Ah, spring!

Spring break is coming up and the schoolmarm is taking a much need rest. 

Chicken Scratch

Question:  How is a chicken pecking at its food a metaphor for the public schoolteacher's job?
Hint: The following are from students.
What time is it?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to the bathroom?
Do you have a pencil?
What page?
Can I get a drink of water?
Can I go to the nurse?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to my locker?
What page?
What are we doing today?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to the library?
Do you have a pencil?
Do you have a pencil?
Do you have a pencil?

Answer:  Schoolmarm is chicken feed.  Students are the chicks!

Soapbox

Many of you know that I am from Indiana and quite proud it.  So, last week when I was watching the news and saw the current Ind. governor, Mitch Daniels,  featured I was pleased.  It was a short-lived moment of pleasure because out of this fellow Hoosier's mouth came this sentence.  "Student teacher ratio doesn't matter.  If you put a good teacher in front of 60-70 students they will learn."  Unbelievable.  Today I learned that Mr. Daniels is considering running for president.  In my mind this begs the question of just how much do we want/need the federal governmnet involved in public education.  I am afraid the new crop of politicians will hamstring public schools to the point of ineffectiveness.  Since nature does not like a void, the door will be open to more private schools or charter schools.  Perhaps that is all bad.  European countries have long separated the troublemakers from those who want to learn which is one reason their schools out perform American schools.  I would love to have a classroom of students who really wanted to learn and not have to put up with the clowns.  I don't have the answer to our country's financial problems, but I know that if education is cut much more we will all pay a steep price for a generation to come.

To Blog or not to blog. That is the question.

Many of you may have heard of the teacher in PA who has been suspended for blogging about her current teaching experience.  She apparently used her home computer for blogging.  The school system takes issue with this teacher's description of her students' work ethic.  And, yes, she used some offensive language.  My dear daughter-in-law and a teacher friend have both advised me of this PA teacher's situation.  So, what's a schoolmarm to do??????????
Hopefully, this teacher's constitutional rights will be honored.  We are promised free speech as long as we don't infringe on the rights of others or commit slander or liable.  Also in the PA teacher's case a student alerted the school system of the blog which begs the question of why did this student call attention to his teacher's blog.
I will continue to blog, but guarding my thoughts carefully. 
Today is Presidents' Day so no school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The temperature is warm, the sun is out and I have an entire day to myself!!!!!!!!!!  Just lying in bed to read this morning was a huge treat.  I love mini vacations!
My students will be starting a research/writing project tomorrow.  I have tried to write very specific directions to make the task easier for the students and myself.  I believe my students are up to the task.  The problem will be that their mini computers are about worthless.  The computers work sometimes.  They always cause me extreme frustration.  I wish, just once, the school system would be in front of the learning curve instead of behind.  There is a mismatch with available technology and the technology we have in our school.  Our large computer labs are obsolete, every student doesn't have a laptop because the machine is in the shop or the parents won't take the responsibility for one, yet we are expected to complete research projects and benchmark testing on unreliable machines.  Good grief.
I had better close before I say something that could be litigious!

No more whining

Admittedly my last post was bleak.  Mea culpa, mea culpa.  I have read my dear friend, Karrie's blog, regarding her Sunday school lesson based on Hosea and am reminded that I am not in this school year alone.  And like Hosea's wife, I have forgotten God's love and promise to take care of me and all of my frustrations.  I also blew off church today in favor of a lazy morning and trip to Blowing Rock.  I don't feel guilty about the trip because I came home with a better outlook.  We took the Parkway to Blowing Rock.  The scenery was starkly beautiful.  How do people survive who don't have mountains and valleys to gaze at???  The ground was that particular shade of brown which occurs just before spring.  It is a soft looking color, one that begs to be touched.  There were also spectacular icicles.  Some short, some long and all grey -silver -white.  Not at all the color of snow, rather a pale shimmering color.  Of course the sky was Carolina blue.  What more can one ask in the way of evidence that God loves us and is watching over us.  It was careless of me to forget.  So, I will put the cares and frustrations of teaching into my God box and approach this week afresh.  My dear friend, Bonnie, is praying for me, too.  What else do I need?  What is it that Psalms says?  "I lift my eyes to the hills from where comes my help."  A poor job of paraphrasing, I know, but you get the idea.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and the Westminster Dog show!  Chocolates and beautiful dogs.  Life just doesn't get any better!

Filled with loathing

I loathe teaching.  I loathe children that are not related to me.  I loathe Wednesdays.  I loathe February.

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!

Oh,no!!!  It's Sunday night again!  But not just any Sunday night, noooooooooo.  Tomorrow is our first day back after Christmas break!  The kids will either be exhausted from staying up all night and sleeping all day or they have been so bored at home that they can't stop talking to their friends.  Little do the dumplings know that their teachers are just as sorry about not sleeping in as they are.

I have been alluding to a change coming for my grade level but have been unable to talk openly about this change.  Well the students and parents have been informed so now I can spill the beans!  My principal, the granter of my greatest wish, hired another teacher for my team.  That means that my class of 35 will now be a class of 28 which is much better.  Also, I get to teach ONLY social studies!!!!  My favorite subject to teach!!!!!!!!!  Thank you, Mrs. Principal.

I have always told my students the I am the queen of the classroom and they are merely my subjects.  This all said with tongue-in-cheek, however, toward the end of Jan. I will have to have a crown on a tooth.  That makes my claim to the throne official - I have the coronet of power.  Albeit in my mouth!