Posts Tagged school

Date: February 2nd, 2008
Cate: The Teaching
1 msg

Stupid Things That Happened Today

Today, Mr. Sir demanded that the students STOP SHARING. He bellowed this out to looks of incredulity and I nearly had to leave the room because I was going to go all hysterical with laughter. It was totally surreal.

Another stupid thing is that I have this brilliant kid who can teach Algebra better than Mr. Sir, and I recommended him as a tutor for some of the upstairs kids who are having trouble. My principal liked the idea, and recommended him to the math teacher upstairs. The math teacher is apparently offended. When I asked why, another teacher said, “Well, she’s probably thinking how she has a degree and he doesn’t. I would be.”

They seem to be missing the point that there is an opportunity for some one on one instruction here that would benefit the kids, whom we are presumably there to assist. Also, the math teacher upstairs sucks.

I asked a stupid question at the teacher inservice today. We were learning better ways to teach vocabulary to our social studies students and hearing facts such as “students only fully learn 2-3 new vocabulary words per day”. I asked why wasn’t anyone working to reform the system so that instead of rushing through 36 chapters, students would have time to learn the vocabulary and concepts. The room was silent. I just shut up.

Date: January 19th, 2008
Cate: The Teaching
1 msg

Dog at School

Today I took Salsa to school with me. It wasn’t a big deal since it was a workday. Sage came too, and it was cool having my family in the room with me while I completed what seemed to be endless grading. Salsa growled at Mr. Sir like he was the devil. She sounded like my kids.

When I was grading the journals, it was both sad and gratifying to see that almost all of the kids wrote posts complaining about my absence on the days I was out. They were bummed. It’s definitely a motivator to go to school on those days when I am lying about in a depressed heap.

Date: January 4th, 2008
Cate: The Personal
4 msgs

Denial

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Last night, at about 10, Sage and I were sitting at the kitchen table, peaceably doing artsy craftsy stuff. I bought a moleskine notebook, and I’ve been all into doing that lately. Sage has his own blank book, and he is practicing Chinese characters in it. It is where he glues his fortune cookie “fortunes” that teach you Chinese words.

Anyway, so we’re relaxing at the kitchen table, and I had to send someone some money via PayPal. Thank goodness. PayPal said it was Wednesday, and I had been thinking all day that it was Tuesday. School started back today, Thursday.

So the relaxation abruptly ended with me rushing Sage off to bed and then putting myself to bed and being thankful that I had clean clothes. Today, going to work, I felt as though I had been shot out of a cannon. At least I didn’t have to experience that day of “prework dread” that I usually have! That, and tomorrow is Friday! Already!