Teaching, Just My Cup of Tea

Filed under teaching by on 14 October 2010 at 5:04 pm {one comment}

Sometimes it easy to become overwhelmed by the aspects of teaching that I hate. With secondary and elementary education comes a lot “trials and tribulations.” They come in the form of parents, administrators, difficult students, the crushing amounts of paper work and ridiculous meetings.  However, if you can ignore those things, most days are pretty darn good.

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At my job, I get to actually see people change sometimes over the course of just a few weeks. I get to work one on one with kids to help them become better writers. I get to talk about books that I absolutely love and show other people how to love them too.

I don’t do the same thing everyday or even all day long. While my feet hurt at the end of the day, it’s because I’ve gotten to move around; I am not a desk jockey or a cubicle monkey. Sure there are days when I’m envious of people that get to work from home, make lots of money, and get up when the sun is actually up, but overall it’s a pretty sweet gig.

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When I first started teaching, I hated to teach writing. Literature seemed more fun. Now, I love teaching writing. Conferencing with the kids and showing each one ways to improve is great. While they don’t know I have a blog, I think it helps me understanding that writing can be really frustrating. Here is one of my favorite quotes of late:

“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” William Zinsser. On Writing Well, 12.

Thanks for allowing me to wax poetic about the joys of teaching. When I’m grading the next set of papers, or I have a parent trying to crucify me, please remind me of this post.

Teaching – Day 1

Filed under teaching by on 7 September 2010 at 6:44 pm {5 comments}

While I’m assuming starting any job is exciting, nerve wrecking, and tiring teaching is all those things times the 20 pairs of staring eyes that bore through you.

Day 1 Outfit: Someone was a little drowsy when he took this picture.

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My first day was really interesting, had lots of positive things that made me smile, and only a few things that made me cringe.

Smile Causers:

  • Most of my students are very polite and respectful
  • Most of my students greeted me with smiles
  • A few students talked to me after class asking questions about the upcoming year with excitement in their voices
  • I’ve already learned maybe 10 or 15 names
  • The guys on my team are so laid back and for that I adore them
  • Having my own classroom is amazing. Having a quiet space at least once a day is more than I could have ever imagined at my old job.

Cringe Inducers:

  • A girl saying she didn’t realize until now that calling all Asian people Chinese was wrong (at least she realizes now)
  • Having to tell 15 year olds not to hit or throw rocks at each other
  • Having to kick a student out on day one to his adminstrators office, only to have him followed by two other students who left of their own accord.

As long as the smiles keep outweighing the cringes I should be A O.K.

Busy Day With a Capital B

Filed under Hiking, Life, Local, teaching by on 5 September 2010 at 6:40 pm {one comment}

Today has been such a fun, busy day.  First we lounged around this morning working on our laptops. I had some blog problems earlier in the day, but everything was remedied. I updated my “About” page and worked on a few other things.

Next, we went on a small, local hike. Everything is still so green and lush. In two weeks, it will not be like this.

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From the second we stepped on the trail, we were turned around.  I don’t know if the map was bad or if the trail was poorly blazed, but we had to do some back tracking. It was such a beautiful day though that getting lost didn’t really matter.

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Once we got back Jeremy started working on my bathroom pass for school.  One thing I love about Jeremy is I can give him a simple idea, and he can make it happen exactly the way I envisioned it.
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Voila!

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Now I’m trying to decide, if I should stick with the dinner I have planned or make homemade pierogies. Pierogies sound so good to me, but look like a lot of work. Maybe tomorrow.

To The Virgins. . .

Filed under Domesticity, Hiking, Life, Summer by on 23 August 2010 at 6:00 am {2 comments}

GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
    Old time is still a-flying :
And this same flower that smiles to-day
    To-morrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
    The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
    And nearer he’s to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
    When youth and blood are warmer ;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
    Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
    And while ye may go marry :
For having lost but once your prime
    You may for ever tarry.
Robert Herrick

Time is still a-flying, flying .

I am a teacher and during the school year, I look more like this. . . weemee And less like this . . .

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I’ve mentioned before how I’m incredibly thankful for my summers; they keep me interested in life, searching, learning, and trying new things. My summers are precious to me and while I do spend time on ridiculous things like watching far too much TV, I also try to do other more productive things.

My summer is quickly ending, and I feel like I have all of this unfinished business. I haven’t picked any fruit or veggies (besides from my own garden), which means I haven’t canned anything. There is still a giant stack of books by my bed that need to be read. I still need to hike and camp and eat at least two ‘smores. Surely, there is one more beach day to bask in the glory of the sun and fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean.

So in my truest-to-self fashion, I have made of list of things that I MUST accomplish between now and well next week. I have 7 days to own this summer, and own it I shall.

1. Pick tomatoes and make salsa, can said salsa

2. Go on a camping/hiking trip with Jeremy

3. Read at least two more books (one of which will be Mockingjay)

4. Go to the beach

5. Learn to knit a baby hat (this is scheduled for today)

Of course in addition to all of these things, I really need to hone in more on my classes. I don’t see students for two more weeks, and I have some pretty good plans so far, but there is always more that can be done.

If I’m blogging a bit less the next few weeks, it is because I am out experiencing and blissing out. I need to fuel up for what I’m pretty sure is going to be a trying/exciting year full of countless new things, many of which I hope will be wonderful.

T.G.I.F., well almost

Filed under Cooking, Food, TV, Work by on 28 January 2010 at 6:57 pm {one comment}

Things at work have not gone well this week.  I really like to be able to control situations. Unfortunately right now the only thing I can control is my attitude and I’m not exactly excelling at that. It seems everything that is happening at work is totally out of my control. Biggest issues:

  1. My students aren’t attending school. The attendance average for all my classes today was less than 50%.  When this happens not only are they not learning, but I worry about the reasons they aren’t attending, which with my students could be grave. In addition, it will be a pain in the butt to get them caught up, whenever they choose to return. 
  2. Some of the policies or lack there of at my school are making me feel so frustrated. I work at a very traditional school, which I understand. But the lack of value they place in diversity makes me feel isolated and dare I say it discriminated against. I’m going to have to figure out someway to get around this. Alerting the newspaper doesn’t seem like the best idea, and  lately I’ve had this going through my head.

    (I heart That Thing You Do).

  3. Lastly, some of my co-workers drive me nuts. I wish they would go far, far away.

With all that said, this is the semester of English that I prefer teaching, and I am so thankful to have a job.  But a long week is a long week, and I really just wanted something warm and comforting for dinner. So when Jeremy suggested quesadillas, I was definitely on board. I knew the warm, melty cheese with veggies and black beans would at least make me forget if not remedy my problems.

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Between this and a good laugh at my Thursday night NBC line up, I’m hoping to get out of my funk.  I’m a bit concerned that I may be getting sick. Ugh. . .

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