Reflection: Eloquent and Cheesy

Yesterday when we were on tour the Reno Gazette Journal staffers waxed eloquent and "cheesy" about why they love their jobs.

Do I feel the same way about teaching?
I love being a teacher. The only time I have not enjoyed teaching was when I was a student teacher, and I just do not think that counts. Now, in my own classroom, with my own students and curriculum, I cannot imagine any other profession. I have stopped bringing so much work home because now I have a husband to love, but that does not mean that I love teaching any less. I love discovering ways to be better in my classroom. I love interacting with the students in all of their incredibly goofiness. I miss my students as soon as summer starts. Yep. Cheesy.

Do I feel the same way about journalism?
The moment I heard that the Clarion advisor position was up for grabs, I went right to my principal and asked for it to be mine. I have zero regrets, as it has provided me with more insight into the life of a high school student than any other position. My Clarion staff (and I speak of them collectively, with all years combined) amazes me. Those students are hopeful and energetic and insightful. They understand acutely how to create, and feel the burden of group work in a very real and sometimes painful way. They brainstorm. They collaborate. They create.  Then they turn around and do it again next month.

I love my students.

Please Profread!

As an English teacher, I have a chance to be critical of others' mistakes on a semi-frequent basis.

Some of my favorites:

A process analysis essay explaining "how-to" make the perfect bowl of cereal. "Open the panty and see which cereal looks best." Lucky Charms, anyone?

A newspaper article explaining procrastination. "Grab a handful of potato ships and dig in."

Funny. It's good to be me.

Surprising

I really liked school today. I'm not sure why, but it brought me quite a bit of joy.

Lucky Me!

Dear Ms. Cook,

In follow up to a letter sent to you on February 24, 2009 and in accordance with District Policy, I am pleased to inform you that your contract for the 2009-2010 school year will be renewed, providing that the economic conditions in the state do not require further cuts to the District budget.

I appreciate your patience during the last month while the District could not make promises to provisional employees. Also I appreciate your willingness to work hard and serve students during the past year. Thanks again for all that you do.

Sincerely,

_______________________

Awesome. I get to keep a job and fill my classroom with 40 students at a time! There were three teachers cut at the high school level.

Kisses!

Saddest Day Ever

Due to a series of unfortunate events, today I lost three year's worth of files. I no longer have a computer record of the past three years of my life and I am sad, perhaps depressed. Can you say a prayer for me? I know that I cannot recover the files (this is not really miracle-material . . . they are gone for good!) but I would sure like to have some sort of piece of mind and be able to sleep tonight. I have been crying nonstop because we are talking COUNTLESS hours that are lost. Beautiful worksheets, stunning rubrics, assignment guides galore. Gone. All of the assignments I have submitted and still needed to submit for my Masters degree. No longer. Letters of recommendation I have written. Vanished. The homework that is due at midnight. Hmmm. That would be nice to find. Sadly, nope.

I have hard copies of many things, and I am going to put my TAs to work re-typing the big stuff. My mom called this afternoon and I started sobbing; she left work to come to comfort me. I love that woman, who understands my stress and pain. I know, I am crying over files, but, man. It's like I've lost the record of my life.

I think I can...I think I can...

There are 9 days left in first quarter.  If you are a teacher, or a parent, or a student, you know what this means. Almost there, kiddos! :)  

Linger, Just a Little Bit Longer...

Today I have been at the school since 7 am with no reprieve.  It is now 7:30 and I anticipate being here for another two hours.  Juab School District requires their teachers  to go through an evaluation process every three years.  This is my third year in the district (Can you believe it?) and on top of that I am earning a Masters degree.  I am insane.  There is SO much to do, and so little time!  I graded Roots test during my first class and also worked on my syllabus for the ENGL 1010 course which I teach.  At least I can multitask...that makes the evening seem less painful.  Each Tuesday this year I will be at the school for about 14 consecutive hours.  Think of me fondly on Tuesdays, yes? :)  

Community Building...

Today my 10th graders participated in a little community building activity that brought me so much joy.  We finished reading "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket" by Jack Finney,  (I am such the English teacher who must cite her sources), a little tale about a man who goes out on a ledge 11 stories high for a sheet of paper.  I try to simulate the experience in a challenge by choice activity, and the students just eat it up.  It's really just a sneaky way for me to make them think about the story and summarize for me. 

Here are some challenges Tom (ledge man) faced, followed by the replication:

Height No way to replicate 11 stories high in my classroom and not kill a kid :(

Fear There is a tape ledge in front of the room...being in front of your peers is scary!

Cold My box fan, on high

Wind Ditto

Dark A blindfold with some mesh for partial visibility

Vertigo Spin around 10 times before you give it a try! 

Oh, my.  It was an incredible thing to behold.  Many of the students throughout the day took my challenge and tried to walk my ledge.  The premise was they had to walk down 15 feet without touching the tape, and the tape ledge was a little less that the width of a man's foot, up against the wall.  It seems like last year after we did this activity, I had them eating out of my hands. And, what a fun day for me!  I am making friends instead of my enemies out of my class members.  They are seeing each other attempt something grand and supporting that attempt. It was such a fabulous day, seeing my students in this regard.  Even more so, I know that they will remember the gist of this story for a long time.  Teaching rocks.

  

School Daze, et al

In a few weeks I will be teaching once more.  It's interesting because at this point in the summer, I am seized with a feeling that, indeed, I have forgotten how to be a teacher.  There is much to do and much to decide, and I feel far too immature to do or decide any of it. 

I moved out of Elaine and Lamar's last night.  I am going back to Snow on Monday for a wrap up session with Joni.  As I loaded my things into a car and effectively closed this chapter in my life I found myself struck with an incredible sense of melancholy.  I am staying at JHS, and I am happy about this choice, but that does not mean that I do not feel a sense of loss.  It is difficult to explain.  I am giving up something that was never really mine, and that makes me sad.  

I have made "friends" out of some of my former CDJH students.  I see their status updates...my 7th graders now have driver's licenses.  One of the challenges of teaching, for me, is that I see everyone around me gaining more knowledge and grace.  They are constantly moving up and out (i.e. "growing up") and I am left to watch them grow.  I envy the enthusiasm they still have for life.  They are hopeful and focused and fabulous.

When I reached my apartment, a little neighbor boy was in the driveway riding his scooter.  He was desperate for someone to play with or talk to, and he said, "Hey.  Do you have any little kids?"  I told him no and he replied, "Why not?"  He then went on to ask me, "Hey.  When you have kids, what will you name them?"  I was so grateful for his optimism.  No question about it. WHEN you have kids.  It was one of those moments in time that I find myself increasingly grateful for.  

I Wrote a Poem

Today a student handed in what was meant to be a free verse, original poem for points. The student instead handed in part of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself and tried to pass it off as his. I recognized the poem, and asked him about it.  He said, "Well, my dad helped me with it." I googled his poem and came up with the published work online.  He looked shocked.  In fact, he said, "Does that ever happen, when you think the same thing that someone else has already said?" Honestly.  If you want, you can check out the poem online.  

http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_026.htlm

He plagiarized the stanza that reads as follows:

"With music strong I come, with my cornets and my drums,

I play not marches for accepted victors only, I play marches for conquered and slain persons."

Does he really expect me to believe that a 10th grader can use the word "cornet," or the phrase "accepted victors?"

State Speech and Debate

Whahoo!  Juab took 2nd place at State Speech and Debate.  I had a lovely weekend in St. George. The girls whom I coached took 1st and 3rd place in Original Oratory, and we were only 1 point away from taking sweepstakes.  It was a rockin' time overall.  The thing is, though, the weekend wears me out so much that I don't know how I can go back to work on Monday.  I left sunny St. George and came back to not-so Nephi.  And beyond that, I am tired after a week's work.  Life is difficult, I tell you what.  And I am such a complainer.

In other news, we spoke to the Gilberts via Skype today.  It was a first for me, and so nice to be able to have a conversation with them.

Tomorrow begins the last week of third quarter.  I cannot believe it!    

Hmmm.

I promise, I am not going to be nightly blogger.  At least, I don't think so.  There is just something so appealing about logging on and zoning out and venting.  And the thing is, only a few people know about this blog, so it's pretty much like no one is going to read it anyway.  I think.  Please, reply to this post if I am mistaken. :)

Today was an interesting day.  During 3rd hour, I received an email letting me know that JSD (Juab School District) salaries and names had been published on the front page of our local newspaper, The Times News.  What's more?  They posted these in order of highest to lowest, so I did not even make the front page cut.  I have some major mixed feelings.  Why the devil does any one care?  What is the motivation behind such an action?  What does it mean that I am living in a place in which this is front page news?  Why am I only worth half as much as some of those other teachers?  Okay, so I have an answer to that last one.  I am young and only marginally educated.  With age, as teaching becomes easier, my salary will increase.  Thus, in the world of teachers, the more work you do, the less you are worth.  Uggg.