Cats

There is a saying that goes,"Sometimes you get the cat and sometimes the cat gets you."  Yesterday, the cat not only got me, it chewed me up and spit me out as a partially digested hairball.  Yesterday's debacle began in first block.  I had changed the seating in the room to rows.  I did not make a seating chart which was not good.  When I directed certain students to particular seats, they questioned my thinking with that particular move.  In short, they wanted to know why they had to sit where I put them.  Then within minutes I shushed a student who was talking and he wanted to know why, he wasn't doing anything.  Adding those events to general talking and foolishness to a teacher with some private struggles and you have  a recipe for explosion.  I left the room and stormed into our principal's office and told her that I was quitting.  I refused to teach anymore.  Bless her, she walked to my room and gave the students a good dressing down.  They were quiet the remainder of the class and in fact the remainder of the day went better.  I asked my principal what I was doing wrong.  She said nothing, that it is the change in attitude of the students.  I am not good at meaness on a daily basis.  I do get frustrated and lose my temper, but not frequently.  I have tried to follow the philosophy of catching more flyies with sugar than with vinegar.  Apparently I need to take a daily dose of vinegar.  What happens to students that they only respond to bluntness.  What kind of adults will these children become?  Can I become a "pickle smoker" and not be affected personally?  All good questions to ponder.  Our grade level will be making some changes after Christmas and I am viewing these as a time to start over.  One change I will make is to be much more stern and serious about behavior and class work.  I thought I had established reasonable proceedures, but apparently I need to revamp.  Well, so be it.

On a different note, we have a snow day today.  Usually a snow day is a time for celebration, but this year or at least snow days in December are not welcomed.  We have had one snow day and now with today our Christmas vacation will not begin until 3:30 on Dec. 21.  Major bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I think the snow angels must have known that I needed a day off.  Thank you, snow angels.

Well, friends, so as not to waste a gift of a day off, I will take my steaming cup of coffee to the kitchen and throw something in the crockpot for dinner.  And maybe, just maybe I will get out of my comfy pjs before noon.  No promises, though.

Snow day, really?

Yes, folks we are having a snow day today.  There must be some very treacherous roads somewhere, but not at my house.  This is not a complaint, by the way.

Last week, sports fans, the score was kids 4, schoolmarm 1.  That's right.  It was a week out of hell.  Kids were awful!!!  I don't know why.  That is the crux of the matter.  I don't know why their behavior is so unpredictable.  My teaching partner says it is the nature of the type of child we have this year.  Perhaps so.  I was ready to walk out by Wed.  Fortunately, another teacher friend said that last week was bad at her school, too.  Misery does love company!!!

The following has been sticking in my craw since before Thanksgiving so I better let it go now.  This has to do with the immigration service.  The Friday before Thanksgiving, INS made a sweep of one of our Hispanic neighborhoods.  They took about 28 people, mostly men.  Since this random act of horribleness occurred early in the morning, our Hispanic kids came to school with the fear of not finding one or both of their parents at home by the end of the day.  There were tears, stomachaches etc.  I, personally,  was furious.  I know we cannot take in everyone who wants to come to the U.S., but surely there can be a distinction between honest hardworking people and lazy, lawbreakers.  These people have families.  They have jobs.  Jobs that "good Americans" won't do.  I get far more support from our Hispanic families than I do from most white families.  I have never been cussed or threatened by a Hispanic parent.  The students are usually among the hardest working I have.  After all, what would any of us do if we were moved to another country without knowing the language or customs.  Compare these students whose parents have lots of money, who are addicted to prescription drugs or alcohol.  They wouldn't bat a eye while telling me that I pick on their child by making him/her behave or expecting homework to be completed.  My students have returned, but some are not the same.  They don't talk about what is going on in their community, but I know it is affecting them.  What do you say to a 12 year old when his/her dad has been deported?  Most of these folks are just barely making ends meet and now the breadwinner is gone.  I don't have an answer and really wish I did.

On a brighter note, there are changes afoot for my grade level that will relieve overcrowding.  I will keep you posted.

Vacation

The schoolmarm is on vacation this week.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Sunday, again.

Here it is again, Sunday.  My papers are graded and plans are made so why am I blue?  Tomorrow is Monday.  We have school for 5 days straight this week.  I know, stop whining at least I have a job.  We had a presentation at last week's faculty meeting regarding changing our perspective.  It was an attempt to remind us to be thankful for what we have because the majority of the world has so very little.  It was inspiring, but that feeling was short-lived.  I have far more than I deserve and that includes relationships and material possessions.  I would just like to have a bit more time and energy to enjoy what I have.  Guess that is a retirement activity.

The score for last week was Schoolmarm 3 and students 1.  Friday was REALLY bad.  Someone said it was like a full moon day.  The kids were very squirrelly.   They couldn't be still for some reason.  The weather this week is supposed to be rainy.  Perhaps the rain will water down their behaviors!!!!!

Isn't Veteran's Day a Great Holiday???

I love November.  Not just because my daughter was born in November, although that is the top of my list of likes about this month.  It is the holidays that makes November so fabulous!!!!!  Every two years there is Election Day.  Then comes Veteran's Day and finally the coup d'etat ... Thanksgiving Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  In my opinion Thanksgiving is the supreme holiday.  It has everything; food, family, cool weather, beautiful colors, parades, and days off from school.  What is not to love???????  My daughter-in-law feels the same as I do about this holiday which makes our day really special. 

This week's score so far is 3 for the schoolmarm and 0 for the kids.  Yes, finally students and teacher have had a 3 consecutive good days.  Never mind that several of the cherubs have been absent and/or in ISS.   What has really made a huge difference is having 2 teaching assistants and a college intern.  All three ladies are terrific and I feel incredibly luck to have them with me each day.  My intern will leave in early December and I will miss her.  She is going to be a very good teacher. If the remainder of the year goes as quickly as October and November have gone, I just may make it through the year.

Best quote this week:
Teacher:  What are the names of the three types of blood vessels in the human body?
Student:  Arteries, veins, and caterpillars!!!!!!!
Now you know why the inside of your nose itches!!!!!!

They are multiplying

3 more new students this week!!!!!!!!!!!  Someone lock the gates, please!!!!!!!!!!

A Good Question

This week one of the 35 asked why I became a teacher.  I started to answer with a wise crack like, "So I could terrorise kids like you."  But I didn't say it.  My reply was because my mother was a teacher and I had several great mentors along the way. This question has been with me all week.  Do I remember why I wanted to teach?  What was I thinking about in the late 60s and early 70s?  Do I still feel the same as then?  Have I become jaded?  Some answers are yes, I do feel I can make a difference in students' lives which is the same as I felt in college.  I now know it is much more difficult than I first believed and the reality is that I will probably never know how much of an impact I have made.  When one spends 180 days out of a year with a group of students, there has to be an impact of some sort.  I do wonder if my teaching has had a positive or negative effect.  I think about a girl I taught probably 30 years ago.  She was in second grade and would not stay in her seat nor would she listen, follow rules, or take turns.  Now I realize she probably was ADHD, but at the time no one had heard of that diagnosis.  So in all my wisdom, I put tape on the floor around her desk and told her not to leave the taped area.  It helped for a while, but was not long lasting.  That was a mean thing to do to a child who could not help herself.  I hope she was able to forgive me.

And yes, I have become jaded especially this year.  I have a hard time finding anything positive to say at school and begin to have stomach issues on Sunday night.  I am trying to be more positive because I have a student intern right now and I don't want to negatively influence her.  She is bright and enthusiastic and I don't want to do anything to dampen her spirit.  So, I have much work to do!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week's score ...Schoolmarm 4.5 Students .5 Plus another students has moved into our school and onto our team.  The more, the merrier, right?  I would agree but he came to class with red marker all over his face.  Friday was "Wear Red Day", but I am pretty sure the intent was a garment of red. It is getting better.  This week we only have 4 days!!!!!!  Do you think that is a handicap for students or the Schoolmarm????????????????

Yikes! It's Sunday night!!!!!!!!

Last week the score between Teacher and The 35 was again 2 to 2 with 1 day as a draw.  Thursday was the absolute worst day of the week.  From the time my teaching partners and I walked into the door at 7:20 we were assaulted with drama.  This time it was boy drama.  One young man was having an emotional meltdown because of a misunderstanding between a teacher and the boy.  No, it was not me, this time!!  The other drama revolved around a student who is transferring.  By 8:00 one of my partners was in tears and I was just mad.  Then, we were operating on a different schedule because another grade was going on a field trip and needed to eat lunch early.  Just let me tell you that 12 - 13 year olds do not adjust to change well.  I would go so far as to say they are less flexible than a newborn who needs to be fed every 4 hours.  By 1:30, when the darlings went to special classes, I was having a meltdown, too.  At 4:02 I left school, went home and went to bed.  Sometimes one's home is the only safe haven.  Then in Sunday school this morning I was admitting that my feelings toward some students could be compared to that of having a root canal without anesthetic when a friend said not to be too hard on myself.  I should take heart in remembering that it is not really the students themselves, rather it is their behavior that is so abhorrent.  That really helped, a sincere thanks to my friend.

We have 3 days this week, thanks to the calendar fairies.  3days... One can do anything for 3 days, right???? Of course right.  I hope right.  3 days... hmmmmm... 

Best student/teacher conversation of the week-
The day the Chilean miners were being extracted  we watched some of the rescue on TV.  The next day I had this conversation.
Student:  I know why those people on TV were speaking a different language.
Teacher:  Oh?
Student:  Yeah, they were from Chile.
The positive of this conversation is that the light did come on for the student.  I do wonder how far that particular bit of electricity had to travel to get to this particular light bulb.  Is there a power grid on Pluto????

This week's score

Teacher - 2 good days; Students - 2 bad days; Toss up - 1 day.   I think this kind of record is called a draw.  So what makes a good day?  Happy teacher, happy students, good work.  I am not sure in what universe that scenario occurs, but it is not mine.  In my reality a good day is when I spend more time teaching than disciplining squirrely students.  These squirrely students are making me nuts!!!!!!  Perhaps I am an almond or pecan, I don't know but sometimes at the end of day, I do feel like I have been cracked!!!! 

One of the reasons I had 2 good days is because the principal has sent reinforcements!  I have a the use of a tutor who is bilingual first period!!!!!!!  She is not just a tutor but a certified teacher.  It is amazing how the presence of another adult makes a difference.  With this help I have become embolden to take The 35 to the science lab on Monday for a cloud making lab.  They have to use matches even!!!  I better put the fire department on alert!!!!!!

Today is a beautiful autumn day and I have lesson plans to make.  Stay turned to you police scanners on Monday in case The 35 set the school on fire!  That's all from the nutty schoolmarm.

A Good Day

It was a good day for the 35 and myself.  We used their e-minis for some research practice.  They really liked being able to hear the pronunciation of African names.  With all the Mansa Musas being played at about the same time, sounded more like frogs to me!!!  Tomorrow we will see if they learned anything.  As they say, "The proof is in the pudding."

This is really Thursday

Friday isn't a school day for us.  Don't ask, the explanation is just too difficult. That's teacher talk for ,"I don't understand why we have a day off, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth!!"  Soooooooooo, today is Friday Eve!!!!!!!!!!!  Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have actually made it to the end of Sept.  I wasn't sure I could do it.

Yesterday, the 35, chaperones, and myself went on a field trip.  We went to a local camp for hiking, firebuilding, and the use of a high ropes course.  Field trips are always a crap shoot.  One never knows how the day will go.  I have taken stellar students who were very poorly behaved and I have taken students who I was sure would be busted for shoplifting.  Fortunately, that didn't happen.  In fact, the 35 did rather well.  The boys outshined the girls on the ropes course but the girls proved to have more patience while lighting fires.  Part of the success of the day was my teaching partner's idea to divide the students into small groups which allowed us to "divide and conquer".   Another plus was the weather.  It was a beautiful day; cool in the morning with lots of sun.  One of those clear crisp days that autumn in the south brings.  Today the students were exhausted!!!!!!!!!!!  They were very quiet.

This is day 26 of the school year and the first day I have felt like I actually taught something.  The previous 25 days have been managing behavior.  Today felt good.  I hope it continues.  It is nice to come home with some energy and in good spirits.

By the way, did you know that there is an African animal named  canatlope?  I think it may be related to an antelope, but I will have to check with a certain student about that!

Also, the definition of inflation is when "them people don't got no money". 

That's all from the schoolmarm.

Ahhhh, Friday.

Why "35" as a name?  It is not my age, nor the number of pounds I have lost or gained over the last year.  I do not have 35 grandchildren or pets or sets of dishes.  What I do have is 35 students in the last class of the day.  I am teacher of 35 years with 35 seventh graders from 2:00 to 3:00 everyday of the week. It is challenging even with my experience.  This challenge is what has driven me to blog.  Blogging has to be healthier than alcohol or drugs!

So, what does one do with so many kids at the end of a busy academic day???  For the last two days we have worked on an art/research project.  They were strong on art, not so much with the research.  What did I learn from this?  I need to include something creative each week and model how to research and write a paragraph.  Also, I need a Staples "That was easy" button!!!  It is not easy.  They don't like to read and think social studies is boring!  If I can find a way to include girl drama in my lessons I will be on easy street!!! Oh,but wait, girl drama isn't part of our curriculum. My girls are so are completely focused on this week's gossip that I can't teach. So is this a teachable moment?????   I don't think so.  Good grief.  I realize they are children trying to be adults, wanting to be children, trying to be adults ...  But this group is all about drama.  Not only the girls, either, some of the boys are in the midst of all this too.  Again, good grief.

Yes, this is skating on the brink of whining, but I don't care.  If you, the reader, don't want to hear whining, don't read this again.  But if you want to know if the old schoolmarm makes it through this year, come back for the next installment.