April 2006 Archives

Well, just a couple of days after winning Teacher or the Year, I was told that I need to get another credential to be able to have English language learners in my classroom. The one I got in Minnesota doesn't count for beans. I need a new one and they could suspend my pay if I don't get it. Because this nice flashy new one (that covers all the same stuff my MN credential does) helps support the communist regime known as higher education in California and why shouldn't I get it when it's for the children... the CHILDREN!?! I digress...

I knew I needed this certificate and had worked out with the higher powers that be for me to get it after my masters was completed in Spring 2007. But, apparently they've changed their minds. I now need it as close to now as I can get. So, I'm currently enrolled in 18 units of classes while teaching full time. And, for the first time in my life, I've taken on the "C is for cookie mentality" in my education. Here are some thoughts I've had to classwork in the past week, "What? The required paper length is 12 pages? I'll give you 8. That assignment is only worth 10 points? Hmmm... not gonna do it. Excuse me, teacher, what would a C paper look like?" And so on. So much for bettering myself, I'm on survival mode baby.

Granted, I do as well as I can. And I'll probably still get A's in most of my classes. I just need the certificate and don't care as much about grades as I used to. See, now there are more important things in life like, I don't know, God, family, volleyball, WoW. In that order. So, if doing half of the assignment for a C means Josh and I get to invade a mine filled with bandits and knuckledusters, then so be it.

Best part is, some of the classes I'm taking are online. I've spent all day doing a tutorial on how to use e-mail, the Internet, and learning about netiquette. Did you know that you can send attachments in your e-mail and that the word netiquette comes from the words network etiquette? I did. But now I know again. I just finished a quiz on online learning preparedness and found out that I am prepared to use online learning because, by gum, I know how to plug in my computer. I wish that I could have just told them that my husband is an Engineer and I know a lot about computers for the good of my family. That should have been enough to waive this way-too-long tutorial.

Oh, and I heard a rumor that the Teacher of the Year wins a year of free pasta. Mmmm... pasta. If only pasta were money... that would be sweet.

I just found out on Friday that I am Teacher of the Year. I've been nominated the last several years, but this is the first time I've won. It's kind of nice given how hard I work and how I'm constantly doing something related to teaching or improving my school or professional development or whatnot. Anyway, just thought I'd post it since it's a bit of a milestone in my teaching career.

In my classroom, I have these pink papers in a folder & kids fill them out if they have any issues or concerns about projects or life etc. It's great, because I don't have groups of students whining or telling me things I'll forget anyway. So, if a kid has an issue, I tell them to put it in writing. Then I deal with all the issues when I have time later in the day. Usually kids are concerned about a ceramic project breaking or being absent on a day we had a video assignment or someone being mean to them.

Well, I got the best concern sheet ever. Here is the jist of it:

Describe your concern:
Could we have a younger selection of music?
(My comment: Never mind that I'm playing new albums, apparently The Gorillaz, The Fray, Relient K, Sheryl Crow, etc. are "old." I'll send them the memo so they are in the loop.)

What would you like to happen?
Maybe with this give you some song titles?
(My comment: Maybe we should listen to improve your grammar music instead.)

What do you need? What can Mrs. L do to help?
Are kind of music. It's awesome. This is our last year, and starting of the last quarter, can we have a really really fun time!
(My comment: Besides cringing at the grammar, I understand their desire to have a really really fun time. Only problem is, I don't think their music is a a fun time. That's because I'm old. Oh, and I also think the music is inappropriate for the classroom (See "My Humps" from their suggested list of song titles below. Oh, and I kept their lovely spelling for amusement).

Suggested song titles:

• tell me when to go - "sensored"


• grilz, by Nelly


• ruin it, by Chris brown


• gasolina, Daddy yankey


• Lean wit it, Francise Boys


• Oh I think they like me, Bow Wow, dabrat


• Delema, by nelly


• My humbs, by B.E.P.


• Like you, bow wow, ciara


• 1,2 step, ciara


• Rompe by Daddy Yankee


• Stick wit yu, pussycat dolls

So, maybe some of this music is actually decent. One of my other students just starred all of the "hoochie" ones for me so I would know which ones to avoid. Anyway, totally amused. I'm going to check out some of these songs on iTunes later.

Today was the first time in my entire teaching career when I collected an assignment, started grading it, and went, "Oh my gosh... these are terrible." I mean, usually I'll have at least a few that stand out. This one... zippo. So, I had to reel back and ask myself some important questions. What did I do different? Is there something special about this particular group of students that I missed? Did I rush them? I remember feeling that the assignment was rushed, but I was having a hard time keeping kids focused so the inevitable was to set a due date. *Sigh*

So, I'm not going to put the assignment on this quarter grades. I didn't even finish grading them (probably more because I was disgused in the possibility that I failed as a teacher, and felt better telling myself, "They're just not done yet.") Tomorrow, instead of moving on to painting, the kids will get their drawings back. They will watch me shade again. The will get a talk about standards and working hard and focusing and all that stuff I don't like to spout off about. Then, they'll keep working on it until they are at least tolerable. I wish I could somehow see myself teaching or figure out what happened.

Then again, another math teacher was upset yesterday because almost all of her students failed a test, so now she's reteaching the whole unit. Maybe the kids are tweaking out because it's been raining for like two months straight. Maybe it's because of the field trips. I'd like to think that it wasn't me and that my students are capable of greater than this. Here's to the next two days to see if that end can't be accomplished.