.

I could get used to this

Had my first six conferences today, and they went swimmingly well. I am not accustomed to receiving compliments. (And not just because of last year.) Professor’s mom is thrilled about the penpals with SunSpray’s students. Historian’s mom went on and on about how much they both loved the Veterans’ Day project. (They had to interview/research someone in their family or friends who had been in the military and make a poster about them.) Bookworm’s parents were happy I let them read so much because she loves to read. (She’s read 15 novels already, or at least that’s what I was able to give her credit for on her report card because her mom said she doesn’t always remember to write it in her log.) Even my most hyper student’s mom was all smiles (because he is personable and brilliant) because he is off the wall at home too, so she’s taking him to the doctor before she chokes him. (Her words, not mine. ) I am definitely not used to all this happiness and positivity!

Six down, nineteen to go!

P.M.S.

I think they’re all getting their periods.

Even the boys.

They were some cranky children today! Snow White was sniping at Asthmatic who gave it right back, and all over stupid stuff like, “You’re not writing fast enough!” during math groups. Gentle Giant stormed out of gym because he thought he was going to get in trouble for bumping into MiniMe, and he bawled like a baby when I saw him in the office and asked what happened.

And it’s a half day! I’m exhausted.

Report Cards are DONE

I’m done report cards two whole days before conferences. YAY! Don’t know how that happened. Usually I am scrambling to finish and get just the ones needed for each day copied in time. (We stopped using the NCR paper kind, and there are rumors of computer-based ones coming in the near future. One can dream…) And, they were a little harder to do this time if kids weren’t proficient. (We stopped using percents tied to traditional letter grades and use Proficient or not.) For the past two years if a kid wasn’t proficient, we said they were “working toward proficiency” and gave them a level of 2 (close), 1 (less close), or 0 (no clue). It was annoying and a total judgment call, but it was okay. Now we have to give Basic or Below Basic like the PSSA, and it seems more harsh. It may be just me because to me Basic is like an F. (So I guess Below Basic is an F minus?) Even if it could be considered like a D, it’s just too low or something; it doesn’t mean “close” like a W2 did. And, with 4 grades again, we’re back to the A-B-C-D mentality anyway. (Because there are no F’s – no F’s, no failing, no repeating, no consequences…) I’m going to have to study the descriptors we got for B (partial understanding) and BB (very little understanding) so I can explain it right.

I would really love to just go to a percent as a grade, and then it can mean whatever you want. If a 79 is acceptable in your house, great; if it’s not acceptable in another house, fine. Do with it what you will. Though I guess that is already part of the problem – some parents don’t see anything wrong with being Basic or getting a C and being “average”. But according to the state, Basic is NOT okay. (And when their cutoff for Basic is 59%, I agree. Though I think 60% for Proficient is disgraceful.)

Because here’s what’s going to happen: either parents are going to be upset by the B’s, or they’re going to look at them and think, “Great!” like an A-B-C-D kind of B. (That’s why I write “B asic” on their tests, so they don’t get all excited by a B on a 70% correct test.)

And don’t get me started on the Special Ed kids who get Below Basic on everything because I have to assess them on a fifth grade level even though their brains are working as hard as they can on a first grade level. (Most of them are working as hard as they can, anyway.)

Bring on the parents!

Grading Tests

I have to be in the right mood to grade tests.  When I don’t want to, I don’t, and just put it off.  Then one day, like today, I’ll sit and grade for hours.  I get in a zone and don’t seem to mind.  Surely it would be better to do them a little at a time so I don’t have to grade all this?

6.25 hours worth of reading, spelling and math tests

Today I spent 5 hours grading tests, and two Sundays ago it was over 6 hours. Eek! At least I’ll be ready for conferences.