4 posts tagged “school”

This morning's romp through the Google Reader has provided two, beautiful, subjects with which to comment on.  First is this gem from Skippy.  Those of you who do not know my dear Skippy are missing out.  Right now, each and every one of you should click that link, and take a looksie.  I'll wait.

Good, you're back!  Did you like it?  I love him.  Anyway.  Skippy makes a good point.  If you are going to ban Hustler and Penthouse, you're going to have to get rid of religion.  But I'll take it a step further.  They're both promoting smut and lies. Smut, from, of course, the porn and from the pedophiles.  Lies from the beautiful thought that men could actually attain these busty fake airbrushed women and from the prevailing notion that there is an invisible man living up in the clouds watching you every single day and judging you.  The latter sounds like an acid laced bowl of pot... just might have been in them days. 

Then we have this article from WashPo about Chancellor Rhee.  Back when I was actually contemplating what school I wanted to teach at (and eventually fucking settled for Richmond), I was courted by DC.  Dee fucking Cee.  My argument then, which should have been applied to the school system that I was inevitably to run away from kicking and screaming like a crazed cat woman?  "Are you kidding?  That school system doesnt care about their teachers or their students!  They have no money!  Work for them?  Yeah... funny."  And then last year Mayor Fenty hired Michelle Rhee.  I, as an outsider, immediately saw her for the kind hearted, optomistic, and in fucking sane woman that she is.  Why insane?  Who, in their right mind, would volunteer to take control of DC Public Schools?  The journey ahead of her looked very very bad.  And for a while there, looked like she would just fade away due to DC Council's reluctance to give this woman the reins.  I rooted for her.  And she took over.  Since then, her journey has been full of narrow minded people, protests, and folks who just dont care.  A couple of months ago, she went into the school's main office, and ended up firing around 100 people who were doing nothing.  NOTHING.  The community complained, protested.  The way I see it?  Why fund someone who does nothing (like I have a right to talk) at the expense of Art, Drama, and Music?  The same thing with these school closings.  On top of this, she wants about a third of the teachers to get their permanent licenses or get out.  Oooo.  Is it just me, or shouldnt these lazy fucks have been working towards that all along?  I got my provisional license fairly easily.  No one even asked me for my college transcripts.  I was hired, therefore I got a license.  I also had 2 or 3 years to get in the coursework to get the permanent thingy.  Something like, 5 classes.  These people had been riding their provisionals for 5 years!  They, techically, arent supposed to be teaching anymore!  In my humble opinion, they should be kicked out now.  But that would put the children at a disadvantage, and of course, we all must think of the children.

Which brings me to another thing which pisses me off.  (Thats what I should rename this blog: Yet another thing that pisses me off)  Today's overcoddling and handling of children.  Why, when I was their age, if I had hit the back of the chair in front of me at a movie theather, not only would the person in front tell me off, but also my parents.  Today, if anyone says anything to a child in a reproachful manner, even if they are the child's parents, they get bad looks and assumptions of being an evil SOB.  Dont yell, hit, spank, punish or even cough on a child.  Noo.  They'll end up psychotic murders.  We must nourish their minds and keep them sterilized.  At All Times.  I used to go walking around with my dog in Belgium and when I got thirsty I would go to the fountain in the park and drink right from it.  Did I get sick?  Oh god, who knows... but I'm still alive now!  And now is what matters. 

If you look at the statistics, there are more murders and crimes being committed today than 50 years ago.  Yeah, you can attribute that to population spikes and inevitably there will be more of everything with the booms we've had.  But look at it.  In them olden days, people would rarely lock their doors or cars. Everyone trusted everyone else.  There was general happiness.  But things changed.  Today, with the exception of small towns, no one leaves their cars unlocked.  Alarm systems are par for the course in suburban apartments and homes.  And I'll tell you what.  The people today who are murdering and raping were born at the same time as when all this coddling began.  The older folks who are running today's buisnesses and companies grew up when strict punishments were common, memorization education was standard, and nun's taught school!  As a teacher I was actually encouraged to use green pens to mark up work.  Because red was too jarring to a child's psyche.  I dunno about you, but the 8 month pregnant 15 year old in my Earth Sci class isnt too worried about red ink. 

I will tell you what has changed.  Arts in school.  Not a single kid in my classes were taking arts classes.  No music, no drama (actually, there was no drama program), no painting.  If you wanted music, it was after school and you joined band.  Now, there wasnt much time that I was in public schools, let alone stateside public schools.  So I understand that my education experiences vastly differ from everyone else's.  I had music, choir, art, drama, philosophy, shakespeare, painting, photography, cermanics... you name it.  Maybe that's whats missing in today's education system.  A way to let off stress.  I had my painting class right after my AP US History class.  And lemme tell you, that was a dream.  I would be able to relax before AP Calc, and let my mind expand.  Choir was generally my last class of the day, and would be a pleasant end.  Perhaps this is what we all need to strive for. 

Well... i've run out of steam.  You all out there... remember.  The next time you sit and bitch about something the school system does, try to see it from their point to view, and examine if you are bitching for sentimental reasons, or beacause they are honestly not thinking of the children. 

Yesterday I finally got into my closet.  I worked really hard on it, and now it actually looks somewhat decent.  I went out to Walmart at around the half of the day mark and got some things to make the space better, like some cork board tiles and food.  :)  I also got some chemicals to clean the sinks and glassware that seems to be littering the entire sink area.  Right now the place is at a level that I am comfy with.  However, I'm sure that I can make it better.  I can make it actually useful.  And if I can do that, then I will have a nice, peaceful, useful spot to come to during periods off. 

I still dont know anything about the Environmental Science class.  Not a thing.  That kind info seems to be on a need to know basis, and I sure as hell dont seem to need to know.  My department head was out yesterday, so I couldnt ask her, or get my key.  However, I did find a treasure trove of stuff for Earth-Sci via my mentor and a random bookshelf in my closet. 

Ya know, I call it my closet... but its really a lab prep room.  And as such, is not that tiny.  Yes, I can have only 2 kids in there at a time, MAX.  But its not that bad of a space in terms of sittin around and doin stuff. 

Today is basically enrichment work.  We sit around and listen to someone.  Thats basically all this stuff has been is sitting around and listening to someone speak.  its supposed to last till 3 today.  I hope it doesnt.  I'm damned tired.  They're not providing lunch for us, but I found a five guys near the school yesterday, so that is my destination for lunch. 

Write again tomorrow.

I was torn this morning on what to wear. The letter I got says wear school colors... which are green and gold. Does that give me a clear slate to wear whatever for bottoms? I mean... I have no "teacher worthy" jeans. All I have that are respectable are two pairs of cargos. One brown the other kakhi. So, I'm wearing the kakhi kind and hope that no one mistakes me for a student. I was supposed to help the Chem teacher re-do his room since I have none and my efforts would help him greatly... but I really have to come back to take care of Marc as soon as I can get out. I have some stuff to get my room situated and to make it my own personal space... (I even get a printer! Woot!) but its still a little sad... ya'lls understand.

In one hour's time I will be smack dag in the middle of something I really cant get out of. This is the first time I feel like I can actuall do this. Like... this is something that is going to happen, and I can handle it. Its like when I was being wheeled down to the surgical room for my thingy-ectomy, and at one point I had to just let it happen. This is the same way. Should be interesting. Anyway, lemme get my crap together to bring to school. Maybe i'll get an opportunity to update from my closet. (Affectionatly called room 3.5)

Wow... It was on last night, and I just decided to give it a try since my mom (also a teacher) told me to watch it.  It wasnt all that bad for a made for TV movie.  Once scene got to me though.  The scene where he shakes that girl's desk and scares the classroom... I am terrified of going off like that.  I have a very bad temper, and it is quick to flare.  I dont know how I'm going to be able to tame that class without taking someone out.  But we'll find out.  Wont we? 

I start New Teacher Orientation on Monday.  Bright and early at 8am downtown somewhere I've never been before.  My husband and I are going to check it out and find it either tomorrow or Sunday so that I'm not flying solo on Monday.  I'm going to buy some frappaccinos on Sunday's shopping trip because I know that I'm going to be face first into my bagel by 10am otherwise. 

I'm starting to get more and more really excited about everything.  I have alot of work done compared to the other newbies at the school, who dont even know what grade their teaching or have a textbook to look through.  I need to do some more work on these power points, but at the same time, I need to do some lesson plans.  Maybe they'll give me a template on Monday, or during the rest of my week of my training.  I know how to write the lesson plans, in theory.  But they just seem to be busy paperwork.  Im sure they will have meaning to someone, but coming from a university where you lecture as much as you can and then pick it up tomorrow... I dont understand the need for them.  I'll try to pull myself out of my ass long enough to attempt to write one today.  The first push is the hardest, but the most necessary.  It should be all downhill from there if I have a template on the computer.

Oh, speaking of computer... please GOD let them give me a laptop for my classroom.